Mineral Depletion

  • Adrenal Fatigue/ Autoimmune diseases/ Celiac/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Energy/ Fibromyalgia/ Hashimotos Disease/ Immune system - healing/ Inflammation/ LCHF diet/ Magnesium/ Mediterranean diet/ Mineral Depletion/ Paleo Diet

    Nurturing your Mitochondria to help all Chronic Disease….

    Nurturing your Mitochondria

    Mitochondria are the ‘power houses’ of our cells. They use the oxygen we breathe and the food we eat to produce energy. ‘We are what we eat’ and what we eat has changed dramatically in my lifetime. Chronic disease is now the scourge of the developed World, it is challenging our Health and Social Services to the limits. It is limiting our quality of life but I believe that by nurturing our Mitochondria we can help prevent or even reverse chronic disease.

    I am going to be controversial here and say that I believe the the way that we live, eat and drink is damaging our Mitochondria and disrupting normal bodily functions and natural healing. I do not believe that our bodies start attacking themselves – we are designed to self heal if given the right conditions but our mitochondria can become overwhelmed with toxins, bacteria, viruses, stress and at the same time not have the basic nutritional ingredients they need to provide enough energy to function correctly or repair. Diseases like Scurvy (lack of vitamin C) and Beriberi (lack of Vitamin B1) are easily cured by addressing those individual nutrients but Mitochondrial disease/dysfunction is affected by many nutrient imbalances that affect many different cells and systems.

    These mitochondrial dysfunctions maybe at the heart(no pun intended) of most ‘Auto-immune’ disease. Weakened mitochondria are passed from Mother to child and therefore chronic disease is exacerbated with each generation unless action is taken to restore good, balanced nutrition and lessen the toxins in our environment. There are approximately 200 diseases confirmed or with strong scientific evidence for auto-immune origins. (reference Sarah Ballantyne PhD) If you have one you are known to be much more likely to get another – ever thought why?

    Damaged Mitochondria trigger an immune response much like an infection, this can induce inflammation that if untreated can further damage Mitochondria. This vicious cycle continually worsens Mitochondrial and immune function, which promotes the occurrence of chronic conditions and severe disease.

    Chronic Mitochondrial Disease

    Take Reiter’s Disease, not often referred to these days but I was aware of it because of my Ophthalmic nursing -this is an Auto-immune disease that presents as a reactive arthritis, inflammation of the eye, inflammation of the urethra and also the skin. It is thought to have a genetic predisposition (HLA-B27) and may also be connected to infection in the gut. My son had all of these plus lichen planus, a skin rash that also affects mucous membranes and Erythema nodosum, painful nodules that appear under the skin – usually on the shins. I mention this because it is one of the few cases where a pattern of inflammation affecting various sites in the body was linked to a possible infection in the gut and and also a genetic disposition. This is frequently now said of many other ‘Autoimmune’ conditions but they are not usually linked by a name or described as a syndrome.

    Look at some of the labels given to Chronic diseases that are frequently linked or progress to other parts of the body.

    CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME * FIBROMYALGIA * LUPUS * HYPOTHYROIDISM/HASHIMOTOS * GRAVES DISEASE/ HYPERTHYROIDISM * DEPRESSION/ANXIETY * INSOMNIA * HEART DISEASE/ARRYTHMIAS * DIABETES * SKIN PROBLEMS * NEUROPATHY * DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S

    What if these are all problems with Mitochondrial dysfunctions that have developed due to inherited weakness and the trigger that is infection/stress/poor nutrition/toxins that have pushed our mitochondria beyond normal recovery levels resulting mainly in inflammation and failure of systems. This is chronic mitochondrial disease.

