I thought it would be a good idea to have a general blog post where we can all add little notes about how we can improve our health and wellbeing. I will add small titbits here in the general post as and when I come across them and would value opinions and additional information anyone can give.
Firstly, I came across some information that stated that both insomnia and high blood pressure are often caused through insufficient calcium in the diet. A shortage of calcium may occur even if there is plenty in the diet and someone may also be taking calcium tablets as calcium needs magnesium in order for the body to use it effectively. They are 'partnership' minerals (they need to pair off for good health).
An unusual remedy: there are reams of material written about acid reflux, acid indigestion, heartburn and so forth and I must have read most of them and tried the majority of them too! This was a new one to me, apparently people generally suffer from any kind of acidity problem when their salt levels are low. Though good quality salt is said to work better than cheaper versions and the best one, it is alleged, for this purpose is said to be Himalayan Rock Salt, which has ionically charged minerals in it. As we know there is a recommended daily allowance that is claimed to be the maximum amount we should eat per day 6g according to the NHS website: nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pa....
I know that I do not eat anywhere near to this as I add salt to vegetables and a stock cube to soups and casseroles but I never sprinkle it onto finished meals. 6g is approximately one teaspoonful.
Modern living and age tends to make most of us short of the mineral copper which may lead to a few health and inconvenience problems. Copper is required to help support our intake of iron and insufficient amounts in our diet often is the cause of anaemia. Copper is also necessary for the body to feel energized, to prevent varicose veins and flabby skin. It is also used by the body to maintain hair colour and when copper levels are improved, hair will often return to its natural colour. So what do we need to eat to make sure that we have enough of this magical mineral? Well here are a few foods to include in the diet: dark chocolate that is 70% or more cocoa mass, all varieties of beans (dry beans are especially useful), peanuts, liver, kidney, heart, crab, almonds, mussles, bananas, grapes, cashew nuts, peanut butter, mushrooms, blackstrap molasses (which may be used to add a type of malt flavouring to dishes and homemade beer), potatoes, tomatoes, dried fruit, black pepper .... Just a little warning here - if taking any form of medication then please consult your doctor before adding any artificial supplementation of copper even if it is in a multi-vitamin and multi-mineral tablet.
** Link to the Electronic Copy of Allergy Today, which may be a useful read especially if experiencing multiple allergies:
Hi Lynxcat, thank you so much ..your idea is brilliant ,,I hope we will learn from others experiences and we will all fell better . I still looking for some answers regarding why I still have dyspepsia after 10 years of GF diet and hopefully someone will tell me more then " it is because your IBS" like my doctor..
Hi Mikeila, Thank you for your support with this idea. As you say hopefully we may be able to help each other to heal and feel much better with the small niggling complaints that can arise from day-to-day or are sometimes with us for years without being able to resolve them.
Is your dyspepsia like painful acidic indigestion which sometimes feels as though it is burning? This is the sort that I have and I have just purchased some Himalayan Rock Salt - it arrived today (thank goodness for Christmas post!). It is quite large chunky crystals, they are extremely hard but I have managed to pound two of them down into dust using a mortar and pestle. There are several different suggestions that use salt to improve this condition as well as heartburn and acid reflux. I think it may be a case of trial and error but I am going to give it a try. One of the sites suggests a small spoonful dissolved in water and to take for three or four days - they also say that as with most solutions it is an individual thing. The thing that has struck me more than anything else is that this pink salt is far more salty tasting than the usual sea salt which I normally use, perhaps that may be a hint that it may be more effective - I shall see. I will tell you how I get on with it.
I forgot to include some examples of information from the Net which is always useful as additional thoughts ..... The Internet is scattered with all kinds of health benefits of Himalyan Rock Salt and many believe it helps to cure an array of problems. Here are just two of the 'mountains' of information:
Although we can get useful information by sharing stories, I think supplements should be personalised. I think one of the great mistakes of modern medicine is to try and find "one size fits all" cures for diseases, when we are all unique in our physical make up.
I think this is also the reason that they struggle to make much headway with nutritional research - they set out to test daft theories like "everyone with osteoporosis will benefit from taking a calcium supplement". You might benefit if you are missing calcium in your diet, but if you already have enough calcium in your diet, but don't have enough co-factors, like magnesium, or vitamin D or vitamin K2, then you could be making the imbalance worse.
