What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism is a situation where there is too much thyroid hormones in the body.  Because the thyroid controls metabolism and temperature, when the thyroid is overactive, it means increased metabolic processes leading to weight loss without trying and increased body temperature, often resulting in more sweating. 

Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:

•       High blood pressure
•     Rapid heart rate
•        Anxiety or nervousness
•        Difficulty sleeping
•        Frequent bowel movements
•        Hair loss or brittle hair
•        Menstrual cycle irregularity
•        Muscular weakness

Hyperthyroidism is more common in women than it is in men.  The most common cause of hyperthyroidism is autoimmune thyroiditis causing inflammation in the thyroid.  Diagnosis is done through a blood test that measures the TSH, free T4, Free T3 and Thyroid antibodies.  

Autoimmune hyperthyroidism is called Graves disease.  Graves disease patients often have eyes that appear too big (called exophthalmos).

Severe hyperthyroidism can be life threatening, therefore if you have persistent symptoms above, consult a qualified healthcare practitioner and investigate.

Are you tired and overweight? You may be having an underactive thyroid

When the thyroid is underactive or subclinically underactive (I shall explain the subclinical term I used deliberately here), you may have the following symptoms:

•           Unexplained weight gain
  
•           Difficulty losing weight
•          Constipation despite good hydration and fibre intake
•           Low energy and libido
•           Feeling cold all the time, or feel the cold too easily
•           Dry flaky skin
•           Hair loss or brittle hair
•           Depressed, confused and difficulty concentrating
•           Fluid retention
•           Husky voice without a sore throat
•           Pre menstrual tension
•           Infertility /difficulty conceiving

The thyroid can be underactive (through blood tests) or subclinically underactive.  By subclinically I mean the blood test results are still within the range but you have all or some of the above symptoms.

For example, the most common test ordered for the thyroid is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) which is produced by your pituitary in the brain.  The higher the number for TSH, it means the more effort your pituitary has to put in for your thyroid to produce hormones.  Think about it as a mum asking her child to do his/her homework.  She asks in a nice calm tone initially.  And if the child does not respond, she speaks louder with her instructions, and if the child still refuses to respond, mum raises her voice (which mean TSH goes up).  The range is large to be considered “normal”, and often patients think that anything in the normal range means they are fine.  Not so with the thyroid numbers.  The same applies for thyroid hormones Free T4 and Free T3.

The other important marker to consider for the thyroid is thyroid antibodies.  The higher the antibodies, the harder your body is attacking against the thyroid.

Watch my Youtube video here on home help that you can implement to help an underactive thyroid.  If you have persistent symptoms, please seek the help from a qualified healthcare professional.  We offer functional tests here to measure all 7 markers of the thyroid.

Breast Cancer Prevention

In New Zealand, 600 women die of breast cancer every year.  On a daily basis, 9 women are diagnosed with breast cancer.  Whilst you may have heard of lots of news in the media regarding breast cancer being related to your genes, there are lots of things you can do to work on breast cancer prevention and for that matter cancer prevention.  Don’t be disempowered!

Here are some contributing factors that increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer and what you can do to mitigate those factors: 

1.  Age – Due to increased estrogen levels relative to progesterone and increased cumulative estrogen, a woman’s breast cancer risk increases with age.  Hence decreasing estrogen levels by clearing the pathways for estrogen metabolism and using skincare and bodycare products that do not unnecessary chemicals will decrease the xenoestrogen burden.  The other supply of xenoestrogen is plastics!
2. Fat cells make estrogen – especially postmenopausally.  If you are overweight, losing weight will decrease your breast cancer risk and if you have had breast cancer, decreases the risk of recurrence!
3. Lack of physical activity – exercise improves insulin sensitivity, and decreases body fats.  Get physically active 5 days a week for 30-40 minutes.
4. Consumption of processed carbohydrates – spikes on blood sugar levels from carbohydrates feeds cancer cells.  Limit refined sugar and carbohydrates and eat a rainbow of vegetables with some protein. Phytonutrients from plants have cancer fighting properties.  Cut that alcohol out - it converts to sugar!
5. Stress- this is a driver of many diseases, not just breast cancer.  Stress weakens your immune and digestive system.  Given the importance of the gut microbiota in maintaining a healthy immune system, you need to manage stress through learning to say ‘no’, allocating some ‘me time’, doing enough relaxation or activities that you enjoy, allocating time to eat – it is so important to be able to digest and absorb your food rather than eat on the run and have compromised absorption and making sure you have enough fibre, colours and macro and micronutrients in your meal.

