Bloated? IBS or Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth

by Leisa on January 15, 2012

Digestive complaints are much more common than you would think, and too many people have to put up with distressing and painful symptoms, because they are unable to find the answers they need. Many foods cause uncomfortable symptoms, one of the main culprits being the gluten in wheat based products. Wheat today has been hybridised and developed to have a much higher gluten content than it did in the past, and this higher level of gluten can irritate and upset the digestive system to varying degrees, and those with Coeliac Disease are unable to tolerate any gluten at all without severely compromising their health.

My preferred course of action when anyone has a digestive complaint – especially one that is long standing or hasn’t resolved with standard naturopath treatment programs – is to order a Complete Digestive Stool Anlaysis and really find out what is going on. These remarkable tests take a look at all aspects of the digestive tract – analysing everything from stomach acid levels, pancreatic and liver function; to maldigestion and toxin production, whether there are parasites, bad bacteria or candida; and if there are healthy levels of good bacteria or probiotics, just to name a few of the areas that it looks into.

The beauty of doing these tests is that we can target treat problems, rather than playing hit and miss and not really knowing what we are doing. There are certain things that show up in these tests that you would never be able to discover any other way. For example, we test for four different strains of good bacteria that make up about 70% of all the good bacteria in the gut. If one of those strains is missing, you could supplement with the other three strains forever and never correct the problem, because you need to be supplementing with that one missing strain – so unless you find that out, you would never know and could worsen symptoms rather than relieve them.

Which is why I suggest this test for anyone who wants to look into their digestive health further. You can read more about these tests and order them online here:

There is one area though that doesn’t really show up on these tests, (although we can see indicators for it at times), and that is problems of the small intestine. If there is a bad bacterial overgrowth in this area, it can cause a myriad of problems as discussed in the below article:

From dailymail.co.uk: “For ten years I looked pregnant. Between 1997 and 2007 my bloated belly peered over my waistband as I tried to hold it in. I wasn’t overweight or malnourished. Instead, doctor after doctor gave me the same diagnosis: irritable bowel syndrome.

About one in ten people have – or think they have – this horrible condition. Its chief symptoms, apart from bloating, are constipation and diarrhoea, with pain, fatigue and sometimes depression joining in. It is hardly taboo – several celebrities have revealed they suffer from IBS: actress Kirsten Dunst and model Tyra Banks to name a few. But are we being told the truth? Do we all really have IBS?

Four years ago, I began to suspect not. All my symptoms had intensified, in particular, the pain. I tried cutting out some of the known triggers: wheat, alcohol and cheese. I tried yoga and meditation – stress is thought to worsen the condition. But still I looked pregnant, and I grew suspicious something else was wrong. Desperate and fed up, I went to my GP and begged to be referred to a gastroenterologist.

He prodded at my protruding belly in search of cysts or tumours. He asked about my symptoms and how long I had suffered from them. He ran blood and urine tests to check for diabetes or signs of various cancers. Crucially, he took me seriously.

Having eliminated the most serious possible causes, he referred me for two tests at London’s St. Thomas’ Hospital: one for lactose intolerance and one for something called Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)…” Read the rest of the article here.

So if a Complete Digestive Stool Analysis hasn’t turned up the answers for you, then SIBO would be the next thing to look into.

Leisa

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Resolutions to Realities – Using VB!

by Leisa on January 12, 2012

I would like to introduce Rhianna Smith who will be guest blogging on this site, on a regular basis. Rhi is a naturopath and nutritionist who works with me and is an integral part of the Embracing Health Team. I’m sure you will enjoy her writing as much as I do!  Leis xxx

It’s January again, and for many that means making another long list of resolutions. And after my fair share of New Years’, I have finally come to the conclusion that I’m not really a resolutions kind of girl. I tend to start the year brimming with motivation which tapers off around March, and is all forgotten by my birthday in late April.

So I don’t make resolutions, I make VB. Oh and VB stands for vision boards by the way. For the last 5 years now, I have created a VB in January, and by December when it’s time to pull it all down, I am always blown away by how much has come into reality!

 

I have a few VB traditions I would like to share with you. These are just tips I have picked up along the way and being slightly superstitious, I have turned into hard and fast rules that seem to work for me. And I figure, anything which can help dreams come true has got to be worth sharing!!

