GHS Natural Health Blog

Making healthy lifestyle choices before pregnancy can improve your chances of getting pregnant, as well as having a healthy pregnancy and baby.
 
Delays in falling pregnant are not usually a reason to worry – they are more often an indicator that your body might need some fine tuning to get the desired result!

Infertility causes
 
While the list is endless as to what may cause infertility, there are two main factors that often play a role:
 
Luteal phase defects

Many women experiencing delays in conception may have a dominance of the female hormone oestrogen, due to the impaired excretion of this hormone by the liver and bowel. This may be caused by diets high in fat and refined carbohydrates, as well as low levels of dietary fibre, obesity or even exposure to chemical substances with oestrogen-like effects (such as pesticides and plastic food wraps). Oestrogen dominance usually results in low progesterone levels, which can lead to a ‘luteal phase defect’. The luteal phase is the second half of a woman’s menstrual cycle and begins after ovulation and continues until menstruation occurs. It should normally be around 14 days in length, however if this is shortened to less than 10 days, you cannot sustain a pregnancy because the uterine lining begins to break down, bringing on menstruation and causing an early miscarriage.
 
Poor follicle production

When a woman ovulates, an egg bursts from a follicle. If conception has occurred, the corpus luteum (which is what remains of the follicle after ovulation) produces progesterone. This hormone allows a thick healthy uterine lining to develop, ensuring good implantation of the embryo. When inadequate follicle development occurs, the corpus luteum is of poor quality and the insufficient progesterone that results causes the uterine lining to be inadequate for the implantation of a fertilised embryo.
 
Herbal rebalance

If you are having trouble conceiving, there are two key herbs you should consider using.
 
False Unicorn root (Chamaelirium luteum): This strangely named herb is considered a uterine restorative. American Indians have been using it for hundreds of years to regulate and normalise the function of the ovaries, which produce the reproductive hormones necessary for optimum
fertility including preparing the uterus and making it more receptive to implantation. False Unicorn moderates menstruation, and also improves progesterone production by stimulating hormonal precursors to trigger progesterone release. Of all the herbs, False Unicorn has one of the strongest reputations for promoting fertility, however it is a very powerful and rare herb and therefore more expensive to purchase. Fortunately in many cases False Unicorn may only be needed for a few cycles to achieve results.
 
Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus castus): This herb is commonly used to correct hormonal imbalances. Most useful in the second half of the cycle, it can also assist in greatly reducing pre-menstrual symptoms and also in reducing hormonal acne in women. In a 1993 study of luteal phase defects, 52 women were given 20 mg of Chaste Tree daily, and after three months progesterone levels were normalised. There were no side effects and two of the women treated with Chaste Tree became pregnant.
 
Important note: If you suspect there may be a more serious cause for your delay in conceiving, consult your healthcare professional immediately
 
 
Article thanks to Herbs and Health Magazine Australia

CoQ10 boosts heart health

An Italian trial published in a recent issue of the European Heart Journal claims that for people with coronary heart disease (CAD), supplementation with 100 mg of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) daily may boost naturally occurring anti-oxidant enzymes. CAD patients appear to have reduced levels of a major anti-oxidant enzyme system in blood vessel walls, and supplementation with CoQ10 increased these levels.

Olive leaf extract helps arthritis sufferers

A US trial has shown that supplementation with olive leaf extract for an eight week period decreased pain and inflammation, and improved daily activities for people suffering from osteoarthritis. This trial also showed that olive leaf extract is good for your heart. In arthritis sufferers olive leaf extract decreased homocysteine levels, indicating improved cardiovascular health.

Green tea may halve your risk of colon cancer

Regular consumption of green tea has a beneficial association with colorectal cancer risk. The results of a six-year Chinese study involving 70,000 women aged between 40 and 70 showed that regular consumption of green tea, which is rich in polyphenol anti-oxidants, was associated with a 37 per cent reduction in colorectal cancer risk. The best benefits were seen in those women who consumed the most tea for the greatest number of years. So the more you drink the better, although green tea does contain caffeine.

Cranberries fight ulcer causing bacteria

Drinking cranberry juice may enhance the power of antibiotics to clear the stomach of a bacteria known to cause ulcers and cancer, according to a study published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. Patients with the helicobacter pylori infection were given cranberry juice (250 ml twice daily) after a week-long antibiotic course. The juice was found to enhance the eradication of the bacteria by about 10 per cent. Interestingly, the beneficial effect was observed in women only and not men.

Article thanks to Herbs and Health Magazine Australia

Keeping regular can prevent many health problems – from bad breath to haemorrhoids.

