Agnus Castus - Menstrual problems and insufficient lactation, Nervous tension, Irritability, mood swings, depression, anxiety, forgetfulness and Insomnia. Can help reduce pre-mentrual tension and stablaise the length of the cycle, as well as help with general menopausal problems, fluid retention and fatigue.
Warning : Do not take if pregnant. If taking hormone medication, please consult your doctor before use.
Ingredients : Agnus Castus powder
Specially developed formulae which does not only serve to reduce weight, but also improves digestion, helps to improve complexion and is an excellent laxative. Stimulates the thyroid, detoxifies, improves digestion, speeds up metabolism, burns fat, has laxative and diuretic properties, high iodine content normalises the thyroid, liver tonic, remedy for gallstones, a stimulant, contains Vitamin C & A, stomach tonic and digestive acid, helps remove gravel from kidneys
Warning : Do not take if pregnant
Ingredients : Birch Extract 5:1 28% (4% Hyperocide, Bladderwrack Extract, 4:1 130mg, Buckthorn Extract 5:1 160mg, (14% Glucofrangulin), Chicory Root Powder 6mg, Ginger Root Powder 10mg, Juniper Berry Powder 4mg, Rhubarb Root Extract 4:1 4mg.
This document provides information on how you can use soy foods to help lower cholesterol.
Including soy foods as part of a healthy diet along with regular exercise is the best way to lower cholesterol. A registered dietitian can provide detailed nutrition education to help you develop a personal action plan.
The facts about soy
Recent studies have shown that adding soy foods to your meal plan may lower cholesterol and significantly reduce the risk of developing coronary artery disease. People who live in countries where soy products are eaten often have lower rates of many chronic diseases, especially heart disease. The following information will explain how soy may lower cholesterol and how it can be added to your meals.
The soybean
Soybeans are a good source of protein. They are rich in calcium, iron, B vitamins, and fiber. Soy is also low in saturated fat, the type of fat that has the most impact on increasing cholesterol levels.
Soy also contains phytochemicals, substances found in plants that play an active role in helping protect the body against many diseases. Isoflavones are phytochemicals found in soy. Together, soy protein and is flavones significantly decrease the “bad” LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol and tend to increase the “good” HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol.
Based on extensive research, the FDA has approved the following claims, which can be added to food labels of soy products:
Coronary artery disease causes more deaths in the United States than any other disease.
Twenty-five (25) grams of soy protein daily has shown to have a significant cholesterol-lowering effect.
Soy protein, combined with meals low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels.
Clinical trials show soy protein used in place of animal protein can lower total fat and LDL cholesterol.
How much and what kind of soy should I eat?
Based on the FDA’s guidelines, 25 grams of soy protein may have a significant impact on lowering cholesterol levels.
Soy Food to Try
Foods Amount of soy protein
Soy beans (1/2 cup)
Tofu (3 ounces)
Soy milk (8 ounces)
Soy yogurt
Soy nuts (1/4 cup)
Soy nut butter
(2 tablespoons)
Soy burger (1 patty)
Tempe (1/2 cup)
Milo (1/4 cup) 13 grams
8.5 grams
6-8 grams
11 grams
12 grams
8 grams
10 grams
16 grams
8 grams
A sample meal plan to include 25 grams of soy protein
Breakfast:
1 cup of whole grain cereal
1 cup of soymilk (6-8 grams of soy protein)
1 banana
Snack:
1 cup of carrot sticks
5 whole grain crackers
Lunch:
1 soy burger (10 grams of soy protein)
Whole grain bun with lettuce and tomato
1 cup of vegetable soup
Snack:
1 cup of soy yogurt (11 grams of soy protein)
1 cup fresh strawberries
Dinner:
3 oz chicken breast
1 cup of wild rice
1 cup steamed broccoli
Whole grain roll
Snack:
Air-popped popcorn
Simple ideas to enhance your meals
Make a trail mix using soy nuts in place of peanuts for a tasty snack.
Use silken tofu in place of cream cheese or yogurt in snack and dessert recipes.
Replace #65533; of the all-purpose flour in muffin and bread recipes with soy flour.
Try soy nut butter in place of peanut butter on a sandwich.
Make a smoothie with soymilk, soy ice cream, and fresh fruit.
Toss tofu cubes into your stir-fry.
Try using soybeans in your chili.
Try a soy meat alternative (textured vegetable protein) from the grocery store.
