With the shorter days and colder temperatures I’m seeing many more people with colds, coughs and flus.
Analysis of current evidence has recently concluded that Echinacea is effective in reducing both the incidence and duration of the common cold. Echinacea was found to decrease the odds of a patient contracting a cold by 58% and to decrease the duration of a cold by 1.4 days. Also, in a human trial for the immune effect of Echinacea the results showed Echinacea to have a sustained level of immune cell activation. In my experience Echinacea is of most use as a long term remedy to build immunity and to prevent colds and during the winter months I recommend taking Echinacea (liquid form is best) daily to help ward off colds and flus. Echinacea is also a blood purifier and stimulates digestion.
Olive Leaf Extract is a powerful anti-viral and is of good use in fighting any condition where the immune system is compromised. It will also detox the body so take in conservative amounts as there can be detox side effects as the body cleans out if taken at too high a dose. Feel free to check with me before starting.
If you find yourself with a cold starting, treating it quickly will help to either stop it fully developing or will greatly reduce the duration and intensity of the cold.
At the very first onset I recommend you take a clove of garlic, chop it finely, and take it on a spoon with water and swallow (take after food). This can help to abort colds if done early enough. Another way to prepare this is to take 10 cloves of garlic and chop up finely. Add three table spoons of honey and store in a jar. Take a teaspoon as soon as you notice a sign of cold for flu. If you already have a cold take one teaspoon three teaspoon three times per day. This mixture should also be taken after food.
Secondly I recommend quite high doses of Vitamin C two times per day until symptoms pass – contact me to find out more, as this will depend on your age and constitution.
During a cold I recommend avoiding sugar and dairy because of their mucus forming properties.
Blackmores do a good product called PCIP which is effective against colds and this should be taken with Vitamin C. This is particularly useful in treating infection accompanied by mucus and fever.
Homeopathy is also a powerful tool against the common cold and flu. There is a particular homeopathic remedy I like to use as a cold and flu preventative (one dose is taken every two weeks) and can be used by all the family from toddlers to adults. There are also other homeopathics that can be used to help reduce a colds duration and intensity – let me know if you have any questions relation to these.
Incorporating kitchen herbs & spices into your cooking routine is a simple way to give your health a boost
Select herbs and spices, dried or fresh, for flavour and enjoy the health benefits that come with them.
Below are some examples and you may be surprised at the many diverse conditions for which they’ve proven useful.
BASIL
Basil is a herbal carminative, and can aid with relieving gas and soothing stomach upsets. Research has also suggested that basil helps combat aging to some degree too.
Basil is great with tomatoes and onion, mixed in salads, or in pesto sauce.
BLACK PEPPER
Black pepper is one of the oldest and commonly used of all the spices. It has a stimulating effect on the digestive organs and produces an increased flow of saliva and digestive juices. Black pepper can also help reduce indigestion and flatulence.
Black pepper can be added to most savoury foods to add an extra kick.
GARLIC
Garlic is a natural antiseptic and is a powerful natural remedy for colds and flus, especially when taken at the first sign of symptoms. It also has a reputation as a cancer fighter with numerous other health benefits. It can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, assist with plaque, and can lower the risk of hardening of the arteries. Garlic is also effective against digestive problems and diarrhoea.
Garlic can be eaten raw or cooked and adds flavour to many different meals.
PARSLEY
Parsley is a natural diuretic-herb, which helps with our body’s plumbing by helping it to produce more urine – it also helps prevent such problems as kidney stones and bladder infections. Parsley can also help relieve bloating during menstruation.
Parsley is often used as a garnish, and also goes very well in salads or meals cooked with garlic.
TURMERIC
There are many clinical studies which indicate the curcumin in turmeric has anti-inflammatory effects, including a significant effect in relieving rheumatoid arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Curcumin, which gives the yellow pigment, may also lower cholesterol. Turmeric is also packed with antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E, which have been shown to help prevent cataracts. It has also been suggested that the curcumin contained in turmeric provides powerful anti-cancer properties, especially for smokers and past smokers.
Turmeric is can be used in curries and other spicy foods.
Cayenne pepper is a hot red powder made from tropical chili peppers. It contains alkaloid capsaicin, which can help relieve pain. Cayenne pepper helps boost appetite, improves digestion and relieves gas, nausea, and indigestion. It also thins phlegm and helps to ease its passage from the lungs, and in doing so helps to prevent and treat coughs, colds and bronchitis.
Cayenne pepper can be added to give a hot spicy boost to any dish.
