diminishing dyspepsia – how to deal with indigestion and bloating

Posted on October 6, 2017 by The Holistic Gardener

Dyspepsia is the medical term for indigestion. Indigestion is a dysfunction of the digestive system linked to excess stomach acid – presenting as the sensation of fullness post meal with varying degrees of intensity of discomfort in the upper abdomen. Sometimes accompanied by heartburn, hiccups, regurgitating, nausea and also bloating and intestinal distress.

It can be a precursor/symptom of gastroenteritis or peptic ulcer – so a check up may be in the cards. Most commonly thought of as a reaction to spicy food but in truth any food can flare up the stomach digestive acids. Indigestion can also be triggered by alcohol consumption and certain prescription medications as well as be symptomatic of pregnancy or stress.

Natural cures for this condition include traditional ‘bitters’ (digestants) such as gentian, dandelion and artichoke. Gentian root and dandelion also augment the digestion of proteins and fats. Milk thistle tincture is very effective but also a simple Yarrow tea is remedial to stomach and digestive complaints.

Carminative herbs such as angelica, chamomile, fennel or lemon balm speed up digestion and reduce gas. Peppermint tea is a supreme digestive, speeding up the process and the time it takes the stomach to empty so cutting short acidic reactions. Lovage root is also a digestive.

Aloe vera juice is not so easy to standardize in the home kitchen from home grown supplies and while it soothes the digestive tract and stomach, it can be laxative or emetic depending on intensity – a tablespoon scoop of the inner gel blitzed in 8ounces of water should be sipped to assay intensity. Store bought is good option.

Kitchen support – Ginger is a digestive – boosting assimilation of food- but can also be really helpful with the ancillary symptoms of nausea, belching, flatulence. you can start to cook more with dill, coriander, basil, caraway, cardamom, rosemary – to stimulate speedy digestion.

While spicy food can exacerbate, some condiments can address discomfort – both black pepper and mustard stimulate the taste buds for extra digesting salvia and also signal secretions of digestive hydrochloric acid within the stomach – which yes is more acid but it works to give quick turn around – the bloating and ancillary complications are really ‘un-digestion’ complications.

Indigestion can persist beyond a post meal flare up and many people find relieve with a grape snack (10 or so will hit the spot) or some slices of apple. Both contain phytochemical that calm digestive upset. Pineapple contains digestive enzymes that can help reduce flare up. Green tea with some honey is a good way to end a meal and deliver some calming principles to the digestive system

some helpful recipes from https://www.mercierpress.ie/irish-books/the-holistic-gardener-natural-cures-for-common-ailments/

No gripes grape, apple and shredded fennel salad.

Ingredients
1/2 cup shredded fennel bulb
10 or so grapes
1 apple
Cream fraiche (or other coating /salad dressing).

Method. Half and chill the grapes. Shred fennel. Peel, cored and diced the apple, toss it in a dash of lemon juice to slow oxidization. Combine all ingredients with a dollop of cream fraiche or sour cream, fold together – serve and enjoy.

Angelica and lemon balm tea

Angelica root is more potent than the leaves but it needs to be properly dried before use – for indigestion purposes the leaf tea delivers the photochemical we require and the flavour is pleasant with lemon balm – also remedial to condition

Method. Gather enough foliage of each plant to yield a chopped teaspoon each– add teaspoon of each to a cup of boiling water, infuse for 10 minutes. Leaves can be harvested in greater quantity and dried to make a blend of equal quantity by volume.

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Processing St John’s wort

Posted on October 4, 2017 by The Holistic Gardener

The medicinal St. John’s Wort is Hypericum perforatum, there are other varieties with some similar make-up but the perforated one is the herbalists go to. As with all herbalism, correct identification is essential. Get a herb book from the library or bookshop and be 100% sure. In the case of this one the ‘perforatum’ is a clue and if you hold a leaf up to the light you will notice it’s pretty pattern of pin-pricks (perforations).

Herbal medicines can interact with conventional medicines and some even have side effects- always check with a qualified naturopath, herbalist or other holistic health profession to set dosage/duration and take any other advisement based upon your personal circumstances and case history.

