Goodness ! Already that time of the year for another blog. I hope you all had a great February and are feeling the rhythm of Spring in your being (for those of us on this side of the hemisphere).

Without hesitation I am diving into the thyroid story. If you missed January’s blog then you may want to have a quick read of it here, http://www.khushmark.me/site/2012/01/  .

The traditional test for the thyroid in the UK is ‘TSH’. A hormone that does not really tell us much about the state of the thyroid, because one can still have a sluggish thyroid even though the TSH is ‘normal’. Naturopathically, we look at the whole person, their symptoms, life-style, nutritional intake, work-home life etc. in order to try and get to the ‘core’ of the imbalance.

One way of getting an idea of whether your thyroid is slightly under ‘par’ is by taking your under arm temperature (known as the Barnes Basal Body Temperature Test) first thing before getting out of bed.  This temperature should be taken on any 3 consecutive days of the month if you are male or a post-menopausal female.  Otherwise, take this temperature on days 2, 3, and 4 of your cycle. Temperatures should read around 97.8-98.2  °F. Temperatures below 96.6 °F guarantee a sluggish thyroid.

One can be hypo-thyroid and slim, in other words not standard text book hypo-thyroid. Let me explain why…We have a set of glands called the adrenal glands (aka fight or flight glands, more details on these can be found in my book Fat Doesn’t Make You Fat), without these we would basically die. Usually most individuals who have an under-active thyroid tend to have an adrenal imbalance. Generally those with under active-thyroid who are not overweight tend to have ‘flagging’ adrenals.  In other words the adrenals have been over-worked and are tired.

Individuals with flagging adrenals tends to have a few of the following traits; perfectionists, high achievers, work long hours, love  stimulants like coffee, sugar, fruit smoothies (yes indeed) they may well be runners, gymnasts, ‘super-mums’, and super-CEOs, some can even be your health conscious vegans (who do not get enough protein or fat to feed the adrenals). So when the adrenals are worn down, they will put a brake on the thyroid gland. This is because the adrenals think the body is under ‘threat’ and needs to escape, re-directing all the body’s energy to survive (no thriving going on here).

This so-called ‘threat’, can be an unhappy work environment, unhappy home life,  a life style that may be fast-paced, perfection oriented, stimulant driven and so on.

When one’s adrenals are in fatigue or in over-drive, cortisol, (your natural anti-inflammatory released by the adrenals), blocks the thyroid hormone from doing it’s job.  Cortisol in itself can ‘wire’ the metabolism, so the body is like a ‘nervous wreck’ burning un-necessary calories. Therefore you do not get the ‘text book style’ weight gain with a ‘hypo-thyroid’ diagnosis.

…Let me share a classic adrenal –hypothyroid case….I say classic as this is pretty common in clinical practice.  A 38yr old female client, Valerie, came to clinic for treatment for fatigue, mood swings and so-called ‘candida’ (a systemic yeast infection).  2 years prior she was put on thyroxine after experiencing severe low moods after the birth of her second child.  The low moods cleared after having started the thyroxine. However, over the next two years her thyroid medication dose was increased as her mood kept dropping and she would feel overwhelmed with sadness to the point she could not function.  The higher dose of thyroxine would again stabilize her mood for a short while but it was not helping long term. By the time she came to clinic she was already on a maximum dose of thyroxine.

Valerie was your typical hard working, high-powered ambitious lawyer and mum. At this time she was not working as a lawyer but as a full time mum. She was transferring her ‘workaholic lifestyle’ to her home life. She would crash about 4pm but then get a second wind (as they say) about 9pm. This was a daily occurrence. At weekends she was exhausted and let her partner take care of the children whilst she slept in most of the Saturday morning. She could not physically function without her morning coffee followed by a chocolate bar at about 11am.

Knowing all the above (also confirmed by the adrenal stress saliva test), her adrenals were supported through balancing her nutritional intake of protein, carbohydrates and fats. She was also recommended some adrenal supplements, such as high doses of Vitamin C, B vitamins, some selenium and zinc and some adapatogenic nourishing herbs for the adrenals. Valerie was also advised to start taking half a teaspoon of un-refined French sea salt in her water daily to support the stressed adrenals and not the standard salt, lo-salt, rock salt OR regular sea salt for that matter (more on salt next month).

Within 2 weeks she was feeling better and her mood swings had more or less balanced out. It had taken a few more months before she started to feel much more stable in terms of energy, mind and overall well being. Five months following her second session she started to feel ‘hyper’, very hot and restless with slight anxiety (which she had not experienced before). On seeing her doctor she was advised to come off her thyroxine medication, as her blood test was indicating ‘HYPER-thyroid’ readings. This is not uncommon, as once the adrenals are more nourished and well balanced they take the ‘brakes’ off the thyroid and the thyroid tends to bounce back.

Another year down the line, Valerie remains medication free and has had her adrenal stress test done twice. Valerie’s adrenals still require more support but she now has more energy and no more low moods.

So if you or any one you know is on thyroid medication, they may well be adrenally challenged. An adrenal saliva stress test is worth a mention as  thyroid medication may be just a ‘one-size fits all’ approach which unfortunately can mask other key health issues.

