Author: admin

Now wash your hands! How a good sandwich is made

Leave a comment

GLL logo (Web Version)

  • Discover why outrage from a daily newspaper is misplaced
  • Here is the truth about the horror within your sandwich
  • Are you happy living where even cheese isn’t really cheese?

Oh for pity’s sake people let’s get a bit of realism here can’t we?

Last week the Daily Mail had an expose of a factory in Nottinghamshire where pre-packed sandwiches are made – and the horror that the workers didn’t wear gloves.

Rather than have the workforce donning plastic or rubber coverings the owners insisted on clean bare hands.

Amazingly there was an uproar about this, with claims that no-one should be eating sandwiches that were being made in such unhygienic conditions…

…really, that’s the reason not to eat a shop bought pack of sandwiches!

Back in 2005 I told you about the anti-salt campaigners, CASH, declaring that these products should carry health warnings for the salt content alone.

The advice is that an adult should eat no more than 6g per day, yet the Waitrose sausage, egg and bacon pack contained 4.17g, the Tesco all day breakfast not far behind on 4g and even the nation’s favourite cheese ploughman’s from Boots wading in at 3.5g.

Surely this was something to get upset by rather than the potential state of someone’s fingernails.

The health risks from pre-packaged sandwiches have been highlighted in several newspapers, with The Times featuring the headline ‘Cheese and pickle sandwich and a heart attack’ in 2009 and a Which statement from the same year reporting that ‘apparently healthy options’ such as chicken are not as good as they seem, with a herb chicken and rocket sandwich from Pret A Manger containing the same levels of fat as a Big Mac burger.

Again the level of public outrage was barely more than a tut and shake of the head.

As a nation we consume over 2 billion shop bought sandwiches each year in the UK amounting to around £4 billion of revenue (interestingly the revenue from the sales of cookbook and recipe books accounts for a mere £90 million by comparison).

Now that is big business, and it is growing as more of us seek out a quick and satisfying lunch that we eat at our desks.

The lunch hour is a thing of the past, and even making your own sandwiches is less popular now than it has ever been.

But you really should know what it is that you are eating.

The horror within

Once you begin to look into the factory-made sandwich business you realise that a grubby fingernail and too much salt are just the tip of the iceberg.

How does blood gel, wheat starch and chemical colourants sound as a filling for you?

Understandably you might not choose that over a nice ham sandwich, but guess what, they are one and the same thing.

By combining blood plasma proteins, starch, flavourings, colourants, a raft of preservatives and shredded pork fat, allowing it to set then slicing it really fine, you would have ‘reconstituted meat’.

This is what you will see on the ingredients panel of a pack of sarnies.

The British Sandwich Association (who else would you turn to for the statistics!) say that the most popular sandwich filling in the UK is chicken, followed by cheese and with egg a distant third.

If only we could rely on them being what they say they are.

WARNING: If you love a chicken sandwich look away now!

Most cheap chicken is of the reformed type. By that I don’t mean it was once a chicken who made bad life choices then found its place back in society…

…I’m talking about birds (including guts, bones and feet) being minced, pushed through a sieve, slaked with salt, steamed to plump up the mixture then placed into moulds to ‘form’ a breast portion.

This is then sliced and mixed with a gloop containing yet more salt, high fructose corn syrup and starch to make the popular coronation chicken filling.

Mmm race you to Tesco’s for that one!

Even cheese isn’t safe

You would think that a nation of artisan cheese makers like Britain would be fiercely proud of our industry…

…but the quest for increasing profits overrides national sentiment!

Rather than use whole milk to make curds that are then left to mature for weeks and months, the alternative is to mix oil in with the milk, add yet more starch and compress the mixture to make processed ‘cheese food’ in a matter of hours.

None of this sounds appetising when laid out in this way, but pack it up in a pretty box, sit it in a refrigerated display case and hear the tills ring.

We should be thankful that there are no rubber gloves in the sandwich factory because the chances are they would end up in the mix as well – perhaps the most authentic and tasty part of it!

Sadly our society now seems to accept poor quality food as standard and is happy to fork out the huge prices for it.

Rather than get up a little earlier and cut up a nice box of fresh salad, pull together a proper ham sandwich and an apple for the grand price of about a pound, many folk prefer to queue at a shop, pay five times as much and get ‘meat gel’ and salt laden starch.

Daily Mail readers I encourage you to be reviled by the sandwich factory, but maybe not for the reasons you thought you were.