It is certainly not the most social of conversation topics, but constipation is a topic of growing concern for many people. In the fast-paced modern society we live, we tend to fit our bowel movements into our schedules and often ‘hold on’ till later – this behaviour can lead to lifelong bowel problems. The jury is still out on how often you should have a bowel movement. However, if you are eating a healthy diet with adequate fibre you should expect to use your bowels daily, with one or two soft, fully formed stools that partially float in the water, are not excessively smelly and leave little residue.

What is constipation?

When you consume food, it moves through your digestive tract and ends up in your colon or large intestine. Muscle contractions in your colon push the waste along, with water being absorbed from the waste and making it more solid. If the contractions are slow or sluggish, the waste moves too slowly and too much water is re-absorbed. The faeces become hard and difficult to move, leading to faecal impaction or constipation.

Why constipation happens

• There are many reasons for constipation: Processed food and a low fibre diet
• Not drinking enough water
• Pregnancy
• ‘Holding on’ and not going to the toilet when you need to.
• Other health issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (commonly caused by stress), poor digestion, candida (caused by yeast infections), intestinal worms or parasites.
• Some medications
• Overuse of laxatives, which may lead to dependence
• Age – as you get older you may suffer from reduced intestinal muscle contractions.

Why you should do something about it!

Most healthcare professionals agree that whether mild or severe, constipation is responsible for a large amount of low-level ill health. Besides the general bloated and uncomfortable feeling, constipation can lead to haemorrhoids, varicose veins, anal fissures, diverticulitis, hernia, appendicitis, gall bladder disease, headaches, bad breath and colon polyps.

Getting things moving the natural way

While laxatives are often the first port of call to treat constipation, be aware that overuse of laxatives makes your bowels lazy and can lead to dependence. There are less harmful ways to get things moving. These include:

• Consuming a high-fibre diet with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains. If necessary, include a fibre supplement such as psyllium in your diet. This will help form soft bulky stools.
• Exercising regularly to keep your digestive system healthy.
• Drinking at least six 250 ml glasses or two to three litres of water daily. Adding liquid hydrated bentonite (a natural clay) to a glass of water can help to draw toxins from your system.
• Adding polyunsaturated oils in your diet to lubricate the digestive tract. Taking Flax Seed oil capsules are a good way to ensure sufficient consumption of the right oils.
• Taking a herbal laxative based on Cascara. For a more gentle laxative effect, take a Black Walnut supplement, which will also eliminate unwanted microbes and parasites from your colon.
• Not ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement! Ideally, set aside time after breakfast or dinner for an undisturbed toilet visit.

Learning how your body reacts to stress and how you can handle it can be a very useful talent.

Before you know it, the holiday season will be just around the corner. For most of us this means rushing to finish jobs before going on leave, kids being home from school, endless social events and family get-togethers, shopping for gifts – the list goes on! For some, this is the favourite time of the year, while others are filled with stress at the mere thought of it. If you’re one of the latter, read on!

The effects of stress

When you get stressed, your body feels under attack and automatically kicks into high gear to deal with the perceived threat. This is what is known as the ‘fight-or-flight’ response. Your heartbeat, breathing rate and blood pressure all go up, and the longer you feel stressed, the greater the physical demands placed on your body and the more likely your energy levels will be sapped. If you are exposed to stress long-term, it could lead to a host of lifestyle and health problems.

Behavioural problems:  To get immediate relief from feeling stressed, it’s not uncommon to seek chemical relief from alcohol or cigarettes. You may also start to feel that you don’t have time to exercise or eat properly, and you may be worrying so much that you sleep badly. These lifestyle factors are likely to harm your health.

Heart problems: When stress is intense and your body’s biological reactions are not channelled into physical activity, your raised heart rate and high blood pressure put tension on the arteries and damage them. The artery walls become scarred and thick, which can reduce the supply of blood and oxygen to your heart. This is when the fight-or-flight response can become lethal: your heart accelerates to increase blood supply to your muscles, but the blood vessels may have become so narrow that not enough blood reaches the heart to meet these demands. This can cause a heart attack.

Lowered immunity: Stress can also damage your immune system, which explains why you often catch colds when you are stressed. It can also bring on headaches and irritable bowel syndrome, and there have been suggestions of a link between stress and cancer.

Mental health problems: The negative thinking that is associated with stress contributes to anxiety and depression and more serious mental health problems.

The natural way to calm

Taking nutritional supplements is one good way to manage your stress. The fi rst option is a good B complex vitamin. B vitamins are not stored in the body so need to be replenished daily. If you are under stress or run down, symptoms such as cracks at the side of your mouth may indicate you need to take a B group supplement.

