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Is Fasting Healthy For The Body?

Intermittent fasting

FASTING e.g. Ramadan can wreak havoc with blood glucose and insulin levels. Why do some actually LOSE WEIGHT during Ramadan? Read on to find out…
FAQs: Is fasting healthy for diabetics? Why do I gain weight during Ramadan? Are there any health benefits to fasting? Can I IMPROVE BRAIN plasticity and HEALTH by FASTING INTERMITTENTLY? READ ON….

Is Fasting Healthy For The Body?

Benefits of fasting – what happens when the body fasts:

After a few hours of fasting, the body starts to burn fat. Also cholesterol is broken down into beneficial bile acids. This is like a lightbulb inside the brain switches on only at night (when you are fasting) this highlights energy pathways used in: RREE

REPAIR. RENEWAL. The liver shuts down glucose production for several hours, lowering blood glucose levels. Instead of ending up in the bloodstream, extra glucose is used to repair damaged cells and make new DNA, which can help prevent chronic inflammation. ENZYMATIC ACTION. ENERGY RELEASE. Meanwhile, liver enzymes are activated and help in the creation of brown fat (the good kind, which converts extra calories to heat). RREE

  • Weight loss
  • Life Extension
  • Gut health
  • Will power

Weight loss

Fasting can make exercising for fat loss more efficient. In turn, exercising makes fasting easier. Burning fat also releases something called ‘glycerol’ from your body-fat stores. When the fatty acids are released, so is the glycerol. Glycerol is a valuable precursor for gluconeogenesis [a metabolic pathway] in the liver that helps keep blood glucose stable.

However, there are studies of obese people developing Candida albicans infections when fasting causes ketosis. So there’s evidence pointing to the idea that KETONE PRODUCTION is not a good idea. Read more about this here. 

intermittent fasting

intermittent fasting

Life extension

Studies indicate that short-term fasting can increase longevity, HELP REGULATE GLUCOSE LEVELS, and help treat everything from ASTHMA and AUTOIMMUNE diseases to CARDIAC arrhythmias.

Exercise! Yes, EXERCISE and intermittent fasting improve brain plasticity and health according to this study. 

Gut health

Caloric restriction might mediate its health-promoting effects on the body by inducing a healthy gut microbiota or gut microbiome. 

A Calorie restricted diet reduces the abundance of bacteria that correlate negatively with lifespan. These changes are associated with reduced serum levels of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein – a marker often associated with inflammation. This suggests that reduced inflammation caused by antigens from gut bacteria might be one of the health benefits transmitted by caloric restriction.

Calorie restriction diet

Calorie restriction or a calorie restriction diet is not necessarily the same as fasting or intermittent fasting. Further studies are needed to clarify how these structural changes in the gut microbiota may extend lifespan. Also further studies are needed to validate whether they could serve as biomarkers for the development of dietary anti-ageing interventions.

Is Fasting Healthy For The Body?

Will Power

Taking ownership of our health requires determination and will power to do so. Fasting or intermittent fasting can help build up your phycological capabilities or mental strength like re-training your mind or remapping neuro-pathways in your brain so that your will have a memory of this healthy behaviour, or the feelings associated with fasting, for life.

Hunger and weight loss DO NOT always go hand in hand. Fasting can ‘remind’ your body this long-term.

SAFE. CLINICAL. PRACTICAL. EFFECTIVE.

NOTE:

The body relies on key nutrients to eliminate toxins, build healthy tissue and more. Therefore, intermittent fasting can cause problems for people who are not generally well nourished.

If you are suffering from autoimmune or chronic illness e.g. diabetes, CVD it is SAFE to seek advice regarding fasting around your Naturopathic Portfolio 

Eating seasonal food

Posted on: by Susannah

Seasonal food Spring UK

Eating seasonal food is healthy – right? Naturopathic healthy eating ideologies encourage eating fresh seasonal food. Why? Are there any health benefits to eating seasonal produce?

Eating Seasonal Food

Seasonal foods have better nutritional value for our overall health. Is this healthy or ethical only?  Eating what’s in season — here’s the lowdown from the Knightsbridge, Chelsea Nutrition Expert.

What is bioavailability?

Nutrient content of foods doesn’t necessarily change but it can be more or less bioavailable. What is the bioavailability of food?
In simple terms, it’s the way our bodies may not benefit from eating the same banana at different times of the year. The nutritional value of the banana might be labelled the same. Bioavailability refers to how nutrients are delivered to feed and heal your body.

 

Food in Season

Food in Season

Organic food

Non-seasonal produce are foods that are often full of pesticides, waxes, preservatives and other chemicals that are used. Why is our produce pumped full of toxic chemicals these days? Well, it’s so the produce look fresher than it actually is. Seasonal foods also have a much higher antioxidant content than non-seasonal foods.
VERY important side note: eating food in season is delicious! It’s fresh produce that is ripe and ready for consumption!