Infused oil – This is a simple sunshine method to extract the healing phytochemicals contained within the flowers. Pick the blossoms and let them slightly wilt on the kitchen table for a couple of hours (or overnight) to let the excess moisture evaporate. Then place the wilted flower heads into a mason jar or clean jam jar and cover the contents with olive or rapeseed oil). Add a few extra glugs so that the petals are submerged under an inch of extra oil. Lid and shake. Then place in a sunny window for 4weeks. You can shake or swirl every second or third day. recipes

As with most sun infused recipes there is a colour change to the oil or to the flowers (as the phytochemicals leech out) that denotes it is ‘cooked’ and ready for use. In the case of St john’s wort the oil will turn red – a blood red (hence is naming after a Christian martyr saint). After for weeks strain out the flower heads and store the oil in a dry dark press.

Tincture: Almost as above but instead cover fresh flowers with vodka- shake every day, strain solids out after 4 weeks. The traditional dosage is 15 – 20 drops, 2-3 times daily.

Tisane/ Tea: Simply steep 2 – 3 teaspoons of fresh petals in just off the boil water for 4-7 minutes, strain the flowers out and sip at your leisure. It can be flavoured with a hint of honey or lemon but it has an inherently subtle lemony taste anyway.

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mindful eating is the best sauce

Posted on October 3, 2017 by The Holistic Gardener

Its not just what you eat its how you eat that can fulfil you and keep you healthy.

Mindful eating is about connection with your food, with the goodness of it, the aroma, the taste sensation, the vibrancy of colours, the mouth feel of textures, the nutrition within it essential to life – with one of the essential experiences of life.

Take time to slow the process. Look at the meal, really see it. Its simplicity or its elegance. The colour and texture pallet before it hits your palate unnoticed. Let its aroma find you. A big part of taste is fragrance. Anticipate the taste. Take that first bite and savour the taste experience. Don’t rush to gulp – rather experience the sensations (taste, smell, feel, and even temperature – hot soup, cold ice-cream – all this data adds to the experience). Eat each mouthful mindfully. Savour it. Enjoy it from moment to moment to moment.

Try this exercise: contrast tastes, contrast sensations.

Mindful eating is more than deliberate, conscious eating is allowing the full potential of your self to experience the full potential of the meal – so while we eat and know we are eating, eat and know it is nutritionally restoring us, eat for the pleasure of it, we should also eat the reality of it. This exercise connects us to the reality of difference, to the diversity of sensation in eating and reminds how rich the living experience is.

Taste a finger dab of salt – experience it (really taste and acknowledge its saltiness). There is no mistaking saltiness. Now taste a finger dab of sugar – experience it – how different it is to salt. Not better, not worse. Different. Taste salt in all its saltiness and sugar in all its sugariness.

Now find a range of items to taste/experience that have contrast but the task is not to compare but to experience their uniqueness. It can be hard to separate honey, sugar and toffee out from personal preference so by juxtaposing with contrast sensations we can discern the difference without judgement and so find the uniqueness of each.

Expand beyond taste to other sensations. Sip some hot tea, then follow with an ice pop. Have a hard biscuit followed with a soft yoghurt. Experience taste and sensation of each as if for the first time – it may even be the first time you really tasted this. We may munch toast for a speedy breakfast and swill it back with coffee but did we really taste the bread, feel the crunch or the soft warmth where the butter melted. Did we enjoy the chewiness of it. Or was it um um gone.

This exercise is priming the brain to reconnect again with food. Don’t think you know what food tastes like – taste it mindfully and you will know in that moment. Taste it mindfully next week and you will know it again. Experience it each time.

This is building capacity to experience life in all the moments of it. if you can taste , you can see, you can feel, you can love, you can be.

To explore more – https://www.gillbooks.ie/spirit/spirit/by-time-is-everything-revealed

 

 

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soothing psoriasis the natural way

Posted on October 3, 2017 by The Holistic Gardener

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory, noncontagious skin disease. The condition accelerates the rate at which skin cells are produced, turned over and shed from the skin –from a normal monthly cycle to a weekly one and even shorter. That fast turn over results in blotching, scaling and discomfort. The name is from the Greek word psōra meaning itch – the name is apt.

