The Healing Properties of Calendula

by Louise Mclean

Calendula Officinalis is a bright yellow or orange flower and comes from the daisy family, commonly called pot marigold and grows from one to three foot high (30-90 cm).  Marigold is an attractive and fairly easy annual plant to grow, which withstands the cold well, blooming in spring to autumn. 

Over the past week or so we have experienced freezing cold weather and I have noticed my skin, especially my hands, feel extremely dry, like sandpaper.  Nothing I put on them seems to really alleviate the discomfort but I remembered Calendula cream is good and very healing, so I put some on today and found it worked!  I had previously tried the wonderfully rich castor oil but even that didn't help as much as the Calendula cream in this instance, which is better designed for chapped hands.

In fact Calendula, which is made from Marigold flowers, is extremely good for cuts and abrasions.  If you have a cut that is bleeding, it is specifically good for stemming the blood flow and fast healing.  It is good for open wounds, parts that will not heal, ulcers, etc.  It can also be used on superficial scalds and burns.

The other contender for fast healing is Lavender Aromatherapy Oil.  If you have a seriously bad cut, you can simply run a basin or bucket of warm water, add a few drops of lavender oil and place the part of your body with the cut into it for at least 10 minutes.  You will be amazed that the cut will almost totally have healed up overnight!  What is so good about this is that lavender is antiseptic, so no need to use anything nasty that will sting your cut to clean it, the lavender water will do this AND completely soothe any pain from the cut, as lavender is calming and soothing.

Now Calendula is also antiseptic, so the cream can be immediately applied to any cut, to clean and stem the flow of blood.  It also has antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

Another very important use for Calendula is for breastfeeding women!  Very often with a first baby, women find their nipples become extremely sore from the baby sucking.  All you need to do in between feeds, is put the Calendula cream on them for fast healing.  Remember it is antiseptic, so safe for the baby, if they get a little on their mouths.  In addition, it is excellent for nappy rash.

The Calendula homeopathic remedy in a 30c or 200c can be taken for tears to muscles or ligaments, commonly known as lacerations.

A very important use is to apply the cream on sunburnt skin to help heal it but I personally prefer the Bach Flower Rescue Remedy Cream for sunburn.  We used it to great effect on our holiday last summer, when one of us was seriously badly burnt!  It completely healed after three applications and took away all the pain, as well as averting any peeling of the skin!

Someone I know had a chemical skin peel face treatment and afterwards her skin certainly peeled in a rather dramatic way but applying calendula cream repeatedly, soon healed her face up quickly!

In addition to using Calendula cream, there is also the homeopathic pill form. This is good to take as well, if you have a badly bleeding cut.  The homeopathy remedy pill sucked and taken internally sometimes works better than the cream, as you can choose the potency 6c, 30c or 200c, depending how serious the wound is.  

I have used it after tooth extraction to stop the bleeding.  You might have to apply the cream quite a few times to a cut but if you take the homeopathic Calendula pill, it works much more quickly and effectively.

Incidentally, the homeopathic remedy Calendula 30c should be taken for those with cervical cancer, as it heals the wart virus and the raw soreness of the vagina that accompanies this condition.  Indeed the homeopathic Calendula is used as an intercurrent remedy for cancer.

All in all Calendula cream (and the homeopathic Calendula remedy) are things I would definitely always keep in my first aid kit and the cream is definitely helping my dry hands in this freezing weather at the moment!

Boost Your Overall Health with Fulvic Acid Minerals

by Louise Mclean

Nowadays, as we know, our food does not contain as many vitamins and minerals as it did 60 years ago, when all food was organic and grown in a much more natural way and in healthier soil.

A study conducted by the United Nations Rio Earth Summit revealed that the mineral levels in agricultural soils have fallen by 85% in the USA during the last century.

It seems to me that nearly all our fruit and vegetables have been genetically modified in some way, though why scientists think they can improve on Mother Nature, I don't know.  

They can't and the quality and taste of our fruit and vegetables has dramatically decreased.  In addition, most fruit and vegetables have been radiated to extend their shelf life before being put in the shops.

For example, if you pick a fruit or vegetable from the garden to eat, it has all of its lifeforce in it, whereas radiated produce is essentially dead.

Hence, now more than ever, people are supplementing their diet with vitamins and minerals.  It is very important to take a very high quality brand and avoid supermarket own brand vitamins!  I would recommend Dr. Joseph Mercola's vitamins as being one of the very best and he makes vitamins for men and women.  You can buy them at his Mercola Market.

In addition, if you also buy Fulvic Minerals, which are in liquid form, you can boost your health even further.  A few drops in water are taken daily or nightly with meals.

There are so many trace minerals which are essential for our complete health, which are almost impossible to get from our food nowadays.  Supplements typically do not contain more than 40 minerals and are often derived from sources that are less absorbable by the body. However at least 70 minerals are all found in Fulvic Minerals.

Fulvic Acid occurs naturally in all soils and contains the healing and protective qualities from all the plants and other species that have grown in that earth. It is made up of minerals derived from ancient organic plants. It contains rare earth trace minerals, amino acids, phytonutrients and other powerful elements.  

It is believed to defend the body against serious illness, fight inflammation, enhance antioxidant activity and boost immunity.  One of the best products is made by Ancient Purity and this was in fact its first product in 2008. 

When our bodies don't get the minerals they need to rebuild, they can start breaking down and Professor Linus Pauling, who won a Nobel Prize for his work on Vitamin C, said that he believed every illness can be traced to a deficiency of minerals.

There is another very good Fulvic Acid product made by Touchstone Essentials, which is slightly more expensive. It is a combination of fulvic acid from a remote peat bog in Canada, trace minerals from North Atlantic seaweed and natural zeolite Clinoptilolite. The zeolite binds to heavy metals and other environmental toxins, supporting detox and gut health.

These products are both from UK websites but Touchstone Essentials can be bought in the USA and Ancient Purity delivers worldwide.

Further reading on the Ancient Purity site.

The Many Benefits of Castor Oil

 

Castor oil is currently very much in vogue for natural health enthusiasts, who have found lots of ways to use it, though it has actually been around for decades. 

It was originally found in North and East Africa as well as the Middle East but also grows in other parts of the world including the United States.  The oil is extracted from the castor bean, which is the seed of the Ricinus Communis plant and it is rich in omega-6, omega-9 and vitamin E.

