Category Archives: Natural Remedies & Homeopathy

Holistic Health, Natural Remedies & Homeopathy

Natural Ways to Deal with Gallstones

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Gallstones are common and gallbladder removal is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in Australia, where about 18,000 are performed using keyhole surgery each year.

The gallbladder is a small pear shaped pouch-like organ in the upper abdomen just under the liver, that works alongside the liver to digest foods and eliminate toxins. It is responsible for breaking down fats, mostly cholesterol, so they can be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine.

Bile is made in your liver from recycled red blood cells, cholesterol and bile salts (minerals). The bile then passes from your liver into the bile duct and gallbladder which acts as a storage house. Here the bile is concentrated ready to be released when it is required. After a fatty meal more bile is needed to digest the extra fat and can be released quickly from the gallbladder into the intestine to help with digestion.

When your gallbladder is not functioning well it can affect your energy level, your weight, exacerbate thyroid conditions, cause bloating, gas and stomach pain and other miscellaneous pains. But many people nowadays have poorly functioning digestive systems and often they regard many of these symptoms as being normal.

Many people who have gallstones and are not even aware of them as they have no obvious symptoms. But for some the presence of gallstones can cause excruciating pain and other symptoms.

How Gallstones Form

Bile is usually liquid, but when its different components are out of balance the bile hardens and over time forms gallstones. They can be the result of insufficient amounts of bile or an excess of cholesterol (fat) in the bile. At first the fat clumps to form a sludge. With time this sludge thickens to become first ‘sand’, then ‘gravel’ until eventually the ‘gravel’ becomes one or more gallstones, which can be as big as a golf ball. They form in the liver, and most are carried through into the common bile duct on their way to the small intestine.

Problems arise as the gallstones pass from the liver through the common bile duct. When a stone begins to travel down this tube the result can be what is known as biliary colic. Pain suddenly starts under the ribs on the right side, sometimes radiating up into the back, getting steadily worse for a few hours until the stone passes out of the bile duct and into the intestines. It can be accompanied by sweating, vomiting and great restlessness. The attack passes, but will recur again later.

The next stage of gallbladder disease, cholecystitis, is similar to biliary colic but involves inflammation, fever and vomiting. The pain is often stronger and lasts longer and jaundice occurs if the stone becomes stuck along the way. If the stone gets impacted in the neck of the gallbladder it impedes the flow of bile and the gallbladder eventually becomes infected. This is when a major attack occurs, often requiring surgery.

After the gallbladder is removed the bile drips steadily into your intestines. Because there is no longer anywhere to store it, there are no reserves for the body to draw on if it has to digest a greater amount of fat so it becomes important to not eat large amounts of fat that will overwhelm the system.

Gallstone Risk Factors

There are a number of factors that make you more susceptible to gallstones.

  • Gallstones are twice as common in women than men.
  • It seems that oestrogen plays a role and having more children puts you more at risk.
  • So does pregnancy, obesity, liver disease, diabetes, high fat diets, the contraceptive pill, a sedentary lifestyle, family history of gallstones and some forms of anaemia.
  • Their incidence increases with age particularly for those over sixty years old.

Prevent Gallstones Naturally

The gallbladder works with the liver to digest food and eliminate toxins. When either of them is clogged up from poor nutrition or a buildup of toxins the cholesterol in the bile crystallises to form gallstones. Gallstones are far more difficult to break down than to prevent. So it’s worth taking steps to keep your liver and gallbladder happy.

Gallstones don’t form if you are digesting fats properly. However, removing fats totally from your diet might seem like an easy option, but it’s not the answer. Your body needs fats in order to function efficiently and therefore it is a matter of choosing better forms of fat and digesting those fats well. In fact, eating fats helps to prevent the bile in the gallbladder from stagnating as it promotes the flow of bile.

Healthy Fats

The best approach to lies with choosing healthy fats. Olive oil, coconut oil and saturated fats from grass-fed animals for instance, actually help assimilate nutrients that help to maintain a clean liver and gallbladder. Choose foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as oily fish or chia seeds, to reduce the toxic burden.

One way to help break down the fat in your meal is to have lemon juice before you eat. Add it to warm water as a tea and drink thirty minutes before eating. It cuts through the fat making it easier to digest.

Avoid unhealthy fats and oils such as canola oil, soybean oil or other vegetable-based hydrogenated processed oils as they cause inflammation and chronic inflammation leads to chronic disease. In addition, chronic inflammation causes high cholesterol. Don’t include foods high in unhealthy fats like burgers, fried foods, ice-cream, or cheese.

Foods for a Healthy Gallbladder

Liver and gallbladder health is strongly impacted by what you eat. Foods are perhaps the simplest way to make changes to your health. Here are a few that support your gallbladder and can even dissolve gallstones.

1.  Apples are a great friend for the gallbladder and eating apples is a particularly useful way to support the gallbladder. They contain pectin to soften and disintegrate existing gallstones and prevent new ones forming. Raw, unfiltered apple juice is very rich in pectin. Juicing reduces inflammation and enzymatically helps detoxify your liver and gallbladder.

Lemons, celery, tomato and beets are good choices to add to juiced apples. Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with malic acid makes a great gallbladder flush and can be added to apple juice. The richest source of malic acid is apples.

Raw, unfiltered apple juice is a useful way to support the gallbladder.
Raw, unfiltered apple juice is a great way to support the gallbladder.

2.  Some foods are perfect for providing support to the liver, and therefore the gallbladder. Green vegetables including artichokes, rhubarb, beets and cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli etc.) stimulate bile production.  Other helpful foods include green leafy vegetables, fresh ginger, and foods rich in pectin. Add them to your meals wherever you can.

3.  Diets high in refined carbohydrates are a problem because they reduce the solubility of the bile, making it more likely to ‘sludge’.

4.  Eat lots of soluble fibre (apples, celery, dark green leafy vegetables) which really helps prevent gallstones forming and may even reverse them once they have formed.

5.  Having sufficient bile is also essential and some foods that promote bile production and flow are artichokes, beets, dandelion root, and turmeric.

6.  Turmeric is certainly a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory food. Adding it to your meals helps maintain a healthy gallbladder by improving the solubility of your bile, so that it’s able to break down the minerals and cholesterol in it more efficiently. You can take also take curcumin (the active component of turmeric) as a supplement – 300mg of curcumin three times a day.

Support Your Liver and Gallbladder

Because the liver and gallbladder work alongside each other, taking care of your liver also benefits your gallbladder.

Reducing your toxic load greatly reduces the strain on your liver and how hard it has to work. Do this by reducing your intake of caffeine, alcohol and unnecessary medications. In addition try to reduce any toxins you are exposed to, but don’t actually ingest. Hair care products, skin and body care products, toxic fumes, even the pesticide residue on  non-organic foods are some factors that put stress and strain on your liver.

Remember your body may regard and respond to many seemingly harmless foods as toxins. Foods such as gluten and dairy foods are perfect examples.

Natural Remedies for Liver and Gallbladder

There are a number of botanicals that are great for your liver. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) protects liver cells. Dandelion root, a classic bitter herb can be taken as a tea or latte and stimulates bile production as well as bile action. Rosemary is another herb that stimulates bile production. Both young milk thistle leaves and dandelion leaves (picked from your garden) can be steamed like spinach or added to salads.

There are many wonderful Homeopathic remedies such as Chelidonium, Dioscorea, Nux vomica, Magnesium and Lycopodium amongst many others, used to successfully relieve the symptoms of gallbladder attack as well as to redress a dysfunctional liver and gallbladder and prevent more gallstones developing.

If you find you get mild pain after eating fatty foods you could take the digestive enzyme lipase to help digest the fat. But, if you take extra enzymes as a supplement over a long period so your body no longer has to manufacture them, it may cease making them altogether. It’s far better to improve the health of your body so that it can make the enzymes it requires by itself. In the long run it is the healthier outcome.

 Supplementing with lecithin is one easy way to dissolve gallstones. Make sure it comes from sunflower or non-GMO soy. Digesting lecithin requires large amounts of bile, and in the process hardened gallstones are also dissolved. Taking even just one gram of lecithin three times a day, has been shown to increase the concentration of lecithin in the bile. Taking more (up to ten grams) produces even greater increases.

Lastly, increasing exercise and stretching can help prevent gallbladder disease.

Raw turmeric - a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
Raw turmeric – a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory

Disclaimer.

All information and opinions presented here are for information only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before trying any of the treatment suggested on this site. 

Source articles:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/535096-foods-that-increase-bile-flow/

http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/how-to-prevent-gallstones-with-everyday-foods

http://www.naturalnews.com/038571_gallstones_prevention_foods.html#xzz2HHGadpLN

http://www.betternutrition.com/gallbladder-function-nutrition/columns/askthenaturopath/1016

http://www.detoxyourgallbladder.com/gallbladder-function/

http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/health/health+advice/what+does+a+gall+bladder+dor,18591

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Natural Remedies & Homeopathy

Why I Still Love Homeopathy

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I write about many different natural and alternative things you can do to build your health and wellness on this blog. But, I want to share a purely anecdotal story about Homeopathy, because after all, it is the primary treatment I use for the people who come into my clinic. In fact, it’s the reason that I started out on this gentle journey to better health myself.

Many people don’t even realise that Homeopathy can be pretty darn useful for treating acute illnesses like flu, coughs and colds, diarrhea, vomiting, viral infections, hay fever, headaches, teething, nausea and so on, you get the idea. When people come in to see me many say they “have tried everything else and so may as well try Homeopathy”. Often it’s only used when things have reached rock bottom and some think of it as a last resort.

