Lupus Treatments

Some Natural Remedies To Help Lupus.

People with this condition need to be treated by a doctor or an alternative medical therapist. The suggestions given here could be discussed with your health professional.

Lupus is a condition which affects the immune system. Many people have a genetic weakness which predisposes them to getting the disease, but there is usually an outside trigger of an environmental or emotional nature which causes the immune system to become weakened dramatically, which, in turn, leads to the onset of the disease.

With lupus, the immune system literally goes hay-wire: instead of doing its job of attacking outside invaders, the immune system begins to also attack the cells within the body.  It is similar to cancer in this way.

One in every 2,000 women in the USA are thought to have lupus, either the more common systemic lupus erythematosus, or discoid lupus erythematosus, which causes skin problems.
The most common conventional treatment is with corticosteroid drugs. Prednisone, an anti-inflammatory drug, is commonly prescribed for lupus. Unfortunately, this drug has side effects: bone loss with eventual osteoporosis are just two conditions which are likely to occur with continued use of prednisone.
Aspirin, another anti-inflammatory drug, is sometimes successful in treating people who have only mild symptoms of the disease. This is less harmful than corticosteroid drugs in some respects, however, its blood-thinning capacity can cause problems too.  Internal haemorrhage and weakening of the arteries can result from taking aspirin over a long duration.
The taking of anti-inflammatory drugs can cause vitamin and mineral imbalances. Over time this can affect cholesterol levels, cause heart irregularities, which includes stroke and heart attack, give rise to hormonal imbalances,and cause stomach,liver and kidney problems.

However, Vitamin and mineral treatment, and a diet which eliminates problematic foods, has been shown to be effective in preventing a worsening of the disease, and in many cases, in restoring the body to a healthy condition again.
Nutritive therapy has been shown to be helpful, both for people who opt for a holistic, natural approach, as well asfor those who decide on an orthodox treatment for a lupus condition.

The essential aspects of treating lupus are through nutritional, environmental, and emotional means.
The key points are:

Maintain a nutritive diet.
 Avoid all dairy products, wheat and rye. Reducing sugar intake is recommended

Some health practitionersinclude dairy products in the lupus diet.

If you take dairy milk, it might be best to source out raw milk.  Goat’s milk is even better than cow’s milk. Unpasteurized, raw milk is often best for people with digestive difficulties of any kind.  Switching to raw milk often cures so-called asthma attacks, as it has with my own grandson.
Avoid all foods with additives such as chemical preservatives, colorings and flavorings.
Eat plenty of vegetable roughage to keep the elimination process working optimally. Roughage also helps toregulate cholesterol in the body, which is especially important for lupus sufferers, as they tend to have a higher incidence of heart disease than people without the condition. Roughage, roughage, and more roughage is the motto

.
Keep the home and work environment free of chemicals. The avoidance of insecticides, herbicides, petro-chemicals, brake fluid, paints and glues which contain formaldehyde, and other toxic chemicals, is imperative in preventing a worsening of the
condition.
It is also important that no dodgy cosmetics, face creams,hair dyes,nail polish etc, are used on the body.
Avoid Radiation and Electromagnetic Devices.  Choose a  home and work environment which do not expose you to excess amounts of radiation such as that which is emitted from high tension power lines, electricity transformers, and cell phone towers.

Cell phone use should also be minimised. Better not to use one at all, but if you do – do not sleep with it in the bedroom.  Same goes for your computer:  Put that in another room, well away from your sleeping area.  Do not spend long periods at a time on the computer.

Earth Yourself:  Make sure you walk barefoot on grass at some time during the day.  The damp dewey grass of the morning is best for earthing your body and drawing out excess magnetic energy.  If you do spend much time working in electrically-charged environments, such as on a computer, or in a high-wired office, then you need to do the barefoot thing – walking on grass – more often during the day.

Lying on the fresh grass in a nice park is also very good for the body’s function and the soul.  Excess magnetic energy and radiation is absorbed by the grass, and this benefits the health, both physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Get enough sleep  Keep the mind and body free of stress and anxiety;  Maintain a positive attitude.

Practice Yoga  on a daily basis for deep relaxation.  See my posts on how to do Yoga Nidra in the Satyananda Yoga tradition.  Not spooky at all – just an age-old relaxation technique which has been used for 1000’s of years in Indian yoga practices.  Most modern techniques for relaxation are based on the old yogic methods.

