Welcome to The Hopsack
Finlough Farm - The Hopsack puts its hands in the earth
July 18th, 2010For many years we in The Hopsack have been encouraging our customers and friends to get closer to the origins of their food, to ask questions about production and to use their power as consumers to make food choices that ensure the health of their families and those close to them. Now you may have heard that The Hopsack has for the last few years been building something in the country…
In 2000, the Murrays bought a 46 acre site outside Strokestown, County Roscommon and Jimmy went to work revitalising this neglected piece of land. Over the next few years he started to keep cattle, a small herd of 9 Aberdeen Angus cows, converted the land to full organic status and set to work getting the land back in order. He laid hedgerows, re-seeded the meadows and re-furbished the near tumble down farmhouse and its outbuildings, giving the farm a new lease of life.
In August 2008, as you most likely heard, Jimmy suddenly passed away and the farm looked set to take a nose dive. With nobody else around to mind the farm, the remaining Murray clan committed ourselves to keeping this amazing legacy going but with no real idea of how to do so. I found that I really took to farm life (or at least 1 day a week of it) and two years on we are engaging a major shift in the farm’s activities….and we want you to join in!
Every January The Hopsack receives a brace of catalogues for a fantastic range of courses staged in the Organic Centre. ’GREAT!’ we say and we get really enthusiastic about learning to forage for wild foods, and make our own herbal tinctures, and we tell all our lovely customers about it. And when they ask where it is…..well then we get a bit bashful and mutter something about a four and a half hour drive whilst staring at our shoes….and we think ‘Wouldn’t it be just great if we could have all those courses somewhere just a little closer by with somewhere to stay on-site?’
Well that’s exactly what we want to offer. Finlough Farm (a mere 2 hours drive from Dublin) is branching out. This autumn we are going to give you guys the chance to get out into the wilds of Ireland and discover/develop some new skills. So register your interest now!!
Schedule of exciting events!
At the end of August (dates T.B.C.) we will host a Nature Awareness Day with Erik Van Lennep. This day will involve some time spent cultivating inner awareness which will open us up for our farm walk in the afternoon during which we hope to engage nature in a more meaningful way. This day will help us to open our eyes to the wonderful rhythm of rural life and to enjoy sharing it with each other.
At the beginning of October (2-3) we are really excited to be hosting an Introduction to Permaculture Weekend with Hannah Mole and Erik Van Lennep. This weekend will be truly engaging for anyone interested in living with sensitivity to the earth and taking up sustainable living practices. Some of the theory of permaculture will be de-mistified but the bulk of the weekend will see us acting out live projects on the land using these principles and developing skills that we can take home and put into practice. You might find yourself designing and building a compost toilet or planning and preparing the site for a polytunnel. This weekend will residential so spaces will be quite limited (12-15) and all food over the weekend will be catered for and will be organic locally sourced, with fresh baked bread and scones each morning!! Sounds nice, no?
We are also planning a Harvest Festival for Halloween Weekend! We hope this will bring together the best of local produce and producers, and we hope to get as many of you loyal Hopsackers down to share the fun (and food).
Last but not least we are finalising plans for a Yoga Weekend down on the farm!! This could be seriously cool as we could practice on the front lawn overlooking the lake. Given Mother Nature’s mood swings on the weather front we are developing a beautiful indoor space that could accomodate us if necessary.
And finally…WE NEED HELP! Whilst we have some of the skills in-house to develop and run this sort of thing, we by no means have the time necessary at our disposal to make it on our own. If you have skills in marketing, fundraising, accounting, or just about anything you feel could be relevant to what you’ve read above then please get in touch with us! If you have time to spare and feel like you want to be part of this there will be lots to do and there will be rewards in all sorts of forms for those willing to muck in with us and help to build something to enrich our community.
If you have any suggestions for skills you would like to learn or if you would like to run a workshop on our farm, or if you just want to rent the cottage for a week, drop us a line!! New email address for the farm is…. finloughfarm@gmail.com
Alo Alo, what’s that? A cactus?
July 18th, 2010Actually no, it’s a lily, but that’s not the point. Quite apart from the stunning yellow bloom that aloe vera puts up to attract pollenators, it has usefulness far beyond the proliferation of its own species (unlike some mammals I know). Since times immemorial (1553BC to be precise), aloe has been prized for its ability to help humanity cope with the various nefarious ailments that have been thrown in our path whilst we’ve been around.
The Egyptians, obsessed as they seem to have been with their looks, got the hang 0f aloe at the cosmetics counter and Cleopatra (more name-checking to come) considered it her beauty secret. At least that’s what we’re told, and if it’s true then the queen was no slouch, because Aloe’s usefulness has progressed into acceptedness by modern western medicine far ahead of many other traditional remedies.