But Homeopathy can be an excellent treatment for acute illnesses when used according to homeopathic principles, and something to consider before starting a course of antibiotics.

Once I discovered how beautifully and quickly well-matched simplex Homeopathic remedies worked to treat acute illness it was all I ever used for my children. We headed out to the Homeopath, right past the doctor, whenever they got sick.

One of my sons, now 25, has not taken antibiotics at all since he was 3 years old, which was when I first discovered Homeopathy. The youngest has grown up using only Homeopathic remedies, and has only had antibiotics ONCE EVER, when he developed a terrible infection after swimming beside a sewage outlet at a beach in Thailand. He had no homeopathic remedies with him that time. The others are also healthy. Antibiotics didn’t get used in our house at all after we turned to Homeopathy. That’s a pretty awesome record!

Homeopathy at Home

So, here is what’s been happening at my house this week, and it’s a perfect example of why I love Homeopathy so much.

I’m a pretty good prescriber of Homeopathic remedies for acute illnesses. There is a bit of a knack to this, and the way that my brain processes information happens to be well suited to this type of prescribing.

However, when I get sick myself it is another matter altogether, because it takes a clear head to find a good match between a “Symptom Picture” in a patient and a “Homeopathic Remedy Picture”. Getting that match right is what gets the results – a really close match equals a great result, a so-so match equals some improvement, maybe. Trying to find a remedy for yourself when you’re unwell can be a near-impossible task when your brain feels like it’s made of cotton wool and is being squeezed between a tight vice

I regularly run a Short Course for parents to learn how to prescribe homeopathic remedies for first aid and first stage acute illnesses for themselves and their family. Any of these students will agree you need a clear head to get the remedy selection right.

Like most of you, when I am sick my brain just doesn’t work clearly and I often struggle to prescribe for myself in that state, which is what I want to tell you about.

My husband came home last week and brought with him one of the nastiest, most violent coughs I have ever seen which he promptly shared with me…violent cough, headache to knock you out, sore throat etc etc…winter illness at its worst! The pair of us sat hacking away in unison all weekend, each just as sick as the other. I endured it, my head too foggy to even think about what remedy to take. But every night when I lay down to get to sleep it was just getting worse and worse, getting to sleep was a nightmare.

Homeopathic Relief

Then came the night when I was coughing so badly I had to go and sit in the bathroom as I was certain I was going to throw up from it. I sat on the edge of the bath coughing it out and realized it was ‘do or die’, I needed to rally enough to find a remedy match fast. It was heading towards 1am, but I gathered my books, and really focused, in spite of the brain fog, and came up with a remedy very quickly, which I made up and took straight away.

Five minutes later, all my coughing, wheezing, headache and breathlessness had stopped and I dropped off to sleep.

The next morning instead of waking to a major coughing fit I was pretty good. I took another dose then and a couple more in the days since. My voice is still a little hoarse and I cough once in a while, but otherwise I am good, none of the severe symptoms have returned and I feel great, full of energy.

This is what happens when a really good Homeopathic prescription is made for an acute illness. Symptoms may be stopped in their tracks. But even better is that you feel great and full of energy even though to others you might still sound a bit sick. It is almost as if your body ‘knows’ that it has got on top of this virus and the battle is on its way to being won.  You feel it is ok to go about your life again because you don’t need to ‘conserve your strength’, to crawl into bed to recuperate.

My husband?

Well he has an on/off relationship with Homeopathy which it seems is turned to ‘off’ right now, so he is letting nature take its course. He didn’t go to work today and spent the day lying in bed, unable to move, coughing his lungs out every time he woke up, feeling like death.

Homeopathy’s Still Impressive

I realise this is only a winter virus, although certainly a pretty nasty one, but this story is a perfect example of how Homeopathy can be so useful for treating acute illnesses.

I have been working as a Homeopath for thirteen years now and I repeatedly see how so many who come through my clinic experience an improvement in their health quickly and effectively when they use Homeopathy to treat their health problems. Watching the amazing response in my son twenty-two years ago was how I was first introduced to this treatment, that I had never even heard of, and you can read about that right here.

But, in spite of what I know and have seen over all those years, of what I expect to see happen, I sometimes still sit in my clinic, listening to clients tell of the changes they have experienced after taking their prescribed Homeopathic remedies. In spite of what experience has taught me good Homeopathic prescribing is capable of, there are still times when I am just blown away by the response the person has experienced, and the extent of their improvement.

It doesn’t happen all the time by any means, but when it does it still amazes me, and that is the main reason why I love being a Homeopath and why I still love the amazing possibilities of Homeopathy.

When the symptoms of an illness that someone is experiencing are matched perfectly to the correct Homeopathic remedy, and that remedy is taken according to homeopathic principles, at the correct potency to match the strength of the illness, it is as if the body, or the immune system if you will, is suddenly jolted into action, and the rapid healing response that follows is an absolute joy to watch.

water-lily-flower

I realize that this is just one example and ‘does not a case for Homeopathy make’, but when you watch a response like this happen there is no doubt that there are powerful possibilities here, and the intellectual questions about how it can be happening get brushed to the side.

But, as with all things, everyone has their own path to follow. The Homepathic road was the one for my family but it may not be for you.

Have you ever experienced or observed one of these very rapid responses to treatment with a perfectly matched Homeopathic remedy? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Disclaimer

All information and opinions presented here are for information only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before trying any of the treatment suggested on this site. 

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Natural Remedies & Homeopathy, Stress & Overwhelm

Is Your Thyroid Causing Your Poor Health?

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For many people an underactive thyroid slows them down and leads to a host of other unpleasant symptoms.  Most of those people are never diagnosed with the disorder. Many are never treated. So many fail to make changes to their diet and lifestyle that help ease their symptoms. Most go on living their life in a debilitated state.

The Thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland in the middle of the front of your throat. Its purpose is to release hormones that help in the regulation of many body functions including metabolism, heart rate, maintaining core temperature, healthy skin, weight, fertility and more.

The thyroid gland slows you down or revs you up to make you more energetic. It also activates your immune system. It plays a part in most of the body’s physiological processes, so when it is out of balance, so are you. In fact every cell in your body has receptors for thyroid hormones.

Sometimes the thyroid does not work as it should and, depending on whether it is pumping out too many hormones or too few, it becomes under-active or over-active. This is known as either Hyperthyroidism, too many thyroid hormones in the blood, or Hypothyroidism, too few.

Thyroid conditions can be quite common and it is estimated that about 20-25% of the female population may suffer from hypothyroidism. An estimated 30% more of people over the age of 35 may suffer from ‘subclinical’ hypothyroidism. This is where they either have no obvious symptoms, or their test results are within the ‘normal’ range, but they have mild symptoms of low thyroid function.

Symptoms of Thyroid Dysfunction

Many people live with the symptoms of low thyroid function for years, where their thyroid gland works sluggishly without them even realising it. With too few thyroid hormones in the blood the body processes start slowing down, and so does the person.

However, there are some telltale signs to look out for. Here are some of them, although there are many more:

  • Fluid retention or swelling in the legs, feet, arms or face
  • Cold hands or feet, poor circulation and intolerance of cold
  • Dry skin, acne and eczema
  • Lethargy, fatigue, poor stamina and sleeepiness
  • Forgetfulness, slow cognitive function, brain fog
  • Depression
  • Constipation, indigestion
  • Weight gain, or difficulty losing weight
  • Poor brittle, slow-growing nails and hair, hair loss
  • Heavy periods, irregular cycle, PMS
  • Infertility, low libido
  • Insomnia
  • Muscle and joint aches and pains
  • Food cravings, food intolerances, hypoglycaemia
  • High cholesterol/ triglycerides, palpitations, high or very low blood pressure

Illnesses where symptoms seem vague or scattered could actually be providing warning signs that you have a problem with your thyroid. Diseases and syndromes such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, menopausal symptoms, muscle and joint pains, IBS, PMS, heart disease or depression, may also be connected with thyroid problems. They all have a wide variance in the symptoms they present with and each may be improved when underlying thyroid issues are addressed. Sometimes an underactive thyroid can be due to an autoimmune disease, Hashimoto’s disease.

Adrenal Stress

However, low thyroid function may actually not be the root of the problem. There is a strong relationship between your adrenal and thyroid glands and it is very common for adrenal fatigue to go hand-in-hand with hypothyroidism. In many cases the adrenal glands become weakened, leading to a malfunctioning thyroid gland. If treatment is only directed towards the thyroid gland and the adrenal issues are not addressed, then the person’s health will simply not improve.

It’s important to reduce stress in your life as both the adrenals and the thyroid are very sensitive to stress. Practicing meditation, yoga, qi gong, or relaxation techniques goes a long way to reducing the stress response and supports the action of these glands.

Thyroid Hormones

Two hormones, T4 and T3 are produced by the thyroid. T3 is the active form and is the one that does the vast majority of work in the body. When levels are low enough the traditional approach is to use synthetic hormone, but they only contain T4 and the problem with this is that most people have difficulty converting T4 into T3.

Thyroid hormone levels can be tested with a blood test. If symptoms are vague and do not point directly to a disorder, testing will probably be done alongside other blood tests. The normal range for tests is 0.5 to 5.5 IU/ml.