    Acute Mitochondrial disease

    There are some diseases that present as acute and the patient quickly goes into organ failure. As an illustration lets look at a Marathon runner where even a young healthy person can induce this – training takes weeks/months and the body gradually adjusts to the extra demands but on the actual race day less is within the control of the runner. The stress levels will be much higher, maybe the day is too hot or too cold, maybe only water is drunk rather than isotonic fluids and the runner pushes themselves beyond their physical limit. I remember the photos of David Wyeth at the end of the London 2017 Marathon when another competitor virtually carried him across the line and he has said since that he regrets putting himself at risk. He was lucky, several athletes have died during or following Marathons or Triathlons and the cause is often said to be ‘not known’, ‘possibly dehydration’, ‘heat stoke’ or heart attack but what we are seeing is the mitochondria cannot supply the necessary energy demanded, cellular energy is acutely stressed and the muscles, heart and brain demand the most so collapse is imminent. In this situation, or any acute mitochondrial situation, what can be administered is nicknamed a Banana bag or rally pack that is a bag of I/V fluids containing vitamins and minerals. Typically this is a litre of normal saline with

    • Thiamine B1 100mgs,
    • Folic acid 1 mg
    • multivitamin ampule (mainly other B vitamins and Vit C)
    • Magnesium sulphate 3g

    The Magnesium helps stop spasm and cramps and is essential for Mitochondrial function. It is known that many of us are Magnesium deficient due to modern diet already so any extra stress put on the body can deplete it rapidly.

    If you are considering entering a Marathon or similar event then I would suggest taking supplements that support your mitochondrial energy and boost ATP.

    Essential nutrients for healthy Mitochondrial function.

    • Oxygen
    • B Vitamins (needed daily because water soluble and not stored)
    • Thiamine B1 is especially important, nicknamed the spark plug to energy, but often ignored!
    • Minerals – including Magnesium, Potassium, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Sulphur and iron
    • N-Acetyl Cysteine
    • N-Acetyl Carnitine
    • Alpha Lipoic Acid
    • Co-Enzyme Q10
    • Vitamin C
    • D-Ribose (used by the body to synthesise and support the energy pool- essential to cellular metabolism.

    Vegetarians and Vegans frequently do not get enough CoQ10, L-Carnitine or B12 plus other B vitamins because our primary source is meat.

    It is possible to nurture our Mitochondria by eating a nutrient rich diet, low in processed foods, low in toxins and inflammatory foods like sugar and processed grains. Our modern diet has drastically increased input of processed and natural carbohydrates and reduced our Omega-3 anti-inflammatory fats and natural saturated fats while increasing substantially the Omega-6 and trans-fats in cooking oils, processed foods and margarines. Oxidised Omega-6 oils (trans-fats) are known to damage DNA.

    A healthy ratio Omega-6 – Omega-3 is considered to be 1:1 – 4:1 but in a diet full of processed food, Take-outs and fried foods this can easily go to 30:1 Healthy fats for Omega-3 are oily fish, seafood and flaxseeds and then Omega-9 fats in olives, olive oil, avocados and avocado oil, walnuts and macadamia nuts that all have anti-inflammatory properties. Some Omega-6 fatty acids are also beneficial – CLA come from grass-fed meat and dairy and GLA comes from green vegetables or supplements like Evening Primrose oil or Borage oil. The conversion of Fatty acids to anti-inflammatory Prostaglandins in the body is dependant on Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamins B complex and C.

    Diet choices

    There are so many promoted diets out there that everyone gets confused (including Nutritionists).  The basic aim is, as above, to reduce inflammation by reducing Carbohydrates and especially sugar while increasing healthy high quality fats.  The Mediterranean Diet has always been considered a good starting point and certainly it contains far more good fats, fish and shell fish, and more nuts, fruit and salad than most other diets.  They tend to use the whole animal and cook on the bone more than we do, they drink more coffee, wine and use garlic a lot – all things I love! They also get plenty of Vitamin D from the sun and plenty of social interaction in a more relaxed lifestyle than many places.

    The Paleo and Paleo AIP Diets definitely convey many benefits to Mitochondrial health but I still developed new Hypothyroid symptoms while on it and certainly going too low on carbs can predispose you to this plus low B Vitamins from not eating cereals/grains.  I would advise people to supplement with certain Vitamins and avoid gravitating towards too many processed ‘gluten-free’ foods if you are avoiding gluten and dairy on any diet.

    After 6 months of intensive research and a lot of ‘Bio-hacking’ myself I came up with a diet and supplement regime that has improved most signs and symptoms and feelings of well-being. As I didn’t especially want to ‘name’ yet another new diet or join the ever expanding choice of new diet books (although royalties from a book would have been nice!) I searched for comprehensive research already out there that would support what I have found works.

