Elemental my dear Watson
Thursday 28th January 2010 2:20pm
Trace elements are something that many people think about too much. Most people have heard about things like iodine and chromium but often associate one with a skin antiseptic and the other with the shiny bits on cars and taps!
Well that’s true but there are much more important uses of most trace elements that are much closer to home. Although they are only present in trace amounts (hence their name) in the body they really do punch above their weight when it comes to helping control important body systems.
Often they work closely with much more complex chemicals and structures with the body’s cells to bring about significant biological changes. Take iodine for example. It is incorporated into every molecule of thyroid hormone that circulates within your body so without it the hormone can’t function resulting in sluggish metabolism which can manifest as chronic tiredness, poor exercise tolerance and weight gain.
Likewise chromium plays a number of important roles in t
…Naturally it must be safe - but you should check all the same
Thursday 28th January 2010 2:11pm
It is increasingly common for people to be treated with both prescription and complimentary medicines, often for the same condition.
Take for example arthritic pain. At some stage most people who use glucosamine or fish oil would also need to resort to paracetamol or an anti-inflammatory for those ‘bad days’ to help manage the pain.
It’s common for people to ask their healthcare practitioner about mixing prescribed medications but it often doesn’t occur to them that interactions can occur between seemingly safe complimentary medicines and other drugs. Just because they are safe doesn’t mean that they are nor with any risk at all.
The most commonly prescribed blood pressure lowering drugs in Australia usually come with a warning against taking potassium supplements at the same time. This can lead to dangerous potassium levels and arrhythmias. Potassium supplementation is not all that common in Australia but did you know that many glucosamine preparations so
…Going cold turkey
Monday 11th January 2010 4:05pm
Giving up smoking is the single most important thing that people can do to improve their health. Unlike, say, alcohol there is no safe level of smoking.
The health problems that are attributable to smoking are legion but by giving it up your risk profile changes dramatically. In 12 months your risk of heart related problems drops by half and by 5 years your cardiovascular risk profile will be the same as the general population.
The likelihood of lung disease and cancer rates also fall dramatically as well meaning that the chances of succumbing to these is much less likely.
So what should I expect?
Depending on how you approach quitting your journey will differ. Using nicotine replacement therapies help many people because it helps separate giving up the nicotine addiction from the social habit.
People who go cold turkey and try and give up both aspects at once really are testing their willpower. Replacement therapies allow you to deal with one aspect of addiction at a time and by all
…Go on - live a little!
Monday 11th January 2010 2:20pm
Today’s lifestyle means that we have access to a much greater variety of foods than ever before in our history. Unfortunately some of these Have a reputation for being “bad for us” but is this necessarily true?
Three of the most maligned foods in a modern diet are alcohol, chocolate and coffee.
Alcohol
There is evidence to suggest that consuming alcohol increases “good” HDL cholesterol, reduces factors in blood that make it more likely to clot, and may directly affect blood vessels, keeping the linings smooth and pliable and thus less vulnerable to atherosclerosis.
There may even be a connection between alcohol intake and higher blood levels of omega-3 fats.
Moderate intake has even been associated with everything from greater bone density to less risk for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, as well as protection against heart disease and stroke.
Like most things in life though it can’t all be good news! We need to beware of consuming to
…The glycemic index
Wednesday 23rd December 2009 3:03pm
We have all heard and read a lot about the glycemic index (GI) and the effects it might have on our diet but what is it really all about?
The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the effect carbohydrates in food has on blood sugar levels.
Put simply this is a measure of how quickly carbohydrates break down during digestion and as a consequence release glucose into our bloodstream. The faster they break down the quicker glucose is released into the bloodstream.
In most cases the slower the release of glucose from carbohydrate in food the lower is the insulin response required by the body to move blood glucose into muscle and liver storage sites.
A low GI food will release glucose more slowly and steadily meaning more prolonged feeling of fullness and helping to stabilise blood sugar levels. High GI food causes a more rapid rise in blood glucose levels and are more suitable for energy recovery after endurance exercise or for a person experiencing hypoglycaemia. However in general lower GI
…Spot the missing nutrients
Monday 14th December 2009 11:10am
Acne can occur at any age and is almost always related to a hormonal imbalance. It’s important to remember though that the occasional spot is not regarded as acne. Acne is the persistent appearance of lesions over a more generalised area.