The problem for many people is that they suffer symptoms of low thyroid function even though their measured levels of the hormone are between 2.0 IU/ml and 5.5IU/ml, levels considered to show ‘normal’ thyroid function. They are told their levels are normal and left with no explanation or treatment for their symptoms. When it comes to thyroid hormones, setting the boundaries of ‘normal’ for thyroid levels is very misleading. There really isn’t any ‘normal’ level as the levels change depending on factors such as age or health.

The Delicate Hormone Dance

All the different hormones in the body work together in a delicate dance and when one is not working all the others are affected also. Many reproductive hormone-related symptoms may be experienced when thyroid hormones are low. PMS, infertility, fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, heavy bleeding, menopause symptoms, fibrocystic breasts or even post-natal depression may all result.

Low thyroid function can easily be confused with the symptoms of menopause. While symptoms such as hot flushes, period irregularities, weight gain, night sweats and insomnia are often experienced during perimenopause or menopause, night sweats and insomnia in particular, may also be key symptoms of low thyroid function.

Using hormone replacement to deal with these symptoms simply makes the problem worse, as the oestrogen in the medications further interferes with the thyroid hormones, impairing the thyroid function even more. This in turn slows down metabolism and leads to weight gain. It is a vicious circle.

As usual it is easy to point the finger at poor diet and lifestyle as contributing factors to thyroid dysfunction and sugar, processed foods, stress, lack of exercise or toxic environments all play their part.

What You Can Do

Low thyroid function can be addressed in a number of more natural ways.

I treat many people, mainly women, for low thyroid function with great success using carefully selected Homeopathic remedies. These reverse their debilitating symptoms and allow them to live a normal life. But with this being a complicated chronic issue it is not one that can be self-treated and requires careful prescribing by a fully trained professional Homeopath.

But luckily there are a number of things that you can do as a first-line defense for hypothyroidism, and using natural methods avoids the side effects of medications.

Diet

A well-balanced diet made up of unprocessed, unrefined whole foods, with organic or biodynamic vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy, is the best way to combat hypothyroidism, if you also include the following guidelines.

It’s important that you stay away from sugar and caffeine which simply cause thyroid burn-out. If going ‘cold turkey’ is too hard then cut these back more gradually. Cut out refined and processed carbohydrates as well as they behave just like sugar when they are metabolised in your body.

Make sure to eat protein as it transports thyroid hormone into your cells. Include nuts, nut butters, legumes, quinoa, and less frequently and in smaller quantities eggs, meats, fish and dairy.

Good fats help to create hormone balance, including thyroid hormones. Avocados, one of my favourite good fat sources, coconuts, coconut milk and coconut oil, olives and olive oil, raw nuts and nut butters, organic butter and yoghurt, organic egg yolks, flax seeds are great choices. Avoid trans fats.

Make sure you’re getting enough Vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin A, Vitamin D, the Vitamin B’s, iodine, selenium, zinc, copper, iron and omega-3 essential fatty acids. Organic produce will be higher in vitamins and minerals as long as it isn’t old and wilting.

Thyroid hormone production is just another of the many functions of Vitamin D which is produced in the body from sunlight. This is yet another reason to have levels of this crucial vitamin tested and maintained, and you may actually need to supplement this.

Cut out gluten especially if you have Hashimoto’s as the gluten mimics thyroid tissue and aggravates the autoimmune response.

Watch out for foods that interfere with thyroid function especially those containing goitrogens and don’t eat them unless they are cooked. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, turnips, spinach, strawberries, peanuts, and millet are all ones to avoid.

Get tested for food sensitivities, especially if you find there is a food or food group that you crave, as eating these foods sets up an autoimmune response in the body.

The thyroid gland requires iodine to make thyroid hormones so iodine deficiency may be a contributing factor to hypothyroidism. Many people are deficient in iodine so include more sources of iodine in your diet like seaweed, kelp, dulce and nori, shellfish, saltwater fish, eggs, yoghurt, mozzarella cheese

Supplements

Take probiotics as good thyroid function depends on healthy gut flora.

Add vitamins and minerals particularly if you are not getting adequate amounts in your diet.

Other supplements that help thyroid activity and the manufacture of thyroid hormones are Tyrosine, Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), magnesium citrate and Potassium iodide. Look for these in a combined thyroid supplement.

Herbs

Ashwaganda can help improve the level of T4 hormone and Commiphora wightii (common name guggul), can help convert the T4 into the active T3. Guggul has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine and is now difficult to source due to its scarcity after overuse.

Exercise

Exercise lowers insulin levels and increases thyroid function. Work out or walk for 40 minutes three times a week and make sure you get out of breath.

Exercise lowers insulin levels and increases thyroid function
Disclaimer

The Information contained on this site is for your general health information. It is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes. The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional healthcare. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional.

© Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health, 2012. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health with appropriate and specific direction

Source articles:

http://www.thyroid.org/what-is-hypothyroidism/

http://www.drnorthrup.com/womenshealth/healthcenter/topic_details.php?topic_id=59

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/02/Many-Symptoms-Suggest-Sluggish-Thyroid.aspx

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-3139/13-Ways-to-Treat-Hypothyroidism-Naturally.html

http://www.elliotthealthcare.com/low_thyroid.htm

http://www.naturalendocrinesolutions.com/articles/truth-protein-carbs-fats-thyroid-health

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Natural Remedies & Homeopathy, Nature's Rhythms

Ah-Choooooo! Scratch, Scratch! It’s Allergy Season

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Allergies are the bane of so many people’s life these days making it difficult for them to function well in their everyday life.

Allergies occur when your immune system is hypersensitive. When an allergen comes into contact with any mucous membrane surface – the respiratory tract, digestive tract, the eyes – it sets up an inflammation which causes the symptoms. Food Intolerances are different to allergies and are the result of an inability to digest or absorb foods. But the symptoms of each can be very similar and often confused. Symptoms from allergy usually develop quickly.

The incidence of food allergy is growing. In 2011 an Australian study, the Health Nuts Study, found that 10% out of 5000 infants demonstrated food allergy. This is the highest rate in the world and we should be alarmed about why the incidence is rising so rapidly.

The most common allergic reactions usually fall into four groups.
  •       Anaphylaxis – a life-threatening reaction where the airways can swell
  •       Skin symptoms – eczema, dermatitis, welts and hives
  •       Eye reactions – conjunctivitis, redness, itching and watering
  •       Hay Fever or Rhinitis

Some asthmas are caused by allergies. Anaphylaxis is a more serious allergic response and is potentially life-threatening. One of my children experienced this on a number of occasions from milk and butter when he was young and beestings later, and it is a very scary situation. It usually occurs very quickly and affects multiple body systems. It needs an immediate dose of adrenalin to reverse it.

There is now evidence which suggests that the increased use of antibiotics may have something to do with the increase in allergies and asthma because it upsets the normal balance of gut flora and leads to confusion within the immune system so that it is unable to tell the difference between harmless substances and bacteria, viruses and parasites. It is also thought that our higher hygiene standards may have contributed, by exposing us to fewer pathogens, which leads to your body attacking harmless antigens instead.

Allergies are the bane of so many people’s life these days Photo credit: Brooke Novak

There are many common things to which people develop an allergy. Allergens could be any of the following:

  •      Foods such as gluten or wheat, milk and dairy foods, seafood and shellfish, alcohol, soy, eggs, peanuts, nuts, seeds, tomatoes, alcohol
  •      Environmental factors such as dust, dust mites, pollen, mould, animal fur, grasses
  •      Man-made substances such as medications, pesticides, latex, nickel
  •      Insects including cockroaches, dust mites, caterpillars, bees or wasps

While there are a number of over the counter and prescription medications for allergies, they all put lots of strain on your liver as it has to detox the medications. This may actually exacerbate the condition. Most people have used antihistamines to gain relief from the symptoms of hay fever at some time, but the ongoing prospect of having to take loads of pharmaceuticals, to say nothing of the debilitating side effects they cause, is not at all appealing. Western medicine stresses ongoing medications and avoidance of exposure but this is not always possible.

Deal with allergies in more natural way

The best way to get rid of the problem of allergies is with professional advice from a Natural Medicine Practitioner.

But there are many ways that you can get relief for your allergy symptoms using a host of ‘Kitchen Remedies’. Anaphylaxis must always be regarded as a medical emergency and treated accordingly. If you experience an anaphylactic reaction, get emergency medical help immediately. But the next time allergy strikes with other symptoms, try out some of these tips before you reach for the antihistamine. Then follow up with a visit to a Natural Health practitioner to seek long-term relief.

 Please read my disclaimer below before reading on.

Kitchen Remedies

Respiratory passages

For sinuses and nasal congestion put some olive oil in your palm and sprinkle some black pepper into it. Breathe the aroma in. It makes you sneeze which removes the allergens in your nose.

Many people swear by Neti pots. Fill the Neti pot with a saline solution then pour the solution through your sinuses to flush the allergens and irritation from your sinuses. Use a pre-made saline rinse or make one yourself by dissolving 1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt, or sea salt as a second choice, in 1 litre of boiled distilled water. Allow it to cool completely and put it in the Neti pot. Pour it through one nostril and allow it to drain out the other. Make sure you rinse the irrigation device after you use it with boiled distilled water and leave it to ‘air-dry’.

Peppermint tea is a great decongestant which can unclog sinuses and improve breathing. It is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Chamomile tea is a natural anti-inflammatory and may reduce the duration of hay fever attacks.

Eating food drenched in wasabi will clear out your sinuses in an instant. So head for the sushi bar if you need a quick clear when you are out and about.