The Benefits of Fish and Fish Oil for Lupus Sufferers:
Fish, and fish oil, is helpful in treating auto-immune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis,Raynaud’s disease, psoriasis, and scleroderma.
Oily fish, and fish oil supplements, have been shown to be highly effective in reducing lupus-related inflammation within the body.
Fish oil was found to benefit some people who were also taking aspirin supplements to suppress lupus-related inflammation. However, it might be worth a try to do without the aspirin whilst you pull out hammer and tongs to strengthen the immune system naturally with a nutritive diet rich in fish.

Eating some oily fish like mackerel, tuna, salmon, and sardines every day is recommended for people with lupus.

Suggested Vitamins and Minerals For Treating Lupus
The anti-oxidants Vitamins C, E, and Selenium are important for lupus sufferers.Talk to your medical adviser about these supplements.
Vitamins C and E, whilst helping the body to rid itself of toxins, are helpful in reducing inflammation. These two vitamins also help prevent heart disease, which is an important consideration for the lupus sufferer.

Vitamin C:
At least 1,000 mg daily of calcium ascorbate, or Ester C, are recommended.Up to 4,000 mg of Vitamin C can be taken in divided doses throughout the day. 1000 mg daily is a reasonable, moderately high dose for most people.

I find that 3000 -4000mg per day, divided into doses of 1000 mg, is a good amount for treating chronic conditions and degenerative disease of any kind.
If you wish, you could divide your doses up into several of 500 mg. Vitamin C is not retained in the body, so it is a safe one to take in larger amounts.

Vitamin A, or Beta-carotene:
25,000 international units daily of Vitamin A can be helpful in treating lupus.Much of this amount can be gotten from your foods:
Eat plenty of Vitamin A rich foods like carrots, pumpkin, apricots, mangoes, in fact, any orange or yellow-
colored fruit or vegetable, supplies you with Vitamin A. A daily glass of carrot juice, obtained from organically grown carrots, will provide you with ample Vitamin A.

Vitamin E:
NOTE: Do not take ANY Vitamin E if you are taking blood thinning drugs such as aspirin, or any other anti-coagulant. It is dangerous to combine Vitamin E with anti-coagulants.
Up to 1,000 international units of Vitamin E can be taken daily if you are not on any medications already, however, 600 international units daily is a more reasonable, moderate dose.

Ask your doctor or naturopath if you should increase your Vitamin E intake.

Vitamin D
400 international units of Vitamin D daily can be helpful for lupus sufferers. Extra Vitamin D will help your
assimilation of calcium, which is an important consideration for the maintenance of bone density.
Egg yolks, milk,butter and fatty fish such as salmon, are the best sources of Vitamin D.

Calcium
Lupus sufferers need to keep high levels of calcium and Vitamin D in their diets in order to prevent bone loss.
1,000 mg of Calcium is recommended for lupus sufferers. This can easily be gained from stirring a half teaspoon of dolomite powder into your carrot juice, or adding it to some other nutritious drink, or sprinkling it over your cooked vegetables.

Zinc.
15 milligrams daily is recommended. Much of this can be gotten from onions and garlic. A zinc tonic can be made by stewing the outer skins of two onions in two cups of water for an hour. Take off the stove and leave overnight before straining off the liquid and putting it in the fridge.

Take two teaspoonsful before food once or twice a day.

Selenium
Take care with selenium.
Up to 50 micrograms of selenium, taken daily, is considered therapeutic for the lupus sufferer. If you think you might consider taking a selenium supplement, then ask your naturopath or doctor for advice. Selenium is great for putting oxygen into the blood, and it is vital for our health. However, since we need such minute amounts of it, one can easily over-do selenium.

Digestive Enzymes

Coenzymes: These are very beneficial for anyone with weak digestion.  They help the pancreas and the liver, which are often deficient in important functions, and so they help you to digest your food better.  People suffering degenerative diseases of any kind may find Coenzymes very good.

Walter Last recommended these for cancer sufferers, and for all other people who had degenerative conditions such as Lupus, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Bromelain, derived from pineapple, may also be helpful as an aid to digestion.

Apples:  Raw, grated apple is a help to good digestion.  Eat your grated raw apple, skin and all, 20 minutes before your meals.  This helps the intestines by providing bulk and provides extra nutrients, such as Vitamin C and phytochemicals, which help fight cancer cells, and which aid digestion.  The mucilage in apples is very soothing to the stomach and bowel.

Homeopathic Remedies For Lupus

Some people have been completely cured of Lupus with the help of certain homeopathic remedies.  I will put up a post within the next few days on some of the treatments.

