Author: Scott & Rhonda

A bit about the Vagus Nerve

Today’s post is about the vagus nerve, an integral part of the body’s nervous system.

So, what is it and what does it do?

The Vagus nerve, or wanderer nerve, is classed as the tenth cranial nerve. It is the longest and most complex of the cranial nerves. Running from the brain, through the neck and down to the abdomen it connects to all the vital organs, making it an integral part of the autonomic nervous system. This means that it takes care of the things that we don’t think about, like heart rate and sweating. As one of the main connections between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract, it also sends information about the state of the inner organs to the brain. It’s fair to say that it has its hand in almost every function of the human body and yet it is hardly ever spoken about in medical circles.

What can stem from the vagus nerve being out of tune?

This nerve is part of the major information network of the body, so it is easy to see how an imbalance can contribute to some health issues. Digestion, blood pressure and mood issues are the most commonly recognised to be linked with the vagus nerve system. However, there are some conditions that are less common, like the effect on skin sensations, mucous production, swallowing ability and immune response.

There are several conditions including acid reflux and bloating, to dizziness, mood or swallowing problems or even high blood pressure, that could be linked to issues with the vagus nerve system.

Fortunately, the vagus nerve is self-regulating and with some stimulation, it can reset itself to optimal functioning.

How is the vagus nerve helped to reset?

Researchers are studying vagus nerve stimulation as a potential treatment for a variety of conditions. Some of them include treating depression, helping to regulate emotions, reducing blood pressure and heart rate, as well as, treating headaches and migraines.

Nerve stimulation can be done in many ways, including surgery, where a small device is implanted to provide electrical stimulation directly to the nerve. It works by sending stimulation to the areas of the brain that lead to seizures and affect mood.

Of course, we don’t all want or need surgery, so there are easier, daily practices to keep the nerve in peak form. These include meditation or mindfulness practice, singing out loud (although gargling has the same effect if singing is not your thing). Taking probiotics will be helpful as well, due to this nerve also being linked to the gut microbiome. Other ways are exercise and massage and listening to uplifting music. Another technique is cold-water emersion and an easy way to do this is by using only cold water for the last 30 seconds of your daily shower.

 

If you think that you would like to know more about this system and how it may be affecting your body, talk to your chosen health professional.

We hope you have found this information interesting,

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper.

Reference sources – Britannica – National Library of Medicine –

About the Bael Flower

Todays post is about the Bael flower.

I was recently reading the box of 1 of my favourite teas and saw that these flowers were 1 of the ingredients. I had never heard of this flower, so decided to research it and as usual, I am sharing what I found.

What is Bael ?

The Bael tree or Aegle marmelos is a deciduous  shrub or small to medium-sized tree that can grow up to 13 metres tall. The flowers are small, pale green or yellowish and sweetly scented.

The Aegle marmelos is most commonly known as Bael. However, around the world it is also known as Bengal quince, golden apple, Japanese bitter orange, stone apple or wood apple. It is a species of tree native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The plant is also considered to be sacred by Hindus and Buddhists.

It seems that it is most prized for its fruit. The fruit has a hard, woody shell that is smooth and greenish grey. When fully ripe the shell turns yellow or golden orange. Inside is a fibrous yellow pulp has been described as tasting of marmalade and smelling of roses.

Bael and health benefits

I found many references relating to the health benefits and uses for the Bael fruit. It seems that for centuries the fruit has been used for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and laxative properties. Herbal medicinal preparations of the Bael plant have been used as a laxative and to treat chronic diarrhoea, dysentery, peptic ulcers and respiratory ailments.

Most of the preparations are made from the fruit, though the bark and leaves of the plant are also used.

The flowers are also recorded to be beneficial to health. The flower has some antiseptic, as well as,  astringent properties and have been used in treating epilepsy. A preparation known as Marmala water, created from the flower, has been found helpful in curing conjunctivitis. Bael flower extract has also been successful in tests for wound healing properties.

The flowers and tea

Often the flowers are used as an aromatic addition to specialty teas. As a herbal remedy, a drink made by brewing the flowers alone, is traditionally used to relieve gastro-intestinal conditions & indigestion. It is also used for treating asthma and malaria.

 

So, there we have it, a flower that is added to tea to help with its smell, could also be providing some assistance (though very small) with the health of the intestinal system.

 

I hope you found this information interesting,

till the next post,

Live Clean n Prosper

Sources – Wikipedia – Hindawi – Science Direct – WebMD –

Vegetarian Lasagne

Today I’m going to share a great vegetarian lasagne recipe I found in an old Australian Healthy Food magazine.

We have just returned from a quick get-away in Melbourne. The food at all the little cafés and restaurants is always great.

We went to this out of the way little Italian place and had the best lasagne and tortellini. Though these were not vegetarian dishes it did remind me of this recipe and I thought I would share it.

This Vegetarian Lentil and Ricotta lasagne is full of flavour, quite filling and is a great way to get more vegetables into your diet. I halved the below recipe and it fed 2 people for 2 nights.

Vegetarian Red Lentil and Ricotta Lasagne.

Ingredients

½ cup red lentils

2 teaspoon Olive oil

3 garlic cloves – crushed

1 large onion – chopped

1 small red capsicum (**I left this out as we don’t like capsicum)

**I added sliced mushrooms instead

2 zucchinis – sliced

1 stalk celery – sliced

2 x 420g cans diced tomatoes

2 tablespoon. tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 ½ cups ricotta cheese

12 lasagne sheets (I use Gluten Free sheets)

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

¼  cup grated parmesan cheese

 

White Sauce ingredients

1/3  cup corn flour

3 cups milk

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

 

Method

*Preheat oven to 180 c.

*Rinse the lentils then put them in a pan with enough boiling water to cover them. Simmer for 30 minutes then drain.

*Heat oil in a large pan and add garlic & onion. Cook for approx. 2 minutes. Add the celery, capsicum and zucchini and cook for 2 -3 minutes.

*Add lentils, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and 1 ½ cups water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for approx. 30 minutes.

*Meanwhile make the White Sauce.

*Mixing the corn flour with 2 tablespoons of milk until smooth. Pour into a saucepan with remaining milk and stir over low heat until the mixture thickens. Add the nutmeg and add pepper to taste.

*Put the ricotta into a bowl and mix in ½ cup of white sauce.

*Spread a layer of tomato lentil mixture over the base of your lasagna dish. Then put a layer of lasagna sheet. Add another layer of tomato lentil mixture and top with a layer of the ricotta mix.

*Keep layering the lasagna sheets and then tomato and ricotta layers till done.

*Pour over the white sauce and sprinkle with the grated cheeses.

*Bake for an hour, covering with foil if the top starts to brown too much.

Let it stand for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy.

Till the next post,

Live Clean and Prosper