Miso + Wakame for Sex Hormone Excretion

Once we use our sex hormones, the body needs to get rid of them - they are detoxified in the liver then excreted via urine/stools. If they don’t get excreted out the body quick enough (any liver detoxing issues, or eg with constipation where excretion is slowed), the body ends up recycling these hormones back into circulation, which we don’t want. This again is relevant if you have those signs of oestrogen dominance (eg. hormonal cystic spots around the jawline are a big tell tell sign), although this excretion is important for both men and women. 

Aside from the brassicas I spoke about which help do this, adding miso (from fresh miso paste from brown rice is best) + wakame seaweed to your diet also helps this process. Miso + wakame help to reduce levels of an enzyme (produced by out gut bacteria) called beta glucaronidase, which re-activates the sex hormones (not ideal). The wakame can be eaten as or can be used by adding it to the water when cooking food, like as a stock e.g. when cooking rice. 

My usual obsession with fibre in general comes into play here - increased fibre helps us have more consistent bowel movements - helping excretion of those sex hormones. If you are very constipated, then adding brassicas, miso and wakame is especially important. 

Melatonin

We all know that melatonin helps with sleep. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain, helping regulate our rhythms of waking and sleeping. It is stimulated by exposure to darkness + produced from the amino acid tryptophan which is converted to 5HTP then serotonin before finally, melatonin.

For insomnia, taking melatonin supplements effectively induces + maintains sleep (including easing jet lag) but only if melatonin levels are low to start. Insomnia from drug withdrawals (especially benzodiazepine) benefits from melatonin.

• Melatonin is a potent antioxidant protecting DNA + strengthening the immune system.

• Some cancer specialists recommend it for lung, prostate, + skin cancers with chemo/radiation. This is particularly effective for oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer patients, who usually are found to have low melatonin levels.

• Melatonin helps with migraines, (reducing frequency and strength),

• epilepsy,

• cataracts,

• Parkinson’s,

• depression,

• seasonal affective disorder,

• bipolar disorders,

• reducing stress and

• also promotes longevity and youth (anti ageing effects).

• This is not just due to increased levels of melatonin, but also as melatonin directly decreases cortisol levels (the stress hormone).

In Chinese medicine melatonin comes from kidney yin. Infections, overwork, alcohol, tobacco, drugs (including NSAIDs eg ibuprofen), computer monitors, excessive salts/spices in food, caffeine and ageing all reduce melatonin levels.

As usual, before jumping to supplements, eat foods that maximise tryptophan or melatonin directly: bananas, oats, rice, sweet corn, daikon radish (mooli), tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, almonds, dairy and soy products.

If you opt for supplements a doctors prescription is required in the UK, however, Asphalia, a natural melatonin supplement made from dried milled leaves is available, though not recomended for pregnant women, asthmatics, or young children.

Salmon

Last time I wrote about sardines, now about another nutritious fish, salmon! Please read on... Evaluate for yourself why you must include salmon in your diet.

• The excellent protein in salmon provides significant anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant benefits.

• The omega 3 in salmon provides a direct source of EPA and DHA; the plant sources of omega 3, such as flax seeds and walnuts provide only Alpha Linolenic Acid, which may or may not convert efficiently to EPA and DHA!

• Salmon is rich in vit D, carotenoids such as Astaxanthin; provides excellent source of vits B3, B6 and B12, Calcium and Biotin.

• The selenium, being important for efficient functioning of glutathione peroxydase, helps protect against oxidative stress.
  

All those nutrients mean salmon is amazing for:

• Heart health - lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, artery renewal

• Inflammatory diseases such as arthritis

• Brain and nerve health

• Eye and hair health

• Immune support

• Help with degenerative diseases such as MS
  
  

One important note: buy salmon wild if you want to avoid carcinogenic contaminants. Marinate it with lemon juice, spices and herbs for 30 mins, then either sauté with a little olive oil or best in a tagine for half an hour on low heat, on top of some stir fried leeks.