Yours, as always

Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter

www.shop.goodlifeletter.com
www.goodlifeletter.com

Category: Health & Wellbeing

You need to understand the power of green thumbs

Leave a comment

GLL logo (Web Version)

  • Don’t miss out on this simple home solution to getting the best food
  • Have you been a victim of food fraud and fakery?
  • Why you should NEVER trust a label

 

After a few days in Devon with friends and family I was pleasantly surprised when I returned to Chez Collins.

Over the weekend much had happened in the garden.

My potatoes were breaking through the ridges, the summer cabbages had flourished and the broad beans were racing away after just a few warm n’ wet days.

A sight to behold.

I don’t care whether you have a full sized allotment, a few places amongst the flower borders or a window box, there is no joy greater than seeing healthy vegetables growing.

Well, actually the greater delight is the one where you pick your crop and eat it fresh from the soil…

…there truly is no better feeling.

Knowing that the minerals and vitamins are at optimum levels, taste and texture maximised and vibrant colours adding to a visual feast on the plate make a few hours of caring all worthwhile.

Of course we shouldn’t overlook one other major benefit.

I am a man who works hard for my pennies (believe me these letters don’t just write themselves you know!) and I like to keep them in my pocket for as long as possible.

Handing over my hard earned cash at a supermarket till fills me with dread – and it looks like thousands of us have been seriously ripped off when we do so.

Let me explain how our big shops are offering discounts but still earn more than they would normally, plus are destroying our countryside in the process.

Misleading Multibuys & Shameless Shopping Subterfuge

The consumer magazine Which? has revealed that shoppers who think they are being savvy by seeking out special offers are more likely being ripped off than saving money.

Supermarkets advertising huge savings are actually breaking the law by creating the illusion of thrift, and I hope the full weight of the law is brought to bear.

A few examples featured in the Times on May 19th such as Hovis bread being sold by Asda at a special price of £1… the problem is that before the price offer was announced the loaf cost £1 anyway!

Others such as Tesco selling a box of 100 Twinings Tea Bags for £4.40 then putting the price up to £4.49 when they reduced the pack size to 80 bags.

Two for one offers featured a lot in the rip off list, especially when the sellers claimed that the goods were priced at a much higher level than they were before the offer period, for example our friends from Asda again with a Robinsons fruit squash previously available at £1 each being sold as two for £2.50 (as they claimed it was previously available at £1.59 each!).

It shows that the general public is being dupped at every turn by the big businesses that now control food supply in the UK.

There is legislation to prevent this type of retailing fraud but it rarely gets applied due to the complexity of enforcement – and that is why they get away with it.

But the lengths they go to in their drive for profits don’t just stop at straight fraud, they think nothing of forgery either.

Why you should NEVER trust a label

It seems there’s been an upsurge in fake “organic” meat, fish, fruit and veg across the country.

Labels changed… big black marker pens used to blatantly lie on market stall packaging… sneaky loopholes exploited to bend the truth… that kind of thing.

And this criminal deceit is everywhere.

Shoppers have been duped into buying fake free range eggs that were actually factory farmed. This means we pay double what the Continent pays for similar eggs.

Organic Scotch Beef was found to be poor quality beef from South America… “wild” salmon was found to be as wild as a pet gerbil… “corn fed” chicken was found to be nothing of the sort.

But you can see why the rogue traders have moved in.

A chicken worth £2 can fetch £10 when you stick on an organic label. Steak that sells for £10 per kilo can fetch as much as £29.59 if it’s “organic”.

A lot of people are making a lot of money by taking advantage of our desire to eat good food.
It’s not easy to find a solution, either.

I usually come up with a specific tip for you to follow though when I moan about a big health issue.

But in this case it’s tricky.

I mean, what can you do when food manufacturers lie to you on the packet? How can we tell?

All I can say is that, if you can, try and buy fresh British produce from farmers’ markets, bona fide organic retailers, and good, traditional markets.

I realise this is sometimes hard for people to do. But check out this email I got from a friend of mine who reads the Good Life Letter and whose father is in the farming business.

“Supermarkets are bleeding farmers and producers dry. In a few years our dairy farms will be broke and we’ll be net importers of milk.

“We should stop buying fruit, veg and meat from the supermarkets, use farmers and normal markets instead.

“In many cases, I think it’s cheaper and a whole load tastier than supermarket stuff and when you get home there’s none of that packaging to get rid of so it’s much better for the environment too.

