Flying Stars Forecast for June

Some truly lovely energy in the Centre Palace this month with the combination called ‘Young Romance’ taking up residence. This combination of influences sees the Trigram for Youngest Daughter, Star 7, meeting the Trigram for Youngest Son, Star 8. These two energies bring together Joy and Stillness. Nice hey…

The good stuff continues to flow on through the West, and NW sectors and a potentially helpful situation in the NE...but it is a bit of a month to beware of potential conflict and brush up on those diplomacy skills,...and deep breathing.

Lets get the potential irritations out of our way first, and that will leave some lovely things to talk about at the end of the forecast ;)

East has the combination that can leave people in Authority positions feeling disillusioned, resentful or just bring one massive ‘headache’ due to too much going on. The 5 Star links up with the Star 6 related to the Head and Lungs, so it is also a situation where illness can creep in for the Authority personalities in a family situation. Hyperventilation and Headaches can be a result of an active Star 5,6 combo, but the remedy is as easy as supporting the Star 6 with a good dose of Metal energy. Use White, Gold, Silver, or iridescent colours (like a dragonfly’s wings) in beautiful curved or globular shapes.

Southeast and the Growth and Wealth sector is potentially a source of tension and fighting. Don’t continue contentious conversations regarding money during June. Allow it to flow away and dissipate. Budgets and restraint are required. Metal 6 with Metal 7 means you’ll need to drain the Metal energy away with Water element. Use Blacks, Dark Blues in wavy and irregular shapes. Throw rugs and curtains are easy ways of imbuing this energy.

In the South Reputation sector there is the potential for arguments and contention. 2, 3 is known as The Fighting Bull Sha (Sha meaning unfavourable, low level energy). Remedy using Metal energy again, and avoid using this area of the building if you can. If it is a main door entry you may need to ‘up the dosage of remedy’ by installing a few different Metal agents. The Salt Water Cure is helpful for Star 2 energy if it is needed.

There is potential conflict in the North Career sector relating to two energies that are very similar fighting over resources. Learn to identify petty behanviour and call upon your Higher Self to gain a mature approach to any issues arising concerning your Career or Life Purpose aspects. Acting in a way that will make you pride yourself on your behaviour when you look back on it, is a excellent way of setting up a fantastic Resonant Effect in this aspect of your Life. Enhance this energy combination with Pale Fire colour and soft shapes like the cherry blossom.

The Relationships sector is going through a phase of change all this year, but during June it is visited by the Passions Star 4. This energy assists with matters of Romance and Academia, promoting focus on what your true loves are. Usually the way to enhance this Star 4 is by using Pale Fire energy, however with the Star 5 in residence, the use of any Fire in the SW this year is not advisable. So instead of the usual ‘cherry blossom’ enhancer for Star 4, use apple blossom. You will still get that beautiful soft and romantic energy, but without the Fire colour. For academic pursuits simply use some essential oils like Peppermint, Spearmint, Basil, Rosemary or Fennel to help you stay focused and improve concentration.

The West has a great combination of inspirational influences with Star 9’s Vivacity & Vigour mixing it up in the Creative sector with Star 1’s Wisdom & Ideas. (Both Angel numbers, Star 1 is the Angel of Sheng Chi, and Star 9 the Angel of Vivacity) Good stuff for anyone with a career that requires a little imaginative thinking. Not just for artists, this vibe can bring in the kind of ‘brainwaves’ that make you stand out! Tweak it with Fire and Water agents, as well as some Wood and Metal to get a beautiful flow of energy going.

The NW is just glowing with potential opportunity this month having the Wealth Star 8 visit the Future Wealth Star 9 in the Progression sector! Be on the lookout to acknowledge help from a mentor, or from a source that you have been looking to for assistance. This energy responds well to Angel representations (both Star 8 and Star 9 are Angel numbers again), or you can use a beautiful Affirmation written down and placed in a prominent place in this area, to invite in more help for your endeavours. Burning sacred oils like Frankincense, Benzoin, Myrrh, Sage, Hyssop, Spikenard, Cedarwood, etc., will also create that Divine frequency allowing more flow between the ethereal realm and your reality.

