Why is that client having so many reactions to food? It’s not normal to have so many reactions to that many foods.  In the last blog that I did I talked about why people get a leaky gut and why it makes no sense to run a food intolerance test, which is just looking at another symptom. In the last blog I showed you my diagram of why people get a leaky gut and on the list are many issues such as fungus, parasites, bacteria, estrogen dominance, poor food choices etc. So why not start with key areas of assessment such as an internal terrain gut test or the thyroid, skip the expensive food allergy tests and for that matter adrenal tests, These are just symptoms of other metabolic dysfunctions. Danny Roddy wrote about adrenal fatigue and I must agree that I made a conscious decision to stop anaylising areas such as the adrenals so that clients can address areas that will bring around a resolution to their problems with assessments that yeild more bang for their buck!

Below is a childlike drawing of a leaky gut ( drawn by myself of course!)

Note the difference in structure of the villi of the healthy and unhealthy intestines. When food enters the mouth, the brain has already released enzymes in the saliva that start to break down food, prior to its arrival into the stomach. Once inside the stomach, hydrochloric acid or HCL is produced along with other key digestive chemicals that help to break down key nutrients into their most basic of structures.

Carbohydrates are broken down into sacharrides, Proteins  are degraded to amino acids Fat is broken down to triglycerides.

So here’s where some of the problems start especially when HCL production is reduced. Hydrochloric acid can often be reduced due to issues such as dehydration, low protein diets or vegetarianism, bacterial infections such as Helicobacter Pylori (which is responsible for gastric ulcers and cancers) and proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole which lower stomach acid.

As the food is only partially digested and less acidic than normal it enters the small intestine, due to its low level of HCL and acidity.  The normal stimulation of key digestive enzymes such as lipase, amylase and protease are also inhibited as the lack of acidity fails to initiate the production of cholesytekinin which triggers digestive enzymes decreasing further the digestive process.

Now you have undigested food particles hanging around the small and large intestine which becomes a breeding ground for fungus, parasites and bacteria which start to putrefy the foods in your bowel.  The net effect….gas, noxious smells and other unwanted symptoms such as bad breath, poor skin, bags under eyes, poor sleep and the list goes on and so the vicious cycle of undigested food, gut dysfunction and a leaky gut ensue.  a lot of people think that they eat healthily  but f you have a leaky gut then it is likely that you will suffer from mal-absorption and key nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and sources of energy go undigested.

As the body is becomes increasingly stressed, the hormones that regulate the mucosal barrier such as cortisol become elevated and supressed as do other hormones and the bodies primary source of defence where most of the antibodies are produced starts to diminish.

This can also be contibuted to by the thyroid, adrenals and other glands which make the digestive system dysfunctional.  If you want to find out why you have so many reactions to foods: find out what is causing it! Don’t shoot the messenger!

To book a free consult here in Dubai or across the world by skype get in touch.

A leaky gut is when the finger like projections of the intestines called the villi start to atrophy or become damaged,  inhibiting the secretions of some enzymes that break food down and leaving the tight junctions where food is ultimately absorbed into the blood stream open  to further damage and further malabsorption. The list below highlights the many factors that can cause a leaky gut.

* Antibiotics

* Degradation off the mucosal barrier through stress and factors below

* Dysbiosis- imbalance of beneficial bacteria

*  Contraceptive pill

* Fungus, bacterial or parasitic infection often all 3 are involved

* Poor food choices

* Gluten consumption

*  Environmental toxins

* Estrogen dominance

* Adrenal stress

When people often go for trendy food allergy/intolerance tests such as the 1gG4 test many people often come back with a list of multiple food reactions and are told to cut these foods out of their diet. Whilst there are many modern ‘new world’ foods that we are now exposed to, the multiple allergies that people come back with is a sign that the gut is dysfunctional and 5 or more intolerances should be considered as a sign of a leaky gut.  What many people are not told is that if you have a leaky gut,  these food intolerances can disappear once the gut has been healed which can take some months and in some cases to regain full digestive health a year or so.

To find out more about food allergies, leaky gut and getting you back to your old self get in touch!

There are many reasons why this modern dilemma is increasing with worrying proportions and to add insult to injury here are just a few problems that are symptoms of metabolic inefficiency.

• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Cancer
• Chronic fatigue
• Adrenal fatigue
• Fibromyalgia
• Infertility
• And the list could include hundreds more.

