A Bright Idea? I Think Not…

Lastly, this quote I read recently made me laugh, although it’s not really a laughing matter:

“In answer to a question in Parliament by MP David Davies about how to safely dispose of a broken fluorescent light bulb, the House of Commons Commission said people should put on a protective mask and gloves, ventilate the room, place the bulb in a sealed sturdy box with a damp cloth in the box to stop it breaking,  seal with tape and take to waste disposal contractor!”

Well, there you have it. No wonder the government has seen fit to make sure we all have to buy non-traditional lightbulbs for our homes from 1^st September. You couldn’t make it up, could you? Safe until they’re broken it seems. I am looking into how we might be able to get round having to use them – let me know if you have had any bright ideas (geddit?! God, I’m too good at this…)

“PRISONERS HAVE A BETTER DIET THAN HOSPITAL PATIENTS”

Patients in NHS hospitals are far more likely to go hungry than criminals in jail, a new study from Bournemouth Uni has warned.  They say frail and elderly patients do not get the help they need with meals and nobody checks whether they get enough to eat. 11 million NHS meals are thrown away a year. Despite years of Government promises to tackle poor hospital nutrition, food can still arrive cold and patients often miss meals because meal times clash with tests.   Latest figures show that 242 patients died of malnutrition in NHS hospitals in 2007 – the highest toll in a decade.  Over 8,000 patients left hospital under-nourished, double the 1997 figure.  Earlier this year it was revealed that some hospitals spend less per day on food than the £2.12p a day allocated for food by the prison service.  One hospital spends just £1 a day on food.   Prof. John Edwards said the nutrition content of prison food is “extremely good”. The NHS say they are working on an action plan on how nutritional care and hydration can be improved.  D. Mail 31.8.09

Ed’s Note: My advice is always to take food in to people in hospital if you can, or to aim to be there at the main meal time to check they’re eating properly. I’m sure most nurses and doctors care greatly, but simply don’t have the time to check. A flask of home-made wholesome soup can go a long way to keeping a frail person nourished, just remember to check with the nurses that they are not on ‘nil by mouth’ or anything. And whilst you’re at it, take in a cloth with some teatree, lavender or sweet orange essential oil on it and have a wipe around to protect them from superbugs too.

Before going into hospital, it’s a good idea to get the level of good bowel bacteria up to keep immunity strong. Try 1 capsule per day for a month beforehand. If having an op, Heels homeopathic Traumeel for 2 weeks before, whilst in hospital and for a month afterwards pays dividends in speeding up healing and keeping bruising and swelling down.  It’s cheap but very effective and can be put as drops into your everyday water or straight onto the tongue.

Homeopathic Flu Vaccine Available October

Some of you have already rung to see when the next Heels homeopathic flu vaccine will be ready as you should have 1 or 2 left for this year now. Heels have advised that they have ordered stocks and they should be available by October. They are working on getting the swine flu virus included, but it does already include the H1NI strain anyway. To order, you will need to call me as usual to get it on your behalf.

New Nutri-Link Number

For those of you taking Allergy Research or Biotics products, please note that Nutri-link who supply them now have a new phone number: NutriLink 08450 760402. Bear in mind you can get both these brands from Nutricentre and Natural Dispensary as normal – I am just including it in case some of you get it direct.

France Bans Mobile Use In Primary Schools

After a six-week review of mobile and wi-fi radiation, the French government recently announced their decision to take some strongly precautionary measures, especially in schools with young children. Although campaigners who wanted the measures to go further walked out of the talks, the government has chosen to implement an outright ban of mobile phones in primary schools and now require operators to provide ‘stripped down’ handsets only capable of texting or without a loudspeaker. There is a rising level of public concern in the country about the dangers inherent in mobile phones, masts and wi-fi and the campaigners wanted a ban on mobile phones for children up to 14, who are considered more vulnerable, and more to be done to control the location and power of masts, again especially near children.  I couldn’t agree more and am getting increasingly concerned about the prevalence of what is, let’s face it, new technology without long-term safety studies. We ARE the long term study! British government please take note. Source: Powerwatch May 09.

Big Reduction in Use of Plastic Bags

The introduction of charges for single use plastic carrier bags has been a big success.  Since charging 5p a bag & using incentives M&S say the number of bags taken home has fallen 80% from 460million a year in UK to 80m.  The National Trust now charges 5p per bag & has reduced plastic bags given out by 85%.  Tesco’s had a 50% reduction.  Sainsburys did not reveal their figures. Guardian 1.5.09

Swine Flu – Don’t Panic Mr Mannering!

