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| WHY
DO WE LOVE SWEET, FATTY FOODS? By David Nicolson, NutritionistIt’s a problem isn’t it? We know they can be bad for us, make us overweight, tired and generally unhealthy. Even children as young as ten are developing adult onset diabetes and behavioral disorders, mostly caused by junk diets. Today’s unprecedented levels of obesity and cardiovascular disease are also closely linked to dietary factors, yet still we feel compelled to eat fatty, sugary foods and snacks. Why? Well, before you tuck into all those Christmas goodies, spare a thought for your hungry prehistoric ancestors because that is where the answer lies. From them we have inherited the genes that make things such as mince pies, double cream, chocolates and biscuits so hard to resist. Throughout many millions of years of human evolution, food tended to be scarce. The average cave dweller would rise every morning to face the weary task of scavenging the countryside for nourishment. There were no farms or livestock until 10,000 years ago, and that is but the blink of an eye in evolutionary terms. The tastes that are deeply embedded in us were formed when the menu of the day was berries, seeds, nuts, roots, fruits, vegetables, and the odd wild animal that the fittest of our forbears might have been quick enough to catch. Fish were rather more plentiful because it was relatively easy to weave together a few reeds and place them across a stream as a ‘net’. In times when calories were scarce, those who had a sweet tooth and liked fat had a huge advantage over those who did not, because sweet, fatty foods provide the most calories and offered the best chance of surviving, breeding and passing on genes to the next generation. Those who preferred bitter, lean, low calorie foods would probably not survive much beyond puberty. And so here we are now, trapped inside Stone Age bodies struggling to cope with the 21st century. We’re surrounded by supermarkets temptingly crammed with nutritionally barren foods cleverly designed to appeal to our ancient instincts by shrewd (some say ruthless) manufacturers. The instincts that once served us so well now seriously threaten our health. Many of us are overfed, but under nourished. Shopping for food is a complicated and risky business, perhaps one of mankind’s more dangerous activities! A major role of a nutritionist is to escort people through the minefield of modern foods. Our bodies have evolved perfectly to thrive on the foods available in prehistory, but we are not equipped to deal with some of today’s products. However, with proper guidance most of us can achieve optimal health. We like sweet things, so let us eat them—but we should choose mainly fruits instead of sweets and chocolates. We like fatty foods, so let us eat them—but go mainly for the healthy fats in oily fish such as mackerel, sardines, fresh tuna, nuts (walnuts are best) and seeds (pumpkin are best), rather than the saturated fats in sausages, red meats, burgers and fries. If after your Christmas fun you’d like some nutritional advice to encourage and enable you to fulfill your New Year’s dietary resolutions, then call The Natural Practice. Good health is your right and natural state. Bad health is often avoidable by a few simple dietary steps, sometimes assisted with supplements. Our nutritionists may also help you overcome problems such as arthritis, food allergies, skin disorders, fatigue and a host of other common ailments. With a fully stocked pharmacy providing supplements of the highest quality, The Natural Practice offers a complete nutritional service under one roof, with medical oversight always on hand. David Nicolson, runs clinics from our practices in Winchester, Basingstoke and Bournemouth. For further information please call 01962 856310 or visit our website on www.thenatural-practice.com. THE MENOPAUSE – H.R.T. or HOMEOPATHY ? by Dr Gill Pearson The menopause is a natural transition in a woman’s life marking the cessation of her periods, end of reproductive fertility and change in her hormone balance. For most women this occurs at about the age of fifty. Some women experience minimal problems with this transition, but for others it is a time of turmoil both physically and emotionally. Hot flushes, drenching night sweats, and disturbed sleep may be compounded by emotional mood swings, lack of energy, loss of libido, irritability, anxiety and even depression. Longer- term medical consequences include heart disease and osteoporosis. Aptly known as "The Change", this stage in a woman’s life can be a real roller-coaster ride of concomitant life changes, not just hormonal ones. Children are growing up, leaving home, marrying and becoming more independent (a time of great difficulty and anxiety for many mothers). Ageing relatives are becoming frail and unwell, less able to live alone, needing more attention, plus anxieties over arrangements for their future care. Husbands are approaching retirement, with prospects of all sorts of changing dynamics at home. Low self-esteem may undermine her confidence to take up work again feeling out-dated in her skills or previous profession. Previous suppressed experiences, bereavements, fears and emotions often resurge at this time causing and compounding symptoms at the menopause. For many women HRT has helped them cope, particularly with physical flushes and sweats. However HRT is not suitable for all women and despite the many varieties available, undesirable side-effects are often unacceptable. Recent evidence from two very large prospective population studies has confirmed that there is an increased risk of breast cancer associated with taking HRT, and an increased risk of cardiovascular events (heart attacks, strokes and thrombosis). On the other hand HRT can reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures and colon cancer. Therefore the risks and benefits of using HRT, and for how long, need to be carefully evaluated and discussed by individual women with their doctors. Patients are concerned about HRT, and a reluctance to take other drugs such as anti-depressants and sleeping tablets, have led many women to seek more natural and alternative help at the menopause. It’s easy to forget that with the right support, the menopause can be a natural transition Homeopathy is an alternative or complementary system of medicine using remedies that are safe, and are not chemical drugs. It takes into consideration the wider holistic aspects of the woman’s life and situation aswell as her presenting physical symptoms. Homeopathy tries to assist the individual’s system to rebalance and adapt to the physiological and emotional changes she is experiencing. This very individual ‘whole person approach’ is addressed in the long homeopathic consultation and assessment. Remedies are selected to suit her ‘constitution’ and individual symptoms, to stimulate self- healing mechanisms and general energy, helping her to cope better naturally and reduce physical symptoms. Although a scientific mechanism of action for homeopathic remedies cannot yet be explained, research has shown a clinical effect, and many satisfied patients bear witness to the benefit they have experienced. . At the Natural Practice there are three medically qualified homeopathic doctors. In addition, the skills and advice of the Herbalist, Nutritionist, Counsellor, Osteopath and Acupuncturist can be called upon to complement the homeopathic treatment, if needed, to restore the well-being of the woman coping with difficulties at the menopause. Dr Gill Pearson has been working as a medical homeopath alongside Dr Owen in the Winchester practice since 1997. In addition Dr Pearson works from Southampton Hospital with a specialist interest in osteoporosis and research. She also helps to teach Homeopathy to the medical students and nurses at Southampton University. |