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Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is a scary disease as it’s also known as the “silent killer” and often presents with no symptoms, it is just in routine check ups that a problem may become apparent. It is something we all need to be aware of, as it is the number one killer in Australia, with 45,600 deaths in 2011. Heart disease is more common in men in the earlier years, however once a woman has gone through menopause and she doesn’t have the protective effects of oestrogen, her risk for cardiovascular disease increases.
It’s never too early to start looking after your cardiovascular health as atherosclerotic plaque has been found in children’s arteries! This definitely should not be happening, so it’s important to ensure you are educating your children on the importance of a healthful diet and exercise, as well as leading by example.
Risk Factors.
- Smoking
- Stress, anger, depression and anxiety
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Diet high in trans fats and sugar
- Obesity
- Social isolation
- Hypertension
- Abnormal lipids and/or homocysteine
- Diabetes
- Family history
- Insomnia, sleep deprivation and sleep apnoea
A lot of these risk factors are preventable, so you can make positive changes by adjusting your diet and lifestyle accordingly. Cardiovascular disease risks may be higher in certain families due to genetics, this doesn’t mean you are destined to have heart disease, but it’s imperative you make the positive changes in your life. If you are not seeing positive results it may be worth talking to your Doctor/Naturopath about medication/supplementation.
What can you do that’s good for your heart?
- Quit smoking. Now
- Manage stress and mood disorders with meditation, exercise and/or herbal remedies
- Minimum of 30 minutes exercise most days, with a mix of cardio, strength and stretching
- Cut out all trans fats from your diet and minimise sugar or find sugar alternatives
- Consume lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats
- Maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise, if this doesn’t work you may need to look at other reasons for weight gain (your Naturopath can help you with this)
- Work on your social relationships and interact with people other than immediate family on a regular basis
- Have routine check ups with your Doctor
- Reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption
If you have tried these methods and not had any success, or would like a little guidance then it might be time to consult a Naturopath. A Naturopath with talk in detail about your current health and future health goals, and support you in making the necessary dietary and lifestyle changes with appropriate herbal and/or nutritional supplementation.
Tips for staying well this Winter
It’s always a sad time of year for me when the days start to get shorter and colder! It can also be a difficult time with people that are prone to cold and flu symptoms such as coughs, sore throats, headaches, sneezing and blocked noses, and muscular aches.
If you or your family dread this time of year as you seem to be afflicted with illness, it might be a good time to reassess your diet and lifestyle, and possibly go that step further and see a qualified Naturopath to help you whilst coming in to those colder months.
Include these to help boost your Immune System.
- Zinc – this mineral is found in most protein containing foods, eg chicken, beef, fish, nuts, seeds (pumpkin seeds are an excellent source). Zinc deficiency can be one of many reasons for repetitive illness, poor wound healing, skin disorders and white spots on your nails. Zinc and Copper are competing minerals, so if one is low then the other may be high, which can then drive the deficiency down further. Another problem can be low stomach acid, which means you are not breaking down proteins efficiently and therefore not absorbing the zinc.
- Vitamin C – this vitamin is important in preventing illness as well as speeding up recovery times, as it increases the activity of infection fighting white blood cells. Good sources of vitamin C are berries, oranges, kiwifruit, guava, tomatoes, capsicum, dark green leafy vegetables and broccoli.
- Mushrooms – are also an excellent food source for improving the function the immune system, the best varieties are shiitake, maitake and reishi so add as many of these as possible.
- Add lots of ginger, garlic and onion to your diet – they have great pathogen fighting properties and are very beneficial to the immune system.
- Probiotic foods – such as yoghurt (if tolerated), miso, sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables. A big part of the immune system is in the gut, so ensuring sufficient good bacteria is another way to maximise your immune function.
- Get outside more – part of the problem with the colder months is that we stay inside to keep warm. By doing this we are missing out on the benefits of sunshine and fresh air, and allowing exposure to harmful pathogens that others in the room may have.
Avoid these if you are prone to infections.
Sugar – it is very important to minimise or eliminate sugar from your diet, as it reduces the capacity of your white blood cells to engulf invading pathogens. This effect has been proven to last for up to 5 hours after eating a high sugar food.
Mucus forming foods – especially if you are prone to congestion and phlegm, the foods to avoid are mostly dairy, sugar and refined foods.
Avoiding illness this winter.
The best thing you can do is to prevent infection. However if you have made all of the mentioned changes to your diet and lifestyle and are still getting sick, it may be time to see a Naturopath that can investigate further and prescribe a herbal remedy and/or appropriate supplementation.
Naturopathic approach to alleviating morning sickness in pregnancy
Morning sickness is the acute, transient nausea associated with pregnancy. ‘Morning sickness’ is a misnomer – it may occur at any time of the day, though it most commonly occurs soon after waking. It is thought to be caused by increased levels of oestrogen being produced by the placenta and/or by increased levels of human chorionic gonadotropin. Morning sickness usually starts in the first month of the pregnancy, peaking in the 6th week, and continuing until the 16th week. For 50% of all sufferers, it ends by the 16th week of pregnancy. For the other half, it may take up to another month to get relief but some women will have morning sickness off and on for their entire pregnancy.