Showering as soon as you come back inside after being outdoors can be an easy way to get quick allergy relief. It can help remove allergens from your skin and hair and the steam will help to clear nasal cavities, although it will usually be only temporarily.

Even just inhaling the steam over a bowl of hot water can flush out the mucous just as well as a shower. Add a few drops of Eucalyptus essential oil and carefully inhale the steam for an even better result.

Skin reactions

A colloidal oatmeal mask for hives or eczema. You can either add  2 or 3 cups straight to the bathwater where it disperses and stays in suspension rather than settling to the bottom, or make a paste to spread over the affected area. To make the paste you need 1-2 tablespoons of Colloidal Oatmeal. You can make your own if you cannot buy it. Add warm water until you get the desired consistency. Spread on your skin and leave for a few minutes

Apple cider vinegar has long been recognised for its wonderful healing properties. Dilute a little in water and dab onto any itchy area. Great for dry eczema, hives or bed bug bites.

Mixing Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda) with a little water to form a paste to spread on the skin will help stop the itching. You can also add it to a warm bath and soak in it for twenty minutes if the reaction area is more widespread.

Nettle is often used to relieve allergies as it is a natural antihistamine which targets the immune system. As well as drinking your nettle tea you can also use it topically. Allow it to cool and then use a cloth or gauze to dab it on the itchy spots where it will give relief. You could also take 300 to 500 mg of stinging nettle capsules each day.

A strong brew of dried anti-inflammatory chamomile flowers steeped for fifteen minutes or more then cooled and strained, can be applied to eczema for about 20 minutes with gauze or a cloth for itchiness relief. You can use it three times a day.

Basil is another herb that contains anti-allergenic components and it will give relief for hives. Boil a couple of leaves in water. Once the tea has cooled down apply it topically on the hives.

Organic cold pressed coconut oil can be applied topically and gives relief to many sufferers.

Aloe vera gel is useful, especially when it comes from freshly cut leaves.

Water that has had thin cucumber slices soaked in it for a few hours and then filtered can be applied to the area with a clean gauze or cloth.

Eye reactions

For puffiness place slices of cold raw potato on your eyes

To relieve itchy, dry or watery eyes try making a compress from chamomile or black tea bags that have been steeped in boiling water and allowed to cool. Leave on for five minutes. Choose organic teabags as many chemicals are used to bleach the bag material that may aggravate already inflamed eyes. Even better if you refrigerate the teabags first.

A wonderful eyewash can be made to soothe itchy eyes by diluting non-alcoholic calendula liquid in water.

And last but not least, don’t forget to drink lots of water which helps with sinus drainage and congestion. It seems as though I say to do this in every post, but almost everybody drinks too little water and dehydration, even when it is mild, contributes to many health problems. With allergies, dehydration makes your mouth and throat dry and your mucous thickens.

Do you have a great ‘Kitchen Remedy’ that you use for your allergies? Share it in the replies below.

Check back again soon as I will write more about allergies and food intolerances (lactose and gluten).

Photo credit: Sylvia McFadden
Photo credit: Sylvia McFadden

Disclaimer.

All information and opinions presented here are for information only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before trying any of the treatment suggested on this site. 

Source articles:

http://wellnessmama.com/8370/7-natural-remedies-for-allergy-relief/

http://www.naturalnews.com/036292_eczema_home_remedies_skin_disease.html

http://www.great-natural-home-remedies.org/home-remedies/allergies.html

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/get-healthy/home-remedies/natural-home-remedies-hives

Natural Remedies & Homeopathy, Sleep, Uncategorized

Do You Dream Of Dreaming…If Only You Could Fall Sleep?

7 Comments

It seems almost everyone I’ve spoken to over the past week has had problems sleeping, whether it’s in getting to sleep, waking during the night or, for those that are sleeping, having vivid crazy dreams. Insomnia, or sleeplessness, can be either an inability to fall asleep or waking up through the night before the expected waking time. As anyone who has ever experienced a poor night’s sleep knows, the impact of sleeplessness shows up the next day as a reduced ability to concentrate, lethargy, and fragile emotions.

The body actually requires sleep just as it does water, food and oxygen in order to function. Without sleep we would literally go crazy. When insomnia is long term, more than 3-4 weeks, it can have a major impact on our health, leading to memory problems, depression, irritability, with an increased risk of heart disease.

Tossing and turning for hours on end, worrying about not being able to get to sleep, or being unable to switch off can be very frustrating, and can even worsen the insomnia. The more you try to sleep, the more frustrated you get and the harder sleep becomes.

For many people insomnia is an ongoing issue that has some pretty big repercussions on their life. While it can be caused by many things, for a large number it is often the result of poor sleep behaviour, sometimes resulting from patterns established during childhood.

Some Causes of Poor Sleep

Quite a number of poor lifestyle habits can actually be the cause or sleeplessness, or else worsen it. Here are a few of them. If you recognise any of these, you may need to address them.

·         Going to bed at different times each night

·         Daytime napping

·         Poor sleeping environment, such as too much noise or light. Your bedroom should be a ‘haven of calm’

·         Spending too much time in bed while you are still awake

·         Working evening or night shifts

·         Not getting enough exercise

·         Using the television, computer, or smartphone in bed 

Medications

The use of some medications and drugs may also affect sleep.

  • Alcohol may help you fall asleep initially but generally leads to waking up through the night.
  • Too much caffeine is a well-known cause of insomnia, especially when it is drunk later in the day.
  • A number of medications, including cold medicines and diet pills can cause poor sleep. Be very careful about self-prescribing unless you know exactly the effects of whatever you are taking. Some herbs and supplements can lead to insomnia.
  • Heavy smoking can be a problem for sleep.
  • If you take sleeping pills regularly it is easy to become used to them, so they stop working as well as they did initially.
Lifestyle

In addition to lifestyle habits there are a number of other physical, social, and mental health issues that can affect sleep patterns, including: anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, certain medical conditions such as thyroid disease, feeling sad or depressed, physical pain or discomfort, stress whether it is short-term or long-term.

CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS

However sometimes there is just no obvious reason for sleeplessness.

We each have our own inbuilt body clock called the circadian rhythm, that regulates our sleep patterns. This is what makes us fall asleep at night and wake up again the next morning. The body clock is easily thrown out by overseas flying, rotating shift work, or even a few late nights. When your body clock gets disrupted, you experience symptoms like jet lag.

Taking sleeping pills to help you sleep often leaves you with a ‘hangover’ effect which is something you can avoid by using natural cures instead.

RESET YOUR BODY CLOCK NATURALLY

For many the prospect of sleeping like a baby, anywhere, anytime seems like a remote daydream. But there are a number of very effective natural remedies with proven success that may offer relief. They can help you to reset the body clock so you can get back to good sleeping patterns.

Here are a few that have proven success.

For many the prospect of sleeping like a baby, anywhere, anytime seems like a remote daydream. There are some natural remedies with proven success that may offer relief.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain which helps to relax us so that we can fall asleep. It is known for its ability to rebalance your body clock and is often used to treat jet lag. It is usually released in the absence of light, but we need to have spent time in daylight in order to make enough melatonin in the first place. This is why it is recommended that you spend time outside after you have flown a long-haul flight.

Taking a melatonin supplement can help to reset the body clock. But if you prefer to use food as medicine you can address melatonin deficiency with foods that boost serotonin as melatonin is made from serotonin. Some of these foods are raw cacao, magnesium, fish oils and herbal tea containing hops, chamomile, ashwaganda and lemon balm.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy has a marvelous history treating insomnia. There are many Homeopathic remedies that work to reset your body’s sleep patterns, calm your mind and get restful sleep. While there are a number of combination mixes available over the counter, the ones that have the deepest and most long-lasting effect are those that are prescribed individually by a Homeopath to suit your individual insomnia symptoms.

Some remedies that a Homeopathic practitioner may consider for insomnia are:

  • Arsenicum Album which is useful when anxiety, fear, or worry prevents sleep
  • Coffea for when you are unable to sleep because your thoughts are too active or you are excited about a surprise, or good or bad news
  • Nux-vomica helps when you’re very irritable, waking between 2-4am with racing thoughts only to fall asleep again about daybreak. This is accompanied by much stress caused by overstudy or work
  • Ignatia is for sleeplessness after disappointment or grief
  • Passiflora for restless sleeplessness with exhaustion

The choice between these and many more homeopathic remedies that help with insomnia would depend on these and all the other symptoms you were experiencing. For good results check with a professional Homeopath as remedies need to be selected and taken according to homeopathic principles.

Herbs

There is a number of herbs that are very useful to induce sleep. Valerian root is one that is quite well known and often used. It is quite powerful and often used for quick results when changing time zones. Valerian is useful when you have difficulty staying asleep. Some people however get the opposite effect from valerian and can get hyped-up after taking it. Valerian is good when combined with Passionflower which helps you to fall asleep initially.

Some other herbs that can be helpful are Kava which is once again available after having been taken off the market for a while. It can be used for short-term relief. It is good to relieve anxiety in the moment.

Skullcap is great to use when you are very hyped-up and just can’t slow down, or are experiencing anxiety and are emotionally stressed. You can use it for longer periods.

Aromatherapy

Essential Oils can help bring on sleep. While there are a number of oils that induce sleep, lavender has long been recognised as being the ‘Queen of Calm’. Lavender essential oil will effectively calm down overwrought nervous systems. A few drops added to a warm bath before bed or on a cotton ball under the pillow should bring on sleep.

