Posted by Christine Pope on in Health Care, Nutrition, probiotics

Prebiotic vs probiotic ?

shutterstock_583825927You are taking a probiotic and you think you understand what that does. Now people are talking about prebiotics and you’re not sure whether you should be taking that as well ?

A prebiotic is a food that feeds the  gut bacteria whereas a probiotic is a  combination of strains of various gut bacteria. Different types of prebiotics can feed different strains of bacteria so the prebiotic can be used therapeutically to promote beneficial strains at the expense of more problematic strains.

Lots of different foods are prebiotics as well as various supplements. For an appropriate  list  of foods look at my most recent blog Feed your Good Gut Bacteria . In terms of prebiotic supplements there are a number of interesting options to consider.

  1. Hydrolysed Guar Gum is a partially broken down soluble fiber which is extracted from the Indian Cluster bean.
  2. Galacto-oligodisaccharidases (GOS) are made from either a milk product source or from chicory roots.  It is helpful if someone is also constipated and may increase bifidobacteria as well.
  3. Larch is the bark of a tree. It supports the production of a key fuel to support the integrity of the gut lining known as butyrate. It also has been shown to support the growth of good gut bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus which reducing the growth of E Coli and Clostridia. It is thought that the larch stimulates the immune system and therefore keeps opportunistic bugs in check.
  4. Lactulose is made of up of two sugars galactose and fructose and is used to treat constipation. It is not digested like other sugars and therefore when it moves through to the colon the bacteria can feed on it and it draws water into the stool making it easier to pass.

Once you know the composition of your gut flora you can really assist in building better diversity by supporting the growth of beneficial strains or by crowding out problem bacteria. Ideally using testing such as a Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis or directly through a group like Ubiome you can improve your knowledge of your gut bacteria.

If you need assistance with gut health please make an appointment with Christine Pope on 8084 0081.

Posted by Christine Pope on in Health Care, Minerals, Multiple Sclerosis, Nutrition, probiotics, Research

Terry Wahl’s diet for Multiple Sclerosis

shutterstock_227550832At the Bioceuticals Symposium in Melbourne recently I was fortunate to hear from keynote speaker, Dr Terry Wahl’s on the program which put her Multiple Sclerosis into remission. One of the refreshing things about this presentation was the strong focus on diet first, then exercise second and then supplements. The benefit of this approach is that it isn’t just suitable for MS but also anyone suffering from an autoimmune disease and current indications are that this could be in excess of 20% of the population.

Dr Wahl’s was diagnosed with MS in 2000 and used conventional therapies to manage the symptoms. She deteriorated to the extent that she was in a tilt wheelchair and needing to resign from her position at the hospital. Motivated by the downward spiral and with a background in clinical research she started looking for options in the medical literature and looked more broadly at other degenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Huntingdon’s disease. The drug therapies being tested were decades away so her research then led her to vitamins and supplements. What she found was a number of nutrients that slowed the pace of her MS but did not resolve the underlying condition. After discovering Functional Medicine in 2007 she decided to redesign her diet to try and incorporate those nutrients from food. This had such a significant impact that she went from a wheelchair to walking in one year.

The basis of her program is significant dietary change, basically flooding the body with nutrients. This is done by removing gluten, dairy and sugar and replacing it with a lot of nutrient dense vegetables and phytochemical rich fruit as well as small amounts of good quality protein and fats. The program encourages the use of butter which has been demonised for so long although ideally only the butter of grass fed cows so its rich in nutrients. It also includes small amount of organ meats, ideally organic, for their nutrient density. So pate is back on the menu but you can’t eat it with bread!

Key components of the diet are as follows;

  1. Up to 9 cups a day of vegetables and fruit of which ideally 3 cups are green leafy vegetables and 3 cups are sulphur containing vegetables and the remaining are brightly coloured vegetables and fruit.
  2. Small quantities of good quality protein ideally grass fed or organic.
  3. Fermented foods in small quantities initially to assist in feeding beneficial gut bacteria.
  4. Seaweed to provide adequate amounts of the essential mineral iodine
  5. Organ meats such as liver or heart once or twice a week, these should ideally be organic but particularly important to have organic liver as many toxins can be stored in the liver.
  6. Good quality fats such as olive oil and  grass fed butter.