Most people develop psoriasis in their teens or early twenties or later in life after fifty. There are a few forms but the most common is known as plaque psoriasis which manifests as the distinctive patches of raised reddish skin, covered with a whitish silver layer that eventually scales. Outbreaks are prominent at elbows, knees, scalp and the lower back. Complications can include restricted joint motion – in fact the condition is in the same family as arthritis and about 10% of cases go on to develop psoriatic arthritis.

Garden treatment – The old traditions would have a compress of steamed but cooled comfrey foliage as remedial aid to itch or a lightly steamed cabbage compress as both soothing and antiseptic. Today topical applications of evening primrose oil and borage oil is highly recommended to alleviate some of the itch and inflammation of psoriasis – you can easily make health shop supplies of the oil into creams, lotions, salves or balms. If you have my beauty book there’s plenty of adaptable recipes in that. also check out gla (gamma lioenic acid) in food or supplement.

Kitchen support– The oleic acid and omega-9 fatty acids in olive oil if added to your diet can suppress inflammation and flare ups. Dont drink cups of it – just a drizzle on salads. Think also of foods that contain psoralen, a compound beneficial to supporting the body’s own defenses to psoriasis and eczema. Psoralen rich foods include Figs, fennel, carrots, celery, celeriac, coriander, carrots, parsnips and parsley.

Oatmeal has plenty of nutrients to support the body through stress and inflammation but a cup of it in with your bathwater is soothing to skin and beneficial to relief. vinegar is also a non steroidal antiinfallatory as a direct spritz on treatment – add some lavender or rosemary to the bottle to change the aroma and to add beneficial phytochemicals that are also anti-inflammatory.

Geranium, rose and chamomile body wash for irritated skin conditions. An extract remedy recipe from beauty treatments from the garden

Essential oil of pot geranium reduces inflammation of skin and controls infection of wounds – infusions, flower essences and petal maceration also works well. Rose is both tonic and soothing to skin while chamomile is great with all complexion types and it is gentle on seborrhoea and helps flush toxins from skin capillaries.

Ingredients:
1 litre distilled/spring water
½ bar of natural soap (approx. 50g)
2 cups of chamomile flowers
2 cups rose petals
1 cup geranium flowers and foliage
2 tablespoons vegetable glycerin

Method. To a lidded pot add the floral content and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for ½ hr. Allow to cool fully. Strain away flowers (discard or utilize mixed with honey to produce a face mask or skin patch). Grate the soap into the infusion and bring liquid to boil again – stirring the soap until fully dissolved – hand whisking or hand blender is ok. Stir in glycerine. Let settle overnight.

Next day – If too thick and not right sort of gloopy – you can slowly add extra water or witch hazel to improve consistency or you can blend again to break up into better decanting viscosity. Will store for 1 year but it’s generally used within months if not weeks of making. Different natural soaps deliver different outcomes so always shake well or stir before each use.

 

for similar recipes try https://www.mercierpress.ie/irish-books/the-holistic-gardener-beauty-treatments-from-the-garden/

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Negating Neuralgia

Posted on September 30, 2017 by The Holistic Gardener

Neuralgia is a medical term that defines any pain originating from a nerve. Most often manifesting as a stabbing, sharp or burning pain. A lot of pain is ‘referred’ and this is more than true with neuralgia – meaning while you experience it in your foot its source may be back at a trapped nerve in your vertebrae – as with sciatica.

Trigeminal neuralgia affects one side of the face often triggered by a blood vessel pressing down on the trigeminal nerve. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia can strike not only the throat and tongue but be ‘referred’ to the ear or neck – occasioned by pressure or injury to the glossopharyngeal nerve.

Analgesics help but the emphasis should be on nerve health. When it comes to nervine herbs there are two paths – and both get you there – firstly nervine tonics aka trophorestoratives which build up nerve health and function and secondly Nervine relaxants that soothe nerve endings and calm signalling.

