Health Question Time 4 - Sleep Problems

We are very excited to be hosting Health Question Time 4 on Monday 11th July at 1pm at the Culm Valley Integrated Centre for Health. The topic is sleep problems and the panel (who are all expert Health Question Timers) are as follows:


Helen Farrell - Counsellor and Chair
Sarah Hewlett - Reflexologist and acupressure practitioner
Dr James Rowbury - GP at College Surgery
Fraser Perman - Pharmacist


I will of course let you know how it went...


If you would like to know more about self care opportunities for sleep problems take a look at the self care library.

Health Question Time 3 - STRESS & ANXIETY

on Monday 28th February at 6pm (or 5:45pm for a cup of tea first) at College Surgery. 


If you would like a free ticket or more details of our Health Question Time either pop into Cafe Sustain, email me, speak to Ruth Tucker or ring on 01884 831300 and ask for the cafe.

The Third Health Question Time on BACK PAIN

Another great success and this time we recorded the whole session so if you were anable to come on the night, please contact us and we can organise an opportunity to view the recording. Our physiotherapist, Sue Keers, and osteopath, Jonathan Boxall, had plenty of advice on keeping your back healthy and preventative measures as well as explaining the reasons for giving the advice they do. I am so much more willing to exercise or stretch if I understand the positive effect it has on me! GP, James Rowbury, and pharmacist, Fraser Perman, explained about pain-killers and the different effects on the body and when to take what.

There is also a buzz from Patients' Group who would like to follow up the event with some information on their website and a display of equipment available to help with back pain. For more information please contact us. 

The 2nd Health Question Time on Back Pain

Ruth Tucker and I have a limited number of tickets left for the Back Pain Health Question Time. If you would like a ticket or two, ring the cafe on 01884 831300 (do ask to be put through to the cafe). Tickets can be collected on the night.

Coeliac's Cookery Course

Jan and I first met John Crompton and his wife when he popped into the cafe. We were chatting and discovered John is a chef with lots of special interests. One of which is recipes for coeliacs. John was busy with his business 'Cromptons Kitchen' but promised he would come back to the cafe to talk further when he could...and he did!

We met on Monday and have planned for John to come to the cafe to run an evening workshop where he will make gluten free savoury and sweet dishes from scratch with taste fabulous. Coeliacs don't have to settle for second best when it comes to the taste of their food. John will be making profiteroles and chocolate cake amongst other things. On his website it says,

John, who is an Artisan Salt Blender and a member of the Craft Guild of Chefs, has always stood by the maxim that "cooking is a marriage of flavours", and his aim has been to reproduce this belief in his blends.

So if you would like to book a place on John's subsidised course on Wednesday 16th February from 5:45-8:00 pm at Cafe Sustain, pop into the cafe or speak to Ruth Tucker.

KCIP Meeting - Building a Community Network

Thank you to everyone who came to the meeting in the cafe this morning, you gave us so many helpful ideas and we are looking forward to building a community network with you. It is an exciting prospect to be involved in building a network for high quality community resources within Cullompton and the surrounding areas and it is not difficult as there are so many fantastic organisations working hard in the area. This morning we were proposing an idea and it seemed to go down well. The group tweeked and improved things and we now have a 'new and improved' model. If you are involved in a community group and would like to know more about what we are doing, please get in touch.

Living Medicine - Alex Laird's Workshop

Medicinal Foods for Energy and Weight Loss Handout
Addes 24th November 2010...
This is my Greek Salad inspired Alex meal. 

It is a mixture of grains cooked as before, roast vegetables, fresh tomatoes and feta in a warm oregano, cider vinegar and olive oil  dressing.


Added 22nd November 2010...Ok Lottie and I have a new favourite Alex adapted recipe...

Now this might not look amazing but in the photo but this was the yummiest supper we've had in ages. So good it required a high-five between the chefs. It is our grainy mixure a la Alex, grilled mushroom with rosemary and butter, and Pipers Farm steak in homemade sticky sauce (3tbsp sunflower oil, 2tbsp soya sauce, 1tbsp Dijon mustard and 2 tbsp honey). Bit of a treat but so so good. We both had our special breakfast (see below) and Lottie was sure she wasn't as hungry when lunchtime arrived and thought it would be a good idea if she had some of the oatmeal mix after school sprinkled on her chocolate cake. I suggested it might be better in yoghurt and she agreed.

