Ideally, we should eat organic as much as possible, but it can be helpful to know which fruits and vegetables have the highest levels of pesticides, hormones, and other additives.

FRUITS:
Peaches, Apples, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Imported Grapes, Pears, Plums, Oranges, Raspberries, Domestic Grapes

VEGETABLES:
Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Lettuce, Spinach, Potatoes, Carrots, Green Beans, Hot Peppers, Cucumbers, Cauliflowers

Try to avoid non-organic produce that is listed above. Not only are there high concentrations of pesticides on any given food, but multiple pesticides are easily found on food. Sweet bell peppers, for example, contained 64 pesticides in a single crop. On the other hand, the foods that ranked in the lowest-level pesticide category were:

FRUITS:
Pineapple, Mango, Kiwi, Bananas, Papaya, Blueberries, Watermelon, Grapefruit

VEGETABLES:
Avocado, Frozen Sweet Corn, Frozen Sweet Peas, Asparagus, Cabbage Broccoli, Eggplant

It is still a good idea to buy organic when possible, but through these guides and making wise choices, you can greatly reduce your level of pesticide exposure.

www.bambooyogini.com

Steam inhalations combine the benefits of steam and antiseptic herbs to effectively treat disorders of the respiratory tract, such as bronchial and nasal congestions, colds, hay fever, influenza and sinusitis.

To prepare a steam inhalation, place 50g of preferred dried herbs, in a bowl or saucepan – chamomile, horsetail, peppermint, sage and thyme are suitable.

Pour 1 litre of boiling water over the herbs. Cover your head and the bowl with a towel, close your eyes and inhale the steam for 20-30 minutes twice daily.

We are exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals everyday. They are everywhere, in the air you breathe, in the food you eat and in the soil in which we plant our seeds, and in the water we drink.

These pollutants manifest themselves as a variety of symptoms; decreased immune function, chronic fatigue, hormonal dysfunction, obesity, lethargy and much more. An overload of toxins in your body will lead to chronic illness, we need to reduce this accumulation of poisons and decrease the damage to help our bodies rejuvenate.

Organic fruit and vegetable juices are the cleansers of the human body. They purify the blood, cast out accumulated toxins from the cells and help in the production of new cells to replace those which have either depreciated or been destroyed by disease and our bad dietary habits.

Organic juices will quickly supply you with generous amounts of minerals, vitamins, trace elements and enzymes without the toxic effects of drugs.

With juices, you can eliminate or prevent many chronic and degenerative diseases, revitalise your blood, sharpen your nerves, rejuvenate glandular activity and restore the acid-alkaline balance of the system.

Hi,
I have chronic sinus problems with facial pain, headache, fatigue, sensitivity to smells and sound, dripping down the back of my throat, pain when breathing through my nose, and diarrhea. I have tried sprays antibiotics decongestants, hayfever tablets, herbal sinus liquid and cutting out dairy.
There are so many web sites offering instant cures, I am in a small country town and am not comfortable with the alternative therapy clinic here. I have an appointment with an ear nose and throat specialist but am worried that traditional medicine just treats the symptoms. Also I’d really like to get relief as soon as possible, it’s become debilitating. Can you help to clarify my options. Thank you,
Cheryl

Dear Chery,

Thank you for your enquiry.

Sinus tonic has been treating patients and getting great results for over 10 years. Robin Kirby developed the formula because she realized how many sufferers there are and how debilitating it is. I can recommend our Initial Order Pack, it has a 500ml Sinus Tonic, 20ml bottle of Gentian and 3 x 15ml bottles of Kali Bic; if you are diligent with taking your herbs, results will be forthcoming. Herbs are slow and steady, the longer you have had your disease the longer it will take to gain control of it. Herbs won’t cure the disease; they aim to control the symptoms while not suppressing them. Herbs, will slowly but surely change the diseased state.
Some supplements that may also be of assistance are; Vit A, Vit C, Vite E, and Safflower cold pressed oil.

