Skip to content

By Heather McKern From Diggers Garden Club Magazine Late Spring Edition 2020. Heather encourages us to increase our intake of dietary plant foods.

The old saying "variety is the spice of life" may be truer than ever. Studies into health are showing that eating at least 30 different plant foods a week  is critical to gut health and considered key to a healthy diet.

Eating a  broad variety of different plants not only increases the amount of fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants we consume. That supports our immune system and lowers our risk of diseases like certain cancers, heart disease, diabetes and mental health issues.

There are six different categories of plant foods that are counted towards our weekly total, and excluding any specific Dietary restrictions we want to include a variety from each group. They are fruit, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and legumes.

To get the most benefit. We want our plants to be as close to their original state as possible. And to be mindful of what we or others do to prepare them before they are eaten. There is little benefit if you are having a large variety of greens in salads everyday but smothering those greens in oil.…

16

By Owen Ibbotson Naturopath

There are many products on the market that promise to relieve, control, manage or attack allergies. These products work by interfering with biochemical responses that happen in the body. One example is antihistamines.

These medications may relieve symptoms by stopping histamine from being released by certain cells in the body.

Though antihistamines are the most common drugs used to treat allergic symptoms, they are not short of side effects. A major side effect is sleepiness. Driving a car or working equipment is not suggested while under the influence of antihistamines.

Further common side effects are dryness of the mouth, nose and throat, blurry vision, faintness, loss of appetite, biliousness, upset stomach, low blood pressure, headache, anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness and loss of coordination.

With all those side effects, you may be looking for other options?

Continue reading to discover my top natural antihistamine foods with benefits…

As a naturopath with 15 years of experience, I have a special interest in the treatment of allergic conditions. I love using natural remedies and food.

Histamine is a biochemical that the body makes on its own. We can also eat diets that are rich in histamine.…

Did You Hear About This Discovery? Our Body Is Home To About 100 Trillion Bacteria And Other Microbes, In And On Our Body Collectively Known As Our Microbiome – 10 Times The Number Of Body Cells And We Have Not Even Known About This In Western Countries Until Recent Times. But Some Countries In Europe Have Been Practicing Healthy Diets Etc To Look After It For Generations. In Doing So, It Confers Many Benefits. This Microbiome Consists Of Healthy And Unhealthy Bacteria And The Ratio Varies From Person To Person. A Healthy Microbiome Is One Of The Reasons Why Some People Are Blessed With Really Good Health. Having A Diet And Sleep And Exercise That Favours Healthy Flora (bacteria) In Your Microbiome Is A Good Way To Ensure Against Things Like Overweight And Cholesterol And Strengthen The Integrity Of Your Immune System.

Looking After Gut Flora (Bacteria)

Have you heard of Kefir and Kombucha, Kimchi and Sauerkraut? They are fermented drinks and food staples you feed and nurture your Microbiome with that favours healthy bacteria over unhealthy bacteria and outnumbers them. So incorporating some practices to multiply them will help them to play a dominant role for you so you enjoy better health.…