womens health Archives - Page 6 of 7 - Glenville Nutrition Clinic

A Beginner’s Brain Breakdown

woman looking down to the title of beggings brain breakdown in purple box with a colourful brain painting behind her head

The terms dementia and Alzheimer’s are often used interchangeably but dementia is actually an umbrella term for up to 100 different types of disease, of which Alzheimer’ is just one of them. What’s more, a person can suffer from more than one form of dementia at any one time and that’s because our brain – though all connected – has different parts which all serve different functions.

The type of dementia a person suffers from depends upon which brain function has become impaired – that is, which part of the brain has become diseased. You can start to spot early signs of dementia or disease by identifying the impairments. The main parts of the brain and their functions are:

The Brain Stem

At the base of the brain, this area controls your automatic body functions such as heartbeat and breathing.

The Cerebellum

Is responsible for your balance and posture

The Limbic System

Lies deep inside the brain, includes the hippocampus (the key to your memory) and the amygdala (which plays a role in your emotional health)

The Cerebrum

Compromises the cerebral hemispheres that make up three quarters of the whole brain. The cerebrum is responsible for consciousness, memory, reasoning, language, and social skills. The left cerebral hemisphere is responsible for language; while the right governs our understanding of where we are in relation to the things around us.

The Cortex

Is a thin layer of grey matter covering the cerebrum and containing billions of brain cells. Beneath the grey matter of the cortex is white matter, which is made up of bundles of nerve fibres. These fibres transport nerve signals between parts of the cortex and from the cortex to other parts of the brain.

The Lobes

Which are located in the cerebrum. There are four lobes in each cerebral hemisphere (right and left) with each one having its own vital role to play, as well as working in conjunction with the other lobes:

The Occipital Lobe – at the back of the brain deals with visual information

The Parietal Lobe – in the upper rear part of the cerebrum, handles information from your other senses and enables you to know how to pick up a fork to eat with, or to put one leg in front of the other to walk. You use your left parietal lobe to read, write and process numbers while your right parietal lobe helps you recognise objects as being three-dimensional.

The Temporal Lobe – on either side of your brain (near your temples), these are themselves divided into sections that govern different brain functions including the hippocampus (crucial for forming new memories) which lies inside the temporal lobes, as well as the outer part of the temporal lobe which is where you store your general knowledge or semantic memory. Again, within the semantic memory, the different sides of the brain (left and right) have different functions. The left side stores facts, word meanings and names of objects while the right stores the visual memories that help you recognise familiar faces and objects.

The Frontal Lobe – forms the large and complex management centre of your brain, helping you to solve problems and make decisions. You use this management centre to follow the steps of a familiar task as well as it helping to keep you focused to complete the task, learn a new one or develop complex skills until they become automatic – like learning to drive.

The reason it’s important to recognise the different areas of the brain, especially when it comes to dementia, is you can notice when something is not quite right with a particular function; for example, if your memory is not what it used to be or if you are feeling more reluctant to engage with life or socialising.

Frontotemporal dementia is the second most common cause of dementia in the under 65’s, but less common in older people. This is caused when abnormal proteins prevent the brain cells from communicating with each other as they should. One-third of cases are thought to be genetic. Symptoms may include personality changes, repetitive behaviour, changes in appetite and difficulties with decision making, problem-solving and concentration.
This form of dementia may be confused with depression, psychosis, or obsessive-compulsive behaviour.

As a nutrition clinic, the aspect of self-care in preventing dementia we are most interested in is, of course, diet – and we believe that what you eat can have a huge impact on the health of your brain.

Phytonutrients – And Their Importance For Hormone Health

sources of phytonutrients like grapes, blueberries, kidney beans and broccoli

Phytoestrogens (phyto meaning ‘plant’) are substances that occur naturally in foods and they have a very interesting effect on our hormones.

Calling them phytoestrogens would imply that we are adding yet more oestrogen into our bodies, but these plant oestrogens work in a special way. They have been shown to have a balancing effect on hormones.
A study recently showed that eating soya increased oestrogen levels when they were low and reduced them when they were high. This could explain why soya beans can reduce hot flushes for women going through the menopause (when it is believed that we have an oestrogen deficiency) and reduce the incidence of breast cancer (which is often due to an excess of oestrogen).

Because these foods have a controlling effect on oestrogen, it is important to include them in your diet – particularly when you are suffering from a condition that is sensitive to excess oestrogen; such as fibroids and endometriosis.
Research has also shown that phytoestrogens can help to produce lighter periods, and to lengthen women’s cycles that are too short.

soy beans which are strong phytonutrients

Phytoestrogens also have other positive benefits. Soya beans have been found to contain at least 5 compounds believed to inhibit cancer. The major research has focused on breast cancer because Japanese women only have one-sixth the rate of breast cancer that we have.
It also appears that when Japanese women move to the West, their rate rises to that of the Western woman.

