Mental health - Part 1

A few weeks ago it was Mental Health week here in Western Australia, which also included World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October. And according to The World Health Organisation, 50% of mental health illnesses begin at the age of 14! Almost half (45%) of people aged between 16-85 years of age will experience mental illness.Mental health statistics are on the rise, and according to the Black Dog Institute, 1 in 5 (20%) Australians will suffer from a mental health condition during their lifetime.Mental illnesses/disorders cover a range of conditions (not just limited to) such as:

• Depression

• Bipolar

• Schizophrenia

• Post traumatic stress disorder

• Anxiety disorders

Why the rise in statistics?

Have I just opened a can of worms?There would be very few people that would be able to pin point WHY they may now suffer from a mental illness/disorder. There are definite obvious reasons and risk factors that someone may be more susceptible than others. They can be:

• Experiencing a traumatic event

• Family history of mental illness (genetic)

• Environmental

• Toxicity

• Substance abuse/addictions

• Chemical imbalance

The list can go on. But in recent years the added impact of social media use (especially at a young age), can greatly contribute to mental health and the added pressures that go along with this (low self esteem, social pressures etc.)Or is it just the fact that we are becoming aware of this growing issue, and as a society becoming more empathetic?I will just let you ponder on that for a moment!

One of the first things I do within my clinic is have my clients take a blood test to make sure that their nutrient levels are at optimum levels.

Nutrients play a huge part in our mood and so does inflammation. So you can understand that if you are deficient in a vitamin that plays a massive part in mood (e.g B12), then it's worth getting tested. The main food sources of B12 actually come from dairy, fish/meat and eggs. Vegans are a big risk a being deficient in this vitamin and should be taking supplements to compensate this. But B12 also needs a substance called intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is secreted from the small intestine; and when there is inflammation within the small intestine, intrinsic factor secretion can be inhibited.To know if you have inflammation within the small intestine, you can determine this by what symptoms you maybe experiencing. You may have:

• diarrhoea

• constipation

• stomach pain

• food intolerances

• auto immune condition

• post infection

But that is just looking at B12!To understand if you have inflammation within your body, doesn't necessarily mean you will be in pain. I think we often think they always co-exist, but they don't necessarily.Basic blood tests that you get from your GP, can identify if you have inflammation within your body system (systemic inflammation).Examples are:

• Liver enzyme- GGT

• Bilirubin levels

• White cell count

• C Reactive Protein levels

• Homocysteine levels

• Cortisol levels

• Histamine levels

If you would like to know more about how you can manage your mental health, please contact via my online booking tool.  var initResizer = function() { iframes = iFrameResize({}, "#widget-inline-embed"); }

Alcohol & Leaky GUT

Australians have a reputation for our excessive alcohol drinking. It's within our culture to have an outdoor lifestyle, BBQ's, laid back attitude, scorching sun.....with a bevvy in our hands.The negative impacts of alcohol consumption is evident. I'm not about to start educating you about the physical and mental effects of alcohol. You can do so here.I see many people within my practice that have a leaky gut. A thorough health history is taken with all of my clients; and all usual suspects of a leaky gut are marked off:

• antibiotic use
• prescription medication
• post-infectious IBS
• stress
• operations
• reproductive health
• diet

But have you ever considered your alcohol intake?

Excessive alcohol intake (binge drinking), causes inflammation and creates gaps within our intestinal wall. Ethanol reduces good bacteria and increases unwanted endotoxins (bad bacteria). Alcohol is metabolised by the liver, and produces free radicals as a result. Which causes oxidative stress within our body.Increased inflammation travels to our brain, and increases depression, foggy thinking and 'sickness behaviour'.Alcohol impairs our nervous system and reduces nutrients such as zinc, Vit. D, folate and SAMe.Due to the intestinal permeability, conditions such as SIBO, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and some colon cancers can occur.

So what can you do to heal a leaky gut caused by over alcohol consumption?

Studies have that supplementing with the following have a positive impact in either inflammatory markers or intestinal permeability measures:

• Zinc supplementation- 50mg per day after a meal
• Vitamin D supplement
• SAMe supplementation
• Co-enzyme A supplementation
• Fish oil (anti-inflammatory)
• Vitamin C (anti-oxidant)
• Magnesium
• Glutamine

Probiotics:

• Lactobacillus LGG
• Bifidobacterium Infantis
• Bifidobacterium bifidum
• Lactobacillus plantarum
• Lactobacillus casei Shirota (yakult)

Prebiotics:

• Oats at 10gm per 1kg body weight.

Ways to reduce alcohol intake.....

• Stay within the 'drinking in moderation' guidelines
• Abstinence of alcohol- replace alcohol with a healthy habit.
• Swap to red wine. Studies have demonstrated that red wine contains polyphenols. Polyphenols are beneficial for gut bacteria.
• Identify the triggers of alcohol consumption. Avoid or reduce the triggers could lead to less alcohol intake.

Useful Resources:

Website- Hello Sunday MorningWebsite- Sexy SobrietySupport- Alcoholics AnonymousSupport- Drink WiseREFERENCESBarve, Shirish et. al. 'Development, Prevention & Treatment of Alcohol Induced Organ Injury: The Role of Nutrition, Alcohol Research, Vol. 28, No. 2 pg. 289-302Bishehsari, Faraz. et. al , Alcohol and GUT derived Inflammation', Alcohol Research, Vol. 38. No. 2 pg. 163-171Engen, Phillip A. et. al. 'The Gastrointestinal Microbiome- Alcohol effects on the composition of Intestinal Microbiota', Alcohol Research, Vol. 37, No.2Leclercq, S. Timory, P de. Delzeme, NM. Starket, P. (2017) 'The Link between inflammation, bugs, the intestine and the brain in alcohol dependence', Translational Psychiatry   

How food impacts your mood

We have all seen the classic scenario of when kids are given birthday cake; and within 5 minutes they are running around going crazy!Then 1-2 hours later, it's all about the post party come down. Tears, inconsolable, melt downs and unreasonable are the nicer terms of when your child has hit their sugar low.Fast forward 30 years or so, and does it get any different for us as adults?Fortunately we might be able to contain our selves when we eat a little cake here and there. But how often do we rely on what we out in our mouth for a short pick me up?Coffee would be the first one that comes to my mind.I'm sure you have heard.....

Talk to me after I've had my coffee.

How about the snack draw in the office to appease the afternoon lull?There's nothing wrong with having a coffee or a quick little pick me up here and there......it's how often, and what with that can be the problem.Traditionally, food  can bring families, friends and communities together. It can involve joy, celebrations and connection. Food gives us energy and provides us with essential nutrients so we can function on a daily basis. But unfortunately in Western society, the abundance of choice and variety of food can often contain 'empty nutrients' that don't serve our bodies or mind.The over consumption of sugar has impacted the health of many people, causing obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines and brain fog.Alcohol is a depressant.Wheat consumption can also lead to brain fog.Additives & preservatives can impact behaviour.So we need to start thinking of the LONG term effect of how food and drink impacts not just our physical being, but our mental being.There is enough evidence now that we know that the brain and gut speak to each other via the vagus nerve and autonomic nervous system. And that the gut sends it's own messages via the enteric nervous system.We also know how high sugars can make our blood sugar levels go high and then crash not long after. If we keep feeding into this loop of quick fixes, the long term impact can effect your health in more ways than one.90% of serotonin (feel good hormone) and 50% of dopamine (your motivation hormone) are derived from your gut. So it would be fair to say that if your gut health is in poor shape, then these 2 neurotransmitters will be too.Making the right food choices can not only keep your blood sugar levels in check. But what if you were eating something on a regular basis and had no idea how it could be sending you down the road to poor physical and mental health?My tip for you is to keep a food and mood diary (and poo if your super keen). This way you can track what your have eaten, and see if there is any connection to your mood. I have a template that you can use here... Food_Mood_Poo_Diary.If you feel the food is effecting your mood, please get in touch below.[contact_bank form_id="2" form_title="show" form_description="show"][/contact_bank]

REFERENCES

Lerner et. al, The GUT microbiome feelings of the brain: A perspective for non-microbioligists, Microrganisims, 2017, 5, 66 pg. 1-24