disease Archives - Live Clean n Prosper

A bit about Adrenal Fatigue

Is adrenal fatigue a real disease? At this time there is no approved test or formal criteria to define and diagnose adrenal fatigue.

Todays post is about Adrenal Fatigue.

I was having a conversation with someone about this condition recently and decided to research it a bit more. Here is what I found.

It seems that many health professionals do not recognise ‘Adrenal fatigue’ as an actual illness or health issue.

What Is It?

James Wilson, PhD, a naturopath and expert in alternative medicine came up with the term “adrenal fatigue” in 1998. He describes it as a “group of related signs and symptoms (a syndrome) that results when the adrenal glands function below the necessary level.” He says it’s usually associated with intense stress and often follows chronic infections like bronchitis, flu, or pneumonia.

The adrenal glands, which are small organs above your kidneys, respond to stress by releasing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are part of your “fight or flight” response.
According to James Wilsons’ theory, if we are subjected to long-term stress, the adrenal glands burn out from prolonged production of cortisol. So adrenal fatigue sets in. The adrenal depletion would cause brain fog, low energy, depressive mood, salt and sweet cravings, lightheadedness, and other vague symptoms.

Is the condition real?

Low energy and tiredness are among also the most common reasons patients seek help from a doctor. Despite being so common, it is often challenging to come up with a diagnosis, as many medical problems can cause fatigue.
Adrenal Fatigue, in theory, links stress exposure to adrenal exhaustion as a possible cause of this lack of energy.
However, too much cortisol can also derail the body’s most important functions creating similar symptoms.

Is adrenal fatigue a real disease?

I was not able to find any scientific studies to support the theory.
The Endocrine Society (the world’s largest organisation of endocrinologists) does not recognise this condition. The Endocrinologists are categorical: “no scientific proof exists to support adrenal fatigue as a true medical condition.”

At this time there is no approved test or formal criteria to define and diagnose adrenal fatigue.

What about Adrenal Insufficiency?

Also known as Addison’s disease, is a recognised condition that can be diagnosed with blood tests. It is a medical condition that occurs when your adrenal glands aren’t producing adequate amounts of one or more essential hormones.

Symptoms include chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, weight loss, and stomach pain. You might also have nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, diarrhoea, depression, or darkening of the skin.

So what’s a person to do?

Regardless of what we call it, there are millions of people suffering from similar symptoms.
Just because at this stage there are no tests for this condition or that it is not recognised as an actual medical condition, doesn’t mean that it’s not possible.
It is important to seek advise from your health care professional. There are usually various tests that need to be conducted to rule out known health conditions. Treatments include personalised plans involving supplements, counselling and some lifestyle changes.

I hope you found this interesting.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

Sources – www.health.harvard.edu, www.healthdirect.gov.au, www.webmd.com

Using Tissue Salts for wellness

Today’s post is about Tissue Salts.

Several years ago when I was suffering from a head cold, someone suggested I try Tissue salts to ease the symptoms. Recently Scott feel victim to a head cold and decided to try the tissue salts. He found that they really made a difference.

We did some research into these little pills to better understand how they work.

It turns out that these tissue salt pills are homeopathic preparations of minerals found naturally occurring in the human body. They’re inexpensive and seem to be able to help with just about every common ailment from colds and flu to headaches and hangovers.

What are they?

Tissue salts, also known as “cell salts” or “biochemistry salts”, are the same minerals that are found in rocks and in soil. These tissue salts exist on the border between homeopathic and nutritional medicine.

According to Biochemical therapeutics, the integrity, structure, and function of the body’s tissues and organs are dependent on necessary quantities of certain cell salts. These ‘cell salts’ are therefore integral functioning parts of each individual cell and of the body as a whole.

The history behind them

Dr Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler was a doctor of medicine, a physiological chemist and a physicist.