As well as these benefits on the hormones, phytoestrogens also have a positive effect on your cardiovascular health. Studies have shown that soya can lower the level of cholesterol and specially the ‘bad’ cholesterol called LDL.

Finally, these phytoestrogens are found in almost all fruit, vegetables and cereals but they are most beneficial in the form of something called ‘isoflavones’, which are found in legumes such as soya, lentils and chickpeas.

Beans are easy to use and they are great added to salads, soups and casseroles. Most beans (although not lentils) need to be soaked, sometimes over-night, before cooking.

There is still a great deal of confusion surrounding phytoestrogens, primarily in relation to soya, but there is no doubt that it can be a useful addition to your diet – especially if you are interested in, or have, a hormone condition.

If you would like to find out more, or are interested in finding out how you can help balance your hormones/hormone condition, speak to one our expert nutritionists who have been trained to the protocols of Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD – the leading women’s health nutritionist in the UK specialising in hormone health.

Why Xenoestrogens Are Affecting Your Health

Xenoestrogens or ‘foreign oestrogens’ are oestrogen-like chemicals from pesticides or plastics that have been linked to health problems.
In some parts of the world, some of these problems have been dramatic. For example, some fish are growing both male and female sex organs and male alligators are becoming feminised, with hormonal levels altered to the extent that it is making reproduction difficult!

woman holding cleaning chemicals which contain xenoestrogens

What Do Xenoestrogens Mean For Our Health?

Xenoestrogens are stored in body fat and can affect men and women differently. Overweight people tend to have higher concentrations because xenoestrogens are lipophilic (meaning they love fat). They are also appearing everywhere, currently there are over 3900 brands of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides which are approved for use in the UK. Some fruit and vegetables are sprayed up to 10 times before they reach the supermarkets.

The increasing levels of xenoestrogens in our environment has coincided with an earlier onset of puberty. At the turn of the century, the average age of puberty to begin was 15. Now some girls as young as 8 are growing breasts and pubic hair!
It has been found that girls can enter puberty almost a year earlier if their pregnant mother has higher levels of 2 synthetic chemicals – PCB’s and DDT – while they were pregnant.

Women with higher concentrations of certain pesticides in their bodies also run a greater risk of developing breast cancer than women with lower levels.

plastic free packaging to reduce xenoestrogens in food and food shopping

What Can We Do About Xenoestrogens?

Avoid Plastic Containers and Wrap

The first piece of advice would be to avoid (as much as possible) food and drinks in plastic containers or wrapped in plastic as well as trying to buy organic where possible.

Don’t Store Fatty Foods In Plastic

This will allow the xenoestrogens to migrate into the foods with the high fat content from the plastic wrap. Try to remove any food packaging as soon as possible and store in beeswax or glass containers.

Reduce Your Intake Of Saturated Fats

These are two reasons for this. First of all, you will lay down fat stores that will present a welcome home for xenoestrogens and secondly, the fat you take in is likely to contain xenoestrogens from the animal’s environment.

Don’t Heat Food In Plastic

Especially avoid using the microwave. Try to put your food in a bowl, onto a plate or use a glass container to heat instead.

Increase Your Fibre Intake

This will help prevent the absorption of oestrogenic chemicals into your blood stream.

Eat More Cruciferous Vegetables And Phytonutrients

These help reduce toxic forms of oestrogen as well as cruciferous vegetables being high in a substance called ‘indole-3’carbinol’ which encourages elimination.

There’s no doubt that all of us are affected by xenoestrogens, and they may be at the root of more health problems than we know – and they are far more common than we would have first thought!

However, if you follow the advice above, you will dramatically decrease your exposure and be supporting your body to eliminate these as effectively as possible.

If you are interested in finding out more about your exposure to xenoestrogens, or how you can reduce your intake of these ‘foreign oestrogens’ then click here to speak to one of our expert nutritionists.

The 5 Stages of Natural Endometriosis Treatment

Treating endometriosis naturally involves taking a dramatically different approach to the condition, and it will be aimed at supporting the underlying problems that trigger the endometriosis to grow.
At the same time, symptoms will be controlled.

Your goal will be to return to optimum health by alleviating or even eliminating your endometriosis in the process.

A multi-factorial approach is the quickest way to achieve this aim, as endometriosis can be triggered by a combination of factors including hormone imbalance, stress, and nutritional deficiencies.

There are five main stages to the treatment programme involving:

Improving Your Diet
Utilising Supplementation
Controlling Your Levels of Excess Oestrogen
Improving Your Liver Function
Boosting Your Immune System

All of these are covered in more detail below:

lentils, seeds and nuts that contain endometriosis supporting nutrients

Your Diet

The first and most important step is to adopt a hormone balancing diet – which can be found in our FREE Foundations of Health E-Book when you click here. However, in the case of endometriosis, you will need to take things a step further.
Your main aim will be to keep your diet low on any foods that encourage the production of oestrogen, focusing instead on those foods that can help your body rid itself of excess oestrogen.