The aloe family contains about 300 varietals but most attention has focused on the brightest child - aloe barbadensis, for a number of reasons. Whilst most of the members of the aloe clan lay claim to some wound healing properties, aloe barbadensis has a formidable arsenal at its disposal which affords it the capability to assist our bodies in dealing with some of the uglier illnesses that plague our race. Aloe barbadensis contains gzillions of active components for healing and helping our bodies (more of these later) but by for the most interesting of these have to be the polysaccharides acemannan and aloeverose. These are essentially long-chain sugar molecules or pre-biotic fibres - code for: extremely helpful things to eat alot of. Their main functions in the human body are the nourishing of beneficial bacteria in our gut and, possibly more importantly, boosting our immune systems by stimulating the production of killer T cells and macrophages (types of white blood cells). It is for this reason that the US Department of Agriculture have approved the use of an extract of aloe vera in the treatment of canine and feline fibrosarcoma, and type of cancer heretofore with no effective treatment protocol. On exposure to acemannan, tumours of this type are reportedly encapsulated and killed, facilitating their removal through surgery. As yet this type of treatment is not officially approved for use in humans although in-vitro testing of aloe extracts on human cancer cells has shown some convincing results. A folk remedy (traditionally used to fight cancer) involving a combination of aloe vera mixed in equal weights with raw honey in a whiskey or rum base (what a cocktail!) has its origins amongst indigenous Brazilian peoples and has spread around the world. The specific combination of these two nutritional powerhouses, although without any double-blind placebo controlled hi-tech studies to back them up, certainly has the potential to improve our well-being and support your immunity whether it be impaired to begin with or if you are simply interested in giving your body better odds in this virus and bacteria ridden planet we like to call home.
The use of aloe vera internally is most common in cases of ulcerative colitis, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), and other conditions that involve inflammation of the lining of the gut wall. Aloe has a powerful ability to soothe such conditions, providing relief and aiding healing. One interesting study looked at the ability of aloe to reduce the putrefaction of proteins in the lower gut. An inability to break down and fully excrete proteins from the gut has strong associations with the development of bowel cancer due to the enzymes produced by bacteria that feed on undigested proteins in the gut. The study showed after only seven days that bowel habits were normalised significantly in both frequency and consistency (I’ll leave fuller explanation to your imaginations). Aloe’s anti-inflammatory action is coupled with a mild stimulant laxative component - one that you should be careful of if you suffer from sensitivity to compounds such as coffee or chilli. But as long as you are taking the whole aloe, not a concentrated extract, this effect is usually masked by aloe’s other components and forms part of the synergistic benefits that of whole leaf aloe vera. Also a quick note on aloe vera and candida albicans - studies are ongoing and somewhat inconclusive, but it seems at high doses and over longer periods, aloe vera displays an inhibitory action on yeasts such as candida and as such could be included in an anti-candida dietary protocol as an aid to gut healing. With that all explained it’s possibly not necessary to tell you about aloe’s use as part of a detox, except to say that it’s a bloody useful. There you go, we told you after all. So it’s clear now, right?
So after all that weirdness on to the least esoteric use of aloe. Pretty much the whole world is now familiar with what to reach for when they knock a kettle of boiling water over their friends leg in a rush to get to the Rich Teas. Aloe has amazing properties to stop the hurt(it contains salicylic acid which is what aspirin is derived from), whilst its anti-inflammatory compounds get to work on reducing the welt and its amino acids (it contains all the essential ones and some extra just to be showy) help repair the damaged tissue. For all these reasons, aloe is helpful for myriad skin conditions - psoriasis, eczema, impetigo…the list goes on and on. Just one note of caution, the mucilage (jelly-like substance) that is so helpful in most cases, doesn’t really allow the skin to breath, so in conditions such as eczema when the skin is trying to release excess heat from the body (that’s another day’s blog) a good idea is to apply aloe to the affected area and then wash it off after an hour or so. This should prevent any irritation from occurring.
So there you have it aloe vera - a magic plant. But then most plants are magic, just not so famous as aloe vera. If you are interested in learning more about aloe or the use of other easily sourced, inexpensive natural remedies, why not pop into us in The Hopsack where we are keen to help you explore the world of natural healthcare to keep you and your family and friends in good health for the years to come.
Sinister commercial undertone: The Hopsack also stocks aloe vera in many shapes and sizes for use on or in the body and in conjunction with many other helpful nutrients and herbal components. The best recent additions to our aloe lineup are most definitely Pukka’s Clean Greens, a superb detoxifying, alkalising wonder-supplement, and Lilly of the Desert Organic Aloe Vera Juice, a juice containing whole leaf aloe vera with patented extract they call ‘Aloesorb’ which sort of does what it say on the tin - aids absorption of other nutrients…such as vitamin C…by up to 40%!! Wow.
