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Arthritis

“I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my neck and have heard that it can be helped with diet - do you have any information about this?”
- Osteo Sufferer

Dear Osteo Sufferer,

This is an interesting question and is oddly topical in my latest article. Given the suggested possibility that yeast may be linked to arthritis I would proceed with an anti-candida diet with a focus on cinnamon, recent research suggests cinnamon may kill yeasts in the blood stream that are contributing to the arthritis. You could even buy a cinnamon supplement.
As the osteoarthritis is in the neck I would suggest consulting a postural correctional specialist or trainer and check with your health professional about massage to help correct the alignment of the neck. I would also try and get a 'yoga boxing' video. It’s an excellent low impact spinal realignment video.

Causes of primary osteoarthritis

• Diets predominant in sucrose, white flour products and refined processed foods.
• The nightshade family (Solanaceae) of vegetables have been known to trigger osteoarthritis. These include tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant. Some speculate that it is not the vegetables themselves but pesticides residues on the plants that are to blame.
• 'Junk in the joints'. Leaky gut syndrome is a condition where excessive wear on the intestinal membranes (usually by gluten and other antagonists), render them permeable to undigested food proteins passing from the digestive tract into the bloodstream, thickening up the blood (a condition known as 'Rouleau'). The body attempts to stash the junk, sometimes into the joint area, provoking an immune system reaction. Excess acid is a common by-product of 21st century diets, which inhibits the formation of new cartilage.

Causes of secondary osteoarthritis
Include 'primary events' that trigger the condition. This could be a fall, hormonal problems, or other conditions usually revolving around an overly acidic body system.

Diet
Commence hydrating the body by drinking at least eight glasses of good water a day with a teaspoon (tsp) of dissolved Himalayan salt. Maintain this diet over the long term.

COMMENCE THE ANTI-CANDIDA DIETARY REGIMEN. High quality, organic food is the key here, as always, eaten four or five times per day. The diet should be at least 70% raw to preserve enzyme activity, vitamins and other nutrients. Remember, cooked food is dead food nutritionally. Avoid cow’s milk and dairy in general.

DETOXIFICATION: Magnesium oxide bowel cleanse or colonic irrigation (don’t go mad, colonic irrigationists often encourage you to do more than is necessary).

Try 10mls of Hyaline Liquid Formula supplement 10 which includes high grade forms of glucosamine, chondroitin, aggrecan, dermatan sulphate, keratan sulphate, hyaluronic acid, fibronectin, collagen and elastin, boron, manganese, chromium and zinc, once a day or as directed by your healthcare professional. Children should only take the supplement as directed by a healthcare professional.

RESTORE NUTRIENT BALANCE: COMMENCE THE BASIC SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM, ensuring you take:

• Two Grammes of Vitamin C complex (ascorbates plus bioflavonoids) four times per day.
• Vitamin D3, 5000-10,000iu/ day or better still, decent sunlight for at least 30 minutes a day. If you are worried you are taking the wrong amount of supplement or are not getting enough sunlight, you can have periodic checks on D3 levels. Optimum levels should be around 60ng/ml and can be confirmed with a 25 hydroxy test. If your levels are too low, you can supplement with D3.
• Selenium, 200 mcg per day.
• Frankincense extract capsules, as directed.
• Digestive enzyme supplement, as directed, taken between meals on an empty stomach

TIP: Essential fatty acid intake is vital (this is part of THE BASIC SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM). Ideally, increased intakes of fish oils and flaxseed oil (1 tbsp per day) meal should be included. The diet can also include oily fish such as mackerel, herring, halibut and salmon (not farmed, but cold caught).

TIP: Pay special attention to foods that need to be avoided in THE ANTI-CANDIDA DIETARY REGIMEN. These will also include the nightshade family, e.g. potatoes, peppers, tobacco, eggplant and tomatoes.

Other supplements that may be effective:

Flax Seed Oil:
Flax Seed Oil's main content, Omega-3 fats, help our body produce Prostaglandins Series 1 and 3, which are anti-inflammatory hormone-like molecules. These molecules help reduce the inflammation associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis, therefore Flax Seed is often believed to be a natural cure for arthritis.

