All posts by Eleanor Wilson

Adrenal Fatigue, Adrenal Support, Endocrine System, Licorice Formula

Combating adrenal fatigue: keeping your endocrine system in balance

Perhaps now more than ever before in history, millions of people across the world are living hectic, time-constrained lives. What’s the result of this? Increasingly so, many of us complain of being tired near constantly – not just mentally and because of too little sleep, but a more general, physical sense of fatigue.

Is this a construct of our minds because we’re working so hard and too often not getting enough sleep, or is there something more, something deeper to it? Scientific research hasn’t definitively backed it up so far, but it’s such a common complaint that a term has been coined for the condition – US nutritional specialist Dr James M. Wilson has called it ‘adrenal fatigue’1.

The adrenal glands and the endocrine system

Adrenal fatigue is inevitably associated with the adrenal glands. The human body has two adrenal glands, one of which sits atop one of our kidneys; the other atop the other. They’re a part of the endocrine system, which is responsible for the production of hormones. Other organs of the endocrine system include the pituitary, pineal, thyroid, thymus, pancreas and the testes/ ovaries. In turn, hormones, as you may well know, are critical among other things in regulating our growth, sleep, moods, metabolism and sexual development and fertility.

The thinking behind adrenal fatigue is that the functioning of the adrenal glands and the hormones they produce is disrupted. These hormones include steroids, cortisol and adrenaline. Obviously the functioning of the body requires these hormones to be produced and regulated correctly, otherwise our health is affected. In which case, adrenal fatigue suggests their disruption leads to symptoms such as poor sleep hygiene, increased food cravings (not least for sugar and salt) and regular physical lethargy.

Where does adrenal insufficiency fit into this?

When we’re talking about adrenal fatigue, it’s important not to confuse it with another established condition, namely adrenal insufficiency. The latter – a manifestation of Addison’s disease – similarly disrupts the work of the adrenal glands, but is specifically due to nutritional imbalances in the body and is often stress-related.

So how can you tell apart adrenal fatigue and adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease)? By the symptoms. The latter’s symptoms can to be far more dramatic and hazardous than those attributed to the former: fatigue, irritability, erratic energy levels, headaches, nervousness, anxiety, inflammation, weakened immunity, frequent respiratory infections, allergies, alcohol intolerance, anaemia, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Conventional treatment of Addison’s often involves hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

How can you keep your endocrine system in balance?

So, unlike for adrenal insufficiency, you can combat adrenal fatigue and its systems by actively working to keep your endocrine system in balance. There are several ways to do this – and it would be smart to adopt as many of them as possible:

  • eat well – try to avoid caffeinated drinks and foods, fruit juices, and alcohol; instead opt for natural foods with proteins and whole grains, as well as vegetables
  • rest – plain and simple; especially if you’re experiencing sleep issues, give your body a break
  • exercise – cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands when you feel stressed (and so possibly when you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue too) and drives up blood pressure, but when this occurs the glands may unhealthily pump out too much cortisol and push your blood pressure level too high; exercise is effective at decreasing cortisol levels2
  • adrenal fatigue supplements – the following are available through The Finchley Clinic, all of which we advise you consider taking:

Licorice Formula

  1. Licorice Formula or Licorice Formula A (the latter contains damiana as opposed to the guarana and Korean ginseng found in the former; thus Licorice Formula A may be better for those that find guarana/ Korean ginseng over-stimulating)
  1. NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride – the active coenzyme form of Vitamin B3)
  1. Adrenal Support(a proprietary blend of extracts from adaptogenic plants schisandra, astragalus, snow rose, ginseng and rhodiola)

Note: to promote hormone balance naturally, best results may be achieved by combining one of these supplements with Vitamin C and Vitamin B Complex.

To close, consider these wise words from Dr James M. Wilson: “The cost of adrenal fatigue is untold in the loss of productive hours, creative ideas, sound business decisions and other intangibles such as happiness”. In short, it’s not an uncommon complaint at all – and can be combatted by following the steps outlined above, so why would you choose to battle on through life without doing so?

