Organico Bantry

If you are pregnant, I hope you are feeling well and are delighted and healthy. This is an extended version of an article I put in the Grapevine in July 2009; it includes all the bits I had to edit due to space shortage. I hope it is useful. I have divided the article into 3 parts for the blog.

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.

On the strength of the article that we wrote for the Grapevine last week, I have persuaded our suppliers to give us some free stock so we can offer a special deal on the 3 products I mentioned. So often we would like to give away products we know would be good for people because we are very aware of the cost – especially if you are trying to treat a whole family – of really good quality natural remedies. So this time we can!

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!

Staying healthy and free from infections is so important in the winter. Getting plenty of sleep is vital, as well as not eating too much sugar or drinking too much alcohol or coffee. Sugar in particular depresses the immune system which allows viruses and bacterial infection to get a hold of us.

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.

One of the conditions we receive the most questions about in Organico is joint pain and stiffness. Many people have been to their GP and have perhaps tried anti-inflammatory medications, which may not have relieved their pain and on top of that may have given them side effects that increased their discomfort. The difficulty for us is that from the natural perspective it is necessary to make some dramatic dietary changes to help arthritis, and not everyone wants to hear that.
However, there are some natural products that can help. Atrogel and Atrosan are two recently licensed herbal medicines for the treatment of muscular pain and stiffness and aches and pains in the joints. Atrogel (formally Arnica Gel) can also be very effective for shoulder and neck pain, swelling, bruising, and sore feet (I took some on my recent trip to Prague and pretty much coated myself in it every day!). Atrosan is a tablet made from Devil’s Claw which is used for rheumatic or muscular pain, as well as sore joints. Atrogel works pretty much instantly; Atrosan takes some time to be effective. Both can be used long term.
Glucosamine Sulphate is another supplement that is regularly prescribed by GP’s and alternative practitioners for helping to re-build damaged cartilage in the joints. Quest Glucosamine is fantastic value and very effective.
Lastly, AquaCal from Nature’s Calcium is one of the best calcium products that we sell in Organico. Nature’s Calcium is made from seaweed harvested off West Cork’s coast (it is purified, before you ask) and it provides a uniquely pure source of calcium. So many calcium supplements contain Calcium Carbonate which is just a fancy name for chalk! Eating chalk is not something most people would do – for good reason, as it is nearly indigestible and un-absorbable. Besides being far more absorbable, Aquacal is also useful for combating acidity in the body. In nearly all cases of Arthritic pain, over-acidity is a significant factor.
On Friday the 17th of October we have Gabrielle Mcauley offering mini-consultations in Organico between the times of 10.30 and 3.30 pm. Gabrielle works with and has trained with Jan de Vries. She can answer questions on any health topic. If you would like to avail of a free consultation with Gabrielle, please call Organico Shop on 51391 and make an appointment. Otherwise, call in any time for dietary advice, for free samples of Atrogel, for healthy tasty food, or just to say hello!

Nature’s Calcium is one of the best calcium products that we sell in Organico. Nature’s Calcium is made from a seaweed that grows off our coast (it is purified, before you ask) and it provide a uniquely pure source of calcium. Because it is of plant (seaweed) rather than mineral origin, it is a much more suitable source of calcuim for the human body. Many calcium supplements contain the cheapest and most difficult to absorb calcium – calcium carbonate – chalk, in other wards – which has a very low absorbtion rate. Indeed, depending on a person’s constitution, there is evidence that calcium carbonate can cause kidney stones. Taking a seaweed based calcium, on the other hand, provides us with calcium in aq form our body is familiar with, and also gives us a rich array of other minerals such as magnesium, boron, zinc and iron, all essential for bone health and for the proper abaorption of calcium.

When they were patenting Nature’s Calcium, the company that makes it (located in Cork!) showed evidence that the supplement not only aids the prevention and treatment of Osteoporosis (under medical supervision for treatment, of course) but also could help to create an alkaline environment in the body which could help rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune conditions. These seaweeds, they say, have ‘unusual therapeutic properties including treatment of conditions created by failure of immune regulation, for example rheumatoid or osteo arthritis, osteoporosis and other conditions involving pH control’.

Aquacal Nature’s Calcium is available from Organico for €15 for 1 month’s supply. If you are not able to call in to Organico, you might like to purchase 3 month’s worth at a time and we can send them to you (p & P will be about €4.50 and going up to €7 depending on the weight). We do not yet have online ordering so you would have to call us. As the €7 postage covers one kg of weight it might be better to order different things to apread the cost. These rates are for within the Rep of Ireland using standard post. For overseas we would need to check current rates.

These prices are subject to change without notice as prices are dictated by suppliers and are outside our control

Organico Shop call (027) 51391.

Diary Date: On September 11th we have Natural Product Consultant Brid Walshe coming to Organico offering free health consultations. The topic is Who Cares for your Family – keeping parents and children healthy. Please make your free appointment with Brid in the Shop. Brid can answer questions on any health issues.

At this time of year we get parents coming into Organico looking to boost their child’s immune system, prevent the scourge of headlice or help calm their children down, as the return to school can cause anxiety levels to go through the roof!

