Emotion Release Technique – The Secret Sauce?

Emotion Release Technique – The Secret Sauce?

The combination has to be just right.

Waiting for perfection can paralyse us into inaction. What matters is aligning most things—the right time, the practitioner, testing, therapeutics, and of course, the right mindset.

The truth is, there isn’t one practice that does it all. We are complex beings, constantly evolving both physically and emotionally. We hold onto the past while facing new challenges daily.

It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Think of your journey like a ball in a slot machine—full of highs and lows, moments of speed and stalling, and the occasional hard knock. But no matter the journey, it’s how you respond to the game that makes all the difference.

We need various support mechanisms. One practitioner or therapy can’t fix everything, but it can be a crucial step towards a better life.

That’s why I integrated Emotional Release Technique™ (ERT) into my practice. It has been instrumental in the success stories of my clients, especially those who return with emotional challenges after making physical health strides.

Over the past year, I’ve seen remarkable transformations using ERT in my weight management programs. The results are so profound that I’m now offering dedicated ERT sessions to address a broader range of wellness challenges.

ERT is powerful yet simple. Rooted in ancient Chinese medicine, it utilizes acupuncture points and body meridian access points. Through gentle muscle testing—easily conducted online—ERT helps identify and release stored emotional patterns impacting your health.

We carry years of emotional experiences, stress patterns that no longer serve us, and unprocessed feelings that affect our health. ERT offers a gentle yet powerful way to:

– ✨ Release emotional blocks without reliving trauma

– ✨ Break free from self-sabotaging patterns

– ✨ Address stress-related health issues

– ✨ Create lasting behavioural change

– ✨ Achieve your wellness goals with greater ease

What Makes ERT Different?

Unlike traditional therapy, ERT works with your body’s natural wisdom through gentle muscle testing and specific energy points. There’s no need to discuss painful memories—your body guides the process, making it both effective and deeply respectful of your privacy.

Stop living your today’s life through the lens of past experiences. Don’t delay, start today living in a different way. 

Is Your Waistline Sending You a Health Warning?

Is Your Waistline Sending You a Health Warning?

Here’s a surprising fact: your tape measure might be one of the most important tools for your health.

Wait….. what?

Yup. A quick waist measurement can give you valuable insight into your health risks—no complicated tests required!

Here’s how it works:

  • For women, risk increases from 80 cm, with definite overweight present when greater than 88 cm.
  • For men, risk increases from 94 cm, with definite overweight present when greater than 102 cm.

And if you don’t have a sewing tape measure handy, even a trusty steel tape will do the job (although a little more awkward).

Why It Matters

Obesity rates have tripled since 1975, and over 1.9 billion adults worldwide are now classified as overweight or obese (WHO, 2021). In Australia, two-thirds of adults fall into this category, which puts them at greater risk for metabolic syndrome—a serious condition linked to obesity and insulin resistance.

Metabolic syndrome isn’t just about the number on the scale. It’s a combination of factors, including:

  • Increased waist circumference (belly fat is key!).
  • Elevated blood pressure.
  • High triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol.

But here’s the good news: even a 5-10% reduction in body weight, sustained for a year, can significantly lower these risks. And it doesn’t require extreme diets, medications, or surgery.

A Solution That Works

That’s why I’m an big fan of the Metabolic Balance® Program  — a proven, personalised approach to long-term health.

Why?

  • It is tailored to You: Your plan is based on your unique blood parameters and health needs.
  • Only Real Food, Real Results: No powders, shakes, or prepackaged meals—just real, delicious food.
  • Truly Holistic Support: We’ll tackle lifestyle, stressors, and the right kind of exercise.
  • With Emotional Wellness: Break free from emotional roadblocks with gentle techniques that support lasting success.
  • Absolute Professional Guidance: You’ll have ongoing naturopathic support to keep you motivated and on track.

This isn’t about quick fixes or chasing perfection. It’s about re-educating your approach to food and creating habits that last a lifetime.

Ready to Take Control?

Your journey to better health starts with one step—and I’m here to help you every step of the way.

Uncover the Hidden Insights in Your Blood Test Results!

Uncover the Hidden Insights in Your Blood Test Results!

Let’s be honest—getting a blood test isn’t something most people look forward to. Some avoid it entirely, while others breeze through without a second thought. But one thing I hear often from clients is: “I don’t really understand what my results mean.”

Typically, blood test results are interpreted against “normal” ranges, designed to catch overt disease markers in the general population. This approach is crucial for identifying when something is significantly off and may require immediate medical attention.

But what if you’re told you’re “in range” even though you still feel off? What if you leave the clinic, results in hand, but with lingering health worries?

Here’s the secret: Your blood holds valuable information—golden clues to your well-being that go beyond simply being “normal.” By looking at your results from an optimal health perspective, we can unlock a unique story that considers patterns, relationships between markers, and your specific needs. This independent review reveals much more than what traditional reference ranges show.