SETTING A PERFECT SLEEP ENVIRONMENT

Make sure your sleeping environment is calm and serene. THE KEY IS TO SWITCH OFF. Leave your worries at the bedroom door. Switch off all gadgets, put phones in flight mode, iPad, laptop, TV etc. Take some time to settle down and relax.

Set aside 30 minutes before bed as ‘unwind and de-stress time’. Read a good book, write your journal, listen to soft music, anything that you find relaxes you and does not involve an electronic gadget. Remember, exposure to artificial light (electronics) before going to bed increases your alertness and suppresses melatonin and so will keep you awake.

So, here’s to a great sleep.

What are some of the ways you deal with sleeplessness? Tell us in the comments below

Worrying about not being able to get to sleep can worsen the insomnia

Disclaimer.

All information and opinions presented here are for information only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before trying any of the treatment suggested on this site. 

    Natural Remedies & Homeopathy, Uncategorized

    Homeopathy To The Rescue in Homeopathy Awareness Week

    4 Comments

    May is an important month for Homeopaths here in Australia as it marks the celebration of Homeopathy Awareness Week (13th – 19th May). This year the theme is ‘Homeopathy To The Rescue’ and the focus is on the ways Homeopathy can, and has been used in the treatment of trauma and disasters.

    The purpose of this annual celebration is to get you all to notice the impact Homeopathy has on a global scale and to start you thinking about how Homeopathy could be useful in your life.

    While there is a long history of Homeopathy being used with wonderful results during epidemics and after disasters, using Homeopathic medicine to deal with the small traumas of your everyday life is where many people first encounter the healing benefits of the remedies.

    Homeopathic Arnica

    Homeopathic Arnica is one remedy that I would have been lost without in raising my four sons, and in fact I cannot imagine how the Mums of active boys manage without it. When my boys were young, they played a lot of sport, basketball, AFL football, baseball, hockey, netball, gymnastics, and rock climbing, to say nothing of rough and rowdy games through the bushland around our home.

    In addition to the kit of remedies I have at home, I always carried a Homeopathic First Aid kit in the boot of my car so we would have what we needed when we were out and about. In this kit was trusty Arnica.

    Arnica is loved for its effect on soft tissue damage. However, homeopaths often reach for Arnica as the first remedy to heal anyone affected by shock, trauma or injury. Here it acts on the emotional or spiritual shock as well as on the physical shock.

    Arnica has lots of uses but it is perhaps best known for its benefits to damaged soft tissue. It has amazing healing properties for muscle damage showing as bruising, swelling and aching. At sporting events, particularly football, I soon became known as the go-to-girl for help when the boys were hurt on the field, and parents would often come to me asking for some arnica for their son.

    In fact,one year it actually saved one of my boys team from despair, because Arnica was the remedy that ensured the team a place in the Grand Final, which they then won! How? At half time the star player, the full forward, the one who does most of the goal scoring, was taken off the field because someone had stomped on his hand and there were four distinct dark bruises on his palm from the ‘stops’ on the boot’s sole. I gave him one dose of Arnica at the start of half time, and by the time the second half started twenty minutes later, the bruising had almost disappeared, so he was allowed to play, and to go on and kick the winning goal.

    Arnica to the rescue.

    Over the course of many years of kids sport there were many, many other instances of parents being able to watch bruising or swellings, like ‘eggs’ on the head, actually go right down over a very short time, and so the Arnica was often sought out.

    Arnica got these boys through the injuries with minimal fuss and allowed them to get back out to their game.

    Arnica is a remedy that I give to many of my patients and not just the boys. Many people use it after they have had a big workout at the gym, or a hard day in the garden to relieve the aches and pains. Others use it after having dental work. It is a remedy that many now value in their home first aid kit, and the first remedy they think of for injuries and trauma.

    A meadow of Arnica montana growing wild in Belgium

    What is Arnica?

    Homeopathic Arnica Montana is made from a small plant of the Compositae family. It grows in the mountain pastures of mainland Europe where for centuries it had a long history of use as a herbal to treat bruises, sprains, rheumatic pain, emotional shock, hematoma and oedema.

    Today, Arnica creams are widely used in the sports industry, and in fact a number of Olympic athletes have found them helpful in reaching the pinnacle of their chosen sport. Here is a very long list of sports stars using Homeopathic Arnica.

    Arnica has an affinity with the blood vessels, repairing them so that bruising and stagnation is able to dissipate from the site of the wound.

    The benefit of Arnica, as you read in the story of my son’s football team, is that it speeds up the healing process. The bruising passes quickly, aching muscles return to normal faster, swelling subsides quickly, allowing a faster return to training, the game, or everyday activity.

    When to Use Arnica

    Although I make some suggestions here for when Arnica may be helpful, I do not advocate using it without consulting your Homeopath first. Whilst Homeopathic remedies are very gentle they need to be prescribed with an understanding of how they work in order to be used effectively and safely. In addition if you have a seious accident or injury it is essential to get checked out for concussions, broken bones or other serious damage. But, even when these do occur Arnica can be useful to speed the healing process.

    • After accidents where there is shock
    • After an injury that leaves bruising of muscles
    • After an injury that leaves soft tissue swollen and sore
    • After over-exerting yourself
    • After surgery or dental work

    Because Homeopathy Awareness Week is about using Homeopathy to deal with trauma this year, I am once again running my very popular short course “HOMEOPATHY @ HOME – TREATING ACUTE & FIRST AID AILMENTS”   beginning during Homeopathy Awareness Week, where you learn when and how to use thirty Homeopathic remedies, including Arnica, that will completely change the way you deal with acute illnesses and accidents in your family.

    If you have missed this course but would like to join one later, check back again for details of the next course as I run it once every year.

    If you would like to read about the latest research and thoughts on how Homeopathy might work, you may like to read Dana Ullman’s summary in this article published last week in The Huffington Post

    But for those who have used Homeopathic medicine with enormous success the question is NOT how it works, or even whether it works. They have seen many times, that it does work effectively and that is enough reason to continue to love and use this remarkable treatment.

    I don’t know how it works, nobody does yet. No doubt as research delves deeper and our knowledge grows, just how Homeopathic medicines work will become clearer. After all, in medicine there are also many medications and anaesthetics that were used and seen to be effective, long before the mechanism of how they work was known.

    If you’ve had a positive experience using Arnica let us know about it in the comments below.

    Disclaimer.

    All information and opinions presented here are for information only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before trying any of the treatment suggested on this site. 

    Source articles:

    http://www.arnica.com.au/arnica.php

    http://www.fao.org/ag/AGp/agpc/doc/Gbase/data/pf000462.htm

    http://www.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail182.php

    http://drnancymalik.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/sports-medicine/

    http://homeopathyforyou.com.au/trauma/arnica-to-the-rescue-for-injuries/

    Holistic Health, Natural Remedies & Homeopathy, Uncategorized

    Bigger From Dawn To Dusk: Natural Remedies For Bloating

    4 Comments

    Does this sound familiar? You wake in the morning feeling great with a nice flat belly, but by the evening your gut is swollen and aching, or at the very least uncomfortable and tight? Is bloating a problem for you? It is for many people. Chances are if you answered ‘yes’ then you’re probably a woman, with about one in three women experiencing abdominal bloating. But,while bloating is more common for women it’s also a problem for many men. For some unlucky people, bloating is a constant and serious problem. However, there are many natural remedies for bloating.

    By the evening your gut is swollen and aching
    By the evening your gut is swollen and aching

     

    CAUSES OF BLOATING

    There are many causes of bloating. Sometimes it’s simply the result of overeating. But if it happens regularly it could be due to any of the following:

    • Food allergies
    • Food intolerance
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
    • Constipation
    • Gas-producing foods
    • Swallowing air (aerophagia)
    • Intestinal parasites
    • Menstruation, period pain, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
    • Diverticulosis, Splenic-Flexure Syndrome, partial bowel obstruction
    • Visceral fat

    After eating or drinking gases are produced in the colon. Normally they move through the gut where they’re mostly absorbed or they’re passed out of the body. But if the gas gets trapped along the way then discomfort and distension occurs. Sometimes bloating can be so severe that it makes you suddenly look pregnant.

     

    STRESS AND BLOATING

    A big problem and sometimes the cause of bloating is STRESS. When you’re stressed your gut doesn’t work properly. When your body goes into ‘fight or flight mode’ the digestive system closes down. If you’re living with ongoing stress your body stays in a prolonged state of ‘high alert’, as do all the digestive repercussions.

    If you can’t remove the stress from your life then you need to introduce practices to break the stressful state apart. These practices could include yoga, meditation, walking the labyrinth, deep breathing, tai chi, exercise, relaxing music, walking. In fact whatever it is that relaxes and calms you will create the result you want.

    Importantly you need to make the commitment to continue the activity on a regular basis.

     

    HORMONES AND BLOATING

    Bloating can be the result of gynaecological problems and often related to the hormonal cycle. Together with constipation it’s often worse right before periods when hormonal activity is high. HRT can also contribute to bloating in older women.

    Isolating the offending cause of bloating can become further complicated when something as seemingly innocuous as calcium supplements may cause bloating in some people. The range of causes can be diverse and a complicated mix from a number of different sources.

     

    FOODS AND BLOATING

    Foods often cause bloating, with food intolerance probably being the biggest cause. Food intolerance is often very difficult to identify, especially if there;s more than one single food involved. Symptoms don’t always show up immediately after eating the food and may take days to become evident.