The NE Contemplation sector receives the wise Star 1 this June. While this is a wonderful energy to reside in the NE to assist with contemplative times and meditations, it will not be assisted by the combination of Star 2 with it. Star 2 needs to be drained using Metal energy, or enhanced with the use of medicinal plants in this area like Tulsi Rama, Rubber Plant, Spider Fern, Boston Fern, or the Madonna (Arum) Lily.

Home Spa Salt Rub

Its time to love you.
Winter in Australia is a time of calm and peace, where the extreme Yang nature of our climate here is subdued.
It’s a time when our energy slows down, moves inwards, and in reflection, our environment has the plants looking darker shades of green; and the colours seem to be able to show off without the blinding heat of the Summer months.

There seems to be a contrasting vibrancy to the environment. Its quiet energetically, but visually its louder!
Home Spa Days can be a source of pure and necessary self indulgence, and you can often do a great job at a very low price, yet still get the maximum benefits of using holistic and natural remedies to soothe, nurture and uplift YOU.

There is just way too much ‘out there’ that demands our attention, our submission and our connections, and it rarely gives back for the amount it takes out of us. Acknowledging the need for replenishment without Guilt is a big step towards providing yourself with the support for good health.
Salt scrubs made at home are a fantastically simple and effective way of sloughing off the day, or the week, and renewing your physical, emotional and energetic body. A simple scrub using Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt will provide you with an instant ‘cleanse and clearing’ . Mixing that with a herb like Tulsi Rama, Parsley, Lavender or Chamomile (depending on what you need) is as easy as squishing it all up in a mortar and pestle (or a food processor if you want to) and applying it to wet skin with brisk rubbing motions. It sloughs off dead skin cells, removes negative energy, improves positive ions (good for health) and generally makes you feel ‘clear’.

The Feng Shui of your body is so important to your overall Feng Shui, as it is equivalent to one third of the influence on your Life Experience. Take notice of when you are feeling ‘sapped’, and restore yourself asap! Reinstate that good quality one third of energy so that it resonates into your whole life! J

Home Spa Salt Rub
60g to 80g of Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt (these contain massive amounts of trace elements and minerals essential for good health)
10 to 15 drops of your favourite soothing or calming essential oil, or a handful of your favourite healing herbs
Whizzed in a spice grinder, or ground together in a mortar and pestle till the granules are fine
Use a small teaspoon of the mixture for each major body area
Rub briskly but gently over wet skin until dissolved. Rinse off with warm water. Pat skin dry with a soft cloth.

Establishing a 'Bright Hall'

There are a few fantastic Feng Shui ‘rules’ out there that can be applied regardless of your situation right now. Establishing a Bright Hall is one of them. Contrary to the title, a Bright Hall doesn’t just mean the entrance hallway of your home. It actually refers to the whole of the Mouth of Chi...the entrance to your home or building inside and outside. This entrance is the invitation you send out to the world, and it needs to reflect the kind of energy you wish to attract. In Holistic Feng Shui this is called establishing a Resonance Effect.

A Bright Hall is typified by a few general things:

1. Natural light easily enters and moves through this area.

2. The flow of energy is unobstructed by Sha or Si energy. (low level or ‘bad’ energy)

3. It provides a feeling of welcome and well-being.

The reasons for a Bright Hall are twofold. It will encourage high quality energy towards your home, and once there, will encourage it to move in through the Mouth of Chi and nourish the building, which in turn provides high quality energy for the occupants to benefit from.

