1. Remember your mother’s advice – chew your food!
2. Leave time between meals for digestion.
3. Drink more water.

How well do you chew your food? Do you sit down to eat? Do you give yourself enough time to digest before rushing on with your daily tasks? If you don’t chew your food properly you won’t digest it. Chewing starts everything. It is how we break down our food and how we prepare our digestive system to receive the food and produce the enzymes necessary to further digest it. When we chew properly, we mix our food with saliva, which (in the case of carbohydrates especially) starts the whole digestive process. If this process fails, you get partially digested foodstuffs fermenting and blowing you up like a balloon, causing gripping pain, inflammation, and in the long term, serious illnesses. What’s more, if your food isn’t broken down and absorbed effectively, you won’t get the nutrients you need from it, so you’ll become malnourished despite eating plenty of food, and you will crave more and more. So sorting out your digestion can reduce those troublesome cravings as well as removing stomach pains and abdominal cramps!

Leave plenty of time between meals so that each lot of food we eat can be digested properly before the next lot arrives. Imagine mixing partially digested food with un-digested food – how does the body know what to do? Either some stays in one part of the digestive system for too long or some moves on before it is ready – either way it causes problems. So try to leave at least 4 hours between meals.

Drink more water. You have heard this a million times, but don’t underestimate it. Dehydration causes huge problems in our bodies – joint pain, heart problems, and back pain, as well as digestive pain. We all need to drink between 1.5-2.5 liters per 24 hours to be healthy.

You will also feel better if you avoid coffee, alcohol, sugar and tobacco particularly if you are constipated, as they upset the gastric secretions and deaden the response of the bowel when used long term.

Foods that will help regulate digestion include:
Short grain brown rice, cooked with lots of water (and chewed well!)
Figs, raw or cooked
Dates, raw or cooked
Carrot juice
Prune juice

Molkosan – a healthy daily drink
If you feel you need additional help with your digestion, I recommend a whey powder called Molkosan Vitality. It helps to create a positive environment in which friendly gut bacteria (probiotics) can grow and thrive. Unfriendly bacteria don’t like these conditions and as they decline in numbers you will notice many beneficial developments:

Digestive symptoms such as constipation and bloating improve and your energy levels and general feeling of well-being may increase
Due to the steadily increasing digestive ability, your metabolism picks up, which can help with weight loss if this is an issue
Thrush, athlete’s foot and fungal nail infestations will get better as unfriendly bacteria are kept at bay
Arthritic symptoms may ease as tissue acidity is reduced

Rude Health Week: 15th to the 20th of February is national Rude Health Week, when Health Stores across the country will be promoting good health. We have Gabrielle McAuley back in Organico on Febuary 19th for free health consultations (10.30 – 3.30). She will be focussing on Digestive Health (but can also answer other questions). Just call in and ask to speak with her.

Organico is open from 9.30 – 6 Monday to Saturday, and Organico Café from 10-4.30 Monday to Saturday. Contact us on 51391 or look up www.organico.ie for recipes & health advice.

Surprisingly, our skin is the largest organ in our body. Somehow, because it is external we seem to think of it as impermeable. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth: it is estimated that the skin absorbs 60% of everything in the atmosphere, so we are very vulnerable to the numerous chemicals all around us. We can, however, control what we actually put onto our skin. When choosing skin care and cosmetic products a good rule of thumb is to ask “what is actually in this? Would I eat it?!’’ When you think about the number of products we use every day – shampoo, conditioner, soap, showergel, deodorant, cleanser, moisturiser, makeup, body lotion, perfume – it would be nice to know they were completely safe. Unfortunately, large cosmetics companies put ‘natural’ and even ‘organic’ on the front of their labels hoping we won’t notice all the chemicals on the back!

When we choose a range of skin care products for Organico we know that skincare is about more than just the surface and we take the health implications very seriously. Brands such as Dr Hauschka, Weleda, Trilogy and Burt’s Bees are the mainstay of our beauty products and although they each have different approaches to their formulation, they are all focused on safe and healthy beauty.

As well as healthy ingredients, truly natural products have a fantastically therapeutic effect on our skin. These companies combine the best of nature and science in preparations that are simple and fuss-free, beautiful to use and incredibly effective. For example, New Zealand comapnyTrilogy make multi-award winning skin creams using organic rosehip oil, which helps to build cell-membranes and to repair, hydrate and strengthen the skin. Trilogy Rosehip Oil is recommended for scars, dry skin, aging skin, and sun damaged skin – but I use it daily on my skin which is pretty ‘normal’ (I’m trying to keep it that way!). They also make Everything Balm, which can be used by everybody for everything! Face, lips, elbows…even babies’ bottoms, so it’s great for travel. Products like these might not taste nice but they are so pure they are actually edible!