    First there is The Mito Food Plan from the Institute of Functional Medicine – this is available free online and is a full guide with explanations that are easy to follow.

    Secondly, I had a Eureka moment when I discovered ‘The Perfect Health Diet‘ by Paul Jaminet Phd and Shou-Ching Jaminet Phd who back it up with plenty of research and good personal testimonies. It is a low to moderate carb(20%), high healthy fats (65%) and moderate protein (15%) diet. It is available as a book with all the scientific back up or the basic principles are available free online with a fantastic ‘Apple Plate’ graphic detailing what to eat and what to avoid – print it out and pin to your fridge or kitchen cupboard! I love the fact that it includes dark chocolate(full of Magnesium), coffee, nuts and wine, in moderation. Be open to varying the portions slightly – I personally feel I need more protein – and sometimes chocolate 🙂

    Supplements to nurture mitochondria

    I started with (a) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 100mg a day

    (b) BioCare  Methyl B Complex

    (c) CoQ10 100mg

    Vitamin D3 plus Vitamin K2 (to prevent calcium deposits)

    Food state Selenium

    Krill oil with EPA and DHA 500mg

    then I found

    BioCare Mitoguard  which contains a daily dose = (2 capsules) of

    Thiamine (B1) 100mg, Riboflavin(B2) 60mg, Niacin(B3)100mg, D-Ribose 1000mg, N-Acetyl Carnitine 200mg,         N-Acetyl Cysteine 100mg, Alpha Lipoic Acid 100mg, CoQ10 100mg, Korean Ginseng extract 40mg.

    so this replaced a, b and c above therefore not too many pills to take!

    I also bought some D-Ribose powder that I add to coconut milk yogurt most mornings and my energy both physical and mental has improved 10 fold.

    Summary

    My ‘Bio-hacking’ has resulted in 3 weeks on a Cruise where I actually lost 2lb despite eating plenty and drinking wine with my meal each night. My energy, mental clarity and general well-being has greatly improved. My resting pulse still drops below 45 and my blood pressure is low but my morning temperature has recovered from a dire 34C to a constant 36C – so a good indication of increased metabolism (Mitochondria) and my Peripheral Neuropathy has disappeared. The only symptoms to have not improved are pulse and Heart Arrhythmia and therefore I have an appointment with a Functional Medicine Doctor  to discuss starting on Natural Desiccated Thyroid treatment. Having been Hypothyroid for several years I know I should have sought treatment earlier but I at least know that I have optimised my thyroid production and Mitochondrial health – which I will continue to do. Hopefully other people will follow this regime to boost their Mitochondria and prevent or reverse chronic disease – whatever it’s origin.

    Taking responsibility for your own health is always a good step forward and I would love to hear from anyone in my comments section.

    I will update my progress in future posts.

    bodykind - supplements, beauty and wellbeing

     

    Related posts:

    No related posts.

  • Autoimmune diseases/ Exclusion diet/ Food intolerance/ Glutamine/ Health/ Immune System/ Immune system - healing/ Inflammation/ Ketogenic diet/ Leaky Gut/ Mineral Depletion/ Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity/ Nutrition and Cancer/ Nutritional Medicine/ Paleo Diet/ Probiotics/ Sizzling Minerals/ Sugar Detox/ Wheat and Dairy Intolerance

    The Healing Diet – Special Offer!

    Turn Your Health Around book

    New Year and what we all want is to get and stay healthy in 2018!

    So a Special offer for you of 50% the price of my guide so that you can Turn Your Health Around.

    Years of research and personal experiments have led to this approach to a Healing Diet. Find your ideal weight, gain health, energy and vitality – naturally. Make changes that will change your health and keep you healthy

    for LIFE.

    Whatever your needs, this book will help you. Was £12 …..Now ONLY £6 for a limited time.

    There are so many ‘diets’ out there, so many weight loss supplements and we go through life trying them all. Often starting in our teens or early 20’s we follow the fads, low carb, high protein, low fat – we might try pills to curb our appetite,  block fat absorption, make us poop more but none of this has a lasting effect. I have never been really overweight, probably 14-20 lbs at certain times in my life and I have tried –

    The Mars Bar diet –

    The low fat yogurt and  black coffee diet

    The Cabbage Diet,

    The F Plan Diet – OMG! that was the start to many of my problems!

