What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty molecule, produced by your body to do the following:
Make cell membranes
Conduct the heart impulse through your heart
Precursor for sex hormones
For skin and new regrowth
Is used in inflammation

The types of Cholesterol

Cholesterol or lipids (fats) are transported around the body on protein molecules called Lipoproteins. An increased in blood cholesterol (particularly LDL and triglyerides) has been associated with a greater risk of heart disease. In Australia, Lipid lowering drugs are currently the highest expenditure of all drugs. Modifying cholesterol does at times need medicating, however lifestyle and diet can play a dramatic role keeping it low.
HDL – high density lipoproteins are cardioprotective (protect your heart) and focus can be on raising these
LDL – low density lipoproteins are have a higher fat:protein ratio and are considered bad cholesterol
Triglyceride – fat ingested from diet, is considered to be bad cholesterol and is often elevated in diabetics.
(There are other forms of cholesterol, however the 3 mentioned above are the most commonly measured in blood tests.)

National Heart Foundation (2001) recommends:

LDL
< 4.0 mmols/L in high risk patients
< 2.5 mmols/L in low risk patients
HDL
> 1.0 mmols/L all people
> 1.0 mmols/L all people
Triglycerides
< 2.0 mmols/L all people
< 2.0mmols/L all people
Total Cholesterol
< 6.0 mmols/L in low risk patients
< 4.0 mmols/L in high risk patients

Lowering Cholesterol
Exercise: Exercising should be part of your daily routine -Walking or low impact exercise min. 3-5 times/week will increase HDL significantly
keep your weight in normal ranges
Managed your stress levels or see someone that can help
Talk to someone about controlling anxiety levels

PROTECT YOURSELF and STAFF from Swine Flu!

This is a swine flu up-date compiled by Health Queen, Sam Beau Patrick. Circulate to staff and friends to help them prevent exposure to this virus.

“From Monday 22 June, Queensland, along with the Commonwealth and all other Australian states and territories, will enter a new phase to manage the outbreak of Human Swine Influenza. The new phase is called PROTECT. The PROTECT phase recognises that Human Swine Influenza is not as severe for the general population as originally envisaged. Most people are making a rapid and full recovery. The new phase focuses on protecting those people who are most at risk of developing severe illness from Human Swine Influenza.Health care workers who develop an influenza like illness will be required to stay away from work for 7 days or until their symptoms have resolved, which ever is longer.” (Ref: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/swineflu/)

While the government is focusing on its PROTECT phase, I strongly urge you to have your own PROTECT plan in place! I have heard reports that 95% of all flu cases in Victoria are currently the H1N1 strain. Flu (of all varieties) is responsible for 2500 deaths each year and countless days off work for employees in Australia alone.

To PROTECT yourself and your staff you need to be doing the following:

Prevent the spread of the virus and ask employees to stay at home if they are experiencing flu like symptoms.
Reduce your exposure by staying at least 1 meter from people with coughs and colds, don’t visit people if you know they are unwell.
Offer tissues, hand wipes and immune boosters, at work stations, near key boards, till-check outs and other places where multiple people share the same equipment.
Throw out tissues (definitely don’t use handkerchiefs), throw out one use-items, eg cups, don’t share cigarettes or lipsticks
Encourage people to take preventative measures such as immune boosting supplements (you may choose to offer them to staff at a discount rate or send this email on so they can order supplements for themselves)
Communicate with your staff about the strategies you are taking in the workforce and what you expect of them (ie in regards to staying at home if they feel unwell)
Take supplements every day to boost your immune system, eat lots of vegetables and drink lots of water.

Immune Boosting Pack
$68.90 inc. delivery in Australia. Enough for 6-8 weeks
Zinc & Vitamin C
A Blue Chip Supplement with Immune boosting herbs, proven to boost your immune system

You can order an immune booster pack from Sam 2 ways:

Email: sam@sanxing.com.au and she will forward the order form for you. Overseas (non Australian addresses) will incur a greater postage fee, but i will let me know on request.

Phone Sam on 0405 669 135 and she will arrange the pack for you.


HOW MUCH IS 1 day of missed work worth to you?
If it is more than $70 bucks then you had better call or email me.