As an immune system boost, we would recommend a liquid tonic such as Kindervital, which is made from all natural fruits, vegetables and herbs with vitamins added in case the school-day diet is lacking. If a child was prone to colds, Children’s Echinacea from A.Vogel could be added to Kindervital to give extra protection. Both can be taken at breakfast time with juice.

As a headlice treatment or preventative, we offer Riddance, a shampoo made from Neem oil which has very powerful anti-lice action, though it is gentle on the scalp, smells fine and is non-toxic (to us that is – luckily it seems to be toxic to the lice!) With Riddance you don’t really have to use a comb – the only combing necessary is to detect the lice and to make sure they have gone.

Finally, Eskimo-3 is a source of the amazing Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils which we all need to keep us calm, to help us concentrate and to aid our brain development. For children in school this is particularly important. These fatty acids are called ‘essential’ because our bodies cannot produce them and without them we become very unwell. Actually we always recommend the parents take a daily dose of Eskimo-3 themselves…

For more information or to discuss your child’s health with one of our trained staff, please call in to Organico between 9.30 and 6, Monday to Saturday. This month we will be offering Eskimo-3 Kids and Adults for 20% off, and Kindervital at 20% off too.

The comment below is from Bioforce (the company who make Echinaforce and other helpful herbs). It is based on news in the papers in England but we think it is just as applicable over here…

Helping Heart Health

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in England is urging GPs to prescribe more statins to patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. An extra 1.5 million people are going to be identified as potentially benefitting from these drugs. The fact that the potential benefits are hugely outweighed by the potential side effects is barely mentioned.

Apart from age and sex, smoking, raised blood pressure and raised cholesterol are the factors which contribute the most to the risk of cardiovascular disease, and out of these blood cholesterol has been identified as the ‘key modifiable risk factor’. Why does smoking seem to have dropped off the end of the scale there as vastly more modifiable?

A combination of harmless Cynara and a dairy-free diet has a truly wonderful effect on cholesterol levels, without any danger of the sort of side effects associated with statins.

For information on starting a dairy-free diet or taking Cynara, please call in to Organico Shop.

A message from the Irish Association of Healthfood Stores (of which Organico is a member) regarding the international Save Our Supplements campaign.

Please check out this YouTube video (click here) for an amusing but to the point comment on the contradictory nature of the way our lives are being regulated.

Just a reminder to e-mail your elected representatives about the EU’s over- regulation of food supplements. It’s easy! * Go to www.saveoursupplementsireland.com (copy and paste if link doesn’t work).

* Click on GET WRITING (bottom left). * Copy and paste form letter into e- mail (or re-word as you wish).

* Copy and paste e-mail address of your TDs and MEPs (do separate e-mail for each one).

* Send Preferably send off your e-mails before next Friday’s referendum, as politicians are on full alert right now. Many initiatives are currently underway in relation to protecting freedom of choice in healthcare, both in Ireland and in other EU Member States.

We would welcome any suggestions or ideas you may have. Please be sure to forward this reminder to all your contacts!

Last week some of the staff in Organico were fortunate to attend a lecture training by Dr Smallbone, the man behind a range of vitamins called ‘True Food’ made by a company called Higher Nature. This was a real honour as we often get to talk to ‘Representatives’ or ‘Trainers’ but not often to the person who develops the products from start to finish! Being able to question Dr Smallbone further over lunch in Cafe Paradiso was pretty nice too…

We have recommended True Food supplements for years now, having been convinced a long time ago that the idea behind them makes a lot of sense. That idea is basically that rather than swallowing lots of sythetic vitamin pills, which are hard to absorb and can even sometimes put pressure on our systems, what we should be taking is vitamins in a ‘food’ state. In a nutshell that means vitamins and minerals that have been complexed or bonded with the relevant lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins to closely resemble the way those nutrients are found in our food. This means we need to take far smaller doses of vitamins or minerals, because the body sees these substances as foods rather than as chemical isolates and is able to absord a far greater proportion of them.

What Higher Nature have developed is a highly sophisticated procedure whereby vitamin and minerals are fed to live yeasts, and the mixture (smelly I should imagine!) is allowed to ferment, so that the yeast absorbs all the nutrients into itself, ‘digests’ them as it were. the yeast cells are then killed off, leaving a highly absorbable food supplement that is as close to nature as possible. In adition to this process, they also add in concentrated foodstuffs to the tablets – for example organic carrot puree is added to the Beta Carotene tablet.

According so some research carried out using true Food products, the various vitamins and minerals are between 2 and 12 times more potent that the equivalent synthetic nutrient. As I said above, this means smaller doses are needed, which is very beneficial when you think of, for example, citamin C. If for theraputic reasons, very high doses of what is normally called vitamin C (the chemical Ascorbic Acid) are needed, it causes in most people a severe laxitive effect. Taking True Food C you can reach the same level of vitamin C in you blood without that effect.

There are still some cases in which we may need conventional, synthetic vitamin supplements. But for many of us, who want to take a multivitamin because we suffer from a few too many minor ailments or who are lacking in energy, a True Food supplement makes a lot more sense.

For advice on which supplements are appropriate in your case please call in to Organico and talk to our now even-better informed staff!