Dear Reader,

As usual this issue of Natural News is packed with useful and I hope practical information because I always feel that it is good to have tools that you can use in every day life. This issue covers anti-ageing remedies, we can’t stop the clock but it feels good to be able to at least slow it down. There is information on water, because although we are all recommended to drink six to eight glasses of water a day, the quality of the water we drink can make a big difference. All bottled water is not the same and as with food, you need to read the labels because you can literally just be drinking filtered tap water.

It is always lovely to use aromatherapy oils in the bath, for a massage and as a wonderful aroma for the house. So there are suggestions in this issue for different oils to help with de-stressing and those that could actually help with fertility.

I think it is interesting to experiment with different foods because sometimes we can get stuck using the same limited range all the time. Sometimes it is because we don’t know what to do with some ingredients that we avoid using them. In this issue of Natural News I have included a recipe using agar, a seaweed from Japan, used as a gelling agent and very versatile and a good alternative to animal gelatine. It can be used in savoury food like an aspic but the recipe in this issue is for a fruit jelly.

Wishing you good health.

Kind regards,

Marilyn Glenville

Dear Reader,

It is always good to get your feedback on Natural News and also suggestions for future issues. Do let me know if there is a burning topic which you would like me to discuss and especially any where there has been controversy around the subject (very common in the nutritional world!).

Also I am happy to answer any of your health questions so you can email these in and the person who sends in the Star Question is sent a £10 voucher to spend on the Natural Health Practice website and a copy of one of my books (if there is a particular book you would like you can specify).

This issue of Natural News is packed with some very interesting articles and I also wanted to include other health concerns such as using non-stick pans as what we do in the home can make a big difference to keeping ourselves and our family healthy.

I have also covered insect repellants in this issue because what we put on our skin is just as important as what we eat and what supplements we take. Your skin is very porous and that is why HRT and nicotine patches work because they can be absorbed efficiently through the skin and into the bloodstream. So not matter what you put on your skin, moisturisers, shower gels, sunscreens, etc try and get the most natural products possible so that you are not rubbing toxins into your skin which will end up in your bloodstream. It does require a bit of label reading at first but once you get to know which products are good then the choices can be automatic.

Hope you all have a good and restful summer.

Kind regards

Marilyn Glenville Ph.D.

Dear Reader,

This issue of Natural News is packed full of useful articles and tips to keep you in good health. The recipe this month is hummus which is a wonderful summer food to have with raw vegetables or warm wholemeal pitta bread. The spotlight ingredient is chickpeas, which are actually an amazing food with potential to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes and also are excellent around the menopause as they are a rich source of phytoestrogens.

In the May issue of Natural News, I talked about the confusion surrounding black cohosh and how I felt that it is still the herb of choice around the menopause for its ability to help with hot flushes and night sweats.

Further research has shown that black cohosh could have other benefits for women. Research published this year in the International Journal of Cancer has shown that black cohosh may halve the risk of breast cancer. The researchers found that the use of black cohosh was associated with a 61% reduction in the risk of breast cancer. This was confirmed by another study this year on breast cancer cells which showed that black cohosh inhibited the growth.

It has been suggested that in fact black cohosh works like a SERM (selective oestrogen receptor modulator). SERMs function as an oestrogen promoter in organs where oestrogen is needed, such as the bones, while acting as an ‘anti-oestrogen’ in organs where unnecessary oestrogen can be dangerous (for example, the breast and womb). This would explain the beneficial effects of black cohosh on breast cancer because the herb would actually be blocking the oestrogen receptors in the breast. It also explains why there are no significant changes in hormone levels when women are taking black cohosh indicating a non-oestrogenic effect.

So at least, the research is now confirming what many cultures have known for centuries when they have used herbs as their way of preventing and treating illnesses.

Kind regards,

Marilyn Glenville PhD