I would need to write a book to describe all the gorgeous lotions and potions we have in Organico. Instead I have asked our suppliers for samples and information and we have put together a number of free Beauty Bags (first come first served!) that you can come and collect from the shop and try them yourselves!

Organico News & Offers:
• Don’t forget our delicious handmade Christmas Cakes and Mince Pies – you can come in and taste both in the Café before you order (we also offer mince pies frozen so they can be cooked off at home at your convenience).
• We also have lots of Christmas goodies instore such as Booja Booja organic handmade chocolates, organic wines, Ports and Sparkling Cavas, chestnuts, Turkish Delight… all of which can be made into magnificent hampersfor fantastic tasty gifts!
• Weleda Shampoos and Conditioners are on offer 2 for the price of 1;
• Red, Orange and Green Organic Alpro Soyamilks are now €1.27 (RSP €1.86) or €14.99 for a case;
• 8th of December:10% off wines and Organic Wine Tasting with Mary Pawle
• Free Beauty Bags available from December 1st in Organico
Organico Shop will be open until 4pm on Christmas Eve and will re-open on Tuesday the 29th of December.

And finally – we would like to wish everyone a happy tasty Christmas and a healthy New Year!

We are all very aware of the need to keep our immune system in good working order at the moment. I have compiled a quick list of immune boosting foods and some natural remedies that might help keep you healthy or help fight a cold or viral infection if you are unlucky enough to contract one. Obviously you will consider if you need to go to the GP but here are some home remedies to try as well.

You might notice something here that you could easily add to your daily diet, or feel better about eating something that you already eat but didn’t realise how good it was! Please ask our staff if you need tips for cooking anything that is new to you. On www.organico.ie we have a lot of great soup recipes that use things like sweet potatoes and pumpkins if you would like to add them to your diets.

Good foods to help keep you healthy:

Manuka Honey (anti-bacterial) a teaspoon of number 10 taken every day
All the greens – organic broccoli, kale, watercress, nastursium leaves, pursalane, parsley …all good sources of vitamin C
Onions, garlic, leeks and chives are all immune-boosting and are good sources of vitamin C, potassium, selenium, and sulphur. Try to get local fresh leeks for maximum benefits.
Cider Vinegar (1 tbsp in warm water every morning – with manuka honey if you like) is very alkalising
Foods rich in calcium: carrots, turnips, celery, parsnips, figs, brazil nuts, pine nuts, almonds and pecans. Calcium helps strengthen the immune system.
Good quality juices are a very valuable source of vitamins and minerals, preferably fresh pressed or at least without sugar. If you don’t have a juicer try some of the better bottled ones:
Organic Blackcurrant Juice, Beetroot Juice, Blueberry juice, carrot juice or grapefruit – all diluted with water and drunk in regular small quantites.
Organic Chamomile or Elderflower tea with manuka honey is a good evening drink
Green Tea is full of anti-oxidents, but it does contain caffeine so don’t go overboard!
Carrageen moss made into a drink with water, lemon and honey – good source of minerals and very soothing
Echinacea Tea from Dr Stuart is also a good daily drink
Anything orange – sweet potato, carrots, pumpkins – all contain beta-caroteins
Shitake mushrooms added to soups or vegetable dishes (available dried) have been shown to boost red blood cell production
All probiotic yoghurts boost our digestive defences(a few spoonfuls of ‘live’ yoghurt with some fruit every day is great, but avoid the drinks as they contain lots of sugar)
Oats and barley contain beta-glucan, a type of fibre which has strong immune boosting actions in both humans and animals. So stick with your morning porridge! I have started adding cinnamon, sunflower seeds and manuka honey to mine on the advice of a friend. It tastes great and is even more nutritious.

Let me kow what you are currently doing to help boost your immune system!

Sitting at home with nothing to do all day (except look after my lovely little 10 week old daughter!) I have put together a list of some of the good things we sell that might help fight off an infection. Of course, I am not a GP so please if you feel you should get checked out do; these are things to try when you want to prevent or treat everyday ailments. Most good healthfood shops will sell these or give us a call on 0035327 51391 and we’ll post you out whatever you need.

