The Digestive System and How it can affect every body system and organ, eventually……

We are constantly being told that this or that food it not good for us. This information changes by the week, month or year. It is never explained to us why, some foods and fluids are essential to life, others are not. So much information is available, how valid is the latest information or is it just another fad. There are numerous differing opinions, all potentially valid, scientifically substantiated, yet so contradicatory. Very confusing for most people.

There is no real reason for any snippet of information to be incorrect but it still leaves most people wondering if they are doing right or wrong, particularly if they are not feeling well, overweight, underweight or with some symptom such as IBS, CVD, PMT, Menopause, eczema, asthma and so on.

When a change of diet is required because of illness or just to improve overall wellbeing, it is really important that there is a belief in what you are trying to achieve, combined with correct information. To become motivated to change you need to be positive about what you are doing and the possible outcome that is likely. i.e will I have lost weight, rid myself of eczema etc.

As a nutritionist I believe that everything that is healthy or unhealthy about someone has begun in the digestive system, so much is affected in the rest of the body if this system does not work efficiently. This may be due to poor diet, stress etc.

Immunity concerned with digestion.

You will hear that the body digests food matter, this is not correct, it is the micro organisms contained within the body that do the job. The good bacteria and some of the bad guys too.

The body is an environmental package for bacteria to proliferate. The food we consume will determine the kind of bacteria that will grow or be destroyed. A balance of the correct foods, water and heat will keep the acid and alkaline situation balanced so that the digestive system works efficiently without giving its host any problems. The good and bad guys are aided by the body’s own chemicals, fat disolvers and digestive enzymes which they cannot produce, but they are very good in the job they do in there. These microforms are called the friendly bacteria, they multiply through digestion of nutrients. These guys help, along with our enzymes, to breakdown the foods we eat into vitamins, minerals, amino acids (proteins), carbohydrates, fatty acids, etc., this is why when there is poor digestion or gut dysbiosis, this cannot happen, therefore malnutrition and all the symptoms of ill health mentioned earlier would be present.

But what about the bad guys, the unfriendly bacteria, they like the same environment as the good guys but when these unfriendly bacteria breed they cause fermentation or putrefaction which gives off a different chemical composition causing toxins to be present, the bi-product of the bad guys. This is when you get a bloated abdomen and other symptoms such as foggy thinking, spacey heads, headaches, nausea and so on, which will lead on to the other health issues mentioned earlier.

There should be a massive 80% of good bacteria to a 20% of bad for the digestive system to work efficiently. Most people have spent a long time eating the foods which love to increase the bad guys ending up with the balance the other way round.

Which foods cause us to increase the good bacteria ? fresh raw vegetables, fruits in the correct combination, if you refer to my “hunter/gatherer idea then you will see that our complex digestive system was designed to work with these foods.

Foods that are high in what is termed as simple sugars or fast release carbohydrates which means taken up in the body very quickly i.e. white sugar, honey maltose, lactose etc will encourage fermentation, even some fruits such as melon and bananas and dried fruits will cause fermentation, particularly where there is already a problem with too many of the bad guys (bacteria) The high protein foods such as meat etc will encourage putrefaction. The organisation of food types, if kept simple will assist digestion, the more complex food combining will lead to a massive fight inside the body causing in-digestion. Certain chemical/enzymatic changes take place in the process of digestion, under normal circumstances. Each part of the digestive tract has a job to do, see below in order for delivery of the correct nutrients in their broken down state to be delivered to the necessary systems, if this does not happen you end up with a toxic system due to the bi-products of the waste/purtrefication.

There are, as I have said, several stages of digestion in order to break down the foods to be taken up by the body in their various forms.

The first stage of this process begins in the mouth itself, the saliva secreted into the mouth through the mucous membranes contains the necessary enzyme Ptyalin to break down starches. Ptyalin production is severely disabled if the diet consists of sugars and/or acids. These two food products need other enzymes to work on them.

