By Deirdre Parkinson, Naturopath

There is often a reason for sugar cravings and it lies in the lining of your intestine. It is called “gut dysbiosis” and is caused by one or more factors…either food allergies, intestinal parasites (eek!) or a hormonal imbalance.

It is best to have yourself treated. The tests do not attract a Medicare rebate but are very specific to diagnosing the underlying causes of sugar cravings, abdominal bloating, unexplained tiredness, mood swings and even skin problems.

Another reason why sugar becomes addictive is that the body gets used to producing large amounts of insulin to remove it from the blood. Eventually the insulin isn’t effective anymore. The body begins to suffer from low energy, apathy, the shakes, and mood swings. These are due to hypoglycaemia episodes.

Did you know that a slice of bread on its own converts immediately to sugar once eaten?! Doughnuts of course are even worse!

In the meantime, try to opt for meals and snacks that have a higher protein ratio to carbs and sugars. Book in for a consultation with Deirdre to review diet, recipes, treatments and test, so as to create a whole “NEW YOU”!

You hear it all the time – “metabolism”, but what is it? It’s the process of converting food to energy (movement and heat). Metabolism happens in your muscles and organs and the result of it is what we commonly refer to as “burning calories”. Metabolism is essentially the speed at which your body’s motor is running.

“Basal metabolism” is the metabolic rate or caloric expenditure needed to maintain basal body functions such as your heart beating, breathing, muscle tone, etc. It’s how fast your “motor” is running when you’re still in a reclined position or sleeping. Basal metabolism accounts for about 75% of the calories you expend on a daily basis!.

Our food products tend to contain either natural sugars or added sugars. The nutrition label does not make it clear which sugars are natural and which have been added to the product. The best way to check for added sugars is to look at the ingredients list. If you see the terms fructose, lactose, sucrose, glucose, or maltose, these are sugars. Having foods with natural sugars is not a big issue so long as you are eating a balanced diet and consuming appropriate portion sizes.

By Deirdre Parkinson

Many of my patients proudly describe their diet as being fat free. When I check their blood test levels of basic adrenal hormones, I see that they are very low. This is why they are suffering from fatigue, memory loss, and even menopausal symptoms. Fats are also needed for the absorption of vitamin D. This vitamin is essential for maintaining good strong bones and also to protect the body against infections and cancers. Fats are also needed for the absorption of 3 other major vitamins, these being vitamin K (blood clotting), vitamin E (the sex vitamin) and vitamin A (for night vision and prevention of lung infections).

And this is only touching on the importance of natural fats in the diet.

The picture of the iris below shows a lady with memory loss due to poor peripheral circulation to her brain. It was not due to having too much cholesterol, but due to eating foods that cause the fats she was eating to oxidise in her blood and therefore cause the cholesterol to thicken and narrow the arteries.

Myth 1. All saturated fat is bad

Sat fat is needed by the body for many synergistic and necessary physiological “jobs.”

It is only “bad” when it becomes oxidized, i.e. damaged as a result of high heat, lengthy air exposure, or food processing.

Eskimos who have a diet high in sat fat (whale blubber) have lowest incidence of heart disease on the planet!

Saturated fat means all the available spaces along the long carbon chain of the garden variety fat molecule is filled with 2 hydrogen atoms. This makes the fat solid at room temperature. It also makes this fat resistant to oxidation. Oxidated fats cause cell destruction, aging and illness. This is why the body prefers saturated fat.

There is always a percentage of sat fat in every oil (from about 6 to 18%) and it is naturally pure & undamaged, unless cooked at high temperatures or been exposed to air for a long period.

Myth 2. Unsaturated vegetable oil is good

“Unsaturated” means one or more pairs of electrons are missing. Mono-unsaturated fats are missing one double bond. Poly-unsaturated oils are missing 2 or more double bonds. The missing bonds create a liquid oil at room temp.

Mono-unsaturated oil (Omega-9) are a liquid at room temperature but start to solidify in the fridge. Nature grows these oils in the warmer climates so that they don’t solidify, eg Olive oil from the Mediterranean & Macadamia Nut oil from Hawaii.

Poly-unsaturated oils (Omega-6) will not solidify in the fridge only in the freezer. Nature grows these oils in the colder climates, e.g. with Soy & Canola from Canada & Russia.

Due to the misconception that saturated fats are bad, the myth is that all unsaturated fats are good for us. However it needs to understood that it is the oxidation (i.e. rancidity) of the oil that causes disease, not the oil itself. Processing of oils during their heat extraction also causes them to become oxidized. Processing involves refining the oil, bleaching it & then deodorizing it. By then the oil is extremely oxidised, creating a danger to health and increasing the risk of cancer. Mono-unsaturated oils have only one pair (mono) of missing hydrogen atoms (one DB) therefore they are more able to resist oxidation if cooked or exposed to air. The polyunsaturated oils e.g. canola, sunflower, peanut, will oxidise faster and therefore need to be refrigerated to prevent rancidity. Olive oil, which is mono-unsaturated is more resistant to oxidation and therefore the preferred oil for cooking.

Fish oil & krill oil (Omega-3) are poly oils. Arctic fish have more omega 3s than tropical fish due to Nature choosing the more poly-unsaturated oils to suit the colder climate.

Due to the processing of the food oils, they becomes rancid and oxidised, causing increased cancer risk and aging of the body’s cells. The medicinal food oils are not processed and therefore not oxidised and therefore safe. Common poly food-oils are Corn, Soy, Grape seed, Safflower, Sunflower, and  Cottonseed. Even though Canola has 54% Mono-oil, it is the processing (bleaching and deodorizing) of its 35% poly-oil that makes it as dangerous as the other poly oils.

The research for the for the above 2 myths about fats is credited to Alan Graham  alan068@centurytel.net

http://www.alienview.net/ALLTCON.html

By Carolina Rossi

Last newsletter I mentioned about the importance in improving digestion and suggested small changes such as chew your food until liquefied, avoid fluid with meals, don’t eat on the run or when stressed and control portions size.

If you have put in practice these basic principals but still experience some digestive discomfort it is time to have a look at what you are eating.

AVOID:

• Cold foods and drinks
• Raw foods. At the same time that raw foods is good for us those who have weak digestive system might experience bloating and discomfort when eating raw foods. It is important to improve digestion first then introduce raw foods gradually according to progress.
• Dairy products including cheeses and yoghurt
• Rich oily food
• Excess sugar and sweet  food such as cakes, chocolate, lollies, biscuits, added sugar to drinks
• Excess bread, cereal and pasta
• Excess red meat especially fried
• Yeast rich foods – bread and alcohol

INCLUDE/ INCREASE:

• Warm cooked meals: soups, casseroles, stir-frys, and roasts
• Spices and herbs such as Ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, basil, rosemary, nutmeg, cloves, sage, and turmeric
• Onions, garlic, leek, chives, shallots
• Warm teas between meals: fennel, ginger and peppermint
• Vegetables: pumpkin, celery, lettuce, alfalfa, mushrooms and radish,
• Legumes / beans and especially aduki
• Lean meats – avoid frying
• Brown rice, buckwheat, amaranth, and millet

To book an appointment with Carolina phone the clinic on (07) 5522 0505.