Dear All,

Due to increased demand for information and the limited space afforded by this format, I am in the process of designing an updated website. Eat-salad.com will still remain, but only as a personal blog on various health topics and other ponderings on things natural.

The new site should be live in September, please watch this space for further details.

With warmth,

Lela

How often have you just had a ‘hunch’ about something and found yourself to have been right? It may have been something as small as knowing who is calling before you answer the phone (and no I’m not talking about caller ID!) or as big as taking a turn somewhere and avoiding a fatal accident or getting on the ‘wrong’ train and meeting the love of your life.

For many of us, intuition is something we feel occasionally graces us with its gift, however we don’t really see it as part of our everyday life, definitely not as a sixth sense, always present.

The truth is, with todays rushed lifestyles, we don’t allow much space for our intuition to come through. When we allow quiet time in our day, the chances of us being alert to our own intuitive messages are so much greater.

I think of intuition sort of like a map, it’s always available, you just need to know how to read it and seeing as you are the cartographer of your own particular intuition map, you can decide how the signals work for you. In my own case, I recently had a few instances where I was about to do something when I felt a heavyness on my chest and my throat became tight, it was a feeling of a few seconds but it was enough to make me pause in what I was doing and all three times, it helped me to avoid potentially upsetting, disastrous or dangerous situations.

I have also had times when I would be daydreaming during a walk or just before going to sleep and something would come up, a fleeting thought, not really as strong sensation at all, yet a few days later I would find myself in a situation where that thought had important relevance. I think of these times as ‘heads up’ from my intuitive self.

How do we access our intuitive self?

Well, as always, everyone is different and I bet that if you spent some time thinking about it you would realise that you have had a few ‘moments’ yourself. Think about when those moments happened and then try to remember what you were doing at the time which allowed you to be open to that information. For example, you may have been reading a book or listening to music, most likely, you were in a space where you weren’t TRYING to access anything and quite probably, you were relaxed. Of course there are times when our intuition steps in to save us from dangerous situations but those are not the times I am referring to right now.

When we allow ourselves times of silence and solitude, it opens up the channels of communication to our inner voice or intuition. We create a space for knowledge to become known to us, knowledge which, quite possibly, has been lying dormant in our psyche and just needed us to pay attention. Meditation, yoga, prayer and visualization time are all ways of allowing this space. When we consciously decide to be still and ‘listen’ to the self, we are giving our Selves permission to speak, we are essentially saying: I am listening, please tell me what I need to know.

Doing this not only helps us to access our intuition more easily, it can also prevent us from finding ourselves in uncomfortable situations in our daily lives, when we are listening to our inner voice, we are much more likely to realise when we are too tired and should not drive or when we are feeling strange in our bodies and need a few days off to avoid a cold. We can hear the message which says, ‘follow the yellow brick road’ and we can find our dreams.

Intuition and business.

Some of the great business minds of our time, have followed their own inner knowing against all odds and today have some of the most successful businesses on the planet. Richard Branson started his empire with 4 pounds, he didn’t have  a handy manual with step by-step-instructions all the way, sometimes he had to rely on his ‘hunches’. The late Anita Roddick (founder of The Body Shop) started her business by doing door-to-door sales, she had no way of knowing it would become a world wide chain, somewhere she just had to trust that she was on the right track and as we know now, her intuition was spot on.

However you choose to access your inner voice, try to do it every day, give yourself the gift of being a good listener and I hope that you will be as pleasantly rewarded as I am, every day.

Ever since I can remember I have been easily influenced by sounds. I used to spend hours in the one local museum, listening to the recordings of whale song, over and over again. It made me feel peaceful and allowed my mind to drift to the furthest reaches of my young imagination.

Later when I started listening to more music, I noticed that certain genres were too ‘heavy’ for me, I would find myself becoming more aggresive after listening to certain songs or beats and vice versa, I could also calm myself down by listening to calming music.

Sound has been used as a healing and calming agent for many hundreds of years. Many religions have chants and songs of praise and even in pagan times there were songs to be sung for welcoming the harvest, the rain, the Spring and so forth. Toning is a way of using sound to heal the body and even those who cannot hear can use sound to heal by feeling the vibrations caused by a certain sound.

Animal sounds.

Whales can communicate over vast distances using sound and bats send out a pitch so high, we as humans cannot hear it. Many animals seem to ‘talk’ to one another using a variety of sounds and there are of course the birds like parrots who can mimic sounds of other species.

Sound in our lives.

So how do we use sound to heal and connect?

Think of walking next to the sea, imagine the sound of the waves and the cry of the sea-gulls.. feeling relaxed? Even just the memory of some sounds can make us feel calm and centred within seconds and, as the opposite is also true, it is important that we are conscious about which sounds we expose ourselves to.

