Candida Solutions!

Candida is a naturally occuring yeast that lives in the large bowel, its role is actually to feed the good bacteria that help our bodies to stay healthy. If these good bacteria are killed off, through the use of antibiotics, oral contraceptives, steroids, prolonged illness, stress and poor diets, this results in an overgrowth of candida....which is when the problems start!
An overgrowth of candida can lead to the problem to developing into a 'parasitic fungus', and given time this parasitic fungus can penetrate through the genito-urinary tract and bowel wall, into the bloodstream, and circulate through the whole body. Once this happens, Candida can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from very vauge digestive complaints and a general 'hung over' feeling, to extreme fatigue, depression, and listlessness. Obviously these symptoms can be indicative of many other diseases and imbalances in the body, so it is important to get a Candida Test done, your GP can do a blood test, or if you'd prefer to self test we highly recommend the Candida5 test (available at Evelyn Faye Nutrition) To find out more about this test click here.
The aim of treatment for candida overgrowth is to weed out the candida, and to restablish the balance of 'good' bacteria/flora in the body, vagina, and digestive tract. As you've probably seen
there are quite a few supplements on the market that claim to kill off candida, lets look at the most effective options in my opinion.


Wormwood
Recent research has found that the herb Wormwood is extremely potent against the Candida fungal infection. Renowned medical herbalist, Gerald Green, conducted a trial on patients comparing the most commonly prescribed herbs prescribed for candida (pau darco, golden seal plus a few others) and found them all relatively ineffective compared with Wormwood!

This potent herbal anti-biotic/anti-viral/anti-fungal (you name it!) helps to strengthen the immune system from the cell level up, helping to overcome the promary cause of candida infestation and a low/damaged immune system.

Wormwood also stimulates digestive enzyme production and is mildly anti-inflammatory, and is currently being trialled as an alternate to anti-malarial drugs.

Wormwood does however come with some cautions. After a couple of days of treatment on high doses, some people may suffer from a condition called Herxheimers Syndrome, causing headaches, exhaustion and some other minor symptoms. This is usually caused by the rapid reduction of Candida, and should only last 1-3 days depending on the case. Depending on the individual, and the case, I generally recommend a dose of between 3g and 10g (in seperate doses) per day for 1week.

Saccharomyces Boulardii (SB)
SB belongs to a group of supplements referred to as 'probiotics' because it helps to maintain a normal balance of friendly bacteria in the intestinal and genito-urinary tract. SB is in fact a yeast (not a bacteria) that competes for space and interfers with binding of candida and other unwanted organisms on the mucous membrane wall.

Some Candida probiotic formulas will also contain other strains, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnous. Again, depending on the case and the individual, I would recommend a probiotic supplement 3 x daily during candida treatment.


Diet
The term 'Candida Diet' gets thrown around alot, but its hard to actually give a definitive about what this diet allows/doesnt allow, and again will be based on an individuals case. For the most part, simple dietary sugars (lollies, sugary drinks, white carbs) should be avoided, as should starchy foods, such as potatos and pasta. Depending on the practitioner, complex carbohydrates and grains (quinoa and amaranth are good options) may be allowed, and some low GI fruits may also be ok. But again, check with your practitioner on the details of what your diet may involve during treatment. This site may give you some more ideas about the diet.


Products
Here is a rough guide to the products that I generally recommend for my clients with vaginal and/or intestinal candida.
- BioMedica Femicare Pessaries: each pessary contains 201mg tea tree oil, 900mcg garlic and 1.05g calendula. Use once daily.
- Bioceuticals SB Floractive or Ethical Nutrients Candex: contains SB strain (as above) plus other probiotics to increase good bacteria and 'weed' out candida and other organisms.
- Mediherb Bacto-Cand GI or Bioceuticals Paracea Forte: contain anti-parasitic (anti-candida) herbs in combination


Need more info about anything you've read? Give us a bell (03) 9686 0086

Written by Hannah Denham - Naturopath

Grass Fed V’s Grain Fed Beef

To put it bluntly; real cows eat grass- not grains!

(much of this information is from Dr Mercola)

Due to the massive industry push for increased quantity at lowest possible prices, short cuts are being taken in the food industry to cut costs and increase production. Unfortunately this is happening at the expense of both animal health and human health.

If you love milk, cheese, yogurt and beef but like many of us are becoming concerned with both the treatment of cattle and the nutritional factors such as high levels of saturated fats and cholesterol, then read on as I'm about to tell you about the healthy choice you can make when selecting food for your fridge.