Sight and smell as well as taste can cause the release of the various enzymes and HCA in the stomach what we call gastric juices, I use the analogy of chewing gum, this is taking place in the mouth which is causing the stomach to prepare for “what might be” continued use of this will cause problems in the gut such as over production of acid. Think about that you people who chew gum – that is probably why you chew it because your stomach is overactive and causing a bad taste in you rmouth !

The stomach digests or breaks down protein (meat etc) due to its high acidic environment (hydrochloric acid) and the enzyme pepsin together with heat. Even hormones play their part here where the hormone gastrin stimulates the gastric glands to produce gastric juice. The stomach is where proteins are broken down into polypeptides for the small intestine to pick up and convert to amino acids

Proteins take the longest to digest, next to fat, but as protein is usually meat this will have fat within it. It causes the most in energy and water usage.

Foods can remain in the stomach for minutes or hours depending on the type of food. If the balance of the stomach’s gastric juice is incorrect the proteins cannot be broken down and will either sit there for hours, days or will go on to putrefy in the bowel. Eating too fast and too much can cause this, also if there is constipation further down in the colon, you can get a stacking up problem.

You cannot mix oil (fat) and water so for the body to use these foods we must emulsify the fat with bile. Bile is secreted from the liver and stored in the gall bladder until it is required, the orange-coloured bile enters the system just after the stomach (duodenum). If there are no fats in the meal the gallbladder will not be required until the next meal or snack, less fat means a more concentrated bile when needed.

The contents of the stomach pass into the small intestine as a liquid named Chyme. This is/or should be a very alkaline environment. Where bile may be present to emulsify any fats. Bile also carries with it much of the debris that is cleaned from the blood by the liver. The multitude of dead cells and immune debris leave the body via this route, this is what colours and deodorises the faeces.

The small intestine is where digestion takes place, it is very alkaline where lots of good and hopefully a little bad bacteria will be working on the chyme which is the contents of the stomach to help digestion of nutrients that the body can use, these nutrients are then released through tiny villi (hair like projections of the intestinal wall into the blood system to be directed to wherever they are needed to repair and rebuild the body’s many cells. Many starches are broken down into sugars (subject to evidence of Ptyalin in the mouth) and are absorbed into the intestinal walls to be carried to the liver for storage and distribution (after being converted to Glucose – the only sugar the body can utilize).

Also here is where most of the emulsified fats leave the intestinal tract for the liver, for further processing into the multitude of oils utilized by every cell the body

Considering the length of the intestines it would make sense that a diet of mainly a vegetable source would be correct.

Processed sugars and starches which means fast food,sweets chocolates etc go straight from the small intestine as glucose into the blood stream. Where there is a continual use of these foods it will stress the Pancreas, which must produce Insulin to get the sugars out of the bloodstream, and into cells. The excess glucose may be converted into glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscles, in order for it to be re-used it has to return to glucose, the conversion of which is made by hormones (adrenaline, thyroxine, glucagon) The excess is stored in Adipose (fat) tissues, in an attempt to stop it clogging arteries, but all defenses have their limitations.

With constant over use of refined foods Insulin secretion glands in the Pancreas will fail, and conditions such as Pancreatitis and Diabetes are just a short time away

The good bacteria works well with sugars and starches that come in natural foods (fruit and vegetables), together with all the nutrients and enzymes to be broken down and taken up by the body. Refined foods (simple sugars) will call upon the pancreas to produce enzymes but this is not ideal, as we have said above it will cause a deterioration in this gland. The bad bacteria will love these simple sugars which will then cause fermentation as well as encouraging the growth of bad bacteria but also the bi-products or toxins such as Ethanol, Alcohol and gasses. (hence a bloated abdomen and plenty of wind!!)

An overgrowth of an unfriendly bacteria can be immune-resistant, and very difficult to suppress, therefore candida is often found in people with chronic fatigue because their immune systems have broken down.

The small intestine is where carbohydrates are converted to monosaccharides, protein into amino acids and fats into fatty acids and glycerol.

We now have vitamins and minerals to nourish the body, (all things being equal in health).