In fact the list actually contains thousands of so called medical issues that have literally every drug available to attempt to treat a so called symptom or syndrome. The side effects of these medications are usually recorded on the clinical trial. And a wide variety of symptoms such as suicidal feelings or hair loss have been recorded. Suicidal tendencies are actually a symptom many people get from taking anti-depressants, a paradox? In fact most medications replicate symptoms that you are getting from a current illness. Most gastro intestinal disease medications often cause nausea, degradation of the mucosal barrier, stomach cramps and many more.  This is where alarm bells should start ringing!

The thyroid gland is a source of many metabolic inefficiencies but many of the symptoms highlighted above can be traced back to the thyroid gland. When a person goes to the doctor and is diagnosed with high cholesterol , they are often given statin medications which prevent the synthesis of cholesterol, but also stop the production of Co Q10 which also protects the heart. Cholesterol not only a steroidal hormone but it functions as an antioxidant  and it is important not to block the synthesis of this powerful hormone and understand why we are producing it excess. But what is most important is to understand that when the thyroid is dysfunctional , cholesterol levels are often raised, cholesterol is also raised when the body is inflamed  or when poly unsaturated fatty acids are consumed.

Ray peat states ‘’Besides fasting or chronic protein deficiency, the common causes of hypothyroidism are excessive stress or aerobic exercise, and diets containing beans, lentils, nuts, unsaturated fats and undercooked broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage or mustard greens.

Most people who think that they are eating healthy and exercising appropriately are pushing themselves into hypothyroidism despite healthy intentions. Gluten consumption due to its high phytic acid consumption also affects the thyroid gland and often when people come off gluten based foods such as beer, croissants, pasta and cakes they often report feeling better almost instantly. Many people also eat a so called ‘Paleo’ diet and restrict many forms of sugar in attempt to become healthier. However the thyroid requires glucose to regulate metabolism and restricting sugar in the long term often has many detrimental effects. Furthermore those on high protein diets are often just as likely to get type 2 diabetes as the consumption of protein requires similar amounts of insulin and subsequent cortisol production to counteract the destructive effects of excessive insulin.

Common symptoms of hypothyroidism

Weakness,  Lethargy, fatigue, dry skin, coarse hair, cold intolerance, constipation, weight gain, muscle cramps, edema of eyelids, face, legs, hoarseness, hearing loss, menorrhagia, diminishing reflexes (e.g., knee jerk), bradycardia

So if a doctor doesn’t prescribe the usual statins approach to lowering cholesterol and has picked the potential metabolic decline of hypothyroidism. The patient can often be doomed to a life of taking thyroxin. Thyroxin manufacturers did a great job of rubbishing natural thyroid preparations due to the financial limiting factor that they were natural products which couldn’t be patented. However, natural thyroid products such as armour thyroid have shown to be much more efficient at converting the thyroid compounds of T4 to T3 and regulating thyroid production much more efficiently than their synthetic counterparts.

You can easily assess how well your adrenal and thyroid are functioning by completing a regular temperature test. Your body should be around 37 degrees and many of my clients who present with poor energy, toilet habits, sleep and difficulty losing weight often have temperatures around 35 degrees.  I have often found that restricting cardiovascular exercise (as they were already doing way too much!) using caffeine, sugar and dairy in the right amounts  can help to increase body temperature, thyroid function and its subsequent effect on metabolism and weight.

Before embarking on any therapeutic treatment be it medicinal or natural I recommend that every person try treating any ailment through nutrition and supplementation before resorting to synthetic  medication which often has many unwanted side effects. Good nutrition can be your own doctor!

1. Stop spending endless amounts of time doing cardiovascular exercise, it will probably make you gain weight.

2. Take time to do you weights program, stop trying lift every weight as quick as you can, slow tempos = strength.

3. Stop doing sit ups to enhance your waist, visual abdominal muscles are created in the kitchen, eat well and sleep well and you will notice the difference.

4. If you sit at a desk all day, work on exercises that promote mobility rather than trying to lift as much weight as possible.

5. Ladies get off the cardio and start lifting weights.

6. If you haven’t lost any weight despite regular exercise then consider that you may have hormonal problems that need addressing such as adrenal or thyroid issues or a potential leaky gut and food intolerance.

7. Change your program and stop doing the same exercise month in, month out.
8. Eat more saturated fat such as coconut fat, it will give you more energy and short chain fatty acids which are beneficial to digestive health.

