Oil pulling - the Naturopath's new black.

Just like everyone else, naturopaths have fads that come up every now and then. It could be a new piece of research, a vitamin deficiency trend, or a new superfood. In my group of naturopath friends, a new trend has been gaining in popularity and so I thought I should share this amazing health gospel so its not just for naturopaths!

So what is oil pulling?

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) ritual, which was introduced to the western world in the early 90s. It involves keeping a spoonful of oil in your mouth then swishing and 'pulling' it between your teeth for 20 minutes. This action provides a powerful detoxifying and cleansing effect for our mouths.

Our mouth is a large city of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other toxins. Candida albicans and Streptococcus are well known residents to this land. These products and their toxic waste by-products are known to cause gum disease, tooth decay and can also contribute to other health conditions such as arthritis and heart disease. By doing a 20 minute oil pulling each day, you are removing these harmful products from the mouth.

According to Bruce Fife, naturopath and author of Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing, the health benefits of oil pulling include:

• Brighter, whiter teeth
• Healthier gums
• Prevents bad breath
• Increased energy
• Clearer mind
• Decreased headaches
• Clearer sinuses
• Alleviated allergies
• Better sleep
• Clearer skin
• Regulated menstrual cycles
• Improved lymphatic system
• Improved PMS symptoms

Such a simple, easy and cheap method to help your health, who would have thought it?

How to oil pull

Oil pulling is best done first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach.

Spoon a tablespoon of organic, cold-pressed vegetable oil (I found coconut oil is best - olive oil goes very bitter) into your mouth and swish it around for 20 minutes, then spit it out. While swishing your oil you do some some jobs around the house - have a shower, clean up, make breakfast, water the garden... you don't need to sit there and watch the clock tick by! In fact, I've written half of this blog while oil pulling!

Never swallow the oil, as it is full of toxins and rinse your mouth out afterwards.

20 minutes can be a very long time for first time pullers, so just go as long as you can. Some people who have a strong gag reflex may need to be spit earlier, but please stick with it... its so easy to do to improve your health!

My personal oil pulling experience

I'm still a newbie to this, but I really like it. My first attempt with olive oil only lasted 5 minutes, as the bitterness of the oil was putting me off and it feels very odd to be swishing a thick liquid in your mouth. With my second pulling experience I used coconut oil and lasted 17 minutes before my gag reflex came in. I have to say, my mouth feels amazing - so clean and my teeth have that 'just brushed' feeling. Hello new morning ritual!

Are your oil pullings showing?

Don't knock it until you try it - I urge to give it a go, even if its just once!

The Glycemic Index & Load... Whats its all about?

For us in the southern hemisphere, Summer is approaching soon woop woop! This means lots of fun out in the sun and for some of us, shedding the winter kilos and getting our bodies back to looking toned and beach fab!

Without needing to result to fad diets or weight loss products, there are easy changes you can make to your every day life which will make you a healthier, happier person! 

One of these changes is choosing low glycemic index/load foods.

You may have heard ads on TV talk about their low GI range, but don't really understand what its all about. No dramas, Laura the Naturopath is here to answer those questions for you!

So tell me... What is the Glycemic Index (GI)?

The concept of the glycemic index (GI) is defined as the increase in blood glucose levels caused by foods during a 2 hour consumption after consumption. Each food is given a score where the higher the score, the higher the blood glucose levels have peaked.

Research suggests that elevated blood glucose levels can lead to the development of diseases, such as Diabetes Mellitus type 2, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol levels and obesity. Imagine if all the people with these conditions changed their diet choices... the results would be amazing and leave some doctors out of a job!

What is high GI and low GI?

High GI foods cause a rapid rise in our blood glucose levels, giving you a big energy hit, however this is followed by a quick fall in blood glucose, leaving you even more tired than earlier.

Low GI foods cause a slower and more extended rise, and then decreases more gradually, giving you more energy for longer.

It is recommended to consume low GI foods, as you lower your consumption of unnecessary food and feel fuller for longer!

55 or less: Low GI food

56-69: Medium GI food

70 or greater: High GI food

So, wait... What is the Glycemic Load (GL)?

Many people discuss a low GI diet, but a low GL diet is only now becoming more known. To calculate its GI, each food was given a defined weight of 50g. In reality, we may consume more or less of this amount. The glycemic load equals the glycemic index times the grams of carbohydrates present in each serving of food.

10 or less: Low GL food

11-19: Medium GL food

20 or greater: High GL food

This means a food, such as watermelon has a GI rating of 103, but each serve has a GL of 4.