Mirrors in the Bright Hall inside work to ‘bounce energy’ around, and while functionally, they provide a place where you can check your appearance before leaving the house, they can also be used to reflect a pleasing view in the interior of the house. The use of mirrors to reflect ‘bad’ Qi out of the house is a bit of a misconception. If there is something so bad outside your front door that you don’t want it there, then a mirror ain’t really going to shift it. (as an ‘energetic stop-gap’, yes, it may help you feel that you are at least doing something) You may need to consider blocking the unfavourable thing or if possible, removing it from the Bright Hall / Mouth of Chi area altogether!

Long, straight hallways or pathways in the Bright Hall area need to be softened or gently curved so that Chi meanders from various focal points, slowing down its travel to the house and through the front door. Simply by using such energetic remedies like grouping frames on a wall, and implementing structures, like the bench-seat shown here; can slow down the flow of energy, and provide the sense of welcome and calm.

And it does not matter if your home is humble, comfortable, or modern and chic, if your Bright Hall isn’t bright, well, then the energy of your building and your own experiences suffer as a result.

The things to remember are:

· De-clutter & soften edges

· ‘Curve’ your entry energy

· Make it light

· Keep it clean & simple

· Love it!

The Feng Shui of your home is mostly made up of how you feel about it, and that resonates from how you perceive it looks. If you can follow a few simple rules regarding the Bright Hall, you’ll reap the rewards of high quality chi.

For more information about how to establish a Bright Hall at your property, you might like to consider booking a Home Chi consultation via www.HolisticTherapyConnections.com under ‘Consultations’ in the Menu.

Clearance Sale June 2010

Clearance Sale!

All 25ml Bach Flower Essences are now reduced to $10 each, that’s 20% off. All Aromatherapy Blends now only $14 each, also 20% off!

I am clearing out to make way for new products, labelling and packaging, so get in quick and grab a bargain, as there is limited stock and once its gone, its gone…

Aromatherapy and Flower Essences are being refined, and I’ll be unveiling the new range in July 2010. This means for the next month and a half you can take advantage of the same individually prepared remedies at a big discount.

Please visit the website for ingredients and descriptions…
Aromatherapy Blends on sale                                Bach Flower Remedies on sale
‘Think!’                                                                      ‘Clarity’
‘Dreaming’                                                                  ‘Sleep Well’
‘Breathing Deeply’                                                      ‘Autonomy’
‘Luscious’                                                                   ‘Restore’
‘Sleepy Time Now’                                                    ‘Rescue Remedy’
‘For The Boys’                                                           ‘Release’
‘Bravely Happy’                                                         ‘Transitioning’
‘Calm Me’
(Not available in conjunction with other discounts, sorry)

The new range of Flower Essences will include some from the Australian Bush Flower Essences (including White Light, Complimentary and Light Essences!) as well as a small and precise range of Energy Mists, combining Aromatherapy, Crystal and Flower Essences for a truly remarkable experience of healing. A select range of Crystal Essences will also be available to order individually in dosage or stock bottles.

All of my products have 

100% natural ingredients!

NO synthetic additives like colours, flavours, or preservatives, NO toxic chemicals, NO artificial sweeteners. Just pure, natural ingredients…

Packaged with environmentally friendly materials that are either upcycled, reusable or recyclable. Do your bit and don’t waste a thing.

To receive this special pricing, please email me with your order and I can send you the invoice with payment details.

Pay by credit card using PayPal secure, or via direct Bank Transfer.

Cinnamon - Healing with Comfort & Warmth

Cinnamon has been used for hundreds of years to assist with conditions that are brought by cold weather. Its natural effects of warming and calming assist with making us feel comforted, soothed and generally 'looked after'. The antiviral properties of Cinnamon are extremely useful during the 'change of season' from warm to cool and cool to warm, (that is, Autumn and Spring) but beneficial anytime for its other uses such as a digestive stimulant, or by topical application for insect stings.