Next month I will be blogging on the importance of having salt daily NOT avoiding it to maintain and/or achieve optimum health.

To great health!

Khush

Welcome to 2012!

Another New Year and what a way to start without any resolutions or goals for that matter…just plan on ‘being’……and some ‘doing’ …so let’s see what this year holds….

In January I tend to get a surge of new year resolutioners (is that a word?) from the typical ‘improving overall fitness’, weight loss to ‘conquering’ addictions. However, this month I am sticking with the thyroid in relation to weight loss and it’s also Thyroid Awareness Month. I am going to share some info for all those wonderful people out there who have tried the DIEts (yes DIE in capital bold), the gyms, the lifestyle changes, thyroxine medication ..but that stubborn fat will just not budge and the bursts of energy remain pretty short lived.

The thyroid is a gland that is considered the ‘engine’ of your metabolism. So if your thyroid (located near your throat) is a bit ‘shattered’ (also known as hypo-thyroid or under active) you can experience a plethora of symptoms from fatigue, low moods, hair loss, dry skin, weight gain OR inability to lose weight, un-explained infertility, joint aches, carpel tunnel syndrome, tinnitus, re-current sinus infections, low sex drive …actually the list is endless.

However, being hypo-thyroid, one can also be thin! ….Yes, not just over weight..so keep that in mind, and I will share more on this in February’s blog but it is all linked to the adrenals, our ‘fight or flight’ glands… ..but back to January…

Did you know that you can be diagnosed as ‘hypo-thyroid’ in the USA and with the same blood test readings be diagnosed as ‘normal’ in the UK? …It is quite dis-heartening for those who come January are being ‘good’ with their DIEt and exercise and any other form of self punishment and have nothing to show for it as far as weight loss.

So what is the answer? Firstly, the thyroid thrives on fat and protein and I am not talking about the toxic synthetic protein ‘vegetarian’ sources such as quorn and soy protein but meat, eggs, fish, cheese etc. Some low thyroid folk do OK on just vegan sources of protein, but not many. To date most hypo-thyroid clients have turned out to be metabolically protein types, much to the ‘unhappiness’ of the vegan clients.

Also if you are on thyroid medication, it is worth finding out exactly what type you are on. Is it the T4 or T3 or T4 with T3, etc?  For ‘optimum benefit’ from most synthetic thyroid medications (most commonly T4) one needs a happy liver and healthy kidneys. Why? Because the T4 is converted to the actual active form (which is T3) with the help of the liver and kidneys. So some milk thistle and/or dandelion with some anti-oxidants may just boost thyroid efficiency.

It is also common for most individuals that have been on T4 medication such as Levothyroxine to become ‘resistant’ to their medication. ..let me explain….

In clinical practice it is pretty much the ‘norm’ to see clients on T4 medications such as levothyroxine after having had previous blood tests that indicated an ‘under-active thyroid’. Once on medication, the individual tends to feels better, especially mood wise, anywhere from several months to several years..but then the moods starts to drop again and usually the mainstream medicine ‘habit’ is to increase the dose of the thyroid medication. This ‘phenomenon’ is also known as thyroid resistance.

However, on a more naturopathic level, we look at what has happened even before the original medication was prescribed, any stress, physical or emotional ..such as a death in the family, giving birth, new job, loss of job, an infection for which medications such as antibiotics may have been prescribed etc etc …

We also look at nutrient intake, most hypothyroid individuals do not eat enough protein and/or fat, actually they tend to crave carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta and the ‘sweet stuff’ which further depletes the thyroid. Iodine status, adrenal status, iron status, zinc, selenium and magnesium are all key in addressing thyroid issues. Medication does not address the underlying cause and the longer one is one is on thyroid medication the less the thyroid performs or has to perform.

Also let’s not forget, the link between the health of the body and the teeth, especially the link between mercury and thyroid function.  About a year ago, (one of many AHA moments in clinic), I was working with an overweight 34 year old lady. She was on levothyroxine and had been on it for a year. She had no main symptoms apart from being over weight (although she had been on various DIEts ‘on and off’ over the last 10 years….not great for the thyroid).  She had implemented her nutritional plan brilliantly, was going for brisk walks daily , took more time out ‘to be’ than just ‘do do do’ and still something was not quite right. Her weight had only shifted by 5kgs in 3 months and then she hit a wall with her weight, although her energy levels had improved as well as the condition of her hair, skin and general overall well being. Even the homeopathic remedies along side the nutrition and nutrient supplementation were not shifting her weight.

She kept coming up for mercury in the naturopathic sense, so we looked at her two teeth that were filled with mercury and bingo! They were the ones linked to the thyroid gland.

See this link (http://www.resourcesforlife.net/meridian-interactive-tooth-chart.asp ) and click on a tooth and you can see which organ each one is linked to….go on have a nosey.

