Specific Conditions:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Low energy / Chronic fatigue Allergies / Food intolerances

Indigestion / Dyspepsia Weight Control

Migraines Persistent or frequent infections

PMS / Menopause / Infertility Cardiovascular health

Arthritis / Osteoporosis Skin Conditions

Sports or Optimum nutrition Learning difficulties / ADHD

Digestive Conditions

Indigestion / Dyspepsia refers to the range of unpleasant symptoms that can occur after eating, including bloating, cramps, wind and nausea. For many it is acid reflux (heartburn) that causes the most distress. Unlike the oesophagus, the stomach has a layer of alkaline mucous to protect itself from the litre of acid it produces each day. Stomach acid has a pH of just 2, which means it literally dissolves flesh – no wonder heartburn can be excruciatingly painful.

Conventional indigestion remedies are of limited use and often lead to other health problems. ‘Indigestion’ is exactly that – food not being digested properly, and some of the symptoms of low stomach acid mimic those of excess acid. Blocking or neutralising acid actually makes this situation worse, whereas nutritional therapy can relieve symptoms and strengthen digestion. Stomach acid is essential to destroy food-borne diseases, break down food material and absorb nutrients, so frequent use of antacids is associated with gastrointestinal infections, allergies and nutrient deficiencies.

Nutrition Therapy can help by:

· Identifying the underlying causes

· Testing stomach acidity

· Relieving symptoms

· Improving digestive function

· Addressing nutritional deficiencies

· Lab Tests: H.Pylori Test

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is diagnosed when there is disordered gastrointestinal motility for which no organic or structural cause has been found. In other words, it is a collection of characteristic symptoms that doctors don’t know the reason for. They don’t know what to do about it either - no conventional treatment of IBS has ever been proven to be effective in controlled trials. This is because IBS is a complex problem with various possible causes, and it is only by addressing those causes that successful treatment is achieved.

Characteristic symptoms include recurrent abdominal pain that may be relieved by a bowel movement, rapid transit of food, constipation, diarrhoea, or an alternation between the two, and abdominal distension and bloating. Normally bowel contents are moved along by peristalsis, a succession of rhythmical tightening and relaxation of segments of the intestine. In IBS peristalsis is stronger and more frequent. Sometimes the colon is seen to be in a state of unusual activity, contracting and relaxing in an abnormally rapid manner.

There are many theories about what causes IBS, ranging from supposed food allergies to ‘health-seeking behaviour’ (i.e. Hypochondria!). The best overall explanation is that the digestive system is strained and over-reacts to stimuli it previously handled without any problems. Eating a meal for example, is normally a gentle prompt for a bowel movement, but an irritable bowel can react with violent diarrhoea.

This is not the sort of thing that medication can resolve, and in fact some medicines may actually precipitate IBS. An irritable bowel is in distress, and trying to silence it with anti-diarrhoeas and anti-spasmodics is not the answer! Identifying causative factors and supporting the digestive system gets superb results time after time. (see Case Histories)

Nutrition Therapy can address contributory factors:

· Food intolerance

· Gut flora imbalances

· Poor digestion of food

· Low fibre intake

· Poor liver function

· Lab tests: CDSA, Parasitology

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s Disease / Ulcerative Colitis) Not to be confused with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, each form of IBD is a serious disease sometimes requiring hospital treatment. Nutritional therapy is still appropriate however, and both symptoms and long-term prospects are much improved if attention is paid to diet and nutrient status. Often the disease strikes quite suddenly, and sufferers may not told much about their diagnosis, nor given appropriate dietary advice. Conventional treatment with steroids, surgery and painkillers offers a very poor long-term outlook for IBD patients. When there are such strongly associated risk factors (e.g antibiotic use, diet, vaccinations, early weaning, the contraceptive pill) it seems illogical, if not actually negligent to regard IBD as simply the body going haywire in another supposed ‘auto-immune’ condition.

