Not every sinus sufferer needs these vitamins and minerals, but some very chronic sufferers do because of their great value in protecting the mucous membrane.

• Vitamin A: 36,000 International Units (IU) per day for one week, then 9000 IU per day for the rest of the month.  This initial dose is on the high side, but is not toxic.

• Vitamin C: 3000 mg first thing in the morning, then 1000mg on the hour for the rest of the day for one week, then 3000 mg per day for the rest of the month.

• Vitamin E:  500 IU per day for one week (one tablet morning and night), then 250 IU per day for the rest of the month (taken in the evening).

• SAFFLOWER: SUNFLOWER COLD PRESSED OIL:  Great for the very dry patient.  Dryness is very symptomatic of the sinus patient, dryness of the skin, the mouth and the nose.
  Take one dessertspoon on a salad or straight from the spoon once a day.

• Cold pressed oil is a great dietary addition for everyone’s good health.  It is of value for dry, scaly skin, high cholesterol, rheumatism and arthritis or any disease where there is a shortage of essential fatty acids.

PS: Robyn Kirby’s Herbs for Healing

GORSE is the flower for those who after many failures have lost their faith when in seemingly impossible situations.  In long chronic diseases, when no hope for recovery is left and the patient has lost all faith, Gorse is used.  They have suffered so many drawbacks that they think that nothing can help them anymore.  This could be useful for the sinus sufferer, used along with Rescue Remedy.

Preparation for Chronic Ailments

3 drops from each Stock Concentrate to a 30ml dropper medicine bottle, ¾ filled with spring water and topped up with brandy or cider vinegar (which act as preservatives).

Dosage

Take 4 drops of the diluted Remedy on the tongue four times daily.

PS: Flower Remedies, Christine Wildwood

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, sage, peppermint, and thyme.

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.

Organic foods are those which are grown without the use of pesticides, fertilisers and other artificial chemicals. Meat can also be classified as organic, meaning that livestock are not given antibiotics or growth hormones.

Organic food can most readily be sourced from farmer’s markets or small, family-run grocery stores, however the recent popularity surge has meant that organic food can now be found in most supermarkets. An Australia-wide directory exists for those who are interested in organic foods, and incorporates most of the major food categories.

The benefits of organic food include an increase in the amount of antioxidants, which are important for maintaining cells in the body. Organic fruit and vegetables are also assumed to taste better, although whether this is noticeable or not is another matter. You can also feel better about organic food, as it is grown in a more natural environment, without the use of harmful chemicals which go on to affect the ecosystem when absorbed into the soil or fed into the water table.

Trying out your own organic garden at home is a great way to jump on the bandwagon without putting a dent in your wallet. Try creating your own garden using these how-to videos. The organic food movement is growing, so chances are there’s someone else in your life that is willing to give it a go. Take turns caring for a shared plot, and then enjoy reaping the benefits of your harvest!

When most people are sick, they opt to go to the doctor. But with the resurgence in natural remedies throughout the end of the 20^th century, there are more options for you. Here are a few natural and alternative health care avenues.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine that views the body as an interconnected whole. Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points on the body in order to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy uses essential oils and aromatic amalgams to improve an individual’s health and spirits. It relies on a holistic approach to wellbeing.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic focuses on diagnosis and treatment of problems with the nervous, muscular and skeletal system. It is particularly geared toward spinal and back problems and can help with sports injuries and orthopaedics.

Massage

There are many different types of massage including Swedish, Thai, stone, reflexology, traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic. Massage manipulates soft body tissues to increase circulation or relieve tension and pain.

Naturopathy

Naturopathy emphasises the body’s own ability to heal itself. Naturopaths examine a patient’s problem as well as their entire history in order to recommend a treatment.

Whether you choose alternative or conventional medicine or a mix of the two, make sure you trust your health care professional and are benefiting from their care.

Source: Natural Healers

These foods may lead to congestion of the mucosa of the respiratory tract.

• All dairy products
• Refined sugars
• Excessive consumption of grains, eg wheat, oats and rye.
• Oranges
• Tomatoes
• Peanut butter
• Alcoholic beverages
• Tea
• Coffee
• Chocolate
• Food additives

It’s inevitable that the computer will be a part an integral part of our day. For most of us, the thought of going to the office and not sitting at a computer desk is highly unusual. Unfortunately, being in the same position every day can have a big impact on our health. After getting up, our necks can be  stiff, our eyes hurt, and our backs may ache.

This pain can be produced by how we interact with our computer and its surroundings. Even the placement of our phones and documents can lead to undue stress. To avoid the aches and pains associated with sitting at a desk all day, we need to be aware of the ergonomics of our work space. Here are some basic tips.

• Make sure your chair isn’t too tall or short. Having your legs dangling can cause strain on your back and scrunching up your legs is uncomfortable. If you can’t physically adjust the height of your chair, improvise with pillows or cushions.
• Your keyboard should be placed so that your shoulders are relaxed and your wrists are at a comfortable height. Don’t forget the placement of your mouth; try and keep it closed.
• The screen can be the most important thing to remember. Glare from the screen can lead to headaches and improper height can lead to neck cramps from tilting your head. The monitor should be just above eye level and tilted to avoid glare. If you feel you are tilting it too much for comfort, move your desk to face away from the source of light.

For more tips on Ergonomics, try this site.