Now of course any of you looking to cure some of the serious ailments mentioned in this article must surely be attending a consultant or physician of some sort and anything you take from this article is not designed in anyway to replace or override his/her sagely advice. We are merely here to report information that we hope you will find a thoroughly interesting read and perhaps fuel a bit more research on your part, some conversation or even a full blown argument…hopefully not the latter.
Nutrient Therapy and Depression
July 17th, 2010Dr Bill Walsh was on Pat Kenny’s Today programme on RTE Radio1 yesterday to talk about his research into the link between bio-chemical imbalances in the brain that cause depression and other mental disorders. His studies have focused on the use of nutrients to affect these abnormalities. He has amassed the worlds largest database of research (over 26,000 subjects) into disorders such as schizophrenia and post-natal depression. This is conclusive and convincing research - listen to the podcast here! He has made real inroads into curing these disorders using nutrient therapy and his work has the potential to help millions of people the world over. The remedies he uses are un-patentable nutrients and so costs are €€€ less than the conventional pharmaceutical options (though he does not condone stopping medication, rather he works alongside prescribing psychiatrists to accurately and gently adjust the delicately poised chemical reactions taking place in the brain). Roughly 85% of his patients report improvement of their situation. Spread the word!
Oh Baby! Natural Solutions to Infertility: Part 2: Acupuncture, Herbs and Reflexology
July 11th, 2010Following on from our last newsletter on fertility and nutrition, today we look at acupuncture, herbal medicine and reflexology, all of which enjoy an excellent reputation for helping couples conceive longed-for babies.
According to a UK National Fertility Survey from 2007, fertility has declined dramatically over the past 50 years (see here). Acupuncture, herbs and reflexology counteract the trend towards infertility. While some couples genuinely are unable to conceive, many couples actually belong in the ’sub-fertile’ zone, where the magic toolbox of natural intervention can work wonders to boost overall health and retune the body to reproduce.
Acupuncturist John McLoughlin, Master Medical Herbalist and Iridologist Erica Murray and Reflexologist Ruth Wallace agree that cleansing and nourishing the body and relieving emotional stress are key to restoring reproduction. The reproductive system is a subset of the wider body-mind. Bringing the body and psyche into balance in the three to four months prior to conception can optimise fertility, enhance the health of the child, ensure a more comfortable pregnancy and reduce the risk of miscarriage.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to TCM, living beings possess vital energy (Qi) that flows through 12 invisible energy lines (meridians) on the body. Each meridian is linked to specific organs and hormonal secretions. Disease begins when the flow of Qi is unbalanced due to stress, chemicals, lack of exercise, bad food, or emotional excess. Inserting acupuncture needles into specific points along the meridians brings harmony to the flow of Qi and thus to organs and glands. Dietary and lifestyle changes are key too. By balancing body and mind, good functioning is restored to all bodily systems.
Dublin-based acupuncturist John McLoughlin has been practising TCM for over 30 years. He has long experience of helping couples conceive. It is vital to get professional help when trying for a baby, as reasons for sub-fertility are highly person-specific. According to John, physical and emotional factors must be addressed. We each inherit a complex pattern of being from our ancestors and respond differently to the challenges of the world, so we need to be treated as individuals.
John sees both potential parents, not only because it takes two to tango and mutual support is crucial but also because sperm defects can account for 35-40 per cent of infertility. It goes some way to explaining why a one-night-stand with a new man can do the trick, while years of nights with a long-term love have not. In a trial published in Fertility and Sterility (2005), acupuncture treatment increased normal sperm formation, reduced structural defects and improved sperm motility … all of which win the love of a good egg.
Acupuncture calms stress. When stress hormones are released, blood is diverted away from the reproductive organs towards the stress-causing adrenal glands, a detour that, in women, can cause irregular cycles, lack of ovulation and infertility. Acupuncture releases Mother Nature’s morphine, beta-endorphins, which reduce stress and anxiety. Blood then flows back to the ovaries and uterus, which enhances fertility and regulates the cycle. Beta-endorphins also influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and control hormones that regulate ovulation and fertility. As ovarian function improves, more follicles are created, leading to better egg production. Egg quality is enhanced too, especially if the woman eats an optimum diet tailored to her needs.
Acupuncture and diet in tandem increase the probability of conception and decrease the risk of miscarriage, as Ma Nature is a wily old bird who plays Survival of the Fittest to the max and healthy genes are her currency. Acupuncture also increases blood flow to the uterus, warming and relaxing it; this – along with immune enhancement, hormone regulation and stress reduction – lessens the chance of miscarriage.