 

References:

1 Wilson, J. M. (2016). https://adrenalfatigue.org. Retrieved 9 May 2016, from https://adrenalfatigue.org/about-james-l-wilson-dc-nd-phd/

2 Alghadir, A. H. and Gabr S. A. (2016). https://nih.gov. Retrieved 9 May 2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26311923

General Health & Nutrition

Congratulations, Sadiq Khan – but beware the London Mayor’s EU stance

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Over the first weekend in May, dynamic democracy took place in London, home city of The Finchley Clinic. For Sadiq Khan was elected its Mayor. Why was this dynamic? Well, as the media has liked to remind the world at seemingly every opportunity, he’s not only a Muslim, but also the son of a Pakistani bus driver. His elevation to running the UK capital then is a triumph for meritocracy and diversity, and is representative of the city’s enormously cosmopolitan and progressive nature. All of that is to be applauded, undoubtedly.

What’s to be less applauded, though, is that Khan – now having the greatest personal mandate of any single politician in the UK, thanks to more than 1.3 million Londoners voting for him – will conspicuously campaign for Britain to remain in the European Union (EU), ahead of the 23rd June EU referendum. On this point – and using his prominent, unique profile, as he’s bound to do so (he’s actually claimed he’ll campaign alongside the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, with whom he agrees on little else) – he’s simply dead wrong.

For small and medium-sized businesses that, like The Finchley Clinic, aim to sell the most reliable, safest and best possible health supplements to you, our customers, the EU is an utterly throttling institution. This corner of our website has been used before now to address this issue, granted; but it’s such an important one to everything we care about and aim to do for our customers, the need to address it again is paramount. Especially with the opportunity to leave the EU, freeing us and you from its stranglehold on the supplement-supplying industry, being such a potentially imminent prospect.
But why is the EU so damaging to how The Finchley Clinic operates? Well, to reiterate, over the course of its expansion, the EU’s bureaucratic leaders have been responsible for many directives that have limited supplement-providers’ ability to trade freely and fairly. As said, this has been explored at length on this blog before, so we invite you to read carefully what has been previously written on the issue here – but, while we’re on the subject, consider if you will, just one of these directives; the cruellest and most ridiculous one, ‘The Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation (No.1924/2006)’.

This directive has ensured that it’s incredibly difficult (not to mention infuriating) for businesses such as ours to accurately and adequately describe how so many of the extremely beneficial supplements we sell can improve your health. At times, it’s made it illegal to make relatively harmless – and true – claims of products; believe it or not, it’s even made it illegal to claim that water hydrates the body! All told, due to the effect of this single directive on The Finchley Clinic, we’ve seen a 90% drop in sales in some of our supplements.

Many Londoners have – and no doubt will in future – stand four-square behind Sadiq Khan as their new Mayor, not least because of what he represents and because he may well prove to be a great ambassador for such a great city in the 21st Century. However, at The Finchley Clinic, we would like to point out the implications of standing with him on voting to remain in the EU on 23rd June. If, as Sadiq wishes, the UK remains within the EU, the crippling, market-destroying grip on the supplements industry will continue to limit your choice when researching and buying products and potentially impact on your health.

General Health & Nutrition

The link between poor sleep and comfort eating – and what to do about it

It’s long been acknowledged that people turn to ‘comfort eating’ and ‘comfort food’ when they’re feeling down, so much so it’s seen as a natural thing to do in today’s world. But why does it happen? And is there any way we can prevent ourselves from falling into this trap? Well, if we look to scientific research we can find some answers.

Sleeping, as we all know, is how we fundamentally rest and recharge. As such, it plays a critical role in emotional regulation. If we suffer a pattern of disrupted sleep – or poor ‘sleep hygiene’ – our negative emotions are more likely to be amplified, ensuring emotional challenges (or even everyday life) can be more difficult than normal1. This leads us to crave sugar-laden and energy-dense foods; it’s a natural reaction – our brain is looking to rebalance the levels of serotonin and endorphins (the ‘happy’ hormones) in our bodies that sleep replenishes.

Tied into this is the fact sleep deprivation also causes an imbalance in two other significant hormones, leptin2 (which tells us we’ve eaten enough) and ghrelin3 (which drives appetite), ensuring we’re less likely to be satisfied after polishing off a decent meal and more likely to get cravings for those rich, sugary ‘bad’ foods.

Inevitably then, the long-term effect of disrupted sleep and emotional eating can be weight gain. Indeed, thorough research has been done in this area, concluding that the part of the brain that oversees ‘impulse modulation’ is impaired as a result of poor sleep, thus effectively sabotaging people’s will power, which puts the likes of healthy meal planning at risk or ensures it doesn’t happen at all: “Disrupted sleep patterns may impact food intake of both adults and children via impairment of executive functions”4.