Quick Combinations for treatment for colds or flues:
• Immune +, Kyolic Garlic 600, Echinacea
• Esther C, Elderberry Capsules,, Vitamin D3
• Sambucol, Food State Vitamin C, Echinacea

Prevention: (take daily)
• Echinacea & vitamin C
• Immune +
For those who are very vulnerable/exposed, add:
• Colloidal Silver, Vitamin D3, Kyolic 600

Anti-virals
Elderberry capsules (Solgar) or Sambucol (Elderberry extract)
Immune + (vitamin C, Black Elderberry, Blackcurrant and Zinc; Higher Nature)
Colloidal Silver or Citricidal Tablets, drops, capsules
Kyolic Garlic (600 or 1000), Vitamin D3 from Solgar
 

Immune Boosters
Echinacea Tincture and Tincture tablets (A.Vogel)
Vitamin C (Esther C from Solgar, Food State Vitamin C from Higher Nature, Quest Time Release C1000, A.Vogel Nature C)
Olive Leaf Extract, Kyolic Garlic from Quest
Probiotics (Udo’s, Higher Nature, Quest)
Zinc (Higher Nature Food State)
A good multi-vitamin (see Higher Nature, Solgar, or Salus Haus Epresat)

Cough syrups, lozenges & throat sprays
ZinC from Sona
Echinacea throat spray from A.Vogel, Naturalife Throat Spray
Citricidal Throat Spray , Citritidal lozenges
Manuka Honey lozenges
Drosulina or Santasapina Syrups (A.Vogel)
Molkosan – as a gargle
Ivy-Thyme from A.Vogel

Sinus
Apart from the immune boosting remedies mentioned above, try inhaling Po Ho Oil from A.Vogel (they offer a great inhaler that makes taking it even easier)
Heel make some good homeopathic combinations for sinuses, sprays and drops

Hand sanitizers
Burt’s Bees spray or Silver water spray or Citricidal drops added to hand wash

Remedies for children
Junior Echinacea from A.Vogel
Kindervital – good as a preventative, and to speed up recovery
Nature C from A.Vogel (check minimum age?)
Children’s multivitamins – Solgar do very good ones that taste good too.

 
Apart from eating well, many women take some supplements for pregnancy because it is a time when there is a huge nutritional demand on your body. The baby is gets first call on nutrients so you might need more than you can get from food alone.
I take Solgar’s Pre-Natal Nutrients – a very good all-rounder which you can start when you are planning a baby and carry through until you stop breast feeding (it contains the folic acid you need). Another really good choice is Higher Nature’s Mum-2-Be. Both contain the Folic Acid you need for pre-conception and for the early stages of pregnancy. Along with this, I take fish oils for Omega – needed for brain development, helping prevent complications including premature birth, and helping prevent post-natal depression. It also keeps your skin and hair looking good! I take the Eskimo-3 capsules because I’m a wimp and don’t like the texture of the oil.
On the advice of Patrick Holford, I also take extra zinc, magnesium, B6, calcium and occasionally some iron. I have put in a sample of each of the Floradix iron drinks – one has yeast (great for energy) and the other does not (great if you get thrush, bloating, or have candida over-growth). I sometimes also take Spatone Iron Sachets because they are great when you are on the move.
Patrick recommends zinc and B6 for regulating hormones, thus helping to prevent post-natal depression; the calcium and magnesium are necessary for baby’s bones and for preventing mum’s leg cramps.
Another supplement to consider is vitamin D during the winter months especially if you work inside, as most of us do. In ‘Northern’ countries doctors routinely prescribe vitamin D; they don’t here but I wonder if they should. It helps with calcium absorption and bone health as well as mood swings. I would at the least take a calcium supplement with vitamin D in it (Solgar do a good one).

