By Dr. Chantell Groenewald 
M. Tech Hom UJ 
 
Anxiety is a serious disorder affecting so many women today. Before diagnosing anxiety, you have to ensure you have eliminated other physical causes, medications or underlying diseases that may present as anxiety.
 
Some common underlying medical conditions, medications, substances and vitamin deficiencies that can cause anxiety include:
- Thyroid disfunction (hyper or hypo-thyroidism) 
- Glucose and Insulin abnormalities
- Vitamin B12 deficiency/overload
- Oestrogen dominance
- Menopause
- Environmental toxins
- Electrolyte imbalances
- OTC or prescription drugs
- Autoimmune diseases such as SLE
- Certain connective tissue disorders
- Stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol
- Food additives such as MSG
- Food allergies
 
Individuals who suffer with anxiety should visit their primary health care physician so that he/she can take a thorough case study and medical history as well as order the necessary tests to eliminate all possible underlying causes of anxiety and treat accordingly.
 
For more information or any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0124609216 or email cgroenewald@hotmail.co.za 

By:  Dr. Chantell Groenewald (M. Tech Hom UJ)

​Insulin resistance.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to eating. Insulin's function is to store the energy from our food either as glycogen (stored in the liver and the muscles cells) or fat in adipose tissue stores.

Our cells require glucose (from the food that we eat) for energy. Insulin receptors on the cell surface act as a key-and-lock, binding with insulin in the blood to 'unlock' channels for glucose absorption into the cell. When cells become insulin resistant, our pancreas secretes more insulin in an attempt to absorb glucose into cells.

Increased visceral adipose tissue (central obesity) raises cortisol levels due to the high levels of inflammation caused by excessive inflammation markers secreted in adipose tissue. Cortisol is secreted to combat raised inflammatory markers. Cortisol (also known as the fight and flight hormone) directly inhibits the effects of insulin to ensure adequate levels of glucose during the fight and flight response. So chronically elevated cortisol causes cells to become insulin resistant, causing the pancreas to to increase insulin secretion . Now as I mentioned earlier, insulin serves to increase stored energy, so elevated levels of insulin favors fat deposition.

Fat cells = increased cortisol = insulin resistance = higher levels of insulin = increased fat deposition.

So, fat makes you fat.

Here are five tips to combat insulin resistance:

1. Intermittent fasting (IF).

Speak to your doctor to find out if this is an option for you. IF has been proven to reduce insulin resistance to increase your cells sensitivity to insulin.

2. Eliminate all forms of sugar from your diet, this includes honey, sweetners and sugar substitutes (non-nutritive sweetners such as aspartame). 

3. Eliminate refined and fast releasing carbohydrates from your diet. 

4. Avoid food that contain additives that can cause an insulin spike, this includes foods such as maltodexrin, corn syrup, high fructose syrup and maize/corn starch.

5. Eat a balanced diet with at least 7 servings of vegetables each day.
Remeber to include healthy fats such as coconut and olive oil and only use grass fed, organic, hormone free meat and animal products. 

For more information, or to book an appointment for a weight loss assessment, please phone the NHCC on 0124609216. 

The Naturopathic Health Care Centre provides a friendly environment where the whole family is taken care of.   The three registered homoeopaths together with the registered nursing sister are able to take care of a vast range of health issues.

Consult with one of our Homoeopathic Practitioners.  

• Our services include diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses with emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention, health maintenance and education.   
  
• Coughs, colds, ear infections, tonsillitis, skin conditions, fever, diaper rash, childhood diseases, diarrhoea and vomiting are a few of the everyday ailments that we treat. 
  
• We also deal with other concerns like constant crying, temper tantrums, thumb sucking and bed wetting

Visit our Well Baby Clinic - Services provided by the sister:

• Growth & milestone assessments
  
• Breastfeeding / bottle-feeding advice and support
  
• Introduction of solids advice and support
  
• We give professional advice on: Baby colic and cramps, breast feeding, teething, potty training and sleep patterns

Regrettably we do not do allopathic vaccinations at the Centre, but you can talk to us about nosode treatment and immune boosting therapies.

Attend our Mom & Baby socialisation Workshop
Enjoy two hours of relaxed interaction with other mommies.  Tea, coffee and snacks are served while listening to an informative talk by Dr Chantell Groenewald or Sr Alida Idema.  
​
Mom & Baby groups are held on the last Tuesday morning of every month. We can accommodate up to 20 moms, therefore please phone the reception to book your spot.  Visit our website for the dates and times.

This week in our Mom and Baby workshops we will be discussing fear and anxiety in our children and how to best handle and treat the situation.

We will cover:

·       Fear of dark, strangers, seperation
·       Fear of monsters, thunder
·       Bad dreams
·       How to manage fear
·       The benefits of Phosphorus

When:  Tuesday , 4 August 2015 
Time:    10h00 – 11h00

Join us for a relaxed informative session with some other mommies and babes.  It takes place at our Health Care Centre, every First Tuesday of each month.

