New, compelling research once again focuses on processed sugar and fructose as the

real dietary demons associated with heart disease.

Just a few weeks of a high sugar diet changes risk factors in blood that pose a risk to

artery health.

Heart health markers like total cholesterol and oxidized LDL cholesterol, triglyceriedes,

uric acid, insulin and blood glucose levels are all raised within a few weeks on a highly

processed diet. No such change is seen with whole foods containing saturated fats.

These foods were shown to raise HDL or ‘good” cholesterol levels. And table sugar or

high fructose syrup are the worst, also contributing to fatty liver. This creates a domino

effect on blood changes eventually rasing risk of heart attack and stroke.

What to do? Simple. Just eat food as nature provides – with as little human

intervention as possible.

Ref: DiNicolantonio et al: The Evidence for Saturated Fat and for Sugar related to Coronary Heart Disease; Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 2015: 10.1016

An important confirmation of common sense comes out of the University of Texas

today, linking a high sugar diet with an increase risk of breast cancer and lung

metastases.

Previous population studies have shown a correlation with a high sugar diet (think

‘typical western diet”) and breast cancer. Now scientists have worked out the link by

demonstrating how sugar effects an enzymatic signaling pathway known as 12-

lipoxygenase. This pathway promotes inflammation and makes it easier for the cancer

cells to develop and later nest (metastasize) in areas beyond the original tumour site.

Nourishment through a wholesome low processed and low inflammation diet should be

an essential part of any cancer treatment management plan.

We’ve understood for decades how our parents shape the physical package of who we are – brown or blue eyes, short or tall, the shape of our nose, the colour of our skin. As strange as it may sound, we also inherit subtle behaviours from our parents that can trigger the start of a domino into early cardiac disease as an adult.

The concept of certain behaviours being passed from generation to generation via our genes is a discovery from scientific research in the field of Epigenetics. Studies comparing the sperm of lean men with men classed as obese show differences in certain gene expression that creates surges in hormones known to regulate appetite increase weight and cardiovascular risk.

Behaviours like how hearty our appetite will be, are carried in the genetic message created at conception. Add a layer of learned behavior at the family dinner table after birth and we have the recipe for the current obesity epidemic spreading across the developed world.

But don’t give up on your challenge to attain a health body weight, and start blaming your parents, Other solid research says that just as unfavorable genes can be turned on, its also possible that they be turned off, or at least the volume of the expression of these less helpful messages can be turned down. And the solution lies within the four pillars of wellness: nourishment, sensible physical movement, stress management and reducing your exposure to chemicals and toxins.

Simple, really.

Ref: Donkin et al: Obesity and Bariatric Surgery Drive Epigenetic Variation of Spermatozoa in

Humans. Cell Metabolism, 2016; (in press) DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.11.004

Appendicectomy is one of the most commonly performed operations in the developed

world. And once this part of the colon is inflamed beyond repair, this surgery may be

necessary and life saving.

But recent research out of Melbourne suggests a new respect for this complicated bit of

our bodies.

It seems that the reservoir of good bacteria, or probiotics, in our gut is replenished by

the appendix, to help recovery from things like Bali Belly and to support the gut in all

of its essential health roles. A network of immune support cells along with good

bacteria located in the appendix have been shown to provide a resilience against auto-

immune diseases and gut infections as well as support good digestion and nutrition.

Of course, for those without this little finger-like protrusion there’s no going back, but

good gut health becomes an even higher priority post surgery for appendicitis.

Remember what Hippocrates suggested over 2000 years ago?

“All Health begins in the Gut”

So for those of you who still have an appendix – raise the bar on supporting this organ.

And for those without, you have a little more work to do to achieve and maintain

optimal health, regardless of where your starting point is today.

Ref: Rankin, et al: Complementarity and redundancy of IL-22-producing innate lymphoid cells.

Nature Immunology, 2015; DOI: 10.1038/ni.3332

Curious to know whether the choices you make in daily life increase your risk of cancer and diseases like cardiovascular disease, dementia, Parkinson’s, autoimmune disease and fertility problems?

The following questions focus on the potential exposure we have with the multiple chemicals and ionizing radiation existing in our life.

To understand the importance of reducing environmental toxic burden read our article on

epigenetics, which explains how the genes your inherited from your parents can interact

with the environment to either support or sabotage health.

This audit is best used as a baseline to judge your improved lifestyle options and reduced chemical burden as you embark your health journey.

TAKE THE TOXIC AUDIT TEST NOW!...

1. Do you live on a main road?

2. Do you live under the flight path of an airport?

3. What percentage of your week do you spend indoors?

More than 4 days? Add one point.