Cold pressed Flax Seed Oil can also be used instead of the raw seeds and I personally think it is more effective. Take 1 teaspoon of Flax Seed Oil 3 times daily. The oil can be added to food as well.

Simply take one tablespoon of Flax Seeds or 1 teaspoon of Flax Seed Oil three times daily. Continue this remedy for at least one month to cure the primary forms of arthritis.

Epsom Salt:
Epsom Salt is high in magnesium. Magnesium is important for bone growth and regulates the body's pH level. A deficiency of magnesium lowers the ability of the body to absorb and use calcium and phosphorus, which are the two primary bone-building minerals.

The following home remedies using Epsom Salt can be used to reduce the symptoms associated with arthritis.

NOTE: If you have heart or kidney disease, consult your doctor before using these remedies. Excessive magnesium can cause diarrhoea, nausea, cramps, muscle weakness, and heart abnormalities.
* Mix 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of Epsom Salt in one pint of warm water and take one teaspoon in the morning and one at night – only use this if you are not using the Himalayan salt in your drinking water.
* Add three cups of Epsom Salt in hot bath water and soak in it. The magnesium in the salt is absorbed by the body, soothing and relaxing stiff joints and muscles.

Alfalfa:
A tea made from Alfalfa, especially from its seeds, has shown beneficial results in the treatment of arthritis. Simply add one teaspoon of Alfalfa seeds to one cup of boiling water. Take three to four cups of this tea daily for approximately two weeks to reduce inflammation. Another option is to regularly take alfalfa capsules or add a small amount of alfalfa to your diet.

Cod Liver Oil:
Research has shown that consuming a small amount of Cod Liver Oil each day can potentially slow down cartilage degeneration, which is one of the main symptoms of osteoarthritis. Additionally, the omega-3 acids contained in the oil can help reduce the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. Therefore, simply consuming one to two teaspoons of cod liver oil daily could be very beneficial.

Turmeric:
Turmeric, a common spice in Indian cuisine, has been used to reduce inflammation for hundreds of years in Ayurvedic medicine. By taking 500mg to 1000mg Turmeric capsules three times per day, many individuals have reported significant relief from osteoarthritis pain.

Ginger:
Similar to Turmeric, the common kitchen spice Ginger has been found to be an effective natural anti-inflammatory. Therefore, a great remedy for Arthritis is to peel and slice 1/2 inch of fresh ginger and take it with each meal.

In addition to this, Shyam Singha, perhaps one of the worlds best and most controversial ayurvedic specialists, suggests the following. His remedies are often in direct controversy with common advice but they always seem to work in my experience and therefore I recommend following them.

Mr Singha’s advice:

Generically, arthritis refers to inflammation of the bones. There are a number of forms: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid spondylitis, to name just a few, but rheumatoid arthritis is probably the most painful. Arthritis is caused by an over-production of acid which is deposited in the joints in the form of crystals. The treatment aims to completely eliminate these crystals without causing damage to the body. A good treatment to achieve this is a potato peel diet.

Remedy:
Boil 1kg of 12mm-thick potato peelings in 3½ litres of water. Mash them and eat nothing else for at least seven days, drinking lots of hot water at the same time. This diet provides dramatic, sudden relief. Avoid aspirin-based tablets during this period. Follow this diet by eating only raw food for 28 days. The two diets should relieve the acute pain and result in the body functioning more effectively. After the two diets (7 days and 28 days), continue to eat only non-protein food. If you require protein, eat only vegetable proteins such as lentils, legumes and soya beans. Avoid eating eggs, poultry and, most definitely, red meat. If your desire for protein proves irresistible eat sea fish, but avoid the scavengers such as prawns, shrimps and shellfish.

It is advisable to consult a medical practitioner before commencing the above diets and allow for supervision from the medical practitioner during the five weeks of self-treatment.

In addition to the above diets, the discomfort of arthritis can be further minimized by taking hot baths containing 500g of Epsom salts, 500g of sea salt and 125g of bicarbonate of soda. The bath should be as hot as you can bear it, adding hot water every 5 minutes and taken for 20-30 minutes. This enables all the pores to open fully. Follow this bath with a cold shower to close the pores. Go directly to bed after drying the body. The sweating will help dispel excessive acid from the body.

While osteoarthritis is difficult to treat with juices they certainly help treating rheumatoid arthritis during the early stages.

