GalleryI’m not going to sugar coat it; thrush is kind of unpleasant. And by ‘kind of’ I mean ‘very’ and by ‘unpleasant’ I mean ‘hideously gross.’ I don’t know about you, but personally, it’s one of the those things that makes me roll my eyes and get cranky with my body for allowing itself to fall out of balance and contract such a condition.
Unfortunately, getting cranky doesn’t really solve the problem and while shifting the blame to your body might make you feel better momentarily, it also causes us to conveniently forget the fact that perhaps it’s something we’re doing that’s causing the imbalance to occur (sometimes repeatedly).
An outbreak of thrush and subsequent trip to the pharmacy will usually see you leaving, laden down with pessary’s and creams, usually with names like Nilstat and Canesten. These products are designed to both soothe and treat the symptoms, therefore neutralizing the problem. Unfortunately, they don’t actively work to restore the good bacteria needed to prevent another outbreak occurring and they use some pretty intensive chemical compounds to achieve their goal.
After a recent outbreak of the dreaded ‘T’, I decided I wanted to try and do things a bit different this time. I was growing mighty tired of products that seemed to put a bandaid over the problem, without ever really eradicating it entirely.
A little bit of research pointed me in the right direction and I came up with my own treatment plan. And I’m happy to say that it worked extremely effectively. I’m certainly not a trained medical professional, so what worked for me may not work for you, but if you’re keen on trying something before hitting the chemist, give one of the below a […]
How To Treat Thrush Naturally & Successfully
Introducing Our Next Hottie Contributor – PCOS Specialist!
I am so excited to introduce my next contributor to my blog – international author, PCOS expert and experienced clinician Dr Rebecca Harwin who has been helping women improve their health for many years!
Read this if you’ve been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (also known as PCOS)…
You’ve been to your doctor (or for most women, quite a few doctors) and you’ve received the scary diagnosis, “You’ve got Polycystic Ovary Syndrome”.
Many questions may race through your mind… ‘What does that mean?’ ‘Is it fatal?’ ‘Can I ever have kids?’ ‘How do I lose weight?’ What the research shows is that these questions will often never receive an answer, and most women will not be given the best advice for this syndrome – lifestyle change – even though they innately know that lifestyle approaches are important.
What does it mean?
Let’s take a closer look.
There are two main ways to currently diagnose Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): the Rotterdam Criteria and the NIH/NICHD. These are both only used after other causes for the signs and symptoms you are experiencing have been ruled out.
The Rotterdam criteria define PCOS as being present with at least two of the following: infrequent menstruation, excessive ‘male’ hormones (hyperandrogenism) and/or Poly Cystic ovaries on ultrasound.
The NIH criteria define PCOS as the presence of hyperandrogenism and infrequent ovulation (oligo-ovulation).
This means that if you have too much testosterone (symptoms/signs like excessive hair growth, acne and/or infertility), and you have an irregular menstrual cycle, and/or you have polycystic ovaries on pelvic ultrasound, you will most likely be diagnosed with PCOS.
Is it fatal?
PCOS increases your risk of conditions like heart dis-ease, diabetes and some types of cancer. The good news is that a positive, healthy lifestyle significantly reduces – […]
Dads to be – watch your alcohol!
A study of 690 Australian families with a child suffering from either acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or childhood brain tumours found men who consumed a moderate amount of spirits – up to seven drinks a week – in the 12 months before conception increased the risk of childhood brain tumours by almost 50 per cent. The Telethon Institute for Child Health Research study also found men who drank 21 or more beers a week might also be placing their future children at greater risk of leukaemia and brain tumours.
Study authors Elizabeth Milne and Carol Bower said with recent data showing 8 per cent of men between the ages of 30 and 39 consumed at least four standard drinks a day, “a large number of men may be putting their future offspring at risk”.
The study concluded that men, as well as women, “should limit their alcohol intake when planning a pregnancy”.
Professor Bower said while there was a great deal of research on the impact that women drinking while pregnant had on babies very few studies had looked at the effects of paternal alcohol consumption.
“We don’t know too much about the causes of leukaemia or brain tumours, so there will certainly be a lot more work being done in this area,” she said.
“As a society we should drink less, and there’s some evidence here that shows alcohol, especially spirits, in fathers in the year before their child is conceived may have an effect.”
