- Discover what a range of experts do to keep themselves healthy…
- …and why raw egg and farm cider played a part in the Collins’ heritage
- A chance to try a new daily routine that can be a real tonic
Being confined to quarters has given me a real chance to think about a whole lot of stuff.
Why did I never get the chance to pull on the Welsh Rugby shirt (everyone enjoying the Six Nations by the way)? How did my musical talent evade bands such as Joy Division, The Buzzcocks or even The Manic Street Preachers?
I think I know the answer to all of that but I can dream surely!
Perhaps more importantly I got to thinking about what other people do that has helped them avoid health issues.
Not necessarily the current one, but what daily regimes do those in the know use?
So, I called my osteopath friend and asked him.
He told me that the best thing to do was quite simply… move.
Regular and gentle activity is the key, nothing too excessive, too forceful and definitely nothing that hurts.
Walking is ideal, swimming is great and cycling is another loss body stress activity.
Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi all have major benefits.
I like the idea of this as it is logical and accessible to everyone, for instance I have a regular reader who contacts me saying how the ancient art of Qi Gong has radically improved his health and changed his life through utilising a blend of coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and meditation.
Doing something simple and regular is the key, don’t set too stringent a challenge or try to regain youthful prowess (back to the Welsh Rugby dream again!)
A herbal view
Next on my list was a call to a fully qualified Medical Herbalist I know, who has helped Good Life Letter readers in the past with supplies of tonic tea.
I asked her what she does every day to keep herself in the pink.
She told me that alongside a regular dog walk (this exercise thing is a common topic it seems) she also uses specific herbal infusions depending on how she feels and what she assesses is the most imminent challenge.
So, of course I asked her what she had been doing over the last few months.
“The key to this is combined power of Echinacea and Elderberry, two of the most widely used and effective natural herbs to boost your immune system.” She said.
this tonic tea contains a range of the most popular and widely used herbs and plant extracts to help control many of the common infections, including viral attacks.
It is a blend of;
- Echinacea purpurea root (root is the most active part): Used by Native Americans for centuries to treat a range of ailments, it is now the most widely used medicinal herb for preventing and treating colds and flu. However, it’s also used to treat pain, inflammation, migraines and other health issues.
- Elderberry: People have used elderberry for its health benefits for hundreds of years. Elderberry contains antioxidants, which can relieve colds, fight the flu, and boost the immune system.
- Rosehip: These hedgerow fruits are rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, such as vitamin C, catechins, quercetin, and ellagic acid, all of which are active against viruses and help develop the immune response.
- Hibiscus: Historically, hibiscus tea has been used in African countries to decrease body temperature, treat heart disease, and sooth a sore throat. In Iran, hibiscus tea is used to treat high blood pressure. Recent studies have looked at the possible role of hibiscus in the treatment of high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
- Lemon peel: Whilst also adding a pleasant flavour to the tea, lemon peel is full of bioactive compounds that provide numerous health benefits which include boosting the immune system.
- Clove: Another spice that offers genuine health benefits not least because it promotes the activity of protective white blood cells which seek out and destroy invading pathogens.
- Astragalus membranaceous: It has many purported health benefits, including immune-boosting, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory effects.
So there you have it, the secrets of a medical herbalist shared and if that doesn’t set you up to face any health crisis I don’t know what will!
If you fancy joining me in a daily cup of this click here.
There will be a limited amount as this is a freshly prepared blend, but I hope those of you who want to give it a try get the chance.
A very good point she made was that even if you have had one of the vaccinations you still need to keep doing all the healthy stuff such as the vitamin C & D and of course things like this health boosting tonic tea.
Lastly, look to your ancestors
The last port of call was on my daily chat to Mum & Dad over Skype… oh yes technology has made it to the senior Collins’ household too!
I asked Mum about what she remembers of her Mum’s and her Nan’s approach to keeping well.
As expected I was told that looking after a family without washing machines, electric irons and integrated cookers involved plenty of hard work and exercise.
“I remember my Nan walking to the well at the end of the road, drawing water into and old wooden pail which she loaded onto a wheelbarrow to bring back to tip into the copper over a fire.
“She would then boil the water for a wash, ladle it into a dolly tub and pummel it over a washboard before wringing it out with a mangle.”
I guess exercise had a different meaning in those days!
But she also said about how honey and lemon, rosehip syrup and lozenges from the likes of Grays or Fishermans Friends were the store cupboard standards.
Less pleasant was the layering of goose fat over the chest at night… Mum said she was glad when this was replaced with menthol Vicks as she got older.
As a final thought she said her Grandad, who was a miner always has a raw egg beaten into a cup of farm cider before he went to bed.
I think I will stick to the herbal tonic tea, thanks!
A few things to think about for now, and also for the rest of the year once we get the chance to freely associate again…
…stay safe folk.