SAGE
Sage contains both antiseptic and antibiotic oils, so it is helpful in fighting infections. It also can helps with symptoms of menopause, such as night sweats and hot flushes, because of its estrogenic action and because its tannins can dry up perspiration.
Sage can be cooked with all sorts of interesting dishes, but a personal favourite of mine is sage and onion stuffing with a roast chicken.
ROSEMARY
This is a great source of antioxidants and it also has antibacterial properties to help fight infection, as well as being a natural anti-inflammatory. It has also traditionally been used to help ease asthma. It may also help ease breast pain by acting as a natural drying agent to fluid filled cysts.
Rosemary is very nice with lamb, or mixed in with roasted vegetables and potatoes.
GINGER
Ginger is a wonderful digestive aid, which helps to stimulate saliva flow and digestive activity, helps settles the stomach and relieves vomiting and pain from gas and diarrhea. Ginger is also effective as an anti-nausea remedy. Ginger is also used as a pain reliever and it helps lower bad cholesterol.
Ginger is a very nice when mixed in vegetable juices, as well as being used in cooking in fish dishes and curries.
CINNAMON
Cinnamon contains a compound that kills a variety of illness causing bacteria, including the E.coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureas. Cinnamon can help lower blood pressure and regulate menstrual cycles. In addition, cinnamon has a tranquilizing effect that can help reduce anxiety and stress.
Cinnamon is a really useful kitchen spice as it can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.
Adding a variety of herbs and spices to your food has many health benefits, and this is evident in countries where diets are rich in these things, such as Mediterranean and Asian countries.
As always, I’m very interested to see how you are getting on and if you have any questions let me know.
Sugar is in fact essential to life, however sugar is a major contributing factor to much of today’s ill-health
Average dietary intake of sugar today is four times as much as it was 100 years ago, becoming a staple part of the Western diet.
If you walk into a supermarket today, most of the packaged and processed foods are packed with added-sugar in some form or other, even those that you find in healthfood sections. Added sugar is the problem, not sugar found in form of fructose in things like fresh fruit. The easiest and best way to get away from it is to cook from scratch, that way you know what is going into your food. Is it worth the trouble? I would say a resounding YES.
Health Hazards of Added Sugar
Added sugar creates inflammation in the body, raises blood acidity levels, causes excess mucus and is the fuel that cancer thrives on. Sugar converts to fat, contributes to blood sugar problems which in turn can contribute to diabetes. Heart health problems, high blood pressure, dementia and obesity are also linked with sugar. Each of these areas on their own could fill a book, as there is so much information about it.
The single most important piece of health advice I can pass on to my clients, is to avoid this kind of sugar altogether. This means as a habit don’t add sugar to your food or buy food that has sugar added to it. Of course, there are times where this isn’t realistic, but your daily habits are the thing I would like to emphasis and where you can make real gains. Also, there are alternatives, which I go over below.
A healthy diet should be very low in added sugar, low in non-vegetable carbohydrates and contain some protein.
Does the Body Need Sugar?
Sugar is broken down in the body to produce glucose. Glucose is used by every cell for energy, with the brain needing a large proportion and without which it could not function. This does not mean that lots of sugar equals a healthy brain – but the brain does need a steady supply. When the supply of sugar is not steady then there are clear side affects, such as hypo- or hyperglycemia (diabetes).
Your body controls sugar by secreting insulin, a hormone to keep sugar levels within a certain safe range.
Because sugar comes in many different forms and not just the crystalline granules we put in our tea or coffee, most average people get far too much and this glucose gets stored as fat.
Avoiding Added Sugar
Added sugar has no nutritional value whatsoever. In fact, added sugar leaches nutrients out of your body.
Unfortunately, when we label-read in a supermarket, there are so many names that sugar can come under, that’s it’s easy to miss. Here are just some:
Corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup, Dextrose or crystal dextrose, Fructose, Maltose, Lactose, Sucrose, Glucose, Evaporated cane juice or fruit juice, Caramel, Carob syrup, Brown sugar, Raw sugar, Dextrin and maltodextrin, Rice syrup, Molasses, Evaporated corn sweetener, Confectioner’s powdered sugar, Agave nectar, Other fruit nectar (for example, pear nectar)
Processed foods often contain high levels of added sugar that has been separated from its original co-nutrients. This means that it is ingested in the body without the fibre, healthy fats or protein that naturally slow down the sugar absorption.
Foods to watch out for include things like sweetened yogurts, breakfast cereals, snack bars, sweet treats, juices, fizzy drinks – with high amounts of refined sugar and fructose.