Lymphoid tissue is situated at the beginning of the colon (large intestine) where the small intestine tails off to join the large intestine, its job is to eliminate the bad bacteria entering the colon.

We now move on down the tract to the next long tube, the colon. There is also a lot of work going on here with absorption of water to create a semi solid stool and a collection of minerals salts and vitamins which can be absorbed into the blood stream. The colon is also a host for microbes such as Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Streptoccocus faecialis, Clostridium perfringens. Whilst safely in the colon they will deal with the final putrefecation of the waste but if they get out due to inefficient valves they can move back up through the digestive system where they will cause a bacterial catastrophe.

Where there is constipation it is a real problem or where a poor fibreless diet has lead to leaking or inefficient valves and allowing bad bacterias going back up into the small intestine and further. Back up in the small intestine, if there was a lot of bad bacteria, the mucosal layers of the tract would have produced more mucus than normal to try to slide this and any other nutrients through to the colon (hence mucus coating the stools is often seen with people on highly refined diets and malnutrition). Here the water is drawn out of the Chyme , If there is constipation these mucoid layers begin to stiffen, becoming more sticky and even harder to move. This will at worst prevent or at least cause a problem with assimilation of nutrients through the colon wall. As this mucus was a result of bad bacteria in the small intestine it will have produced its own toxins. The Appendix (if not been removed) may have suppressed the bacteria somewhat, but they still exist in their millions within the mucousa, a great feeding and breeding site. The Colon, in good health, should never be in this condition, but sadly there are a massive amount of people with unhealthy colons and at 2.5 metres long this is a very unhealthy state of affairs.

The entire intestinal tract is a series of circular muscles that move the Chyme by what is known as peristalsis. Just as any other muscle, if stretched too thinly or ballooning caused by overeating and repressed gases, or held permanently tense, with a low or no fibre diet or distended through a sedentary lifestyle, there is sure to be diverticulitis or other problems, maybe even cancer.

The other massive problem is the toxic waste, namely bacteria and parasites, as said before, a massive breeding ground so if there is little flexibility in the colon, thickening of the walls due to the mucous and toxic waste the muscles will become unable to flex or move the waste normally, therefore constipation or diarrhoea (diarrhoea is often caused when the colon is so packed only water and a small amount of waste can get through) will occur. Without this massaging effect (peristalsis), blood has only limited access, therefore cell wastes are not cleared away thoroughly, oxygen is not evenly distributed to them, and they literally suffocate in their own toxic wastes. The entire muscle will eventually go into degeneration, further compromising or causing disease to the entire system.

When one muscle is compromised or wasted, the next has to work twice as hard, which spreads the tension and stress. Moreover, when this happens close to a ballooning muscle ring, then the pressure alone will further bloat this area. Just as underactive as a stressed muscle, the ballooning section has the added disadvantage of creating further folds and space in which to collect additional mucous.

Within the decomposing, hardened mucous, there lies another demon. Much bigger than the bacteria and in fact it can be much longer than the person in which it resides. Parasites, primarily worms, can range from microscopic, to ½ metre long (Some Tape Worms have been recorded as 28 feet long – the length of the intestinal tract).

I have clients ask “how can I get these horrible parasites”, well, they come on foods contaminated by the manufacturers, chef’s, dirty fast food outlets and restaurants and believe it or not an unwashed lettuce can carry more salmonella than an egg !! and what about the apples you buy in the supermarket and eat without washing, or those grapes, yes !! people with dirty hands have been all over them even if they are organic and free from pesticides and herbicides, they may carry bacteria and parasites. Anyone with pets, particularly cats as they seem to lay around on pillows in your beds !!! will definitely have some form of parasite, I say worm them and yourself (not with the same product !).

Often people during foreign travel get an upset tummy, they appear to get over it, but I can vouch that those little bugs will breed and cause longer term problems which will be seen at a later stage and until dealt with will wreak havoc with the digestive system. Most of these parasites are living not from the food you eat, but from the material that is still decomposing within the mucous lining of the intestines. This is why I insist on a high fibre diet to ensure the bowels are freely moving, every day. Anyone with any level of constipation will suffer with a build up of parasites and bacteria. However, we do need bacteria and worms to compost our waste, they live naturally in our bowels, but as I have said, in limited amounts not colonies of them.