Colonic Cleansing or Enemas

As with any degenerative disease, results from natural therapies are better if the bowel is washed out with water occasionally.

Since Lupus sufferers have inadequate digestion, they usually have more toxins and mucous floating about in the intestines than people with healthy digestive systems.  So – if your condition is severe, then a daily enema might be a good thing.

Ginger Rogers, icon of the silver screen who famously partnered Fred Astaire, wizard of dance,  was once asked how she managed to keep he’r good looks for so long.  She dryly announced that it was ‘due to a daily enema’, and left it at that.

You can go to a colonic irrigation clinic to get it done professionally, or you can buy an enema kit and do the cleansing process yourself.

With a simple water enema, use warm water – around one pint and a bit for a start.  Add half a teaspoon of sea salt to the water.  Always lie down to wash out the bowel – if you stand up, then the water will not travel up and around the bowel.  Hold the water in for a few minutes, if comfortable.  Then release.  Walter Last recommends repeating the process until the expelled water is clean.  But even one douche of water will be helpful in removing toxic residues from the walls of the bowel.

Castor Oil and the Gerson Therapy For Cancer

This method would do wonders for Lupus sufferers, if they were to follow Gerson’s castor oil and enema method religiously.  Gerson always maintained that his castor oil, enema, raw food treatment worked for many cases of terminal cancer, it would work for any degenerative disease.

The basis of his method was raw food and juices, with more cooked vegetables being introduced gradually, as health improved.  One large bowl of porridge, eaten each morning with one grated apple, was the only cooked food to be used for the first few months.

See Merrilyn’s posts on healing with Dr Gerson’s cancer method.

Manganese Benefits

MANGANESE
The word manganese comes from the Greek word meaning ‘magic’. This aptly describes the roles of manganese.

Manganese helps to build strong bones. Low levels can cause bone problems similar to osteoporosis Children need  Manganese to build straight strong bones.
Manganese is a  nerve and brain food. It is important for healthy brain function and in maintaining the body’s immune system. It assists the thyroid gland

Benefits of Manganese:

Manganese aids the production of reproduction hormones
It helps the flow of breast milk.
It encourages healthy bowel movements.

Manganese is important for the formation of collagen, used in the building of connective tissue.
It helps to form the cartilage which holds joints and bones and brain together.

Manganese helps to break down food carbohydrates and fat and convert it to energy
It helps to regulate blood sugar. Thus it helps prevent hypoglycaemia and diabetes.
It helps to regulate blood cholesterol, keep blood pressure stable and reduces the incidence of heart attack and stroke.

Deafness, poor balance and noises in the ear can be caused by lack of manganese.
Low levels can cause epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia. These conditions improve with added Manganese.
Manganese and zinc help remove excess copper from the body. High levels of copper generally accompany these conditions.
DOSAGE
3-5 milligrams per day are needed. Up to 10 milligrams per day is considered safe.
It is thought that 100 years ago people ate more whole grains, nuts and seeds which provided about 8 milligrams per day.
Today, refined flours and other foods mean we get considerably less than the recommended amount.
Canned pineapple is one of the richest sources – one cupful of pineapple gives about 3 milligrams

Calcium Affects Absorption Of Manganese
Calcium supplements interfere with the body’s ability to absorb manganese. 800 milligrams of calcium or more will affect your absorption of manganese. If you need to take a supplement of calcium, via dolomite or tablet, then you might need to take 2 milligrams of manganese chloride, which is easily absorbed, and take it several hours after your calcium supplement.
Alternatively, you could eat a cupful of canned pineapple two hours after your calcium tablet or dolomite supplement.
These measures will boost your manganese level to compensate for the loss caused by the calcium supplementation.

Wheatgerm and bran are rich sources of Manganese. White flour contains almost none, as the mineral-rich outer fiber of the grain has been stripped away.

The recommended daily allowance is 4,000 mcg per day, or 4 milligrams.
SOURCES
One cup of pineapple gives roughly 3 milligrams
One cup of tea gives 500 mcg
One egg gives 300 mcg
One banana gives 1,000 mcg
Two glasses of grape juice or wine gives 800 mcg
One plate of oatmeal porridge gives 3000 mcg
One slice of wholemeal bread gives 550 mcg
1/2 cup wholemeal flour gives 2800 mcg
1/2 cup peanuts gives 800 mcg
1/2 cup brown rice gives 500 mcg
1/2 cup spinach gives 3600 mcg
1/2 cup silverbeet gives 24000 mcg
3/4 cup baked beans gives 1300 mcg
1/2 cup green beans gives 600 mcg
One kumara gives 500 mcg
One cup chopped lettuce gives 300 mcg
Two tbsp wheatgerm gives 650 mcg
Two tbsp wheat bran gives 600 mcg

People who work in manganese mines are at risk of developing illnesses similar to those which asbestos causes.
Emphysema and nerve diseases like Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis can result after years of working with manganese.
Nerve damage can be evidenced by shaking hands, trembling and shuffling of the feet.