Watermelon shark: high GI, low GL, 100% awesome looking.

Why do some of the same foods peak at different values?

Some foods are processed differently than others and contain varied amounts of carbohydrates from those made by other companies. It has been found that even the temperature of foods can alter its glycemic index/load.

Tasty low GI / GL meal ideas!

Why not try...

Breakfast:

o    Porridge with crushed nuts and apple or berries

o    Hommus (chickpea paste) on wholegrain toast

Lunch:

o    Rye sandwich with roast turkey breast and salads

o    Fresh lentil soup

Dinner:

o    Grilled salmon with stir-fried vegetables (carrot, capsicum, onion, broccoli) and rice noodles

o    Wholegrain pasta with homemade Bolognese (beef and vegetables)

Snacks:

o   Trail mix of raw almonds, raw cashews, sultanas, dried apples,  dried apricots and goji berries

o   Popcorn cooked in the saucepan – tastes better than microwave popcorn and is a LOT healthier - stay tuned for a blog on this!

o   Hommus dip with carrot and celery sticks, or wholegrain crackers

o   Fresh pieces of fruit

A Word of Warning...

The GI scale does not take into account preservatives, refined products, pesticides or any other nasty stuff that has been added to foods in processing. So if you see a packet of biscuits which claim they are low GI, use your common sense still - check the ingredients. If the majority are numbers or words you have never heard of, put the packet back on the shelf and move on! They may be low GI, but the other ingrredients could make it detrimental to your health!

This all makes sense... so how do I know what are the GI / GL levels of foods?

I've done all the hard work for you already! The link below is a handout which lists many common foods and both their GI and GL rating, plus some simple ways to swap from high GI/GL products to low ones.

Low GI / GL Food Handout 

You are most welcome! :)

Caffeine Facts!

How many of us start our day with a cup of coffee or tea, or we hear that person in the office say “I just don’t function until I have my morning coffee”? Time to learn more about that required caffeine hit!

a little bit about caffeine...

Caffeine is a naturally occurring chemical substance which affects our central nervous system by temporarily warding off drowsiness and makes us alert. I think this comic by The Oatmeal Comics sums up what caffeine does in our bodies really well:

Caffeine is naturally found in coffee, black tea, green tea, chocolate, yerba mate, guarana berries and foods derived from the kola nut (such as cola). It is added to energy drinks to help give the buzz. The effect usually occurs within an hour of consumption and a moderate dose wears off in about 5 hours.

Benefits of Caffeine

Caffeine is not only a stimulant, it also has other effects in the body. Do you find that soon after your caffeine hit you need to go to the toilet? Its not a coincidence. Caffeine is a natual diuretic, meaning your urinary output is increased. Caffeine also is a mild laxative, so can be beneficial to those with constipation. Caffeine is also a bronchodilator – it dilates the bronchi and bronchioles, thereby increasing the airflow to the lungs. If someone is suffering from asthma, or difficulty breathing. Be a MacGuyver and give them a cup of strong coffee! (Note, ask them if they have any caffeine sensitivities first!)

Health risks of Caffeine

Caffeine can disrupt natural sleep patterns, especially if its consumed in the evening. While not all people are affected by this, in some in can cause insomnia. Caffeine affects liver detoxification by speeding up your 1^st liver conveyor belt (don’t know what I’m talking about? Read this blog entry.). This can have detrimental toxic effects.

Once people get used to having coffee regularly, they can develop a dependency for it, which can lead to symptoms including headaches, irritability, nervousness, restlessness, heart palpitations after use. When your body consumes high levels, you may get anxiety and coffee jitters from over excitation of your nerves.

If you want to withdrawal from caffeine, you may experience headaches, irritability, nervousness, joint stiffness, anxiousness which begin to show in the 1^st 12 to 24 hours, peaks at 48 hours, then continues for 2-9 days.

Like anything in life, moderation is the key. A coffee or green tea now and then should cause no major disruptions to your health (unless you fit into the categories below), but if you live off the energy drinks, then be prepared to be at risk. I went to uni with a guy who used to drink Red Eye energy drinks all the time and one day I saw him drinking Red Bull Essence. He was sweating in the middle of Winter. That was 10 years ago. I would love to know how he is today!

Avoid if...

Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, insomnia, peptic ulcers or a sensitivity to caffeine should avoid caffeine products. Some religions, including Seventh Day Adventists, Christian Scientists and Gaudiya Vaishnavas refrain from caffeine.

How much caffeine is in things?

This table shows caffeine amounts in mg, based on the USDA Nutrient Database.