    The South Beach Diet……..

    It is possible to initially lose weight doing all of these but it is not sustainable and ultimately not healthy. As a Nutritionist I now know how damaging some of these dietary changes are with many of them slowing your metabolism and depriving your body of vital nutrients. The decades long Low Fat eating advice – even for those not over-weight, has been the most damaging and has resulted in an epidemic of chronic disease, insulin resistance and obesity. The move to convenience foods and fast food results in us eating highly processed foods that are actually nutrient deficient and if we are nutritionally deficient we get food cravings, hormone imbalance and lowered immunity. Many of these highly processed foods cause inflammation in the body. This might become evident by pains in joints, eczema, heartburn, IBS, fatigue, high Blood pressure, weight gain, Diabetes.

    Modern Lifestyle also adds to the problem with more stress, exposure to many toxins, drinking more alcohol, more snacking, less quality rest and sleep. Our immune systems suffer and we end up taking more antibiotics and all of these things can damage our digestive tract and cause even more long-term problems.

    If you have a chronic health problem and inflammation then by healing your gut and improving your immune system you will reduce inflammation, improve your digestion, gain energy and vitality and reverse chronic damage.

    All the information you need to get started on the road to healing and health. From the foods to eat and enjoy to the natural supplements that will help your recovery – 30 pages of up to date information and links to more resources that can help – all in one guide.

    We are the midst of an epidemic of Chronic disease. Autoimmune Diseases – of which there are more than a 100 confirmed and many more suspected; Cancer; Heart disease; Diabetes; Asthma, Arthritis; Chronic Fatigue; Anxiety and depression. It is Chronic disease that is crippling our Health Services and ruining our quality of life.

    Especially relevant is the fact that drugs do not cure most Chronic Diseases – therefore we need to address the problems in a different way and not just treat symptoms but core body functions. Consequently Functional Medicine is the only way forward, looking at how chronic disease is caused and addressing diet and lifestyle for a sustained recovery.

    Chronic disease often starts with inflammation and a poor immune system and it is totally possible to reverse this with lifestyle and good nutrition choices. Proven by Doctors and Nutritionists around the World.

    If you want to make changes that improve your health long-term, reduce your chances of getting Dementia, Cancer or Autoimmune diseases this book will help you, step by step, including supplements and recipes to get you on the right track. It is a regime that is easy to stick to and puts you in charge. By finding out which foods cause problems for you and how you can control your appetite and fat burning with natural foods.

    This guide will tell you how. (Different currencies catered for through this link.)

    Buy my product

    Related posts:

    No related posts.

  • Energy, Immune system - healing, Leaky Gut, Mineral Depletion

    The importance of plant minerals for health.

    video
    Minerals
    www.thehealthvideo.com

    Take a few minutes to watch this video and find out why plant minerals are so vital for health and energy.

    Related posts:

    No related posts.

  • Food intolerance/ Health/ Mineral Depletion/ Nutritional Medicine/ Sizzling Minerals/ Supplements/ Toxin free products

    Dietary Supplements – Effective?

    Effective Dietary Supplements

    Can Dietary Supplements be effective? Are they even necessary?

    Over the years I have must have spent thousands on Dietary Supplements in a quest to ‘feel better’; ‘have more energy’; ‘prevent disease’ or sometimes just to try out before recommending to my clients because whenever you read what certain nutrients can do for you it appears that you really need it – and of course, you do! BUT and it really is a big but, do you need a pill or supplement or might you already be getting enough in your food? My qualification is in Nutritional Medicine – using food and supplements to improve medical conditions. I read research papers all the time and follow developments in the field of nutrition, the microbiome and epigenetics ( the way food influences our genes) and it appears that even with a healthy, varied diet we are highly unlikely to achieve optimum nutrition. The World Health Organisation, UNICEF, The Soil Association and Government Research constantly confirms this. Most of us are not in a position to grow all our own organic fruit and vegetables and buy only organic meat, fish and eggs and with mineral depleted soil and increasing amounts of processed food in our diets we fall far short of what our bodies require to cope with our children’s healthy development or our modern lifestyles. Even if we can buy a huge variety of fruits and vegetables from around the World most will have been picked before they are ripe, sprayed, irradiated or travelled for weeks before getting to us – loosing their nutrients along the way. Read More →

    Related posts:

    No related posts.

