WALLFLOWER
CONTENTS GRATITUDE - Charity shopping - Pocket guide to saving bees
ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES - An alternative to anti-biotics - The power of Chinese Medicine - Food Intolerances - Healthy breakfasts WOMENS ADVICE - Over coming infidelity - Let’s talk about porn - Infatuation
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Charity Shopping
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CREDIT TO AMELIA PETERS IMAGES
Charity shopping has become increasingly popular over the years due to the very appealing bargains and the desire for vintage attire. Whether you’re on the cheap or just have an eye for unique clothing you’re bound to be prone to a bit of thrift shopping.
“I’d also say it’s great if you go with a friend, when you get each other’s style and what you like to wear you end up finding some great things for each other.”
I’ve been talking to avid charity shoppers about their thrift shop tips and tricks – so you can successfully shop with the hope of a bargain and a funky new outfit.
“I would say, don’t rush and take your time to look at everything, and it all depends on what day you go on like Midweek is always a good time to go compared to the weekend.”
Pocket guide to saving bees Bees are one of the most important species on the plant. The winged insect that measures to a maximum 1.4 centimetres are the most vital part to ensuring our agriculture survives with regards to pollination. They pollinate a third of the food we eat including key ingredients of our diet such as: đ&#x;?? Fibre found in: carrots, buckwheat, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. đ&#x;??Protein in: Macadamia, Brazil and hazelnuts. đ&#x;?? Healthy fats: avocado, coconut oil, flax and sunflower and rapeseed oil. đ&#x;??Sugars and vitamin C: watermelon, blackberries, raspberries, mangos and apples.
Listed above are only a handful of crops that bee’s pollinate. As the bees continue to perish, less crops that will be harvested. That means we would not survive without the bees! There are 275 different kind of Bees in the world, however, only 25 of them live within the UK. The most common Bees are: the bumblebee and the honeybee, both of which are at risk of becoming extinct for different reasons. The bumblebees are harmed by farming practices that involve pesticides and the honeybee colony is threatened by a parasite called the varroa mite. However, the sad truth here is that not enough
people know the key facts of helping to keep our bees alive. Not every act of kindness has to involve copious amounts of money and effort - just simply plant these flowers to create a happy bee garden. This will contribute to increasing the population of bees by giving them more food. Here are some common plants and seeds that help the bees. All of these can be found at local plant stores at reasonable prices. You can plant these in your garden according to the appropriate season, preferably starting in spring and throughout summer. đ&#x;?? Lavender; Sunflowers; Oregano; Rosemary; Sage; Primrose; Hyacinths.
Be sure to group your plants together in a sunny area to create an appealing area for bees to enjoy. Please make sure that you use natural pesticides that note a non-toxic tone. The best bee-friendly product you could use is garlic or petroleum-based oils (spray when bees are not around).
You can also create a ‘bee bath’ which entails placing a shallow container full of fresh water where the bees can ensure daily hydration will be found there. Be sure to place twigs and sticks in the fresh water so they bees can land and drink from the water safely.
FOOD INTOLERANCES
milk, any kind of products made from Alpro I always put into cooking or cakes or just as a snack, it’s a really good healthy option for you.” What’s the yummiest new food you’ve discovered since being lactose intolerant? “Per-
T
There’s a trip to the Big Smoke this weekend. Train tickets booked to Waterloo. What would you do next? Maybe check out some fancy cocktail bars, discounts for some vintage clothing stores and if you’re really sensible maybe a place to sleep for the night? Yet, at 1:38am in my jim-jams, I find myself searching the internet for “gluten, dairy, egg free restaurants in London” and I start
sonally, it’s a coconut yoghurt made from Alpro and I love it, I We spoke to Ruth, a Journalpeople confuse food intolerances with food allergies, and even self-diagnose and restrict their diet with no guidance and testing. What we do know: well Allergy UK says, 1 in 100 people have coeliac disease, and that 500,000 are estimated to not be diagnosed; about 2% of us are affected by a genuine food allergy and 8% of children under 3 years.
scrolling through the 557,000 web results.