*SPECIAL OFFER*
Full Allergy Test Package: £100
Book your appointment now and receive a full allergy test package for just £100. The full allergy test package consists of an initial allergy test, plus a FREE retest after 8 weeks.
Initial Allergy Test: £80
The initial allergy test takes one hour, and includes a brief medical history questionnaire followed by allergy testing for food, drink and environmental allergens, plus a free vitamin and mineral deficiency check. We will also check for any overgrowth of Candida Albicans. Results are instant, and will be compiled together with your personal elimination programme.
At your free retest we will test you again, review your progress and advise on the safe re-introduction of foods into your diet.
Additional Follow-Up Appointments: £40 each
We may recommend that you return for additional follow-up tests after a further eight to twelve weeks, so that we can continue to monitor your progress.
Kate Knowler Dip BER, C.H.Ed (Dip Nut Ad)
Kate is a qualified and insured Nutritional Advisor and DipBER practitioner, who is currently also studying for her Anatomy & Physiology qualifications. She worked in IT Finance for over ten years before discovering for herself just how life changing an allergy test could be, having suffered with skin and digestive disorders for many years.
Contact Kate to book your allergy test now. Appointments are available at practices in London Bridge and Liverpool Street
Telephone: 07951 740423
Mediterranean food first attracted scientific attention 50 years ago, when researchers noticed that people throughout Crete and southern Italy often lived well into their 80s and 90s without any sign of heart disease, cancer or other chronic ailments.Since then, hundreds of studies have confirmed that a traditional Mediterranean menu — lots of dense, whole grain peasant bread and pasta, seasonal vegetables and some cheese and fruit, all spiked with olive oil and washed down with red wine — can indeed substantially lower your risk of heart attack and stroke.
This way of eating may also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes and cut your chances of developing emphysema, asthma and hay fever. In addition, recent research suggests that it may ward off some cancers.
What seems to make the Mediterranean menu so healthful isn’t any one food, but the whole eating-low-on-the-food-chain package, says Jennifer Nelson, a registered dietitian and director of clinical dietetics at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “All ethnic eating is plant-based and unprocessed. It’s a wonderful, fresh way of looking at things that goes beyond the usual fast-paced, put-it-in-boiling-water, nuke-it way of eating.”
The specifics
A food pyramid is designed so the foods that make up most of your diet are at the base, and those that should be eaten in smaller quantities and less often are at the top. In the Mediterranean scheme, an abundance of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts, olive oil and dairy foods are daily fare. Fish, chicken, eggs and sweets are recommended just a few times a week, and red meat is limited to no more than 12 to 16 ounces per month.
Here’s a closer look at how this all stacks up:
Whole grains and potatoes. Wonder Bread may have been a staple of 1950s America, but unrefined grains have always been the starch of choice in most of the rest of the world. Whole grains including breads, pasta, rice, couscous and polenta, have more complex taste and texture, and have been shown to cut your risk of heart disease and diabetes. While starchy, white potatoes have come under fire lately for their high carb content, in the Mediterranean they’re often eaten in small portions or used sparingly in a larger dish.
Fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds. There’s simply no downside to fruits and vegetables — they’re low in calories and fat and high in the fiber and nutrients that stop high blood pressure, heart disease, some types of cancer and age-related eye disease. Can’t get past the boiled broccoli of your youth? The Mediterranean plan features options like grilled artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. Dry beans such as garbanzos (aka chickpeas — think hummus) and small amounts of nuts add quality protein.
Extra virgin olive oil. Experts used to think that a low-fat diet equaled a healthy heart. But it’s now clear that the kind of fat you eat is important, too. That’s where extra virgin olive oil comes in. Walter Willet, M.D., a professor of epidemiology and nutrition and the chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, says that unlike saturated or trans fats, olive oil lowers bad cholesterol and encourages good cholesterol, making it a fat that actually helps your heart. Still, olive oil is loaded with calories. Six teaspoons a day will give you all the benefits without expanding your waistline.
Cheese and yogurt. Cultured dairy foods like Greek yogurt and feta cheese are a big part of most Mediterranean cultures and may help intestinal health as well as provide calcium and protein. They’re often eaten every day but in modest amounts.
Fresh fish, poultry, eggs. It takes just 6 ounces of fish a week to knock points off your blood pressure and improve brain function in growing children. Seafood is even more important when it comes to your heart — cutting your risk of heart disease by as much as a third and halving your chances of sudden cardiac death. Chicken and eggs (no more than four a week, including those used in baking) play a supporting role.