    Problem Foods For Bloating

    Problem foods often come from these groups:

    • Vegetables – Onions and garlic, and brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale)
    • Dairy foods – milk, cheese, ice-cream, and foods containing milk solids
    • Grains – wheat, corn (including popcorn)
    • Fruits – such as apples, peaches and pears
    • Sweets – hard candy, chewing gum
    • Highly spiced foods
    • Alcohol
    • Carbonated drinks and champagne

    Processed foods are high in bloating-promoting ingredients and can lead to bloating. Fructose, one such ingredient, is often added to processed foods.

    Fructose intolerance is a problem affecting more and more people. The FODMAP diet can really help those with fructose intolerance. However it needs to be done under the supervision of a practitioner as it varies a little from one individual to another and can be very complicated to put together.

    Salt can be a problem, particularly in highly processed foods as it can cause or worsen bloating and water retention. It’s far better to avoid processed foods and to use other seasonings in your cooking.

     

    It looks tasty but broccoli, milk and wheat could all be causing your blaoting
    It looks tasty but broccoli, milk and wheat could all be causing your blaoting

     

    PROBLEM FOODS FOR BLOATING

    Gluten, lactose and fructose intolerance are the three most common  causes of bloating in my clients. If you believe one of these is behind your problem eliminate it completely for a week and watch the effect. But these ingredients are often hidden, for instance gluten is present in many medications.

    Lactose, sorbitol and wheat as well as vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and onions can cause increased gas production. But the underlying problem is usually that your digestive tract isn’t contracting properly. When this occurs gas gets trapped in the digestive tract and leads to gurgling and bloating.

    Avoiding problem foods helps lessen symptoms. But in the long term it’s better to fix the problem at a deeper level and that’s where natural remedies for bloating can help.

     

    NATURAL REMEDIES FOR BLOATING

    Homeopathy

    There are a number of Homeopathic remedies that stimulate the gut so it starts contracting properly and then keeps on working efficiently. Using homeopathy for bloating is a bit like a ‘re-training’ for the gastrointestinal tract.

    There are pre-mixed homeopathic remedies for general gut issues. However you’ll get best results under the care of a fully trained  Homeopath who’ll select a remedy to match your specific symptoms. Homeopathic remedies should be selected and taken according to homeopathic prescribing guidelines.

    Herbs

    Herbs are another natural option that can help bloating. Peppermint is well-known for its soothing effect on the digestive system. However it’s not great for everybody. While it works like a treat for many people about 40% actually experience a worsening of their symptoms and so are better avoiding peppermint altogether. Other mints are also helpful.

    Ginger is another good digestive herb that might help you.

    Fennel Seeds
    Fennel Seeds

    Fennel is probably the most effective herbal digestive aid and relieves gas magnificently as well as reducing bloating and cramps. Either chew fennel seeds or drink fennel tea.

    Teas are one of the easiest and best ways to take herbs at home. You can make your own herbal teas or buy one ready blended containing fennel. Select a brand that specialises in therapeutic herbal teas.

    It is easy to make your own Fennel Tea, simply crush one teaspoon of fennel seeds and add to a cup of water. Bring to the boil, cover and steep for ten to fifteen minutes. Cool and strain. Drink two to three cups each day.

    Try the herbal tea out and if you don’t get a positive response try a different herb instead. My favourite digestive tea contains cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove, peppercorn and spearmint amongst other ingredients, which are all digestive aids.

    Supplements

    Taking probiotics, bifidus and acidopholus, can be helpful. They repopulate your gut with ‘good bacteria’. They help redress the imbalance between ‘good’ and ‘bad bacteria’ that often accompanies bloating. Look for a reputable brand from your health food shop, one that is for ‘practitioner dispensing only’ is the better choice.

    There can be insufficient enzymes in the small intestine. In this case Digestive Enzymes can be a great help in breaking down the gas-forming foods. They are available over the counter.

    Activated charcoal can help to relieve gas and bloating. Take it before and after meals. But don’t use it if you’re taking the contraceptive pill or other medications and don’t use it long term.

    Essential Oils

    Essential Oils are great for symptoms due to stress. Choose from peppermint, orange, rose, cinnamon and basil oils.  Alternatively buy a stress-relieving or balancing blend from your health food shop.

     

    EXERCISE FOR BLOATING

    Certain exercises can help when the pain of bloating is really bad.

    • Rolling a soft ball over your abdomen can help move the gas along the digestive tract.
    • Lie on your back and hug one leg to your chest while keeping the other flat on the floor. Hold for the count of 20. Then repeat with the other leg. Doing this at least five times may alleviate symptoms.
    • Five minutes of deep abdominal breathing is one of the best ways to get some relief.  This is a good practice to adopt every day whether you’re bloated or not.

     

    YOUR HAPPY GUT CHECK LIST

    1. Maintain a healthy diet, keep regular eating patterns and don’t skip meals. Eat slowly and chew everything well.
    2. Avoid problematic foods from the list above.
    3. Increase your water intake and cut back alcohol which irritates the gut
    4. Replace white wheat bread with different grains such as rye or spelt, or even gluten-free. Broaden the range of grains you consume
    5. Avoid dairy products as many people are actually lactose intolerant
    6. Combat your symptoms with natural remedies
    7. Reduce your stress
    8. Limit sugar intake especially fructose found in fruits and juices

     

     

    BLOATING WARNINGS

    Persistent chronic bloating can be a symptom of intestinal blockage or more sinister diseases such as ovarian cancer or uterine fibroids. Get checked out by your doctor particularly if you also have unexplained weight loss or gain.

    It’s becoming more widely recognised that many serious health problems stem from problems with the gut not functioning well. Keeping your digestive system working happily really is fundamental to maintaining good health.

    Natural remedies for bloating are a simple and effective way to get relief

     

    Would you love to stay vibrant & healthy beyond your 50’s? Join us to redesign your life and create your personal Wellness Blueprint with the tools you need to upscale your health & wellness in the long term at the Live Life: Love Life: Long Life Wellness Retreat

    Bloated green man

    Disclaimer.

    All information and opinions presented here are for information only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before trying any of the treatment suggested on this site. 

    Natural Remedies & Homeopathy, Self Care, Stress & Overwhelm

    Survive the Silly Season Tsunami

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    With the end of the year racing towards us it is very easy to succumb to overwhelm, and here in Australia I believe that we actually do this season much harder than we need to, and perhaps harder than they do overseas. The festivities of Christmas, or whichever of the Holidays you celebrate, coincides here with the end of the school year, the end of the working year, and the end of the calendar year, all in one short week.

    Trying to juggle a myriad of  ‘end-of-year’ school activities, dance concerts, exam study, shopping for the festivities ahead and socialising, together with so many businesses closing down for at least a few weeks and preparations for the mass post-Christmas exodus to many idyllic beachy places, it is very easy to get caught up in a sense of “approaching the end”. It’s easy to get that nagging feeling that you need to finish absolutely everything, to tie up all the loose ends in your life.

    It seems that the whole nation drives itself into an absolute feverpitch of stress through December and then shifts to the opposite extreme and shuts down totally after Christmas Eve. It’s no surprise everyone races around with a sense of impending doom if everything isn’t done and finalised on time.

    Perhaps it’s this Australian ‘end-is-nigh’ approach to December that actually fuels the stressful emotions we experience.

    Are You Driving Yourself Too Hard?

    How many times do you say “we must catch up before Christmas”? How much do you drive yourself at work to finalise jobs that realistically might wait a week or two? How many parties do you attend? How many late nights do you have? How much fattening, sugary, or rich food do you eat? How much alcohol? How often are you driven to do or buy something which could wait, without really knowing what drives you to do it right now? And these are only what you are actually doing – they don’t even start to address the emotions that get stirred up at this time.

    This last part of the year can be a time of escalating stress for so many during the build-up to Christmas with ‘so much to get done’, loneliness, increasingly tired children as they approach the end of the school year, the pressure in self-run businesses to cover extra costs such as holiday pay for staff, a calendar that seems to overflow, loss of a job and financial constraints, plus many more difficulties.

    Loneliness and Grief

    For many this time of the year is also a time of tremendous emotional stress. It is the time when the loss of loved family members, whether through separation or their passing, comes home and strikes with almost paralyzing force. For some people the whole season is wrapped in a tight mantle of grief that draws in around and stifles them.

    It can also be the time when singles feel the most lonely, when isolation from family and friends or an abscence of them in your life strikes most intensely.

    Family Tensions

    For others the experience of returning into a family where everyone is suddenly thrown back into the role they played as a youngster and the family dynamics that played out when they were children, is too difficult to deal with.This is in spite of the fact that in their real everyday life they are responsible and competent parents, partners, employees or employers with wide and admirable skills and abilities.

    In this scenario is it any wonder that the anxieties of childhood rear their ugly heads. Is it any wonder that behaviour reverts and childish tantrums or bickering, petulant unhappiness or resentment and other actions arising from the uncertain and fearful child that is still living deep within, start to occur.

    But whatever the reason the ability to engage in the Christmas spirit eludes many and the season is anything but bright.

    There are natural treatments that can help you cope as the Holiday Season gets nearer and stress levels increase

    WHAT YOU CAN DO

    There are a number of natural strategies and remedies you can adopt to help deal with these issues. Rather than go into each of them in detail I’ll give you a link to some that I think are sound and effective. You can have a look and try a few out and then use those that suit you the best.