Non-Vegetable Carbohydrates
Sugar comes in many forms. Sugar is in syrups, candy, cakes, soda, alcohol, canned fruit and vegetables, peanut butter and jam, pickles and relishes, mayonnaise, powdered milk, processed meat, bread and even cigarettes.
A double handful of dried pasta equals about three tablespoons of sugar. Potato, bread and rice also are very high in a form sugar, all of which your body has to process and which will end up being a form of glucose.
Giving your body high amounts of carbohydrates like rice, pasta, potatoes and bread, as well as other simpler forms of sugars, will contribute to weight gain and many more conditions, such as inflammatory conditions, skin problems, joint and muscle pain, insomnia, elevated cholesterol, increased mucus production, impaired immunity, mental fog, depression, lack of libido, and dizziness.
When blood sugar levels go up insulin is produced in the body which triggers fat to be stored on the body. It also creates free radical which act on the body by destroying cells and shortening their life span.
Natural Sugars
Fructose is the form of natural sugar found in small amounts in fruits and veg, which usually have a good balance of the different forms of sugar. If you are eating a balanced diet it’s not something to worry about because the body is geared up to metabolize these kinds of natural sugars with their co-factors that are found in the fruits and vegetables themselves. Including fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet is shown through research to help protect against disease and is a healthy option. Added sugar is the focus of concern, not natural sugars when eaten in their wholefood form.
One thing to note however, is that some natural products have very high amounts of fructose, such as honey and agave. In fact agave (which is often processed) contains more fructose than the dreaded High Fructose Corn Syrup. Evidence suggests that large amounts of fructose consumption is actually the most damaging form of sugar for your health. While honey is also a concentrated form of sugar, you can buy it in its natural form and if eaten in moderation does offer some health benefits.
Fat Free Doesn’t Mean Sugar Free
One of the troubles with low fat foods is that the way the taste is compensated for is often through added sugar.
Fat is not actually the problem. Healthy fats are essential to good health.
Sugar Alternatives
Of course we all like to have sweet treats and while alternatives.
I recommend avoiding processed sweeteners, such as aspartame.
The one sweetener I would opt for is the herb Stevia because it doesn’t increase blood sugar levels. You can use this in cooking or to add to your tea and coffee, meaning that you don’t have to sacrifice sweet treats.
Case Example
Here is an example of the above with a client of mine who visited me.
When I saw Sarah she was a 32 year-old sales rep working long hours. Her main complaints were that she was over weight, constantly tired yet could not sleep well at night and was also experiencing mood swings that included anxiety and depression. She also said that she felt she looked terrible and her skin and complexion was lacking tone, with an unhealthy complexion.
Sarah was working some 50-60 hours a week and was relying on several strong coffees every day and a couple of alcoholic drinks at night to get her through the day.
On top of all this, her performance at work was now under threat since her production was being affected by her condition and this was causing her to go into a diminishing spiral of low morale and further emotional strain.
Sarah’s diet was our first issue. Typically she was having a muffin (packed with sugar), orange juice and a coffee with one sugar for breakfast. Sometimes she would skip lunch – but if she did have lunch it would be a sandwich with salad and meat. Dinner was typically pasta and vegetarian sauce or grilled meat with potato and vegetables with a glass of wine.
Well this is a pretty typical diet for most you might think – and you would be right!
Sarah’s orange juice, muffin and coffee were causing a massive spike of insulin – she said it helped her “wake up” but this was causing an acceleration of the ageing process and causing adrenal exhaustion in her body. The bread she was having at lunch was competing for digestion with the meat in her sandwich and causing more weight gain and the pasta at night was dramatically causing further blood sugar spikes increasing weight gain.
There is another key thing wrong with Sarah’s diet ? virtually no protein.
I got Sarah to drop out the pasta, muffin, orange juice and bread as these were the main culprits in her fatigue, weight gain and other symptoms.
In its place she introduced an omelet for breakfast made with 1 whole egg and two egg whites. Lunch was chicken or turkey with salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. This was followed by a salad in the evening with grilled salmon or tuna. I told her that having a glass of wine was fine with her evening meal. This was a high protein, low carbohydrate diet.
In addition to this, minerals in specific forms and amounts were introduced. She also started on a homeopathic formula to help with stress and anxiety, a multivitamin mineral supplement to give her B vitamins and antioxidant and trace minerals for energy.
Two weeks later Sarah returned looking quite different; happy and bright. She was sleeping well and energy was way up. Sagging in her face and eyes was visibly reduced and her face looked toned and healthy. She said she was feeling bright mentally and her anxiety had gone.
