Experiencing pain or stress?
Specialised Kinesiology can assist you.
Mobile: 082 602 2882.
I consult in Pretoria and Johannesburg.
Kinesiology has proven beneficial for pain, stress, learning difficulties, allergies, trauma, goal setting, amongst others.
Over this festive season we have spent a lot of time and energy shopping for a special gift for our loved ones. My wish for you is: May you be cognisant of the fact that each one of us is a Gift. To your lover, mother, child or pet, you are the most important gift in their lives. Be present in their lives, take time to look into their eyes and listen with your heart and ears so that they feel heard and loved. In that way you affirm that they too are precious gifts. That’s one of the greatest gifts you can give another. Be present in 2014 xx
The most important discovery for your immune system in the last 100 years is something called glyconutrients. Science and medicine have long tried to understand the code by which the cells in the body communicate with one another in order for its complex functions to occur. For example, how does your digestive system know which food components to absorb into the blood stream and which to ignore? Or which cells to attack and destroy and which to protect and nurture? That code has now been broken. This role is undertaken by glyconutrients.
Glyconutrients are plant carbohydrates (monosaccharides). There are over 200 carbohydrates or sugars but only 8 are essential to bodily function.
•N-acetylneuraminic acid (a sialic acid).
These 8 essential glyconutrients combine with other molecules eg proteins and lipids, to form glycoforms or glycoconjugates which coat cell surfaces. When they combine with protein molecules, they form glycoproteins that coat the surface of every cell with a nucleus in the human body. When glyconutrients bind with lipids (fats) they form glycolipids which also adhere to the cell surface.
Glyconutrients are the key to effective cellular communication and proper cell function. This has been established by the world’s leading scientists and researchers.
Glyconutrients are not vitamins, minerals, amino acids or enzymes, but are in a class of their own as nutritional supplements derived from plants. Glyconutritional supplements are formulated based on new understanding in the biochemistry of how the human body maintains health at the cellular level. Healthy cells lead to healthy tissue – healthy tissue leads to healthy organs – and healthy organs lead to healthy bodies.
Every cell in our body – all 600 trillion of them – needs glyconutrients.
Despite the relatively recent discovery of glyconutrients and their functions, medical doctors and the general public are becoming increasingly aware of their importance in treating underlying causes of disease and in maintaining good health. As good as allopathic medicine is, it simply has NO answer to the increasing incidence of auto-immune diseases, cancers and degenerative diseases in Western societies. Glyconutrients will soon become a part of standard care by medical practitioners for all auto-immune diseases, cancers, and degenerative diseases. A glyconutritional approach gets at the root cause rather than treating only the symptoms.
Glyconutrients are however only part of what is necessary to a healthy body. Other important scientific discoveries of the past century highlight the importance of a range of other dietary or lifestyle factors including vitamins, minerals, fibre, water, essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, antioxidants, and exercise. If you are interested in buying glyconutritional products, contact me on 082 602 2882.
It’s not entirely obvious when there’s a problem. The signs are a little more subtle and you might not even realize they’re related to your gut.
Common symptoms associated with imbalanced flora–see how many apply to you:
– Frequent tiredness and/or fatigue
– Frequent constipation and/or diarrhea
– Repeated infections, including UTIs, vaginal yeast infections, bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, sinus infections, etc.
– Gas and bloating
– Memory problems, anxiety or depression
– Catch more than one cold per year
– High cholesterol
– Skin breakouts, cold sores
– Vague aches and pains that can’t otherwise be explained
All of these are indicative of having dysbiosis in your gut — in other words, harmful bacteria have taken over and outnumbered the good guys. And if you have been formally diagnosed with any of these conditions, imbalanced flora is practically a given:
– IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
– IBD (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis)
– Allergies and asthma
– Chronic fatigue syndrome
– Eczema and psoriasis
– Acne and skin rashes
– Autoimmune conditions
The “cement” of your body’s “foundation” lies in your friendly intestinal bacteria. You have trillions of these little guys milling around down there–more than the number of cells you have in your entire body!
They make up about 70% of your immune system…so whether or not you get the latest bug, cold, virus, flu or infection primarily depends on your flora count.
They surround and engulf dangerous pathogens you ingest from your food or the environment and “escort them out” when you have a bowel movement. These guys help encourage a healthy cholesterol level by eliminating and even “eating” excess cholesterol.
Plus they help control the pH level of your intestines, which can help keep your digestion efficient and prevent gas, bloating and constipation. You should always have a slightly alkaline pH level to remain healthy. They also help keep your gut wall strong, which can prevent toxins from seeping into your bloodstream and causing pain and inflammation throughout your body.
Restore your gut health with the “4 R’s”
The good news is you can help restore the health of your body’s
foundation–your gut–by using the “4 R” approach:
This involves removal and avoidance of things that can greatly harm your friendly flora.
These can include, but are not limited to:
– Foods that you are sensitive or allergic to
– Cigarette smoke
– Excessive alcohol (especially beer)
– Refined carbs — including sugar, flour, donuts, bagels, hamburgers, white rice, cookies, pastries, cakes, snack chips, pretzels, candy, etc.