Get out and get some sunshine and vitamin D - if your vitamin D is low, you are at higher risk of breast cancer.

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.

Why do women gain weight after menopause?

Weight gain after menopause is a common observation, even in women who are slender pre-menopause. There are many reasons for the weight gain.  The change of life where the reproductive years of a woman end, means that the ovaries will reduce dramatically its production of sex hormones and hand this job over to the adrenals to do it.  The adrenals do not make quite as much hormones as the ovaries do.  As fat cells are little endocrine organs, a body hungry for estrogen can make more fat cells to get more estrogen.

For women who have had a rough adrenal ride pre-menopause, (stressed, busy and tired) having the adrenals take on the additional burden can mean more cortisol and more weight gain in the abdominal area.

At menopause, the levels of progesterone also drop.  A drop in progesterone can affect water balance and fluid retention.  So clothes can feel tighter, ankles can be puffier and the rings don’t tend to slip in and out so easily anymore!  Some of post menopausal weight gain can be water and not fats.  Running body composition tests like the Bioimpedance Cellular Health test is useful to identify what the body composition and cell quality is.

With hot flushes and night sweats, women often complain of disrupted sleep which makes them fatigue during the day.  This can result in more food intake to combat the tiredness, which can result in weight gain.  Bad food choices can result in more weight gain. Mood swings can affect motivation to keep active and maintain a regular exercise routine.  Exercise improve the production of endorphins and insulin sensitivity which are crucial to maintaining a healthy appetite and curb cravings.

What can you do about it:

1. Eat foods that contain phytoestrogen like soy and alfalfa.  Studies done on Japanese women who consume a high quantity of soy, in soy sauce, miso and tofu find that these women do not typically have menopausal symptoms.
2. Use herbal and nutritional supplements that will help balance estrogen and progesterone, including black cohosh, vitex, bupleurum, rhodiola and withania.  However, due to the effects herbs have on the body, it is not advisable that these herbal supplements be taken long term without monitoring.  Please seek the advise and help of a health care professional trained in herbal medicine. 
3. Practice yoga and meditation.  Yoga is calming as well as strengthening, which is a great balance for this time of life.  Reduce stress, give support to the adrenal glands.
4. Practice high intensity interval training at least 3 times a week.  If you have a favourite sport, like tennis or netball, keep yourself active and maintain a routine for exercise.
5. Avoid alcohol, soft drinks, fruit juices and sugar.
6. Consume a diet high in vegetables, adequate amount of protein for your activity, and plenty of water.
7. Have enough good fats from avocado, raw seeds and nuts, cold water fish and olive oil.
8. Do an AMY1 test, to see how much carbohydrates you can tolerate in a day.  We offer this test.  Ask for it if you are interested.

The Root Causes of Low Libido

Hormones play a big role in determining our sex drive, energy and mood.  Other confounding factors include communication, intimacy and emotional states.  Some research attribute 70% of hormonal imbalance to the food we consume.  Nutrition is a small hinge the swings big doors.

The hormones typically involved in libido are your thyroid hormones, adrenal hormones, as well as sex hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. In Chinese Medicine, your kidney energy governs your libido and ability to maintain an erection. 

If you have sore breasts, are irritable, and having irregular cycles or more frequent cycles, your libido could drop.  These symptoms often indicate low progesterone.  Progesterone is the “connectivity” hormone.  Closeness with a partner has been shown to increase salivary progesterone levels.  Also getting good doses of vitamin C will help build this hormone.

Caffeine – whilst it gives you a boost to your short term energy production, is a stimulant that jolts your cortisol (stress hormone).  Some studies have shown caffeine to block progesterone from binding to its receptors.  Whilst it does not lower progesterone, it reduces the ability of the hormone to do its job by not being able to bind to the receptors.  Good substitutes for coffee are roasted dandelion root tea (which will also cleanse your liver), green tea or rooibos tea.

Alcohol consumption causes oxidative stress to the testicular leydig cells and leads to lower testosterone levels and it also increases estrogen levels, making a male more feminine.  In a man, high stress levels and poor eating habits can dampen kidney energy, hence causing an inability to maintain an erection.  Men need more zinc than women, so check those levels, and using herbs like damiana can also help with male libido. Using high antioxidant compounds like berries and herbs can help reduce oxidative stress.

Healthy communication, clean, good eating, de-stressing through prayers, meditation or yoga and regular exercise can be the answer to your low libido and bring you more fulfilling relationships.  Practising forgiveness and gratitude can only do you good.