It has to be amongst one of the easiest healing spices to obtain by either sourcing the bark shavings as 'quills', or the ground Cinnamon we are all probably familiar with from baking. Adding ground Cinnamon to your coffee or tea will make you feel good if you have been out in cold weather or if you've had a traumatic situation. Often the shock of extreme weather conditions or unfavourable behaviour, and sometimes even 'bad news' can affect our immune system, and this shock if not treated with a restorative therapy can bring on illness. Cinnamon is antiviral and antibacterial, as well as calming yet stimulating...so it can address shock, fright or trauma and assist with re-balancing the physical and emotional bodies. It is excellent for use with children who are feeling nauseated and / or nervous. A small shake of ground Cinnamon into a warm oatmilk (or cows milk) will help them feel better quickly.


Cinnamon Essential Oil is volatile, and will burn skin if applied directly without dilution. Using a blend of Cinnamon with Ginger in a small amount of carrier oil (Avocado, Sweet Almond, Cottonseed, Wheatgerm) will enable it to be used as a gentle massage oil for cold feet & hands, or on the back to stimulate blood flow to these areas. When used like this it can help to move congestion in the lungs, or help soothe arthritic symptoms. A simple blend to use is 15ml carrier oil with 3 drops *Cinnamon Essential Oil, and 2 drops Ginger Essential Oil. (caution: do not rub vigorously! *only gentle sweeping motions with the hands and only massage for about 30 seconds, then cover the area with a light cloth or light clothing to keep warm)
To treat someone for overt shock, or trauma from cold, run a deep lukewarm bath and add 5 drops of Cinnamon Oil and 10 drops of Rescue Remedy. Allow them to soak for around 5minutes and then assist them into light clothing and a comfortable bed.  Administer Rescue Remedy again under the tongue or in a cup of water.

Cinnamon is one of the ingredients in Chai Tea and also an ingredient in the Vital Spice Energy Mist from HolisticTherapyConnections.com.

sources: The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants by Andrew Chevelier

Where are your purchases taking you?

Over the last few years I know my perspective on what and how I spend my money has undergone a huge shift, but it seems that in a world that has gone consumerism crazy, the reason for spending our money is changing. There seems to be a misconception on what 'good value for money' IS.

No longer just on the lookout for a bargain, I now question how the product was made and what impact it had on the planet to make it AND get it to me. This leads to issues relating to Fair Trade, child labour, slave labour, excessive transport, pollution, synthetic additives, environmental consciousness, truth in labelling and much more.

I'm not content just to get something 'cheap' anymore, I want it to be of superior value in many ways!

My food consumables I guess have undergone the most radical shift and it took the longest time too. Now I and my family are living on approximately a 80% certified organic diet. And because we have moved to using significantly more fresh produce, raw foods etc...and not prepackaged goods, we are healthier and eating 'less', which is of course better for our budget.

I'd always been buying personal hygiene products that I thought were 'safe', 'eco-friendly' and 'natural', but when I looked closer I found that what I was buying were in no way any of the things they were promoting themselves to be. So I signed up with Miessence, and now I get all my personal hygiene products, nutrition and household cleaning at near to wholesale...and I can get lovely things like organic botanical perfumes and make-up for me, and give them as presents too :)

Recently I turned to looking at buying certified organic clothes and linen. Starting small, I purchased tea towels and face cloths. They felt lovely, were of superior quality and lasted longer than anything else I'd ever bought. Right! I'd proven to myself once again that I was going in the right direction. Now I have just bought organic bamboo shirts (that are so soft and feel delicious on the skin!), sheets and pillowcases, and some babywear that has safe organic dyes used instead of synthetic chemicals.

So the answer to 'where are your purchases taking you?' for me is...to a healthier Life, a healthier purse, and a healthier environment in the long term. I feel good about spending my money, knowing that I am doing so in a Purposeful way, with the intention of promoting great health and prosperity for all. And I'm getting some seriously fabulous products that are seriously good value for money!

