chronic fatigue

  • Autoimmune diseases/ Brain - Gut Connection/ Energy/ Inflammation/ Probiotics

    Probiotics Breakthrough

    Paleo and LCHF approach

    A Review.

    We have a Probiotics breakthrough with a new supplement called Elixa Probiotic.

    So much of what I do and write about this past couple of years has been about the health of our Microbiome – the environment of beneficial bacteria within and on our bodies that affects our health. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can be taken as a supplement, eaten as fermented foods and even given as an enema and many people have learnt that by improving their gut health they can significantly improve their overall physical and mental health.

    They have proved so beneficial that a daily top up seems essential to some people with chronic inflammatory disease, Auto-immune disease, ADHD, Autism, Depression and Insomnia to name just a few. Taking probiotics has also been shown to improve the function of our immune system. I have taken probiotics on and off over the years. At first the supplements only contained one or two strains and needed to be kept in the fridge but over the years different technology has meant that we can now benefit from several strains and they have a good shelf life at normal temperatures.

    The breakthrough is a new Product that has 12 different strains and is 50 times the strength of the average Probiotic and best of all, you probably only need a six day course to set up a much healthier environment in your digestive tract.

    Elixa Probiotics

     

    Read More →

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  • 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 →

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  • Autoimmune diseases/ bodykind supplements/ Energy/ Food intolerance/ Hashimotos Disease/ Health/ Hypothyroidism/ Nutritional Medicine

    Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Adults & Children

    B Vitamins

    Vitamin B12 deficiency in Adults & Children can become serious and debilitating if not diagnosed. Many of the signs and symptoms can be similar to other health problems and sometimes health professionals may be looking for diseases rather than nutrient deficiencies.

    Vitamin B12 is also called cobalamin and  cyanocobalamin. It is water soluble and found mainly in foods from animals. It is an essential vitamin and sometimes known as a ‘feel good’ vitamin as, along with other B vitamins it ensures a healthy nervous and energy system. It forms and regenerates red blood cells and is essential for growth and development being necessary to utilize fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It improves concentration, memory and balance and also helps detoxify cyanide from foods and airborne toxins like tobacco smoke.

    SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS

    • weight loss
    • weakness or fatigue
    • muscular soreness
    • sore, red tongue
    • headaches
    • shortness of breath
    • abdominal bloating
    • Palpitations
    • Anaemia
    • Depression and other Psychological symptoms
    • Problems with memory, understanding and judgement leading to Dementia
    • Neurological symptoms such as ‘pins and needles’ in extremities, Peripheral Neuropathy
    • unexplained Vision or taste impairment

    CAUSES

    1. Nutritional – people following a vegan, vegetarian or low protein diet. Low dietary intake over a prolonged time are at risk of deficiency. All of these people should take a Vitamin B Complex supplement that includes B12.
    2. Malabsorption – Lack of a protein produced in the stomach called the ‘Intrinsic Factor’ can mean that B12 cannot be absorbed. This is called Pernicious Anaemia and the treatment is high dose B12 injection. Anyone who has had to have part or all of their stomach removed would be in a similar position.
    3. Digestive – antacid medications interfere with the absorption as stomach acid is necessary for proper absorption so anyone on antacids or PPI drugs, especially during pregnancy should supplement B12. Inflammation and damage to the intestines can cause inability to absorb B12, as in Coeliac disease, Crohn’s etc. Also some other medications, like anticonvulsants,inhibit absorption. People over the age of 60 with other health problems, poor diet and diminished stomach enzymes and acid may also be at risk. B12 deficiency can also occur due to SIBO when there is slower movement of food through the intestines allowing an overgrowth of the wrong bacteria and these bacteria steal the B12 for their own use. Intestinal parasites can also be a cause.
    4. Autoimmune Disease – Pernicious Anaemia is an Autoimmune disorder but other Autoimmune conditions can also be present that will possibly be accompanied by lack of Vitamin B12 – Graves Disease, Hashimoto’s disease, Vitiligo, MS and Addison’s Disease (Adrenocortical Insufficiency) for example.

    SUPPLEMENTS AND DIET

    Supplements can be in the form of tablets or capsules of Vitamin B12 plus a Vitamin B Complex or sometimes if deficiency is due to insufficient stomach acid then a sub-lingual powder can be just dropped under the tongue and will absorb through the mucous membrane of the mouth.  Supplements of between 50mcg and 2,000mcgs have been reported safe. The outlook once diagnosed and treated is excellent. Probiotics may improve digestion and absorption.

