Sue Hardman

Nourish + Rejuvenate

Womans health

Is The Blood Sugar Rollercoaster Impacting Your Energy Levels?

By

Isn't it remarkable that every choice we make, every habit we cultivate, contributes to the grand masterpiece that is our health? True, some days are tougher than others, but remember, health is a symphony, not a solo.
 
Each part plays a role in creating harmony. With that said, let's uncover one piece of this symphony today—your blood sugar levels.

Understanding and addressing how this influence on your energy can help you compose a beautiful score for your health journey.

Blood Sugar Spikes and Energy Levels - The Hidden Connection

Have you ever been hit by a sudden wave of exhaustion, despite a full night's rest? It's possible that your blood sugar levels are playing a significant role in this energy depletion.Let's dive into how fluctuations in blood sugar can impact your vitality and leave you feeling fatigued.


The Energy Rollercoaster


Sudden spikes in blood sugar followed by rapid drops can lead to hypoglycemia - a state of low blood sugar.

 
This sudden plunge can leave you feeling weak, fatigued, and even dizzy.

It's as if your energy levels are on a rollercoaster ride and the end station is exhaustion.

The Toll of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

When blood sugar isn't well-regulated, it can lead to chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress within your body. These conditions disrupt cellular functions and interfere with the pathways that produce energy, often resulting in feelings of lethargy and fatigue.

Sleep Quality and Blood Sugar

High blood sugar levels can compromise your sleep qualit

High blood sugar levels can compromise your sleep quality by interfering with the body's natural sleep-wake cycle. This disturbance can cause frequent awakenings during the night and leave you feeling drained the next day.

Nutrient Absorption and Energy Production

Imbalances in blood sugar can hinder your body's ability to absorb and utilise essential nutrients like B vitamins and magnesium, both crucial for energy production.

Without these nutrients, your body struggles to generate and use energy effectively, which can result in fatigue.

Hormonal Imbalances and Energy Levels

Disruptions in your blood sugar regulation, especially with conditions like insulin resistance, can offset the delicate balance of hormones in your body. This imbalance can affect cortisol, the stress-regulating hormone, and your sex hormones, both of which play crucial roles in energy regulation.
 
By maintaining balanced blood sugar levels, you're taking a significant step towards banishing fatigue and embracing a more vibrant, energetic life. 

If you need support in managing your blood sugar levels and overcoming fatigue, book a free discovery call – send me an email [email protected] We're here to help you on your journey to health and vitality.

Featured Supplement: B Vitamins are often hailed as 'energy vitamins' for their crucial role in energy production. 

Here are some benefits of B Vitamins for energy support:

Boost Energy Production: B Vitamins are essential for converting dietary nutrients into ATP, the energy currency of the cells.

Support Nervous System Health: These vitamins support the health of your nervous system, which directly influences energy levels.

Promote Heart Health: By reducing homocysteine levels, a risk factor for heart disease, B Vitamins contribute to overall cardiovascular health and endurance.

Enhance Mood and Cognitive Function: Adequate B Vitamins intake is associated with improved mood and cognitive function, influencing your overall energy levels and well-being.

If you'd like to order my favourite supplemental form of B vitamins, please get in touch.


How to balance the good vs the bad oestrogens

By

As women, we often find ourselves in positions where we care for others; it's just the nature of who we are. We have roles that vary from being a businesswoman, an employee, keeper of the house, a wife, mother (pet mom), daughter, partner, or boss.

BUT the one role you can't ignore is caring for yourself and the delicate dance that is your female hormones.

In today's blog, we look at the role of oestrogen. This essential hormone varies as you age and throughout your monthly cycle.

What most women don't know is that we need to keep the 'right oestrogen' optimised and manage the reduction of the 'wrong oestrogens'.

Whether you do or don't suffer from hormonal health issues, this is essential information for keeping your oestrogen in the right balance and beneficial for all the women that you know and love.

In the blog below we look at a few things you can do daily that will help your body find its balance naturally. These tools may be all you need to get your body on an even keel again.