Castor oil was well known in the past as a natural laxative and also for nappy rash in the form of zinc and castor oil cream.

Nowadays, people are using it as a treatment for their hair, face and in a poultice for all manner of conditions.

Those who suffer from hair loss can benefit greatly from rubbing it into their scalps, putting on a shower cap and sleeping with it overnight.  It is said to increase hair growth, moisturise a dry scalp and help reduce dandruff due to its antifungal and antibacterial properties. It will make your hair look rich and glossy and washes out well.

Castor oil is a very rich, thick oil and is wonderful for very dry, wrinkled skin.  Using it daily and nightly can help erase wrinkles and give a much more youthful bloom to the skin.  In addition, it will slowly clear stretch marks from pregnancy. It works well for people with very dry skin and contains ricinoleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid.

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, castor oil can also benefit people with acne, as well as puffiness of the face and under the eyes.

I have mixed organic castor oil and organic coconut oil together and use this combination as a daily skin and hand cream.  I can confirm that for me, castor oil really does erase wrinkles and make my skin feel great.

Many people nowadays are using castor oil in a poultice or compress overnight around their abdomen, as it is said to stimulate lymphatic flow and liver function, help reduce menstrual issues and support gallbladder health.  

You can rub it on swollen and inflamed joints too before you go to bed, which will ease pain.  Some people put castor oil in their belly buttons overnight and swear that it helps their overall digestion!

Castor oil packs are available to buy online and there is numerous information on the subject to read there.  I would recommend buying an organic castor oil.  

Spirulina is an Excellent Dietary Superfood!

by Louise Mclean, LCCH.

One of the best supplements or superfoods you can take is Spirulina and even if I was to skip all my other daily vitamins and minerals, I would never forget to take this one!

It is as though being too busy to make or eat your greens can quickly be corrected by swallowing 3 spirulina pills a day!  All I can say is I feel very well on it.

I had never truly researched it in depth, just found it was extremely good for me and decided to find all the information on it, so I could write this.  (I am trying over time to write an article on each of what I consider to be the best supplements but new ones are coming out all the time!)

Spirulina is a blue green algae known as a cyanobacteria, which is a nutrient dense, plant-based source of 50% to 70% protein. The blue green colour is caused by a pigment called phycocyanin. 

It is a very good source of Vitamins A as beta carotene, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 vitamins, K2, contains  protein, copper, calcium, iron, copper, phosphorus, selenium and manganese. There are many essential amino and fatty acids. 

In addition it is a very powerful antioxidant, which helps fight free radicals or toxins entering the body.

It is easy to digest and absorb, as it is a wholefood, and has been consumed for centuries, in Africa and as far back as the Aztecs.

The health benefits of spirulina are many.  It is said to lower blood pressure, regulate blood sugar levels, help with weight loss and building muscle, as well as reduce cholesterol, combat candida and symptoms of asthma, rhinitis and allergies. It is also believed to contain anti-cancer properties because it is anti-inflammatory.  

In 1974 spirulina was declared one of the best foods for the future by the World Food Conference and was even used by NASA for their astronauts in space!

There is much chlorophyll in spirulina which helps to detoxify the blood, improving bowel and liver function.

This powerful supplement is very good for anaemic subjects, with lack of red blood cells.

There is more information in this article, where you can also find scientific studies to back up the above claims.  

https://www.well-beingsecrets.com/spirulina-benefits/

My absolute favourite Spirulina is the Kiki Health one.  I have tried others and found they have a fishy taste, which was unpleasant.  Kiki Health is a very pure organic product.  They also sell lots of other excellent products! 

https://kiki-health.com/shop/spirulina-tablets-organic-200/

The Real Reason We Get Colds and Flu - to Detox Naturally

Meishusama, born Mokichi Okada, was a Japanese man who lived from 1882-1955. Meishusama was a poet, artist, mystic, visionary, businessman, husband, father, and spiritual teacher.

(This is copied from Meishusama's writings - date unknown) 

God's Way to Health - What is Illness?

Every man and woman has within him or her two kinds of poisonous matter.  One of these is inherent and the other is acquired after birth.  The inherent poison is, of course, passed on from the person's parents and the other comes from drugs absorbed into the body after birth.  Most people will find this statement surprising, because from the earliest days, medical drugs have been thought of as curing illness and being complementary to good health.  People have always believed that if they can find a good drug, they will be able to cure the illness and this search has been the chief end of medical treatment.  

The USA has been especially notable for its stress on the importance of drugs and has devoted great effort to the discovery and development of new medications, as everyone knows.  In the light of this, we cannot help but think that if illness could be cured by drugs, it would be steadily getting less and less.  And yet illness is, in fact, steadily increasing.  The situation is one of great illogicality and confusion.

Originally and basically, there is no such thing as 'medicine' on this earth.  There is not one single thing which can be so described.  So called 'medicines' are all poisons and it is precisely because they are poisonous that they have an effect.  To be exact, the poisons we call medicines act in a toxic way to reduce the symptoms of disease, and thus give the superficial appearance of a cure.  No real cure takes place.

The reason why medicines are in fact toxic is this.  The things which human beings could possibly try to eat were all given life at the same time as the creation of man.  These are what we call food.  The two types of food - that is, that which man should eat and that which he should not eat - are naturally separated.  That is, things which man should eat have a flavour which is pleasurable to the sense of taste of human beings.  If people eat those things which they find enjoyable, they will  receive adequate nourishment.  This shows the comprehensive concern of the Creator of the Universe for all creation.  

This means that rather than saying that we eat in order to live, the truth is that we live by eating.  This is similar to the case of reproduction.  Men and women do not come together in order to create children.  Rather, they are blessed with children as a half-unexpected consequence of the pursuit of another goal.  This is a profound and divine mystery.

The internal organs of the body are unable to deal completely with things that are not supposed to be taken as food.  As medicine is precisely such a foreign object, although the body absorbs what nutrition there is from it, the remainder stays in the body and is not all voided.  This is medicinal poisoning.  The worst aspect of this is that the poison accumulates in all parts of the body and it solidifies as time passes.  The places where the toxin gathers are always places of high nervous activity.  And when we think where such places are located, we realise that they are, of course, mostly in the upper half of the body, especially from the neck upwards.  With the brain as the centre, they also include the eyes, the ears, the nose and the mouth, and it is in these places that the toxin concentrates, once it has solidified around the neck.  

