Research

Brand Ambassador Announcment

The Australian based Pharmaceutical company Zifam Pinnacle, announces Australian based Naturopath, Emma Sutherland as its health and wellness brand Ambassador

Australian owned and operated pharmaceutical company Zifam Pinnacle is excited to announce the appointment of me, as their health and wellness Brand Ambassador!

I will be joining the Zifam team to help promote the health and wellness division of Zifam Pinnacle, following its recent launch of six new health and wellness supplement ranges which landed on Australian shelves, in April this year.

Zifam Pinnacle spokesperson, Adam Mortley, General Manager of Marketing says “Emma is a great fit for Zifam Pinnacle; she encompasses the ideals of health and wellbeing which aligns directly with the Zifam Pinnacle’s overarching vision.”

I am a fully qualified naturopath with over 15 years working within the industry and am thrilled to come on board to work with Zifam Pinnacle in promoting their health and wellness division. Nutrition and wellbeing resonate deeply with me and the products have real benefits for consumers, which I love. I can’t wait to work on some exciting projects with the company.

Earlier this year, Zifam Pinnacle, launched six new product ranges across wellbeing, family, women, men, children and a naturally better line; using ingredients derived from credible sources around the world.

Adam Mortley, says “We are excited with the growth of Zifam Pinnacle and having Emma Sutherland on board – with her approach to living a healthy life – is a natural fit for us and we are excited for the future”

For all clients – I remain available for bookings at the clinic from Thursday to Saturday and will continue supporting your nutrition and wellbeing.

 

By |September 7th, 2016|Health & Wellbeing, Immune Health, Naturopathy, Research|0 Comments
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Emma’s Favorite cough remedies

I would love to share with you some of my favourite herbs that I am using at the moment for this awful flu season. I am seeing many of my patients relapsing with acute infections not just once but up to three times!
I would encourage you to have a bottle of my flu tonic on hand and start dosing acutely as soon as you feel a sore throat or headache coming on.I have noticed clinically that there are 3 viral strains circulating at the moment and this is the summary of how the symptoms;

Gastro pre sensation with resolution within 48 hours
Sore throat, aching upper arms, seems to persist for a quite a while
Headache, dry cough with vomiting at the end of a coughing fit

Also, don’t forget about the relevance of having optimal vitamin D levels during the flu season – ask your GP to check your levels ASAP and supplement if necessary!
Herbal extracts can be highly effective for treating an acute cough and other common symptoms associated with upper respiratory tract infections such as a runny nose, sore throat, and headache. They also have an excellent safety profile. It’s ironic that many pharmacy cough mixtures contain active principles that were originally of botanical origin, obvious examples being codeine (opium poppy), guaifenesin (the guaiacum plant) and pseudoephedrine (from ephedra).
And whilst the isolation and synthesis of these active principles have given us some very powerful medicines, it has also created a new set of problems: powerful effects matched by equally powerful and negative side effects. When high-quality botanical extracts are used there is less likelihood of these problems occurring.
In the treatment of coughs and colds, herbal extracts do exert anti-tussive, expectorant and mucolytic […]

By |August 31st, 2016|Health & Wellbeing, Immune Health, Naturopathy, Nutrition, Research, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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Restoring My Gut Microbiome Post Colonoscopy

In May I did a functional medicine test called a Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA), which combines a large number of tests to evaluate the function of my gut. I have a long history of food intolerances, gut infections and adrenal depletion so I wanted to check how I was going.
Not surprisingly the CDSA showed a number of problems:

My levels of transglutaminase IgA were off the charts at 904ug/g when ideally they are below 100. Transglutaminase IgA shows that my immune system is going crazy to the presence of gluten. And I mean ridiculously crazy, I have never seen a result that high in a patient after 15 years of clinical practice.
My levels of M2 pyruvate kinase were elevated at 6.7U/ml, which is a little freaky as this is a tumor marker. Maybe as a result of gluten causing so much inflammation in my gut, this tumor marker is being expressed……
A lack of Lactobacilli bacteria – the most beneficial type of bacteria is actually low, despite taking a Lactobacillus containing probiotic daily!
An overgrowth of Citrobacter bacteria – this is an opportunistic bacteria which shows I have gut dysbiosis. This bad boy is taking over my gut due to the lack of Lactobacillus.

I also did a test assessing my levels of zonulin. I have written about this gut compound before, you can read more about it here and here. Not long ago I had the pleasure of meeting the researcher who discovered it. Zonulin opens up the spaces between gut cells, and an overproduction leads to leaky gut.
Dr Alessio Fasano’s research clearly shows that gluten increases zonulin levels, which causes leaky gut and opens up the possibility of autoimmune disease and cancer.
And guess what? My zonulin […]

By |July 10th, 2016|Gut health, Health & Wellbeing, Immune Health, Mojo, Naturopathy, Research|0 Comments
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The Truth about Probiotics – Part 1

Probiotics, have recently become a topic of significant focus. We usually think of bacteria as something that causes diseases, so the idea they are beneficial can be tough to understand. We take antibiotics to kill harmful bacterial infections and use antibacterial soaps more than ever before. And while the wrong bacteria in the wrong place can cause problems, there is a growing body of scientific evidence showing that the right bacteria in the right place can have benefits and even prevent some illnesses.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms, often termed “good” or “helpful” bacteria that promote a healthy digestive tract and support your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and fight infection. The secret to good health is all about balancing the good and bad bacteria in your gut. It may come as a surprise but 80 percent of your entire immune system is located in your digestive tract. 1
Are they all the same?
It’s important to note that there are different types of strains of probiotics. The probiotic benefits experienced with one strain may be completely different from the health benefits seen from another.