– Acid reducing medications (both OTC and prescription)
– Regularly lacking adequate sleep
-Caprylic acid is a good aid in removal of overgrowths
Step 2 is to help reverse dysbiosis by replacing and rebuilding your supply of beneficial bacteria, and this is done with a probiotic supplement. Research studies have shown that it is important to use more than one strain of probiotic bacteria when tackling dysbiosis. Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus acidophilus, have been shown to be extremely effective in fighting dangerous gut microbes and strengthen your intestinal wall. Some believe fermented foods like Kombucha which contain pre and probiotics can greatly assist in replacing beneficial bacteria.
Reinforcing a healthy flora balance means nourishing your friendly bacteria (while starving the bad guys!) and having smooth digestion to help keep your intestinal tract squeaky clean and avoid waste and harmful bacteria build-up. This involves eating foods that naturally nourish your friendly flora like fresh organic vegetables and whole grains.
The final step of the 4 R approach to a healthy gut is to help repair any intestinal damage that you may have from harmful bacteria and medications. Good supplements like glyconutrients assist your body to heal itself.
Remember, your gut is your body’s foundation. If you don’t have gut health, it’s only a matter of time before the rest of your health starts to crumble with new pains and other symptoms cropping up every month or two.
Specialised Kinesiology, a complementary health modality utilising muscle testing can greatly assist with gut imbalance. Listen to your gut to keep in good health!
Gillian O’Shea is a Specialised Kinesiologist and Permaculturist, consulting from Terra Madre SA Centurion.
Genetically modified seeds
Genetically modified (GM) seeds have been created in a laboratory. In genetic engineering, the ‘genes’ responsible for a specific characteristic (called traits) are taken from one organism and forced into the DNA of another organism. Scientists are not sure what impacts these new crops might have on our bodies or on the environment over time. It is just too soon to tell as the science is too new and not enough independent research is being done.
What’s happening to our seeds?
Seeds can be categorised into three groups:
- Those that are farmers’ varieties have been selected and bred naturally over time with open pollination, some call them heirloom as they have been passed down for generations.
- Hybrid seeds that are specially bred in labs to get better yields. (tomato A with tomato B)
3. GM’s that are artificially made in laboratories using genetic engineering techniques.
Dangers of GM food
In America 80% of food contains GMO’s. I am unclear on the percentages in South Africa as I can’t find facts.
While there isn’t really enough studies to prove GMO’s are the direct cause of cancer, ADHD, allergies, gluten intolerance and auto immune diseases, these conditions are on the rise with no real cause identified. There is research tha you can find in books like “Seeds of destruction” by Jeff Smith
Rats fed GM potatoes had smaller livers, hearts, testicles and brains, damaged immune systems, and showed structural changes in their white blood cells making them more vulnerable to infection and disease Thymus and spleen damage showed up; enlarged tissues, including the pancreas and intestines; and there were cases of liver atrophy as well as significant proliferation of stomach and intestines cells that could be a sign of greater future risk of cancer. Equally alarming, results showed up after 10 days of testing, and they persisted after 110 days that’s the human equivalent of 10 years.
Consider corn varieties engineered to produce a pesticidal protein called Bt-toxin. Farmers use it in spray form. People exposed to the spray develop allergic-type symptoms, mice ingesting Bt had powerful immune responses and abnormal and excessive cell growth, and a growing number of human and livestock illnesses are linked to Bt crops.
Results of animals fed GM foods – Independent studies showed stunted growth, impaired immune systems, bleeding stomachs, abnormal and potentially precancerous cell growth in the intestines, impaired blood cell development, misshaped cell structures in the liver, pancreas and testicles, altered gene expression and cell metabolism, liver and kidney lesions, partially atrophied livers, inflamed kidneys, less developed organs, reduced digestive enzymes, higher blood sugar, inflamed lung tissue, increased death rates and higher offspring mortality as well.
Farmers have reported their pigs and cows fed GM corn became sterile, 71 shepherds said 25% of their sheep fed Bt cotton plants died, and other reports showed the same effects on cows, chickens, water buffaloes and horses. After GM soy was introduced in the UK, allergies from the product skyrocketed by 50%, and in the US in the 1980s, a GM food supplement killed dozens and left five to ten thousand others sick or disabled.
All type GM foods, not just crops, carry risks. Milk, for example, from cows injected with Monsanto’s bovine growth hormone (rbGH), has much higher levels of the hormone IGF-1 that risks breast, prostate, colon, lung and other cancers. The milk also has lower nutritional value. GM food additives also pose health risks, and their use has proliferated in processed foods.
There is a lot more research available online if you want to find out more.
What can you do?
Eat less processed and packaged foods. Look at the labels to make sure there is no GMO’s. Buy organic produce where the farmers use heirloom or open pollinated seed. Food to watch out for are potatoes, corn, soya, all milk products, vegetable oils however I am not sure which vegetable and fruit variety seeds available in South Africa have been genetically modified so again – try buy organic.