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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 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 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.



Could cow’s milk be dangerous for our children?

General Health & Wellbeing Posted on Sat, March 13, 2021 10:54AM

Milk (as well as dairy products in general) and its impact on our health has been a subject to much debate in the last couple of years with arguments ranging from our inability to properly digest it, through to increased mucus production, IBS as well as animal welfare concerns.
Is it one of your diet staples?
Cow’s milk is the most popular option of baby milk formula as well as base for many foods and desserts, especially those aimed at the younger population.
Think we are all accustomed with a much advertised phrase that ‘milk is good for strong and healthy bones’ but did you know that it is also a leading cause of fatal anaphylactic shock in children?
Forget bee stings, peanuts or eggs! According to a 20-year-long study, milk is an undisputed causer of severe and life-threating allergic reactions in the younger generation!
Here are some facts:
* 30% of all cases of anaphylactic shock episodes are linked to food items
* hospital admissions for severe allergic responses have increased every year (1998-2018) but their fatality rate is gradually declining.
* EpiPens and other adrenaline injector prescriptions have increased by 336% within the period of this study- that’s 11% more prescriptions needed each year
* most hospitalisations involve children under 15 years of age
* 26% of fatal anaphylaxis in school aged children is linked to cow’s milk

Is milk really a healthy option for our children?

Access the full study here: Food anaphylaxis in the United Kingdom: analysis of national data, 1998-2018



Spotlight on: Aconite, a remedy for fever and shock

General Health & Wellbeing Posted on Sat, February 20, 2021 03:48PM

Aconite, Aconitum, Wolf’s Bane or Monkshood (due to the curious shape of its flowers), is a highly poisonous plant which can be found in mountainous regions of Europe and Asia. Even being in a close proximity to this plant can cause symptoms in those who are very sensitive to it, yet you can find it growing in abundance beside the mountain paths and clearings.

Why would I mention Aconite as a remedy for shock and fever is it’s so highly poisonous?

Because a Homeopathic preparation of Aconite is completely non-toxic! 
Homeopathy depends on a like-cures-like scenario, so symptoms helped by remedy made from Aconite will be similar to the effects of its poisoning.

When would you benefit from a dose of Homeopathic Aconite:
* let’s say you’ve been out for a walk. The weather has turned quite cold just recently and the wind felt even colder. Upon coming back home you are feeling ‘chilled to the bone’, can’t seem to warm up and just KNOW that this will result in you ending up with a cold, fever or even flu!
* forwarding from the above scenario where you didn’t take Aconite as soon as you came back home (which would have nipped any development of symptoms ‘in the bud’), you wake up flushed and bothered with a fever of 39 degrees! How did it spike up so high? You try to sit up and all of a sudden you feel pale and need to lie back down. Only problem is that you can’t find a comfortable position in your bed. On top of that, you are feeling too hot, then too cold and you are starting to worry that you might not make it till lunch time!
* you have experienced an accident (or narrowly missed one!) which resulted in feelings of intense panic, like the proverbial ‘deer in the headlights’. It might have left you feel paralysed, shaky and your heart might have felt as if it was about to burst out of your chest. It might have happened an hour or a year ago but you can’t seem to shake off the feeling you experienced in that situation, it can even come back in form of nightmares which feel so real that you wake up and sit up bolt straight in you bed, trying to figure out if it really was just a dream or if it was happening again.

In essence, you can take a dose of Homeopathic Aconite if:
* you are experiencing an illness which has came on all of a sudden and with great intensity (like a sudden fever after feeling completely healthy the day before). 
* the symptoms you are experiencing have not been present for more than 48hrs
* you are having a panic attack with palpitations and conviction that you will die soon

If you have never used homeopathy before, here are some pointers:
* please do not touch the homeopathic granules with your hands, tip one granule onto the lid before putting it in your mouth
* don’t swallow the homeopathic remedies! They don’t absorb through your digestive system like the medicines you might be used to, please allow for them to dissolve under your tongue
* please leave 15-20 minutes between taking your remedy and having something to eat or drink (apart from water, which you can drink as much and as often as you want!)
* 1 granule = 1 dose. Taking 2 (or more) granules of the remedy will not make it work any faster or stronger, homeopathy works a bit like an ‘information’ therapy- it lets your body know where and how to bring back the balance and, once it’s done that, your body if fully capable of applying all of the needed changes. This also means that it’s impossible to overdose on homeopathy- whether you take just 1 granule or the whole remedy vial at once, your body will still receive one dose of the information.
* for sudden problems, you can take up to 3 doses of the remedy within 24 hours, each dose will act as a further ‘nudge’ for your body to deal with the symptoms. If, after 48 hours your symptoms change or have not improved, please get in touch with a homeopath as it’s very likely that you may need a different remedy!
* peppermint, camphor and menthol act as antidotes to homeopathic remedies. If you diffuse one of them as essential oils or have a peppermint tea whilst taking homeopathy, you have a very good chance of the remedies not working!

Jadwiga James



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