Over the next four weeks she had her fillings removed and replaced with more bio-compatible and non-toxic material. She started losing weight again AND she also had to reduce her thyroid medication. After completing her mercury detox and continuing with her nutritional plan she started experiencing ‘hyper’ thyroid symptoms…from heart palpitations, feeling too hot and a bit hyper! …so her doctor took her off the thyroxine completely.  6 months later, she is not only medication free but free from DIEting, and is a healthy fit 62kg in weight.

The thyroid gland is not to be taken lightly, after all it determines our metabolism in numerous ways, weight being one aspect,. Generally, the slower the thyroid the slower the body detoxes, the slower the mind, the slower the healing processes  and so on.

So next time anyone embarks on some new year’s resolution that involves losing weight, remember to be kind to the thyroid as well as eating according to your metabolic type/needs.

To a vibrant and healthy New Year!

Khush

Welcome to the month of celebrations! …

From Diwali, Hannukah, Eid, Thanksgiving and not to mention a stream of birthday celebrations! ….it seems a busy month for whichever walk of life you may be journeying! Whatever this month finds you doing I hope it finds you well and joyful!

In the last two months I have been concentrating on pre-conceptual health and health during pregnancy…so this month I am moving onto ‘the first few months of babyhood and motherhood’. Now to be honest this is rather an ambitious topic to cover but I will focus on just specific areas. The first of course is birth….deep breath and here goes….

Expected Due Date (EDD) dilemma…whether the baby arrives on the ‘EDD’ should not get you worrying, as most EDD are just a ‘rough estimate’.  Allowing the baby to arrive when it is ready is the ‘key’ here to starting a healthy journey into mother and baby hood. Towards the birth date just ensure you have plenty of rest and good healthy food stocked up. Both of my boys were 18 days over their EDD and with both pregnancies I went into labour naturally on day 18 (post EDD) without anyone interfering with drugs or sweeps or anything else for that matter.  Most pregnancies I see in clinic tend to go over their EDD and the baby still arrives all healthy and well. Just keep in mind the EDD is not a deadline for the baby although it seems to be for the medical profession. Babies have their own agendas and the word ‘non-conformists’ come to mind! All joking aside…

If there is any birth trauma then this is important to address as soon as possible to avoid further complications. This is not to instill fear but to make life for mum, baby and the rest of the family easier in the future…you may want to read my own experience of birth trauma….in paragraph 6 at  http://www.khushmark.me/site/about-me/

Regarding the actual birth there are various homeopathic remedies that you can use through the birth, arnica being the most used at this time. Other remedies include, aconite, belladonna, kali bich, pulsatilla, chamomilla, gelsenium…there are a whole host but what one may need during birth varies according to each birth experience. There is a great homeopathic ‘mum and baby kit’ that one can use. This kit also contains remedies for colic, teething, fevers ….just about everything you may need until the baby is 7 plus years of age! …

If the birth is a C-section then do not forget to continue with the probiotics as the baby misses out on getting the gut flora by ‘by-passing’ the birth canal. Also as the baby’s skull is not massaged in a C-section (which is a natural process during natural birth) finding a good cranial osteopath for the baby would be most beneficial.  Cranial Osteopathy will boost the baby’s well being by re-balancing the energy flow through the cranium and more. It can help with feeding, boosting the immune system, sleeping, colic etc .

Now getting back to mum here, it is important to realize that the birth process itself can leave the mum slightly dazed and/or exhausted. Some Arnica for mum would not go a miss but also good healthy food with plenty of protein and fresh vegetables is important. The ‘blues’ can hit about day 3 but this will soon pass, if this seems to continue then seek some professional help. Homeopathy has been used successfully for the baby blues without the need for synthetic drugs. The advantage of having homeopathy versus synthetic drugs is that one can continue to breastfeed but also homeopathy ‘touches’ the ‘heart of the matter’, it is not used for symptom relief like anti-depressants. I just want to share a case of where homeopathy was used not only for post-natal depression but for depression during pregnancy….

A year or so ago I saw a mum-to-be, in her second trimester of pregnancy, she had a younger one already who was now 2.5 years of age. During the first pregnancy she was put on anti-depressants for her depression. She was now suffering from the same ‘depressive’ symptoms, feeling very low, fearful, tearful and lethargic but wanted to try a naturopathic approach as not only did she want to breast feed her second baby, she wanted a full term pregnancy as her first baby was prematurely born. She was prescribed a homeopathic remedy called pulsatilla at a high potency along with some omega oils and vitamins and not forgetting the Vitamin D and probiotics. Her depression lifted within days! …. and she resumed life as usual. As soon as she had the baby (huge progesterone drop straight after birth) she sank into the ‘depression’ whilst still in hospital. The consultant’s advice was to go on anti-depressants (understandable due to her previous history of depression during and after birth). I prescribed homeopathic progesterone (progesterone itself is an anti-depressant) in high potency for the short term until I could see her in clinic…and the rest is history. Not only did her second pregnancy go until full term, she also managed to breastfeed the baby until he was 9 months of age.

Other acutes that may or may not be experienced by mum include mastitis, thrush, low energy, which can all be supported with healthy eating, herbs and homeopathy.  And of course baby acutes such as colic, thrush, reflux, eczema, prolonged irritability, birth trauma can also be worked through with various naturopathic approaches.

