What it does: Promotes a healthy heart, clots blood, promotes healthy nerves, contracts muscles, improves skin, bone and teeth health, relieves aching muscles and bones, maintains the correct acid-alkaline balance, reduces menstrual cramps and tremors.
Deficiency Signs: Muscle cramps or tremors, insomnia or nervousness, joint pain or arthritis, tooth decay, high blood pressure.
Best food sources: Cheese, almonds, brewer’s yeast, parsley, corn tortillas, globe artichokes, prunes, pumpkin seeds, cooked dried beans, cabbage, winter wheat.
Optimum daily amount: 1000mg a day (800mg from a good diet; 200mg from a supplement).
There are many different kinds of cancer, with different causes. Most cancers are associated with exposure or ingestion of cancer-causing agents, coupled with immune insufficiency. Often there is an association with free-radical damage of cells, which then become cancerous. Depending on the type of cancer, the first step is to eliminate cancer-stimulating agents such as smoking, a high-fat diet, HRT, excessive exposure to sunlight or pesticides, a high-meat diet, alcohol and so on. The next step is to build up the strength of the immune system with diet and supplements and to increase your intake of antioxidant nutrients.
Diet advice
Increase the amount of high-antioxidant foods you eat. Cut out red meat and alcohol, and reduce all sources of saturated fat. A vegan-type diet is best. Also, drink plenty of water and herb tea, especially cat’s claw, which is a potent immune-booster.
Supplements
• 2 x Multivitamin and multimineral
• 2 × Antioxidant complex
• 4 × Vitamin C 1,000mg (up to 10g a day)
• 2 x Essential Omega 3 and 6 oil capsules
• Providing vitamin A 3,000mcg a day
• Providing vitamin E 400mg a day
• Providing selenium 200mcg a day
The overgrowth of Candida albicans, a yeast-like fungus, can occur anywhere in the body, most commonly in the digestive tract or vagina, and causes thrush or yeast infection. Mild overgrowth can be eliminated by a four-point plan: anti-fungal agents such as caprylic acid and grapefruit seed extract; supplementation of beneficial bacteria; an immune-boosting diet and supplements; and an ‘anti-candida’ diet. It is usually best to work with a nutrition consultant, who can confirm the extent of the infection with proper tests.
Diet advice
Avoid all sources of sugar and especially fast-releasing sugars (including fruit for the first month). Also stay away from yeast-containing foods, mushrooms and fermented foods such as alcohol and vinegar. Wheat is often best reduced since it irritates the gut. This means living off vegetables, grains, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. It is worth getting a good anti-candida recipe book!
Supplements
• 2 x Multivitamin and multimineral
• 2 x Antioxidant complex
• 2 × Vitamin C 1,000mg
• Caprylic acid 700mg twice a day
• Grapefruit seed extract 15 drops twice a day
• A probiotic supplement such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria bifidus (take separately from caprylic acid and grapefruit seed extract, perhaps before bed)
What it does: Helps balance blood sugar, normalise hunger and reduce cravings, improves lifespan, helps protect cells, essential for heart function.
Deficiency Signs: Excessive or cold sweats, dizziness or irritability after six hours without food, need for frequent meals, cold hands, need for excessive sleep or drowsiness during the day, excessive thirst, addicted to sweet foods.
Best food sources: Brewer’s yeast, wholemeal bread, rye bread, oysters, potatoes, wheatgerm, green peppers, eggs, chicken, apples, butter, parsnips, cornmeal, lamb, cheese.
Optimum daily amount: 125mcg a day (75mcg from a good diet; 50mcg from a supplement).
There are many causes of chronic fatigue, the most common of which is sub-optimum nutrition. Nutrients needed in energy production include vitamins C and B complex, iron and magnesium. However, more pronounced symptoms, sometimes called ME, can include extreme tiredness on exertion. These can result from the body’s ability to detoxify being overloaded. Any generation of energy (exercise) or digestion (eating) produces toxins for the body to deal with. If symptoms occur after eating or exercise, see a nutrition consultant who can test your liver detoxification potential.
Diet advice
Eat little and often, choosing from slow-releasing carbohydrates and snacking on fruit. Avoid sugar and stimulants such as tea, coffee, chocolate and alcohol.
Supplements
• 2 x Multivitamin and multimineral
• 3 × Vitamin C 1,000mg
• 2 x Antioxidant complex
Exposure to viruses is unavoidable, unless you live like a hermit. However, whether you succumb to a virus depends on the strength of your immune system at the time of infection. Studies have repeatedly shown that taking a daily supplement of 1 gram of vitamin C or more reduces the incidence, severity and duration of colds. However, optimum nutrition, together with immune-boosting nutrients during cold epidemics, can produce even better results.
Diet advice
Avoid all dairy products, eggs and excessive meat or soya consumption, since these foods are mucus forming. This is a great time to give your body a high-energy pure food diet packed with fresh fruit and vegetables and their juices. Drink cat’s claw tea three times a day to boost the immune system.
Supplements
• 2 x Multivitamin and multimineral
• 2 x Antioxidant complex
• 2 × Vitamin C 1,000mg (4g every four hours only when infected)
• EIderberry extract (1 dessertspoon four times a day only when infected). Echinacea drops (10 drops, two or three times a day)
In this condition part of the large intestine is inflamed. It is often stress-induced; however, it can also be due to poor diet, poor elimination, an allergy or sub-optimum nutrition. Since there is inflammation, the first step is to reduce any aggravating foods including alcohol, coffee and wheat. These can be replaced by foods and drinks that pass easily through the digestive tract, such as steamed vegetables, rice, fish and fruit, plus digestive enzyme supplements. Essential fats rich in GLA are powerful anti-inflammatory agents. Antioxidants also help to reduce inflammation.