Sweets. Desserts like gelato, baklava and French pastries should be eaten sparingly. Fruit is the most common dessert in the Mediterranean.
Red meat. Most of the arches in the Mediterranean date back thousands of years and definitely aren’t golden! Because it’s high in saturated fat and has been linked to some kinds of cancer, limit red meat (such as hamburgers) to a few times a month or avoid it completely.
Red wine (optional). A glass of vino a day, sipped slowly with your meal, can help ward off heart attacks. Because the benefit is in the fruit, not the alcohol, grape juice packs the same punch.
What is an Allergy?
An allergy is an abnormal immune reaction to everyday things. When you have an allergy, the normal immune reaction that protects your body from infection and other dangers occurs in response to things that don’t pose any threat. Anything to which your immune system reacts, is called an ‘antigen’. If your immune system becomes sensitized to a particular antigen, it will manufacture ‘antibodies’, that bind to the antigen.
Classical/Immediate Allergies
The antibodies that cause immediate allergies are known as IgE antibodies. The symptoms of allergy are due to a substance called ‘histamine’ being released from specialized cells known as ‘mast cells’ when they come into contact with immune complexes, antibodies bound to an antigen. Histamine is also released in smaller amounts from immune cells called basophils.
Common allergy triggers include:
Pollens from flowers, tress and grasses
Molds
Foods - common ones include nuts, milk, seafood, wheat and legumes
Insect Bites
Animal Hair/Dander
Dust Mites
An allergic reaction can occur when an antigen is breathed in, eaten or even simply by coming into contact with the skin. The most common allergic illness is hayfever (allergic rhinitis), which is an allergy to pollens and is most often seasonal as pollen levels vary throughout the year. According to Nathan et al, in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, nearly 36 million americans suffer from hayfever.
Allergy Symptoms
The symptoms of allergy depend upon whether you are allergic to an airborne particle like pollen, a food, or something like an insect bite or an injected drug.
Allergy symptoms from airborne particles:
Sneezing
Running Nose/Nasal Congestion
Itchy Eyes, Nose, Throat and Ears
Sore Throat
Watery Eyes
Cough
Allergy symptoms from food:
Hives (a skin rash)
Stomach cramps
Nausea and Vomiting
Diarrhea
Stuffy Nose
Shortness of Breath
Anaphylactic Shock - Swelling of the lips, tongue, throat which can lead to suffocation
As well as these immediate and obvious allergy symptoms, allergies can cause any number of secondary symptoms, commonly including:
Headaches
Fatigue
Muscle and Joint Aches
Mood Disorders - Depression, Irritability etc
Gastrointestinal Upsets - Constipation, Diarrhea etc
Flushing
Dizziness
Delayed Food Allergies/Sensitivities
This type of allergy, often called ‘food sensitivities’, does not involve IgE antibodies and the release of histamine which cause very obvious symptoms soon after the ingestion of a food. Instead they are the result of IgG antibodies becoming sensitized to certain foods. IgG antibodies don’t cause the release of histamine but they do release other immune chemicals designed to inactivate or destroy invaders in the body. These chemicals can cause damage and resulting inflammation to your own body tissues in the process. As a result, they too can cause symptoms, especially if you develop sensitivities to a number of different foods. Symptoms from food sensitivities may appear up to 3 days after the offending food was ingested and last for weeks afterwards. Symptoms are wide ranging and can affect multiple body systems.
Here are some examples:
Respiratory - rhinitis, sinusitis, asthma.
Musculoskeletal - arthritis, aching, weakness, myalgia and cramping.
Gastrointestinal - vomiting, bloating, cramping, gas, distension, nausea, diarrhea and colic.
Central Nervous System - migraine, headache, impaired concentration, altered alertness, mood and behavioral changes, depression and hyperactivity.
Dermal - urticaria, atopic dermatitis, eczema and other rashes.
Due to the fact that these symptoms may not appear for days after the triggering food was eaten they are often referred to as ‘hidden allergies’. It is therefore difficult to pin down what is causing your symptoms. Another complication is that IgG allergies are not permanent, they are ‘cyclic’. This means that if you don’t eat a food you are sensitive to for a while it will no longer cause symptoms the next time you eat it. It also means that eating the same foods all the time will tend to cause a sensitivity to that food. The most common way to detect and treat food sensitivities is the elimination diet. If you keep a diary of what you eat and when symptoms appear it is possible to figure out which foods are causing problems. You can then eliminate these foods for a period of time, usually at least a month, to see if your symptoms improve. Another method is to start by eating a so called ’stone age’ diet that is very basic. You may then add other foods back slowly, one at a time to see if they trigger symptoms. There are also lab tests available to test for food sensitivities, the most common these days being the ELISA test, which may be very helpful for some people but tend to be expensive.