Nowadays we seem to focus on the baby so much so, that mother’s health can be neglected. As naturopathic practitioners, we believe the health of mum post birth (not solely during pregnancy) is key for a healthy happy growing baby. So mums do not neglect yourselves…

For more information or advise on boosting health pre-conceptually, during pregnancy and/or post pregnancy you can contact us at info@khushmark.com

To healthy happy families!

Khush

Welcome,

It is time for another monthly blog already and I cannot fathom where September went! About this time of the year, we tend to be getting ready for the winter months with earlier evenings in with or without a hot chocolate. Winter in England can be quite a roller coaster ride. Just look at the last week, we have gone from 27^oC to 12^oC within a blink of an eye…whatever next? …no minus ^oC thank you!

Well, trying not to let the weather get me side-tracked, I will get on with this month’s blog on boosting the health of  ‘mum and baby’ during pregnancy. If you missed the last blog you may just want to scan back to the Monthly Boost section and read it, as it is all about ‘conception’ and some of the so-called ‘un-explained’ infertility issues.  Now let’s start by the bugs in our very body….did you know we have more bacterial cells than our own cells? …worth pondering on for a while.

You may or may not have heard of the ‘good bacteria’ which are also known as ‘probiotics’. Now these bacteria are incredibly powerful and highly beneficial during pregnancy. Some of you may have been recommended to boost these ‘health boosting bugs’ by your doctor during pregnancy as they are known to reduce allergies in the new born by 40%…yes a whopping 40%! But don’t be fooled in taking the ‘sugar laden’ yoghourts that are advertised as having probiotics….from what I hear some of these yoghourts may have genetically modified probiotics (not very wholesome!) BUT as they are loaded in sugar the mum-to-be ends up getting a horrible bout of thrush. So avoid the sugar-laden, money making, not-so-healthy yoghourts and try and get a good brand of probiotics in a pill.

The ideal time to take these probiotics is through the whole of pregnancy although The Lancet (one journal that most medics read) research recommends during the last trimester, but they can do no harm taken earlier too. So what is so magical about these microscopic ‘goodies’?  Well they help produce B vitamins (that are vital for energy production), boost immunity, maintain hormonal balance, improve digestion (did you know morning sickness may well be due to lack of good bugs in the gut?) …so many benefits right? …they aren’t called ‘friendly bugs’ for no reason.

Swiftly moving onto the Omega oils. These oils are found in fish, star flower oil, seeds (and their oils) and some nuts. Now these oils are not only involved in hormonal balance and brain function in the mum to be but they are critical in brain development of the growing baby. You can tell a baby that has had omega oils whilst in utero compared to a baby that has not, especially in the first year of the baby’s life. They tend to be more alert, less ‘sicky’, more settled and generally healthy all round. Now wouldn’t that be a plus nowadays? Today I see babies with eczema, bronchiolitis, constipation, re-current ear infections, food intolerances, …I will spare you the long list of symptoms. However, I am hoping that the importance of these omega oils is homing into the grey cells somewhere over there.

Next is the multi vitamin and mineral with OPTIMAL doses of vitamins and minerals…not the RDA dose, (known as the Recommended Deadly Allowance). With all those cells replicating, growing and the mother’s body expanding, DNA is being made at a phenomenal rate. It is a well-known fact that we need B vitamins NOT JUST FOLIC ACID for DNA synthesis (note the capital letters for emphasis). Most women today are deficient in various vitamins and minerals (did you know that the birth control pill also leaches out minerals and B vitamins from the body?) ….so a good multivitamin and mineral at optimum doses is key. Don’t fall for the so-called standard variety with only the Recommended Deadly Allowance (RDA).

Now I would not be doing any justice to this blog if I did not mention homeopathy, right? I mean just think of all those women who get morning sickness and try everything but homeopathy? Why torture yourself for so long …try it out…you have nothing to lose. Morning sickness is usually an indication that the liver is crying out for a bit of tender loving care. It may well have been neglected for some time and now the added burden of metabolisng those hormones can create some nauseating symptoms. The liver just wants to clear out some ‘trash’ and the only way it knows how is to make one ‘vomit’ or feel like vomiting. So why not get yourself some homeopathic advise along with nutritional support? After all, you have nothing to lose but everything to gain.

Well, it seems I have shared enough for now and hopefully encouraged you all to look at alternatives at boosting health of mum and baby during pregnancy. Until next month…..

Namaste!

Khush

Welcome all to what feels like the end of the summer season. It has been a wonderful season and now most of us are entering a new season in our lives, whether it is going back to work, or school, University, or starting a new family,  a new job, going self employed, wherever and however this time of the year finds you, I hope it finds you well and joyFUL.

I wanted to share some news on starting a new family, some of you may want to switch off right now…BUT BUT BUT  just before you do, you may want to forward this blog to someone who may just benefit from the info here. This information is not freely available. Your doctor let alone your dietician will not share this with you, it is not because they are with-holding information from you,  they actually do not have this information….ready?

Since running my practice one of the most common life stages I find myself working with is pre-conceptual, peri-pregnancy (I am not sure ‘peri’ has been used in this context before but I am referring to during pregnancy)…and post pregnancy care.