“It’s really satisfying to sit down to a meal knowing that more of the money is going back to the farmers and producers as opposed to lining the pockets of monopolistic supermarkets.”

Do your own thing

What all this adds up to is quite a shocking level of blatant profiteering by the food retailers.

Right now they are driving farmers and growers out of business, promoting poor quality and fake foods and then charging us a premium price by sleight of hand.

Looking out over my growing crops I feel strongly that we should all do more for ourselves.

Take any chance to grow a few salad leaves, a fresh tomato or two, even just a bit of cress on damp blotting paper will make a difference.

I wrote the two books that make up Natural Food Wisdom because I passionately believe that we have to regain the control over our food – I urge you to take a positive step today.

Yours, as always

Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter

www.shop.goodlifeletter.com
www.goodlifeletter.com

Category: Health & Wellbeing

Lashenden Remembers – Lashenden Air Warfare Museum

Leave a comment
Remains of Republic P47D Thunderbolt

Remains of Republic P47D Thunderbolt 4276278 of 367FS 358FG which is one of the displays at the museum

There can be few more iconic locations for an air warfare museum than Lashenden/Headcorn aerodrome. Although its history goes back to the 1920’s, it will be remembered as a World War Two Advanced Landing Ground. The aerodrome was first used for private general aviation in 1927 and remained so until 1942 when it was requisitioned by the Airfields Board and prepared for military use.

The original intention was to create a light bomber base, including a bomb storage area but this was never to be. Lashenden (as it became known) was subsequently prepared for use as an Advanced Landing Ground, operating fighter aircraft in accordance with the Air Staff’s plans to support the proposed invasion of occupied Europe. Two grass runways of 1,600yds and 1,400yds were made available and covered in a steel mesh known as Sommerfeld Tracking. This enabled aircraft to operate in all but the most atrocious weather conditions. Similar ALG’s were created at Staplehurst, Egerton (although confusingly called Headcorn!), Ashford, Brenzett, High Halden, Kingsnorth, Lydd, Newchurch, New Romney and Woodchurch. Lashenden became known as Station 410.

It was on the 6th August 1943, that 127 Wing Royal Canadian Air Force comprising No’s 403 and 421 Squadrons arrived with their Spitfire IXb’s, but their stay was short and by the end of the month they had moved on. On the 15th April 1944, the airfield became the responsibility of the 100th Fighter Wing, 19th Tactical Air Command, 9th Air Force. The Americans had arrived ! On the 17th April, the 354th Fighter Group flew in comprising the 353rd, 355th and 356th Fighter Squadrons with their North American P51B Mustangs. The 354th flew bomber escort missions, some as far as the Polish border and later, fighter bomber operations against targets in Northern France designed to disrupt German communications. During the D-Day landings in Normandy on the 6th June 1944, the 354th escorted troop carrying C47’s to the battle area. On the 18th June 1944, the 354th left Lashenden for Criqueville on the French coast, with the airfield subsequently being handed back to civilian ownership. With the resurgence of interest in civil aviation in the 1950’s, the airfield was opened as a base for private and commercial flying and has been thriving ever since.

The Lashenden Air Warfare Museum has been a permanent resident on the aerodrome since 1970 and has expanded at a steady pace with the collections of a number of preservation and recovery groups being acquired on the demise of these groups.

Doodlebug2

Newly restored rare Fieseler Fi130R-4 ‘Reichenberg’. which resembles a V1, ‘Doodlebug’,

In 2007, the Museum embarked on a major project aimed at the complete restoration of its rare Fieseler Fi130R-4 “Reichenberg”. Resembling a V1, “Doodlebug”, these missiles were fitted with a small cockpit and intended for precision attacks on targets of importance although never actually used operationally. Restoration of the “Reichenberg” was completed in 2013, when the missile was returned to the Museum.

£40,000 is needed – Can you help?

In order to display the “Reichenberg” together with other related exhibits, the Museum is currently in the process of funding and constructing a new display hall. The sum of £40,000 is still needed to complete this exciting development and donations from the public will be very much appreciated and greatly assist the project.

The Museum is situated in the south east corner of the airfield and is open both Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday during the summer months. Limited opening times apply during other periods and visitors should check the Museum website, www.lashendenairwarfaremuseum.co.uk for details. There is no admission charge to view one of the UK’s leading aviation archaeology collections.

