But Why?

During a consultation this morning I was advising my client to avoiding wheat. It tested as being a toxin for her so I gave her some alternatives. Then her son added that a local bakery makes spelt bread. Delighted in the news I told her it would be best to start buying that instead. That's until I actually went to the bakery to investigate this wonderful new discovery.

Being sensitive to wheat myself I had to check it out. Upon entering I noticed they were all sold out, but I did see the sign for it listing some of the ingredients. It stated, "New wheat free spelt bread made with no additives or preservatives. Made with Spelt and Soya Milk." What? Soya milk? But why? And why can't I seem to get away from this dreaded bean?

I asked the woman behind the counter if they could make it with just cow's milk (which I dislike as well but it's better than soy) or another alternative to a milk product. She just shrugged and said they get in what the main location makes. See, there are 3 bakeries in this small town and all of them are the same company. Don't ask. And of course I had to go into the one that isn't the 'main' location. So now I have to write a letter to the bakery and ask if they will change the ingredient for 'soy sensitive' people like myself. You don't even want to know me when I'm eating soy. I'm like a bear with a toothache.

The woman at the bakery suggested I make my own bread. Does she know who she's talking to? I haven't the foggiest idea how to make bread. Something about yeast rising? This is so frustrating. I just want to go to a bakery and buy a bread that wont deplete me of minerals or make me fat. Wheat makes me load on the pounds.

Since moving to Ireland I've had to get acquainted with a few fun facts. 1. I'll never get a decent salad in a restaurant again, 2. soya flour is quickly becoming a staple ingredient in all breads, and 3. if I want to survive I'm just going to have to make all of my own meals, forever.

I guess it's true what they say; if you want something done right, you just have to do it yourself.

Cholesterol Myths Exposed!

How many of you are on Lipitor or another cholesterol lowering drug? Now how many of you feel like crap? Just what I thought.

Here is an excerpt from the website Second Opinions ...

"Cholesterol is an essential component in the body. It is found in all the cells of the body, particularly in the brain and nerve cells. Body cells are continually dying and new ones being made. Cholesterol is a major building block from which cell walls are made. Cholesterol is also used to make a number of other important substances: hormones (including the sex hormones), bile acids and, in conjunction with sunlight on the skin, vitamin D 3 . The body uses large quantities of cholesterol every day and the substance is so important that, with the exception of brain cells, every body cell has the ability to make it."

Visit this website to get a more thorough explanation of cholesterol and the facts about fats and coronary heart disease.

Most people think that you get cholesterol from the diet. In a way it's true. Foods that have cholesterol in them can get into the bloodstream, several studies have proven that. But for the most part your liver produces it. In fact, your liver produces more cholesterol when you don't get it from your diet. Hmmm does that mean that maybe it's necessary for proper function of all vital organs and body systems?

Cholesterol is produced by the liver to save your life. It binds to toxins that you take in on a daily basis and passes them safely out of your body. If you produce too little cholesterol and smoke, eat preservatives and food additives, inhale other airborne pollutants, and/or eat too much sugar, you most likely suffer from coronary heart disease or an array of other illnesses because you couldn't protect yourself.

Another important use for cholesterol is hormone delivery. I've known menopausal women who had cholesterol in the 300's (American reading) and suffered no hot flashes or symptoms of any kind. They owed it all to their HDL or High Density Lipoproteins. One way to remember HD is to refer to it as "Hormone Delivery".

For more information on what your cholesterol levels are, check with your doctor. For more information on what that test actually means, check with me.

Allergy Testing and Blood Type Diet Myth

Lately I have been doing so many allergy tests for foods that I've reformatted my consultations. Now when you come to see me the first thing I do is go over everything you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Then, through kinesiology, I test your body systems and all other whole foods that are found in your area. I will never test for Super Macs, Chinese food or the like because I already know the answer and it's an insult to every one's intelligence, including my own.

I used to strictly follow the Blood Type Diet by Dr. Peter D'Adamo with great success. Now since moving to Ireland I've noticed that no two people are the same even if their blood types match. There are several reasons why certain foods do well with one person and not with another.