I hope I have convinced you with the overall beneficial nutritional profile of salmon to include it in your diet about 2x week. Enjoy!

Sardines

We’ve all heard about Omega-3 fatty acids‘ benefits, such as for heart health. Out of all the oily fish, however, sardines provide the best source. For me, the most important reason is, being very small in size and having a relatively short life-span, sardines have low levels of contaminants, especially mercury!

Other benefits? Plenty

• Sardines provide a highly concentrated source of B12 (important for nerves and blood cells)

• They are an amazing source of calcium and Vit D ( great for the bones)

• Sardines are very good source of quality protein, providing selenium, phosphorus, vits B2 and B3, iodine and copper
  

It is worth emphasising that Vit D together with omega 3 are amazing for immune support and for inflammatory conditions including auto-immune ones.

You can’t ask for more from such a small fish! I must warn you though about cooking them! Grilling sardines, though very tasty, is not advisable because of oxidative damage. Quickly stir frying after marinating with lemon juice, herbs and spices, is preferable. In Chinese Medicine, it is advised to make a soup or a broth with sardines after marinating in lemon juice for half an hour.

Whether you like them or not, you need to eat them. You can’t go wrong with sardines!

Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine

Though it has a multitude of uses, Vit B6 has received little importance compared to other vitamins.

How important is Vit B6:

• Essential for brain health - a deficiency can lead to confusion, irritability and depression

• Important for the immune system - as it supports the production of white blood cells and enhances biochemical processes

• Great for a healthy heart - helps lower blood pressure and, together with B12 and folic acid, helps reduce homocysteine levels (the toxic part of protein metabolism) which contribute to cardiovascular disease

• Helps with osteoporosis - a deficiency of B6 impairs cartilage growth and healthy bone formation

• Reduces inflammatory conditions - very important for osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis; high inflammatory markers such as ESR and CRP are observed in cases of B6 deficiency

• Helps with skin conditions - such as eczema; as B6 plays a significant role in the metabolism of steroid hormones, it also alleviates premenstrual acne
  
  

Good dietary sources include meats, fish, whole grains and bananas. Therapeutic doses are 50-200 mg, anything above may lead to toxicity such as tingling and nausea.

However, before jumping to supplements, some points to be aware of:

• A Magnesium deficiency prevents B6 from converting to its active form, so check Mg levels first.

• Antibiotics, smoking, asthma and birth control pills all contribute to B6 deficiency.

• B6 supplements are better absorbed as part of multi B complex.

• And as always, best to get B6 from foods. 

Seed Rotation

In addition to the brassicas in the 2nd phase of the period cycle, there are other foods that help regulate periods (both timing, and limiting PMS symptoms/cramps etc.) Seed rotating is a very powerful tool.

In the first half of the cycle (days 1-14, the follicular phase) consume 1 tbsp of ground flax (soaked, eg in porridge) and 1tbsp pumpkin seeds daily to regulate oestrogen levels.

Flax seeds contain something called lignans which are ‘phytoestrogens’ basically a plants version of oestrogen so can mimic the effects of oestrogen - so they are also great to eat during/after menopause when oestrogen levels start to decline (again, this helps limit negative symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes). Note, the flax seeds should preferably be freshly ground as they oxidise quickly.


Another thing to have in the 1st half of the cycle are spearmint and peppermint tea, which also help regulate hormone levels by decrease free testosterone and prolactin levels and stimulate female stimulating hormone.

In the luteal phase (14-28) swap your seeds to 1 tbsp sesame and 1tbsp sunflower seeds to boost progesterone levels.

Brassicas and Oestrogen Dominance

Cruciferous/brassica veggies (kale, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, rocket, bok choy, radish, turnips, mustard greens) contain something called Indole-3-carbinol, I3C, which turns into Diindolylmethane, DIIM, in the body. DIIM *helps the liver detoxify oestrogen*. If this isn’t happening enough you get something called oestrogen dominance which you may have heard of. 

