Leo Adeline grew up farming on the island of Praslin in Seychelles. He was formally educated in Education and taught for many years. He also managed the landscaping project for the beautification of the island ' see photographs alongside this story. This greenman's heart always belonged to the earth and eventually he focused solely on his organic farm. Leo built a wooden house for his South African wife Jolan, artist from Durban. She integrated passionately into the project, and was blessed with his son David.
A mother of a Stellenbosch student, who asked to remain anonymous, had noticed her daughter's ill health ever since studying at US (University of Stellenbosch). Eventually she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She lives in a house that borders the STIAS vineyard, which was originally planned to be an organic operation. This hasn't been the case though, as there have been many poisonous pesticides in use there. Even though this student has survived her cancer, she continues to experience various symptoms of ill health ' all of which can be linked to poison sensitivity.
Backsberg has won the Sustainability Award at the inaugural Drinks Business Green Awards. The winners of this international competition were announced at an awards ceremony in London. Louise Wishart, marketing manager of our UK importer, Ellis of Richmond, was there to receive the award on their behalf.
The South African Rooibos Council celebrated the second anniversary of its Rooibos biodiversity initiative at a recent Biodiversity Information Day, held near Clanwilliam in the Western Cape. Representatives from various nature conservation agencies and government departments joined Rooibos farmers and other industry players to celebrate this milestone. It was an opportunity to focus on the benefits of protecting biodiversity, as well as the progress made with biodiversity-friendly Rooibos farming. The event was hosted in partnership with GreenChoice, a business and conservation alliance promoting sustainable agriculture.
A midleading British study had overlooked the last 40 years of field trials and research which prove the superiority of organics and confused many consumers. It had claimed there is little benefit to eating organic food and was also aired locally in the media, but it was criticised for being methodologically flawed...
Behind the groomed Spier Estate we all know with its smooth picnic lawns and fine food, lies another world. Rolling back for hundreds of hectares is farmland going through biodynamic conversion.
There are 3 models inspiring what's happening ' Sekem in Egypt, Polyface Farm in the USA, and la Vialla in Tuscany. It's a big dream, of a major biodynamic centre producing everything from olive oil through to vegetables, cheese and meat ' inspiring and feeding people, healing the earth, and creating a sustainable farming model based on organic and biodynamic principles.
I first heard about Vredenhof from someone who'd had a heart attack and who was nourished back to health on their vegetables. His story inspired me to go and visit.
In early January my daughter and I set off on a trip to visit some of the Western Cape organic wine farms for a book I'm co-authoring.
cosmJean Franklin has worked extensively for many years in the cosmetic industry but eventually realised there was a need for chemical free products after hearing continuous complaints relating to skin allergies and skin sensitivity which are on the increase!
That was six years ago when she got to work with an experienced research and development team and developed HerbAfrique, a scientifically formulated herbal product skin care and treatment range which is totally home grown. She calls it 'Nature's 911' in health and herbs!!
Looking back at the Victorian era it's striking how beautifully smooth these ladies and gentlemen's skin were. Notice the glowing hair? Perhaps less toxins were present in the air and water at that time, but they definitely also had a recipe for success when it comes to skin and hair products.
The use of cosmetics has become a daily routine, so much so that often we apply beauty products without reading the labels. Even if we did have a peek at the ingredients in our products, most of us wouldn't know what they were. The list of ingredients is often a reminder of how complicated those chemistry lessons were. Even if we can pronounce the chemicals correctly, how many of you actually know what effect each of them has on the body?
If you'd like to try out some truly friendly and green goodies, today's your lucky day as we're giving away a couple of great hampers from reputable green suppliers.
Any dis-ease or disorder in the body is caused by internal or external stressors which come from many sources such as toxicity, trauma, pathogens, emotional factors (fear, anxiety, anger), pollution, poor nutrition, heredity factors, poor living conditions, lifestyle issues, lack of sleep, overwork, stress and environmental changes (temperature, altitude, damp, dryness, etc.) The symptoms that we see or feel are the body's efforts to heal itself.
Nux Vom is often called the workaholic's or 21st century remedy, and is especially suited to someone with a 'Type A' personality. In homeopathy we name a patient by the remedy that most closely fits a person's picture of emotional and physical shortcomings, failings, weaknesses, limitations and infirmities. Therefore, when we talk about a 'Nux Vom' person, we are talking about a person who would most benefit from this remedy.
A headache is generally understood as a pain somewhere on the head, and most people turn to a 'one size-fits-all' medication for help, such as paracetamol, aspirin, codein or brufen, regardless of the nature of the headache.
Many people struggle with colds and flu during the winter months. This is unnecessary, if you know how to naturally boost your body's own defence mechanisms to keep you healthy and strong.
'Being in powerful landscapes slows one down to take in the breathtaking scenery and the details of a wild flower. This renews our energy for life, with its unpredictable turns.' Every second Sunday Iain Macdonald sets off with a group of about 20 people on a 5-hour walk through the mountains around Cape Town. 'These are walks, not hikes,' he clarified, 'the intent is to let nature regenerate you. For that you have to slow down and be present.' Why are they called Awakening Intuition Walks? 'For me the word intuition is made up of 'in' and 'tuition,' literally meaning 'inner teacher.' My aim is to promote a connection with that inner source through being in nature. Nature offers the perfect ground for attunement within.' Iain started this service 5 years ago, combining a lifelong interest in intuition with love of the outdoors and an interest in meeting people.
what plant does canola oil come from, and is the oil healthy?
Canola derives from the rapeseed plant ' hence the controversy because rapeseed produces toxic oil with a high level of a dangerous fatty acid. The latter is an industrial oil and is poisonous to living things; apparently even insects won't eat it. As the original crop grown in Canada was too toxic for consumption, the rapeseed plant was hybridised to produce crops with lower acid levels and a better nutritional profile. The name 'canola' (Canadian oil, low acid) was created to reflect this; it is also more marketing-friendly. Today it is grown extensively in Canada and the USA and is largely genetically modified.
A reader asked why Sally-Ann recommended the use of fish oil rather than flax oil to supplement your body's omega resources. Here is her answer'