Getting the Oestrogen Balance Right

Oestrogen, it’s what makes you feel more like a woman and when a woman's hormones are in balance, she feels fabulous, her skin glows, she has energy and vitality. 

Oestrogen helps makes you feel sexy and flirtatious, helps your libido and it’s one of the most powerful hormones and performs about 400 functions in your body.
 
There are at least two dozen known oestrogens all with various functions and they are produced in the ovaries and the adrenal glands. 

The most commonly discussed oestrogens are oestrone, oestradiol, and oestriol and the main function of these oestrogens, as a group, is to tell cells to grow and proliferate.

The Good Oestrogens

Stimulate endometrial cells in preparation for pregnancy, prompt breast tissue growth, maintain function of the sexual organs, stimulate the menstrual cycle, and initiate the bodily changes that occur at puberty.

The benefits of oestrogen you may not have considered:

  • keeps the heart healthy, maintains stable blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease
  • improves blood flow to the brain, helping with memory and fine motor skills. 
  • plays a critical role in maintaining bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
  • helps to increase muscle mass and strength, which can aid in weight management and overall health.
  • helps to keep serotonin levels stable, which can improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. 
  • supports the effectiveness of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers and mood enhancers.
  • protects the vaginal walls from thinning and atrophy, keeping the tissues well lubricated and reducing the risk of painful intercourse or vaginal infections.

The ‘Bad’ Oestrogens

There are detrimental oestrogens known as xeno-oestrogens or ‘outsider’ oestrogens these are foreign substances with oestrogen like effects on the body.

Most xeno-oestrogens are derived from petrochemicals and include pesticides, industrial chemicals, cleaners, plastics (water bottles, food containers), nail polish, and car exhaust.  

Previously, these small amounts of oestrogenic activity were dismissed, but recent findings indicate all those little exposures add up.
 

How The ‘Bad’ Oestrogen Affects You

Unfortunately, due to the world we live in, we’re exposed to a lot of the ‘wrong’ type oestrogen which can very easily lead to imbalances like PMS, loss of sex drive, sweet cravings, heavy periods, weight gain, breast swelling, water retention, fatigue, depression and cells multiplying unnecessarily, leading to dangerous situations, such as cancer in some cases.

How can you support your body to increase the balance of good oestrogen versus the bad?

There are a few simple things you can do daily that will help your body find it's balance naturally, these tools may be all you need to get your body on an even keel again.

While it is clearly important to minimise our exposure to these external xeno-oestrogens, the good news is that there are other ways of helping nudge oestrogen levels back into balance through phyto-oestrogens found in food and herbs.
 
Phytoestrogens exert mild oestrogenic effects and block the negative xeno-oestrogens effects on your body, the active chemical constituents are isoflavones, coumestans and lignans, and they work as hormone balancers. They mimic natural oestrogen or block it at oestrogen receptor sites on cells throughout the body. Imagine these receptor binding sites as parking spots reserved for hormones.
 
Once “parked,” the hormone can exert its effect on the cell. If the body’s ‘good’ oestrogen levels are low, phytoestrogens fill those parking spots and gently mimic the role played by oestrogens. If the levels of environmental oestrogens in the body are too high, phytoestrogens block their access to oestrogen receptor sites, substituting their own milder oestrogenic activity for the excessively strong oestrogenic effects created by environmental xeno-oestrogens.

Foods
To promote the good oestrogens increase your intake or make sure you eat these foods which contain phyto-oestrogens daily: 

My favourite functional foods for women to help keep oestrogen in check include – flax seeds, raspberries, organic soy, carrots, apples, cruciferous veg like broccoli and cabbage, chickpeas, beans, lentils, asparagus, fennel, garlic, oats, pears, peas, pomegranate, dried sea vegetables, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes, squash and wheat germ.

Apples & carrots have special fibres that help with detoxification and elimination of bad oestrogens. They bind up excess oestrogen that would otherwise recirculate in the body to cause symptoms like PMS, so that they are eliminated through your bowels.

