high blood pressure Archives | Natural Health with Merrilyn Hope

List Of Heritage Apples Rich In Cancer-Fighting Phytonutrients

Natural Remedies

Apples are a wonderful health food. ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’, we used to say, and I think there is some truth in this old adage.

Apples are a great natural cleanser of the digestive system, including the intestines. This makes them very helpful in preventing or treating cancer. A good heritage apple eaten daily will help lower cholesterol, thus helping to prevent heart attack and stroke, and provide many valuable vitamins and nutrients as well.

For best health benefits, of course it is best to eat the whole, unpeeled apple. Even the pips of the apple are benefial, as these contain laetrile, or amygdalin, also called Vitamin B17, which has been used to good effect in treating cancer. Be cautious about eating too many pips, though – the pips of one or two apples per day should be more than enough for a person of average build who is in good health. More pips could be taken if one was treating cancer or another degenerative disease, but it is important to get some advice on an appropriate cleansing diet, preferably with the use of enemas, in the case of treating cancer and other serious disease with the help of laetrile. You can over-do the pip therapy, as the pips also contain traces of cyanide.

If you can grow or procure apples heritage apples, and you eat at least one a day, then you are less likely to develop serious degenerative disease, such as cancer, than if you ate no apples, or ate commercially grown modern varieties. This is a proven fact: In the February 2005 publication of the ‘Growing Today’ magazine, I found an article about the proven benefits of eating heritage apples in preference to newer, commercial varieties.

The article also quotes a 2002 National Public Health study from Helsinki:

The study group of people who ate several heritage apples per day over many years had not any signs of serious diseases such as cancer, arthritis, obesity or diabetes at the end of the study. The health of these people was far superior in every way to the people who ate few, or no apples per day.

The fact is that heritage apples, or seedling trees which have been grown from scratch in your garden, have a higher amount of phytonutrients than the modern, commercial types of apples. Supermarket varieties are mostly grown for their appearance, and their storage qualities, rather than the amount of ‘goodness’ within the apple.

Heritage apple trees, and seedling trees, are generally much hardier and need less attention than modern commercial strains, as they are more bug resistant, and disease resistant than their modern rivals. This means that they need less spraying, whether or not you use organic or commercial poison methods.

At the top of the list of heritage apples, according to studies done in NZ and elsewhere, are the Monty’s Surprise and Hetlina apple varieties. These two have the highest amount of phytonutrients than any other apple trees tested so far. The russet apples are also high on the list.

Generally speaking, any of the heritage apple trees will likely be higher in nutrients than any shop-bought variety which has been grown for its looks.

Here are some to consider: (note – this list will continue to grow – i will continue to add information about each variety)

Belle de Boskoop: A very old heritage variety which originated in Boskoop, Netherlands. It is a common tree throughout Europe: It is a distinctive tree, willowing out from the upper centre quite beautifully with abundant flowers followed by large handsome apples which are crisp and tart and sweeten with storage. Good for cooking, eating, and for cider.

Boskoop Rouge: A version of the Belle de Boskoop, but with a redder skin.

Cox’s Orange

Gravenstein: This apple has apparently been known since the 1600’s. It originated in Denmark. A New Zealand variety of the Gravenstein is the red-fleshed, sweet-tasting, juicy Albany Beauty, which originates from the Albany area north-west of Auckland.

Hetlina: One of the highest after Monty’s Surprise for riboflavin content and other phytonutrients.

Kentish Filbasket

Lord Wolsely

Monty’s Surprise: According to ‘Thunder Mountain’s nursery list, Monty’s Surprise is a ‘unique New Zealand seedling variety’ from the lower part of the North Island. It is very resistant to disease and is therefore capable of being grown without chemical sprays. It was re-discovered by Tree Crops Association member Mark Christensen in the 1990’s, the original Monty’s Surprise tree being around 90 years old.. Monty’s Surprise is a great cooking and dessert apple, and, eaten whole, pips, skin and all, is a powerful disease inhibitor. ‘This is to the best of our knowledge, the best anti-cancer eating apple in the world.’ (Thunder Mountain says)

Northern Spy: This is a well-known apple commonly grown in the northland areas of New Zealand, where clay and wet soils often prevail. It has excellent resistance to wooly aphids. Because of its hardiness, it is often used as a root stock for other varieties. It grows from 3 to 5 metres high.

Reinette du Canada

Sidero Cidre

Sturmer

Takapuna Russet

Wealthy

Worcester Pearmain

Yarlington Mill

Dandelion Leaves Recommended To Lower Blood Pressure

Natural Remedy

A friend of mine went to her doctor recently because she felt her blood pressure was not right. She has never suffered high blood pressure before.

