Tags: sleep problems, insomnia

Back pain article for Bootcamp Newsletter

What I hope to achieve in the article is to give you a few of the tips that I give out daily to my patients at The Perrymount Clinic. Some tips may help you prevent any re-occurrence of back pain you have had previously and others may be able to help you reduce the frequency that you get pain. Give them all a try and see which works well for you.
Water intake
Firstly let’s look at water consumption. Apart from the whole body needing adequate hydration to function properly the spinal disc (intervertebral disc) specifically need water to stay “plump”. It is well known that we are taller in the morning and we shorten through the day as our spinal discs are gradually squashed by gravity acting on us as we stand throughout the day. The reason we are taller in the morning is that over night the discs have an automatic function of cleverly dragging fluid back into themselves. It is when this space narrows that problems occur like arthritis, as the joints are closer together, or nerve entrapments (sciatica) as the decreased space causes the nerve to be pinched. So by drinking adequate water you will be making it available for your discs to use, keeping maximum distance between the vertebrae.
Exercise
Most people consider exercise to benefit their cardiovascular health, but your joints and spine will love it too. Exercise will help on many levels, improving circulation, shifting inflammation, releasing “feel good” chemicals, but I want to look at two points, and Bootcamp does these amazingly well (I’m a big fan!). Firstly exercise will mobilise you spine, increasing the movement between the vertebrae and improving your flexibility. Most patients need this to balance work life with exercise as most people have sedentary jobs in front of a PC or on the phone, which basically causes stiffening and tightness through the musculo-skeletal system.
Secondly, exercise will strengthen our “core” muscles, or tummy. Think of your abdomen as the front of your back, and it therefore needs to be strong and functioning correctly to support your spine, particularly the low back. Again the Bootcamp team incorporate core strength into their circuit routines.
Posture
This is my number one point as it applies to everyone! You must make sure you have good posture, particularly when doing what you do most often through the day, so if it is standing then stand well, sitting at the PC, sit well, driving all day, sit well in your car.
The spine basically has 3 curves to it and your weight should be evenly distributed through them to give minimal strain on the ligaments and muscles. Compensations occur if the posture changes in one curve, adding strain to that curve and the others, creating opportunity for injuries. Take for example slouching over a PC, your head and neck are thrown forward and to compensate the low back curve flattens and this predisposes to disc injuries. You can experiment and try this yourself. You must basically check your posture from head to low back and make sure they are all in alignment, not just the part of your spine that hurts. You probably need a spinal assessment by an osteopath to fully examine this.
This is a condensed version of a longer e-book download that is available at www.theperrymount.com .

Tags: health, spine, bck pain, low back pain, sports injuries

Natural Flu Support 
by Christian Bates

This blog is available as a free download at  www.theperrymount.com

Catching colds

Our modern day thoughts of “catching” a cold stems from Louie Pasteur the creator of antibiotics, it is called the “Germ Theory”. It is generally thought that cold and flu bugs float around, probably from another persons sneeze and then we “catch” it and then get the cold too. There is another story that runs parallel to this that is less known and concerns the “terrain” that the bug invades i.e. How healthy we are in the first place! Bechamp another doctor who actually worked with Pasteur was the main investigator of this theory, there is actually a book called “Bechamp or Pasteur?”
This theory / fact is that if we are healthy, eating well, drinking well, breathing well, exercising etc then our immune system will readily fight off any bug that we “catch” and we won’t get a cold. On his death bed Pasteur is meant to have given weight to this conflicting idea by saying something along the lines of “The germ is nothing; the terrain is everything”. Proving this to be true is the fact that not everyone, even in the same family, will get the cold or flu. Many of you must have noticed that even after sleeping in the same bed with your partner, sometimes only one of you will get a cold.
So from this we can learn that the best defense for all disease prevention, including the flu, is to be healthy in the first place. Having said this we must remain practical and still listen to Pasteur as he was a clever chap; if you aren’t healthy then having someone sneeze in your face isn’t going to help!

Gut health
Around 75% of our immune system is in our gut so you would do very well to look after your bowels. One of the easiest ways to do this is to take a probiotic. In the clinic we stock a product called Flora Syntropy which is actually resistant to antibiotics so it is great if you have already come down with something and are taking antibiotics. The other product I use, especially for pregnant mothers and children is Culturelle which has lots of scientific research backing it. This is available from Nutri-Link on 08704 054 002 and you only need to take one capsule per day. Otherwise there are many other probiotics available. What I particularly like about using probiotics to support the immune system is that you can use them with babies and children too, just to gently help them through times of possible infection. Most herbs and supplements are not really suitable for youngsters, they are either too strong or simply too big for them to take. Saying this, at the clinic we do stock a great range of children’s supplements specifically designed for 2 year olds and up.