For more information on the specifics of this diet her book is invaluable and she also has many resources on her website including meal plans.

In addition to the dietary changes, adequate sun exposure for Vitamin D as well as regular exercise are critical. Typically exercise is often difficult for MS patients however she recommends working with a suitably qualified exercise therapist to ensure that activity is appropriate and builds up gradually. The advantage is that regular exercise increases the number of mitochondria which assist in building energy, so this is helpful with the fatigue associated with MS and other auto-immune conditions.

Christine Pope is a Naturopath based at Elemental Health at St Ives and can be contacted for appointments on 8084 0081. Christine works with clients to optimise the diet and support them with supplements and herbal medicine.

Posted by Christine Pope on in Minerals, Nutrition

Four amazing benefits of chocolate

shutterstock_383928862Chocolate in its raw state is an amazing mix of nutrients , both minerals and plant compounds such as polyphenols. Come Easter time is it possible to enjoy a little dark chocolate and support your health as well ?

1. Nutritional Content 100mg of good quality dark chocolate has 230mg of magnesium, which is 58% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) . It also has 12mg of iron (67%) 1.8mg of copper , 722mg of Potassium and 3.3 mg of zinc. That’s a nutrient dense package however it will account for 30% of your daily kilojoules intake as well.

2. Fibre content is actually reasonable as like many plants there is a good amount of fibre , around 8g in a 100g block. Usually 25-40g in a day is considered a good quantity of fibre so dark chocolate can contribute to that intake. Fibre is essential for the effective functioning of the bowel and it also provides a food source for beneficial gut bacteria.

3. Caffeine – well at around 80mg per block it’s equal to one cup of coffee so it’s good for an energy burst for at least an hour afterwards. Possibly best to avoid later in the evening if you have trouble sleeping.

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4. Theobromine – one of the valuable anti-oxidants in chocolate is theobromine. It is a vasodilator which helps move improve blood flow to the brain and increase oxygen. Its the mental boost without having to suffer the effects of excessive amounts of caffeine.

Better energy and a nice shot of your daily minerals! Just keep intake moderate and enjoy a small amount daily!

Christine Pope is a naturopath and nutritionist based at Elemental Health St Ives. You can make appointments on 8084 0081 or online at www.elementalhealth.net.au .

Posted by Christine Pope on in Detoxification, Fasting, Minerals, Nutrition, Weight Loss

Is Fasting for me ?

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Fasting is a time honoured Naturopathic tradition although its not really taught as part of main stream courses anymore. It is still a really useful protocol for some people. There are now a wide range of options with fasting,  Juice Fasting, Five Two, Elemental Fasting, Six One and Intermittent Fasting, just to name a few . So what are the current options?

  1. Juice Fasting – this is usually a shorter fast such as a weekend or a few days and limits your intake to mainly vegetable juices, with a small amount of fruit. It floods your body with nutrition and hydration but can sometimes provoke extreme hunger on day 2. This is often used as a cleanse or weight loss starter and the usual feedback is about half the weight lost is water you do become more concious of what you eat after a juice fast.
  2. Five Two – a popular adaptation this allows you to eat on an unrestricted based 5 days a week whilst restricting calories to 25% of your normal intake on two of those days. This diet was popularised by Micheal Mosley a few years ago. Ideally to really minimise side effects and benefit from this approach you need to eat nutrient dense foods the other days and ensure that you are getting enough protein and micro-nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals on your non fasting days. Proponents of this approach suggest starting with a 12 hour fast overnight for a few weeks to make it easier.
  3. Elemental Fasting – this is used therapeutically for a digestive reset for those with serious infections such as parasites or severe SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). This fast needs to be run under supervision and comprises shakes which contain adequate amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The approach is to starve out the problematic bugs.
  4. Six One – A slight variation to the Five Two it involves completely fasting on one day a week whilst eating normally on the other days.
  5. Intermittent Fasting – Routinely fasting for twelve hours overnight – basically eating dinner by 7.30 and then breakfasting at 7.30 – can be an effective way to improve your response to glucose and insulin. As part of the Bredesen protocol I studied in 2016 it is recommended as part of a strategy to improve blood sugar as well as specific sensitising nutrients if levels are elevated. In addition its recommended that people with the specific gene for Alzheimer’s known as APO4E fast for up to 16 hours a day. For more information on this protocol see my blog Delaying Alzheimer’s 