Garden treatments. Gamma linoleic acid (GLA) is an anti-inflammatory agent that also helps with pain sensitivity and pain perception – it is in borage oil, and evening primrose oil. Mint in culinary terms suppresses neuralgia but also in topical rubs can lessen pain signals by disrupting perception with their cool sensations. Analgesic herbs such as Lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus and chamomile in essential oil or sun infused oil form can also be beneficial in topical applications. Meadowsweet tea is pain relieving.

Potent nervine tonic herbs include borage and St john’s wort while relaxants (some also are adaptogens so there is extra benefit by their lowering of stress levels) include lavender, lemon balm, chamomile, hops, skullcap and passionflower. Lemon balm is particular effective for neuralgia.

Kitchen support. Eating chilies depletes substance p- the signal system of pain. Celery has phytochemicals that soothe neuralgic pain signals – so as you like – soup, juiced, braised or Waldorf salad. Oats are nervine. Dairy and other foods with calcium and magnesium can relax effected muscle and take the pressure off nerve endings. B-vitamins especially b1, b2 and biotin support nerve function and are nervine in nature – oats.

Mushrooms, avocados, sunflower seeds, Swiss chard all with good supply. Almonds , berries and bananas not only have biotin but analgesic/sedative properties. Vitamin e from avocados, seeds, nuts, whole grains and vegetable oils (particularly wheat-germ and sunflower oil) is essential for nerve health and recovery. Omega 3 oils are involved in the manufacture/process of GLA – great for nerve health and also to alleviate your pain.

GLA-D tidings sweet chili sauce (with GLA and vit d)
For pain relief and mood elevation

Ingredients
100g of chillies (mild to medium is good for this, but if you like it hot go for it)
420g sugar
10fl oz red wine vinegar
2 red bell peppers
1 large tomato
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoons of grated ginger
2 leaves of lemon balm
2 tablespoons of borage oil (or 3 of evening primrose oil).
2 table spoons of honey
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1tablespon of coconut oil
water

Method. Half and deseed bell peppers – grease with olive oil and cook on a high heat until skin charcoals and can be removed. Meantime grate ginger, deseed tomato and roughly chop, slice and deseed chilies, deskin garlic and roughly chop and shred lemon balm – bring all of these to a boil in the vinegar and salt and simmer for 10minutes. Add a dash of water if required. Add the sugar, stil until it dissolves. Add a dash of water if required. Remove skins from bell pepper – roughly chop and add to blender, pour the cooked chilli mix into blender and puree. Finally add borage oil and the coconut oil and pulse again. Decant to storage contains and enjoy. Keeps best in fridge – a week plus – but won’t last that long once you have it on chips or some suitably healthy alternative

my books related to topic
• some of the information here comes courtesy of https://www.mercierpress.ie/irish-books/the-holistic-gardener-natural-cures-for-common-ailments/
• for mindful techniques to swich off pain and stress try https://www.gillbooks.ie/spirit/spirit/by-time-is-everything-revealed

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beat back backache

Posted on September 28, 2017 by The Holistic Gardener

We gardeners are prone to the odd bout of backache, only natural given the physicality of the hobby/occupation we enjoy. And sometimes it is a mere mild strain that can be walked off or which dissipates within minutes. Other times it is a pull or overworking that requires a change of activity and some heat to remedy. The ache can signify a more pronounced injury (slipped discs, torn ligaments etc.) that will require recuperation and the attention of a medical professional.

Lumbar/Lower back pain is certainly the commonest type of backache that gardeners suffer. That region is the hinge of the majority of our gardening activities and as such prone to experience overuse and strain, thus triggering tension and stiffness as a defence mechanism or warning sign and if unheeded or not noticed in the fervour of getting the last of the bulbs in, it slips easily over that line into soreness and then on to definite pain. The lumbar region itself is hinged by five vertebrae that act to support the entire weight of your upper body. That weight is added to any incorrect postural stance when strimming, pruning roses or digging over and it compounds strain when you misadventure into the realm of bending awkwardly or lifting incorrectly. Ergonomic posture is vital to avoid backache becoming a regular feature of your gardening activities.