In which case, if you’re looking to reduce those cravings and your level of emotional eating or you’re aiming to lose weight and adopt a better diet, then it’s important to consider your sleeping habits. How much sleep do you get each night? Do you sleep well? Do you feel tired more than you’d like to? Do you have sugary food cravings as well as experiencing poor sleep?

Fortunately, there are effective ways to combat bad sleep hygiene. For instance, you can employ different tactics, such as going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, not doing anything too stimulating (work, checking and replying to emails or heavy exercise) at least two hours before bed and ensuring your bedroom feels like a healthy, comfortable place of rest – make sure it’s dark when you go to bed, not too warm and, overall, a room genuinely dedicated to sleeping.

Additionally, you might consider supplements to improve sleep – vitamin-based or derived from natural ingredients – which operate by helping you relax or de-stress. The following supplements would all be suitable in this regard and are available through The Finchley Clinic. We certainly recommend all three of them:

•Lavender Formula – features herbs that together are traditionally used to help with stress and anxiety and may also aid sleep cycles; one dose before bedtime is advised

•Serotone – principally contains 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), an amino acid that’s the intermediate step between tryptophan and serotonin; it also contains co-factor B vitamins and zinc (note: care should be taken if you’ve been prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs)

•Balance for Nerves – a nutritional complex for nervous system health that comprises vitamins, amino acids and Magnesium to support the nervous system and promote a calm mind.

References:

1. Daniela T, Alessandro C, Giuseppe C, et al. (2010) Lack of sleep affects the evaluation of emotional stimuli. Brain Research Bulletin 82(1): 104–108
2. Tatone F, Dubois L, Ramsay T, et al (2012) Sex differences in the association between sleep duration, diet and body mass index: A birth cohort study. Journal of Sleep Research 21(4): 448–460
3. Burt J, Dube L, Thibault L, et al (2014) Sleep and eating in childhood: A potential behavioral mechanism underlying the relationship between poor sleep and obesity. Sleep Medicine Reviews 15(1): 71–75
4. Beebe DW, Fallone G, Godiwala N, et al. (2008) Feasibility and behavioral effects of an at-home multi-night sleep restriction protocol for adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 49(9): 915–923

General Health & Nutrition

Maca: the Peruvial herb supplement

Over the last few decades the Western world has finally woken up to maca’s widespread health-giving properties, which has led to the radish-like root plant’s establishment as a popular treatment for increasing energy and stamina and, especially, conditions related to women’s menopausal and menstrual health and sexual health in both sexes.

Maca has been cultivated in Peru for at least 3,000 years and so has a long history of appreciation for its medicinal qualities. Rich in the dietary minerals calcium and potassium (and including a low content of sodium), it also contains iron, iodine, copper, manganese and zinc, in addition to a number of fatty acids (such as linolenic, palmitic and oleic acids) and amino acids.

Relief for menopausal and menstrual symptoms

One of maca’s key benefits concerning menopausal and menstrual-related problems is helping with hormonal imbalance. In a 1998 article on the subject1, Peruvian-based cardiologist Hugo Malaspina MD stated that maca’s efficacy in readdressing hormonal balance is down to the fact that, as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), maca doesn’t introduce new hormones from outside the body, but instead encourages the ovaries and other glands to produce the much needed hormones oestrogen and progesterone themselves.
“Maca regulates the organs of internal secretion, such as the pituitary, the adrenal glands, the pancreas, etc.” he said. “For this reason, I encourage women to start with maca before menopause. It seems to help the endocrine system to stay in balance”1.

Gabriel Cousense, MD, an internal medicine specialist in Arizona in the United States, has also claimed that whenever possible he preferred to use maca therapy over HRT because, in going about its work, as the latter reduces glands’ ability to produce hormones it effectively ages the body. Moreover, he has claimed that those menopausal patients to whom he prescribed the root plant as a supplement reported maca supplement benefits – a reduction if not an elimination of symptoms such as hot flushes and depression, as well as reporting less fatigue, greater energy and reduced susceptibility to stress1.