Flax contains lignans, which attach to oestrogen receptors. These lignans have a much weaker oestrogenic effect on the body, thus they are protective against oestrogen excess. Flax seeds are also able to inhibit aromatase, further supporting healthy oestrogen levels. Aromatase is an enzyme that converts our androgens into oestrogens.

Broccoli sprouts contain sulforaphane, which supports methylation of oestrogens in phase 2 liver detox. 

Oestrogen metabolism is SO important. It’s not just about how much oestrogen you have, but how you’re metabolising it.

 Hummus is an easy way a women can increase her intake of phyto-oestrogens daily.
 
Particularly powerful phyto-oestrogens are found in soya products. The high soya content in traditional Japanese diets is likely to be why Japanese women tend not to suffer from menopausal symptoms.

Herbs

Herbal phyto-oestrogens that I use to manage hormonal imbalances like PMS are as Mexican yam, Black cohosh, Dong quai, Agnus castus and many others. 

Many women find immense relief from various hormonal problems and peri-menopause by supplementing with phyto-oestrogens.

 
A qualified herbalist will create blends of herbs to address your specific issues combining the best ‘medicine’ for the job.

Do what you can to minimise your exposure to xeno-oestrogens—you’ll find them in some unlikely places.

Thyroid issues? You can’t lose weight tired all the time

By

Thyroid issues are more and more prevalent. When clients say they feel exhausted, a bit depressed, have gained weight, have no motivation, poor digestion, weird hormones and no sex drive, then it may be that their thyroid is causing the problem.

Unfortunately when women tell their doctor they have these issues, they’re often given anti-depressants when a large proportion may actually have thyroid issues.

Your thyroid function can be either under or over active. An under active – hypothyroidism, means your body isn’t producing enough of the thyroid hormones it needs to run therefore your entire body is running too slowly and with an over active -hyperthyroidism, means your body is working far too hard!

I’ve had my own thyroid problems after my son was born. I lost a lot of weight quite quickly, I thought I was the lucky one and was relieved that I didn’t have to worry to much about losing the baby weight. It was a bit more complicated than that, my heart began racing, I felt dizzy and light headed – a whole lot more serious and a little scary.

I do remember at various times in my life having had a slightly swollen neck which may have been an indication that I had this tendency to being hyper. I think the stress of a C-section, new born etc. may have sent my thyroid into overdrive and I was diagnosed with post-natal hyperthyroidism.

Untreated it can lead to Graves disease. Fortunately, I was able to correct the hyperthyroidism using a combination of non-medical natural tools, and managed to avoid any medication.

Your thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped gland in your neck, and it’s estimated that 20-50% of the population has issues with their thyroid, 60% of people with thyroid issues are unaware of it.

There is a group of women who are unaware that they have what is known as sub-clinical hypothyroidism (where there are elevated TSH levels, but normal T4 levels, possibly with symptoms) this has been found in approximately 4% to 8% of the general population but in approximately 15% to 18% of women over 60 years of age.

Thyroid’s Function & Hormones

Your thyroid produces hormones that affect almost every cell in your body and it works as your thermostat, regulating temperature, it regulates hunger, extracts vitamins and produces energy from food. It produces hormones (chemical messengers) to manage this – mainly T4 and T3.

The pituitary gland in the brain initiates the hormone messenger, TSH which is the messenger to get the thyroid going. 

The thyroid makes thyroid hormones, T3 and T4.

TSH, which is made by the pituitary gland in the brain, regulates thyroid hormone production. T3 being the most active and ‘useful’ in the body.