Signs of this include irregular periods, heavy bleeding, PCOS symptoms… essentially a lot of the bad PMS signs. If you get spots around your jawline and they are cystic and painful, these ‘hormonal’ spots are often a sign of this unwanted build-up of oestrogen.

Detoxifying oestrogen is especially important during the 2nd phase (luteal) of the cycle (days 14-28), so during this time you can eat brassicas up to twice a day.  You can also get DIIM in supplement form, but its got some side effects so better, as always, to go for the foods. Broccoli sprouts have 10-50 times more I3C than normal broccoli which you can get from places like whole foods and put into salads.

Vitamin D and Sugar Sensitivity

A note following up from the discussion on sugar sensitivity - *Vitamin D actually helps regulate our cells sensitivity to insulin* (i.e. helps us release only the right amount when we ingest sugar), so if you feel like you are really sugar sensitive it might be worth looking at your VitaminD levels.

We have already spoken about Vitamin D in this group but a reminder, during these summer months are you getting 10-20 minutes of sun exposure a day? (when the sun is high in the sky without suncream) - don’t forget if you have darker skin you might need 3-6 x more sun exposure than 20min to be getting enough VitD. Looking outside at London weather today, probably most of us don’t.

Vitamin D also helps support our immune function (think viral/bacterial infections, allergies) + supports gut health (reducing inflammation and ‘leaky gut’ - *IBD/Auto immune people in this group…definitely something to think about*!), and is anti cancer (they have found people severely VitD deficient are 3 x more likely to get stage 3 cancer - obviously so many more things in play with this but worth thinking about). Lastly, you need Vitamin D to regulate Calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood/bones (and vitamin K2 which is why you should take supplements that combine vitamin D3 and K2).

So, get out in the sun (when you can) and VitD rich foods - sun soaked shiitake mushrooms (leave them outside in sun before you eat), or if not vegan - cod liver oil, oily fish (wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring), and organic egg yolks. or last resort take a supplement (Vitamin D3 and K2 spray).

Also, VitD is a fat soluble vitamin so you do need some good fats (avocado, olive oil) in the diet, and some Magnesium as it’s is a co-factor in the synthesis of VitD (green leafy veggies). Lastly, dysbiosis (not enough good bacteria in the gut) affects absorption of Vitamin D from food - so already discussed a lot - as always think fibre (prebiotics) and eating the rainbow (probiotics).

Fluid Retention - Parsley & Dandelion

If you get fluid retention parsley - 4-6 teaspoons of leaves in a tea or fresh/dried in food works wonders. For the ladies This also works when this happens around your period - eg with swollen breasts/ distended abdomen. 

Parsley is also good generally for gas, bloating, IBS, hypertension, arthritis, halitosis (smelly breath) and is also a chelating agent (like coriander, it helps remove heavy metals from the body - so great to have with tuna or shellfish/crustaceans which are high in mercury). 

Dandelion is another herb helpful for fluid retention. It’s bitter so is also good for the liver, but be careful as its cooling and in large doses can cause diarrhoea. 

Lemons and Limes

I can’t remember a day in my life when lemons or limes did not appear in my diet! They may taste acidic to some people but for me they are not just yummy but also very refreshing.

Of course, they are also so beneficial:

• High in Vit C - powerful against oxidative damage caused by free radicals

• Heart health - they are high in flavonoid phytonutrients, such as naringenin

• Helps digestion - alleviate bloating and flatulence, especially their juices

• Antiseptic and antimicrobial - great against cold/flu and a sore throat

• Help lower cholesterol - their flavonoids, also found in the peel and in the whitish skin under the peel, help reduce LDL, the ‘bad cholesterol’

• Help destroy bacteria - especially in the mouth and intestines

• Eye wash - one drop mixed in warm water; I haven’t tried as my eyes are problematic but with a bit of courage have a go.
  
  

In Chinese Medicine they are seen as cooling, astringent and antiseptic, and are highly recommended with meals with heavy/dense animal protein

Unfortunately they are high in Oxalates so if you have problems such as kidney stones, don’t go crazy with them. And, as always, get them organic otherwise you might end up with the wax on them, which you really want to avoid.