There is often a great psychological response to the subject of bacteria, and infection. Most people greet the subject with emotionally charged visions of being eaten alive from the inside.

Bowels are my favourite topic, I see nothing but disease ensuing from a toxic bowel – Death by the Colon…… Please improve your digestive health.

You can do this by following my 30 day plan but also I am recommending the products on this website for those who are severely compromised.

For a more personalised approach please contact me for a consultation.

Related Posts

• Parasites
• Proteins and their role in human health
• The Root of all Chronic Degenerative Diseases
• Are You SAD? Seasonal Affective Disorder

No one likes to think they have them but there are plenty of people that do and they can be the actual cause or contributing factor to other symptoms such as:

• Candida
• Chronic Fatigue
• Tired all the time
• Bloating
• IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
• Other digestive disturbances
• Fybromyalgia
• Weight loss
• Weight gain
• Hormonal imbalances
• Cancer
• Liver and kidney problems
• Asthma and other respiratory symptoms
• Eczema

Parasites are organisms that invade the body and feed off the nutrients you eat.

Where do you get them from?

Absolutely anywhere! it used to be that people only picked up parasites when abroad from contaminated drinking water or food, but of course with foreign travel being more accessible than ever, imported foods, junk food and poor hygiene, it is perfectly possible to become infected at any time. Parasites can be transmitted by insects, pets, birds in the garden (remember when feeding them how full of parasites they are !)improperly cooked meat, water, fresh foods from other countries and other people.

Possible symptoms of a parasite infection

• Bloating and gas
• Indigestion or heartburn
• Diarrhoea and/or constipation
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Foul smelling stools of irregular shape and consistency
• Blood or mucus in the stool
• Anxiety / depression / mood swings
• Respiratory problems
• Skin rashes
• Rectal itching
• Gastritis
• Fever & chills
• Weight loss /weight gain

What can you do about it?

AT the Trisha Stewart Clinic we will take a full case history, including travel, current and previous health status and use the BEST system to check for imbalances in the body systems and organs and to find out if parasites are a causative factor.

Your medical practitioner may do a stool test which will in many cases prove negative as who knows when these bugs will decide to leave the body but it may be worth a try.

Treatment

Diet of course to help correct the normal flora of the gut and to alkalise the body as parasites cannot thrive in a clean environment. Start with the 30 day Detox programme.

Make an appointment at the Trisha Stewart Clinic.

There are special herbs with anti-parasitic properties, such as oregano, artemesia, grapefruit seed extract, black walnut, cloves thyme plus a good probiotic (not containing lactose) to help the good bacteria grow and the gut to heal.

Only work with therapists who are professionally recognised and who have been referred by someone you know.

Related Posts

• Gut Integrity and Your Immune System
• So you think you are what you eat ! Read on…..You are what you absorb
• A note on Detoxing
• Proteins and their role in human health
• The Root of all Chronic Degenerative Diseases

The human metabolism of protein is relatively simple. When big protein molecules are eaten as food, our digestive tract break them down into their simplest building blocks. These molecules are known as amino acids. Because of the complete digestion of proteins into simple amino acids, the source of the protein is not of critical importance. A body does not know the difference between protein from plant sources or meat. After digestion, the amino acids from peanuts look identical to those from meat. As long as certain amino acids are not deficient from the diet the body can synthesize what it needs from the basic components (see below).

It must be noted that protein is seldom found in a pure form. In the natural world, protein is often found in foods mixed with fats i.e. meat or plants. In the above examples, the structure of the amino acids in peanuts is identical to those in meat, but the fat content is very different.

Protein is found throughout the body—in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue. It makes up the enzymes that power many chemical reactions and the haemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. At least 10,000 different proteins make you what you are and keep you that way.

Twenty or so basic building blocks, called amino acids, provide the raw material for all proteins. Following genetic instructions, the body strings together amino acids. Some genes call for short chains of amino acids, others are blueprints for long chains that fold, origami-like, into intricate, three-dimensional structures.