Ulcerative Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by inflammation and sores in the lining of the large intestine. Hospital treatment is vital in emergencies, but conventional drug therapy is far from satisfactory. Steroid therapy works only while it is being taken and may actually reduce likelihood of remission. The side effects of steroids include osteoporosis, high blood pressure, insomnia, altered mood and weight gain, while immunosuppressants leave patients vulnerable to other diseases. This is particularly tragic because nutrition therapy is so effective for IBD.

A major study published in April 2005 showed that a combination of three nutritional supplements was as effective as steroids. Other studies have found ground psyllium seeds as effective as the Mesalamine, the main drug prescribed for controlling symptoms. Sufferers are extremely vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies through absorption problems and the side effects of their medication. Despite this, medical orthodoxy stubbornly maintains that diet not only has nothing to with developing IBD, but that sufferers have no special dietary needs! If any advice is given on diet, it is normally to avoid fibre. This flies directly in the face of research into the causes of IBD, and the positive results of trials using fibre supplements or psyllium seeds, which are very high in fibre.

Pharmaceutical companies are at best misleading, and at worst telling outright lies. One maker of Mesalamine claims ‘No link between diet and ulcerative colitis has been established…There is no known diet for ulcerative colitis.’ Patient groups, charities and advisory bodies display a frightening passivity and lack of insight, dispensing such pearls of wisdom as: ‘Removal of the colon is curative. Normal quality of life is restored.’ Some cure.

More holistic approaches to IBD involve looking for the causes through health history and laboratory analysis. This may reveal disordered gut flora, parasites, inflammation, allergies, metabolic problems or ‘leaky gut syndrome’. Such contributory factors can be dealt with by anti-fungals, nutritional supplements and dietary changes.

Healthy Colon Mild UC Severe UC

Nutrition Therapy can help:

· Identify contributory factors, e.g. certain widely used medications, diet

· Eradicate bacterial infections, parasites, pathogenic fungi

· Restore healthy gut microflora

· Reduce inflammation

· Repair gut integrity

· Address food allergies

· Correct nutrient deficiencies caused by malabsorption / IBD medication

· Tests – Organix, CDSAP, Antioxidants

Fatigue

Lack of energy is one of the most commonly experienced health problem of all. It ranges from sluggishness in the morning or an afternoon slump, to avoidance of activity or the constant exhaustion of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There are many possible causes of low energy, and various treatment options.

‘Tired All The Time’ (TATT) is often linked to adrenal gland function, and difficulties with handling carbohydrates. A diet high in refined foods (e.g. white bread, cakes and biscuits) can lead to low levels of B-vitamins and other nutrients crucial for energy production and good adrenal function. Stress, refined foods, and stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine can all contribute to feeling ‘tired all the time’. (See Adrenal Stress Index)

Low testosterone can be a problem, particularly with a stressful lifestyle. This is because the body prioritizes the manufacture of short-term stress hormones, leaving less scope for making testosterone. (See Testosterone Screen)

Insomnia is something most people have experienced with the occasional sleepless night, but chronic insomnia is a growing problem, with thousands of prescriptions of sedative hypnotics written every year. The two main categories of insomnia are ‘sleep-onset insomnia’ and ‘sleep-maintenance insomnia’, but many people experience both. Sleeping pills create a vicious cycle because they disrupt normal sleep, creating dependency on sedatives and stimulants.

Stress causes problems with sleep by affecting our hormones, but hormone balance can be upset and keep you wide awake when you don’t feel stressed at all.

Nutritional therapy can help by:

· Identifying hormone imbalances such as cortisol and melatonin

· Identifying any foods, drinks and medications that may be responsible

· Improving digestive function, which is often reflected in sleep patterns, with many insomniacs being constipated.

· Addressing blood sugar control – low blood sugar often causes waking in the middle of the night

· Increasing nutrients and foods that aid relaxation and hormone balance

· Tests – ASI, Melatonin

Chronic fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia is characterised by profound and persistent exhaustion, with many sufferers experiencing depression and problems with sleeping, concentrating and performing day-to-day activities. Fibromyalgia has the additional symptom of muscular pain. No specific cause has been agreed on, but there does appear to be an immune component. Many patients recall a flu-like illness before the onset of the fatigue, and symptoms do suggest a lingering viral infection. Candidiasis (systemic fungal infection) has also been strongly linked to CFS.