Why Blood Tests Are Key to Your Health Journey

Your blood is packed with insight, extending beyond “healthy” or “sick.” It can guide every step of your wellness plan, from energy and immunity to metabolism and aging. Here’s a glimpse of what we can uncover:

  • Energy and Vitality: Low iron or B12 levels might be the hidden culprits behind fatigue and low motivation. Boosting these levels often leads to better energy, sharper focus, and an overall brighter mood.
  • Metabolic Health: Glucose and haemoglobin A1c levels reveal how your body processes energy. Higher levels can signal insulin resistance, a potential precursor to diabetes, and can impact weight management.
  • Cardiovascular Health: Your cholesterol profile—LDL (“bad”) and HDL (“good”) cholesterol—offers key insights. High LDL can lead to artery plaque buildup, while HDL helps clear it away, maintaining cardiovascular balance.
  • Immunity and Inflammation: Markers like CRP (C-reactive protein) reveal ongoing inflammation. This could stem from hidden infections, chronic stress, or even early signs of autoimmune issues.
  • Nutrient Deficiencies: Blood levels of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc are essential for daily function. Low vitamin D, for example, can weaken immune health and bone strength, while low magnesium affects sleep, mood, and muscle relaxation.

Beyond “Normal”: Your Unique Health Story

While standard ranges show averages, your body may have unique needs that require a closer look. I focus on finding “optimal” rather than just “normal” ranges—helping you feel your best, not just average.

Are you ready to go beyond the basics and truly understand what your blood test reveals? I’d love to help you decode your results and explore how small adjustments can lead to meaningful improvements.

Take that next step in your health journey!

Bethx

Metabolism – It’s more than Weight Loss

Metabolism – It’s more than Weight Loss

Do you really understand what Metabolism is?  Blamed for being fast, blamed for being slow.  Mostly it is referred to the weight that someone is.

Let’s give metabolism the respect that it deserves.  It is so much more, literally it is the entire running system of our body.  A crucial aspect of our overall health, affecting everything from energy levels to aging!

What is Metabolism?

It’s the process by which your body transforms the food you eat into the energy that powers everything, from your heartbeat to your thoughts. It is all about how our bodies create, use, and store energy. Then if there is excess energy, what does the body do with that?

When we consume more energy than our bodies need, through the food and drinks that we consume, that energy is stored for later use, often as fat. When we consistently eat and drink more high energy foods, that our body requires, then over time this can lead to weight gain and even difficulties in energy regulation. 

Energy Storage and Glucose Uptake
When our metabolism works optimally, food is consumed and digested, with the release of small sugars (glucose) into the blood stream.  When all is going well, cells can efficiently accept this glucose, which is critical for keeping energy levels steady. This the natural flow of food to diget

But when there’s a disruption – such as cells becoming less responsive to insulin – glucose can’t enter cells effectively. This often leads to elevated blood sugar levels and can progress to pre-diabetes. It’s a metabolic imbalance that can have serious health impacts.

Beyond Weight – Metabolism and Heart Health
Our metabolic health also affects our cardiovascular system. When glucose and fats aren’t metabolized efficiently, it can result in high blood sugar and elevated cholesterol, both of which increase the risk of cardiovascular issues. Poor metabolic function can lead to damage within blood vessels, stressing the heart and impacting circulation.

Metabolism and Aging
Impaired metabolism doesn’t only affect weight and energy; it impacts cellular health too. When cells don’t receive the energy they need, they may not perform as efficiently, leading to cellular damage. Over time, this damage can contribute to premature aging, both inside and out.

Why Metabolism Matters for Overall Health
Our metabolism is at the heart of how our bodies function. From managing energy to ensuring each cell performs well, metabolism is a vital component of lasting health and longevity. By focusing on metabolic health, we can support balanced energy, reduce the risk of chronic illness, and age gracefully.

Are you ready to explore how to boost your metabolism and support your body’s natural energy balance?

 

Book a Call here to see how I can help you.

Inspiring Wellness

 

Beth

 

What is a Naturopath?

What is a Naturopath?

What Is a Naturopath?

A naturopath is an allied healthcare professional trained to support the body’s own healing abilities using a blend of science and nature. While today’s naturopaths must earn a Bachelor’s degree to practice, I began my journey over 20 years ago, earning an Advanced Diploma in Natural Medicine, a Diploma in Traditional Homeopathy, and a Diploma in Herbal Medicine. These were the highest certifications at the time, and with experience, I have proudly attained ‘Grandfather’ status.

As qualified naturopaths, we join professional associations that monitor our Continuing Education Points (CPE) and allow access to Practitioner Only Products (POP). These products are therapeutic in nature and are often more potent than retail items, containing ingredients carefully formulated to make a biochemical impact. While some retail products are helpful, others may not be potent enough to drive change—or could even have quality issues. Just like a perfect cake needs the right ingredients in the right amounts, your health plan requires balance and precision.

Our Approach: Naturopathy is all about understanding the root causes of health issues rather than merely addressing symptoms. We aim to support each individual’s wellness through a combination of biochemistry, common sense, and natural therapies. Conventional medicine is fantastic when sickness has already set in. Natural medicine, however, shines in three main areas: prevention, support for medical diagnoses or treatments, and in some cases, as a standalone approach for those preferring a natural path.

Naturopathy looks at whole-person care—nutrition, lifestyle, mental well-being, and physical symptoms—to create a personalised plan for your optimal health.

How Do I Work?

We start by getting to know you and your unique health story. In an initial consultation of up to 90 minutes, we explore answers from a comprehensive questionnaire and dive into what’s really going on for you. Many clients come to me with unexplained symptoms, and our first visit is often an opportunity to gain clarity and provide explanations.