Improved male and female libido

As maca is very effective at normalising steroid hormones like testosterone, progesterone and oestrogen – and thus has the ability to forestall the hormonal changes of aging – for men this means it can restore a more active libido, leading to healthy and functional sexual activity. On this subject, US-based Garry F. Gordon, MD, then President of the International College of Advanced Longevity Medicine, suggested that as “society faces a huge problem of dropping sperm counts and sex hormone difficulties …maca furnishes a nontoxic solution [offering] men and women the chance for hormonal rejuvenation”1.

Other benefits

However, not all of maca’s benefits are hormonal-related. For instance, Dr Aguila Calderon, former Chief of the Department of Biological Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Human Medicine at Lima’s National University of Federico Villarreal, has attested that it can be prescribed for conditions as removed from those mentioned above as osteoporosis and the treating of bone fractures in very elderly people. She attributes this to the fact that maca contains a good deal of easily absorb able calcium, as well magnesium and silica, aiding in the de calcification of bones in children and adults 1.

herb supplement

With its sundry benefits for a variety of different conditions then (it may also help boost people’s immune systems, improve mood and memory and support the adrenal glands), maca is widely available as a dietary supplement and can be purchased via The Finchley Clinic as 180 capsules and 90 capsules (both 500mg) and in powder form (100g).

General Health & Nutrition

The latest news on Vitamin D

Recent research suggests there may be a concerning lack of Vitamin D in the diets of people throughout the Western world. Many of us are aware how important it is we get enough Vitamin C, but we should look to ensure our intake of all vitamins is adequate – not least Vitamin D. Often referred to as the ‘sunshine vitamin’ owing to its natural absorption into the body along with sunlight, it plays a critical role in us maintaining healthy lives; should its intake be too low it can leave us open to experiencing unpleasant and dangerous physical conditions at their worst…

Irritable bowel syndrome

A chronic intestinal disorder affecting as much as 15% of the population in the West, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) apparently also accounts for 10% of all doctor’s surgery visits. The link between Vitamin D and IBS then? Well, many of its sufferers tend to consume low amounts of the vitamin – andthose who consume the least usually suffer the worst symptoms.

According to researchers at the University of Sheffield, however, a good way for an IBS sufferer to raise their Vitamin D level is to take high-dose Vitamin D3 supplements. The researchers came to this conclusion after testing 51 IBS patients, the results informing them that 42 of the patients (82%) were lacking in the vitamin. Indeed, those who had the lowest levels of Vitamin D in their bodyalso complained that the disorder upset their everyday life most (Source: BMJ Open Gastroenterology, 2015; e000052).

vegan-vitamin-D3

 

That said, we don’t advocate the idea of taking Vitamin D by itself to cure IBS. In fact, we think that those who set out taking Vitamin D supplements with that in mind will be likely disappointed. Instead, we suggest people with IBS would greatly benefit from taking Vitamin D as a part of their overall health restoration programme.

Crohn’s disease

Another chronic gut condition,Crohn’s disease sees constant inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, but it seems Vitamin D supplements can aid its sufferers because they strengthen the gut wall, reducing the likelihood of leaky gut, one of the disorder’s characteristics.

This has been proved by researchers at St. James’s Hospital in Dublin, whom over a three-month period gave 27 subjects with Crohn’s either Vitamin D supplements – 2,000International units(IUs) a day – or a placebo. They found that those who’d taken the supplements experienced less intestinal permeability and less inflammation. Plus, they reported a better quality of life while taking the supplements (Source: United European Gastroenterology Journal, 2015; 3(3): 294).

Multiple sclerosis

Symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), the on-off debilitating disease of the nervous system, canalso beregulated by taking high doses of Vitamin D3, it appears.

In a test byresearchers from John Hopkins Multiple Sclerosis Centre, out of 40 sufferers some were given 10,400 IUs of Vitamin Don a daily basis over six months, while others were given just 800 IUs. Those who consumed the higher dose saw the largest reduction in the percentage of inflammatory T cells, which are suspected to result in most MS symptoms, while these test subjects were also those best able to regulate their hyperactive immune response (Source: Neurology, 2015; doi: 10.1212/WNL.00000000000002316).