Have a music day.

Take a day or afternoon and go through your cd collection, you’ll be surprised at what you find and what feelings are brought to the fore. You may laugh at the music from your first date and cry at the song which was playing just after your first child was born. You may miss old friends and decide to connect again. Music can be a storehouse for memories and listening to it can recall events almost as if they happened yesterday. Having a ‘music day’ every now and then is a wonderful way of accessing a whole host of emotions.

Focus.

Use music to help you focus while working on a project or studying for an exam, find the music which most helps to focus your mind and compile yourself a cd to play at these times.

Motivate.

Use music to up your tempo when exercising or to wake you up when you have to get up earlier than usual. Preset your radio or cd player to switch on along with your alarm, a much nicer way to start your day!

Sound does not only have to involve listening, making sound can also be a healing experience, think of how good you feel singing in the shower! If you are someone who enjoys singing but you have let it fall by the wayside due to work or other commitments then make the effort to fit some singing into your life. Find a local choir or join a group at your church or community centre and free your voice, you’ll be amazed at how it impacts on your life.

However you use sound in your life, remember it is one more blessing we have been given to connect with our inner selves and the world around us in ever more authentic ways.

I don’t know about you but I’m very affected by smells. I can smell something in passing and immediately be transported back to an event or experience years ago, which has a strong association with that particular scent.

Scents are another way of connecting to our memories and also the present moment, they can help us relax and even re-energise us, aromatherapy hasn’t been around for thousands of years for nothing!

My favourite smells.

Is there anything quite as mouthwatering as the smell of freshly baked (or baking) bread? I remember as a child one of the best treats was to have the crust of the bread, straight from the oven and lathered with farm butter, mmmm…

These days we have to worry about carbohydrate addiction and bad fats! But, I digress, back to scents..When I cannot sleep a few drops of lavender essential oil in a hot bath is wonderfully relaxing and when I need to clear my head putting some peppermint or lemon geranium oil in my oil burner is a great help.

Scents can help to create the space for meditation, burning incense or using essential oils in a burner are ways to fill your home with calming, cleansing smells, putting you in the right frame of mind to connect with your inner voice.

Some  essential oil scents and their attributes:

Basil – good for mental fatigue and insomnia.

Chamomile – calming and can make one sleepy so don’t use when you need to drive.

Eucalyptus – useful to inhale when your head and nose feel ’stuffy’ or when you need a clear head to study or work.

Frankincense – wonderful to use when meditating, helps to calm the mind and emotions, very grounding.

Jasmine – uplifting for when you feel ‘under the weather’ or have a case of the ‘blues’.

Lavender – relaxing, calming, good to help alleviate headaches and makes a lovely addition to baby’s bath water.

Lemongrass – uplifting scent and a great insect repellent, burn it in a vapourizer during Summer to keep the mosquitos at bay!

Neroli – also known as ‘orange blossom’ this scent is one of my favourites, it is sensual and calming and is great for when you want to feel extra feminine.

Peppermint – fresh and uplifting and great for clearing your sinuses and head!

Rose – the top of the charts when it comes to scents, rose oil is the way to go if you are in an ultra luxuriant mood and want to feel calm, feminine, loving and give yourself a confidence boost!

Tea-Tree – the scent of tea-tree oil can be slightly anti-septic but it is a wonder for clearing stuffy sinuses and the general uncomfortable symptoms associated with colds and flu. Use a few drops in a bowl of hot water and cover your head with a towel to inhale the scent.

Ylang-ylang – Right up there with Jasmine, Rose and Neroli, Ylang-ylang is a sensual, feminine scent and is a great one to use for calming nervous tension. Be careful to only use a very small amount as the smell is quite powerful!

Using scents in the bath:

If you are using essential oils in the bath, make sure to mix them with a carrier (or base) oil or some milk before adding them to the water. 2-3 drops to a tablespoon of carrier oil should be plenty.

Burning scented candles is another way of bringing the benefits of scent into your home and has the bonus of also incorporating colour!

So, however you choose to work with your sense of smell, be creative, explore with new scents and above all, enjoy!

Tomorrow we take a look at how to tickle our tastebuds..

The Importance of Hydration in enabling the Body to respond to the Seasons…

This Article, written by Lela, was first published in Biophile magazine, please go to www.biophile.co.za for more information.

A well hydrated body is able to respond to internal and external signals of change in its health picture with ease and to the best of its abilities, thus furthering the beings development and creating optimum health. On the other hand, a dehydrated or underhydrated body is not able to respond as efficiently or speedily to these signals. De-hydration causes cells to coat themselves with cholesterol in order to preserve their internal environment, thereby making cellular communication more difficult. The cells are not able to function to full capacity as the more de-hydrated a body becomes, the more ’cut-off’ the cells become and the increased mucus load leads to a stagnation in the movement of fluids. The body only functions with what is available to it and thus dehydration causes more and more cells to become ‘cut-off’ so the body will be functioning more and more below par. The seasons play an important role in our health picture…

During Winter the energies of the body are more restful, less movement takes place naturally and body fluids thicken. The body’s ability to respond to natural energies (eg moon phases) is lessened. As the body’s fluid picture is quite stagnant at this time it does not detoxify as much as during the rest of the year and thus it is particularly important to avoid challenging foods and to keep the body well-hydrated so as to not compromise further its already reduced ability to rid itself of toxic build-up. If well hydrated at this time the body is less likely to need an acute episode(where body temperature is increased and mucus discharged) in order to rid itself of some of the toxic load. In traditional Chinese medicine the season of Winter is governed by the Water Element and this governs the kidneys and bladder, thus proper hydration is particularly important in order to avoid undue stress on these organs. Stress on the kidneys and bladder(caused by dehydration) can increase the emotion of fear, proper hydration can help the being to cope with or prevent excess of this emotion.

Spring is born from Winter, it is a time of movement and new beginnings. This season is related to the Wood Element and this governs the liver and gall-bladder. During Spring the mucus deposits start thinning and more movement is created. A well hydrated body will be more able to create this necessary movement. However, resistance can be encountered in the movement of energy and mucus deposits and this may manifest in skin eruptions(eg boils and pimples) and blocked sinuses(Spring cold anyone?). Proper hydration helps to combat or prevent this resistance and also helps to prevent and combat any acidity caused by the movement of mucus(which can cause eg. gall-stones and stiff and aching joints). Anger may manifest excessively at this time, this too can be made less by proper hydration. The liver and gall-bladder can be placed under stress particularly in Spring if hydration is insufficient. Spring is the season of flexibility/inflexibility and a well-hydrated body is much more able to create a flexible health picture.

Early Summer 

Leaving Spring behind one moves into Early Summer which is associated with the Fire Element and the Heart and Small Intestine. Good hydration will help prevent undue stress on these organs. During this season of rapid growth and expansion in nature one also finds a lot of movement in the body, especially of the blood and lymph. In order to facilitate this movement with ease proper hydration is essential as without it the body is not able to maintain the mobile state which is its natural tendency at this time of year. Impaired cleansing and clearing(insufficient hydration) can show in eg. skin problems. When the body is well-hydrated its ability to create movement on all levels and thus cope better with the growth and change this Season brings about, is greatly enhanced, cells are allowed to communicate more fully and fluids to flow more freely. In the Chinese system of healing there are 5 seasons as opposed to the Western four and thus Late Summer follows Early Summer..

Late Summer is related to the Earth Element and is the time of the year when the growth cycle is coming to an end and the bodies energies are slowly closing down as the Autumn Equinox approaches. During this time the body seeks to rid itself of any toxicity which has been expelled from the cells and in order to do so successfully proper hydration is essential. The mineral status in the body is also important at this time as the body needs to be in harmony with the mineral status of the Earth in order to be properly earthed or grounded and centered itself. This opens the way for toxicity to leave the body. In a dehydrated body, mineral absorption would be below par and calcium displacement would be more severe causing undue stresses. The spleen and stomach are the organs governed by the Earth Element and providing the body with a proper hydration message will help ensure that these organs play their roles efficiently especially as they are very much involved with digestion(stomach), distribution and purification(spleen-blood).

Autumn 

After Late Summer comes Autumn, the final build-up and preparation for the quiet period of Winter. At the Autumn Equinox the body might have acute episodes( eg. colds, infections etc.) in order to help shift the toxic load and improve the overall health picture. Good hydration greatly helps this process. During Autumn the fluid picture is contracting and there are toxins in the system after the Autumn Equinox and in order for these to be eliminated efficiently good hydration is essential otherwise more acute clearings may become necessary. These will only be achieved with ease if there is a good hydration picture. The Metal Element governs Autumn which means there is particular emphasis on mental energies as this Element is associated with the mind, lungs, colon and skin. The change in mental energies will coincide with the thickening of body fluids and the cells becoming more ‘cut-off’. Lack of proper hydration at this stage can cause there to be even more stagnation than is natural during this time. Without proper hydration the emotion of grief may also become apparent excessively at this time.

How can Diet help? 

In order for the body to receive a good hydration message there are some steps that can be taken related to diet. Eating plenty of hydrating foods such as short grain brown rice and drinking enough clean water(at least 8-10 glasses a day) can help give the colon the message that the body is being adequately hydrated and that it is not necessary for the body to produce excess cholesterol and mucus to coat the cell membranes and so preserve the cells internal environment. The colon receiving a proper hydration message(with the help of bulkers like seeds and phsyllium husks) will also enable the body to let go much more easily and allow the elimination of toxins to take place more efficiently. Cutting down on de-hydrating foods such as pork and wheat will also help give a good hydration message. Plenty of good essential fatty acids can be obtained from oily fish (and linseeds daily for vegetarians) a few times a week. A well hydrated body will be able to respond to the natural energies which bring about cleansing in a progressive way throughout the year thus preventing acute episodes from becoming chronic and moving deeper till possibly even manifesting on a mental and emotional level.

When approached with a loving mindset and recognition of our environment our bodies are bound to try their best to respond with vibrant health throughout the year!

Lavender..

Article written by Joy.

Well known and a herbal delight, lavender plants find a space in almost every garden. Lavender was used extensively by the Romans and others as a perfume for their baths, explaining the meaning of the latin, ‘lavare’ – to wash. During festivals lavender was strewn on floors, it was also an ingredient of ‘Four Thieves’ vinegar in the Middle Ages and country folk used the herb for dressing wounds, pains in the head as perfume for clothes and linen.
Cultivation of lavender in England is mentioned as far back as 1568 and the Pilgrim Fathers took lavender plants to America.
Popular uses of lavender today include Essential oil, fresh flowers, potpourri and a variety of uses in the perfume and beauty industry.

Kinds of Lavender:

Originally from the Mediterannean countries, lavender is cultivated worldwide today. The Lavendula species are evergreen perennials and shrubs which need dry and well-drained soil in full sun. It is easily propagated through cuttings and the modern gardner has a wide choice in foliage and flower colour. The following are a few of the more distinctive Lavendula species:

Lavendula angustifolia: Also called English Lavender and is the crop most predominantly grown for the production of Essential oil. Flowers appear on long spikes in the Summer season.

Lavendula dentata: Also called French Lavender, the plants have a distinctive toothed leaf and short thick flower heads, which flower continously. French Lavender makes excellent cut flowers and is used extensively in potpourris and various fragrant bath and beauty products. The plant lends itself to be pruned into sphere shapes.

Lavendula stoechas: Also called Spanish Lavender, its distinctive dark purple flower head is topped by ‘rabbits ears’. The shrub is bushy and can grow between 30 and 90 cms high. The stoechas also have varieties with yellow, brown or white flowers.

Lavendula allardi: Also called Dutch or Hedge Lavender, the plant hardly ever flowers and has large fragrant leaves which may be smooth or toothed, used as greenery. It can grow to 1,5 metres high and is easily clipped into a hedge or topiary.

Lavender Essential oil:

Lavender Essential oil is extracted from the flowertops and leaves of Lavendula augustifolia, Lavendula lactifolia and Lavendula hybrida through the process of steam distillation. Essential oils are highly concentrated, chemically very complex and should be used with care. Essential oils dissolve easily in plant oils and in alcohol. The therapeutic properties of Lavender Essential oil(the main chemical constituents being esters and alcohols) has been extensively researched, starting with Gattefosse’s observation of the dramatic healing effect of the essential oil on burns and Dr Valnet’s use of Lavender oil for serious war injuries.
Lavender Essential oil has properties ranging from analgesic, anti-depressant, anti-septic, bacteriacidal and hypotensive to a sedative for the heart. It is also a cell regenerator and good for help against fungal infections. Lavender Essential oil has a calming effect on the nervous system, thus relieving anxiety, insomnia and depression.
Lavender Essential oil is typically used in the proportion of 2 drops per 5ml(1tsp) base oil, water or alcohol. Used in proper dilution, the oil is safe for babies, children and pets.
This versatile Essential oil is available from most Health shops and pharmacies in 10ml or 22ml bottles and is a valuable addition to any home First Aid box.

Stress, a six-letter word..

Article written by Joy.

Stress is something we are all much too familiar with in modern society and it can have longterm effects on our overall health..

Physiological effects of stress:
- increased heart rate, blood pressure.
- glycogen conversion to glucose, increased blood sugar levels.
- dilation of bronchioles.
- decreased digestive system activities.
- decreased urinary output.
- changes in blood flow patterns(more to brain, heart, skeletal muscles)
Prolonged stress leads to various ’stress related’ illnesses: high blood pressure, insomnia, digestive problems, headaches, depression and some immune system diseases. Tiredness and no energy are the results when we can’t meet the body’s increased need for vitamins and minerals during stress.

Good stress?

Most of us need at least a certain amount of stress to keep us ‘feeling alive’, moving and ‘on-the-go’. When stressors keep us constantly in the ‘fight or flight’ response, disease is the result.

