Linda Parker Natural Therapies

Did you know that young people can get high blood pressure too?

The western world seems to die of heart related disease more than any other culture.

Why is that?

Well there are many reasons.

There are also many indicators of high blood pressure.

Some of the SYMPTOMS you should look out for include:

• Dizziness
• Insomnia
• Tiredness and fatigue
• Red face
• Blush easily
• Sweaty palms and feet
• Pain in the chest
• Headaches
• Earaches & ringing in the ears
• Heart palpitations
• Anxiety
• Blurred vision and many more

Did you know that you don’t have to take prescription drugs in order to lower your blood pressure. In fact, there are many ways you can lower it, using a natural medicine approach, without having to go to the doctors.

There are many foods that you should know about that need to be avoided.

That is because these foods may make the blood sticky and thick, they may also help create fatty plaques on the inside walls of the arteries that could end up blocking the flow of blood. This makes the blood more turbulent and so the pressure is increased.

Of course there are also many foods that will help you lower your blood pressure. These target foods dissolve clots, dissolve the fatty plaques and they also strengthen the artery walls. There are foods that will also relax the nervous system and increase the immune system.

Not only that, there are target, specialised vitamins and minerals that also do this job very well indeed. One such is Co-Enzyme Q10, which is a miracle supplement for the heart and general cardiovascular system. It helps to re-oxygenate the cell and is a major antioxidant giving you noticeable energy. There are many others as well that you need to be aware of. The right dose of these particular vitamins and minerals is also very important.

There are also many herbal medicines that will reduce blood pressure that are readily available, and don’t cause any side effects.

It is important to take a holistic approach when trying to lower your blood pressure. I mean who wants to be reliant on heavy medications for the rest of your life? There’s no need for it. Try to be open minded, do your research and take responsibility for your own life, don’t leave it in the hands of others. Take a proactive role in your health and wellbeing and be motivated to eat well.

Not only a change in your eating habits, which will make you feel so much better straight away – but you will also benefit from doing some mind work. By that I mean that you must implement into your daily routine, some form of meditation or relaxation. This is non-negotiable. Don’t worry, it’s not that hard. It’s certainly worth the effort, because not only will it help you bring your blood pressure down, but your memory will improve, your general brain function will be more active and acute and your whole body will be more relaxed. Things will start to happen in your life that you always wanted to happen.

Just realise that there are many different causes to an elevated blood pressure (normal is 120/80). It is up to you to find those causes as each person is different. You can then go on towards treating it successfully using a natural medicine approach.

As a qualified and experienced Naturopath, I’ve been treating high blood pressure for many, many years and have written an e-book called

“How to Lower your Blood Pressure, Using Foods, Herbs and Natural Supplements”.

It’s become very popular and is easy to read and understand. I’ve kept all the complicated medical jargon out.

Keep smiling and look after yourself!

Linda Parker ND

Naturopath & Author
www.lowerbloodpressuresolution.com

We all want thick luscious hair!  

Well if you implement some of these suggestions, your hair will be growing back in no time!

• Majority of men and women are affected by hair loss at some stage in their lives
• Men lose hair at a faster rate than women
• Hair is in a constant cycle – growth / rests / renews itself
• 100,000 hairs on the average head
• Colour, curl, thickness, length – genetic factors.
• Hair is dead, except for the root also known as the bulb, which is anchored to the base of the hair follicle.

How much hair should we be losing each day?

• Natural to lose some hair each day…. 30 – 100 hairs on average

What are the Different Types of Alopecia?

Permanent = when the root is damaged

Temporary = can fix

1. Male Pattern Baldness (androgenic alopecia)

2. Female Pattern Baldness (androgenic alopecia)

3. Diffuse Hair Loss in Women

4. Temporary shedding of hair eg

* Traction alopecia – ponytails, plaits, buns (around scalp)

* Nervous conditions – people pull on hair + chew (similar to nail biting)

* Rough handling – brushing too hard, hot curlers, over-bleaching

5.  Alopecia Areata (Bald PATCHES)

What are the main CAUSES of hair loss?

1. Hormonal

2. Genetics

3. Ringworm infection (fungal)

4. Chemotherapy

5. Shock / stress and anxiety

6. Nutritional deficiencies – vegetarians/ b12/ Fe

7. Other diseases

8. Illness, surgery (anasthetics) and infections (Bali belly)

9.Pregnancy, childbirth, post pregnancy

10. Menopause & peri-menopause

11. Contraceptive Pill

12. Crash diets

13. Anorexia

12. Medications & drugs eg steroids

Tests for Hair Loss

There are around 8 different tests that need to be done to ascertain the cause of individual hair loss and alopecia.

