"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."

— Buddha

Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a system of health care which encourages and promotes the body’s natural self-healing mechanisms using an eclectic approach.

The traditional methods used by naturopaths are; Fasting, Diet, Hydrotherapy, Hygiene, Psychotherapy, Massage, Sunshine and Exercise.

However Most modern day Naturopaths are specialists in other disciplines such as Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Nutritional Therapy and Herbal Medicine. To become a Naturopath requires at least five years of study, with many Naturopaths continuing on to study different aspects of Natural Medicine.

Your Naturopath is like of “GP” of natural medicine. In a Naturopathic consultation, an Iridology, nails, tongue and blood pressure examination is carried out along with a detailed intake to ascertain the root cause of the ailment.  If necessary a urine sample may be taken or hair samples may be referred to external labs to test for allergies, mineral levels etc in the body.  With their broad knowledge of natural medicine, the Naturopath will recommend the most suitable treatment, such as Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Reflexology, Homeopathy. If they are specialized in any of the disciplines themselves they will carry out the treatment or refer to a more suitable therapy. It is essentially a preventative medicine and abides by the following principles

The Seven Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

1. The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)The healing power of nature is the inherent self-organizing and healing process of living systems. Naturopathic medicine recognizes this healing process to be ordered and intelligent. It is the naturopathic practitioner’s role to support, facilitate and augment this process by identifying and removing obstacles to health and recovery, and by supporting the creation of a healthy internal and external environment. 

2. First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere) Naturopathic practitioners utilize methods and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful effects, and apply the least possible force or intervention necessary to diagnose illness and restore health. Whenever possible the suppression of symptoms is avoided as suppression generally interferes with the healing process.

3. Treat The Cause (Tolle Causam) Every illness has an underlying cause, often in aspects of the lifestyle, diet or habits of the individual. A naturopathic practitioner is trained to find and remove the underlying cause of a disease.

4. Doctor as Teacher (Docere) The original meaning of the word “doctor” is teacher. A principal objective of naturopathic medicine is to educate the patient and emphasize self-responsibility for health. Naturopathic practitioners also recognize and employ the therapeutic potential of the doctor-patient relationship.

5. Treat The Whole Person Health or disease comes from a complex interaction of mental, emotional, spiritual, physical,dietary, genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and other factors. Naturopathic practitioners treat the whole person, taking these factors into account.

6. Preventive Medicine The naturopathic approach to health care can prevent minor illnesses from developing into more serious diseases. Patients are taught the principles with which to live a healthy life and by following these principles, they can prevent major illnesses.

7. Wellness Establishing and maintaining optimum health and balance. Wellness is a state of being healthy,characterized by positive emotion, thought, and action. Wellness is inherent in everyone no matter what dis-ease(s) are being experienced. If wellness is really recognized and experienced by an individual, it will more quickly heal a given dis-ease than direct treatment of the dis-ease alone.

Reflexology

Reflexology is a massage of pressure points on the feet for activating the healing powers of the body. From ancient text, illustrations and artifacts, we know that the early Chinese, Japanese,Indians, Russians, and Egyptians worked on the feet to promote good health. Today many of these same techniques have been developed into a modern scientific method called reflexology. Some benefits of Reflexology include:

• Improves circulation

• Cleanses the body of toxins and impurities

• Balances the whole system

• Revitalizes energy

• Preventive health care

• Stimulates creativity and productivity.

A course of 6 treatments is recommended for maximum results.

98% of all illnesses are stress related, so it is important to include some stress management and “me time” into your life to keep yourself healthy.

Reflexology is available at Elmes Acupuncture, for more information visit our website here; http://www.elmesacupuncture.ie/acu.html

Healthy Food Fusion

Studies are beginning to prove that the interactions of the foods we eat can be much more healthy for us than eating one beneficial food at a time. Here are the most powerful food synergies currently known to science:

1. Tomatoes + Avocados

2. Oatmeal + Orange Juice

3. Broccoli + Tomatoes

4. Blueberries + Grapes

5. Apples + Chocolate

6. Lemon + Kale

7. Soy + Salmon

8. Peanuts + Whole Wheat

9. Red Meat + Rosemary

10. Turmeric + Black Pepper

11. Garlic + Fish

12. Eggs + Cantaloupe

13. Almonds + Yogurt

Epidemiologist David R. Jacobs, PhD, of the University of Minnesota calls it food synergy, and he, along with many other nutritionists, believes it might explain why Italians drizzle cold-pressed olive oil over tomatoes and why the Japanese pair raw fish with soybeans. "The complexity of food combinations is fascinating because it's tested in a way we can't test drugs: by evolution," says Jacobs. And, he adds, "it's tested in the most complex of systems: life."

Migraine? Get to the point!

