Treating Cystitis naturally

If you’ve ever had cystitis you’ll know how unpleasant it is. Symptoms include a frequent and overwhelming urge to go to the toilet, and when you get there you often pass only a small amount of urine which stings and can feel hot. The urine passed is also often smelly and/or cloudy. Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder and is normally caused by a bacterial infection. Cystitis is more common in women as the passage from the bladder (the urethra) is shorter than men’s urethras, and bacteria can be more easily spread from the anus or vagina to the bladder.

To reduce the symptoms of cystitis many people opt for over the counter remedies which often work by making the urine more alkaline. A cheaper and just as effective remedy is to dissolve a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate in water. Personal hygiene is also important in reducing the likelihood of infection, such as making sure you wipe from the front to the back after emptying your bladder or bowels.

Cystitis is one of a range of problems that can affect the urinary system. Urinary discomfort can also be caused by chlamydia, prostate problems in men, urethritis, and kidney stones. This is by no means an exclusive list. The doctors should be the first port of call, so that the causes of urinary problems are identified and treated. However with less severe problems eating the right foods can have a dramatic effect.

The first priority when experiencing cystitis is to drink lots of water, which helps dilute the urine and flush out the kidneys. It is also a good idea to avoid foods which can aggravate cystitis, and eat more of the foods that can have a beneficial effect on urinary infections.

Foods to avoid
Sugar is one of the first foods to cut from your diet. Swiss naturopath Alfred Vogel when treating patients found that when they abstained from sugar their pain was relieved, however upon being given sugar again the pain returned without fail.

Salt encourages fluid retention which can affect the flushing action of the kidneys.

Citrus juices in large quantities can increase the acidity of the urine which can add to urinary discomfort. However they also are important in providing valuable anti-oxidant vitamins which enhance the ability of the immune system to fight infection. When your symptoms are relieved, try re-introducing citrus fruits and cut back on them again if symptoms return.

Alcohol can increase levels of uric acid which can interfere with the normal function of the kidneys.

Some of the ingredients in Coffee, Tea and carbonated drinks can have an irritating effect on the kidneys and urinary tract.


Foods that can help
Cranberries are a well known food for helping clear up cystitis, which works by preventing bacteria sticking to the inner walls of the bladder. When buying cranberry juice opt for the ones without added sugar.

Barley is another extremely beneficial remedy for cystitis but not as well know about. Barley’s demulcent qualities can soothe inflammatory conditions of the urinary tract. You can make your own barley water by boiling 1 heaped tablespoon of pot barley (available at supermarkets and health food shops) in 1 ½ pints of water and simmering for 30 minutes.

Celery is not only anti-inflammatory, but also can help eliminate waste via the urine. The active compound in celery is concentrated in the seeds which can be brought at health foods shops and made into a tea, or added into salads.

Dandelion acts as a tonic to the urinary system as well as being a gentle but effective diuretic, increasing the rate of urination, and helping the body eliminate waste products. Dandelion leaves can be added to salads. There are also coffee substitutes you could try made from ground dandelion roots. They are often combined with chicory (see below).

Chicory has a reputation for being an excellent cleanser and detoxifier.

Melons can gently stimulate the kidneys, and has been used in traditional medicine as a remedy for kidney and bladder problems. Melons are an excellent cleanser, and due to its high water content can rehydrate the body and help flush out the kidneys.

Yogurt is a must if you’ve been prescribed a course of antibiotics for cystitis. Antibiotics can wipe out both good and bad bacteria and eating yogurt can help to restore equilibrium in the gut. Yogurt can protect against bacterial infection especially in the urinary tract.

Garlic is an amazing all rounder, with anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral qualities. For any ailment garlic is an invaluable addition to your diet.

Extra help
Uva-ursi was recommended to me by my reflexologist for a urinary tract infection, and I found it worked really well Uva-ursi works as a urinary antiseptic. It also has a high tannin content which strengthens and tones the membranes of the urinary tract.

“Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”
Hippocrates

Please note
I am not medically qualified, but have had an interest in and have researched nutrition and alternative remedies for many years. For this article I referred to:
The food doctor, Healing foods for mind and body by Vicki Edgson and Ian Marber
Superfoods by Michael Van Starten and Barbara Griggs
Prescription for Nutritional Healing (2nd edition) by James F Balch M.D and Phyllis A Balch C.N.C

Curses and Cargo cults at Port Elliot

The Port Eliot Literature festival is situated on the landscaped grounds of the 18th century Port Eliot House at St Germans in Cornwall. Taking part over three days, the Lit fest attracts a diverse range of performers, and has something for all tastes. Whether you want to catch some music, listen to poetry, see talks by authors about their work, watch films, or take part in a pub quiz, the Port Eliot Lit fest will not disappoint.

On the Saturday afternoon, Charles Montgomery’s account of his travels to the Western South Pacific islands, and the origin and influence of myths, had the audience captivated.

Charles Montgomery became interested in myths at ten years old when he discovered his Great Grandfather’s diary in the attic. His Great Grandfather, Rev. H. H. Montgomery, wrote stories about the Anglican’s church attempts to Christianise the South Pacific in the 19th century. He described a place which was full of myths, magic and violence and danger.

Charles found “the images followed him into his dreams” and he was fascinated by the idea of myths. A myth, he suggests, doesn’t mean a fib, but a story that helps us learn about our relationship with the world, and tells us how to live. He wanted to understand the stories his Great Grandfather told, and to see if there was anything left of the lands he had described. Following in his footsteps, he travelled to the Melanesia islands in the South Pacific 120 years later.

Charles recounted myths he had been told on his journey, such as a sorcerer who could change himself into an owl and fly around the islands at night. If he didn’t like you, he would pull open your stomach, rip your guts out and replace them with sticks and leaves. You would feel fine the next day but in a few weeks you would start coughing them up, and wouldn’t live long after that.

Another tale was from an island where terrible sorcerers lived. They would leave curses wrapped up in a leaf lying in the road, and if you stepped over it your penis would disappear. I wondered what would happen if a women walked over them.

What fascinated Charles was how these myths influenced the way the islanders lived. The chief of one village told him the story of a visitation from a spirit saying “you must understand what guides us.”

Back in 1940’s when the island was essentially a Presbyterian theocracy; a Spirit came in the middle of the night, in a big white hat with his eyes in the shadows, and appeared before the elders. He said “You have to stop going to church, throw your western money into the sea, and cast out the missionaries. Go back to your parties and circumcision ceremonies. If you do all these things I will return on a great white ship from afar, loaded with everything you ever wanted.” They did as he said, returning to traditional practices such as the men partying and drinking Kava on a Friday night. They have continued living this way even though they’re still waiting and praying for the spirits return. When Charles said to the chief “You’ve been waiting for 60 years for your prophet to come back, aren’t you getting a little frustrated?” He replied “Well, how long have you been waiting for Jesus to come back?”

Exploring the history of the islands, Charles found out that when the Americans arrived on the islands in World War two they brought lots of goods, and the islanders believed they must have controlled some kind of magic to have all this junk. The ships that travelled around the islands carrying gifts, became known as ‘cargo cults’ and the islanders prayed for this kind of magic.

As he moved through the islands he learnt that the magic he looked for was based around the concept of ‘mana’. Mana is a supernatural power which flows through all living things; it flows through rocks, and islands, and is concentrated in human skulls, which explains the head hunting that went on in the Northern Solomon Islands. The more exalted the victim the greater the mana, and the more skulls you could collect the more powerful you were. The islanders described mana as a force you could draw to yourselves and use for good or evil.

Charles had been told lots of stories, explored the history of the islands, and seen how myths influenced the way islanders lived, but he still hadn’t seen magic in action.

That is until he visited a village in New Georgia where the chief told him not to go into the mountains and blow on a stone, which was a petrified head of a snake. The chief had sold the mountain side to a logging company, and if he blew on the stone it would create a rainstorm, and they would have to stop logging for a couple of days. Defying the chief’s request, they made their way up to the mountain, and blew on the stone and indeed a rain storm started up. As they ran down the mountain there was thunder and lightening and the heavens opened. This may have been proof of the existence of magic, or it could have been a coincidence.

To try and find further proof magic existed, Charles tracked down the last of the islands shark callers, Celestine, who had a special relationship with a particular black shark. He was sure he would show him a miracle.