10 Signs of an Underactive Thyroid:

1. Fatigue after sleeping 8 hours a night or needing to take a nap daily

2. Weight gain or inability to lose weight

3. Mood swings, anxiety, or depression

4. Hormone imbalances – PMS, irregular periods, infertility, and low sex drive

5. Muscle pain, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, or tendonitis

6. Cold hands & feet, feeling cold when others are not, or having a low body temperature

7. Dry or cracking skin, brittle nails and excessive hair loss 8. Constipation

9. Brain fog, poor concentration, or poor memory

10.Neck swelling, snoring, or hoarse voice

9 Signs of Overactive Thyroid:

1. Nervousness, anxiety and irritability

2. Mood swings

3. Difficulty sleeping

4. Persistent tiredness

5. Heat sensitivity

6. Swelling in your neck might be an enlarged thyroid (goitre)

7. Unusually fast heart rate (palpitations)

8. Twitching or trembling

9. Unexplained Weight loss

How do you know if your thyroid is a problem?

You really do need to look at some thorough testing.  It does very much really depend on the knowledge and awareness of your doctor. They generally only test for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and sometimes, the T4 hormone.

To thoroughly check your thyroid you need to have TSH, T4, and T3, reverse T3, vitamin D and your antibodies tested.

Thyroid function is something that can come up quite often with clients.  Knowledge from correct testing will provide you with the best information when it comes to choosing how to manage your thyroid – so do get as much information as you can from doing the correct tests. (Please note the thyroid issues are complicated so I’m trying not to over complicate and keep things simple) 

Thyroid disease and the Autoimmune Component

The body can also produce antibodies that attack the thyroid and stop it doing its job. This is known as an auto-immune condition, when the body attacks itself. Dr. Isabelle Wentz suggests that 95% hypothyroidism probably has an auto immune component – Hashimotos.

Hashimoto’s is when your body produces antibodies that attack the thyroid and impair its function. This is easily missed, as testing often shows your thyroid is producing hormones correctly but miss the fact that it’s correct function is being impaired by antibodies.

Thyroid issues do run in families, so you are more likely to suffer from some kind of thyroid disease if family members struggle with them.

There are some things you can do:-

  • Fight for thorough testing – either via an endocrinologist, or practitioner that can get access to a full thyroid panel, get a referral or go privately. I can support you to ensure you are getting the help you need
  • Consume nutrients for good thyroid health, like iodine, protein, selenium, zinc, iron, vitamin D, vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, and a variety of B vitamins.
  • Clean up your diet. Avoid inflammatory foods, like sugar, gluten or dairy to support the health of your thyroid.
  • Avoid high amounts of stress, nutrient depletion (selenium and iodine) as the conversion of T3 can be impaired and you can end up with to much of reverse T3
  • Take a high quality multivitamin with Iodine, Zinc, Selenium, Iron, Vitamin D, and B vitamins.
  • Find ways of managing your stress and support your adrenal glands. Your adrenals and thyroid work closely together. Support your adrenal glands to cope better with stress – walking, gentle yoga and adaptogenic herbs,
  • Get at least 8 hours sleep a night.
  • Heal your gut. It’s critical to good health.
  • Get support. Find someone to support you with what you eat to get you back on track!

Be sure to get educated, get tested and ask for the print outs of your blood test result from your doctor. If you want more help with getting tested, addressing your nutrient deficiencies, ditching sugar and gluten, thenI can help. Please get in touch [email protected]

 

You can also join my newsletter and get a recipe guide to help get your started with eating healthy and supporting your gut and digestive system. For better health we always start with your gut.

 

 

Is it time to love your gut? 

After all, good health all starts in your gut!

The simple 5 Step To Heal Your Gut Guide includes a 3 day easy to follow meal plan designed to give your digestive system a break.

Your FREE Guide  “Heal Your Gut” includes:

  • +15 amazingly delicious recipes (including dessert….chocolate mousse)
  • A simple 5-step approach to a healthy digestion so you can reduce belly bloat, lose weight and reduce inflammation

Rose a woman’s healing herb – an essential in any healing toolkit

By

Rose A Herbal Healer

The rose is steeped in legend and symbolism from Greek mythology, the Eastern traditions and also in Roman legends. Since those early days the rose has not only been appreciated for its beauty and perfume but also for its medicinal values.