After this, I typically suggest evidence-based testing like blood tests, Microbiome analysis, Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), Organic Acids Test (OAT), or Gene Testing (3×4). These tests, combined with your symptoms, allow us to develop a precise and strategic plan.

As we move forward, I love to use food as the primary “medicine” and supplement with only high-quality, specific nutrients and herbs as needed.

How I Can Help You Feel Alive Again

Working with me means more than just treating symptoms or trying out random retail products. Instead, you’re taking informed steps toward true healing and vitality. Imagine feeling refreshed when you wake up, having more energy throughout the day, and knowing you’re making positive, lasting changes for your health.

Book a Call here to see how I can help you.

Inspiring Wellness

 

Beth

 

I’m not coeliac, should I not eat Gluten?

I’m not coeliac, should I not eat Gluten?

If you’ve read my blog on Gluten you will have learned that it is a type of Lectin.  A lectin, is an anti-nutrient, its job is to provide protection in and around a plant seed to stop them from being eaten by bugs or get a fungal growth.  As a protective agent and not a nutrient, they are predominately indigestible by us as the structure can’t be broken down by the enzymes we make for digestion.

Because of this, they can irritate the wall of the intestines and can influence our immune system, by getting through the cell wall by splitting the cells apart, termed leaky gut, or they can actually go through the cell to get to the immune system on the other side and set off a response.

It is this immune response that can trigger a cascade of tissue responses.  The Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) is the most researched and problematic.  The antibodies to wheat germ agglutinin can also bind with the skin, mouth, stomach, intestinal wall, colon, thyroid, cartilage, liver, pancreas, kidneys, prostate, muscle, heart, breast, eye and brain.

So you can start to understand that it doesn’t just affect the gut, but has systemic effects.

The most serious effect on the gut is Coeliac disease where the body has an auto-immune response to Gluten.

Then there is non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), where people experience symptoms similar to those of coeliac disease but instead of an auto-immune response, it is what is called innate immune response.  This is the first response the immune system has towards invaders, so when you eat gluten, it stimulates a leaky gut. This is where the joints that hold the cells together loosen and allow gaps for the gluten to cross the gut barrier and may instigate cross-reactivity on the other side of the gut lining.

Here’s where it’s important for those with Auto-Immunity, especially Hashimoto’s and those with Thyroid disorders.

In Hashimoto’s disease, you have antibodies to anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and these antibodies can be set off by eating foods that you think are unrelated to the thyroid. However, wheat germ agglutinin cross-reacts with the TPO antibodies!

‘Molecular mimicry’ is a term that is used when the way a molecule or pathogen that enters the body has a similar pattern of make up (amino acids) that already exists in the body with an antibody made to it. This may activate an antibody immune response towards both tissues, creating cross-reactivity.

In 2017, 210 foods were tested again thyroid hormones T3 and T4 for cross-reactivity and many were found to have this cross-reactivity see table below:

Table1.

So, if you know you are a coeliac, you have antibodies to gluten. These antibodies trigger inflammation in other tissues of the body including the thyroid, brain, joints, heart and neurotransmitters.

If you know you are NCGS, you may be reactive to Gluten.  By consuming, you may be activating the cross-reactivity and inflaming the thyroid hormones.

If you don’t think you have an issue with gluten, you may unknowingly have issues with WGA that stimulates TPO antibodies or have molecular Mimicry to T3 or T4 thyroid hormones.

I know all of this information can be overwhelming and confusing.  The good thing is, that there are simple solutions available and you don’t have to stress about how to remove gluten from your current eating because I have that all covered with my gut restoration and whole food nutrition methods, that are adapted for weight loss, hormone balancing or thyroid support.

If you’d like to know more about this or other topics, you are welcome to join my free membership on face book. Thyroid, Metabolic, Hormone Harmony Hub. 

I’d love to see you there

Inspiring Wellness

 

Beth

 

References:

Lambert J, Vojdani A (2017) Correlation of Tissue Antibodies and Food Immune Reactivity in Randomly Selected Patient Specimens. J Clin. Cell Immunol 8: 521. doi: 10.4172/2155-9899.1000521

Vojdani A, O’Brayn T, Kellermann GH. The Immunology of Gluten Senstivity Beyond the Intestinal Tract: Immunosciences Lab. Received October 16, 2007 – Accepted January 18, 2008 European Journal of Inflammation. Vol. 6, no. 2, 49-57 (2008) 

Killilea DW, McQueen R, Abegania JR. Wheat germ agglutinin is a biomarker of whole grain content in wheat flour and pasta. J Food Sci. 2020;85(3):808-815. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.15040

Vojdani A, Afar D, Vojdani E. Reaction of Lectin-Specific Antibody with Human Tissue: Possible Contributions to Autoimmunity. J Immunol Res. 2020;2020:1438957. Published 2020 Feb 11. doi:10.1155/2020/1438957

PreviMedica Group L.L.C., 2018 https://cellsciencesystems.com/pdfs/Lectins.pdf

Ballantyne, S 2013, The Paleo Approach, Victory Belt Publishing Inc, USA

Diagram

https://fabflour.co.uk/fab-flour/how-flour-is-milled/attachment/grain-anatomy/

Table 1 Recreated from:

Datis Kharrazian, Martha Herbert, Aristo Vojdani, “Immunological Reactivity Using Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies of Autoimmune Thyroid Target Sites with Dietary Proteins”, Journal of Thyroid Research, vol. 2017, Article ID 4354723, 13 pages, 2017.

