naturalfamilymedicine

Dr Davis's L-Reuteri Yoghurt

Sat, 25 Nov 2023 04:16:11 GMT

L-Reuteri Yoghurt, recipe hints and suggestions for my patients

To make your yoghurt you will need a yoghurt maker that has a low setting as L- Reuteri likes the temperature to be around 37C - 38C (100F) and a cooking thermometer. See https://www.luvele.com.au/collections/yoghurt-maker#starters

You can also use a sous vide, or a multi cooker as some have a yoghurt setting or a sous vide setting and also act as a slow cooker, air fryer and pressure cooker.

Dr Davis's original recipe used a milk product, available in America, called "half and half", this milk is 16% fat and makes a thick creamy yoghurt. In Australia our full cream milk is 4% fat and will make a thinner yogurt. It is also more likely to curdle. The Luvele test kitchen worked out that heating the milk to 82C and holding the temperature for 20 to 30 minutes will prevent the curdling effect. You can also add extra cream to the milk for a richer creamier result.

It is best to use organic milk and pure cream without additives

Look for Paris Creek Farms organic milk in Coles and Foodland, and either Dairy Farmers pure cream or Fleurieu pouring cream. Aldi have Farmdale organic milk and Farmdale pouring cream.

You can use goat's milk or sheep's milk.

I have added 200 to 300mls of cream to one litre of milk with good results, the total yield will be 1200 to 1300mls of yoghurt.

Before you start wash your yoghurt container with hot soapy water and pour boiling water over your equipment (spoons, whisk, thermometer, small bowl), or briefly immerse them in a pot of simmering water, to sterilize.

Ingredients

1 litre organic milk

200 to 300mls of pouring cream

2 tablespoons of potato starch/flour or inulin

10 tablets of Bio Gaia Gastrus probiotic (or 1/3 cup of yoghurt from your previous batch)

Method

Heat the milk and cream in a double boiler, if you don't have one place the saucepan of milk in a larger pot filled with boiling water. Use your thermometer to watch as the temperature increases, when it reaches 82C, turn down the heat and hold the temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

You then need to cool the milk to 30 to 36C. You can place your saucepan in cold or iced water to speed it up.

Crush the probiotic tablets into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle or place them is a small plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Pour about 1/2 cup of the cooled milk into a small bowl and stir in the potato starch or inulin and your crushed probiotic. Let it stand for a few minutes and then add back into the pot of milk.

If you are using a portion from your previous batch, blend this into your small bowl with 1/2 cup of cooled milk and the potato starch or inulin. It is not necessary to add any more tablets at this point even though you may see some people suggesting this on various blog posts.

Pour the milk into your yoghurt container, cover and place into the yoghurt maker. To set up the yoghurt maker, follow the manufacturers instructions, ( Luvele require water to surround your yoghurt container/s) and set the temperature to 37C - 38C and the timer to 36 hours. Leave it to ferment in a safe place on the kitchen bench where it wont be disturbed.

When done, carefully place the yoghurt in the fridge for about 4 hours, to set before using.

Please listen to Dr Davis talk about the health benefits of this probiotic yoghurt in these interviews. You will also pick up many other tips and advice from his experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bp2pMojNZo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl-i2aBw-ew

Coconut milk

You can make a plant based yoghurt with coconut milk but you will have to add gelatin or agar agar if you want the thick consistency of yoghurt. You will also have to add 1 teaspoon of sugar to feed the bacteria.

Agar must be heated to 87⁰C and held at that temperature for 5 minutes to activate. Gelatin will also need to be heated and held until dissolved. It is not necessary to hold coconut milk for any longer.

Follow the same basic instructions for dairy milk (as above)

For best results use 3 x 400ml cans of Honest to Goodness organic coconut milk

2 teaspoons of agar powder or 1 1/2 tablespoons of gelatin

2 tablespoons of potato starch or inulin

1 teaspoon of sugar

10 tablets of Bio Gaia Gastrus probiotic

Making the next batch

Reserve some of your first batch for subsequent batches. You need 1/3 cup of yoghurt to inoculate the next batch.

I froze 3 portions of my first batch for later use. Luvele recommend using some of the previous batch to inoculate the next batch 4 or 5 times to reduce the risk of contamination over time. After 4 weeks of happy yogurt making I started again with one of my frozen portions. This way your 10 tablets will keep you making yoghurt for up to 20 batches.

Is a hidden virus dragging you down?

Sun, 17 Feb 2019 05:20:56 GMT

The most common cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may be a past infection with Epstein Barr Virus.