7 Simple, Holistic, Home Therapies for Well-Being, Relaxation and Pain Relief

This month we begin by celebrating our Mums, our ‘dominant females’ of the house, or our friends who are Mothers and carers. What a wonderful celebration of the female energy! No matter what your own relationship with your Mother is, there are probably a few women in your life who could be celebrated, pampered and appreciated for what they do. And being a Mum is very tough sometimes. There isn’t an easy way to explain just how you get through the enormous list of tasks that need to be completed each day, and night, when you become ‘Mother’. It is truly perpetual. It’s the most difficult ‘job’ you could imagine doing, and it holds the most potent rewards as well.

I’m a Mother of three home educated children aged 1 to 10, operate my own consultancy, and am rarely ill. I wanted to share a few of the remedies I use, sometimes daily, to allow me to keep on going, enjoy life and get through this intense time.

So how do I do it?! Simply, I take care of me at any and every opportunity I get. And yes, these opportunities can be sparse in some weeks, but it is about being conscious of my Body, Mind and Spirit, and regularly ‘checking in’ to make sure all’s well….and if it isn’t, then getting some kind of therapy organised to assist with whatever has come up.

My ‘regular’ therapies for everyday use include:

• Meditation / Contemplation / Affirmation / Reiki
• Acupressure
• Massage (of hands and feet, calves and forearms)
• Aromatherapy
• Sound Therapy
• Crystal Therapy
• Nutritional Boosters

1. The first one is a compilation of the one intention. That is, to Still and relax the energy body and begin any form of healing. Some people comment to me that they find meditating ‘hard’ and I would reply that there is a way that they can find to meditate that will suit them. Sometimes all it takes is a 4 to 7 minute contemplation of the garden...to allow the eyes to move over trees, shrubs, to linger on a flower or a particularly perfect leaf...and then to breathe in and slow down. This is in itself a meditation. Using an Affirmation while closing your eyes or doing a particularly banal job (scrubbing something) can also instil an Energy Signature into your energy body that can slow you down, or ‘tune up’ your frequency. If you are Reiki attuned, using the simplicity of the hands over the eyes, and then the temples, can elicit quick and effective Calm.

2. Acupressure uses the same Meridians as Acupuncture, without the needles. There are many good books out there which have some excellent diagrams so you can learn to ‘DIY’ your own Acupressure relief. It is extremely good to use for pain, cramps, distress and injuries. Once learned it is usually always remembered, and an extremely valuable skill to build upon bit by bit.

3. Massage doesn’t have to be elaborate, and the relief from massaging feet and hands after a long day can have the effect of getting a better quality of rest. (good for mummies who are up and down all night to new bubbas) Yoga has a couple of fantastic foot and hand massages that can be done at the same time. By placing the fingers of one hand into the spaces between the toes of the opposite foot, you can slowly massage the top of the toes, and the ball of the foot, while doing the fingertips and the palm at the same time!

Talk about efficient hey?

4. Aromatherapy can be utilised throughout the day for specific purpose. In the morning using a citrus base can help you wake up and feel energised and ‘switched on’. For calming and relieving headaches you can use the aromas of Lime and Orange from fresh fruit or as a drop of essential oil onto a handkerchief or wristband, and breathed in deeply until the symptoms ease. (always re-hydrate if you have a headache) In the evenings it is good to use something like Ylang Ylang, Lavender, Chamomile, Vetiver and Rosewood (or a blend of these) to help you calm and slow for sleep. (Babies being held close to Mum will get the benefit of these as well without applying anything to their sensitive skin)

I do also use incense as a form of ‘slowing down’ the energy in my home. I regularly cleanse the energy at my front door, in my office, in the kids’ playroom, even the kitchen, by burning some Frankincense, Cinnamon, or Cedar. I also use pure granulated incense like Basilica from Prinknash Abbey as it is a great way of getting the aromatherapy using a pure source.