  • Five Tibetan Rites/ Health/ Healthy Food/ Mindfulness/ Mineral Depletion/ Sleep/ Stress Reduction

    Mindfulness, stress reduction and sleep.

    Apple icon

    Mindfulness, stress reduction and sleep – who doesn’t need help with these things in their busy lives. If we are stressed, tired and not getting enough sleep we make poor food choices, poor decisions and we don’t work efficiently.

    Start the day right…. in the morning it can help to have a ‘Ritual’. You may already have one but not call it a Ritual and to me, the main difference is that you might do the same things each morning but you probably do them while thinking about everything else you have to do that day/week or while multitasking with emails and internet. It can really help to start the day calm and energised if you do a few things living ‘in the moment’ and concentrating as well as enjoying what you are doing.

    Most mornings this is my Ritual… On waking, drink some water. Go to the loo and splash my face with water. I pull the blinds up to see what kind of a day it is – this morning was a gorgeous golden sunrise, which was a bonus! I then spend a few minutes doing some exercises/stretching, which for me is The Five Tibetan Rites (there is a separate Post on this in Contents). It is easy to do this on automatic but I find it is much more beneficial if I do it with strength and purpose and also paying attention to deep breathing. I end my repetitions with ‘Pose of a Child’ and then a kneeling prayer position ‘Namaste’. Find whatever exercise or stretching you can do and build on it every week – it will stretch and warm up your muscles and joints and help get plenty of oxygen and lymph flowing around your body.

    I then wash and dress. Breakfast varies with how I feel but I always love 1 or 2 coffees – black with a 1/4 tsp Coconut oil. This morning I had Paleo pancakes (made with banana, egg and almond butter) with pecan nuts and maple syrup..YUM! That is a treat about once a week, other days I might have a herb omelette, or rice cereal with a banana and coconut milk and sometimes I just have a couple of dates and some walnuts or almonds or a piece of fruit. If you burn a lot of energy and like a cooked breakfast then bacon, quality sausages, eggs, avocado, mushrooms are all good options and better than cereal and toast.

    If you can avoid doing anything else while eating and drinking then great – think about what you are eating and enjoy every mouthful, enjoying holding a warm cup of drink in your hands or slowly sip a home-made smoothie while contemplating the health and energy giving ingredients. Read More →

    Related posts:

    No related posts.

  • Blood sugar management/ Cancer Prevention/ Health/ Healthy Food/ Mineral Depletion/ Sizzling Minerals/ Sugar/ Sugar Detox

    Need HELP with SUGAR?

    Need HELP with SUGAR?

    The health dangers of sugar have been in the news a lot lately with governments even considering taxing sugary drinks, as they have in Mexico, to try and improve the health of the population – especially children. So if you need help with sugar avoidance and dealing with a ‘sweet tooth’ here are a few pointers.

    Hidden Sugars

    Aside from not adding sugar to your tea and coffee and avoiding sugar laden desserts, cakes and cookies you should start checking labels so that you can find how much hidden sugar is in your diet. If you have children then checking sugar intake is vital to their health as well as protecting their teeth. A third of children leave primary school already obese!

    1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 g

    Daily recommended maximum intake is 50 g (1.7 oz) for Women and 70 g (2.5 oz) for Men but 28 g = 1 oz (7 teaspoonfuls) would be better. Many people average nearer 130 g a day which is equal to 32 teaspoonfuls!

    First of all sugar is disguised by so many different names, anything that ends in ‘ose’, fructose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, then cane sugar, cane crystals, corn syrup, fruit concentrates, honey, Maple syrup and Agave.

    High Fructose Corn Syrup seems to add more fat around the middle and around vital organs (visceral fat) -the most dangerous kind.

    Soft drinks are the worst for hidden sugar, even ‘enhanced’ water can have 15 g per 500 ml. Pre-packaged food – even savoury foods like Pasta Sauce and coleslaw can be loaded with sugar; bread, biscuits, energy bars, low fat yogurt often has more sugar than regular yogurt.Need help with Sugar

    Processed Cane or Beet sugar doesn’t contain any nutrients and is often called ’empty calories’  but other sugar types are also devoid of nutrients and even heavily processed using chemicals. When I want to sweeten something I would usually choose a little honey, Pure Maple Syrup or molasses sugar because these do also contain some nutrient benefit and are not over processed.