While there are also other viruses and indeed other factors that can lead to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the most common cause would seem to be the Epstein Barr virus that causes Glandular Fever. After the first bout with this virus which can be mild or severe and last for one to 6 weeks this virus which is part of the herpes family will retreat to your spine and stay there.

In some people, every now and then it will resurface and try to spread it's joy around the world only to be pushed back by their immune system. Over time the immune system becomes weary and the person becomes increasingly weary.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is one of the most common conditions I see in my practice and fortunately if we can identify an underlying viral infection as the cause it is not difficult to treat and recovery will begin in a few weeks.

So how can you tell if this is a cause of your fatigue?

Firstly we look for signs and symptoms. Typically there will be a sore throat, this may be every day on waking but pass as the day wears on, or it may surface every 6 to 12 weeks. The glands in the neck will swell; again this may seem to be daily or may come and go every 6 to 12 weeks. There may be fatigue that puts you in bed for a few days and I have seen some patients when this can last a week or more . Some people will merely note that they feel like they are coming down with something but then it quickly clears up and they move on.

The thing that differentiates this from picking up cold several times a year is that the symptoms and duration will always be the same. Cold and flu viruses have their own signature; they appear with certain symptoms that will be the same in all the people they infect but they will be different from other viruses.

Another way to confirm you have an underlying virus is with blood tests. You can be tested for antibodies to the Epstein Barr virus and several other suspect viruses like Ross River and Cytomegalovirus. Because these viruses lurk in your body there will always be some antibodies to confirm a past infection.

If there is an underlying virus a full blood count will give a few clues with the white blood cells showing as generally low. The Lymphocytes are the cells that fight viral infections and will be elevated in an acute infection however in a chronic condition they will be low, usually below the normal resting level of 2. The percentage of lymphocytes however will usually be high, above 40% which tells us the immune system is struggling to keep up the fight and make enough white blood cells and is putting all its efforts towards making lymphocytes.

Another indication is when the Neutrophil to Lymphocyte ratio is below 2.

If this is starting to sound like your life story no doubt you would like to know what to do about it. You probably already know that your doctor hasn't been able to help much other than treat the symptoms as they arise. This may be antibiotics for what looks like recurrent tonsillitis, headache pills, anti-anxiety or anti-depression pills, amphetamines to pick you up and pills to put you to sleep. None of these help you with the cause of the problem.

How is it treated with Naturopathic Medicine?

In my practice I use herbal and nutritional medicine to address the underlying virus and other factors causing the syndrome. I may start with an antiviral treatment or support the patient in other ways first if I think they are too depleted to successfully work with the virus.

The herbs I use are antiviral, immune boosting and supportive of the adrenal glands; this treatment is usually continued for six weeks. I will also support the patient with an anti-inflammatory diet and other nutritional or herbal medicine as needed.

What can you expect in terms of recovery?

You should notice subtle changes in the first week, energy usually starts to pick up in week two to three. By week six you know you are feeling better.

Following on there will be an additional treatment for a few months to consolidate the therapy so that you don't experience a relapse.

For more information contact Linda Lowen on 8395 2836

Thyroid Disorders

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 05:26:44 GMT

Misdiagnosed and Poorly Managed

When I see three patients misdiagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis in 2 weeks it makes me wonder how many are out there?

The diagnosis of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (HT) relies on the demonstration of circulating antibodies to thyroid antigens (thyroperoxidase and thyroglobulin) and reduced echogenicity on thyroid ultrasound in a patient with supporting clinical features.

Most patients that come to me with a diagnosis of HT have not been tested for antibodies or been given an ultrasound. They have merely had elevated Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) above 4.00mU/L on two consecutive blood tests and in some cases there has only been one test. I will send them back to their doctor for an antibody test before I consider treatment.

Typically TSH levels increase when the production of Thyroid hormones fall. In Hashimoto’s a fall in hormone production is due to damage of the thyroid gland by antibodies.

The most common cause of elevated TSH in the absence of antibodies is nutritional deficiency. Oops, did I say nutritional? Yes, and there you have the reason why patients are told they need to take a drug to replace a loss of thyroid hormone production (even though it is NOT an autoimmune condition) - Doctors don’t do NUTRITION.

What nutrients are needed?

The most obvious one is iodine and it was added to table salt in the 1920’s to overcome deficiency in people living in regions with low levels of iodine in the soil. Of course table salt fell out of favour in the 1980’s when it was linked to increased risk of high blood pressure.

The next one is tyrosine is an amino acid that forms the backbone on the thyroid hormone. Two tyrosine molecules with 4 iodine atoms is known as thyroxine or T4, enzymes can remove one iodine to form triiodothyronine or T3 the more active form of the hormone. Tyrosine is obtained from eating meat.