One of the most sensuous and romantic of flowers – is used as a symbol of love in western cultures, of divine love in the church, as a food in the middle east and in skin and perfume preparations since Egyptian times.

In Ayurveda they say rose treats the heart, nerves, and lifts the spirits. It has an affinity for the blood and has a certain astringency that stops bleeding and reduces inflammation, so it’s very beneficial when there are signs of heat (in Ayurveda high Pitta in one’s constitution) – like a red tongue, agitation, hot flushes, lots of blood, irritability and emotional sensitivity.

Rose a herbal healer

The areas where I tend to find rose most beneficial, as a Naturopath and Herbalist, is for women who have issues with PMT, hormone imbalance or who  have periods that are painful, excessive or irregular, it is helpful with infertility and to increase sexual desire.

If there is an underlying anxiety, nervousness, sadness or grief the role of rose is nourishing on the nervous system. It has a calming effect on the emotions and the heart.

I would also recommend using Rose in the following situations:

– for fevers, rashes, infections, colds & flu
– as a tea to help clear heat & boost immunity
– for hyperacidity, diarrhea, excess phlegm
– rose water is an excellent cleanser used to soothe the skin
– to help with tissue repair with skin blemishes, acne, minor cuts and fine lines

How to use Rose

  • PMT or problems with your periods –  try drinking 2 -3 cups of Rose tea daily.
  • Feeling irritable or sad – add rose otto essential oil to your bath or rub it on your forehead or over your heart area. Drink the tea.
  • Red skin and acne – spray your face with Rose water after cleansing. The best toner ever!
  • Inflamed red eyes – spray rose water onto cotton pads and place over eyelids

To find out more about how you can work with me – please see the different options  HERE

Also if you’d like to receive future newsletters or blogs straight to your inbox, please sign up HERE in the sign-up box. 

‘The Good Health Guide’ newsletter is filled with inspiration, practical, easy to follow tips and articles on healthy eating, recipes, exercise and natural medicines to help you live a healthier life.

These newsletter are all delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up HERE.

This is what readers of the ‘The Good Health Guide’ newsletter are saying about it:

  • Just to say that I do really like your newsletters and many thanks! I always read them all the way through and there’s not many newsletters I can say that about. Sue Saker – London UK www.thecouplescoach.co.uk,

  • Thanks for this – I love receiving your emails ! So interesting.
    Emma – London UK     The Decor Cafe.

  • Fabulous, Excellent Sue!!
    Julie Cleverdon – South Africa. Director of The MTN Science Centre mtnsciencentre.org.za

  • I love your updates Sue -find them really informative and useful. Thank you for sharing important information so freely, what a gift to the health of humanity.
    Pippa Dowding, Leadership Coach and Facilitator – Cape Town, South Africa

  • This is a great newsletter Sue! ([email protected])

  • Great artical, keep them coming. Doug – Frankfurt, Germany

SIGN UP HERE

How & Why I Use Essential Oils

By

Why I Use Essential Oil Daily

Essential oils are one of the hottest natural products out there right now and that’s because they’re a wonderful natural tool to have in your medicine chest, along with a high quality diet, exercise and stress management.

We’ve been using essential oils in our home for several years, If you don’t know know how to use essential oils, don’t feel overwhelmed or intimidated by how to get started with essential oils. It’s really easy and a lot of fun!

The potency of essential oils? 

Did you know that one drop of peppermint oil is the equivalent of 28 glasses of peppermint tea!

You might be inclined to think that more is better, this is definitely not the case when it comes to essential oils – start small and then add more if needed.

There are many essential oils I use in my home all the time and so as not to overwhelm you, I’ll be sharing the oils one by one and on my blog.

HERE ARE MY TOP 3 ESSENTIAL OILS

Lavender – This is an oil that I use daily, especially to help with a restful sleep. You can spray it in your room or add a drop to your pillow. I also like to diffuse it in my bedroom. I’ve used it for my son when he is anxious and most nights I spray his room with lavender. 