If you want to use probiotics to help with a specific health concern, it’s vital to select the right probiotic for the right condition. Strain selection should focus on quality tested products with clinically demonstrated benefits for the given condition. That is why it is always best to consult your Naturopath or health care provider for a recommendation.
Health Benefits of Probiotics
1. Diarrhoea

Certain strains of probiotics have shown positive results in treating diarrhoea and gastroenteritis. According to a report published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition2, probiotics are “useful in the prevention or treatment of several gastrointestinal disorders”, such as infectious […]

By |June 21st, 2016|Gut health, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research|0 Comments
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The Tigernut Story & My Latest Recipe for You

In my quest for information about gut health, I read a lot of research, which makes its way into every aspect of my life. As a speaker, I hold keynote talks about gut health and it was at one of my events that the founders of Health and Harvest found me.

Health and Harvest import Tigernuts, and no, they are not actually nuts!

Tigernuts are hugely exciting for me, due to their nutritional qualities. You may have read my blog post on resistant starch. Often resistant starch is a little unfriendly to use. Think of green bananas, potato starch powder and cooked then cooled legumes.

Tigernuts are user friendly tubers, a type of root vegetable that can be eaten whole, soaked to make Spanish style horchata or ground to make flour. They are gluten free and contain a bucket load of fibre along with the Superfood of all Superfoods, resistant starch. Resistant starch is a kind of prebiotic, which helps to keep your probiotics happy and well fed.

It also turns out that Tigernuts are about as Paleo as Paleo can get, and are a true evolutionary food with Oxford Uni discovering they played a key nutritional role in our evolution. See research here >>

When you chew a Tigernut, take your time and chew well. The more you chew, the more the natural sugars are released and the flavour is part coconut, part chestnut. Per 100g of Tigernuts have 400mg resistant starch, 5.9mg iron, 23.5g fibre and 915mg of heart healthy potassium.

So, I went ahead and made some mini banana and Goji berry muffins for Sophia, using Tigernut flour. She is brutally honest with me when it comes to food so she is the ultimate recipe tester! Thankfully, these little beauties passed […]

By |June 21st, 2016|Children, Gut health, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Paleo, Recipes, Research, Weight Loss|0 Comments
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A Surprising Answer to Your Constipation

Many clients suffer from constipation, it’s one of the most common symptoms we see in our clinic. But the solution might not be as simple as “drink more water”. It may, in fact, be a problem with the communication between your gut and your brain.

There is a nervous system that lines your gut, called the enteric nervous system and it controls the function of your gut. The enteric nervous system is also known as the second brain. It is responsible for peristalsis, or the wave like contractions of the gut, which pushes food downwards. It controls the release of our digestive enzymes as well as many critical neurotransmitters. In fact, over 90% of your serotonin (a happiness hormone) is made in the gut!

As the vagus nerve controls the motility of your gut and increases blood flow to your gut lining, any problems with this part of the nervous system will result in sluggish digestion. If you don’t move food fast enough, it will ferment, causing yeast overgrowths, enzyme deficiencies and provide the perfect home for nasty parasites and bacteria.

How do you test your Gut Motility?

You should be able to hear grumbling in your abdomen when you listen with a stethoscope
When you say “ahhh” the uvula, at the back of your throat, should rise evenly
You have a poor gag reflex

Research shows neurons need exercise, just like muscles. The more you exercise them, the stronger the neuronal pathways, and the better the outcome is. This is a fascinating field of research called neuroplasticity, and I love “The Brain That Changes Itself” by Dr Normal Doidge, a brilliant book on this topic.

Exercises to Increase Gut Motility:

Encourage singing, but it needs to be really loud so warn your […]

By |June 5th, 2016|Gut health, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research|0 Comments
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How playtime can optimise your child’s gut health

Key Message: Exercising at a young age can have a positive effect on gut bacteria

Action Point: Ensure you and your children get some level of physical activity each day to ensure optimum health and build a strong gut and immune system
 

The human gut contains over 100 trillion microorganisms and recent research has shown that exercising at a young age can promote a healthier brain and metabolic activity of the course of a lifetime by changing the gut composition.

The research, published in the journal Immunology and Cell Biology, shows that during early human development, there may be a window of opportunity to improve the chances of better long term health.

The positive effects of exercise have been well documented. Physical activity reduces the chances of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and it ensures a range of other functions work properly. Now, a team from the University of Colorado-Boulder believes we can add the digestive system’s microbial community to that list.

Gut microbes are fundamental to the development of your immune system and other neural functions. In fact these microbes can add as many as 5 million genes to a person’s overall genetic profile and therefore have incredible power to influence aspects of human physiology.

