Diabetes currently affects more than 200,000 people in New Zealand and experts fear that there are another 100,000 people who have Diabetes but haven’t been diagnosed yet. As with many conditions, the earlier that it is diagnosed, the better it is controlled, and the long-term outcomes are more positive.
Digestion is the body’s way of taking food, breaking it down into small molecules that can be absorbed into the body and excreting the waste. The nervous system starts digestion by getting the body ready for food when we think about, and see, food. Chewing and saliva start to break food down in the mouth before going into the stomach via the oesophagus.
Digestion is the body’s way of taking food, breaking it down into small molecules that can be absorbed into the body and excreting the waste. The first sign our digestion isn’t working as well as it should is a shift in normal bowel habits and pain. Other symptoms may include reflux, heart burn, bloating, cramping, wind, tender abdomen and constipation or diarrhoea. It is common for people to simply put up with them.
But these symptoms can act as a warning sign that our digestion is not working properly and of future ill health...
Do you ever complain about being tired? Many people do.A number of medical conditions can make you feel tired including iron deficiencies, low thyroid function, diabetes, depression, coeliac disease, sleep apnoea, among others so check in with your doctor first if you are feeling tired. Many people will still feel sluggish without any underlying condition.
Even if you are suffering from one of these conditions, treating lifestyle factors such as poor diet, poor sleep, stress and emotional factors can improve your energy levels.
We work under the same roof as Alison from Healthy Eating so the other day when she suggested holding a presentation on how to be the best you can be, we were naturally excited (look at the end for your invitation). I started reading through her success stories and realised time and time again, medical conditions that seemed untreatable or caused terrible quality of life, were often reversed once certain foods were removed from the person’s diet. So to understand food intolerances a little more, here’s a Q&A with Holistic Nutritionist, Alison Cowell.
