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Acorn Health Blog

What we love is great health...

...and we like to write about how we can all achieve better health, naturally. Sometimes tips on how you can DIY to better health and sometimes on the therapies that can make a difference to you, your health and wellbeing.
Thank you for reading, We hope you enjoy :)

Spotlight on: Acai Berries

General Health & Wellbeing Posted by JadwigaPosted on Tue, July 27, 2021 12:58PM

Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) berries have become incredibly popular in the form of dietary supplements over the past few years, both in capsule and powder form.

Why are Acai Berries considered as superfruits?

This is in no small part due to the significant media attention they have received, since being more widely recognised in the Western world as a “superfruit”. In other words, a fruit with an exceptionally high nutrient-to-calorie ratio compared to other fruits of a similar kind. For example, in terms of antioxidant, essential fatty acid, vitamin or mineral content.

Although having only just recently entered the wider public consciousness in the West, South Americans native to the Amazon have been enjoying the nutritional benefits of these tasty berries for many years. In fact, they are considered to be an essential food source for three traditional Caboclo populations in the Brazilian Amazon, because they make up a major component of their diet – up to 42% of their total food intake by weight! A fact which reflects their incredibly high nutrient content.

Found only in swampy areas of the Amazon rainforest (Central and South America), acai berries are pretty exotic – which explains why they haven’t ever popped up on the shelves of our supermarkets! They are small and round (approximately 25mm in size) and grow on large palm trees called açaí palms, which can reach over 80 feet in height. The berries grow in bunches (similar to bananas) and an average açaí palm tree can yield between 3 to 8 bunches of berries.

Once ripe, acai berries bear a strong resemblance to grapes and blueberries, except that they are not quite as pulpy. They contain a large, inedible seed, which constitutes as much as 90% of the entire fruit! Although hard to find in their natural whole food form, everyone can now access the nutritional benefits of these berries on a daily basis through the convenience of health supplements, which will often incorporate both acai berry powder and concentrated extract.

But why might you want to incorporate acai berry nutrients into your daily diet?

  • Immune system support: A big clue to their high nutrient content is given away by the deep blue / purple colour of acai berries. Like most other brightly coloured natural foods, they contain healthy pigments, which support immunity, health and vitality. For example, flavonoids and potent antioxidants (such as anthocyanins). They are also a rich source of Omega 6 and Omega 9 fatty acids (good fats).
  • Heart health support: As well as containing high levels of anthocyanins, research has also shown that acai berries are rich in phytosterols which may provide cardio-protective support for our cells.
  • Energy support: Acai berries contain high levels of plant protein. Combined with their high levels of antioxidants and other nutrients, they can offer ideal support for high energy levels, stamina and general vitality.
  • Weight management support: When trying to shape up, you are obviously looking to decrease your intake of high-calorie unhealthy foods, in favour of nutrient-packed foods that are naturally low in calories. Not only will this encourage a healthy weight, it will also help to ensure that your general health remains strong during any periods of slimming and reduced food choice. In this way, acai berries can provide ideal weight management support.

So now you know why acai berries have been causing a stir in the natural health world! And these are just some of their nutritional benefits. Plus, if you favour an organic lifestyle or are trying to detox, it is worth bearing in mind that acai berries are wild harvested, as opposed to farmed. This means that they aren’t exposed to harmful pesticides and fertilisers.

Acai berries offer great all-round healthy living support – why not try them for yourself?



Antibiotics vs Gut

General Health & Wellbeing, Therapies Posted by JadwigaPosted on Tue, June 29, 2021 11:08AM

Good health begins with balance in the body.

Friendly Bowel Bacteria
Did you know that there are twenty times more bacteria than living cells inside our bodies?

Having the right kinds of bacteria (often “friendly bacteria”), in appropriate quantities, is essential for virtually everything from healthy digestion and nutrient absorption, to immunity and defence against infections. It’s no wonder that more and more people say that health starts within your gut- it really does!

What can disrupt gut flora?

The delicate balance of healthy gut flora can be disrupted by a range of circumstances, which may include:

  • excess alcohol consumption,
  • diet high in sugar,
  • poor digestion,
  • stress,
  • exposure to toxins and environmental pollutants.
  • antibiotics

For the purposes of this article, we will look in more detail at one of the most common causes of the imbalance of bacterial flora within the gut – the long-term or frequent use of antibiotics.

How do antibiotics affect the digestive tract?

In present times, antibiotics have been arguably prescribed and used far more than they should have been and, a result, antibiotic resistance is, unfortunately, now a fairly common problem.

Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotic resistance is a type of drug resistance where a pathogenic microorganism is able to survive exposure to an antibiotic.

If that wasn’t enough, one of the most notable effects of antibiotics is their negative impact on the digestive system and the fine balance of gut flora since antibiotics destroy both good and bad bacteria within our bodies, with no differentiation between them.

Antibiotics work by either killing bacteria or by preventing bacteria from growing – which great news in terms of ‘bad’, pathogenic bacteria, but really bad news in terms of our ‘good’ bacteria, which help to keep us healthy!

It is somewhat ironic, when you consider that people start taking antibiotics in the first place because they are ill, often not realising that the medicine is destroying one of their bodies primary lines of natural defence.

The most important part of our Immune System resides in the gut, where Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (special antibody-producing cells) works hard to prevent unwanted micro-organisms (such as bacteria or viruses) from entering our body.

I’m not completely dissing antibiotics, they do have a very significant role to play and can certainly be highly effective in resolving bacterial infections but there should be a time and a place for them, when there is no other, less drastic and more natural alternative at hand. It is so important to use antibiotics sensibly and to support your levels of beneficial bacteria both during and after antibiotic treatment, in order to ensure that they won’t cause any longer term damage. This can be done through a specialised rebalancing treatment which can deal with any residual after-effects whilst helping your body to regain the optimal balance.