Quinoa

I’ve been going on and on about eating complex carbs over white refined ones, + eating protein with every meal so heres some info on quinoa, ‘the mother grain’ which ticks both these boxes - a protein filled complex carb.

It’s great for vegans especially as its a complete protein (i.e. it contains all the essential amino acids which we can’t ourselves produce and must get from our diet, lots of animal products are complete proteins but only few vegan options are). Quinoa has higher levels of protein than any other grain. Quinoa also has a higher (good) fat content than any other grain, and higher levels of calcium than milk does (another great one for the vegans).

Quinoa contains so many good things: Vits A, B1, B2, B3, folate, E, K, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc. It’s got high levels of anti oxidants (beta-carotene and lutein).

It’s also anti cancer (many of the substances in quinoa have antiangiogenic properties and suppress the proliferation of cancer cells). It has a high fibre content (my usual obsession… helps bowel function/movement, helps blood sugar regulation etc.). Its also good for high blood pressure (as it has good levels of magnesium and potassium).

Quinoa is good for mental health generally, and also reduces the symptoms of PMS as it is high in B vitamins and magnesium. Eat it a lot especially in the 2nd half (luteal phase days 14-28) of the period cycle.

In TCM, quinoa is said to tonify ‘kidney yang’ - essentially meaning it’s warming & strengthening for the whole body.

Remember, SOAK quinoa for a around 8 hours before cooking!

Blood Sugar Regulation

Think you have blood sugar issues?

Symptoms of hypoglycaemia/ blood sugar regulation issues (let’s call this being ‘sugar sensitive’) include: being tired all the time/for no reason, restless, confused, poor memory/concentration, nausea, easily frustrated, irritable, shaky and short tempered.

Lets break this down. When you eat carbs, the body breaks them down into simple (i.e. single molecules of) sugars. As these sugars enter the blood, insulin (hormone) is released telling cells to absorb the sugar (glucose) out the blood and use it as fuel. When sugar levels are low, the body uses the (400 calories worth) store of sugar it keeps in the liver, but then… cells (including brain cells) don’t get the sugar they need + start sending out distress signals like the symptoms above. If you are ‘sugar sensitive’ - then your body over reacts and releases more insulin than needed, so cells pull in more sugar than is required, meaning blood sugar levels become too low —> hypoglycaemia symptoms. This cycle gets worse over time, with the ups and downs of blood sugar levels getting more and more dramatic and therefore the fluctuating symptoms also getting worse and worse.

This isn’t all, each time blood sugar levels rise/fall dramatically, the body goes into panic mode and releases adrenaline (fight or flight - i.e. a quick surge of energy, heart pumps faster etc - think the jitters when you have too much coffee) and adrenaline tells your body to release even more insulin (so cells can have more energy from the sugar in the blood so you can ‘fight’). Overuse of this system (which is meant for emergencies only) eventually causes something called Adrenal Fatigue. this means your adrenal glands become over exhausted and start working slower, causing even more insulin to be released, and again the cycle gets worse; blood sugar spikes/falls become even more pronounced.

So When you have low blood sugar, your body sends you a signal to get the quickest hit (foods converted the fastest, with the least work, into the useable molecules of glucose) of sugar you can. People get confused between sugar and carbs. Carbs/starches are broken down into simple sugars so if you are sugar sensitive these count. Foods fast to break down: Alcohol (beer, wine), simple sugars (sweets, honey, fruits) and simple starches like (white/refined bread, pasta), which are also low in fibre making it even quicker. So these are what you crave. But this is too fast and is also what then makes you crash later.

Note, most pre-packed foods, nutritional bars and dried fruit contain more simple sugars than you might think. low fat frozen yogurt has less ‘calories’ from fat, BUT it has more from sugar. Also, yes, fruit is healthy in that it has antioxidants/vitamins etc in it, BUT if you are sugar sensitive, it will still set off this cascade of events for you, so try sticking to high fibre (as it makes it take longer to break down), less sugary fruits like berries, pears and apricots instead of things like pineapple or grapes and don’t drink fruit juice (where the fibre has been removed but all the sugar is still there).