    Dietary sources of Vitamin B12  Read More →

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  • Exclusion diet/ Food intolerance/ Health/ Immune system - healing/ Inflammation/ Wheat and Dairy Intolerance

    Food Intolerance symptoms and tests.

    Food Intolerance Test

    There has been a lot of controversy over food intolerance over the last few years and the distinction between true food allergies and food intolerance is still a very blurred line for many.

    Food Intolerance symptoms can be bloating, tiredness, constipation, diarrhoea, IBS, Eczema, arthritis, headaches and migraines, palpitations, mood swings and attention problems.

    On visiting your Doctor and saying that you think you may have a food intolerance he may tell you that the best way forward is to carry out a exclusion diet where if you leave out the offending foods and your symptoms go away then you have nailed it. If pressured the Doctor may send you for allergy testing. This is usually a history of your symptoms followed by a skin prick test for the substances  suspected as causing problems plus non food ones like grasses and pollens plus a control to show that you have a strong histamine response. This test is relying on a IgE immune response which would occur almost immediately with the release of inflammatory chemicals like histamine and leucotrene and can result in raised blisters, itching and even breathing difficulties or collapse. This is an allergic reaction. Food allergies are a reaction to food proteins and can be described as IgE -mediated (immediate) and non-IgE-mediated (delayed reactions).

    Delayed immune reactions to food and antigens are mediated by IgG, IgA and IgM and can take several hours or days to produce a response in the body. Celiac Disease is a non-IgE related response. Other food intolerance tests like York Laboratories, IgG RAST /ELISA and Food Detective rely on IgG immunoglobulin and a blood sample is necessary. They do not cause a histamine reaction. Recent research from the National University Hospital in Singapore has shown that the IgG response may even be protective against the development of a more severe IgE food allergy. These tests have been ignored by mainstream doctors for many years but have proved increasingly popular by patients who don’t feel they are getting to the root of their health problems. It is true that they may not show up all your intolerances as the tests are based on raw foods but we have known for 30+ years that people can react much more to processed foods. Processing food by heating and oxidisation changes the protein. If a person is reacting to tomato ketchup he may not show an immune response to  tomato and therefore the patients problem would go undetected.

    An article from The National Centre for Biotechnology Information in 2009 concluded that the determination of food allergy, intolerance and sensitivity would be improved by testing IgE, IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies against both raw and processed food antigens. Antibodies from modified food may cause disruption in degenerative and autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, joint inflammation, neuro-degeneration and neuro-autoimmunity.

    This is exactly what the Functional medicine community has been saying for a few years now – delayed Food sensitivity is associated with a multitude of chronic disorders, such as MS, Autism, RA, fibromyalgia, IBS, Crohn’s disease, Dementia and hundreds of other conditions that affect about 40% of the population.

    My son has an Autoimmune condition that affects his eyes, his digestive tract, his skin and his joints. He had eczema from about 11 years old but when he had severe gastroenteritis and couldn’t eat for 5 days his skin cleared up completely. On pointing this out to the Doctor we asked if we could have an allergy test done. While waiting for the appointment we tried an Elimination diet and filled in a detailed food diary. He definitely reacted to Dairy and soya and an improvement was seen but this is a difficult diet to do, especially when the reaction can come hours or days later. The offending proteins can also come in ways other than food, like in medicines (even the capsules that contain them), toiletries etc. When he had the skin prick IgE tests they came up negative and he also showed a very low histamine response so they said he was unlikely to be allergic to anything. We introduced more foods but remained off dairy but he was still getting quite severe inflammation. A year on we both tried the   Clean Gut Diet by Alejandro Junger, MD and started taking Probiotics and all symptoms went away within days. We also lost over 14lbs each without ever being hungry and we had much more energy. We realised that gluten was also a problem and eliminated that. We substituted Almond milk for cows milk we found great tasting bars that had only fruit and cashew nuts and we even added back in wine and gluten free beer and we still felt good and maintained our weight.

    Then gradually my son’s eczema started to come back and he had occasional flare ups of arthritis. Our only options seemed to be to go back onto the full Elimination diet or pay for a Food Intolerance test. We bought the Food Detective from bodykind and the results were very helpful and made sense. Luckily it didn’t throw up a whole new lot of foods to avoid but apart from Cow’s milk and gluten it showed a response to almonds and cashews. This is hardly surprising as these were foods that he had hardly ever consumed in the past but was now eating nearly every day. We have left them off and his inflammation is already reduced after just 3 days. We will leave them off for about 3 months and then eat them less frequently and see how he goes but the test was definitely the quickest way  and we saw results very quickly – evidence based medicine!