Although hormonal in nature there is emerging evidence that sufferers also tend to have lower serum levels of a couple of important vitamins and minerals. It is uncertain if the lower levels are a cause of the problem or a symptom of the condition itself. Either way supplementation to redress the imbalance appears to have positive effects in many sufferers.
Zinc has long been associated with improved healing of skins conditions and wounds so it is no surprise that some evidence points to acne sufferers having lower Zinc levels in their bodies. Thankfully this is a readily available, safe and inexpensive supplement. Zinc in the chelate form, like Herb Valley’s, is a readily absorbable preparation that can be of benefit in these situations.
…All stressed up and nowhere to go?
Friday 11th December 2009 8:22am
Not only is “stress” an often overused word in our common language but it is also a poorly understood phenomenon by most of us.
In a more strictly medical sense stress is not necessarily a ‘bad thing’ in itself as it allows the body to adapt and react to the world around us, largely as a protective mechanism. For example if we are in danger stress causes our breathing to increase, blood vessels to dilate, energy stores to be mobilised as well as improving our reaction time and heightening our senses. These reactions improve the body’s ability to deal with the dangerous situation but once it has passed things quickly revert to a normal resting state.
In a modern world there are many stresses that play out in our lives and if these are prolonged and there is a sustained increase in stress hormone levels in the body we can start to get the negative effects taking over. In simple terms the body gets exhausted by being in a state of tension for long periods la
…Pre Season Training
Wednesday 9th December 2009 7:57am
The better prepared we are for the season ahead the easier we’ll manage and recover from the first serious game. “If it’s to be it’s up to me” applies to training. Discipline is the key in all aspects. You can do all the hard physical stuff and still struggle unless you get adequate rest and optimal nutrition.
A lot of us will start exercising for the first time at pre season training. When the body is exercised more than the daily routine it uses up nutrition much faster. Additional nutrition needs to be balanced to the amount of exercise that is practised. If you don’t do this then you’ll soon notice those muscle cramps and the aches and pains of exercise will linger longer in the rest period.
So what is good nutrition - all those things you know you should do but probably don’t do often enough?
This includes:
- Proper rest without alcohol
- Definitely no smoking
- Eating fruit and vegetables - without th
It's a man's world (men are slow learners)
Monday 7th December 2009 8:20am
More and more is being written about men’s health these days and with good reason. We men are pretty slow learners.
Most men typically treat their health like they treat their car. They assume everything is OK as long as it still works and only take it to the mechanic or doctor when something is broken.
Men just don’t seem to be as receptive to general health messages that appear in mainstream media. Sure they see the messages about alcohol, smoking, blood pressure and cholesterol but because the negative effects of these things are only seen in the long term men are not as proactive about managing them as they should be.
Hit them where it hurts!
One area where men will take some notice of health advice is in the area of sexual health although they tend to tune out when a prostate examination is mentioned!
Leaving this to later, men are increasingly becoming interested in their health when they are trying to have children. Their partners are mostly aware of the need
…Multi vitamins can benefit healthy people
Friday 4th December 2009 1:00pm
Many people skip breakfast, grab a wrap with very little salad and have meat and vegetables for the evening meal (probably the most nutritious meal they’ve eaten all day). This doesn’t include the cake at morning tea or any other snack like a sugar laden chocolate bar, not to mention what they may drink.
With these daily eating habits it is obvious to that these people do not get enough B vitamins, adequate vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc and other vital nutrients. The common symptoms these people have are tiredness, fatigue, poor resistance to infection and poor sleep.
A multi vitamin and mineral supplement, particularly high in B vitamins is necessary as a foundational supplement just to improve these basic nutritional needs.
Additionally our bodies have a limited capacity to store specific vitamins and minerals. For example water-soluble vitamins, including vitamin C, biotin and the many B vitamins aren’t stored in your body in significant amounts.
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