Varicose veins

Health Amplified

I was recently bitten by a mosquito, right on top of a varicose vein. Do you have any idea how itchy that was? And I have to mention that it was one of those mosquito's with the see through wings with black spots on. I raced to the bathroom cupboard to grab the tea tree oil. After I applied it I realised that I grabbed the wrong bottle! I accidentally applied neat geranium oil onto my leg, so I quickly mixed some coconut oil over it to dilute it in a carrier oil.

The itch went away quite quickly. But that was not the only thing that went away. I soon realised that I had no pain in my leg, the veins weren't swollen anymore, and my leg felt lighter. I felt quite content. You see, I developed varicose veins in my one leg after my pregnancies. It gets worse when it is hot, when standing for too long, when wearing tight fitting clothing, or have my period. My leg sometimes gets so sore from the swollen veins during my period, that I have to sit with my leg raised. It sometimes gets really itchy as well.

I have tried remedies and lotions, prayer, capsules and exercise, with little or no improvement. I'm not the one to choose the surgical or needle route, so have learnt to accept it and dress accordingly.

Both my grandmothers and mother had it, and both even went for surgery and special procedures. But it came back in the end. I was secretly hoping and praying that I won't inherit it. Until we had our first baby and it started appearing on my one leg...

What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins are twisted, swollen veins that you can see under the skin. They usually occur in the legs, but can also develop in other parts of the body. Your veins have one way valves that help keep blood flowing towards your heart. If the valves are weak or damaged, blood can back up and pool in the veins. This causes the veins to swell, which can lead to varicose veins.

After learning about prayers and cutting off hereditary illness and diseases, and stopping curses from one generation to the next, I felt determined to win this thing. God can make anything new, and I am holding onto that, because He is my Healer.

I've known geranium essential oil as an anti ageing oil and hormone balancer, but haven't quite figured out if I did have a specific need for it. Until I accidentally, or incidently discovered how brilliant it works for varicose veins.

I apply 1 drop on my affected leg, mixed into a little coconut oil, and rub it into my leg in the morning. This oil then:

• Fights inflammation
•  Improves blood circulation
• Eases muscle aches and pains
• Balances hormones
• Nerve pain fighter and pain killer
• Anti ageing (bonus benefit!)

My veins feel and look better than in years, and I have found new hope in using my 1 drop geranium oil a day!

I have also learnt through pastor Henry Wright, in his book, "A more excellent way", that there was a connection between my varicose leg pain and Sciatica. I always thought that the pain was only directly linked to the swollen, weakened veins, and not to a possible painful nerve.

The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in your body, and starts at your sacrum. It then follows a path through the buttocks, and then down the thigh and lower leg. It finally ends in the foot.

Sciatica is inflammation of the sciatic nerve that comes from the lower back and runs down the leg. This condition accounts for 50 % of lower back pain. A very interesting observation that pastor Henry made, was that most of his patients with sciatica and degenerative disc disease conditions, had a history of ancestral addictive profiles. Somewhere in the family history, someone opened a door to the enemy through drug and alcohol addiction. This basically puts a curse of back problems on a family, because certain people did not care about the welfare of others. Read Habakkuk 2:15,16 for confirmation on this.

The first place that pastor Henry looked at when ministering to someone with degenerative disc disease, apart from injury, was a family's history profile of drugs and addiction. This means that most people with back problems could possibly have a spiritual curse that is causing their back pain. This includes scoliosis.

After repentance on behalf of my ancestors and prayer for the choices that they've made, I could deal with the curse. Not knowing that my sciatic nerve was also contributing to the pain where the varicose veins are, I saw dramatic improvement on the pain scale after I dealt with this thing.

There are other factors like weight gain that can also influence varicose veins. But today I am sharing my story with you. I don't think it was by accident that I grabbed the geranium oil instead of the tea tree oil. I truly believe that it was God's hand leading me.