Firstly, make your new VB in January. If, like my very good friend, you discover VB-ing in July, do it in July, and then come January make yourself a new one. This way you give the universe a whole year to bring your dreams to fruition. Oh, and my friend who made hers in July, 98% had come true by December!!!

I like to gather a bunch of magazines from Op Shops and travel agents towards the end of December to get everything ready. On VB-Day (Vision Board Day!!) I get my trusty cork board, pins, scented candles, a yummy cup of licorice and peppermint tea, some awesome music and have myself a beautiful Me-Date. It feels very indulgent and has become something I do especially for me every new year, which I think makes it more powerful.

Depending on my mood, I can make it quite ritualistic; creating and finishing the board on new year’s eve or new year’s day. At other times, I have let it sit until the time felt right. My suggestion here is to have it finished by the end of January so your year has direction and focus. The sooner you get it done, the sooner you have your map laid out for the coming year.

If you are unsure where to start, think of what makes you happy and look for that in words and pictures. Choose images that make you smile, that motivate you, that inspire you, pictures that look like you and the people you love, or look like the person you want to love. I usually go over my 50 cent, second hand mags about 3 times, finding new inspiration and pictures where before I saw none.

After you have all your words, pictures, quotes, photos etc., put them together on your VB and stick them into place. This can be as creative or as plain as you like. The only rule here is that you feel pleasure when you look at your VB. It HAS to make you smile. If it gives you butterflies in your tummy you know you have it right!

I usually keep my VB in my bedroom so I see it every day. Some  people meditate on theirs daily, but for me, having it in my room and in my field of vision has worked very well. The more time you spend thinking about and looking at your VB the more likely you are to have those things blossom into your life.

Over the year you will find strange coincidences starting to occur. You might buy a pair of shoes on special one day and find the girl in one of your pictures has the exact pair (my friend had that happen to her in November last year!). You might book a weekend away with your boyfriend without actually seeing the cabin only to find you are staying somewhere that looks remarkably similar to a picture you have (this happened to me 2 years ago!). Your boyfriend might look at your board one day and ask why you have a picture of your bum up there (my dream bum had obviously arrived without me noticing!). It is often in hindsight that you notice these coincidences.

Finally, at the end of every year, I like to transfer all my old pictures from VB to a photo album. Sometimes dreams take longer than a year to arrive, so I like going back over my pictures every year and seeing what new abundance has popped into my life!

Wishing everyone a beautiful, joyful, love-filled, blessed 2012. As Kevin Costner said in the movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come!!!”. Bring on the VB!!!!!!!!

Rhianna 

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Would You Like to do a Detox Retreat in Bali?

by Leisa on January 9, 2012

How would you like to join us at an amazing eight day detox retreat in beautiful Bali in March?

You could be one of those lucky people if you choose to join us at the March Embracing Life! Bali Retreat! With just over six weeks to go until it starts on the 2nd March, there are just six places left until we are totally booked out – so now is the time to make the decision and snap up one of these few last spots!

Bali is such a perfect place to do a retreat, and Ubud, the spiritual centre of Bali is a peaceful and idyllic setting, well away from the busy tourist areas. We settle into our little piece of paradise for our retreat on Friday the 2nd of March, and enjoy eight nights of not only a first-class health and detoxification experience, but we also explore the culture of Bali with some half-day trips and cultural ceremonies.

At just $2695 for eight nights including all food and drinks, airport transfers, daily yoga, massage, colonics, lectures, workbooks, food prep classes with world class raw food chef Julie Mitsios, gift bags and much, much more – this is the perfect time to combine an overseas holiday and take your health to a new level!

Check it out! http://www.embracinghealth.com.au/retreat/ubud-bali

Hope to see you there!

Leisa

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Parabens Found in ALL Breast Cancer Tumours

by Leisa on January 7, 2012

One of the subjects that I talk about extensively at my retreats and as part of the education material I provide in the Embracing Health Membership Club, is the issue of chemicals in our personal care and cleaning products.

It’s not enough to think that eating organic fruit and vegetables, and shunning the preservatives, colours and chemicals found in processed foods, is going to keep us chemical free - what we put on our skin and use in our homes, is also absorbed into our bodies, at a rate higher than most people believe.