Refreshments are served            
Please kindly give us a call to book your spot.  

A Person’s body is covered in organisms, such as bacteria and parasites.

The reason why we are not permanently ill is because we have an immune system. Our body is a pipe that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. Most of our body activities happen inside and outside the pipe.

1.       First line of Defense (Barrier or shell)

Skin, mucous membrane, hair in the nose and ears, body secretions like sweat, earwax and tears, urine, tummy juices.

2.       Second line of defense

A battle between the invader and the immune system begins.

Inflammatory response: Increased blood circulation, bringing along the different White blood cells. (Leucocytes) The area becomes painful, hot and red and swollen due to the increase of blood and proteins.  There are several different types of leukocytes (white blood cells): neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages.

3.       Third line of defense

Immune response, anti- bodies are formed and a cell memory is built.

How can we help our bodies?

Keep in mind the three different lines of defense:

1.       Hygiene, washing hands and don’t share crockery and cutlery.
Protect the mucous membrane – sleep with a humidifier in the room

Hydrate your body cells by drinking plenty of water.
Look after your gut by maintaining a good ph balance. Avoid sugar, eat raw veggies and take your pre- and pro- biotic.

2.       Give the inflammatory process time, do not suppress it.
Good diet rich in Zinc, Omega 3 and Vitamin C.  Exercise rest and sleep.
All the above measures feed and maintain the body cells, lymph cells and blood cells that is needed to fight the battle.

3.       Give the Immune response time to develop. Don’t take unnecessary antibiotics
Make use of alternative therapies like homoeopathy. (Huis renovate story)

 The Homoeopathic approach

The classical homoeopath would give one remedy at a time, trying to match as much as possible symptoms of the patient with as much as possible characteristics of the remedy.  This is time consuming and hard work, but once a practitioner gets the hang of it, it becomes most rewarding.  Complex remedies on the other hand contains a group of remedies, all targeting the disease in order to bring about the desired results. 

Echinacae

Echinacae is a well-known remedy often used to improve the immune system and many homoeopathic formulations contains Echinacae.

Echinacea is a genus, or group of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae. 

The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἐχῖνος (echino), meaning "sea urchin," due to the spiny central disk. These flowering plants and their parts have different purposes. Some species are cultivated in gardens for their showy flowers, and some are traditionally used to treat and prevent common cold, flu, and other infections.

References

Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:60

Kelly, Kindscher. "The Conservation Status of Echinacea Species" (PDF).USDA. Retrieved 29 October 2014.

The Plant List search for Echinacea

Perry, Ann. 2010. Exploring Echinacea’s Enigmatic Origins. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service

FIRST TRIMESTER:
In the first few weeks of pregnancy, the embryo develops three layers of cells.
·         The Endoderm: it will eventually become your baby's digestive system.
·         The Mesoderm: it is the source of the sex organs, bones, kidneys and muscles.
·         The Ectoderm, or outer layer, develops into the nervous system, hair, skin and                   eyes.

At its most basic level, the digestive system is a series of tubes leading from the mouth to the anus. 

By about 8 weeks’ gestation, that tube is starting to form along with the stomach. 

By about week 10, the stomach starts to produce digestive juices and enzymes.  For now, your baby is getting all his nutrition from you, via the placenta and umbilical cord (and he’s sending the waste right back into the placenta). Her own digestive system won’t take over for real until she is born and starts consuming breast milk or formula.

SECOND TRIMESTER:
Early in the second trimester, around week 13, the digestive system’s structures are fully formed and in the right places. Now it’s time for practice: Baby begins to suck and swallow amniotic fluid and the muscles and organs that make up the digestive system start to contract. He also pees every 40 minutes. These are all tasks that baby will rely on for digestion once she’s out in the world, consuming breast milk, formula and eventually solid food.

THIRD TRIMESTER:
The digestive system continues to practice its waste management duties, but it won’t be fully ready for prime time until your baby is born and starts taking all her nutrition by mouth (instead of by umbilical cord).

Still, in the final weeks of pregnancy, the digestive system gets ready for its own first delivery: meconium starts to build up in the intestine. This is baby’s first bowel movement. Instead of food, it’s made up of the stuff your baby collected in his intestines while in utero (like old blood cells and skin cells), which is why it looks so drastically different from the baby poop yet to come. 

FIRST WEEKS AFTER BIRTH

During gestation, your baby received nutrients and disposed of waste products through the placenta. At birth, this changed abruptly, but your newborn's digestive system is still very immature. As a result, he may lose up to 10 percent of his body weight in the first days of his life, as he adjusts to using his digestive system. Because a newborn's stomach is small, your infant needs frequent feedings. Breast milk is high in fat because that's the most efficient way for your baby to meet his caloric needs. Ounce for ounce, fat contains over twice as many calories as proteins or carbohydrates.