Selenium is needed by the enzymes that do the conversion, nutrients that are needed in production and function of the hormone include iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin B2.

In most cases of deficiency a well selected supplement program and dietary change will see significant improvement in 3 months. It will then be determined what nutrients should be supplemented for the long term and what foods need to be consumed regularly. This is a very different outcome to taking a drug for the rest of your life and takes into account the individual patient’s needs.

I recently saw a man who had been diagnosed with HT seven years ago and had been taking thyroid hormone replacement since then. He brought in copies of all his blood tests taken over that time. It turns out that he tested negative for antibodies in the beginning and again more recently. The misdiagnosis and poor management of this patient had led to other health problems which severely impacted on this man’s quality of life. He had been bedridden for some time and unable to work for 2 of those years. We are hoping that with some time spent with diet and nutritional supplementation he will be able to wean off the unnecessary medication in a few months.

In another case a 48 year old woman had been told she had a “thyroid disorder” and was prescribed thyroid hormone replacement following a slightly elevated TSH level even though T4 levels were not too low. This patient had tried dieting ( including fasting) to lose weight and manage elevated blood glucose levels over the previous few months. The elevated TSH could have been a result of the stress placed on the body and nutritional deficiencies due to the fasting regimen. I didn’t treat this case as a thyroid disorder at all but gave her more appropriate dietary guidelines and prescribed some nutritional supplements. I recommended retesting TSH in 3 months to see how things are going.

If you are reading this and beginning to wonder if you have been misdiagnosed the first action to take is contact your doctor and ask if you have been tested for thyroid antibodies.

Please contact me if you would like more information.

Linda Lowen

Lectins, Phytates and Enzyme Inhibitors; Anti-nutrients That are Best Avoided

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 05:55:56 GMT

Most people would agree, that if you want to improve your health, the first step is to improve your diet. It makes sense to remove processed foods from your diet that contain chemical additives and preservatives, but many people are not aware, that some wholefoods contain components we call anti-nutrients, that make them difficult to digest and can cause your body considerable harm.

In this video I will discuss the anti-nutrients in nuts, seeds, grains, beans and lentils and show you how easy it is to neutralize them with some simple preparation you can do yourself at home.

I have included the transcript below.

The three most common anti-nutrients are lectins, phytic acid (also called Phytates) and enzyme inhibitors. Grains, beans and lentils contain all three. Nuts and seeds contain less phytic acid and more enzyme inhibitors.

In 2008 I became much more aware of the dangers of eating grains and started recommending a grain free diet to all my patients rather than a gluten free diet. Grains are seeds of grass plants and this group includes wheat, spelt, khorasan, kamut rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, sorghum, and teff. All grains contain complex molecules called lectins within the seed coat, lectins are actually a pesticide, and are there to protect the grain from being eaten. Lectins are difficult for us to break down or digest and can puncture holes in the cells that line the digestive tract leading to inflammation and damage, this can lead to food sensitivities, autoimmune disease, in fact any chronic disease. Gluten is a small fraction of the lectin and it is present in all grains although it will have slightly different structures in various grains. When foods containing corn, rice, millet or oats are labelled as gluten free this means they are free of a specific type of gluten called alpha gliadin, present in wheat, rye and barley. Studies have shown that 20% of Coeliacs will react to the form of gluten in corn called zein.

Lectins are found in many plant species and the next most troublesome group are legumes, including beans, lentils and chickpeas.

Nuts and seeds contain valuable minerals and fats and for people on a grain free diet they can be used to substitute flours in baking. Therefore they may be consuming more nuts and seeds than usual. The anti-nutrients in nuts and seeds of concern are phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. The phytic acid will bind strongly to the minerals in nuts and seeds making them unavailable to us and will also bind to minerals that have been consumed in other foods, so eating a lot of foods with phytic acid may lead to mineral deficiencies.

Enzyme inhibitors prevent all types of seeds from germinating prematurely; they will switch off when the growing conditions are favourable, with enough water and sunshine for germination to proceed. When we consume enzyme inhibitors they can bind to our digestive enzymes making them ineffective and reducing our ability to digest the food. Most people will be fine eating a small number of nuts for example but a large handful can lead to a sensation of fullness, bloating and other signs of indigestion.

We can remove a good deal of these anti-nutrients by activating, sprouting and fermenting. All of these processes begin with soaking in water. To remove phytic acid the water should be acidic so we add some vinegar or lemon juice, the acidity will activate an enzyme called phytase that will break down the phytic acid. Because there is less phytic acid in nuts and seeds we add salt which helps reduce the enzyme inhibitors.