Vitamin D

Vitamin D has plenty of research behind it showing that sufferers of many diseases have low levels. A vitamin D deficiency is also associated with colds and flu and it has been found to be deficient in up to 80% of some populations that have been tested. I would rate this vitamin as one of the most important to take for all round cold, flu and general health support. The supplement you take should be Vitamin D3. We have an excellent spray available in the clinic and from our website shop, click here to buy.

Vitamin C
Many people go for high dose vitamin C at times of colds and flu and it MAY help you, but it may not. The effectiveness of all vitamins depends on the individual and vitamin C can help some people but not others. You won’t be able to tell if high dose vitamin C will work for you unless you have done a Metabolic Typing® questionnaire. It is also dependent on whether the vitamin C you take is an acid or alkaline form. It can be quite complicated so just be aware that if you are taking high dose vitamin C it might not work. If you feel it is helping then that’s great, you have found the right product. If you don’t feel any benefit then you should stop.

Orange juice
Continuing the vitamin C thread many people knock back the orange juice at times of cold as they think the vitamin C in it helps them. The same as above will hold true and on top of this fruit juices alkalise the body once digested which will not suit everyone and will not strengthen the immune system. Also viral bugs are killed by an acidic environment, which the juice is NOT producing. So again be aware if you feel worse from lots of orange juice, don’t persevere with it; it might not suit you.

Echinacea
Echinacea is very popular in supporting through the flu and I do use it in the clinic. I personally don’t recommend it for a long term immune boost supplement as so many illnesses these days are due to an OVERACTIVE immune system, like rheumatoid arthritis. To achieve health we need to achieve a balance in the body and long term use of immune boosters can disrupt this. However, if taken at the first signs of flu and used regularly for a week or so you could shorten the flu time and make a better recovery.


Olive Leaf Extract
This is a product I personally use and think is great. Again, I don’t use it constantly but only at the first signs of the flu coming on. Olive leaf is anti- viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. The tincture we have is great for soothing a sore throat if taken straight down from the pipette.

We have Spagyric tinctures at the clinic but it will also be available on the High Street. Spagyric is the process by which these remedies are made, it makes them highly effective in smaller doses and retains all the medicinal qualities of the herb which most other processes do not achieve.

Temple Warrior
This is a product that again we stock at the clinic but it won’t be available on the High Street. It is an old Chinese herb preparation that has been used for centuries for colds, flu, hacking coughs, sore throat, tonsillitis etc. It is particularly good when the cold has got to the lungs and produces a cough especially when outside in windy weather.

Xeno Bioforce
If you prefer to take a supplement through the winter to offer some immune support and protection then this is the product I would suggest. It has low dose vitamins, minerals and herbs in it to offer a gentle support to the immune system without overly “boosting” as I mentioned above. As I said, high doses are good when flu has taken hold but not really desirable for long term use as they may push the immune system too much. For example, Xenobioforce has only 200 mg of vitamin C which is a nice dose that works synergistically with the other ingredients; astragalus, beta carotene, coptis root, ginger root, black cherry bark and zinc. This could be taken daily throughout the winter months to offer gentle protection from flu bugs.

Fasting / don’t over eat
You will naturally want to reduce your food intake when ill and naturopathic advice is to do just this. By eating less you are resting the body and allowing it to concentrate on recovery from illness. You can eat lighter foods that are easier to digest like soups and broths. The classic naturopathic broth to aid recovery is called the Potassium Broth and there is a recipe below. Make this up and take throughout the day. You could do this for the days when you feel the most ill.

I’m sure you have heard quoted “Feed a cold and starve a fever” and everyone takes this as meaning that you must eat during a cold to keep your strength up. In actual fact this has been interpreted incorrectly and the quote should read with a comma “Feed a cold, starve a fever” meaning that if you do feed a cold you will end up making it worse, turning it into a fever, and then having to starve that!


Basically don’t over-eat. It is no coincidence that the flu has hit hard after the over-indulgence of Christmas and New Year when our general health is probably at its lowest.

