1. Have a neatly mowed lawn and a tidy site. Give it the appearance of being low maintenance and productive by planting easy-care fruit/nut trees and shrubs.
If you live in a frost-free area put a money plant at your front door to attract wealth into your home.

2. Have a covered area that provides shade when it’s hot and protection when it’s wet. A space attached to the house that acts as an additional room is a bonus. For example, if you live in a villa the indoor/outdoor area will be the veranda.

3. Within the home we suggest multi-purpose spaces i.e. dual purpose rooms such as a guest room also used for crafts or a spare bedroom that can double as a second entertainment room.

4. An adaptable nook for a computer, meal planning or where children can do homework is useful. Ideally the small desk space would be positioned close to the kitchen, the heart of the home.

5. A window seat providing additional storage and, if correctly placed, giving a warm spot to sit in the sun is a bonus. It also lets in extra light and may allow for expanded views.

6. Consider the ceiling. If it’s dark it closes in the space. Paint it white to reflect light. If you have a ceiling with high trusses make this a feature with the addition of decorative lighting.

When visiting Open Homes to assess other properties make time to talk with the Estate Agent. Being informed will help to keep you ahead.

Thank you,
Betty

Using a glass container with a mesh top, put a handful of seeds into your jar and cover with water overnight. Next morning pour off the water and rinse the seeds. Continue rinsing every morning and evening until your sprouted greens are ready to be eaten; usually three or more days.

Another option is to grow the beans/peas in a shallow container using a thin layer of potting mix. Start by soaking the seeds for 24 hours before spreading on the mix. Spray with water at least three times daily and as they mature cut the tops using scissors. Some choices include Whero peas, Sweet Basil and spicy Daikon Radish. These nutritious and sweet little leaves give salads and sandwiches a taste explosion, reducing the need to add dressings.

On your doorstep a productive container with a tripod could grow acid-free tomatoes, Black Beauty courgettes or Lebanese cucumbers during warmer weather. Beans are also rewarding. Alternatively, a lemon in a large pottery container (which holds more moisture) looks attractive.

Growing your own food is extra fresh and well worth the effort!

Thank you,
Betty

If you are middle aged we suggest you prepare a raised bed or two; it’s a great way to reduce the strains of bending.
My friends have raised planters 2m long, 1m wide and 1/2 metre high. They are north facing, made from pallets and lined with weed mat then filled with compost.

A basic summer vegetable garden might include parsley/favourite herbs, Asian greens, runner beans, onions/shallots or leeks, cucumber, courgettes, tomatoes . . .the vegetables you prefer.
In winter you may grow broccoli, carrots, and other favoured root vegetables for soup and roasts.

If you have the space plant trees and shrubs that provide pleasure and food e.g. Feijoa hedge, Passionfruit Vine (if you’re in a warm area) and espalier grapes or apples along a fence.

Based on what’s in season, design and prepare up to a week’s menus*. My most used recipes comes from The Digby Law Vegetable Cookbook. Each vegetable has it’s own chapter e.g. carrot recipes ranging from savoury main courses to sweet desserts (including deliciously moist cakes).

Doing all the cooking on a weekend night may work for you, making the weeknight dinners quick and simple. Cook in glass or stainless steel (never aluminium*A) and bake in a regular or fan-bake oven (not a microwave*B).
Suggestions include * Stir-fry *Vegetarian Bake *Curry *Vegetable Frittata

*A Aluminium pots are linked to Alzheimer’s
*B Microwaved food changes its molecular structure reducing nutrient
accessibility to the body

Planning ahead will make it less tempting to succumb to fast food and your bank account and body will benefit from your nutritious menus.

Thank you,
Betty

A woman I knew shuffled slowly towards me when I was shopping. She was leaning heavily on the cart as she filled it with cakes, biscuits, bread, crisps, and sweet fizzy drinks. I felt sad as this former model and attractive sixty year old who looked much older than her real age. Sometime later I met her at the Bakery where I offered to load her groceries into the car. I shared my concerns regarding her deteriorating health and she said she was keen to regain her former fitness levels. She knew what was in her best interests though her motivation to give up ‘The Treats’ was low.

Please, don’t put junk food in the trolley, end of story! Because from there it goes into your pantry then to your family. Do not wait until it’s too late to live a full life. We are what we eat, and drink, so if you’re expecting your body to run like a well oiled machine it must have the correct fuel. A cup of tea or coffee is a treat; make the majority of you fluid consumption clean, drinkable water. This may mean investing in a filtration system if there are chemicals added to your tap water. Make your food purchases natural and unprocessed; fruit, vegetables and organic meat; resist the temptation to purchase processed sugary products.

For the sake of your health, select your food with care.

Thank you,
Betty

Now we’re looking at another, perhaps controversial, topic…
In order to reduce internal inflammation a big re-think is required. According to Prof. Keith Scott-Mumby in his book Diet Wise… we have been eating and poisoning ourselves, hence – in general – our poor health.