However, the situation with food intolerances remains
Why? Because for the past few months I have been part of the slightly exclusive, yet very unexciting group of people who stick to a very restricted food diet due to health reasons, and it seems to be on the rise. The difficulty with pin-pointing who is affected and who isn’t is that
cloudy. Could it potentially be a rising trend? With celebs from the telly Instagram-ing #girlswithoutgluten and Supermarkets profiting off ‘free from’ food aisles, is there an intolerance revolution brewing; and could it be starting at my soya milk cuppa?
ism degree student in Exeter to delve into her experiences of being lactose intolerant. Being lactose intolerant, what food do you miss the most? “Ooh, it’s a hard one. Probably like cheese, like specifically grated cheese on things, yes it’s a big miss in my books. Yes, just as a topping, like not to have cheese topped on toast or like crackers or just a midnight snack, yes its hurting the soul a little bit.” I knowingly nod, I feel ya girl, shout out to those cheesy Nachos while watching Made in Chelsea nights. What handy substitutions can you advise people who are lactose intolerant for cooking? “Personally, if I’m cooking any sort of meat I always use coconut oil… it’s a good healthy substitution. Soya
just have it with everything, also hazelnut milk I love as well.” Just a little secret from me… their chocolate yoghurts are divine too! And have you noticed any health or lifestyle benefits since being lactose intolerant and changing your diet? “Skin is a big one for me, I used to be quite an acne prone teenager which wasn’t fun. Since cutting a lot of dairy out of my diet, my skin is glowing and I don’t have spots as much, but obviously we’re all human so I do get the odd one! But yes health is a massive one if you are cutting dairy then you see a lot of difference. It was refreshing to meet Ruth, who has truly embraced her lactose intolerance for finding tasty, diverse, healthy food. But not all people are at this stage, in understanding their relationship with food. It takes time, patience and a few yucky dairy-free choccy bars,
to get down to the nitty gritty.
a food diary if you get these
If you’re stuck, here is how to
symptoms after certain foods
define your food issues: if you
multiple times and seek advice
are suffering with an aller-
if symptoms persist.
gy you will have a rapid and potentially serious response by your immune system, triggering symptoms such as wheezing, rash and itching. Intolerances are more common than allergies, the symptoms are progress more slowly, after many hours eating the ‘problem’ food, which could generate bloating or stomach cramps. It’s possible to be intolerant to many foods, which can make it tricky to identify these foods or distinguish if you’re suffering with a digestive disorder instead. Yes, slightly ambiguous and lots to take in I know, but the best way to manage this is to make
Science-y stuff over, I promise. But if you do find yourself gaining a food ‘intolerance’ in the future, you may find yourself sitting in some different restaurants, trying some slightly odd foods and missing some of your favourite foods, Ben and Jerry’s where’ve you been? Have no fear, the health benefits, fresh lifestyle and delicious new food could be even better than tucking into that
cheese toastie in the past.
Article and images by Meah Howlett
HEALTHY BREAKFASTS Breakfast may just be the most important meal of the day… especially if you’re hoping to get stronger or simply improve your fitness. The temptation for skipping breakfast in the morning can be strong. An extra five minutes in bed before dashing out the door may seem worth it, but aside from missing out on all the brain boosting benefits. We need to make sure we fuel our bodies correctly to get the most from our morning routine. The body’s preferred source of energy is carbohydrates, so it’s important to eat something before setting out. Give your body an energy boost with some fresh or dried fruit. The natural, simple carbohydrates will help give you the kick-start you need to get out the door, without filling your stomach. If you can’t face food first thing, try a fruit-packed smoothie - still high in natural sugars but easier to digest and handy to sip on route to the gym. Mangos are high in quick-release; natural sugar and bananas are high in potassium - a mineral believed to help prevent muscle cramping.
Mango & banana smoothie
Here is my spin on the smoothie, with a hint of lime its perfection to wake up to: 1 cup cubed peeled ripe mango 2 sliced ripe bananas 2/3 cup soy- or milk of your choice 1 squeeze of lime juice (optional) 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon of ginger powder/ or ginger stem 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon of coconut oil 1 handful of ice cubes (optional) Blend in the mixer/ nutribullet until smooth.
Article and image by Ruth Fowkes
HEALTH CORNER An alternative to antibiotics
The Power of Chinese Medicine FAQ’S “I wasn’t convinced acupuncture would be able to help me, but my tendon problem was resolved in two treatments.” Mrs. R. Bertram
Recent studies and media coverage has prevailed that antibiotics may not be as helpful as they initially seemed. Antibiotics are a drug prescribed by your GP to rid forms of bacteria that may be making you somewhat poorly, this can be anything from a common winter virus to a stomach upset.
The Chinese have developed a sophisticated method of dissecting and discovering the contents of our bodies with regards to natural health. The basics of Chinese medicine is designed on a scale from seriously unhealthy to perfectly healthy.