HOME REMEDIES FOR COLDS AND FLU

Use the Potassium broth OR Immune juice, not both. The heating tea can be used before bed with the other remedies.

Potassium Broth

5 medium sized carrots with tops 
Few sprays of parsley 
Handful of spinach 
Onions
Asparagus 
Potato peelings 
Outside lettuce leaves 
Tomatoes 
3 Garlic cloves
Wash and chop the organic vegetables. Simmer in one quart of water for 30 minutes. Strain and drink the essence. It can be refrigerated, but ideally should be drunk as soon as possible.

Immune juice
In a blender place: one cut up organic lemon (rind, seeds, everything) and one peeled organic orange or 1⁄2 grapefruit. Add enough water to blend. Puree on high for 2-3 minutes.

Strain juice and return to blender. Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper and 1-3 cloves of garlic and 1/2 tsp. of horseradish. Puree for another minute, then drink. You could use this three times per day if really under the weather.





Ginger Heating Tea
Place 4 slices of fresh ginger root and one chopped scallion (spring onion) in a saucepan with one cup of water. Bring to the boil and simmer with the pan covered for 5 minutes. Strain, add honey to taste. Drink while hot.

This tea is meant to make you sweat to detoxify the body. It is well know both in natural and orthodox medicine circles that heat activates our immune system and kills off invading bacteria and viruses. This is why the body goes into a fever; it does it on purpose and it is there to help us. Hippopcrates is quoted as saying “Give me a fever and I can cure anything". So drink this tea, get in bed to keep warm and let the flu sweat out of you!


Onion congestion relief

For stuffy, congested nose. Chop one yellow onion and place in a small bowl. Drizzle about 1 tbs. of honey over the chopped onion. Go to bed and place the bowl as close to your head as safely possible (on night stand or next to your pillow). This will help you breathe freely all night.
Watch out, you will wake in the morning smelling like an onion! So make sure you set the alarm for shower time.

Wet sock treatment
Use at first signs of cold or flu


Materials needed:
Foot bath of hot water 
1 pair of thin cotton socks soaked in cold water 
1 pair of dry thick wool socks

Procedure:
Soak or spray feet with hot water for 5-10 minutes. Dry. Wring cold water out of cotton socks and put on feet.
Pull dry wool socks over the top of the cotton socks. Go to bed with socks on.



How it works: This is known as a "heating compress", meaning that it's up to the body to heat the cold wet socks. The body does this by dramatically increasing blood circulation which also activates the immune system. This is the best treatment for early onset of a cold or flu, and works even better with ginger heating tea, above. During the night you may wake to find your feet nicely warm and the socks dry. If you do just take them off and go back to sleep. This is really easy to do and well worth a try. Because it increases circulation it is not advised for those with circulatory or heart problems.

Adrenal fatigue
If you are catching recurrent colds and infections and the colds you get last longer than 2 - 3 weeks or you notice that your colds last longer than everyone else’s than you may have adrenal fatigue. There are many other related symptoms, but the main ones are fatigue / tiredness, poor sleep, anxiety / nervousness. Much can be done to help these symptoms and adrenal fatigue but it is too extensive to go into here. If you think this sounds like you then it is best to talk the clinic and speak to Christian to discuss treatment options.

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SUMMARY

Flu prevention
• Be healthy! Eat well, drink well, breathe well, move well. Make sure you know what eating, drinking, breathing and exercising well is. You may need to consult a professional for help with these. Have a look at our website and see what we can help you with www.theperrymount.com
• For prevention I would suggest a good multi vitamin / mineral, vitamin D3 and probiotic that could be taken through winter
• Eat to you Metabolic Type®. Click here for more information. 

If you have a cold / flu
• Use known remedies to help you get over the cold - immune support, Echinacea, olive leaf there are others.
• Take time off work to rest, and when you start to feel better take an extra day off and rest on that day too. Colds and flu will stay with you for longer than they should if you get back to work too soon before a full recovery has taken place. A little extra rest may prevent the flu turning into a 3 week cough / runny nose etc that just lingers on and on.
• Try some of the Naturopathic remedies suggested in this report. 
• In general eat less. Eat fruits, soups and broths, foods that are easily digested. 
• Drink plenty of fluid, water and the broth and drinks suggested above.
•     Get some fresh air during the day and some movement, just walking, will help circulate fluids around the body for detoxification. 

•      If you get a fever then don’t suppress it. Let your immune system do it’s job.


