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Recent Features A series of three articles investigating the problem of arsenic in rice. The first outlines the problem, the second gives practical advice and the third is a collection of recipes for making alternatives to rice milk. Rice and Arsenic - What’s Going On? FM March 10 Rice and Arsenic - What To Do About It. FM March 10 DIY Dairy. FM March 10 Blueprint For Life, Wellbeing Tips, FM Jan 10 All Bunged Up And No Way To Go, December 09 Oral Allergy Syndrome, October 09 Diary of an Intolerant, July 09 Thinny Skinnies FM June 09 Skin Creams A Barrier to Health FM Jan 09
Sample Magazine Tips & Fillers
If you have to take antibiotics, protect your good bacteria by taking a probiotic like acidophilus and bifido bacteria at the same time. Take the probiotics 2 hours apart from your antibiotics and any herbs, and continue them for 2-3 weeks after your antibiotics stop. Choose a probiotic that contains at least 3 billion live bacteria cells per capsule and keep it in the fridge.
Can’t stand eating breakfast? No time? Try this nutrition-packed smoothie for a great and quick start to the day: Bung a dollop of soya or dairy yogurt, a cup of soya milk and a dash of apple juice into a blender. Throw in a tablespoon each of almond powder, linseeds and flaxseed oil. Add a few walnuts and a handful of frozen berries. Whizz it all together and drink it there and then or take a big swig before you set off, put the rest in a flask and have a bit more on your way and when you get to work. Excellent as a snack later in the day too if you have some left over. Have all your packets of nuts and seeds etc in a drawer near your blender so they’re easy to hand. Even easier – use an Innocent Smoothie and add all the other ingredients to that.
Hot Flushes & Linseeds A study with 21 menopausal women suffering hot flushes but not on HRT has shown that eating flaxseeds daily can make a real difference. They had 40g of crushed flaxseeds (linseeds) per day and showed an almost 60% decrease in the frequency of flushes over the period of the 6 week study. Researchers also reported improved mood, joint and muscle pain, chills and sweating. This is probably all due to linseeds phyto-oestrogenic effects and omega 3 levels. Get crushing – or try 1-2 1000mg linseed capsules per day.
Dairy Intolerance: Sample Feature, Saddleworth Monthly
This month, Micki explains why dairy foods aren’t always good for us… According to some experts, up to a third of UK and American adults have a problem with milk or dairy products. Research going back nearly 40 years suggests that up to three quarters of the world’s population is, to some extent, dairy intolerant. If you think about it: we are the only species that drinks another species’ milk and that can’t be good for us! (Except cats, of course but that’s because we give it to them – they wouldn’t do it naturally.). Milk is meant for growing calves, not us… Most people with intolerances have problems with either the milk protein – casein, or the milk sugar, lactose. It is known that in all mammals the production of lactase (to digest the lactose in milk) ceases at the time of weaning. For this reason, sensitivity to lactose generally gets worse as you get older. The most common symptoms of dairy intolerance are upset stomachs and bowels, snotty noses and eczema in children, fatigue, itchy skin, respiratory problems, although I have also seen it be the primary cause of migraines, hives, arthritis, period problems including endometriosis and especially of IBS. You can’t often see that dairy is behind a problem because the symptoms don’t happen immediately after consuming it, but could be days later. It can take between 15 minutes and 5 days for an intolerance reaction to occur, which is why intolerances are so difficult to track down sometimes. Just think, if you’re having it everyday, your symptoms never go away! Some people think it can’t be dairy because they haven’t drunk milk, had any cream or eaten a yogurt recently. But it turns up hidden all over the place and even having a tiny bit every 2 weeks is enough to cause the symptoms. So, why are so many people having problems with dairy now? In evolutionary terms, we’ve only been consuming dairy foods for a very short time and I firmly believe only a small percentage of people have evolved the ability to digest the lactose past weaning. We will all inevitably catch up in the next few hundred years! Modern dairy also contains much more casein and lactose than it did. It doesn’t come straight from the cow to