Do you have a collection of niggly symptoms that don’t appear significant enough to see the doctor about?  Perhaps not sleeping well, a bit achy, a few digestive issues, reaching for the Panadol more frequently or maybe taking longer than usual to recover from an illness.  If so, you may have an undiagnosed auto-immune condition.

An autoimmune disease arises when your immune system strikes out against healthy cells, harming your tissues and causing loss of normal bodily functioning. This can happen anywhere in your body and that’s why there are so many auto-immune conditions!  They don’t always have a clear pattern of symptoms, so they can be difficult for doctors to diagnose and I know that from personal as well as clinical experience.

I am always thrilled to be able to diagnose auto-immune conditions that no-one else has picked up. It is life changing for people. Even those who have had a positive diagnosis and been told ‘there’s nothing you can do about it but take medication’ have been able to manage their symptoms sufficiently to live in complete remission.

For instance, I recently saw lovely Chris Jacobsen. He has (or rather had!) a condition called Grover’s Disease, a very painful, dry skin condition. His hands were so badly affected that he could hardly grip the steering wheel of his car. As a taxi driver, his livelihood was threatened. Ongoing rounds of pain killers and steroid creams were doing nothing to help. Thankfully, he chose to come for an appointment with me- and his hands are now as good as new: flexible, no sign of Grover’s and he is able to drive his taxi again.

Whilst Grover’s Disease is not particularly common, other auto-immune conditions include:

•  Rheumatoid arthritis
•  Psoriasis
• Type 1 diabetes
• Multiple sclerosis
• Lupus (SLE)
• Scleroderma (thickening and hardening of the skin)
• Sjogren’s syndrome (chronic dryness in the body)
• Graves’ disease (overproduction of thyroid hormones)
• Hashimoto’s disease (underproduction of thyroid hormones)
• Guillain-Barre’ syndrome (weakness, numbness and paralysis)
• Psoriasis

So, what can you do?

Whilst they are very diverse, one thing all auto-immune conditions have in common is chronic inflammation. Therefore, managing the inflammation is the first step to help the body heal.

Have a blood test: First of all, I’d advise that you get a blood test to rule out or confirm an auto-immune condition. It’s called anti-nuclear antibodies ANA. I can do this for you if your doctor is unwilling

Consider supplements:

•   Omega-3 from fish oil (high in EPA – eicosapentaenoic acid) offers natural anti- inflammatory and painkilling properties. If you’re taking a fish oil to manage pain and inflammation, then the EPA value needs to be at least 1000mg, so check your label. 
• Turmeric also offers great pain-killing and anti-inflammatory properties, thanks to its curcumin content. You can buy curcumin as a supplement, and/or use turmeric in its natural state in your casseroles, soups, smoothies…. wherever you like! I often sprinkle it over my salad.
• Another ally in the fight against auto-immune diseases are probiotics (healthy gut bacteria). They can help address the immune system’s mixed-up response to normal tissues and cells.

Avoid inflammatory foods: The nightshade family of foods are known to trigger inflammatory responses in systems that are vulnerable and for that reason they are best avoided if you have an auto-immune condition or are experiencing a flare-up. They include:

• Tomatoes- regardless whether they are raw or cooked
• Potatoes- including all potato products, including chips
• Capsicums
• Eggplant
• Chillies

Other inflammatory foods include dairy, red meat, caffeine and alcohol (not great news for BBQ lovers!)

Check for food intolerances: I have never encountered anyone with an auto-immune condition, including myself, who did not have a food intolerance. I recently put a post on my Facebook page about the obscure and seemingly unrelated symptoms people experience when they have a food intolerance. Unlike allergies, intolerances don’t often give you an immediate symptom. There are quite a few reactions in the body when you have a food intolerance, but one significant reaction is the release of antibodies to fight the ‘invader’. In my opinion, it is this confusing message to the body (after all, we are supposed to be nourishing our cells when we eat, not harming them) that triggers the confusion which eventually leads to an auto-immune condition. I am writing a book on this very subject as too many people are needlessly suffering whilst there is so much that can help.

