While not quite a case of ‘lies, damned lies and statistics’ the melanoma/sunlight connection gets more and more confusing.

For years now, we have been slathering sunblock cream over our bodies and, like a herd of vampires, avoiding the merest glimpse of the sun’s rays. Yet death rates from melanoma around the world keep rising and rising. Or do they? In a 13-year study published in the British Journal of Dermatology (yes, yes, I know it’s the Old Blighty, but the principle remains the same), researchers claim that the mortality rate of melanoma remains steady, whereas the incidence of doctors reporting certain markers that may or may not result in malignant melanomas increased substantially. Perhaps, it’s more about ‘a little of what you fancy does you good’. Of course, everyone agrees that too much sun – sunburn – is not good for you, at any level.

Sunburn remedy

The ultimate relief from sunburn is free if you grow aloe vera in your garden. And its application is simple. Cut an outside leaf close to the base of the plant. With a sharp knife or vegetable peeler remove the outer layer, taking care to remove all the yellow latex. (Avoid this yellow latex completely during pregnancy, although the gel is fine.) Mash the gel and apply to your sunburn. Use within 24 hours.

What are your thoughts about sun exposure? Do you find the conflicting advice confusing? Let me know in the comments.

Summer skin saver

Remember all that sugar you gave up on New Year’s Eve? It can be put to good use as a moisturising body scrub.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of jojoba or olive oil
• 4 drops of lavender oil, 4 drops sandalwood oil
• Castor sugar, pour in enough sugar to soak up the oil, firm enough to pick up in your hand.

Directions

1. Stand in shower, or bathtub. Starting from the feet, massage the sugar crystals up legs, tummy, buttocks, hands, arms and shoulders. Avoid the sensitive skin of the throat and face.
2. Wash off with warm water. Your skin will glow with good health.

Maybe you have your own tried and tested sunburn remedies you’d like to share…

body+soul - Ask the naturopath

Natural remedies can be very effective in reducing the symptoms of asthma and are safe to use in conjunction with drug therapy.

Download the PDF

• Asthma and iridology

Australia lies in splendid geographical isolation. Unfortunately, this means a plane journey of between 8 and 24 hours if we want to travel overseas for holiday or work.

Jet lag occurs when our body clock ‘lags’ behind (or in front) of local time. Symptoms of jet lag include; fatigue, sleepiness during the day, trouble concentrating, sluggishness, clumsiness and generally feeling ratty. Jet lag is made worse by travel fatigue. Sitting down for hours in seats designed by Leggo, squished side-by-side like a can of sardines, our muscles are bound to cramp and tire. Even sardines get to lie down.

Reducing Jet lag

The trick is you set your watch to the local time of your destination. This means that you try to sleep when it is night-time at your destination, and eat at your destination’s meal times. Speaking of eating, it is best to eat lightly, so you don’t feel like a stuffed trout – salads and fruit, instead of sugar and starch. The air circulating in planes is as dry as a chip and dehydration adds to jet lag, also triggering sinusitis, headaches and blotchy skin. Aim to drink one glass of water an hour while on the plane. And before you take-off make sure you are fully hydrated (this does not mean ‘tanked’) for the 24 hours prior to take off, drinking at least 2 litres of water.

The downside to drinking all this water is the need to urinate, which can be inconvenient when you are in the middle seat. However, the trip to the loo can double as ‘exercise’. We need to exercise to prevent swelling of the ankles and legs, and to prevent deep vein thrombosis, a potentially fatal condition that comes from being cramped in a confined space for hours. Why not make the exercise fun? If you were good at hurdles at school, use the food carts in the aisles to practice your jumping skills – the hosties won’t mind a bit. More sedate exercise involves circling your feet and ankles, hands and wrists, lifting each thigh for twenty seconds, while pulling in your tummy. Looks odd, but works a treat.

Other tips:

• Arnica, a homoeopathic remedy, is terrific for jet lag. Take a dose every couple of hours of the flight, and for a day after you arrive.
• If you are an anxious flyer, take a dose of Rescue Remedy before and during the flight. Kava is also excellent for creating calm.
• Take Ginseng and a B complex in the ‘morning’ to give you energy and Valerian and Passionflower at ‘night’ to help you sleep.
• The herb Vitex agnus castus (Chaste tree) is thought to improve melatonin levels. Melatonin is the hormone that helps regulate our circadian rhythm. Take a dose with each meal.
• When you arrive, if it is night-time try to sleep or do relaxing things like a hot bath with lavender oil. If it is day-time spend some time outside in the sunshine to adapt to the new time zone.
• If you have the time, try to break up your journey with overnight stops. This will greatly reduce jet lag and your bank balance.
• Travel first class. French champagne is well known to prevent jet lag and travel fatigue. When sleepy, snuggle in between those crisp white sheets and remember your earplugs to help to reduce the bleating sounds from cattle class.