Diet advice
The high fibre content can act as an irritant in this condition. So a diet of lightly steamed vegetables, fish and cooked grains is often preferable, with easy-to-digest fruit as snacks. Avoid all digestive irritants, which can include any food you are allergic to, wheat, alcohol, coffee and spices.
Supplements
• 2 x Multivitamin and multimineral
• 2 x Antioxidant complex
• 2 x Essential Omega 3 and 6 oil capsules
• Vitamin C 500mg (up to 2,000mg as ascorbate, because ascorbic acid can irritate an already inflamed bowel)
• Digestive enzyme formula with each main meal
Eggs and fish are foods that can improve your concentration. But they’ve got to be the right kind. Carnivorous, oily, fatty (whatever you call them) herring, wild or organic salmon, mackerel and trout contain the essential omega-3 fats that are proven to sharpen your mind. In fact, blood levels of omega-3s in newborn infants correlate with their IQ at the age of five.
If you don’t like eating fish, supplement an omega-3-rich fish oil every day. Oily fish, and especially sardines, also contain pyroglutamate, an amino acid that improves concentration.
Eggs, on the other hand, contain phospholipids that also help improve memory and concentration. But don’t fry them, as this destroys the valuable nutrients, and always go for organic and/or free range. Columbus free-range eggs, available in your supermarket, are also rich in omega-3 fats because they feed their chickens a diet high in them.
Contrary to popular belief, we should empty our bowels not once but two or three times a day. A healthy stool should break up easily and be no strain to pass. By these criteria, a large majority of people suffer from constipation. A high-fibre diet will help, as will a reduction in meat and milk products. Exercise is crucial, as it strengthens the abdominal muscles. Vitamins B1 and E help, while vitamin C may loosen the bowels. A non-irritant laxative, fructo-oligosaccharides powder, helps relieve severe constipation.
Diet advice
Follow a diet of eating high-fibre foods. Drink at least a litre (13/4 pints) of water a day, preferably between meals. Reduce your consumption of meat and milk products. Include oats and prunes in your diet, as well as linseeds, which can be ground and sprinkled on food.
Supplements
• 2 x Multivitamin and multimineral
• 3 × Vitamin C 1,000mg
• Digestive enzymes/probiotics with each meal
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disorder that responds very well to nutritional therapy. A few factors should be considered. Sensitivity to certain foods, most commonly gluten (the protein found in wheat, oats, rye and barley) and milk can aggravate Crohn’s, so avoiding them can help. The amount of good bacteria in the gut is likely to be low, so restore the balance with a probiotic supplement such as acidophilus. Taking some Omega 3-rich fish or flax oil, which contain Omega 3 fats, helps calm the inflammation. Certain herbs such as slippery elm or marshmallow are very soothing to the gut lining, while others such as boswellia and curcumin can reduce inflammation. The amino acid glutamine, 5 to 10 grams taken as a powder in water last thing at night, also helps to repair the gut.
Most people with Crohn’s are allergic to certain foods, most commonly gluten, and also have raised homocysteine levels. It is well worth working with a nutritional therapist, who can test for these factors and help you find your perfect diet and supplement programme.
You can’t avoid fibre completely and wouldn’t want to. Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet high in fruit, vegetables, lentils, beans and wholegrains and by eating such a diet you have less risk of bowel cancer, diabetes or diverticular disease, and are unlikely to suffer from constipation. However, be really careful with insoluble fibre found in bran and wholegrains. It’s harsh on the bowel and doesn’t suit a sensitive or inflamed digestive system. There are, however, many different kinds of fibre. Soluble fibres, found in oats, lentils, beans, fruit, vegetables and flax seeds or linseeds (which you should continue to eat plenty of) are a whole other story. Soluble fibre-rich foods contain many other nutrients as well, so are an important part of any healthy diet, including the diets of Crohn’s sufferers.
Diet advice
Avoid coffee, alcohol and sugar, drink 1.5 litres of water daily and eat fresh wholefoods that are naturally high in soluble fibre, such as lentils, beans, ground seeds, fruit and lightly cooked vegetables. Have ground flax seeds or soaked flax seeds.
Supplements
• 2 x Multivitamin and mineral
• 1 x Vitamin C 1,000mg (less if irritating)
• 3 x Omega 3-rich fish oils (providing EPA 1200mg)
• L-glutamine powder, 5g, twice a day
This is an inflammation and infection of the bladder, which causes frequent and painful urination. Vitamins C and A protect you from such infections, and vitamin C can be particularly helpful at clearing it up. So too can grapefruit seed extract. The following recommendations only apply to clear up a bout of cystitis and should not be followed on a regular basis.
Diet advice
Avoid all sugar. Drink 2 litres (31/2 pints) of water a day.
Supplements
• Multivitamin and multimineral
• Calcium ascorbate powder 10 grams in water/juice a day until clear
• 2 × Vitamin A 2,270mcg
• Grapefruit seed extract 10 drop three times a day
What it does: Strengthens immune system – fights infections. Makes collagen, keeping bones, skin and joints firm and strong. Antioxidant, detoxifying pollutants and protecting against cancer and heart disease. Helps make anti-stress hormones, and turns food into energy.
Deficiency Signs: Frequent colds, lack of energy, frequent infections, bleeding or tender gums, easy bruising, nose bleeds, slow wound healing, red pimples on skin.
Best food sources: Peppers, watercress, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, lemons, kiwi fruit, peas, melons, oranges, grapefruit, limes, tomatoes.
Optimum daily amount: 2000mg a day (200mg from a good diet; 1800mg from a supplement).