Your baby’s tummy is about the size of a small marble at birth. After three days, it is about the size of a ping-pong ball, but still can’t hold much.1


Until she is about 4 months old, your baby’s tummy can hold only small amounts of milk at a time. Too much milk during feedings can cause your baby to spit up or be fussy.

Spitting up can happen when your baby:
·         Burps (this is called a wet burp)
·         Eats too much
·         Swallows too much air
There is no reason to worry about these common causes for your baby spitting up. It is not painful, and most babies do not even realize they have done it. As long as your baby is healthy and gaining weight, it is simply part of the development process. It might seem like a lot, but the amount of liquid your baby spits up might not be as much as you think.  One tablespoon is normal, but it looks like a lot.

WHAT IS COLIC?
The cause of colic is unknown. Researchers have explored a number of possibilities, including allergies, lactose intolerance, changes in the normal bacteria found in the digestive system, a digestive system that hasn't fully developed, anxious parents, and differences in the way a baby is fed or comforted. Yet it's still unclear why some babies have colic and others don't.

The "Rule Of Threes."
When infants cry for three or more hours a day at least three days a week for three weeks or more, it could be colic.  

Colic generally begins at 2 to 3 weeks; it is unusual after 3 months. 

Fussing and crying are normal for infants, and a fussy baby doesn't necessarily have colic. In an otherwise healthy, well-fed baby, signs of colic include:
·         Predictable crying episodes. 
·         Intense or inconsolable crying. 
·         Crying that occurs for no apparent reason. 
·         Posture changes. Curled up legs, clenched fists and tensed abdominal muscles.
·         It usually starts a few weeks after birth and often improves by age 3 months. By ages 4 to 5 months, the majority of babies with colic have improved.

THE HOMOEOPATHIC APPROACH
If we understand the stages through which a new born baby’s digestive system develops, then it is easier to stay calm when baby has reflux, gas, diarrhea and some discomfort.  Crying is your baby’s only way of telling you something is bothering him. It does not always mean he is experiencing serious discomfort. Check first to see if he is too cool or warm, hungry, gassy, or tired, or if he needs a diaper change.

Colic improves on its own, often by age 3 months. Unfortunately, there are no proven treatments that consistently help every baby. Treatments that have been tried include:
·         Gas & Cramp -relief medications:
·         Calming the tummy nerves
·      Probiotics. Probiotics are substances that help maintain the natural balance of "good" bacteria in the digestive tract. This kind of treatment is relative expensive so do not experiment without seeking advice from a knowledgeable practitioner. 

Homoeopathic remedies that can be considered:
·         Carbo vegetabilis is indicated for flatulence, and burning crampy, stomach pain.
·         Magnesium Phosphoricum is used to treat abdominal bloating and flatulent colic.
·         Strychnos nux-vomica  is indicated for flatulence, symptoms that are associated with mental strain and rritability.

All the above remedies are found in Natura Magen.

·         Achillea millefolium relieves acute pain in the pit of the stomach.
·   Arnica montana relieves stomach pain and abdominal discomfort associated with loose stools and aversion to touch.
·         Calendula officinalis quietens apparent hunger in a baby who has just nursed.
·  Centaurium erythraea helps relieve gripping abdominal pains and colic with excessive flatulence and which tends to be more severe at night.
·    Matricaria recutita (Chamomilla) is indicated for painful teething, regurgitation of food, abdominal distension and colic accompanied by loose stools.

All the above remedies are found in Natura Cesranol

• Banisteropsis caapi relieves nervous hypersensitivity.
  
• Cuprum aceticum helps treat spasmodic pains in stomach and abdomen.
  
• Magnesium phosphoricum has anti-spasmodic and analgesic action on all muscular tissue and treats twitches, and spasmodic, colicky pain.
  
• Veratrum viride has anti-congestive action and treats twitches and hiccoughs.
  
• Verbena officinalis has a general anti-spasmodic properties.
• Zincum metallicum acts on the central nervous system to treat muscular twitches, difficult teething, hiccough and flatulent colic.

All the above remedies are found in Natura Sedaped

Good advice
A good support system gives you a much needed break when your baby’s crying becomes overwhelming. Ask for help from your partner or a family member to get relief or sleep when you need it. If the crying makes you feel like you might lose control, calmly and safely place your baby in a crib, and step away briefly to collect your thoughts and calm down. Feeling overwhelmed is only temporary — never shake an infant.

Resources:
All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own practitioner in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

www.livestrong.com › Diseases and Conditions

1. Spangler AK, et al. J Hum Lact. 2008;24:199-205. 
2. Behrman RE, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 16th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co., 2000:165. 
3. Samour PQ and King K. Handbook of Pediatric Nutrition. 3rd ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2005:90. 
4. Fomon SJ. Infant Nutrition. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co., 1974:24. 
Mayo Clinic Staff
Natura Website - http://www.comedhealth.co.za/