9. Stop doing the same exercise program that your friend does, you probably need something completely different.

10. Plan for success, get a proper program for proper results!

Gelatin is a jelly like substance which is created when simmering bones and soft tissue such as ligaments and skin. Dr Francis Pottenger highlighted that gelatin contains hydrophilic colloids which means liquid attracting substances or in this case digestive juices. When food is cooked it loses these qualities and therefore eating cooked food is harder on the digestive process.  Gelatin is composed of the following amino acids

• Glycine 21%
• Proline 12%
• Hydroxyproline 12%
• Glutamic acid 10%
• Alanine 9%
• Arginine 8%
• Aspartic acid6%
• Lysine 4%
• Serine 4%
• Leucine 4%
• Valine 2%
• Phenylaline 2%
• Threonine 2%
• Isoleucine 1%
• Hydroxyline 1%
• Methionine <1%
• Histidine <1%
• Tyrosine <0.5%

Ray Peat’s work (http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/gelatin.shtml) has suggested that when the consumption of muscle meat alone is consumed, high levels of tryptophan are consumed which can increase serotonin levels, inflammation, thyroid inhibition and a depressed immune system.  The consumption of gelatin through the consumption of the whole animal helped to lower the stress caused by increased levels of tryptophan. Peat suggests the use of gelatin to enhance sleep, as glycine is a inhibitory neurotransmitter which helps to calm the nervous system and also quench free radical damage and subsequent oxidative stress.  Its use should be considered an integral part of each meal to aid in digestion and help to reduce many conditions from digestive conditions and inflammation to help lowering stress and improving sleep. The consumption of gelatin also helps to replenish the mucosal barrier of the gut which houses a large proportion of the bodies immune system in the form of secretory IgA.

You can get many commercial forms of gelatin but if you have access to a good organic butcher, purchasing animal carcasses and in particular feet which have a high amount of collagen which is  a pre-form of gelatin are particularly useful for getting good quality stock or broth. Follow these points for getting a kick ass stock.

• Place a large amount of rinsed bones in a pan.
• Cover with cold water and add a drop or two of cider vinegar to help draw more nutrients from the bones
• Slowly bring to boil temperature ( you can add a carrot, garlic and celery to add some flavour)
• Remove any scum from the top of the liquid
• Simmer for a minimum of two hours up until as long as you like  but then end result should be a cloudy liquid
• Let cool and then place in the fridge
• You can skim the layer of fat from the top and if your stock is thick enough you should have achieved a nice thick jelly like substance

You can add this too food that you eat as a digestive aid, I often encourage clients to have a broth or ramen like dish with a boiled  egg in it with a slice or two of vegetables and a handful of meat  as a filling start to the day instead of reaching for toast or the cereal box.  There’s no end to the soups and sauces that you can make with your gelatin and the health benefits are phenomenal, so it’s time you got that big pan out to improve you and your families health.

One of the most common symptoms that I see when clients present with a lack of wellbeing is hypochlorhydria or a decreased output of hydrochloric acid or HCL. This can be supressed for many reasons such as

• Bacterial infections
• Low protein  and excessive carbohydrate diets, including vegetarians
• Consumption with water at meal times
• Low levels of zinc and thiamine deficiency
• Use of medications such as proton pump inhibitors or antacids
• Alcohol  and other poor quality foods
• Inhibition of the parasympathetic nervous system through increased stress

Many people often consume large amounts of water with their food but this causes a problem in the small intestine. If the food is not sufficiently acidic when it hits the small intestine, Cholecystekinin or CCK, a hormone is not released which  enables the production of the digestive enzymes. This, along with the other factors mentioned above can allow for putrification of long chain fatty acids and proteins or maldigestion, leading to the production of gas and other unwanted symptoms.

Many signs and symptoms of hypochlorhydria include

• Gas and bloating
• Sense of fullness
• Undigested food in the stool
• Nausea after taking supplements
• Weak or cracking nails
• Dilated capillaries
• Food allergies, asthma and skin problems have also been linked to low levels of HCL

This problem becomes a viscous circle as low levels of vitamins and minerals needed for adequate HCL and gastric function are not digested appropriately.

So what can you do……..

Managing the diet is a great start and implementing the following points can help greatly

• Removing refined sugars from the diet
• Reduce alcohol consumption
• Adding gelatin or stock with each meal
• Assess for helicobacter pylori bacterial infection
• Avoid drinking water ½ an hour each side of meals
• Lower stress levels
• in some cases there may be a need to supplement with HCL and digestive enzymes

If you have problems with your digestion or unwanted symptoms please feel free to get in touch for your free consultation

It would seem these days that there has been a pill or cure designed for every ailment. Take statins for cholesterol, chemotherapy for cancers, HRT for the menopause and antibiotics for most viruses and infections.  Whilst in their day these and many other forms of medical treatment were hailed as a revolution, however  the real implications of these therapies and their detriment to the human body are becoming clear.