shutterstock_513957496So what are the benefits reported from fasting ? Micheal Mosley in his 5:2 diet cites three major areas which include weight loss, improved metabolic markers and reduced inflammatory markers such as C Reactive Protein. Research published recently on pubmed is also showing that intermittent fasting or time restricted feeding is proving beneficial for weight loss and metabolic health. (1)

Intermittent Fasting can be a good way to stabilise blood sugars at the early stages of insulin resistance. The 5:2 protocol can be helpful for people who want to lose weight but have trouble sticking to a restrictive diet. Ideally your fast days are separated and you include a small amount of protein in the meals to help stabilise blood sugar.

Christine Pope is an experienced Naturopath and Nutritionist based at Elemental Health, St Ives. You can make an appointment on 8084 0081 or book online at the website .

Posted by Christine Pope on in Health Care, stress

8 strategies for stressed parents

shutterstock_19655527As a working parent with two children I know how stressful the juggle can be with work, finances, activities and parenting not to mention finding time with your partner. How do you make it a bit easier on yourself ? Steve Biddulph recommends making a 5% change so I have made a few suggestions on some good starting points.

Childcare is a cost of working – get the best you can afford

For many parents the cost of childcare for a young child makes them wonder why they are returning to work (Its for your sanity/mortgage payments/contact with other adults). Whilst the ideal may be a full time nanny its just not affordable for everyone, so think about what it may look like. Maybe a combination of long day care, a regular sitter for after work functions or other commitments and hopefully some helpful grandparents. Just remember planning is critical so you aren’t in a constant panic. Finding a regular sitter or two, who is available on short notice, can be a real god send.

Just remember they will only be in long day care for a few years, then you have the joy of navigating lengthy school holidays and after school care. You still need to think about a budget for childcare even when they are at school its just going to be lumpier. School holiday camps such as YMCA and Crusader Camps can be a good way to occupy a week but the costs will add up.

Trade off $$$ for annual leave

The other option can be to trade for additional leave to cover some of the school holidays, many employers are now offering this option or you may be able to negotiate an extra week or two in lieu of a pay rise. Given the ratio of 12 weeks school holidays to four weeks paid leave this can be really helpful.

Outsource as much as possible

Cooking , cleaning , shopping, washing and ironing – what ever you don’t enjoy doing think about outsourcing. Personally I think a cleaner is essential for any working parent. After a full day at work coming home and starting to clean is just exhausting. It also reduces the volume of arguments about cleaning on the home front which is another plus.

shutterstock_51065257Reduce scheduled activities

So many parents are shuttling kids from activity to activity after school with no downtime. Why? Do they really need to speak Mandarin, be coached in maths, play two sports and the piano? Schedule play dates with their friends and help them build social skills. Or just limit to a couple of things they really want to do – whether its football and drama or dance and tennis. Better still many schools offer activities as part of the after school program so make it easier by having them at the same venue and fill any gaps with after school care.

Involve kids in food preparation

The best time to have a chat with your kids about what’s happening is when they are a little distracted. Getting kids to peel carrots or chop up a few vegetables can be a good time for them to tell you about their day or chat when something is worrying them. Often they will also try new foods when they have been involved in the preparation. My kids went to a Montessori kindergarden and used knives from Age 3. Frankly I found it terrifying initially but they did develop skills quite quickly.