My obsession with ‘complex’ carbs continues….. whole grain/unrefined/brown pasta/bread (and in this case we include vegetables) are highly nutritious, have more fibre and take far longer to break down. Complex means many more molecules joined together, therefore, causing less of a spike in blood sugar levels, giving your more consistent energy throughout the course of the day. Protein isn’t broken down into sugar, but instead amino acids. This takes a long time and so protein is considered ‘complex’, which is why protein with each meal, especially breakfast, is good for people with blood sugar issues.

So what is my usual advice, SWAP WHITE REFINED, FOR BROWN/ WHOLE WHEAT! and eat LOTS OF PROTEIN & VEGGIES

SO, summary - for blood sugar regulation:

• Brown carbs over white ALWAYS

• Lots and lots of veggies esp high in fibre, green leafy’s

• Leave carbs to cool for a little while, so more of the non resistant (quick burn) starch converts into the resistant starch (takes longer to break down = less spikes in blood sugar).

• Ceylon cinnamon on your porridge

• Protein with each meal, especially breakfast

• A hot, cooked breakfast that you eat shortly after waking up

• If you are sugar sensitive, the intermittent fasting IS NOT FOR YOU, eat 3 meals a day and at regular intervals (no more than 6 hours between meals). Either way, remember its about early dinner NOT late breakfast.

By the way - anyone with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), it’s highly likely you have insulin regulation issues (and sugar sensitivity) as this is one of the common side effects. So if that’s you definitely try to avoid sugar - by doing so you can actually help limit the growth of the cysts and therefore the side effects. Also re-candida. You’ll notice a lot of the advice is similar. That’s because candida feeds off sugar so, no sugar for you guys either!

Carbohydrates, Protein & Mental Health

Why cutting out carbs isn’t the answer to weight loss, and is so detrimental to your mental health.

Everyone has heard of Serotonin - we know it’s the chemical in our brains that makes us feel happy. Indeed, most antidepressants work by boosting serotonin levels to make you feel more relaxed, optimistic and creative. But what people don’t know is that serotonin also has a lot of influence on our diet and eating patterns. Low levels of serotonin cause you to feel depressed, crave sugars/carbs/alcohol, act impulsively, suicidal, reactive, ‘fuzzy brained’ and short tempered.

People often tell me things like: they don’t care about being ‘healthy’ they just want to loose weight. But remember, even if weight loss is your ultimate goal, it’s all linked. Serotonin actually helps you manage your impulse control, your ability to relax and plan ahead (think… this even includes your ability to stick to your diet), whilst low serotonin will make you depressed and crave/eat all the things that will make you put on weight.

So where do carbs come into this? Tryptophan is an amino acid which comes from protein and it is what our body uses to make serotonin. Once we eat protein our gut breaks it down into separate amino acids and then absorbs the tryptophan into our blood stream. From here tryptophan requires simple carbohydrates to get it from our blood past the ‘blood brain barrier’ into the brain. Only then can our brain use it to make serotonin. Remember though, we want brown/whole wheat carbs to do this, which are high in fibre & highly nutritious, not white carbs that will spike our blood sugar levels.

Most proteins contain tryptophan: chicken, pork, beef, turkey, eggs, cheese, milk/soy milk, fish, peanuts, pumpkin/sesame seeds, almonds, tofu, tempeh, soy, kidney beans, quinoa, lentils

So, what’s the answer to keeping your serotonin levels up? Eat protein with every meal (especially with breakfast) + WHOLE WHEAT CARBS! I’ve already done my ode to brown rice to explain why it actually promotes weight loss amongst its many, many other benefits - so here is just another reason NOT to ditch carbs, just to swap white for brown!

Farts and Poop….