At midnight one night they paddled out in a canoe to the middle of lagoon. Celestine jumped in the water, and Charles took a deep breath and pushed off from canoe and circled beneath it. As he had to keep coming up for air, he realised Celestine was still under water and had been for many minutes. He saw a light, and pushed himself towards it. He saw the light was coming from Celestine sat cross legged on a bed of crushed coral, but he wasn’t alone, he saw a shadow of a black shark circling Celestine. He would like to have gone down further, but felt himself being pulled to the surface again for air.

He wasn’t sure what he had seen, and didn’t realise what had happened until weeks later. After leaving the islands, he was asked on numerous occasions if he had seen the shark spirit, and he answered no. Late one evening in the company of a group of friends, however he answered yes, he did see the shark god, and he was able to visualise what he had seen that night. Charles said:

“The story became whole finally, and I grew more certain every time I repeated it, now there was no doubt. Yes it was a shark… Yes an ancestor could still be summoned from the darkness”

He realised myth is about belief, it was true because he believed it, he says:

“Myth for me is like love, it’s a decision, what it answers is the kind of longing, what it demands is faith, what it opens is possibility.”

You can find Charles tale of his journey, his interpretation of what he discovered, and the difficulties he faced, including arriving at a time when civil war had raged through the islands, in his book: The Shark God: Encounters with Myth and Magic in the South Pacific.

Buy fresh Buy local
Sell local and Flourish

With the rise in the number of farmer’s markets and farm shops, where ever you are in the country, it’s becoming easier to buy local produce. More people are becoming concerned about the origin of their food, and recognise buying locally often ensures freshness and quality, and supports the local economy.

As buying locally produced food is becoming more popular, there has been an increase in the number of restaurants and schools, sourcing their food locally, as well as many supermarkets now offering local produce. This trend has also encouraged the opening of shops on our high streets, committed to supporting and promoting local produce.

Within five minutes of each other in Falmouth in Cornwall, there are some shining examples of businesses that are thriving, by producing and selling local produce.

Halzephron Herb Farm was started up by husband and wife team Deborah and Alan Fowler, who specialised in making the finest food from locally grown organic herbs, and other natural ingredients. Originally at their farm in Gunwalloe, they grew herbs which they supplied to local restaurants. Deborah then experimented with recipes, and the business grew. They now produce a wide range of mouth watering products which includes, marinades, sauces, mayonnaises, dressings, dips and preserves, many of which you can taste if you visit their shops.

Supporting the local economy has always been at their heart, and people from their village were employed to help as the business grew. In 2005 they handed over the business to Donna Boon, who had worked at the farm since she left school. As their products became more popular they moved to a kitchen in Penryn, to enable them to concentrate on supplying their shops in St Ives, Truro, and Falmouth. Since they’ve been buying in herbs, they’ve ensured they only use locally grown organic herbs for their recipes. The good news is you don’t have to live in Cornwall to try out their products, as they are available on the internet at www.halzherb.com.

A few doors away is Citrus café, a bright summer fresh yellow gallery and café, serving healthy food sourced locally where possible. They offer a selection of meals from soup to salads, all of which are made fresh daily, and there is always a good selection of vegetarian and vegan meals. They also make their own range of gluten free bread and cakes, all made with local free range eggs. As well as buying local produce, they are committed to providing fair trade products. They buy their coffee from Cornwall based Origin, who sell Fair-trade, Organic or Rainforest Alliance certified coffees.

Over the three years they’ve been open, they have built up a clientele of regulars, which provides enough business for them to keep going over the winter. Their commitment to serving healthy locally produced food is doubtlessly instrumental in establishing this loyal customer base. As well as being a café, they double up as a gallery, and display paintings and craft work by local artists. The local university runs arts and media courses, and students are able to get themselves known, by displaying their work at Citrus café on a sale or return basis.

Five minutes down the road, Discovery Quay, is situated on Falmouth's waterfront, looking over one of the world's largest deep water harbours. Also housing Falmouth’s Maritime museum, it provides the perfect setting for the Quay deli. Committed to selling local, organic, and quality products, the Quay deli is a feast for the eyes of any discerning customer. When they opened three years ago they were one of the only businesses around, concentrating on supplying quality West Country products.

Among the attractive, but filled to the brim shelves, they sell everything from Cornish honey to local organic meats, and Cornish beers and wine. They sell Vicky’s bread, a small Helston based business, which bakes French style artisan breads made with organic ingredients. In the freezer section you can find Roskilly’s Cornish ice cream, and frozen home made meals from Truro based Pencoose pantry, who also source their ingredients locally. If you’re after a drink, the choice available may present some problems, with Devon based, Luscombe farm’s strawberry lemonade, and Cornish orchard’s apple juice on offer. Looking around the shop is like being at a Taste of the West’s food and drink awards ceremony.