    I would recommend this Food Intolerance  test to anyone who thinks they can cope with collecting a small amount of blood from a finger prick and following the instructions to the letter. The test costs £65/$110/85 euros and takes about 40 mins to do with the results at the end of the test. It tests for the IgG reaction to 59 different foods and there is a video on the bodykind site that shows you exactly what to do. There is also a booklet that tells you how to interpret the results and how to proceed with dietary changes.

    Click here to visit bodykind


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  • Internet Security/ Nutritional Medicine

    New Year, New Beginnings –

    Internet security

     

    Just before the holidays I was attempting to change to a self hosted, more modern blog and I was seriously hacked. The analogy to a person being struck down by a serious illness was very apparent. My new blog was completely disabled and the infection spread to my email, and social media sites. In the process and excitement of starting something new, and not having enough knowledge, I didn’t put enough internet security measures in to protect myself.

    Never one to be beaten, I have learnt from my mistakes and made the most of the situation to go bigger and better! Hope you like the result.

    So, the holiday season also saw me “fall off the wagon” having enjoyed my return to good health and not been tempted to eat the dairy and wheat for several months I managed to devour nearly a whole box of chocolates in just 2 days! Much bigger than this one!

    roundup_16948_Image01Upload

     

    At first I thought I had “got away with it” but within 24 hours I had a throbbing headache, couldn’t sleep and by the morning I had stiff and painful joints and constipation. As with the technology – reset – with a few days of the first cleanse diet as in “Healing your digestive tract” Post and supplements, get rid of the cause of the problem (no chocolates left but brandy butter in the bin!) and now we are all back on track and the wiser for it!

    Happy New Year to you all.

    If you have had or are having problems with your Host or just want to improve your site then I highly recommend Site Ground – they are faster, safer and offer great support wherever you are in the World. Check them out.

    Web Hosting

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  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Nutritional Medicine

    SUPER-FOODS for ENERGY and VITALITY

    Superfoods for energy and vitality

    When you have completed the Detox you should feel energised as your body systems are able to function more efficiently but now is the time to add in more Super-foods for energy and vitality that will improve your nutrition and nourish your body. When you omit foods from your diet it is vital that you substitute other foods that provide the same nutrients so that you don’t become deficient.

    Wheat and wholegrain wheat products and cereals usually contain a variety of the B group of vitamins, iron, potassium, iodine and calcium so if you eliminate grains from your diet you need to eat enough of the foods that supply these nutrients and on a daily basis because the Vitamin group of vitamins are water soluble, not stored in the body and depleted by stress. If your gut bacteria levels are good you also manufacture Vitamin B in the body, especially the ones that are capable of repairing DNA and even killing cancer cells, biotin, folic acid and B12. Vitamin B is essential for a healthy nervous system, good mental function and mood, for food digestion, metabolism and energy and for keeping levels of homocysteine low and preventing heart attacks and strokes. Foods that contain good levels of Vitamin B and iron are meats – with more in red meat like grass fed beef, venison, rabbit; organ meat – liver, kidney and heart; eggs; bacon; yeast extract; dried seaweed; sardines; Herring; anchovies; scallops; prawns salmon;skate;mackerel; shiitake mushrooms; sunflower seeds; nuts; brown rice and dark green leafy vegetables like Kale, chard, spinach, Spring greens and cabbage.

    If you omit Dairy foods then it is fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D and Calcium that you will need to replace. Vitamin D is in oily fish; fish roe; eggs; Ghee, added to most margarines and oil based spreads and it is made by the body when exposed to sunlight. Calcium is found in Almond milk and butter; other nut milks and their butters; leafy green vegetables; salmon, sardines, whitebait, prawns; sesame seeds; Poppy seeds; Harricot beans; chick peas; Nori and Kombu seaweed; figs; Herbs; root vegetables and broccoli.