Fun fart fact 

If you have chronic flatulence, it might be that:

• Farts that don’t smell = your not digesting carbs properly. 

• Stinky farts = your not digesting meat and fats properly.

Fun Poop facts:

• Poop is mostly 3/4 water then 1/3 of solid bits are that indigestible fibre we spoke about, 1/3 gut bacteria and 1/3 old bits of medicines, cholesterol etc that our body wants to get rid of.

• The beautiful Bristol stool chart which many of you will have seen: 

• A healthy digestive system Will produce types 3/4. 

• Looking at type can be an indication of how long particles take to pass through the gut. 

  • Type 1: digestive remains take about 100 hours to pass through the system (constipation) 

  • Type 7: pass through in just 10 hours (diarrhoea). 

  • Type 4 is considered ideal due to the ratio of fluid:solid content

• If you have type 3/4 you might want to also look at how quickly the poop sinks in the toilet water. If it plummets straight to the bottom that can mean it still contains nutrients, meaning you haven’t digested them properly. If the poop sinks slowly it mean that they contain gas (produced by our gut Bacteria) which is a good sign (as long as it’s not accompanied by flatulence) that all is working well.

Acupressure & Stomach 36

Something a little different today, I’m going to describe the location of an acupuncture point on the leg that you can do ‘acupressure’ on - which specifically helps:

• Strengthen the spleen - remember how its the all important organ for everything

• Gets rid of dampness in the body

• Harmonises the stomach i.e. Relieve digestive issues like nausea, diarrhoea

• Strengthens Qi - i.e. overall gives you more energy

• Calms the mind - relieves stress/anxiety

It’s called: Zu San Li (Leg three miles), aka ‘Stomach 36’ and is one of the most used points in Acupunture as it really is overall very strengthening + calming for the body and mind. It’s located on the outer leg below the knee.

Steps to find it:

1. Locate your kneecap (it’s smaller than you think - only the bit that actually is moveable when you bend your knee is the kneecap!)

2. Measure 4 finger widths down from the bottom of your kneecap

3. Find the tip of the hard bone running down the middle of your shin

4. Measure 1 finger width to the outside of this bone

5. Push down on this spot with your finger.

You could even use the heel of your other foot to apply light pressure in this area when you are sitting at your desk.

Juices and Smoothies

Should we all be having a daily morning smoothie?

I’m not in general against a big boost of antioxidants all mixed together BUT some general rules…

1. I prefer smoothies to juices as in smoothies you retain the fibre of the veg in the smoothie (and you know i’m obsessed with the fact that none of us eat enough fibre - remember prebiotics people)

2. Smoothies are also cold and considered damp (remember, damp damages the spleen, which in turn causes digestive issues). If you’re going to have a smoothie, try having a hot drink before and if you can, avoid filling it with ice. Probably best to avoid smoothies if you are a cold constitutional person.

3. Even nut milks are considered damp (not just dairy), it’s why you find them ‘spiced’ - heating them up with spices removes the dampening effect. why not add the ceylon cinnamon we spoke about to your smoothie which will also help with your blood sugar regulation?

4. Oh and the smoothie should be 80-90% veg and only a little bit of fruit (and berries rather than pineapple and orange) ! Otherwise it’s basically just a sugar drink...

5. Try going for dark leafy greens as they have the highest minerals per calorie, are high in chlorophyll (which is abundant in magnesium), antioxidants, are alkalising, blood building, anti cancer etc.

6. The more bitter the greens you go for the more they stimulate digestion and liver detoxification

7. Oh and after my rant about how amazing bee pollen is…. why not add a teaspoon into that smoothie? (try some to check your not allergic first)

Blueberries….

Don’t skip the little less sweet blueberries in the pack... they are packed full of more anti oxidants than the big sweeter ones!!

Fiber, Fiber, Fiber!

In nutrition fibre is the most important thing for good health.