Everybody, I am sure, will find areas of solidification in his shoulders and around his neck.  When this hardening reaches a certain degree, there occurs a process of natural discharge, that is, a process of purification.  In this phase, the solidified toxin is melted by a rise in temperature and becomes a liquid.  This liquid is eliminated from the body by means of a cough, phlegm, nasal discharge, perspiration, diarrhoea, fever or urine.  This is what we term a cold or flu.

A cold therefore, is a process of elimination of poisons.  If you put up with the slight discomfort patiently and trust yourself to Nature, the poison will be discharged with no problems, the inside of your body will be purified and you will arrive at that state of good health which means that you are truly cured.  A cold is a very simple form of natural regulation.  It is God's Providence.  People who do not realise this and don't give heartfelt thanks to God, instead interpret the significance of the discomfort of the purification in a negative way and decide that they should try to end it.  This way of thinking brings about medical science, that great source of error.

The process of purification takes place with greater frequency when the cleansing power of the body is stronger and more vigorous.  A way of preventing or lessening this frequency is, of course, to weaken the body, and it is towards this end that the poisons called medicines are used.

Traditionally, people have taken such things as herbs, roots, barks, minerals and the viscera of animals, have boiled them, made them into powder or taken extracts from them to make liquid medicines, pills, ointments, injections - indeed all sorts and shapes of medicaments.  They are all however, designed to halt the natural process of purification.  All these medicines are strong and taken in large doses would be lethal, and so they are given to people little by little in a dilute form.  They are thus given in doses to be taken more than once a day and an 'effective' medicine is one that is toxic to the degree that is only fractionally less than that necessary to bring about noticeable symptoms of poisoning.

Thus medical science uses poison to prevent the liquefaction and discharge of already accumulated poison and in fact to harden it.  Once you realise this, it is disturbing to speculate how poisoned the people of today are, and how prone they are to disease.  As a result, the need for prophylaxis and hygiene have been stridently proclaimed and influenza has become an object of fear and loathing.

Again, people assume that human life should only extend to seventy years and are delighted to attain this age.  This is a greatly mistaken view.  If a human being is not afflicted with illness, he or she can easily live for a hundred years or more. To die before this, is to die an unnatural death brought about by illness.  If you do not become ill, you are sure to die a natural death and will inevitably live a long life.

Scientific medical treatment does not cure illness but only suppresses the symptoms temporarily.  All methods of treatment, such as complete rest, poultices, liniments, cold compresses, electrotherapy, phototherapy, are no more than means of hardening the poisons of the body.  There are one or two methods which are a little different - for example moxa cautery and thermotherapy - but these also do little more than use the stimulus of heat to attract poison to the area of treatment, thereby affording temporary relief to the body.  As time passes, the person reverts to his previous condition and the treatment has in a real sense, failed.

Again, cancer is sometimes attacked and destroyed using radium.  This would be fine if it were only the cancer that is destroyed but in fact the entire cell organisation of the body suffers and the negative effects of the treatment far outweigh the positive ones.

One often hears that people who are careful about their health are prone to illness, whereas those who do not give a thought to it stay healthy.  Thus the families of doctors, nurses and such people are noted for their frequent illnesses.  Interestingly enough, if one asks one of the rare people who live to be a healthy old age, he or she will say 'I've never been ill, so I've never seen doctors or taken medicine'.  As we see it, such people are healthy because they do not have medical treatment and do not have medical treatment because they are healthy.  This point rewards deep consideration.

More about Meishusama

https://www.oneworld-onefamily.net/mokichi-okada/

https://www.johrei.org/founder

Stay Young with Coconut Oil !

Coconut Oil is one of the best things to use on your skin if you are a woman who is aging!  If you are a man you can obviously use it too.  It has a lovely smell and nourishes the skin, as well as over time erases fine lines on your face.  You can rub it into your legs and arms as well, to keep your skin supple and soft.  

It contains vitamin E which is excellent for the skin.  It is high in certain saturated fats and contains medium chain triglycerides, which are shorter fatty acid chains.

Some people might find coconut oil a bit oily on the skin but it quickly soaks in, so it doesn't leave marks on your pillow if you put it on before bedtime, which I do every night.  It is obviously especially good for people with very dry skin.

For really lustrous and healthy hair, you can rub it into your head and leave for a few hours, then simply wash it out.  Some oils are heavy and thick, like olive oil, which is hard work to wash out, but you will find coconut oil light and easy to wash out.

Many people use coconut oil to brush their teeth!  It is also used in oil pulling, which is a way of removing plaque, bacteria and cleansing your mouth.

I have created a lovely little recipe for exfoliating the feet.  Simply mix coconut oil and fine Himalayan crystal salt together.  Not only will this mixture totally exfoliate dry and dead skin from your feet but will leave them feeling positively silky soft!

It is also very effective at clearing nappy rash in babies and very gentle on their skin.

In addition, eating coconut oil is also very healthy and people living in the South Pacific whose diet is 60% coconuts, tend to have very low rates of heart disease.

Here is a list of 29 of the clever uses for Coconut oil.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-oil-uses

Curcumin the Miracle Supplement & Painkiller

by Louise Mclean

Curcumin is an ingredient found in Turmeric, which has enormous health benefits for the body.  It is possible to buy this ingredient separately as a supplement.  Otherwise you would have to ingest large quantities of turmeric in order to obtain the benefits.

Firstly, it is a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant  All pain in the body is caused by inflammation.  In other words, every illness which ends in 'itis', means inflammation.  All of these conditions can be helped by Curcumin.

It is therefore a natural pain killer and I personally use it instead of prescription pain killers, which are mainly opioids, that can be very addictive and cause constipation.  Some of these opioid painkillers actually kill people if taken over a long period of time and there is currently an epidemic of such deaths in western countries.

Curcumin is a micronutrient extracted from the turmeric root.  It targets signalling molecules at the cellular level and is believed to inhibit cancer cells, causing them to die off.

It is has anti aging effects and helps degenerative eye disease, as well as a host of other conditions such as osteoarthritis, heart disease, diabetes, kidney problems, and it is anti-fungal and antibacterial. 

So if you find out you have a fungal infection, such as Candida or if the fungus is in your digestive system, take Curcumin to clear it.