Depression can also result.
My cousin who worked in a manganese mine for ten years or more has chronic emphysema, arthritis, and osteoporosis, a bone disorder. He has never smoked.

Preventing Macular Degeneration

Preventing Macular Degeneration
Keep your intake of Vitamin C to 1000 mg if you are near-sighted. A maintenance dose of 500 mg a day is probably best, unless you are treating a specific life-threatening disease like cancer, or multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s disease.
High doses of Vitamin C might be linked to some cases of retinal detachment in near-sighted people, although this is
not conclusive.A high dose is considered to be more than 3000 milligrams of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A is necessary – up to 25,000 international units daily. 8,700 international units daily is a safe
maintenance dose. Carrots, pumpkin, broccoli, apricots, rockmelon, swede, kumara should be eaten plentifully on a
daily basis.
Copper – one milligram for every 10 milligrams of zinc. Carrots are high in copper, and onions and garlic are good for
zinc, which make these vegetables ideal commpanions in a meal.
Zinc – 15-90 milligrams. Consult your health professional before taking zinc. 15 milligrams is considered safe.Too much
zinc can rob your body of copper.
Selenium 50-200 micrograms. A sensible amount is more like 50-100 milligrams.
The best food sources are Garlic and onions, mushrooms, cabbage and fish.
Vitamin E – 15-90 milligrams -but not if you are taking blood-thinning drugs – check with your doctor if you are on
any medication before you add Vitamin E to your supplements. Vitamin E thins the blood a little, so if you combine it
with other drugs which do the same thing, you could be in trouble.
Glutathione, found in fresh greens, and yellow and orange foods. This is destroyed in cooking. Glutathione helps to
form an anti-oxidant enzyme which is thought to help protect the eyes.

Counteract Memory Loss:  A failing memory often goes hand in hand with degeneration of the eye-sight.
Eat some quality fats with your meals:  olive oil, small amounts of butter, oily fish, and avocado are all good brain and eye food. Avoid high-fat meals, especially fried foods and fatty meats.
Vitamin B Complex should be taken, as well as extra B6 and B12. These two B vitamins are specifics for counteracting memory loss. Taking them with the B complex  ensures that you do not get an imbalance of Bvitamins.

As soon as you notice your memory improving, then cut back on the extra B6 and B12, but continue to take the
B complex. Try the combination of all three, the B complex, B6, and B12, for a trial of two weeks to see if you improve.

The run-down on the specific B Vitamins for memory: B6 – this helps make dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. These are all neuro-transmitters, which aid the brain in its sending of messages, and storage of material. These neuro-transmitters also help you to keep your ‘joie do vivre’, and  have a calming effect on the brain.

B12 is also beneficial for long and short-term memory. It helps create an alertness in the brain. Vitamin B12 improves
yourproblem-solving ability. It also helps the brain to recognize patterns and pictures from the past: this helps keep
the facilities of discernment and decision making working optimally.

Liver Broth for B Vitamins.
This is a home made tonic which is extremely high in B Vitamins, Iron, and other minerals. It is no use to those who
have an aversion to meat, or are vegetarian. Personally, I do not like to eat meats these days, however, if I were to
be tested with a life-threatening illness, or had dangerously low amounts of Iron and B vitamins, then I would use
this remedy for the time needed to get my health back on track again. Ideally, it should be taken in conjunction with
a detoxing diet of juices and optimum amounts of raw vegetables and fruits.

Organic Insect Repellants

Natural Insecticides:

There are many organic insect repellants which can be used instead of having to resort to harmful chemical mixtures. Commercial chemical repellants are best to avoid, as many of the chemicals used can contribute to cancerous states and other degenerative disease. This is because many of the poisons contained in repellants are retained in the body tissues and in the liver. The liver, kidneys, heart,  reproductive system,  brain and nerve function, and immune system are all affected by many of the chemicals which are contained in insect repellants. So it really is best to avoid poisons which might potentially damage the body organs and impair their healthy functioning.