Food Intolerance
Although this name is often used interchangeably with food sensitivity and delayed allergy, technically a food intolerance has nothing to do with the immune system and is therefore not an allergy or sensitivity. An allergy is a reaction by the immune system to a protein, you can’t have a classical allergic reaction to anything but proteins. Intolerance’s can be due to food components other than proteins. A food intolerance is due to the lack of a specific enzyme for the digestion of a certain food type. The most common is lactose intolerance which is due to the lack of the enzyme lactase which breaks down the sugar lactose, found in milk and milk products. Food intolerance’s result in predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms such as:
Bloating
Flatulence
Abdominal Pain
Diarrhea
Although food intolerance’s don’t tend to cause the wide array of multiple organ system symptoms associated with Environmental Illnesses, they too have been found to be increased in Environmental Illness sufferers. For example, In a paper by M.S.Gracey, published in Medical Bulletin Vol.37 in 1981, it was noted that amongst other things,overgrowth of bacteria in the gut leads to lactose intolerance.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which a T-cell mediated immune response results in damage to the tissue of the small intestine. This reaction is triggered by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in grains, predominantly wheat, barley and rye.
The Role of Allergies in Environmental Illnesses
Classical (IgE) allergies are a major component of all Environmental Illnesses. Numerous investigations have found that the rate of allergies in CFS patients is significantly higher than in the population as a whole. According to the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in the US, allergies are present in 75% of CFS sufferers, compared to only 10-20% in general (see a related article here). Sufferers of all of the Environmental Illnesses often have a history of allergies before the onset of their illness and most develop new allergies after getting a diagnosis of CFS, Fibromyalgia etc.
Many researchers are coming to the conclusion that Environmental Illnesses, such as CFS, are the result of some kind of neuroimmune dysfunction, i.e. the nervous system/brain and immune systems aren’t functioning correctly in sufferers. The main theory is that the nervous and immune systems are hyperactive and thus more sensitive to stimulation of any kind. This would explain why allergies are such an integral part of these illnesses, because as we have already learnt, an allergy is basically an overreaction by the immune system to what is a normal, non-threatening stimulus. There is a well established base of research indicating that the immune systems of environmental illness sufferers are shifted towards a T-helper type 2 response and away from T-helper type 1 activities (1, 2, 3)
A lot of recent research is also showing that the gut flora plays an important part in the mediation of allergies with people with disrupted flora having more allergies than those with a more balanced gut flora and probiotics being shown to reduce allergic reactions and symptoms thereof (4, 5).
As with classical (IgE) allergies discussed previously, delayed allergies/food sensitivities play a large role in Environmental Illnesses. This is due to the role that disturbed gut function plays in these illnesses. Gut dysbiosis leads to a leaky gut and when you have this situation you become far more likely to develop food sensitivities. Digestive enzymes may be damaged by pathogenic bacteria, or substances they produce, resulting in incomplete digestion of protein. As the gut has become more permeable (leaky) these large food particles are able to pass through the gut wall and eventually into the blood stream. Once in the blood, these proteins are likely to trigger a response from IgG antibodies and lead to symptoms. This has been shown in IBS patients for example, as an elimination diet based on IgG testing for trigger foods showed favourable results in a medium sized study involving 150 IBS patients (6). It has also been documented that classical inhalant allergies to pollen or dust, for example, often coexist with food sensitivities and an allergy to a specific pollen even correlates with sensitivities to certain foods. Most importantly to us, both IgE and IgG allergies are more common in people suffering from environmental illnesses than in the general population.
Ref: 471/F8D Commissioned Report into Vega Test Machines
Having been commissioned to provide a neutral structured report into the usage of Vega style test devices in the European market place, and their beneficial and / or detrimental usage within the medical arena(s) , during research, we have come across many ‘ views ‘ on the issues.
Whilst everyone is entitled to an opinion, and whilst every device ever invented if used incorrectly can cause issues, we have not concluded that the device and or usage of these machines causes any detrimental effect, indeed, we have concluded that these devices are beneficial to the industry and provide a supporting role, in many instances, with the approval of medical consultants and / or personnel, many of who use the devices themselves.
Citations.