If acidity strikes in the middle of the night (I got this in the early stages a lot) try eating some live natural yoghurt before you go to sleep and keep snacks, such as nuts or ginger biscuits, by the bed. Frutin (sold in Organico and many good Health Food Shops) is a natural anti-acid supplement that is safe for use during pregnancy and gives quick relief.
For nausea I found the Sea Bands (from O’Sullivans Pharmacy in Bantry and many good Pharmacies) very helpful, as well as Nux Vom 6 a homeopathic for nausea, and B6 and Magnesium are both recommended to help reduce ‘morning’ sickness. A hot drink made with fresh ginger helps – you can add a little honey to taste. Alternatively, you can get ginger in capsules or tincture if you don’t feel like the tea. I also kept a bottle of peppermint oil handy to use like the smelling salts of old – it clears the head and settles the stomach. Eating calming foods like rice, yoghurt, bananas, toast, crackers (I really liked oat cakes) as well as nuts, dried fruit, and soups. Nairns make some really good ginger biscuits – I was known to munch them in the middle of the night even!
For constipation eat lots of fibre (Linwoods flaxseed can be added to cereal or yoghuty for added fibre and omega oils), drink lots, take weekly yoga classes and if necessary see an osteopath! Also it might be caused by Iron in tablet form – check with your doctor if you are on one. The iron in the 2 multi-vitamins I have suggested should not cause constipation.

Skin and hair
For strechmarks I have used Trilogy Body Oil which contains rosehip oil which is amazing for treating scars, stretchmarks and generally to give your skin a treat!
For sore feet, legs, shoulders etc I use Arnica Gel from A.Vogel which can be very soothing. I also invested in a pair of Fit Flops (very bouncy sandles available in many sport’s shops and some pharmacies and shoe shops) which I have worn every day since I bought them 2 months ago – and they eased my feet a lot.
 There is alsoVenegel by A.Vogel which can sooth veins considerable – though taking care of your back seems to be the best way of taking care of your veins – or so my osteopath tells me!
For dry or flaky scalps (this condition seems to affect several girls I know who are pregnant and many who are not!) I am trying a combination of internal and external treatments – Eskimo oil internally and Dead Sea Mineral products by Dead Sea Magic externally. They do a good shampoo and a fantastic Scalp Mud which I put directly on my scalp and leave for a few minutes before running it through my hair like a conditioner and washing out.
I used a skin brush a lot during the first 5 months as I was very itchy – I think it is the skin stretching – and as I said, lots of oil.

Books
Patrick Holford’s ‘Optimum Nutrition for Pregnancy’ is fantastic resource for diet and supplement tips. We sell it if you would likt to have a browse through.
I also found ‘Birth and Beyond’ by Dr. Yehudi Gordon very helpful – it is a huge book which covers everything from a very balanced perspective – he is a medical doctor but one with a very holistic outlook. I bought it on Amazon for about €15.
‘Birthing From Within’ is also amazing from an emotional perspective – there are instructors trained in this technique in West Cork who can help you to address the fear that surrounds birth for many women.

Teas
Raspberry Leaf Tea is recommended from about week 30 to tone the uterus (comes in loose leaf or capsules). Goldenrod tea is very good to keep the urinary system healthy and prevent infections. Rooibosh is a good substitute for regular tea (no caffeine) and Traidcraft Decaffeinated coffee tastes great.

Some Local Resounces:
Betty O’Toole for Shiatsu Massage and Pregnancy Yoga 087 7972059
Jessie Field for Pregnancy Yoga (and hopefully for mum and baby yoga in the autumn!) 086 0766608
Liz Ewing – for nutrition, general health and stress management 028 30895
Christine Meadows – nutritionist 027 51615
Catherine O’Sullivan Homeopath Bantry 027 52689
James Heggarty Homeopath Bantry 027 50501
Kieran English Osteopaths 028 38638
Florence Vion 023 8834748 Osteopath Clonakilty
Home Birth Association of Ireland http://www.homebirth.ie/

I have been trying all kinds of things to stay healthy during my pregnancy, so I have decided to share some of it before it’s too late (apparently when the baby comes I won’t have much time for writing!). For the first 3 months I was tired – the huge changes taking place mean most of us need more rest than usual and may feel drained. Lots of rest is essential at this point – your body needs time to focus on the work going on inside. For me, this was not the time to go out, go on holiday or do anything that was not strictly necessary! I also felt pretty nauseas, so my husband did all the cooking – I couldn’t even face washing-up without feeling awful! Handy that! Since then though I have felt great – so everything must be working!
I have found pregnancy yoga invaluable. I go to 2 classes a week, one in Bantry with Jessie Field and one near Durrus with Betty O’Toole (who also offers wonderful pregnancy massage!). I have also had regular cranial osteopathy to keep everything in balance and prevent back and hip problems, varicose veins and odema. I would strongly reccommend finding local practitioners in your area early on in your pregnancy so that they get to know you and your body and you get the best care possible.