    The easiest way of upping your nutrition is to add a few smoothies a week. My personal favourites are mixtures of almond or coconut milk with fresh fruit, fresh ginger or cinnamon and almond butter. I love some of the ideas for smoothies on Kira Westwick’s Blog and she even converted me to green smoothies by saying that you should make them light and refreshing and not “creamy” and by going for greens that are typically eaten raw like cucumber, celery, herbs and sprouts and add ice to keep them super fresh. In the Winter try adding  plenty of nutritious foods into soups. My favourite is pumpkin and butternut squash with roasted garlic topped with crispy bacon pieces and toasted pumpkin seeds in a little olive oil….yummy!

    I think all of these foods are Super-foods because they supply us with high levels of nutrients and energy. In addition to these you should add Coconut oil and butter, coconut milk, pure coconut yogurt; garlic; ginger; cinnamon, turmeric, olive oil, green tea, spice teas, Spring water, mushrooms, bell peppers, Avocado, lemons and limes, Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, dark cherries, grapes and the occasional glass of red wine with some raw, dark chocolate!

    I feel great just writing all these Super-foods down 😉

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  • Autoimmune diseases/ Nutritional Medicine

    HEALING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

    Healing your immune system

    A Guide to healing your immune system.

    There is an epidemic of Chronic ill health and Autoimmune diseases that equals the epidemic of cancer at present and Doctors have been struggling to cope.

    The range of these diseases starts with annoying symptoms of skin problems,poor digestion, food sensitivities, Allergies, Joint pains, IBS, Irritable bladder, hormone problems and brain fog to incapacitating problems like Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, ME, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Autism and Alzheimer’s.

    The latest research that links all of these is that an imbalance of gut bacteria and damage to the lining of the gut. When the gut is healthy it can keep out external triggers but when it is damaged and the delicate balance of bacteria is upset it can lead to all kinds of symptoms and to autoimmunity, where the body attacks it’s own tissue and not just invading organisms.

    There are many things that can attack and lead to a breakdown in our gut lining, chronic use of anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) Antibiotics, Chemotherapy, Radiation treatment, Alcohol, poor diet, acute or chronic stress, environmental toxins and food toxins like gluten and sugar.

    So treatment begins with removing the harmful triggers, healing the gut with diet and supplements, making sure you are free from infection and parasites and then supporting the body back to an energised and healthy state.

    If you want to feel well again then start eliminating the triggers, changing your diet and lifestyle and working your way back to vibrant health.

    If you start from

    1. Leaky Gut – do the quiz then go to
    2. Healing your digestive tract
    3. Clean Gut and extra supplements
    4. Help with your detox diet 1 – Sugar
    5. Help with your detox diet 2 – Meal Planning

    Also you can find more information on You Tube, blogs and from fantastic on-line Summits like The Autoimmune Summit with Dr. Amy Myers

    You can start feeling considerably better within two weeks of starting – as we did. If you do please share your progress with us all in comments.

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  • Adrenal Fatigue/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Fibromyalgia/ Hashimotos Disease/ Hypothyroidism/ ME/ Nutritional Medicine

    HYPOTHYROIDISM vs ADRENAL FATIGUE

    Thyroid Hormones

    Tired or exhausted most of the time? Let’s look at the some of differences between Hypothyroidism (low functioning Thyroid Gland) and Adrenal Fatigue. Adrenal Fatigue symptoms can resemble low Thyroid function and can also suppress Thyroid function through the complex HPA Axis (Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis). Therefore people with Fatigue can show symptoms of low Thyroid function (Hypothyroidism) but the main difference is that in Adrenal Fatigue the Circadian Rhythms (physical, mental and behavioural changes that roughly follow a 24 hour cycle responding mainly to light and darkness) are disrupted with energy crashes during the day and disturbed sleep patterns and it is extremely important to treat the underlying imbalances to the HPA Axis before treating the low thyroid activity.

    Both share symptoms such as low energy, cold hands, low body temperature and sluggish digestion. There is a strong link between the Thyroid and the Adrenal glands – both glands are involved in energy production – and this link is usually referred to as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-thyroid axis.

    For more in depth information go to Adrenal Fatigue Focus.

