Western Telegraph | Blogs

Peter Warrender's interests are varied and include music, archaeology, ecology, astrology, world and local politics and alternative therapies.

He will be blogging on a variety of subjects, from local politics, eco living, farming, weather, health, the UK financial situation, and general goings on effecting Pembrokeshire living.

Hypothyroidism gives you half a life.

Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormones. This slows down the metabolism of the body, leading to symptoms such as always feeling cold, fatigue and easily putting on weight. Your thyroid gland makes two hormones: thyroxine (also called T4) and triiodothyronine (also called T3). Together, these hormones regulate your body's growth and metabolism. Your metabolism is how quickly your body uses resources to create energy and how quickly this happens in the body. It affects lots of things, including how much you weigh and how much you sleep. It is quite difficult to get your GP to diagnose this condition; this is because today GPs mainly rely on blood tests to diagnose their patients. Before the use of blood testing Doctors would use the pinch method where they would gently pinch your skin at top of your arms also taking your temperature on waking, before you start moving about, gives a good indication. If your body temperature is below 37 Centigrade is another clue. Hypothyroidism can go undiagnosed for a lifetime. You may have a GP that is aware of the symptoms, if not do your own research, and present it to your GP, to see what they make of your findings. Treatment used to be taking natural Thyroid extract; today we are given synthetic treatments which do not work as good as the natural form of Thyroid extract. There is lots of information about Hypothyroidism on the Internet, investigate this for yourself and If you feel you have the symptoms, go to your GP and get yourself checked out, armed with the knowledge you have acquired..I found a book called "Hypothyroidism Type 2" by Mark Starr, M.D. very enlightening.

Forget High Speed Rail Links, Lets Have A National Cycle Network

I pay road tax but hardly use my vehicle; we mostly walk with the exception of sometimes driving at weekends, for long distances we use the train as cheaply as possible by booking in advance. If our Government really wanted a healthy population they would instead of spending millions on a high speed rail link, upgrade existing lines and add more rural connections and at the same time build an independent vehicle free National Cycle Network, where cyclists along with walkers could travel around the UK and into Europe in safety, far away from the dangers of cars and their pollution. We already have a few cycle paths in Pembrokeshire but they need linking up to all major towns, it would bring more holiday cyclists and tourists, providing much needed jobs and income for the county. Come on Wales let’s build this Cycle Network and lead the UK in providing a healthier life for our citizens and tourists. : )

Prostate Problems and Nettles

Prostate Problems A large percentage of men over 50 will suffer problems with an enlarged Prostate. Symptoms vary from excessive urination, trouble passing urine and erectile dysfunction, along with various aches and pains around the groin area. Most people visit their GP to get treatment for this sometime excruciating painful condition. In their sixties my father and his two brothers all suffered from complete urination blockage, which is extremely painful and dangerous which can badly damage your kidneys as the urine backs up all the way back to your kidneys, which can prove fatal. All three were hospitalised and operated on, my dad’s brothers were diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and had their Prostate removed. My dad had a simple operation to open up the tube that was blocked by the enlarged Prostate. I had always assumed that this Prostate problem would eventually visit me, as it seemed genetic in our family. My assumptions proved quite correct a few months ago. It started with me having no strength of flow as I passed urine, and increased frequency in having to urinate. It got worse and I had to get up a couple of times in the night causing me sleep problems. I researched online for natural herbal treatments. I already knew about the herbs Saw Palmetto and Pumpkin Seed Oil which had proved helpful to some people as a food supplement that relieved their symptoms, I obtained both herbs and did get relief from them, but something did not seem quite right, my wife came across an article saying Nettle Root soaked in 40% proof Vodka, for at least 2 weeks is useful for the problems I was suffering. I started taking a teaspoon of our homemade tincture 3 times a day, allowing the tincture to sit under my tongue so it was easily absorbed into the body. It seems to be working very well and I have regained full urine flow. I will continue to take the Nettle Root Tincture for a few months and then stop and see if everything is OK without it. I strongly believe in treating my health problems with Herbal rather than Pharmaceutical products, I have been doing this for years, I am not endorsing what I am doing, and would encourage anyone suffering from health problems to contact their GP and other medical advisors, and get yourself checked out.

A New Year's Resolution

Just before Christmas I visited Haverfordwest riverside Farmer’s Market, I came across the Blaencamel farm stall, selling organically grown produce. I purchased a variety of their vegetables and salad. The cost was slightly more expensive than the supermarket, but worth every penny due to the produce quality and taste. After too many disappointments of buying poor quality/tasting fruit and vegetables from our local national supermarkets, I am making one New Year’s resolution, and that is to support local farmers and growers, especially “Organic Growers”. If you have never tasted Organic produce you are missing a treat, to me it tastes better and feels a lot more nutritious than the bland tasting stuff hanging off the supermarket shelves. Join me in supporting the quality food producers of Wales, you know it makes sense. : )