Healthy Eating
Pregnancy is a great time to get your diet in order. Plenty of fibre, fresh fruit and veg, complex carbs and protein are all essential to keep you and baby strong and healthy. Lunch in our Café keeps me pretty well fed! If you eat at home then check out our website for good recipes.
I found that my eating patterns changed a lot over the first 7 months (I still have 2 months to go!). Right at the start I was pretty hungry even though I was feeling sick; and I kept on eating ‘for 2’ for a while. But it evened out – I haven’t eaten so much over the last 3 months and my weight has stabilised. Between 2 doctor’s visit s I didn’t put on any weight, whereas up till then I had been a bit over the average weight gain. So don’t panic if you feelo hungry at the start – just try not to eat chips!

Regarding a healthy diet during pregnancy and breast feeding, the World Health Organisation says:
‘’A healthy diet is one that is based mainly on plant foods. Therefore it is
important to eat lots of vegetables, fruits, bread, potatoes, pasta,
cereals, beans and lentils accompanied by only relatively small amounts
of: low fat milk, cheeses, kefir and yogurts; fish, lean red meats, and
poultry. Whenever possible try to get locally grown vegetables and
fruits, especially when they are in season. These can be less
expensive, more nutrient dense, fresh and safe from contamination.’’

I craved fruits at the start of my pregnancy – sounds good but it was hard in January to find nice fruit! Not very seasonal I know. I ended up going to Marks and Spencer’s! It’s great to eat lots of grains like brown rice, quinoa and breads made from nutritious grains like spelt so you are getting all the trace elements that are missing from white rice, flours and pastas. Lentil soups are fantastic – fibre, protein, and filling too. Lots of fruit and veg of course. As much as possible avoid fried foods, and though you need protein I think red meat is best kept to once or twice a week as it can be hard to digest. Good quality eggs are a good protein source.
If you have unusual cravings check out what the food you crave supplies – you might be lacking some mineral (some people talk about craving liver for example so possibly they need iron).
Though fish is very healthy some fish is very high in mercury and other heavy metals and should be eaten in moderation. Tuna is one to be especially careful of – because they are near the top of the food chain they eat many smaller fish and their mercury levels can be very high. We sell a tuna that is better – it is fished in clean waters – but I would personally avoid the ones in deli counters.
I find taking Epresat from Salus Haus very helpful because it is a great top-up if you go through a period of not eating well.
With regard to drinks, it is advised no to drink tea or coffee containing caffeine with you meals as this inhibits iron absorption. Lots of water is really the best thing you can drink while pregnant and breastfeeding – 6-8 glasses per day at least. Alcohol should really be avoided during the first 3 months and after that only a glass or even half a glass or wine very rarely – it can cross the placenta barrier and cause all manner of problems for the baby! Just enjoy the hangover-free mornings and let your partner enjoy you being the driver!

In Organico we have always encouraged people to resort to antibiotics as a last measure; and now the HSE are saying the same thing. Antibiotic resistance is a very real threat to increasing numbers of people, so staying healthy by boosting our immunes systems and generally taking care of ourselves should be our first priority, with our second treating all colds and flues as naturally as possible.

In previous columns we have discussed Echinacea, Kyolic Garlic and Vitamin C which are some of the first remedies we should reach for when either boosting immunity (if you feel under stress, get run down or are exposed to bad colds from other people) or treating a cold/flu. This month I though we should discuss digestive health and in particular Probiotics as a powerful and safe alternatives to Antibiotics.

Digestive health is the basis for good health. Regarding diet and digestive health, enough dietary fibre is vital. Good sources of soluble fibre are fruit, raw or lightly cooked vegetables, oats, brown rice, linseeds (ground linseeds make a great addition to cereal or porridge), or psyllium which is pure fibre in powder form. This type of fibre absorbs water and adds bulk to the stool, as well as helping to control cholesterol levels. Low stool weight and constipation over long periods are thought to be associated with increased risk of bowel cancer, so maintaining high levels in the diet is very important.

Probiotics are added to many different foods but unfortunately, contrary to much advertising, drinking‘Probiotic’ drinks that contain vast amounts of sugar is counter productive. To add Probiotics to your diet we always recommend eating natural ‘live’ yoghurt from a trustworthy brand (Glenisk, Glenillen, Yeo Valley, and Rachel’s Dairy all make good quality natural yoghurts). However, according to one study, to get the optimum amount of Probiotics from your diet you would need to eat 1 litre of live yoghurt per day – or take 1 tablet of a good quality supplement.