4. Do you have a computer monitor on your desk at work?

5. Do you own a mobile phone?

6. Do you often drive a car or take public transport?

7. Do you fly in an airplane more than twice per year?

8. Have you purchased a brand new car within the last twelve months?

9. Do more than half of the rooms in your home have wall-to-wall carpeting?

10. Do you have vinyl flooring in the kitchen or bathroom?

11. Do any rooms in your house have wallpaper?

12. Do you have a vinyl (plastic) shower curtain?

13. On average do you watch television more than 10 hours per week?

14. On average do use a computer more than 10 hours per week?

15. Is your mattress treated with a soil or stain-protectant?

16. Do you use perfumed air fresheners at home or in your car?

17. Do you have pressed-wood furniture (usually assemble-yourself items) in your

home or office?

18. Do you smoke?

19. Do you allow smoking in your house?

20. Do you wrap or cover leftovers and other items in the refrigerator with plastic wrap?

21. Do you eat deep fried food, potato chips or French fries more than once a month?

22. Do you cook with non-stick pots or frying pans?

23. Do you drink town water (chlorinated water) straight from the tap?

24. Do you re-use plastic water bottles?

25. Do you keep cheese or meat wrapped in plastic?

26. Do you eat tinned food (canned tuna, fruit etc.) more than twice a week?

27. Do you microwave food or drinks in plastic containers or with a plastic-wrap covering?

28. Do you have ant or cockroach baits in the house?

29. Do you use hairspray, mousse or hair gel?

30. Do you use perfume or cologne?

31. Do you use spray deodorant?

32. Do your moisturizers or body lotions contain parabens (read the label)?

33. Do you have weekly contact with plastic or vinyl toys?

34. Do you use kitchen bench sprays?

35. Are insect sprays used in your home?

36. Has your home had a termite or pest treatment in the last 5 years?

37. Have your carpets been professionally cleaned in the last 12 months?

38. Do you use dry-cleaning agents in your job?

39. Do you work in the nail or hairdressing industry?

40. Do you work in the car industry?

41. Have you ever worked hands on in dentistry(with mercury) or jewelry-making?

42. Do you work with farm or garden sprays, chemicals or pesticides?

Score 1 point for every YES answer

Subtract 5 points if around half of the food you eat is organically farmed.

Subtract 10 points if more than 80 percent of your food is organically souced.

Subtract 5 points if your personal care items (shampoo, conditioner and skincare) are organically certified.

What was your final score?

Zero to 5: You have a clean lifestyle and a low risk for environmental health challenges. Congratulations for making great choices for you and your family!

6-10 Doing better than average, but some improvements may make a difference to health in the future.

10-20 Some effort now may mean that you dodge that disease bullet.

20 + Come on – lets do some work to reduce the chance of spending a lot of time

in doctor’s waiting rooms in the future. There is no better time to start than NOW!

OK, you think I just made up that headline to grab your attention?

It isn’t really the soap that’s the centre stage problem here. It’s the fiddling we do with this basically natural product that humans have been using for centuries.

How we fiddle with soap – to our detriment

In our efforts to make bigger, better, longer lasting, different, more attractive, something has happened to personal care items like soap, shampoo and skin moisturizers.

We added phthalates. And other stuff that we now know shouldn’t go on human skin, like Parabens and Bisphenol A (BPA).

In retrospect, not the best decision.

Doctors have been using the skin as a portal into the body for drugs for centuries. Heart medication, nicotine patches, hormone replacement therapy. What goes on, goes in. So we shouldn’t have been surprised to find that chemicals not meant for human consumption actually find their way in by other means.

A staggering 75% of Americans now have measurable levels of phthalates in their bloodstream. I don’t think Australians are doing any better.

The humble phthalate, applied liberally to our skin and the skin of our children has been making its way into humans for decades. And now this chemical is increasingly implicated in diseases like Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and as a player in breast cancer, endometriosis and male fertility problems.

So, what to do? Take our Toxic Audit and start cleaning up your act!

Those who are hyped and pumped after that evening run may need to do the huff and puff exercise before 3 pm and stick to gentle, relaxing movement into the evening.

It’s now been proved what a lot of insomniacs have suspected:

It can take up to 4 months for exercise to help with sleep.

Its worth the work, though for the amazing health benefits gained by moving your body!

By Dr Karen Coates

The distinguished American medical journal JAMA has published a large study concluding a strong link between antibiotic use before the age of 24 months and a doubling of the risk of childhood obesity.