    The advice is to address the Adrenal fatigue with Stress reduction, Blood Sugar control and healing Gut dysfunction (see previous post) while also ensuring that the Thyroid has optimal nutrition, which is:-

    • Tyrosine – made in the body from good quality proteins (approx 30g a day) and sufficient Vitamin B6. Tyrosine supports neurotransmitters in the brain and is a precursor to Thyroxine and pituitary and Adrenal gland hormones. Lack of tyrosine causes low body temperature and low blood pressure. Good sources in the diet are meat, dairy products, eggs, almonds, avocados and bananas. Do not take tyrosine as a supplement if you suffer from migraine, are on MAOIs antidepressants or are pregnant.
    • Selenium – a trace mineral essential to all bodily functions. Taking anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce the bodies supply. Low levels can contribute to autoimmune problems such as psoriasis and Thyroid disease. the following foods provide selenium: brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, fish(tuna, sardines, salmon etc.) Shellfish, meat, eggs, mushrooms, grains (wheatgerm, barley, brown rice and oats) and onions.
    • Zinc – a very important trace element. Can be found in mushrooms, meat, offal, nuts, seeds, oysters, eggs and wholegrain products.(organic where possible)
    • Iodine – found in fish and seafood, seaweed products, fresh pineapple, Celtic sea salt and Spirulina. It is possible to absorb it through the skin therefore if you paint a two inch square on your inner thigh every couple of days until there is still an amount remaining after 48 hours then stop for a while. Lugol’s iodine is also a preparation that can be taken by mouth when added to water. For more information visit Regenerative Nutrition. If you are already taking Thyroxine then you may need to get your levels tested more often and have the dose adjusted.
    • Reduce toxic overload, heavy metal toxicity and follow the Detox Diet detailed in other Millenniumhealth Posts.

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  • Adrenal Fatigue/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Fibromyalgia/ ME/ Nutritional Medicine

    ADRENAL FATIGUE – the road to recovery.

    Fatigue

    Adrenal fatigue – how to diagnose and get on the road to recovery. Adrenal fatigue is now more usually recognised as a dysfunction of the HPA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis) because of the complex influences and feedback between these three endocrine glands. The Hypothalamus sends messages from the brain to the Adrenal glands, the Pituitary gland and other organs and is responsible for energy levels, body temperature and Circadian Rhythms. The Pituitary Gland is a pea sized gland that produces hormones essential for growth, fluid balance and reproduction. The Adrenal glands sit just above each kidney and produce steroid hormones such as Cortisol, DHEA and sex hormones plus stress hormones like adrenaline and dopamine.

    Anyone who has been ill for a long time, suffered prolonged levels of high stress, has an autoimmune disease or diseases (having one predisposes you to getting others) or has Chronic fatigue syndrome always has a degree of Adrenal Fatigue and HPA Dysfunction. The Adrenal Glands make our natural anti-inflammatory, Cortisol, so when they are under-performing the body is likely to be suffering from severe inflammation and potentially degenerative disease,as well as poor blood sugar control and stress control. NB. If you have already been prescribed NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for your joint pain or inflammation then please read all this information and decrease the drug use asap. These drugs and the gastric protector drugs that are given with them, have many unwanted and even dangerous side effects especially to the digestive lining. They can also affect your absorption of vital nutrients and so lead to more disruption of body symptoms. It is always much better to treat the source of the problems and not just treat the symptoms.

    The symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue will vary with the degree of malfunction of these glands and also may involve some dysfunction of the Thyroid gland as well. (more on that later). You may have some symptoms but still be able to function on a daily basis or have extreme, bed ridden, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

    Symptoms:-

    • low Blood pressure and frequently Postural Hypo-tension – where blood pressure falls on standing up.
    • decreased tolerance to cold
    • Cold hands and feet – often turning white with bluish nail bases.
    • shakiness
    • dizzy spells, feeling faint
    • increased allergies
    • general feeling of exhaustion
    • weakness of ligaments and muscle fatigue
    • low mood/depression/mood swings
    • cravings for salty or sweet food
    • problems controlling blood sugar
    • lower immunity to infections
    • poor sleep quality
    • over-active brain late evening or at night
    • Adrenaline up/ sex hormones down – irritability, depression, anxiety and menstrual problems in women.
    • sensitivity to loud noises
    • palpitations
    • thin, easily broken nails, sometimes with vertical ridges

    If you have a good few of these symptoms and you go to your General Practitioner they may test you and tell you that you don’t have Cushing’s syndrome or Addison’s disease and so therefore there isn’t anything wrong. Most of us know when there is and you can do plenty to fix it either by yourself or with the help of a Functional Medicine Doctor or Nutritionist. It may be possible to obtain an ASI (saliva test) that will be an indicator of the degree of Adrenal exhaustion but saliva tests only tests for free cortisol which is about 3-5% and the amount within the tissues could high and therefore urine tests can be much more accurate. It is important to treat all aspects of this complex system

    • by stress reduction
    • blood sugar regulation
    • Gut dysfunction
    • nutritional supplementation.