The benefits are endless but here is some important ones:
- Reduces cholesterol and fat absoption, promotes heart health
- Binds to and gets rid of toxins, promotes bowel regularity
- Regulates blood sugar levels, helps with diabetes type 2
- Promotes healthy intestinal bacteria, helps with dysbiosis, bacterial imbalance, especially for IBS and IBD such as Crohn’s disease
- Helps with weight loss as it reduces appetite and keeps you satiated (full for longer)

The easiest way to get almost all the fibre you need is to eat lots of fruit and vegs; but here is some more info and other sources:

Soluble fibre, the kind that dissolves in water, is found in beans, barley, and peas. Pectin, a form of soluble fibre, is found in the skin of fruits and vegs, such as apple skin.
Mucilages, another soluble fibre, is found is seaweeds and flax seeds

Insoluble fibre, the kind that does not dissolves in water, is found in wheat bran and psyllium seed.
Cellulose, a type of insoluble fibre, is found in the peels of fruit and vegs.

Do you need to know all these different types? Certainly not, but you need to be aware that different types offer different benefits, and you need all of them! So diversity/variety is key. A rainbow of fiber everY day!! Whatever else you do, make sure you eat this ‘edible good health‘.. as much as you can, you can’t go wrong!
Drink lots of water with fibre to avoid getting ‘plugged up’. Start slow and build up gradually to avoid bloating and flatulence. Steaming the vegetables for 5 minutes is best for preserving the nutrients.

Once you enjoy this way of eating you won’t want processed food. And don’t forget, juicing may give you good nutrients but it removes the fiber!

For more info on Fiber and how to get enough in your diet click here

Macular Degeneration

Yes, yes.. I am back to eyes!

Age-related macular degeneration, AMD, the leading cause of blindness in the West, occurs when the cells in the macula (the central part of retina) start deteriorating with age and overtime leads to blindness.

Free radicals that lead to oxidative stress is believed to be the cause and these are triggered by over exposure to UV light and/or a compromised immune system.

What to avoid:

• Sun - always wear a hat and dark glasses

• Saturated/trans fats - meats, full fat dairy, processed foods and margarine

• Alcohol, smoking, salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and most importantly all artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame
  

Helpful foods:

• Dark green vegs - such as Kale, spinach, broccoli, cabbage .. as they contain Lutein

• Yellow, orange fruit and vegs - such as carrots, mangoes.. but not in excess as you may not be converting pro-vitamin A to Vit A (read my post on Vit A)

• Oily fish - omega 3, very important

• Whole grains such as quinoa, amaranth and brown rice

• Vit E rich foods - such as nuts

• Dark meat from chicken - contains Taurine which is important for the eyes

• Eye friendly foods - apples, onions, grapes and blueberries
  
  

Useful extras:

• Glutathione with N-Acetyl Cysteine -Trizomal Glutathione from Apex Energetics is great

• Bilberry extract or Gingko Biloba (read my post on Gingko)

• Zinc - especially if diet is poor on Zinc, 25mg daily

• Vit C - 500mg daily

• Vit E - 200IU daily

• Melatonin - latest research shows great results but in the UK we need prescription
  
  

AMD is a very serious condition and should be taken very seriously to avoid vision problems in old age.

IBS and Diarrhoea

A question, why does everyone seem to have IBS these days and what exactly is it?

IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, is an umbrella term that western medicine has given to gas, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, consitpation or alternating between the two when there is no explainable cause i.e. we have no idea whats causing this so lets just group them all together and slap the term IBS on it.

IBS is NOT to be confused with IBD, inflammatory bowel disease which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Most people self diagnose themselves with IBS - I literally hear it daily. Unfortunately this means western medicine has no known specific cause, nor successful treatment or cure, you’re just told to sort of figure out your triggers and then try avoid those things, oh and get counselling as theres often a mental health aspect to it… not really very helpful.