The following guidelines are suggested if you’re envisaging yourself with a really healthy body:
1) No grains and dairy at the same meal. It is wise to avoid cereal with milk. No butter with bread. No wheat crackers with cheese; no easy task!
2) If you are unwell, avoid fruits and vegetables at the same meal, based on how our digestive system operates.
4) No pork – it’s too similar to human flesh in taste and can carry diseases that impact us.
5) No fish unless it has fins and scales (how many times have you heard of illness after eating shellfish, which scavenge the increasingly polluted sea floor).
And for me personally, no potatoes as I wake up with a hangover!
6) Avoid all processed food including white bread, white rice, white sugar, white salt, white flour, and anything else that contains chlorine compounds

If your body carries long term pain please try at least one part of the above, and I’d appreciate your feedback.

Thank you,
Betty

This is when you tell your family that the kitchen closes at 7.30pm and it can be used for drinks only after that time.
So there’s nothing to eat for at least 13 hours; longer if possible.
Try to stretch the fasting hours until you’re hungry. Your body will thank you for it and you’ll be pleased to find your clothes feeling more comfortable. In addition your body gets a digestive rest.

It’s also likely you’ll find that breaking your fast with stewed apples* supports fasting by reducing blood lipids, lowering blood pressure, less inflammation and reducing the risk of cancer.
Intermittent fasting improves cellular repair and fat burning.
If your health could do with a boost, delay your breakfast and opt for a healthy brunch instead.
Start with fruit because it breaks down first in the gut. Follow with wholesome food you really enjoy, though avoid wheat e.g. in cereal or bread and no dairy products either.

Recipe for stewed apples:
Select organic apples with green skin such as Granny Smith.
* Halve, core and and thinly slice (leave skin on)
* Half a cup of water approximately
Place water and apples in a saucepan and cook for about 5 minutes (until the underside of the skin looks slightly transparent).
When the apples are soft you can eat ‘as is’, or add:
cinnamon or finely grated lemon skin or cranberries to taste. Bon Apetit!

Thank you,
Betty

Start by not consuming anything containing:
* gluten
* dairy
* sugar

Keep a record of everything eaten, then – after ten days of abstinence of the above Big Three – re-introduce one food group a week.

Avoid all genetically modified (GM) foods including soy, corn, canola oil and wheat, and be aware that it is not a requirement to list GM items on packaged food.

Prepare your meals from scratch; this means nothing from jars, cans or pre-packaged. Eat only real vegetables and fruit and minimal meat.

If possible purchase organic products; most fruit and vegetables are sprayed with fungicides and pesticides which can present health challenges. Don’t eat fast food; i.e. no takeaways. Your driver is to be healthy.

Vegetables can be lightly steamed or raw but never cooked in a microwave, which destroys the molecular structure of the food and the absorption of nutrients by the body.

Ideally all water will be filtered to remove chemicals such as fluoride, a neurotoxin. Drinking clean water regularly supports good health.

Slow down and enjoy the moment, and savor food that’s been prepared with love.

Thank you,
Betty

According to numerous authors on the relationship between pain and the part of the body we injure, the damaged limb tells us where our life needs attention. In other words, on a sub-conscious level we are trying to tell our conscious mind that we have an issue, one requiring closer examination.
For example, an eye problem will arise when we don’t like what we’re seeing. Or hearing issues when we don’t want to listen to what’s being said.
Regarding our torso, the front is an indicator of what’s ahead for us and the back of our body relates to the past.
Lung issues tell us we are not fully breathing in life and the heart is about loving oneself.
For further information on this interesting topic take a look at the following books:

* You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
* Permanent Healing by Daniel R. Condron
* The Body is the Barometer of the Soul by Annette Noontil

To reduce self-harm, assess the job before starting. Think it through, consider the dangers involved. If you’re short on time or motivation then do it another day.
Don’t use knives, power tools or a stepladder if you’re angry or exhausted; personal safety is your responsibility.

Thank you,
Betty

* steps
* wet floors
* polished marble floors
* unanchored floor rugs
* stairs without a firm hand rail
* steep stairs
* poorly lit stairs
* places where lighting is dim
* electrical cords stretched across the room
* objects left where people walk
* lack of space around furniture

Fire is another risk factor. It can kill in less than three minutes. Smoke detectors are regulation and a fire extinguisher is recommended, particularly if your family cooks with oil.
Many products found in our homes are synthetic or plastic and, in event of a fire, out-gassing is more likely to kill than flames. Synthetics burn twice as fast and twice as hot and can give off up to 500 times more toxicity than conventional materials.
For this reason alone the occupants of a Healthy Home will chose:
* one level only (no stairs)
* a minimal number of steps
* extra power points/no extension cords
* natural products

Consider how you’ll be spending you latter years and plan ahead.

Thank you,
Betty

Civil Defence gives a list of requirements for preparing and surviving without help for several days. Consider your forward planning from the moment you start house-hunting. A single level house gives better odds than a two storey building. A wooden home is more flexible than brick or stone. Tall furniture is likely to topple before short pieces. Heavy items will do more damage than light. If you have the opportunity to build a new home investigate the companies that offer a guarantee that your house will withstand a 7.5 earthquake. As I’m Bay of Plenty based I’m aware of the assurances given by Lockwood Homes. There may be other building companies in your area.

Napier had it’s big quake in February 1931 and Christchurch’s devastating earthquake struck in February 2011. Being prepared will help get us through those first traumatic days.

Thank you,
Betty