Organic Food and food intolerance

Eating freshly harvested produce means we’ll be rotating our foods. This helps keep our body from developing intolerances to certain foods.

Spring Detox

This enables us to reap the health benefits of a diverse diet that is naturally detoxifying. For example, in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), spring is associated with the liver. The liver is one of the body’s primary detoxification organs. Synergistically, spring is also the time when dandelion and other bitter greens are fresh and available. These bitter greens support the liver and its function of cleansing the blood.

 Paleo

Our ancestors ate seasonal food because they didn’t have much choice. We, on the other hand, can make informed decisions about what we eat. We can choose to opt out of eating food that isn’t harvested in our current season. Coordinating our diets with the seasons naturally cleanses us. It can help build immunity for the body. Generalised eating plans like the paleolithic diet or paleo diet allude to this. Raw food diets, raw veganism, vegetarianism and even gluten free follow fundamental principles. They might have roots in a way of eating that our ancestors did…

Is Paleo best?

However, the bases for eating a paleo diet in this way, for example, is not 100% accurate. Let’s examine the historical evidence… We’ll look at regional specificities, climate and how there are ever changing updates to these campaigns. We need to appreciate the value of food as medicine. No one prescription is right for all.

Eating Seasonal food

Eating Seasonal food

Categorically eliminating whole food groups to improve health (of all human bodies, without exception) in general and quality of life for all, doesn’t make sense. Providing the information your body needs by food does. Find out how personalised nutrition is changing the lives of so many. Taking ownership of our health isn’t easy… BUT it can be Safe. Clinical. Practical. Effective. Nutrition for health and healthy weight loss, really looks at what’s going on and how we can change this simply.

Blood type diet

Eating for our blood type can be positively reinforced by eating seasonably. It’s pretty neat when you think about it. It’s easy to work out.

Sustainable agriculture

Eating foods in season in our area right now, means we’re more likely to be eating local produce that does not require shipping methods. It’s more likely to be grown by local farmers in our community. Sustainable and environmental benefits contribute to our local economy. Also, this way of life reduces the pounds and pounds of produce that are shipped all over the globe every day.

Foods in season

UK – Support your local farmer’s market. Field to Fork eating.

Apricot – Blackcurrant – Strawberry – Tomato – Raspberry

Jersey Royal New potatoes – beetroot
Asparagus – Aubergine – Courgette – Watercress – Spring Onion
Peas – pepper –
Radishes –  Sorrel – Spinach- Pak Choi
Runner beans – borad beans – Watercress – Spring onions

Crab – Scallop – Plaice – Sea Trout – Wild

Whiting – Tuna

Beef steaks – Chicken – Sausages – Spring lamb – Pork – Venison

Imported Produce 

Apple – Pear – Quince

Imported Produce 

 Pomegranate

Health Risks Of Obesity

Posted on: by Susannah 1 Comment

What is Obesity

In an adult the diagnosis of obesity is most commonly made using BMI levels. These provide a measure to be viewed in parallel with the health risks of obesity. BMI is calculated as weight in kilograms (kg) divided by height in metres squared (m2). Ideal BMI is 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2. The following classification is advised by NICE:

  • A BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m2 is overweight.
  • A BMI of 30-34.9 kg/m2 is obese (Grade I).
  • A BMI of 35-39.9 kg/m2 is obese (Grade II).
  • A BMI of ≥40 kg/m2 is obese (Grade III) or morbidly obese, meaning that weight is a real and imminent threat to health.

Waist circumference in men:

  • <94 cm is defined as low risk.
  • 94 to 102 cm is defined as high risk.
  • >102 cm is defined as very high risk.

Waist circumference in women:

  • <80 cm is defined as low risk.
  • 80 to 88 cm is defined as high risk.
  • >88cm is defined as high risk.

Waist circumference is used in combination with BMI to assess your health risk of obesity       [tweetthis]Waist circumference is used in combination with #BMI to assess #health risk of #obesity[/tweetthis]

Obesity and Genetics

Obesity is the result of a complex pathophysiological pathway involving many factors that control adipose tissue metabolism. Cytokines, free fatty acids and insulin all play a part and genetic defects are likely to have a significant effect on the fine balance of this process. Nam H, Ferguson BS, Stephens JM, et al; Impact of obesity on IL-12 family gene expression  in insulin responsive tissues. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2013 Jan;1832(1):11-9. 

