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You probably can relate to the feeling of being bloated, uncomfortable and generally feeling less than your best. It’s like your body needs a good flush. Can a good detox get your body back on track and primed for weight loss. I am a big promoter of a healthy approach to diet, particularly the importance of a balanced lifestyle. But what happens when you really do feel generally unwell. Good weight management requires your liver to be functioning well and a detox process maybe what it needs. Our liver is responsible for the metabolism of fat, carbohydrate and proteins. It is also responsible for the metabolism and production of some important hormones. A detox generally helps our liver to regenerate so it can do it’s job of removing toxic compounds from our body. In order to remove and metabolise fat our liver requires L-methionine, choline and inositol. These help to breakdown fats. These nutrients also support the synthesis of serotonin which makes us feel good and controls appetite. If your thyroid isn’t functioning properly, you may also find your metabolic rate slows, making it difficult to exercise and increases weight gain. Again L-methionine, choline and inositol are important for normal thyroid function. Our appetite can also be effected by poor liver function and gastro-intestinal health.

Dispelling a dairy myth How often do you hear milk blamed for annoying symptoms like headaches and bloating? These symptoms are often associated by some alternative therapists and healthy professionals with cows’ milk allergy. The truth is that true cows’ milk allergy is very rare, and there is a large percentage of the population who could be putting themselves at risk by avoiding dairy unnecessarily. A true food allergy occurs when the body reacts to certain proteins in the offending food. Often this can trigger symptoms such as hives, swelling of the lips, eyes or face, vomiting or diarrhea, difficulty breathing or anaphylaxis . Food allergies should always be medically diagnosed. People with a true milk allergy should eliminate all milk and dairy products from their diet. Most people who are allergic to cows’ milk will also be allergic to goats’ and sheeps’ milk . Cows’ milk allergy is thought to affect only a small proportion of Australians. It is most common in early childhood, occurring in approximately 2% of children under 2 years of age . Fortunately, the vast majority of children (about 90%) grow out of their milk allergy by three years of age3. It is very rare to develop a cows’ milk allergy as an adult. I see in my practice a number of mums who take their children off dairy in the hope that it may fix their symptoms. Too often however it can be hit and miss. Often they may be avoiding milk and including other foods with the offending proteins. If you are avoiding dairy unnecessarily you could be missing out on calcium, zinc and a range of other nutrients in dairy. If you think you may have an allergy you should go an see your doctor or dietitian for advice.

Infertility and your diet If you have been touched by anyone having trouble with conception, than you will understand the challenges this can face on relationships. One in six Australian couples has difficulty conceiving and the effect it has can be devastating. In both cases the issue can be with the female or male, contributing around 80% of the cause of infertility. Causes of Infertility - Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) - Endometriosis - Overweight - Age Supporting fertility can be a combination of hormone balance and weight loss. The use of nutrition supplements such as Vitex angus-castus have been shown to aid in fertility by reducing levels of prolactin. Oestrogen excess has also been shown to cause endometriosis and fertility problems. Reducing levels of oestrogen can be achieved by increasing the fibre content of the diet and using probiotics to help normalise Gastro-intestinal health. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome which is caused by the excess of androgens (male) hormones can be treated with a low GI diet. There has also been a study linking high trans fat and reduced dairy intake to increasing rates of infertility. If you would like to look at your diet to help with improving fertility, you can call me on 1300 630 883

You may think that sunny Australia would be the last country to have high levels of Vitamin D deficiency. Recent research indicates that we have much higher rates of Vitamin D deficiency than previously expected. Research has estimated as many as 43% of young women have Vitamin D deficiency in winter and as many as 1 in 4 Australians have low levels of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is made in our body when a certain type of cholesterol comes in contact with sunlight under the skin. The Vitamin D is then used to help calcium build strong healthy bones. Rickets is an extreme case where children with Vitamin D Deficiency develop changes in bone structure with the typical bowed legs. Rickets thankfully is extremely rare in Australia today, however we are now seeing some more important roles for Vitamin D, particularly in the elderly population as it can help prevent osteoperosis. Cancer in Australia has always been associated with too much sun, as we have the highest rates of skin cacner in the world, however recent studies are indicating that countries which have higher levels of sun are in fact less likely to develop certain types of cancer, particularly colon cancer which is though to be due to increased levels of Vitamin D. Multiple Sclerosis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) may also increase the risk of Vitamin D. Whilst I am not suggesting for one second you all go out and start laying in the sun greased up with your baby oil, but you should try to get about 10 to 15 of midday sun to boost your Vitamin D levels. People who have dark skin may need more than this, and it is also important to recognize that sunscreen will reduce your ability to make Vitamin D by about 98%. Including enough Vitamin D through your diet is almost impossible, however supplementing with Vitamin D can help reduce your risk of osteoporosis and may reduce your risk of certain types of cancer. The richest source of Vitamin D is Sardines followed by Salmon. Eggs, liver and meat. The revised Nutrient Reference Values for Australians are recommending we should aim for 5 micrograms a day for infants, 10 for adults and about 15 for the elderly. Research suggests we are currently including between 2 to 3 micrograms a day which is well below the requirements. We are seeing more foods with Vitamin D added to them to help boost your intake. Margarine has been fortified with Vitamin D for many years, although now we are seeing milk such as Pura Boost, Anlene and others which have added Vitamin D. Some of the processed cheeses are also enriched with Vitamin D such as the kraft slices. If you find that you are not getting regular sunlight or you always wear sunscreen then consider choosing some of the foods fortified with Vitamin D. You may also like to include a little more fish, particularly sardines along with eggs on a more regular basis. The inclusion of a Vitamin D supplement is also an option, particularly for the elderly population so discuss this your health care professional.

Why does fat taste soo good? You can blame your taste buds. Our tongues recognize and attract fat, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Alterations in a gene on can change the sensitivity of our tongue to the taste of fat. The study is the first to demonstrate a human receptor that can taste fat. What is interesting is that the researchers think that some people may be more sensitive to the presence of fat in foods. I have a 9 year old daughter who hates the taste of sausges, ‘they’re too fatty Dad’. She may be more sensitive to fat. The researchers found that people with a variant of the CD36 gene were far more sensitive to the taste of fat. People who made more CD36 protein could easily detect the presence of fat. In fact, study subjects who made the most CD36 were eight times more sensitive to the presence of fat than those who made about 50 percent less of the protein. At this stage it’s difficult to know exactly what role this gene has in obesity, however it may explain why some people hate the taste of fat and others love it. Reference: Pepino MY, Love-Gregory L, Klein S, Abumrad NA, The fatty acid translocase gene, CD36, and lingual lipase influence oral sensitivity to fat in obese subjects. Journal of Lipid Research, Dec. 31, 2011