    Treatment

    It is essential to get enough Vitamin C on a daily basis as a water soluble vitamin that is not stored in the body or made in the human body (but is in other animals). You need a good source of vitamin C that is easily absorbed and that comes with Bioflavinoids and you have to take a supplement of 2-3,000 mgs to reach a therapeutic dose and cannot initially rely on diet alone. Some people can tolerate the more acidic versions but others may need the buffered versions (sodium ascorbate) and the most neutral for acidity is Sodium Citrate. With some acidic Vitamin C you can reach a intolerance level where you get loose bowel movements and then you have to reduce the dose to your own tolerance level.

    Licorice Root an adaptogenic herb that increases the level of circulating cortisol by reducing its breakdown. We are dealing with people who generally have Low Blood pressure with Adrenal Fatigue so in this case it is OK to take the normal Licorice Root. If you have other underlying health problems that cause you to have High Blood pressure then you need to take the Deglycyrrhized (DGL) type which does not raise blood pressure. It is a good idea to monitor your blood pressure while taking Licorice Root, especially lying and standing B/P so that you can vary the dose according to your results. When your blood pressure is consistently at about 120/90 then you can reduce the dose and monitor the effect. If you have an infection or a relapse in your condition it is often wise to increase the dose for a period of time to help your body cope.

    Celtic Ocean sea salt and drinking enough water will help normalise Blood pressure and provide essential minerals for good glandular function. Or Sizzling Minerals from Simply Naturals that are 75 Plant based minerals.

    Vitamin B Complex 50 mgs which has already been included in supplements recommended but especially B5 (Pantothenic Acid) as a deficiency results in adrenal atrophy. This vitamin is also found in cauliflower, broccoli, salmon, liver and sweet potatoes that are encouraged on the detox diet. Latest research shows that people with certain genetic make-up or problems utilising artificial vitamins may be better taking natural, plant source B Vitamins.

    Probiotics are extremely beneficial for improving gut function and boosting the Immune System. I recommend a six day course of Elixa Probiotic that is much stronger and with more beneficial strains than other makes.

    Zinc and Magnesium may also be needed in doses higher than can be obtained in your diet. Magnesium is well absorbed through a spray onto the skin which is a good way to take it if you hate swallowing too many pills or are having trouble sleeping and it will act as a relaxant prior to bed.

    Some Siberian Ginseng or even Panax Ginseng(which is considered stronger) may help some people as these are adaptogenic herbs but they may not suit everyone and I would not introduce them until you have established the other treatments for a while and are showing improvement. Equally I wouldn’t recommend Ashwaganda or Rhodiola or Astragalus for people who have autoimmune disease because they are very stimulating to the immune system as a whole.

    Rest and relaxation are vital to lowering stress levels, reducing inflammation and improving Adrenal Function. Try some guided Meditation tapes or Apps and find one that suits you. Gentle yoga, Tai Chi or stretching or having a massage could be beneficial. Avoid bright lights or electronic devices in the evening to promote the hormones that aid sleep. Spending time with pets or in Nature and getting some sun exposure is extremely beneficial. Avoid anything that causes anxiety or stress like watching the News, taking on other peoples problems etc. and aim for extreme self care and calm.

    Controlling your blood sugar by eating frequently and including some protein with each meal plus eating more vegetables and less processed carbohydrates and less fruit and sugar is essential for helping your relaxation and sleep. Cortisol is one of the ways our bodies control blood sugar. When blood sugar drops because cortisol can no longer maintain it effectively the Adrenals produce more adrenaline which also activates the nervous system that makes us alert. Waking at regular times in the night (typically about 4am!) is frequently a sign of these rises in adrenaline. This should stabilise with the detox diet and supplements listed above and can be helped by eating some protein before bed and just a couple of Brazil nuts or a piece of cold meat might help.

    Also see the Post on The Thymus gland and the immune system where Licorice root and similar nutrients also help.

    Click here to visit bodykind

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  • Nutritional Medicine/ Wheat and Dairy Intolerance

    Help with Detox Diet – SUGAR

    blood sugar

    If you are thinking ‘well she gave me a big shopping list but what am I actually going to eat?’ in Healing Your digestive Tract, I don’t blame you, it is probably a huge change to what you are used to. In the next few posts I will help by giving you information, guidelines and links to help you through the first 2-4 weeks, as well as some incite into what we did.