Salt is another example. Some people with high blood pressure should avoid salt, but it doesn't work for everyone because their balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, carbonate, chloride) is totally different. I have heard that only 1 in 4 people with high blood pressure are actually salt sensitive.
Copper, iron and zinc also need to be balanced and I have a feeling based on what I've read that more women have an excess of copper - along with deficiencies of iron and zinc - than the other way around. A lot of stuff has been written about oestrogen dominance causing a woman's body to retain copper. I think iron and copper supplements should only be taken when you have a proven deficiency.
It's not going to stop me eating chocolate though!!!
Apparently if you crave chocolate, then you are low in magnesium.
I think chocolate is pretty high in manganese and other goodies too.
I only get a kick out of the high quality stuff, which is really fresh and made with proper ingredients (not processed oils and other rubbish) and that's expensive, which keeps me in check.
I had a block last Christmas that was 100% cocoa mass and it was magnificent.
I saw Bob Geldof on a programme a few years back sampling raw cocoa bean nuts and I came to wish they would sell the raw natural nuts over here. If something is rich in chocolate it is satisfying without the sugar .. it is the inbetween versions that seem to tantalise the palet with the urge of needing something more sweet. The tongue is a 'funny' or should I say peculiar organ! Lol!!
From time-to-time we come across various posts regarding Vitamin D and how it impacts our health .. here are the latest released today 17 December 2012:
Zoe Harcombes comments about vitamin D and cholesterol are interesting.
I'm on another forum where they've been talking a lot about vitamin D lately.
Some people can't tolerate even small amounts of oral vitamin D - they get almost instant vitamin D toxicity or "hypervitaminosis D". Some of the effects look like they are caused by too much calcium in the blood.
WAPF has suggested that taking vitamins A and K along with the D should prevent vitamin D toxicity.
So vitamin D, cholesterol, calcium (and all the other electrolytes), all the other fat soluble vitamins - they all seem to be related in one way or another. The human body is such a delicate balancing act! (And my brain is going to explode).
The real kicker of a question: When vitamin D is low, is that the cause or the result of disease?
Another food for thought Poing .... according to some specialists cholesterol is used to transport all of the fat based vitamins (including Vitamin D) around the bloodstream. Do you think that we either make more cholesterol because our Vitamin D levels are low or are our Vitamin D levels low because we do not make enough cholesterol ................ all a bit mind blowing - but I haven't seen anyone try and answer this question yet!! Lol!
As far as I understand, cholesterol is an important precursor for the production of vit D, so low cholesterol might result in low vitD, but there seem to be a lot of posible reasons for low vit levels. The book "The Diet Delusion" by Garry Taubes has an extensive explanation of the science behind cholesterol and its effects on the body. It's very informative but heavy on the science.
Hi again Penel ...... the link that has not come out will work if you copy and paste it into the search engine bar. It is all of Taubes videos under the page title "For your health - YouTube."
Hi Lynxcat, sorry for the delay , I tried over the years to find an answer in classic medicine but unfortunately nothing , so I'm gonna try Ayurveda or Chinese medicine .All doctors told me that dyspepsia (if it is the right thing) or IBS are not life threatening and I should just accept the idea,but when you have belching sometimes 50 times a day ,everyday, it is kind a hard to ignore.Anyway, only if is functional, I still need to sort it out.
Hi Mikeila, Just to let you know that I am currently trying the salt - using it in place of my standard salt - have tried drinking a glass one morning too. So far it has eased it quite a bit. I haven't had any need to take tablets but it is still early days and so I am still reserving my judgment ..... but will keep you posted and if it goes completely, it will have been well worth being a guinea-pig, at least on this occasion!!!
Hello Mikeila, The salt that appears to be the most effective is called Himalayan Pink Rock Salt - but do shop around as it may be over-priced in some shops. I bought mine in large crystal lump form, which appears to be the cheapest way of buying it, so I have had to use a mortar and pestle to grind it up fine - only one crystal at a time ...
There are many links which advise this salt - mainly because it has all of the goodness left in, as it is still in its natural state. If you can spare a few moments then please check out the following links which explain about this salt (most health sites appear to advise to avoid white salt) ... Do remember though, it is advised not to have too much salt - the current advice is on this link: nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1138.aspx?...