Nutrition Therapy can help by:

· Addressing underlying causes

· Boosting immune function (nutrient deficiency is the main cause of low immune function)

· Alleviating symptoms with appropriate botanicals

· Tests: Chronic Fatigue Screen; Candida Antibody; Epstein-Barr Virus

Thyroid Disease The thyroid gland controls the rate of your metabolism, so an over-active thyroid leads to weight loss, hyperactivity, high temperature and so on, while an under-active thyroid (hypothyroidism) leads to weight gain, fatigue and coldness. A common cause of hypothyroidism is medical treatment (surgery or radiation) to treat hyperthyroidism (over-activity of the thyroid gland).

There is something of an epidemic of low thyroid function, particularly among women – most of us know at least one friend or relative affected. Furthermore, many case go unrecognised because of over-reliance on blood tests instead of symptoms. Standard blood tests are fundamentally flawed, to the extent that patients with low thyroid function can appear on paper to be hyperthyroid.

Mineral imbalances are often involved, so if possible, it is best to investigate this possibility before synthetic hormone medication. Certain metallic elements are notorious for interfering with the thyroid gland, for example lithium and mercury. Deficiencies of others like zinc and selenium have been shown to induce hypothyroidism. Levels of iodine that are both too low and too high are known to cause hypothyroidism.

Nutrition Therapy can help by:

· Providing symptom – based assessment of thyroid function

· Provide superior laboratory analysis of thyroid hormones

· Addressing thyroid disruptors (e.g. mercury)

· Correcting nutrient imbalances

· Supporting thyroid and adrenals with glandular supplements

· Tests – Thyroid Screen, Urine Thyroid, HMA

Immune Health Immunity isn’t just about colds and flus, disease that comes from outside the body. Immune cells are patrolling the body all the time, seeking out and destroying invaders but also the body’s own rogue cells. This is why low immune function is associated with diverse diseases such as endometriosis and cancer. Recurrent or ongoing infections, even mild coughs or cold sore outbreaks, are signs that the immune system is weakened and the body more prone to disease generated with its own tissue as well as by external infective agents.

The effect of stress and emotions on immunity is rightfully being recognised, but nutrient deficiency is without question, the most common cause of low immune function. Certain other dietary factors such as sugar, alcohol and protein also have considerable effects on immune function.

Asthma With almost one in six children affected, it’s easy to forget that asthma is not a normal human characteristic. As a disease of developed countries and with ever-increasing rates, the belief that asthma is a genetic condition is no longer tenable.

In recent years, research has found major correlations between asthma incidence and the use of antibiotics (whether by the child or the pregnant mother). Pre-natal and early nutrition is strongly implicated too - breast-feeding, iron, selenium, vitamin E, oily fish, and saturated fat are all protective, while cheap vegetable oils (margarine, processed foods) should be minimised.

A normal immune system has mechanisms to prevent the sort of over-reactions and inflammation seen in asthma. It’s only to be expected that from time to time the odd bit of dust or animal fluff will get breathed in or swallowed, and regulator cells are there to prevent the immune system reacting as if this foreign matter was an infection. However when antibiotics have depleted the body’s friendly bacteria, there may be an over-growth of yeast, and yeast actually suppresses the regulator cells. This may be why antibiotic use / yeast overgrowth is linked to numerous other inflammatory conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ulcerative Colitis.

There is also increasing evidence that benign bacteria naturally present in soil and water and even parasitic worms help regulate our immune responses. This is the basis of the hygiene hypothesis, which argues that just as an adult after a lonely childhood might lack social skills, after a childhood of vaccines, antibiotics, sterilised houses and refrigerated food, an immune system might lack the skills to interact appropriately with foreign proteins.

Any child under two years old given antibiotics ought to be treated with this in mind. It is perfectly possible to re-inoculate the gut with friendly bacteria, and modify the diet or take supplements to discourage yeasts. If you or your child already has asthma, nutrition therapy can be expected to yield significant improvements.