Herbs for Hair Loss

There are 4 specific herbal medicines used to slow the loss of hair and also to prevent hair loss in men and women.

These are western herbs which need to be prescribed by your naturopath.

Hair Loss Diet – Alopecia Diet

Besides a high protein diet, there are TARGET foods that are critical to eat which will prevent and slow down hair loss.

Vitamins and Minerals for Hair Loss

Besides the B Group vitamins there are around 5 other very important vitamins and minerals. Ask your naturopath to go through them with you.

How long does regrowth take in women?

Approximately within 3-6 months the hair will be regrowing at a good rate.

Lifestyle factors

Drugs/ medications / vaccinations / stress / dyes and bleaches all need to be taken into consideration

For more info see “The Skin Program” Book at www.lindaparker.com.au/products

ECZEMA  – Atopic Dermatitis

• Eczema is an intensely itchy, inflammatory skin condition
• The skin is dry, red and thickened
• There may be lumps, papules, scaling and weeping blisters or thick plaques
• Commonly found behind the knees, elbows, wrists and face.
• Can occur at any age and is common in infants, affecting 3 – 7% of the population at some point.
• Mostly Eczema is caused by some kind of allergy (80% of patients), but can also be caused by stress and immune abnormalities
• Food sensitivity IgG tests are a must to have done to identify cause
• Some common foods causing eczema include nuts, wheat, dairy and oranges

Luckily natural treatment using natural remedies such as herbal remedies  and vitamins along with changes in diet and stress,  can improve and eliminate Eczema totally

For more information go to www.lindaparker.com.au/products/books

• Excellent for the winter cold!
• Has antiviral effects
• Improves hydration and nutrients
• Helps clear excess nasal mucous
• Improves energy

• Clean the chicken, place in a large pot of cold water and bring to the boil
• Chop into small pieces or in a blender all the ingredients then add all of them to the pot
• Boil for 1 and 1/2 hours with the lid on.
• Keep checking and remove the fat from the surface, as it accumulates
• You can choose to remove the chicken (can be used as a side dish) or shred off pieces of flesh and keep in the soup – it is up to you!

The vegetable OKRA is so good for you in so many ways!

• Binds cholesterol and toxins, removing them from the body
• Bulks up the stools, preventing constipation and healing to the bowel walls
• Good probiotic (helps good bacterias)
• Normalises blood sugar
• Reduces and normalises acid in the body (great for arthritis)
• High in fibre, protein, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, vitamins A & C and iron!

• Wash and trim the cone shaped stem ends (careful not to tear the okra)
• Dip the trimmed end into a little bit of sea salt then place in colander and allow to stand for 1/2 hr.
• Saute onions in the oil in a shallow pan until transparent
• Add tomatoes, parsley, sugar, pepper and lemon slices
• Cover and simmer for 5 -10 minutes
• Add the okra, stir well with the sauce and place tomato slices on top, sprinkle with some sea salt & pepper
• Cover and cook on medium high heat until boiling point.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes
• Add a little water if necessary but don’t overcook the okra
• Try not to stir the okra during the cooking process as they may break up (delicate little things)
• To blend just shake the pot a few times

Are you Tired ALL the time….or just struggle to get through the day?
Well, try these excellent tips to help improve your energy and overall stamina.

1) Power Breathing – 5 minutes first thing in the morning – then 2 x more during the day. (see the exercises in the book “The Skin Program”. (www.lindaparker.com.au/books)

2) Meditation – 10 minutes each morning and 10 minutes each night.

3) Energy Boost Juice after lunch – 1 Apple, 1 x Orange, 1 tspn Spirulina, 1 tspn Kelp and small piece of Pineapple.

4) Boiled eggs – highest form of protein that providing endurance energy.

5) Almonds – handful each day – another excellent form of protein and essential oils.

6) Sunshine – 5 minutes each day – Extra Vitamin D3 supports
the immune/nervous and skeletal system and is a natural mood booster.

7) Amino Acids – eg Carnitine and Tyrosine as well as Coenzyme Q10 – improve and activate the energy centre of the cell (mitochondria).

Goji Berries – 40 mLs of juice daily, speeds up the body’s metabolism
and is a major antioxidant and energy boost.

9) Weight Resistance – daily upper/lower body weights to improve physical strength and endurance (5 mins)

10) Snack on Alkalising fruits and vegetables throughout the day –
reduces the stress hormone Cortisol and increases vitamins and minerals

to improve energy.