Many TCM practitioners use herbs but John uses diet as a form of herbal remedy. In general, he encourages both partners to bin junk food, dairy, smoking, caffeine and alcohol and adopt a diet based on grains, beans, veggies, some hormone-free meat and an abundance of greens. Spinach and members of the cabbage family, such as broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, support the secretion of oestrogen and regulate the menstrual cycle. He may also suggest supplements, depending on individual needs.
Apparent infertility can be caused by odd things. One of John’s clients was doing everything right, or so they thought. But no bundle of joy. When John reviewed her diet, he found the culprit: her dreams were being dashed by daily orange juice! The insidious citrus, fine for some women, unbalanced her particular system. Once John put it on the list of banned substances she fell pregnant easily, highlighting both the force of individuality and the need to work with a practitioner who is alert to subtle influences.
Herbal medicine
Herbal medicine also enjoys a long tradition of helping couples conceive; it is, after all, the original medicine. Master Medical Herbalist and Iridologist Erica Murray (sounds familiar … do we know her from somewhere?!) emphasises the importance of building general health before trying for a baby. Superior health means healthy eggs and sperm. Cleansing and nourishing the body and de-stressing the mind are key.
Erica adopts a commonsensical, hands-on approach to healing. She also treats both men and women. When a couple attends her practice, she goes through diet, lifestyle, medication, the woman’s cycle and her mother’s childbirth history, looking for factors that might tip the balance. (Past use of the Pill can be a huge factor in sub-fertility.) She then uses iris diagnosis to identify inherited physical and emotional hotspots (e.g. a predisposition to stress, or to prolapsed organs, etc.) Iridology allows her to fine-tune herbal, dietary and lifestyle recommendations to the individual.
It is important that couples partner each other, says Erica, but do not develop obsessive hang-ups about infertility, as the stress of over-focus can make things worse. Their expectations and circumstances must be judged individually. The strain of caring for an elderly parent or falling out with a sister, for example, can have a negative bearing on fertility, as can resentment and rigidity. Helping people develop insight into their own lives, however, can lead to positive change.
Physically, decongesting the pelvic area by bowel cleansing with herbs, diet and castor oil packs is the first step on the road to restoring balance. Cleansing frees up energy for healing. Erica then prescribes nervine herbs (e.g. passion flower, motherwort and many others too numerous to mention here) to ease the anxiety that can climb into bed with you; nutrient herbs (e.g. nettle or raspberry leaf) to nourish body and mind; and herbs specific to the reproductive system (e.g. partridge berry). Herbal bottles are based on individual assessment. Don’t try mixing herbs at home; professional help is vital to get it right for you.
A good diet is also crucial. Erica advocates a mucusless diet as recommended by Master Herbalist Dr John Christopher. It is essentially vegan: rich in greens, sprouted foods, veggies, nuts, seeds and whole grains; a small amount of fruit; and no (or very little) flesh and dairy food. Animal products are too acid-forming to ensure healthy blood and contain unfriendly chemicals. Farmed chicken is particularly foul; the poor birds are stuffed full of hormones that disturb human ovulation, so chucking chicken is a must unless it is organically certified.
A vegan diet, brimming with nutrient-dense sprouted plant foods, lays the basis of good health. Optimum health optimises hormone production. Uncooked living foods are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, oxygen, enzymes and life-force and impart energy to all who feed on them. Raw greens cleanse and nourish the blood. Pukka Clean Greens powder is a good place to start. It is convenient and can be stirred into water or juice. Chlorella is also excellent. It oxygenates the blood and ensures the good distribution of nutrients, as well as hormones.
Good sperm quality depends on good nutrition too, so men need to eat well and say bye-bye to caffeine, alcohol and tobacco. Herbs such as saw palmetto, false unicorn, ginseng and sarsaparilla can help jog healthier sperm production. Again, herbal remedies need to be tailored to individual needs to be effective and safe.
Once a woman is pregnant, herbs can be helpful to nourish the baby in the womb and prevent threatened miscarriage. Some herbs are supportive in pregnancy and some are dangerous to the foetus; likewise, some forms of herbs are safe and others are not, so professional guidance is mandatory.
‘The body has an extraordinary innate ability to heal itself and find its own balance,’ says Erica. ‘Herbs help to re-establish the body’s natural balance. [They] have an innate intelligence.’
Reflexology
Reflexology is a variant of acupressure. It feels like (and is!) a relaxing foot massage but it can also relieve pain and stimulate healing. The therapist applies controlled pressure to pre-defined points on the feet. Each point is connected to an organ or gland via the nervous system. Problems in specific body parts are felt as crystals in the corresponding point on the foot. Breaking up the crystals helps to balance the organ or gland and stimulate it to function correctly.
