Health Tips

*Back To School Health Tips

Nutritional support for breast health

Breast health is a topic affecting all women.  With breast cancer rates on the rise, women want to know what they can do nutritionally to decrease any potential risk.  Aside from breast cancer, fibrocystic changes and mastalgia are also common issues facing women of today.

Women are becoming aware that nutritional intervention can help assure optimal health for their breasts.  The importance of a healthy hormone metabolism to support breast health has become known to the greater medical community.  In addition to the benefits of a balanced diet and regular exercise, certain nutritional interventions are now known to promote breast health.

 

Aluminium in Human Breast Tissue –
Excley C, et al.  J Inorg Biochem. 2007;101(9):13444-6

Aluminium is omnipresent in everyday life and increased exposure is resulting in an elevated body burden of this non-essential metal.  Personal care products are potential contributors and recent evidence has linked breast cancer to the use of aluminium based antiperspirants.  Researchers analysed breast biopsies obtained following mastectomies and found aluminium content elevated.  The aluminium content of breast tissue in the outer regions was significantly higher than the inner regions of the breast. 

Other sources of aluminium are acid rain, soil, drinking water, mushrooms, oranges, wine, beer, black tea, cookware, baking powder, baked goods, processed cheese, mixed pickles, vegetable preserves, anti-clumping agents in coffee, salt & powdered substances; toothpaste, antacid medication, pain killers, anti diarrhoeal medication; aluminium cans, foil; textiles, glass, porcelain, paper & synthetic leather industries and explosives.

Chemical or xenoestrogen exposure is becoming more wide spread and severe – a factor further exacerbating the need to support efficient hormonal balance and clearance from the body.

Constipation can be a strong contributing factor to mastalgia, PMS and any oestrogen dominant condition.  Pathogenic organisms free unbound oestrogens meant for elimination resulting in their re-absorption into the body.  Gut health plays a major role in good oestrogen levels.  A live blood screen is able to identify any gut issues which may be contributing to hormonal imbalances.

Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cola and chocolate as well as caffeinated medications.  Caffeine causes overproduction of cellular products such as fibrous issue and cyst fluid in the breast which can worsen both fibrocystic changes and mastalgia.  Avoiding caffeine is recommended and often forms part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

Caffeine content
Source:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211

Tea	mg	Soft drinks (per can serve)	mg
Black tea, brewed, 250ml	47-80	Cola	35-40
Decaffeinated, black tea 250 ml	2	Diet cola	45-50
Green tea, brewed, 250ml	30-50	Red Bull	76
Coffee		Other products
Expresso, 3ml	64	Dark chocolate, 45-50mg	18-20
Instant, 250 ml	62	Coffee ice cream ½ cup	30-60
Plain, brewed, 250 ml Cafe latte, 475ml (Starbucks) Cafe grande, 475 ml  (Starbucks)	95 150 330	Some prescription and over-the-counter medicines contain caffeine

Arrange a consultation with Dagmar, our Naturopath, today to assess your health and take proactive steps to ensure optimal wellness.

 

Chocolate – not always so delightful

Regular consumption of chocolate could weaken bone densityand strength, which could in turn increase the risk of osteoporosis.

According to a new study, women who eat chocolate daily have an overall bone density 3.1 percent lower than those who consume it less than once a week. More than 1,000 women aged 70-85 were asked to keep a diary of how often they consumed chocolate or cocoa-based drinks.

The researchers did not distinguish between types of chocolate consumed.

Even though chocolate contains flavonols and calcium, both of which are linked to a positive effect on bone density, it also contains oxalate, an inhibitor of calcium absorption, and sugar, which is linked to calcium excretion.  Oxalate has further been linked to kidney weakness and development of kidney stones.

This study comes less than a month after British medical journal the Lancet warned consumers that manufacturers usually remove the healthy element -- the flavonols.

Sources:

• FoodTechnology.com January 15, 2008

• American Journal of Clinical Nutrition January, 2008; 87(1):175-80
• www.mercola.com

Despite the fact that this research study dims the lights on the potential health benefits of ALL chocolate, it is important to make a distinction between the type of chocolate consumed.  As explained by Dr Mercola, it is the processing that chocolate undergoes, and the amount of sugar it contains, which makes a huge difference in terms of whether it has health benefits or is just another kind of candy.