Her blood pressure was tested and found to be on the high side, although not dangerously so. I have admiration for her doctor, who did not immediately dish out pharmaceutical preparations to lower her blood pressure, but instead recommended that she eat some fresh dandelion leaves each day.

Dandelions are a very healing herb, and I believe every household should nurture a few in the cottage garden, or in plant pots at the door. They do well growing at the side of virtually any other herb or flower. The humble dandelion provides nitrogen to the soil, and brings nutrients to nearby plants.

The dandelion flower is loved by bees, and helps to keep the bees healthy.

Dandelion leaves, and also the root, help keep the digestive system healthy and the bowels clean. A little dandelion eaten each day in a salad will improve the immune system.

Because of its rejuvenating effect on the liver and digestive system, dandelion is a good herb to help prevent or treat cancer, in combination with other remedies and healthy diets.

Important: Make sure you do not gather any dandelions from along paths or the roadside where poisonous sprays such as RoundUp may have been used. Many pesticides and herbicides can actually cause cancer and other diseases. They can even cause the blood pressure to rise if one is exposed to them.

Merrilyn’s new book is available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.ca/Cancer-And-Good-Health-Notebook-ebook/dp/B01DHMH6DG

Breathing For Asthma With Prana Yoga Techniques

Natural Remedies

Yogic Breathing To Reduce Asthma Attacks

‘You know some very complicated things can go on within your body as a result of apparently simple exercises.’

This profound thought comes from the pen of Dr M. Doreal, who wrote an insightful book about healing with yoga techniques called ‘Sahaj Yoga’, published by Brotherhood of the White Temple, Inc., Sedalia, Colorado, 80135.

It is true that Yoga Breathing techniques can have some amazing effects on long-standing conditions of ill-health , such as asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease and depression.

Yogic breathing practices have been practiced by yogis for literally thousands of years. These yogi adepts have long understood the healing value of yoga and yoga pranic breathing. It is believed in yoga that a longer life can be earned through proper, deeper breathing. People who habitually breathe quickly. and with shallow breaths. tend to live shorter lives than people who have developed the yoga style of slow, deep breathing.

Nowadays orthodox medical people are just beginning to accept these yoga practices into the mainstream of medical practice, but usually without the acknowledgement to yoga which it deserves.

Yogic breathing practices have been adapted and adopted by many orthodox practitioners and institutions of health. Proper breathing is recognized by orthodox asthma foundations as being one very good healing tool for the prevention of an attack of asthma. But these breathing exercises come from the ancient yoga traditions.

Many people have been healed of asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease and depression after bringing yoga and its wonderful breathing practices into their daily lives.

Yoga Breathing Exercises Which Help Asthma and High Blood Pressure:

First Exercise: Abdominal Breathing: This is a technique which develops the capacity to breathe into the lower part of the stomach. Asthma sufferers tend to have shallow breathing, and breathe into the top part of the chest. People who suffer anxiety usually breath in a similar way. With daily practice, a person can train themselves into breathing with full, deep breaths, using the whole of the lung capacity instead of just the top part of the lungs.

Abdominal Breathing can be done anywhere, at any time. But the most effective way to practice it is lying down, whilst doing Yoga Nidra relaxation, if you have the time.

In all yoga breathing exercises, except for one practice which I will tell you about after this, the breathing is always done through the nose.

Abdominal Breathing Exercise is most important for asthma sufferers: Lying down comfortably, feet a little apart, and hands off the sides of the body. Watch the tummy rising and falling as you breathe. Inhale slowly and deeply through the nose, watching the tummy rising up. Try to count a slow ‘four’. Hold for one or two counts if you can, and then slowly exhale, again through the nose, watching the tummy falling back down towards the spine again.

Relax into the rhythm, and repeat many times. Try to remember as you breathe in, to visualize the pranic energy coming to the front part of the body. As you breathe out, visualize the energy or prana going to the back, to the spine.

Another neat healing trick is to use the ‘whispering breath’, called the Ujjayi breath in yoga.

With this, you breathe in and out through the nose as usual, but you make a ‘ha’ sound in the throat as you breathe out. Mouth remains closed. This practice has an especially soothing effect on the nervous system, on the mind, and on the lungs.

Second Exercise: Alternate Nostril Breathing

Nadi Shodan Pranayama Preparation:

The best way to begin this exercise is to practice five breaths in and out through one nostril, and then five breaths in and out through the other nostril.

Place the right hand forefinger and middle finger between the eyebrows. Use the thumb to block off the right side nostril. Breathe in and out through the left side for five breaths, and then change sides: Use the fourth finger to block off the left nostril, breathe out through the right nostril, and continue for five more breaths. Then do five more rounds on the other side. Repeat.

Stop the practice if you feel dizzy or strange. Do just a few breaths to start with if you feel uncomfortable.