Because the body doesn’t store amino acids, as it does fats or carbohydrates, it needs a daily supply of amino acids to make new protein.

There are two types of protein:

1. Essential, these cannot be synthesised in the body(the body cannot make them), they must be included in the diet. They are Isoleucine, methionine, tryptophan, leucine, phenylalanine, valine, lysine thronine
2. Non essential, these can be synthesized by the body (the body makes them). They are alanine, cystine, hydroxyproline, arginine, glutamic acid, praline, asparagines, glutamine, serine, aspartic acid, glycine, tyrosine, cysteine, histidine.

Protein sources are primarily found in their:

1. Complete form in meat, fish, eggs, soya beans, milk and milk products.
2. Incomplete form – this means they do not have all the essential amino acids and have to be combined with each other, from grains (with the exception of Quinoa), pulses, legumes and vegetables.

What do Proteins do for us?

• Contribute to the growth and repair of all the body cells and tissues, including muscles, ligaments, tendons.
• The whole body is made up of cells and they have to regenerate and renew on a daily basis.
• Proteins are the building blocks of life.
• Synthesis of enzymes, plasma (blood) proteins, antibodies (immune) and some hormones
• Provision of energy although secondary to carbs

Best sources of protein for health include whole grains, pulses (beans) legumes and some vegetables. These are also classed as slow release or complex carbohydrates so it is not hard to get all your protein, carbs and fibre in one meal. (see article on carbohydrates and fibre)

Why is it preferable not to use animal protein?

There are very many studies to state that animal protein is bad for us, the following reasons can be reasonable to accept that a diet higher in complex carbs is far more exciting than some of the possible symptoms below:

• Higher incidence of colo-rectal cancer
• Constipation leading to diverticulitis
• Higher incidences of colitis or other inflammatory digestive problem
• Headaches, bad breath
• Raised PH acidity leading to gall stones, liver damage, kidney stones and renal damage, bone loss/osteoporosis as the body excretes more calcium to maintain mineral balance
• Raised cholesterol
• Higher risk of heart disease
• Higher risk of diabetes or diabetic related symptoms
• Higher risk of obesity in adults and children
• Growth hormones and antibiotics used in mass producing cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry possibly causing infertility

How Much Protein do you need – well there is a debate and a half ! I have read many papers, all offering their own opinion on how much we actually need. Here are two extracts, confusing or what ?

The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day—that’s about 64 grams for a 160 pound adult.

Of course my argument there would be that the protein they are probably advising comes along with saturated fats, causing disease and we only have to look at the health problems people are facing by following high protein (meat and dairy) diets, kidney, gallbladder, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, to name a few.

In fact – The American Diabetes Association recommends limiting protein intake to 0.8 to 1.0 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight (roughly 10 percent of energy intake), since this may help improve kidney function; in later stage kidney disease, sticking to the 0.8 grams per kilogram minimum is advisable, WHY ? because too much animal protein is too taxing for the body, too acidic and when the body has become compromised, as in diabetes, these body systems and organs fail. A change in diet should have taken place long before disease sets in. The problem is most people do not listen to their bodies, they just keep pushing the boundaries until something breaks.

This is why I promote a vegetarian/vegan style diet. You don’t have to worry about those diseases. The body has to spend a lot of time working hard to digest, process and eliminate animal protein, time is energy, energy that could be used to exercise, walk, run, enjoy your life with, instead of that it is working hard trying to clear all the toxic waste from your body.

And, the benefits of eating a high protein diet from plant and vegetable sources is that you get the whole combo of nutrients, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, minerals, bioflavanoids, phytochemicals, antioxidants, what more could you really want to have.

However – There are debates surrounding nuts and their fat content, they are considered to be high in fat, which is correct, but this is non-saturated fat – yes they still have lots of calories but from a health point of view, these calories come with a whole load of benefits.