The number of women labeled as ‘sub clinically infertile’ has increased since I first started in practice.  This does make me want to ‘scream out of frustration’, as most of these so-called ‘sub clinically’ infertile women are actually either low in nutrients or their hormones have been abused by the so-called ‘birth control pill’ (BCP). Now I am referring to sub clinical infertility…whereby nothing is physically ‘abnormal’…just pure ‘un-explained’ infertility.

Now if you have been on the BCP, or are still on it,  it is worth just google-ing the side effects of the BCP…they vary from un-explained infertility, PCOS (that is polycystic ovary syndrome), breast cancer, ovarian cancer, hair loss, weight gain, acne, gosh the list is endless and I do not want to waste my blog space listing down such hormonal abuse as I have more urgent information to share. So do have a look at the side effects of such potent synthetic hormones that are literally creating chaos within the female body.

So, primarily…..

if you have been on the BCP and are trying to conceive and it is not happening, get hold of a good naturopath and ask for a ‘birth control pill’ detox, then ask for a review of your nutritional intake and a personalized nutrient supplement programme …that is all you may need.

Secondly if you are on the BCP and about to come off it, you would still benefit from the detox and nutrient support. The detox not only increases the chances of a pregnancy BUT a healthy pregnancy and boosts the health of the future baby.

Did you know since the invention of the BCP, the health of women has deteriorated and childhood health has decreased. More and more newborns are ‘diagnosed’ with asthma, eczema, colic, acid reflux, developmental delays (whatever these developmental delays maybe)?  Have you ever thought why?

Well the BCP is a pill that contains man made hormones, they are not identical to the natural female hormones. These synthetic hormones put more pressure on the gut, liver, kidneys, hair, skin, which are all important detoxing organs in the body. Let us just use a simple example here….(I feel some of you are thinking ‘oh please why is everyone on it then, surely you must be mistaken?’)…..on numerous occasions women in clinic say ‘well I went on the BCP for  X (X being anywhere from acne/hair loss/PMS i.e. whatever the possible hormonal imbalance maybe and of course some for birth control!), although I felt awful on it at the beginning, eventually the symptoms cleared …but as soon as I came off the pill the I have had PMS (or gaining weight/hair loss/infertility/mood swings; again any hormonal imbalance symptom can be inserted here).

Now you may think…’yes that is me, or that is my aunt’ etc. Well don’t hold back get yourself help. We are physiologically, biochemically, genetically, and biographically unique.  Therefore, so are our hormones. One woman may come off the BCP and fall pregnant immediately, for another it may take a few months, for another a few years for another it is just not happening….this may well be because the BCP has sent the natural hormonal rhythm into complete dis-array. The BCP does not work with the body’s rhythm it has it’s own chemically charged agenda, which is basically to ‘hijack’ the hormonal system. And whilst the hormonal system is hijacked the body is using up valuable nutrients such as vitamin B6 and zinc.

Do not get me wrong I am not anti-BCP. The BCP has given women a lot of freedom…but at what cost? Also don’t forget that most doctors will check that you are taking folic acid when you fall pregnant BUT what about the Vitamin D, B6, B12, zinc and the omega fats which are crucial not only for conception but also for the growth and development of the baby.

I am going to stop here as I feel my wrist wants a break,…but I will move onto peri-pregnancy care in next month’s blog….

Till then enjoy the new season !

Welcome back everyone!

I had a few months break from writing but some how I still managed to keep busy. However, it was about time I got back to writing, so here goes…

In England dare I say ‘we are being ‘summered’. The sun has been gloriously presenting itself in full splendour of late (fingers crossed, long may it last) and my grey matter as well as my bones are loving the burst of vitamin D.

This month I wanted to share my experiences with clients consuming fizzy drinks (be they diet or not). Firstly I wanted to ask you a question, or may be get you to do a little homework to find your own answer. Have you noticed the ‘size’ of people drinking diet drinks? Are they usually slim or more on the larger side? ..Where I live, work and play, I see that those sipping diet drinks tend to be on the larger side. This has come about, due to the very fact that the traditional belief is that ‘reducing calories equates to weight loss’.  If this was the case then why is it that the 30 somethings and more so the 40 somethings and plus who are over weight are unable to shift any more kilograms abusing all sorts of dieting techniques including fasting?

It is due to the years of yo-yo dieting and lack of basic fundamental knowledge that calories DO NOT count BUT the quality of your calories count. I shall repeat that again as I hear ‘repetition is the mother of all learning’ (didn’t get me very far in school but that’s not the point here)… calories DO NOT count BUT the quality of your calories count.