However, it is important to be careful when buying this supplement, that there is a beneficial amount of curcumin in it and it does not contain fillers.  This is because curcumin is rapidly absorbed and excreted, as it does not stay in the body for long.

It is possible to buy Curcumin with Piperine (which is an extract from black pepper).  This improves the bioavailability of Curcumin by 2,000% compared to other brands and is therefore more effective.  To buy this form of Curcumin, I use the one from Regenerative Nutrition.  

You would have to ingest the equivalent of 13.5 grams of turmeric per day to get the same amount in one capsule of the supplement below, as standard turmeric contains only 3% of curcumin in it. 

https://www.regenerativenutrition.com/Organic-Curcumin-with-Piperine

Read more here:  https://www.regenerativenutrition.com/Organic-Curcumin-with-Piperine

The above Curcumin is currently unavailable (January 2024) but it should be possible to buy again, so you should check back.  In the meantime, I have been buying the Life Extension Curcumin, which is also very good but the Regenerative Nutrition one has nothing but the curcumin and piperine in it and no other added ingredients whatsoever, something I love about all their products.

Hypercalcemia - A Cautionary Tale

by Louise Mclean

Updated 3rd January 2024

(Above Calcium rock pools)

One of my friends has been suffering from osteoarthritis in her hips since 2010, with the right hip being the worst.  She did not want to have hip operations and used homeopathy and supplements. 

She had been taking calcium supplements and Vitamin D3 in increasing amounts for 15 years, acting on the 'expert advice' of a friend with a PhD in nutrition.

From one 500mg calcium supplement per day from 2005, she increased it to 1000mg calcium a day around 2017.  

She then had a massive calcium problem but this was substantially worsened by a very high Vitamin D3 intake, which was increased on the advice of her nutritionist friend, from 1000iu to 20,000iu per day between 2013-2020. 

So by 2020 she was taking 1000mg of calcium and 20,000 vitamin D3 per day!

In 2020, she discovered that it was in fact essential to take Vitamin K2 when you take Vitamin D3.  Excessively high Vitamin D3 intake by itself will pull the calcium out of your bones and dump it into the bloodstream, even causing skeletal abnormalities.  However, the K2 will put the calcium back into the bones.

The current recommended Vitamin D3 dosage is between 600 to 2,000 international units per day but my friend was taking an extremely high D3 intake of 20,000iu per day for three and a half years, which was pulling calcium out of her bones.  

My friend soon realised that she was suffering from an extremely dangerous level of Hypercalcemia!

She was in so much excruciating pain, that in 2020 she wondered if she actually had 'calcium crystals' in her body, as it felt like she was being pricked with broken glass!  When she looked this up, she saw that yes, in fact it is quite possible to have calcium crystals on your nerves, muscles, bones and joints, in fact anywhere in the body!

Calcium is the hardest substance in the human body, so excessive amounts cause extreme stiffness! It is actually stone.  As an example, the White Cliffs of Dover are made up of calcium carbonate, which according to this article, can eventually turn to marble! 

It was when she was sent a video of herself dancing in August 2017 and picking something up quickly from the floor, that she wondered how she had gone downhill so quickly that by the spring of 2019 she could hardly walk, never mind dance or bend down to pick up anything from the floor!  She had started walking with a stick since September 2018.

In the autumn of 2020, someone told her about how taking excessive amounts of vitamin D without Vitamin K2 will pull calcium out of your bones.  This was a Eureka moment! She had already stopped taking Vitamin D3 in May 2020. 

Vitamin D3 is a hormone and actually stores in the fat of the body, which means that even after you stop taking it, it must slowly detox.  She bought Vitamin K2 to offset the stored D3, bearing in mind that the D3 would still be coming out of her fat stores for some time.  

(Calcium and Vitamin D3 store in the body but for example Vitamin C and magnesium, do not).

So she was full of ingested calcium, plus calcium pulled from the bones by the excess D3, all of which had built up in her body, yet the idea had been instilled in her by her friend that it was essential to carry on taking calcium supplements!  

By 2020 she was in excruciating pain and could hardly move at all and she felt like a stone statue from the waist down!

Eventually she found out that it is actually unnecessary to take calcium supplements at all because we get lots of calcium in our food already.  In fact when we get older, we actually have more calcium in our bodies.  That is why so many older people suffer from stiffness!  It is only growing children that need it most.

In fact our bones are made up of 12 minerals, which are Boron, Calcium, Chromium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Phosphorus, Selenium, Sulphur, Silica and Zinc! 

Finally, in December 2020, she came off the calcium supplements completely, once she found out about the calcium crystals. As this would be very slowly coming out of all the deposit areas, after 15 years of taking calcium, it could take years to return to normal levels.

Around May 2021, my friend spoke to a famous nutritionist who lectures all over Britain called Clive de Carle.  He was shocked when she told him about her calcium problem and advised her to take a high daily dose of magnesium, which he said would help shift and disperse the build up of calcium deposits and move it to where it should be in the bones. He said magnesium was safe and any excessive amount would be excreted, not stored, so she started taking 1000mg a day and after a few months brought it down to 500mg daily. Previously she had only been taking 100mg of magnesium a day!

In fact she realised that magnesium was far more beneficial for her than calcium and perhaps what she had needed in the first place for many years!

A supplement called Serrapeptase helped clear the build up of calcium in the bloodstream around the heart, when she experienced a blocked sensation. Hypercalcemia commonly causes strokes due to excessive calcium in the bloodstream, also leading to hardened arteries.  

A salivary gland under her chin had become a hard stone about in an inch in diameter for the past four years.  High concentrates of calcium were going into her mouth, causing a white tongue and excessive plaque build up, which had loosened many of her teeth!  But as soon as she stopped taking calcium supplements that stone-like gland began to soften and eventually go back to its normal size. 

High calcium levels also create an over active parathyroid gland, as this gland regulates calcium, which can create tumours on the gland.

In addition to the above dangers of very high calcium levels in the body, it can cause bone pain, brittle bones, mental confusion and eventually even coma! 

The other thing my friend found out was that excessively high calcium in the body causes a great loss of potassium.  Low potassium levels explain her severe fatigue, digestive bloating, muscle weakness and terrible muscle cramps in her feet and legs.  In addition, low potassium causes swelling of the legs and frequent urination.  

