Acupuncture which has been well tried and tested (handbooks date back some 5000 years, no I haven’t added an extra 0) looks at the whole person’s life as do many of us in natural therapies. Interestingly the chinese doctors were only paid for WELL patients… I think that would focus some practices in the NHS!  They would look at whether people were living appropriately for the ‘seasons’ of the year … or of their life, with the over all aim of conserving their ‘Chi’ or energy reserves to be in good health for life, not just youth! The chinese system talks of different chi from that we are born with (ancesteral) which is really hard to replace once lost, so has to be conserved by living appropriately. Then there is the energy we do (or don’t) get from our food, and so on.

Chris gave a winter example that we can all relate to – winter is the season of drawing in energy and not expending it unwisely, its when animals would hybernate for example, and NOT be rushing round flat out christmas shopping and wrapping presents into the night after a full on day’s work and a further hammering from all the xmas sweets and alcohol. Basically it’s when our energetic body wants to be curled up in a blanket by a fire with no big demands until Spring, so that  the whole cycle of growth and energy can start again.  How TRUE!

So we all know the pressures but what of the health consequences? Having drained our reserves, we all know people who get run down, get a bad cold or flu over xmas (when their adrenalin stops keeping them going as soon as they have reached xmas and done all the preparations)… and often soon afterwards many more people feel depressed. Again this can be the biochemical burnout taking hold. The immune system is often compromised and this has many effects, and even things we may not think of, such as effecting night sweats, photosensitivity (over sensitive to day light or electromagnetic sources such as computer screens and mobiles), and perhaps allowing existing imbalances such as gut fungus and candida, parasites, IBS , and our defenses in general to suffer.

If we are depressed biochemically it is hard to motivate ourselves to do useful energy measures such as exercise or good diet that takes a little more time and planning. In come sugars and quick to grab things that perhaps further upset the gut balance – hello bloating, headaches, constipation and insomnia. We can so easily set off a long chain reaction and find ourselves living at half our physical potential.  Watch out spouses.. this won’t help our sense of humour.

Chris explained that in some traditional hospitals you would be sent for different treatments depending on your level of need (or the state you had got yourself into!) They would look first at the food you are eating and the situation you are in – sleep, pollution, lifestyle etc. Then they might give you some foul tasting herbs to deal with immediate issues, like parasites, before sending you for acupuncture for deeper rooted energy and meridian imbalances which effect the running of the whole system. I guess without Chi we are like robots rather than human beings ?!

Oh and there are even hospitals with tree lined avenues for patients to do their daily ‘prescribed Qui Gong’ exercises which work on specific health systems, organs and conditions! A prescription for exercises – now that would be a useful lesson over here – so if any of you want to check out the little films which show you qui gong exercises – basically you get well gradually by doing these standing still postures daily – so not strenuous at all, the link is http://www.qigonghealingarts.org/qigong-exercises/master-lam-kam-chuen-free-qigong-videos/

But for now – looking after your whole system at this time of the year is going to set the tone of what the spring and summer can bring you in your life. So reboost your system by nurturing and perhaps consider having a thorough health MOT with us over the next month at The Ark, Haverfordwest.  We can see where you are biochemically and even energetically, and work with you to make sure 2012 is a year where you won’t have to face the challenging economic and employment situation in an already depleated state.

Don’t worry if you are not local to us – we will certainly do MOT’s at a distance if you send us a HAIR SAMPLE – see else where on this site for details – its fast and easy to send in your form and a hair sample, and we will test it as fully as we test patients in person – but please put as much detail as possible on your form. If you need supplementation it’s better to know now, so that it would have a chance to rebuild you well before spring when you will want to be enjoying a new year! You are not alone – we have all been over doing things and are now busy picking up the pieces for a spring clean of our health. Now… where did I put my Vit B2 ?

To your very good health!

Dear Lise & Gitti
I have been meaning to write to you for over a week but with Christmas and everything I did not get around to it.
Just to let you know that, since seeing you on 13th December, I have greatly improved. About a week after starting taking the Chromium and Omega 3, 6 and 9 tablets the diarrhoea stopped! I still have days where things are not right but I would say I am about 90% better.
I must admit that, when I left your clinic that day, I did wonder what on earth those tablets would have to do with curing diarrhoea and I did find the whole consultation a bit strange (thought I was having my hair tested) but I am so glad I came and saw you both. I don’t know what your secret is but it works!
I look forward to seeing you again in February.

Have a great Christmas and all the best for a healthy and happy 2012.

Best wishes, Lise and Gitti

YOUR INVITATION
Lise & Gitti will be giving an informal talk and demo from 11am – 12am on Saturday 12th Nov. at The Ark, Quay Street, above the health food shop (go in through the health food shop to our clinic).