 

What is Gluten and should it really be eaten?

What is Gluten and should it really be eaten?

When I went Gluten-free due to health issues over 25yrs ago, virtually food that replaced a gluten form had to be made from scratch with the result being usually quite a dry, crumbly mess. I remember the rice bread was like a solid block of concrete and was best toasted to reconstitute any sort of texture of toast because it really wasn’t very nice in its natural form.

These days, though, the aisles in supermarkets are lined with GF options, with restaurants and fast food outlets often catering for GF, some of course better than others.

While that is awesome that we have these alternatives readily available we still need to consider what ingredients are being used and as they are still heavily processed, I’d recommend that they are treated as a special occasion food.  

To begin to understand what Gluten is, I need to first explain what a lectin is.  If you have not heard of lectins, they are proteins that are found in grains and their job is to bind carbohydrates. 

These essentially are toxic, however, with modern agriculture, we grow and harvest crops of grains and turned their lectins into foods that are highly consumable and eaten many times in a day.  If you are not eating an animal or dairy protein, root, or leafy vegetable, you are most likely eating a lectin!

They are hard to digest and interact with your gut lining that is only one cell thick, causing damage not only directly to these cells but also influence the pulling apart of a healthy gut lining, and this is referred to as leaky gut.

Once these lectins go beyond that one cell wall lining, they cause havoc with our immune system, and can potentially flare autoimmunity.

A Lectin can be further classified into Grains, Legumes, and pseudo-grains. 

Table 1

To make it more confusing, Lectins are then further divided into prolamins or agglutinins.

Prolamins can also be called Glutenoids.  When you take a grain apart, there is the smaller portion, the germ, and the endosperm which is the larger, starchy, and protein part of the grain.  This is the food source for the germination and growing of a new seed. 

In the endosperm of the grain (the larger portion), the proteins are called prolamins, mainly because they are made up of proline amino acids.

Common prolamins include gliadin (wheat), hordein (barley), secalin (rye), avenin (oats), zein (corn), kafirin (sorghum), and orzenin (rice).

Our digestive system is not good at breaking down prolamins as they contain an inhibitor to protease, which is our enzyme that breaks down proteins, so they simply don’t want to be eaten!

They want to pass safely through your gut to make a new plant in some hearty fertiliser that you generously surrounding it when passing out the undigested grain.

While the main culprits are Gliadin in Wheat, Hordein in Barley and Secalin in Rye (especially for Coeliac), Avenin in Oats also may be an issue for the individual Coeliac, the behaviour of the other prolamins are very similar, so it is good to have an awareness about them and your consumption of them.

What about fruit seeds? Yes, they also have prolamins but because the seeds of fruit such as berries, banana, kiwi, cucumber, and zucchini (yes, they are fruit!) are small enough to ingest without chewing, they happily travel through your intestine in pursuit of finding fertilised ground in which to grow.

But if the seed is big enough to bite, you might consider removing it before consuming i.e. cucumber and zucchini seeds. 

Legumes also have prolamins and the main issue here is with the bean or seed, less so with the sprout. The legumes considered safe are rooibos tea, carob powder, and those that are normally eaten raw, being peas, green beans, snow peas, sugar snap peas, and runner beans.

As its name implies, agglutinin is a type of lectin and can cause red blood cells to clump together and become sticky. This is part of a seed’s external defense mechanism from fungi and insects.

It’s really interesting that these plants have the mechanisms so they don’t get eaten.  Genetically modified foods have added agglutinins to assist the crops to be more robust against insects, however, this makes them indigestible.

The most well-known agglutinin is wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). The germ is the part of the grain that houses all the nutrients needed to grow a new plant. It is usually removed during milling, with the WGA percentage used as a biomarker for how much a wheat product is whole grain.

WGA is difficult to break down in the gut and, as it travels through, it irritates the gut lining, setting off the leaky gut and aggravating the immune system.

Because agglutinins are stable at high temperatures, they need to be cooked for long periods of time and at high temperatures. Kidney beans, cannellini beans, common beans, and broad beans (fava beans) all need to be soaked and cooked really well. Peanuts and soybeans are also on the list of agglutinins.

Some sources say that agglutinin may not be deactivated by cooking which is why it is best avoided where there are autoimmunity and gut issues

Interestingly tomatoes are lectin-rich and therefore also stimulate the immune system via increasing leaky gut due to agglutinin.

If you cannot live without beans, soak these and other legumes in filtered water overnight for a minimum of 8 hours. Drain and rinse. Cook in fresh, filtered water at high heat: 100o C for at least 10 minutes or 95o C for 60 minutes. Slow cooking is not a good option due to the reduced temperatures of slow cooking. 

If you sprout your beans, it can reduce lectins by 59%. If fermenting, as in the case of tempeh, lectins can be reduced by up to 95%.

Lectins can be reduced in wheat products, such as pasta, by cooking and processing however it is best not to consume these at all.

I know all of this information can be overwhelming and confusing.  The good thing is, that there are simple solutions available and you don’t have to stress about how to remove gluten from your current eating habits, because I have that all covered with my gut restoration and whole food nutrition methods, that are adapted for weight loss, hormone balancing or thyroid support.

