Is low thyroid letting you down?

Under-functioning low thyroid or hypothyroid is very common in Australia, affecting up 15 per cent of women of child bearing age.

One of the main symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland is fatigue, so if you have been feeling overly tired lately, it may be a good idea to have a blood test to check your thyroid function.

Other symptoms include:

• weight gain
• constipation
• feeling cold
• dry skin
• depression

The thyroid gland is really the master conductor of the body, so when it’s underactive, everything becomes sluggish. It governs metabolism, in other words, how fast your bodily processes are occurring. So when it’s not up to speed, you may feel as if you’re running on flat batteries!

Fortunately there are lots of things that can help.

Exercise:  Although you are feeling tired, exercise is critical to your wellbeing. Exercise regularly – daily for 45 minutes.  It will improve your energy and also stimulate thyroid hormone secretion.  Try yoga or walking – the main thing is to just get moving!

Stress management: Try to reduce stress levels as part of your daily routine as the hormone involved in the stress response – cortisol – can contribute to hypothyroid issues.  Make sure you get 8 hours restful sleep every night.

Foods to increase:

• Iodine rich foods:  seafood, seaweeds such as nori in sushi
• Zinc rich foods: seafood especially oysters, lamb and beef
• Copper rich foods: Sesame seeds (tahini), cashews, barley, sunflower seeds
• Selenium rich foods: Brazil nuts – 2, 3 a day, sardines and most fish
• Vitamin A rich foods: All orange and yellow coloured fruits and veg, spinach
• Vitamin D rich foods:  salmon, sardines – and don’t forget 15 mins of sun every day!

Foods to avoid:

Goitregens – these are foods that can slow down thyroid function.  They include RAW cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, spinach, radishes, strawberries, soy, pine nuts, walnuts.

There are also very effective natural medicines available to support your thyroid.

For more information download our Low Thyroid Fact Sheet.

Did you know that one in six Australian couples are unable to conceive naturally? Sometimes this is due to male infertility.

And that one in every 25 men has a low sperm count?

No wonder so many couples are turning to IVF to help them conceive.

The good news is that IVF is not the only answer.  Studies show that many natural herbs and vitamins are highly effective in improving sperm health.

Anti-oxidants such as selenium, zinc, vitamin C, lycopene, CoQ 10 and vitamin E play a vital role.  As do the herbs Astragalus, Ginseng and Tribulus.

Sperm are very vulnerable to environmental toxins and so it’s important men clean up their diet and lifestyle to enhance their sperm health:

• eat a healthy diet high in protein, fruit and vegetables
• cut back on smoking and alcohol consumption
• avoid heat stress
• keep mobile phones well away from the groin area
• be checked for STIs
• lose some weight if necessary

There is a growing body of scientific evidence supporting the use of antioxidants and nutritional supplementation for men with low fertility.

I treat many men for poor sperm health in my clinic.  With four months treatment, I can make huge improvements in sperm count, shape and motility making fertilization more likely.  And it’s all completely natural.

See our Improving Sperm Health Program for more information.http://bit.ly/1atY1rA

It is becoming clear that some tips to avoid breast cancer risk factors involve modifying some behaviours that we can control with our daily choices.

The latest research on this topic points to the power of diet for beating this common disease.

The research found that carotenoids – naturally-occurring nutrients found in brightly coloured vegetables and fruit – are believed to have cancer-preventive properties.

These are the nutrients that give vegetables and fruit their bright orange, green, red, and yellow pigments.

The researchers found that among premenopausal women those who ate a diet rich in these foods had an almost 20 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. And among women who smoked, the protective effect of carotenoids against breast cancer was even stronger.

The following tips will get you on your way to improved health and lower breast cancer risk:

• The women with the lowest breast cancer risk ate two or more servings of carotenoid-rich fruit and vegetables per day. Aim for this number at a minimum, and more is better.
• You can find plenty of beta-carotene in the following foods: carrots, sweet potato, spinach, kale, pumpkin, cabbage, cantaloupe, broccoli, peppers, apricots, peas, beans, green leafy vegetables, plums, raspberries and corn.
• Don’t rely on dietary supplements for your carotene fix. Studies show that only food provides benefit and that for some people, such as smokers, carotene supplements can do more harm than good.

Oestrogen is processed and removed from our bodies via two routes – a healthy route, or an unhealthy route.  Oestrogen that is metabolised via the unhealthy route is converted into a form that can drive the development and growth of breast cancer.  Fortunately we are able to assess how you are metabolising your oestrogen by a simple urine test.   In my opinion, this is something all women should have checked.  If the test shows you are metabolising oestrogen the wrong way, we are able to step in with treatment that will redirect your oestrogen down the healthier route, and so reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. http://bit.ly/1h7nj0t

If you are suffering from a condition that is caused by an excess of oestrogen in your body – heavy painful periods, fibroids, endometriosis – it is very important you reduce your exposure to xenoestrogens or  ‘foreign oestrogens’.

In today’s world, there are many man-made compounds in our water, food and environment that mimic oestrogen in our bodies.

A number of chemicals in current industrial use such as dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) and bisphenols (found in pesticides, petrochemicals and plastic) may bind to and activate oestrogen receptor sites in the body. In other words they act like oestrogen in our body.

However unlike natural hormones these xenoestrogens may exert effects many times more potent than our own body’s oestrogens.

In order to reduce your exposure to these substances it is important to:

•  Avoid using soft plastics such as cling wrap, plastic containers used to store food, plastic water bottles.  Instead use a stainless steel drinking bottle, store food in ceramic dishes, and never microwave food using cling wrap.

• Avoid chlorine and bleaches – use a water filter, clean around the home using natural products that don’t contain bleach.  Wash well after swimming in a chlorinated pool.

• Buy organic food – xenoestrogens are found most concentrated in the fat of meat, farmed fish and nonorganic dairy products.  Eat primarily organic meat, dairy and produce, washing fruits and veg thoroughly before eating.

• Avoid pesticides and herbicides, these contain potent xenoestrogens

• Use only organic, cotton sanitary wear – avoid synthetic pads and tampons

There are many foods known as phytoestrogens, or plant oestrogens, that can modulate oestrogen levels and it is recommended that these are included in the diet regularly.

These foods include:

• Cruciferous vegetables:  broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
• Linseeds:  Freshly grind 2 tablespoons and eat with cereal
• Garlic
• Green Tea
• Alfalfa
• Soy products: soybeans, tofu, soy milk

It is also important to ensure good excretion of oestrogen from the body via the liver and bowel.   A thorough detoxification should be undertaken every 12 months to keep the liver in good condition.

A complete bowel movement should take place each day.  If this is not occurring, increase water to two litres per day, and eat more fibre rich foods – brown rice and whole grain bread, sweet potatoes, prunes, pears, and fruit and vegetables.

Vitamins and minerals that can help:

• Zinc, Selenium, vitamins A, C and E

Herbs that can help increase oestrogen excretion:

• Vitex agnus castus (chaste berry)
• St Mary’s Thistle
• Bupleurum http://bit.ly/196pxbx