I generally would recommend patients stay on a grain free diet but for some people we can allow the grains that are easier to digest. The process here is called sprouting and it takes about 24 hours. To sprout brown rice start by soaking the rice in water with some vinegar overnight, in the morning drain it into a colander and give it a good rinse. You can leave it resting in the colander until dinner time. Give it another rinse and cook it in plenty of water. This process will also change the structure of sugars and actually reduce the amount of available sugars while increasing the protein. Without this process cooked rice contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar in one cup. These sugars are very difficult to digest and can disturb the balance of bowel flora leading to bloating. You can repeat the rinsing process for another day to increase protein and reduce the sugars a little more.

While not technically grains, buckwheat and quinoa can be treated in the same way. Make sure you rinse the quinoa very well before soaking to remove the bitter saponins. Keep rinsing until there are no soap bubbles to be seen.

If you like to have oats porridge, soak the oats overnight in filtered water, the next step is simply to cook them in the morning. All grains require cooking so never eat raw oats.

The process of preparing nuts and seeds is called activating, they are soaked in water and then dehydrated. Most nuts and seeds will soak in salty water for 12 hours, almonds are best soaked for 24 hours and cashews should be limited to 3 to 6 hours or they will go slimy. You can use a dehydrator to dry them out but I like to dry my nuts and seeds in the sun in summer, I lay them out on a towel covered with a sheer fabric as I found seeds can stick to the towel, another sheer fabric goes over the top to keep them clean and hide them from the birds. In good warm weather seeds can take a few hours, nuts can take a day to a day and a half. In the cooler months I will place them on baking trays and put them in the oven. I keep the temperature at 50 to 70 degrees Celsius. Make sure your nuts are really dry and crisp before you store them. They should be kept cool, I like to keep mine in the fridge.

Flaxseeds and chia seeds contain good amounts of soluble fibre which will support the healthy bowel flora and I recommend them to all my patients, especially those with sluggish bowels or constipation as the soluble fibre will also act as a gentle laxative. I often find patients have these seeds at home in their pantry but don’t know what to do with them. Here are a few ideas on how to add them to your breakfast.

Chia seeds are soft shelled and don’t need to be ground but flaxseeds do as their shells are very hard and difficult to digest.

Chia seeds can hold 9 times their weight in water so it is best to soak them in some water first to create a gel, they can then be added to smoothies or stirred into yoghurt. You can easily add more fibre to your diet by spreading the gel on toast or pancakes.

Simply add coconut cream to the gel and you have chia pudding, you could add vanilla and some sweetening or even raw cacao.

For an instant porridge add hot water to chia and ground flaxseed and stir until fluffy, I like to add tahina paste for texture. You can incorporate ground sunflower and pumpkin seeds for a smooth porridge or add these seeds whole for texture and crunch. Stir through stewed or chopped fresh fruit, add nuts, coconut and cinnamon if you like it.

Ground flaxseed can be used as a flour to make high fibre cookies, muffins, crackers and breads.

For simple pancakes with added fibre blend together a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds, buckwheat flour and tapioca flour with a little baking powder. Mix in an egg, you may need a little water. Top them with anything you like, avocado and smoked salmon, berries and coconut cream, or stewed fruit and yoghurt. You can add mashed banana or grated apple to the batter mix for a sweet pancake.

Ground flaxseeds can be made as a tea which will act as a gentle laxative for constipated bowels. Grind 2 teaspoons of flaxseed, pour over 1 cup of boiling water and stir. Let it sit for 10 minutes to draw out the soluble fibre, you can add a T Bag to flavour it or stir in cocoa for a hot chocolate. This is so gentle you can strain it and add it to a bottle for a baby or give it to toddlers.

Finally we will take a look at beans and lentils. These are extremely difficult to digest and take the most time to prepare. Essentially all you have to do is put the beans or lentils in a jar, add pure water, vinegar or lemon juice, then let sit overnight. The acid medium serves as a catalyst to initiate the culturing/fermenting process that enables phytase to be released. Use 1 tablespoon for every cup of water. Cover the jar with a cloth rather than a tight lid, or you can simply leave them in the colander. Let them sit for a 2 to 3 days, rinsing every 6 to 12 hours. They are ready to cook when they have grown a root fibre at least 5 mm in length. They can be dried off and stored in a container in the fridge for a few days or cooked and frozen.