This was the first indication that I was going to love essential oils when I heard this story- “In 1910 French chemist and scholar René-Maurice Gattefossé discovered the virtues of the essential oil of lavender. Gattefossé badly burned his hand during an experiment in a perfumery plant and plunged his hand into the nearest tub of liquid, which just happened to be lavender essential oil. He was later amazed at how quickly his burn healed and with very little scarring. This started a fascination with essential oils and inspired him to experiment with them during the First World War on soldiers in the military hospitals.”  I was sold and ever since then I’v always had lavender in my home.

Lavender has been used and cherished for centuries, the Egyptians and Romans used Lavender for bathing, relaxation, cooking, and as a perfume.

Its calming and relaxing qualities, when taken internally, continue to be Lavender’s most notable attributes.

Applied topically, Lavender is frequently used to reduce the appearance of skin imperfections.

Add to bath water to soak away stress or apply to the temples and the back of the neck. Add a few drops of Lavender to pillows, bedding, or bottoms of feet to relax and prepare for a restful night’s sleep.

Due to Lavender’s versatile properties, it is considered the must-have oil to have on hand at all times.

Uses

  • Soothes occasional skin irritations
  • Taken internally, Lavender reduces anxious feelings and promotes peaceful sleep. This must be be certified
  • Helps ease feelings of tension.
  • Add a few drops of Lavender to pillows, bedding, or bottoms of feet at bedtime.
  • Freshen your linen closet
  • Use in cooking to soften citrus flavors and add a flavorful twist to marinades, baked goods, and desserts. Add to a glass of water.

Frankincense

This is one of my favourite essential oils to use in my moisturising facial oil it helps hydrate and rejuvenate your skin. Add a drop or 2 to your face cream for smooth skin (amazing for fine lines). Rub over your forehead and back of neck for calming, on soles of feet for relaxing.

It’s also a maximiser – that means that when applied under any other oil it maximises their benefit. It supports healthy cellular function (it is one of the most prized oils).

Add Frankincense to your daily facial cleanser to help revitalise and beautify your skin or apply Frankincense and Fractionated Coconut Oil to freshly-shaven skin to reduce any possible skin irritation caused by the razor on your face or your legs.

Frankincense promotes feelings of peace and overall wellness when used aromatically,

Description

Renowned as one of the most prized and precious essential oils, Frankincense has extraordinary health benefits.

In addition to its notoriety in the New Testament, the Babylonians and Assyrians would burn Frankincense in religious ceremonies and the ancient Egyptians used Frankincense resin for everything from perfume to salves for soothing skin.

This centuries-old knowledge contributes to the modern uses of Frankincense today. It’s soothing and beautifying properties are used to rejuvenate skin and help reduce the appearance of imperfections when applied topically.

As the king of oils, Frankincense is known to support healthy cellular function when used internally*.

When inhaled or diffused, Frankincense promotes feelings of peace, relaxation, satisfaction, and overall wellness.

Uses
  • Apply topically to help reduce the appearance of skin imperfections.
  • Can be applied to the bottoms of feet to promote feelings of relaxation and to balance mood.
  • Take one to two drops in a veggie capsule to support healthy cellular function.*
  • Ingest to support healthy cellular function*
  • Aroma promotes feelings of relaxation
  • Helps reduce the appearance of skin imperfections when applied topically
  • Supports healthy immune, nervous, and digestive function when taken internally*

Lemon Oil 

For ease of use this oil is fantastic, I add a drop of the fresh, zingy lemon oil to my bottle of water. So easy. A drop in my water first thing in the morning to kick start my digestion and support my liver and to detox.

I also add this to my home cleaning  products – has a fabulous fresh smell. No wonder most of the store bought products have lemon fragrance (artificial at best)

Lemon is great for sticky spots and residue and giving your stainless steel a sparkle after rubbing a drop of lemon on it.

Description

Lemon has multiple benefits and uses. It’s a powerful cleaning agent that purifies the air and surfaces.