Breast Cancer Prevention

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer diagnosed in women in New Zealand and around the world.  In New Zealand, 1 in 9 women have a breast cancer diagnosis.
We have been told that mammograms are your best detection method.  I would argue that mammogram is a passive surveillance method to detect if you have breast cancer.  What are you doing to prevent or reduce your risk of breast cancer?

We need to commit to proactive prevention.  It is very important for us to take a look at our food.  Sugar is a potent toxin.  Sugar increases our blood sugar hence increasing the production of insulin, which is a growth hormone.  The Harvard Medical School conducted a six year study of over 32,000 nurses found that increased levels of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) contributed to the increased growth of tumours, including breast cancers. 

It is well known that fibre is important to maintain good health.  The excessive intake of antibiotics or increased infection in the gut will weaken the immune system and increase your susceptibility to cancer.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver meridian travels through the breasts and the growth of cancer tumours show stagnation in liver energy.  A poor liver detoxification profile combined with poor dietary intake with increased sugar and processed food will increase the risk of breast cancer.  The presence of bad estrogens is commonly implicated in breast cancer.  It is therefore important to reduce intake of xenoestrogens, which are endocrine disruptors and behave like estrogen in the body.  Xenoestrogens are present in plastics, flame retardants, cosmetics, pesticides and food colouring.

To engage in active surveillance, you should avoid increasing your intake of xenoestrogens:

1. Do not heat food up in any plastic containers in the microwave, in fact, do not use the microwave.  Heat it up on the stove or the oven. 
2. Do not refill plastic drinking bottles, leave them in the sun or freeze water in plastic bottles.  Avoid plastic bottles, use stainless steel or glass bottles.
3. Avoid using plastic wrap when storing or heating food.
4. Avoid non-stick Teflon cookware.  When overheated, Teflon will leach into the food and disrupt the estrogen balance in the body.
5. Avoid pesticides.  Eat organic where possible.
6. Consume hormone free meats.
7. Choose cosmetics and skin care products that are as natural as possible without names too long to pronounce and numbers you cannot decipher.  A common estrogenic ingredient found in cosmetics is paraben.

Increasing physical activity, increase intake of detoxifying foods and antioxidants with adequate protein can help reduce the risk of breast cancer.  Cruciferous vegetables, tumeric, rosemary and garlic are great to help detoxify estrogen.  Tumeric is synergistically absorbed with black pepper, so if you are marinating your food with tumeric, add some black pepper too!  If you are overweight, your risk of breast cancer increases.  Lose excess weight.  Being overweight by 7kgs increases your cancer risk as much as smoking!

Get enough Vitamin D, in the summer, do activities in the sun without sunscreen before 11 a.m. until the skin turns pink.  Do not burn.  In the winter, supplement!  Vitamin D acts as a vitamin and a hormone and is a very important vitamin for healthy breasts.

Reducing intake of alcohol to less than 3 glasses a week will help reduce the risk of breast cancer.  Keeping the bowels regular with adequate fibre, prebiotics, probiotics and greens is important to prevent breast cancer.  Your liver and bowels are really important to help reduce your risk of breast cancer, hence keeping liver toxins low and keeping your bowels healthy will help prevent breast cancer.  

How to boost your sex drive naturally

The media always reminds us that there is another pill to increase sex drive, deal with erectile dysfunction or increase our libido. Your sex drive and libido is a reflection of what you are doing to your body.  Nature typically has it that fertility and libido is appropriate when a person’s health is in a good state.

So, if you are having trouble in the bedroom, you may want to consider these factors:

1. Are you on a low fat diet, or a bad fat diet?  Hormones are fat soluble substances and having adequate good fats is important for the body to maintain a good level of hormones.  It may surprise you, but cholesterol is a precursor to the making of hormones!  Bad fats create oxidative stress in the body and can affect the body’s optimal hormone production.  So make sure you are having adequate good fats from raw seeds, nuts, cold water fish and avocado.
2. Are you not exercising enough?  We all know exercise helps to increase our output of endorphins, our feel good hormones.  Adequate endorphin is important to the making of sex hormones and manages the making of stress hormones.
3. Are you overweight? Increased abdominal fats, imbalance in blood sugar levels, diabetes and inflammation often affects peripheral circulation and will have an impact in your sex drive.
4. Are you not eating enough real food and having adequate antioxidant support?  Food as close to its naturally occurring state as possible supplies nutrients for the making of cells in the body, including those of the reproductive system.  Good, lean protein from fish, egg, chicken, lean meat, nuts and seeds help the making of good cells. Antioxidant from fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs has a protective effect on our cells and assist in making healthier cells.
5. Are you stressed?  Stress and sex typically do not go together.  In a fight or flight situation, stress requires us to “run from danger”.  In the “danger” situation, our body shuts down the reproductive system and focuses on giving energy to the muscles and pupils to “run from danger”.  If you have persistent, high levels of stress, take time out for yourself, do some yoga, meditation, prayers or your own de-stressing activity, some people de- stress by tending to the garden, play a musical instrument, play a sport, watch a comedy or do some handicraft.