Other Factors To Consider Include:

Your Alcohol Intake – you will need to avoid it completely for a couple of months and then limit your intake to only 1-2 units per week. Your liver helps control the excretion of your hormones and if you want it to work effectively it is better not to have alcohol, which causes your liver to work overtime

Saturated Fats – including dairy and red meat should be avoided for a few months because they contain a substance called ‘Arachidonic Acid’ which encourages the production of hormone-like substances called Prostaglandins. These are highly inflammatory and can cause swelling and pain and, in some cases, thicken the blood itself. They can also trigger muscle contraction/constriction in the blood vessels.

supplements on a wooden spoon surrounded by natural ingredients

Utilising Supplementation

There are a number of supplements that not only strengthen your immune system but also have the unique ability to address certain health conditions, such as hormone imbalance. The idea is to address all possible known causes of endometriosis, whilst at the same time, ensuring that you reach optimum health, where your body can start to fight its own battles. These include:

B Vitamins. Particularly important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, they are needed by the liver to convert excess oestrogen into weaker and less dangerous forms. B6 has also been shown to significantly reduce the intensity and duration of period pains.

Vitamin E. This vitamin has been shown to relieve menstrual cramps in 70% of women within 2 menstrual cycles.

Vitamin C & Bioflavonoids. Crucial for immunity, vitamin C helps your body to recognise and destroy endometrial patches as they occur. Bioflavonoids are helpful with pain occurring around the time of your period because they help to relax and soothe muscles and to prevent inflammation.

Magnesium. Acts as a muscle relaxant and has been shown to have a beneficial effect on painful periods and lower back pain.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s). Your body produces beneficial prostaglandins from EFA’s, which help to reduce period pains. They also have an anti-inflammatory response, which is particularly beneficial to endometriosis sufferers.

immune fighting ingredients like broccoli, lemon, ginger and cinnamon

Boosting Your Immune System

When you suffer from endometriosis, it is important to ensure that your immune system is functioning at optimum levels. It is believed that women who do not suffer from the condition have immune systems with an ability to mop up the endometrial debris after each period. This cleaning process should take place naturally every month.
Women with endometriosis do not seem to have the ability to mop up, and the debris lies around, which gives it an opportunity to take hold.

It is best to avoid foods that compromise your immune function, such as sugar.

Endometriosis is extremely common, affecting up to 15% of all women, but hopefully you will see from the above that there are natural approaches which can help redefine your condition and help you live your best healthy life!

If you would like further advice – or to continue reading about Endometriosis – click here to download your copy of the ‘Understanding Endometriosis’ E-Book.

Alternatively, if you would like to speak to one of our expert and highly-trained nutritionists about how we can help you with your endometriosis – or other health concerns – get in touch by clicking here.

Health Facts That You May Not Know…

With food intolerances (also known as a food sensitivities) once you have identified what you are reacting to and eliminated it, basically giving your digestive system a ‘break’ to improve your digestive health, then it is likely that you can then go back to eating those foods in moderation.
Three months is the magic number to change the quality of your eggs, because it takes approximately that long for the follicles on your ovaries to develop before one is mature enough to release an egg at ovulation.
Women are at risk of osteoporosis from the menopause onwards, when hormone levels reduce.
BMI is not the best measurement for knowing if you are overweight. Muscle is heavier than fat, so a well-muscled, extremely fit person might register a BMI as high as an unfit rather overweight person.
Sage is a botanical herb that has been used for centuries. Women often use sage as they go through the menopause and it has also been used to improve mental energy and alertness and reduce stress.
Protein is a vital nutrient needed for your body to perform many functions, including the production of antibodies to resist infection and the formation of new tissue. Too much or too little protein may reduce the strength of your bones and increase the risk of fracture.
You could have sex on a Monday and get pregnant on the Friday when the egg has been released. This is because the egg once released at ovulation only survives for about 24 hours but the sperm can live for up to seven days when the cervical mucus is alkaline.
It is estimated that 45% of the UK population has a food intolerance. These intolerances can affect many parts of your body including:
Skin – Eczema, urticaria, itching, rashes
Gastrointestinal – Severe bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, flatulence, IBS
Recurrent Infections – Chronic infections, frequent ear infections
Mental / Emotional – Anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, insomnia, irritability
Musculoskeletal – Joint and muscle pain, arthritis
Respiratory – Asthma, rhinitis
Others – Palpitations, water retention, headaches, fatigue, migraines, weight gain
Your bones are at their strongest around the age of 30 and then they start to become weaker around the menopause which can lead to osteoporosis.
Muscle takes up 5 times less space than fat so as you lose fat, you lose inches, your clothes feel looser and your body shape changes but your weight could stay the same.
It is reported that every three seconds a bone will break somewhere in the world, because of osteoporosis. The good news is that fractures can often be prevented through healthy lifestyle choices.
The word allergy is derived from Greek with ‘allos’ meaning different and ‘ergos’ meaning action, so when something foreign enters your body it has to take action by responding to that alien substance.