Just Humans Being...

  I like to take responsibility for my own health and believe that our reaction to a virus depends on the condition of our immune system. If it isn't tip-top then we will be susceptible to any germs going, but if we look after ourselves then we can avoid getting ill or at least reduce the impact. Of course, if you listen to today's medical experts you will see things differently, but bear in mind these guys have been trained by the big pharmaceutical industries who want to make mega bucks from their wares, so it's in their interests to fund and build medical schools to steer the minds of those who are drawn to the profession. I'm afraid I don't trust any of them, even if their intentions are well meaning. I love the books of the old doctors, those who used their intuition to assist people to heal, who learnt from their ancestors and understood the power we all have to heal ourselves.  It's been a while since I had a cold, but after a nasty mosquito (I presume) b...

We've been busy with lots of Spring cleans just lately, mainly with older people who seem to be suffering with colds, flu or chest infections. Over & over we have the same conversation about garlic & what an amazing healer it is... Long term use of garlic boosts the immune system, it also has antibacterial, antiviral & antifungal properties. It can prevent & treat colds, lower blood pressure, prevent heart attacks & strokes. It can be beneficial in the treatment of yeast infections, allergies, diabetes & even cancer. We've used it to reduce fevers - puréed garlic taped to the soles of your feet at night will work wonders!  We eat at least one clove each every day - raw in houmous & it goes into our main meals, a couple of cloves get cooked up with onions & then another couple go in the dish right at the end.   People always get concerned about the smell, but if you eat it daily it doesn't - your breath will only smell of garlic if you just...

Why is it that when people brag about something, it often backfires on them? We seem to have found ourselves in the company of quite a few poorly friends & customers this week. Not only that, but wherever we've been - there has been someone nearby, coughing & sneezing... The problem is that Sime often gets very smug about this & loves to tell anyone who'll listen; that he no longer has colds because he made the decision not to have them any more! He hasn't had one for about 2 years, but I kept saying to him that: 1) It's not very nice to say things like that to people who are ill & 2) I thought he might be "tempting fate"... Well, guess what happened - he woke up yesterday with a rattling chest, cough & cold!!! Now I'm not at all unsympathetic, but I can't help but think that it kind of serves him right (Sorry Hubster xx). He is genuinely ill (of course, no sign of man flu whatsoever), but did manage to get up yesterday because h...

What a relief it was to find Claire the herbalist! She was (& probably still is) very knowledgeable about the thyroid function & was impressed with what I had prescribed myself, she had a lovely calming effect on me & made me feel secure in what I was doing. It was so nice to have someone else to lean on (other than Sime), someone who understood me & shared my views on the way we live. We agreed that if at any point she felt that the herbal treatment ceased working, then I would probably have to consider the conventional route. She also opened up communication with my GP & with my agreement, they shared information on my treatment & results, etc. Great! Claire treated me for 18 months, constantly tweaking the tinctures & although it did work - I just couldn't remain stable. She didn't fail - it was just my body wasn't ready to recover & another thing I didn't see at the time - was that I was under a lot of stress with extended family ...

I was first diagnosed with Graves Disease (an auto-immune disorder which causes the thyroid to become over active, also known as hyperthyroidism) in December 2005, although looking back - my symptoms started way before... Terrible mood swings, with totally unreasonable behaviour, intolerance to heat, profuse sweating, constant hunger, weight loss, muscle weakness & palpitations. It all came on so gradually at first, that I hardly noticed it! It wasn't until I was out Christmas shopping in Truro on a freezing cold day, stripped down to a T-Shirt & sweat dripping off my nose - that alarm bells suddenly kicked in... That night we did some research on the internet: either I was going through an early menopause or I had hyperthyroidism, another symptom was suggested in the research... A goitre (when the thyroid becomes enlarged), we had a look at my neck & sure enough there was a swelling - why hadn't I noticed it before? I had choked a few times while eating & put...