The Health Queen

Low energy levels? Candida could be the problem

Are you lacking energy?

Do you suffer with headaches or bloating?

Then you could suffer from a very common condition caused by candida. Candida albicans is a common yeast that grows in the gastrointestinal tract of every person. Occasionally the environment in the gut changes and an overgrowth of this yeast occurs.

Some causes for the change in the gut environment can be
Use of antibiotics
Long term use of pill
A diet high in carbohydrates
Hormone imbalances
Stress
Traveling
Sickness including operations
Yeast allergy

Symptoms vary for each person but typical symptoms include
Fatigue
Cravings for sugar, bread or alcohol
Digestive problems, bloating, wind or burping
Short term memory failure and concentration issues
Aches in the body, joints and muscle,
Extreme tightness in the shoulders
Hyper-acidity or reflux
Brown coloured mucous in the back of the mouth or white coated tongue
Unrefreshing sleep
Dark circles under the eyes
Chronic sinusitis
Headaches
Dental problems
Over - sensitivity to perfume, tobacco, insecticides

Psychological symptoms may include
Depression
Irritability
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Mood swings, recurring obsessive thoughts, paranoia

More physical symptoms
Recurrent urinary tract infections
Gluten and casein intolerance
Thrush
Allergies, hayfever
Menstrual problems including PMS
Jock itch, athlete’s foot, toenail or fingernail fungus
Tinnitus
Weight changes
Low libido

If left untreated Candida causes very serious immune problems and organ dysfunction such as hypothyroidism, infertility, impotence, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and the list goes on.

Treatment
This usually takes a minimum of 3-6 months. Often vaginal thrush is treated with pessaries and creams but this does not address the candida growing in the gut.
Microcurrent:
Frequency specific microcurrent sends frequencies to the candida which kill it .

Herbals
Oral herbals either in liquid or tablet form are my preferred way of treating candida. Often I will start you on an intense program then reduce the number or tablets with time.

Supplements and homeopathics
There are other supplements that maybe needed to help your body fight the infection caused by candida. Occasionally I will use homeopathics to desensitize you to the yeast. When your gut settles, I will start you on a probiotics. These are friendly bacteria that settle into your gut and protect you from re-invasion from candida.Many herbs have anti-candida properties and are essential in treatment.

Diet
Candida loves yeast and sugar however I find most people with candida find it very difficult to cut these foods out of their diet. I have also noticed that when the bug is being starved, cravings become more severe. I believe it is easier for people to have supplements to kill the yeast and modify dietary impactors secondary.

Confirmation of diagnosis
Candida can mimic 140 conditions. You can order a self-test kit from http://www.byebyebridget.com/ecommerce.php.

Some general advice
You need to be motivated to kill this yeast. And tackling it head on is the best way to go. Often if one person has it, so will there partner and they will need treating aswell.If you think you have a candida infection, give me a call to see me as a client or see a naturopath close to you.

Queensland High Schools Suspension rates Rocket

Well it's no suprise to me (and to any parent, or citizen witnessing kids and young adults) that school suspensions and expulsions have rocketed in the last 3 years.
The Education Department attribute it to the tougher "responsible Behaviour Plans" at each school and good on them. They are also cited in the local paper to say it is more the rise in physical misconduct that has lead to this rise.

Some schools have experienced over 200 suspensions (that is 1 per day of EACH school day) shouldn't we be looking to WHY kids are becoming more physical?

There is a state wide "Behavious Committee" with reps from principles, teachers unions and parents - BUT no health or paediatric experts.

LOOK at the cantteen. Look at what the kids eats. LOOK for the reasons. It's not all social - it's not all mobile phones and internet access. A lot of it, is chemicals in foods making kids experience anger, rage and anxiety.

Clean up the diets of our kids please!

2 minute noodles and Gravox maybe causing you a sleepless night

For a long time I have been skeptical about labelling - no artifically added preservatives, colours and chemical labels can be VERY misleading!

A friend of mine has problems sleeping so I have just gone through their pantry. The 2 minute noodles, the Red Nong Shim and Gravox could all be leading to his insomnia.