By Graham Holmes
Lashenden Air Warfare Museum
Headcorn, Kent

Memorial Plaque at the Museum

Memorial Plaque at the Museum

 

Category: News, Places to Visit Tags: , ,

Fat… It’s All Behind You! by Ray Collins – The Good Life Letter

Leave a comment

GLL logo (Web Version)

  • It’s all a bit late for a festive panto…but we now know the bad guys
  • Discover the truth about the bad cholesterol myth
  • Here are three favourites to celebrate with – guilt free fat!

Anyone else feel like we are involved in a pantomime?

“Oh yes it is… Oh no it isn’t… Oh yes it is…!”

Over the past few weeks a big debate has been raging about saturated fats and whether or not we should be eating them.

Various foods have come in for the kind of scrutiny that a poor dancer does on ‘Strictly’ and it looks like no one can agree on how to score them.

Far be it from me to chuck my two penn’orth in but I feel we need a bit of reason here.

But before I leap up and shout “It’s behind you!” let’s have a look at the facts.

The wicked witch says that these fats are too complex for the body to deal with so end up being shunted around the bloodstream where they cause blockages.

Whilst the grinning Cheshire cat maintains that these hyper complex food sources contain untapped riches which the body needs to stay healthy and, far from being the cause of arterial congestion, can help reduce it.

A real dilemma for poor old Buttons once again then! Let’s see if we can help him out shall we children?

The bad cholesterol myth

Since the early seventies dieticians have been advising against high fat diets.

They told us that too much fat of the type found in meat, eggs, dairy produce and even chocolate was going to bring about certain heart disease.

Even I remember the stories.

Sitting in my purple Oxford bags trousers (the ones with twelve inch bottoms, a six button waistband and side pockets big enough to get my school books in) listening to the Radio 1 chart show on a Sunday teatime when Newsbeat told me to stop eating chips!

This was devastating news to a ten year old.

Not that I used to have chips often (the Friday night treat) but that my mum and dad might be at risk because they’d been eating chips for longer than me.

I was properly worried.

Over the next few years men in kipper ties appeared on the TV and started to discuss levels of cholesterol in the blood and especially the bad type.

The concept of ‘bad food’ had never occurred to me before.

As far as I was concerned my body would deal with anything I fed it and would only take out of it what I needed, the remainder went down the toilet. This was the basis on which I consumed such delights as Spangles, Spanish Gold sweet tobacco and Bazooka gum!

Now I was beginning to understand that some meals were really capable of causing harm. I found it hard to believe back in those vividly coloured days of my youth.

The baggy trousers and weird sweets have long gone but the sense that natural foods like eggs, cheese and chocolate could ever be anything other than nutritious has never left me.

In fact it is probably a major reason why I started writing the Good Life Letter in the first place.

Thankfully the scientists have caught up with common sense and these foods are now in the clear… sort of.

Cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra wrote an article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) titled ‘Saturated Fat is Not the Major Issue’, in which he said the time has come to bust the myth that saturated fat consumption causes cardiovascular disease.

Commenting on a major study of over 600,000 people spread over 18 countries which showed saturated fat consumption had no effect on cardiovascular disease he said:

“This huge and important study provides even more evidence that our focus purely on saturated fat as the number one dietary villain in causing heart disease has been misplaced when we should be focusing on food groups.”

So, dear reader, which food groups do you think are most to blame for heart disease if it’s not saturated fats then?

The real villain of the piece

Standing centre stage with a dark menacing look, a big twirly moustache and an evil laugh is…

Carbohydrates!

But like all pantomime bad guys they have to have evil accomplices and in this case it is the modern day equivalent of the ugly sisters – trans fats, oil based manufactured fillers.

It is clear that to reduce the risk of heart disease we need to reduce the amounts of processed carbohydrates we eat (gluten, sugars and syrups) and cut out the enriched manufactured fats.

This all means…

…TA DA! Stop eating processed food and go back to basics!

Hardly a happy ever after ending but like most pantos the final act was obvious from the outset wasn’t it?

A return to the proper dinner table

How should we interpret these latest findings then?

Well I think it’s time we welcomed back some old favourites to our tables.

– Eggs. Long demonised for their rich, cholesterol-filled yolks they are in fact one of the most nutritious and healthy foods around. A soft boiled free range egg with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper and toast soldiers will gladden even the hardest heart… Rather than harden its arteries.

– Butter. Where would the toast soldiers be without real dairy butter? Forget the processed low fat choices, opt for a little unsalted butter for the best in healthy spreads. The study found that a particular dairy fat called margaric acid acts to reduce the risk of developing heart disease.

