Dr Lu’s Acidity/Alkalinity List of Common Foods

Avoid acid foods. eat as much alkaline food as possible.

ACID FOODS – AVOID

Strongly acidic food:

Egg yolk, cheese, cake made with white sugar or persimmon, mullet fish roe, dried cod

Mildly acidic food:

Ham, bacon, chicken meat, squid, pork, eel, beef, bread, wheat, butter, horse meat

Weakly but still acidic food:

White rice, peanut, beer, alcohol, oil fried tofu, sea weed, clam, octopus, catfish

ALKALINE FOODS – EAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

Weakly alkaline food:

Red beans, radish, apple, cabbage, onion, tofu

Mildly alkaline food:

Dried radish, soya bean, carrot, tomato, banana, orange, pumpkin, strawberry, egg white, dried plum, lemon, spinach, etc.

Strongly alkaline food:

Grapes, tea leave, kelp sprout, kelp. Especially natural green algae which contains rich quantities of chlorophyll are very good alkaline health food. Barley grass and wheatgrass. Alfalfa. Tea should not be drunk in excess, and it is best to drink it in the morning.

Have a long meaningful life!

If you live in Australia you can source complete green supplements as a capsule by clicking below:

If you live in the USA, click below for natural food supplements to assist with alkalising:

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SENNA TEA

Alexandrian Senna – Cassia acutifolia -Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa

American (or Wild) Senna – Cassia marilantica – Eastern USA

This tea has been used for millenia as a safe, gentle laxative, and was beloved by the ancient Egyptians and Native Americans. It is also  considered an excellent remedy for intestinal worms.

The tea can be either Senna pods, or dried leaves + ground pods. Senna is also available in tablet and extract form.

A cup of Senna tea in the evening before bed produces a one off bowel motion the following morning for cases of mild constipation.  Senna does not usually cause griping pains, so is a good mild laxative for children.

Taken this way, Senna tea is also safe for the constipation experienced by pregnant ladies, but the dosage of one cup in the evening must not be exceeded.

For non pregnant ladies, if Senna tea doesn’t work you may need to try something stronger, like Liquorice Root or Sassafras.

Persistant constipation requires medical investigation to exclude any serious underlying medical condition.

Senna can be part of a bowel cleansing regime and its effect is amplified by the Australian Bush Flower Essence “Bottlebrush”.

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RASPBERRY LEAF

(Rubus striqosus or Rubus idaeus)

The former is found mostly in North America and has prickles, the latter is native to Europe and has few or no prickles. Both grow wild in the field and forests. Ah, but isn’t half the challenge avoiding the spiky bits as you gather the fruit and leaves?

Herbalists throughout the ages have given pregnant ladies a cup of Raspberry Leaf tea a day, for its many health giving benefits.

Its a good idea to start with this one three months before you try for a baby. It has an excellent reputation for aiding conception.

Raspberry Leaf is high in Iron, Copper, Vitamin A and Vitamin C, all needed by the growing baby. It is the highest food source of Folic Acid, a deficiency of which will cause spina bifida, so if you prefer your supplements natural (i.e. absorbable), take a cup of Raspberry Leaf tea a day in the first trimester.

In the second and third trimesters continue with a cup a day as it helps the placanta and also strengthens your uterine muscles so you get good strong contractions to more easily push out your baby during labour.

Keep it afterwards to get your uterus back in shape and to help milk production.

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Rosehip

(Rosa canina and Rosa Rubiginosa)

One of my favourites, with a tangy berry flavour. Rosehips is made from the his of the common Dogrose, with Rosa Rubiginosa being the Australian variety.

Rosehips are high in Iron, Copper, Vitamin P and Vitamin K, making useful for everyone, especially pregnant ladies.  One cup of Rosehips tea will also provide your full daily allowance of Vitamin C.

A tonic for the adrenal glands and high in energy, Rosehips tea provides you with excellent support when you are feeling tired or stressed. It gives an equivalent boost as a cup of coffee, but is health enhancing rather than health depleting.

Try it hot in Winter either by itself or with some cinnamon or chilled in Summer with a slice or lemon.

Professional herbalists also use this in its concentrated form as an extract to achieve its many beneficial effects even faster.

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Weekends, in the middle of the night, whilst overseas or out camping are all times when medical help is not as readily available as you might like. This is when a well stocked first aid kit comes in handy, and there are many safe, simple and economical natural remedies that can be of assistance until more help is at hand.