The biological roles of Probiotic bacteria are numerous, and include:

• Helping to protect your whole system from bacteria and viruses by stimulating the immune system of the digestive tract
• Improving symptoms of Candida overgrowth such as thrush by starving the Candida yeast
• Regulation of ‘intestinal transit time’ – keeping you regular, in other words
• Some kinds of Probiotics are particularly effective in reducing symptoms of IBS
• Can relieve symptoms of Urinary tract infections and give protection from recurrences
• If you have taken a course of Antibiotics, a course of Probiotics is a good follow up to restore your intestinal flora and boost your immune system.

As a general rule, we always recommend the Udo’s Range of Probiotics, because they are much more powerful than most other brands and feedback from everyone taking them is very positive. For general health protection they offer the Adult’s Blend or the Advanced Adults Blend (age 65 and over – as well as everything else this blend can help control Cholesterol levels); as well as specific blends for infants (a powder that you add to bottles of milk or juice) and for children. They also offer Super 8 which helps to combat fungal and yeast infections (think Candida) and helps with urinary tract infections.

For sufferers of IBS, there is another product that has been the subject of extensive research. It is called Lp299v and is made by Quest. One study found that 95% of patients taking Lp299v for just 4 weeks showed significant improvements in all IBS symptoms, such as bloating, diarrhoea and constipation.

For a high fibre, tasty and healthy lunch, call in to Organico Café (open Monday – Friday only until the end of February); and for further dietary tips or supplement advice call into Organico Shop and talk to one of our Product Advisors. Always consult a medical practicioner if you have health issues.

The Deal!

The deal is – you buy a bottle of Echinaforce (or echinacea throat spray, if you already have some echinaea) and a bottle of Kyolic Garlic 1000 mg tablent (the combined cost is about €24.50) and you get a free bottle of Higher Nature Vitamin C 30 tablets (RSP €7.15 approx).

Carrageen Moss

Call in to Organico to get your Cold Busting Pack, and while you’re there pick up some local honey and some carrageen moss and a reciepe for a warming nutritious drink to help lift your mood.

This deal is only available while the free stock lasts!

I’m doing a few different things to stay healthy this winter. I am taking 2 yoga classes per week with Esther Ekhart at the Boab Centre which helps to keep me strong physically and I am reducing my sugar intake because I think I get fewer colds this way. Of course I  try to eat really healthily – we hear ‘eat your fruit and veg’ so many times that we might be in danger of tuning out but don’t – it is so important to eat well.

I also use some natural products regularly over the winter to keep me healthy. The first thing I reach for when I feel a sore throat coming (for me a cold always starts with a sore throat) is Echinaforce by A.Vogel. Echinacea is a well established immune stimulant and recent research has shown that taking it regularly (during winter months) reduces your risk of getting a cold by over 50%, and hugely reduces the length of time you suffer also. A.Vogel also make Ivy Thyme which I find amazing for helping to prevent a cold taking hold in the chest area – if you are prone to chest infections this is a good remedy to try.

Kyolic Garlic is another of my favourite supplements. Books could be written about all the health issues is can help. Kyolic Garlic is much stronger than regular garlic capsules. It has benefits that range from heart-protection to anti-candida to immune-stimulation. Coming from Japan, with hundreds of clinical studies to back it up, Kyolic Garlic is something of a super-supplement. The strengths range from Kyolic 100 to Kyolic 1000. The standard one we would recommend to most people if they want to fight off colds would be the Kyolic 600; I take 2 per day when I feel un well and 1 per day most of the winter. (Because Kyolic Garlic is ‘aged garlic’ it is naturally odourless, so you don’t have to worry about your breath!)

Added to that I always take Vitamin C. There are a lot of different Vitamin C products on the market but the one I prefer is Higher Nature’s True Food C, easy on the stomach and supported by lots of research which shows that it absorbs into our blood very effectively. A high serum (blood) level of Vitamin C is what we need to help fight infections, so it is important to take one that is easy to absorb.

Finally, a traditional local remedy that I always recommend is Carrageen Moss. Made into a drink with water, lemon and honey, Carrageen is soothing for the throat, boosts energy and is a great source of micro-minerals that aid convalescence. Call in for the recipe!

For more information and dietary advice contact Organico on 027 51391, visit us online at www.organico.ie or pop in and see us at No 2 Glengarriff Road, Bantry.