Added 21st Novemeber 2010...Well Alex has caused quite a stir with her workshops. I bumped into one course attendee on the way back from buying my ingredients and she had put what she learnt into practice with her whole family, I know Emma is trying things out because I see her progress on Facebook, Andi has written comments below and so it must have had a positive impact on her and I am well and truely on the way to eating better. What we are all amazed by is that a short session with Alex who taught us three simple recipes could have such an impact so quickly. I have found a breakfast that not only to I really enjoy but it is fun to make and it's doing me good. I have frozen raspberries in the freezer and I warm them in the microwave, spoon on organic plain yoghurt and then put 4 spoonfuls of my 'Alex mix' on the top. I don't have those mid-morning sugar cravings any more.

The salad and grain recipe are so simple and easily adaptable. I have put all my grains and pulses into jars so I pick and mix which makes it good fun and when Lottie (my little one) and I make dinner tonight it will be fun for her too as she can do the choosing. The grains are put into a pan with sliced root ginger, herbs (I love rosemary), garlic (unpealed), peppercorns and water and boiled gently until cooked. Then you use that as your staple. On Friday I mixed mine with tinned mackeral, Alex's beetroot salad, rocket and covered in dressing as an emergency supper after a long drive then yesterday I had it with sausages, sweet chilli sauce and left over roast vegetables. Tonight we are going to have it with thai curry paste and yoghurt. I am not sure what Alex would make of the mixing and additions but I will await her feedback.


I wasn't so keen on the seaweed and I have a lothing of bananas but I think that's ok. The point is that I am now eating fabulous things that make me feel so much better, they taste better than what I was eating before and they are wonderfully cheap to buy! The other bonus is that I have a store cupboard of things now to make a delicious instant supper with. I am always late home to an empty fridge but now I can always knock something up. Clever Alex and smug Joey. If this isn't very well explained and you would like to know more, email me. We can cook together at the cafe and I can do my best to show you what Alex showed us at her workshop. Or go to http://www.livingmedicine.org/ click on 'news and events' and then go to 'Foods for Energy and Weight Loss' and look at the notes.


This afternoon and tonight's course were excellent and I will tell you all about it at the weekend as it is too late in the evening to make any real sense and I am of to a conference for the next two days but I have put a link to the handout above and photos below.

Herb of the Month

This month's Herb of the Month is Rosehip. Please take a moment to read Helen's Living Medicine board in the entrance of the Culm Valley Integrated Centre for Health. Also take a moment to find out how the cafe team are using the herb of the month in the cafe.

The Herb  of the Month board at the
Culm Valley Integrated Centre for Health

Wednesday's Course

We still have a couple of place left for Wednesday's course in the evening. The daytime one is full.

Alex Laird, Living Medicine, has kindly agreed to come down from London to run two sessions at the cafe.

Plants to Combat Coughs, Colds and Sneezes

Helen Kearney, Living Medicine, ran a fantastic session at the cafe on Wednesday night. The course tonight was excellent. I have lots to tell you about it but will do so tomorrow. Tonight I have a new blend of tea to drink, onion syrup to try and a mustard food bath to get my feet into!

This is Helen Kearney



Making Onion Syrup (for productive coughs) by layering onions, garlic and sugar.



Leave overnight and strain the syrup into a clean jar. Store in the fridge. 

We made our own teas by mixing the herbs. Helen labelled each herb with its uses. I made a rose, calendula and lime tea.

Etoille tested Helen's thyme and licorice syrup and her wild cherry bark syrup.

Non Shaw's fabulous poster

Our choice of herbs for tea-making

This is take two of four! Tomorrow we will show you from start to finish how to make onion syrup...

 

Helen says:

"Here is a recipe for elderberry syrup

Pick elderberries that are ripe with no signs of mold ( September to late ish October).

Using a fork remove the elderberries from their stalks.

Place elderberries in a large saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20mins.

Strain the berries through a muslin cloth, squeezing out all the juice.

Add 400g of white sugar to 600ml of juice and half the juice of a lemon.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour in to hot, sterilized bottles and screw on well fitting lids.( I use passata jars, they work well as the liquid cools it contracts and forms a vacuum seal with the lid)

Un opened the syrup will keep for months. Store in the fridge when opened. Use the syrup with hot water and maybe lemon, ginger added as a winter warmer and to combat colds and flus/help relieve symptoms.