Performed properly, reflexology alleviates stress, pain, chronic fatigue and other conditions. It can also help couples conceive by diminishing stress, balancing male and female hormones and indicating when a woman is ovulating. Like acupuncture and herbal medicine, reflexology has a high success rate in treating sub-fertility.
Reflexologist Ruth Wallace works on every aspect of body and mind to help couples conceive. Initially, she ensures that both partners get a good night’s sleep to relax physically and mentally. She then works on balancing the female hormone cycle and releasing energy blocks.
Ruth works with the pituitary, the master gland that controls all hormones. Balancing the pituitary harmonises reproductive and adrenal hormones. She gets to know the woman’s cycle and normalises it by working on points that connect to the reproductive organs. She also works on the spinal nerve points on the feet, which link to every organ and gland. Clearing this area helps to clear the reproductive system too. A balanced female cycle is vital (a) to determine fertile days and (b) because it produces stronger, more viable, eggs.
Like John and Erica, Ruth prefers to see both partners. ‘It’s a relationship,’ she says, ‘and it’s too much for one person to hold and too much responsibility for one person to carry.’ Balancing both bodies is important. She advocates lifestyle changes for men and women that include stress reduction; regular exercise; quitting caffeine, alcohol and tobacco; and dietary improvement.
Men should also avoid steaming hot baths before making love, as heat lessens sperm count in the semen. Too much sex weakens sperm count too, so making enough love to make a baby but not enough to imperil its paternal component is crucial…!
Reflexology aids relaxation, always good for bringing babies into the world! Once a woman is pregnant, says Ruth, it is important to stay with the treatment that brought her to that point to help her hold the pregnancy and reduce or avoid morning sickness, sciatica, shortness of breath, heartburn and water retention. (NB: Swollen fingers and/or ankles can indicate hypertension and require medical attention.) Reflexology during pregnancy is comforting and helps the body find its new ‘pregnant’ balance. It is good around the due date too, or if the little one is luxuriating in the floatation tank and ignoring the bell to get out!
Practitioners
Acupuncture
John McLoughlin Lic.Ac. Member of Acupuncture Council of Ireland T.C.M.C.I Ltd
Insurance: Members of the TCMCI are approved by Hibernian Aviva Health, VHI, Quinn Healthcare and HSA for Out-Patient insurance purposes.
M: 087 2461938
Addresses: 46 Elmwood Avenue, Lower Ranelagh, Dublin 6 until the end of July 2010, when his practice is moving to 22 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4.
Fees/Duration: €80 per session. Duration 90 mins. Initial session may last longer.
Herbal medicine
Erica Murray B.Soc.Sc., CQSW, MH, Ir. Member of The Irish Association of Master Medical Herbalists
M: 086 3384752
E: EricaMurrayHerbalist@gmail.com
W: www.castlewoodclinic.ie, www.iammh.com and www.NationalHerbalCouncil.com
Address: Castlewood Clinic, 19 Castlewood Terrace, Rathmines, Dublin 6
Fees/Duration: First consultation (90 mins) is €80 + herbs, which run to approximately €55. Total €135 approx. Subsequent consultations (60 mins) are €60 + herbs ditto. Total varies, depending on herbs required, but less than above.
Reflexology
Ruth Wallace MIRIL ITEC Member of the Irish Reflexologists’ Institute Limited
Insurance: Registered Reflexologist with Aviva, Quinn Healthcare and VHI
M: 086 4000997
Address: 411 Orwell Park Drive, Templeogue, Dublin 6W
Fees/Duration: Present fees (June 2010) are €60 per consultation. Duration usually 60 mins. However, first consultation usually takes about 90 mins.
Get those coconuts off Court 18!
June 27th, 2010Given it’s recent rise to fame, I suppose we shouldn’t have been so surprised to learn that the longest tennis match in history was fuelled by none other than Vitacoco coconut water. John Isner, victorious in 11 hours and 5 minutes over Nicholas Mahut at Wimbledon last week was drinking copious amounts of this super-refreshing naturally isotonic drink.
It’s high elecrolyte content (it is especially rich in potassium salts) helps prevent the cramping and dehydration that are the enemy of anyone accidentally caught up in 3 day long racquet sports. What’s more you don’t have to hold your nose and think of roses as it goes down- coconut water is pretty delicious stuff. But if over time you tire of its gentle sweetness Vitacoco have injected the magic, subtle overtones of pineapple, passionfruit, pomegranate and acai into their range to afford us a little variety in our pre/post match thirst quenching.
Next month in The Hopsack we will be getting eeeeeveryone onto the coconut train, with tastings and ideas for utilizing this humble and versatile little gem of a foodstuff. From vegan coconut macaroons to coconut and rose water lassi, there will be something for each and every mother’s son. So as you settle into your 138th game this set, look at that glint in your opponent’s eye- what’s he got up his sleeve….is that a….oh god the man’s a COCO-NUT!!!