If you’d like to know more about this or other topics, you are welcome to join my free membership on face book. Thyroid, Metabolic, Hormone Harmony Hub. 

I’d love to see you there

Inspiring Wellness

 

Beth 

References:

Lambert J, Vojdani A (2017) Correlation of Tissue Antibodies and Food Immune Reactivity in Randomly Selected Patient Specimens. J Clin. Cell Immunol 8: 521. doi: 10.4172/2155-9899.1000521

Vojdani A, O’Brayn T, Kellermann GH. The Immunology of Gluten Senstivity Beyond the Intestinal Tract: Immunosciences Lab. Received October 16, 2007 – Accepted January 18, 2008 European Journal of Inflammation. Vol. 6, no. 2, 49-57 (2008) 

Killilea DW, McQueen R, Abegania JR. Wheat germ agglutinin is a biomarker of whole grain content in wheat flour and pasta. J Food Sci. 2020;85(3):808-815. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.15040

Vojdani A, Afar D, Vojdani E. Reaction of Lectin-Specific Antibody with Human Tissue: Possible Contributions to Autoimmunity. J Immunol Res. 2020;2020:1438957. Published 2020 Feb 11. doi:10.1155/2020/1438957

PreviMedica Group L.L.C., 2018 https://cellsciencesystems.com/pdfs/Lectins.pdf

Ballantyne, S 2013, The Paleo Approach, Victory Belt Publishing Inc, USA

Grain Diagram

https://fabflour.co.uk/fab-flour/how-flour-is-milled/attachment/grain-anatomy/

Table 1

https://www.longdom.org/open-access/correlation-of-tissue-antibodies-and-food-immune-reactivity-in-randomlyselected-patient-specimens-2155-9899-1000521.pdf

How well are you processing your Folate with MTHFR

How well are you processing your Folate with MTHFR

MTHFR is an acronym for an enzyme that changes the folate that you eat into an active form that you can use in your body.

How it gets more confusing is that the MTHFR gene and the enzyme have a very similar name! 

Simply put, the MTHFR gene makes the MTHFR enzyme. 

In more scientific language the gene, MTHFR (aka 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) gene makes the protein, MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) enzyme.

That’s a bit of a mouthful. So, it is MTHFR for short.

Simply, without this one major working efficiently you may not be able to Methylate properly.  Methylation is a big name for a simple transfer of one Carbon and 3 Hydrogen atoms that when donated and received starts a cascade of biochemical actions. 

This one gene has been highly researched and is very significant in many disorders and disease processes, including Thyroid function.  And we can see why when folate is needed for cell growth and repair and involved with DNA and RNA replication.

We all know that folate is imperative to start taking before and during pregnancy. This is because the folate is involved in making new cells and without it can cause Neural tube defects which are severe birth defects of the brain and spine of the newborn.

We can see in a diagram of a pathway that the folate takes to get from what is in your food, or supplements.  When you ingest it, it passes to the small intestine and is processed, almost like conveyor-like process and is altered by a number of enzymes. This process uses B2, B3, B6, B12, Vitamin C, Zinc and an acidic environment.

The basic outline looks like this:

Unfortunately, the synthetic form, Folic Acid, that is widely included in many processed foods and supplements block the natural folate from converting into the active, and much-needed form of 5-MTHF.

It is extremely common that the words folate and folic acid be used interchangeably without much thought as to their true meaning.

First of all Folate

  • Also called Vitamin B9
  • The natural form that you get from whole foods
  • Needed for DNA production and RNA repair
  • Needed for neurotransmitters and detoxification
  • Needed for formation of RBC, WBC and Platelets

Folic Acid

  • This is a synthetic form
  • Commonly used in supplements and added to foods – check bread and cereal labels
  • The enzyme that processes Folic acid works very slowly and can only process 150-200mcg per day
  • Folic Acid that is not processed is called Un-Metabolised Folic Acid (UMFA) which is of no value in the body

Then there is Folinic acid

  • This is supplement is also called 5-formyl tetrahydrofolate
  • Important for making DNA
  • In the body this is made using B6 and Magnesium
  • This still relies on being converted into the active folate form by MTHFR

And finally: 5-MTHF

  • Also known as Active Folate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 5- methyl THF, or methylfolate
  • This is produced at the end of the Folate pathway by the enzyme MTHFR
  • An important doner for Methyl groups for the Methylation Cycle

When you get your genes tested for MTHFR the results show that you are a carrier of one or two of the genes, C677T or the A1298C.

To understand what your results mean, I need to take you back a step or two and talk about genes and the basics of how they express in the body.

To make a gene you need two parts.  One is inherited from each parent to make a pair. When both parents give their child matching genes it is called Homozygous (Homo = Same). When each parent gives their child a different gene that is called Heterozygous (Hetero = Different).

A gene is made up of a Helix shape with pairs of nucleotides.  These pairs carry genetic information to make proteins and can be very on long strands of DNA.

It has been discovered that there are common mistakes in gene sequencing and these are called polymorphisms. Poly = many, and morphisms = forms.

One mistake is called a single nucleotide polymorphism, snp for short.

When making the MTHFR gene there has been recognised as many as 34 snps. Two main ones have been researched extensively and they cause consequences within the body.