I have been watching the media hype about the supposed pandemic the last few days. It seems like, hopefully, it will be a storm in a teacup, although not for those who have already got it, of course. It did make me think about how we make sure our immune system’s are healthy, though, to avoid being ‘at risk’. First, here is a reassuring quote from New Scientist:

“The chances of dying from this pandemic are smaller than being killed by lightning, a shark attack, moose attack, hippopotamus attack, an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or something as mundane as taking a bath or shower.” Joe Sheehy, New Scientist Magazine

And now a quick bit from the Ecologist which puts it into context a bit:

“A healthy, well-fed middle class individual is unlikely to succumb. A poverty stricken individual, perhaps working on an industrial hog farm, or who may be undernourished and living in conditions which put them at a greater disadvantage, immunologically speaking, may well be at greater risk of complications such as pneumonia and therefore of death.

While it is believed that the H1N1 strain responds well to anti-virals like Tamiflu and Relenza, the catch is you need to start taking these drugs within two days of the start of the illness, when many people may not necessarily be able to tell if they have a cold or the flu.

There are many unknowns about this current outbreak. Should the virus travel around the world it may well mutate. But how it will mutate is completely unpredictable. It may, for instance, become easier to pass on from human to human, but milder. It may become harder to pass on from human to human, but more virulent. It may vanish altogether over the summer.

What a public already stressed by economic and environmental gloom don’t need is to have the flame of a collective panic and anxiety about life in general fanned by out-of-proportion reports about a pandemic, when all we appear to have so far is a mild self-limiting outbreak that may disappear by itself.

The most productive thing the great British ‘worried well’ can do right now – apart, perhaps, from not travelling to Mexico or taking any day trips to industrial pig farms – is to remember to wash their hands, eat sensibly, sleep well. Given the well documented deleterious effects of stress and anxiety on human immune function it may also be wise to, if not cut out, then at least cut back on their daily diet of shock-horror news reports. Pat Thomas, Editor of the Ecologist

It did get me thinking though about what I would do top-up my immunity. So, I thought I would share my ideas with you. As it says above, avoid stress, get enough sleep and wash your hands well. In addition, I would get a walk in the daylight every day to top up my Vitamin D levels and take a good multivitamin and mineral that contains Vitamin D as it is antiviral. (Some experts reckon that we get more flu and other viruses in the Winter because of the lack of daylight and consequently the lack of vitamin D – makes you think!).

I would also start taking beta glucans. These are relatively new to the nutrition scene and come from a yeast called Saccharomyces Boulardii. There is a lot of exciting research coming out about the immunity potential of the beta glucans – enough to convince me they are worth taking if you have poor immunity or you need to protect yourself from viral attack. I have used them successfully already in people that have tested with low SIgA gut levels, which shows a poor immunity. Secretory Immunoglobulin A (SIgA) is the main immune marker in the mucus of the body and helps to prevent viruses and bacteria from taking hold and protects us from food residue and therefore allergy problems. Low SIgA levels are surprisingly common and reflect a poor level of immunity. In fact, it may be a good idea to have this test done to check your own immunity. It’s a simple home stool test and costs just £44. Beta glucans are known to help raise the SIgA levels again and therefore enhance your immunity against viruses in particular. There is some debate about the best type to take so I’m looking at it and will advise which products I think are best.

Other steps would be to eat plenty of garlic, get plenty of vitamin C and zinc in fruit, seeds or supplements, and take a natural antiviral product like lauric acid or olive leaf. I shall have my stocks at the ready…please ask if you need more help.

Prof. Regan TV Programmes – A Response

Did any of you see the TV Programme Professor Regan’s Diet Clinic recently where they discussed food supplements etc? As a rule, I don’t bother watching these much nowadays as I know they will be misleading. I am getting cynical in my old age and often wonder who puts up the money to fund such programmes. I find you can invariably predict what conclusions they will come to which doesn’t really make for useful TV. Anyway, enough of my ranting! If you saw it, you will have seen a 2 minute slot where a panel discussed whether you needed to take supplements or not. I will say straight away that I would much prefer we didn’t take supplements, but experience over the years has sadly shown me that a) people don’t eat well enough to nourish themselves against today’s lifestyle and pollution levels and b) even if they did, the foods are grown in poor soils, sprayed, artificially ripened or processed and stored for so long they are not very nourishing even if we do choose good food. A sorry state of affairs, but unfortunately true.

However, on that panel in the programme was Dr Marilyn Glenville. I thought her response to it was useful so I repeat it here:

Professor Regan’s diet clinic

 

It was a shame that the section only lasted a couple of minutes as we spent the whole afternoon debating the topic and they said it would be a 15 minute slot. But such is the nature of television.

 

I wanted to share a number of comments I have about the programme as a whole. The emphasis on the programme was one of having scientific rigour and strict guidelines about which evidence would be accepted and which would not. And I totally agree with this which is why my books are backed up by all the scientific references and listed at the back of each book. It was then amusing to see at the very start of the programme that volunteers were given a pill, told they were pills to help with weight loss but were in fact placebos, and also asked to exercise and follow a healthy diet and when they lost weight then stated that the placebo ‘works’.

 

For this to be scientifically studied, the volunteers should have just been given the pills, told they were to help weight loss and then told to carry on with their lives the same as normal, eat the same and exercise the same, so nothing else changed except the pills. If they then lost weight, it would be valid to say that the placebo worked. Otherwise the test was a nonsense.

