Know Your Stress Triggers
There is one culprit that has a lot to answer for, and that my friends is stress. Many times I will have a client in front of me that has symptoms due to long term stress. And they will often reply 'But I don't feel stressed!'
There is one culprit that has a lot to answer for, and that my friends is stress.
Many times I will have a client in front of me that has symptoms due to long term stress. And they will often reply 'But I don't feel stressed!' Then 3 months later I will see them again and they may have made some significant changes in their life such as quitting their job or reducing their daily load. And many of them will reflect and say...'Yeah, I feel so much better now I think I was under a lot of stress back then.'
By all means I don't want you to race out and quit your day job (unless you really want to). But it's when we finally slow down and STOP, that we realise how busy we are and what for?
Our bodies are very adaptable vehicles and will adjust your responses to stress in a way that we can adapt without noticing. Think about all of the little 'stresses' we have in our daily lives......
24/7 access to notifications (email, texts, group chats, social apps and calendar reminders) from your mobile (don't forget the 'pings and dings' that can come with those notifications)
Work demands
Health demands- Fitness, diet and lifestyle
Community demands- Clubs, schools, business, friends all expecting a piece of you
Future concerns
Past conversations going over in your head
Financial worries
Relationship concerns
Expectations that you need to fit it ALL in with ease.....
How does our body respond to these little stressors?
Your adrenals will release cortisol and adrenaline to get ready to fight the threat. You see, our mind has no way of differentiating between a real stress (the Saber tooth tiger kind) or the answering your daily email stress- it's all the same!
With this added adrenal spark, your sympathetic nervous system will kick into action- your pupils will dilate, heart beat will increase, blood pressure will rise, digestion will slow down, sugar will stay in your blood stream (so you have enough energy for action) and your immune system will kick in to put out the potential fire threat.
Have you ever gone on holidays and then on the first couple of days you end up getting sick? Argh! So frustrating! This happens because when you are busy at work, your adrenals are in full swing- putting out the fire with all the anti-inflammatory guys (a.k.a immune system). As soon as the fire goes away (work), so does your cortisol levels. And then bingo! A bug comes in from the back door and you get sick from exhaustion.
Short term this is okay, but long term stress can disrupt your bodies natural response and end up getting what is called cortisol resistance. Your body starts to not respond because the stress is there ALL THE TIME. Your immune system will drop and inflammation gets out of control...
How do you react to stress?
I know when I have a full schedule on the things that are good for me and would actually support me in times of stress (or even busyness), are the first to get dropped.
Exercise? Who has time for exercise when your chasing your tail?
Eat well? (scoff), Let's just be thankful that the family gets some form of food into them (even if it is just from one food group and the same colour). No prizes for best phyto nutrient dish in this house that's for sure!
And generally that's not where it ends. Because your day is so time poor you end up staying up later = less sleep.
You may reward yourself with a bickie or two. You may even feel the need to 'unwind' with a glass of wine...
At the time these stress releases may seem ideal, but you will end up burning the candle at both ends and disrupting your circadian rhythm and increase more of your sympathetic nervous system by adding stimulants as your coping mechanisms.
We have all done it. But how can you make better choices to support your stress response?
The most difficult part is identifying your stress triggers. Most of the time we just continue in the rat race thinking this is normal. Think about your actions AND your emotions (sometimes this is the easiest at the end of the day- but whatever works for you). Make a little self note of you might be reacting to a situation instead of responding to it.
Like I said, this is not easy. Even if you do know what your triggers are, the hardest part can be changing your reaction. Short term rewards that aren't beneficial to your health may seem great at the time (otherwise we wouldn't do them!), but how are they affecting you long term.
Are you stimulating your nervous system instead of supporting it? (eating sweets, staying up late, watching copious amounts of T.V, drinking coffee or alcohol, eating take away foods with little nutritional value).
These go-to's can be okay as a one off. But repeating this behaviour is not helping you in the long run. Try replacing these responses or actions with things that will nourish you. Here are some examples:
Go for a walk
Read a book
Put your T.V watching on a timer (30 minutes)
Have a bath
Go in a quiet room, close your eyes and notice the sensations of your breath as you breath in and out
Ring a friend or relative - sharing (or venting) does wonders for your soul)
Unplug- yep you heard me!
Schedule some joy into your life
To help you identify your triggers, download my Know Your Triggers Work Sheet here
If you would like to ask a question regarding your health, please contact me.
Living with SIBO
It was back in 2014 when I took my first Hydrogen breath test to see if I had SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) or not. And sure enough I was positive for both Hydrogen & Methane gases. I immediately started to treat and eradicate my SIBO…
It was back in 2014 when I took my first Hydrogen breath test to see if I had SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) or not. And sure enough I was positive for both Hydrogen & Methane gases.