It’s quite clear then that increased Vitamin D intake can play a significant role in lessening the debilitating effects of major illnesses such as IBS, Crohn’s disease and MS. Now, you may point out – and you’d be quite right to do so – that people can gain increased levels of the vitamin merely by allowing their bodies to absorb more sun in the summer months, but the health drawbacks of exposing skin for too long to the sun (and its harmful ultra-violet rays) are also well known. The answer then comes in the shape of high-dose Vitamin D supplements. And two such supplements we highly recommend are Suntrex and Vitamin D3 5,000IU with Vitamin K2, both of which are available through The Finchley Clinic. It’s important to note, however, that Vitamin D levels won’t simply be restored overnight via Vitamin D supplements– the latter usually has to be taken for several months for its full benefits to be achieved.

Candida

Understanding Candida Overgrowth – A Visual Guide

Candida is a type of yeast that lives naturally on the body. Under certain conditions, its numbers can multiply, and lead to unpleasant symptoms. These are frequently mild, but can be serious in some instances. Understanding candida is relatively complex, but we have tried to simplify the issue in the form of this infographic. Here, we describe the various candida symptoms and treatments.

What is candida?

Candida is a type of yeast, and is therefore a micro-organism. It lives in our intestines in small quantities alongside our natural populations of beneficial bacteria. However, when the immune system has been disturbed or compromised, candida is believed by holistic practitioners and doctors to be able to develop a harmful fungal form which grows out of control, disturbing the natural balance of healthy bacteria in the gut. Natural health practitioners also contend that the fungal form can also take up residence in other parts of the body and cause symptoms throughout almost every organ and system. Things that might lead to an overgrowth include a compromised immune system, a recent course of antibiotics or other medications, stress and dietary imbalance – particularly over-consumption of sugar.

infographics08

What are the symptoms of candida?

People commonly associate it with vaginal and oral thrush, and while this is true, these are far from being the only possible symptoms. Candida symptoms are many and varied. Some of these symptoms can be extremely long-standing, such as intestinal discomfort including constipation, bloating, indigestion and diarrhoea; fatigue; and recurrent bouts of thrush. Symptoms can be debilitating, e.g. brain fog, or merely an irritation, e.g. athlete’s foot. It can also have a negative effect on other systems within your body, leading to a compromised immune system, which in turn becomes susceptible to other illnesses.

What causes these symptoms?

Most experts agree that it is the by-products produced by the yeast, rather than the yeast itself that cause the symptoms. There are a number of by-products, but they tend to fall into three categories: neurotoxins, osteopathic, and hepatic. In other words, it causes brain issues, bone and joint issues, and liver damage.

How do you develop an infection?

Many of us may be carrying  candida, but only a minority of these fall ill. Usually, the body’s own bacteria keep the yeast at bay. This is because there are certain conditions that make it more likely for the candida to proliferate. These conditions include recent antibiotic use, contraceptive pills, fluoride, and stress.

What is the treatment for candida?

Candida requires a holistic approach and is a huge subject which is discussed more here. It is often necessary to tackle the issue on several fronts. There are various candida management products and treatments that will help to reduce numbers. These products include specialist healthy bacteria products like Threelac and Fivelac, liquid oxygen products, botanical products such as Thyme Formula or Oregano Formula, and for local thrush management, products such as Medcare. It may also be necessary to boost your body’s natural immunity with products like Antioxidant Supreme and OREA (which also helps reduce heavy metals in the body); supportthe adrenal glands to promote immunity with products such as Licorice Formula; and heal the gut lining (also known as treating “leaky gut”) with products such as Marshmallow Formula. Finally, it may be necessary to cleanse the colon with products such as Oxy-Powder.

Our infographic reproduces the above information in visual form, so that it is easier to understand the candida infection, its causes, symptoms, and treatments.

General Health & Nutrition

Natural ways to stay healthy as you age

As the years begin to take their toll, many of us become resigned to watching our minds and bodies begin to fail. But it doesn’t have to be that way. None of us is immortal, but there are still plenty of ways we can take care of ourselves and keep functioning well into old age.

Over time, we begin to stop producing the crucial hormones and chemicals that keep everything in perfect balance, while toxins build up in our systems. Our bodies, tough as they are, begin to deteriorate – bones become creaky, thinking becomes foggy and skin loses its elasticity. However, by keeping ourselves in good working condition, we can delay the onset of many of these signs of aging and supplement what we can no longer produce on our own. We’re not talking about drastic measures like HRT here – just simple ways to maintain your health throughout the years.

