Obstacles to Health
Autoimmune Disease
Many common conditions such as thyroid disease, bowel disease and endometriosis are, in fact, autoimmune conditions. If conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are included in the statistics (and many experts believe that they should be), the frequency of autoimmune conditions in the western world is 1 in 5 people. Among women, it's even more frequent.
Homocysteine: The Missing Piece Of the Health Puzzle
Homocysteine is one of the most important blood tests to have. Elevated homocysteine is a vastly more important finding on blood test than elevated cholesterol.
Homocysteine predicts increased risk for heart attack, stroke, depression, arthritis, infertility, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease. Some authors estimate that elevated homocysteine predicts 90% of cases of cardiovascular disease.
The Problem With Cow's Milk
Please see Lara's latest blog post about A1 and A2 milk: "The Inflammation from A1 Milk is Mind-Boggling"
Were you allergic to milk as a kid, but believe that you grew out of it? (You did not grow out of it. The symptoms just changed.)
Does every Naturopath advise you to avoid milk? (There's a reason.)
Do you suffer from acne, obesity, endometriosis, eczema, asthma, or recurring chest infections? (There may be a solution.)
What IS the problem with milk? (It's not the lactose.)
Sugar: Get Off It
Sugar is not your friend. It may feel like your friend when it comforts you on a lonely evening, but it is not the kind of friend that you want to have. In actual fact, sugar is an evil back-stabbing friend that erodes your health and your youth.
Is Wheat Safe For Anyone?
The inflammatory, immune-disrupting effect of wheat is so significant, that it led one group of researchers to pose the question: "Is gluten safe for anyone to eat?" Their research published in the prestigious journal GUT found that wheat gluten elicits a significant inflammatory response in all individuals, whether they have coeliac disease or not. (1)
Is Coffee Bad?
Coffee is more than caffeine
We equate coffee with caffeine, but that is not accurate. Caffeine is just one of many health-influencing aspects of coffee.
Coffee has unique impacts on health that we do not get from other caffeine foods, such as tea and chocolate.
Facts About Fructose
Confused about sugar?
Fact #1. Table sugar and other concentrated sweeteners are the worst Carbs because they are high dose fructose. Fructose is very different than glucose.
Fact #2. Glucose is a nutrient that your cells need for energy, and to build structural carbohydrates. Glucose is controlled by metabolic hormones insulin and leptin. Glucose starches such as rice and potatoes are healthy. (But they should be eaten together with fat, protein and vegetables to slow absorption.)
Worried About BPA? Watch Those Receipts
BPA is a hormone-disrupting chemical found in some plastics. Chronic exposure may increase the risk for breast cancer, infertility, thyroid disease, PCOS, insulin resistance, and heart disease. Several countries around the world have banned BPA, and many Australians have taken steps to reduce their exposure.
Most BPA exposure comes from food that has been stored in plastic-lined tins (tinned tomatoes are the worst), but EFTPOS receipts or thermal paper receipts are a source of substantial exposure.
Thermal receipts are up to 3 percent BPA by weight. Holding them with a dry hand transfers BPA onto the skin. Wet or greasy hands pick up 10 times more. After two hours, the BPA is completely absorbed into the blood stream, and cannot be washed off. Alcohol (from hand wipes, for example) increases the rate of absorption.
