Tag: migraine

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.

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.

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Cell Phones in Cars

I have just returned to Auckland from Wellington on the day bus which left yesterday at 9 am. I always enjoy this trip with a good driver at the helm. The scenery is refreshing, and you can relax and enjoy it all the more because you are not the driver. The social aspect of travelling with people from other towns and countries is enjoyable. Of course, the refreshing, social and relaxing aspects of travelling by bus all go to pot if you have a driver whom you do not trust or who is on edge. I was lucky that the same good natured driver who drove me down ten days ago was on the run to take me back. It was a great trip.

However, I want to draw attention to the one environmental factor which is often a concern to me whenever I am jammed in with people in a crowd for an extended period, such as traveling long distance on a bus. That concern is cell phone radiation. I found on this trip, as is often the case, that I had to move seats, away from the person behind me who was using her phone constantly. It was difficult to find a suitable place to sit, i.e, one where there wasn’t a cell phone sitting in the pocket behind the seat you were about to sit in, or to avoid a cell phone in use. Cell phone usage seems to be the main preoccupation of the younger traveler these days.

When a phone is in use, the radiation I can sense is much more than when the phone is idle. However, an idle phone, if it is kept in the pocket behind your seat in the bus, has a perceptible deleterious effect on the nervous system. The most easily recognizeable, and the first, symptom is extreme headache. If you continue to sit there, then other disturbing reactions develop such as an inablity to think clearly, shaky movements, and arthritic-like pain in the arms and legs: Circulation is impaired through cell phone radiation, beyond what you would expect from sitting for an hour or so at a time, which is the reason your legs become swollen.

It is definately a good thing that drivers in New Zealand and other parts of the world are now forbidden by law to use cell phones while driving. This is a common sense law which has been a long time coming. Using a cell phone while driving is obviously going to increase your chances of ‘accident’, since all your attention cannot possibly be on the road and the conditions about you if you are holding a phone. But there is yet another thing to consider which probably won’t be addressed in the near future by common law, since most people do not recognize its danger to health and brain function, and that is that a cell phone within a metre or so of your brain will affect your brain impulses even if you are not using it. Simply having a cell phone in the car will undermine your nervous system which will fractionally alter your speed of reflex action and your decision making.

The brain and nervous system work on electrical impulses from the body’s own electrical system. The healthy functioning of the nervous system, to which the brain is a central part, is disturbed by interference from other electrical impulses, such as those from cell phones or overhead high tension wires, cell phone towers, etc.

Here is an example of just how the radiation energy from a cell phone can interfere with the electical workings of another electrical device.

First of all – an admission – I have been using a cell phone for the past six months (again),one which my daughter has lent me in order to get work. I avoid keeping it with me during the day, and remove it from the room at night, which has minimized exposure to its radiation. However, I will have to relinquish this phone in the near future, as it is evident that even minimal use after a six month stretch is affecting my health. I need to get a flat which has a land line.

Anyway – back to the example of how a cell phone’s energy can affect another device which is also electrically driven.

I had my portable CD player on its shelf playing a CD. I think it was Brooke Benton singing ……On the shelf above it, about 18 inches away, I had the cell phone recharger cord strung across leading to the cell phone nearby which was being recharged. I happened to be in the room when two texts came through, within about a minute of each other. As I stood at the door, the CD player seemed to forget what its purpose was, to play the CD coherently. It began stammering and cutting out, although there is no scratch on this CD which would cause it to falter. Simultaneously, the cell phone gave its signal that a text had come through. The CD player resumed its business of playing the CD. A minute later, another text came through from the same person. The same thing happened – the CD player seemed confused and did not resume its normal function until the text had come through and the light disappeared off the phone. It is possible that having two devices drawing electricity from the same source meant that one device, the CD player, had to make way for the extra energy demanded by the incoming text.

The change in radiation levels, from an inactive phone to one which is being used for texting, can be easily discerned if you are sitting still, on a bus, for instance. The radiation which sudden;ly becomes intensified by a nearby phone being in use causes a kind of painful piercing over the skull which affects the intuitive/psychic centre as well as the whole nervous system. Pain in the ears is experienced by myself after several minutes of someone using a cell phone nearby. The radiation causes a build up of fluid within the ear, even without the offending phone being near one’s own ear.

Sensitive people really must be careful with cell phones. If the electrical impulse from an incoming text will interfere with the playing of a CD, then the brain which is also a sensitive mechanism which works on electrical impulses, will also be affected by cell phones used by other people or by oneself.

The safest place for a cell phone to be, whilst travelling in a car, is in the boot.