If you still have trouble in the bedroom after answering “No” to all of the above questions, it is worthwhile to run a hormones test to see what is going on.  You can run a blood sex hormones test but blood is not a good indication of free hormones (the ones that matter) as it measures bound and unbound hormones.  The better choices are salivary or dried urine hormones tests.  We offer these tests at NutriActionz.

Managing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common hormonal problem affecting 1 in 15 women. PCOS displays symptoms of missed or irregular menstrual cycles, high levels of male hormone (androgens) resulting in facial hair, male pattern baldness and/or acne, obesity and multiple fluid filled cysts in either ovaries as seen on an ultrasound. PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility.

What causes PCOS?

One of the common conditions PCOS women have is insulin resistance. Insulin resistance and increased luteinising hormone (LH) stimulate ovarian androgen production, resulting in higher levels of free testosterone in a woman’s body.  This increase in androgens causes acne, hirsutism (excessive hair growth on a woman’s face or body) and male pattern baldness.  Metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and obesity are frequently present in women with PCOS.  A decrease in follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) cause impaired development of follicles.  This is a major cause of missed menstrual cycles (anovulation).  Metabolic syndrome is a condition of high levels of small low density cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, hypertension and high blood glucose levels and low level of high density cholesterol.

What other health problems are PCOS women at risk of?

Women with PCOS are at a much higher risk of developing diabetes before age 40.  The risk of heart attack is 4 to 7 times higher in women with PCOS than women of the same age without PCOS.  Women with PCOS are also at higher risk of developing endometrial cancer due to irregular menstrual periods and low levels of progesterone.  Progesterone causes the endometrium to shed each month as a menstrual period.  Without progesterone, the endometrium becomes thick in the absence of menstrual periods and this increases the risk of endometrial cancer.  Women with PCOS tend to have higher rates of gestational diabetes, miscarriage, preeclampsia and premature delivery of babies.  Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome are modifiable conditions for PCOS and these can be improved with a good PCOS diet and exercise.

Diet for Managing PCOS

Because insulin resistance is the result of high level of insulin production that causes the cells to be less sensitive to insulin signaling for glucose update, successful management of insulin resistance can help manage PCOS. Successful management of insulin resistance will involve an uptake of low carbohydrate, low sugar and high protein foods. Low glycemic load carbohydrates cause less fluctuations in blood sugar levels and is beneficial for women with PCOS who normally suffer from insulin resistance. Therefore, women with PCOS should reduce consumption of processed foods and saturated fats, and revert to a diet high in fresh vegetables and fruits, meat, eggs, legumes, seeds and nuts provide the nutrients without the unnecessary blood sugar fluctuations. Because women with PCOS have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts and legumes provide the diet with fibre, essential minerals and good fats for better lipids and cardiovascular risk management.  Chromium and magnesium are important to help maintain normal blood sugar and insulin levels. It is difficult to obtain a high level of chromium from food sources.  So, supplementation may be required.  Combining chromium with vitamin C and niacin can enhance its absorption. Foods containing chromium include brewer’s yeast, broccoli, romaine lettuce, raw onions and ripe tomatoes. Magnesium rich foods include green vegetables, broccoli, beans and nuts. Cinnamon and licorice are herbs known to improve insulin sensitivity and lower androgen levels.

Natural Medicines for Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Menstrual Problems

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.

Other menstrual problems may include painful periods, irregular periods or heavy periods.  Painful periods can cause severe abdominal cramping, lower back and upper leg pain, headache, nausea/vomiting or even diarrhoea.  High oestrogen levels or too much of the “bad” oestrogens may be a primary cause of painful periods.  Some women may also experience irregular periods such as amenorrhoea (the absence of a menstrual cycle during a woman’s reproductive years for reasons other than pregnancy or lactation) or oligomenorrhoea (infrequent or very scant menstruation), which may be caused by hormonal imbalances, low body weight, stress and/or over-exercising.  Heavy periods or menorrhagia (a term for excessive and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding) can also be an indication of menstrual problems.

