Friday, March 29, 2024

HEALING HERBS: Health tips for 11-Plus takers

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WHAT VITAMINS can I give to a child who is about to write examinations in May? This question was emailed to me by a parent of a teenager. 

Children are in examination mode and many of them are feeling pressured and anxious. Fear of failure is also another factor which plays out in their minds. As a trained food and nutrition teacher and a herbal educator, I am giving my professional and personal recommendations to all parents and guardians of any students who are about to write examinations.   

I received only Grades 1s and 2s when I wrote my Caribbean Examination Council examinations while at Princess Margaret Secondary School. My mother ensured that I ate plenty of ground provisions and my vitamins came directly from the tree. They included silver sweets, lemons, grapefruit and limes. Although cornflakes and milk were available, I was fed oats, meal corn pap, linseed and sago, cream of wheat and barley porridges. These porridges were served with fresh cow’s milk. 

Fried pork and chicken, cheese, macaroni pie, potato fried chips and carbonated beverages were absent from my diet. Grated cucumber sprinkled with lime and parsley was popular and toasted salads were prized dishes. Bakes in all forms were an excellent carbohydrate base. 

I was also encouraged to do extra revision and exercise was a great part of my preparatory process. On Sundays I was given purges which included castor oil and orange or shark oil. I continue to be proud of my achievements as they magnified. Eventually, my name was engraved on the honour roll which is located in the school hall.

Fast forward this same examination experience to 2016. Children should prepare for the exams by employing the same processes which my mother implemented. However, fruits can now be made into shakes because of the introduction of the blender in more homes.

Parents can add natural vitamins and minerals by blending two carrots, one piece of watermelon and three cups of freshly squeezed orange juice and ice. They can also blend two cucumbers, two ripe golden apples and two cups of 100 per cent pomegranate juice and blend for three minutes. To assist with regular bowel movement, they can blend tamarind paste, oats, prunes and coconut water. 

Exercise is a critical part of this programme where parents must encourage children to walk around the district to assist in ridding the body of built-up stress. Parents must also read my archived articles on rosemary and cow itch as brain stimulators. 

Next week, read about more examination preparations.   

Annette Maynard-Watson, a teacher and herbal educator, may be contacted via silentdoctors@gmail.com or by telephone 250-6450.

DISCLAIMER:It is not our intention to prescribe or make specific claims for any products. Any attempts to diagnose or treat real illness should come under the direccton of your health care provider.

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