Kidney Care for Dummies
June 13th, 2010Heavy Nettle
June 13th, 2010I am in constant wonderment at the requests people make for herbs from faraway places to help with common ailments, when we have our own native plants which are just as effective and which have been tried and tested over the centuries. Every region of the world has its own ‘materia medica’. This collection of medicinal plants is specific to a region, and covers all known ailments. It is only in recent times that improved communication and transport has led to the crossing over of cultures and, in particular, to the exchange of knowledge in relation to the healing properties of plants grown in other parts of the globe. However, much of this information I suspect is commercial in origin, rather than reflecting any real gap in the range of native plants available to us.
Just recently a client of mine sent to South Africa for a particular herb to help with her helicobacter pylori (a bacterium occuring in the stomach). She had learnt of this tea on the web and it cost her a stunning amount of money. What’s more, the company marketing the tea would not reveal the herbal contents and wouldn’t reply to e-mails. When people are desperate, they will resort to anything, particularly when the supposed cure comes with convincing marketing. It was a lesson hard learnt.
Here in the West - and, more specifically, in Ireland - we have our own materia medica, which comprises herbs that grow best in these latitudes and others which have become naturalised over time. These native species provide us with a cure for every ill. Perhaps they don’t sound exotic (in fact, many are common weeds), but these plants form an important part of our heritage and, ultimately, these native herbs are the tools we can use to heal in a genuinely sustainable way. No carbon footprints, no over-harvesting. They are right outside our back door, if we care to look.
So we have dandelion, nettle (about which more shortly), dock, cleavers, yarrow, elder, coltsfoot, chickweed and hundreds more. Ever notice how some plants have the word ‘wort’ in their name? This means that they have a traditional medicinal use. While in Connemara recently, my 90-year-old mother identified Liverwort and Milkwort, which were growing in profusion. While I know nothing about these herbs (they have fallen from usage), their names indicate exactly what they must have been used for in times gone by. St. John’s wort is one ‘wort’ which everyone has heard of in this country, since it was banned as an open sale herb back in 2000 for what many people consider to be unjustified reasons. Only ‘health practitioners’ (including professionally qualified herbalists) can now prescribe it, although anyone can pick it and create their own tinctures, teas or whatever with it. It will be at its peak in about a month’s time.
I have been harvesting the leaves of the common nettle/stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) recently. While traditionally nettle was harvested in the Spring, it can be gathered at any time of the Spring or Summer. As it matures, the leaves turn to a darker green, reflecting an increase in its iron stocks.
Traditionally used as a Spring tonic, nettle has a remarkable ability to reverse acidity in the body. Acidity is a problem with the modern Western diet, with its heavy dependence on animal products and can cause, amongst other conditions, rheumatism and arthritis. Drinking a cup of nettle tea a day is a good habit to get into, or mix nettle with any other tea. It is an excellent tea to drink during pregnancy, as it contains chlorophyll, vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K and folic acid, as well as a wide range of minerals and trace elements. It nourishes the kidneys, adrenals, immune system, digestive system and endocrine system. It has a noted effect on restoring the health of the villi in coeliacs, thereby improving absorption of nutrients. It is also of help to those suffering from hayfever at this time of year.
To harvest: It goes without saying that you should wear a pair of thick gloves before harvesting, unless you are brave enough to ‘grasp the nettle’! Make sure you correctly identify the type of nettle (see pic at foot) Take about 18 inches and cut the stalk approximately one inch below a pair of leaves.
To dry: Either tie in small bunches with string and suspend upside down or lay on a cotton cloth in a big basket. Place in a warm press. Leave for about 3 days, depending on temperature. The leaves should be fairly crisp. If they aren’t dry enough, they may go mouldy. Once dried, strip the leaves from the stalks. Place in a paper bag and store in a cool dry place. These will keep for up to 6 months in the right conditions.
To make a regular tincture: Chop fresh nettles (including the stalk). Loosely fill a glass jar with the herb. Cover with vodka. Push the plant material down with a chopstick or equivalent in order to release air bubbles. Leave in a dark place for 4 weeks, shaking it on a daily basis if you think of it. Then strain the liquid off through muslin or calico and put in a dark bottle. Cap, label and store in a cool place. This will keep for more than one year and can be used either on its own or mixed with other tinctures, at the dosage of 5 ml three times a day before meals in a liquid water.
To make a tea tincture (ready in 12 hours!): Fill a glass jar with the chopped herb. Cover with boiling water. Release air bubbles with a chopstick or equivalent as above. Lay the lid on top (do not screw down). Next day, strain off the liquid through muslin or calico. Add an equal quanitity of vodka and put the mixture in a dark bottle. Label and store in a cool dark place. This will keep for about six months and can be used in the same way and at the same dosage as a regular tincture (see above).