Luckily, TCM theory seems to understand and be able to treat IBS very well. Since we have spoke about constipation a lot already, today I’ll focus on diarrhoea (IBS-D). The short version is that loose stools are always related to a weak spleen (a.k.a “spleen qi deficiency”) This isn’t the same spleen we know of from biology GCSE, it’s an organ in TCM that is probably the most important; Its integral in making blood, making energy (qi) and controlling all digestion. So, no wonder when we get IBS we feel so drained and weak, it’s all related. Oh and another function of the spleen is to sort of ‘hold things up’ so prolapses and haemorrhoids are also due to a weak spleen.

The main rule is, the spleen hates dampness. What causes dampness?

• Alcohol,

• dairy,

• sugar (think wine + sugary/citrus fruit and fruit juices),

• gluten (think beer),

• white carbs (bread, pasta, rice),

• fried/oily foods,

• bad oils (margarine, veg oils, trans fats like we spoke about already)

• nuts and seeds (peanuts are the worst sorry peanut butter lovers)

• in general, overly processed food.

This is why it seems that the west has so many cases of IBS, because these damp foods make up most of our diet, and most of us in this group also live in cold, damp London. Ever thought your bad stomach could be triggered by drinking beer or wine? or self diagnosed yourself as gluten intolerant? Think your hangovers are worse than others because you can’t stop going to the toilet? Now it’s starting to make sense. I’m yet to meet a person in London who isn’t at least a little bit ‘spleen qi deficient’.

So, how can we help strengthen the spleen, and treat IBS-D? Firstly, and I’ve spoken about this before, think:

• WARMING foods and hot meals (or at least try and add one hot component to every meal), cooling foods weaken the spleen this INCLUDES WATER - don’t drink your water straight out the fridge try have it at room temp.

• slow cooked food (ESPECIALLY FOR BREAKFAST - hence my obsession with soaked oats/porridge + bone broth).

• think organic, seasonal, unrefined produce (the less processed the better)

• ditch the sugary, processed DAMP, COLD and RAW foods. I hear so often people say, but raw is better right? NOT for people with IBS-D!

• only small amounts of vinegar (if you eat a lot of pickles check they are not made in vinegar).

Specific spleen strengthening foods (which are also blood building foods) include:

• nettle, beetroot, bone broth, camomile tea

• properly cooked brown rice, oats, spelt,

• carb rich veggies: squash, sweet potato, carrot, turnip, peas, pumpkin etc.

• pungent veggies and spices: cinnamon, garlic, ginger, onions, leeks, fennel, black pepper

• you’ll be happy to know (NOT in excess) that butter is fine to cook with (esp over veg oils)

By the way, if this diet sounds similar to the PCOS diet, thats because cysts are a build up of DAMP - so if thats you, also follow these restrictions! What else is damp? CANDIDA! The diet I gave for that is more restrictive than this, but the same rules apply!

Also, TCM and western medicine are both big believers in not overeating, mindful eating & chewing your food well. If you have a weak spleen (loose bowels, general weakness/fatigue) then the intermittent fasting and all the long breaks between meals we spoke about might not be the best for you, (late night eating still isn’t good for anyone) instead, go for smaller meals more often - essentially your digestive system right now sucks, don’t overwhelm it, and build it up slowly with only simple, hot cooked meals (nothing cold/cooling, damp or raw).

If you’re always cold (cold hands/feet) and you have more watery stools (maybe with some undigested food in) then your seriously spleen weak and you really need to start thinking about building up your digestive strength. In this case powdered ginger is better than fresh.

Oh and re the mental health part, in TCM a poorly functioning spleen results in poor mental function, and visa versa - stress and overwork (especially mentally taxing like studying for an exam) generally weakens the spleen. The spleen is actually part of the ‘Earth element’ and is the organ linked to anxiety (the overthinking type - repeatedly going over situations in circles which you cannot control). Equally, IBS that is exasperated by stress is said to be a ‘liver issue which in turn causes the spleen weakness’. So, if this if you, in addition to the above, keep your eyes peeled for any foods i mention that help the liver (coming up soon). But think about your liver - don’t provoke it with intoxicants (alcohol, cigarettes and poor quality fats and oils - again, no vegetable oils, margarine or trans-fats).