In 1873 he developed the Schuessler Tissue Salts using a unique system of cellular therapy,

Schüssler deducted that the tissues or cells of the body can be broken down chemically into twelve inorganic mineral salts. Disturbances in the levels of these salts cause disease. He established that restoring the accurate balance of tissue salts in the body would remove the symptoms of illness and restore health.

He also believed that the body needed only very small doses to nudge it gently back into balance. Dr Schuessler found that a homeopathically prepared micro dose was the most effective way for the body to assimilate these salts. The dose passes rapidly into the bloodstream and therefore into our cells.

Wikipedia states that biochemical cell salts are alternative remedies, based on inorganic salts that were elaborated by Scheussler. They are not classed as homeopathic remedies.

There is no evidence of medical trials in regards to Tissue salts. Nevertheless, many people swear by them.

Who can use them?

To ease various conditions, you can take an individual tissue salt or a combination.

One of the major benefits of tissue salts is that they’re very safe. I did not find any information regarding side effects. However, as with most health matters, it’s always best to check with your health practitioner beforehand.

That said, tissue salts are generally suitable for everyone from babies to diabetics and even animals.

I hope that you found this information helpful as we did.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper

Salt – is it bad for you?

Today’s post is about the myth that ‘Salt is bad for you’.

There is a lot of information available in regards to salt and health. I found many health articles reporting on how bad salt is for our health. Conversely, there are also an equal number of articles reporting that it is good for our health.

So what is right?

There are 2 million medical articles published every year regarding our health and sorting out this information was a challenge.

The fact is that the human body needs some salt for good health. Consuming too much may increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for other diseases. Too little and the body also suffers.

The trick is to consume a moderate amount. Statistically, many people are consuming too much ‘hidden’ salt. The rise in processed, packaged and canned foods are the issue as they usually contain added salt.

Water and Real Salt are essential for life

The first thing doctors will do in hospital is put you on a life saving saline drip. We were born out of a water salt sack into a world that is 73% water salt solution and have a body that is 73% water and a brain that is 85% water.

The human body contains many salts, of which sodium chloride is the major one. This makes up around 0.4 per cent of the body’s weight at a concentration pretty well equivalent to that in seawater. So a 50kg person would contain around 200g of sodium chloride (approx. 40 teaspoons).

Sodium is a vital nutrient. It helps to maintain fluid balance and cardiovascular function. Sodium is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, always bringing water along with it. It is the major mineral in plasma, the fluid component of blood, and in the fluids that bathe the body’s cells. Without enough sodium, all these fluids would lose their water, causing dehydration, low blood pressure, and death.

Fortunately, it only takes a tiny amount of sodium to prevent this scenario. The body, in its wisdom, can make do with remarkably small amounts of sodium. In fact, some isolated population groups in the world manage perfectly well on just 200 mg a day. And when dietary salt is in short supply, the body can conserve nearly all its sodium, dramatically reducing the amount excreted in urine and shed in sweat. Remember that water always follows sodium, and you’ll understand why your skin is dry and your urine scant and concentrated when you are dehydrated and conserving sodium.

To be sure its supply of salt and water is just right, the body has developed an elaborate series of controls. The blood vessels and brain signal the kidneys to retain or excrete sodium as needed; they also fine-tune the sensation of thirst so you’ll provide water in amounts that match the body’s sodium supply.

How much should we consume?

The National Health and Medical Research Council set an ‘Adequate Intake’ of 460–920 mg of sodium per day. This corresponds to 1.15 – 2.3 grams of salt. Most Australian adults have a daily salt intake of about 10 grams. A ‘Suggested Dietary Target’ of 1600 mg of sodium (equivalent to about 4 grams of salt) has been set for Australian adults. (Sources – www.chriskresser.com www.nutritionaustralia.org www.health.harvard.edu )

The best way to ensure a moderate salt intake is to consume less processed and packaged foods. Only add salt when cooking or at the table. Choose a less processed salt, therefore also gaining some trace minerals.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper