Herbs, Gardens & Health opened on 27th April 2002. We had a day of celebration of our 4th Anniversary a little late, on the 20th May. It was a great day! We had asked all our suppliers and manufacturers to help us out with “Goody Bags” and prizes for a raffle and a tombola. They were so generous! Every customer had a winning Tombola ticket and an excellent Goody Bag! We had a raffle with lots of prizes, and raised £60 for Landlife Charity to help create more wildlife habitats for British birds.

We had a variety of products for people to try, including a wonderful range of 8 Rooibos teas and blends introduced by the South African importers, Biedouw Valley Ltd. Favourites were Chamomile and Rooibos, and Honeybush and Rooibos. Most people liked them, many bought packets of them, and some have come back for more already!

They are all £2.99 for a box of 40 bags.
We still have 20 FREE pots of BioCare Ginkgo biloba left to give away to the first 20 customers who come in and ask for it! Ginkgo is excellent for the circulation, cold hands and feet and memory.
As it thins the blood, however, it should not be taken with blood - thinning medication or before an operation. If you are on any medication you should always check with your Doctor or Pharmacist first.
 

Protect your skin from the sun with Green People Organic or Weleda Natural ranges of Sun Creams and Lotions. We also have Aloe Pura Organic Soothing and Hydrating After Sun Lotion - a must at just £5.99 for 200ml!

Hayfever? Try Luffa nasal spray, tincture or tablets - it seems to work well for many of our customers!

Hot Flushes or Excessive Sweating? Sage capsules have an excellent drying effect on the body to help control perspiration.
Insect Repellents Some people think that taking extra Vitamin B1 can help as an insect repellent as it is thought to emit a scent through the skin that insects do not like. Humans, however, do not notice it at all. We also have Bioforce Herbal Insect Repellent containing Neem and Essential Oils.

Insect Bites If you do get bitten, try the Jungle Formula Cooling Insect Spray. A small bottle of Tea Tree Oil is always worth carrying around, too. For stings, take Apis mel. Homeopathic tablets.

Jet Lag Guarana capsules are excellent for energy after a flight. Take some away with you and party when you get there!
Fluid Intake In hot weather make sure you always drink plenty of water. Drinking alcohol on a hot beach is the worst way to dehydrate your body.

Swollen Ankles If your body is retaining fluid, it means it is not getting enough and is storing what it’s got, rather like a camel! You must try to drink at least 2 litres of water per day.

I was lying on the beach at Joss Bay the other day making the most of the wonderful sunshine wriggling my toes in the fine warm sand which was very therapeutic in itself, I was thinking of how wonderful our feet are and how much we take them for granted and how we neglect them given the amount of work they do day in and day out. It was then I thought, that in this article about therapy for the HGH Newsletter I should write about the feet. The best known therapy using the feet is Reflexology.

The Ancients understood that feet have zones of communication to every part of the body, in fact the origins of pressure therapy is believed to have been practised by the Chinese some 5000 years ago. The Chinese were way ahead of the western world in understanding the importance of feet in treating disease. Reflexology and Accupuncture therapies are very closely related and based on similar ideas of energy lines linking the feet to other parts of the body. Gradually though reflexology was lost and forgotten whilst accupuncture grew from strength to strength. It was not until the early 1900 that reflexology as we know it today was reinvented in the USA.

SO WHAT IS REFLEXOLOGY?

It is a specific Pressure point technique applied to the feet, where all the internal body structures are mirrored in miniature, it is a non invasive therapy which helps the body maintain a delicate balance between the nine systems of the body, i.e. Skeletal, Muscular, Vascular, Neurological, Respiratory, Digestive, Endocrine, Urinary and Productive, all these systems work together to keep us in a state of good health - ease as opposed to dis-ease.

WHAT HAPPENS AT A REFLEXOLOGY SESSION?

Firstly the therapist will spend about 10 minutes discussing with you your life style, medical history and any present complaints that make you feel at that time under par. Then you will remove your shoes, stockings, socks, and get on to the treatment couch, sitting in a comfortable but not quite upright position and the treatment begins. Your feet are cleansed with an antiseptic cleansing solution, one foot is then covered over with a towel whilst the other foot is worked on. The therapist will massage your feet in a planned way applying pressure in turn to the nodal points of the foot that are linked to the various organs of the body. When the treatment has been completed to one foot, the other foot is given similar treatment and at the end both feet are massaged with oil. A whole therapy session takes approximately one hour, during which time you will probably drift off into a light sleep.

SO HOW WILL I FEEL AFTERWARDS?

Different people as you would expect experience different feelings of benefit but almost all say how much more relaxed and less stressed they feel. Some people will be pleasantly tired after the session. Certainly you should experience better circulation in the feet. If reflexology therapy is being given for a specific problem then at least 4 to 6 sessions would be needed to see real benefits, feeling tired, sleepy, feeling wonderful. Reflexology reduces the feeling of stress, calms and soothes, relaxes the mind, improves circulation and gives a general feeling of well being.

