Health Benefits of Hemp Seed Oil

“Hemp”, a derivative of the cannabis or marijuana plant has been around for thousands of years and known to man for its medicinal properties. However, it is only now that mainstream medical organisations are taking an interest in Hemp Seed Oil commercially. In many countries, including the UK, cannabis is still an illegal drug and to those who know no better “hemp” is a dirty word. However, “hemp oil” is from the flower of the plant – not the leaf part that you can smoke.

What makes this plant so special is that it is so versatile and can be used for topical applications as well as being ingested and even vaped. By a process of washing, pressing and reduction, it is even possible to produce “hemp oil” at home or buy online from most reputable health-food stores. It can be bought in varying strengths from 1% right up to as much as 30%, which relates to the percentage of pure CBD, or Cannabinoids found in the resulting hemp oil, with CBD being the active ingredient. Commercially, available hemp oil contains none of the illegal hallucinatory THCs that make you “high”.

Hemp oil is truly a ‘superfood’! It contains amino acids, fatty acids, and globule edestin. It has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is easily digested. Listed below are just some of hemp oil’s health benefits.

1. As hemp oil contains both Omega 3 and Omega 6 as well as linolic acid it makes a wonderful, non-greasy, easily absorbed skin conditioner and is useful in the treatment of acne, eczema, psoriasis and other skin conditions.
2. It also contains ceramides which can lock in moisture and so makes it also a brilliant hair conditioner. 
3. When used as a hormone supplement, the gamma-linolic acid (GLA), also an appetite suppressant, can help reduce pain and cramp during menstruation and additionally can help you lose weight.
4. Due to the high levels of fatty acids in hemp oil that contain endocannabinoids, the oil helps to balance the immune system.
5. As a brain-booster, the fatty acids in hemp oil, when taken as a dietary supplement, help our bodies to produce myelin which acts on the central nervous system and neurons.
6. Hemp oil can help us to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering bad cholesterol and keeping our arteries clear. It also contains an anti-clotting agent so it could also be useful in helping to prevent strokes and heart attacks.
7. Improving our immune systems using hemp oil also helps us to reduce pain from arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
8. Hemp oil is rich in Vitamin E which helps to keep us healthy and feel young by reducing the anti-oxidants in our DNA.
9. The Omega 3 and endocannabinoids in hemp oil can also produce beneficial effects for sufferers of bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder (ADD), depression and anxiety.
10. It has also been suggested that hemp oil can ease the symptoms of many other diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, asthma, epilepsy, atherosclerosis, and psoriasis.

By far the most controversial claims to date have been that hemp oil can potentially be used to cure certain types of cancer. It has been claimed to have cured many people with all types of cancer from skin cancers, brain tumours, breast and prostate cancers.

There is still much research to be done into this but even Cancer Research UK acknowledge that they “have funded research into cannabinoids in the past and if any future cannabinoid research proposals meet” their “high research standards then there is no reason why they would not be funded” but that, as yet, their “lab research conducted into cannabinoids have not been conclusive enough to say that they can effectively treat cancer patients at the moment”.

The debate continues but, having had personal experience of the effects of using hemp oil balm on external cancer, I can categorically state that it worked and significantly reduced the spread of the cancer cells.

As a food supplement, hemp oil contains a complete source of protein and is ideal for use by vegans and vegetarians. However what you might not know is that is it also a great lubricant and when mixed with lemon oil makes a fantastic varnish for wood!

With all of its wonderful healing properties, hemp truly is one of Mother Earth’s greatest gifts to mankind. As always, make sure you inform your doctor before taking this.

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Remember the "cuddle hormone" for a good night's rest!

Research has shown that having a cuddle before dropping off to sleep really can guarantee you a good night's rest, but why is this so effective and what if you don't have a cuddle partner?

Well, it seems its all about the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin – also known as the “happiness hormone”. Cuddling makes us feel happy and relaxed and our brains release oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin, all of which help to stave off depression and increase our feelings of well-being and enhance our connectedness to the person we are cuddling, improving our relationship with that person.

But even more beneficial, oxytocin also helps to increase our tolerance of pain, lowers our stress and anxiety levels, lowers our blood pressure and thereby the risk of heart disease and boosts our immune systems.

Pain reduction seems to come about from the pleasure experienced from touching and being touched during a cuddle. Swedish massage, a technique that used long gliding strokes along with firm kneading has been attributed to a lowering of cytokines that cause inflammation so it may well be worth incorporating this into your cuddle routine!