    Even making a little time to get some exercise or relaxation is a good way to start. When we start to rush, both exercise and relaxation often go by the wayside. Schedule the time in your calendar and then stick to it.

    Remember that a massage can work wonders especially if you carry your stress in your neck and shoulders, and it will be even more effective if it includes aromatherapy essential oils for relaxation.

    Emotions respond beautifully to any of the varied forms of energetic medicine. Medicine delivered in an energetic form can be very effective in ‘re-balancing and re-setting you’ so that you are able to deal with whatever it is you have to face. Hear are a few.

    Homeopathy

    Homeopathy offers some great remedies for many of the issues such as stress, overwork, grief, over-excitement, anxiety, guilt, exhaustion and so on.

    Homeopathic Coffea helps with getting over-excited children off to sleep on Christmas Eve. Ignatia is often a first choice for grieving. Nux vomica can work wonders if you are driving yourself towards burnout with overwork.

    Homeopathic remedies need to be matched to your own idiosyncratic symptoms and the particular way you manifest the stress. So unless you are familiar with self-prescribing for acute situations, or if your stress is long-standing you should consult with a fully trained and registered Homeopath.

    Accupressure & Accupuncture

    Visiting an Acupuncturist is a great way to deal with the stress, but even better, you can do Acupressure yourself anytime and anywhere, and it works along the same lines as acupuncture. This is a good demonstration of one way to relieve stress by Donna Eden, an expert at using acupressure in her energy medicine work.

    These diagrams of acupressure points to use for hangovers could be useful if you are partying hard. And here are some acupressure points to help with feelings of anxiety felt throughout the holiday season.

    Flower Essences

    Flower essences can have a great benefit when trying to deal with grief. They work very gently, but effectively on the emotions.

    The basic Bach Rescue Remedy or Australian Bush Flower Emergency Essence are both good ‘all-purpose’ mixes for dealing with stressful situations but there are a number of others that can be tailored to each individuals requirements. FES Five Flower Formula is similar to Bach Rescue Remedy.

    Perhaps my favourite flower essence for this time of the year would be the Australian Bush Flower ‘Calm & Clear’ essence – the name says it all.

    There are flower essences to help relieve all the other stressful emotional responses to the holidays and they are well worth investigating.

    For information about each of the Bach remedies look here, for Australian Bush Flower Remedies look here and Californian Flower Essences here.  

    Difficult Families

    Here are some useful strategies for those who have to deal with intensified extended family tensions. They give you the opportunity to plan ahead and devise strategies for you as well as your family.

    Importantly it is all about taking back the reigns and getting back your sense of control. If you are able to clearly identify where your stress is coming from then you have a better chance of achieving this control. If there is a tradition in your festivities that causes more stress than joy, then it is time to give yourself permission to change things. Make 2012 the year to make changes, after all you cannot help others if you are not really coping yourself.

    Don’t forget, it is not all about the ‘Big Day’. The stress of the lead up through December can be just as bad or worse, and the significant health effect that prolonged stress can have on your whole system is often not recognized or acknowledged until it gets serious.

    Remember to check in with situations and ask yourself whether they are of joy or of stress right through the whole Month of December.

    Make this the year where you decide to be kinder to yourself. Sure, there are always going to be pressures, but maybe by being aware of how many of the manufactured pressures you embrace, you can let a few slide, and in easing up your obligations you will be able to deal with those stresses you really cannot avoid.

    It is time to allow yourself the gift of self-love and self-care.

     

    Disclaimer.

    All information and opinions presented here are for information only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before trying any of the treatment suggested on this site. 

    © Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health, 2012. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health with appropriate and specific direction to the original content

    Natural Remedies & Homeopathy

    Aloe! Aloe!

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    Last year my family traveled from three different continents to meet up at a beautiful Caribbean beach on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. As always I took a kit of 25 Homeopathic remedies with me. The Homeopathic kit has traveled with me wherever I travel for over twenty years and has been invaluable for all sorts of acute illnesses and first-aid situations many times.

    Initially my kit included remedies for small children’s problems but as the boys grew the remedies changed a little to suit their changing activites and destinations. Remedies for teething relief eventually gave way to ‘hangover rescues’ and as we ventured overseas we added remedies for “Bali-belly” and jetlag.

    A 'home' Homeopathy kit containing twenty different remedies suitable for acute illness and first aid situations.
    A ‘home’ Homeopathy kit containing twenty different remedies suitable for acute illness and first aid situations.

    Of course some remedies remained, the same remedy served for the effects of falling of a bicycle with training wheels as did for falling from a small Asian motorcycle. And some were always there because they were such fundamental stalwarts. Arnica is one that I would be lost without, in fact I can’t imagine raising a family of four boys without this gem in the medicine chest!

    Being a practitioner I have access to a broader range of Homeopathic remedies than are found in most kits, and I have the knowledge of a wider range of applications, so that I am able to tailor the selection of the Homeopathic medicines more closely to our specific need. But nonetheless I still often manage to find myself without the necessary remedy for the problem we face. When one son had his drink spiked in Asia I knew which remedy he needed to counteract the nasty effects of the drug, but not having it with me had to make do with another that while it did help ‘bring him down’ was not ideal.

    However, back to Mexico, as I said there are some remedies I never leave home without.

    The amazing lagoon and the bottom of the garden in the Mexican villa

    We arrived in Mexico in the late summer and it was hot! Seriously hot, especially after coming out of the tail of the Melbourne winter. The villa we were staying at had a pool, sun lounges under the cabana and backed onto an amazing fish-filled lagoon. So the family was quick to soak up the long-missed sun and it only took one day before one of the boys came to me seriously sunburned. There are a number of Homeopathic remedies that are useful for burns, but there is one I always carry as it dissipates sunburn with amazing speed. But for hot, sunny Mexico I had forgotten to pack it.

    Luckily being Mexico the garden was full of succulents and a quick walk around the garden revealed our second treatment choice, a clump of Aloe Vera plants. My son broke a leaf applied the gel to his burnt skin with good healing results. Most people know one of the characteristics of Aloe Vera is it’s ability to soothe the skin. But it is not only an excellent anti-inflammatory, it also actually heals any tissues it touches. It is great for skin problems such as acne, dandruff, eczema, dermatitis or psoriasis. (Although I prefer to treat psoriasis with a deeper-acting treatment like homeopathy) On the skin it will also help heal infections, although you must not apply it to any deep vertical wounds (such as those from surgery). And of course it soothes and starts the healing process for sunburn, cooking and ironing burns or insect bites.

    Many people drink Aloe juice regularly for its laxative qualities, as a general health tonic for the Gastrointestinal system, or to help build up the immune system. However, do not use Aloe if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a kidney disorder, IBD or intestinal obstruction, or for young children. Also, Aloe can cause irritation on the skin in some people with a specific sensitivity to the plant, although it is uncommon.

     

    AN ALOE IS AN ALOE, RIGHT? WRONG!

    There are over 240 varieties of Aloe and there are also a number of plants that look very like Aloe but don’t have the same healing properties. The one you need is Aloe barbadensis and the clue to identifying Aloe is in the way the leaves sit. In a true Aloe plant they all come up from the base in a circular pattern, like in the picture below. If there are leaves pointing in only a couple of directions it is not an Aloe. The edges of the leaf have short little barbs a bit like a cactus, although it is actually a member of the lily family and not a cactus. The fleshy leaves can vary in colour and even be spotted but they will always grow in this shape. There are lots of Aloe varieties but Aloe barbadensis is the one you want to use.

    The fleshy leaves of Aloe barbadensis grow from the base in a circular pattern

    The useful part of the plant is the gooey gel in the centre of the leaf. The outer part of the leaf contains constituents that can be problematic and you want to avoid. The outer part also has a bitter taste whereas the gel does not so if the juice or powder tastes bitter it is a clue that the product is not good quality as it has some of the outer leaf mixed in with the gel.

    The other problem that can be a problem with commercial products is that the gel oxidizes when it is exposed to the air for more than about four hours. This is like the apple going brown after it is cut. Some manufacturers buy Aloe gel and stockpile it for long periods during which time it deteriorates. Rather than wondering whether the bought product is truly good or poor quality it makes sense to formulate your own ‘Aloe’ products from your own plant.

     

    HOW TO USE ALOE

    You can apply the gel directly to your skin, as my son did, to relieve inflammation, whenever there is a breakout, or as a regular beauty treatment. It is also useful for dry skin. You can also use it to de-frizz your hair before you blow-dry it, as it is the main ingredient of most defrizzers on the market. It is easy to apply because of its consistency.

    You can substitute Aloe for your shaving cream, it  gives a great close shave and, being anti-inflammatory and with a high water content stops the need for moisturizers afterwards. In fact it sorts out razor burn beautifully – use it after you shower and again before bed.

    Aloe vera is high in a range of nutrients that will be absorbed into your skin. It contains all eighteen amino acids, including the eight essential ones, twenty minerals, the standouts being calcium, zinc, selenium and magnesium and twelve vitamins, including Vitamins A, C and E which benefit the skin because they have antioxidant activity that neutralizes free radicals.

    Aloes are very easy to grow in a pot on a sunny windowsill. They like hot, dry weather and are fine inside. They need almost no care and the danger is that they will die from over-watering rather than neglect. They are fine outside but you will need to bring them in during a cold snap especially if there is frost. Once your plant is established you can easily grow more by planting a ‘pup’ from the parent plant into some Cacti potting mix. Keeping a pot of Aloe vera is the best way to have a ready supply of fresh gel on hand.