Tests: Yeast Antibodies; Organix

Persistent or frequent infections There are so many environmental and biological forces of infection, degeneration, and malignancy it’s amazing that we’re not ill all the time! Your immune system is a mind-bogglingly sophisticated defence force, stopping countless invaders before they can ever produce so much as a sneeze. If an infection does manage to take hold, you are ill only for as long as it takes the immune system to manufacture enough cells to destroy the invader. All this activity requires considerable resources and energy, which is why nutrition is so important for disease resistance.

Recent research has found there is some truth in the advice ‘Feed a cold, starve a fever’. With plenty of food coming in, the immune system generates the particular cells that destroy bacteria that cause respiratory infections. The fever triggered by a viral infection is usually accompanied by loss of appetite – this encourages the immune system to produce anti-viral cells.

It’s not just yourself that is what you eat. Any resident organisms or would-be invaders will be taking their nutriment from yours, so it can make a big difference knowing which foods to increase and which to avoid.

These are just two examples of how profoundly your diet affects your ability to resist and recover from infections.

Food Allergies and Intolerances There is a great deal of confusion about food intolerance and food allergy. The idea that individuals need to avoid certain foods is quite fashionable and people are often advised to exclude all sorts of foods, quite erroneously. Equally, many people find their symptoms vanish or improve greatly after cutting out certain foods, yet sometimes these are foods which never caused them problems before. What is going on?!

The symptoms of actual food allergies are caused by immune reactions, whereas food intolerance has more to with digestive function, the health of the gut wall and the balance of gut micro-flora. The picture is further complicated by the possibility of delayed (Type B) immune reactions, and by the association of classic allergy problems (such as asthma and eczema) with the same digestive problems found in food intolerance.

It’s important to properly investigate suspected food intolerances because exclusion diets aren’t just inconvenient but can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Food allergies involving delayed reactions can be treated with temporary exclusion or rotation diets, while intolerances can often be resolved by supporting digestion or correcting imbalanced microflora.

Tests – FACT, IgE

Weight Control

There is only one cause of excess weight:

Energy intake >energy use = stored energy

This doesn’t mean that overweight people don’t feel genuinely hungry, or eat more than other people. It just means that the equation is out of balance. There are lots of different reasons for that imbalance, such as hormone imbalances, low thyroid function, and nutritional deficiencies. Emotional issues often play a role too, even though they may not be consciously connected with eating patterns. Short-term diets fail because whatever the underlying cause of the energy imbalance may be, it must be addressed if long-term change is to be achieved.

Nutrition Therapy helps address:

· Diet myths, unhelpful food choices and dietary habits

· Blood sugar imbalance (fat storage, hunger and fatigue)

· Food intolerances (fatigue, abdominal weight)

· Nutrient deficiencies (slow metabolism, cravings, low energy)

· Thyroid problems (slow metabolism, too tired to exercise)

· Inactivity (exercise can reduce appetite)

· Dehydration (fluid retention, ‘false hunger’)

· Yeast overgrowth / parasites (stimulate appetite, upset blood sugar)

· Hormone imbalance (excess oestrogen and cortisol promote fat storage)

· Liver (compromised digestion, release and storage of energy)

· Essential fats (metabolism; appetite, hormone balance, depression)

· Tests – Insulin Resistance, FACT, Thyroid, ASI, Hormone profiles, PCOS

Hormones

Premenstrual Syndrome PMS can manifest in one or more symptoms ranging from mood swings and cravings to acne and headaches. Whether it’s mild or severe, it’s not something you have to be stuck with. Conventional medicine will tell you that diet has nothing to do with it, and offer the pill to blank out your natural cycle.

In fact your diet has a profound effect on the way your body processes hormones. Many of the symptoms of PMS are due to higher demand for certain nutrients not being met.