These are:

MTHFR C677T

  • Sits at position 677 along the chain
  • It means a nucleotide base called Cytosine (C) is swapped out for Thymine(T)
  • When this gene uses this base code to make the enzyme it will switch the protein that is used from alanine to valine.

MTHFR A1298C

  • Sits at position 1298 along the chain
  • This means that a nucleotide called Adenine (A) is swapped out for a Cytosine (C)
  • When this gene uses this base code to make the enzyme it will switch the protein that is used from glutamate to Alanine.

So, What are your chances of having an MTHFR polymorphism?

There was a study in 2003, published where 7,130 newborns from 16 areas in the Americas, Europe, Russia, China, and Australia (NSW) were tested. Newborn babies were tested,d 500 of them from New South Wales.  7.5% were found to have two copies of the gene with 41% of the population were found to have 1 copy of the Gene.

MTHFR Gene Results Classification

Your personal results will tell you if you have the gene polymorphism. 

MTHFR C677T Heterozygous (one snp) = 40% loss of function

MTHFR C677T Homozygous (two snps) =  70% loss of function

MTHFR A1298C Heterozygous (one snp) = 20% loss of function (research not known)

MTHFR A1298C Homozygous (two snps) = 40% loss of function

MTHFR C677T & MTHFR A1298C heterozygous = compound heterozygous = 50% loss of function

If I have you curious now, yes, you can absolutely just test for MTHFR.  Your GP may run a test, and as far as I know, it is not covered by Medicare.

You can do this via blood or saliva, let me know if you would like to be tested and I will arrange this for you.

However, before you do, you may want to consider having more than one gene tested, because like anything it is just one tiny piece to a larger puzzle. You could be tested and find that you are low risk, however, other snps in the pathways may be an issue, so therefore your coping mechanisms may be just a low as if you were to have a homozygous snp.

There are a few companies that offer genetic testing, both online or through your health professional.

Then what do you do about your snps, besides learning to live with them and not against them is key. The most important thing you can do easily and straight up is eating as clean as possible supplying the body with natural nutrients, and then diving into other environmental factors that may be inhibiting the function of your genes that are expressing snp symptoms.

What kind of body are you living in?  If it is a hypothyroid, one, you will be slow functioning and perhaps auto-Immune.  Both conditions are affected by each other moment by moment.

The thyroid is trying its very best to keep the body regulated when it is being besieged by antibodies and the antibodies and the inflammatory cascade is like a run-away train because the body doesn’t have the resources to calm it down.

Let’s bring in a major player in both of these instances, and that is the gut.  I’d like you to take a moment and think about what you ate yesterday and how you woke up feeling today?  Were you alert and ready to leap out of bed and nail your day, or were you sluggish, a little sore and feeling ‘off, or worse, you hardly slept are very sore and in pain, and have to really push yourself to face another day?

I’m going to make the assumption that there that you are not jumping out of bed feeling awesome, because you wouldn’t be looking for sources, like mine to help you feel better.

Or, the second scenario (you are sluggish, a little sore, and feeling ‘off’) is typical of sluggish metabolism and potential auto-immune brewing or early stages of it, and the final scenario (very sore and in pain and have to really push yourself to face another day) is where that inflammatory cascade is most likely creating physical change and damaging as we speak.

These things don’t just happen overnight.  They take years, even decades to develop.  Thyroid antibodies can take 7 years to develop and show up in blood tests. 

Back to my question earlier, what did you eat yesterday?  Unfortunately, this is where it gets really tricky, because while yesterday’s food may not trigger your symptoms, (but maybe the most obvious) it’s the day before, or even the week before may have as well, so it makes working out which foods are activating your immune system really difficult and challenging.  

Then, what starts to happen we can start to eliminate foods in a desperate bid find that offending food.  I know how difficult this is, because when I had my bad flares of Psoriatic Arthritis, I did the same. Have you ever done that? Taking out healthy foods from your diet, becoming even more reactive to foods that once you could eat? You think that you are getting healthier, but instead, you feel like you are getting sicker and sicker, and you most likely are, as you are eliminating major sources of vitamins and minerals, to keep your body working.

So, what’s going on, on the inside?

Basically, the digestive tract is a big long tube from beginning to end.  That tube lining is like the skin covering your body but it’s on the inside, but it has different linings in each area.  For example, the stomach’s cells can handle the strong hydrochloric acid, that your hands could not, the small intestines are almost porous-like and are dynamic, and flexible to the foods that are floating past.

When you think about it, those tissues are exposed to the outside world, so not only do they have their methods of selectively nutrients to enter the body, they also have to have some protection.

Like think of them as being rows of gates, and then there is a guard to make sure the gates are being opened and closed to the people having a guard at the gate is your immune system.

The gut has an army of immune cells just hanging around on the inside wall of the digestive system, just keep watch and making sure nothing untoward is coming in.

So, you may have heard of ‘leaky gut’, this term is used quite freely and it is really bad if you have it. Well, we all do to a certain extent, the cells need to pull apart sometimes just to let some larger particles come through, like curcumin.  But we want it to close again once we have accepted that larger particle.

Unfortunately, by eating the wrong foods for a long time, we can inadvertently have allowed the connections of the cells to become weak.  Then what happens is normal good food can escape into where the immune system is and be seen as baddies and we have an immune attack.