Nuts are excellent sources of protein and it has been researched that people who regularly eat nuts are less likely to have heart attacks or die from heart disease than those who rarely eat them. Several of the largest cohort studies, including the Adventist Study, the Iowa Women’s Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study, and the Physicians’ Health Study have shown a consistent 30 percent to 50 percent lower risk of myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, or cardiovascular disease associated with eating nuts several times a week.

How can that be ? There are several ways that nuts could have such an effect. The unsaturated fats they contain help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. One group of unsaturated fat found in walnuts, the omega-3 fatty acids, appears to prevent the development of erratic heart rhythms. Omega-3 fatty acids may also prevent blood clots, much as aspirin does. Nuts are rich in arginine, an amino acid needed to make a molecule called nitric oxide that relaxes constricted blood vessels and eases blood flow. They also contain vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, fibre, and other healthful nutrients.

There comes a WARNING here though, eating nuts won’t do you much good if you eat them in addition to your usual snacks and meals. At 185 calories per ounce, a handful of walnuts a day could add 10 pounds or more in a year if you don’t cut back on something else.

This means having nuts instead of chocolate bars, chips or other unhealthy snack. Or try using them instead of meat in main dishes, or as a healthful crunch in salads. If you are a carnivore you will, to begin with, find it difficult to look at your plate and not see that familiar “slab” of flesh on a section of it but if you try to think of your food as nutritious and the more you can pack in of the vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, the more health and vitality you have.

Take another look at the piece of “dead” food – we need lots of enzymes ! enzymes are life……

The same applies to seeds, they have similar properties to the nuts. Beans and legumes on the other hand are extremely low in fat, high in protein and fibre. They do not contain the full spectrum of amino acids that the body requires but a mix with nuts, seeds and grains means you have a complete nutritious meal. (see notes above on two types of protein)

Take this for an example:

A 6oz grilled (broiled) steak delivers 38grams of protein but it also delivers a whacking great 44grams of fat ! whilst a cup of lentils delivers 18 grams of protein but under 1 gram of fat ! but, as I have already said, those lentils will also provide you with fibre and carbohydrates plus some vitamins and minerals.

Of course, you have to plan more efficiently to get your complete protein package but stop working so hard at it, just have lots of beans, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds.

Related Posts

• Gut Integrity and Your Immune System
• So you think you are what you eat ! Read on…..You are what you absorb
• Parasites
• What is all the fuss about carbohydrates ?
• The Root of all Chronic Degenerative Diseases

The Root of all Chronic Degenerative Diseases

Hypoglycaemia basically means low blood sugar. Other terms used to describe this syndrome of low blood sugar are:

1. Hyperinsulinism which refers to an overactive pancreas gland secreting excess levels of insulin.
2. Hypodrenocorticism which refers to adrenal glands which are exhausted and can therefore no longer function normally in rescuing excessively high sugar levels from crashing under the influence of excessive insulin levels.

This increasingly common phenomenon of functional or reactive hypoglycaemia was first discovered by Dr Seale Harris in 1924 when he observed that some of his patients produced too much insulin causing their blood sugar levels to drop. The single most essential fuel for the human body is sugar or glucose. The nervous system and brain are acutely sensitive to the fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

The brain functions best on a small but steady supply of glucose and reacts immediately if this basic requirement is not met. It is no wonder that so many of the symptoms of hypoglycaemia relate to the brain, mind and nervous system. Another important factor in hypoglycaemia affecting the brain is that when the blood sugar levels fall dramatically, electrolytes such as potassium and chloride are driven into the cells. This attracts extracellular fluid into the cells causing them to swell up adding further to the brain dysfunction.

What actually happens in hypoglycaemia?

Hypoglycaemia basically occurs when sugars or carbohydrates are not metabolised correctly. A normal blood sugar level response occurs when, after ingestion of unrefined good quality food, the blood sugar level rises slowly and gradually. This signals the pancreas to release a corresponding amount of insulin into the blood stream, which in turn helps to bring about a gradual return of the blood sugar level to approximately what it was before eating. This normal response is what brings stability to the body and mind in how it provides a consistent level of fuel (sugar) to the areas that need it most.