Stressors:

Identifying stressors allows us to put coping mechanisms in place. Take a few moments to consider the amount of stress in your life and the impact it has on your quality of life. Make a note of external stressors (sudden death of a friend, money problems, work or relationship problems, deadlines, accidents etc.) and internal stressors, mostly caused by the way you deal with situations eg. not planning or not leaving ample time, trying to do too much, not delegating, wanting to control everything etc.

Often we cannot change the external stressors, but self-empowerment and realistic perceptions are within everyone’s reach and enable us to cope with stress in a positive and life enhancing way.

The following are a few exercises which can aid in coping with stress:

Breathing:
Inner and outer connections:
Breathe deeply and slowly, imagine your breath coming through your heart, as you exhale direct your breath through your feet and into the ground. Inhale again, imagining your breath coming through your feet and exhale, sending the breath out through your heart and out into the world in all directions. Inhale through the heart and exhale, sending the breath out through the top of your head. Inhale through the head and out through the heart.
Repeat this sequence for as long as it takes you to become calm, centred and to feel connected and grounded.

Counting breath:
In a comfortable position, breathe deeply and slowly until you are ready to start counting. Inhale to the count of 4, hold the breath for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 6, hold for a count of 2 without breathing in. Repeat the combination of 4 in, hold for 4, out for 6, hold for 2 breaths until you feel calm and collected.

Massage:
Hand massage:
Start by making a fist and then opening the hand, really putting stretch into it. Bend back and stretch the four fingers on one hand. Repeat on the other hand. Massage the back of both hands with a pressure glide, as well as circular movements. Pinch firmly around the edge of the hands, including the fingers. Massage the palm of the hands with a circular motion as well as pressure glides from side to side. If you bend the fingers onto the palm, the ring finger will touch an acupressure point, which you should press firmly a few times. You can massage the wrists before ending off by washing your hands together and then shaking ‘dry’.

Visualization:
Using the brains creative ability to relax:
Find a quiet spot to sit comfortably. If possible close your eyes, imagine a relaxing landscape or cool environment eg. a garden or a cave, note the colours, scents and sounds that come to mind, spend as long as you like there and return to ‘daylight’ by taking a few deep breaths and slowly opening your eyes.
Visualizations using water are particularly relaxing, think about swimming in a secluded pool in a mountain, standing underneath a waterfall, swimming with dolphins, drinking from a clear mountain stream..

There are many ways to combat stress, taking regular physical exercise and following a healthy diet are effective tools for having less stress in ones life and practising yoga, tai-chi and/or meditation can also assist in making one more relaxed and focussed, thus less stressed and much more productive.

Essential Oils..

Article written by Joy.

A healthy human nose can distinguish between 10 000 different aromas. The professional ‘noses’ used by Essential oil and Perfume companies train for several years and are capable of determining the subtle differences the quality and the origin of essential oils.

Scents invoke immediate and powerful responses as the volatile fragrance molecules travel with tthe olfactory nerve tracts directly to the limbic system ( a part of the brain concerned with memory and emotion). Essential oils can thus reach us through inhalation, via the skin and through ingestion ( the last method should not be used by the layperson at all, unless supervised by a suitably qualified professional).

Essential oils are very complex and consist on average of up to 100 or more chemical components. Essential oils are classified as stimulating or calming, sedative or energising, according to the percentage of esters, aldehydes, alcohol, terpenes and other chemical components the essential oils contain.

The easiest way for the novice to get to know essential oils is by using them in a prescribed manner through perfume, bath and massage oils, blends for burners and simple remedies for home-use. The first step to knowing an essential oil is to smellit and like wine or olive oil testing, there is prescribed way of ’sniffing’.

‘Sniffing’ an Essential oil:

- To experience the fragrant aroma of an essential oil, put a few drops on a strip of paper and wave it in a circle of about 18cms just under your nose, creating a vortex of aroma molecules.
- move your fragrant paper strip first under the right nostril, then under the left, sniffing every time and then under both nostrils, taking a deep sniff.
- inhale the aroma high up your nose, visualising the aroma of the Essential oil going to the top of your head and through the whole body.
- allow words and feelings to surface describing your experience of the Essential oil, making notes as you go along. It is good to practise the above exercise (don’t test more than 3 or 4 Essential oils at a time) as it will be an invaluable aid when you blend your own unique perfume.