Tear up those parenting books (and blogs)

The first year I was home with young children, another colleague and I agreed that the parenting books were driving us insane and making us feel inadequate. So we agreed to just rip out the chapters that irritated us. There wasn’t much left. Its a bit like that with social media now, the pressure to rear these perfect children who always behave in public and have perfect grades.

Ban Homework in Primary School

This one might be a bit controversial but really there isn’t any good evidence to suggest that regular homework at this primary school makes any difference. They have already spent 6-8 hours at school that day so why send parents more work to do that night?

I still have nightmares about my daughter’s worst ever parent teacher interview where I was told by her Grade 4 teacher that she had the most appalling attitude to homework. Now the teacher was asking my daughter to write spelling words up on the board that she already knew and then wanted her to copy them out three times as well. I calmly suggested I would support homework that was useful, but this clearly wasn’t and that she knew by asking my daughter to write the words on the board that she already knew how to spell them.

You can have it all just not all at the same time!

Having kids is a big job. Very few people would try being CEO of 2 businesses at once. In the first couple of years it’s normal to be shell shocked or sleep deprived. So if work demands a 12 hour day then think seriously about a sideways move for a couple of years until you are ready to handle it. One of the hardest things I ever did was ask my boss for a four day week but it completely saved my sanity. Years later he told me he was soooo relieved as he thought I was going to ask for three days!

Christine Pope is a Naturopath, Homeopath and Nutritionist based at Elemental Health, St Ives. She is available for appointments on 8084 0081 if you need help managing stress!

Posted by Christine Pope on in Health Care

Going back to school!

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This year I was reminded by the old movie “White Christmas” to count my blessings instead of sheep. One of my big blessings this year was studying with a great group of final year Naturopathy students who really reminded me of the value of what natural medicine can do for clients. What was I doing back at college after 12 years of practice as a Homeopath and Nutritionist (including three years as Head of Nutrition at the College)? Well I decided to finally finish my full naturopathic qualification which included three years of Herbal Medicine and additional student clinic hours. I successfully completed it in September this year.

First term this year at college I completed two clinics on Friday’s back to back. It was a full on day and often we had no time for breaks. The clinics were surprisingly busy and this was largely due to the fact that the group I was studying with brought in lots of their own clients (friends and family) and this meant we saw a much wider range of clients than I would usually see in my own clinic. The first reminder from my group was that you need to keep marketing all the time and and as a result I kicked up my own efforts in terms of both networking and social media marketing.

The second learning was that simple changes to diet and an individual herbal mix or a few well chosen supplements can often make a big difference. For example changing someone’s diet to gluten free when they are suffering from constipation and are also managing an auto-immune condition such as Hashimoto’s can result in big improvements.

Another area that often surprised me was that the information from a well taken case is as comprehensive as extensive blood testing in determining what is needed (although its nice to have the testing as well). In clinic I use some additional testing in terms of Oligoscan, which provides details on 20 nutrient minerals as well as 10 heavy metals plus Quadscan which provides information on body mass parameters, such as muscle mass, fat mass and hydration. Click on this link for more information on the Oligoscan .

shutterstock_318010247There was also a deeper reminder with my core training as I was often asked to sit in on a case when they thought a homeopathic medicine was needed. What impressed me every time was how skilled these new graduates to be were in taking these cases and how as a group we prescribed some very effective homeopathic medicines. It was a good learning about  how the right homeopathic remedy can really shift an emotional state, particularly when people are stuck in grief or anxiety.

Overall I found that finalising Naturopathy added another essential tool to my kit as the value of herbal medicines for organ support is useful in so many cases. Many supplements also contain a mix of herbal medicines and vitamins and minerals so its good to be clear about the value of each component.

Have you done more study recently? What did you get out of it?

Christine Pope is a Naturopath, Homeopath and Nutritionist based at Elemental Health at St Ives. You can make appointments online at Elemental Health or book on 02 8084 0081.