Obesity and Health

Obesity and Health

KRS2 is one gene that has recently been identified as being implicated in obesity and metabolic rate. DNA sequencing in over 2,000 obese individuals identified multiple mutations of the KRS2 gene, and mutation carriers exhibited severe insulin resistance and a reduced metabolic rate. It may be that modulation of KSR2-mediated effects may have the potential to have therapeutic implications for obesity.
Pearce LR, Atanassova N, Banton MC, et al; KSR2 mutations are associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and impaired cellular fuel oxidation. Cell. 2013 Nov 7;155(4):765-77.

Find Out More…

Living with morbid obesity means living at risk for serious health conditions for both men and women combined where applicable. For example, the health risks of obesity are – in terms of the following diseases:-

Type 2 Diabetes
Hypertension
Myocardial Infarction
Colon Cancer
Angina Pectoris
Gall Bladder Disease
Ovarian cancer
Osteoarthritis
Stroke

Obesity and Health

Obesity increases the risk of breast cancer. It also increases the risk of carcinoma of the endometrium. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome PCOS is usually associated with obesity, as is stress incontinence. Obesity impairs fertility in males and females. Obesity increases the risk of fatty liver, along with other features of the metabolic syndrome. Obesity is an important risk factor in the development of chronic respiratory disorders such as COPD, asthma, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, obstructive sleep apnoea. If the person develops a surgical condition, diagnosis is more difficult and almost every postoperative complication is more frequent, including deep vein thrombosis DVT chest infection and wound dehiscence. Not only is osteoarthritis  more common but treatments such as total hip replacements are more likely to be problematical in obesity.

Stress Benefits

Posted on: by Susannah

Stress benefits

Can stress be a good thing? What’s the best stress management? Stressed out has negative connotations in every language.

Being stressed, however, is arguably the most universally acceptable response to modern day living and some may even say stress benefits them.

Can stress ever be a good thing?

Stress can help you:

…Under the right conditions & as long as you’re careful to differentiate between the good and the bad.

 GOOD STRESS VS BAD STRESS

Let’s look at the Research

In studies on rats, they found that significant, but brief stressful events caused stem cells in their brains to proliferate into new nerve cells that, when mature two weeks later, improved the rats’ mental performance. Berkeley researchers noted: “You always think about stress as a really bad thing, but it’s not,” said Daniela Kaufer, associate professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley. “Some amounts of stress are good to push you just to the level of optimal alertness, behavioural and cognitive performance.”

Key points about Good Stress: 

  •  Good stress, “eustress,” from the Latin prefix “eu-” meaning “good” or “beneficial.”
  • It is proven that these short periods of stress may help improve brain function and learning as they trigger the “fight or flight” response ingrained in all humans that allows us to learn, grow and achieve more quickly
  • This type of stress isn’t associated with the type of damage that long-term periods of negative stress can do
  • “Good” stress tends to occur in short-term bursts of motivation that challenge one to achieve more expansive goals
  • Unable to control the outcome of negative situations? This is when good stress can help one accomplish their goals, whether  facing a tight deadline at work, getting ready for a test or preparing for a speech.
  • Even if one’s stressors are things to be excited about, they may still experience temporary periods of acute stress that help propel them forward and enable them to overcome obstacles.

BAD STRESS HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON YOUR HEALTH

 How Do You Know When Stress is “Good” or “Bad”?

lab

  • Bad Stress is a chronic state
  • Short-term stressors provoke the mind and body to positive action whilst Chronic Stress or Bad Stress is so damaging is that, when you trigger the “fight or flight” mode mentioned above – your body undergoes a host of physiological changes
  • Physiological changes occur to your:
  • Immune system
  • Reproductive system
  • Excretory and digestive systems  – all of which are **designed to help you respond to short-term stress

As a Naturopath Susannah sees the active consequences of stress a lot in practice because Naturopathic medicine is a distinct health care profession. We emphasise prevention, management and optimal health through the use of therapeutic methods and naturally occurring substances that encourage our unique inherent self-healing process.  The naturopathic ethos underpins osteopathy thus. The practice of naturopathic medicine includes modern and traditional, scientific and empirical methods.

At Susannah Makram Clinics we can carry out the Adrenal Stress Test  to correctly identify between the “good” stress and the “bad” stress. Your Functional nutrition is as unique as your DNA. What does that mean exactly?

Lifestyle Nutrition

Whether stress benefits us depends HUGELY on our nutrition and our environment. We can’t always change the latter but we can certainly change the former.

The easier we make this transition for you the more likely you are to follow it and achieve your goals for healthy:

(i) weight loss (ii) skin and hair (iii) body that performs optimally

We can use functional testingz to identify trends in health. So we can optimise health and deliver care pathways. We offer our clients choices, involving you in every step of their health journey.

Find out if you have stress benefits. Or could you be suffering from a chronic stress related illness?  Take our stress questionnaire  here

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