Naturopath Fiona Jennings looks at how acupuncture can help beat that killer headache

 Excellent article written by my colleague Fiona

Thud! Thud! Thud! A headache! We all know how bad that can feel. But what if it’s so intense you can barely move, maybe it’s one-sided, with nausea, visual disturbances or sensitivity to light or noise? Then chances are it could be a migraine. Migraine is the most common long-term neurological condition, and the most frequent type of headache that sends patients to their doctors.

Naturopath Fiona Jennings

No-one knows the exact cause and there are no tests. Diagnosis is made by history and the pattern of symptoms over time. Most researchers think migraine is due to abnormal changes in levels of substances naturally produced in the brain which cause blood vessels in the brain to swell and press on nearby nerves, causing pain. There may also be a genetic element involved – it does seem to run in families.

 So if you are a sufferer – and there about eight million people in the UK and half a million in Ireland who are, with three out of four being women – what can you do about it?

 We do know that people with migraines often react to a variety of factors and events, or triggers. Annoyingly, these triggers can vary from person to person and don’t always lead to migraine every time. A combination of triggers—not a single thing or event—is more likely to set off an attack, and a person’s response can vary from migraine to migraine. Keeping a migraine diary may help to identify your own triggers.

 The usual treatment is an impressive range of over the counter (OTC) or specific migraine drugs – with an even more impressive array of side effects.

 If you want to take a different approach to treat your symptoms, then consider this: many clinical studies support acupuncture to be effective for migraines, but without the side effects of drugs.

 Acupuncture came from China and the first textbook describing the use of acupuncture is thought to date back to about 200BC.

 Acupuncture aims to re-establish the correct flow of Qi (the life force) in the meridians which run throughout the body and so bring it back to the proper balance. Your practitioner will assess which of a large number of patterns of imbalance you have by detailed questioning and examination of your pulse and tongue.

 Needles will be inserted at specific points to influence your particular patterns, so each patient with migraine might receive a different number and distribution of needles. Intriguingly, while some of these may be where you might expect them – ie the head – in Traditional Chinese Medicine further away points can have the strongest impact. So, for example, commonly used points in many patterns of migraine would be a point called Tai Yang on the temples, but also Liver 3 (Taichong) which is on the foot, between the first and second toes and LI4 (Hegu) on the hand between the thumb and index finger (not to be used in pregnancy).

If you are being treated by a naturopath, you may also be advised to try herbs or supplements which have been shown to be effective for migraines. These include Butterbur (Petasites hybridus), Riboflavin, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), Feverfew, and Magnesium.

• Fiona Jennings is a Naturopath & Acupuncturist with a practice in Belfast.

Insomnia - Tips to help you get a good night sleep

Dietary - Cut out fried, fatty foods and limit caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks etc.  Maybe a chamomile or yogi bedtime tea 45 minutes before bed so as to allow time to go to the loo well before bedtime.  Eating a little protein like milk and wholegrain cereal will sit well in the digestive system and may induce a better quality sleep.  Include cherries in the diet as it boosts melatonin and so induces better quality sleep.

About an hour before bedtime, prepare for the next day - have clothes, bag, wallet, phone etc. all laid out and ready for the next day.  Leave a pen and paper beside the bed to write down things to do or forgotten for the next day. 

Electrical curfew - Ideally the best way to go is not to have T.V.'s , computers and other electrical devices in the bedroom as they emit electromagnetic waves which is bad for us and cause us stress.  Use electrical black tape to cover all standby lights and l.e.d. lights.  Set your alarm clock for the morning and turn it around/away to face the wall so you won't be watching the clock.  If you are having trouble sleeping, it will make it worse.  All the above disturb your sleep and cause stress. 

Check room temperature - Outside the covers and under the covers too.  Use socks if feet are cold.  A hot bath two hours before bedtime is helpful, the internal body core temperature begins to drop and allows for a better nights sleep.( Steeping the feet in hot water draws energy down from the head).  Have ear plugs, eye masks etc on the locker for bed time, use if there is noise, animals, traffic etc or if the room has too much light coming in, avoid frustration which will keep you from falling off. Some people like soothing music like ocean sounds some don't. 

Position - If you lie on your side it puts uneven pressure on your right side resulting in problems with hips and knee, better to use a pillow between the knees.  If you lie on the stomach, leads to problems with the lower back as the head goes up and puts strain below i.e. pain, best position is on the back as weight is more evenly distributed .  In pregnancy, left side is best. Use pillows for support.

Dairy-Free Alternatives for Calcium

Many people worry that when they go dairy-free they will run the risk of decreasing their calcium levels and have to rely on taking supplements to get necessary minerals.  However, taking supplements are not the only solution, below is a list of foods with plenty of calcium and easy foods to include in any diet.

• Almonds
• Black Strap Molasses
• Broccoli
• Enriched rice milk, soy milk
• Figs
• Leafy green Vegetables
• Salmon with bones
• Sesame Seeds
• Soybeans
• Tofu
• Mozzarella, sheep and goats cheese