It also creates kidney stones, as there is huge stress on the kidneys, causing swollen eyelids, swollen legs and ankles, all of which my friend experienced.  Her kidneys were overloaded with the burden of trying to excrete the excess calcium and vitamin D3, so it meant my friend needed to get up in the night three or four times to urinate.

Furthermore, excessive amounts of calcium can cause the adrenal glands to shut down, as they try to hold on to magnesium and sodium. Adrenal insufficiency of course causes extreme fatigue.

In fact excessively high calcium levels can cause diabetes insipidus, which can be reversible, when the levels go back down to normal. With diabetes insipidus a person will pass very large volumes of pale urine, known as polyuria, as the kidney function becomes impaired.

The brittleness of bones and ligaments were the reason my friend snapped a ligament in her sacrum in 2012 and also in her right arm in 2018!  With high calcium levels, deposits will later form on top of these old injuries, making them much harder to heal! These two injuries were especially painful with agonising nerve pain on the sacrum from the calcium deposit and calcium crystals.

She also said she had a bony exostosis on her left foot, which was about an inch in diameter.

Another thing my friend complained of was severe heartburn, which is actually caused by low stomach acid and was yet another damaging side effect of the excess calcium.  Deficient stomach acid production causes impaired protein digestion and absorption, which in turn causes amino acid deficiencies and the inability to get these into her cells.

The homeopathic remedy Nux Vomica helped for this but also sipping squeezed lemon juice just before meals, helps to increase the stomach acid.

After about 18 months after coming off the calcium supplements, bit by bit the pain improved and the deposits slowly started breaking down and dispersing but it has been a very slow process and meant my friend has been more or less housebound, rarely able to go out, unless accompanied by someone.

She admitted she has been suffering from severe pain since 2013, which became unbearable by 2020.  She does not like to take pain killers, so uses a very high quality Curcumin product, which is anti-inflammatory and works just as well.

Every day the pains are easing and she now feels as though she is on the road to health again.  Her osteoarthritis and walking is getting better.  Finally, the prescribed homeopathic medicines are starting to take effect with gradual improvement setting in, whereas before they were unable to work through all the calcium deposits.  

In fact nothing had worked, as nothing could work through all those calcium deposits.  This meant a great deal of money was wasted between 2015-2019 going to an expensive back clinic in central London, an osteopath, two chiropractors, an ozone clinic and having acupuncture.  No one could understand why nothing seemed to work at all. In fact no one had been able to understand what was wrong with her.

The homeopathic remedies that helped for the extreme stiffness were predominantly Rhus Tox, Silicea, Kali Carbonica, among others, but these need to be individualised by a professional.  Also Calc Fluor is a remedy that actually removes calcium deposits.

Recently she came across a South American herb called Chanca Piedra, known as 'stone breaker'.  This herb successfully breaks down kidney stones and gallstones, so it helps to break down the calcium, as these stones are encased with calcium. 

Unfortunately losing calcium too quickly in the urine, can aggravate the kidneys, as it had originally done due to the hypercalcemia, so my friend found this to be the case and had to reduce the number of drops of Chanca Piedra she took per day, from the recommended 20 drops down to 10.

My friend has also informed me that she has found another substance that breaks down calcium deposits called EDTA.  This also removes heavy metals as well, which may well be bound to the excessive calcium. So far she says, it has not aggravated her kidneys and she hopes it will work over time by taking one capsule of 500mg per day, taken with food. However, it is really important to take Fulvic Minerals about 12 hours after, as the EDTA also strips minerals out of the body, (when it is removing heavy metals) and these need replacing. (See my article on Fulvic Minerals).

So this is a cautionary tale for people out there with osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and other health conditions.  Do not believe that large doses of calcium are a cure! Make sure you take safe dosages of vitamins D3 with K2, as well as a good quality Magnesium! 

My friend has now concluded that all her health problems were caused by the excessive calcium build up in every part and system of her body.  

BORON Removes FLUORIDE

by Louise Mclean, LCCH.

Boron is a trace mineral taken as a supplement which is good for maintaining healthy bones because of its crucial role of calcium integration into the cartilage and bone. It can aid osteoporosis, arthritis, allergies and also menopausal symptoms, as it is essential for oestrogen production.  Sex drive may return and there can be a rapid reduction in hot flushes.  Boron raises the level of natural sex hormones in the body and could eliminate the need for HRT.

It is one of the very few things that actually removes Fluoride from the body.  Fluoride is in most prescription drugs, tap water, toothpaste, in teabags, and causes skeletal fluorosis. Therefore, however much you want to avoid it, you will probably end up ingesting some of it.

Boron will inactivate Fluoride in the body forming a harmless compound, according to Dr. Rex E. Newman PhD, who wrote a book, 'Beating Arthritis & Beating Osteoporosis (Ellesmere Press, The British School, Otley Street, Skipton, Yorkshire) which is a valuable study of Boron extending over many years.

Boron was banned by the European Union, along with many other things but it is still possible to buy it online. 

Boron & Arthritis

http://www.regenerativenutrition.com/assets/.pdf%20downloads/boron%20and%20arthritis.pdf

The Wonder of Boron

https://www.regenerativenutrition.com/boron-osteoporosis-arthritis-allergies-menopause-hormones.asp

Sources of Fluoride

https://fluoridealert.org/issues/sources/

Serrapeptase for Healthy Blood Vessels

Blood Plasma

by Louise Mclean, LCCH.

Serrapeptase is a natural, proteolytic plant enzyme, proven to reduce pain & inflammation, which has been used for 30 years throughout Europe and Asia.  It is extremely safe, as some people have taken a very large number of these pills per day, with no side effects.

As people age, the circulation becomes clogged and high blood pressure results.  Serrapeptase will dissolve non-living or dead tissue in the body, so it will remove plaque from the arteries, a key cause of stroke.  It will also dissolve any blood clots that may be forming, which may potentially cause heart attack, so it is excellent for cardiovascular health and improved circulation of the blood.

I personally think that everyone over the age of 50 should buy a bottle, take two a day until the bottle is empty, for a total clean out of their blood vessels. If there is actual cardiovascular disease, people should continue taking at least one a day as part of their health regime.

People with conditions that cause inflammation will also benefit, including arthritis, headaches, fibromyalgia, varicose veins.

It is safe to use Serrapeptase alongside any medical drugs that you are taking except Warfarin, where it may need to be monitored.

