Positive Health Online

As Autumn turns into Winter, we are blessed with a fascinating array of colours displayed as the leaves on the trees turn to a reddish gold, their leaves fall and the growth period becomes dormant.

The dark cold nights make us want to snuggle up indoors to keep warm.  In the summer months it is natural for our bodies to want to eat cooling foods such as salads, they are quick growing and seasonal. Foods that serve us well in the winter are those that take months to mature such as sprouts, swedes, parsnips and these make wonderful hearty soups. Eating well and nutritiously is one of the first steps to being healthy and maintaining health. Of course, not everyone can obtain organic foods or grow their own but there is a wonderful sense of satisfaction when we dig up our own home-grown potatoes or see the pumpkin mature.

Whilst there are people who do have serious food allergies and need to carry an EpiPen with them in case of an emergency, there are many that suffer with food intolerances that are commonly referred to by clients as ‘allergies’.   In the case of food intolerances are we seeing such a rise in these because so many food products are sprayed with chemicals to lengthen their natural lifespan especially those that are transported from overseas?  After all, where would we be without some of the more commonly used foods such as tomatoes, cucumbers and salads that are quick growing foods, readily available in the summer months yet we are still able to purchase all year round.  

During my research for this article I came across the website of Pesticide Action Network UK,[1]  that lists what they term the ‘dirty dozen’ of regularly purchased produce that contain residue of multiple chemicals.  Of course, we recognise that farmers need to protect their crops in order to meet the public supply and demand of foods and to do so they use a range of  pesticides (herbicides, insecticides and fungicides) that are designed to kill off living organisms.  Crops are sprayed more than once during a growing season and I was very surprised to read that as many as 20 different chemicals can be applied to winter wheat.   And then to make foods that otherwise would look less appetising, preservatives such as sulphates are added.   Untreated dried apricots for example are a dusty brown colour while those treated with a sulphate preservative are a brighter orange colour.  

In respect of food colourants, the NHS website[2]  states that research has found a possible link between certain artificial colours used in food and problems with hyperactivity in children.  I became very aware of these food colours when I witnessed the effect it had on my own son many years ago leading me to investigate further how food colourants can affect our behaviour.  A client of mine advised me how she had been for a meal at a restaurant where MSG (monosodium glutamate aka flavour enhancer) was used and she reacted so badly that her breathing was affected and she became fearful.  This was an experience that she had not suffered before.

Artificial sweeteners are another area that can give cause to concern.  The article The Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Human Health and Cancer

Association: A Comprehensive Clinical Review in The National Library of

Medicine[3] reviews the data on the use benefits, side effects and cancer risks of artificial sweeteners.  Artificial sweeteners first entered the food industry in the 1800s but it was not until about 24 years ago that the increase in their consumption became more prolific.

Homeopathic Textbooks

How does this relate to my practice of Homeopathy and Nutrition?  Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) who introduced us to homeopathy was so far ahead of his time when in1784 in his book Directions for Curing Old Diseases he expressed the need for public hygiene, fresh air, adequate sleep, regular exercise and a good diet. It wasn’t until 1810 that homeopathy was introduced by Hahnemann in the form that we know it today and we owe him a great deal.

When a client attends for homeopathy and/or nutrition, it is part of the in-depth case taking is to discover the types of foods that they prefer, whether they like spicy foods or crave sweet and sugary foods.  Also, their appetite and how their digestive system copes with different foods.  Do they have a ravenous appetite or even if hungry do they find that eating a small amount leaves them with a feeling of fullness?  Does their digestive system work well so that they can pass a regular bowel movement easily or are they prone to constipation?   The answers to these questions help me to identify the remedy that is most suited to their ailments.

Having been in practice for over 30 years I have seen an upsurge is people presenting with digestive upsets, bloating, constipation, IBS, candida type symptoms as well as behavioural issues in children, skin conditions, hormonal upsets to name a few.   I ask the client to look more carefully at the foods they ingest and keep a record of what they eat on a day to day basis.  This is only for a short time so that I can assess if their diet is heavily laden with processed foods, sugar, alcohol etc., and then I work out a programme that they feel they can adhere to affording their body the assistance it needs to address the overload on their system. 

To help me identify food intolerances I use a Bio Meridian machine and at the end of the test I hand the client a report that outlines foods that may be causing them discomfort.  Along with homeopathic remedies I may also recommend nutritional supplements to help them ‘get back on track’.  At each follow up consultation we review the progress the client has made and make adjustments accordingly.   Should we feel that extra help is needed to identify gut issues that have not responded as well as we had hoped, then I tend to recommend a non-invasive investigative test, usually a stool culture.  Once these results have been analysed, I can then give further advice to my client.  