The science behind antibiotics states that the medicine kills harmful bacteria over the course of your prescription. Sounds helpful right? Wrong. Whilst it’s conveniently killing the bad bacteria in your gut it is also killing the good bacteria – leading to other infections and illnesses such as thrush or a general weakened immune system.
How many sessions will I need?
What’s the alternative? Turmeric
Now this alternative may come as a surprise to some as turmeric is the fluorescent yellow ingredient commonly found in curries. The main ingredient within turmeric is called Curcumin and is where the magic lays. One study of 121 patients carried out a test between Curcumin If you have been relying and placebo before suron antibiotics for a long gery for coronary artery bypass - a procedure period of time I recommend you take these just that can behold fatal side effects. The group to get tour gut back of track, or just simply in- who were given 4 grams gest more natural probi- of Curcumin had a 63% otics which can be found decreased risk of experiencing a heart attack in natural yoghurt. Be in hospital. sure to check the sugar content on these yogurts as sugar will contradict Here are the benefits of Turmeric: any probiotic and could potentially increase any Anti-bacterial infection you may have. Turmeric’s anti-bacteTo your surprise antibiotics may have already damaged your system more than you’re aware of. To counteract this damage you’ll have to replace the good bacteria in your gut which can be done by ingesting tablet form bacteria named, Lacto acidophilus.
rial properties can be used to help heal wounds quicker due to its ability to break down the MRSA that is found in scaps. When turmeric is ingested the anti-bacterial elements help towards boosting your immune system. Anti-oxidant The anti-oxidant in the Curcumin protects our bodies from free-radicals and stimulates the body’s own antioxidant enzyme. Anti-inflammatory Anti-inflammatory can help with conditions which involve chronic inflammation such as: heart disease and cancer cells and Alzheimer’s. Studies suggest that it can inhibit the growth of blood vessels and metastasis within cancer.
This is always one of the most difficult questions to answer, as everyone responds to treatment differently. Honestly, I would say to expect to be coming for weekly appointments for somewhere between 4 to 8 weeks. What we are aiming to achieve in this period, is a remission of your particular symptoms for a full week. At what ever stage that happens, I would then suggest you drop down to fortnightly appointments.
What is the sensation you feel? The Chinese refer to the aching/pulling feeling experienced during acupuncture as “deqi”. They say it is evidence of the activation of the energy channel and is therefore a sign that the needle is correctly located. So far western medical science has not been able to explain it. It can sometimes feel like a ‘nerve’ related sensation and it does seem likely that acupuncture works on the nervous system in some way, but as yet studies have not concluded a direct connection between nerve stimulation and deqi.
What if the problem comes back? As I explained in the answer to the question “How many sessions will I need?” Initially, in the first few weeks of treatment your problem is likely to gradually come back as the week goes on. This is normal as your body is working to re-establish a healthy balance. Fortunately, acupuncture is very helpful in making us more resilient to these set backs. Our systems become much more adept at ‘bouncing back’ and getting over problems that may previously have knocked us for six.
All information sourced from Torbay Acunpuncture Centre
OVERCOMING INFIDELITY For me there are two types of infidelity sexual and emotional. Emotional being a non sexual intimate relationship, which is somewhat worse to think that the person you “trust” the most is being mentally affectionate to someone other than yourself. Sexual of course is what it says on the tin - a secretive sexual relationship with someone other than your partner. Either one is mentally damming but I like to think of it as character building. A valuable lesson in worth so to speak.
The blame game When it comes to an unfaithful partner we need to look at the bigger picture. What possessed them to wonder elsewhere? Certainly not because you’re not good enough and don’t let your mind convince you otherwise. So often we blame ourselves for others actions and quite frankly it needs to stop. At the end of the day the most important person is yourself and yes be-
ing selfish is a healthy part of life. So be selfish and put yourself first. In the circumstances where you do blame yourself - stop it. This is where you need to start throwing yourself into positive situations, whether that’s meeting friends more often; or taking care of yourself a little more. It all helps.
To stay or not to stay?