Atrocities are still happening today

In a recent trip to Germany I had the chance to visit WW2 Belsen concentration camp. I was fully aware of the war time atrocities that had occurred to residents of the camp. I remember as a child seeing the black and white film footage shown on the newsreels of local cinemas. As we drove into the car park of Belsen, you could not miss a massive grey building which turned out to be a museum, a modern building, built from bleak looking concrete, you enter into its cavernous halls some twenty five foot high, through a pair enormous dark steel door. Hundreds of illuminated pictures, mostly of people who had perished at the hands of their Nazi guards were on display throughout the museum. As I viewed the pictures of the deceased and condemned, I felt like weeping, how man could have done this to their fellow man was beyond my comprehension. Sadly we are still allowing war crimes against the peoples of Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, along with many other countries. We left the museum and walked around the acres of gardens that were surrounded by high trees; the large flat area was peppered with several large mounds, which were all mass graves of the murdered people who once existed in most horrific conditions until they could not take it anymore. Except for the sound of crickets there was a strange eerie silence permeating all around, not one single bird could be heard or seen to fly over the graves. Melancholy will reside at Belsen forever, I hope the people of the future, will feel the great sadness and anger I felt for those who suffered and died at Belsen,and for all other victims of wars and atrocities that have perished in this world that is driven mostly by greed.

How safe are Airport full body scanners

How safe are Airport full body scanners I was aware of full body scanners operating in some of our Airport Terminals; I also believed that we all had the right to refuse them, as long as we went through a thorough pat down.

I think Water Kefir is fantastic

We finally got around to making a batch of Water Kefir, we have read about the health benefits of it, but with one thing or another, we did not find the time to make it, until now, that is. I am delighted we finally got around to making it, it is greeeeaaatt!

The Georgia Guidestones

The Georgia guidestones is a strange monument constructed out of blue granite, it suddenly appeared in Elberton County, USA. Like a modern day Stonehenge, no one knows who erected it or who paid for it. The stones are carved with a set of new age commandments, the first of which states that Worlds population should be no larger than 500,000.000. This Monument must of cost a fortune to build yet nobody knows who finance it. The Instructions are written in eight languages: English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian, along with an inscription in four ancient languages, carved in the base of the monument. The 10 commandments carved on the stones. 1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.

Blowing Hot and Cold

The Sun has an ever changing cyclical life. It has periods of multiple sunspots this is called a Solar Maximum and other periods of no sunspots called Solar Minimum. This happened quite recently and we witnessed about a year without any sunspot activity. The sun seems to have an 11 year cycle and every 22 years the magnetic solar pole reverses. Scientists have predicted that by the year 2012 the Sun will be at a solar Maximum a period when the sun throws out large amounts of matter, called Mass Coronal Ejections and produces a large amount of sun spots. The scientists are now rethinking this projection as the Sun seems to be yet again failing to produce sunspots, the opposite to their prediction. They are likening the suns activity to the same period around 1645-1715, a period known as the "Little Ice Age”. Almost 70 years without sunspots. Until recently scientists have been predicting the Sun would by around 2012 move into solar maximum, a period of intense flares and sunspot activity, but lately a curious calm has suggested quite the opposite. If the amount of sunspots effects the earths climate, that is more sunspots = warmer, fewer = colder, we could be in for a very chilly experience.

Have your say

I enjoy putting blogs on the Western Telegraph blogging site, I also like to read peoples own opinions that is,if they have a different idea or if they agree or disagree with anything I write, so long as they put their beliefs about the subject matter and refrain from personal opinions about me. It would seem from some of the comments I have received about anything that is alternative are extremely negative and never put anything positive to think about. So I have decided to write a couple of blogs in the style of the BBC “Question Time” where I will ask a question and commentators can give their opinions and beliefs on the question. My first question is, Why do you think the UK and UN forces are attacking Libya and trying to remove its leader?

Garlic a breath of fresh air

I like a lot of others have recently suffered from a bad chest infection it was the type that created breathing problems as soon as my head hit the pillow on going to bed. I could not sleep for coughing. I remembered about eating raw Garlic. I chomp a few cloves while eating a meal or a sandwich, I do not really like the taste of Garlic, but used to consume it years ago at any sign of a cold appearing. It really made me feel well, even though my breath smelt like a gas works, the smelly breathe was worth putting up with for the relief I got as the Garlic cleared up my chest and made it much easier to breathe. Garlic is a wonderful plant unless you are allergic to it, some people are, so should refrain from consuming it. Luckily I am not one of these people, so will consume it until my chest clears up completely, sorry for the Sulphur smell that accompanies me, if you happen to to have to sit next to me on the bus. : ) About Garlic Garlic is a mini-storehouse of minerals. Manganese, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Sulphur, Calcium, Aluminium, Chlorine, and Selenium are all part of the minerals contained in Garlic. One hundred grams, or 3 1/2 ounces, of fresh Garlic will supply the following: • Copper 0.30 mg • Iron 1.7 mg • Manganese 1.12 mg • Phosphorous 153 mg • Selenium 14.2 mg • Zinc 1.16 mg • Garlic is one of the oldest known medicinal plants, and it's been credited with fighting heart disease, lowering blood pressure and helping to fight off colds.

Human pin cushion

I have just bought a “Shatki Mat” also known as a “Nail Mat”. I was told by a friend how good they are for increasing your energy levels throughout the day. I am just getting over a very bad chest infection, so I thought I would buy one and try it out. I bought one from EBay for £12.00 with free postage, it arrived a couple of days later.