You can use a seed sprouter to grow sprouts that you can add to salads. The basic technique is the same, start by soaking overnight, rinse then transfer to your sprouter. You can sprout broccoli, mustard, alfalfa, kale, or sunflower seeds, mung beans, lentils and more. Keep rinsing 2 or 3 times a day until you get a root fibre, a stem and two leaves.

Now you know how easy it is to activate and sprout these whole foods you can really improve your diet for better health.

Diet Changes Improve Eczema in Four Weeks

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 05:16:44 GMT

Both eczema and psoriasis are potentially allergic conditions that can be triggered by common foods, environmental factors and dozens of other external irritants like laundry detergent, soaps and household chemicals.

These inflammatory conditions of the skin are slightly different conditions, but the terms are often used generically for any itchy, red, scaly skin problem.

While psoriasis is known as an autoimmune condition eczema is referred to as an allergic condition. The important thing is that neither of them are actually skin conditions they are both mediated by an imbalance in the immune system and made worse by poor detoxification and elimination by the liver and kidneys.

Conventional wisdom will tell you that these conditions are “ poorly understood ”, “ may have a genetic origin” and that “ there is no cure ” but with medication (for the rest of your life) & expensive creams that don’t really seem to work your condition “ can be controlled ”.

Hydro-cortisone cream or ointment is the most commonly prescribed conventional treatment for eczema and psoriasis. This is a strong and toxic medicine of limited effectiveness. Long-term use of steroid creams can result in side effects, such as thin, fragile, dry skin and even suppression of the adrenal glands. For these reasons, medications of this kind can only be used for short periods of time, which is not very helpful to the chronic sufferer.

I recently saw Riley, a 9 year old boy who had been suffering with eczema since he was born, his parents were offered very little hope as the problem was obviously hereditary; his father, grandfather and uncle all suffered with it.

Some people had suggested that he might “grow out of it” so Mum patiently waited but after a severe flare-up that required oral cortisone and no end in sight she sought my help.

The rash was all over Riley’s body again and had recently extended to his face. It was very itchy and prevented him from getting off to sleep.

We made some general changes to his diet by eliminating dairy and wheat products and sent off a hair sample for our Bio-Compatibility test to see what foods were really causing the trouble. After 4 weeks of dietary changes and treatment with one specific probiotic strain Riley’s rash was all clear from his face, chest and back. His arms had a little left inside the elbows and there was still a small amount on his legs. To his Mum's surprise Riley had participated in the annual school swimming program for a week without the usual exacerbation.

Riley understood the connection between food and the skin after a serve of ice cream, which had tested as not compatible, had caused a flare up. He was now reading food labels himself and had become aware of how many additives and preservatives were in common everyday foods.

Changing his diet hadn’t been easy, especially for Mum, but Riley had noticed other things were improving that made it very worthwhile; he was doing much better in school and was really able to concentrate in lessons and with his homework, his hay fever and sinus congestion had cleared up, his morning backache was gone, headaches were less often and his rumbling tummy had settled.

Riley’s Bio-Compatibility test showed that he was reacting to these common foods; Banana, nectarine, strawberries, tomato, capsicum, pork, cola, lemonade, honey, curry powder, milk, ice cream, cheese, white and wholemeal bread. Riley will need to avoid these foods for 6 months in which time most of them should correct and may be added back into the diet. Because Riley had suffered with chronic eczema for almost ten years he will most likely have to follow a fairly strict gluten free/dairy free diet for the long term.

Riley's story is just one example of how Eczema and other skin conditions can be treated successfully with dietary changes, herbal and nutritional medicine. For more information contact Linda Lowen .

When Enough is Enough

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 01:28:22 GMT

After suffering side effects of antidepressant medication for 3 years Tina decided to take control of her health and address the true cause of her symptoms - Adrenal Fatigue

In 2014 Tina consulted her Doctor, she was feeling tired, rundown, wasn’t sleeping well and while she had a history of feeling anxious she had recently become more irritable. After five minutes of listening to Tina the Doctor prescribed Cymbalta a drug used to treat major depression, it is a serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitor.

Despite suffering many of the known side effects every day including diarrhoea, nausea, dry mouth, constant headache and brain fog, Tina continued to take the drug because her husband felt she was less irritable and easier to live with. She was still feeling anxious, tired and run down and wasn’t sleeping well, the constant headache and daily diarrhoea had become draining and worsened her inability to cope.

Tina came to see me desperately seeking a solution to her symptoms. After listening to her story I discovered she had experienced hormonal imbalances dating back to her teens with irregular, heavy painful periods and migraine headaches. She had been through a traumatic first marriage and divorce with court proceedings continuing for three years. She stayed in a very stressful job for 7 years and then had three job changes in 2 years, she also remarried and built a new home.