The study found no evidence linking maternal alcohol consumption before or during pregnancy with cancer in children.
Research link can be found here
How Coenzyme Q10 Boosts Male and Female Fertility
Infertility is commonly attributed to the woman however facts show that for one third of infertile couples the cause lies with the male partner.
Not being able to have your own child naturally can be very frustrating and even devastating for many couples. There are many causes of infertility – genetic implications, physical or psychological problems, illnesses, nutritional deficiencies, medications, lifestyle factors, reproductive system function failures and hormonal imbalances. (more…)
Marine Algae for Women’s Health
Also known as seaweed, marine algae is recognized to be beneficial for female health, beauty and longevity1. They are packed full of nutrients and minerals like iron, iodine, calcium, Vitamin A, B, C, manganese and magnesium. Sea Vegetables are great for your teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails and help to keep your thyroid in good health. Seaweed supports optimal hormone health due to its high levels of minerals.
Research has investigated the cholesterol lowering properties as well as positive effects on cancer prevention. Seaweed boosts fertility due to its ability to remove excess estrogen from your body which is essential for conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts. For shiny hair, add seaweed to your diet today. (more…)
What does your body say about your Nutrition?
A few weeks ago I did a master class with Dr Ashleigh Berry, an integrative GP who has extensive experience working with chronically ill patients. He has studied with the guru of nutrition in Australia, Professor Melvyn Sydney-Smith (http://www.nutritionmedicine.org/index.php?id=8) who I have done a few workshops with.
Dr Berry showed us some clever ways to get an insight into clients’ nutritional status through physical examination. Here are my top 12 that I learnt. Please ensure that you refrain from self-prescribing and discuss your concerns with your practitioner!
If you have dark rings and puffiness around your eyes you have an allergy to something, most commonly a food.
Acne occurs due to too much sugar and not enough zinc and essential fatty acids. Skip the sweets and head for tahini and smoked salmon on rice cakes
Acne scarring shouldn’t happen and if it does, you are probably suffering from an undiagnosed food intolerance. Ask your practitioner for a comprehensive IgG intolerance test to reveal the culprits.
If your heels are cracked your vitamin E levels are far too low. Tender calves are also caused by a deficiency of vitamin E.
Excessive sweating can be embarrassing and usually due to a deficiency of the minerals calcium & magnesium or an accumulation of the toxic metal, mercury. Ask your practitioner for a comprehensive hair mineral test to determine your levels.
Want to know if you are eating enough protein? Turn your hand palm upward and gently press on your top finger pad. It should bounce back immediately and if even slightly delayed, means you need to eat more protein
If you have soft nails with white spots your zinc is too low.
If the muscles just under your eye twitch then your magnesium levels are deficient. […]
Prepare to be Astounded by Probiotics!
Last night I attended an invitation only dinner where a vast amount of research on probiotic therapy was presented. To say I was mind blown was an understatement – I had no idea that probiotics could be so incredibly beneficial!
I take probiotics every day and so does Sophia but the enormity of how beneficial these microscopic organisms can be is simply undeniable. From reducing pregnancy conditions such as pre-eclampsia to significantly decreasing childhood diseases, probiotic therapy may just pave the way for future health care.
Did you know that 90% of your immune system lines your digestive system? Probiotics keep the immune system in a state of tolerance or balance – not too underactive and susceptible to infection but also not too overactive and causing autoimmune conditions.
Research highlights
The uterine environment is not sterile, as previously thought. It contains many bacteria and they pass into the unborn babies digestive tract.
Mastitis can be more effectively treated with probiotics than antibiotics
In 1ml of breast milk there are between 10,000-100,000 bacteria
When babies are born their immune system is Th2 dominant, which means they are allergy prone. Probiotics can help the immune system mature more quickly and reduce the risk of conditions such as asthma, eczema and hayfever
Probiotics in pregnancy can reduce insulin resistance
Abdominal obesity can be reduced with certain probiotic strains
An imbalance of good: bad bacteria result in dysbiosis which increases insulin resistance
Stay in touch via my official FB page as I will be presenting all the research in bite sized, user friendly chunks over the next few weeks.
Watching TV Can Lower Sperm Count by Almost 50%!
