What makes a healthy gut?
With all the information about the importance of gut health it can get very confusing very quickly!
So I thought it is time to cover the basics.
Research has shown that there are a few fundamental components to what makes a gut healthy. Firstly, your gut microbiome needs to have DIVERSITY. This means that the more different types of bacteria you have, the better.
The other important factor is to have a high amount of bacteria that are anti-inflammatory. Having anti-inflammatory bacteria will keep inflammation low and enable your gut to heal and repair itself (if this is needed).
How do you create more diversity?
The simple way of creating diversity in your gut microbiome is to eat a VARIETY of wholefoods. The easiest way to think about it is by picturing lots of little seeds in your gut. And each seed needs specific foods to allow it to grow. If you keep eating apples you will only be feeding the seeds that grow from apples. But if you added bananas to the mix, you will feed another type of seed that grows from bananas.
The recommendation is to eat up to 40 different type of wholefoods per week. It seems like a lot, but if you do buy apples, buy different varieties (Jonathan, Fuji, Pink Lady etc.). Each type counts as one. This is also the same for capsicum. If you eat red, yellow and green capsicum, you have included 3 different types of wholefoods to your list.
Examples of wholefoods:
fruit
vegetables
rice
nuts
legumes
grains
To make it easier for yourself, I have included a table that you can print off to check off what wholefoods you have eaten during the week.
The other way of feeding the good bacteria in your gut is by consuming pre-biotic foods. Prebiotic foods are basically food for your gut microbes. The main prebiotic compounds that feed you gut are:
FOS- Fructo-oligosaccharides
GOS- Galacto-oligosaccharides
PHGG- Partially Hyrdolysed Guar Gum
Foods that are high in FOS include: asparagus, banana, barley, chicory, garlic, globe artichoke, leek, onion rye and wheat.
Foods that are high in GOS are: beetroot, broccoli, chick peas, fennel, lentils, oats, onion, ryebread
Other prebiotic foods include: brown rice, carrots, back currants, dark cocoa, green tea and almonds
Not only will prebiotics provide food for your gut microbes, they also will promote the production of short chain fatty acids. SCFA's decrease the risk of colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and insulin resistance.
Now that we have the diversity stuff sorted. Let's take a look at the anti-inflammatory bacteria. The following bacteria are considered to be anti-inflammatory bacteria (but not limited to):
Bifidobacteria
Lactobacillus
Roseburia
Ruminoococcus
Akkermansia
Faecalbacterium
Blautia
Coprococcus
Eubacterium
But how do you know which type of bacteria you have?
The only possible way of actually knowing of who lives in your gut is by having a stool test that tests the DNA of your gut microbes. Research on the gut microbiome is forever evolving, and new studies are covering exciting developments each week on the importance of a healthy gut. The tests that I use in my clinic are Ubiome Explorer and Microba. You can order them online and I will be able to interpret them for you.
In the mean time you can begin to consume anti-inflammatory foods such as the list above or reduce the amount of additive & preservatives, saturated animal fat and refined carbohydrates.
If you feel that you would like to know who lives in your gut and make sure that you have the correct levels of the good guys, contact me below and I will be happy to help.
What is a naturopath?
I often get a puzzled look when someone asks me what 'I do'. So I thought there must be a lot of people that don't know what a naturopath is. And it's kinda tricky to say too, isn't it?
What a naturopath studies...…
A naturopath student requires four years of studying to get their degree. And over this time we are taught many things such as:
Herbal medicine- how to use herbs to treat common health conditions that will enable your body to regain balance, support and tonify any weakened systems.
Nutrition- nutritional bio-chemistry was one of my favourite subjects when I was studying. I loved learning all about the vitamins and minerals (it doesn't just end there either) and what foods they are found in, how your body processes them and what functions they have within our body. Food and what you eat is such an integral part of what naturopaths do!
Body systems- from the immune to reproductive, naturopaths learn all about the body and how the systems work together (and perhaps not work together).
Diseases- yep, we know the basics AND the not so easy ones too. This is when you might come across a naturopath that 'specialises' in a particular area. Just like you find specialists like a gynaecologist in main stream health care.
Diagnostic Testing- to help get a better picture on your health, a naturopath might ask you to go for extra testing. This can be from bloods to stool or even your hair! Naturopaths will have a general understanding of any previous tests that you may have had done in the past too.
Naturopaths treat the whole person, not just the symptoms.
Case taking- Your first consultation with a naturopath will be generally the longest. We take your full health history, talk about what is happening in your body systems and what has been working for you or not working for you. Some naturopaths might even do a little bit of 'in house' testing such as, take your blood pressure, weight or blood glucose.
Iridology- Naturopaths have studied iridology as a student. this is where a microscope is used to look at your iris and see if there are any weakened areas within your body. Did you know your organs are represented in your eyes?
Tongue and nail analysis- checking your tongue and nails give naturopaths extra clues on how your body is functioning. Every little bit of information helps.
Emotions- How you are as a person is very important to us. Are you sensitive? Do you get stressed easily? Do you loose your temper? Sometimes this can take a little bit of time to work out, especially in the early days.
Lifestyle- How do you live your life? Do you work full time? do you care for others? How do you destress? Your lifestyle plays a huge part in your current health status. Diet and lifestyle advice is always given.
Evidence Based Research- Naturopaths use critical based research to support their treatment protocols.
