Newsletter 19

Welcome to 2021, let’s hope it offers more joy than 2020!

Unfortunately at this time we are in another lockdown and day to day life can be challenging and frustrating, and with this in mind the newsletter will be snippets of what I hope will be useful information that you may utilise or find interesting.

Choices and effects on your gastrointestinal system and health

In regards to the pandemic, the World Health Organization has stated that “In public mental health terms, the main psychological impact to date is elevated rates of stress or anxiety”.

Whether your stress/anxiety surrounds family, working/not working, childcare, home-schooling, getting sick or just generally heightened emotions, everyone has been affected in some way.

This can affect your gastrointestinal system as your gut and brain are chemically connected along the gut/brain axis.

The gut brain axis’s role is to monitor how the gut is functioning as well as linking your cognitive and emotional parts of your brain with your gut. An example of this is feeling butterflies in your gut if you are nervous and or anxious. Your gut and brain talk using different ways to communicate with each other, so what goes on in your gut, where ‘happy hormones’ serotonin and dopamine are made, has an effect on your mind, and vice versa. Stress and anxiety can negatively affect sleep, appetite and food choices, the gut microbes and how your gut physically works.

Utilise all the tools that we will have discussed in consults, previous newsletters and blogs so that you can proactively work on ways to reduce stress and anxiety and keep a diary to see if you can link symptoms to how you are feeling.

Increased stress and/or boredom can lead us to drink more alcohol. You may like a drink but you do need to be mindful of its effect on the gut and of course your general health. Alcohol is absorbed in the upper intestinal tract and enters the liver via the portal vein. Alongside other factors, the bacteria in your gut can determine how well you metabolise alcohol. Excessive alcohol can cause inflammation in your gut, which can result in the mucosa of your gut lining becoming more ‘permeable’. This means that whole food particles and other substances in your gut, like toxins, bacteria and their endotoxins may cross the gut lining and enter the blood stream. This can set off a cascade of immune responses and you could find yourself unable to tolerate foods that you once could without symptoms. Not only that, but a hangover and a poor night’s sleep can increase your desire to consume processed sugar laden foods which wreak havoc on your gut microbes. Therefore stick with the clean alcohols such as tequila, gin and vodka and limit how much and when you will consume and enjoy your alcoholic beverages.

With less routine, it is easy to stay up late watching your favourite programme or lying in bed longer than is helpful in the morning. Irregular or poor sleep can also affect your gut just as your gut health can affect your sleep – it’s a two-way street. Poor sleep has the power to negatively impact the effectiveness and function of our gut microbes and your gut microbes can disrupt the production and conversion of the neurotransmitters needed for you to have a good night’s sleep.

Around 90% of your serotonin (the precursor to melatonin – your sleep regulating hormone) is made in your gut. If your gut is out of balance, this can affect how much serotonin is produced and you might find it tricky to sleep. If you are waking up and going to bed at all sorts of times, this is going to disrupt your gut microbes, who, just like you, work on a day/ night cycle – some do their jobs in the day and others work best at night.

You are all aware of how important it is to have good sleep practices, to have a bedtime routine, to set regular times to go to sleep and to wake up, no screens at least the hour before bed and always use blue/green light glasses if viewing screens. Turn the WIFI off at night. In the morning expose yourself to light as soon as possible especially natural light. Lastly, avoid stimulants from 3pm so no caffeine to get you through the rest of the day.

Essential oil use for baths

Aromatherapy essential oils like lavender, frankincense and chamomile can be very therapeutic. Add frankincense to your bath to help reduce anxiety and stabilize mood swings. Or soak in lavender or chamomile before bed to aid in a better night’s rest.

Only add 100% pure essential oils to your baths that have no added synthetic ingredients.

Consider the following essential oil bath combinations

Reduce anxiety: 10 drops of frankincense, 5 drops of lavender and 5 drops of bergamot
Induce sleep: 10 drops of lavender, 5 drops of chamomile and 1 tsp of olive oil
Relieve muscle soreness: 5-8 drops of peppermint oil, 5 drops of lavender, 5 drops of citrus, 1 tsp of coconut oil and a handful of sea salt
Headache or sinus relief: 10 drops of peppermint oil, 5 drops of eucalyptus and 2 drops of clove
Invigorating: 10 drops of rosemary, 5 drops of lemon, 5 drops of orange, 2 drops of frankincense and 1 tsp of olive oil

Why use high-quality binders and detoxification support.

An important component that good health is dependent on, is how well you can eliminate endogenous metabolic waste and toxicants. One route of elimination of both metabolic waste and toxicants is via the biliary system.

Bile is produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder (your liver is able to adapt and create some storage capacity in the bile ducts even if your gallbladder is removed), and eliminated into the small intestine to not only emulsify fat but also to eliminate products of liver phase I and II detoxification.

If these toxicants are not eliminated via the stool they can be reabsorbed via the enterohepatic recirculation and all the hard work your liver did to eliminate these waste products has to be processed again.

Binders are foundational to any detox or chronic illness protocol and also an important lifestyle maintenance strategy to keep toxicants from bioaccumulating in your body.

Sourcing high-quality binders is extremely important because inferior zeolites, chlorella and algae’s, charcoals and clays are notorious for containing toxins themselves. Therefore I take great care in my choice of binders that we stock and use with clients as I want to prioritise the removal not further accumulation of toxins within a person.

Molecular Hydrogen – Tiny molecule that packs antioxidant power

Over the last decade, there has been a significant body of research into the therapeutic benefits of molecular hydrogen. This tiny Molecule H2, is a very useful antioxidant. Due to its size, it is able to penetrate into areas where larger antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Glutathione are unable to reach. Molecular Hydrogen offers further support to your body’s immune defences in addition to its role in helping to neutralize excess free radicals that accelerate the ageing process.

You can add molecular hydrogen to your diet through special water filters that use bio-ceramic mineral crystals that release small amounts into the water you drink or more conveniently through tablets that release higher levels of H2 into a glass of water. H2 Absorb is the product that we stock so if you are interested in adding this in to increase your immune support please let Nicki know.

Information regarding experimental Covid vaccines

As I discussed in the last newsletter it is very important that you make an informed decision in regards to the experimental Covid vaccines therefore I am giving you further links to quality websites and individuals for you to gain insight and understanding in order to make an informed choice for yourselves.

I am looking forward to watching a documentary series that answers real questions about Covid and the vaccines, what’s really going on with Covid and the vaccine safety, efficacy, and the real impact on our health