    Artificial Sweeteners

    It is not a healthy option to swap your sugar for artificial sweeteners as they have many additional problems.

    • they may taste sweet but they have no useful energy
    • they have no appetite suppression effect, unlike sugar and so can cause overeating and weight gain.
    • Many sweeteners may be toxic to the body
    • if you really feel you need them -do your research. At present Stevia seems to be the least toxic but definitely avoid Aspartame which has been linked to mental problems, brain tumour and epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease, Fibromyalgia and diabetes plus possibly cancer. Avoid Sucralose which is sucrose that has been denatured using Chlorine.

    How to Cut Down on Sugar

    If you have become aware of just how much sugar you are eating and have started reading food and drink labels that is a huge step in the right direction. We can all be caught out – my son is hooked on mince pies at the moment and 1 mince pie has 22.5 g sugar which is nearly 6 tsps of sugar and only 1 tsp off his healthy daily limit. So my tips are:- Read More →

    Related posts:

    No related posts.

  • Exclusion diet/ Food intolerance/ Immune system - healing/ Inflammation/ Leaky Gut/ Mineral Depletion/ Nutritional Medicine/ Wheat and Dairy Intolerance

    Turn Your Health Around

    Paleo Diet Help

    If you want to remain healthy or turn your health around you have to look after your gut health and your microbiome.  The microbiome is the collection of over 500 species of gut bacteria that support your immune system, contribute to weight, disease and health.

    So much research and information has been shared in the last 5 years on the importance of the microbiome and correcting chronic health problems from IBS to Cancer, Anxiety to Autoimmune Diseases. This is the one strong message that dominates – lifestyle diseases require lifestyle changes to heal – and your gut health is the most important to take action on to improve your health. Drugs just disguise the symptoms and cause more problems in the long run – they are not the cure.

    The gut wall is just one cell thick and these are some of the fastest healing cells in the body. If given the right nutrients and conditions they can heal in 3-7 days. Then strengthen your microbiome with good diet and supplements.

    What damages these cells and causes problems such as inflammation and leaky gut? Read More →

    Related posts:

    No related posts.

  • Anaemia/ Inflammation/ Mineral Depletion/ Nutritional Medicine/ Sizzling Minerals

    ANAEMIA – why is it still a huge problem?

    B Vitamins

    Anaemia is a still a serious problem and is present when:-

    • your levels of Hb -haemoglobin (the protein that transports iron and oxygen) are low
    • you have fewer healthy Red Blood Cells (RBC) that contain haemoglobin
    • you have  RBC that may be smaller and paler than usual

    If you have low iron and fewer RBC you will be getting less oxygen to your cells which can lead to cell damage, poor mental function, low energy and even cancer.

    If you also have low Ferritin then that shows that you are not storing sufficient iron in the body and this could be due to low levels of nutrients required to make healthy RBC or you may be losing too many from the body.

    If you have high Ferritin in the body then it may indicate an Anaemia of chronic disease or an inflammatory response where the body is in defense mode and storing more iron and this is why Anaemia should never be treated before knowing the cause. To take an iron supplement without a diagnosis from a Doctor can be dangerous.

    As a Nutritionist I am concerned as I would have thought that Anaemia should have declined with rising standards of living, more protein in our diets and better knowledge of nutrition generally but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I know personally of three people, ages from 7 to 40, on good diets, who have anaemia with low Ferritin levels that partially respond to iron supplementation but their Ferritin levels remain low. This would suggest that other factors are missing in their diet that convert the iron into the correct form for re-use and storage. I believe this could be due to missing micro-nutrients in both the food consumed and modern choices in diet that limit the intake of iron, copper and zinc and possibly Vitamin B12. Skip to the section on Treatment for iron deficiency Anaemia if you already know about anaemia in general and would like to know more about micro-nutrient deficiency.