Reduce sugar: In recent years there has been a lot of research into the adverse effects of sugar in the body and most recently links are being made between sugar and auto-immune diseases. The Glycomics Centre in America have helped identify a specific carbohydrate structure that confers anti-inflammatory activity to a glycoprotein antibody that could lead to improved treatment of autoimmune diseases including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The work revolves around immunoglobulin G (IgG) – the very same antibody produced with food intolerances. So, sugar must be taken seriously in the prevention or management of auto-immune diseases. If you don’t know where to start when it comes to identifying or managing sugar in food, then check out my Handy Book of Facts on Diabetes. It was written to help the prevention as well as management of diabetes an clearly explains where and what all the sugars are.

Keep a food and symptom diary: Take a note of any ongoing symptoms, no matter how small. Tracking what you eat, and monitoring symptoms may highlight food intolerances and reveal the frequency and severity of your symptoms.

Take control now: You don’t wait for your car to break down before you take it to the garage; you act on the cracked windscreen, the flat tyre, the rattle under the bonnet before it gets worse….so don’t ignore the signs from your body. Book a health and nutrition assessment and receive a 10% discount if you mention this article 😊

More on auto-immunes on the February Health Matters show

Happy new year all!    Traditionally we’ll have our list of resolutions lined up by now and they’ll generally include ‘health’ goals. However, in a few weeks I’ll see people who have been unable to stick to their eating targets and I’ll have the tissues at the ready as the familiar ‘failure’ stories spill out. Why do we do it?! Year after year, it’s the same! So why not do things a little differently this year? Take small simple steps to invest in your health. Perhaps start with a food intolerance test and avoid the biggest culprits on your list? Or maybe get a blood test to establish priorities: i.e. should you work on your cholesterol, balance your hormones or stabilise your blood sugar levels? 

Focusing on one aspect doesn’t mean letting the reins go of everything else. Rather, it helps you to stay motivated as you can monitor the progress you are making and that encourages you to stay on track.

It’s easier to team up with someone for support and advice – and that’s where I come in 😊

I’m here to help you; whether it’s to get the tests done, explain the results to you and help you with your priorities; work out some meal ideas that fit in with your lifestyle; provide supplements that can help kick-start your body; be a shoulder to lean on……..whatever!

Whatever you decide to do, start today. Email alison@healthyeating.net.nz

Stress means different things to different people; situations that some might see as exciting, others might view with anxiety and fear.

There are many types of stresses that our bodies endure, including physical, emotional, environmental and chemical.  Our response to stress is the same today as it has always been. When we perceive a threat of any sort, it affects our autonomic nervous system and our ‘fight or flight’ instinct kicks in.  As a result, we release adrenaline to take on whatever the stressor might be.  Over time, this can take a toll on our energy, weight, sleep and hormonal balance.

Whilst we can’t always control the stresses we encounter, we can help our body’s response to the impact is has and the damage it might cause. 

Nutrition plays a vital role and happily there are many foods that naturally calm the system, reduce anxiety and encourage restful sleep –  they include:

·         Probiotics containing the strain lactobacillus-rhamnosus

·         Spirulina is a good source of iodine, great for adrenal support

·         Porridge oats

·         Bananas

·         Cherries

·         Dates

·         Nuts

·         Turkey

·         Fish

Join me at 6pm on Wednesday 22^nd November Chantal Shop, 45 Hastings Street for an informative and empowering evening when I will be providing some further useful tips for stress management……perfect timing as we approach busy December!

Tickets just $10 – includes entry, refreshments and information sheet. Book here or email alison@healthyeating.net.nz to reserve your space. 

What has gut health to do with your skin? Lots!

As you’ve no doubt heard me say a gazillion times before, your digestive system is the engine that feeds all your cells – and that includes your skin cells.  If you have any digestive issues, eventually that will impact on your skin. You may remember little Kate in a previous blog: 5 years old with alopecia and eczema. That’s why her parents brought her along to see me, but through questioning, it was revealed that she had been constipated since birth. There! That was the trigger. I identified food intolerances, recommended some restorative supplements, including the correct probiotics,and Kate was a new child; fully functioning digestive system, clear skin and a head full of lovely hair 🙂 

Probiotics play a pretty important role when it comes to skin health, as they can not only  kill off the harmful bacteria resident in our gut, but also prevent overgrowth of harmful bacterias that live naturally on our skin.