The fat content of meat is a major reason why many people avoid eating it, and rightly so. Some beef products can have up to 70% fat content with the vast majority of that fat being saturated.

"Grain fed beef can have an omega 6:3 ratio higher than 20:1" J. Animal Sci 2000. 78: 2849- 2855

This far exceeds the 4:1 ratio where health problems arise due to essential fat imbalances

"Grass fed beef has an omega 6:3 ratio of 0.16:1"

Science suggests this ratio is ideal for our diet and similar to that of fish. Of the total fat found in grass fed beef, less than 10% is saturated in comparison to the 50% that can be found in grain fed beef.

Compared to grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef is:

• 2-4 times richer in heart health omega 3 fatty acids


• Lower in Saturated fats and higher in the "good" Unsaturated fats


• 3-5 times higher in CLA (contributes to weight loss in humans)


• Loaded with over 400% more Vitamin A (as beta-carotene) and E


• Significantly lower in calories

And it's not just the meat that's better for you... According to a recent study by the University of Aberdeen; Organic Milk has up to 71% more Omega 3 than non-organic milk.

For a list of Australian companies which produce grass fed beef go to http://www.haverickmeats.com.au/

The Dangers of Bottled Water

Your body is made up of 80 percent water and you can only live a few days without this precious, life-giving substance. Most of us are dehydrated and not even aware of the body's many cries for water. But the quality, and hence the source of our water is vitally important for maintaining optimal health.

Recently, alot of dirt has been dug up about the bottled water industry, that in some cases it's been shown to be really only tap water, how environmentally unfriendly it is, and how bad water stored in plastic can be for our health. So lets look a little closer at the dangers of bottled water.

Environmental Impacts

(info from http://www.gotap.com.au/)

Australians spend more than half a billion dollars a year on bottled water, producing and delivering just one litre of this water can emit hundreds of times more greenhouse gases than a litre of tap water. In many cases, a litre of bottled water is more expensive than a litre of petrol.

Australia recycles only 36% of PET plastic drink bottles. Assuming the 582.9 million litres of bottled water produced in 2009-10 is in litre bottles, according to these figures, 373 million of those bottles will end up as waste, add to that the 15,253.79 tonnes of PET that was used in the packaging of this bottled water in 2009-10, and you'll soon realise that this is an environmental nightmare!

Approximately 52.5 million litres of oil was used in 2009-10 to produce the PET used to package bottled water in Australia, excluding the energy used in transportation and refrigeration. Plus
more energy is used to fill the bottles, move them by truck, train, ship, or air, refrigerate them and recover, recycle or discard the empty bottles. The Pacific Institute estimates that the total amount of energy embedded in the use of bottled water can be as high as the equivalent of filling a plastic bottle one quarter full with oil. Therefore, more than 145.7 million litres of oil was used in the production, transportation, refrigeration and recycling/disposing of bottled water in Australia in 2009-10.

Shocking isnt it!

The Impact on your Health

(info sourced from Dr Mercola’s blog here )

"Drinking water from a plastic water bottle poses serious health risks to you and your family. Let's take a look at some of these dangers to give you a better idea of why bottled water is not the healthy choice you've been led to believe it is.

Plastic would obviously be an issue for most bottled waters but it also comes into play for home or commercially filtered waters, or even raw spring water in that you need a container to store your water before you consume it. Obviously the best container is glass because when you choose plastic you are potentially exposed to the following chemicals.

BPA – Bisphenol A or BPA is an estrogen-mimicking chemical that has been linked to a host of serious health problems including:

· Learning and behavioral problems
· Altered immune system function
· Early puberty in girls and fertility problems
· Decreased sperm count
· Prostate and breast cancer
· Diabetes and obesity

If you are pregnant or nursing, your child is also at risk. If you are feeding your baby or toddler from a plastic bottle, switch to glass to avoid BPA contamination.

Phthalates are widely used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible. Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that have been linked to a wide range of developmental and reproductive effects, including:
· Reduced sperm counts
· Testicular atrophy or structural abnormality
· Liver cancer

Further, in experiments on rats, phthalates have demonstrably blocked the action of fetal androgens, which affects

gender development in male offspring, leading to undescended testes at birth and testicular tumors later in life.

Studies have also found that boys whose mothers had high phthalate exposures while pregnant were much more likely to have certain

demasculinized traits and produce less testosterone.
Yet another study found that pregnant women who are exposed to phthalates gave birth more than one week earlier than women who were not exposed to them.