    Facts and Figures

    Normal levels Hb are

    Men 13.5 to 17.5 gm/dL

    Women 12.0 to 15.5 gm/dL

    Children 11.0 to 13 gm/dL

    *30% of the World Population has iron deficiency Anaemia 

    * there are over 1 million deaths a year from Anaemia

    * according to a recent study in The Lancet Anaemia is 3rd on the list of medical problems that cause suffering and more Years Lived with Disability(YLD) coming higher than Diabetes that is in 7th place.

    So Anaemia is a serious condition and should be viewed as a symptom rather than a disease in itself.

    Signs and Symptoms of possible Anaemia Read More →

    Related posts:

    No related posts.

  • Adrenal Fatigue/ Cancer./ Energy/ Environmental/ Health/ Hyperthyroidism/ Hypothyroidism/ Mineral Depletion/ Nutrition and Cancer/ Sizzling Minerals

    Interesting Iodine

    iodine deficiency

    Iodine deficiency is a global health concern. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 2 billion people may be iodine deficient with about 50 million of them suffering from deficiency disorders which can range from low energy, cognitive decline, thyroid and adrenal dysfunction to cardiovascular disease, fibrocystic breast disease and a variety of cancers, especially breast and stomach cancer. Research has linked Iodine deficiency with ADHD and Autism with rates rising dramatically over the last two decades. According to research in the USA Iodine levels have dropped by more than half since the 1970’s. Under production of the hormone thyroxine causes weakened neural connections in the brain/nervous system. Iodine is therefore especially necessary for pregnant women and the development of their babies.

    From about the 1920’s onwards many people were suffering the effects of iodine deficiency, sometimes developing a visible swelling at the front of the neck called a Goiter in adults and preventable mental retardation in children due to low levels of iodine in the soil and diet. Governments recognised the problem and decided to add iodine to table salt as a way of increasing iodine levels in the diet. Most salts do not contain enough iodine to rectify the problem and processed foods don’t have to contain iodised salt therefore coupled with the reduction in salt intake over the last 20 years we now have millions suffering deficiency disorders.

    Iodine and the amino acid tyrosine make up thyroid hormones that control metabolism, body temperature, heart rate and glucose and fat levels in the blood. Selenium, Zinc and iron are also co-factors for enzymes that contribute to healthy tissue in the body.

    Too much thyroid hormone results in hyperthyroidism – a high metabolic rate, rapid heart beat and often palpitations, feeling warmer than normal and excessive sweating. In extreme cases it can lead to muscle weakness and weight loss. Too little thyroid hormone results in hypothyroidism – with the opposite symptoms, slow heart rate, feeling cold, constipation, weight gain, dry skin and hair, muscle aches and weakness, depression and fatigue. Energy levels are affected via the thyroid adrenal axis  and so adrenal support is often needed as well as thyroid support.

    It is often confusing that Iodine deficiency can lead to both low thyroid function and hyperthyroidism but fortunately all iodine deficiency disorders and related health issues can be prevented and treated with adequate intake of Iodine. Anyone who has been diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism or Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s disease or Graves disease should work with their doctor to assess and correct their Iodine levels.

    These actions, generally promoted as being healthy, can also reduce your available Iodine –

    1. decreasing your salt intake
    2. using salt that has little or no Iodine
    3. being on a vegetarian or vegan diet puts you in an at risk group because plants contain lower iodine than animal and dairy products. It is hard to get even the minimum daily 150 mcg without eating seafood, eggs or dairy but eating small amounts of seaweed would easily correct this imbalance.
    4. sweating profusely while exercising means iodine can be lost in substantial amounts and that also applies to those that work in hot, humid environments.

    How much Iodine do we need? Read More →

    Related posts:

    No related posts.

  • Arthritis/ Autoimmune diseases/ Energy/ Exclusion diet/ Health/ Inflammation/ Mineral Depletion/ Sizzling Minerals

    Confessions of a Nutritionist…..

    Confessions of a Nutritionist …..

     I have been writing this blog pretty much anonymously for several years

    but today I am going to share A LOT!

    After years of good nutritional food and a small fortune spent on supplements I found myself looking and feeling well below par. Several years of high stress and poor sleep had taken a toll and the signs and symptoms were many.