If you and your partner long for the pitter-patter of tiny feet but the only pitter-patter you hear is rain, do not despair.
Dr Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s leading nutritional specialist on women’s hormonal health, is giving a seminar in Dublin this Saturday on natural solutions to infertility. Dr Glenville has studied and practised nutritional medicine for over 25 years, helping countless ‘infertile’ couples to become parents. If you are having difficulty getting or staying pregnant, please join her and discover how her evidence-based, natural approach to infertility can help you too.
Natural Solutions to Infertility: Seminar with Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD
Date: Saturday 22 May 2010
Time: 9.30-11am
Place: Alexander Hotel, Dublin 2 (Directions: just off Merrion Square, opposite the side entrance to the Mont Clare Hotel) (Google Map)
Cost: €15 plus online booking fee of €1.12
Booking: Online at Positive Nutrition or ring 01-4020777
Natural solutions to infertility enjoy a high success rate because fertility is complex. A particular set of problems might be determining your inability to conceive, whereas different factors could be plaguing John and Jane next door. If you try the natural route, it is essential to work with a qualified practitioner who can address your specific needs.
At the Viveka clinic in London, Dr Glenville and gynaecologist Dr Yehudi Gordon offer an integrated service that marries natural and assisted approaches to fertility.
In Dublin, we are graced with the Positive Nutrition clinic. Founders Sally Milne and Heather Leeson are the only nutritional therapists in Ireland trained by Dr Marilyn Glenville. They offer her tried and tested successful nutrition and lifestyle programmes at their clinic in Rathmines. These lovely ladies know from experience what you are going through and use the most up-to-date nutritional testing and scientific research to uncover your specific issues. They also help you make the day-to-day shifts you need to bring those little bundles of joy into your nights 
.
According to a UK National Fertility Survey published in September 2007, fertility has declined dramatically over the past 50 years. The survey suggests that up to one third of couples struggle to conceive. A key reason for higher infertility rates, says Sally Milne, is the modern trend of starting families at a later age. Another raft of reasons relates more to lifestyle.
Lifestyles based on fast food, skipping meals, caffeine, alcohol and smoking are extremely unfriendly to fertility. All of the above can throw human hormones out of sync, making conception harder and miscarriage more common. Other hormone-disrupting factors include underlying infections; environmental toxins; food additives with names longer than the box; long-distance, nutrient-depleting food transport; and modern farming techniques, which strip the soil of nutrients while adding oestrogen-mimicking pesticides to our food. Even health-conscious couples can unwittingly chuck a spanner in the works of the baby machine thanks to the invisible hazards of the industrial world.
All is not lost, though. Making positive lifestyle and dietary changes greatly improves a couple’s chances of having a baby, whether they are taking the natural route or an assisted path such as IVF. Tons of research and clinical experience have shown that when both members of an ‘infertile’ couple optimise their diets and lifestyles and minimise stress in the three to four months prior to conception, they can often conceive naturally – even if they have been trying for years. Making positive changes also prepares their bodies to produce the healthiest sperm, eggs and housing conditions should they need the added boost of assisted conception. Healthier parents tend to conceive more quickly and are at less risk of miscarriage, reducing the need for repeated, expensive and heartbreaking fertility treatments.
Unfortunately, some couples are unable to conceive and may need to look at other options, such as surrogacy or adoption, to bring a child into their lives. But most people fall into the sub-fertile camp, where natural intervention can create miracles with pig tails. A study at the University of Surrey took couples with a history of infertility and cleaned up their diets and lifestyles. Nutritional supplements were added too. The result: their conception rate shot up to 80 percent. The success rate for assisted conception (without diet/lifestyle support) is around 20 percent.
An overview of a typical plan of action can be found on Marilyn Glenville’s website, should you care to have a look. But a few things are worth bearing in mind from the start.
Pre-conception care: playing patience
It takes at least three months for immature eggs to mature enough to be released during ovulation. It also takes at least three months for sperm cells to develop, ready to be ejaculated. So give yourself a run-up of three to four months of healthy living before you try to conceive.
Cleaning up your act prior to conception can make a world of difference to the mother’s health in pregnancy and the physical and intellectual health of the child. For the mother, morning sickness and more serious problems like pre-eclampsia can be side-stepped. For the baby, the risk of birth defects, low birth weight and non-inherited chromosomal conditions such as Down Syndrome can be minimised. After all, the building blocks from which we are made are our mother’s egg, our father’s sperm, the hothouse in which we are grown and the menu provided by our mother-chef (forget the wine list!). It makes sense that each of these elements should be in tip-top form to give us the best start in life.
