Do you suffer from recurring headaches?

Recurring headaches are common amongst the young and the elderly.  There are many causes - stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, hormonal problems, food sensitivity, lack of movement, etc.  but definitely not a deficiency in painkillers.  However, the world today treat headaches like a painkiller deficiency.  Are you guilty of doing that?

This is an educational video to educate you on headaches and empower you to take charge.  Pain can cause fatigue and deplete your feeling of wellbeing.  If you have addresssed the issues in the video and still suffer from headache, please get in touch with your healthcare provider, or either one of us in this video.

IBS Symptoms and what you can do to overcome them

How your gut feels can make or break your day.  IBS affects about 15% of the population, more commonly occurring in women than in men.  The symptoms of IBS include bloating, flatulence, excessively frequent bowel movement with soft, watery stools, or absence of bowel movement causing it very hard to defaecate.  IBS is different from IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease the likes of Crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis).  IBS patients do not have increased risk of bowel cancer but IBD patients do.  However, IBS patients can still feel a lot of abdominal discomfort, suffer from fatigue, headaches, nausea and dehydration.  

The triggers for IBS include food, stress and hormones.  Common foods that trigger IBS include dairy, coffee, chocolate, wheat, fried and fatty foods and fibre.  Some forms of IBS do well with more fibre and other form of IBS do better with less fibre!  Stress and nerves can make IBS worse and IBS can make mood worse.  That’s because the gut is the second brain.  Serotonin, the neurotransmitter that makes you feel good, control your appetite and sleep well is made predominantly in the gut.  Patients with IBS often can feel low in the mood due to low serotonin production.  Addressing your IBS will lift your mood and improve your sleep.

Women tend to suffer from IBS more than men as the menstrual cycle changes the hormones at different times of the month.  The days of ovulation or immediately following ovulation and a day or two prior to the period is when IBS symptoms can exacerbate. 

Is it possible to have IBS and be symptom free?  Yes, absolutely.  What needs to happen is to identify your trigger, help your gut heal and you don’t need to suffer from IBS anymore.  Identifying the trigger can be tricky. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. If you have problems, seek the help of a naturopath or naturopathic nutritionist who would address the underlying cause of your symptoms rather than mask the symptoms.  

If your IBS is more constipation than diarrhea, the focus is to help the bowels relax and reduce straining. If you do not empty your bowels adequately daily, you are not helping your body detoxify effectively and this can cause problems in the longer term.  Make sure you are well hydrated, 30mls per kg of body weight of fluid intake per day, and you are consuming adequate fibre from nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables that do not irritate you gut.  If you are constipated, you may get the common symptoms of headaches, nausea, bloating or abdominal pain.  So understanding why you have IBS and what drives your IBS can help you sort out the root cause of your problem!

Do you suffer from premenstrual syndrome and what can do you do about it?

Many women treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and other menstrual irregularities as a normal part of their life.  In reality, menstruation should not cause any significant interruption to your everyday life.  If you experienced symptoms of PMS, painful, heavy or irregular periods, it means that your reproductive system is not functioning as well as it should be.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is the most common female hormonal imbalance, affecting more than 75% of women at some stage of their lives.  PMS normally occurs in the second half of a woman’s menstrual cycle, between ovulation and the onset of menstruation.  Psychological symptoms of PMS include mood swings, anxiety, irritability, nervous tension, depression, forgetfulness, poor concentration, fatigue or even insomnia.  Physical symptoms can include weight gain from fluid retention, abdominal bloating, headaches, libido issues, constipation and/or diarrhoea.

PMS normally occurs as a result of imbalances in female reproductive hormones, particularly, low levels of progesterone throughout the cycle with elevated oestrogen levels during the second half of the cycle.  It can also be related to “bad” oestrogens and not enough “good” oestrogens.  High levels of another hormone, prolactin may also be involved.

How do you balance your hormones?

