Tea Tree Oil and Lice

Every year, I dread the note from school saying, “Our friends are back.  Check your child for nits and lice”.  There is something about a skin-feeding parasite that sets my teeth on edge.  I have boys, so this is nothing a really close head shave can’t cure.  However, I can understand that you’re not willing to go to the same drastic measures if you have little girls with lovely, long curls.

 Apparently, 12 million cases of head lice are discovered every year in schools, mostly in preschool and elementary school children.  Store-bought products can be harsh, smell bad and aren’t environmentally friendly.  So, if you are looking for a natural, non-toxic approach to this annoying condition, try tea tree oil.

 Tea tree oil comes from the leaves of an Australian tree called Melaleuca alternifolia.  Early settlers in Australia made tea from the leaves of the tree which explains the origin of its name.  It is generally non-irritating, non-toxic and has a PH balance that is almost neutral, so it isn’t caustic either.  Tea tree oil has antiseptic and antifungal properties so it can be used to heal athlete’s foot, mouth and gum infections and skin eruptions as well as lice infestation.  There’s an ugly word: infestation.  My teeth are on edge again. 

 If you are worried about sensitivities to tea tree oil, put a couple of drops on your child’s arm before bedtime and see if an irritation flares up by morning.  If not, then try the following procedure to get rid of lice:

•  In the evening, mix one and a half teaspoons of tea tree oil and one and a half teaspoons of lavender oil into 120ml of olive oil or 120ml of your child’s regular shampoo.  Pure, undiluted tea tree oil mustn’t be used on children’s skin.
• Massage the mixture into the scalp for at least 2 to 3 minutes and cover his head with a shower cap. Don’t rinse as the tea tree oil must stay on all night.
• In the morning, add 5 drops of tea tree oil to a fine-tooth comb and comb the hair to get the eggs out. Rinse and blow dry for 5 to 10 minutes because heat also helps destroy eggs.
• Repeat this everyday for 7 days until there are no more nits or lice.

 If there is any mixture of shampoo and tea tree oil left over after a week, it can also be used to help treat dandruff for dad.

 

Natural Birth Control Methods

Natural birth control methods are becoming increasingly popular with more and more women choosing to use them over the pill. Please read my article at Natural News if you are interested in natural contraception. Let me know what you think of it and if you would like more information on other natural birth control methods.

The Dukan Diet

Five million French people can’t be wrong according to the cover of the book,  The Dukan Diet. It also tells readers to “discover the real reason why the French are the slimmest nation in the world”.

I live in France and yes, the women are remarkably slim, even at the onset of menopause, which is an amazing feat for most women. I do have my doubts as to whether it is due to the Dukan Diet though. Although Dr Dukan is a French medical doctor who has been perfecting his diet for the last thirty-five years, most French people had not heard of it before this last year.

Native English speakers can join in the fun now that the translated version of his book was released in May of this year, making this well-kept French secret a worldwide success. The fact that French women are slim may not be due to the Dukan Diet but this diet is extremely effective nevertheless. 

I have two neighbours whose New Year’s resolution was to try the diet from the 1st of January 2010. The results have been amazing. One lost eight kilograms in two months and the other lost twelve. No fatigue, no stress, no hunger pains and bingeing in the hall cupboard, hidden by the winter jackets.

There are Facebook pages entirely dedicated to the progress of its fans, articles on healthy snacks for the Dukan Diet, forums and support groups dedicated to helping Dukan dieters reach their goal. For more information, you can also visit www.dukandiet.co.uk

Bach Flower Remedies

Most of you have heard of Bach Flower Remedies before but how much do you really know about them? Dr Bach developed these remedies as an alternative solution to medicines used for treating emotional blockages. He developed 38 different remedies, each treating a different emotional state. Over time, they have proved to be  remarkably effective, emotional healing tools.

Are Bach Flower Remedies Safe?

If you are having problems with emotional issues like stress and impatience, then Bach Flower Remedies are worth a try. I am a bit of a stresser – I hear my husband laughing at this understatement – and have used Rescue Remedy before job interviews and other trying situations with lovely, soothing results. I’m sure cocaine-users could say the same but the good thing about Bach Flower Remedies is that they are 100% natural and, like other homeopathic preparations, there are no side effects.