Interestingly MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a form of salt. It occurs naturally and can also be added to foods. AS with most salts, it augments the flavours of the food, hence known or referred to as "flavouring".

If you see this on packaging your alarm bells should ring. The food you are about to eat, has been ENHANCED. Naturally or otherwise doesn't matter. You are training your taste buds to become accustomed to food that needs enhancing otherwise you will think it is "Bland".

When you read the ingredients beware of the wording :

natural flavour

hydrolysed vegetable protein (HVP) is naturally very high in glutamates and is a stimulant to the brain

and 621, 627, 631 and 635

MSG (621) can lead to anaphylaxis (your throat swells and breathing is restricted - I once looked after a 12 year old asthmatic who died after eating Chinese take away - which was high in MSG). It can leads to headaches, insomnia, fuzzy thinking, dry mouth, nausea to name a few. And it is a salt so can raise your blood pressure.

Return to using garden picked herbs or sea salt for some flavour enhancement if you like it. Avoid gravies, noodles and their "flavour loaded" sachets.

Train yourself and your family to love natural foods - unadulterated with sauces!

Simple foods often taste the best!

Salt levels are high in stock cubes

As a practitioner, I continually learn new things from books, experience in the clinic, seminars and from you, my clients and friends.
The statistics and biochemical impact of table salt, sodium chloride is frightening. And yet as a society we say "It's ok food manufactorers. Keep using high levels of salt because i like the salt hit and will keep buying your foods. Surely if it wasn't safe a government-run health watch dog would say something. And surely you guys have a community conscience."

Unfortunately - don't think the above will eventuate.

SALT (look for sodium levels on the food panel).
Your daily consumption should be under 2000mg per day. Some Australians and Americans average 6000mg per day. Most MacDonald's burger meals contain all your sodium needs for one day. Exceed this amount and the following can take place:

• Fluid retention (you can gain as much as 2-3kg per day if you exceed your daily salt intake)
• increased cellulite due to fluid retention
• raised blood pressure
• swelling in your fingers and feet

What we all need to start saying is "can you please starting using less salt to help me with my taste adaption. I also would be grateful to you by not sending EVERYONE else's Blood pressure (and the associated heart and renal disease) through the roof as we all will financially and emotionally end up paying for it!"

Read labels carefully. Watch stock cubes, soy sauce, packet soups, packet sauces, gravy, bread, canned foods, cheeses and biscuits/crackers.

If you are making soups - use a whole chicken carcus or bacon bones. Put in a deep saucepan and cover wtih water. Boil for 30 mins, then simmer for 1 hour. You can use ginger, onion and parsley in the chicken stock (drain the fagments), then add vegies and creamed corn. Bacon bones are full of flavour on their own!

I was looking up salt contents of foods with a client the other day and am alarmed (although not suprised) at some of the salt levels in foods.

Chemicals in Kids foods is driving me NUTS

This is pertinent for all parents, people who suffer with anxiety and anyone who cares about the lack of involvement (or jurisdictive powers) our food regulation watch dogs have. No, I;m not trying to enter a political arguement with Uncle Tobys, Nestle, Mac Donalds or any other reverred child food provider, but i am very disappointed that they continue to feed our kids rubbish (including dangerous chemicals) and still advertise that they are responsible food makers.

Point in case: Le Snak cheddar Cheese with crispbread

35 Ingredients.
The following chemicals: 471, 304, 306, 339, 452, 234, 306, 307, 500, 503
It's meant to be cheese and a biscuit.
Kids (and adults for that matter) do not have receptor sites in the gut (this area of medicine is called nutri-genomics) and all these chemicals (preservatives, additives, colours - whatever, natural or not) cause stimulation of our immune system in the gut wall.
With time this heightened inflammation is the unsticking of what otherwise was a healthy body.
In 20 years time in our kids, we will see an unbelieveable rise in inflammatory conditions and diseases we don't even have names for at this point.

Put 4-5 plain rice crackers, organic corn chips with some real cheese in a lunch box for your kids. Look after them and your health.
Being a mum of 3, I know the food thing is a massive challenge - but BE STRONG.

Health Queen