– Cheese. I was enraged a few years ago when a report suggested that my cheddar treat was bad for me so I am delighted to be able to enjoy it without having to sneak off down the shed! The great thing about cheese is that the proteins it contains actually prevent your body absorbing the carbohydrates that we now know are the real problem.

So there you have it.  The players walk to the front of the stage and take their flamboyant bows – and we should all cheer.

Eggs, butter and cheese…

…time for the perfect omelette I think!

Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter

www.shop.goodlifeletter.com
www.goodlifeletter.com

You can receive The Good Life Letter direct by email, just click here http://www.goodlifeletter.com

Category: Health & Wellbeing

Discovery of practice battlefield launches call up to volunteers: Help find forgotten history of the First World War

Leave a comment
©Crown Copyright 2014

©Crown Copyright 2014

Remains of an entire practice battlefield, the size of nearly 17 football pitches, with two sets of opposing trench systems and a No Man’s Land between, used for training troops before they were sent to the Front in the First World War, has been discovered on heathland in Gosport, Hampshire. The find marks the start of Home Front Legacy 1914-18, a project on which  English  Heritage  and  the Council  for  British  Archaeology  (CBA)  are  working together to record the physical remains of the war on home territory. Overgrown and forgotten, this century-old site was lost to history until a few months ago when Rob Harper, Conservation Officer at Gosport Council, spotted what he recognised as trench systems on a 1950s aerial photograph and went to investigate. Now, as part of the Home Front Legacy campaign, volunteers from the Armed Forces are working with the CBA and English Heritage to map and record the practice battlefield for posterity. (Some of these Servicemen and women have recently completed their own pre- deployment training for modern operations overseas.)

Rob Harper said: “I found myself walking along a ditch and realised it was part of an elaborate trench system, hidden for all these years by bracken and gorse. I looked around and there were trenches everywhere! It’s Ministry of Defence land but open to the public.

Local people picnic here and are aware of the lumps and bumps but their origin has been a mystery until now.

“Gosport was a departure point for thousands of soldiers setting off to the trenches of Europe many of whom may well have practised here. But we haven’t yet found any records of who they were, what they did or what happened to them afterwards.”

Speaking from the battlefield  today  (Thursday  6th   March)  Dan  Snow,  President  of  the Council for British Archaeology (CBA), called for more volunteers to join up for the Home Front Legacy campaign. He said: “Our aim is to record and preserve vulnerable sites, buildings and structures – camps, drill halls, factories and observation posts for example, before they and the stories they bear witness to are lost forever. Our volunteers will be scouring the nation’s towns, villages, countryside and beaches to track down local First World War places that are just not in the records. They’ll upload observations on what they find to a specially designed app and their finds will appear on an online map to open up the impact of the war on our landscape for everyone.”

Wayne Cocroft, English Heritage’s First World War expert, said: “English Heritage is exploring old documents and aerial photographs, many of which haven’t seen the light of day since put away after the war. We’re identifying former drill halls, requisitioned factories and farm buildings, pill boxes, secret listening stations, acoustic mirrors, prisoner-of-war camps and gun emplacements – places that deserve to have the part they played in history made known.

“Buildings from Tudor, Georgian, Victorian times…these are all well documented. But the built history of the First World War in England is virtually a blank chapter. The Home Front Legacy 1914-18 campaign is about bringing together our national expertise and people’s local knowledge to fill in the gaps and for the first time properly record the remains of the war that are still all around us today.”

Maria Miller, Culture Secretary and the Government’s lead on the First World War Centenary programme said: “The Home Front Legacy 1914-18 is a really good and worthwhile  project.   The   First   World   War,   and   the   part   that   Britain   and   the

Commonwealth played in it, changed the course of history.  Discovering, preserving and identifying for the public, sites and buildings from that era will help bring that part of our national history alive for generations to come.

“So I hope lots of people, young and old and from all over the country, will get involved. Local and family history groups, parish and county-based centenary projects, schools, young people, those interested in the part played by women or Commonwealth communities – there will be buildings and sites to be discovered that mean something to everyone.”

Richard  Osgood,  MOD  Archaeologist,  said:  ”Browndown  Training  Area  is  a  truly remarkable site, part of the history of Gosport and also that of the Armed Forces, so it’s great that our Servicemen and women have been able to explore the trenches today and experience it first hand.”