Fibromyalgia is a common illness – the key to treatment is identifying the underlying cause
People with fibromyalgia can be wracked with debilitating musculoskeletal pain, tenderness and profound fatigue all over their body for months at a time. The fatigue might feel like exhaustion, a flu-like illness or tiredness, and the pain can feeling like a dull ache, stiffness or burning sensation.
In severe cases, some people can’t get out of bed because of the pain and may have to give up work, while others have a greatly diminished quality of life. In mild to moderate cases people can often lead a normal life, while having to deal with and get through the pain and tiredness. Diagnosis is often tricky, but the main thing in my view is that if a person has any of these symptoms then something should be done to correct it.
CONVENTIONAL FIBROMYALGIA TREATMENT
Pain relief medications are not addressing the cause of the problem, and nor are they often particularly effective. What’s more, long term use can cause problems and there are side effects which are listed on the packet.
WHAT HELPS FIBROMYALGIA NATURALLY?
Identifying underlying causes, such as hormonal imbalances, that include the endocrine system, a rundown nervous system, sleep problems, emotional and stress triggers, is always an important step in the treatment of Fibromyalgia. From there a treatment program to help correct these causes is tailored to each individual’s specific needs, which usually includes a combination of one or more of the below treatment options.
ALTERNATIVE FIBROMYALGIA TREATMENT OPTIONS
Nutritional Therapy Correcting nutritional deficiencies and imbalances. There are specific nutrients, such as Magnesium and Vitamin D3 (which need to be taken in balance with other nutrients) that are often linked with Fibromyalgia. Turmeric is also an excellent natural anti-inflammatory that can help with pain and discomfort.
Diet Establishing any food intolerances and giving advice on the best foods to eat to help with fibromyalgia is a key step. For example, avoiding pro-inflammatory foods, such as sugars is very important. There is a typical diet I recommend to people with fibromyalgia, but this is always tailored with some basic testing, depending on the individual.
Homeopathics Homeopathic medicine is beneficial as it is designed to treat the whole person and help return balance and equilibrium to the body. Specific homeopathic medicines are ideally tailored to each individual’s requirements.
Bowen Therapy This technique is a hands on manipulative therapy that helps in the reduction of pain and tension in muscles and joints. It is a gentle form of treatment that can have rapid and positive effects.
Essential Oils There are specific oils that can be used to help alleviate pain (such as lavender and chamomile), and for stress relief (such as frankincense and clary sage) which are best diluted in a carrier oil and then put into the bath, or used as a body oil.
If you have any questions about Fibromyalgia please let me know.
Hear from my clients
“This time last year, I was constantly exhausted and struggling with pain. I couldn’t lose weight even when I tried hard. My digestive system wasn’t functioning properly. My brain was foggy and I struggled to concentrate, memory was poor. GP sent me for various tests that always came back negative. I’d had chronic fatigue in the past that never completely went away. I felt like a lost cause. What a difference a year makes . . . and it is all thanks to Nick and naturopathy. He listened and gave me a mixture of vitamins and remedies, personalised for my needs. I now eat a gluten free diet, have more energy and feel more like the old me. Oh and I have lost 2.5 stones. If you are wondering if naturopathy works, I can tell you it does, and Nick has years of experience to help you. Thank you so much Nick.” – Jan
Impacts of adrenal fatigue are far reaching and can affect both how we function physically and how we feel emotionally
Identifying and correcting adrenal fatigue prior to it causing broad negative affects in the body is strongly advisable and quite simple to do.
Examples of how adrenal fatigue can affect us are:
Contributing to blood sugar swings
This in itself can cause sleep problems, anxiety, tiredness, and more
Disrupt hormonal levels
For example excess adrenal cortisone will interrupt and reduce progesterone function, in turn affecting hormonal balance, and such things as PCOS and infertility can result.
Can open the door to anxiety, depression and irritability
Fatigue (both physical and mental)
Fatigue is a very common side effect to adrenals being rundown.
Lowered immune function
Excess cortisol, the hormone produced by the adrenals during stress, has been shown to affect lymphocyte numbers – thus affecting the immune system. This in turn can allow things like Candida to flourish, as well as problems with colds and flus, cold sores, etc
Other association symptoms can include
Low body temperature, hair loss, excessive hunger/weight gain, heart palpitations, sugar cravings, low libido, bone loss, inflammation, allergies, and more
There can be other causes of the symptoms listed above. Call me to discuss any concerns that you have so that the right areas can be addressed.
Breastcancer.org states on its website: “Research suggests that women with low levels of vitamin D have a higher risk of breast cancer. Vitamin D may play a role in controlling normal breast cell growth and may be able to stop breast cancer cells from growing.”