Organic repellants often do not have the immediate effect of killing an insect, but rather work to deter the inclination of the insect to make a home in your environment. This is a more preferable approach than outright killing, if you consider that all insects and animals have a right to live on our planet. If we can train and reorient them to localities where they do not affect our own living areas, then so be it. However, there are some recipes below which do actually kill insect life. You will have to make a decision yourself about whether or not you will go for the total Buddhist “live and let live” approach, and choose your insect repellants accordingly.

For Ants
Lemon Juice
The humble lemon is natural antispectic and cleanser. The acidic nature of the lemon can cut through and neutralise the formic acid of an ant trail so that they lose the scent of their estblished path.

Lemon juice will discourage ants from making a fresh path in the vicinity if it is used regularly.

Wipe kitchen surfaces regularly with cut lemon. You can use most of the juice first in your cooking or tea. Just the inside pulp is enough to put a layer of lemon juice and oils onto a surface where there is an ant trail. Another idea is to put slices of lemon here and there on the  regular ant trail.

Apple cider vinegar works the same way. Dab some cider vingar onto a small piece of cloth or cotton wool  and douche the area. If ants are a nuisance in the kitchen it is a good idea to use vinegar or lemon juice on the bench after each wash up.

Eucalyptus or Garlic
A few drops of eucalyptus oil or crushed garlic works well as a repellant. Again, just a few drops here and there will cause the ants to go else where.

A 50/50 mixture of baking soda and black pepper is another effective organic method to deter insects. Sprinkle a little at intervals along the ant trail.

Ant-Borax Bait
This recipe, whilst being organic, is a little more toxic than the above solutions: use it with care. Use 2 cups of sugar and 2 tbsp of Borax.  Mix with 1 cup of hot water and stir over a low heat until all is dissolved. When cool, put 2 teaspoonsful into small lids and place in the vicinity of the ant trail. Make sure these baits cannot be found by your children or your pets.

Derris Dust Jam For Ants
Derris dust used for keeping insects off tomatoes and cabbages. Derris can be added to golden syrup, or jam, or honey. Again, make sue your children and  your pets won’t find the bait.

Black Pepper Jam For Ants
Simply stir 2 tablespoonsful of black pepper into a cup full of jam. Use small amounts in lids and dot them around the ant trail. Keep safe from children and pets.

For Cockroches-Borax Bait
A dry mix of equal parts borax and white sugar can be used to sprinkle into the corners and cracks where cockroaches hide.
Equal parts of honey or golden syrup can be mixed with borax powder and smeared onto brown paper. Leave  in dark warm places where there might be cockroaches. Keep replacing these baits until the cockroches eradicated. You need to make sure that all other food is away from the area so that the cockroches will eat your bait.

For Silverfish-more Borax
Use 2tbsp each of borax, white flour, and white sugar. Put into a screw top jar. Place in small amounts in lids and leave in drawers, wardrobes, and behind all your books on your bookshelf. Replace every two weeks or so.
Deter Instects by wiping out these areas occasionlly with lemon or cider vingar or lavender water.
Dried worm wood can be left in the back of drawers, bookshelves etc.  to deter insects.

Fly Bait-Black Pepper Recipe
Mix half a teaspoon of black pepper with one teaspoon of brown sugar or honey. Add one teaspoon of cream or butter. Put into up turned lids and leave on window sills, or on the fridgge, in places well away from the reach of children and pets.

Herbal Insect Repellant – for use on the skin or  in an aerosol bottle
Mix half a teaspoon of oil of cloves with one teaspoon of lavender oil and one teaspoon of eucalyptus oil. Add half a cup of vodka or gin and half a cup of cooled boiled water. Put into a spray bottle. Use as needed.

Organic mosquito spray
This is an aerosol spray for the air. It is not to be used on the skin, as it contains methylated spirits. Chop 3 cups of garlic, skin and all, and put into a jar. Cover with vegetable oil. Put on the lid and leave for a week in the sun.  Shake every day. Strain off the oil. Add half a cup of methylated spirits and quarter of a cup of cooled boiled water. Bottle in a spray bottle. Shake before using.
Note: Do not use this spray around cream coloured, or expensive furnishings, or around valuable paintings, as this could discolor these items over time. DONT smoke or use around candles, as it is flammable.
This spray will kill  mosquitoes  already in the room and will discourage others from coming inside. Avoid breathing the spray. It is not toxic, but it could cause smarting of the eyes, sinus irration, or irritation of the lungs, including asthsma in some people.