From the Regenerative Nutrition website:
https://www.regenerativenutrition.com/serrapeptase-p-92.asp

"Powerful, Natural Enzyme

Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme isolated from the micro-organism, Serratia E15. This enzyme is naturally present in the silkworm intestine and is processed commercially today through fermentation of plant grown enzymes suitable for vegetarians. This immunologically active enzyme is completely bound to the alpha 2 macroglobulin in biological fluids. Histologic studies reveal powerful anti-inflammatory effects of this naturally occurring enzyme.  

Digests non-living tissue, blood clots, cysts, arterial plaque, inflammation, internal scar tissue and may help some external scars particularly if new; any residues are either converted into amino acids or excreted in the normal manner."  

Diatomaceous Earth - The Most Effective Way to Remove Fleas

by Louise Mclean, LCCH.

My beautiful tabby cat died last August 2016, aged nearly 19 years!  Sadly she was struggling with end stage kidney disease, a frequent problem with elderly cats.  She was dearly loved by the family and it was terribly sad for us to lose her.

However, throughout her life she battled with fleas every summer, as did we!  Various veterinary options were tried but usually they seemed to worsen her health, sometimes appearing to cause mats all over her coat, which were obviously very difficult to remove but generally dropped off over time.

I was always looking for a safe natural option to remove the fleas but only during the last years of her life did I find it. 

Diatomaceous Earth is a white volcanic ash full of healthy minerals.  It is also death to a flea, as the second the flea touches this white powder, its skeleton cracks and it dies.

As Diatomaceous Earth is healthy for a cat to eat in small quantities, it can be brushed through their fur and this will kill the fleas.  In fact if the cat eats a little of it when grooming her fur, it will kill any worms in their body as well!

With regard to your carpets, the best way I found is to take a sieve and gently sieve the powder all over at least one of your carpets where the cat tends to go.  You need to leave it for about 2 or 3 weeks to make sure that all of the fleas, which hop from room to room, will end up touching it.

I chose the front room carpet which is a pale grey colour, so that the white powder would not be a problem (rather than for example a red carpet).

After a couple of weeks, when I wanted to hoover up the powder, I used my old hoover.  I have an old hoover as well as a new one.  I used the old hoover to eventually hoover up all the white powder when I was quite sure all the fleas were gone.  The powder will block up your hoover a bit, so you will need to be prepared to perhaps throw out an old one.  Otherwise of course you can brush up the powder but that obviously means it is a little more difficult, perhaps blowing in your face and being breathed in, unlikely to be good for the lungs.

Sacrificing an old hoover was well worth 19 years of suffering from fleas in the home, sometimes on a small scale, sometimes more widespread but I can confirm that the Diatomaceous Earth really does remove them all.

Make sure you buy the Food Grade, Fresh Water Source Diatomaceous Earth.  I get mine from Health Leads UK.

Activated Charcoal for General Detox & Heavy Metals

(This is the one I use.  It is high potency).

by Louise Mclean, LCCH.

I have recently found Charcoal capsules to be an invaluable health aid.  You can also get the powder as well.

Whether you are trying to detox from prescription drugs, social drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or need to remove heavy metals out of your system, charcoal does it all!

The wonderful thing about charcoal is when you take the capsules, it goes into the stomach and then goes only around the blood system, picking up all toxins or anything alien to the body of any type, including all heavy metals, but it does not get absorbed into your body.

The mode of action of activated charcoal is adsorption, rather than absorption of toxins. Adsorption is the electrical attraction of toxins and heavy metals, (but not beneficial nutrients), to the surfaces of the fine charcoal particles.

The charcoal particles are extremely fine and according to Dr. Al Sears MD, one gram of it – an amount the size of your fingernail – "can absorb enough toxins to fill the square footage of four tennis courts.”

Once it has picked up any 'rubbish' in your circulating blood, it merely gets excreted in your stool.  You will find your stool will become blackish, so don't be alarmed about that!  The charcoal will not cause constipation.

Charcoal is great for people who get indigestion, bloating and flatulence!  In fact that is what it is generally advertised for.

The fact that it is not absorbed into the body, means it is safe when breastfeeding.  In fact it is very safe indeed to take regularly.

We are all absorbing toxins every day on a regular basis from the food we eat (pesticide residue) and even the air we breathe (goes into the lungs and then straight into the blood stream).  The air of course contains minute particulates of diesel, as well as petrol and other things.

It is fairly well known that in hospitals the first method of choice for patients who come in having overdosed on drugs, perhaps in a suicide attempt, is the use of charcoal to clear their system.  So this is not exactly something new!  However, people may not have been able to buy 'Activated Charcoal' supplements themselves, which they can do now.

In the chelation of heavy metals from the body, charcoal is very successful.  Not only metals such as mercury and lead but also for iron overload, which has been proven by someone we know.

It can be used to clear any poisons from the body, such as from a snake bite or bee sting.

Some people worry that charcoal might also remove all the nutrients they take in their vitamin supplements.  This is NOT the case.  However, it is still better to take the charcoal at a different time from when you take your vitamins.

From the 1980 book Activated Charcoal by David O. Cooney: “Charcoal added to the diet of sheep for six months did not cause a loss of nutrients, as compared with sheep not receiving charcoal. … A level of 5 % of the total diet was given as charcoal. It did not affect the blood or urinary levels of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, inorganic phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, creatinine, uric acid, urea nitrogen, alkaline phosphatase, total protein or urine PH.”

If you are taking prescription drugs, then these may well be removed from your blood stream by the charcoal.

So if you have a nasty hangover or just a few too many alcoholic drinks, always keep the charcoal capsules handy and you will wake the next day feeling absolutely fine!

Book Explaining the Basics of Homeopathy

by Louise Mclean, LCCH. 

This book, written by me after collecting information for some years, is a basic simple explanation of homeopathy for beginners, how it works and what to expect when you visit a homeopathic practitioner or homeopathic doctor.  There are lots more chapters for anyone who knows nothing about homeopathy but would like to find out more and this is the ideal book to get you started.

After that if you want to study it further you can get the in depth homeopathic materia medica text books and homeopathic repertory, of which there are many.  I can certainly say that when I first took an interest in the subject in 1986, I was amazed to discover the serious long term study that lay ahead of me! It is always fascinating and never boring because homeopathy is in fact a huge study of human nature.  Every aspect of human behaviour can be found in the Homeopathic Repertory with the related homeopathic medicines that are indicated.