     

    SKIN CARE RECIPES

    Once your Aloe vera plant is growing you might like to use it to make a face mask for yourself. Here is how:

    Cut one of the bigger leaves off the plant with a knife close to the base. Put the leaf onto a plate and leave it for about 20 minutes to allow the yellow sap to flow out. Then wash the leaf under running water.

    Slice your Aloe leaf in half vertically (from the top to bottom). Take care, it will be slippery. Then with a spoon scrape the

    The gooey gel inside the Aloe vera leaf

    gooey gel out of the inside of the leaf. It is really gooey, like very sticky egg white, and will stick to your fingers. (If it is a very big leaf cut it across before leaving it to sit and store half in the fridge for another time. The leaf end will seal over and stop any oxidisation)

    To make a very easy Aloe and Honey mask, take about 2 teaspoons of the gel and mix well with equal quantities of honey, ideally Manuka honey or otherwise organic honey. Add ¼ teaspoon of rose hip oil. Apply to your face with your fingers and leave on for 20 minutes. Then wash it off your face. This mask is rejuvenating for dry skin when used twice a week for two months. (If you have no Rose Hip Oil make this with just the Aloe and honey)

    A Cucumber and Aloe mask is great after being out in the sun. It is also excellent for acne, or any stressed and inflamed skin. Peel and deseed ½ a cucumber and then process it to a smooth paste with about 2 tablespoons of Aloe vera gel. Spread over your face (and neck), relax for 20 minutes and then wash off gently.

    Alternatively, if you are pressed for time you can simply rub the inside of the leaf directly on your skin. It is safe to use on your face, although better to avoid the eye area. It will help heal outbreaks as well as tightening and toning the skin.

    You do not need to cleanse afterwards as Aloe is cleansing, and you can simply apply a moisturizer or face oil if you wish.

     

    DISCLAIMER:

    This advice is not intended to replace the advice of your Health Care Practitioner. Please seek professional advice for serious medical problems.

    Holistic Health, Natural Remedies & Homeopathy, Nature's Rhythms

    Good Morning Sunshine: How’s Your Vitamin D?

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    Here comes the sun

    Sunny days are here again but are they really going to lift your spirits, or your health? Vitamin D deficiency is often the result of inadequate exposure to sunlight. It is essential for a healthy immune system and plays a role in many functions within your body. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to many illnesses including depression and schizophrenia. So it’s vital you maintain healthy levels with this information.

    Chances are if you had a blood test for anything recently, the level of Vitamin D in your blood was tested at the same time, and if you are one of about 70% of us “Sunburnt Country-ites” your levels were below the level needed for good bone health, or worse, like 30% of the country your levels were deficient. So what does this all mean, and probably most importantly, what are the implications of this?

    You all know that one of the reasons for this situation is that over the last few years Australians have been urged to ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’ all the time, or even to avoid going out in the sun altogether. Now with the discovery of just how widespread the problem of low Vitamin D levels is, and growing awareness of the important role that it plays in the prevention of so many diseases, the advice regarding sun exposure has suddenly been dramatically changed.

    Vitamin D is n fact not actually a vitamin but rather a hormone which is made by your body.  But it needs sunlight to trigger production of the Vitamin D precursor in your skin.

    There are two types of UV light rays, UVA and UVB.  Both can trigger skin cancers, but UVA have long wavelengths that reach into the deeper layers of your skin while UVB rays are shorter and only get into the surface layers. More importantly, UVB rays are the only ones that contribute to Vitamin D production. UVB rays are more intense in the middle of the day and decrease at either end of the day while UVA rays stay constant through the day. This is why the recommendation has changed and it is now is to get your sun exposure at lunchtime. By going out in the sun at that time you get more exposure to the UVB rays relative to the UVA rays and so get greater Vitamin D benefit from the same exposure, “more bang for your buck”, so to speak.

    Evidence  shows that our connection between sunlight exposure and melanoma has previously been far too simple as it seems that Vitamin D is the factor that actually assists our bodies in not developing skin cancers. This actually makes good sense when you remember that we evolved to live harmoniously with sunlight long before sunscreen came along. By always coating in sunscreen and avoiding the sun we do not have adequate levels of Vitamin D to gain the protection we need.

    Short exposure in the middle of the day is best

    The new recommendation is to go out in the sun in the middle of the day, with face and arms uncovered, for only the amount of time that it takes for your skin to just begin to feel like it is going to start ‘pinking up’. Of course this is going to differ for each of us, with fairer skinned people needing very little exposure and darker skinned maybe three to four times as much. Every time we are outside we have some sun exposure, and even when inside cars or buildings we are getting exposure as UVA rays can pass through glass. Unfortunately, UVB rays that activate Vitamin D do not pass through, something worth remembering when the sun streams through the car windows.

    The most recent figures that I have for the number of Australians deficient in Vitamin D are about 30-50% with 75% having levels too low for optimal bone health. These high figures are very surprising for citizens of the Sunburnt Country. I read recently that in order to get enough sun exposure to maintain adequate Vitamin D levels in Melbourne during July one would have to be outside in the middle of the day, fully naked for twenty minutes. As the temperature at lunchtime in July is often no more than a mighty eleven or twelve degrees, I will not be trying that out. Because those with dark skin need so much more time to get adequate Vitamin D from sun exposure they are more at risk for Vitamin D deficiency.  Obviously it is easier to get sufficient exposure further north and more difficult down in Tasmania.

    I normally stress that vitamins and minerals are best obtained from foods. Although there are small amounts of Vitamin D available in a few food including oily fish, mushrooms, and eggs (you would need 10 a day to get enough Vitamin D), as well as dark green leafy vegetables you will never be able to get anywhere near what you need from your diet and the form occurring in plants is not really useful.

    During the twentieth century Vitamin D deficiency was mainly associated with rickets, a disease where bones soften and weaken. At that time it was recognized that this Vitamin played a big part (along with calcium and phosphate) in maintaining good healthy bones. But as we have become more aware of the many body processes that involve this amazing vitamin we are also becoming more aware of the far reaching impacts of its deficiency.

    There are so many health problems in which Vitamin D deficiency is now known to play a part including SLE (Lupus), heart disease and high blood pressure, diabetes, PMS, Rheumatoid Arthritis and osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, teeth problems, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, autism, mental health, migraines, MS, skin problems like psoriasis, infections, colds and flu, Hypothyroidism and diseases which have fat malabsorption such as Coeliac Disease. Even chronic pain – bone pain, muscle pain, back pain – can be due to a Vitamin D deficiency.

    Vitamin D deficiency is also quite common in children and has been shown to be linked to an increased likelihood of developing allergies. Late teething, irritability and poor growth are all a sign of a deficiency and even seizures and asthma seem to be linked.

    It is now becoming more common to suspect vitamin D to be ‘the’, or at least one of the most crucial factors in the prevention of a large number of diseases. There has also been research conducted into Vitamin D and cancer prevention   Interestingly, and not surprisingly, research so far has shown that the doses required to prevent serious diseases are much, much higher than RDA’s (recommended daily amounts) and it is worth remembering that an RDA is set at the level needed to keep you alive, not the level required for good or optimum health.

    Vitamin D allows your body to absorb calcium through the small intestine and plays a crucial part in the prevention of osteopeania and osteporosis, however, many people have taken calcium supplements for a long time without the necessary Vitamin D to actually absorb the calcium properly. Vitamin D turns out to be a major factor in keeping this disease at bay.

    After getting the results of their blood tests many Australians find they require Vitamin D supplemets. Supplement quality varies! You can get them in the form of a capsule, tablet, liquid or as a drop that you place on your hand and lick off. Another great source is cod liver oil. In the past it tasted vile but these days it comes in fruit flavours to hide the fishy taste. Cod liver oil also provides you with vitamin A and EFA’s as a great bonus. But again, quality varies.

    It is always really important to take a good quality supplement, whatever type of supplement it is. Basically, with supplements you get what you pay for. Poor quality products are often just a waste of money, especially if your body is excreting them because they are not in a form that you can absorb properly. And just because the product is advertised as being a ‘best-seller’ or ‘more popular’ does not mean it is even remotely any good!

    Many people come to me after having been tested for Vitamin D levels and I keep seeing that the amount of Vitamin D supplement that most have been prescribed is inadequate to address their own personal Vitamin D deficiency and raise the levels in their body sufficiently. As is usual with the prescribing of supplements, a ‘one dose fits all’ use of Vitamin D

    Get out and soak up (some of) those rays

    is not appropriate or likely to get the best outcome possible. It needs to be tailored to the individual. Many doctors have not had the training in nutrition that is gained in Complementary Medicine (CAM) Courses, and which provides knowledge of the intricacies of vitamin/mineral interaction that enable the tailoring of supplement prescribing to an individuals needs.

    So even though the days are lengthening and we can get out and soak up those rays, the reality is that your Vitamin D levels may still be below par. If you find you are craving carbohydrates more, your spirits are low or you are showing any of the signs linked with a deficiency, head off to the GP and have a talk about having your levels tested. Then if they are lower than optimal get some expert advice from your CAM practitioner about the dosage you personally require as well as which high quality supplement will improve your Vitamin D status. If you are hunkering down to face winter in the Northern latitudes it is even more important to be on top of your Vitamin D levels as they normally drop over the winter months.

    Disclaimer.

    All information and opinions presented here are for information only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before trying any of the treatment suggested on this site.