WHAT SOME OF MY CLIENTS HAVE SAID.

Angela: "My doctor was astonished at how well I looked and asked what on earth had had this effect"
Mary: "After three sessions I realised maybe I have been swallowing far too many pills. I will talk with my doctor to see if they are all really necessary now".
Jennifer: "I have not slept so well at nights for years".

WHAT DO READERS SAY?

It may well be that readers have stories to tell about their reflexology experience and would like to write to me about them. 1 should like to include them in an article in the future.

Jane Henry practices Holistic Therapies at the New Therapy Centre, Herbs Gardens & Health, Northdown Road, St Peters. Call: 01843600201 or 07866 073806

For those who would like to learn Holistic Therapy skills, her next training course in body massage is in July. Call: 0786 6073806.

 

Very nutritious and tasty; suitable for eating with sweet or savoury toppings, from homemade jam to goats cheese or smoked salmon. Ideal "snack" bread, even good eaten on its own, suitable for those with intolerances to wheat and dairy food if adjusted slightly - check with your nutritional advisor if unsure.

Ingredients

150 gms cracked or bulgar wheat - soaked
100 gms barley, rye, oat or buckwheat flakes (or a mixture—can use wheat flakes and wheat germ if not intolerant)
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
125 gms in total of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and chopped nuts (mixture to your taste)
½ teaspoon Jamaican "pepper" or Allspice
1 teaspoon of fennel or caraway seeds (mix to taste or can be left out)
1 tablespoon runny honey (or omit if preferred or diabetic)
150 gm pot of natural yoghurt (if not use two eggs instead)
1 large egg well beaten

Method

1. Soak bulgar wheat in a basin just covered in very hot water, whilst you prepare and mix the dry ingredients
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl
3. Add egg, honey and yoghurt, mix thoroughly with the bulgar wheat to form a stiffish mixture
4. Tip into a well oiled loaf tin, press down firmly, adding a few sunflower seeds to the top for decoration
5. Bake in oven (180°C/gas 4) for about an hour (cover loosely with foil or greaseproof paper to prevent over browning)
6. Leave to cool a little, slip a knife round the edges to loosen and turn onto a rack to cool further
7. Slice with a sharp knife and enjoy! Thanks Pam!
 

The naturally astringent taste of Aloe Vera has been over laid with the sweet mouth filling flavour of Manuka Honey. It tastes great!

Combining the natural healing properties of Aloe Vera with the soothing action of Manuka Honey provides a greater benefit for digestive health than Aloe Vera alone.

Aloe Vera naturally contains digestive enzymes, is soothing, healing and anti-inflammatory. Active Manuka Honey is effective for easing gastritis, stomach ulcers and helps clear diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach upsets.

Each 25ml provides Aloe Vera gel juice 25ml plus 1.5g of Active Manuka Honey. It comes in a 500ml size bottle for £5.99 or 1ltr for £9.99.

DELACET is an easy to use natural herbal cleanser and repellent for head lice and nits. It is a unique dual action flower extract known for its outstanding properties and used successfully in Europe for over 40 years! Laboratory trials have proven its extraordinary effectiveness after just one application. DELACET is not a shampoo and is very different from many products available on the market because:

It is prepared from the best quality organically grown native European plants.
 
It does not contain any harmful chemicals and is free from pesticides, artificial preservatives, additives and colours (no parabens, no enzymes, no harsh surfactants or solvents) 

It does not require detection or prolonged combing - easy wash out protective formula (no combing, no pain and no tears!) 

It is suitable for all hair types including permed, coloured, Afro hair and dreadlocks (due to its "watery" consistency it is very easy to apply even on thick hair) 

It is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children over 1 year 

It has disinfecting and conditioning properties 

It is quick, simple and safe to use by the whole family 

It has decades long proven record of effectiveness 

It is a patented formula and registered trademark 

It is produced to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards (awarded ISO 9001 and 9002) 

It has not been tested on animals 

It is suitable for vegans 

It keeps for up to 3 years even after opening 

It is packed in fully recyclable materials

DELACET has been named the Best Head Lice Product by Prima magazine, September 2003.

To use it as a cleanser: Apply neat from the bottle to dry hair. Make all hair and scalp well saturated with Delacet, pin up hair if long and wear an old shower cap to protect yourself and clothes from solution dripping. Leave it on for 2-3 hours then shampoo and dry hair as usual.

To use it as a repellent: Pour some Delacet into a spare spray bottle and spray hair once in 3-4 places around the head before child goes to school. Alternatively, dib your fingers in Delacet and apply to hair in 3-4 places. Repeat every day.

DELACET is a long awaited child-friendly "green" alternative formula, which puts parents in control and takes a lot of pain and frustration away – all the goodness of nature at your disposal. £8.99.