the bottle anymore. In fact, unless you are drinking organic milk, up to a dozen artificial substances can be found in the milk we drink nowadays including hormones, packaging chemicals that leach into the milk and pesticide residues from the cattle feed. People are often worried that if they cut out dairy they will lose out on calcium. This is simply not true. The calcium from dairy is way too excessive and also not very readily absorbable by the body. And if you think we consume approximately 800mg calcium per day in the average western diet – and still have an epidemic of brittle bones (osteoporosis) whereas other cultures consume far less than we do – an average of 300mg per day – and don’t get osteoporosis, then it’s not about the quantity we consume, but what we do with it in our bodies. Most people simply don’t have enough of the co-factors like magnesium to process that amount of calcium day to day, so it ends up being dumped in the body - stiff muscles, kidney and gall stones etc. It’s best to get your calcium from a varied diet that includes green leafy veg, broccoli, pulses, nuts and seeds, tinned fish like sardines – which all also contain many of the co-factors we need to process it. And avoid what we call calcium depleters – too much caffeine, animal foods, fizzy drinks and smoking etc. If you think you might have a dairy intolerance, try simply cutting it out really carefully for a couple of weeks and see if your symptoms reduce or disappear. If you need more help, contact your local nutritionist via www.bant.co.uk.
What’s the Alternative?: Sample Columns (published Oldham Chronicle NB: The column varies issue to issue and consists of either 2/3 short punchy Q&A , 1 in-depth Q&A, Comment pieces on topical issues or recent research and recipe ideas.
Q: My husband and I have been trying for a baby for quite a while. Someone recently recommended I try reflexology to see if it might help. What do you think? A: There are lots of reasons why couples might take a while to conceive. And thankfully there are lots of things you can do to speed things up. Certainly, balancing the whole body and especially the reproductive system with reflexology has been helpful for some couples, as has acupuncture and Bowen Technique. In my experience, it’s best to combine any therapy with a proper nutrient preconception programme from organisations such as Foresight (01243 868001, foresight-preconception.org.uk). At the very least, take a look at books and work by Dr Marilyn Glenville (marilynglenville.com). Often the body won’t allow you to conceive if the body is not nourished well enough and lacks some of the important nutrients. Don’t Make A Drama Out of It! For quite some time, I have encouraged people to become aware of how much negativity they allow into their lives via high stress dramas like Casualty and The Bill! Watching things that stress you – even passively – is bad for your health and doesn’t help you maintain a positive frame of mind. Now research is bearing me out. Twenty volunteers recently took part in an experiment to see what happens to their blood flow (via the brachial artery in the arm) when they watched a comedy film (There’s Something About Mary) and a stressful movie (Saving Private Ryan). Laughter during the comedy increased blood flow by 22 per cent! After the war film, it dropped by a staggering 35%. So, if there’s a choice between a re-run of Porridge or the news – go for the Porridge every time. Another reason oats are good for you…
Q: I keep getting cracks at the corner of my mouth. Do you know what causes them and how I might get rid of them please? A: Cracks at the corner of your mouth are usually a sign of vitamin deficiency. You most likely need to take a good B Complex supplement and possibly some iron. You should be able to get both in a general good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement. Foods rich in B2 (the most common culprit) are mackerel, spinach, broccoli and eggs. For more iron, eat almonds, seeds and prunes. Drink lots of water and oily fish. Don’t be tempted to use Vaseline or cheap lip salves. Most are petroleum based and over time will draw even more moisture out of your lips. Those of you who use them already will no doubt have noticed that you need to use it more and more often. Instead, chose a non-petroleum based one that doesn’t contain mineral oil or simply use a little sunflower oil or honey at night. I’ve also found Weleda Skin Food or their Handcream works wonders.
Q: Can you suggest something I can put on my eczema – it’s really sore and itchy?