During adult life, this diverse microbial community is influenced by various environmental factors such as diet and sleep patterns and although it remains adaptable as we grow, researchers have found that the gut microorganisms are especially ‘plastic’ at a young age.

Monika Fleshner, a professor in CU-Boulder’s Department of Integrative Physiology and author of the study said “a robust, healthy community of gut microbes also appears to promote healthy brain function and provide antidepressant effects”.

Future research will further investigate how these microbes influence brain function in […]

By |March 6th, 2016|Gut health, Health & Wellbeing, Research, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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How your bedtime affects your BMI

Key Message: The length and quality of your sleep can impact your weight

Action Point: Try to get the recommended hours of sleep per night and take measures to ensure your quality of sleep is as good as it can be. If possible, go to bed early at least one night per week
 

No matter what your age, too little sleep and too-late bedtimes may result in weight gain according to new research.

Babies, toddler and preschoolers need plenty of sleep and when they don’t get enough, it takes a toll. Due to busier schedules and more casual bedtimes, kids these days are sleeping less than their parents did at similar ages and going to bed later.

It has been shown that quality of sleep is very much linked to metabolism and any disruption could lead to weight gain in the long run.

A recent study conducted on young adults and adolescents showed that a later bedtime was associated with weight gain regardless of the total hours of sleep. This could be due to a number of possible causes such as eating meals later in the day. In a study conducted last year in Akron, Ohio it was found that there are significant associations between sleep quality, duration, bedtime stability and obesity.

“There is a strong relationship between sleep duration and obesity in both children and adults, in particular between short sleep and obesity,” says Dr Nathaniel Watson, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Not only is the quality of sleep important but also the time of day. Nighttime sleep is associated with the release of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. In addition, untreated sleep disorders such as sleep apnea can reduce people’s motivation to exercise and […]

By |March 2nd, 2016|Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research, Uncategorized, Weight Loss|0 Comments
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Late-night snacking may have an effect on your memory

Key Message: Eating at the wrong time of day can have a negative impact on your learning and memory

Action Point: Avoid late-night snacking and consume bigger meals earlier in the day.  If you must eat late at night, opt for healthier options
 

If it’s past your bedtime, then its probably best to avoid the fridge.

It has already been proven that eating late at night has negative effects on your body’s metabolic health from weight gain to an increased risk of diabetes and heart problems.

Now, for the first time, a new study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests that late-night eating can cause damage to our brains, too. The research showed that eating food during hours when people are usually asleep can negatively impact the hippocampus – the part of the brain where memories are formed.

“We believe that late-night snacking may affect our learning capabilities by affecting the parts of the brain responsible for learning and memory” Dr. Dawn Loh, a project scientist at the university and lead author of the study. ”The timing of food consumption is what we believe to be the primary cause of the impaired memory that we describe.”

Their findings, published in the journal eLife, demonstrate how important a healthy eating routine is to memory as midnight munching may reduce our ability to learn new things and store memories.

By consuming food at the ‘wrong’ time of day, we cause misalignment between the various clocks in the brain and body. Researchers believe this may be due to reduced levels of a protein called CREB, which is key for your body’s internal clock and your brain’s ability to form memories.

CREB, regulates some genes involved in both the circadian clock and in […]

By |February 28th, 2016|Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research|0 Comments
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Your diet affects your Grandchildren’s DNA

Key Message: Diet can alter the nature of one’s DNA
Action Point: Eat a healthy, well balanced diet prior to conception to reduce the risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome
We all know the age-old saying, “ you are what you eat”. Well now according to new studies, you are what your mother, father, grandparents and great-grandparents ate.

There has been much speculation about the ability of diet to alter the nature of your DNA, however researchers in two independent studies have found ways in which this is likely happening.

Epigenetics may help explain the increased risk that children face and the reason why poor dietary habits may be doing your offspring harm, despite how healthy they will try to eat.

A new study in the Netherlands showed the diet of human adults induces changes in all cells, including sperm and egg cells, which can be passed on to offspring. While such effects on a single generation have been known, what is still missing is an understanding of how such information is remembered from generation to generation.

The common belief is that during the process of cell division, all epigenetic markers are erased. However according to author Josep C. Jimenez-Chillaron of the Paediatric Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, in Spain his work and the work of many others “suggests that this is not completely true.” He says, “Although the majority of epigenetic markers are erased, some markers are spared for unknown reasons.”

Although the evidence is still inconclusive, another study conducted in Poland, speculates that nutrients, which affect the chromatin, can also cause mutations, both good and bad.

More experiments are needed however if mothers and fathers eat more omega-3 fatty acids, choline, betaine, folic acid and vitamin B12, these nutrients can […]

By |February 24th, 2016|Fertility, Health & Wellbeing, Naturopathy, Nutrition, Preconception & Pregnancy, Research|0 Comments
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How to Heal Your Adrenals Naturally

How to Heal Your Adrenals Naturally

Adrenal fatigue is one of the most under diagnosed illnesses in western society. Download a copy of my free ebook to learn about the symptoms and how to heal your Adrenals naturally.

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