I only wrote about Vitamin D a few weeks ago. But, because breast cancer affects approximately one in eight women, I wanted to write some more.
I recently read an article where breast cancer was referred to as a “Vitamin D deficiency syndrome.”
An open letter to the New York Times from Cedric F. Garland, Dr. P.H., F.A.C.E. (Professor, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego, Participating Member, Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, California) stated: “It is not widely realized that most breast cancer is preventable. While the scientific literature reveals many strategies for prevention of breast cancer, the simplest is elimination of the vitamin D deficiency. This is the main known cause of breast cancer. Raising the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level to 40-60 ng/ml could prevent 75-80% of breast cancer incidence (and deaths, of course).”
I recommend getting your Vitamin D levels checked annually and making sure they are in a good healthy range. Keeping your blood serum levels in a good range is a great way to help protect your health into the future, and is such a simple thing to do. Contact me to find out how to take Vitamin D so that it is in balance with other key nutrients.
“Vitamin D increases breast cancer patient survival:Those with breast cancer who have high levels of vitamin D in their blood are two times as likely to survive the disease as women with low levels, according to a report from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers in the March issue of Anticancer Research.”
“77% reduction in all non-skin cancer incidence:A 2007 randomized clinical trial at Creighton University led by Joan Lappe, PhD, RN, FAAN, found that a dose of 1100 IU/day of vitamin D along with 1400-1500 mg/day of calcium helped women aged 55 and older raise their average serum vitamin D level to 38 ng/ml (from a baseline of 29 ng/ml) and prevent approximately 4 out of 5, or 80%, of all invasive cancers, including breast cancer.”
Getting statistics like this can make us all feel a bit more comfortable that there are things we can do to help us control our health. You are always welcome to write to me with any questions or for any assistance you may need.
We used to take for granted that cow’s milk was good for us. Indeed many people believe that their health will be jeopardized if they don’t have milk regularly, something that has been pushed hard by the commercial dairy industry. In addition, milk itself was a very different product in the past, when it was drank in its raw, unpasteurized, un-homogenised form – but this is not what we are buying in supermarkets today.
I don’t recommend pasteurized milk at all.
In fact, I’ve been told by a few farmers that if a calf is given supermarket (pasteurized/homogenised) cow’s milk it will kill the calf within 72 hours.
PASTURISED COW’S MILK
Pasturized milk and raw milk are two very different things, but pasteurized milk is the product we are exposed to and consume on a massive scale. The calcium content after pasteurization is hard for the body to take up, so the very reason people are drinking it is compromised. In addition, other vitamins, enzymes and nutrients are destroyed through the pasteurization process.
The idea that the cow’s milk we buy in supermarkets may contribute to the very diseases it’s meant to prevent is controversial. The story of milk is one of evidence and counter-evidence. At stake are enormous commercial interests, deeply rooted patterns of agriculture and consumption – and our health.
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH MILK
The anti-milk lobby claims that consumption of pasteurized dairy products contributes to diabetes and can aggravate rheumatoid arthritis and has been implicated in colic, acne, heart disease, asthma, lymphoma, ovarian cancer and multiple sclerosis. Studies suggesting a link between milk and prostate cancer have been appearing since the 1970s, culminating in findings by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2000 that men who consumed two and a half servings of dairy products a day had a third greater risk of getting prostate cancer than those who ate less than half a serving a day. In the same year, T Colin Campbell, the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, said that “cows’ milk protein may be the single most significant chemical carcinogen to which humans are exposed”.
MILK ALLERGY
The idea that cows’ milk is the most complete food to serve youngsters is widespread. Even as long ago as 1974, the Committee on Nutrition of the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) was answering the question, “Should milk drinking by children be discouraged?” with a “maybe”. Today the AAP has changed its mind and now recommends dairy products for children.
It is widely accepted that some people are allergic to milk, although this implies that problem lies in the individual’s constitution, rather than milk. Yet, when you look at it more closely, the extent of lactose intolerance is extraordinary.
Lactose is the sugar in milk, which needs to be broken down by lactase in our intestines and bowels. If the lactose we absorb is greater than our lactase capacity, undigested lactose travels to the large intestine, where it ferments, producing gas, carbon dioxide and lactic acid, which in turn causes bloating, cramps, diarrhea and wind.
In practice I often see a link a between digestive problems and milk, as well as skin problems, glue ear, sinus problems, asthma, eczema and more.