Skin problems, especially eczema and psoriasis are notoriously difficult to help. In terms of creams, it’s usually a question of finding the right thing for each person. Some of the creams I have found helpful include MSM sulphur-based creams, Weleda Hypericum & Calendula ointment and Nelsons Graphites cream.
My current favourite, though, is an organic pure aloe vera gel and evening primrose oil mix which works wonderfully for most people. Good Aloe Vera gel is hard to find, but Higher Nature’s Aloe Gold Gel is triple-concentrated and, unusually, contains no parabens preservative, which can upset sensitive skin. Aloe itself is very anti-inflammatory, healing and soothing and will kill any bacteria so it stops the skin getting infected. Combined with EPO, it’s a powerful mix. Mix yourself a small bottle using two thirds aloe to one third evening primrose oil and use several times a day. It may get worse slightly before it starts to clear so bear with it for a couple of weeks. Good luck.
News: Long Term Homeopathy Study A Success
Despite the recent negative publicity about homeopathy, a new study out should end the doubts. Researchers have tracked 6,500 patients with chronic health problems over the past 6 years. They found that homeopathic remedies helped in 70% of these cases. A similar group who didn’t use homeopathy but had their usual meds instead were found after the 6 years to be no better at all. (Journal of Complementary Medicine, 2005: 11)
You Are What You Eat As part of my column, I will pass on some healthy recipe ideas for you to try. I’m not a trained chef, and I like simple, easy, fresh food – just call me the Naked Nutritionist! Jamie Oliver eat your heart out…I hope you enjoy them! After-Work Curry Here’s a quick curry we often make when we get home late. First, put 2 cups of brown rice into a pan or rice cooker with 4 cups of water, add a teaspoon of turmeric and a couple of cloves or a sprinkle of cumin seeds. Bring to the boil and then cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat. We use a rice cooker which does it all for you! Then, saute an onion with some garlic, ginger and chilli. We cheat when we’re in a rush and use the Lazy garlic etc from supermarkets. Then add whatever veg you have in your fridge – we often use mushrooms, a bit of spinach, a half a pepper and some broccoli, but anything will do. Stir in a can of lentils and a jar of curry sauce (use the Meridian ones from the shop which are actually good for you) and then simmer whilst you feed the cat, get changed etc. Serve when the rice is done with a couple of non wheat poppadoms. Yum. Thai Coconut Soup This is a great standby for when you’ve nothing much left in the fridge.
First chop up whatever you have - a carrot, celery, mange tout, courgette, mushrooms, tomato - into thin sticks or small chunks. Heat a splash of olive oil in a wok or deep saucepan and throw them in. Add in a star anise or two to give some flavour, or some Thai herbs/paste or Chinese 5 spice if you have some. Stir them around for a bit. Then add a tin of beansprouts (or fresh if you have some) or some blanched rice noodles and a tin of coconut milk. Pop the lid on and sit down for a couple of minutes whilst it warms through. You could serve it just like this as a kind of traditional Ramen coconut soup or, if you have any, throw in some cubes of smoked tofu and/or a tablespoon of sesame seeds for some extra crunch. Yum. Better than a takeaway – a lot quicker and cheaper – and actually good for you!
Q: Can you please tell me how many eggs you should eat in a week?
A: Eggs have had a bad press in recent years – ever since the infamous quote from Edwina Currie in the 80s stating that most of the eggs in production were contaminated with salmonella. This was patently untrue, of course, but sales dropped by 60% overnight anyway and have never really recovered.
The other thing people worry about is that too many eggs are bad for your health because they contain cholesterol. This is not true either. In fact, the cholesterol present in eggs does not contribute to high blood cholesterol in the same way as, say, saturated fat does. Recent research is actually suggesting that eggs are slimming rather than fattening – a fact that good nutritionists have known all along! One medium-sized egg contains only about 70 calories.