Lizelle

Recipes:

Creamy spinach and cashew pasta

1 Packet raw baby spinach
1 Packet raw cashews ( soaked in warm water for half an hour)
Little water for blending
Chicken seasoning by "natural" (Dischem )
Squeeze lemon juice
Black pepper
Corn pasta/brown rice pasta/ Gluten free pasta

-Cook pasta according to package instructions.
-Blend the rest of the ingredients together until smooth and creamy, or place in a food processor.
-Taste and adjust seasoning.
-Serve mixed into cooked pasta. Add some black pepper, salt and more lemon juice.

"Melktert" pap

This recipe was invented after I ran out of cinnamon powder one morning. It was such a hit with the family, that I make it more often now!

Leftover cooked brown rice  (roughly equal quantity to the oats)
Raw oats (roughly equal quantity to the rice)
Handful of chopped dates
Pinch salt
Few pinches nutmeg to taste
Warm water
Dairy free milk

-Blend everything together until smooth and creamy.
-Place on the stove and simmer until creamy.
-Add more warm water if necessary.
-Taste, add more sweetener or nutmeg.
-Serve with dairy free milk. (I usually mix in a bit more milk that I would normally add, to make it more creamy and increase the "melktert" taste.)

Back to reality.

HEALTH AMPLIFIED

BACK TO REALITY

Welcome back to my blog!

As we have just switched over into second gear for the year, with adults being back at work and children going back to school, we can now start thinking about our health.

Some of you might be feeling exhausted, sluggish and emotional, nevermind many of you commenting that you feel like a beached whale... This is because you have taken time out from routines, healthy eating and good sleeping patterns.

I'm not in the condemning business, but rather want to encourage you to make small, positive changes along the way. Establish a routine again, go to bed and wake up at decent times. Cut out junk food where you can and re introduce more fresh fruit and vegetables, lentils, beans, ancient grains and smoothies. (See recipe for tomato and lentil curry below.)

Cut back on your meat intake, and opt for a few vegetarian meals per week. Make a point of drinking more water again. You can flavour it with litchis, apples, cucumber, mint,ginger, lemon or berries.

Focus on learning to love and accept yourself again, in spite of how you feel or look in the mirror. Spend a few extra minutes a day applying some make up, doing your hair and putting on some special earrings. (Even if it feels like it is only meant for a Sunday!)

Invest in a product that you really love, that makes you feel beautiful and loved. My all time favourite product is from the "Eli and you" product range. It is a luxurious body oil that smells heavenly. Filled with tantalising essential oils that nurture and soothe your senses. I apply it directly after a shower, or mix it into my body lotion when the temperature is too hot and humid. There is no need to apply a perfume, because the essential oils linger.

"Eli and you" SPF 40 sunscreen is also high on our family's product list. This natural sunscreen contains zinc oxide, carrot seed oil and coconut oil as its sun protection ingredients. It then also contains other high end ingredients that nourish and soothe even the most sensitive skins against harmful rays and free radical activity. It does contain beeswax and a few other waxes which makes it a waterproof sunscreen, and a little goes a long way with this product. It does not contain harmful chemicals, colourants or perfume. So don't expect to smell like a tropical island!

"Eli and you" also have a natural liquid soap to use in the bath, shower or basin. It does not strip your skin or remove the natural acid mantle that is suppose to protect your skin from harmful organisms. With a lovely scent of rose geranium and lavender essential oils, it is a pleasure to wash hands a few times a day.

Have a look at their website www.eliandyou.co.za to find the "beloved body oil", and their other amazing products. The company is based in George, South Africa.

Another family favourite treat is the individually packet nut butter sachets. It is a guilt free, satisfying, rich treat. It is the same price as a chocolate, so no excuses that it is too expensive! Have a look at Checkers where the peanut butters are stocked.

If you are short on time in the mornings, or have to have cereal, then try Woolworths's new power grain cereal. This oats and ancient grain cereal will have you going back for seconds. It contains oats, quinoa, millet, a little honey and salt. At R40,00 a box, it is definately a good investment. This has become our Sunday night dinner!

The last product that I am discussing today, is an Indian snack delight, Kara Nichha's "Sev and Nuts". It is a high protein chip that looks like fine, dried noodles, and comes in small packets. It contains pea flour, peanuts and salt. It does contain a colourant though. We found it at Checkers in the chip isle at a very low price. There are also flavoured ones available, which is not always the best.