Risk factors
Some women suffer terribly from morning sickness, while others sail through with minimum nausea. The following factors are thought to play a part in morning sickness:
- An increase in the circulating level of the hormone oestrogen. Oestrogen levels may increase by up to a hundredfold during pregnancy.
- An increase in human chorionic gonadotropin.
- Low blood sugar during pregnancy.
- An increase in progesterone relaxes the muscles in the uterus, which prevents early childbirth, but may also relax the stomach and intestines, leading to nausea.
- Intake of alcohol, sugar, oils and meat, which have been postulated to cause a natural trigger of morning sickness in the body as a way of discouraging ingestion of less healthy foods.
Signs and Symptoms
Common signs and symptoms of morning sickness include
- Nausea, vomiting
- Retching, belching, vomiting of sour fluid
- Poor digestion with abdominal distension exacerbated by eating
- Poor appetite
- Fatigue—especially after meals
Diet and Lifestyle tips to help alleviate morning sickness
- Pregnant women are making the greatest nutritional investment of their lives. It is important to ensure adequate nutritional intake by eating a diet based on fresh, organic wholefoods, incorporating protein, fruit, vegetables, good fats and high fibre foods.
- Avoid an empty stomach. Eating small regular meals helps to maintain energy levels and may prevent morning sickness.
- Don’t overeat – large meals can drain energy. Instead of eating three big meals per day, try six mini-meals to spread your kilojoule intake more evenly. This will result in more constant blood sugar and insulin levels.
- Ginger, in capsules, tea, ginger ale or ginger beer.
- Peppermint leaf tea, can help relieve nausea and morning sickness or gas.
- Raspberry leaf tea, also relieves nausea, however is recommended after the first trimester only.
- Fulfil food cravings.
- Drink plenty of water – a dehydrated body functions less efficiently.
- Eat iron rich foods – make sure diet includes iron rich foods such as lean red meat.
- Ensure adequate, regular, and consistent amounts of sleep each night.
- Effective relaxation is essential – try techniques such as yoga or meditation.
- Maintaining a reasonable work and personal schedule is important.
- Address chronic pain and/or depression.
- Cut down caffeine.
- Some women find that aromatherapy can help – with essential oils of lemon, lime, orange and peppermint (a few drops in a vaporiser) can ease nausea.
Naturopath’s Top 7 Tips to Increase Energy and Fatigue.
When was the last time you felt really good? And I mean REALLY good!
Remember when as a kid you would have days where you bounced out of bed in the mornings, excited and energised? Do you now struggle to get out of bed, with energy slumps during the day, propping yourself up with caffeine and sugar, and when you get home you only have the energy to watch a little TV and fall into bed?
Can you pinpoint the day that you lost your energy? For many, loss of energy is something that sneaks up on us. The reduction in our energy most often happens so gradually that we don’t notice the change from one day to the next. The sad thing is that we actually get used to feeling low in energy and this becomes our new “normal”.
There is often a biological reason for why we feel so tired. In our cells are very small things called mitochondria. Mitochondria are a little like batteries that produce energy for the whole body. These mitochondria require several specific nutrients in order to produce energy at an efficient rate. If any of these nutrients are not available, or if the mitochondria are damaged, the energy we have available goes down.
So how can you increase your energy?
Ultimately, there is no quick fix that will work in the long term. The solution is to get back to basic good living to take the load off your mitochondria and really improve your energy. When I feel that my energy is low, these are the seven things that I do:
- Get adequate, regular and consistent amounts of sleep each night – if you are having trouble sleeping, my best tip is to switch of all technological devices about 90 minutes before bedtime. This includes the tv, computers, smart phones, tablets etc as the blue light emitting from these devices can disrupt the production of your sleep hormone – melatonin.
- Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and drink plenty of water throughout the day. Some people find that reducing the consumption of wheat, dairy and red meat improves overall energy.
- Exercise regularly – a gentle walk in the morning sunshine can be helpful for those suffering fatigue and insomnia.
- Avoid too many stimulants such as caffeine, foods high in sugar and alcohol.
- For some people, just making the above 4 changes is enough to put the bounce back into their step. Many people, however, need more intensive support than this. Certain nutrients can really assist here.
- CoQ10 – is vital for healthy energy production in our cells and protects our mitochondria from day to day damage. Many of my clients notice a real difference when they take this nutrient regularly.
- Omega 3, found in fish oils – also protects our mitochondria from damage.
- N-acetyl carnitine and lipoic acid – shovels nutrients into the mitochondria and stabilises blood sugar levels.
- B Vitamins – essential for energy production for the mitochondria.
- Herbal medicines can also noticeably improve energy levels. These include ginseng – there are a few different types of ginseng available, with slightly different effects. I like Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) for men and Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosis) for women. Rhodiola is also a good herb to try as it supports the adrenals and balances blood sugar.
- Taking care of your emotional and mental health can also enormously improve overall energy levels. This can include:
- Surrounding yourself with positive and uplifting people, and avoid people who you find draining and toxic.
- Listen to beautiful music – whatever you find that to be.
- Search for health, fitness and motivational podcasts.
- Watching positive television shows and movies – avoid violence, gossip and dark dramas.
- Reading literature with a positive message and avoiding content that overstimulates or depresses.