Pharmacy in a Bottle -- As mentioned above, about 40 percent of bottled water is tap water. This means you are not only exposed to dangerous BPA from the bottle, you may also be exposed to a variety of water contaminants such as

fluoride, chlorine, arsenic, aluminum, disinfection byproducts and prescription drugs.

Though drinking bottled water directly from a store shelf poses serious health risks, leaving this bottled water in your car or strapped to your bike and exposed to the hot sun will cause even more serious chemical exposure. Ultraviolet rays from the sun or high temperatures will accelerate leaching of the plastic chemicals mentioned above into the water.
Adding to this health threat is a toxic substance called dioxin, which is also released into bottled water when it is left in the sun. Dioxin has been strongly linked to the development of breast cancer.

What Are the Alternatives??

I know what you have just read is quite alarming, terrifying, depressing...etc! But there are alternatives to plastic water bottles, and the 'drinking water industry' so no need to stress!

Poly-Carb Drink Bottles

Are polycarb drinking bottles really safe? The short answer is definitely yes.

Contrary to the myths, misinformation and scare stories about the safety of polycarbonate water bottles, independent government and scientific bodies worldwide have declared they are safe to use and reuse. Poly-Carb bottles are very light weight, and can be recycled once you're done with them. We stock poly-carb bottles in 600ml, 1L and 2.2L sizes.

SIGG and Cheeki Bottles

SIGG has been manufacturing reusable water bottles since 1908 in Switzerland. SIGG can say with even more confidence all The ingredients used in SIGG products are in conformance with both European and U.S. regulatory requirements, they are also certified and free of harmful chemicals, free of any volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), Phthalates, BADGE, BFDGE, and NOGE and BPA’s. Furthermore, SIGG bottles are recyclable at the end of their working life!

Cheeki is a new Australian-owned brand, they manufacture safe/healthy (BPA free) stainless steel reusable water bottles, and are working hard to encourage a significantly reduced consumption of disposable plastic water bottles, and educate people on the risks of plastic bottles.

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The Mediterannean Diet made EASY!

Research now shows that 3 key essentials from the traditional Mediterranean diet may help us lead a healthier life for longer. We have known for sometime, and science is now confirming, that Mediterranean people living a traditional lifestyle have led healthier lives in their old age than nearly anywhere else in the world. Extensive scientific studies have revealed 3 essential components of the traditional Mediterranean diet so that we can all enjoy some of the benefits.
For decades scientists worldwide have been studying the traditional Mediterranean lifestyle to figure out why Mediterranean people aged so well. Was it the sun, the fresh sea air, the laid back attitude … perhaps it was their sense of family or even mama’s cooking? FINALLY it seems there is an answer! Mediterranean people who as they aged lived the healthiest and most active lives, had some dietary habits in common ... their diet was high in olives and olive oil, they drank red wine regularly and ate fatty fish!

How do Mediterraneans eat so much fatty food and stay healthy? Professor Jack Masquelier discovered what is known in scientific circles as the French paradox – a high fat diet with good heart health. In today’s busy world of fast living and fast food it sounds like the French knew something we should all know about! Well it seems that a toast to health and wellness and some red wine with lunch or dinner is part of the answer.

ESSENTIAL 1 – Red Wine

What makes red wine effective in counterbalancing the effects of a fatty diet? Professor Masquelier’s findings on red wine show that OPCs, the plant nutrients found in red wine, have the ability to help support eye, heart and vascular health and helps fight the signs of premature aging. Not only that but red wine also assists our bodies in maintaining hyaluronic acid levels, which helps keep our skin healthy, hydrated and plumped.

ESSENTIAL 2 – Olive Oil

Olives and olive oil are used in kitchens throughout the Mediterranean and not just because they taste good! Hydroxytyrosol, the powerful antioxidant found in olives is believed to help maintain healthy cardiovascular function and collagen levels, protect against free radical damage as well as supporting our immune systems.

ESSENTIAL 3 – Fatty Fish

Why fatty fish in particular? The unsaturated fats in oily fish, known as Omega-3 fatty acids, are thought to do everything from support normal blood cholesterol levels, brain function, heart function and blood pressure to assisting overall mood and wellbeing.

The good news is that now we can all enjoy the benefits of the Mediterranean diet! Research shows that regardless of where someone is from, the traditional Mediterranean diet can lead to a healthier life for longer.The traditional Mediterranean lifestyle and today’s realities. Whilst it’s nice to imagine enjoying long leisurely lunches of home grown and home cooked ingredients, eating freshly caught fish and sipping red wine on a sun filled terrace every day, for most of us, it’s just not possible outside of holidays and special occasions. The reality of our everyday lives is busy days, packed with rushed meals and too much to do.

