Sara Southgate Blog

Dry eyes from contact lenses

Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The most common problem reported in contact lense wearers is dry eyes, which often leads to people being able to wear lenses for short periods only, or discontinuing lenses altogether. When you wear contact lenses there is a physical affect on tears, causing them to evaporate more quickly, leading to drier eyes. A small study (Cont Lens Anterior Eye, 2008) has shown a significant improvement in dryness, as well as an improvement in overall lense comfort after taking Evening Primrose Oil for 6 months. The essential fatty acids in this supplement are often prescribed for conditions requiring additional lubrication - for instance arthritic joints. It may well be that the anti-inflammatory action of Evening Primrose Oil, as well as the additional lubrication provided by the oil to the eyeball have contributed to the reduction in symptoms.

Everybody loves the sunshine

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Ahhh! The sun is back - at last. Opening the curtains on a sunny morning elicits a grateful, joyful sigh of relief: it has been a long, dark and cold winter. We need the sun to be healthy. An ideal amount of daily sun exposure is 30 minutes, with 20% of your skin exposed to the warm rays; hand and face exposure only amounts to 5% of your skin. It goes without saying that we need to avoid burning, and the midday sun, but we also do need to expose our skin regularly without blocking the suns rays out completely with sunscreen - we do need the health benefits of sunlight. Sunblock, or sunscreen is essential if you are going to be exposed to sunlight for a long time, or during the midday period (11am-3pm). You need to know what you're using: There are two types of ultraviolet rays: UVA and UVB. UVA protection is not as universal in suncreens as UVB protection, because UVA rays do not cause the skin to burn, although they may increase the rate of melanoma, a type of skin cancer. UVB rays can cause burning, but also stimulate the production of Vitamin D. An Australian study showed that increased sunscreen use caused Vitamin D deficiency. Getting a suntan is protective against skin cancer because the melanin produced prevents sun damage to the skin, as well as the sunshine itself stimulating Vitamin D production. However, sunburn damages and ages the skin, and may increase the risk of skin cancers. Regular exposure to gentle sunshine is enjoyable and healthy - as always, the answer lies in finding the balance.

Lemon and Ginger Tea

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

It's getting wintery and cold out there, so it's time to hit the lemon and ginger! A tea made from fresh lemon and fresh ginger root is an age-old winter remedy. Ginger is a warming herb, so drinking it warms you from within. Fresh ginger root also detoxifies the body, making it an appropriate drink for the morning-after-the-night-before! Lemons and ginger are jam-packed with antioxidants, which improve immune function, and, with a little honey to taste, the tea is a tonic, building and strengthening you. Lemon and fresh ginger tea treats colds and flu and is a great one to drink if you are simply feeling a little rough. Just what you need to be well this winter! Note that I'm talking about fresh ginger here, not dried: the tastes and properties are very different. The recipe is simple For a large 3-4 cup teapot: Squeeze the juice of two lemons into the pot, then throw in the skins too (you don't want to miss all the antioxidants in the skin and pith). Grate a thumb-sized piece of ginger root using the fine grater and add to the pot. Don't worry about peeling it, the bits will all be sieved out on serving. Fill with boiling water, put the lid on and leave to infuse for about 15 minutes - or until a drinkable temperature. Strain through a sieve if necessary and drink by the bucket-load!

Superhealthy Hedgerow Jam

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Whatever we feel about the weather we've had of late, it has been a marvellous season for hedgerow fruit: the sloes, blackberries, elderberries, haws, crab apples (pictured) and rosehips are abundant right now. Harvested from the wild, they are naturally organic, although do try and avoid sources too close to the road as they will have been affected by traffic fumes. Rosehips are extremely high in vitamin C, carotene and rutin, making them excellent for the skin; hawthorn berries, or haws are used in herbal medicine to tonify the heart and circulation as well as the digestion; elderberries are immune boosting; blackberries tonify the whole body and cleanse the blood; crab apples are extremely high in pectin, a prebiotic, feeding your beneficial gut flora and improving bowel movements; and sloes are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. Hedgerow jam is a wonderful way to capture the health-giving properties of our native fruits. Making it is easy. Harvest as much as you can, keeping the soft fruits like the elderberries and blackberries separate. Wash and pick over the fruits, put in a large pan and cover with water. Simmer gently until the fruits are soft - about 30-45 minutes. Leave to cool, add the soft fruit and push through a sieve to obtain a smooth pink pulp. Weigh the pulp and add an equal amount of sugar, using a very large pan to prevent the mixture boiling over. Bring to the boil, and simmer until setting point is reached. There is nothing complicated about finding the setting point: when the mixture thickens, spread a bit onto a saucer. If it looks like jam, it is done! Pot up into sterilised jars and use throughout the winter to keep your nutrient levels high. Enjoy!

French Attitude to Food

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100

On holiday in France I passed the local primary school, where I saw the weeks' menu posted. Last Friday for lunch they had: Tomato and chive salad
Filet of Hoki (fish) with sorrel
Gouda
Williams Pears School children are given an hour and a half to eat their lunch, as indeed are adults, and shops all close at lunchtime: eating is a serious business in France. In France dietary levels of trans-fats, sugars, processed foods and low-fat products are low, while variety, freshness and above all pleasure in food are valued. This culture of healthy eating largely explains the ' French Paradox', whereby the French experience far lower levels of death from heart disease, despite a diet high in (natural) saturated fat.

It's Porridge Season!