B vitamins work together to help maintain the health of your nerves. Adding magnesium to the mix will further help because this mineral relaxes the brain and helps neurotransmitter signals work more effectively. Magnesium is best taken in the evening, particularly if your stress is causing insomnia.

Herbal power

For mild anxiety and depression, a natural herb called St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) has been found to be as beneficial as many prescribed medicines. St John’s wort has a particularly valuable ability to stimulate nerve regeneration and repair. There has been much research on the effects of this herb, and it’s been found to work more effectively when taken in conjunction with passionflower (Passi-fl ora incarnata), a traditional sedative herb.

Another herb with sedative properties is zizyphus (Zyziphus jujuba). It is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for the relief of sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety and nervous exhaustion, and has also been used to treat spontaneous sweating and night sweats, especially when accompanied by anxiety, palpitations and insomnia.

 Other helpful herbs include schisandra (Schisandra chinsensis), which has tonifying and restorative effects, hops (Humulu  lupulus), which calms the nervous system, and vervain (Verbena offi cinalis), a sedative and relaxant to the nervous system. These all help your body resist the effects of stress and strengthen and calm your nervous system.

Case Study

Mary* was so stressed out during and after menopause, she had trouble sleeping and was continually feeling anxious. She visited her local healthcare professional who suggested she take a combination of zizyphus, hops, schisandra, vervain and oats to help control her symptoms. Mary takes this all in one supplement before going to bed at night and says, ‘I can’t tell you what a miraculous effect it’s had on my life. I sleep like a log and am so relaxed. I only take one at night and it has restored my health. Thank you!’

*not her real name

Many Australians are caught in a vicious cycle where over-reliance on pain relief medication is causing rebound headaches.

Nearly all of us will suffer from a headache during our lifetime, and those less fortunate will experience migraines. In fact, after back pain, headaches and common colds are the two main causes of sick leave for working Australians.

What happens during a migraine?

Migraines are thought to be triggered by a sudden narrowing (or vasoconstriction) of the blood vessels. The body attempts to correct this by widening the blood vessels, which causes intense pain. Most migraine sufferers experience certain symptoms before an attack, such as dizziness, visual disturbance, over-sensitivity to light, limb weakness, strange tastes in the mouth and detection of strange odours.

Causes of headaches and migraines

Poor diet – eating foods low in nutrients and eating irregularly can be triggers.

Certain foods – alcohol, chocolate, citrus fruits and dairy products, especially cheese.

Stress – noisy and polluted environments, a hectic lifestyle, accumulated fatigue and excessive worrying.

Constipation – mild constipation can often give rise to dullness or heaviness in the head. When constipation is more chronic, headaches become more persistent.

Hormones – menstruation and hormonal fluctuations have been connected to headaches, which may be why women tend to suffer from headaches more than men.

Natural treatments

Certain herbs and nutrients can help to treat and manage migraines and related ailments. Here are some that are regularly prescribed by natural health practitioners:

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), a herb with a long-held tradition for use in the prevention and relief of migraine headaches, helps to reduce the dilation of blood vessels and dampens pain. Take daily as a tea or as a nutritional supplement for a few months to help manage migraines. It’s recommended that you have an occasional break from use, gradually declining the dosage for about a month before the break. Feverfew is not recommended for pregnant or lactating women and should not be given to children under the age of two.

Willow bark (Salix alba) is known to relieve headache symptoms and can also help with chronic pain, back and neck pain, muscle aches, arthritis and menstrual cramps. Willow bark contains salicylic acid, the active component in aspirin. Natural therapists believe willow bark is a better option than aspirin because it’s milder and less likely to trigger side effects such as stomach irritation or bleeding. Avoid taking willow bark if you are sensitive to aspirin or have tinnitus, and avoid its use in children under the age of 16 with a cold, the flu or chicken pox.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a vitamin like substance produced in our bodies that is important for energy production in cells. Studies show migraines may be caused, at least in part, by an impairment of energy production. So migraines could presumably be improved by CoQ10 supplementation. In one study, 31 migraine sufferers were given 150 mg of CoQ10 per day for three months. The results showed sufferers experienced headaches less frequently and for a shorter period of time. The longer CoQ10 was taken, the more positive the effect.

Useful tips

Reduce the severity and frequency of your headaches and migraines by:

• Eating a well-balanced diet that includes wholegrain foods, fruits and vegetables
• Limiting protein, refined sugar, processed foods and fat intake
• Increasing your water intake to at least two litres daily
• Ensuring you have good back and neck alignment. See a chiropractor for more advice
• Finding ways to effectively manage your stress

TIP:

Some people experience the shakes and jitters when taking 150 mg of CoQ10 in one dose take a 75 mg natural sourced capsule instead.

Article thanks to Herbs and Health Magazine Australia