Whether you’re after fine meats, organic vegetables, or homemade herbal salad dressings, local producers offer an impressive selection of goods right on your doorstep. Choosing to buy locally helps keep our towns and villages alive, allows closer relations between customers and producers, and ultimately supports the local economy.

Mim Aylett
Surviving as a self employed artist

A mile out of Wadebridge in North Cornwall is the beautiful Trevilder Cottage. Surrounded by fields, it’s the ideal setting for local artist Mim Aylett to lose herself in creativity. Her studio, built in the garden, is filled with paints, canvas’s, work in progress, and an amazing array of finished paintings. With the addition of a heater, music, and a couple of comfy chairs, it’s the perfect space to create her art.

Mim specialises in landscapes and portraits in oil. Her vibrant, richly coloured paintings have a spiritual feel about them. The creation of her art, Mim says “is triggered by emotion, intuition and an appreciation of the beauty of nature.”

Mim graduated in Humanities and Fine Art, in 1986, and moved to London to develop an exciting career as a specialist decorator, working for clients including; Claridges Hotel, the National portrait gallery, the Sultan of Brunei, and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. She became well known for her paint finishes, marbling, wood graining, and murals, as well as her ability to be able to mix colours to match any colour.

In 1992, Mim moved back to Cornwall, her childhood home, to start a family with her husband Andy. Together they set up their own specialist decorating firm; Palmer and Palmer. As they became better known, they found themselves in the position of being able to take on employees. One of their many commissions was producing wood panels painted with iconic cinema images, such as Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe, and finished with a marbling effect for the Plaza cinema in Truro.

Although Palmer and Palmer were successful, the marriage wasn’t going so well. After splitting up with Andy, Mim found she couldn’t manage the business on her own. It was then she returned to painting, she says “as a means of emotional and spiritual survival.” She spent a lot of time out in the open air staring at the sky, painting what she could see. She felt it helped her “to stop looking inside and start looking outside.”

She would often close her eyes, take two brushes, and just let them move over the wood. “I would let the energy flow down my arm,” says Mim. She was amazed at the results; she clearly drew figures and spiritually significant animals, without consciously doing so. Mim felt that painting helped her understand who she was, and helped her through a lost and chaotic time.

With her growth of confidence Mim’s pictures became bigger, and she expanded her repertoire to include seascapes, angels and flowers. Due to a lack of money for materials, she painted on off cuts of medium density fibreboard (MDF), and was able to produce paintings in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some of her most popular paintings at the time were painted on long, tall, triangular shapes. In order to sell her paintings she started to display her work at exhibitions, and at her first one she sold six of her paintings.

As her painting evolved Mim discovered canvas’s being sold at an affordable price. She described painting on canvas for the first time as “a big step on psychologically from painting on wood.” At first, presented with a beautiful white canvas, she found herself walking around a lot, too scared to make the first mark. She felt “painting on canvas was Art with a capital A.”

Becoming more confident painting on canvas, Mim began to paint lots of portraits; returning to landscapes in financially tight periods, as they are more likely to sell. Sometimes her paintings are planned but mostly they’re not, and she prefers not to be swayed by market forces, instead letting the paintings come to her. She says “The canvas decides, the energy of the day decides, sometimes I’ll be going to paint a landscape and end up doing a portrait.” Mim also describes herself as a binge painter, as some days she finds painting really difficult, and feels she’s not satisfied with any mark she makes. While on other days she may stay in her studio all day, and paint 3 or 4 pieces.

As Art has helped her spiritual growth, she has fed her spirituality in other ways, which complement her art. Over the past few years, she has also worked on gaining her Reiki Masters, and a Diploma in Past Life Therapy. Last year she discovered she had a gift for painting people’s spirit guides, after painting one for a healer who knew what their spirit guide looked like. She say’s “I tune into your energy and with loving help from my guides and yours, a portrait is created of the Spirit who walks by your side.”

She is now able to offer these services alongside her art. The peaceful countryside setting of Trevilder cottage is ideal, for receiving the healing energy of Reiki, or having a spirit guide painted. The whole place has a friendly and relaxing feel about it. It’s by no means easy making a living working for yourself, however Mim seems to be doing all the right things to keep a sustainable business running.