Treatment- Naturopaths will generally offer herbal and nutritional support to help with your healing. Diet advice is given and if this is not enough supplements are prescribed when needed. Short term and long term treatment plans are established, so you don't feel overwhelmed. After all, we just really want you to feel great again!
In a nut shell...…..
A naturopath offers support, education and treatment that you want to do. Our job is to empower you and take control of your health, so that you can achieve your health goals.If you would like to book an appointment to reach your health goals, check out what is available in the online booking system below. var initResizer = function() { iframes = iFrameResize({}, "#widget-inline-embed"); }
Mental health - Part 1
A few weeks ago it was Mental Health week here in Western Australia, which also included World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October. And according to The World Health Organisation, 50% of mental health illnesses begin at the age of 14! Almost half (45%) of people aged between 16-85 years of age will experience mental illness.Mental health statistics are on the rise, and according to the Black Dog Institute, 1 in 5 (20%) Australians will suffer from a mental health condition during their lifetime.Mental illnesses/disorders cover a range of conditions (not just limited to) such as:
Depression
Bipolar
Schizophrenia
Post traumatic stress disorder
Anxiety disorders
Why the rise in statistics?
Have I just opened a can of worms?There would be very few people that would be able to pin point WHY they may now suffer from a mental illness/disorder. There are definite obvious reasons and risk factors that someone may be more susceptible than others. They can be:
Experiencing a traumatic event
Family history of mental illness (genetic)
Environmental
Toxicity
Substance abuse/addictions
Chemical imbalance
The list can go on. But in recent years the added impact of social media use (especially at a young age), can greatly contribute to mental health and the added pressures that go along with this (low self esteem, social pressures etc.)Or is it just the fact that we are becoming aware of this growing issue, and as a society becoming more empathetic?I will just let you ponder on that for a moment!
One of the first things I do within my clinic is have my clients take a blood test to make sure that their nutrient levels are at optimum levels.
Nutrients play a huge part in our mood and so does inflammation. So you can understand that if you are deficient in a vitamin that plays a massive part in mood (e.g B12), then it's worth getting tested. The main food sources of B12 actually come from dairy, fish/meat and eggs. Vegans are a big risk a being deficient in this vitamin and should be taking supplements to compensate this. But B12 also needs a substance called intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is secreted from the small intestine; and when there is inflammation within the small intestine, intrinsic factor secretion can be inhibited.To know if you have inflammation within the small intestine, you can determine this by what symptoms you maybe experiencing. You may have:
diarrhoea
constipation
stomach pain
food intolerances
auto immune condition
post infection
But that is just looking at B12!To understand if you have inflammation within your body, doesn't necessarily mean you will be in pain. I think we often think they always co-exist, but they don't necessarily.Basic blood tests that you get from your GP, can identify if you have inflammation within your body system (systemic inflammation).Examples are:
Liver enzyme- GGT
Bilirubin levels
White cell count
C Reactive Protein levels
Homocysteine levels
Cortisol levels
Histamine levels
If you would like to know more about how you can manage your mental health, please contact via my online booking tool. var initResizer = function() { iframes = iFrameResize({}, "#widget-inline-embed"); }
Correcting Cortisol
A question I always ask my clients in an initial consult is"How do you feel when you wake up in the morning?"The answer to this can give me such great insight into a persons cortisol levels.You see, your cortisol levels should be at their highest in the morning. According to The Sonic Pathology Handbook, your blood cortisol levels should be tested between 8-10am. Personally, I think they would be at its peak between 6-8am. But not all pathology clinics are open at that time are they?So it makes a lot of sense when you see kids in the morning, that they can rise out of bed and are full of beans. This is because their cortisol levels are performing at an optimal range.Cortisol is released from your adrenals and is usually released when we need a burst of energy or is called upon to assist in an inflammatory response. All hormones have a time when their levels are either the highest or lowest. So when cortisol is behaving correctly, it will slowly decrease as the day progresses and be at its lowest at night time when you are ready for bed.But if I ask someone when their best time of the day is, and they say at night.....well this can give me an indication that their cortisol levels may be unbalanced.Testing your blood cortisol levels can give a brief snap shot of how your adrenals are functioning, your overall energy levels and whether you need a boost or something to calm. This is extremely important to consider in naturopathy treatment. If cortisol levels are not tested and you might think that your client needs an energy boost (but in actual fact they might have extremely high levels), your treatment protocol will send them through the roof!The ideal blood cortisol ranges are:Collection between 8-10amRandom sample 130-650 nmol/LEarly morning 160-650 nmol/LIf you have received an unusually high reading you may need to consider the following:Were you feeling rushed before the blood test?Were you stressed at the time of the blood test?Did you exercise prior to your blood test?Some prescription medication may also give you a high level of cortisol too.To give you a even bigger picture of your cortisol levels you can also have a saliva cortisol test. This can be done in the comfort of your own home and tests the unbound levels of cortisol. This test can be performed as soon as you wake up (yep, in your jarmies in bed), and another test can be done later in the day to check if there has been a decline.By understanding your cortisol you can support it in two ways:Boost- Siberian ginseng & Korean ginsengReduce- Phosphotidlyserine, Nervous system support- B vitamins, calming herbsAdrenal Support- Licorice, Rhiodola, Withania, Vitamin C, RehmmaniaIf you would like to know what your cortisol levels are and see if your adrenals need support; fill out the contact form below.[contact_bank form_id="2" form_title="show" form_description="show"][/contact_bank]