A Hypoglycaemic or low blood sugar response occurs when by the nature of the food ingested (usually refined and high glycaemic, table sugar, white bread, chocolate etc.) sugar is released very rapidly into the bloodstream causing a sharp rise or peak in sugar levels. The pancreas then overreacts and secretes an excess of insulin to counteract and correct the peak level of sugar. This excess amount of insulin overcorrects and removes sugar too rapidly from the bloodstream causing the level to crash well below what it was before eating. It almost becomes like an emergency state in the body, hence the need for a ‘quick fix’ and the resultant cravings for sweet foods. This ‘quick fix’ need not necessarily only be sweet foods, it can be anything that will stimulate the adrenal glands into action to rescue the drop in sugar levels such as coffee and tea, alcohol, smoking, the use of drugs as well as of course the craving of high glycaemic foods. It is this crash in sugar levels which causes some or all of the wide range of hypoglycaemic symptoms listed below.

Symptom of Hypoglycaemia

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Depression
  Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Nervousness
  Restlessness
• Irritability
• Hyperactivity
  Mood swings
• Poor concentration
• Poor memory
• Difficulty making decisions
• Dizziness
• Convulsions/Seizures
  Nervous exhaustion
• Nervous stomach
• Constant worrying
  Drowsiness
• Allergies
• Hay fever
• Tingling
• Tremors
  Insomnia
• Low libido
• Noise sensitivity
  Antisocial behavior
• Intense hunger
• Excessive sweating
  Blurred vision
• Palpitations
• Nightmares
• Difficulty coping with the unexplained
• Sighing/Yawning
  Normal stresses
• Fears/insecurities
• Gasping for breath

You will note these symptoms seem all too familiar but can also be associated with other illness, so how do you know you have this particular problem ?

Unfortunately most people will go to their Doctor with any or all of these symptoms – he will probably diagnose diabetes and in one fail swoop you are now considered a diabetic with all the trimmings, health insurance hits the roof, drivers licence is under threat and possibly your career may take a sideways swipe.

I have worked with many people with all of the above symptoms – they are not always in the hypoglycaemic state but change in diet and sometimes looking at stress if appropriate, will get rid of all of the symptoms listed and avoid the onslaught of drugs, tests and hospital visits. (see associated article on diabetes). I have also worked with people whose blood sugars have hit the roof and within less than 30 days working purely with diet, these have returned to normal. Of course maintaining this still has to be worked at because of the problems associated with excess sugar in the blood (see article on diabetes).

Related Posts

• So you think you are what you eat ! Read on…..You are what you absorb
• Tell tale signs you may have pre-type II diabetes or full on type II diabetes
• What Is Heart Disease ?
• Parasites
• Proteins and their role in human health

This disorder affects many people, particularly during the winter months or when there is not enough daylight. People who do not normally sufferer with any mental ill health can, particularly during December and January, suddenly feel very low and somewhat depressed. For those people who already have mental health issues, the winter months can sometimes cause a deepening of their symptoms.

What causes one to feel SAD ?

A lack of natural, full spectrum light, which reduces the amount of Melatonin secreted by the Pineal Gland.

The Pineal gland (part of the endocrine (hormonal) system) is a small cone shaped organ which sits in the centre of the brain (mystics call this the third eye). It converts incoming nerve impulses received as bio-electrical messages about the outside environment (full spectrum light) into outgoing hormones in the blood stream (vascular system).

During daylight the Pineal Gland , which is highly responsive to the amount of light to which we are exposed, releases very little melatonin but at night melatonin secretion triples to help regulate our circadium rhythms (internal clock, sleeping and waking cycles).

As melatonin rises and is secreted you begin to experience a hypnotic-like state which helps to bring sleep on. In the morning when daylight returns melatonin decreases again.

When you get lots of bright sunlight during the day Melatonin is secreted in the hours of darkness. When not enough full spectrum light is available during the day there will not be enough melatonin to be secreted. This will cause SAD and/or chronic depression.