The whole of the above treatment will usually produce dramatic results in the sinus patient in the first week, with some relief being offered to the symptoms as well as healing of the patient.

Please feel free to call should you require further information.

Best wishes,

Maria

Hi Maria, I am Mohit.
I have pain in cheeks from past 2 years and my mouth gets filled with mucous every now and then that originates from the back of my nose. I have been suffering from sinusitis but the cheek pain is unexplainable as sinus does not cause such severe pain. My CT scan report suggests bilateral “ethmoid and left maxillary chronic sinusitis with deviated nasal spectrum”. I have taken treatment from best of the ENT specialists but found no relief. Medicines don’t show any effect.On the contrary they have brought a lot of anxiety and my memory is getting weak. Kindly suggest if there is any way to get rid of this constant pain (Is there any surgical option).
Mohit

Dear Mohit,
Thank you for your enquiry.Firstly, lets talk about sinus; sinusitis is the most debilitating disease of them all.   It comes in several forms and in varying degrees of severity.  From a practitioner’s point of view, if a patient sits and continually swallows while talking to you, they need sinus herbs no matter what they have presented with.

Symptoms of sinus include a dull thick headache, that hurts over the forehead and an aching face, which can be in the cheeks, as you mentioned, the symptoms can be worse when the weather changes.

The patient with sinusitis had a head full of mucus.  They don’t smell things very well, often smell only bad smells, and frequently can’t taste their food very well either.  Many periods of the sinus sufferer’s life are spent with a nasal drip, and when they lie down at night it is much, much worse.  They sleep with their mouths open and wake with dry mouths, sore throats, and usually rise unrefreshed.

With their constantly blocked noses, permanent nasal drips and by swallowing rubbish all night (often all day too), any food that goes into their sour and mucousy stomachs is not going to be digested very well.    “The stomach is the throne of the body, good health begins with good digestion and food that is poorly digested can cause allergies”

Treating the allergy is a waste of time because it is only a symptom.  The constant suppression of allergies just hastens the patient into a totally chronic state, a point from which there is no return, only polyps, operations and more polyps, or a degree of misery that some people learn to live with.

While allergy sufferers need sinus herbs, they also need some herbs to improve the digestion of the food they eat.  On top of this they need a good herbal and/or homeopathic remedy to relieve, not suppress, the allergic symptoms.

The reason herbalism is called holistic medicine is because it treats the whole body, not just the symptom or the ailing organ.

The “sinus attack” as opposed to the condition of sinusitis, is only the acute reaction to a very purulent, mucousy, dirty, infected state in the body.  To relieve one symptom, the acute attack, but suppress the “whole body”  is foolish.  We need to help the body fight its own battle, deal with its own disease, and there are many herbs we use in our treatment of sinusitis.
The Initial Order Pack would be a good place to start, along with a cleansing diet with lots of pure water, fresh vegetables and fruit juices, fresh food and a small amount of protein.  Avoid dairy and gluten for at least 3 months and slowly introduce as you start to feel better.

Secondly, you might like to try sacral cranial therapy or acupuncture for help with pain relief while your body is healing.

Hope this is of some help,
Best wishes, Maria

Echinacea Purpurea is one of the most exciting therapeutic herbs available today, it is a unique herb related to the sunflower plant family. Echinacea has been widely used by Native Americans for hundreds of years as an antiseptic, an analgesic and for the treatment of snakebites.

Recently Echinacea has gained world-wide recognition as a natural alternative to antibiotics. There is a concern that antibiotics are failing because of over-use and the resultant increase of drug-resistant bacteria. Echinacea helps to increase immune function, reduce the effects of colds and flu’s, fight off viral, bacterial and fungal infections, purify the blood and flush waste from the lymphatic system.

There are more than 300 separate studies that have confirmed echinacea’s major physiological effects. Researchers have found that echinacea’s immune- stimulating properties are due to a rich host of polysaccharides and phytosterols unique to this plant which help to activate macrophages, key immune system elements that are directly involved in the destruction of bacteria, viruses, other infectious agents and cancer cells. Macrophages produce much of their lethal effect by generating free oxygen radicals as well as producing a key protein called interleukin-1.