When added to water, Lemon provides a refreshing and healthy boost throughout the day. Lemon is frequently added to food to enhance the flavor of desserts and main dishes. Taken internally, Lemon provides cleansing and digestive benefits and supports healthy respiratory function.

When diffused, Lemon is very uplifting and energizing and has been shown to help improve mood.

Uses
  • Add Lemon oil to a spray bottle of water to clean tables, countertops, and other surfaces. Lemon oil also makes a great furniture polish; simply add a few drops to olive oil to clean, protect, and shine wood finishes.
  • Use a cloth soaked in Lemon oil to preserve and protect your leather furniture and other leather surfaces or garments.
  • Lemon oil is a great remedy for the early stages of tarnish on silver and other metals.
  • Diffuse to create an uplifting environment.
Primary Benefits
  • Cleanses and purifies the air and surfaces
  • Naturally cleanses the body and aids in digestion*
  • Supports healthy respiratory function*
  • Promotes a positive mood

HOW TO MAKE ESSENTIAL OILS PART OF YOUR DAY

Below are a few ways in which you can start using essential oils, and you’ll be surprised in how many areas of your life you are able to use youressential oils:

  1. Apply to the skin
  2. Simply inhale
  3. Steam inhalation
  4. Use an essential oil diffuser
  5. Use in a bath
  6. Aromatherapy massage
  7. Internal use (this is totally dependant on the quality of oil and is oil specific)

As Western holistic care and naturopathic remedies continue to provide alternative solutions for people desiring to take charge of their own health care, it is important to have a firm understanding of essential oils.These oils are a popular alternative for those desiring more natural remedies to energy, immunity, mood, aches/pains, breathing issues, hormone balancing, beauty, anxiety, sleep, allergies.

Essential oils can be an amazing health care solutions for many people, it is important to know what you’re doing before you start using them.

So, are you ready to harness the power of the world’s most proven therapeutic compounds? Are you ready to learn which oils to use in your essential oil diffuser or in other ways?

Explore the many essential oils benefits and uses, and open your mind to a whole new way of preventing and reversing health conditions that you’ve been battling for years. 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease

Low stomach acid causing digestive, low energy and skin issues?

By

Could Low Stomach Acid Be The Reason For Your Gut, Low Energy & Skin Issues?

how you digest your food is important

The gut is the key to your vitality and therefore your ability to digest, absorb, assimilate and eliminate waist is critical.

Sadly, many people never ask the question “Is my stomach functioning properly?” And as a result we can make all kinds of unnecessary dietary changes and spend loads of money on supplements that might have been avoided.

So, have you tested yourself for low stomach acid?

The answer is most likely “no,” because stomach acid is one of the MOST UNDER- LOOKED areas and I cannot stress how important this is…as almost 70% of the people I work with have low stomach acid.

When I started taking betaine HCL for low stomach acid, I was surprised at the huge difference this has made. It is one of the most helpful supplements I’ve come across and it has significantly helped improve my own digestion.

Common Signs You May Have low Stomach Acid

Your gut is a key and as Hippocrates put it, “All disease begins in your gut.”  So if your gut’s not happy, it could be the reason for your…..

….Bloating? Wind? Cramps? Heartburn? Loose Stools? – messages from your body that there’s something going on in your gut and it’s time to do something about it?

In some cases poor gut health and digestive disturbances could be the root cause of seemingly UNRELATED symptoms.

You may also be struggling with:

  • Achy joints, fibromyalgia, osteopenia, osteoporosis
  • Hormone imbalances – hot flashes, loss of libido, PMS and painful menses. Extra pounds around your waist
  • You might feel tired and rundown
  • Moody, irritable, sad
  • Insomnia, poor memory & concentration,
  • Dull lifeless skin & hair

Why Is Stomach Acid So Important?

Stomach acid or hydrochloric acid (HCL) is responsible for sterilising any food that enters your gut and it breaks down protein.

Low stomach acid creates a cycle of poor digestion, gut inflammation, microbial over- growth, leaky gut and lowered nutrient absorption. The only things that can break this loop is to reduce stress and support adequate stomach acid production.