Tina had been pushing through on very low cortisol levels for 4 or 5 years, she felt ungrateful because she still wasn’t happy despite a new home with a new supportive husband. She did her best to conceal her high anxiety but it would erupt as irritability.

I suspected Tina was suffering from adrenal fatigue , her Doctor didn’t recognise it on her first appointment or indeed on any of her subsequent appointments because as I said in a previous post the mainstream medical community doesn’t recognise Adrenal Fatigue as a real condition.

Adrenal fatigue is related to the deficiency of one particular hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is your daily energy hormone, it is a long acting hormone and you get lots of it in the morning when the sun comes up, this breaks your sleep cycle and you wake up. It begins to fall off around 5.30 pm allowing serotonin to rise, this is your relaxing and digesting hormone (just in time for dinner) and this will covert to melatonin your sleeping hormone. Cortisol is also your stress coping hormone and it helps you to adapt to stressful situations and it will convert to cortisone to dampen inflammation.

If a stressful situation continues the body will increase cortisol production, if it goes on too long the adrenal glands will fail to produce enough to support your energy and help you cope with stress.

Tina had decided to stop taking the Cymbalta and had been weening off them with her GPs guidance for 4 weeks when I first saw her, she was very worried and in a state of high anxiety. Her GP had suggested she go back onto her original dose but she didn't want to turn back.

After explaining the role of her adrenal glands and putting her life events into perspective she gained confidence and we put in place some dietary and lifestyle changes along with a prescription of appropriate herbal and nutritional medicine.
In Tina’s case it was very important to address her female hormone imbalance; Tina described her PMS as feeling evil and she suffered with period pain and migraine headache for 2 to 3 days each month.

After 5 weeks Tina was feeling very much better. She was sleeping well, the night sweats had stopped, her bowels were normal, the brain fog had lifted, she was waking in the morning feeling more refreshed, her energy had increased and she had just begun exercising regularly. Her period was better with no PMS and only a slight backache. Her headaches were different, she was feeling some slight tension but there had been no migraines. She was feeling much better emotionally with a huge reduction in her anxiety.

On her first appointment with me Tina’s Blood Pressure was high at 140/95 with a heart rate of 85 beats per minute, this was a clear indication of the stress she was under. After 5 weeks it was down to 130/86 with a heart rate of 65.

Adrenal fatigue can be treated successfully with herbal and nutritional medicine, it may take several months to regain optimal function but significant improvement can be expected in a few weeks.

What is a Naturopath and why would I see one?

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 09:43:09 GMT

Professional Naturopath in Adelaide

Every day, more and more people with chronic symptoms and conditions are failing to find a well informed natural medicine practitioner who can actually make an impact in reversing their condition. This is especially true for residents of Adelaide, South Australia.

The internet has really opened up access to medical information and new research to people across the globe.

In America a new generation of medical practitioners has emerged. Known as Naturopathic Physicians or Functional Medicine Practitioners Doctors like Josh Axe, Chris Kessner, Ben Lynch, Joseph Mercola, and Peter Osborne are gaining popularity through their informative websites, blog posts, webinars, publications podcasts etc.

These doctors do the standard medical training to become our equivalent of a GP but then go on to study Herbalism, Naturopathic Philosophy and Nutritional Medicine. They are able to prescribe drugs but they think like a Naturopath Adelaide and will treat the patient holistically, often prescribing diet and lifestyle changes first, nutritional and herbal medicine next and prescription medication only if necessary.

If you are one of the many people in Adelaide who have turned to the internet for an alternative to the treatment prescribed for Migraine headaches, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Reflux, Asthma or an autoimmune condition like Thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Psoriasis or any other chronic condition, you may have been surprised at how much you can learn thanks to these dedicated practitioners.

So now you may understand that diet and lifestyle changes will make a big difference and natural medicine alternatives are available, where do you turn for support and guidance?

Highly qualified and experienced Naturopath in Adelaide

A Naturopath is a health care professional, without a medical degree, but with a very similar educational background to Naturopathic Physicians in America. Naturopaths are members Professional Associations and are listed as health care providers with Health Funds in Australia.

Linda Lowen is a qualified Naturopath based in Highbury , South Australia with over 10 years clinical experience. Call today on 08 8395 2836 to speak to a qualified naturopath and arrange a consultation!