Hi again Mikeila, Another idea if you haven't already tried it that is alleged to be good for dyspepsia and any other acidic tummy disorder is something called 'DGL or deglycyrrhizinated liquorice' ... it needs to be chewed about 20 minutes before eating a meal and can only be used on two main meals per day - or at least that is what I have managed to find out so far about it. Do watch out if you wish to try this though, as some brands contain maltodextrin, which in Europe is often grown on wheat to form the sugar and some brands also contain sorbitol which can cause diarrhoea.
Hi again Lynx,how are you feeling? I'm gonna try the herbal cure .Since 5days ago I'm really ill,stomac pain,belching all the time even if I didn't eat anything .I'm worryed but they done all the possible tests and got nothing :video capsule, with barrium solution,abdominal scan.All the tests showed that my stomach is fine and intestines the same.In practice I have pain discomfort and coz I don't have an explanation I got anxious..
Hi Mikeila, I'm not too bad at the moment. I have been having the deglycyrrhizinated liquorice chews just once per day at the moment as I wanted to make sure that they would be gentle and work properly for me. I am sorry that you are having difficulties. According to the Mayo Clinic the following foods cause belching - so check the list to see if you are having any and if you are, then perhaps it may be wise to have a break from them:
Baked beans
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carbonated drinks
Cauliflower
Chewing gum
Fruits such as apples, peaches and pears
Hard candy/sweets
Lettuce
A few years ago I had belching and stomach pain along with acidity (it was before I was diagnosed a coeliac - and I didn't know what to do. At the time I was reading a book by Susan Clark, who was a journalist that worked for The Sunday Times newspaper. She also had a weekly page that included all kinds of useful information. Her book describes a healthy gut which she states "the lining of the intestines generates new cells faster than any other tissue in the body. When working properly, these cells form a semi-permeable lining, which acts like a filter, allowing essential nutrients to pass through but blocking toxins and other nutrients, which may cause an allergic reaction if they get into the bloodstream." .... she goes on to describe Leaky Gut and explains that 'The lining of your gut is thinner than an eyelid." Pages 180 and 181 - There is a recommendation of Aloe Vera Juice which soothes and heals the lining of the intestine - Nettle Tea which it states is an excellent liver and digestive tonic can also help.
She describes Aloe Vera Juice as the IBS sufferer's nectar. It soothes and heals the damaged lining of gut when you drink enough of it. There is a suggestion to look for a brand high in mucopolysaccharides (the active ingredients). Page 179. There is a note under diverticular disease about fibre and a suggestion that vegetable, fruit and chickpea fibre is good.
She claims that the herb Gentian aids digestion by stimulating increased salivary flow and gastric juices - also reducing bloating. She goes on to say that it is also one of the best stomach tonics which strengthens the pancreas and spleen. Can be made up as a herbal tea or taken via organic tincture.
Not sure if any of the above may be of help to you - but I hope that it helps a little.
Susan Clark used to have a very extensive website with all kinds of useful answers to health problems. For some reason the original site appears to have been taken down but it looks as though she may have begun a new one ..
I'd just like to add a few random bits of my own personal experience if I may.
Firstly, probably about 15 - 20 years ago I was prescribed Lansoprazole for chronic acid reflux. I was eating food with wheat and gluten in it as I didn't know that I was almost certainly a coeliac and my GP was probably useless to suggest or investigate this. About 8 - 10 years ago I experienced my first anaphylactic shock, which I'm sure you can appreciate, really shook me and turned my world upside down. Shortly afterwards, a neighbour, who was a recently retired nutritionist, said that it was almost certain that I was a coeliac, so I cut out all wheat and gluten from my diet (except for the occasional ale!). I suffered a couple more anaphylactic shocks up until about 3 years ago, when I was referred to the allergy clinic at Southampton Hospital, which I believe is considered to be one of the best in the country. I was lucky that I saw their top professor and he told me to stop taking Lansoprazole immediately as it stop the natural digestion enzymes working, so therefore by body would randomly consider certain foods as a threat, hence anaphylactic shock. I haven't taken that drug since that day and I am no longer allergic to any food substance, which is a great relief. The moral of this story is maybe be wary of Lansoprazole!
On another note, I have slightly high cholesterol, slightly raised blood pressure and I have also experienced gout! Oh healthy me! I do use Himalayan pink rock salt. Your thoughts would be appreciated as to if any of these things are related, especially as I have a wheat and gluten free diet - would any of that be as a result? Just a thought!
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