IgG Food Intolerance Testing

posted by yutar | Taged as - food intolerance test, IgG

20 November 2019 / 0 comments

Many of the patients I treat have a number of strange and vague symptoms that can often be related or somehow connected to a food or meal they generally eat. To distinguish the problem food or foods can sometimes be quite difficult – for reasons mentioned below.

Over the years in practice I have had to frequently clarify the general misunderstanding of the difference between food allergy and food intolerance. ‘Food intolerance’ or non-allergic hypersensitivity is a body’s response after consuming certain foods. Symptoms are varied and can appear within a few hours or even days after eating the problem food. This makes it difficult for the healthcare professional and the patient to identify the food or foods responsible for the symptoms. Symptoms can include but are not limited to bloating, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, headache, rashes etc.

An allergy to a food is something completely different and people generally know without a doubt they are allergic to a particular food. Symptoms will usually occur rapidly after consuming the problem food, these symptoms may include an itchy rash on the skin, welts, itching in the throat or ears and possibly a reaction as severe as an anaphylactic attack which is a medical emergency from which the person can die.

Often when consulting with patients I suggest they avoid certain foods or food groups that may be affecting their health negatively. While this approach does work, it can be daunting for anyone to cut out a large number of foods from their diet they are so used to eating.

Doing a food intolerance test assists by removing the guesswork out of the process. IgG specific tests which test intolerance, have become more readily available and reliable in the last few years. IgE tests are what test for allergies.

We have a few tests available to do this testing should you require or desire it to be done.
If you would like these tests done, please come through for a visit and we can decide on the best available option and type of test for your needs.

Wishing you all the best in health

Dr Graham

Quit Smoking With Acupuncture Makes it Easier

posted by yutar | Taged as - acupuncture quit smoking, quit smoking with acupuncture, quit today

17 October 2019 / 0 comments

Quit smoking with acupuncture – why you should consider acupuncture to help you quit smoking.

According to the U.S Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 17.8% of people in the US smoke, 3200 people under the age of 18 start smoking every day and 2100 people go from occasional smokers to daily smokers every day. Annually in the US there are 42000 smoking related deaths.

Over many years, acupuncture has been clinically shown to be extremely effective in helping people quit smoking. Acupuncture needles are inserted into different points on the body and outer ear. You will also have special needles inserted on the outer ear, which will stay in place with a flesh colored plaster for about a week. The treatment is calming and cleansing for the body and makes the quitting process far more manageable. When you do this treatment with us, we will give you some homeopathic and herbal medicines that assist to reduce cravings between acupuncture treatments.

Some patients find this treatment enables them to quit “cold turkey” ,while others notice a significant change in their smoking habits – cravings satisfied quicker, forget to smoke and are often completely put off by their or someone else’s cigarettes.

There is never going to be a perfect time to quit, so if you are a smoker and want to quit, give us a ring today. If you know of anyone else who may benefit from quitting with this treatment, do them a favor and pass this mailer on or just suggest acupuncture.

6 Things to do instead of smoking….
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/02/smoking-alternatives.aspx

For more information or to book an acupuncture appointment contact Dr Yutar

Folic Acid or Folate for Pregnancy Prep

posted by yutar

17 October 2019 / 0 comments

If you are in the process of trying to fall pregnant or are already pregnant, your doctors’ have most likely recommended that you take a folic acid or folate supplement. Why and which one is the best?

Folate is otherwise known as vitamin B9 and it is commonly found in eggs, legumes, fruit and vegetables. Levels of folate are generally very low in meat with the exception of beef liver.

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate and is added to many different processed foods.

Uses of Folate:

Folate combined with Vitamin B12 is used by the body to make red and white blood cells in the bone marrow.
Processes carbohydrates into energy
Shown to assist mood enhancement, memory and behavior
Essential in the production of neurotransmitters – serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine
Promotes the production of the brain’s sleep hormone – melatonin
Important for the production of DNA and RNA
Useful to assist with DNA repair
Methylation (gene regulation, processing of chemicals and removing toxins, nerve protection)

When is it important to supplement with folate?

During times of rapid growth
Pregnancy – folate hasd been shown to reduce a baby’s risk of brain and spine defects by around 50% (spina bifida and incomplete skull or undeveloped brain).
Adolescence

What reduces folate levels in your body?

Alcohol consumption
Cigarette smoking
Poor nutrition
Lupus
Kidney failure
Medication for psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis – Methotrexate

Dosage:

During pregnancy use around 600 – 800 mcg per day
During breast feeding around 500 mcg per day

Folic acid must first be converted into its active form, methylfolate, before it can be used by the body. Folic acid is known to be poorly converted to methylfolate as it needs a particular enzyme, which has limited capacity in order to complete the conversion process. A person’s genetics can also sometimes get in the way of this process, making it ideal to supplement with the active form which is L-methylfolate (5-MTHF).

In a nutshell, when you are choosing a supplement find one with both L-methylfolate and B12. Vitamin B2 and B6 are also very important to combine with folate to support its use. The better quality products available will include all of these in one.

Wishing you all the best in health

Dr Graham