Reasons Include, but are not limited to:

• Heredity-We have to date back your specific bloodline, not your blood type, to accurately test for allergies. No one in Ireland can eat wheat and not have some sort of reaction to it. I will discuss types of allergy symptoms below.
• HCI and enzyme count present in the stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, etc. Too little means food doesn't get broken down. When that happens, whole particles go through your digestive tract and can cause food sensitivities and digestive disorders. (Leaky Gut Syndrome).
• Blood Type can play a roll in what you are sensitive to. Even if you have all enzymes and HCI present, you can still not process healthy foods correctly and that leads to weight gain, weight loss, digestive disorders, and even undigested proteins in your bloodstream. That is never a good thing. Proteins in the blood can lead to agglutination (sticky cells) and cause tumors that may or may not become malignant. Never go by blood type alone as a rule.
• Weak immune system response.

Here is an excerpt I found in the book 'Food Allergy Relief' by James Braly, M.D.

"A food allergy develops when your immune system, by means of an odd mixture of immune cells, antibodies, and chemical mediators, reacts in an attempt to reject a food in your diet. Food allergy can result in death-from intestinal lymphomas, osteoporotic hip fractures, and asthma-or can create a living hell with years of unending pain and misery."

This is scary considering most people have no clue as to why they are sick or where the sickness stems from. Well guess what? 80% of your immune system stems from your gut. That's right. What you put in is what you get out. People use the phrase "You are what you eat". I like to go one step further and say "You are what you eat, digest, assimilate, and don't eliminate". If you have foods that you can't digest or cause allergies sitting in your colon, what do you think it's doing to the friendly flora that's supposed to be present? Or the nutrients that aren't being absorbed into your bloodstream because you're colon is toxic or inflammed? It's killing you.

There are 4 types of immune reactions in food allergy. Types 1, 2, 3, and 4. I will discuss Types 1 and 3 as they are the most common. More than one type of allergy can occur at the same time.

Type 1: Immediate-Onset Food Allergies

• Occurs in less than 5% of the population and mostly in children.
• Symptoms are stomach cramping, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dull aching, bloating, heartburn, indigestion, constipation, gas, skin rashes, hives, eczema, swelling, wheezing, asthma, the sneezing stuff nose of a patient with allergic rhinitis, or the most dreaded, anaphylaxis.
• Other symptoms/diseases that are caused by food allergies are Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, epilepsy, and psoriasis.
• Happens from a few minutes to two hours after consumption.

Type 3-Delayed-Onset Food Allergy

• More common than Type 1
• Occurs from 2 hours to several days after consumption of allergenic foods (migraines occur within 48 hours)
• Reactions emanate from organs or tissue provoking more than 100 allergenic symptoms and well over 100 medical diseases.

A partial list includes:

• Allergic Rhinitis, nonseasonal
• Ankyslosing Spondylitis
• Anxiety, panic attacks
• Asthma
• ADHD
• Autism (due to milk and gluten in cereals)
• Bed-Wetting
• Depression
• Diabetes, insulin-dependent (Type 1)
• Eczema
• Epilepsy
• Fatigue, chronic
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches (migraines, cluster)
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chrone's, ulcerative colitis, and Celiac Disease)
• Iron deficiency anemia
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Middle ear disease
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Sleep disorders

So before you rush you or your child to the doctor for a mental or physical ailment or disease, consider changing your diet first. A holistic nutritionist may be just what you need to feel better both physically and mentally. Supplements can be taken so flush your body of toxins, repopulate friendly flora, reverse allergies to certain foods, and help prevent or reverse poor nutrient status in patients with mal-absorption.

Helpful supplements are Quercetin Bioflavonoid, Probiotics, MSM, Glutamine, Omega Fatty Acids, and Vitamins and Minerals. Keeping a balance of healthy nutrients found in fruits and vegetables is the best line of defense. Rotation diets are highly recommended to relieve the gut of allergens. Slow reincorporation of allergenic foods, except dairy and glutens, is also recommended with certain supplements to build the body's immune response. Thus allowing you a larger menu to choose from.

Consult your doctor or Natural Health Consultant.