Welcome To The Home Of Simply Natural Health & Homebrew

We are an Independent retailer and that is good news for you, as it allows us to stock great products giving you a wide choice and a quality that can be relied on and trusted. A lot of our products are not stocked by large multiples because our suppliers want their products to be sold in establishments were people can get good advice from trained staff and so give you the customer an informed choice.

Here at Simply Natural we pride ourselves on customer satisfaction....remember you are not just a number to us!

HAYFEVER

With the seasons changing and the clocks going forward we can now start to look forward to the warmer weather hopefully. A much needed boost after the dreary winter months. However for some people (over 10 million) the spring/summer months can bring with it misery in the way of sneezing, itching eyes, dry throats, blocked sinuses or runny noses. Just some of the symptoms of hay fever caused by the body's immune system over reacting to things like grasses and tree pollens.

Homeopathic remedies are usually quite effective for a lot of people with these symptoms and although you can get specific ones like Euphrasia for watery eyes if that is all you suffer from, I find the Mixed Pollen to be effective if you have a few different types of symptoms. This is because it is made up of numerous types of grass, tree and flower pollens. New Era also do a hay fever remedy that is popular especially if you suffer from allergic Rhinitis aswell.Local honey is a popular remedy and this works similar to the mixed pollen, it is however quite hard to get hold of so if you see it at the side of the road or in a small local shop I suggest you stop and get some. You should really be taking it from now if you can but if not the bees should be about in May providing it's not too wet.

Some people prefer to take Echinacea and Garlic to ward off their symptoms as Echinacea can help encourage the body's immune system to work properly and Garlic is great for the catarrh helping to break it up, You can get this in a combination by Allerclear.Luffa is also a herbal remedy successfully used by hay fever sufferers as well as people with pet allergies.
People like to take these kind of products as they do not get the side effects associated with pharmaceutical drugs like tiredness, and also because Herbal are gentle and will mix with a large range of medication.
Let's face it we don't get that much summer in this country so let's enjoy it and get out there.

Focus on Pycnogenol

Pycnogenol is a unique natural plant extract made from the bark of the French maritime pine tree,Which grow in western France were the forest is free of fertilizers and pesticides.
Pycnogenol is known as an antioxidant which are responsible in the body for fighting free radicals,It has been shown to be 50 times stronger than Vitamin E and up to 20 times stronger than Vitamin C (also antioxidants) and also has the ability to help the body recycle these vitamins to get the maximum use of them.
Many research studies have shown it to be helpful in maintaining healthy circulation by neutralising free radicals in the blood stream and preventing radical build up,thus keeping blood vessels and veins healthy.
Other uses are in skincare with Pycnogenol helping with skin elasticity and smoothness during the aging process (less wrinkles!) and protection for the skin against the suns harmful effects.
It is also known to reduce inflammation and restore and maintain joint flexibility by inhibiting certain enzymes that can degrade collagen and elastin in the connective tissue.
Allergy and Hayfever sufferers have found it beneficial due to its ability to inhibit the formulation of histamine responsible for causing reactions.
These are just some of Pycnogenols benefits in the body by an extract which has been researched for over thirty years and would be ideal to take along side your daily multivitamin.

California Connoisseur

I Have just made one of the California Connoisseur wine kits (have to try these kits so we can give you an honest feed back,difficult I know) and are very pleased with the result.
The kit comes with all the ingredients you need,no sugar required here as it is made with grape concentrate which gives a much improved flavour.It is also very easy to do but does take 4 weeks rather than those express kits you can do in a week.
Basic instructions
Sterilize all your equipment
Pour grape juice into fermentor and rinse out its bag with some warm water.(500ml)
To 100ml hot water add packet Bentonite(supplied) dissolve and add to fermentor
Add cool water to fermentor depending on size of kit and stir well.
Add wine yeast (supplied) and follow instructions on packet.
Leave in warm place (with wine lock) to ferment for about 7 days.
When fermentation is complete syphon off the wine into a second fermentor leaving the sediment behind.Re fit wine lock and leave in a warm place for 12 days.
All fermentation should now be complete
Syphon the wine into sterilized fermentor and add Potassium metabisulphite (supplied) into wine and mix thoroughly.Stir wine to release unwanted carbon dioxide gas.
Over next 2 days stir wine several times
To 60ml warm water add Potassium sorbate (supplied)stir and dissolve then add to wine and mix thoroughly.
Add finings (supplied)and again stir thoroughly.
Leave wine to clear for about 6 days
Wine should now be ready to bottle (28 days approx from start to finish)
This wine can now be drunk and tastes very acceptable but should improve if left to mature.
We have drunk a bottle and find it very smooth and are rather impressed as its the first kit we have made (Shaun is used to making beer!) but are keeping the rest for a month or two to bring out at our first barbie of the year .....weather permitting as to when.