The Problem With HAVING Low Stomach Acid:

When your body doesn’t produce enough stomach acid, it’s unable to digest protein molecules. These partially digested protein molecules enter your small intestine, and will start to irritate your gut lining and can lead to ‘leaky gut syndrome’.

Poor digestion also creates an environment in your gut that can result in small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), candida overgrowth and parasitic infections.

DIGESTIVE ISSUESWhen your food is not digested properly it can lead to increased inflammation that depletes key minerals and leads to an inability to form stomach acid and the vicious cycle continues.

Some Causes of Your Low Stomach Acid:

This could be anything from stress, poor diet, bad relationships, bad posture, constant worry and fear and overuse of medications.

1) Medication –  increase your intestinal inflammation, stress hormones and a reduction in HCL production.

2) Chronic Stress impairs your ability to produce HCL and other digestive juices.

Proper digestion depends upon us being more in the parasympathetic (Rest & Digest) state, whereas chronic stress puts us in a sympathetic (Fight or flight)  state, causing POOR digestive function.

4) A diet high in processed foods, sugars, grains, alcohol and caffeine etc. Can result in mineral deficiency that is needed for the production of HCL

5) Eating Too Quickly – when you’re in fight or flight mode. You should feel relaxed before and after eating.

6) Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth – there is a HUGE connection between SIBO and low stomach acid levels.

7) All our systems slow down as we get older, and so does the production of HCL! If you’re over 50 years, I highly recommend you do the test to check your HCL levels

8)  Food sensitivities cause stress in your body, which puts your body into chronic fight or flight. The most common offenders to consider avoiding are gluten, corn, soy, eggs, peanuts and pasteurised dairy.

If you do have a wide number of food sensitivities than it is a good bet you have low HCL.

Taking this simple inexpensive DIY test that can tell you a lot about the ability of your stomach to digest. 

The Baking Soda Stomach Acid Test:

This test is a simple chemical reaction in your stomach i.e acid + base = gas + water.   Baking soda ( the base OH-) + your stomach acid (HCL or acid H+) should produce carbon dioxide gas (CO2) and result in a burping effect.

To improve the accuracy, perform this test on 3 consecutive mornings to find an overall average and test first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything.

Here is How You Can Do The Test:

1. Mix 1⁄4 tsp of baking soda in 120ml of water, first thing in the morning before eating or drinking.

2. Drink the baking soda solution

3. Time how long it takes for you to burp. Go up to 5 minutes. If you’ve not burped within 5 minutes then it would be a sign of insufficient stomach acid production.

If you have early and repeated belching than it may be due to too much stomach acid. However, it is important not to confuse these with small little burps from swallowing air when drinking the solution.

In the end, knowledge is power when it comes to your health. Take the time to understand how your stomach works and it just might change your life. Addressing low stomach acid might be one of the first places you could look to improve digestive health, heal leaky gut and reduce overall stress on the body.

The “4 R’s” program to Repair Your Digestive Function

This is the same  program I use with many clients with a variety of health and digestive issues.

  • Remove:  Food is the number one thing to to look at first when it comes to imbalances.

  Eliminate known food allergens such as gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, etc. Alcohol, caffeine and NSAIDS should be avoided as well.   “removal” of pathogens such as: (an overgrowth of) yeast, parasites, harmful bacteria, viruses, protozoa, etc. is part of the “remove” step.

 In serious cases a stool analysis will diagnose infections that can be eliminated with natural medicines or medications.

  • Repair: Repair the intestinal barrier.
  • Replace:  Adding dietary supplements if necessary to improve digestion of food, like Betaine HC. Get in touch if you would like to order this supplement- [email protected]. We can deliver anywhere in UK and South africa.

  • Reinoculate:  Probiotics that contain friendly bacteria such as lactobacillus and bifidobacteria are taken to reinoculate proper bacterial colonies.

If you’d like to know more about this programme, contact me at [email protected]

 

In my