Product	Serving size	Caffeine per serving (mg)
Caffeine tablet (extra-strength)	1 tablet	200
Caffeine tablet (regular-strength)	1 tablet	100
Coca-Cola Classic	355 mL	34
Coffee, decaffeinated	207 mL	5–15
Coffee, espresso	44–60 mL	100
Coffee, instant	1 tsp	31
Drip coffee	207 mL	115–175
Guaraná Antarctica	350 mL	30
Guayakí yerba mate(loose leaf)	6 g	85
Hershey's Milk Chocolate(11% cacao content)	1 bar	10
Hershey's Special Dark(45% cacao content)	1 bar	31
Jolt Cola	695 mL	280
Mountain Dew	355 mL	54
Percolated coffee	207 mL	80–135
Red Bull	250 mL	80
Tea – black, green, and other types, – steeped for 3 min	177 mL	22-74

Caffeine amounts vary for different foods, so these figures are not finite. Tea and coffee caffeine amounts can vary based upon growing conditions. If you are concerned, check the labels!

So how much is too much to consume each day? It varies from person to person, but most places I researched said the ballpark guideline is no more than 600mg daily to avoid major health risks.

Guidelines state that pregnant and breastfeeding women should have no more than 200mg daily, as higher doses are connected with low birth weights and even miscarriage. Anything you ingest also affects your baby – caffeine can affect your babies heart rate (if pregnant) and can be passed through breast milk (when lactating). There are great caffeine-free beverages available if you wish to avoid coffee and black tea altogether – see below for more details.

A fatal dose of caffeine is 170mg/kg, which is like consuming 80 to 100 cups of coffee at once. Perhaps you don’t need a caffeine hit THAT much!

Decaffeinated coffee?

Many times have I gone into a cafe and the person in front of me has asked for a skinny decaff, or I go into the supermarket and there are jars of decaffeinated coffee sitting on the shelf next to the instant. Coffee naturally contains caffeine, so how do they get the caffeine out of it??

After doing some research, I found there are several methods on decaffeination:

• Swiss Water and French Water extraction: uses no chemical solvents. This involves soaking the beans in hot water, then spraying the beans with the water to reduce flavour-loss compromisation.
• PROS: No harmful chemicals used in process.
• CONS: Flavour of beans may be lost.
• Solvent extraction: uses methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, ethyl alcohol, acetone and ethyl ether to extract the caffeine. This may done directly after the water extraction methods, or involves direct solvent extraction.
• PROS: Full-flavour of beans is maintained.
• CONS: Harmful chemicals are used in this process. Methylene chloride has been found not to be carcinogenic to humans, but can deplete the ozone layer.
• Super critical carbon dioxide extraction: high-pressure carbon dioxide is transformed into a dense liquid, in which the beans are treated with to extract the caffeine.
• PROS: This does not involve dangerous chemicals and there is no flavour lost in this process.
• CONS: Found to be very capital intensive
• Microbial decaffeination: Bacteria is sprayed onto coffee plants and is capable of degrading caffeine
• PROS: No caffeine processes warranted, flavour of beans remains
• CONS: Enzymes in bacteria to degrade caffeine are not stable
• Genetic modification: some companies have derived methods capable of producing decaffeinated plants.
• PROS: No caffeine processes warranted, flavour of beans remains
• CONS: The plants use caffeine as a defence against predators (thus making the plant weaker) and decaffeinated plant seeds may prevent growth of neighbouring plants. Unknown long term effects of genetically modified foods.

Annoyingly, when looking at jars of instant coffee, the caffeine extraction method is not listed. So how do we know what we’re consuming? We don’t. Companies that mass produce their decaffeinated coffee are more likely to use a cheaper method which may involve chemical extraction.

Caffeine free alternatives!

Yes, you can still go to the local cafe and not have caffeine! What are the options?

• Roasted dandelion root tea – tastes similar to coffee, but without the caffeine
• Herbal teas – chamomile, lemongrass & ginger, cinnamon, peppermint, licorice – all are popular teas found at  most cafes which are a sweet alternative!
• Rooibos tea is Afrikaan for “red bush” and is popular in South Africa. It is starting to get more fame here. Tastes similar to black tea and comes in many flavours.
• Fresh juices – a natural energy hit with a freshly made juice. Apple, orange, carrot, celery, ginger, beetroot, pineapple, mint, lemon, watermelon... the choice is yours on what you put in.