For more info go to http://www.lindaparker.com.au/

Women….listen up!   Secretely we all have a bit….but what can we do?

There are 4 very good ways to combat the dreaded Cellulite…

1) Deep Tissue Remedial Massage – helps break up fat tissue,
improving blood circulation to target areas….especially good around the buttocks and thighs.

2) Lymphatic Drainage Massage – a specialised form of massage
that improves the health of the lymphatic system. It is the lymph nodes
that once activated, reduce excess fluid, toxins and waste.
It is a very important system to activate in order to reduce cellulite
and trapped waste in fat tissue.

3) Lymphatic exercises – eg rowing machine, step machine and freestyle

swimming are the best types of exercises to improve the effectiveness
of the lymphatic system and clear away excess fluid and toxins from
adipose tissue (fat tissue). This is because these exercises have a “pumping”
action which activates nodes under the arms and in the groin areas
where the major lymph nodes are located.

4) Herbal Teas – combine the fresh leaves of Cleavers (lymph tonic),
Fennel (stimulant) and Dandelion Leaves (kidney tonic) with a few
small pieces of chopped Ginger Root (circulation stimulant) –
these are all very helpful for slimming, cellulite detoxification
and excess fluid removal.

Won’t take long before you feel toned and sexy again with no more cellulite.

http://www.lindaparker.com.au/

We all want smooth soft skin. We’ve all tried so many FACE SCRUBS!

Well now you can make your own. We’ll use only natural ingredients….it’s cheaper plus
the ingredients will not harm your skin in any way.

Exfoliating dead skin cells results in radiant and youthful looking skin.

Ingredients:

- 2-3 tablespoons of Raw Oats (ground)
- 1-2 tablespoon of Honey
- ¼ teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 drops of Carrot Seed Essential Oil
- 1 drop of Tea Tree Oil
- 2 drops of Damask Rose Essential Oil

Method:

• Crush the oats in a grinder.

• Add the honey and vinegar to form a smooth paste.
• Combine it with the oils to form a paste.

Apply the paste to your face carefully avoiding the eyes.
Rinse off after 15-20 minutes.

This Face Scrub should be done 1 x week and can also be used on the back!
For more Recipes go to “The Skin Program” at www.lindaparker.com.au/books

Do You Suffer from BAD BREATH??
One of the most effective remedies for Oral Hygiene, is a good MOUTH WASH.

Many Mouth Washes have harmful chemicals in them that really should NOT be
ingested.

So let’s make our own! This way you’ll know you won’t be swallowing anything that can harm you.

It takes care of certain dental problems, removes bad breath, and keeps the gums healthy.
Make it yourself at home using a few basic items.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of Water
- ¼ cup Plain Soda drink
- 4 drops of Glycerol
- 1 teaspoon of Aloe Vera gel
- 10 drops of Peppermint or Spearmint oil

Method:

• Boil the water.
• Add soda, aloe-vera gel and glycerol to it.
• After it cools, add peppermint oil.
• Mix well and store in an air-tight bottle.

- Boil a small piece of cinnamon stick in a cup of water, cool it and use it as mouthwash

This mouth wash is great for the whole family.
For more recipes go to “The Skin Program” at www.lindaparker.com.au/books

Dandruff occurs in your scalp due to excessive shedding of skin cells.

The causes can be poor diet, stress, detergent shampoos that contain harsh chemicals, poor circulation, yeast infections, over active oil glands, and more.

The ingredients can all be purchased from the local supermarket & /or health food store.

Ingredients:

- ¼ cup liquid Castile Soap
- 1 cup Water
- ¼ cup Aloe Vera gel
- 2 tablespoon Plain Vinegar ( or Apple Cider Vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil (Sweet Almond, Coconut or Grapeseed oil)
- 1 tablespoon Calendula oil
- 1 tablespoon dried Peppermint leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried Thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried Rosemary leaves
- 3 drops of Eucalyptus oil

Method:

• Bring water to a boil.

• Add the herbs and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

• Strain the herbs and allow the concoction to cool.

• Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Store the shampoo an air-tight jar.

While using, apply a generous amount to wet hair and leave it on for 10 minutes before rinsing. You could mix a few spoons of vinegar to the water for a final rinse.

Other remedies include:

- Regular use of Aloe Vera gel. Massage it in to your scalp and wash your hair.

- Mix the juice of a lemon with an oil of your choice, preferably coconut, massage it in your scalp and wash of the next day.

- A mixture of olive oil with equal parts of almond oil can be used as a hair mask. Warm the oils for maximum benefit.

There are more ideas in my new book “The Skin Program” www.lindaparker.com.au/books