BENEFITS RELATED TO MILK
To milk advocates, this is outrageous and they present counter arguments. They counter that milk actively protects against a whole cluster of diseases, reducing the risk of hypertension and perhaps kidney stones, that it helps remineralise tooth enamel and can be positively anticarcinogenic (particularly against colon cancer). What’s more, Harvard University’s huge Nurses’ Health Study found a lower risk of breast cancer in pre- (but not post-) menopausal women who consumed a lot of low-fat dairy foods such as skimmed milk. Even more dramatic is a Norwegian study of premenopausal women that showed those who drank three glasses of milk a day had a 50% lower incidence of breast cancer. But before you reach for the milk, another Norwegian study found that those who drank three-quarters of a litre or more of full-fat milk a day had a significantly greater risk of breast cancer than those who drank more modest amounts. And so it goes.
CHILDREN AND MILK
The best milk for babies and infants is breast milk. The worldwide average age for stopping breastfeeding is about four years old – and this is ideal, but in Australia, UK and other western countries it tends to be much lower.
After the first year of life children don’t necessarily need milk so long as they are having a diet that provides the balance of nutrients needed in sufficient quantities. It’s best to contact me if you have a small child and want to work out whether to include milk in their diet and which type. It’s very important that a small child is receiving the right nutrition and milk can be useful and easy for many children, depending on how a child responds to it.
OSTEOPOROSIS
There’s often the idea that milk helps to protect against osteoporosis because of the calcium content.
Mark Hegsted, a retired Harvard professor of nutrition, has said, “To assume that osteoporosis is due to calcium deficiency is like assuming that infection is due to penicillin deficiency.” In fact, the bone loss and deteriorating bone tissue that take place in osteoporosis are due usually not to calcium deficiency but rather to its resorption: so it’s more an issue of our bodies excreting too much calcium.
To help protect against this the key thing is to have a balanced diet. For example too much protein has been linked to a leaching of calcium in the body, so the most important thing is to get the balance in.
I also recommend supplementing with a balance of minerals. To make sure that calcium is absorbed in the body, it also needs to be taken with a balance of other minerals. Many practitioners consider osteoporosis to be more of a magnesium deficiency rather than a calcium deficiency, as a magnesium deficiency opens the door to a leaching of calcium from the bones and prevents its absorption also. Vitamins D3 and K2 are also very important for good calcium and magnesium balance and absorption. Contact me to find out more.
CHEMICALS IN MILK
There are other controversies with milk too. Only today I read about chemicals found in milk in the Daily Mail (UK) in an article titled ‘It’s not all white: a cocktail of up to 20 chemicals in a glass of milk’ The article states, “A glass of milk can contain a cocktail of up to 20 painkillers, antibiotics and growth hormones, scientists have shown. Using a highly sensitive test, they found a host of chemicals used to treat illnesses in animals and people in samples of cow, goat and human breast milk. The doses of drugs were far too small to have an effect on anyone drinking them, but the results highlight how man-made chemicals are now found throughout the food chain. the highest quantities of medicines were found in cow’s milk.”
RECOMMENDATIONS
I don’t generally recommend pasteurized or homogenised cow’s milk. There are some different types of cow’s milk on the market today, which are healthier, including A2 milk. Different milks you can try include goats milk, sheeps milk, Almond milk, oat milk, A2 milk, lactose-free milk and rice milk. Also of note, milk from older types of cows, such as Jerseys, Asian and African cows are less likely to cause problems.
With infants, if the ideal situation of breastfeeding has ceased early, then I recommend that you monitor how your child reacts to cow’s milk or goat’s milk, either the formulas or milk from the carton (depending on their age). It’s not recommended to introduce other types of milk to small children.
There are also some useful homeopathics that help to correct health issues associated with milk intolerance that can be applied. Additionally, probiotics help to build resistance to milk allergy.
Cancer prevention is not a case of crossing your fingers and hoping you don’t become a statistic. It starts with you, your lifestyle and your home
The American Cancer Society, which states: “More than half of all cancer deaths could be prevented by making healthy choices like not smoking, staying at a healthy weight, eating right, keeping active, and getting recommended screening tests.” This is empowering and good news! Prevention strategies not only exist, but also are remarkably effective at lowering the risk of most types of cancer.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia and is steadily rising. One in two males and one in three females will statistically be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 85. Doing what you can to prevent it is something that can be quite easily incorporated into our daily lives. I could write pages to help with this, but to start with I have listed 11 tips below to help protect against Cancer, which are in addition to the advice above of not smoking, watching your weight, and keeping active, etc.