When this happens for long enough, we can trigger an auto-immune response in our body because normal tissue is mistaken for problems.  The most common food trigger is gluten for Hashimotos.

Rheumatoid and other autoimmune diseases can be flared or activated by the imbalance of the gut being constantly activated by food – and in many cases it can still be good food, which is really unfortunate because then we start missing out on essential nutrients we need to operate our body and that’s when our friend cortisol begins to take over and our body starts living in a stress response, our blood sugars become unbalanced, we are tired, feeling low, unmotivated, sore, and over time, become more anxious and susceptible to the hits of life.

The first thing is to begin putting healthy food into the system.  Of course, eliminate the trouble foods that you know aren’t working for you, but then work on the gut.  Because it is not the food, it is the environment.  Long-term restoration is key, if you have an auto-immune issue, while a probiotic will help, it’s not going to change your gut microbiome and calm down that inflammation to the extent that you need it to.

There are so many gut irregularities to go into, there are certainly some good gut support nutrients, but I have seen over and over, that eating a nutrition plan that is matched to your body through your own blood has amazing outcomes.  Then backing that up with supporting the gut helps regulate and calm the immune system at the front line so to speak.

If you’d like to know more about this or other topics, you are welcome to join my free membership on face book. Thyroid, Metabolic, Hormone Harmony Hub. 

I’d love to see you there

Inspiring Wellness

 

Beth  

 

References

[1]Benjamin Lynch ND, Folate Metabolism and MTHFR: Introductory Overview of an Essential Gene

https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Genetic-Code

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158212000174

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK6561/

Leclerc D, Sibani S, Rozen R. Molecular Biology of Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) and Overview of Mutations/Polymorphisms. In: Madame Curie Bioscience Database [Internet]. Austin (TX): Landes Bioscience; 2000-2013

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6021155/

Nefic H, Mackic-Djurovic M, Eminovic I. The Frequency of the 677C>T and 1298A>C Polymorphisms in the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) Gene in the Population. Med Arch. 2018;72(3):164-169. doi:10.5455/medarh.2018.72.164-169

Gut health in Hypothyroid and Auto-Immunity

Gut health in Hypothyroid and Auto-Immunity

What kind of body are you living in?  If it is a hypothyroid one, you will be slow functioning and perhaps auto-Immune.  Both conditions are affected by each other moment by moment.

The thyroid is trying its very best to keep the body regulated when it is being besieged by antibodies and the antibodies and the inflammatory cascade is like a run-away train because the body doesn’t have the resources to calm it down.

Let’s bring in a major player in both of these instances, and that is the gut.  I’d like you to take a moment and think about what you ate yesterday and how you woke up feeling today?  Were you alert and ready to leap out of bed and nail your day, or were you sluggish, a little sore and feeling ‘off’, or worse, you hardly slept are very sore and in pain, and have to really push yourself to face another day?

I’m going to make the assumption that there that you are not jumping out of bed feeling awesome, because you wouldn’t be looking for resources, like mine to help you feel better.

Or, the second scenario (you are sluggish, a little sore, and feeling ‘off’) is typical of sluggish metabolism and potential auto-immune brewing or early stages of it, and the final scenario (very sore and in pain and have to really push yourself to face another day) is where that inflammatory cascade is most likely creating physical change and damaging as we speak.

These things don’t just happen overnight.  They take years, even decades to develop.  Thyroid antibodies can take 7 years to develop and show up in blood tests. 

Back to my question earlier, what did you eat yesterday?  Unfortunately, this is where it gets really tricky, because while yesterday’s food may not trigger your symptoms, (but maybe the most obvious) it’s the day before, or even the week before may have as well, so it makes working out which foods are activating your immune system really difficult and challenging.  

Then, what starts to happen we can start to eliminate foods in a desperate bid to find that offending food.  I know how difficult this is because when I had my bad flares of Psoriatic Arthritis, I did the same. Have you ever done that? Taking out healthy foods from your diet, becoming even more reactive to foods that once you could eat? You think that you are getting healthier, but instead, you feel like you are getting sicker and sicker, and you most likely are, as you are eliminating major sources of vitamins and minerals, to keep your body working.

So, what’s going on the inside?

Simply, the digestive tract is a big long tube from beginning to end.  That tube lining is similar to the skin covering your body but it’s on the inside, and it is made from different types of cells in each zone.  For example, the stomach’s cells can handle the strong hydrochloric acid, that your hands could not and the small intestines are almost porous-like and dynamic, and flexible to be able to move and absorb the digested food particles floating past.

When you think about it, those tissues are exposed to the outside world, so not only do they have their methods of selectively absorbing nutrients to enter the body, they also have to have some protection.

If you think of them as being rows of gates, with the guard behind the gate to make sure access via the gates is being opened and closed to the right nutrients.  Having a guard at the gate is your immune system.

The gut has an army of immune cells just hanging around on the inside wall of the digestive system, just keep watch and making sure nothing untoward is coming in.

So, you may have heard of ‘leaky gut’, this term is used quite freely and coined ‘really bad’ if you have it. Well, we all do to a certain extent, the cells need to pull apart sometimes just to let some larger particles come through, like curcumin.  But we want it to close again once we have accepted that larger particle.