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The trees are on the turn, the weather is getting chilly and it is time to start the day with something warm that warms you up from the inside: porridge! Some additions to make your porridge interesting: Spices: according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, dried ginger 'warms the centre', and cinnamon sends heat to the peripheries - just what we need in cold weather. You can also add grated fresh ginger, which is also warming, or cloves and cardamon (just stick a couple of pods or cloves in the pan during cooking). Fruit: grate an apple (cooking or eating varieties both work well) or a pear in; add blackberries (in season now), or any other frozen berries; dried fruit works wonderfully too - a handful of raisins sweetens the mix, or chopped dried apricots will boost the iron content of your breakfast. This helps you on your way to five-plus a day. Nuts: add ground nuts and seeds to increase the Omega 3 content - walnuts and flax are the most valuable for Omega 3, but any nuts will increase the protein content and keep you fuller for longer. Coconut: dessicated coconut adds real flavour, and benefits the immune system - the lauric acid it contains is the same as in breast milk, one of the reasons breastfeeding helps a child's immunity. Molasses are what remains after sugarcane has been refined to make white sugar: it contains an abundance of trace minerals adn tastes delicious - you don't need much though as it is strong. Whatever you do to your porridge, ring the changes and enjoy it.

Eat a rainbow, not just your greens

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100

We all know greens are good for us, but what about all the other colours of the rainbow? The truth is the antioxidants (the good bits) of fruit and veg are contained in the colour, so if you want to eat a broad spectrum of beneficial nutrients, you need a broad spectrum of colour in your diet. Red strawberries; yellow courgettes; pink raspberries; green pak choi; orange carrots; purple aubergines; blue blueberries....sing along now... Try and buy something unusual every time you go shopping – it means you're getting more goodness. Aubergines come in white too you know...

Poppy seeds are high in calcium

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Today I harvested the dried poppy seed heads from the allotment. They've been a really beautiful, and very easy crop to grow – sown and grown in fact by my three year old. Poppy seeds are ripe when little windows appear around the top of the seed head. Harvest is simple: cut the heads, put in a paper bag and shake. Careful not to get any other bits in there, as separating them out is tricky. Poppies are great for kids: they are extremely high in calcium, and can be added to cakes, biscuits and breads, either in the mix, or sprinkled on top as decoration. They go well on soups or salads too, as a sprinkle and are also dead easy to hide in food.

A favourite in my house is grated carrot and poppy seed salad:

Grate 4 large carrots, and add 1-2 tablespoons of poppy seeds. Lubricate with a little walnut oil, or vinaigrette if you prefer. Serve at room temperature.

This will make approximately 8 adult servings, and keeps well for 2-3 days in the fridge. If you're counting your 5-a-day, you need 3 tablespoons for a serving.

Cherry Crumble kind to your blood sugar

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

We've inherited a cherry tree on our allotment. It took a while to realise the fruit was ripe, but it is a cooker, so sour tasting when raw. I was disappointed at first, I must admit, but then I made a cherry crumble.... mmm...

I didn't pre-cook the cherries, just sprinkled them with fructose (Fruisana), as opposed to sugar, and added a crumble topping, then baked for 30 minutes at 200C.

My crumble topping is delicious, and less damaging to blood sugar levels than a standard recipe:

Replace white flour with wholemeal, and add a good few tablespoons ground almonds, plus a couple of tablespoons of oats. Pumpkin, poppy or sunflower seeds also make a nice addition. Use only a little sugar, or preferably Fruisana, which is sweeter and less disruptive to blood sugar. Use butter as you normally would. Enjoy!

If I'm doing an apple crumble, I often use eating apples, and don't need to add any sugar at all to the fruit mix, or I add raisins to the mix instead of sugar when using cooking apples – works a treat.

Cherries are also fabulous for gout – eat them by the bucket-load. They help eliminate the uric acid crystals, which settle in the joint and cause pain, as well as being anti-inflammatory – and scrumptious to boot!

Blackcurrants: home grown superfood

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The beneficial properties of fruits are in the colour pigment: the darker the colour, the more concentrated the antioxidants. Blackcurrants do pretty then. They're abundant in this country, so get to our plates more quickly, loosing less of the precious stuff. They are also dead easy to grow here in the UK. Blackcurrants have been found to fight cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's. This is due to the very high levels of anthocyanins (the purple antioxidant) and vitamin C (3x the amount found in oranges) in the fruit.

As a flavour they're pretty intense, so use them in smoothies, summer puddings, fairy cakes and to make jam. Yum.

The Easy Way to Count Your Five-A-Day

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

There are various ways to measure how much fresh fruit and veg you're eating, but the easiest way – in my opinion – is to look at your hand: one serving is approximately equal to the size and thickness of the palm of your hand. You need to be a little creative in your thinking to get this one, but imagine three big juicy plum tomatoes (slightly squashed) – about equal in size and thickness to the palm of an adults' hand. The same goes for three plums, and also one average apple, banana or orange. The same goes for vegetables: chopped carrots, green beans, broccoli. Just think in three dimensions and you'll get there. If you can't do that, just remember one simple rule: half of what you eat should be vegetables or fruit. Put the vegetables (potatoes don't count) on your plate first, and then add the proteins and starches. And also – if you're going to achieve 5 a day, which is a minimum (Australia and the US have 9-10 portions as their recommended daily amount), you need to have fruit at breakfast and as snacks throughout the day.

Welcome

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Welcome to my blog. I hope to bring you little gems of information you'll find interesting, and above all, useful. I'll be refering to naturopathic techniques, herbs, and foods, especially those you can grow yourself, or at least buy fresh, locally and in season, as those are the ones which will bring the most health benefits. I'll also let you have my very best recipes and cooking tips to use at home. Wishing you good health Sara