Cancer is not a new disease. Evidence of it appears in skeletons of prehistoric man. Now it seems everyone knows someone who has been touched by cancer, and it has recently pipped heart disease to the post by becoming the leading cause of death in Australia.

Squillions of dollars have been spent in cancer research, and still the ‘cure’ remains elusive. However, along the way interesting bits of information surface, such as the value of antioxidants. Antioxidants include nutrients in our food like zinc, vitamin C, lycopene etc as well as substances we make in the body (eg superoxide dismutase). Antioxidants help mop up or prevent the damage caused by free radicals (eg cigarette smoke, UV radiation). Free radicals damage DNA, the precious blueprint inside cells that determines cell growth and division. Damage to DNA can mean cells divide in a wonky (scientific term) manner, including developing into cancer cells. Antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables and supplements may help in the prevention of cancer.

Stress is a major player, as a dose of stress will compromise the immune system, on which we usually rely to gobble up cancer cells when they appear. Stop stress immediately, or learn to cope better through counselling, yoga, meditation, exercise or divorce.

Depending on the kind of cancer, orthodox medicine has a few options; surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The treatments themselves take a toll on the body. For a few weeks before (and after) any treatment improve your immune system by taking a course of vitamin C and A, zinc, echinacea and ginseng. Kelp and ginseng are recommended during radiotherapy, to help the healthy cells recover. Chewing on a few slippery elm tablets and taking some acidophilus before and after chemo will help intestinal cells which take a battering from the chemo drugs. It is recommended not to eat foods you really like around the time you are on chemo, because if you are nauseous (a common side effect) you will forever after associate your favourite food with being ill. Arnica is a good remedy to take after surgery to reduce bruising and swelling.

Being diagnosed with cancer and asked to decide on your next step is a tricky time, and it takes a calm mind to sort through all the information. A lot of people dealing with cancer find both orthodox and natural medicine work well together.

Having a quiet wee should be one of lifes simple pleasures. Cystitis shatters this pastoral scene. With visions of razor blades, hell-fire and multiple midnight journeys back and forth to the toilet.

An inflammation of the bladder, cystitis commonly affects women and girls. The bladder is a sac that collects urine from the kidneys situated due north. Urine travels down little tubes, called ureters, one for each kidney. When the urine reaches a critical volume, it’s time to wee. Urine exits the bladder via the urethra. For women, a relatively short journey to the outside world compared to boys. Think about it. In what could be considered a design flaw (the only one I can think of) this positions the female urethra close to other local landmarks, the vagina and just up the way from the anus. The cause of cystitis is often due to this architectural glitch. An unthinking wipe in the wrong direction can be all it takes to transport trouble from one place to another. G-strings, lycra and pantihose are also prime offenders. Swap them for socks and Cottontails. Scented soap, bubble baths and deodorant sprays will make the situation worse. Desist. Shower as soon as you have finished exercise, and before and after intercourse.

Cranberries have other uses apart from tarting up a Turkey dinner. These red berries are a very effective treatment for cystitis. Usually taken as a diluted juice, one or two glasses a day can ease the symptoms and prevent the recurrence of cystitis. Cranberries, along with other red and blue berries are a rich source of the antioxidants, procyanidins. Research suggests it may be this compound that prevents bacteria from holding on to the bladder wall.

Thrush can be implicated in cystitis, particularly after a course or two of antibiotics. Take some acidophilus and bifidus powder each morning, and splash a little around when you bathe. Alkalising sachets available from the chemist work because they calm the inflamed bladder. A teaspoon of soda bicarbonate in a glass of water will do the same, but remember it calms but does not cure. Copious quantities (three litres) of fresh water must be drunk to flush out the bugs. Ban sugar. You are fighting the good fight against bacteria; bacteria loves sugar, and sugar lowers the immune system. Herbs that are helpful include Buchu, Uva ursi and Echinacea. Best drunk as a tea, these can also be found in herbal cystitis tablets. Boost the immune system with vitamin C, A and zinc.

May you wee in peace.

The occasional bout of constipation is part of life’s rich tapestry. More than now and then, however, can be a bit of a strain.

Straining, going to the toilet less frequently, and rabbit-dropping poos are all signs of constipation.