Homeopathic Textbooks

Below are a few examples of remedies that I would use in cases of digestive upsets.  Information on remedies is taken from the Homeopathic Clinical  Repertory[4] and Nature’s Materia Medica.[5]

Aluminum Oxydata

This remedy is particularly suited to children who suffer with constipation from artificial baby foods and may also be prone to colic.  There is difficulty in passing a stool and when it is passed it is a ‘dry’ stool.  There is much straining even to pass a soft stool.  I have found it to be very useful in clients who suffer with constipation particularly after eating starchy foods, especially potatoes.

Bryonia

A remedy very useful for constipation during pregnancy.  The stool is hard and is difficult to pass.  Irritability accompanies many of the complaints associated with this remedy.  Gastric troubles can be associated with migraine type headaches.  A feeling as if there is a stone in the stomach after eating. 

Nux Vomica

Dietary indiscretions can lead to constipation so lifestyle plays an important part when selecting this remedy. Over-indulgence in spicy foods, eating at inappropriate times and irregular sleeping habits leading to irritability, and impatience.  When passing a stool there is a feeling of more that needs to be expelled. The stool is hard and knotty.

Lycopodium

Suited to the person who is initially hungry but feels full up after a few mouthfuls of food. They experience bloating and belching and when it is time for them to open their bowels the stool is hard and difficult to expel.  They can be quite an anxious person lacking in confidence and self-esteem.

Pulsatilla

Useful when there is constipation that alternates with diarrhoea.  The stomach feels heavy and they suffer with indigestion from rich, greasy, fatty foods.  They will also state that when belching the taste of foods remains with them for a long time. They may experience vomiting after eating fruits.  The person needing this remedy may be moody and feels so much better in the open air. 

Arsenicum Album

For someone who reacts to food that may have just ‘turned’ the ill effects will be vomiting and diarrhoea.  Some watery fruits can also have this effect. They cannot bear the site and smell of food. The stool will be foul and offensive smelling and the person will feel exhausted.  Warm drinks, small amounts at frequent intervals are preferred.  Heartburn.

Argentum Nitricum

The person requiring this remedy will tend to have a craving for sweets that disagrees with them and it is not the only food that upsets them.  Eating tends to relieve their nausea but aggravates the stomach pains.  Belching with most gastric upsets and distension.  The stool can be greenish, watery and noisy with flatulence.

Chelidonium Majus

This remedy would be suited to the person who has lost their appetite and dislikes meat, coffee, cheese and spinach.  They do however feel better once they have eaten and they prefer their food and drinks to be hot.  They have bilious headaches that tend to settle over the right eye – the headache is better for eating.  Constipating alternating with diarrhoea and the stool can be yellow and watery. 

I also advise on dietary and lifestyle changes that will include increasing their water intake, switching, where possible, to organic foods and avoiding the use of artificial sweeteners and highly processed foods.   Cleansing the body with vegetable juices such as kale, broccoli, asparagus, celery, beets – obviously only recommended to those clients who do not suffer with ‘ailments from vegetables’.  Other lifestyle changes may be needed but these are sensitively discussed with the client.   In this way I feel that homeopathy and nutrition work hand in glove to assist the client on their journey to improved health. 

Returning to the first paragraph of my article where I mentioned the beauty of the seasons it brings to mind that so many homeopathic remedies are made from flowers or parts of them and how wonderful nature is that it has given us the ability to not only enjoy its beauty but how fascinating it is that the founder of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann spent years discovering the benefits of these remarkable remedies.   Even back in the days of Hippocrates (‘by similar things a disease is produced and through the application of the like it is cured’) Galen (‘natural cure by the likes’) and Paracelsus (‘same must be cured by sames’) they opined that cures could be found in nature and that likes should be treated by likes,[6] as expressed by Hahnemann ‘similia similibus curentur’.[7]  Homeopathy is a natural medicine and one can add today that it is eco-friendly that can safely be given to people of all ages  

Homeopathic remedies are obtainable from homeopathic pharmacies or from health shops.   I would always recommend that anyone looking to use homeopathic remedies seek guidance so that they feel confident in selecting the most appropriate remedies.  Chronic ailments should be referred to a qualified homeopath and if in any doubt do not hesitate to consult your GP.  

The remedies quoted above are listed in the homeopathic Repertory[4]  and

Materia Medica.[5]  New provings are continually being undertaken thereby expanding the range of homeopathic remedies a homeopath has to choose from. 

References

1. https://www.pan-uk.org
2. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/food-colours-and-hyperactivity/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10822749#
4. Murphy, Robin ND, Homeopathic Clinical Repertory 3^rd Edition
5. Murphy, Robin ND, Nature’s Materia Medica 3^rd Edition
6. Cook, Trevor, M, Homeopathic Medicine Today A Modern Course of Study 7 Hahnemann, Samuel, Organon of Medicine 6^th Edition