You can use a range of herbs and nutrients to correct hormonal imbalances.  Vitex agnus castus has been shown to assist in the management of PMS symptoms by reducing high amounts of prolactin and normalising progesterone levels.  Vitex can also help with irregular periods.  Vitex can work synergistically with other herbs to manage painful, heavy or irregular periods and PMS symptoms such as headaches, sore breasts, fluid retention and abdominal bloating.

If you suffer from mood swings in the second half (luteal phase) of your menstrual cycle, bupleurum and peony can be useful.

Other natural ingredients which may help to maintain a healthy oestrogen balance include:

·                Flaxseed balances good and bad oestrogen;

·                Turmeric which offers potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity;

·                Folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12, which assist the processing of oestrogen in the body.

Apart from herbs, some simple changes to your diet and lifestyle can greatly improve your menstrual cycle:

·                consume a diet rich in fibre which includes fruit and vegetables;

·                increase the intake of good fats such as those from nuts, seeds and fish;

·                drink lots of water (1-2 litres a day);

·                keep yourself active with regular exercise;

·                stop smoking;

·                reduce excess fat;

·                limit salt and saturated fat intake; and

·                reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption.

PMS and other menstrual irregularities are not a normal part of life.  These symptoms are common but common does not equal normal.  You don’t have to put up with the discomfort or pain.  Don’t let your monthly menstrual cycle hinder your ability to do your favourite activities and enjoy life!  Herbs and nutrients, with the appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes can let you take charge of your menstrual cycle again.

Alkaline diet: why do we need it and how do we have it?

There are many diets out there, and you are probably not alone in trying to work through the minefield and decide which is the best for you.  Should you be keto, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, mediteranean and the list goes on.  There needs an element of individualisation according to your genetic tendency and lifestyle needs.

An alkaline diet is a diet that is high in fresh vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts.  A review in the Journal of Environmental Health 2012 showed that alkaline diets reduce morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases such as arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and loss of bone density.

Our blood runs in a tight pH band of about 7.36-7.40.  Our body goes through great lengths to maintain stable blood pH.  A lower pH means our body is acidic, a higher pH means it is basic.  We want to maintain a neutral to slightly alkaline pH.  Alkaline diets have been shown to be beneficial for maintaining good blood pressure, preventing formation of kidney stones, build stronger bones, reduce muscle wasting, lowers chronic pain, boost vitamin absorption and help weight loss.  (NOTE:  do not confuse blood pH with stomach pH.  The stomach is the only part of the body that should maintain an acidic pH to allow digestion to pass through efficiently.)

The total acid load in our diets from our hunter gatherer diets to our current modern diets has increased dramatically.  Our foods have significantly less potassium, magnesium, fibre, essential vitamins and antioxidants and have significantly higher sodium, processed fats and refined carbohydrates.  This causes electrolyte imbalances and acidity.

How to keep an alkaline diet:

1.  Buy organic foods that have been grown in an alkaline soil.  If you grow you own fruits and vegetables, give the soil enough essential minerals and seaweed.
2.  Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, they are best bet to increase alkalinity.  Fruits and vegetables like beetroot, cucumber, cabbage, spinach, carrots, beans, alfalfa, barley grass, celery, watermelon, figs, tomatoes, mushrooms, lemons, grapefruit and kale.
3. Eat plant based protein like almonds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, tempeh, tofu, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts.
4. Reduce intake of acid forming foods, keeping it to no more than 25% of your food intake.  These foods include animal meat, shellfish, dairy, eggs, deli meats, peanuts, walnuts, grains and its derivatives, breads, and baked goods.
5. Decrease processed and refined foods, sugar, coffee, carbonated drinks, alcohol and cordials.

Precautions and Implementation of Alkaline Diet

It is important to keep a balance of alkaline and acid forming foods.  Some acidic foods like eggs, fish and walnuts have much to offer in terms of nutritional benefits like essential fatty acids and antioxidants.  We are aiming for a healthy balance.  Eat a variety of real, whole, unprocessed foods like fresh fruits and vegetables and limit consumption of packaged and processed foods and beverages.  Should you be drinking alkaline water or bicarbonate of soda to alkalise?  The short answer is No.  Whilst short term studies done on subjects drinking alkaline water and bicarbonate water showed an increase in pH, these studies have not tested the long term effects and addressed the potential of the alkaline fluids in neutralising stomach pH that can cause more problems with pepsin and delayed protein digestion and acid reflux.