Other symptoms include bad breath, tiredness, headaches, loss of appetite, coated tongue, bloated tummy, flatulence, and skin problems. When it comes to bowel movements, ‘normal’ means whatever is normal for you. Some people go three times a day, others three times a week, or less. In general, people feel better with one or two good poos daily. The reason why most of us feel so good after a satisfactory episode is that when we defecate, brain waves change from alpha to beta, a more meditative and calming state of mind.

The digestive tract is one long tube, extending from the mouth at one end, to the rectum and anus at the other. Chewing precipitates a downwards, wave-like movement called peristalsis, which ultimately heralds a call of nature. Peristalsis explains why ‘the urge’ often happens after a meal. It is also the reason not to chew chewing gum, as chewing without food heading down straight away, unintentionally confuses your poor bowel.

Not drinking enough water is an overlooked cause of constipation. Without sufficient fluid, the contents of the bowel become dried out and difficult to pass. Eating enough fibre-y foods is a must. Fibre doesn’t get absorbed from the bowel, lingering to soaking up water, increasing stool size. A larger stool exerts more pressure against the bowel wall, particularly at the rectum (the last stop before Bondi). This pressure initiates a bowel movement. I am not too fond of ‘fibre-enhanced’ foods, preferring the fibre-rich originals such as wholemeal (as opposed to multigrain) bread, brown rice, fruit (3 servings daily), vegetables (3 vegetables and a salad daily), nuts and seeds (a small handful daily). If you need extra fibre, supplement with psyllium husks, linseeds or slippery elm.

Stress tightens many muscles, including the bowel wall. For some people, this causes diarrhoea, for others – those who react to stress by ‘holding on’ internally, stress will cause constipation. The tightness of intestinal muscles can cause the stressed poo to look like small pellets or animal droppings. If this sounds like you, the muscle relaxing mineral, magnesium will help. Regular and rhythmic exercise such as yoga or swimming also calms a tense bowel.

Every now and then some herbal help may be required. Perhaps when travelling, if this causes your bowels to be shy. Or if for reasons beyond your control your diet is not as good as you would like. This is the time to bring out the herbal teas, containing small amounts of senna (the laxative herb) and rhubarb root as well as herbs such as peppermint, fennel and dill, known as ‘calminatives’ that work to reduce any spasm of the bowel.

If constipation is your thing, a little detective work might be needed to assess whether you have a tense bowel that requires ‘gentling’ with fibre, water, relaxation and magnesium rather than resorting to harsh laxatives.

Is your tummy bloated? Is flatulence causing you concern?

Yes and yes are the answers I commonly hear from patients. Even for the most ladylike among us, it is normal to pass 200-2,400ml of wind (flatus) each day.

Flatulence is made up of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and the flammable and smelly gas, methane. Two-thirds of the wind we expel is formed by microflora (bateria in the bowel), the rest being made up of air we swallow. Just who and how this flatus is measured is another story.

Poor eating habits contribute to bloating and flatulence. Chewing with your mouth open allows excess air into the intestine, another reason why Mother said to eat with your mouth closed. If a client walks into my room chewing gum, I proffer a tissue, and ask them to spit it out. Chewing gum, particularly on an empty stomach is a common cause of bloating. Drinking more than a cup of liquids with meals is also asking for trouble.

The first stage of digestion occurs in the mouth, and teeth play an important role in grinding the food into smaller bits. If you fail to chew properly, the undigested bits will be met by an enthusiastic crowd of gas-producing microflora in the large bowel.

A proper chew was once defined by Horace Fletcher, an American obsessed with mastication in the 1930’s, as 32 times each mouthful: one chew for every tooth. Quite obviously, this leaves little time for living between mealtimes. In late 20th century Australia, ten thorough chews per mouthful is adequate, a couple more for tough meat.

An imbalance in microflora is a common cause of flatulence and bloating. Taking a course of ‘good’ bacteria such as acidophilus and bifidus may resolve this. As well as adding probiotic (promoting good bacteria) foods such as yoghurt and miso to your diet, to introduce beneficial bacteria into the digestive tract. Avoid sugar, as it will only feed the bad bowel bugs.

Flatulence and bloating may also be signs of digestive disorders including reflux, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome and lactose (milk sugar) intolerance. Taking a tablet containing digestive enzymes with hydrochloric acid with each meal might help. Another good idea is to sip before dinner, a glass of water in which a teaspoon of herbal bitters has been added.

If all else fails, follow my grandfather’s advice and ‘wherever you may be, let the air flow free’!