    • Poor sleep with erratic patterns – difficulty falling asleep, waking frequently or early
    • Low energy
    • Poor concentration and hyperactive mind/anxieties
    • Poor digestion and IBS
    • Joint pains and stiffness pretty much everywhere
    • Sinus and throat congestion
    • Ear infections, wax and pain with some loss of hearing and sensitivity to loud noises
    • Dry, irritable eyes
    • Fungal and viral foot infections
    • slow, irregular heartbeat 49-52 average
    • Low Blood Pressure 100/56
    • Lack of appetite
    • Poor blood sugar control, often feeling dizzy or shaky prior to eating.

    A lot of these symptoms could be considered sub-clinical disease but at this stage they just spoil your quality of life and make you look tired and worn out as in the picture above. My hair was always dry and thinning a lot, skin and eyes were lack lustre. My dry skin was becoming thin and crêpey and my nails also dry with deep vertical lines and they would laminate and break easily. I knew I had to get myself to a better level of health and get my mojo back!

    So I began an overhaul of my diet to get my digestive system working better. After completing The Autoimmune Summit I decided to do an elimination diet and then follow the Alejandro Junger MD ‘Clean Gut’ and ‘Clean Eating’ and after a month felt much better. I had lost 7lbs, had a flatter belly than I had had for years, had less pain in my joints and could even touch my toes. Gluten and Dairy free really suited me. The diet evolved to include rice, mainly brown or Basmati, some potatoes and some gluten free flour products like wraps, pittas and gluten free oats occasionally. I also included plenty of good healthy oils/fats like avocados, olives and olive oil and coconut oil and plenty of Celtic sea salt.

    So after several months of adjustments there was quite a lot of improvement – going by the list above about 45% reduction in symptoms but I still wasn’t sleeping any better despite frequent meditation sessions, my brain was still hyperactive, my skin, hair and nails were still suffering and a day looking after young grandchildren would wipe me out.

    Then three months ago I discovered a new Mineral supplement that sounded great. This product, Sizzling Minerals, was 100% natural and each wafer contains 600mgs of 75 pure plant minerals that are fully bio-available. Knowing about Mitochondria, energy and ageing – these seemed to be just what I needed. I like to be scientific about things and I always question everything so I took photos of myself and my nails before starting on the minerals. I already knew that I would need to take them for at least 90 days to see the effects but after just 4 days I found I had much more energy and felt happier. After just 5 weeks of taking them I was seeing a difference in the mirror so took the second picture. Then a couple of weeks later this one below to update my social media pictures.

    FullSizeRender (2)_e

     

    Not too bad for 64.

    I decided to join the Company, Simply Naturals as a Distributor. Their mission is to get 1 million people on Sizzling Minerals and feeling better and that is something I am enjoying being a part of. If you are a professional and would like to do the same click here for more info. So after 90 days I am sharing my health transition with you.

    • My sleep is dramatically better, I frequently fall asleep straight away, sleep for 6-7 hours and then wake gradually feeling refreshed and relaxed.
    • My concentration is 100 better, much more focused and no brain chatter!
    • Energy levels are really good – now I tire the grandchildren out. I have completed 3 on-line Nutrition courses and I am learning a lot of internet and Social Media Skills
    • My digestion is good and IBS gone, I feel hungry more often and enjoy my food more
    • All foot infections finally disappeared.
    • No ear or sinus problems
    • No more dry eyes
    • Blood pressure and pulse improved B/P 125/60
    • Skin and hair improved
    • Nails getting smoother, shiny and strong

    IMG_0687 (1)

    nails in March 2015

    nails 90 days laterIMG_0795

    So I feel completely confident in saying that EVERYONE needs minerals because they are so obviously missing in our food these days. Sizzling Minerals are a ground-breaking product that supplies what your body is craving ( I no longer crave chocolate by the way – so I know my body has enough Magnesium now!) and for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. They come in wafers in a choice of four flavours – Natural, Cherry, Orange and Lemon/Lime for a refreshing fizzy drink, powder or capsules if you prefer.

    They get to every cell, they detoxify, they help oxygenate the tissues, they are involved in enzyme production and they act as co-factors to vitamins to make any other supplements you take work more efficiently. They are essential for good health.

    Try them for 90 days yourself and let me know how you get on.

    To buy some  go to the shop at  www.healthcoach2000.info

    Available in Europe, UK and USA

     

    Related posts:

    No related posts.