This book is endorsed on the back cover by Dana Ullman, MPH CCH who wrote 'The Homeopathic Revolution' and other books.  See www.homeopathic.com  

He says, "Louise Mclean's Homeopathy Heals is a short and very sweet introduction to homeopathy. It's a great bite-sizeable introduction for anyone who wants the basics of homeopathy".

It is also endorsed on the back by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger of Natural News.com.  "Homeopathy Heals is an outstanding introduction to the theory and practice of homeopathy.  It's packed with valuable information and resources.  Highly recommended."


The book costs £6 to buy on Amazon and is also available on Kindle for free.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Homeopathy-Heals-Louise-Mclean/dp/0956502903

Homeopathic Remedies for Tooth Extractions

by Louise Mclean, LCCH.

One of the most invaluable things you can use after going to the dentist, is homeopathic remedies.  In practically an instant you can get rid of that pain and rest easy after dental work.  Homeopathic remedies can work really fast.  Unlike paracetomol, they don't wear off, where you have to keep taking more.  Once the remedy works, that's it, the pain is gone!

The main remedies you will need to have on standby are the following:  Arnica 30c, Hypericum 30c, Calendula 30c and Ledum 30c.  Remedies should always be stored in a cool, darkened place, away from strong smells such as eucalyptus, camphor, etc.

Please note: if you have an injection to numb your teeth for filling or extraction, make sure you take two Activated Charcoal capsules afterwards in order to remove all the toxicity from the injection, as I am informed these injections are very toxic.  Activated Charcoal can be bought easily in health shops or on Amazon.  They are very useful to have in your medicine cabinet and have been known to help food poisoning and hangovers, among other things!

Arnica 30c (Leopard's Bane)

This is for bruising of the gums after extraction of teeth or new fillings, especially molars.  It is specifically indicated after the removal of Wisdom Teeth.

Hypericum 30c (St. John's Wort)

Hypericum is for the pain you experience after any of your teeth have been extracted.  Hypericum is a nerve remedy and all pain is felt via the nerves.

Calendula Officinalis 30c (Marigold)

People may be surprised to learn that you can actually buy the remedy Calendula in pill form, as they may only know of Calendula cream, available in health shops.  Yes, it comes in pill form as well.

This is a great remedy for two reasons.  It stops the bleeding and it quickly heals up the wound where the tooth has been extracted.  Obviously, in all the above cases, one dose of a remedy will work on the whole mouth, if for example more than one tooth has been taken out.

Ledum 30c (Marsh-Tea)

Ledum is the remedy for puncture wounds, so it can be used when your mouth is still hurting after the dentist gave you that injection to numb your gums before your tooth was taken out.   It can also be used if you had an injection before some deep cleaning with the hygienist.  After the numbness wears off, you may still be experiencing pain at the site of the injection and Ledum will heal and get rid of the pain immediately.

Incidentally, it is a very good idea to take a couple of Charcoal capsules after a numbing injection, as this will clear out of your body all the nasty toxins in it.

Staphysagria 30c (Stavesacre)

This was a very good one for me once when I had root canal work done.  I was in agony afterwards and this remedy got rid of the pain quite speedily.  I had felt rather bullied by the dentist and somewhat overwhelmed by him.  He had made a bad job of it and I was in extreme pain.

I would also not recommend root canal fillings if you can avoid them.  They often trap bacteria for years, which can cause problems in other parts of the body.

Lachesis 6c (Surucucu)

This is a powerful remedy and should only be taken in low potency, such as a 6c.  It is extremely useful for molars, specifically on the left hand side, with the pain occurring in the middle of the night.  I had excruciating pain and inflammation in a top left hand back tooth, and after trying various remedies such as Belladonna, Lachesis cured it promptly.  It happened on Christmas Eve, so I was very lucky to be all better for the next day!

Lemon Juice Dissolves Plaque Under the Gums

7th March 2014 (Updated 27th September 2016)

by Louise Mclean

This is one of the extraordinary things I have discovered very recently and I wish I had known about it twenty years ago or earlier! 

It all started when I watched a video of a woman claiming that lemon juice mixed with bicarbonate of soda (or baking soda) was how she kept her teeth super white!  Here are lots of videos about it.

Yes, lemon is a bleach and in the old days, many a blonde would put it in on her hair and go out in the sun to lighten it further!

But it is a safe bleach in my opinion as lemon has lots of excellent healing properties.

So how did I work out it dissolved plaque under the gums?  Basically, I put two and two together and found it worked!

I already knew that lemon is excellent for helping to dissolve kidney stones and gallstones.  This is well documented on the alternative health news sites and YouTube videos. 

What does that mean?  All stones in the body must have some calcium to make them hard and this is what happens with plaque which is calcified, which the lemon will dissolve.

So thinking about the fact that to dissolve kidney stones, lemon would have to go first into the mouth, then the stomach, then eventually into the bloodstream and right round to the kidneys, and yet it would still manage to break down the kidney stones, I figured putting it directly on the gums, would work even more quickly and effectively!

Anyway, we know that the plaque under our gums can build up over time and normally we have to go to the hygienist to have it removed by deep cleaning.  I was concerned that doing this on a regular basis, might actually be pushing my gums back.

Instead, you can simply squeeze a lemon into a small cup and keep it by the bathroom basin.  Clean your teeth normally and afterwards dip your toothbrush into the lemon juice and clean all around the gums with it.  You will find the plaque build up soon starts to dissolve and disappear.  You will also find that your teeth will become whiter as well!

What a very cheap way to keep your gums healthy and whiten your teeth at the same time!  Your teeth will feel very shiny and clean afterwards, your breath will be good and you will also find you wake in the morning with a clean mouth if you use the lemon before bedtime.

Some websites say that the acidity of the lemon can damage the enamel of the teeth.  I have not noticed this but will report back and update this article, if I find this happens.  I personally don't think it will because lemon has such excellent healing qualities and is not known to be damaging in any way.

Lemon is anyway a very important food to take because most of the foods we eat are acid-producing.  Very few foods are alkaline.  Lemon, although acidic, breaks down as alkaline in the body and we all need to prevent our bodies becoming too acidic, which causes a host of illnesses and inflammations.  More on that in another article....