Eggs are rich in nutrients such as iron, B vitamins, A, E, selenium, iodine and phosphorus. They are good quality protein with all eight of the essential amino acids and are one of the few dietary sources of vitamins K and D. I would say that it is perfectly sensible to eat an egg a day or around 5 per week as part of a good varied low saturated fat, high fruit and veg diet. And the UK Food Standards Agency currently recommends the same. So, stop worrying and get the poacher and omelette pan out!
Q: I have loads of hard skin on my feet and dread baring them when I go on holiday next month. Can you suggest anything?
A: Hard skin builds up when we don’t take care of our feet – despite the fact they carry us around all day every day! Until there’s a problem, we tend to neglect them terribly. If you already have a build up of hard skin, it is quickest and easiest to visit a chiropodist for a treatment. You will probably only need a couple of sessions to clear it.
After that, you need to look after them on a weekly basis to prevent it building back up again. My advice would be to use a body scrub once or twice a week. You could choose a product like Green People Fruit Scrub or their gorgeous-smelling Invigorating Sugar Scrub. Or, even simpler, use a teaspoon of granulated sugar or salt in a base oil instead. Almond or calendula oils are best as they are extremely moisturising and healing, but simple olive oil from your kitchen cupboard will do. After scrubbing them, rub in a really good moisturising cream. My favourites are Weleda Foot Balm and Weleda Skin Food.
Q: I regularly read your column and seem to have the opposite problem to most people. I am underweight and need to put some weight on. Can you help?
A: Certainly we do seem to concentrate on weight loss a lot, but, like you, there are some people who can’t seem to gain weight no matter what they do. This can be just as frustrating as needing to lose weight. Assuming you are eating a normal balanced diet with at least 2000 calories a day, you need to ensure your protein and fat levels are high enough to gain weight.
My advice would be to add in a nutritious protein powder shake in between meals once or twice a day. The protein should come from a good source, such as rice or nuts. There are many whey-based protein drinks around, but personally I don’t advise them; loads of people are intolerant to dairy, even if they don’t know it.
You can buy an excellent mix of protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals. I often recommend it for people who have been ill and have a poor appetite and for older people who aren’t eating enough. You simply mix a few tablespoons of the powder with some milk and a banana or other fruit, shake or blend it and drink. It is a good multivitamin and mineral in its own right so I sometimes use one for breakfast or a quick lunch.
As well as that, I would make sure you snack on nuts and seeds and eat plenty of oily fish to keep your essential fats up.
Q: I never feel full up even though I’ve just eaten a really big meal. What’s going on?
A: I would guess here that you then go on to eat a dessert straight away in a bid to fill yourself up? This is very common. Most people eat far too fast and don’t chew well enough. The result of this is that the body doesn’t trigger the brain to say it’s had enough. This is called ‘satiety’ point ie. when the body senses it is full and turns off the hunger switch. It takes roughly 20 minutes after finishing a meal for you to feel full. In our house we have a rule that if you still feel genuinely hungry 20 minutes after finishing your meal, you can go ahead and have seconds or a dessert. Invariably, after 20 minutes, the craving has gone and you’re too busy doing something else to notice…
Q: I have just found that my cholesterol level is 5.7 and my doctor has mentioned that I could go onto a statin drug to bring it down. I want to know if there is any other way to bring it down other than going onto a drug. Can you help?
A: Obviously I don’t want to go against anything your GP has recommended, but the short answer is – yes, there is plenty you can do to bring that level of cholesterol down without resorting to a statin drug. Statins can be very helpful for people who have high cholesterol that needs to be brought down quickly because they are at high risk of heart disease. That said, though, they are known to deplete you in a very important heart nutrient called Coenzyme Q10, so my advice is always to take 100mg CoQ10 a day if you are taking any form of statin. And, if your cholesterol reading is not very high, like yours, try other methods first if your GP agrees.