There is always more to SAD than the above as one must take into consideration the whole of the person, their lifestyle, medical history, family history, childhood, career, stress and most importantly diet.

I would work on the principle that the person who has SAD will have some form of depression, linked to a hormonal issue and/or any of the above. More women than men suffer with this problem, or so we think, as men do not often admit to having any problems and this can sometimes be linked to Mothers who spend a lot of time indoors with their children during winter.

A good diet is essential, using wholefoods, preferably organic or better still biodynamic. These foods should be of the season so typically wintertime roots, leaves, stems, nuts, seeds.

Anyone, particularly with depression or SAD will require regular mealtimes and snacks to keep the blood sugar levels balanced and therefore energy at its peak.

The following is a list of vitamins and minerals specifically required and which foods they are available from.

B Vitamins found in the following foods listed in order of importance in my opinion, preferring more of the first 7 points as these are less taxing on the digestive system and unless the others are organic they can add to the load of not just digestion but the liver and immunity.

• Pulses (beans) lentils, chick peas
• Wholegrains (rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat etc), Wheatgerm
• Vegetables such as dark green leaves, mushrooms, cauliflower, tomatoes, avocado, squash, celery
• Spirulina and other sea vegetables (*see note below for vegan’s)
• Nuts and seeds
• Soya products
• Strawberries, bananas, dried fruits
• Fish
• Eggs
• Dairy products
• Meat and poultry
• Organ meats

A note on B12 for Vegans

Vegans using adequate amounts of fortified foods or B12 supplements are much less likely to suffer from B12 deficiency than the typical meat eater. The Institute of Medicine, in setting the US recommended intakes for B12 makes this very clear. “Because 10 to 30 percent of older people may be unable to absorb naturally occurring vitamin B12, it is advisable for those older than 50 years to meet their RDA mainly by consuming foods fortified with vitamin B12 or a vitamin B12-containing supplement.”  B12 need never be a problem for well-informed vegans.

*Spirulina – The vegetarian Society says this:

The only reliable unfortified sources of vitamin B12 are meat, dairy products and eggs. There has been considerable research into possible plant food sources of B12. Fermented soya products, seaweeds and algae have all been proposed as possible sources of B12. However, analysis of fermented soya products, including tempeh, miso, shoyu and tamari, found no significant B12.

Spirulina, an algae available as a dietary supplement in tablet form, and nori, a seaweed, have both appeared to contain significant amounts of B12 after analysis. However, it is thought that this is due to the presence of compounds structurally similar to B12, known as B12 analogues. These cannot be utilised to satisfy dietary needs. Assay methods used to detect B12 are unable to differentiate between B12 and it’s analogues, Analysis of possible B12 sources may give false positive results due to the presence of these analogues.

All these tests are, as yet, inconclusive, as are many tests for many reasons but it is worth being as sure as you possibly can and maybe it woulod be a good idea to have a blood test although it is said that a blood B12 level measurement is unreliable test for vegans, particularly vegans using any form of algae such as spirulina and some other plant foods containing B12-analogues (false B12) that can imitate true B12 in blood tests while actually interfering with B12 metabolism. Blood counts are also unreliable as high folate intakes suppress the anaemia symptoms of B12 deficiency that can be detected by blood counts. Blood homocysteine testing is more reliable, with levels less than 10 mmol/litre being desirable. The most specific test for B12 status is methylmalonic acid (MMA) testing. If this is in the normal range in blood (<370 nmol/L) or urine (less than 4 mg /mg creatinine) then your body has enough B12. Many doctors still rely on blood B12 levels and blood counts. These are not adequate, especially in vegans.

Other minerals

Magnesium

• From the food groups listed above

Chromium

• As above but particularly including root vegetables and green peppers

On top of this a good all round range of foods which are in season, ripened naturally, locally grown will enhance mood as will the colour of foods we see influence what we eat, this will be affected by the hormone system which is inextricably linked to SAD.

There are many reasons that people find they have this disorder. If you feel you have SAD, but are unsure, complete the online profile so that I can detect anything else that may be causing your symptoms and then offer a solution.

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