After some time, when you have become familiar with the technique, you can practice the regular Nadi Shodhan technique, which is done one breath each side, and continue the practice for a longer time.

Third Exercise: The Cooling Breath

Sheetali Pranayama:

This is the only breathing exercise in yoga where you breath in through the mouth. It is very, very cooling and soothing to the mind and nervous system. It is also a very good stimulant to the digestion, as it encourages the production of saliva.

The Sheetali Pranayama is one exercise which, although very simple to do, can achieve astounding results.

Sit comfortably. Now curl the tongue into a tube. Slowly breathe in through the curled tongue. Hold the breath for a few counts if you can, and then breathe out through the nose. Repeat.

For high blood pressure, Swami Satyananda recommends that this exercise can be done up to 60 times in one session. But it is best to build up slowly from five or a little more at a time. Again, stop the practice if you feel dizzy or light-headed.

Natural Remedies

Culpeper says of Sage that it ’causes the hair to become black’.

Garden sage has many therapeutic uses.

In the garden, its flowers provide medicine and nectar for the bees, as well as a herbal tonic to the neighbouring plants.

It is well-known as an aid to oral hygiene. It has strong antiseptic qualities and is supposed to whiten tooth enamel.

Sage is still used today in some tooth-pastes. It is reputedly one effective remedy for bleeding gums, and improving gum health: The crushed fresh leaves are massaged several times a day onto the gums and teeth.

The tea is gargled to relieve sore throats, colds and flu, and ulcers in the mouth.

It can be effective to reduce fevers, and has been used in the past for thyphoid fever. (see ‘Herbal Remedies and Homeopathy’ published by Geddes and Grosset.)

It is a valuable nerve medicine, and is a useful stomach remedy for improving a weak appetite.

Natural Herbal Hair Dye and Tonic: Sage can help restore healthy hair and improve the colour.

Strong sage tea encourages hair growth and darkens the hair, if it is used on a regular basis. Many herbalists describe it in their writings: see John Heinerman’s ‘Encyclopedia of Fruits Vegetables and Herbs’.

Rosemary is another wonderful herb which can help hair growth, but it does not have such a darkening effect on the hair, as sage does.

Recipe For Sage Hair Dye: Here is a simple, natural hair dye and tonic which you can try. It is perfectly safe to use, as it does not contain any harmful additives such as you might find in commercial dyes for darkening the hair.

Take two cups of fresh sage leaves and put into a stainless steel saucepan.

Add one cup of dry black tea leaves

Add half a cup of cider vinegar and eight cups of water.

Simmer very gently, with no lid, for one hour on a very low heat. You should have around half the original quantity of liquid left at the end of an hour. If you need to add a little more water, make sure you do so well before you finish simmering the brew. If you add more water at the end of the simmering, then your mixture will not keep so well.

Take off the heat after an hour of simmering. Set aside to cool.

Once your sage mixture has cooled properly, strain it off.

To the liquid remaining add the same amount of vodka.

Put into a bottle with a screw-top lid and store in a cool place.

Massage around a tablespoonful of the sage infusion into the hair each day. Use more or less, depending on how much hair you need to cover.

Massage the sage tonic well into the roots of the hair as well, so that it feeds the scalp and hair follicles. Massaging the scalp with the sage tonic will help the hair to grow again.

The oils in the sage leaves will put a natural shine to the hair.

Once the hair is sufficiently darkened, which may take several weeks, you can reduce the amount of applications each week. Once or twice a week may be enough to maintain the darker colour.

Sage is really very good for the hair in so many ways.

Alternative Sage Tonic Without Alcohol: You could make up your sage tea without the alcohol if you wish. Only, remember that your mixture will not keep for longer than a week, and it must be kept in the fridge. You could make up a lesser amount, enough to last a week, and then make up a fresh brew of tea for the following week.

My new book is available on Amazon:

Allergy To Printing Ink And Bleached Paper Causes Candida

Toxic Chemicals

I been aware of the toxic nature of printing inks and paper for many years. The chemicals used in the paper and printing industries, such as chlorine bleach, formaldehyde, and goodness knows what else, can upset the intestinal flora, which can result in candida outbreaks.

Migraine headaches, poor memory, high or low blood pressure, nausea, nervous twitches and other allergic symptoms can result in sensitive people who become over-exposed to these chemicals. In time, if exposure to these chemicals continues, then I believe that serious diseases such as multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s. cancer, and arthritis could arise, especially with the synergistic effect of RoundUp weedkiller or other toxic pesticides which people commonly use.

Interesting to note that just last Saturday, I heard the news on radio which told us of the discovery that some antibiotics are made redundant by weedkillers such as RoundUp.