5 .Sound Therapy would have to be the easiest one of the lot apart from the ‘garden contemplation’. Switch on something soothing, allow it to float around the house while you relax with a cuppa, do some tidying up, or play with a child on the floor. If I can, I ask someone to watch the children and put on my ipod to get a blast of Jonathan Goldman’s Tantra of Sound Harmoniser...a chakra balancing and aligning sound healing recording. Easy re-alignment for Mind, Body and Spirit! You could use any kind of soothing and quiet music to help you calm down and heal. Beautiful classical music of an instrument you like most is also a great way of relaxing, and it has the added benefit of making children quiet. My children always begin drawing or building something when I put on classical music.

6 . Crystal Therapy can be as easy as popping a Smokey Quartz into your bra and walking around with it all day long. Just ask it (direct it) to remove negative energy from stresses of any sort you encounter during the day. If you have a specific health issue you can usually find a crystal to help ameliorate it. Using a good crystal reference book like Melody Gross’ ‘Love is in the Earth’ will help you find exactly what you need…

And, there is also the much underused aspect of Crystal Essences. These can be made from nearly any crystal and is a magic way of incorporating the Energy Signature of your fave crystal. I put crystal essences in with my flower essences, or in my bath, or just in my drinking water, to help with different issues, or just as a general ‘tonic’.

7. Nutritional Boosters are my favourite as they can change the way I feel in minutes, and, if taken regularly, help to maintain my health from month to month. I use raw boosters wherever possible, and certified organic products so that I am not having to use up my valuable energy detoxifying anything ‘extra’ from my system.

My picks for nutritional boosters are: Spirulina, Chlorella, Chia Seeds, Ginger, Garlic, Chilli, Basil, Parsley, Thyme, Oregano, Amaranth, Raw Cacao, blueberries, Kefir (fermented milk) and lots of premium nuts like Walnuts, Almonds, Brazils and Cashews (all raw). I personally like the convenience of using a Superfood Powder like Berry Radical from Miessence. Antioxidant too, this tub of ‘va-va-voom’ has been a saviour over and over again!

Things like the fresh organic herbs help by keeping me feeling good, they taste great too, but the also help to get rid of any internal parasites. Thyme and Oregano are particularly good for this. Spirulina and Chlorella, Chia, Ginger, Cacao, Blueberries and Kefir can all be whizzed up in a smoothie for lazy intake of a powerpacked foods. You don’t even have to chew…



And of course there is the essential intake of pure water that we need more of than we ever think we do. Water in the form of ‘hydration therapy’, can and does alleviate pain.


There are loads of easy ways to stop and relax, re-align, nourish and care for yourself and for someone special too.  

What I would suggest you do if you are tired and feeling low, is to come home and ...

• · eat a small meal
• · whiz up a Superfood smoothie
• · run a warm bath or take a cool shower
• · and spend some time with the TV off and the Sound Therapy ON
• · Wipe some Lavender (or your fave oil) onto your wrists, and breathe

And if you know of a mum who is doing it particularly tough, offer to be her eyes and ears for an hour so she can go and get some good rest...that’s real giving.

'What's Up Sweet?' from the HTCM

Nutrition has become a very important part of my life. It began with the diagnosis of my husband with a cholesterol problem after a back injury immobilised him. This was over 10years ago, and I remember the nutritionist’s advice to ‘read labels’ and take notice of the additives, and the fat and sugar levels. I remember thinking “Sugar? He’s got to watch the sugar? Why? Isn’t cholesterol a problem with fats?” But no, the kind of sugar you consume can seriously affect your health. Processed sugar (sucrose) is now the most commonly ingested sweetener, with more and more kinds of processed sweeteners, natural and synthetic, being launched onto the product shelves. When the body can make sugar from the carbohydrates it consumes anyway, the question has to be asked, ‘do we need to eat sugar?’


The physiological issues are of course Diabetes, Cholesterol (high triglyceride levels) skin problems, menstrual problems, yeast infections, and increased energy levels leading to ‘shakes’. You may hear someone say they need to have a ‘sugar-fix’ because they’ve got ‘the shakes’, but what is happening is the body is in a process of ‘coming down’ from a sugar fix….The most obvious behavioural, mental and psychological issues brought on by high sugar intake are Bi-polar disorders and varying levels of Depression, which are common side effects of the body’s own balancing act.