David Hopkins, Hampshire County Archaeologist, said: ”It is well-known that troops were stationed at nearby Browndown Camp but to date no historical records have emerged noting the practice trenches. We need to use archaeological methods to investigate and increase our understanding of this site and the hugely important period in our history it illuminates.”

How to Get Involved

Sign up on the Council for British Archaeology’s Home Front Legacy website to access the online recording toolkit, guidance and resources including an app for recording sites in the field and a map and photo gallery of newly recorded sites. www.homefrontlegacy.org.uk

Twitter: @englishheritage and the English Heritage blog: Heritage Calling

 

 

 

Category: English Heritage, Places to Visit Tags:

17 health remedies in your cupboard

Leave a comment

GLL logo (Web Version)

17 Health remedies in your cupboard

  • Welcome to you all…

  • A free downloadable report that shows the healthy power in your kitchen cupboard

  • A fantastic way to enjoy the very best of seasonal food – and the secrets of the supermarket cons

Dear All

An introduction is needed I feel…

My name’s Ray Collins. I have a middle name as well, but that’s best left alone. I’m forty-eight years old, a shade over six foot, a little overweight, and with all the aches and creaks associated with a middle-aged man.

I used to play rugby at university, and picked up a fair few injuries along the way, including a neck problem that still troubles me from time to time. Other than that, I’m in pretty good shape (touch wood).

To my constant surprise and delight, I am married to the lovely Lara and we have three children.

Luckily, they all enjoy good health. But I know how fragile health can be. And their well being is MY responsibility.

The buck stops with me. NOT with the medical establishment. NOT with what I can pick up in newspapers. NOT with the drug companies.

It’s up to me and you to ensure we enjoy healthy, stress-free lives. The problem is, there’s so much confusion in the mainstream press about what to eat and what not to eat. Worse still, much of the mainstream pressed is biased towards the mega-corporations and their clinical trials.

I am most honoured to have been asked to contribute to your new website, I’m a big fan of how powerful this technology can be to share insight, knowledge and wisdom.

But above all I love the fact that we can use it to research, interrogate and debunk the stuff that big pharmaceutical and food companies throw at us all the time.

The other day someone asked me if I enjoy ‘surfing’ the web.

Well, I use the Internet almost every day… but is ‘surfing’ the right word?

Surfing is term that means skimming the surface of something. It’s a word for young people with no health worries. People who just want to go faster, look better on the outside.

They use Facebook and Myspace to keep in touch with each other (don’t worry if you haven’t got a clue what these things are, they’re mainly populated by pop stars, media types and the under 30s!)

‘How r u?’ they ask each other.

‘Gr8 thanx’ they reply.

And then they swap short films of men’s trousers falling down or monkeys dancing to ABBA.

This is fine. It’s what surfing’s about, I suppose.

But I think of myself less as a surfer and more as a scuba diver. Searching amongst the reeds. Probing deeper for pearls of information that you find useful.

Useful because it’s health giving, vitality boosting, life extending, mood lifting stuff….

And not a lipsynching monkey in sight!

So here’s something I think you’ll love: 17 extraordinary pearls of useful information culled from the deepest coves of the internet…

17 powerful health remedies from your kitchen cupboard

I don’t know about you, but for me, the kitchen cupboard used to be the place to store teabags, ketchup, old onions and sneaky bars of chocolate.

But as you’re about to see, many of the everyday items you find in your kitchen are, in fact, powerful health remedies.

You’ll be amazed at how many ordinary, inexpensive, natural foodstuffs can improve your life and vitality, ease pain and help protect you against disease.

For instance, here’s a website that shows you…

  • How blueberry jam could be good for your eyesight
  • How vinegar can relieve a headache
  • How avocados can help slow the ageing process.
  • How ginger can super-charge your love life
  • How broccoli can help protect your lungs
  • How oil could help rid you of dandruff
  • How cabbage can soothe the pain of an ulcer and many more secrets.
  • How one simple lemon could be a powerful weapon against the symptoms of asthma.
  • 4 natural migraine secrets and many more

It’s fascinating stuff, easy to read, and it’s there on the net for you to look at and put to good use.

Go and take a look at this downloadable report: http://www.shop.goodlifeletter.com/site/page/view/natural

It’s easy and risk-free

Simply click ‘download now’ and the report will be on your computer in moments.

There’s no risk, no obligation. And it’s great fun.

Talking of fun….

Natural ways to enhance your mood this autumn If you’re feeling sluggish, down, or on edge, I thought I’d tell you today about some natural mood enhancers.