Top, middle and base notes:

You will discover characteristics such as woody, herbaceous, citrus, resinous, spicy and floral. Essential oils with a quick evaporation rate are called ‘top notes’ and are generally experienced as energising, uplifting and invigorating eg. lemon, grapefruit, lemongrass and bergamot.
Essential oils with a slower evaporation rate are called ‘middle notes’ and usually have a relaxing, calming and balancing effect eg. geranium and lavender.
Those Essential oils with aroma molecules that linger and disperse very slowly are classified as ‘base notes’. These essential oils have a grounding and deeply relaxing effect and often act as a fixative to other more quickly dispersing aromatic molecules. Examples of ‘base note’ oils are: sandalwood, benzoin and vetiver.

To create a well-balanced perfume one should include all three ‘notes’ in various proportions, the different quantities give character to your blend, be it lightly floral, spicy oriental or cleansing herbaceous.
Essential oils have different therapeutic actions such as anti-viral, anti-septic, sedative, stimulating, aphrodisiac, anti-spasmodic, hypo-tensive and others. Blending different Essential oils into a sinergistic blend takes experience and skill but luckily for the novice there are many recipes to experiment with.

Essential oils and safety:

Essential oils may be ‘natural’ but they have potent healing effects and should always by used with utmost care. Always use in the correct dilution with carrier oils and be aware of any contra-indications an Essential oil may have. Some Essential oils can cause skin irritation and high or low blood pressure or can be hazardous during pregnancy or for people with a history of epilepsy or diabetes. Most Essential oils are sold with safety data and childproof locks. Store your Essential oils in a cool, dark place, away from children.

Mixing Essential oils:

Essential oils mix readily with other oils and alcohol. Using suitable carriers helps to make the therapeutic effects of Essential oils readily available to the body. A good guideline is to use no more than 3 drops of Essential oil in 5ml (1tsp) of a carrier. This constitutes a 3% dilution but a 1% or 2% dilution is equally effective. Extrapolating fom 2 drops in 5ml, divide your quantity of carrier by 5 and multiply with 2 to get the number of drops of Essential oils to use in your blend. Thus should you have 50ml of a carrier, you would add 10 x 2 drops of Essential oil to your blend. Remember the golden rule: less is more!

Uses of Essential oils:

Making your own perfume, bath oil, massage oil, creams and bath products or simple home remedies can be an absobing and creative pastime. In blending skin oils, choose your carrier oils and essential oils for their properties: for dry skin you will use rich and nourishing carrier oils such as avocado, rose hip and sesame oil. Essential oils should be hydrating and stimulating such as rose, sandalwood, neroli and lavender. Blends for oily skin will include light and easily absorbed carrier oils such as apricot kernel, almond and jojoba oils and Essential oils with an astringent and slightly anti-septic effect such as lemon verbena, cypress, chamomile and lavender.
Mature skin will benefit from carrier oils such as evening primrose, borage, rose hip, almond and sesame oils and the Essential oils that stimulate new cell growth such as lavender, frankincense, neroli, rose geranium and benzoin.

Essential oils have wonderful healing properties, are easily absorbed by the skin and thus transported via the circulation system of the body to have a beneficial effect on the whole body. It is preferable to use quality grade organic Essential oils and organic, cold-pressed carrier oils.

The Chinese Five Elements.

The Five Elements are as follows: Water, Wood, Earth, Metal and Fire. These are used in traditional Chinese medicine in order to help with diagnoses and plot the course of dis-ease. The following is a brief overview of the Elements, more detailed information can be found in various books, most of the information for this post was taken from, ‘ Traditional Acupuncture – The Law of the Five Elements” by Dianne M. Connelly. Ph. D.

Each Element relates to an emotion, colour, taste, smell, body organ etc. and knowing a bit about each of the Elements can help us to broaden our view of the dis-ease we are experiencing and perhaps through this finding a route to cure.

Fire Element:

Season – Summer

Organs – Heart (Protector 11:00 – 1:00), Small Intestine (Sorter 13:00 – 15:00), Circulation/Sex (19:00 -21:00), Triple Heater (21:00 – 23:00).

Emotion – Joy, Happiness

Sound – Laughing

Taste – Bitter

Smell – Scorched

Power – Capacity for Sadness and Grief

Parts of Body – Blood Vessels (Fluid secretion: perspiration)

Orifice -  Ears

Life Aspect – Spirit

External Manifestation – Complexion

Sense Organ – Tongue

Climate – Heat

Colour – Red

Grain – Glutinous Millet

Vegetable – Coarse Greens

Fruit – Plum

Meat – Mutton/ Lamb

Number – seven

Direction – South.

 

Earth Element:

 

Season – Late/High Summer

Organs – Stomach (7:00- 9:00 , storage of tastes ), Spleen (Distributor 9:00 – 11:00)

Emotion – Sympathy (Compassion, also relationship to Mother and Mother Earth)

Sound – Sing-song

Taste – Sweet

Smell – Fragrant (sickly sweet)

Power – Capacity for Belching (obstinancy)

Parts of Body – Mouth

Orifice -  Mouth

Life Aspect – Ideas and Opinions

External Manifestation – Flesh

Sense Organ – Fluid

Climate – Dampness and Humidity

Colour – Yellow

Grain – Millet

Vegetable – Scallions

Fruit – Apricot

Meat – Beef

Number - five

Direction – Center.