Unfortunately, by eating the wrong foods for a long time, we can inadvertently have allowed the connections of the cells to become weak.  Consequently, normal good food can escape into where the immune system is and be seen as ‘baddies’ and we have an immune attack quickly on our hands.

When this happens for long enough, we can trigger an auto-immune response in our body because normal tissue is mistaken for problems.  The most common food trigger is gluten for Hashimotos.

Rheumatoid and other autoimmune diseases can be flared or activated by the imbalance of the gut being constantly activated by food – and in many cases it can still be good food, which is really unfortunate because then we start eliminating these items, and soon we are missing out on essential nutrients we need to operate our body.  Before long our friend cortisol begins to take over the driving force of our body and be begin to live in the stress response, our blood sugars become unbalanced, we are tired, feeling low, unmotivated, sore, and over time, become more anxious and susceptible to the hits of life.

Ideally, to get out of the pattern of inflammation, the first thing is to put healthy food into the system.  Of course, eliminate the troublesome foods that you know aren’t working for you, but then work on the gut.  Because it is not the food, it is the environment. 

Long-term restoration is key, if you have an auto-immune issue, while a probiotic will help, it’s not going to change your gut microbiome long term and calm down that inflammation to the extent that you need it to. Certainly not if you keep inflaming the environment with food that is not conducive to your health.

There are so many gut irregularities to go into, along with awesome gut support nutrients, but I have seen over and over, that eating a nutrition plan that is matched to your body through your own blood has amazing outcomes.  Then backing that up with supporting the gut helps regulate and calm the immune system at the front line so to speak.

If you’d like to know more, you are welcome to join my free membership on facebook. Thyroid, Metabolic, Hormone Harmony Hub. 

I’d love to see you there

Inspiring Wellness

Beth 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its never too late to work on Muscle Mass

Its never too late to work on Muscle Mass

Muscle maintenance is so important as we age. The alarming thing is, we actually start to lose muscle mass from our mid-twenties, and in total, we lose about 25 – 40%  of what we were at our peak, and then it just gets faster after 60yrs.  So, it is imperative that we know what to do about it right now!

To begin I want you to think about how active you are in terms of moving your muscles and how much resistance type of workout you get daily.  When we exercise and how we exercise – and when I say this –  I am talking about exercise as the movement of the body – like vacuuming, cleaning, going up and down the stairs etc.   What you may not know is that there are 3 types of muscle fibres that use various different pathways for their energy source, so you need to have a variety of exercise to utilise all of these different types. Some are good for long walking or marathon running, others for short and fast movement, like sprinting and then the mixed type which is kinda in between.

The thing about muscle is, and you may have even said this yourself, if you don’t use it, you lose it? That is so true.  Because building and breaking down muscle happens at the same time.  Can you remember a time that you weren’t moving as much as you normally do? – you may have been sick and in bed, a lot,  or on holidays and you weren’t doing as much exercise as you normally do – more sitting, eating and drinking and flexing this muscle. You may actually feel more ‘flabby’ or not strong after and this what is called muscle catabolism.

So to build muscle you actually have to have more of the building up going on, than the breaking down of muscle.  This means we want ‘net’ balance is more for building.  So as this balancing act is happening all the time, how do we push it more to the building side?

Okay, so we need to eat protein to build muscle right. Proteins are made up of Amino Acids, of which some are essential so we have to eat these to get them into our body. One of these is called Leucine it can activate the building of our muscle all on its own.  Amazing right. Other Amino Acids can help stimulate making muscle as well as something called Insulin Growth factor, but Leucine has its own little trigger system. So what’s important here is 1. We have to eat this to get it and 2. It has its own special pathway, so I’m thinking this is kinda important.

What we want is about 3gms of Leucine per meal to turn on muscle building.  And no, you don’t have to go out and buy a specific supplement, but you may see it in muscle-building protein powders. 

You want a target amount of 3 g of leucine combined with 25-30 grams of protein, each meal, 3 times a day is recommended.

So where to get it?  Well, you can find Leucine is most animal protein at reasonably high levels. So, all you have to do is eat it.  These foods are particularly high in Leucine, beef, chicken, pork, tuna, salmon, sardines, eggs and feta, and cashew nuts give good high amounts from their 15 – 20gm of protein per gram. 

And the perfect timing to eat for maximum muscle building is close as possible after a workout.  So say if you have an early morning walk, or go to the gym before breakfast ensure it has a good source of protein, likewise after work, going for a workout and then having dinner.

For healthy aging, if you eat 3 high-quality protein meals per day, it provides all the amino acids you need to increase muscle mass by about 25% over 24 hours, which is pretty cool.

So, it’s all about maintenance as we age, and addressing our susceptibility to muscle breakdown.  If you eat three balanced meals a day, in particular, a selection of high-quality proteins to ensure adequate leucine contents you will benefit in the long run. 

Building muscle is greatest when combined with exercise, particularly ingestion of leucine-based protein as close as possible to completing the exercise.

Now if you are confused about what to eat, and the best options for you, I can certainly help you out there with a whole food nutrition plan, designed by your blood values.  How incredible is that?  The guessing stops there, as you have your own meal plan and types of protein to eat, it makes muscle building easy. 

If you’d like to know more, you are welcome to join my free membership on facebook. Thyroid, Metabolic, Hormone Harmony Hub. 

I’d love to see you there

Inspiring Wellness

Beth