Stress and anxiety levels tend to reduce during cuddling due to the release of another hormone, cortisol from the adrenal glands. As our stress levels reduce, this in turn has a beneficial effect on our blood pressure, which is reduced, thereby taking away any strain on our hearts and thus decreasing our chances of incurring heart disease.

Our immune systems are boosted by the release of chemicals into our bloodstreams and this helps us to fight infection and stay healthier for longer.

So, for a good night's sleep, take time out for a cuddle before you go to bed and if you don't have a cuddle partner, then cuddle your pet dog or cat and if that's not a possibility, a massage or even a warm bath before bed can make a difference.

You know it makes sense!

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RIP Dad - A Tribute from Your Daughter

RIP Dad

Over 55 years ago my sister Jane and I lost our Daddy for the first time. Jane was too young to remember him but I did and I struggled to recover from the loss. Three years later, Mum met “Uncle Ken”. I remember the first time we met him. Mum had arranged to pick him up at the side of the road but drove straight past him and we had to point him out to her. He was slightly bemused by the time she eventually picked him up!

“Uncle Ken” was, in my eyes, an interesting man...and clever! He could tie his shoelaces with only one hand and he could eat with using just a fork! Jane tried to copy him once and ended up throwing her peas all over the kitchen floor, much to mum's annoyance!

I remember being really impressed that he was a Scout Master and he looked very handsome in his uniform. Jane remembers him frequently chasing her down the hallway because she forgot to put her slippers on – he was always looking out for us in the best way he could.

In spite of his disabilities, he could ride a bike and drive a car and it was never an issue to him. In fact, Uncle Jim, his brother, remembers him as a teenager on a long cycle trip to Filey from Wigan. On the way back, his brakes failed and they had to find an uphill road to slow him down! It can't be easy trying to stop a runaway bike with only one good hand.

After a couple of years Mum agreed to marry him. “Uncle Ken” asked us if he could adopt us as his own. We all agreed, and so, “Uncle Ken” became “Dad”. He was a great role model. He taught us to dance and to enjoy peanut butter and blackcurrant jam butties, and he took us away on exciting holidays where we made many new friends. The highlights for me were the midnight walks hunting for glow-worms!

Growing up with a new Dad was a challenge for me! I didn't accept him as readily as Jane did and I could be quite feisty! But, in all that time we only ever had one really bad fallout. Dad always insisted on us being home by midnight and I was late getting in. We had a massive row and I called him some terrible names and told him he wasn't my Dad.

The following day Mum told me how upset he was and I felt terribly guilty and apologised to him. He forgave me but it took me many years to forgive myself.

After Jane and I had left home and Mum and Dad were both retired they went off on many wonderful holidays all over the world and no-one can say that they didn't live life to the full. Dad was also blessed with four grandchildren, Kris, Mathew, Adam and Katie, and a whole troop of great-grandchildren of whom he was very proud.

Dad hated bad language! In the 52 years they were together, Mum says Dad never, ever swore..even when it hurt! I remember when we were sat together watching TV it was three strikes and then OFF! We used to sit there with bated breath hoping that the people on the telly wouldn't swear! Eventually,Jane got so used to him saying “turn it off” that she wouldn't bother to wait for him to say it!

We almost lost Dad a couple of years ago and it was a difficult time for all of us, not least Mum, but we were all so proud when he defied all the medics by making an almost complete recovery. They said he would never walk again, but he did! And the result was a few more years of life to share with Mum and the rest of us.

Dad was a truly remarkable man! He was totally genuine, humble and compassionate, wearing his heart on his sleeve. He never got angry, despite the frustrations of being ill. He cried a lot in his later years, even when he was laughing, or especially if someone had done an act of kindness for him, or told him a sad story. Whenever he celebrated his birthdays he always said he was 39 again and Jane made him a cake with it on for his 80^th...and he cried.

Our Dad , was one of the nicest, true gentlemen you could ever hope to meet. Generous and kind. So kind in fact that once, as a child, his friend couldn't go out to play because he needed a hair cut, so, instead of waiting for his friend's mum to do it – HE did it! Needless to say, his friend's mum was not impressed!

We'll all miss him terribly, but can take comfort in knowing that he lived a good life, full of love and happiness and when his time came, it was so quick he didn't even know it.