Upper and middle back pain is rarer, or at least rarely to do with action injuries (bending awkwardly or lifting incorrectly) that gardeners might contribute towards. The vertebrae here, known as the thoracic vertebrae are not required to move and flex as the lumbar vertebrae do and the ache which can range from dulled stiffness to a sharp or burning sensation is more likely a result of a pinched nerve or referred lung or rib pain. That said poor task-posture can trigger upper and middle back pain so when trimming the top of a hedge or similar chore, do try to keep your back as straight as possible, always balance your weight evenly on both feet and take frequent breaks in activity.

First response: Depending upon the depth of pain, a rub to flush some blood into the muscle involved is ideal and a ‘walk-off’ may just do the trick. But if inflamed and walking it off is not an option then an ice pack will be required to reduce swelling and numb pain. Over the counter pain relief (aspirin, ibuprofen etc.) are the norm.

Top tip: When applying an ice pack always wrap it in a towel or cloth, any barrier to direct skin contact and never use for more than 20mines at a time. Breaks of 30-45mins between icing periods are advised. Cold therapy only works on day one so if pain/ache still there next day, utilizing heat packs or counterirritant salves can provide relief.

Garden aid: Many garden plants can be utilized as natural pain relief in tea and tincture form including angelica, bay, birch, lavender, motherwort, peppermint, skullcap, St. John’s wort, valerian and of course willow bark (the original aspirin). But also many over the counter creams and rubs for back pain contain methyl salicylates from the mint family or directly employ arnica, eucalyptus, rosemary or wintergreen.


Quick relief quick salve – for backache, sciatica, tired limbs and sore muscles

Cayenne spice stimulates endorphin production when taken internally but also to a degree when absorbed through skin. Topically it is analgesic and anti-inflammatory – Simply mix a teaspoon of it with a teaspoon of ground ginger, a teaspoon of dried mint (the latter two also beneficial to pain relief and toxin flushing) with 2 tablespoons of vodka/brandy and a tablespoon spoon of petroleum jelly or aqueous solution (or alternate base of Shea butter or coconut oil). I warm the spoon in boiling water to help slightly melt and blend all the ingredients – Mix well and smear over painful site. The generated heat and pain modifying properties offer relief, especially beneficial after initial cold therapy. You can boost the potency of this recipe by substituting the alcohol content with tincture of analgesic herbs – try one or combo of arnica, wintergreen, feverfew.

All of the other gardeners maladies are covered in http://www.omahonys.ie/v2/r_prod_info.php?p=395265

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tackling tinnitus

Posted on September 28, 2017 by The Holistic Gardener

Tinnitus is the condition of ringing, buzzing or other auditory sensations in the ears, most often triggered by exposure to loud noise or a side effect of ear-wax blockage. However it can manifest as a prolonged or recurring experience due to age-related hearing loss, an injury to the ear or a circulatory disorder. The ringing sound is the dying of somatosensory neurons.

Tinnitus is also present in as much as 90 per cent of people suffering from the metabolic condition known as hyperinsulinemia (increased levels of insulin in the bloodstream), one of the precursors to type 2 diabetes. It can all present with fibromyalgia, menopause and stress related illnesses.

When it comes to herbal treatments there is nothing to stop the sensation or switch off the ringing – it just has to play itself out – but there are options to better improve circulation to the ear and support those somatosensory neurons. A tincture of black cohosh or gingko tea can be employed as a circulatory tonic beneficial for tinnitus. Hawthorn is also great at boosting peripheral circulation.

Treating the inner ear: To relieve some of the pressure and potential for episode, remove any excess wax and treat ear infections by putting a few drops of room temperature olive oil into the ear canal. The oil can be boosted by infusion with ‘ear herbs’ – mullein, garlic and mint are the traditional recommendations, but lavender, geranium and calendula are also suitable – all antimicrobial. The oil will gently melt any excess wax and allow it to seep out over the next few hours and the medicated oil will treat infections.