Only 6 weeks ago I saw a 5 year young girl. Her mother was concerned about her weight and the fact that when her daughter goes to a birthday party she just eats and eats …and will only eat the ‘junk food’. We went through her ‘daily eating ‘routine’’ and discovered that her daily food intake lacked fat and decent protein and was very high in carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, potatoes (oooh and those jacket potatoes, one of the dieter’s favourite sugar hits), orange juice, diet coke and diet lemonade. ..Can you hear the ‘alarm bells?’….let me share some well kept secrets…which need to be spread to every living man on earth who values his/her health…ready? Now you can’t keep these ‘secrets’ to yourself…to help spread them use the ‘share’ link at the end of this blog…

• Without fat (good fat not the hydrogenated man made synthetic fats) the body’s satiety mechanism does not kick in…so one can continue to eat and eat and feel ‘not full’ but bloated (there is a big difference between the two)

• Without protein, we start to meddle with hormonal balance, immune function, mental stability and trigger unhealthy cravings for junk food

• With carbohydrates that are mainly refined, we just gain weight and start to lose energy within hours of eating the carbohydrate laden meal as well negatively impacting mental well being (in other words we start to associate such foods with a ‘high’) rather than pure unadulterated enjoyment. Why this happens is linked to the fact that refined carbohydrates get converted to ‘sugar’ very quickly and this gives the body a high …which only lasts a short while…and then comes that wanting MORE and more and more…the vicious cycle has begun at such an early age..this 5 year young child WAS destined to be a unhappy yo-yo dieter ….and from what I have gathered…yo-yo dieting sucks.

The orange juice that was being consumed was from concentrate (and to be honest the mum was shocked to learn that it was not a healthy option)…I suggested switching to water and having juice but NOT from concentrate and diluting it with water.

And what can I say? ….a 5 year old on diet drinks (let alone an adult) that was alarming. What transpired was that this child also suffered from headaches that started at the same time as starting the diet drinks. Avoid diet drinks at all cost, the artificial sweeteners are known to have toxic effects on the body but they can be addictive and addictions rob people of true happiness. Why would a 5 year old child be robbed of her happiness due to a Western made toxic beverage? ..An addiction due to a shocking trauma is something else but an addiction due to a man made synthetic product (that is cheaper than bottled water may I hasten to add)…now that is what I call ‘unhappiness in a bottle’.

This child’s mother managed to implement all the above advise, all diet drinks were banished and more wholesome carbohydrates were integrated into their daily life along with good fats and protein. The other important lifestyle change recommended was for the child to get more physical (not necessarily by joining organized sports activities) by going for walks, cycling, scootering, playing out doors with friends…in other words something she would enjoy. Presently she was a TV junky with not much else going on for her muscles and mind.

Of course as you can imagine she came back 4 weeks later much happier and vibrant …and not to mention her headaches cleared and cravings for ‘junk foods’ subsided.

This may all sound ‘too good to be true’ kind of case, but why not try it out yourself? …After all you have nothing to lose (well actually you do, you may lose some weight…so be warned you may shed!) ..and get back to me.

Whoops, I did not intend to share so much from one case but hopefully it has inspired you in some way.

To happiness from within! …

Khush

Hi,

It is that time of the year when some of us start to feel the coming of new life, from daffodils making their way out to greet the sun through to longer day light. Bring it on!

I read an article a few days ago about ‘a diet of junk food lowering the IQ of toddlers at a later stage in life’. I really had to just sigh and think, did they have to spend that much money to state the obvious? Could this money not be used to actually educate children on healthy eating even if the parents don’t hear it?

Only yesterday I was working away on my lap top in a local café and in came a group of mums with their toddlers. The toddlers were going wild grabbing and screaming for every cake, biscuit , drink in sight and within minutes there was an unusual sense of ‘peace’  (not to be expected when a group of toddlers  are around). When I looked to see what was going on, I realised that each toddler (and there were 6 !) had a low fat skinny muffin each! I was literally gob-smacked more so due to the size of the muffins, even I would not be able to eat a whole one of those.  These were ‘educated’ mums just trying to get together and have a coffee morning. …with some peace and quiet, totally reasonable right?

I was ‘mystified’ but held back..as that monster of a nutritionist was trying to rear its ugly head. Eventually one of the mums approached me and asked if I was a nutritionist! Ouch did she see the ‘ugly head’ ? Much to my relief she saw my brochures on the coffee table, phew! We got talking and I came out of that café having booked a workshop on healthy eating for toddlers for the café mums…hhmmm

But why am I sharing this with you when you may not have toddlers or children for that matter. Well it may be that one day you may find this information useful either for yourselves or a family member or a friend….who knows? ..although I am not going into junk foods specifically I am going to write a little about that sugar.

Did you know that sugar in general is used as a substitute for suppressing feelings of pain, whether that pain comes in the form of hurt, anger, jealousy, rage, etc? We just have to look around (just like in the café) as soon as the toddlers got their ‘sugar fix’ all went quiet…why because sugar ‘numbs pain’.  It has an opiate like effect.

Have you ever heard a parent or granny or even  yourself say ‘well if you behave yourself I will get you a treat’? Or ‘if you just listen to me and do what I say I will give you a treat?’ The treat, referring to something sweet. It is never a bag of seeds and/or nuts right? Instantly that child ‘calms’ down or tries to in order to get that ‘treat’. But the child may be having a low moment (seen as behaving badly) as he misses his grand ma who just left after a long weekend. So by giving  ‘sugar’ to ‘fix’ the ‘low feelings’ …only suppresses whatever the child is feeling. Later in life when that child is an adult and feels ‘pain’ (low feelings) they may reach out for pain killers, binge eating, anorexia, self harm, drugs, etc to ‘suppress’ the pain…as they did not have the opportunity to feel and express the pain. After all we have to ‘behave well’ right? Try going to a restaurant in the UK with children ..anyone would think you had walked in with several ugly heads let alone one!