Then we have those pesky parasites! Common cause for hives (as well as digestive discomfort and lethargy), so it’s well worth having a stool sample to determine if this is the reason for the unidentified and stubborn patches of hives or welts that you might be baffled by.

And what about those dark patches of skin under your arms or behind your neck?  Could be a sign that your pancreas is not liking the sugars you are consuming!  Insulin resistance can impact on the skin in visible ways like dark patches and skin tags. Sugar’s inflammatory reaction in the body destroys skin cells, and it attaches to proteins including collagen and elastin, which are essential for keeping skin cells healthy.

There are many ways to look after your skin, including a well-rounded diet and plenty of water but remember, it’s not only about the fuel……the engine matters too!

I often wonder what aliens would think of us if they came to observe us. Intelligent species? I wonder! We have the most amazing machinery….our bodies. Yet we know so little about the parts until they malfunction- and then we don’t know enough to be able to fix it ourselves. When it comes to any other aspect of our lives, we follow the order of Knowledge-Choice- Consequence, but when it comes to health, it seems that we work backwards! We start with the consequence….the ailment, illness, disease….and then look for choices, which is generally a visit to the doctor, and that might be all we do. We are content to take the medication – it  fixes the symptom, so we are happy. Then the symptom comes back, and we repeat the process.

I’ve just seen a lady who has been ‘unwell’ for 40 years and has had the same medication all her life.  In a passing conversation with a new friend who was an existing client of mine, she was recommended to come along for a consultation. In that 60 minute session, I was able to determine that she likely had an auto-immune condition (which a blood test subsequently confirmed) and food intolerances.  Just a few weeks on she is a new woman and has no need for her medication at all.   Every single day without fail I see people who have been treating symptoms because they didn’t know how to treat the cause. There are a few of their stories here

For this reason, I am hosting an event at Ormlie Lodge on Wednesday 6^th September at 6pm to go through the most common health conditions that I see, and provide easy tips on how to acquire knowledge to invest in your health. Medication is certainly one choice, but there are other choices too. Do join me if you can! Proceeds from the event are going to our lovely local Cranford Hospice. For more information, or to buy your ticket, click here

This week, as I was invited to another ‘women’s discussion circle’ and saw the birth of yet another Facebook group focusing on women’s health, I became frustrated that we rarely offer men similar support. Men are often accused of not investing in their health, not opening up or seeking support…..little wonder when there are hardly any clear forums for them to do so!

I was delighted to hear that the Cancer Society have opened their Look Good Feel Better initiative to men, offering them tips about how to care for themselves as they go through their cancer journey – including drawing on eyebrows, yes!! Hair loss through chemotherapy is not female-exclusive! Some men are just as distressed by complete hair loss as women.

To go some way to help redress the balance, during July 2017 I am offering a 15% discount off a health and nutrition assessment to any males booking this month 🙂 http://www.healthyeating.net.nz/services/consultations/

I had a very nice chat with Peter Nichol today who had viewed this video I did a few years ago for the Parkinson’s Society. I was a keynote speaker at their Napier conference.  (Excuse the dodgy background – it was filmed in the organiser’s motel room and she obviously didn’t mind a ‘homely’ feel!) Peter is newly diagnosed with this condition and was searching for advice and support. After viewing the video, he feels empowered to make some positive changes and has booked in for a personal consultation (via Skype as he lives over 300km away). No matter what your diagnosis, or prognosis for that matter, there is always something you can do to help your cells. I hope you find the hints and tips in this video as helpful as Peter did 🙂

Well May certainly breezed in with a wallop didn’t it?!  We sadly lost several beautiful trees and their absence is almost tangible. I hope you all fared well. I also hope mother nature doesn’t have too many more tricks up her sleeve as we head into Winter! May is a very busy month for us here at Healthy Eating. I’ve been busy organising the Health and Wellbeing expo (Sunday 7th May) https://www.facebook.com/events/249943478756206/ and I’m also  hosting two Pink Ribbon breakfasts raising funds for breast cancer research.