Nutrition Therapy can help

Detoxification of excess hormones

Provide optimal levels of relevant nutrients

Alleviate symptoms such as mood swings, bloating, headaches and acne

Menopause

Many women experience unpleasant symptoms during the menopause, but are unhappy about taking HRT. There are various health concerns connected with the menopause, all of which can be addressed through nutritional therapy. (See Menopause Profile)

Fertility & Healthy Pregnancy Many couples nowadays find themselves diagnosed with ‘unexplained infertility’. This is not the sort of ‘diagnosis’ that can justify their automatic consignment into the trauma and expense of IVF treatment. If you think nutrition doesn’t affect your fertility, here’s just one example. In order to fertilise the egg, each sperm cell produces an enzyme at its tip that dissolves the protective wall just enough for it to enter. This enzyme cannot be manufactured without zinc, a very commonly deficient nutrient. No zinc, no enzyme, no conception. So do fertility clinics check zinc levels? No.

There are numerous other factors to consider, factors which you can actually DO something about. Herbs and nutrient supplements can be very helpful in rebalancing your body’s own hormone production. This is infinitely preferable to bringing in the sledge-hammer of synthetic hormones with their side-effects and rebound problems.

Endometriosis is diagnosed when endometrial tissue (cells of the womb lining) is found in sites outside the womb, for example the ovaries, fallopian tubes, ligaments, bowel and bladder. Sometimes it gets as far as the lungs, eyes, nose, knee or armpit. Once in place, this tissue naturally responds to the hormone cycle and sheds blood during periods. Sometimes the blood can escape – e.g. as nosebleeds, or in urine, but when trapped can cause inflammation, pain and even infertility.

Nowadays endometriosis is a very common gynaecological condition, and may affect 10 - 15 percent of women in the west. The condition is sensitive to oestrogen; therefore, women who have had more cycles, without a break for pregnancy and breast-feeding, will have had more exposure to oestrogen. This is partly why it is more common in childless women over the age of 30. Today, with more women putting off having children until their later years, the incidence of endometriosis-linked infertility is increasing.

Current medical theory points to a relative excess of oestrogen as the primary cause, and synthetic hormones, oestrogen-blocking drugs or surgery as the answer. However, this is a vast over-simplification and the side-effects of conventional treatment can be devastating. There is for example, a storm brewing over Leuprorelin, still routinely prescribed in the US, but increasingly recognised by endometriosis specialists as another ‘disaster drug’.

Effective treatment must address the reasons why there is an excess of oestrogen in the first place. Nobody gets endometriosis because of a deficiency of synthetic hormones! Digestion and liver function are crucial to help hormone balance. Immune function is important too, as it’s the job of the immune system to destroy the rogue endometrial tissue. Usually it is triggered by a combination of factors including hormone imbalances, stress and nutritional deficiencies, so the most effective approaches are multi-factorial.

Tests – Female Hormone Panel

Cardiovascular Health

Heart disease and strokes The importance of diet and lifestyle for preventing heart disease and strokes is now so well-publicised that it seems incredible that it was ever in question. Public health information campaigns encourage us all to eat less cholesterol and salt, get more exercise, stop smoking and eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. The reality is more complicated however, and consumers and patients alike find that much of the advice they are given is conflicting. Does a potato or tinned spaghetti in tomato sauce count towards the Five-A-Day? Are eggs bad for me? Is alcohol good for me? Butter or margarine? Should I take Aspirin?

Furthermore, new findings can take many years to gain recognition, let alone become widely known. For example, it was in 1969 that Dr McCully linked high homocysteine levels with damage to blood vessels, but it is only now that scientists are admitting that he had actually discovered the most destructive agent in heart disease. High homocysteine is why 50% of people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol.

Unfortunately, too much has been invested in the cholesterol myth to allow homocysteine to become the priority any time soon. Furthermore there is a huge market for cholesterol-lowering drugs, bypass surgery and special foods promoted as being low in cholesterol, whereas the only way to lower homocysteine is through diet and supplements. Incidentally, there is no evidence that cholesterol-lowering drugs actually prolong life at all, and there is evidence to the contrary. Proof that the drugs lower cholesterol is enough because of the false assumption that it is cholesterol that causes heart disease.

Nutrition Therapy can help by:

· Dispelling myths (cholesterol, saturated fats, low-fat diets etc)

· Identifying actual risk factors

· Providing simple, effective solutions

·