If you live or are holidaying in Cornwall, you can go along and see Mim’s paintings at her exhibition at the Rock institute near Wadebridge running from September the 28th to the 30th.

Recycling
One person’s waste can be another person’s treasure.

With landfill disposable space running out, more people are making an effort to recycle their everyday waste. However there are now opportunities to recycle more than just our rubbish. Anything from unwanted household goods, to computers, mobile phones and even unused paint can now be passed on and put to good use.

When left unattended for a long time clutter can rob us of our energy, as we can feel that twinge of guilt that we haven’t done anything about it yet, or feel overwhelmed by the task ahead of us. With the coming of sunnier days, it’s a perfect time to make a start on clearing away your clutter. Clearing up your space can not only give you a sense of achievement, but also help you feel more relaxed in your environment.

Whether you’re having a clear out and want to know how to pass on items you don’t need anymore, or you want to find some furniture, there are a growing number of schemes that can help.

One such scheme based in West Cornwall is S.O.F.A; a non profit voluntary group which will collect any unwanted furniture and electrical appliances, and pass them onto people on a low income.

For more information look at http://www.sofawestcornwall.org.uk/
To find your similar local schemes in your area check out the furniture re-use network: http://www.frn.org.uk/


Online recycling opportunities

The Freecycle network was set up in 2003, to promote waste reduction, and to keep usable items out of the landfill. The idea is simple; freecycle provides an electronic forum to ‘recycle’ any unwanted items, from furniture to washing machines. Freecycle is a global organisation; with local groups across the UK. Any item you want to get rid of can be offered to other members of your local group for free, and similarly you can search for anything you need for free.
The registration process is not the easiest, and you need to set up a Yahoo email, but you have the opportunity to change it to your main email afterwards. In the interest of research, I joined my local group which has 422 members. Among the many items offered and wanted, I was able to enquire about a free computer chair, (which unfortunately, for me, went within thirty minutes of being posted) and answer a wanted message for an exercise mat.

Check freecycle out on: http://www.freecycle.org/ and click on groups in your local area.

Other online recycling networks include: http://www.i-recyle.info/ and http://www.recycle.co.uk/


Recycling other goods
Computers for charity recycle computers to pass onto charities and voluntary groups.
Find out more at: http://www.computersforcharity.co.uk/
Action aid recycling collect ink cartridges, toner, mobile phones and PDA’s to raise money for the charity Action aid. You can request a freepost envelope on their website: http://www.actionaidrecycling.org.uk/ or by phoning 0845 3 100 200

The Red Cross also collect ink cartridges, you either drop them in at your nearest Tesco store, or for a supply of freepost envelopes email: freepost@redcross.org.uk

Community Re>paint is a nationwide scheme where you can donate unused paint and they pass it on to community projects and people who are on low income. I checked out their website and in Cornwall I would need to travel 30 miles to pass on my paint, however other areas are better covered. There may be a drop off point near you. Check it out on: http://www.communityrepaint.org.uk/

If you have something to recycle not mentioned above check out:
http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/ They provide information on how to recycle just about anything from oil, metal and wood, to vehicles, and have links to the relevant organisations. They even have a section on how to build a house using recycled building products.


Buying recycled goods
As well as trying to ensure what we throw away is put to good use and doesn’t fill up our dwindling landfill space, there are also many opportunities to buy recycled products. Just by typing ‘recycled products’ into a search engine many inspiring businesses pop up.

Alternatively you could look at: http://www.recycledproducts.org.uk/ which provides information on where you can buy recycled products such as furniture, fuel, pet and cattle bedding, and clothes and accessories.

http://www.recycledpromotionalproducts.co.uk/ is another good website to visit where you can buy notepads made from tyres, or tee-shirts made from recycled plastic bottles.

Whether you make an effort to pass on your items for re-use or buy recycled products you will be helping the environment. As well as not filling up landfill space, creating recycled goods produces less pollution. Recycled paper for example produces around 70% less air pollution than if it were made from raw materials, not to mention the number of trees that are saved. It’s estimated to take 24 trees to produce 1 ton of newspapers.

Recycling makes a lot of economic and environmental sense; after all one persons waste could be another person’s treasure.