Unwanted Cats
Cats hate cayenne pepper and garlic. You can chase cats away with this mixture. An effective spray can made by chopping half a cup of garlic, skin and all, into half a cup of water. Add one tsp of cayenne pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer gently, until the liquid isreduced by half. Take off heat and leave for 3 hour. Strain. Add an equal amount of methylated spirits and put into a spray bottle. Shake before use.

Calcium and Colon Cancer

Calcium Helps Prevent Cancer:

The relationship between Calcium and Colon Cancer has been proven.

People who have an abundant intake of calcium-rich foods in their diets tend to have less colon cancer than those whose intake is less than 800 milligrams per day.

The RDA, or recommended daily allowance of calcium is 800 mg daily, but this amount seems conservative in the light of studies which show that a higher intake of calcium than this does protect against many diseases. It is recommended that you try to have more than 1000 mg daily, half of which should come from your high fiber greens, to help prevent colon cancer. Fiber itself , like calcium, performs a great function in controlling cholesterol levels and helping to prevent colon cancer.

Expectant and breast-feeding mothers, and growing teenagers, need a minimum of 1300 mg daily.

You get 600 mg of calcium per every two cups of whole-milk that you drink – nearly the recommended daily allowance. However, for those who cannot take milk  because of milk allergy, there are many other excellent sources of calcium which rate very well in their content. Dolomite powder is the richest, most concentrated source of calcium, beating milk by far. One teaspoon of dolomite powder contains about 2500 milligrams of calcium. This alone would give you more than the RDA.

The home-made calcium tonic which is listed below is nearly as high as Dolomite for its calcium and magnesium content.

One cup of broccoli yields about 160 milligrams of calcium. If your meal were to include 3/4 cup of baked beans, then you would have another 80 milligrams of calcium. All the brassica family contain high amounts of calcium. These are: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale. Parsley is also extremely rich in calcium and other minerals and vitamins, including iron. These vegetables also contain amounts of Vitamin C, which is also needed in order to assimilate calcium efficiently. Eating fruit after a meal helps the absorption of many minerals and vitamins, including calcium and iron.

You can see, looking at the high amounts of calcium in some of these foods,  just how easy it is to obtain all your dietary requirements of calcium through eating the RIGHT foods. Eating any of these foods on a regular basis, with the added bit of Dolomite powder, or a teaspoon or two of the calcium tonic, or drinking a cup of two of milk, will keep your calcium levels on the high side.

If your diet is too rich in fats ( but we DO need fats) or proteins, or grains, or cocoa/chocolate, silverbeet/spinach, or soy bean products, then you need to increase your broccoli/brussels sprouts/cabbage intake with your meal to compensate for calcium lost through these foods. Cocoa, spinach,  silverbeet , and yams all contain high amounts of oxalic acid, which latches on to calcium in the body, robbing it of some of the available calcium. However, the effect of oxalic acid in  greens like spinach and silver beet etc can be negated by eating baked beans, or an egg, or oily fish such as sardines or mackerel, with these foods. Or you could follow the meal with a glass of milk to counteract the oxalic acid.

Remember to include vitamin D in the diet if you are relying on vegetable sources for your intake of calcium. Vitamin D is  necessary for the assimilation of calcium in the body.

You can get Vitamin D from the sun’s rays falling directly onto your skin. A daily dose is beneficial. You can also get good amounts of Vitamin D from oily fish, cod liver oil, butter, and eggs. Dolomite powder, which has high concentrations of both calcium and magnesium, is usually enriched with Vitamin D to help the absorption of calcium in the body.

Home made Calcium-rich tonic

This is really simple to make. It provides nearly as much calcium and magnesium as the equivalent amount of Dolomite powder. Crumble the dry egg shells of two free range eggs. Use a mortar and pestle if you have one. Put the macerated egg shells into a glass jar. Cover with apple cider vinegar and leave for about 24 hours. Keep in the fridge. Take a teaspoonful daily, or more often if you have a condition like osteoporosis, where more than a maintenance dose is required. The acid in the vinegar is neutralized by the calcium in the egg shells, so this combination should not upset those delicate stomachs which cannot normally take apple cider vinegar.

This tonic will keep for about a week in the fridge, after which time you should make a fresh mixture up. The egg shell powder is OK to take with the liquid. The cider vinegar begins the break down of the egg shell, softening it considerably, even after only 24 hours. The stomach acids, and your foods, will take care of the rest of the break-down it it hasn’t completely dissolved.