The first is exercise, which might seem like a no-brainer – we all know that staying active is good for us. It becomes even more important as the twilight years approach; as the saying goes, “use it or lose it”. As well as keeping your bones and muscles in good condition, it ensures that oxygen levels in your blood remain high so that every part of you gets the energy it needs. Exercise keeps stress and anxiety levels low and can help to stave off age-related illnesses like Parkinson’s, as well as relieving the insomnia that many of us encounter later in life. It doesn’t have to be strenuous – as long as it gets you off the couch.We recommend supplementing this with an oxygenating product like OxyLift, which provides not just oxygen and a detoxifying effect but also essential trace minerals, enzymes,and amino acids.

However, our CEO Mark Lester’ssingle favourite anti-aging product is actually NADH, also known as Co-Enzyme 1. It has a multitude of applications including heart health, immune health, and boosting memory, and the Finchley Clinic sells the only authentic sublingual NADH on the market, directly from the developer.And you could do worse than a daily dose of good old Vitamin C. It’s not just for preventing coughs and colds – it actually has strong anti-aging effects.

Diet goes hand-in-hand with exercise as a basic way to keep the system functioning. Your nutritional needs change as you age, in particular your need for more vitamins, antioxidants and fatty acids. You’re also less able to process things like sugar, alcohol and unnatural toxins after several decades, and you might find that a binge hits you harder the next day than it used to. Listen to your body when it tells you that you’re not as young as you were, and treat it gently.

Your diet and activity levels are personal, and you don’t need to share them with anyone besides your doctor. But no matter how private you are, your habits will still show up for all to see – on your face. Skin is the proverbial coal-mine canary when it comes to your health, since it’s one of the body’s major ways to get rid of toxins as well as the barrier between your body and the outside world. If you are dehydrated, deficient in something vital or catching too many UV rays, your first clue could be your fine lines, wrinkles, under-eye bags and blemishes.

While some of these are useful indicators of health, they can also be depressing reminders of mortality, and it’s just as important for us to feel good about our outward appearances at 60 as it is at 16. Your best defence is a good moisturising lotion, to replenish the loss of oil and moisture that causes our skin to become dry and saggy as we age. We recommend MSM Cream Light, a lotion that includes aloe vera, nut oils and vitamin E as well as dimethyl sulfone (MSM), a sulphur compound that helps to keep your soft tissues flexible at the cellular level. To keep skin oxygenated, we love Aquaspirit, an easy-to-useanti-agingliquidthat you can use as a pick-me-up whenever you like. Lastly, don’t underestimate the importance of sunscreen! Long-term sun protection is often the most important key to maintaining youthful skin.

Plenty of people stay hale and strong well into their 90s and beyond, so there’s no reason to give up on your health when grey hairs begin to appear. In fact, if you’ve been neglecting your body up until now, there’s no time like the present to turn things around!

General Health & Nutrition

Are you eating too much sugar?

Here’s a quick exercise for you: how much sugar have you eaten today? Perhaps you only counted a teaspoonful in your morning cup of tea, but have another think. The bacon sandwich you had for breakfast? Chances are there was sugar in that commercially-produced “healthy” wholemeal bread, and you copped an extra whack if you slathered it in HP sauce at 3.5g of sugar per serving. Salad and an energy drink for lunch? One can of Red Bull contains a ridiculous 27g of sugar;if you had dressing on your salad, you may have bumped the sugar still higher. Got peckish around 4 o’clock and had a cereal bar? Whoops – they can contain up to 18g of combined natural and added sugars. Adds up fast, doesn’t it?

To put that into perspective, current WHO guidelines recommend limiting your daily intake of added sugar to38g (nine teaspoons) for men and 25g (six teaspoons) for women: that means that just that one can of Red Bull either puts you over the limit or pushes you close to it. Not to mention that that recommendation is a maximum: you’d be better served by staying well below it!

Of course, by now most of us are aware of the sugar content of sweet drinks, confectionery and so on.What we need to look out for is the hidden added sugar in foods we think are healthy. Processed food labelled with things like “low-fat”, “high-fibre” and “whole grain” encourages us to think we’re making good food choices, but we often miss the secret buried in the nutritional information: extra sugar, under a variety of unfamiliar names, added to make this “healthy” food just as tempting to our sugar-junkie tastebuds.