Don't take from this blog that I am anti-caffeine. Far from it! Like most people, I enjoy the aroma, taste and buzz from a good coffee. But like I said earlier, moderation is the key. Knowledge is powerful and this blog is about education, not reprimand. Be aware of what you are putting in your body and take care of it.

Another perk of a caffeine hit - amazing coffee art!

Comic is copyright to The Oatmeal Comics.

Detoxification... whats it all about?

From two completely different sources I heard about two articles which were both talking about the hoax of detoxing people and how the products are just a marketing gimmick. I think its time I put some facts straight for everyone on what detoxification is, as it is something talked about by many naturopaths and health practitioners.

The detoxification (extremely) simplified...

Detoxification is the process of removing toxins from the body which are harmful to help our bodies to function properly. This is done via the kidneys and the liver, but mainly the liver.

Picture our bodies detoxification processes like a conveyor belt. Items go onto the conveyor belt, then go along the production line and then at the end come out all packaged up and ready to be metabolised & used in the body, or disposed of via the bladder or intestines.

The liver consists of 2 conveyor belts, both performing different parts to detoxification. Both conveyor belts require different nutrients to work properly. Some nutrients speed up the processing, some slow it down. Unfortunately if the first one is moving too fast, the 2^nd one will have a back up of toxins to process, which can make people sick. I drew a picture to help explain this...

When would I need to detox?

When a body is overly ‘toxic’, certain signs and symptoms may be a result*, including:

•  Nervous System symptoms: depression, fatigue, mood changes, poor concentration, headaches with nausea
• Immune Dysfunction: allergies, asthma, eczema, sinusitis, hayfever, food sensitivities, fibromyalgia, recurrent viral, fungal or bacterial infections.
•  Digestive Problems: Indigestion, reflux, gallstones, intolerance to fatty foods, intolerance to alcohol, bloating, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome
• Blood sugar irregularities: sugar cravings, hypoglycaemia
• Hormonal imbalances: PMS, increased side effects to the OCP or HRT.
• Other symptoms: bad breath, itchy skin, dark circles under the eyes, excessive/offensive sweating, pale skin.

*This is not to say that the reasons for these symptoms are 100% result of a toxic liver, however it may be a contributor! 

You want both your conveyor belts working at optimum speed to ensure everything is getting processed and packaged quickly.

Anything we ingest or breathe in must go through the liver to be cleaned. Unfortunately, if we take in too many bad things (the toxins), our liver and kidneys can be overloaded.

So what are are toxins?

• Food additives, such as preservatives, colours, artificial flavours, flavour enhancers, added hormones, fatty foods
• Medications
• Environmental exposures, such as pesticides, petro-chemicals, heavy metals, gas clouds
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Stimulants, such as caffeine

If people are suffering from kidney or liver damage, this may also affect the way their body can remove toxins. This is why kidney patients require dialysis.

So what are these articles talking about??

These articles start by telling us about detoxification. Our bodies remove toxins from the body through the kidney and liver. They say that these organs are all the body needs to detox. In the perfect world, absolutely! In the perfect world, we all live off the land and eat healthy, nutritious foods and there is no pollution and there is clean water and everyone is healthy all the time. Guess what? We don’t live in the perfect world. We are exposed to toxins every day and the number of them is growing. Our bodies are not evolved to deal with this number of toxins!

The next point that the article raises is what are these toxins and no one can explain what they are... I think I covered that one! They then discuss the marketing ploys currently around. With this point I agree with them, to an extent. There are many products available which people can buy off the shelf, such as 48 hour Detox, or 7 day Detox and this is meant to make everything good. Do you really believe that years of exposure and intake of toxins can all be repaired over a 48 hour period? Hmmm, no. There is no quick magic bullet fix to all this and some of these supplements may be doing you more harm than good when self prescribed.

Surely the fact that Kim Kardashian is the spokesperson says something to you about this product!

Healing your body should be worked on every level – you should not simply take a pill then expect everything to fix up. Your exposure to toxins should be observed and reduced where possible. There are supplements which can assist in providing the right nutrients to get the conveyor belts working properly, however these should be provided by a health care professional and should not be self prescribed. Any detoxification program should go for at least 1 month and should be accompanied with a healthy fresh diet and plenty of water. There are detox diets available, but be careful – some of them may not be suitable for your current health situation.

I did a gentle detox with my husband last year for a month and it changed my lifestyle a lot. Read my blog here for the detox guidelines, some recipes and our experiences: http://detoxober.blogspot.com.au/

We are going to be exposed to chemicals no matter what. Using common sense and living healthy can reduce your exposure and keep your liver happy!

-Laura x