Goodbye Dad, go on your way with love. Thank you for everything you were and for everything you did for us. We will never forget you.

Your Health - Your HIppocampus - What Is It?

No, it’s not a school for hippos! The hippocampus is a relatively tiny organ located in the brain in the region corresponding to emotions and plays a role in long-term memory storage and functions. It is part of the limbic system that controls many of our bodily functions and can be found in the temporal lobe near to the centre of the brain. All of our past memories and experiences are stored there.

Exercise can help to keep the hippocampus fit and prevent it from shrinking –as it shrinks our memories decline, as in Alzheimers and Dementia. If we were unable to create new memories, as is the case with these two diseases, we would be stuck in the past, rather like replaying old videos, over and over again, because there is no room to store new ones.

Also, when the hippocampus starts to shrink, it can lead to the onset of schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. However, all is not lost as new treatments are available that can help to reverse the shrinkage and create brand new brain cells. The process is called neurogenesis.

What can we do to protect and help regenerate the hippocampus and reduce our chances of acquiring dementia or other serious ailments in later life?

Silence is Golden – recent studies have shown that spending two hours per day in absolute silence can help to stimulate neurogenesis. This results in lower stress levels, a greater ability to focus and more creativity.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported in 2011 that Western Europeans (population 340 million) every year lost as many as one million years of healthy life due to noise. If we can cut out noise pollution this will help to release tension in our brains and bodies and our blood pressure will reduce thus lowering the likelihood of heart attacks.

Silence allows us to become more imaginative and creative by blocking out all those distracting audio inputs and external stimuli that can ultimately lead to insomnia, increased weight gain and heart disease.

So, to keep your hippocampus healthy, find yourself a tranquil spot away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and bask in the silence whenever you can.

Gum Disease and Your Health

Your mouth is one of the worst areas of your body for harbouring bacteria. Most of these 500 or so bacteria won’t harm you if you maintain a healthy oral regime but if you don’t, all kinds of illnesses can develop, as your teeth and gums begin to break down.

The earliest signs of trouble are obvious to your dentist. They will notice cavities in the teeth and receding gums that are caused by gum disease. This is caused by a build-up of plaque – a yellowish substance that sticks to your teeth and gums and causes infection. The bacteria in plaque can attack the enamel in your teeth and create holes. If not caught in time this can lead to periodontal disease which in turn results in teeth becoming loose and dropping out, due to the underlying damage to the bones that support your teeth.

One of the main forms of gum disease is Gingivitis which results in infection and swollen gums. Generally, the gums are dark red in colour rather than a healthy pink and breath can smell bad, known as halitosis. It is caused by particles of food getting stuck between the teeth and giving off, amongst other chemicals, hydrogen sulphide. Regular flossing can help to remove these particles and should be done every day.

If you have gum disease then harmful bacteria can enter your bloodstream via your mouth and depending on your immune system, can create many medical conditions and problems, which can actually reduce your immune system’s ability to protect you from serious infections.

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ght in time this can lead to periodontal disease and you could find your teeth dropping out because of underlying damage to the bones that support your teeth.

One of the main forms of gum disease is Gingivitis which results in infection and sore a swollen gums. Generally the gums are dark red in colour rather than a healthy pink and the breath can small bad. This is known as halitosis and it is caused by particles of food getting stuck between the teeth and giving off hydrogen sulphide amongst other chemicals. Regular flossing can help to remove these particles and you should floss your teeth every day.

If you have gum disease then it is highly likely that harmful bacteria can enter your bloodstream via your mouth and this can cause all kinds of medical conditions and problems, depending on how good your immune system is working. Certain medical conditions and treatments can reduce your immune systems ability to protect you from serious infections. For example, chemotherapy for cancer is known to reduce the immune systems ability to fight infection.

Here are just some of the medical conditions that have proven links to gum disease and bad oral hygiene.

Heart disease – due to narrowing of the arteries caused by a build-up of bacteria and plaque. Also, as the bacteria has a clotting agent this can cause both heart attacked and stroke.

Endocarditis – caused by bacteria getting into the inner lining of the heart and valves causing serious infection of the heart.

is really quite simple to improve your dental hygiene.

All you need to do, as well as visiting your dentist twice a year, is to brush your teeth and gums at least twice a day and floss regularly. Use mouthwash to help keep bacteria and bad breath at bay, avoid sugary foods and try to give up smoking.

Surely it's worth it for a healthier future!