New research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has revealed shocking results – for young men, watching 20 hours of TV per week can reduce sperm count by 44%. Conversely, men who do 15 or more hours of moderate to vigorous exercise every week have sperm counts that are 73% higher than those who exercise little, the findings show.
Semen quality seems to have deteriorated over the past few decades, although it’s not clear why, say the authors. To find out if an increasingly sedentary lifestyle might be a contributory factor, they analysed the semen quality of 189 men between the ages of 18 to 22 in 2009-10, all of whom were from Rochester in New York State, USA.
The men were asked about the quantity and intensity of weekly exercise they had had over the preceding three months, and how much time they spent watching television, DVDs, or videos over the same period. And they were asked about factors that might affect sperm quality, including medical or reproductive health problems, diet, stress levels, and smoking.
Over half the men were within the normal range for weight for their height, and three out of four were non-smokers. The prevalence of reproductive health problems was low. The amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity taken every week ranged from 5 to 14 hours, while weekly TV screen time varied from 4 to 20 hours. Men who were more physically active tended to have a healthier diet than those who watched a lot of TV every week.
The analysis showed that those who were the most physically active — 15+ hours a week — had a 73% higher sperm count than the least physically active. Exercise did not affect sperm motility, shape, […]
The Boys Have It!
It was long believed that conception does not involve a meeting of equals. The egg is a relatively large, impressive biological factory compared with the tiny sperm, which delivers to the egg one copy of the father’s genes. However, a new study from Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah reveals that the father’s sperm delivers much more complex genetic material than previously thought. The findings could lead to a diagnostic test to help couples deal with infertility.
Researchers discovered particular genes packaged in a special way within the sperm, and that may promote the development of the fetus.
“Our findings show that the father plays an active role in packaging his genome to help ensure a healthy baby,” says study co-leader Brad Cairns, Ph.D., investigator with HCI and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and professor of oncological sciences at the University of Utah. “However, they also raise the possibility that a man’s aging, health and lifestyle may alter this packaging and negatively affect fertility and embryo development.”
During fetal development, certain genes make decisions about organ and tissue development. The new research shows that in sperm, these genes are wrapped in special packaging materials called ‘modified histones.’ These modified histones appear to be key factors in ensuring genes are activated or repressed at the right level, place and time, which helps the fertilized egg develop properly.
Chromosomes are long strands of DNA containing thousands of genes, and their packaging helps determine which genes turn on and off. Understanding how these genes are activated or repressed leads to a better understanding of how disorders like birth defects and cancer develop.
“Genes have on-and-off switches, and understanding them allows us to target them, leading to possible treatments, cures […]
Is Zonulin Causing Your Symptoms?
For years I have been noticing the link between gluten and autoimmune conditions as well as intestinal inflammation and poor health. Both situations involve the integrity of the intestinal lining and often the presence of leaky gut syndrome. In this syndrome, the digestive system becomes inflamed and undigested foods and toxins “leak” into the bloodstream causing not only food intolerances, allergies, eczema but also autoimmune conditions.
The intestinal lining provides a barrier to keep bacteria, toxins and undigested food out while allowing water, vitamins and minerals to be absorbed into the blood stream. In between the cells that line the digestive system are tiny spaces that were previously thought to be closed doors, only opening when it was appropriate.
The recent discovery of “zonulin” has revealed the key to intestinal inflammation1. Zonulin regulates the permeability of the tiny doors between cells and many people produce too much zonulin, which results in the doors being left open – to gluten, undigested food, toxins, bacteria, viruses and parasites!
The result is metaflammation, autoimmune disease and weight gain. Another study had a very interesting outcome – people with higher zonulin levels had higher inflammation levels, a higher BMI, higher fasting insulin and higher cholesterol2!
According to Dr Alessio Fasano, the scientist who discovered zonulin, there are three factors that combine to cause autoimmune conditions and poor health:
Susceptible genetics
An environmental trigger e.g. gluten, stress
Excessive zonulin production resulting in leaky gut
It appears the research is clear – when your body is inflamed, zonulin levels rise and give way to many health problems. I have found that treating excess zonulin and leaky gut can be very complex and challenging. Many clients come to me having already “done a detox” to fix their leaky gut but […]