Now I am not saying that every child who has been bribed with ‘sugar treats’ will end up with some kind of long-term condition requiring intense therapy (so you can take a deep breath in before reading on)  but they do not learn how to deal with ‘hurt/painful’ feelings. Let ‘s try and avoid using ‘junk sugar laden’ foods to push that pain inwards. ..I will give you an example of a boy (now a fully grown man) ….

In clinic one of my most prescribed homeopathic remedies is ‘sugar’…yes literally a remedy made from pure sugar. I have used this in conditions varying from depression, bulimia through to childhood tantrums. One case that really had ‘stretched’ my professional creativity (putting it nicely, more like pulling my hair out) was a 42 year old male lawyer.

His presenting complaint was ‘itchy groin area, bone aches, athletes foot,  abdominal bloating and systemic candida (thrush)’. He had been on a very clean sugar free, yeast free, wheat free, vinegar free and alcohol free DIEt for 4 years. However, within a week of being off the DIEt all his symptoms came back (makes you want to weep right?).

Also he was spending about 116 Euros a month to keep this candida at bay.  Having gone through his health history and time line, it turned out that not only was he ‘craving sweet foods he was feeling bouts of rage since his teens’ and the only way he kept these ‘rageful’ feelings under control was by eating sugar loaded carbohydrates (Dr Atkins would be turning in his grave). To cut a long newsletter short he started to use sugar (in various forms from alcohol through to bars of chocolate) to control these feelings from his teen years (stemmed from his move to boarding school). He was your typical ‘high flying super successful lawyer’ (somehow this does not sound right) ..and he came to our ‘hocus pocus’ clinic (as labeled by his work colleagues) after he was advised to lower his blood pressure otherwise he was going down the medication highway!

I started with the standard way of prescribing but two sessions later we were not really moving a great deal forward. However, his anger was now being expressed vocally rather than being ‘suppressed’ with crazy gym work outs  (just have to imagine a sweat drenched treadmill!) What did the ‘job’ was adding homeopathic sugar to his ‘bag of tricks’  (no pun intended) and viola within 5 weeks not only had his itching dissipated, blood pressure reduced. athletes foot  ‘cured’ and bloating gone, he actually no longer felt ‘angry let alone rageful’ and the greatest news of all for him was that he did not need to follow such an ‘eye watering emotion depriving DIEt!’

To hocus pocus and jiggery pokery !

Khush

PS. I will be running a 2 day health work shop in March (how to use natural alternatives to antibiotics, calpol, pain killer medications etc) for more details drop me an email.

Welcome to November,

I hope your October was fun and healthy! We have a busy month ahead with birthday celebrations and the celebration of Diwali. Others may be taking it easy before the December festivities kick off but there will be many of us thinking about ‘enjoying the winter without having to succumb to the flu’.  The flu seems to be a common ‘fear’ that rears its ‘ugly or not so ugly’ head at this time of the year..but did you know that having a flu is actually a ‘positive symptom’?

To some this may sound a bit ‘off the radar’ but if we stop and think for a moment ‘what does the flu entail?’…for starters it means the immune system is actually being exercised (which we don’t seem to allow in today’s society). For the immune system to be exercised it needs to recognize that something is not quite right within. Healthy immune cells are able to trigger a whole cascade of symptoms…and we are all pretty familiar with them…varying from the runny nose, feeling feverish, lethargy, achy (as if a truck has just run us over) in other words just generally feeling more than ‘a bit under the weather’.

The immune system has to be working pretty ‘full on’ or efficiently for the body to actually produce these symptoms.  Can you imagine having the ‘flu virus’ in your body without the immune system having the ability to recognize or eliminate the virus(es)? This leads to the body being hijacked in some shape or form. The symptoms of this ‘hijacking’ can vary from chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, cancer, diabetes , just to name a few. Now that this may have got you thinking, would you rather have a flu for a few days or something more chronic like diabetes? I know which I would go for…

Now I am not saying that ‘getting the flu’ every few weeks is healthy but actually have the flu once or twice a year is not only ensuring your immune system is getting a ‘work out’ but your body gets a Spring Clean.

If you ask any one who has had cancer ‘did they get the flu’ before cancer, they will typically say ‘no’. I see patients like this who say ‘I was so healthy I did not even get a cold let alone a flu in years’. This would ring alarm bells, it would make me thing what is suppressing their immune system? Why is it not exercising effectively?  The immune system is important in recognizing not only the flu virus but abnormal cells like cancer cells! ..so we want to exercise it not ‘dumb it down’ with medications and vaccinations.

So why is the world (more so the Western world may I add) ‘petrified’ of the flu? To the point that we are now vaccinating not only the more mature population ‘against it’ but the younger ones, I mean babies!