PHYTOLOGIC - Mediterranean Dietary Supplement

You may not have time to prepare traditional mediterranean meals so now there is a supplement to help you! Phytologic Mediterranean Diet contains 420mg of concentrated Omega 3 triglycerides, 3g Grape Seed extract, and 1.35g Olive fruit juice. Recomended dosage in 1-2 capsules/day according to need. And here's the best news, 60 capsules usually reatil at $49.95, but at Evelyn Faye Nutrition we have them on sale for just $29.95 (while stocks last!). Need more info, or want to have a chat with us about the Mediterannean Diet?

Give us a bell on (03) 96860086.

'B Vitamins' - a run down!

B vitamins are one of the most commonly requested/purchased nutritional supplements, but what are they? what do they do? how do they work? and what foods can you get them from if you're not into taking supplements? Here's a little run down, written my Maryl Celiz from HLife Daily (one of my favorite sites....check it out here)

'Talk about a power team: Vitamin B Complex refers to all the B vitamins (B1-B12), which work together to offer a great deal of nervous system and cardiac support and are therefore critical in stress management. Discovered in the first part of the 20th century and studied extensively ever since, these vitamins are usually referred to and distributed as a group supplement, but they have individual names and functions:

✦ Thiamin (vitamin B1) is crucial for cardiac, muscular and nervous system function.✦ Riboflavin (vitamin B2) important for red blood cell production. Helps release energy from carbs. (Riboflavin is destroyed by exposure to light, so store sources in dark containers).✦ Niacin (vitamin B3) is involved in cellular energy production as well as in the digestive and nervous systems (also vital for great skin) It’s the only one that can have toxic effects if taken in excess.✦ Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is necessary for normal growth and development and helps break down food and use it in the body.✦ Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)) supports the immune system by helping to produce antibodies and maintaining healthy red blood cells. Breaks down proteins (the more protein you eat, the more B6 you need).✦ Biotin (vitamin B7 aka vitamin H) helps break down protein and carbohydrates and helps the body make hormones (also key for abundant, shiny hair).✦ Folic acid (vitamin B9) is essential for normal nervous system development of the fetus while in the womb. It helps in the making and maintenance of DNA and red blood cells.✦ Cobalamin (vitamin B12) is important for proper nervous system function, maintenance of red blood cells, and energy production.

According to the American Cancer Society, with the exception of pregnant or lactating women (who need more folic acid than others), a balanced diet of whole unprocessed foods that includes five daily servings of fruits and vegetables as well as grains is the general recommendation for most people to get all the B vitamins their bodies need. Though much isn’t needed in the form of quantity, B vitamins are water soluble, which means the body doesn’t store them and excess leaves through the urine. This means it is important to replenish them daily. Deficiencies are uncommon but can cause anemia, chronic fatigue, and depression as well as muscle cramps, hair loss and eczema, so make sure you’re eating the right foods to replenish what your body uses to battle stress and keep your nerves, blood and muscles healthy.

Sources: Green leaves, legumes and whole grains are major sources for most B vitamins. B1 is found in potatoes, kidney beans and whole grains. B2 is found in nuts, whole grains and green leafy veggies. B3 is found in nuts, whole grains, and dried beans. B5 is found in almost all foods, including broccoli and other veggies in the cabbage family. B6 is found in beans, nuts, potatoes, wheat germ, and bananas. B7 is made by intestinal bacteria and is also in peanuts, bananas, mushrooms, watermelon, and grapefruit. B9 is found in green leafy vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, peas, dried beans, citrus fruits, and wheat bread. B12 is made by intestinal bacteria and is found in nutritional yeast'.

Christmas Gift Ideas

With christmas day fast approaching, and many of us still to cross out those last few gifts on the list, here are some last minute ideas for sustainable/eco-friendly healthy gifts that are sure to make anyone happy!.... and yes, of course they are available here at Evelyn Faye Nutrition South Melbourne. Did you know we will be open until 6pm on Xmas eve? Yep, thats right! So, here's a few choice things on my christmas list;

SIGG bottles, BPA free, made in Switzerland ...and very nice looking!

Tonic Heat Pillow - Barley and Lavender....delicious! Keep Cups - in small, medium or large....depending on how thirsty you are! Every Man Jack - Natural Skin care for the guys!Natures Sunshine 14 Day Detox - contains enough for 2 people for 14 days, a great present for the health concious couple!!

Want more info? call us (03) 9686 0086