You might not think your sugar intake is particularly important if you’re not actively trying to lose weight or manage a health condition like diabetes. However, research has shown that excessive sugar can have serious health repercussions beyond the well-known issues of obesity and insulin resistance. We know that yeast, or candida, feeds on sugar; a diet high in sugar encourages the growth of candida in your gut, crowding out beneficial bacteria and affecting not just gut function, but mental function too. Studies have found links between sugar and a loss of cognitive ability: in a 2012 study at UCLA, rats that were given fructose syrup in their drinking water found it much more difficult to remember their way out of a maze than the sugar-free control rats. Their brain cells were slower to signal to each other and they showed far less brain activity – after just six weeks of consuming more sugar than they should.

Quitting sugar can be as difficult an undertaking as quitting smoking; sometimes harder, since we’re bombarded with ads and smells from all sides. Sugar is absolutely an addictive substance: it sparks opioid receptors in your brain, making you feel good and crave more.Your gut bacteria also adjusts over time to fit your diet, so when you change it, your body will protest. You can ease the transition with natural sugar-free sweeteners like Xylitol: a corn-free sweetener that can actually have anti-candida effects.

Some people prefer to cut out sweeteners completely and get their tastebuds acclimatised to the natural flavours of whole foods. It’s true that making the switch from processed to whole, organic food is one of the best things you can do for your health. Things will taste bland at first, but plenty of people who make this change report that after a few weeks of avoiding added sugar, they find they can no longer tolerate the saccharine taste of the treats they used to love – and appreciate the natural sweetness of a piece of fruit so much more. In the meantime, you can try kicking your cravings with Nutrisorb Chromium, which helps you to control your blood sugar, cholesterol, weight and mental state. It’s a big help toanyone working towards a healthier lifestyle.We also recommend Sucroguard for help with balancing your blood sugar while you adjust your diet.

We’ll end this with the happy news that other tricks to break your sugar habit include exercise, black coffee and weirdly enough, sour flavours. Why is that so great? Because sour fermented vegetables like sauerkraut are also excellent sources of probiotics! How’s that for a two-for-one deal?

Reference:

‘Metabolic syndrome’ in the brain: deficiency in omega-3 fatty acid exacerbates dysfunctions in insulin receptor signalling and cognition. J Physiol. 2012 May 1;590(Pt 10):2485-99.

Colosan

The true danger of constipation and laxatives

You might think it sounds funny if you’ve never had to go through it. We snigger at it and avoid the topic in polite conversation. It could be caused by your diet, medication, pregnancy, stress, travel or even by refusing to use public toilets. But when it hits you – and constipation affects almost all of us at one point or another – you won’t find yourself very amused at all.

There are degrees of constipation, but the generally accepted definition is when the sufferer has a bowel movement less than five times in a week, has difficulty doing so, and when their faecal matter is small, dry and hard. This last part provides a clue as to the true danger of this pervasive problem. Bowel movements are a major way in which your body expels toxins, as both solid and liquid. When you don’t have a bowel movement for a few days and stool sits in your colon, your body begins to re-absorb the waste water. That’s why bowels become impacted and stool becomes dry and difficult to expel – and it also means that the toxins you should have got rid of are back to circulating through your body. The longer you are constipated, the more waste matter builds up in your bloodstream, putting added stress on your body. Sufferers might notice other signs of this toxic build-up, such as bad breath and skin problems: respiration and perspiration are two other ways your body expels waste.

You might instinctively turn to laxatives for relief from constipation, but not so fast. Especially if you are frequently constipated, laxatives can do you more harm than good in the long run. Your bowels can start to depend on laxatives to function normally; they can damage the natural contracting motion of your colon, which will make things worse over time, as well as effecting the nerves and tissue of your large intestine. Stimulant laxatives are the worst culprits for this, but herbal remedies such as cassia or senna can have the same effect. “Natural” doesn’t always mean “safe”!

There are plenty of laxative-free ways to encourage your colon to function again, and it starts – as most of the best remedies do – with your diet. We all know dietary fibre is of the utmost importance for proper bowel function: insoluble fibre helps food to move through your intestines, while soluble fibre slows digestion to a healthy level and encourages the growth of healthy gut bacteria. You can easily up your fibre levels with vegetables like beans, peas and broccoli; many people also take psyllium husk as a supplement, though it can be allergenic and sometimes causes bloating. Probiotics are also key, since they ensure your colonic microbiome supports healthy bacteria; this helps you get the most out of your food and expel what isn’t needed.

laxatives

Even simpler remedies include getting lots of exercise to stimulate circulation and intestinal movement, abdominal massage to get things physically moving, and adopting the squatting position when you go to have a bowel movement. And if you need to go, go: delaying bowel movements when you feel the urge keeps waste matter in your colon for longer, increasing the likelihood that it will become impacted.