 

Metal Element:

 

Season – Autumn

Organs – Lungs (Jury, Recievers of Chi 3:00 – 5:00), Large Intestine (Garbage collector 5:00 – 7:00)

Emotion – Grief also Relationship with Father

Sound – Weeping

Taste – Pungent, Spicy

Smell – Rotten

Power – Capacity to Cough (expel unwanted things)

Parts of Body – Skin and Body hair

Orifice -  Nose

Life Aspect – Spiritual Resource, is Inferior, Animal Spirit

External Manifestation – Skin and Body hair

Secretion – Mucous

Climate – Dry

Colour – White

Grain – Rice

Vegetable – Onions

Fruit – Chestnut

Meat – Horse

Number - Nine

Direction – West

 

Water Element:

 

Season – Winter

Organs – Kidneys (stores Vital Essence 17:00 – 19:00), Bladder (Eliminates fluid waste 15:00 – 17:00)

Emotion – Fear

Sound – Groaning/humming

Taste – Salt

Smell – Putrid

Power – Capacity to create trembling (movement)

Parts of Body – Bones and Bone Marrow

Orifice -  Genitals, urethra, anus

Life Aspect – Will Power and Ambition

External Manifestation – Head Hair

Sense Organ – ears

Secretion – Spittle/ saliva

Climate – Cold

Colour – Blue/ Black

Grain – Beans and Peas

Vegetable – Leeks

Fruit – Dates

Meat – Pig

Number - six

Direction – North

 

Wood Element:

 

Season – Spring

Organs – Liver (Planner 1:00 – 3:00), Gallbladder (Decision maker 23:00 – 1:00)

Emotion – Anger

Sound – Shouting

Taste – Sour

Smell – Rancid

Power – Capacity for Control

Parts of Body – Muscles and Sinews

Life Aspect – Spiritual Faculties

External Manifestation – Hands, nails and feet

Sense Organ – Eyes

Climate – Wind

Colour – Green

Grain – Wheat

Vegetable – Mallow

Fruit – Peach

Meat – Chicken/ Fowl

Number - eight

Direction – East

 

Conclusion:

The Five Elements can be a very useful tool in diagnoses of an imbalance in the system or environment and this post serves merely as an intoduction to a very complex and detailed subject. An imbalance (whether too much or too little) of any Element will influence the balance of another Element and if any Element has been out of balance for more than 2 years, one will find that the Water Element is imbalanced also.

 

The TB Miasm in relation to Natural Nutrition..

The miasms (disease taints) can be seen as a kind of “map” as to where a being is in the overall health picture. Each of the miasms manifest certain diseases according to the level of toxicity in the body. In the tubercular miasm we find much internalized mucous and an inability to put calcium in the right place. For mucous loading to occur, dehydration would be one of the main factors involved. In relation to Traditional Chinese Medicine the TB-Miasm can be linked to an imbalance in the Metal Element.

The TB-Miasm.

The tubercular miasm is made up of two miasms namely the sycotic or gonorrheal miasm and the syphilitic miasm, this is when the body will be overproducing mucous because of high toxicity caused by various factors. These factors could include an inherited toxic load, unhealthy environment and inappropriate diet and would certainly include dehydration. More mucous leads to more “cut-off” cells and more dehydration, which leads to more dis-ease, each time on a deeper level as cells become less able to communicate with each other and their environment. The ideal day-night picture of Na, Ca and fats entering the cells during the day and then being displaced by Mg and K at night, gets disturbed by the increased levels of toxicity and dehydration. If the body is on dehydration alert it will produce cholesterol to help itself, the cholesterol is mixed with the fats (fats you have eaten) and as the Na, Ca and fats move towards and into the cell, the cell membrane will become coated with the cholesterol mixture. Cholesterol coating the cell membrane makes it difficult for nutrients eg. Ca to exit the cell and this Ca then becomes deposited in the cell and the cell becomes more “cut-off”. Calciums natural place is outside of the cell and this displacement of calcium, when reaching toxic levels can lead to diseases such as arthritis and bowel problems, which are characteristic of the physical level of the TB-Miasm. When the mucous load becomes blocked and so more internalized and extreme calcium displacement starts to take place because of and increased toxic environment and/or diet as well as extreme dehydration then the body enters a destructive phase. The cells are so “cut-off” that the body becomes destructive in an attempt to clean itself any way it can. The destructive “phase” is seen as being characteristic of the syphilitic miasm. Because the body has failed to rid itself of the mucous load and has a high level of “cut-off” cells, cells which aren’t communicating with the body as they should be, the being starts to be “dissasociated” with the physical body and disease starts to form on a Mental/Emotional level. This is towards the more extreme manifestations of the tubercular taint and one can see diseases like addictions or manic depression presenting. To manifest a full Tubercular picture both the gonorrhoeal and syphilitic miasms need to be present. Either one can “come through” as an inherited taint or in some cases both can be manifest in the parents, then we see a full tubercular picture in the new generation. One might find a child whose parents both showed Syphilitic and Gonorrhoeal miasms, for example where they have syphilis or gonorrhea in their family history, so inheriting the taint themselves. If they then merely build upon this toxic load they risk passing on a full TB-Miasm inherited picture to their child.