Foods and supplements with gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) are worth considering. Amongst other things Gla is metabolised in the body to formdihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), a vital component in the production of prostaglandin E1. That’s the hormone-like chemical active in immune-system response, inflammation control and stable blood pressure – all actions helpful to tinnitus.

DGLA also prevents platelets from sticking together, improves blood flow and strengthens blood vessel tone – even more good news for tinnitus. The highest source of GLA is borage oil, followed by blackcurrant oil and then evening primrose oil.

Borage oil can be up to five times more potent than evening primrose oil. The issue with borage oil is that cold-pressed home-produced oils can contain amabiline and other unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are not good for the liver at all – but store-bought oil is standardised and safe.

The diet connection; If you like to get your healing via the Kitchen then Ginger can address the dizziness that sometimes accompanies tinnitus and also improves natural defences against the underlying conditions that contribute to ringing in the ears. Sesame seeds have a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine to address tinnitus.

Reducing salt intake can help. Excess salt increases blood pressure and restricts blood vessels – including in the ear canal. Avoid monosodium glutamate (MSG), which metabolises in the body to become an excitatory neuro-transmitter. It triggers neurons to keep firing until they deplete and die off – including neurons that line and facilitate the auditory pathway. Other flavour enhancers, notably artificial sweeteners, can act likewise.

Cut out the saturated and trans-fats that reduce blood flow and opt for unsaturated fats (vegetable, nut and fish sources), which can help increase blood flow and lower blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and diminish pain perception.

Other options; A white noise app can help regulate sleep patterns disturbed by tinnitus and alleviate ringing as it happens. Mindfulness exercises can help you dial down stress and diminish the episodes of tinnitus.

 

my books related to topic

 

 

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the polar bear thing

Posted on September 27, 2017 by The Holistic Gardener

The brilliant thing is that when you engage with life on the mindful level you experience more of life. Even in the mundane things. It is not that dishwashing becomes a Zen experience every time, it can be just a chore some days too but living through the chore (as well as the treats) gifts a sort of mind control, your returning to the smell of the ylang ylang and lavender detergent and/or the warm dish water focuses and sharpens the mind/body/spirit – because it brings you into the now – into your alert self.

Learning to get there more often means that instead of a fantasy ‘happy place’ to hide in a bubble away from your troubles you can confront your troubles with your full attention – your full intention – your full potential. Going to your alert zone more frequently strengthens its power, gets the grip on reality tighter than a handshake from a vote garbing politician. It puts you in charge.

Enhancing that state of mind and getting to switch it on when needed means self empowerment – so that when emotions or stress arises you can return to your self and not get swept away by it all. The overwhelming bits of life will not be so overwhelming; or better we can make the overwhelming experiences be the awe-inspiring ones not the devastating/distracting ones. Those thoughts that arise are not suppressed they are noticed and moved on from, there is no judgement. Just acknowledgement and acceptance.

It is this trick – and I really want you to try hard – it is important to focus and act accordingly – there is only one thing I am asking – Do not think of a polar bear – Do not under any circumstance picture in your mind a polar bear. Go!

Ok so what did you do – same as everybody else, your mind pulled out the polar snapshots. Your brain can not stop thoughts, but you can chose to not linger. If I had said look there is a polar bear, you may or may not have glanced, you may or may not have given it some though, you may have looked –noticed and acknowledged – and then continued about your business. That is how mindfulness works – Ok there is a polar bear. Next. Ok I am feeling a bit a sad. Next. Ok I am anxious or feeling pain. Next. No need to dwell on anything. Next.

This does not mean you become flippant or deadened, this simply means that you can filter out the noise and nonsense – so that instead of distractively thinking about the to do list or the hard done by list, you can recognise that the polar bear is picking up pace and you can remember how to start the ski mobile.

quick mindfulness exercise. Follow your inhale in and your exhale out for a few moments – say 5 times. Then repeat but in it, feel calm and in control, your breath is life, you are alive, you are in control of being calm right now. This is refreshing (revitalizing) and relaxing you too. Just focus on the breath – in and out. Life at its simplest. That’s a mindful meditation 101.