Are you at risk of a heart attack or stroke from your painkiller?

The NZ Herald last month published increased risk of a heart attack or stroke from just 4 weeks of use of 5 different painkillers – ibuprofen, celacoxib, mefenamic acid, diclofenac and naproxen.  The trials were done on a large sample size, 56,000 people with hypertension (high blood pressure).

The published study noted that the risk of a cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke from 4 weeks of use ranged from 1 in 104 adults to 1 in 394 adults.  There were no significant statistical incidence difference between the 5 drugs.  The events were documented when patients were hospitalised for strokes, heart attacks, TIA and angina.  This has cardiologists calling for tougher control on these Non-Steroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) as some can be purchased from the supermarket from as low as 20 cents per tablet. This puts patients with hypertension at a higher risk if they also suffer from pain and are using NSAIDs to medicate their pain.

In light of this risk, what can you do to deal with pain?  There are many natural options to address the problem.  Natural interventions like acupuncture, massage and frequency specific microcurrent are great methods to reduce and alleviate pain.

If pain is constant and repetitive, address the cause of it - is it from an inflammatory diet that does not agree with you?  Do you have an intolerance that repeatedly trigger the inflammation? Do you have lifestyle habits that are inflammatory?  If you do, change them.

Some of the things you can do include:

1. Eat a diet high in fresh vegetables and fruits that agree with you.  For some people consuming the vegetables in the nightshade family can increase their pain.  Nightshades include tomatoes, potatoes, capsicum, eggplant and tamarillos.
2. Reduce intake of processed foods – even if it says high fibre or five star health rating on the packaging.  Most people start of their day with highly processed breakfast cereal that converts to sugar easily and get their inflammatory process brewing. 
3. Cut out sugar – in all forms.  Sugar is inflammatory.
4. Breathe and oxygenate – oxygen is crucial to life.  Deep breathing into the abdomen rather than just shallow breathing (like when we are stressed) will help.  If you are shallow breathing because of stress, practice mindfulness, yoga or download some apps to help de-stress. 
5. Consult your natural health practitioner for herbs and supplements that will tailor towards the type of inflammation and pain you are experiencing- i.e. is it muscular, joint, glandular, headache, abdominal, etc.

Please do not just cover up the symptoms of pain with a band aid like NSAID as it may cause you a major cardiac event!

Inflammation: Problems with anti-inflammatory drugs and what you can do naturally

Inflammation is a biological response in our body to injury, infection or irritation to remove damaged cells and tissues and initiate repair.  It is likened to the lighting of a spark to attract attention of the immune system to hasten the healing process.  The hallmarks of inflammation include redness, pain, swelling and heat. More severe inflammation can lead to loss of function. Some or all the hallmarks may be present. Acute inflammation is necessary to move white blood cells to the area of need to carry out biochemical events to help the tissues heal. 

Long term inflammation that is not resolved will result in chronic inflammation.  That is when the spark that was intended to help the tissue heal or remove the irritation now turns into a forest fire.  When chronic inflammation happens, the conventional medical treatment is to use anti-inflammatories, which is commonly in the form of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.  These drugs can have many undesirable side effects, for example the increase in cardiac risk from the use of diclofenac sold under tradename like Voltaren. In 2004, the FDA in the US pulled a drug made by Merck, used for arthritis, Vioxx, off the market because of the increase in incidence of stroke and heart attack from its use. 

Think about this:  if pain and inflammation is a signal from your body to tell you that you are out of balance, why do you shut off that signal?  If your car dashboard has a red light, wouldn’t you want to know what has triggered the red light to happen?  You won’t use a hammer and smash the red light or use a plaster to cover over the red light, so that you don’t see it.  Why do we do that to our bodies?