Chronic Fatigue is More Than Feeling Tired

Sat, 02 Sep 2017 02:19:53 GMT

We can all feel tired from time to time but if your tiredness is accompanied by digestive disorders, low-grade fever or night sweats, muscle pain or weakness, headaches, insomnia, nausea, dizziness, joint pains, anxiety or depression then you could be suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

It is estimated that 250,000 Australians suffer Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) with many more going undiagnosed. While Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been recognized by the Medical profession it is still poorly understood because many doctors are not aware of the relationship to the adrenal glands. CFS is often treated by GPs with medications for individual symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, pain, infection and digestive disorders while the underlying cause continues to be ignored.

There are several causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome including underlying viral infections, chronic pain, physical or emotional trauma and food sensitivities. All of these things put an extra burden on the adrenal glands; little glands that produce stress coping hormones and anti-inflammatory hormones to name but a few. In the beginning these glands are working overtime but eventually they can’t keep up production and that’s when people start noticing the above symptoms.

If the cause of the fatigue is due to chronic stress herbs and nutrients that tonify the adrenal glands can quickly turn things around. I remember one patient, Laura, who had been suffering with fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, brain fog, anxiety, panic attacks, dizziness and nausea for several years. She pushed through her daily struggle on weekdays and would sleep most weekends away. The emotional stress actually had begun many years earlier while travelling overseas when she was involved in a natural disaster, later her marriage broke up resulting in 2 years of court hearings which coincided with working very long days.

While most people will look around to see what has changed recently, you can see that the events that lead up to the fatigue may have taken place many years earlier. At first the body will adapt to the stress and keep up with demand for more stress coping hormones like cortisol. In this phase people are dealing with the stress, often feel fine and have plenty of energy. As time goes by the production of hormones becomes diminished and symptoms can begin to slowly creep in. Symptoms may include energy fluctuations and afternoon slumps leading to sugar cravings. Insomnia and anxiety can start to show up sometimes leading to panic attacks.

Just prior to seeing me Laura had been hospitalised when her symptoms had become severe; her heart was racing and her blood pressure was very low. Despite a few days in hospital and a number of tests she was discharged not feeling any better and with no answers.

I offered Laura an individual prescription of herbal Adrenal tonics, some vitamins and minerals and other herbs to support her liver and detoxification pathways and within four weeks Laura reported that she was feeling about 70% better.

For more information click here

Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome:

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 03:55:34 GMT

And Why You Haven't Heard Of It

Do you ever feel like the hardest part of your day is getting out of bed in the morning, no matter how much sleep you have had? Ever catch yourself dozing off at work? Is your brain in a fog and unable to focus on tasks? Like many others, you are probably clueless as to why you continue to experience this unrelenting fatigue, and the only probable explanation you can think of is that you are not drinking enough coffee.

The mainstream medical community doesn’t recognize Adrenal Fatigue as a real condition; a systematic review published online by BMC Endocrine Disorders in August 2016 stated “This systematic review proves that there is no substantiation that "adrenal fatigue" is an actual medical condition. Therefore, adrenal fatigue is still a myth.”

If that is so why are there so many articles about it online, so many books written about it, so many websites dedicated to it and why is Doctor Oz talking about it?

Let’s back up a minute, they said “medical condition”, it can’t be a medical condition unless there is a blood test or other form of testing to diagnose it and most importantly a prescription medication to treat it.

If you are one of the many people feeling chronically tired and getting no help from your Doctor then please read on.

The adrenal glands are small glands located on top of the kidneys, perhaps best known for the production of Adrenaline for the fight or flight response, they produce many more hormones that help the body regulate every major physiological process in the body including metabolism, blood sugar balance, immune competence and inflammation.

Adrenal fatigue is related to the deficiency of one particular hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is your daily energy hormone, it is a long acting hormone and you get lots of it in the morning when the sun comes up, this breaks your sleep cycle and you wake up. It begins to fall off around 5.30 pm allowing serotonin to rise, this is your relaxing and digesting hormone (just in time for dinner) and this will covert to melatonin your sleeping hormone. Cortisol is also your stress coping hormone and it helps you to adapt to stressful situations and it will convert to cortisone to dampen inflammation.

If a stressful situation continues the body will increase cortisol production, if it goes on too long the adrenal glands will fail to produce enough cortisol to support your energy and help you cope with stress. One of my patients developed adrenal fatigue after a 12 month period that included caring for a sick relative, a death in the family, extra hours at work, about of the flu, and a broken wrist.