If your levels of good bacteria fall, you provide opportunistic ‘nasties’ (like bacteria, parasites and yeasts) with an excellent environment in which to thrive and spread. An overgrowth of harmful gut flora (called dysbiosis) increases gut toxicity and can result in a number of unpleasant symptoms and conditions, which may include:

  • bloating
  • constipation
  • diarrhoea
  • abdominal pains after eating
  • wind
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  • Leaky Gut Syndrome
  • and Candida overgrowth

This is one of the main reasons why antibiotic programmes often result in thrush (an infection caused by overgrowth of Candida which is an opportunistic yeast).

Digestive Problems after antibiotic treatment
Research has shown that the damage done to the digestive tract by antibiotics can last for far longer than was previously thought.

Stanford University researchers in America analysed the levels of friendly bacteria in 3 healthy adult women both before and after each of two cycles on the antibiotic Cipro. Following the first cycle, they found that the drug had altered the population of the subjects’ friendly gut bacteria significantly, perhaps even permanently. Following the second cycle, six months later, they discovered that the effect was exponentially greater. As such, antibiotics should never be used as a regular “quick fix” for minor problems and, wherever possible, long courses should be avoided. Where a course of antibiotics is really unavoidable, you may consider the Natural Balancing Therapy or support your levels of friendly bacteria through diet and probiotic supplements, at the very least.

Cultures around the World have observed the health-supporting effects of fermented foods (often referred to as “probiotic foods”) which are often include as a regular part of their diet. These foods include kefir, sauerkraut, miso, tofu and tempeh, to name just a few.

Introducing these foods in your diet on a daily basis is a really good way to promote healthy intestinal flora. However, it is worth noting that most of these foods do not contain strains of bacteria that can actually colonise the digestive tract. Instead, they do good work for a week or two and then pass through. Supplementing with strains of good bacteria that are capable of colonising the digestive tract (such as L. acidophilus, L. salivarius, B. infantis, B. bifidum, B. brevis and B. longum) is arguably a far more effective and powerful means of supporting healthy levels of gut flora for the long term.



What’s in a Name??

Therapies Posted by JadwigaPosted on Wed, May 12, 2021 10:29AM


Your name is so much more than just a label!!
A name is a special creation that both ‘mother & father’ attune or agree to when its given to their baby. A name has to feel right or resonate with both parents and the baby’s Soul for this ‘sacred exchange’ of energy to take place. It is said that “a Soul could not rest if it’s name were given to someone else”
A name carries its own ‘Signature’ of energy through…Sound, Colour & Rhythm… All letters of the alphabet (vowels & consonants) have a vibratory significance and depending on how they are arranged together to form a name, indicates how certain energies are released in that person’s life.
The art of ‘Name Interpretation’ is a spiritual science and to be able to do it you have to understand ‘The Law of Vibration’. I am a ‘Vibrational Therapist’ I was taught this through my years of study within the area of Colour. But I also understand it on another level through a condition I have known as ‘Synaesthesia’ this is were letters & numbers are sounds & colours to me which then trigger words with meaning. I’m able to translate and explain the Colours or energy of a name. Colour is my medium, it is the tool I work with for all my treatments.


Receiving a ‘Name Interpretation’ helps you to..

  •  See its unique ‘Personality Power’ which is an indicator of your true Purpose.
  • Discover its greatest ‘Challenge’ that you’re to overcome in order to grow and move forward. 
  • Become aware of its ‘Gifts & Abilities’ that assist you in achieving your life’s goals. 
  • Receive an overview of your ‘Life Energy” from the Colour theme of your spoken name.


If you are interested to know ‘What’s in your Name?’ or would like to ‘Gift’ someone special in your life, then follow the link. 
With Warm L♡VE Paula-Marie x 



Homeopathic Diamond- Adamas

Therapies Posted by JadwigaPosted on Tue, April 27, 2021 10:42AM

Diamonds, alongside approximately 6000 different substances, have been made into a homeopathic remedy. Their prescription is based on the degree of the symptom similarity between the homeopathic picture of Diamond and the individual person.


So, who is the person who might need a Diamond as their remedy?


People who represent the energy of a Diamond are strong, ambitious and very hard working. They are perfectionist who take a lot of pride in their profession and like to shine, having reached the top rung of their career ladder. These type of people had to withstand a lot of pressure in their lives in order to become who they are now. But being at the pinnacle can be a lonely experience which can lead to dissatisfaction.


Diamond can represent the deepest, darkest and most overwhelming type of depression. Just like diamond can shatter when dropped, these people can feel ‘destroyed’ by life circumstances. There is complete darkness, sense of oppression, pressure closing in on all sides, no matter how hard they are fighting to keep it at bay. Previously sharp intellect can become dulled and the affected person might complain from cloudiness of thoughts and can even start making mistakes in words whilst talking or writing. Their previous clarity of mind is replaced by inability to make and stick to any decisions, yet we might be able to glimpse their previous need for order and harmony reflected by fixed and compulsive desire for certain things to be done or placed in a particular way.


People who benefit from homeopathic Diamond have problems relating to others because they can feel somewhat ‘detached’, separate, and can be very easily irritated by as little as a wrong word uttered by a wrong time, especially if it came from one of their loved ones. Their pains and sensations have a ‘cutting’  and sharp (as if sharp needles were being driven into affected part of the body) character and are very often accompanied by feeling of icy coldness.

Jadwiga James



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