Some people are using this time to fast and pray in order to get direction and wisdom from God for the year. This indirectly also get's your body back into shape. Please see my blog titled "Fasting" if you would like to read more on this topic.

So that wraps up my first blog for the year. Wrap yourselves with love and nurturing this season, enjoy a healthy cereal any time of the day, or enjoy a packet of nut butter or "Sev and Nuts" with your feet up after a long day!

Lizelle

Recipes:

Tomato and lentil curry

8 Tomatoes chopped/ 2 cans chopped tomatoes
Half a packet brown lentils
Handful of celery leaves chopped
2 Red onions
3 Carrots chopped
Olive oil for frying
 3 tsp Cape Malay curry powder (Exotic Spices)
Quarter cup coconut cream

-Cook lentils according to packet instructions.
-Gently fry onions until translucent.
-Add celery leaves and curry powder. Fry gently.
-Add tomatoes and simmer until soft.
-Add carrots and simmer with the lid on.
-Add cooked lentils to tomato mixture, let it simmer.
-Once done, mix in the coconut cream and remove from the heat.
-Or omit stirring in the coconut cream and serve every plate of lentil curry with a dollop of coconut cream
* This curry tastes better the next day!

Mango ice lollies

Chopped fresh mangoes
A little Coconut cream or coconut milk
Half a tsp Cinnamon

-Blend everything together until smooth.
-Pour into ice lolly moulds
-Enjoy when frozen.

Bringing back the fun factor

HEALTH AMPLIFIED

BRINGING BACK THE FUN FACTOR

I've recently taken up hula hooping! Bringing back joy into your life, having fun where you can, especially in a world that has become so serious with "life" and responsibilities. Yes, we are all doing "life" everyday, but I think that word can be quite contradictory! How many of us are really living life instead of dragging through it everyday? Life and joy in abundance is what I'm talking about.

Hula hooping is a fun way to get some exercise, spend some time with the kids (in laughter!), and just connecting with the child in you again. I dare you to take up a Holiday Hula Challenge! Go out and buy yourself a hula hoop today. Make sure that it is big enough, otherwise not even momentum will help. It should at least come up to the top of your thigh, or to just below your belly button. That is if you had to measure it from the floor up. Have a look at sports shops or try toy shops, they sometimes have the bigger ones.

The lightweight plastic hoops are a bit more tricky to keep up, while a heavier one will provide more momentum. I only found a lightweight plastic one, but soon realised that it is easier if you use two plastic ones at the same time (and look more like a pro...!) You can even tape two together. Some people apply tape around the hoop to provide more grip to your clothing instead of slipping off with just the plastic. 

You need to warm up your muscles a little before you start attempting hula hooping. Remember that your last time was probably when you were a kid. Do some gentle stretching of the torso, extending arms, swaying your hips a bit. We don't want to pull a muscle that first try and get put off hooping.

So where did it all begin? The modern hula hoop was invented in 1958 by Arthur K. "Spud" Melin and Richard Knerr. Children around the world have played with hoops throughout history. But the hoop is an ancient invention. Ancient Greeks often used hooping as a form of exercise. Older hoops were made with metal, bamboo, wood, grasses and even vines. In the early 1800's, British sailors witnessed hula dancing in the Hawaiian Islands. Hula dancing and hooping motions looked very similar. That is how the name "hula hoop" came together, and the name stuck.

Benefits of hula hooping:

• Core strengthening
• Toning muscles
• Sculpting the waist 
• Aerobic workout (that is if you manage to keep the hula hoop up for longer than 3 seconds!)
• Double joy! (Doing something fun and childlike, as well as releasing serotonin, the "feel good" hormone.)
• Affordable
• You can exercise and have fun with the kids at the same time.

There are many hula hoop world records out there; hooping with the most hoops, for the longest time, the largest hula hoop, hula hoop tricks etc. Have a look at some of the Youtube exercise clips online. Get your kids to join in on this. You'll be amazed at how popular it actually is!

 So there is no excuse for not exercising and getting your muscles moving this holiday. Take up my Holiday Hula Challenge, and have fun while doing it!

Happy holidays!

Lizelle