1. Optimize Your Vitamin D
Vitamin D3 is obtained either through the sun or supplementation, and is something you can ask your GP to check for you. Data from more than 100 countries has shown that the higher the solar UVB, the lower the incidence of 15 different types of cancer, which include: Bladder, Breast, Cervical, Colon, Endometrial, Esophageal, Gastric, Lung, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Rectal, Renal, Vulvar, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. If you supplement with oral vitamin D, it should be taken with vitamin K2, as K2 deficiency is the thing that produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries. Email me to find out more about the best way to supplement.
2. Reduce Acidity in the Body
Excess acid forming foods (such as sugar, dairy, carbohydrates like bread and red meat in particular) should be eaten small amounts only. To say that all these foods are carcinogenic would be wrong, but they do contribute to high acidity in the blood, which is an environment that Cancer enjoys. To reduce acidity a diet rich in green leafy vegetables, and in fact most vegetables and fruits, and clean water is ideal. For further information about this write to me.
3. Promote Good Oxygenation
Ensuring your body gets a good supply of oxygen has been shown to be anti-Cancer. Cancer does not survive well in this environment. Good oxygenation can be achieved by getting plenty of fresh air and exercise and ensuring that one’s circulation and lymphatic systems are working well so that the body is eliminating waste and there is a good transportation of oxygen around the body.
4. Include Super Foods
Health food stores are packed full of super foods and of course many are found in our daily diets hopefully! There is a tremendous amount of superfoods that help with detoxification and supplying our bodies with essential nutrients and antioxidants. These particularly are colourful vegetables and fruits, such as berries, capsicums, beetroot, broccoli, the list goes on. Sprouted foods contain essential enzymes allowing the body to extract more vitamins and minerals and nutrition out of our food. Superfoods also include herbs and spices, in particular Tumeric, which contains Curcumin. Curcumin actually has the most evidence-based literature supporting its use against Cancer of any other nutrient, including vitamin D. As noted by Dr William LaValley, it is unique in that it appears to be universally useful for just about every type of cancer.
5. Avoid Chemical Cleaning Supplies
Reducing your exposure to environmental toxins like household chemical cleaners has to be mentioned. It is commonly accepted that household chemicals do cause or contribute to cancer, along with other health problems, such as reproductive and developmental problems in developing children. As an example, there is research that has found breast cancer risk is twice as high among women who report the most use of cleaning products and air fresheners, compared to those who rarely use them. Some of the chemicals of greatest concern to watch out for include: Synthetic musks, Phthalates, 1,4-diclorobenzene,Terpenes, Benzene, Styrene, Phenol, Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), Formaldehyde, Petroleum solvents, Butyl cellosolve, and Triclosan (antibacterial). There are lots of alternatives available, some which you can buy or even make yourself.
6. Avoid Toxic Beauty Products
Putting chemicals on your skin is actually worse than consuming them, because the liver will have a chance to detoxify what you eat, whereas chemicals on your skin are absorbed straight into your bloodstream without filtering of any kind. With personal care products, I like to use this rule: if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your body. Ideally look for organic products or natural alternatives, for example things like pure emu or coconut oil make good moisturizers. It is worth making the switch as unfortunately toxicity from beauty products are largely going into your blood, lymphatic system and then directly into your internal organs. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health reported that nearly 900 of the chemicals used in cosmetics are known to be toxic. According to a June 2000 Cancer Coalition press release “Cancer and health risk experts recently concluded reviews that indicate mainstream cosmetics and personal hygiene products pose the highest cancer risk exposures to the general public, even higher than smoking.”
7. Throw Away Your Non-Stick Cookware
Most cookware that is sold contains a non-stick coating and is best avoided. At high temperatures when the coating begins to break down toxic gases are released. Research has shown that these toxins can accumulate in your blood and may contribute to things like Cancer over time. Avoiding or minimzing products that contain PFCs will help to keep down your exposure. These include non-stick pots and pans (replace with ceramic or glass), microwave popcorn, paper and cardboard packaging for greasy foods, stain proof clothing, flame retardants and products that contain them, stain-resistant carpeting, and fabric stain protectors.
8. Drink Clear Pure Water
Perth tap water is treated with chlorine and also contains other toxins. Toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) form when disinfectants (such as chlorine) react with natural organic matter, such as decaying vegetation. DBPs are over 1,000x more toxic than chlorine, and out of all the other toxins and contaminants present in tap water, DBPs are probably the worst. Already, it’s known that trihalomethanes (THMs), one of the most common DBPs, are Cancer Group B carcinogens, meaning they’ve been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals, as well as being linked with other problems, in particular reproductive problems in both animals and humans, from stillbirths and malformations to miscarriage. You can read more here: https://www.cdc.gov/safewater/chlorination-byproducts.html A whole-house filtration system is the most thorough way to remove chlorine and other contaminants from all of your water sources (shower and tap), but there are plenty of other options for drinking water, such as reverse osmosis.