Impacted or constipated colons can have a range of negative health effects; in fact, many of us have some degree of waste build-up in our bowels without the symptoms of constipation to let us know urgently that something is wrong. We recommend an oxygen cleanse like Oxy-Powder, or Colosan which also contains magnesium to keep your bowels squeaky-clean and running smoothly. There’s no need for aggressive laxatives or enema treatments; by slowly releasing stabilised nascent oxygen into your intestinal tract, this method of cleansing turns impacted solids into easy-to-pass liquids. No, it’s not pretty to think about – but you have to agree it’s far better than being constipated.

Threelac and Fivelac

Antibiotics, probiotics and your gut

antibiotics

It might seem strange to think that by taking antibiotics when you have an infection, you actually compromise your health. But think about it: an antibiotic is meant to kill off the harmful bacteria invading your system. So how does it know which bacteria to kill and which ones to leave alone? The answer is that it doesn’t. Along with taking out the bacterial infection, an antibiotic destroys your usual populations of beneficial bacteria, especially in your gut. That’s part of why, according to the Harvard Medical School, it can take up six weeks for your body to recover from a course of antibiotics – even when you really needed it.

Obviously when you’re sick, you should do whatever it takes to get back to normal – but that doesn’t mean you should ignore everything else you usually do to maintain your wellbeing. Your gut bacteria are what keep your intestines functioning smoothly, but they also serve another function: crowding out other, harmful bacteria. During the six-week recovery period after you wipe out bacterial populations with antibiotics, the way is clear for damaging bacteria like E. coli, H. pylori and Clostridium difficile,as well as the Candida fungus, to establish populations large enough to wreak havoc on your digestion. Once the antibiotic has cleared up the original problem, you can find yourself plagued with diarrhoea, constipation, bloating and irritable bowels.

Your best bet to keep your bowels ticking over when you need to take antibiotics is to also take the opposite: probiotics. You can get these from fermented foods like yoghurt, kimchi, kombucha and sauerkraut, but a probiotic supplement is your best bet if your bacteria have just taken a hit from an antibiotic. Specific strains like Lactobacillus plantarum can help to guard you against infections from specific spore-forming bacteria; L. plantarum has shown signs that it may help to decrease the risk ofC. difficile infections in hospitalised patients who were treated with antibiotics, as well as reducing other unpleasant gut-related side effects.

If you’re looking for a specific strain of probiotic, the best way to get it is in combination with a crowd of others in a product like Bio-Kult, which contains L. plantarum along with 13 other strains of friendly bacteria. A wide range of supplements gives your internal bacteria the best chance of rebuilding their shattered populations to get you back on the road to optimal health as soon as possible.

However, our bestselling probiotic products are Threelac and its sister product, Fivelac. They both contain three essential active bacterial strains: Bacillus subtillis to help stop harmful bacteria from growing, Enterococcus faecalis which exists naturally in your digestive tract, and Bacillus coagulans to help control digestive problems. Fivelac contains two additional strains:Bifidobacterium longumfor more active guarding against harmful bacteria, and Lactobacillus acidophilusto help improve gastrointestinal function. Both Threelac and Fivelac contain a maximum of 30 parts per million (0.00003%) of casein, which is an ingredient derived from milk, so they are not suitable for strict vegans.

When you’re sick, keep in mind that an antibiotic is not a cure-all. They are meant to fight bacterial infections that your body can’t cope with alone. If what ails you was caused by a virus instead of bacteria, you’re out of luck: antibiotics can’t help you, but they can still demolish your natural gut microbiome and leave you feeling lousier than before. Use antibiotics sparingly and give your body the time and resources it needs to fully recover.

References:

1. Klarin B, Wullt M, Palmquist I, et al. Lactobacillus plantarum 299v reduces colonisation of Clostridium difficile in critically ill patients treated with antibiotics. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2008 Sep;52(8):1096-102. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-6576.2008.01758.