• Statins have been shown to increase the risk of diabetes, and are the cause of energy and muscle issues due to the inhibition of HMG Co reductase, which synthesises the antioxidant Quinone or CoQ10
• Chemotherapy  whilst killing cancer cells also decimates many healthy cells including the immune system such as the mucosal barrier that produces Secretory Immunoglobulin or SIgA
• Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT has been shown to increase the likelihood of cancers
• Antibiotics can totally eradicate the species of beneficial gut bacteria which can have many far reaching effects on the immune system and how we utilise the foods that we eat.

Each of these statements has been scientifically proven but so what you might say as for most studies so has the efficacy of each of these therapies in the management of each of these conditions. However there is an increasing amount of medical practitioners that are realising that the studies used to justify the use of primary intervention are flawed. The Jupiter study used to justify the treatment of statins was such a flawed study and a recent review in The Cochrane Report has started to question the use of statins in the management of cholesterol.  Consider that cholesterol is usually raised when there is inflammation in the body or the thyroid gland is dysfunctional, then a thought process of getting back to basics would seem more appropriate, rather than the overuse of medications to treat a symptom.

Yet still, to many of those in the medical community the concept of food and nutritional supplements as our real medicine is often frowned upon.  Simply taking a look at the production of energy, you can clearly see that Vitamins such as B1, B2, B3 and B5 are used in the production of energy and when assessing clients with chronic fatigue you can see a clear deficiency in these nutrients.

Amino acids are also, usually deficient in these conditions and Weston A. Price one of the founders of nutrition analysis and Ray Peat a nutritional scientist both make the point that broth, gained from cooking animal bones have been used in the treatment of many conditions throughout the ages. Peat highlights that this broth contains high amounts of glycine, proline and alanine which, not only have huge anti-cancer properties but help to aid in repair, are great anti-aging compounds and assist in calming the sympathetic nervous system and aiding sleep as well as improving memory.

All of these foods are easily obtained and more often than not combined with a targeted course of nutritional supplements are vital in restoring energy, brain, function and health.

Below is a testimonial from a client that I had worked with who had seen many specialists to deal with his chronic fatigue and only after assessment of his nutritional status and energy production,  was there any relief from his years of chronic fatigue.

“I’ve been dealing with chronic/adrenal fatigue recovery for the past 5 years, having been to every medical and alternative specialist in the book looking for a good explanation of what was wrong with me and why I wasn’t bouncing back. I was sure that my system was depleted somehow but every test came back saying I was fine, which I clearly wasn’t.

I eventually found a good rehab personal trainer who helped me to re-integrate good basic habits like getting quality sleep, eating quality protein and doing the right type of exercise for my condition.  He also introduced me to Keith, who ran a series of tests looking at things I’d not ever heard mentioned in 5 years of speaking to experts. And it was through these tests that Keith found an amino-acid deficiency that could be supplemented with tyrosine, which is making a big difference. I’m now about to go through the next steps of improving my digestive health, which was assessed and found to be below par, which Keith is overseeing and which I believe will be another big step towards getting back to full health.”

Martin

To find out more on repairing your body and getting the most out of your day please get in touch.

Positive thinking – achieving targets

Breathing right

Drinking well – good quality water devoid of toxins, and adequate for your body weight

Eating the right amount of fat, protein and carbohydrate and obtaining adequate vitamins and minerals for you as an individual

Functional exercise

Sleep right getting to bed at 10 allows for optimal repair hormone production and decreased cortisol production

Failure to follow the foundational building blocks of wellbeing can severely restrict your chance of achieving your targets. The importance of breathing efficiently and following a functional exercise program will help to improve digestion, alleviate anxiety and reduce neck and back pain. Today our diminished exposure to physical activity starts in our childhood. As there is more emphasis on studying and being deskbound, so the development of a dysfunctional breathing pattern starts.

The seated position creates two main postural faults. The first is forward head posture (FHP) and the second is an increased thoracic curvature of the spine. FHP causes the head to migrate forward of its normal alignment, this slackens off the tongue muscles and causes the individual to develop a mouth breathing pattern, causing an inverted breathing pattern.

Inverted breathing pattern symptoms are well documented and include, increased anxiety levels, increased allergic response, change to the ph levels of the blood to more alkaline, increased stress hormone production, not to mention the knock on effect to the posture and movement dysfunction causing tension and pain. With these changes taking place, the body is placed in a fight or flight situation through activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal glands which can cause fatigue when constantly activated. As the body has to adjust to the postural changes, the viscera or internal organs drop creating further stress on respiration and digestion.