    The main idea of a Detox is to take the stress off your digestive system and give your body the nutrients it needs to function well and repair itself.

    So, what are we doing? We need to exclude the foods that can cause the most problems for our immune system and digestive system and observe how we feel after we have done that. The main foods that can disrupt our health are wheat, dairy, whole soy, corn, citrus, yeast, sugar and processed food containing multiple additives.

    I am going to start with SUGAR.

    We need to eliminate sugar because it is not a food – it has no nutrient value – only empty calories that stress our bodies to produce more insulin in an effort to keep our blood sugar at a reasonable level and therefore minimise the damage it can do to our bodies. If you manage nothing else your long-term health will benefit from this step.

    if you normally have quite a lot of sugar on a daily basis you might think that this will be impossible to achieve but if you understand why you have a sugar addiction then you might find it easier.

    When do you most crave a sugar hit?

    • when you are stressed
    • when you are exhausted
    • when you have skipped a meal
    • when you are depressed
    • when you haven’t had enough sleep

    These are all the times when your body is struggling to cope because the minerals that are required by every cell in your body has been depleted and therefore the body is not coping. What it needs is rest, relaxation, a nutritious meal and time to recover. By giving the body a sugar hit we are pushing it further than it wants to go, we are giving it an adrenalin shot and literally the Adrenal glands kick in like kicking spurs into a an exhausted horse. For a while you feel better but if you don’t give your body what it really needs it will feel even worse the next time that blood sugar drops.

    Do you recognise that  pattern?

    1. You have a bad night and get out of bed late so there is no time for Breakfast – you grab a coffee….
    2. by mid-morning you feel a dip and you know you need to eat something but all you can get is a biscuit or crisps and another coffee……
    3. by lunchtime you are ‘starving’ and so you go for a high carbohydrate, high fat sandwich or roll and a high sugar drink or juice……
    4. by the middle of the afternoon you feel like crap, can’t concentrate and have a headache coming on….
    5. by the time you get home you feel like you have had a horrible, stressful day and you need to relax so you have another sugar hit disguised as a beer or glass of wine.
    6. If you can get out of this damaging cycle of eating and drinking the wrong things you will start to feel and function better within a very short time – why? because your body is crying out for the minerals it needs and when it gets all of those minerals…it will reward you.

    First change your salt. Bleached white salt contains only sodium and this is the form that does a lot of damage and can cause High Blood Pressure, Heart disease, Kidney disease etc. Table salt has iodine added back in because when white table salt was first introduced there was an epidemic of Thyroid disease.

    Celtic Sea Salt contains 82 vital trace elements eg. Magnesium,manganese, Boron, Copper, Silicon, Iron and iodine. The benefits of natural sea salt are :-

    • replenishes the body’s electrolytes
    • provides renewed energy
    • provides all 82 trace minerals to promote optimal biological and cellular function
    • balances alkaline/acid levels
    • restores good digestion – starting with stimulating more saliva
    • enables better detoxification
    • can stabilise blood pressure
    • reduces sugar cravings
    • makes your food taste much better!

    So with the detox diet being high in vegetables that will provide high levels of Potassium, Magnesium,chromium etc. and by using natural Celtic Sea salt you are giving the body just what it needs.
    The other way is to take a plant derived mineral supplement drink daily like Sizzling Minerals. For more information on how this product can improve your health and why please watch the video here Simply Naturals or go to the shop directly for free shipping and discount for auto-ship at SHOP

    Next eat some good protein at every meal and carry protein snacks with you when out or at work because these will help stabilise your blood sugar and stop cravings. I have some protein for breakfast like Paleo Pancakes and berries or I put a teaspoon of almond butter or some nuts into my smoothie and I always take either “nakd” date and cashew bites or a small bag of nuts and seeds out with me. A little protein or nut milk drink before bed might stop you waking about 3-4 am due to low blood sugar.

    Fruit and fruit juices can also raise your blood sugar and therefore only berries are recommended while on the elimination diet, firstly because they are less likely to raise your blood sugar than most other fruits and secondly because they contain essential nutrients and antioxidants that help clean up your body.

    Lastly Alcohol is the faster sugar to enter and disrupt your system so try to leave it out for the duration of the elimination diet. If you have a social function to go to a glass of water with lime and ice does not look out of place. If necessary a glass of wine, a Coronita beer or a Tequila shot  but remember that whisky and most beers contain gluten.

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