Ok now lets graduate. Do that again get into the breathing alertly zone. do it for while longer then When you have a thought crop up that disrupts the focused attentiveness just notice that you have had it and let it go, return to your breathing and your attention on that. Repeating this practice over days and weeks improves your cognitive function and gives skills beneficial for the rest of your life – it teaches the brain to not linger on thoughts. It strengthens your capacity to drop negative or repetitive thoughts. It gives you options.

When every you engage in a mindful practice – each time thoughts come back you counter by just coming back to awareness of what you are actually doing. When you are emotional just notice the emotion – not trying to deepen it and not trying to push it away – just come back to awareness of what you are doing. let the negative be and you can just be. Undisturbed by it all. Unhindered in how you really want to live.

Your mind has the tendency to drift, that’s ok and if the aimless thoughts are not taking you to dark plavces or judgement then that’s ok too but when you need to call upon your focus then through mindfulness, If you drift you will catch it and come back to the task in hand. This new efficiency is all about YOU getting the most from life. From your Life.

Pain – emotional or physical – can catch you unawares but awareness through mindfulness can help you catch that thought before it becomes a deep feeling and triggered behaviour or notice that pain with our recourse to frustration, anger or anxiety. Yes there is the polar bear but ‘vroom vroommm baby I’m outta here’. Next!

for more mindful and positive psychology techniques https://www.gillbooks.ie/spirit/spirit/by-time-is-everything-revealed

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Mindfulness as pain management

Posted on September 27, 2017 by The Holistic Gardener

You would easily be forgiven for not knowing that the original scientific studies around mindfulness and stress reduction were in relation to chronic pain sufferers. We hear so much of mindfulness as a sort of spiritual Sudoku or as a chill-zone gateway that we may forget or neglect to utilize its deep therapeutic benefits to life’s serious problems – from trauma recovery to chronic pain management to alleviating emotional and thought-pattern complications.

In relation to chronic pain including fibromyalgia we can find in it a very useful resource – not just for management of pain but for redirection in our life away from pain. I will often post something that says ‘coping with …’ and what ever the ‘….’ is (dandruff, candida, winter vomiting bug) I will give health tips to treat it – but when it comes to chronic pain I don’t like the idea of coping with. Because you can do more than cope. You can move beyond.

I know pain; I’ve fallen down enough mountainsides, out of enough trees and had enough bike spills and other tendon shredding, bone-breaking, dislocating, nerve-damaged incidences requiring months and in one case years of rehabilitation. The heavy duty drugs from the GP and the leaflet with a support group number is the traditional coping strategy within conventional medicine. Nothing against support groups – there do amazing work that should be funded as part of a functioning health care system – but sometimes they are the GPs exit strategy from your continued care. And yes some GPs are brilliant and invested and pull out all the stops despite institutionalized obstacles but some haven’t a clue about what fibromyalgia is actually like for a patient beyond a textbook definition and some don’t want to know – “next!”.

For me – I used herbs and foods to regulate my recovery and I leaned into breath control, mindful exercises and positive psychology to get my mind-set right, to go beyond coping and take charge. I still have residual pain and nerve flare ups but my emotions and thoughts don’t flare up with it and without the chemistry of anger and frustration in my bloodstream I find the episodes no long disrupt my life – I may lose a few minutes or an hour or two to a sensation episode or even a day or more if my back clicks out but after the fact I am back on track quick. And during the fact I am often still working, still listening to music, still cooking, still gardening, still laughing and having my life. Ok it’s not easy for everyone to switch into a different mode and it took me time to get there but it’s so worth the baby steps if you fear the strides.

What’s the deal – there are quite a few techniques and I will post plenty (Search under keywords pain and fibro) but firstly here I just wanted to look at some of the overall benefits of mindful practices which not only help adjust how your brain perceives pain but which also negate the frustration, irritability, depression and anxiety/stress that often accompanies chronic persistent pain.