The Hidden Danger Lurking in Processed Chocolate
A 2005 study published in the Environmental Health Perspectives found that processed chocolate could be contaminated with extremely high quantities of lead.
However, this was not a new discovery; it had been assumed that cocoa plants were tainted by leaded gasoline. However, a team of researchers found that lead levels in processed chocolate were 60 times higher than could be accounted for by the leaded gasoline theory. Unfortunately, they were unable to pin down whether the additional contamination comes from the shipping, or the manufacturing process itself.
This is a concern, as elevated blood lead levels can produce learning disabilities, and damage your ability to think, plan, organize, and memorize.
Additionally, the standard manufacturing process of milk chocolate destroys about one-quarter to one-half of its flavonoid content, which, as you’ll find out below, is where the health benefits are.

The Difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Chocolate
Dark, unprocessed chocolate, on the other hand, has been exonerated in several studies as actually having some positive impact on your health.
The flavonols it contains have antioxidant properties that can help protect your body from damaging oxidative stress. It also contains far less sugar than its processed milk chocolate counterpart.
There’s evidence that consumption of dark chocolate can improve your:

• Glucose metabolism (diabetic control)
• Blood pressure
• Cardiovascular system

The concentration of flavonols in any chocolate depends on:

• The flavanol content of the cocoa plant it is derived from
• The procedures used to transform the cocoa into chocolate

Dark chocolate contains a relatively high concentration of flavonols, and researchers believe that the regulation of nitric oxide production by the flavonols found in dark chocolate could explain its positive effects on insulin sensitivity and blood pressure.
Adding milk to the process, however (to create the milk chocolate bars you find in most grocery stores), cancels out the beneficial antioxidant effects. In fact, researchers suggest proteins in the milk bind with antioxidants, making them less easily absorbed by your body. That’s not surprising, considering how pasteurized milk affects you.  This is also relevant when drinking tea, as adding milk will bind the antioxidants of the tea rendering them useless.

What Can Chocolate Cravings Tell You?
If you’re consistently craving sweets, you’re most likely not eating the correct balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates for your nutritional type.  Cravings are also indicative of mineral deficiencies and it is essential that you have these assessed and balanced to achieve optimal health.
How to Eat Chocolate Without Destroying Your Health
I think it's important to keep in mind that you can derive a majority of these antioxidant benefits by consuming whole unprocessed, preferably organic fruits like blueberries, apples, and grapes, and most vegetables, including broccoli, greens, and onions. This is obviously to be preferred over eating chocolate.
But, if you can’t imagine life without chocolate, these common sense tips can help you indulge safely:

• Restrict your intake to dark, organic chocolate, which contains the most flavonols, and avoids dangerous processing procedures. The best would be raw cacao, which is relatively bitter because it doesn’t have sugar in it
• Consume chocolate in moderation
• Hold off on chocolate if you are struggling with serious disease -- remember that all chocolate contains lots of sugar, which depresses your immune system

For a complete health check including identification of any nutritional deficiencies, arrange an appointment with our Naturopath, Dagmar, today by calling 5580 5655.

Healthy Ageing

Are you looking forward to enjoying quality of life well into your senior years?  Do you want to be free of symptoms like:

1. Menopausal discomfort
2. Prostate problems
3. Fatigue
4. Chronic pain
5. Loss of sight or hearing
6. Loss of mental acuity
7. Bladder problems?

Did you know that one in five women over the age of 40 experience bladder problems such as incontinence?  Also, 16% of adult men suffer from urinary urgency or frequency.  These, and many other conditions, can be addressed through nutrition and natural treatments.

Naturopathy provides the correct environment to allow your body to heal and function optimally.  Using scientifically proven assessment techniques, our Naturopath, Dagmar Ganser, can help you maintain quality of life, free from unnecessary discomforts.

There is absolutely no need to “learn to live with it”.  Arrange an appointment to see Dagmar today and learn how you can:

1. Maintain mobility
2. Maintain alertness
3. Maintain comfort
4. Maintain confidence

and achieve quality of life and happiness regardless of age.