An estimated 15 percent of 4 year olds are classified as obese. This increases to 33% in children treated with a broad-spectrum antibiotic before the age of 2 years. And the more times antibiotics are used, the higher the incidence.

As with most things healthy, the domino effect creating this worrying finding starts with the alteration in bowel bacteria caused by antibiotics.

The solution? Most doctors are now more discerning about the use of antibiotics for children in light of the worrying trend of antibiotic resistance and less likely to hand out those scripts. Viral infections, the cause of most childhood fevers and illness, will get better with simple things like plenty of fluids and good nutritional support.

For those children who have had a necessary course of antibiotics, this study is a deal breaker when it comes to the decision to follow-up with probiotic support. Replace those good bacteria with a baby-friendly probiotic. Starve the bad bacteria by denying them their favorite food, SUGAR!

Interestingly I have found that adults who I work with to improve bowel health will often find weight easier to manage. This makes perfect sense in light of this major study.

Refs:

L. Charles Bailey, et al. Association of Antibiotics in Infancy With Early Childhood Obesity. JAMA Pediatrics, 2014

Joe Alcock, et al. Is eating behavior manipulated by the gastrointestinal microbiota? Evolutionary pressures and potential mechanisms. BioEssays, 2014;

Anni Woting, et al. Clostridium ramosum Promotes High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Gnotobiotic Mouse Models. mBio, September 2014

By Dr Karen Coates

Important research on the link between sunscreens and endometriosis

It’s becoming well known that certain chemicals that women come in contact with day- to-day can disrupt the delicate dance of our fertility hormones. The Bisphenol A family of chemicals (found in plastics) is a proven endocrine disruptor.

But sunscreens contain multiple concoctions of chemicals. And the skin is one of the easy entry points allowing these chemicals to bypass the normal check and balances of gut and liver and get direct access to our bodies.

More and more information is out about the link of a less well-known chemical found in common sunscreens and the development of endometriosis. The culprit: Benzophenone.

So girls, get those sunscreens out and do some homework – if you find Benzophenone listed as an ingredient it is probably doing more harm than good.

Your local health food and Organic store will have plenty of safe alternatives that let you stay sun safe without the toxins.

Part One

By Dr. Karen Coates

Understanding Endometriosis starts with a simple lesson in female anatomy. The uterus, or womb, is lined internally with a layer of cells called the endometrium. This layer is shed each month as menstrual flow at period time.

Problems arise when these endometrial lining cells are found on the outside of the uterus, within the pelvic cavity. Under the influence of the monthly hormone cycle, when a woman has a period bleed she not only releases blood into the vagina, but also releases tissue, cells and blood into the pelvic cavity. Unlike the uterine bleeding, which is dispelled into the vagina, this blood has no way of exiting from the body. This irritates the outside of the bladder and bowel, ovaries and fallopian tubes. It causes pelvic inflammation and adhesions, leading to the symptoms of endometriosis.

Symptoms of Endometriosis:

Endometriosis is rarely silent. The pain it creates at period time is difficult for most women to control, and daily activities start to suffer.

Period pain not responding to simple painkillers.Mid-cycle pain in the lower pelvic areaPain on opening bowelsPain during sexBleeding from the bowel, especially around period time.

Complications of Endometriosis

Painful periods that interfere with work, social life and cause considerable distress.

Complications can include ovarian cysts called “chocolate cysts” made of congealed blood and fibrous material.

More than 30% of women with this condition will be infertile because of the involvement of the Fallopian tubes, leading to a blockage of the passage of eggs.

Diagnosis and Medical Treatment

This is an area of Medicine where mainstream management of established symptoms is recommended. A LAPAROSCOPY.

A small flexible telescope is inserted into the abdomen under a general anaesthetic. Endometriosis is easy to see and confirms the diagnosis. The abnormal tissue is removed through these telescopic tubes. In most cases women are able to return home on the same day as surgery.

During pregnancy endometriosis symptoms can disappear completely, only to return several months after delivery. Menopause will also bring relief, as the abnormal cells are no longer responding and bleeding with the menstrual cycle.

Mainstream choices for managing endometriosis include the oral contraceptive pill, hormonal drugs like danazol, progestin in tablet, injectable or as an intra uterine device (IUD). All of these choices come with their own risks, and side effects that need to be weighed up against the advantages of each drug.

Alternative Treatments:

It is after Surgery (and immediately after childbirth) that natural therapies become important to prevent the recurrence of the problem.

Medical research shows that Chinese herbal medicine has superior track record in preventing the recurrence of endometriosis. It is also far less likely to cause side effects related to drug treatment and protects fertility.