Friday 12th May  7.00am Chantal’s Café 45 Hastings Street Napier   Tickets $30 (available from Chantal’s)

Friday 19th May  7.00am  Taste Cornucopia, 217 Heretaunga Street West, Hastings Tickets $30 (available from Taste Cornucopia)

(Ok- they are early! But we’re finishing at 8.30am so you can get to work on time 🙂 )

More than just fund raising events, I’m also incorporating an educational slot, highlighting (positive!) research data and going through some risk factors. Of course, I’ll also be showcasing the best cancer-fighting foods around 🙂  So whether you’ve had a breast cancer diagnosis, or wish to lower your risks of getting one, then this event is for you! Grab your best pink outfit and join me there.

There is no one like you in the world, isn’t  that good to know! Despite over 7 billion people inhabiting this wonderful planet of ours, you are completely unique- even if you are an identical twin.

You’ve become who you are as a result of many factors including stresses your mother was experiencing when she was pregnant with you, where you grew up (e.g. town or city), the quality of the soils that your fruits and vegetables grow in, how you respond to stress, genetic factors, what type of job you have, how much exercise you do, what illnesses and disease you’ve had, whether you’ve had organs removed (even tonsils and appendix) – and so on! 

Whilst it’s good to be different, our uniqueness means that our systems don’t always respond in the same way as anyone else’s and, when it comes to food and nutrition, that matters!  Food intolerances, food choices and eating habits can be responsible for many imbalances in the system and you may not even be making the association. Many clients tell me that they eat very healthily, and they genuinely are making what they believe to be wonderful choices for themselves and their family. Why then does little Emma have such awful eczema? Why does Mum always feel bloated and tired? And why should Granddad have such severe reflux? All eating the same wonderful healthy foods, but not getting the rewards they deserve. You may well have the most perfect diet, but if you have digestive issues or food intolerances, then the nutrients won’t reach your cells.

Looking at facts, your body runs on cellular activity and every cell needs the correct nutrients in order to be able to function. Needs change with different stages of life, so it’s important to ensure you are providing your system with the correct nutrients at each of these stages; for example, your teenage body requires different nutrients to that of your 60-year-old body.  

That’s why I am so passionate about guaranteeing that each individual I see in my clinics is treated as the absolute individual they are. I explore every factor that could be contributing to the imbalance(s) and ensure the foods that are being eaten are helping, not harming.

A healing addition to your diet, fermented foods are involved in fighting infection, speeding the healing process, reducing inflammation and even improving conditions such as ADHD and depression. That’s because they improve the integrity of the gut which aids absorption of nutrients – and our cells need those nutrients in order to keep us healthy and happy J  If you’re local to Hawke’s Bay, pop along to the Sunday Market in Hastings to sample some of the best fermented foods on offer by the lovely Nadia Kersel at Old School Ferments *  Otherwise, take a visit to your local health shop and invest in some sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir or kimchi. Your cells will thank you!

But what if you are following a low FODMAP diet? FODMAP is an acronym that stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols and relates to foods that contain specific carbohydrates that are not always easily absorbed.

Examples of high FODMAP foods include fermentable:

·         Oligosaccharides: Jerusalem artichoke, cabbage, onion, and garlic.

·         Disaccharides: Cow or goat milk.

·         Monosaccharides: Apples, peaches, mangos, and pears.

·         Polyols: Avocados, apricots, prunes, snow peas, and xylitol.

These carbohydrates can end up fermenting in the intestines, leading to symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), causing gas, bloating, pain and nausea. A low FODMAP diet restricts foods that feed bacteria in the gut, so the painful symptoms are alleviated.

But over time, without adding in probiotic-rich fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kefir, the  inner ecosystem may not have an opportunity to rebuild.  Researchers who originally developed the FODMAP diet are stressing that restrictions on the diet should eventually be removed as gut health improves.  This means reintroducing high FODMAP foods to help restore the inner ecosystem of the gut. Of course, everyone is different, so there is no perfect or predictable timing for this, but it’s an important message you need to know if you are excluding high FODMAPs from your diet.

For personal advice email alison@healthyeating.net.nz

• Nadia Kersel features on the March 2017 Health Matters radio show