Echinacea is one of the primary remedies for helping the body rid itself of microbial infections. It is often effective against both bacterial and viral attacks, and may be used in conditions such as boils, septicaemia and similar infections. In conjunction with other herbs it may be used for any infection anywhere in the body. For example in combination with yarrow it will effectively stop cystitis. It is especially useful for infections of the upper respiratory tract such as laryngitis, tonsillitis and for catarrhal conditions of the nose and sinus. In general it may be used widely and safely.

Onto my second week now and I wake up and can blow my nose and clear my head which is just lovely. Then through the day it all comes back again and I struggle to get through the day. Am I expecting too much too early.
regards
Sue

Hi Sue,
That is great news, give it at least another week for even more improvement. Depending on how long you have been suffering from Sinus, will also determine how long it takes to reduce your symptoms.
Best wishes
Maria

Children these days lead very busy lives, with school, homework, extra sporting activities and busy social calendars.

Just like adults children too can get ‘rundown’ with the busy pace of modern life.  We all know our children need good sleep and good food for great health, and the use of herbs and supplements can also assist.

Herbs have a long tradition of use and many are good for boosting chidren’s immune system.  Herbal medicines can be given in tincture or in herbal tea form.  Good quality raw honey can be added to teas to improve the flavour.

Some herbs and supplements to consider are:

Garlic is helpful against bacterial, viral and fungal infections and can be added to whatever you are cooking for dinner.

Eyebright is an excellent remedy for problems of the mucous membranes - it is wonderful for reducing mucous congestion in the nose, throat or sinuses.  Made into a tea and wiped over eyes, it can assist in treating itchy, red or weeping eyes and conjunctivitis.

Echinacea is a popular and well known immune boosting herb.  It is useful in upper respiratory tract infections and is best used at the onset of a cold or flu.

Astragalus is good for building immune resilience, especially in children prone to repeated infections and to assist build children’s health when recovering from a recent infection.

Rose Hips provide one of the best natural and freely available sources of Vitamin C.  They will help the body’s defences against infections and especially the development of colds.

Vitamin C is good for boosting the immune system, is anit-viral and can also improve recovery.

Cod liver Oil is a natural immune booster.  It is high in vitamins A and D.  Vitamin A aids in mucus membranes and upper respiratory infections, and builds the immune system.

Water intake is also very important as children can become easily dehydrated.

The Western diet may be very low in magnesium due to the over-consumption of processed foods, meats and dairy products.  It is not widely known that magnesium is an essential mineral for the human body.  Magnesium is necessary for maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system, essential for bone formation, muscle relaxation, blood clotting and the production of energy.

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency:

• Muscle spasms and cramps
• Muscle weakness
• Fatigue and lethargy

If you have any of the above symptoms it may be worth supplementing with a good brand of magnesium to help maintain normal muscle and nerve function.  Magnesium may also keep bones strong, as magnesium is necessary to maintain density.  Magnesium supplementation is also helpful for the symptomatic relief of premenstrual syndrome, as it may help reduce mild premenstrual fluid retention.

The best dietary sources of magnesium are tofu, legumes, seeds, nuts, wholegrains, and green leafy vegetables.  Fish, meat, milk, and most commonly eaten fruit are low in magnesium.

People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should not take magnesium or potassium unless under the direct advice of a physician.

Magnesium supplementation can sometimes cause a looser stool, particularly if taken in the forms of magnesium sulfate  (Epsom salts), hydroxide, or chloride.

Just wondering if one can take the sinus tonic etc while taking blood pressure tablets? Also is there another way to pay other than paypal?
Denise

Dear Denise,
It would be best to check with your GP before taking the tonic, although there are no contraindications.  I can send you a brochure if you wish. You can also pay by EFT or call our office and use your credit card.  You may also wish to pay by cheque.
Thanks and best wishes,
Maria