And finally remember, there is NOTHING out there that can prevent everyone from getting the flu. The best thing you can do is remain healthy and if possible have a “healthy flu” if you can imagine such a thing. By this I mean you get the flu, it lasts a few days, and then you fully recover from it. Think of colds and flu as a natural way of spring cleaning and detoxifying the body; all the gunk that comes out of us when we have the flu is definitely better out than in. If you manage your flu correctly with rest and good nutrition you might even come out the other side feeling better than you went in!


Disclaimer
The advice in this report does not not replace a consultation with a health professional and is intended for informational purposes. If you have any questions please contact the clinic on 01444 410944

Tags: flu, colds, diet, naturopathy, swine flu

Low blood blood sugar, or hypoglycaemia, is the opposite of the better known diabetes where the sugar in the blood remains too high. I would say that low blood sugar is fast becoming one of the most common problems I am seeing in clinic at The Perrymount. The symptoms are so wide ranging, from feeling vaguely unwell, to shaking, dizziness, weakness, anxiety and general fatigue and tiredness. The clue to whether the symptoms are blood sugar related are that they may be related to meals. If you have these symptoms it might be that you notice they present themselves if you have gone too long without food. Many people realize this is the case and so will snack to keep their blood sugar up. However, I think this can be the start of a downward spinal as the snacks are usually sugary like chocolate bars or a stimulant like coffee which gives you the feel good "up". Yes, the sugar will get the levels raised in the blood, actually too high, making you feel better but the body has to compensate and bring the sugar down again into reasonable levels. If a dip happens again then you will feel like eating sugar once more and so your blood sugar levels yo yo up and down.

The two most common causes I see for this yo-yo-ing of blood sugar is eating the wrong foods at meal times and as snacks and also from stress causing adrenal fatigue. Let's briefly look at the latter first. The adrenal glands produce the hormones for the fight or flight response, basically they produce them when we are under stress. If we are under long term or lots of stress then the adrenals can tire or fatigue and not produce enough of these hormones, producing the main symptom of tiredness. The adrenals can also be responsible for hypoglycaemia as these same hormones keep our blood sugar from going too low, so if the adrenals are fatigued they can't work hard enough to keep the blood sugar up. Basically this is the opposite of insulin, which you have probably heard of.

More fundamental than this is the consumption of wrong foods, and those that make our blood sugar rise quickly and then fall quickly are the culprits. The worst for this will be sugars in snack foods like chocolate, cakes, sweets etc. If we are looking at main meals then the foods that are most problematic are the high carbohydrate foods such as bread and pasta. I should also point out that some vegetables can cause these blood sugar fluctuations and they are the tubers or underground, starchy vegetables, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrot, turnip etc. Fruits are also high sugar foods. If you think you do have blood sugar problems you will really need to be careful of all of these foods and judge just how much you can have of them before getting symptoms of low blood sugar between meals.

In the treatment of this condition it is vital to get the ratio’s of carbohydrate, fat and protein correct at each meal, this differs for each person and I use what I consider to be the most accurate and advanced way of finding this out which is through the use of a Metabolic Typing questionnaire. This is available online here: http://www.theperrymount.com/therapies/therapies/metabolictyping.html. I also use a protocol of supplements, ionic minerals and spagyric herbs with great success. Below is the testimonial of a patient who was suffering with the symptoms described above and did the Metabolic Typing questionairre and used my adrenal fatigue protocol:

“Hi Christian.

How are you? I've been meaning to email you and let you know how I've been getting on. I've felt absolutely amazing since being on the metabolic typing eating program. I can't believe how much energy I have. I just feel like a different person. I've been eating a cooked breakfast every morning and I've still managed to lose 3lbs in the last 3 weeks, how strange is that! I don't feel bloated or sluggish and my energy levels have really improved. There have been a couple of times that I've broken the rules and had alcohol or pizza or something like that but even then I've got straight back to the program afterwards and have felt completely fine. So, so far things are going really well!”

This is a brief insight into a very common problem. Fortunately, with diet changes and support to the adrenals I have had fantastic results with patients who have really been suffering. I would like you to takeaway the basics from this article, the foods you should avoid that cause the yo yo-ing of blood sugar and also to identify in yourself whether stress could be playing a significant role in the poor regulation of your blood sugar. Visit www.theperrymount.com to learn more or call the clinic 01444 410944.

Tags: nutrition, metabolic typing, weight loss

Tags: metabolic typing, body biotyping, insomnia, sleep problems