 

Linking the TB-Miasm to the Metal Element.

The TB-Miasm can be linked to a Metal Element imbalance through the following: TB manifests in the lungs which are one of the organs governed by the Metal Element (asthma is also indicated in the TB-Miasm picture). The Metal Element also rules the Large Intestine or colon. It is the Large Intestine which sends the dehydration message, which starts the whole toxic picture for the body, to the brain. The Metal Element is also related to skin and one can see this manifesting in diseases such as eczema, which requires a high toxic load, high acidity and a very disturbed calcium picture as well as severe dehydration to manifest, and is a disease characteristic of the physical manifestations of the TB-Miasm. The Metal Element also governs the capacity to cough (or expel unwanted things) and TB itself is a very persistent cough (the bodys attempt to expel the unwanted mucous in the lungs and so lighten the toxic load). The disease TB also acts as a cleanse for the body by creating inflammation (inflammation is an attempt at cleansing the body and its tisssues of toxins and excess mucous). If this TB then gets suppressed and not treated in a cleansing manner one can find a move into the Carcinosin (Cancer) Miasm which is indicative of a much higher toxic load where the body is no longer capable of moving the toxic load or producing mucous. It is however possible to move into the Cancer Miasm from any stage of the TB-Miasm. The Cancer Miasm is indicative of the Water Element (which rules fear, lack of movement) and an imbalanced Metal Element (TB-Miasm) often leads to an imbalanced Water Element, as the Metal Element “promotes” the Water Element, just as the TB-Miasm  “promotes” the Carcinosin Miasm.

 

The TB-Miasm and Hering’s Law of Cure.

One can also “connect” Hering’s Law of Cure and the TB -Miasm. Hering’s Law of Cure states: ” Healing starts from the top, the head, to the bottom, from the inside to the outside, from the major organs to the minor organs and in reverse order in which they presented”. If looking at someone with a tubercular miasmic picture eg. someone with anorexia, (mental/emotional level of TB- Miasm, head(top) problem ) who then because of a cleansing and lightening of the mucous load, travels back in the TB -Miasm and manifests bowel problems (physical level of the TB -Miasm (bottom and inside) problem) and later eczema (physical level of the TB -Miasm, skin (outside) problem) then one can see the progression of cure quite clearly according to Hering’s Law. For cure to progress in the right direction gentle cleansing would have to take place on each different level of the whole being, as that level became available, until eventually the excess mucous load had been shifted and eliminated, the calcium “pattern” (day-night shift) had been normalized and proper hydration and neutral pH had been re-established, with the being as close to being in full self-communication on all levels as possible.

 

The TB -Miasm and Diet.

The TB -Miasm can also be related to diet in the sense that in order to attain a state of extreme dehydration, calcium displacement, high levels of acidity and internalized mucous, the body needs to be in a state where it is not recieving the right messages. One of these messages is the dehydration message, which is sent by the colon. If one is eating dehyrating foods such as wheat and pork regularly, this will send a dehydration message to the body which will further escalate the toxic picture and mucous production, which eventually leads one to the TB -Miasmic picture. Not consuming enough pure water will also contribute to this dehydration alert. More hydrating foods to eat would be short-grain brown rice with pulses or sprouts and an adequate ( 4 pints daily) intake of clean water.

 

Conclusion.

I see the TB -Miasm as the “middle step” between the Psoric and Carcinosin Miasms, it is in a sense a warning stage (and attempt at cleaning the toxic load) before the being reaches such levels of toxicity that it cannot shift the toxic load and manifests a Carcinosin Miasmic picture. The TB -Miasm also provides a way of tracing cure, along with using Hering’s Law of Cure. I feel that the TB -Miasm gives the practitioner of Natural Nutrition one more way of forming a “whole” or more complete picture of a beings overall presenting health picture and how they might have reached that point (inherited miasm can be found in the family history).