In recent years mindfulness techniques have become validated and utilized as tools for mental and physical health by health professionals and support groups globally. Mindfulness improves mental health by giving us control over our mind by allowing us to choose to calmly respond or simply let go of thoughts arising before they become deep seated feelings.

The acceptance and letting go processes in mindfulness cuts out the aversion and avoidance cycles that add to psychological disturbance, stop the thought from becoming a feeling and forming an emotional hook into your brain and how you experience the world. The breathe techniques are grounding and the embracement of forgiveness, loving kindness and gratitude can reframe self-worth and also perception of the world.

Councillors and psychotherapists often recommend mindfulness meditation to treat depression, anxiety disorders, addiction / substance abuse, eating disorders, self-harm and other obsessive-compulsive behaviour but it is brilliant for pain control and pain perception and to address how we react to our pain. how to better respond rather than react.

Mindfulness practices improve physical health by relieving stress, lowering blood pressure, releasing endorphins, improving sleep, providing a sense of wellbeing and happiness. GPs and support groups often advocate mindfulness for a range of medical conditions. apart from the physical benefits of summoning a sense of wellbeing , mindfulness lets you Know yourself and be yourself rather than be defined by your illness – mental or physical. Mindfulness takes away a mind full of adversity and emotional clutter and allows a purer you to find peace, clarity and resilience – to have the capacity for life – there is nothing more healing than that.

With chronic pain, mindfulness helps us notice those processes which switch on flare ups and catch quickly the triggers that amp up the volume of pain and distress. Mindfulness can also help loosen the emotional impact of pain and loose the time we spend in its company, helping us notice it but not dwell in it, feel it but not be felled by it. There are techniques to help dissolve pain and I will explore that too but for now taking a chance or making a change is empowering. Investigating mindfulness as a pain solution will give you input into how you live not just with your condition but live beyond it

If you need a bit of inspiration to take the step toward a change of mindset and a more lived life- see http://bit.ly/by-time-change

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Replying to Oral lichen planus

Posted on September 26, 2017 by The Holistic Gardener

Oral lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the mucous membranes inside your mouth. It may present as white, lacy patches; with reddened, swollen tissues; or it can manifest as open sores or lesions. The condition can cause a burning sensation, pain and on-going discomfort.

I recently had a person contact me with it to inquire about for herbs to boost the immune system. My advice was and is don’t do that – OLP is possibly an autoimmune disorder (jury still out in some quarters) but certainly it is a case of white blood cells attacking the wrong things. So improving your white cell count could do more harm.

Although it has nothing to do with poor oral hygiene – regular dental hygienist cleans were helpful. I know it may be difficult to brush and gargle with the symptoms but don’t slacken off. Avoid alcohol based mouth washes and maybe try a kid’s toothpaste (milder).

There was some research I read a while back about turmeric easing the flare ups of mouth illnesses and also its capacity to strengthening gum and tongue health – I’m not a ‘google it’ fan but check that out. You could easily make a home turmeric mouthwash.

My personal advice would be to note and deal with the triggers – that may be certain foods and beverages that set if off – cut them out. All food may irritate in a flare up but if spicy foods or acidic foods have you on fire for a week then enough of the spice and tomatoes.

Corticosteroids are often prescribed to reduce inflammation related to oral lichen planus and there are other drugs that lower the immune system to tackle the condition but like most autoimmune conditions – stress is the main trigger to flare ups. Get to a yoga class, do some mindfulness or meditation, chill with a box set regularly – whatever busts that stress will help ( but not wine and cigarettes).

Homemade rosemary mouth was is great to cleanse and refresh but also to be a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. Oil pulling with coconut oil (rich in pain relieving and anti-inflammatory properties) is beneficial to many but a bit stinging to some. So while there is no magic bullet – taking care of your general health and de-stressing will minimize flare ups.

I do explore mouth and gum complaints in more depth in the beauty book including the linked-in ailments of bleeding, inflammation and gingivitis that accompany OLP. If it’s not in your local library try here https://www.mercierpress.ie/irish-books/the-holistic-gardener-beauty-treatments-from-the-garden/

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