These tips are here for you information and illumination only. Please consult your doctor first if you have a serious depression problem during winter.

You’ve heard about the herbs ginseng, St. John’s Wort, and valerian root, right?

You probably know that they’ve been long renowned as mood enhancers by some… and vilified as useless placebos by others.

Well, I’m not going wade into this eternal argument today, though I side with people who find things that make them feel BETTER, whatever the science boffins say.

Instead, let’s avoid the easy ‘one-stop’ solutions (groan!) and look at ways of eating and living yourself into a better frame of mind.

Try this mood lifting diet;

  • Eat foods rich in vitamin B6. They’ve found that low levels can lead to depression. I suggest cabbage, bananas and fish. But not on the same plate, unless you’re pregnant!
  • Get some folic acid in your system. Researchers have found that clinically depressed patients just don’t have enough. Eat more citrus fruit, spinach and wholegrain foods which are packed with the stuff.
  • Try nuts; especially Brazil nuts. They contain selenium, which was found to boost your mood by researchers at University College in Swansea. The daddy of all selenium is the mighty Brazil nut.
  • Eat chilli peppers. They contain capsaicin, which helps your brain produce endorphins – the natural mood-enhancing chemicals in your body.
  • Wherever you can, get 15 minutes in the bright sunlight. Vitamin D is essential for a balanced mood.

And finally, I know it’s not what you want to hear… but exercise is vital.

The runners high

Even modest exercise boosts your self esteem…

improves self-image, confidence and feelings of accomplishment… and it gives you a break from the things that get you down.

Even the scientific community recognise this subtle, almost unquantifiable effect. They call it ‘the runner’s high’.

But you don’t need to run. Take it easy. Go to the edges of what you can achieve.

Go for a brisk walk for 20 minutes each day, or try swimming or cycling to the shops. Since I got my bike I’ve been a changed man, believe me.

It doesn’t even feel like exercise. It’s getting from A to B.

A to B and to the PUB!

If you’ve enjoyed this letter please have a look at the fantastic Seasonal Diet Programme that I have just published – it is a goldmine of useful facts and information about healthy living, easting…

…and drinking!

Click here to find out more: http://www.thegoodlifeletter.com/promos/superfoods/

Yours, as always

 

Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter

www.shop.goodlifeletter.com
www.goodlifeletter.com

Category: Health & Wellbeing Tags: , ,

Exhaustion

Leave a comment

Liz Almond pictureAs life progresses, we all have ups and downs, but sometimes during the down moments, you can find it really difficult to get back up again, as you find yourself with such exhaustion and you just don’t have a good reason for why you have it.  Sometimes you may get the urge to have a sleep in the afternoon and this regenerates you enough, but other times you might be sleeping  for hours during the day, with little motivation to get on with your life.

When I developed Chronic Pain Syndrome following an accident, I had two years off work.  The first 6 months of this, were pretty much spent in bed.  I was absolutely exhausted and I was not sure why, as I definitely hadn’t done any exercise to warrant the need to sleep so much!  As time went on, I did not need to sleep so much, but I had periods of time where I felt exhausted for no reason.  So what was causing it?

Fifteen years on, now that I have a much deeper understanding of holistic therapies, I understand that my exhaustion was linked to boredom and being resistant to change and move forward to live the life I really wanted to live.  I was a very quiet and shy person and really did not believe that I was destined to do anything great with my life.  I was wrapped up in my own world and not seeing how I was reacting to life, rather than actively taking part!

Spiritually, we all have a purpose in life…

and if you are not working towards that purpose, you will become bored and frustrated with life.  At the time of my accident, I was working many hours in a stressful job as a Catering Manager.  I knew I wanted to do something else, but I had no money to retrain to be a secretary, which was my dream at that time.  Basically, I was bored, but not making any effort to change things.

Liz Almon - Reiki treeDuring my time off sick, I was empowered to Reiki.  Although I would not have attributed my success back then to being given this gift, I now realise that this gave me the energy that I needed to make the change as it works on you, Spiritually, Emotionally, Mentally and Physically.  Within 6 weeks of being empowered, I had got off benefit, and was training to be a teacher.  My relationship and money improved too.  Not bad for someone who was predicted by doctors to only have 70% of her function for life!

So if you are suffering from exhaustion and you don’t know why, ask yourself what can I do differently to change this situation and start to change negative thinking to being more positive.  Your past experiences will affect your thinking and the more you live in the present, the more you will see a change in your energy levels.  If however you find it difficult to change your thinking, then you may wish to work with a practitioner like myself to change unconscious behaviour which is sabotaging your success and your energy.