Good pre-conception care can also reduce risk of miscarriage, which tends to occur either because the woman is unable to hold the child in the womb or because there is something wrong with the foetus. Old Mother Nature is anything but a softy: survival of the fittest is the name of her game and she has no qualms about throwing out the clay and starting over if her sculpture is not to her satisfaction. Going the natural route, however, is living by her laws. The mother’s body grows stronger and more able to hold a child. And the foetus, being of sound DNA, is allowed to remain in situ.
It takes two, baby…
Remember, it takes two (and lots of good sex, which can easily evaporate in the stress…!) to make a baby. Natural fertility counselling is also for two. Often, one partner bears the ‘blame’ for a couple’s infertility. But it is rarely that simple, even medically. And pointing the finger can put unbearable emotional pressure on the supposedly infertile party. Love, support and shared responsibility are crucial when trying for a child.
Getting pregnant is easier when a woman is younger. She tends to ovulate more regularly and egg quantity declines steeply after 35. But what matters most is egg quality. With good pre-conception care and, if necessary, herbs to boost ovulation, a woman can improve her hormone panel and the way her eggs mature and develop. She can, in effect, reduce their biological age! How’s that for rejuvenation?
Fertility-unfriendly conditions such as PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), fibroids, endometriosis and menstrual dysfunction can often be triggered by hormonal imbalance, bad diet, blood sugar imbalances and stress as well. By restoring equilibrium to the body naturally, it is possible to alleviate or eliminate these problems, getting them out of the way so you can concentrate on making babies.
Chez les hommes, sperm production and quality also decline with age but good lifestyle choices can increase the quantity and quality of new sperm. Men need to be extra conscious of environmental and dietary toxins. Chemicals, pesticides and plastics with feminising oestrogen-like activity are most likely to blame for the 50 percent drop in sperm count over the past 10 years. According to Marilyn Glenville, even the so-called ‘normal’ test range has been downgraded to accommodate the decline.
In days of yore, men puffed on Players and sperm were strong and swift. But their food was organic and home-made; their air was cleaner; and our chemical soup was in their future. Nowadays, men need to minimise lifestyle toxins to compensate for environmental poisons they can’t control. Caffeine, alcohol and tobacco – all controllable – are the perfect place to start. Caffeine robs sperm of its va va voom (motility); alcohol causes abnormalities that make penetration of the egg impossible; and both alcohol and tobacco damage sperm-making hormones and reduce its quantity. (Going on a bender can wipe out sperm count for months!) Mobile phone radiation can also affect motility, DNA and sperm count, so don’t carry your phones in your genes, guys!
A fascinating but little-known fact: a young woman’s eggs are able to override defects in her partner’s sperm! As her eggs age, though, their ability to compensate diminishes. If she is over 35, the health of her partner’s sperm becomes critical. If an older man has kids from a previous marriage, his partner does not, and they can’t conceive, she may be deemed the ‘infertile’ one. But that ain’t necessarily so…! Her eggs might simply be unable to override the defects in his sperm, whereas his wife’s eggs could do so when they were young.
“Male fertility ought to be addressed as much as possible,” believes Marilyn Glenville. If male infertility is overridden by an assisted reproduction technique, it can be carried to the next generation. That could mean the loss of the principle of survival of the fittest. “The more we can help couples conceive naturally and improve their fertility,” she says, “the stronger future generations will be without the need for assistance.”
Given the massive health benefits pre-conception care confers on mamas, papas and babas, even couples who churn out kids with ease would benefit from attending the seminar, making an appointment with Positive Nutrition, or reading Marilyn Glenville’s book, Getting Pregnant Faster (London, 2008), which outlines her programme.
False hope v false hopelessness
One of the most common arguments I have heard against natural approaches to infertility is that they offer false hope, which implies that they are not evidence-based. Nothing could be further from the truth. (Take a peek at the ‘References’ section of Dr Glenville’s book!)
It can be scary to make big changes in the hope of getting something you want almost too much. What if it hasn’t worked for your friends? What if it doesn’t work for you? Won’t the disappointment be that much harder to bear? But if you don’t give it a chance, you will never know whether some simple changes might have blessed you with your longed-for child. And if conception doesn’t happen, at least you will know that you have tried everything. To assume that the natural approach is useless without trying it is not so much false hope as a form of false hopelessness.
One way or another, you will be improving your quality of life. By making the changes you need to get pregnant, you will be doing yourself and your partner a favour. “The chances are you will even get to enjoy the healthier you that results from your efforts,” says Sally Milne. “You will have more energy, less fatigue, better stamina, and will generally feel revitalised and ready for the next phase in your life.”
Stay tuned for Oh Baby! Natural Solutions to Infertility: Part 2: Acupuncture, Reflexology and Herbs
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