The Bach Centre, home of the Bach Flower Remedy System, claims that it is safe for pregnant women to take the flower remedies but, to be on the safe side, have a chat with your doctor before deciding to take any. Frankly, I would. It takes 5 minutes to be sure.

Although I am glad you are reading this article and hope that it will help you, I want to stress that Bach Flower Remedies are not a lightning cure for emotional troubles. The longer you’ve had a problem, the longer you’re going to have to take the remedies for you to see a difference.

Dosage for Bach Flower Remedies

Bach Flower Remedies are liquid solutions, preserved in brandy. The dropper bottles are the most practical way to store and use them. The average dosage is from 5 to 15 drops, either taken directly or diluted in a glass of water and you should wait at least 10 minutes after eating before taking them.

Remedies are normally taken 2 to 3 times a day during long-term treatments. I do want to add that Bach Flower Remedies are not a substitute for a therapist or counsellor though. If you are having serious emotional problems then it is best to see a professional and to use the remedies as well as following a therapy.

Selecting Bach Flower Remedies

Each remedy corresponds to an emotional theme: Agrimony is for suppressed grief, Pine is for unsatisfaction and Heather for feelings of loneliness. If you have more than one symptom then you can mix the remedies by putting 5 drops of each remedy in a glass of water.

Here is a list of flower remedies and their emotional theme:

• Agrimony for suppressed grief
• Aspen for fear and anxiety
• Beech for those who are critical and intolerant
• Centaury for those who are weak-willed and who seek praise
• Cerato for lack of confidence
• Cherry plum for fear of losing control
• Chestnut bud for those who repeat patterns of behaviour
• Chicory for controlling behaviour
• Clematis for lack of motivation and concentration
• Crab apple for poor self-image
• Elm for feelings of inadequacy and for feeling overwhelmed
• Gentian for self-doubt and discouragement
• Gorse for hopelessness
• Heather for loneliness
• Holly for negative feelings
• Honeysuckle for those who dwell in the past
• Hornbeam for mind and body fatigue
• Impatiens for impatience
• Larch for lack of self-confidence
• Mimulus for fear
• Mustard for unexplainable sadness that comes and goes
• Oak for struggling against the odds and never giving up
• Olive for mental and physical exhaustion
• Pine for unsatisfaction
• Red Chestnut for those who are overly fearful of others
• Rock Rose for states of terror like nightmares
• Rock Water for those who are too strict with themselves
• Scleranthus for indecisiveness
• Star of Bethlehem for emotional trauma
• Sweat Chestnut for despair
• Vervain for those who are argumentative
• Vine for those who are strong-willed to the point of being dictatorial
• Walnut for emotional adjustments
• Water Violet for independence
• White Chestnut for persistent worry
• Wild Oat for unfulfilled ambitions
• Wild Rose for indifference
• Willow for bitterness

Although it all sounds a bit Harry-Potterish, Bach Flower Remedies really do work. If you have something you would like to say about these remedies, leave a comment!

Gluten Free Pizza Dough

There are loads of gluten free bread recipes out there for those of you with Coeliac disease or wheat intolerance. They are easy to make and delicious. You can find more information and 2 recipes in my full article on gluten free bread at Suite 101.

Today, I wanted to concentrate on a recipe for gluten free pizza dough. Pizza  is the perfect choice for a lunch, dinner or snack. There is such an endless variety of toppings for pizzas that you can never get bored with them.

Gluten Free Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

• 200 g of rice flour
• 10 g of dried active yeast
• 200 ml of water
• 1g of salt
• 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum

Preparation Method:

• Preheat the oven to 235°C/455°F/thermostat 7
• Mix the flour, yeast, xanthan gum and salt in a bowl
• Add water and mix
• Transfer the dough to a rice-floured work surface
• Put a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray
• Flatten the dough into a circle of about 1cm in the baking tray
• Allow the dough 15 minutes to rise in a warm place
• Put the baking trays in the oven and bake for 10 minutes
• Add the toppings of your choice while the pizza base is still warm
• Put the pizzas back in the oven for 20 minutes until the toppings are golden

Enjoy!