In that moment staying with an unfaithful partner may seem do able. You may think to yourself “this happens to lots of couples, we can overcome this”. I hate to break it to you, you probably can’t overcome it. The trust has already been broken, don’t let yourself suffer anymore than you
have to. Believe me, suffering is all you’ll be doing. Try not to be swayed by online forums claiming that your partner cheated because you weren’t satisfying them enough, that’s bollocks. You don’t need that sort of negativity. While at the time you may feel as if the betrayal is too much to handle but we need to re-think our thought patterns with regards to overcoming infidelity. Yes I get it, your partner has been unfaithful, but why should you put your life on hold to suffer
from their wrong actions? You shouldn’t, not in the slightest. Too many people, including myself, have let the repercussions of infidelity control their mentality. When we should let it become an immediate learning curve and a token of gratitude to get away from the negative person. “We accept the love we think we deserve” So very cliché, maybe even a little cheesy. But unfortunately it’s true - and accepting
the love off of a possessive and unfaithful partner should be a crime. Not enough people realise that controlling relationships aren’t healthy and that nobody deserves it. I struggle to see why nobody is shouting it off the roof tops - it’s 2016 and people are still stuck in dreary dead end relationships.
Let’s talk about porn
“I think it’s down to personal opinions, me and my partner decided we weren’t bothered if either of us watched it now and again as we’re both aware most porn is very over-dramatised and not a real representation of intimacy or love, so doesn’t infringe on anything that we have together. We thought it would be an issue if it was regularly, especially while intimacy was lacking between us or if the porn/ sexual images were of people either of us knew”. - Meah, Devon.
Pornography is a grow-
don’t, then this is
and not an accurate
pornography is a false
secrecy involved. Some
self-esteem? We need to
in society, it is said
Every guy out there
ual intercourse. It can
feel that we’re not good
sessive addiction, in
women watch porn too…
ing obsession with-
that “each second of the day 28,258 users are watching pornography
on the internet». Now we›re all aware that porn been known to
create issues within
long term relationships. The key to keeping these contraries at bay is
communication. If your partner watches porn
on a regular basis and
where the issues lay. quakes at the thought of their partner asking if
they watch porn. They’ll probably feel the need
to lie, then back up the
many; leading to false apprehensions; selfdoubt and envy.
Creating comparison
disgusting…”. Guys save
Comparing yourself to
digging that hole. Just
doubt and makes one feel
the lines of “nah it’s yourself the effort of say yes. We know.
Is porn setting unreal-
istic standards?
if one watches porn
Most definitely. We all
claiming that they
completely dramatized
in a secretive manner
be almost deceiving for
lie with a comment along
you’re aware of it then that’s fine. However,
representation of sex-
know that pornography is
others can cause selfinsecure and inept.
These porn stars are
representation yet still enough. Our envy and
jealously can contribute to the upheaval about
porn in relationships -
but your partner is with you because they adore you. Don’t let porn
shift that knowledge. Does it destroy trust in relationships?
body beautiful and per-
With regards to unreal-
does not define our per-
self-doubt then yes por-
fectly intact but that ception of perfection! Realistically we know
the drill, we understand
istic standards causing
nography does damage the trust in relationships
- especially if there is
people behold an ob-
fact, 56% of relation-
ships involve one part-
understand that some Double standards!
ner having an “obsessive
“Lying about not do-
ic content which can
that’s when it bothered
interest” in pornographcause a strain on their intimate relationship
ing made it worse, and me more.” - Student
with their partner.
Porn is a significant
everything in moderation
ciety whether we like it
Don’t be that person,
you know. I struggle to understand why men get
all the slack for won-
dering onto porn sites, causing an upheaval for a women’s self-esteem
etc etc. Whilst that may be true, what about guys
part of contemporary soor not. It’s not brushed under the carpet or hid on the top shelf, it’s easily accessible so
there’s no stopping it. Accept it and be honest about it; it takes two to tango and all.
INFATUATION
FOR THE
FICKLE HEARTED
Whilst the word itself may be simply defined as being “inspired with an intense but short-lived passion or admiration”. Infatuation is a more complex and brain frying process of confusion. Trying to differentiate between love; lust and infatuation feels similar to walking through quicksand with your legs tied together. Fairly frustrating and almost impossible. Infatuation is an immediate process of attraction. To me infatuation is a combination of physical attraction and letting your mind create the personality - usually completely incorrect and a fragment of your hopeful imagination. That’s rule one. Don’t paint pictures in your head, so often it leads to disappointment. It’s a cruel process of elimination - 60% of you wants to carry on thinking of that person and 40% knows you’ve got your head so far in the clouds that you’ve forgotten about all responsibilities. Think of infatuation as one big idea that tries to ruin your life. My pessimism is seeping through here purely because I believe infatuation is being in love with the idea of something; there’s little evidence of progression. Whilst being infatuated the fear of unpredictability is profound.