Insect stings respond very well to an application of Nettles ointment. I have used Nettles successfully with wasps, fleas, mozzies, ants, leeches, ticks and march flies. And of course, close encounters with Nettles herself. Apart from the fact that it works quickly, the best thing about this remedy is that the sting does not continue to come up itchy again in the following days and weeks.You can also make up Nettles Tea and apply it as a lotion compress. Nettles tea is available to buy by clicking the icon immediately below.

If applied immediately Nettles as an ointment or lotion / compress will soothe the bite within ten minutes (and that will usually be the last you think of it). If its still itchy after ten minutes, repeat the application at ten minute intervals until you have relief. Three times is nearly always enough.

Be aware that Nettles ointment will only relieve the itch from ticks. It is VITAL that the tick is removed fully by the head and any other symptoms watched for and immediately treated because tick bites can quickly prove fatal.

Chickweed is another good remedy for itching this time for the itching of eczema and psoriasis. You can also take it as a tea for eczema or psoriasis. Chickweed is a herb that you can both put on the outside while you are taking it on the inside. Chickweed ointment is very soothing if the skin is really dry.

My Soothing Itch Balm is absolutely wonderful for people, horses and dogs – click below for more information and to buy.

• Soothing Itch Balm for people
• Soothing Itch Balm for horses
  
• Soothing Itch Balm for dogs

(But do not use Soothing Itch Balm on cats – they are very sensitive and the essential oils in this formula are way too strong for cats to use it safely).

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When you get stressed, your brain responds by telling your adrenal glands to secrete the hormone adrenaline. This is the fight or flight hormone. If you get a fright, nature instantly turns on your survival response. Blood is diverted away from your digestion to your heart, brain and muscles; your heart and breathing rates increase, your muscles tense (ready for action) and your blood pressure goes up. All of this is designed to enable you to attack whatever is threatening you, or run away from it whatever your brain believes is the best option in the circumstances.

This is a biological hangover from earlier times, when sabre tooth tigers and marauding war parties lurked at the cave or castle entrance. The adrenal response is just as useful today in life threatening situations being accosted in a dark alley, being caught up in a natural disaster, getting stuck halfway down a cliff, finding a loved one underneath something heavy. There are many stories of people displaying incredible strength and presence of mind in such circumstances, feats that they would normally not be capable of. All thanks to the adrenal response.

However often the threat not quite so immediate or overt. Nonetheless your body still responds the way nature has programmed it to in times of danger adrenally. Good examples of this in modern times include: foreclosure or bankruptcy proceedings; wondering if you can make your mortgage or rent repayments; fear of terrorist attack; the government deciding to forcefully resume your home to build major infrastruture; your boss threatening to sack you; worrying if you can feed yourself and your family; someone nearly running into you in your car; a violent or abusive relationship; bullying. You probably call these things stress. Your body regards them as threats to your survival.

In civilised society, it is deemed unacceptable to belt politicians, bank managers or bosses whom you believe are threatening your survival in the aforementioned ways. The police tend to take you away and lock you up, adding to your stress. Often, it is simply not possible to run away from the stress either. Which leaves your body all hyped up and with no place to go.

Normally, once the danger has passed, your body secretes another hormone to return you to your former relaxed state. However with these types of ongoing modern day stresses, your body remains in a state of high alert ready to fight or flee.

The physical effects of this in the short term include any of the following: high blood pressure, raised pulse rate, poor digestion, muscle tension, aggression, anxiety, panic attacks, lowered immunity and reproductive problems.

High levels of circulating adrenaline over an extended period of time can cause heart problems, thyroid imbalance, infertility, vulnerability to communicable diseases, auto-immune disorders and cancer. Stress can, potentially, have serious repercussions on your health and longevity. There are many natural remedies that can help. with stress. Australian Bush Flower Essences have two very good combinations for stress – Calm and Clear and Emergency Essence, available here.

Herbs that can be useful include the generally calming and soothing Chamomile Tea. Rosehips Tea, being full of Vitamin C, has a tonic effect on the adrenals and helps you to cope with large challenges.

Should these fail to help, professional herbalists have many practitioner strength herbs which will be of great assistance.

If your stress levels are high, or stress has been going on for more than a month, you really need to seek professional advice and not try to self diagnose or self treat.

Meditation, yoga, massage, exercising, spending time relaxing with friends or pursuing a hobby you enjoy, are all other excellent ways to alleviate stress. A good counsellor is also invaluable for helping you put things into perspective and for giving you tools to deal with your situation.

Avoid coffee and cigarettes. They make you feel better at the time because they give your adrenal glands a boot to produce more adrenaline. However ultimately they deplete your adrenal glands, leaving you less able to cope than ever.

The natural remedies listed above not only help you feel better in the short term, but actively build your reserve energy and strength.

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