Fresh Juice Recipe:

Make 500inl from equal amounts of the following juices:
carrot
celery
raw beetroot
cucumber (with skin)

Drink undiluted on an empty stomach and at the same time chew and eat 100g of ripe pineapple.

Prevention:

The best way to prevent a chronic disease such as arthritis is to ensure that you eat balanced meals. An effective diet contains 80 per cent alkaline-forming and 20 per cent acid-forming foods. Remember the general rule - food that is acidic or sour before eating becomes alkaline when digested. Most vegetables and fruits are alkaline-forming. Berries are acid-forming. Grains are acid-forming with the exception of millet. Fizzy drinks, coffee, black tea and beverages are all acid-forming. Water, fresh fruit and vegetables, juices and herb teas are alkaline-forming.

This diet has a preventative effect so try it from time to time if you are prone to arthritis.

Sarah.

If you have any questions about your health, email: asksarah@tstnz.com 
 

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”Does eating too much sugar affect your ability to get pregnant?”

First of all eating badly is not a form of contraception, though it may make a difference to fertility. There are no certainties as to what causes infertility as we are all different. Therefore a definitive answer to this question is not simple.

Holistic medicine has its basis within biology. The body is a complex network of nerves governed by the central nervous system, the spine and the brain. The brain sends signals through the body down the spine into main nerve channels and the body including its organs and the reproductive system send signals back. Thus your thoughts have the potential to affect your body and your body has the potential to affect your thoughts.

I don't believe in holistic medicine, I know it works. It has always done me more good than anything else. I have seen and experienced things that many would describe as miracles but those that know describe as basic science combined with the healing nature of the body and mind. If your body is ill your mind is also not at ease.

Having had my own problems with reproductive, liver, kidneys, blood, and digestive I can honestly say that whilst admitting to your own negative and destructive ways of thinking is challenging, it is also hilarious and ultimately very empowering.

In my opinion there are at least two ways in which the mind will usually be diseased in the case of reproduction.

One way may be how you relate to men, your femininity and maybe even your body. It may also have something to do with your motivation for wanting to get pregnant in the first place. In some cases it may simply be the stress of too much motivation. It may be all three. Either way the answer to this is gentle exercise and meditation (better referred to as chill-out time as trying to achieve in meditation will ultimately result in the opposite of meditation). In other words take time to relax fully not planning or worrying about anything. If you can't fix it, worrying about it certainly won't help and a clear relaxed mind may suddenly spring you the insight to a solution when you are next confronted with the problem.

The second way your mind could be affected is that in any case of disease your mind will crave the things that maintain the disease. It will also reject the things that will kill off the disease. So if you are prone to over exercising stopping this will be difficult. If you are prone to eating badly, such as eating too much sugar, then your cravings will be strong and anything that would negate the cravings would seem revolting, such as celery or exercise or breathing (something by the way that according to many great yogis and meditators the ordinary human being does very badly).

The solution is to pay attention to your food. See what you obsess over. See if you eat the same thing every night and constantly avoid certain foods. Start by writing down your cravings, your dislikes, the things you eat and the things you don't but wouldn't mind eating. Include fluids in your list as well. This will educate you to some extent as to where you are currently at with regard to your life-style.

Sugar is something that can upset all the organs that connect into the reproductive system. Sugar is what Candida needs in order to feed and over-run the body because Candida is essentially a fungus. You must remember that the body is a network and everything is interconnected. The stomach, kidneys, liver, spleen, lungs etc are all connected and affect each other. So if you have fungus and disease in the other organs it seems reasonable to suggest that getting pregnant will become difficult. A swollen liver will literally create extra pressure on the reproductive organs. It also seems reasonable to suggest that any fungus may spread to the other organs of the body and affect their function.

It may also according to holistic medicine, seem reasonable to suggest that any negativity forming in your thoughts due to an illness in one organ may open the door for further negativity creating more illness in other parts of the body.