Well, this is no surprise: I do not talk about using antibiotics much, as I am a proponent of the homeopathic/holistic approach. But I have found weedkillers and pesticides such as snail bait to cause severe candidiasis when my neighbours have used these chemicals. If they so readily kill bacteria in the bowel, then they will also be capable of destroying antibiotic medicines.

Studying at university was made especially difficult for me, because of my sensitivity to photocopied material. Handling photocopies, or handling newsprint on a daily basis caused me migraine headaches, nausea, made my nerves shake, and affected my memory.

Handling cardboard boxes also causes these problems: on the occasions I have been moving house, which has required the handling of a good many boxes over a good many days, I have become sick with the same old allergies.

The allergy to printing inks and bleached papers became even more acute during the time that New Zealand’s MAF was regularly aerially spraying toxic chemicals over much of Auckland, ostensibly to rid us of the ‘apple moth’, around 2003 to 2005. This spraying of our environment made many people very ill. Eventually, Victoria |University in Wellington proved that the apple moth poison was most definitely adversely affecting the health of Aucklanders, and so the programme was stopped.

I have found that printing inks and bleached paper if you are exposed to enough of them, are about as damaging to the immune system as herbicides such as RoundUp, and many toxic pesticides. They all have the effect of killing off the good bacteria in the digestive system, which causes inadequate digestion and allergies or sensitivities to various foods.

It is a fortunate thing, though, that one can avoid over-exposure to printing ink/paper toxins, and it surely is unfortunate that we often have no choice in the matter regarding our exposure to toxic herbicides and pesticides: we have to suffer the latter because there is no law which prevents people from poisoning our environment.

But even without harmful chemicals such as ‘RoundUp’, or apple moth spray, printing ink chemicals, and bleached paper still make me sick if exposure to them goes on for long.

Very recently, I was offered a great deal to have the local newspaper delivered, and so |I decided to try it. I thought that if I was very careful, and kept the newspapers out of the house, then I might be able to enjoy reading the paper each day.

After around two weeks, all the old allergic reactions appeared. After three weeks or so of continuing to receive the papers, I felt I might have a stroke. Now I have stopped handling and reading the papers until the alllergy symptoms subside.

Natural Remedies to Counteract Allergic Reaction: Homeopathic Arnica/Symphytum is working well to reduce blood pressure and relieve the headache. Thuja on occasion is also good. Rhus Tox did not work so well, but instead, exacerbated the symptoms of poisoning. Arnica/Symphytum has a very cooling, calming effect, is great for shocks to the system, and so I am sticking to that for the next few days.

Note: The Arnica was followed by Urtica Urens once it became apparent that I had developed a urinary infection. Chlorine bleach and formaldehyde, found in printing inks and newspaper, alter the pH level. This results in an over-alkaline body which can breed urinary or bladder infections. I remember this was a problem whilst studying at uni and handling so many photocopies. Photocopy toxins, plus MAF’s apple-moth killing toxic chemicals being sprayed every few weeks over Auckland , resulted in almost continual urinary tract infections.

Three consecutive doses of 2000mg of non-acidic Vitamin C in the one day, plus around 5 doses of Homeopathic Urtica Urens 30C, served to rapidly fix the kidney and bladder infection.

I wondered about my neighbour, who had a mild stroke only a week ago: He h as a weak heart and is prone to strokes, but he also gets his paper delivered.

Blood pressure was affected, causing the body to overheat, with extreme migraine headache and bloodshot eyes. The smell of the newsprint seems to have permeated the house, even though the discarded papers are kept outside the back door.

I have stopped the delivery for the weekdays, but have decided to try getting just the weekend papers. My aim this time is to wear protective gloves so that I do not absorb any chemicals from the paper through the skin on the hands.

I figure if I want to avoid a stroke and memory loss, both of which are healthy concerns to keep with my advancing age, then I it will pay to be extra cautious about the handling of such things as newsprint or photocopied material of any kind: This is one area of my environment which I do have some control over.

Temporary Allergy To Drying Sage Leaves

Sudden extreme sensitivity to newspaper print caused a sudden allergy to the sage leaves which I picked only yesterday. They have had to go back out into the garden, along with the newspapers which are awaiting the paper collection on Friday.

Sage is usually OK for me to keep in the house in small quantities. I had picked several cupsful this time, to dry before the winter. The effect of having these leaves outside the door in the sun was simply intolerable today, after becoming sensitized to the newsprint.

This evening, I have discarded all the sage into the furthermost point of the garden. Sage is obviously a borderline item for me, which I am probably best to leave alone, except for picking a leaf or two of fresh sage occasionally, straight from the garden.

Herbs like sage, in quantities far beyond that needed for flavouring one dish, can have a very disturbing effect on the nervous system.

I do not think that I will be dying my graying hair black with sage afterall.

Conclusion: Herbs in concentration need to be avoided by sensitive people.