 

Liz Almond

Health and Wellbeing Coach

Insightful Minds

 

liz@insightfulminds.co.uk

07815 904848

www.insightfulminds.co.uk

 

Category: Health & Wellbeing Tags: ,

Would you like to be well again?

Leave a comment

Liz Almond picture

When you are feeling unwell, life just isn’t as good as it could be is it?  You may have a multitude of symptoms or you may just have one thing that is making you miserable.  So what can you do about the situation?

Well as I see it, you have two options, you can sit and wallow in your misery or you can take action and be more positive.  Following an accident at work in 1996, I had two years off work as I was suffering from Chronic Pain Syndrome.  I was predicted by doctors to only have 70% of my function for life.  It was devastating news….My problems were investigated by GPs, rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists and pain specialists and I was on high strength pain killers which had no effect.

As you can imagine, life was not great.  I was terribly unhappy and really quite negative.  I was on benefit, in debt, in excruciating pain and in a relationship which was not empowering me.   I went from therapist to therapist trying to get help to make me happy and well again.  It took me a long while to realise that they could not make me happy, and the only person who could make me happy was me!  I had to change my attitude to life and become more positive.  I had to take control of my health!

So what worked….

In my search for happiness, I tried all sorts of complementary therapies.  The main one which made such a difference to me early on was Reiki.  I was empowered to the healing energy in October 1998 and by January 1999, I was off benefit, I was working full time as a teacher and the pain I felt was much reduced.  Life was looking up …. I felt amazing and things seemed just to get better and better.  How could something so simple as being attuned to this natural healing method help me feel so wonderful? Now 15 years on, I am Reiki Master/Teacher and I am able to pass on the wisdom I have learnt in my journey of self-healing.

If you are wondering what Reiki is, according to the Reiki Council (www.reikicouncil.co.uk) it is….

Liz Almon - Reiki tree‘Universal life energy’, a term used to describe a system of natural healing.  This healing tradition was founded by Dr Mikao Usui in the early 20th century and evolved as a result of his research, experience and dedication.  We live in a world of energy that nourishes and maintains all living things.  When the energy flows uninterrupted there is balance and harmony within and around us and we experience a sense of wellbeing. Reiki works at bringing us into balance and works on a spiritual, physical, emotional and mental level.’

So was it just Reiki that got me well again or did I use other complementary therapies?

As well as Reiki, I have done lots of other stuff to change my mindset.  I have read numerous self help books, been on courses for Neuro Linguistic Programming, Timeline Therapy and Hypnosis and much more.  In essence, when you start to take responsibility for what you are saying to yourself and understand why you are reacting to your life negatively, your pain and unhappiness will change.  Anyone can be attuned to Reiki and once you have it, it is with you for life, so it is a great way to help yourself!

Choose to act now and think differently about yourself and your life.  Take responsibility for your happiness and be careful what you are saying to yourself.  Think happy thoughts and be grateful for what you have got, rather than what you haven’t.  Dream big and set yourself goals and work towards them.  Never settle for second best.  Remember the age that you are, does not stop you from having happiness right now.  It is free…..

 

Liz Almond

Health and Wellbeing Coach

Insightful Minds

 

liz@insightfulminds.co.uk

07815 904848

www.insightfulminds.co.uk

Category: Health & Wellbeing Tags: , , ,

Cocoa Biscuits

Cocoa BiscuitsThis Cocoa biscuit recipe has been passed down through our family over the years and is quick and easy to make. Even the supermarkets make something similar now – but homemade is best because you know exactly what ingredients are included!

6oz Self Raising Flour
4oz Marge
4 oz Granulated Sugar
Approx 2 tbs Cocoa
A little milk

Cream sugar and marge together. Add sifted flour and cocoa alternately to make a soft binding consistency. Add a little more milk as necessary. Roll out into a large sausage shape with your hands. Cut into small slices and shape into flat, thick round biscuits. These can be small or large.

You can add chocolate chips, raisins or other extras if you wish prior to binding together and rolling out.

Place on floured baking tray and bake in oven 350°F, 180°C, Gas Mark 4 for 15 minutes when mixture will crack and still look unbaked but it will be. Remove from oven immediately and place on a cooling try.

Recipe from Shirley Reeves

Category: Cooking/Recipes Tags: ,
1 2 3 4 5 6