Every industry has its ‘ bad eggs ‘ , some citations relate to a few known instances where utilization and or subsequent diagnosis using Vega style test machines has proven detrimental, however, looking at the medical industry in general, it is not without similar issues of mal practice and incorrect diagnosis, sometimes with fatal consequences.
Citations relate to ‘ professionals ‘ playing with a Vega machine, this is the exact result of someone not knowing how to use the devices, all Vega testers are very well aware that placing the probe on an incorrect location on the skin will cause varying results with varying pressure, it takes several months of training to attain the correct point on the skin, where you will find that pressure plays no role in the result displayed.
There are poor examples of the machines operational characteristics which are seemingly incorrect, there is no prescribed scale of good or bad, the offset is used to balance the patient and machine as is the principle of any wheatstone bridge (the basics). The placing of glass ampoules within the honeycomb without content is not supposed to show any conductivity, if it did, the basis for any testing would be incorrect, so points raised actually assist in proving the concept(s). Varying pressure on the acupuncture point does not change the reading when applied correctly, it does however, when applied incorrectly.
On example, we have studied several cases of suggested diagnosis using these machines with 97% advising a positive outcome without the need of nutritional supplements, and with 62% advising of a complete removal of the ailments, 33% of these patients were on a great deal of prescribed medication, mainly antibiotics, from their doctors, which were subsequently stopped.
Machine Utilization and Approvals
We have found that many General Practitioners clinics and medical authorities suggest to patients that they visit a Vega test practitioner for Allergy and Intolerance tests, we have also found that patients re visit their doctors after a test with the results and their doctors accept and prescribe accordingly based of the information given.
Private hospitals and clinics within the EEC have a very rigorous screening and approval process for any third party insurance service, so presenting any claim for insurance purposes within the EEC is not sufficient to be successful in a claim, where as in other countries it seems to be a widely accepted concept.
The growth of utilization of the Vega style machines within the EEC has grown substantially, currently there are around 115000 clinics, surgeries, doctors and practitioners using the device, in Germany, every clinic has a Vega machine as standard, this is a growth of 60% on the previous year, thereby supporting the role of the device.
Major commercial high street outlet’s such as Holland and Barratt Chemists in the EEC, now have in store testing facilities using Vega machines with TV advertising, and there are many franchise groups setup within the EEC growing rapidly using the devices.
The devices are not under any government restrictive controls throughout the EEC for marketing, purchase and / or utilization for testing of Allergy and / or Intolerance issues in patients, however, all testers should have taken the DipBer examination as well as the Itech Level 3 Diploma, but, this isn’t a legal requirement.
Live Tests
To conduct a real time analysis of the Vega machine principals, we used three experienced test personnel unknown to each other and in different environments, and ten patients with very specific known allergy and / or intolerance issues. In all cases, with 150 products, all three testers discovered the known issues precisely on each patient, as a deeper example, one patient was very reactive to strawberries alone, this showed a very marked reduction of scale with all three test personnel.
Direct and Indirect Case Studies
As an indirect case study, a nine year girl was suffering from severe eczema, hands, face, body, so much so that she did not want to attend school, or carry out her favorite pastime of swimming, her parents had been taking her to her doctor for 5 years who had prescribed everything from various creams to antibiotics, antihistamines and steroids. During the test the practitioner noticed how void of moisture her skin was, so much so that the Vega machine would not work at all. The patient was advised to drink two liters of water, where the test was conducted, but, without any negative results. On discussion with the parents it transpired that the child did not like drinking any fluids at all, so the practitioner suggested ways of fluid intake. The child’s eczema disappeared completely within 7 days, with her parents saying the psychological effect on her child has been outstanding, she is a different girl, loves school, and swimming.
As a direct case, a patient arrived covered in hives, a large number of trips to the doctor with prescriptions weekly failed to resolve the issue for several years, however, the practitioner managed to isolate the cause to a combination of nuts used in one testing sequence. This did not however prove positive when the individual components were tested. In isolation of these, it was found that a combination of sunflower oil and pumpkin seeds together caused the imbalance but not individually, this was later found to be some of the ingredients used together whilst cooking. The patient refrained from these and has not had hives for two years to date.
Conclusion
The in depth analysis of usage of Vega and associated test devices for the analysis of Intolerance issues, has concluded that third party practitioners play an important role in assisting medical authorities in the suggestive diagnosis of these component issues. The device requires precise and controlled training to attain the consistent measurements which come freely to those that have attained this level of competence, it does not however, come easily to the untrained, the same of which applies to any sector of any industry, including the professional medical field.
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