Traumeel

If I were to recommend just one product for personal first-aid use it would have to be Traumeel.  A homeopathic inflammation regulator, Traumeel is available as a cream or tablet.  So what is it used for?  PAIN.  All kinds of pain including:

1. Back and muscular pains
2. Arthritis
3. Ear ache
4. Acne and pimples
5. Rashes & burns (beware it stings on open wounds)
6. Ideal for post dental work, following birth and operations

 

Traumeel is one of the most used natural medicines in the world today being used in over 60 countries.  Top professional thletes in Europe, including Tour de France teams and leading soccer clubs, know what they are doing when they use Traumeel to relieve pain and hasten healing.

Check with our qualified staff – Chiropractor – Naturopath – Massage therapists - if this product will suit your needs.

Always check with a qualified health professional before taking any preparation or supplement.

 

Why it’s sometimes better to get “sick” !!

How often do we hear “Got a sore throat?  Take this pill,”  or “No need to put up with a headache, take this pill”, and even for babies as young as three months of age we are inundated with advertising recommending medication use.

Have you ever stopped to consider what’s actually going on in the body?  Discomfort is frequently a side affect of toxins.  Vomiting, diarrhoea, fever are all natural mechanisms the body uses to get rid of invading toxins.  If you eat a bad prawn, your body wants to get rid of it as fast as possible.  If you pick up a virus, the body wants to kill it by raising the body’s temperature.

If we constantly suppress the body’s elimination mechanisms we ‘bury’ the toxin.  This results in recurring and chronic conditions.  Should these also be suppressed (rather than addressed) the toxins are thrust into our cells – and that’s bad.

The cell is where everything happens – energy is made and tissue is replaced.  If cell reproduction becomes damaged our cells mis-reproduct making incorrect cells which are no longer able to function properly.  If the energy pathways become blocked, we slow down, get very tired and fatigued.  Nutrients no longer circulate, ulimately affecting all our body.

So what do we do?  DETOX!  Not the quick-fix week-end or couple of weeks option, but thorough systematic elimination of all toxins we have accumulated over the years.  Getting rid of all those toxins requires assistance to help the body completely eliminate them and repair any damage along the way.  This should always be done under supervision of a qualified health professional to avoid unpleasant side effects.

All About Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an often forgotten nutrient.  Did you know that the organs which require the most vitamin C are the adrenal glands, eyes and brain?  Further, when you get angry, you can lose all the vitamin C in your body instantly! 

Vitamin C helps our immune system fight infection but did you know that it also strengthens connective tissue such as bones, ligaments and blood vessels?  It helps with the absorption of iron, for healthy blood, and keeps our gums healthy. 

Vitamin C helps to bind collagen thus preventing wrinkles !

The main coordinator of our hormones, the pituitary gland, also requires Vitamin C in order to do its job. So, you can see that this humble vitamin can play a major role in keeping us fit, healthy and balanced.

Food sources of Vitamin C include:  blackcurrants, capsicum, pineapple, rosehips, strawberries, broccoli, citrus fruit, guava, parsley, potatoes and raw cabbage. 

However, sometimes we need to supplement in order to meet the body’s requirements.  Some lifestyle habits increase our need for Vitamin C.  These include taking Aspirin, steroids, and the affects of fatigue, stress, surgery, smoking, alcohol and diabetes.

 Here are a few tips to keep in mind when choosing your vitamin supplements:

• Your body can only absorb 300 mg of vitamin C at any one time – so frequent lower doses are more efficient than one high dose

• Products containing only Ascorbic Acid are very acidic and may irritate if you have a sensitive tummy. If sucked they can cause corrosion to tooth enamel.

• Quality Vitamin C contains not only Ascorbic Acid but also Magnesium, Calcium, Sodium, Zinc and Potassium Ascorbate, making it an alkaline alternative, safe for tummy and teeth.

• Vitamin C powders offer convenience, are easily dosed and can be added to your water bottle for a slow-release throughout the day.

In nature, Vitamin C does not come on its own.  Citrus fruits contain bioflavinoids – rutin, hesperidin, citrin and quercetin.  When purchasing a supplement, always ensure that it also contains bioflavinoids.

Dagmar Ganser is a qualified naturopath and is able to advise you on all your nutritional needs.  Self prescribing of any nutrient may have adverse effects so always seek professional guidance. 

The Coomera Wellness Centre stocks quality practitioner-only, high grade products to ensure you get value for money.

~ by Dagmar Ganser