So literally the way you breathe effects pain levels, weight gain and a host of conditions such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, the list is extensive. Now add this to exercising on seated machines at the gym that have no functional purpose to enhanced body movement and we can see why the body starts to breakdown or have adverse reactions to exercise or dieting. Training should provide you with primal patterns  which are pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, squatting and lunging positions as well as running or walking. So where do you start? Developing correct breathing patterns alone can be a tricky task.

To see if you are breathing correctly you can do a simple test by placing a hand on your tummy and a hand on your ribcage and see where the movement occurs. If your tummy moves away from the spine with a little movement in the chest towards the end of inspiration, your pattern may be ok. If your tummy doesn’t move much or moves in when you breath, has an excessive rise in the chest and shoulders or other restriction then you may have an inverted breathing pattern. It some cases can take a few thousand repetitions to change a faulty motor/muscle recruitment pattern.

Neuromuscular therapists (NMT) are particularly effective at releasing the diaphragm, ribs and accessory breathing muscles. If you are unable to see an NMT you can lay on your back with your legs bent and feel along the bottom of the ribs by the liver and stomach. Do you have knotty lumps either side which are quite tender? These are called tender or trigger points if they refer. To help get the diaphragm working you can place a finger and pressure a lump to help release it. The tenderness should rise to about 7 out of 10 and after 10 seconds should release to about a 3-4. If it releases move onto the next spot, if it does not or it gets painful you may be putting too much pressure on it. It’s a bit of an art form but if you can’t do it, seek out a professional.

In that very same position you can try completing nice deep diaphragmatic breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Remember that the belly should rise as you breathe in, try placing your wallet or purse on your belly to provide feedback for you. Exercise selection is extremely important, it’s a bit like choosing the right tyre for an F1 car, choose the wrong one and you can slip off the track. As we discussed earlier factors such as stress, inverted breathing patterns and the like can cause our sympathetic nervous system to activate our adrenal glands and may other glands can be affected. This works against the parasympathetic nervous system which regulates the rate we digest food, sleep and repairs your body. If you are stressed already and select exercises that create too much stress your ability to digest and metabolise food can be affected.

If you feel that you are in need of improving digestion or want to work on lowering stress, try doing the exercise below.

Breathing squat.

Start with your feet hips width apart. Drop down slowly into full flexion and breathe out as you do so. Then return upwards whilst inhaling and raising the arms above your head. The focus on this exercise is nice and slow about 5 seconds down and 5 seconds up. Feel the quality of your breath and notice how you feel afterwards. Try 1-2 sets of 10 up to about 50 reps as you get better, with at least 60 seconds rest between sets.

To find out how you can get  more from your exercise and nutrition programs, or for dealing with chronic health issues such as pain, fatigue and weight loss please get in touch for your free consultation.

Poor posture, particularly poor cervical and thoracic spine mechanics can be implicated with disease and cancers. Most women are predisposed to postural issues because of the following reasons.

• Larger breasts
• Increased exposure to desk and PC seated environment
• Bra wearing
• Poor breathing mechanics
• Poor exercise choices

Some of the problems that can occur to the spine are the following.

• Increase in Forward Head Posture or FHP
• Increase in Thoracic Kyphosis or rounding of the spine
• Decreased pelvic  stability
• Increase in syndromes such as Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

In a nutshell, as these factors increase the head is pulled posteriorly, creating short tight neck muscles which can also cause an increase in the angulation of the rib and compression of the nerves and blood supply which feed the arms and chest. As this develops ischemia or decreased oxygen flow to the chest can create further problems.

For example as oxygen decreases, lower levels of nutrients such as vitamins and antioxidants such as vitamin B, C and glutathione are restricted. Believe or not one of the most common forms of damage via oxidative stress to the DNA which can cause cancers , can come from the energy producing cells of muscles which form Reactive Oxygen Species or ROS. ROS can cause damage to the DNA Therefore a lack of blood supply can increase the cancerous process to breast tissue.  Understanding that good nutrition and good posture play a part in reducing the risk of breast cancer is a step in the right direction.

Completing the following exercises can help with these issues but having a full postural evaluation and exercise program will identify any problems that need addressing.

The prone cobra, combined with specific stretches is great for helping to improve the mobility and strength and the thoracic spine. To start simply…

• Keep the tongue in the roof of the mouth
• Raise the head and chest off the ground keeping the head aligned with the chest and breathe
• Externally rotate the arms and squeeze the shoulder blades together
• Breathe out and lower down
• Try this 10-15 times with a minutes rest in between
• If you feel any pain or discomfort, this exercise may not be ideal as an assessment may be warranted to clear the spine of any issues that you may have.

To find out more about corrective and performance exercise or for lab tests to determine potential damage to DNA please get in touch.

Have a great week