The role of insulin in the body is to regulate the blood sugar levels, and when we have had a huge ‘hit’ of sugar, our body naturally injects a huge burst of insulin into the bloodstream to counteract the massive mental ‘high’ from the sugar. When the body is subjected to this kind of treatment over and over again, several times a day, everyday, it can cause serious problems in a short amount of time. Our brains get the effect of the endorphin rush from the injection of insulin, and this makes us feel ‘up’. It’s a mood enhancer. When this kind of action is being taken over and over again, it represses the ability of the brain to make endorphins, and this can lead to long term and deep depressive states...or the addiction to sugar intake as a way to feel good. Yet while sugar will make you feel good quickly, it is short lived in the body, and the insulin ‘downer’ will be active long after the sugar high is gone.

So what sugar is good sugar?

Natural sugars that occur in fruits and vegetables are easily processed by the body, and it usually takes a huge amount of these foods to produce the kind of effects that come from a comparatively small amount of processed sugar. For this reason it is always preferable to have small amounts of naturally occurring sugar over any kind of processed sugar.

The reason for this is because natural sugars in fruit, ‘fructose’, has all its chemical bonds in place, whereas processed sugar does not. It takes a lot longer for the body to process fructose and so the energy it receives from it has a sustained release, not a quick blast.

Have you ever wondered what kind of processes and chemicals are used to produce common white sugar?

When I went to school I was taught about sugar production, as it was one of the biggest industries in Queensland. I never remember them including the bit about the chemicals added during the process...it was all explained as a ‘heating and cooling’ process...but actually, there are lots of processes the sugar cane juice goes through that I was never told about.

Firstly the sugar cane juice is mixed with lime (no, not the fruit) to get the right ph level (acidity). Through evaporation the crystals are separated and further dried. White sugar is obtained by adding sulphur dioxide to the cane juice before evaporation (this bleaches the mixture). “In the production of refined white sugar, which is the most common product in the Western world, the raw sugar syrup is mixed with a heavy syrup and run through a centrifuge again to take away the outer coating of the raw sugar crystals. Phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide are then added to the juice which then combine and absorb or trap impurities. Alternatively, carbon dioxide is used to achieve the same effect. The resulting syrup is then filtered through a bed of activated carbon to remove molasses and then crystallized a number of times under vacuum. It is then further dried to produce white refined sugar like we buy in the store.” (www.Greenlivingtips.com) That’s a fair amount of heating, whizzing, evaporating, chemical additives and more evaporating before its packaged and distributed….seems there is more to sugar than just having a little in your tea or coffee…

Apart from the physiological and psychological problems associated with high intake of processed sugar, there is the environmental issues relating to sugar cane farms. Toxic chemical run-off and overspray from pesticides and herbicides as well as fertilisers, is a major pollutant for the surrounding areas. This is all before the sugar cane area has been delineated, cleared (felling natural vegetation and habitat), planted, fertilised, sprayed, and then burnt off for harvesting…These points are in need of considering, if we, as a society want to do all we can to promote a world that our children’s children can inherit. Obtaining certified organic cane sugar can at least give you the peace of mind that your sweet tooth is not causing overt pollution, however, the best thing to do would be to dramatically cut down or avoid processed sugar. There are alternatives out there, and they’re natural, and they’re better for you.


I am a recovering sugar addict, who, like so many others who stumble out of the daze of sugar addiction, wants to shout it out to the world about how good it feels to be processed sugar free! Apologies to those who are enjoying their sugar fixes though...I do ‘get’ where you’re at. For help with getting off the processed sugar roundabout, you might like to consider a ‘My Chi’ consultation which can address this as one of your Key Issues. http://www.holistictherapyconnections.com/jthtcmychi.html ~ Jannette Tibbs 

PS: next month we’ll have a look at the alternatives to using ‘sugar’.