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YOUR WEIGHT AND THE THYROID/ADRENAL CONNECTION

DO YOU HAVE EXPENSIVE POO?

Probiotics. Everyone knows that they help with good bacteria in the gut right? Most people I speak to currently are or have been on probiotics at one stage on their health journey. But how much of the good bacteria that we consume actually stick around and make our intestines their home?

Probiotics are undoubtedly beneficial in most instances but to get the real benefits from probiotics,we want to be sure they are actually adhering to the bowel wall, not just hitching a ride on the poop train only to be expelled with the next bowel motion.

I see many stool tests come back showing that the patient has low or NIL good bacteria despite sometimes years of probiotic supplementation. I am not saying that the probiotics didn’t help whilst ‘in transit’ but the idea is for them to stick around for a while.

Whether good bacteria stay in your gut or are pooped out depends upon how well your bowel does its housekeeping. If the bowel walls are relatively clean from old faeces and mucous, you will attract the good bacteria and they can proliferate in their correct balance.

If housekeeping is only partially done then the bad bacteria (or as we refer to them, ‘the squatters’ ) come along and thrive in the chaos of an unclean bowel .

Squatters can be broadened to include other opportunistic organisms such as parasites, yeasts and mycotoxins – basically any unwelcome guests that take up residence in our gut.

Most stool results I see reveal a combination of undesirable squatters that will slowly erode the health of the host and prevent the adhesion of good probiotics unless otherwise treated.

If you feel that all your probiotics and fermented foods aren’t giving you the results you expected, then perhaps it is time to do a little housekeeping and create the environment that the ‘goodies’ will thrive in.

Yours in health,

Natasha Martin, ND

What is happening to our kids??

Autism is a serious behavioral disorder among young children that has skyrocketed over tha last few years. According to records, in some developed countries it has increased 1000% in the last 20 years.

Each autistic child costs taxpayers about $2 million per child as lifetime care costs are easily five times higher. Not to mention the extreme burden of care on the parents of an autistic child.

Spectrum disorders like ADHD are also increasing at a phenomenol rate and I worry as to how this is going to affect society as a whole later on.  Are these kids going to function in the workplace effectively? Are they going to have stable relationships and family life? It is definitely NOT these kids faults that they cannot focus, behave or learn like everyone else.

The medical answer is Ritalin and other such drugs. Long term side effects are not so great with these medications and include depression, memory loss and a brain that has learned to adapt around the drug making it very hard to get off the drug later on.

Spectrum disorders can be regarded as a type of social anxiety disorder. Put simply,  there is too much chaos internally in the brain and nervous system.

Internal brain chaos is always biochemical in nature which usually means nutrient deficiencies and heavy metal/ chemical toxicity. Genetics play a huge part so even if the child has a good diet and has not been exposed to pollutants, the child can still be toxic as their biochemical detoxification pathways may be hugely compromised.

 Behavioural disorders also involve leaky gut to some degree which which may involve the presence of infection and will likely cause food sensitivities if not addressed

Effective treatment for kids on the spectrum is multi-faceted and  involves uncovering underlying nutrient deficiencies, addressing gut issues, methylation issues (genetic trait), oxidative stress issues and increasing the child’s ability to detoxify effectively.

fat= disease

Anyone seen the Jamie Oliver’s Sugar Rush debate? Scary how so much hidden sugar is in our foods. Four grams of sugar equals a teaspoon of sugar. The average person is unwittingly consuming more than 30 teaspoons of sugar a day cleverly disguised in cereal, drinks, yoghurts, pre-packaged sauces and so forth. What a lot of people consider healthy is not as healthy as you may think.

The World Health organization recommends no more than seven teaspoons of sugar a day. No wonder we are getting fatter. The pharmaceutical industry is cleverly developing the next generation of diabetes drugs so it can be ready to reap the profits as we become fatter and fatter with each generation.

A diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar produces excess insulin. If this continues we eventually become insulin resistant which means your cells have become seriously impaired in their ability to respond to the insulin your body makes. INSULIN RESISTANCE MEANS WE CANNOT BURN FAT EFFICIENTLY, hence the vicious cycle begins…

Almost 30 percent of the global population are considered overweight or obese. Australia is following the the US trend where obesity-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, dementia, cancer account and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease account for 75 percent of all health care costs.

Fat tissue secretes an inflammatory factor called CXCL5 that is linked to insulin resistance2 and contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes. Lots of fat tissue = lots of inflammation that undermines every facet of health.

Insulin resistance plays a role in nearly every chronic degenerative disease.

Fortunately, Insulin resistance can be diagnosed and treated effectively but like any disease or imbalance, it needs be treated before it gets too out of hand otherwise the road to recovery is longer and much harder…..

HEALTHY, EASY KALE PESTO DIP

Ingredients

• One bunch of kale
• 2 cups of fresh basil
• ½ cup of pre-soaked walnuts
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 freshly squeezed limes
• Himalayan salt
• Pepper

Procedure

Put all ingredients inside the food processor, and mix until a smooth, creamy consistency is reached.

WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT KALE?

Kale is a cousin of broccoli and cabbage and contains impressive amounts of antioxidants, is considered anti-inflammatory and provides a rich source of the compounds below;-

• Phytonutrient indole-3-carbinol, which helps in DNA cell repair and slowing down the growth of cancer cells
• Sulforaphane, protects against certain cancers and increases detoxification capacity
• Lutein and zeaxanthin, to help prevent macular degeneration of the eyes.

Basil also offers a remarkable array of vitamins and minerals, including:

• Vitamin K, which is essential in preventing blood clotting
• Antioxidants, which fight against free radical damage
• Flavonoids, which protect important DNA
• iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, vitamin C, and potassium.

Foods and mood