Foods that help in the Management of Endometriosis:

RhubarbFennelCotton seedCinnamonSageBroccoli (cruciferous vegetable family)

Western Herbal treatment can also be very effective, and is aimed at reducing the estrogen levels and promoting Progesterone production.

Chaste Tree (Vitex Agnes Castus)Dong QuaiIndole-3-Carbinol (from the Broccoli family of vegetables)

If deciding to deal with this potentially serious medical condition incorporating natural therapies it is important to seek the advice of an experienced herbalist in either Chinese Medicine or Western Herbal Medicine.

Natural Progesterone cream, a bio-identical hormone made from wild yam has also shown to be helpful in reducing the effect of estrogen on the endometrium. If you are considering this option be aware that more of a good thing is not necessarily better. Natural progesterone should only be accessed via a medical doctor with a special interest in natural and alternative hormonal options. It’s important to have both your symptoms and the dosage monitored carefully to optimize results.

By Dr. Karen Coates

Food is meant to nourish, give us palatal satisfaction and provide a social focus for family and friends. What better way to spend Sunday afternoon than around a traditional barbeque.

Well, if you want to reduce your family’s risk of cancer from this popular BBQ practice then read on...

Breast and prostate cancer are the main ones I’m talking about here. It’s all because of a nasty chemical called HCA (Heterocyclic amines) that are created when the Barbie meat hits the grill plate at high temperatures. There is no argument in the scientific world that HCAs cause cancer. Beef, lamb pork and even the humble fish are at risk of morphing into a Trojan horse, carrying HCAs into the body in guise of healthy food choices. Where do they hide? In that to-die-for gravy and meat sauces scraped from the pan, and it the crispy blackened char grill of the perfect steak (sorry guys).

So start minimizing risk at next weekend’s social gathering. Implement this Action Plan:

Medium – rare is the way to goMinimise Pork especially well-done. Bacon has the highest level of HCAs (14 ng/g compared to beef at 9, and chicken at 7)Stir fry, oven baking and stewing are the best methods of cookingIf you do fry, remove the chicken skin. Imagine a huge poison warning label on the chook.Don’t scrape the pan drippings into gravyDon’t eat deep-fried food If you do fry, DO NOT re-use the deep-fry oil.Thoroughly clean the BBQ after every use. These guys get more potent every time they are re-heated

By Dr Karen Coates

Here’s the proof. Life is too short to give up all of life’s pleasures, but sometimes just a little compromise can make a huge difference.

Eating up to 50 grams of dark chocolate each day may be beneficial in the management of high blood pressure and diabetes. A study published in the Journal of Hypertension in April 2005 the showed that after eating dark chocolate there is a significant and favourable change in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in blood pressure in healthy persons. This was confirmed by a further study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition of August 2005.

But it has to be dark chocolate – sorry Mr Cadbury.

(Oh, and careful with the caffeine in chocolate if sleep is a problem.)

Short-term administration of dark chocolate is followed by a significant increase in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in blood pressure in healthy persons.

Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Mar;

Grassi D, Lippi C, Necozione S, Desideri G, Ferri C.

Cocoa reduces blood pressure and insulin resistance and improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in hypertensives. Hypertension. 2005 Dec;46(6):e21-2; author reply e22

Grassi D, Lippi C, Necozione S, Desideri G, Ferri C.

More evidence in defense of saturated fats based in science from Dr. Karen:

A comprehensive review of all the research and studies on the role of saturated fat and human disease was recently released to the medical arena in March 2014. The conclusion?

“We found essentially null associations between total saturated fatty acids and coronary risk”

Once again the common sense approach to food and nutrition wins out. Enjoy food that comes from nature. Avoid food that has high human intervention. If food is naturally fatty then enjoy in moderation.

Reference: CV Risk and Saturated Fats: The Debate Rolls On. Medscape. Mar 17, 2014.

By Dr. Karen Coates

Sometimes things just don’t go to plan. A great marketing idea.

A weight loss product, complete with calorie in, calorie out research that, in theory, should make the product perfect for a weight loss diet.

But….then there’s this study published that blows the whole thing out of the water. Feed rats the low fat potato chips and they gain more weight than the rats fed the Real Thing.

Take home message from Dr Karen:

Don’t eat food that has been fiddled with by human hands, especially if it’s been done in a chemical lab rather than a commercial kitchen.

This is such an important concept that I spend some time explaining how to get it right as a part of my Vitality4life program. Click here to join my growing wellness community.

Swithers, S.et al, 2011. Fat Substitutes Promote Weight Gain in Rats Consuming High-Fat Diets. Behavioral Neuroscience, 125 (4).