I immediately started to treat and eradicate my SIBO by following Dr. Jacobi's Bi-Phasic diet. During my herbal treatment, I noticed instant results. My skin began to improve (SIBO and acne rosacea are linked- and the initial reason for testing), my bloating decreased and my bowel motion improved.
Looking back on the determination in following the diet and finally knowing the cause of my acne rosacea was the end of years of frustration and embarrassment.
If you have ever had to follow a restricted diet you will understand how difficult it is to live a 'normal' life that doesn't impact you and the ones you life with.
But considering my main problem had been eradicated, I began to slowly add the foods in that I was eating previously (It is also strongly advised that you should not follow any restricted diet long term).
Low and behold.....my skin didn't get effected!!!
Sure, the obvious items would cause a flare, such as alcohol and wheat. But I had never had an issue with onions or any other high FODMAP foods.
But slowly over time, even though my skin never returned back to its acne state (thank goodness!), my bloating returned and my bowels also decided to slow down too...….
Bring in test number 2 in 2017. And yep, I tested positive yet again for both Hydrogen and Methane gases. SIBO was back with even more bite!!
So what did I do???
Nothing.
I certainly felt disheartened with a capital D, but after treating so many others for SIBO in my practice I had noticed a trend...….
it comes back!
Knowing the cause of your SIBO is imperative!
The thing about SIBO is that you need to find the cause, and if you don't find the cause, it WILL come back.
What's my cause?
Most likely poor gut motility and a leaky gut to match.
But I didn't want to go in with the big guns (anti microbial herbs) to get rid of the unwanted bacteria and Archea. It didn't want to go on the super restricted diet for months on end.
Nup.
By this stage I had a fair idea of what would cause my bloating. I mentioned a couple of them previously- wheat and alcohol. You can add potatoes, rice and refined sugars onto that list too. But do I avoid them? No. I just know that I should keep potatoes down to once per week and if I am going to eat wheat, it will be with good quality sourdough stuff.
And what about legumes?
Yes, they can cause havoc with SIBO and make anyone look 6 months pregnant in seconds. But once again, I have identified the ones that cause more symptoms than others (for me it's kidney beans and chickpeas).
But I still eat them, because I know how beneficial they are for me and they provide fuel for all of the anti-inflammatory bacteria that live in your colon.
And I have also noticed that by keeping my fibre up that my bowel habits improve (it's not rocket science!).
So lets go back to the cause again.....
The cause of your SIBO is a big clue if you are going to get rid of SIBO once and for all. Unfortunately for some, the cause can be due to adhesions and scar tissue in the pelvic region due to past operations. Constant visceral manipulation is required to reduce the scar tissue within the area. With this comes a very long time frame of healing...….
I discovered that I also have umbilical hernia (another causative factor for SIBO). But after I had met with a surgeon and understood what was involved in the operation, I decided to not go ahead. I felt that the scar tissue post op was going to be far worse than my little sticky outy belly button.
So its not all doom and gloom, and I certainly don't want to put you off in treating your SIBO. For some, it can be a simple cause such as post infectious IBS (just a little bit of gut dysbiosis and a teeny bit of inflammation). But the main take home point is that EVERYONE is different. And yes, it's worth exploring what is causing your unwanted gut symptoms and take the necessary treatment from there.
I just felt that I wanted to share my journey with living with SIBO. I have accepted it (that doesn't mean you should have to too). But I do know that my overall gut microbiome is a lot happier and healthier by me including a high variety of foods into my daily diet.
I also keep my symptoms down by adding movement into my life (yoga) and by keeping on top of my stress levels by ensuring my nervous system is supported and making sure my cup is always full (well 3/4 anyway!)…..
If you would like to listen more about my SIBO story, you can on The GUT GURU podcast.
If you would like support in your gut journey, you can by joining the FB group- Happy gut, Happy you
Do you still have a question?
Send me a message below.....
What makes a healthy gut?
With all the information about the importance of gut health it can get very confusing very quickly!
So I thought it is time to cover the basics.
Research has shown that there are a few fundamental components to what makes a gut healthy. Firstly, your gut microbiome needs to have DIVERSITY. This means that the more different types of bacteria you have, the better.
The other important factor is to have a high amount of bacteria that are anti-inflammatory. Having anti-inflammatory bacteria will keep inflammation low and enable your gut to heal and repair itself (if this is needed).
How do you create more diversity?
The simple way of creating diversity in your gut microbiome is to eat a VARIETY of wholefoods. The easiest way to think about it is by picturing lots of little seeds in your gut. And each seed needs specific foods to allow it to grow. If you keep eating apples you will only be feeding the seeds that grow from apples. But if you added bananas to the mix, you will feed another type of seed that grows from bananas.
The recommendation is to eat up to 40 different type of wholefoods per week. It seems like a lot, but if you do buy apples, buy different varieties (Jonathan, Fuji, Pink Lady etc.). Each type counts as one. This is also the same for capsicum. If you eat red, yellow and green capsicum, you have included 3 different types of wholefoods to your list.
Examples of wholefoods:
fruit
vegetables
rice
nuts
legumes
grains
To make it easier for yourself, I have included a table that you can print off to check off what wholefoods you have eaten during the week.
The other way of feeding the good bacteria in your gut is by consuming pre-biotic foods. Prebiotic foods are basically food for your gut microbes. The main prebiotic compounds that feed you gut are:
FOS- Fructo-oligosaccharides
GOS- Galacto-oligosaccharides
PHGG- Partially Hyrdolysed Guar Gum
Foods that are high in FOS include: asparagus, banana, barley, chicory, garlic, globe artichoke, leek, onion rye and wheat.
Foods that are high in GOS are: beetroot, broccoli, chick peas, fennel, lentils, oats, onion, ryebread
Other prebiotic foods include: brown rice, carrots, back currants, dark cocoa, green tea and almonds
Not only will prebiotics provide food for your gut microbes, they also will promote the production of short chain fatty acids. SCFA's decrease the risk of colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and insulin resistance.
Now that we have the diversity stuff sorted. Let's take a look at the anti-inflammatory bacteria. The following bacteria are considered to be anti-inflammatory bacteria (but not limited to):
Bifidobacteria
Lactobacillus
Roseburia
Ruminoococcus
Akkermansia
Faecalbacterium
Blautia
Coprococcus
Eubacterium
But how do you know which type of bacteria you have?
The only possible way of actually knowing of who lives in your gut is by having a stool test that tests the DNA of your gut microbes. Research on the gut microbiome is forever evolving, and new studies are covering exciting developments each week on the importance of a healthy gut. The tests that I use in my clinic are Ubiome Explorer and Microba. You can order them online and I will be able to interpret them for you.
In the mean time you can begin to consume anti-inflammatory foods such as the list above or reduce the amount of additive & preservatives, saturated animal fat and refined carbohydrates.
If you feel that you would like to know who lives in your gut and make sure that you have the correct levels of the good guys, contact me below and I will be happy to help.
What is a naturopath?
I often get a puzzled look when someone asks me what 'I do'. So I thought there must be a lot of people that don't know what a naturopath is. And it's kinda tricky to say too, isn't it?
What a naturopath studies...…
A naturopath student requires four years of studying to get their degree. And over this time we are taught many things such as:
Herbal medicine- how to use herbs to treat common health conditions that will enable your body to regain balance, support and tonify any weakened systems.
Nutrition- nutritional bio-chemistry was one of my favourite subjects when I was studying. I loved learning all about the vitamins and minerals (it doesn't just end there either) and what foods they are found in, how your body processes them and what functions they have within our body. Food and what you eat is such an integral part of what naturopaths do!
Body systems- from the immune to reproductive, naturopaths learn all about the body and how the systems work together (and perhaps not work together).
Diseases- yep, we know the basics AND the not so easy ones too. This is when you might come across a naturopath that 'specialises' in a particular area. Just like you find specialists like a gynaecologist in main stream health care.
Diagnostic Testing- to help get a better picture on your health, a naturopath might ask you to go for extra testing. This can be from bloods to stool or even your hair! Naturopaths will have a general understanding of any previous tests that you may have had done in the past too.
Naturopaths treat the whole person, not just the symptoms.
Case taking- Your first consultation with a naturopath will be generally the longest. We take your full health history, talk about what is happening in your body systems and what has been working for you or not working for you. Some naturopaths might even do a little bit of 'in house' testing such as, take your blood pressure, weight or blood glucose.
Iridology- Naturopaths have studied iridology as a student. this is where a microscope is used to look at your iris and see if there are any weakened areas within your body. Did you know your organs are represented in your eyes?
Tongue and nail analysis- checking your tongue and nails give naturopaths extra clues on how your body is functioning. Every little bit of information helps.
Emotions- How you are as a person is very important to us. Are you sensitive? Do you get stressed easily? Do you loose your temper? Sometimes this can take a little bit of time to work out, especially in the early days.
Lifestyle- How do you live your life? Do you work full time? do you care for others? How do you destress? Your lifestyle plays a huge part in your current health status. Diet and lifestyle advice is always given.
Evidence Based Research- Naturopaths use critical based research to support their treatment protocols.
Treatment- Naturopaths will generally offer herbal and nutritional support to help with your healing. Diet advice is given and if this is not enough supplements are prescribed when needed. Short term and long term treatment plans are established, so you don't feel overwhelmed. After all, we just really want you to feel great again!
In a nut shell...…..
A naturopath offers support, education and treatment that you want to do. Our job is to empower you and take control of your health, so that you can achieve your health goals.If you would like to book an appointment to reach your health goals, check out what is available in the online booking system below. var initResizer = function() { iframes = iFrameResize({}, "#widget-inline-embed"); }