How can you balance your hormone levels?

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.  The benefits of Vitex can be enhanced by adding herbs such as evodia, ginger, cinnamon and dong quai.  These herbs have a long history of use for managing painful, heavy or irregular periods and PMS symptoms such as headaches, sore breasts, fluid retention and abdominal bloating.

Are mood swings driving you mad? Is stress worsening your menstrual cycle or is your menstrual cycle worsening your stress?  If you know that stress is a contributing factor to your menstrual problems, herbs such as bupleurum and Chinese peony may be used.  Bupleurum can help with emotional instability and mood swings while Chinese peony is commonly used for regulating the menstrual cycle and reducing PMS symptoms.  When used with other PMS herbs such as nutgrass, tree peony, licorice and gardenia, symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, anger and mood swings can be easily managed.

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

• Flaxseed which supports the production of “good” oestrogens, whist reducing the production of “bad” oestrogens;
• Polygonum and Kudzu which contain constituents that can help regulate the effects of oestrogen on the body;
• 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.  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.

Should women have preventive double mastectomy like Angelina Jolie for fear of breast cancer?

The recent news that Angelina Jolie had preventive double mastectomy even without cancer because of her carrying the BRCA genes has sparked a lot of conversation amongst women whether that is the best way to avoid breast cancer.

When my clients speak to me about this subject in clinic, I ask them if they want to also avoid ovarian cancer and remove their ovaries, hence go through premature menopause, or avoid bowel cancer and remove their bowels.  My heart reaches out to people who think that removing organs can “prevent” cancer.  I wish Angelina was better informed than she was when she made that decision.

Breast cancer has been shown to be less prevalent in certain communities. In her book “Your life in your hands”, Professor Jane Plan, who was a breast cancer patient herself, studied how rural Chinese women did not get breast cancer.  What Prof Jane Plan found was that only one in 10,000 women in China will die from it, compared to that terrible figure of one in 12 in Britain and the even grimmer average of one in 10 across most Western countries. In highly urbanized Hong Kong , the rate rises to 34 women in every 10,000 but still puts the West to shame. The Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have similar rates. Plan found that breast cancer in China was considered a “Rich Woman’s Disease” as these people could afford the likes of dairy chocolate, ice-cream, and spaghetti and feta cheese.

Carrying a gene does not automatically make a person get cancer.  The genes need the right environment for the mutation of cells to occur to turn cancerous.  Our body, mindset, nutrition, lifestyle, exercise and food we eat make up the environment. 

There are many things a woman can do to make her environment unfriendly to cancer.  Here are some of them:

1. Get adequate sunshine – Vitamin D deficiency has been closely linked to breast cancer. 
2. Get moving, get active and reduce excess weight (fat) – excess visceral fat (around the abdomen) is inflammatory.
3. Have lots of cruciferous vegetables – these have been proven to help with estrogen metabolism pathways, an excess of “bad estrogen” in the right environment will turn into breast or ovarian cancer.
4. Eat 2-3 brazil nuts a day – brazils are a good source of selenium and this mineral is important for iodine absorption.  A lack of iodine has been seen in many pathologies of the breast.
5. Have adequate good fats from oily fish, seeds and nuts.
6. Reduce intake of fried foods which are a source of carcinogenic acrylamides.
7. Drink green tea.
8. Take a resveratrol, tumeric and acai antioxidant daily, like ResAcai.
9. Do not use underarm deodorant that has propylene glycol, aluminium or artificial deodorants which act as xenoestrogens.
10. Avoid plastic containers, especially microwaving in a plastic container.
11. Use environmentally friendly home cleaning products, avoid excessive exposure to sodium lauryl sulphate.
12. Avoid processed meats that contain sodium nitrite.
13. Live with a purpose, think positive thoughts and be involved in the community.
14. Practice meditation, yoga or prayers daily to achieve spiritual calmness.

And there are many different natural health therapies and supplements that can help to keep your estrogen detoxification pathways open and help you along.  Consult your natural healthcare practitioner for assistance.

Because Angelina is a well-known celebrity, what she says and does will have a big impact on women around the globe and I hope for women to be better informed.  We are not a victim of our genes.  We can take proactive action for our health and wellbeing (yes, but not proactively removing our breasts!)

I hope Angelina is adopting a good diet, lifestyle and nutrition with her carrying the BRCA genes.  Sure she has no more breasts to develop breast cancer, but are her ovaries free from cancer risk?