When I interviewed one of the founders of the biggest organic skincare company in world, Miessence, Alf Orpen, for my Membership Club, he spoke about studies showing the amount of chemicals, especially parabens, found in breast tumours. Now another study has confirmed these findings (below) and they are definitely something to take notice of. Even though a link showing that these chemicals are the cause of these cancerous tumours has not been proven, it is enough of a warning sign for me to want to avoid all products containing parabens.

With so many companies now providing us with high-quality organic cleaning, skin and hair care products, and beautiful make-up, there’s no excuse to not go organic in these areas as well. And changing to organics will go a long way to preventing the build-up of these toxins in your body, that may lead to the creation of a cancerous tumour. Better to err on the side of caution in this case. Read more about these findings below:

 From the Daily Mail website: “A chemical widely used as a preservative in cosmetics, food products and pharmaceuticals has been found in tissue samples from 40 women with breast cancer. A number of studies since 1998 have raised concerns about the potential role of these parabens in breast cancer as they possess oestrogenic properties. Oestrogen is known to play a central role in the development, growth and progression of breast cancer.

Parabens are a chemical compound found in everyday toiletry products including moisturisers, make-up, shaving foam, tanning lotions and toothpaste. They are also found in numerous brands of underarm deodorant. However, a causal link has never been found between them and breast cancer. They are present in processed meats such as sausages, pies and pastries along with other savoury snacks.

The research team led by Dr Philippa Darbre from the University of Reading studied tissue samples from 40 women undergoing mastectomies between 2005 and 2008 for first primary breast cancer in England. In total, 160 samples were collected, four from each woman. They found 99 per cent of the tissue samples contained at least one paraben and 60 per cent of the samples had five.” Read the rest of the article here.

And to find out more about Miessence products – go to the Embracing Health Website.

Leisa

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Abundance & Gratitude

by Leisa on January 5, 2012

As much as I love raw food and the results people get when they introduce more high quality organic raw foods and superfoods into their diets – what I also love just as much, are the results people get when they explore their emotional side, and the positive impact this work can have on their health.

As I wrote in my blog post Raw Food Perfectionism: “This is why my tagline is “healing is a journey, not just a raw food diet” because I wholeheartedly believe that health is more than just the physical body. It is about having within you, love, kindness, compassion, grace, joy, and appreciation, and expressing those beautiful traits outwards so that you become a walking, talking, shining example of health on all levels.”

In both healing, and in living a great life, I find that you cannot separate the mind and the body – to me, having a strong, healthy physical body, but being plagued by negative thoughts, anxieties and fear-based thinking, isn’t true health. True health is being able to embrace life and live it fully, without fear, and sharing the gifts that we all have inherently, when we drop the baggage and heal our wounds. None of us get through life unscathed, we’ve all had our share of traumas and hurts, it’s how we choose to view what has happened to us, and how we choose to live each day, that matters.

One of my goals, is to live in a state of abundance in as many areas as I can in my life. I choose to seek abundance wherever I can, not with an attitude of greed, or “give me more”, but with an appreciation of the natural abundance of life, and with the knowledge that the more I have (of love, friends, money, success, food, health) the more I have to give and to share with others. Having a feeling of overflowing abundance is a beautiful state to live in, and one that brings with it a natural state of grace and gratitude for the gifts that appear in my life. And part of that is not that I actually have “more” than others, but I make a choice every day, to see and appreciate what abundance I have around me – and it is a choice – like the old adage of the cup being half full or half empty – I choose to see my cup as absolutely overflowing, not just full :-)

This is never more obvious in my life, when I run a retreat. The amazing connections we share, the experience we have together, is one that I treasure, and inspired this poetic Facebook comment after my last retreat in Busselton in November, and describes as closely as I can get with words, as to how I feel:

“I am grateful. I am so totally humbled. I am down on my knees giving thanks for all the abundance of blessings and love that I have in my life. I am overwhelmed with gratitude, with tears of humility streaming down my face that I am so privileged to share this healing journey with so many beautiful souls. I am overflowing with the bliss of life, I feel the power of the universe flowing through me and I am high on its delicious essence. Love is all there is and I am bathing in it. ?”

 Where can you find the abundance in your life, and what are you endlessly grateful for?

Leisa

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