9. Choose Organic and Locally Grown Food
Many pesticides and herbicides are potentially carcinogenic. Conventionally grown crops and animal products may put you at risk of exposure to these. The US Environmental Protection Agency considers 60% of herbicides, 90% of fungicides, and 30% of insecticides to be carcinogenic. The safest bet is to opt for organically grown produce and organically raised animal products.
10. Skip the Canned Foods
Avoiding canned foods is perhaps your best way to avoid BPA. BPA is an endocrine-disrupting chemical linked to cancer and reproductive and fetal development problems, among other health issues. It’s commonly found in plastic containers, but is also in food packaging and the lining of cans. Research from the Harvard School of Public Health showed that canned food and drinks can increase a person’s BPA levels by 1,000% in just five days, which is remarkable. The lead researcher noted that in light of this finding, canned goods may contribute more significantly to your BPA levels than plastics.
11. Lifestyle
I think a really good way to sum this up is with the following true story I recently heard: A Greek man left his home country in his forties to start a new life in the US. He married, had a business and had all the material things he had hoped for; house, business, nice car, etc. He then was diagnosed with lung cancer, but after seeing nine oncologists who all recommended chemo therapy, he decided not to take their advice but to return to his village in Greece. On returning to his little hillside village, where his family cooked home cooked meals for him and friends visited, his strength improved gradually to the point where he grew his own herbs and vegetables, drank his own homemade wine and reconnected with his family, old friends and his church. The more he got back into life the more his health improved. He outlived all the oncologists he had seen in America and lived healthily into his nineties. I’m not suggesting that one ignores the advice of their Doctor, but rather wanted to share this true story as a testament to being, doing and having what makes one happy.
There are a lot of causes of Cancer that we don’t yet know about, and there are others that I haven’t mentioned here that have been suggested, such as radio waves and electromagnetic fields from items such as mobile phones and microwave ovens.
Stress and worry are not good for health. I hope that after reading the above, you will feel more empowered in how you can protect your health. I really feel that enjoying life and being happy is a massive step towards good health. My advice is always to see what you can do to integrate healthy steps so that they become a part of your routine and not a strain or problem for you.
If you have any questions or need any assistance please message me and I’m very happy to call you back.
Here are some quick reference points for common signs and symptoms of nutritional deficiencies that you may come across. These in turn can indicate deeper things happening within the body, something which can be assessed with iridology.
Soft or brittle nails:
Silica / Magnesium deficiency
Tired all the time:
B vitamins, minerals
Stretch marks:
Zinc deficiency
Dry scaly skin with hair follicles plugged with coiled distorted hairs and a red halo: Vitamin C deficiency
Bleeding gums:
Vitamin C deficiency
Bags or dark rings under eyes:
Allergies or food intolerances
Poor healing:
Zinc deficiency
Pre-menstrual syndrome:
Magnesium, zinc, B6 or essential fatty acid deficiencies
Arthritis:
Boron and sulphur (MSM) deficiency
Persistent diarrhea leading to fatigue:
Magnesium and potassium deficiencies
Shaking hands:
Magnesium and vitamin B1 deficiency
Sensitivity to light:
Magnesium deficiency
Hair loss:
Thyroid, iron stores (must measure serum ferritin), biotin, zinc and essential fatty acid deficiencies
Frequent colds:
Zinc and vitamin C deficiencies
Poor sense of smell and taste:
Zinc deficiency
Dandruff, eczema, excessive ear was production, poor wound healing, excessive thirst (especially in hyperactive children), pre-menstrual symptoms of any sort:
Essential fatty acid deficiency
Persistent infections:
Vitamin C and zinc deficiencies
Bloodshot, gritty, sensitive eyes:
Vitamin A or B2
Night blindness:
Vitamin A or zinc
Dry eyes: Vitamin A, essential fatty acids
Brittle or split nails:
Iron, zinc or essential fatty acids
White spots on nails:
Zinc
Pale appearance due to anemia:
Iron, vitamin B12, folic acid (it’s essential to consult a doctor if you are anemic)
Easy bruising:
Bioflavonoids, Vitamin E
These may also have other causes so it’s best to come and see me if you notice any of these apply to you and I can recommend things for you to take. I am always interested to hear how you’re going and if you or your family would like any assistance with your health please don’t hesitate to contact me.