Directly eating refined sugar affects the hormone balance and insulin levels. Both will affect your fertility. Hormone imbalance can occur as a result of eating sugar. That 'energy rush' that lasts all of 15 minutes to half an hour comes from a sharp rise in your blood sugar levels, but that 'high' soon plummets, leaving you drained and exhausted. Now in a state of emergency because your adrenal glands (also responsible for the secretion of sex hormones) are secreting extra cortisol - the so-called flight or fight hormone - in an attempt to replenish your system's sugar levels because glucose (which all food is converted into) is essential fuel for every body system. Over time, too much cortisol stimulated by chronic low blood sugar levels weakens your adrenal glands to the point where they produce lower levels of sex hormones thus potentially leading to a hormone imbalance that impacts fertility.

Overly high insulin levels result from high blood sugar. In order to get all this sugar out of the blood and into cells, where it's converted into energy, the pancreas has to keep secreting insulin. Excess insulin secretion eventually causes insulin resistance, which is known to be associated with infertility.

In summary, the answer, to anyone’s infertility issues are, individual. You can however give yourself a fighting chance by getting real with where you are at mentally and physically. Then do your best to get as healthy as possible in both realms without going to extremes. In other words, leave your loved ones alone! Never be an extremist, keep yourself in perspective. Being extreme is okay for a detox but permanently it's just annoying and an unhealthy mindset.

Oh and lay off the refined sugar! :)

If you have any more questions, drop me a line

Best wishes and good luck,

Sarah
 

Promote Healthy Eating Amongst Your Peers...

“How can I promote healthy eating among the staff at school?
We are part of the way.”

What a great question, and a difficult quest.

The question when trying to promote an ideal is at what point does it become enforcing the ideal? Healthy eating – whilst necessary and required for all human beings is still an individual choice and ultimately you can’t MAKE people choose to be healthy. You can however provide them with the information that they need to make an informed decision. Education about the apple in the Garden of Eden is one thing but removing the temptation is perhaps just as, if not more effective.

The reason why we make bad choices when it comes to food is often due to a lack of education. That is not to say that we haven’t been told, but just that we all too quickly forget. Often the only thing we remember when we go to eat something a little naughty is, that we might gain a little weight or our teeth may suffer. Yet sugar does more than rot your teeth, bad fats do more than make you fat, wheat, dairy, gluten and nuts may be the wrong thing for some people and the right thing for others.

So we need to promote healthy eating with education. Maybe it’s time to get a notice board in your staff room solely for health, drop copies of health articles on the chairs and tables in the staffroom and send out emails of fascinating stuff you have found like my series of articles “Have You Read the Label?

You can this exercise interactive, provide a roster, encouraging other staff members to be responsible for finding a week’s information. If you start reading it regularly, you will find it easier to adopt a healthy lifestyle.  

You could start a recipe of the week club in your staffroom. Again maybe using the roster idea or just making sure someone different is volunteering each week to provide a quick, easy and tasty recipe. People need to be involved with their food. They need to learn to love the flavours, the subtleties and the richness of good food. You can even go a step further and start placing some of the information and recipes in your newsletters to parents. In this way you will make the information so available that the whole community will soak up the knowledge. 

Mainly situated in secondary schools, vending machines can pose a problem as they ensure temptation is always there. Vending machines  can also provide schools with money and can be hard to remove from schools because of contractual and other obligations. Why not therefore insist that the supplier only stocks the machine with healthy options. Looking at the bigger picture, if enough schools and organisations insisted on only stocking healthy products in them, it would be uneconomic for vendors to supply anything else.  

You could also place a healthy option by the vending machine or in a location that students and teachers will pass before they reach the machine such as a water cooler or in the staffroom an honesty box for a bowl of fruit and herbal or fancy black tea bags at cost price. Quite often a lack of pull on their purse strings may be enough to change their snack habits to healthier options.
Be aware though that the temptation will still be there and the pull of the sugary demon will prove too great for some to resist.  

Finally provide some jugs of water with some lemon or mint leaves everywhere you can. Add a few drops of stevia or a squeeze of lime or orange. You can even make your own iced tea using diluted green or white tea. Add flavours as above, a little raw honey (Be careful not to boil your honey) or stevia if it’s in your budget to make a refreshing cold drink. Water itself helps keep you alert and stifles cravings. Green or white tea and lemon or mint also does the same.

Well I hope this helps with your quest. If you’re already doing all of this then feel free to provide me with more specific details as to your efforts and your glitches.

Good Luck
Sarah Brook