Symptoms can include any or all of the following:

• Morning fatigue. You don’t really wake up until 10 a.m., even if you’ve been up since 7 a.m.
• Afternoon “low” (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.
• A burst of energy at 6 p.m. when you finally feel better from your afternoon lull
• Sleepiness around 9p.m. to 10 p.m. However, you resist going to sleep
• A “second wind” at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally do go to sleep
• Waking at 4am and returning to sleep at 6.00am
• Cravings for foods high in salt and fats
• Chronic low blood pressure
• Sensitivity to cold and feeling chilled
• Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
• Mild depression
• Mood swings
• Mental fog
• Memory problems
• Lack of energy and feeling rundown
• A decreased ability to handle stress, anxiety or panic attacks
• A decreased ability to recover from illness
• Muscular weakness
• Increased food allergies
• Light-headedness when getting up from a sitting or lying down position
• Decreased sex drive
• Frequent sighing
• Inability to handle carbohydrates unless they’re combined with fats and protein
• You crave sugar

In the beginning you may experience highs and lows in energy over the day and be wakeful at night but if the condition continues for many months or years you may be flat and tired all day, napping in the afternoon and sleeping soundly all night only to drag yourself out of bed feeling like you haven’t slept a wink.

Your Doctor might test your iron levels and thyroid function and some people may get a B12 injection but mostly you will be offered a lot of excuses, antidepressants, sleeping pills and/ or Hormone Replacement Therapy.

So how is it that we can know so much about a condition that Doctors say doesn’t exist? In 2001 a Naturopathic Doctor in America Dr. James L. Wilson D.C., N.D., Ph.D., released a book called “Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome” and has been lecturing to physicians and the general public on the subject for 15 years.

If you are still with me and have ticked off your symptoms and suspect that you are suffering from a real condition and it’s not “all in your head” after all, no doubt you would like to know what to do about it.

If you can’t take 6 months off to go and lay under a palm tree on a pacific island then your next best option is a tailored Naturopathic approach. This starts with food selection (notice I didn’t say “diet”); taking out foods that stress the adrenal glands and the immune system like sugar and processed foods, and choosing to eat more nutritionally dense foods.

Herbal medicine, as liquids, tablets or capsules along with nutritional medicines, especially vitamins, minerals and amino acids will tone up the adrenal glands and get them running on their own steam in a matter of a few months for most people.

For more information contact Linda Lowen

How Food Intolerance Can Pose as Disease

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 02:33:06 GMT

Gastrointestinal upsets are responsible for most days off work and are the most common reason people seek medical attention. Commonly assumed to be caused by infections they can often be the result of food reactions.

Food reactions are becoming more common, spanning all generations and causing a myriad of symptoms. Much of our modern processed food with it's additives and chemicals is stressing our immune systems to over react and lose tolerance to food. These chemicals can destroy our gut bacteria and inflame and damage our gut wall leading to what is known as "Leaky Gut".

With our barrier breached undigested food particles can get into our bloodstream where our immune system reacts by making antibodies and histamine. Histamine can exacerbate the inflammation and make it more leaky and can also travel to other areas of the body creating more symptoms.

Histamine has only recently been identified as causing more than hay fever and hives. From 2010 scientists realised that the mast cells (white blood cells that release histamine) were behaving strangely and two new disorders were identified; Mast Cell Activation Disorder (MCAD) and Mastocytosis. Histamine from food reactions can masquerade as food poisoning, gastroenteritis or parasite infestation. When incorrectly treated with antibiotics the symptoms can become worse as the antibiotic treatment can make the gut more inflamed and more leaky.

Gastric inflammation caused by the histamine release can irritate the Vegus nerve; the largest nerve in the body that has branches to the chest, lungs, heart, abdominal and reproductive organs. When irritated it can send incorrect signals and produce chest pain, palpitations and numbness or pain in the shoulders or arms . These symptoms can be frightening as they mimic a heart attack. Epigastric pain and nausea can mimic a gall stone, abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting can mimic appendicitis. Many people have had their appendix or gallbladder removed after these attacks only to find it was perfectly healthy.

People with MCAD will often refer to these episodes as attacks and usually remember their first one well as they ended up in the emergency department. Attacks usually follow the same pattern and over time become more frequent. Most doctors are baffled and most patients are frustrated as the blood tests, CT scans, MRI's, X rays, colonoscopies, ultrasounds etc. fail to show any reason for the symptoms. Symptoms will settle within a few hours or days as the body breaks down the histamine and often won't return until the histamine levels in the body rise slowly to meet a threshold or rise dramatically due to ingestion of a high histamine food or a histamine reaction to a trigger food.

Treatment for these conditions has to revolve around food and our Bio-Compatibility Test is the best place to start, this way people can eliminate the foods that are at the heart of the problem. For more information contact Linda Lowen