Some of the latest research suggests that the optimum cholesterol level should be between 4.9-5.4. So, you can see that yours is not so high. Some doctors will recommend that you should bring your cholesterol level down to 3.1 if you are in a high risk category – ie. you have a family history of cardiovascular disease or other heart issues. However, there is research to show that being too low can be just as detrimental to health as being too high. Also, many experts now believe that cholesterol may be a bit of a red herring in cardiovascular health and that other factors like homocysteine and Lp(a) can be far more important. There is no doubt that cholesterol can be a factor, though, so it’s best to get it into this ‘healthy’ band.
First, use a diet full of whole grains, nuts, seeds, pulses, fruit, veg and oily fish. Avoid high saturated fat and hydrogenated fat foods and make sure your salt intake is low. Don’t smoke and take a good multivitamin and mineral with plenty of magnesium and B vitamins with a good fish oil supplement.
If after a couple of months of this type of diet your cholesterol level is not reducing, try taking a supplement of plant sterols
Plant sterols are structurally very similar to cholesterol and can lower cholesterol absorption in the gut as they are absorbed instead. Excess cholesterol is then excreted from the body. This has been shown to be very effective especially for those with high LDL cholesterol. Research also suggests that rather than doubling the level of a statin to encourage LDL to lower even more – which is done very often, you can take plant sterols alongside it and lower it more effectively. In other words, you can take it on its own, or with a lower level of statin.
Work with your GP to monitor your cholesterol regularly and, if after 3 months it isn’t coming down, seek the help of a nutritional therapist or use the statins to control it.
Q: I would like a test to find out if food allergies might be causing my catarrh. Can you advise?
A: You are right to look into this – allergy is one of the most common causes of chronic catarrh or sinus problems. It could well be an allergy to either something you inhale or an intolerance to something you eat.
First, it’s important to understand the difference between allergy and intolerance. An allergy is something you have an immediate antibody/immune reaction to. You can ask your GP to refer you for an IgE allergy test or skin prick test. However, many people suffer from intolerances rather than straight allergies – and these are a lot more tricky to find. Intolerances may take up to 5 days to surface, for example, so it’s not always easy to track down the culprit.
Many people ask about food intolerance testing and my answer is always the same. It’s not as easy as it is made out to be! The simple fact is that experts as yet don’t really understand how intolerances happen. So the blood tests that are currently available can certainly give you a good idea, but none of them will be 100% accurate.
You can also have Vega or biomeridian test where your finger is attached to a machine and an electrical reading is taken. The reading changes when you come into contact with an allergen. These can be helpful, but you can get a lot of false readings for various reasons so it’s best to find someone with a lot of experience and a really good machine. There is a possibility you could end up with a huge list of things to avoid which isn’t always possible, or indeed necessary.
The best approach, although more fiddly and time consuming, is what’s called ‘elimination and challenge.’ This involves eliminating suspect foods from your diet for a period of time and then reintroducing them to see what happens. When you stop eating a food to which you are intolerant for a few weeks, you often ‘unmask’ it and when you eat it again in a controlled fashion, the body’s response is usually unmistakeable! At the same time, you can take your pulse to see if it changes – this method has been used since the 50s and is surprisingly accurate.
If you really want a blood test, the best is called an ELISA (iwdl.net, 020 8336 7750) which challenges a blood sample with substances to see if there is an immune response to it, suggesting you have a problem with that food. This is really the best biochemical test available at the moment, but it still isn’t 100%.
Recently, though, my best advice is to find a NAET practitioner. NAET is very new to Europe, although it has been used and developed in the US for the last 20 years. It seems far too good to be true, but I have had it myself and I know it works! Allergens are discovered using special muscle testing techniques, then these can be treated one at a time using the NAET technique which is based on chiropractic, breathing and acupressure.
In summary, my advice would be first to cut out any foods you suspect makes your catarrh worse – usually dairy products – and see if that helps. If you can’t find the culprit or you need treatment for anything you do identify, investigate NAET. You can go to www.naet.com or read ‘Say Goodbye to Illness’ by Dr Devi Nambudripad, the Indian GP who invented the technique.
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