 

My other area of concern was two women who took food supplements on a daily basis had their diets analysed and were told they did not need to take supplements as they were getting enough nutrients from their diet. The problem is that the analysis was done from food charts which show the breakdown of nutrients in those foods. It was not done by analysing the actual food the women were eating. It is well known that we have a problem with the food we eat in that it does not contain the nutrients it should have. Compared to the 1930s, fruits and vegetables are depleted in minerals by an average of 20% including magnesium by 24%, calcium by 46%, iron by 27% and zinc by 59%. And it even affects meat and dairy foods e.g. iron in meat is depleted by 47%, iron in milk by over 60%, calcium loss in cheese 15% and Parmesan cheese 70%. (The Independent Food Commission’s Food Magazine 2005).

 

Other tests have shown that just by buying the cheaper tomatoes in the supermarket, for example, can mean a huge percentage drop in lycopene (an important antioxidant) compared to the more expensive tomatoes because the way the way the cheaper ones are forced to grow changes valuable nutrients. A Consumer Which report found that, for example, with green beans, they only contained 11% of the vitamin C they should do. So with all the best will in the world it is not easy nowadays to get everything we need from out diet and just analysing somebody’s diet using charts that have been used for years cannot show this.

 

The only scientific way to show whether somebody is deficient in certain vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids is to actual use laboratory testing e.g. blood, sweat etc. to see what the level is like in the body. If it is suspected you have anaemia, the doctor doesn’t analyse your food to see if you are eating enough iron-rich foods, you are given a blood test, if you are anaemic you then take iron supplements and are then re-tested to make sure the level is back to normal, that is the best way to test for deficiencies.

 

The other problem using charts is that they are often based on the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) and these are aimed to give you enough of that nutrient to stop you from having a deficiency disease. So for vitamin C the RDA is 60mg, which would be enough to prevent scurvy, but is not aimed at giving you good health. It is interesting that our Government pushes the five a day fruit and vegetable message but in other countries the target is much higher. For instance in Denmark it is 6 a day, Canada 5 to 10, US 5 to 13 and in Australia and Japan they actually break down the target into fruit and vegetables so Australia is 7 (5 vegetables and 2 fruit) and Japan 17 (13 vegetables and 4 fruit). So, like with the RDA, our fruit and vegetable target is about just having enough rather than aiming for good levels to keep us in optimum health.

 

My point is that food supplements are not a substitute for a healthy diet, but as the name implies are ‘supplementary’ to what we should be getting from our diet but don’t always. This is because some meals are rushed and we have to grab what we can e.g. a sandwich at lunch but also the food itself is depleted in valuable nutrients because of the way it is grown or it is flown several hundred miles and sits in a warehouse for days before it gets on the shelf.

 

o use good quality supplements from trustworthy companies so you know that they are easy to absorb and make sure that you are eating a healthy diet as well.”

Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD 2009

Recipe Book Launched!!!!

 

 

Instead of a recipe this month, how about a whole book full? At long last, I have finished my recipe book! And, though I say it myself, I think it’s rather good. Just click on the picture in the website to view a contents page and 10 free preview pages via Lulu self publishing website. If you like what you see, you can download all 87 pages for just £10. Not bad as it took me years to research and write! Called How To…Eat Well, it is full of all the advice I give to patients every day in-clinic and will save a shed-load of time and money for those of you who want this info to hand easily.

It is split into 16 chapters and 6 of those are full of easy-to-make mostly wheat and dairy free recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, puddings and drinks. Other chapters include How to Boost Your Metabolism, Why You SHOULD Eat Between Meals and Tips, Tips and More Tips? You will be able to find out which fruit and veg are classed as the pesticide-ridden Dirty Dozen, get past the myths and discover exactly what is a healthy diet, which fish to choose sustainably and how to stock cupboards full of healthy, easy stuff you can always make great meals from even when you’ve ‘got nothing in’.

I have put the preview and link onto my website too, or simply ask me to send you a preview or to buy it with your normal order and I will send it to you direct rather than via Lulu.

New Tests Available

Bit more on tests whilst I’m at it. BTS has just raised its prices due to the Euro, but happily not by too much. Also, there is a new stool test which will look for all bacteria, yeasts, moulds, pH etc as usual, but also digestive residues to see if you are breaking down fats, proteins and carbs well enough. Cost is £130.

Genova have also changed some of their prices, but some down as well as up, so good news. New tests there include an Antioxidant Screen including CoQ10 (£140) which is useful for everyone, but particularly if you’re on statins or have cardiovascular problems, Metabolic Syndrome as above and Adrenal-Thyroid Profile, as we often have to measure both as the thyroid won’t pick up effectively if the adrenals are shot, and vice versa, £140. All tests are done postally as usual and all relevant info is now on the new Tests section of the website so have a peek or ask if you need advice.