Coffee

Coffee contains three stimulants – caffeine, theobromine and theophylline.  Although caffeine is the strongest, theophylline is known to disturb normal sleep patterns and theobromine has a similar effect to caffeine.  Coffee may affect some people adversely and produce caffeinism – a medical condition characterized by symptoms of depression, nervousness, irritability, recurrent headaches, heart palpitations, and insomnia. People prone to feeling stress and anxiety tend to be especially sensitive to caffeine.    To find out what effect it has on you, quit for a trial period of two weeks.  You may get withdrawal symptoms for up to 3 days.  This reflects how addicted you have become. Alternatives to coffee are Dandelion, Caro or herb teas.

Smoking

Detailed calculations reveal that smokers have at least three to five times as much risk of getting cancer and heart disease as nonsmokers.  Tobacco smoke contains more than four thousand chemicals, of which more than fifty have been identified as carcinogens.

Herb Teas to help stop smoking:

50g Plantain, 50g Thyme. Infuse one heaped teaspoon of each herb with one cup of boiling water. Steep for approximately 3 – 5 minutes and drink 3 – 4 cups daily.

DO NOT REACH FOR CIGARETTES.
Keep in mind that your own hands are responsible for lighting cigarettes.
Chew liquorice root throughout the day – this will not help you overcome the addiction, but will help repair damage in the respiratory passages.

Invented in the late 19th century, plastic has become a common household item. From containers to cling wrap, to water bottles, it’s literally everywhere. Unfortunately, recent research has shown that some of the plastics that we use in our everyday lives may actually be hazardous.

Most plastic containers and bottles will contain a label that looks like the recycling symbol. If you pay close attention, you’ll see that these triangles contain numbers inside of them. These numbers indicate the type of plastic and also provide some information as to whether that particular plastic is safe.

The most dangerous types of plastics are those labeled with the numbers 3, 6, and 7.

3- PVC or V (Polyvinyl chloride): Used for cling wrap, cooking oil, peanut butter jars, detergent, and window cleaner bottles
6- PS (Polystyrene): Used in Styrofoam food trays, egg cartons, disposable Tupperware, and carryout containers
7- Other (Polycarbonate): Used in most plastic baby bottles, 5-gallon water bottles, “sport” water bottles, and clear plastic cutlery.

All of the above information and more including the rest of the numbers can be found by downloading the handout from this link.

Unfortunately, it’s near impossible to avoid using plastic. However, this site lists several things that you can do. Some of them include:

• Do not microwave food in plastic containers that do not have a ‘microwave safe’ rating
• Avoid clingwrap, especially in the microwave and especially on fatty foods such as meat and cheese
• Use alternatives to polycarbonate plastic baby bottles
• Avoid plastic water bottles

Do keep in mind that most containers that have a ‘microwave safe rating’ have been tested for how much chemical migration happens as these containers are heated. But at the end of the day it is best to keep your lifestyle as natural as possible; and that includes what you eat from and drink out of.

You are exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals everyday.  They are everywhere, all of the time.  In the air you breathe, in the water you drink, the food you eat and in the soil in which we plant our seeds.  These pollutants manifest themselves as a variety of symptoms; decreased immune function, hormonal dysfunction, neuro-toxicity, chronic fatigue, obesity, lethargy, psychological disturbances, cancer and much, much more.  Juice detoxification will help reduce this accumulation of poisons and decrease the damage to help your body rejuvenate.

Organic fruit and vegetable juices are the cleansers of the human system.  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, revitalize your blood, sharpen your nerves, rejuvenate glandular activity and, in a matter of days, restore the acid-alkaline balance of the system.

7 Day Detox Program – Juice a selection of organic apples, oranges, bananas, beetroots, pineapple, grapes, celery, ginger, cabbage, radishes, potatoes daily.

Herb teas – Fenugreek, Stinging Nettle and Red Clover, one teaspoon of each mixed in a teapot.  Steep for approximately 10 minutes and strain.  3 cups per day

2 Litres of filtered water daily.

THE FIRST 2 – 3 DAYS YOU MAY EXPERIENCE HEADACHES OR NAUSEA, THE WORSE YOU FEEL THE MORE TOXIC YOUR TISSUES AND THE BETTER THE DETOX IS WORKING.

To maintain ultimate health and wellbeing it is commonly recommended that you consume at least a litre of water every day. Water flushes out your system and rejuvenates your cells, ensuring you stay healthy. The problem is that it’s very hard to find ‘clean’ water, with no chemicals or bacteria that will damage your system.

Fortunately, there are some solutions available that will make your drinking water fresh tasting and also safer. Bottled water is an option although this could quickly become expensive. There is also no information on how long the water has been sitting in the bottle. Another solution is water filtration systems, which can give you confidence in the water you drink as well as making the taste of the water better.

Even people on tank water may obtain benefits from using a water filtration system as any scum build up in the tank or introduced bacteria from roof run-off may be obliterated by a filtration system.

Filtration systems can also be purchased for use on shower heads to reduce the amount of chemicals in the water as it is absorbed by the skin. Whole house filters can also be purchased. These are great as they ensure every tap in your house; including dishwasher and washing machine water supplies, have fewer chemicals.

You can find information on a complete water filtration system at http://www.wellness.com.au/.
For a comparison of drinking water filters, visit http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com.au/ or for whole house filtration comparisons, check out http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com.au/?page_id=161.