Well I cannot really answer that directly (as I could be typing away for days and as much as I like doing these Monthly Boosts I have a family and a clinic to run…catch my drift?).  but I can leave you with a few thoughts that you may want to ‘mull over’  ….

• Ingredients in the flu vaccine can actually cause long-term neurological impairment

• Flu vaccines contain mercury which has been removed from childhood vaccines due to the toxic effects of this metal. Mercury toxicity can cause a whole host of health problems from cardiovascular disease through to  cancer

• When a flu vaccine is manufactured it is a ‘guess’ as to what strain to include in the vaccine ..hence most people will get the flu even though they had the flu vaccine!

• The flu vaccine debilitates the immune system, therefore year after year the individual’s general constitution gets weaker

BUT it is not all doom and gloom! You can start to boost your health by boosting your overall well being, this can be done by eating healthy foods, drinking good quality water, taking some good quality herbs. One can also take homeopathic remedies during the flu season which are not only effective in boosting your immunity but also if you do get the flu the body can deal with it more effectively (and therefore avoiding unnecessary complications especially in the more mature population).  We offer our clients with a homeopathic ‘flu’ programme, so if you would like just get in touch we are just a mouse click/phone call away!

So don’t fear the ‘flu’, get some remedies to see you through the winter season and don’t suppress the loyal immune system, it is just having a work out to see you through life!

To Our Immunity!

Khush

Welcome to the month of October and I hope this Monthly Boost finds you well and looking forward to the season of celebrations!

It can be a time when some of us start thinking about getting into ‘shape’ be it for the   favourite black dress or the designer trousers that now seem a little too tight (not a comfortable feeling). Well before you turn to any type of ‘weight loss’ regime…let me allow you in on a few ‘truths’ that seem to have just ‘passed us by’ over the last decade or so.

It was actually a recent client of mine that prompted me to put this e-letter together. She was  your average thirty something professional female wanting to lose about 7-10 kgs. Previously  she had successfully lost weight using various calorie-restricted DIEts along with some  regular aerobic type exercise. Unfortunately, this time she was unable to lose the weight no  matter how ‘reduced’ her ‘calorie-intake’ was. She was also now at her heaviest than she had  ever been (this is much to the belief that calorie counting works…which is a myth that seems to have seeped into the very subconscious of our society’s core).

Her body shape had also changed since the last ‘starvation DIEt’, she used to gain weight around her hips but this time she had gained weight all over. She looked more like she had been on ‘steroid’ medication! In essence her Metabolic Type had shifted and the ‘low fat calorie restricted DIEt’ no longer suited the needs of her newer ‘rounded figure’. Her excess weight was easily shed once she started her Metabolically Typed programme which was of a mixed type implementing more protein into her daily nutritional lifestyle. She commented how she actually had more energy and felt generally ‘happier’ eating this way. During her calorie restricted ‘era’ she felt ‘deprived and obsessed about food’ and her mind was in constant ‘fear of eating one too many calories!’ What she was not aware of, was that her ‘unhealthy’ way of trying to lose weight may have achieved some short term goals but with long term metabolic imbalances.

Our bodies are these complex amazing beings, we can not expect to get ‘good results’ by feeding our bodies fuel that does not meet the requirement of the body’s Metabolic Type. Let me explain a bit more….

About 6 months ago, a fellow in his mid thirties came to see me regarding losing excess weight around his stomach area. He was an active guy who ate fairly ‘well’ (with the odd alcohol binge at the weekend, I guess his job was pretty ‘boring’). He had tried various exercise regimes with his personal trainer to reduce the ‘bulge’ but to no avail. However, it turned out under the advise of his fiancé (who was a raw food fanatic) he had not only become a vegan but also ate only ‘raw food’. Much to his ‘relief’ (but his fiancée’s despair) he turned out to be a fast oxidizer in other words a protein type metabolically. His cells were not getting the ‘fuel’ that they required from the ‘raw food’ diet at this stage in his life. After we had gone through his Metabolic Type, he mentioned that initially he felt great on the vegan raw food diet but after about 3-4 months he started to feel slightly lethargic and was advised to increase his raw snacks. This is when he started to gain weight and his energy continued to reduce over time. It was only when he started to eat more protein according to his Metabolic Type he realized how ‘weak’ he was feeling on the ‘raw food’ diet but kept ‘going’ by drinking more green teas and eating home made carrot and cashew bars. This man was hardly getting any protein to suit his personal metabolic requirements. He did very well on his Metabolic Typing nutritional implementations that not only did he lose his ‘belly fat’ but had the stamina to start cycling to work again.

If our body’s are so uniquely made as our DNA indicates, then why would a DIEt that is basically a ‘one size fits all’ work for everyone? It just goes against the very nature of our being. Have you ever wondered ‘why someone can eat all they like and not gain weight and another just has to look at food and their body just piles on the fat?’ Gosh the latter can be cruel!

Well before you get yourself on a roller coaster of fad DIEting and creating long term health imbalances, why not start by feeding your body with the fuel that it requires and see what happens?

To your unique Metabolic Individuality!

Khush