The onions from the onion syrup I added to some stewed red cabbage that I made last night and it was very good!

Two shops where you can buy loose herbs (much cheeper than supermarkets) to make teas and use in cooking are Seasons on Wells street in Exeter and Reapers in Tiverton."

Please Help Us...

We would really appreciate your thoughts on the following...

http://www.gpscl.info/

This is the link to our information leafleys that we have been creating and we would really appreciate your feedback on them. If you have a moment to take a look and leave your comments then we would really appreciate you help and support.

If you prefer to email me, please do so on joey.lee@sustaincare.net

The First Health Question Time on Tiredness & Fatigue

Tonight (8th November) we held our 1st Health Question Time upstairs at the Culm Valley Integrated Centre for Health.

The panel answered questions from the 40-strong audience on tiredness and fatigue. The opportunity to question your healthcare professionals: GP Dr Claire Matthews, Pharmacist Fraser Perman and CAM practitioner Simon Mills, with Chair Dr Michael Dixon is a new and exciting idea. And it worked. We have had so much positive feedback and everyone, the panel included, got something new from the experience. 

Dr Matthews reassured the audience that GPs are happy to see you if you feel usually tired. She talked about revising your medication with your GP if you find it is affecting your level of tiredness.

Pharmacist Fraser Perman talked about the importance of talking through the over-the-counter remedies you are taking with your GP or pharmacist if you are taking prescription medicines, as these can affect each other. He also talked through the services that pharmacists offer. 

Simon Mills told us about the wonders of cinnamon and its uses after a member of the audience told of her successes after taking a teaspoon every morning. As a result Fraser had some in his coffee this morning at the cafe. The uses of cinnamon were the talk of the cafe today. Simon also talked through what CAM practitioners can offer patients to help with tiredness and fatigue.

There were far too many gems of information to share here but I am going to list the key questions below and if you would like to know the responses given, please talk to Ruth Tucker (health facilitator) at the surgery and she can talk you through the self care opportunities available.

I feel more tired if there is dull light. Is there a reason for this?

I have had fibromyalgia and other health problems for at least 13 years, maybe longer. How can I improve the overwhelming of feeling tired all the time without reducing medication?

Is St John's Wort effective at treating fatigue?

In view of my lifestyle, why is my state of health as it is? (this question was raised by a man who gave details of his medical history)

Does the panel not think that given the current economic crisis, with subsequent cut backs and uncertainties there is inevitably going to be an increase in tiredness and fatigue at all levels? What measures, therefore, can the team suggest that the general public adopt?

I am particularly interested in any herbal remedies. Which I can take to help my fatigue?

40 year old patient had total hysterectomy -  5 years later  found low iron count (anaemia) suggested that the fatigue, joint aches and pains, breathlessness, loss of concentration, memory lapses, inability to do normal exercise programme etc. She thought was due to menopause and stress could be due to something more specific . How do we know when we should be seeking medical advice especially when symptoms could be explained as part of going through the menopause? 

The Expert Patients Programme supports living well and managing long term conditions including symptoms such as tiredness and fatigue. Do you agree that such programme are valuable?

I have tried to upload a video but it is just not happening. Please take my word for it that it was a fantastic event  and make sure you don't miss the next one. We are planning for it to be in early 2011 and the topic will be back pain. Keep popping into the cafe; ask Ruth to be on her 'contact me' list or keep logging on to the blog. 

Oooh it's getting exciting...

When you plan lots of different events and many people are involved, life becomes chaotic. Waking up in the middle of the night and scribbling things on the to do list, last minute emails, rushing to the suppliers. The list goes on. Ruth (our health facilitator) and I have done this enough times to know exactly what we need to do but our memories fail us sometimes. Not any more. Being involved in the 'Looking After Ourselves' project, we have to record everything and we like lists and systems. We are now proud 'owners' of the 'Protocol for Organising a Course'! We have written it all down in a ticklist style. We can't forget a thing! Although the list is getting longer and longer as more people want to get involved, more organisations come on board and we remember things we've overlooked at 4am.

In other words we are getting organised and organisation frees up time and with time comes creativity and with creativity comes excitement and that buzz and wow factor we always talk about. We just need to remember where we've put the list!