We need to deal with the underlying cause of inflammation.  Identifying whether the source inflammation is from the diet, lifestyle, mental states e.g. stress, insomnia or depression; lack of nutrition, excessive exercise or increased exposure to toxins is important to treat the cause rather than just the symptoms.  It is important to maintain good quality of life whilst you correct the underlying physiology and using natural anti-inflammatories in therapeutic doses like turmeric, fish oil, astaxanthin and mineral combinations can help to manage the cause of inflammation without undesirable side effects.

One man’s meat is another man’s poison.  Addressing your individuality and which food works for you and which ones do not can reduce a large inflammatory burden on your body.  A review of your toxin exposure, exercise and lifestyle can also reveal where other triggers for inflammation are for you.  Your naturopathic or functional medicine doctor will be able help you do that.  Most of your diet should be made up of good, wholesome, clean food, not necessarily raw, but lightly cooked to assist digestion and uptake of nutrients.  You do not need to be vegan to reduce inflammation, as long as food is nutritious and wholesome, you will benefit.  As to which food items are setting off your inflammation, this needs a personalised approach and it is advisable for you to seek professional help.

So when the dash board light comes on, be curious!  Find out what is driving that problem, do not put out the light by just shutting it down.  The engine could be struggling hard and is a ticking time bomb waiting to burn out or break down.

Golden Turmeric Milk Recipe

Turmeric is amazing, but poorly absorbed. This delicious adaptation of the Ayurvedic recipe provides lots of turmeric and increases absorption with quality fat and a good dose of piperine from black pepper.

Make Turmeric Paste

Mix ½ cup turmeric powder to 1 cup of water and bring to a low simmer.  Add a tablespoon of coconut oil, ghee, or butter. Stir for 8-10 minutes and add extra water as required. The consistency should be a soft paste.This is your turmeric paste that you can keep in a glass container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Make Golden Milk

To make one cup of golden milk, put one teaspoon of the paste into a saucepan with a level teaspoon of cinnamon powder, half a teaspoon fresh or powdered ginger, one or two whole cloves, and about half a teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper. Mix well.

Pour in 1 cup of your choice of milk, I often use almond milk and bring to low simmer. Continue to stir for a few minutes. Dissolve in a teaspoon of honey to sweeten and then pour yourself a big mug of delicious golden milk.

Long Term Use of Paracetamol for Low Back Pain is Ineffective and can be Harmful

In a published study in the British Medical Journal, BMJ, of 31 March 2015, 12 high quality studies of the use of paracetamol and the treatment of low back pain and osteoarthritis have shown some very interesting results in terms of its efficacy and side effects.

Low back pain is a main cause of absenteeism and according to the World Health Organisation, low back pain is responsible for more than 100 million workdays lost per year in the United Kingdom and the loss of 149 million workdays or US$200 billion a year in the United States.  We do not have the numbers for New Zealand but using per capita calculation, this should approximate 2 million workdays lost here due to low back pain.

The BMJ reported that negative side effects from the use of paracetamol included liver toxicity, kidney disease, gastrointestinal problems and in some cases may even cause premature death. These negative side effects are suffered even though paracetamol has been shown to be ineffective in the treatment of low back pain.

Most people with low back pain do not have a serious problem in the lower back like fracture or nerve issues.  Low back pain is commonly caused by muscle, ligament, disc or facet problems.  Treatment with microcurrent by increasing the energy going to the specific cells to allow cellular detoxification and healing can help alleviate low back pain.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, low back pain is caused by low kidney energy.  Many patients with low back pain, especially the elderly will also have knee pain.  Acupuncture is proven to help.  These are more natural non-pharmacologic treatments without the side effects that pain killers like paracetamol has.  Weight loss to reduce the burden of carrying an overweight body, physiotherapy and pilates are all useful.

So, the next time you hear of a family, friend or workmate suffering from low back pain, suggest other therapies to them if they are reaching for paracetamol.