I stopped doing this for about a year and have just started again (27.9.16).  Once again I have found this really, really works!  When you clean your teeth with the lemon juice, you can rinse your mouth but you should then brush the lemon juice on them again close to the gums and leave it there to carry on working (especially just before bedtime).  Also remember that lemon juice is antiseptic so will get rid of bad bacteria.

This is so much more preferable, and even better if you do it regularly, than going to the dentist and having injections to numb the mouth, so that they can scrape and purge any plaque!  The lemon juice works really well and bit by bit will dissolve even stubborn layers of it.

Please also read my article of 20th February 2021 about excessive calcium in the body, as this is one of the main causes of plaque on the teeth!

The Liver Flush

by Louise Mclean, LCCH.

Did you know that whenever you get a cold or flu it is because your body needs to detox?  This is the real reason because the body is intelligent and when there is too much 'rubbish' in it, it seeks a way to expel it.

There are various ways of excreting junk out of our systems - through the mouth, the nose, the ears, the vagina and penis, the rectum and the skin.
 

The body uses all of these methods.  Children very often experience discharges from their ears, there is vomiting via the mouth, nasal discharges when we have a cold or flu and secretions from the vagina and penis when a sexually transmitted disease is contracted.
 

Lastly the skin is a major organ of excretion.  This is why people like to have saunas and steam baths to sweat out the impurities.  If you have ever been near an alcoholic whisky drinker, you can smell it coming out of the pores of their skin!

When we reach the age of 50, our bodies frequently get a bit tired and a bit worn out, so it is important to find an effective way to clear toxins out of the system.  Too many cigarettes, alcohol, pharmaceutical medicine - all take their toll and the toxins build up.

Having a liver flush is a very successful way to help clear all of this.  The liver will naturally regenerate itself but it is also the organ that processes and stores everything we put into our bodies, so it can become overloaded.  Liver flushes are also an excellent way to clear out gallstones and afterwards they will be clearly seen in the lavatory!  Most people over 50 years old have some of these in their gallbladders, whether they are causing pain or not.

It is not the most delicious mixture that you have to take in order to carry out a liver flush but I will list the ingredients.  Firstly though, make sure you have a quiet time when you are not busy and you can rest, preferably an evening.

You must take the mixture on an empty stomach at least three hours after eating a meal, so that the stomach has nothing else to digest.  The gallbladder will be triggered into immediate action after ingesting this mixture, because of the olive oil, as its purpose is to help digest oils and fats.  The mixture is as follows:-

1.  Half a cup of olive oil

2.  One whole squeezed lemon.

3.  One clove of garlic.

4.  Buy real ginger and grate a little into the mixture.

5.  You can add a little apple juice to improve the taste.

Drink all of this and lie down to rest.  It is a good idea to take the mixture before bedtime and go to sleep.

The olive oil will stimulate the gallbladder (which may or may not contain small stones) and its lubrication will help the stones slide out.  The lemon is good for breaking down stones and cleansing generally.  The garlic will kill off bacteria and the ginger encourages the flow of bile and contracts the gallbladder.  Apple juice contains malic acid which breaks down stones and should be drunk regularly by gallstone sufferers.

For the next couple of days you should notice your stool is different and you may well see small yellow or even greenish-black stones in it.  You should feel much more invigorated and energetic once you have excreted the toxic build up.  This is a very therapeutic way to regenerate the storehouse of the body - the liver.

Some websites warn against the liver flush but there has been little evidence that it is not entirely beneficial.

Some liver flushes recommend using Epsom salts and grapefruit instead of lemon.  The above mixture has been used successfully but there is more detailed information on these links.

More:  http://www.alternativehealth.co.nz/cancer/liverflush.htm

http://curezone.com/cleanse/liver/huldas_recipe.asp

Detox and Magnetic Clay Baths

Most people nowadays suffer from illness due to toxic overload of their systems.

Very often if they reduce this overload, the illness disappears.  I have proved this myself.  It is when we are eating and drinking too many acidic based foods and drinks that our blood becomes acidic and all the inflammations and deterioration commence.

Too much junk food, too much alcohol, cigarettes, foods that contains a lot of additives, synthetic highly processed foods.  All contribute to a run down state.  Then we become not only ill but depressed.

Nowadays we are surrounded by toxins in the environment - in the air, in the home, in our food and drinks.

The only way to overcome all this, is to eat only natural foods, preferably organic if you can afford it and reduce or eliminate the above.  Basically we need to detox.  Even for one day a month, it is safe to just drink grape or apple juice to help clean out our systems.  Choose a Sunday or a day you can relax and you will notice the difference next morning!

The important thing too is to take really good quality vitamin and mineral supplements.  If you can, buy something like Wheatgrass juice to drink which contains masses of healthy vitamins and minerals.  It is even better for you than taking vitamin pills, as it is live nutrition and much easier for your gut to absorb into the bloodstream and take round to feed all of the cells of your body.

Our cells are in a constant state of the old ones breaking down and the new ones being made.  Again, many people become ill simply because they lack the required nutrients to repair the cells of their bodies.

One of the best ways of detoxing is to use - (read about them all here) Magnetic Clay Baths.   To buy in the UK  Click Here 

We know from biology that our body has ways to excrete the toxins it doesn't need.  Through the bowels primarily, the urinary system and also, importantly, through the skin.

When we go for a Turkish Bath, what happens?  We sweat all the impurities out of the pores of our skin. 

This means that the impurities are waiting just under the skin to come out.

With Magnetic Clay, it draws the impurities out in a semi-solid state, rather than as sweat.  It literally pulls tiny granules out of the pores of the skin.

It is a very pleasant experience.  You mix up the clay in a bucket with hottish water and use an electric blender to break down the lumps.  You then pour it into a hot bath of water you have already run and mix it about.

The heat of the water helps open the pores.  You lie there for about 20 minutes.  Ladies can put a face pack on and it is also nice to light a candle and relax, perhaps play some music.  Keep a clock handy to time yourself.

At the end of the 20 minutes you will find loads of little granules at the bottom of the bath which the magnetic clay has drawn out of your pores.  You will feel much lighter and healthier after losing all the junk from your system.

There are lots of different Magnetic Clay Baths to choose from.

Once you have detoxed, you will find yourself mentally much more alert and physically more energetic.  Your mood will also be more upbeat.

Please note that I have recently starting drinking the Wheatgrass juice and have used Magnetic Clay Baths for about six years.  I do not have any financial incentive to promote them but once again, I just want to pass on my knowledge to the reader.