This is your time to find out how to leave your health worries behind in 2012 and be well instead! And you can always bring some pre-xmas goodies if you want to test your tolerances to the festive slog ahead!
This is a real opportunity to ask questions about health and see how instant testing can give information about the causes of many conditions – from hormone hell to IBS (digestion hell!), from dark bags under the eyes to sugar cravings and Candida…. from headaches to sleep problems … depression and anxiety through to eczema and asthma… and anything in between!

If you get a chance, please ring the shop on 01437 767499 if you are planning to come so we can make sure we have enough chairs. Or email us on contact@thehealthdetectives.co.uk. If you’re making your decision last minute, simply turn up and we’ll be delighted to see you. Don’t forget to bring a friend.

Other people need to know in case they are thinking of going onto a certain drug. If they’re checking it out online, it’s because they’re in doubt and are looking to find anybody else’s experiences and any risk factors.

Clearly any year has challenges to face, both expected and unexpected, but do we really stop and think about how ‘fit we are to face it’ … beyond making a few new year’s resolutions to counter balance our guilty festive excesses?

Yes –  good decisions (resolutions plus an action plan we WANT to succeed at) can really reduce stress, improve our health and facilitate happiness. It is alot to do with our state of mind. But have we stopped to look at our HEALTH … if this is not on our side those intentions will never become decisions, and before we know it we will be beating ourselves up with some nasty negative self-talk.

What health aspects can help us feel clearer headed and fit for the fight .. and the fun?

H is for Hormones – if out of balance this can range from depression, debilitating anxiety and panic attacks, horrible periods, muddled thinking, unwanted sensitivities and emotions, that is for starters.

A is for adrenals – again part of the bigger hormone picture, and adrenal exhaustion is all too common. Not helped by stress, xmas and money worries , family issues, lack of sleep and much more. We force ourselves to go on being super wife, mother, man etc.  but at some point our adrenals (or worse, our heart chemistry) starts to rebel and it becomes harder to pick ourselves up.

S is for sleep – this can be elusive and causes of poor sleep can be emotional, or biochemical (if you have got rid of other external factors – noisy neighbours etc) and lack of good quality sleep can again lead to depression, and loss of self confidence. That would not help in achieving goals and enjoying the year ahead. Often rebalancing the biochemistry with nutrients when we are working on patients has the positive side effect of improving sleep even when we are not working on that directly. For many patients its one of the first changes they report back, when we are for example working on their digestion or hormones.  Without good sleep it is hard to keep our moods even and our self esteem intact.

D is for digestion. Many of our patients have been told that their ‘IBS’ can only be managed and not cured. Poor digestion is not only painful, but is a real stress for many people who have to constantly watch what they eat, worry about what they eat, and keep a short clear path to the nearest loo , where ever they are. That is one stress we wish to remove for anyone looking forward to living life more freely in 2012. We have MANY happy patients who have had fast relief and lasting relief from IBS symtoms Without having to stay on long term remedies – so make getting rid of IBS a new years’ resolution for yourself or someone you care about. It does NOT need to be lived with in normal cases.

Finally… F is for Fungus… an amazing number of us can suffer from fungal imbalances which can have a wide range of impacts from Candida, to thrush recurring, to cravings for sweet things, to unfairly awful hangovers from moderate intake of alcohol, to mystery skin lesions, to really foggy headed problems thinking straight!  It can if left untreated also weaken key body systems such as the immune system, with nasty potential future risks, but it can be treated and left behind.

Our new years’ resolution??? To work with even more lovely patients than in previous years to get them through whatever health problems have stood in the way of them being who they really want to be – and to be a simple back up for them to stay that way and enjoy being… well … WELL!

Join us for an MOT for yourself or give an MOT as a gift for a great year to anyone who is being held back by ill health.  We will work with anyone who wants to be well and is willing to work with us using natural medicine and determination!

Wishing you a wonderful 2012.

Best wishes – Gitti and Lise – The Health Detectives

For years people assumed eggs were bad for cholesterol levels but research has found that they ‘have no clinically significant impact’ on heart disease or cholesterol levels. Egg yolks contain cholesterol, but we now know it is the saturated fats in food, not dietary cholesterol, that raises blood cholesterol levels, a risk factor for heart attacks.

Eggs are actually good for you. One egg provides 13 essential nutrients, all in the yolk. (Egg whites contain albumen, an important source of protein, and no fat). Eggs are also an excellent source of B vitamins, which are needed for vital functions in the body, and also provide good quantities of vitamin A, essential for normal growth and development.

A few years ago, British actress Dame Judi Dench narrated a short film about multinational pharmaceutical interests and giant food companies attempting to limit the public’s access to herbs, vitamins and other therapies. This video stays very topical and true as the Codex limiting the use of herbs has now come into force from 1st May 2011.

“We Become Silent” is a 28-minute documentary film exposing the dangers to health freedom. Narrated by Dame Judi Dench. Uploaded by the Alliance for Natural Health which is a non-profit organisation that is committed to protecting and promoting natural health through good science and good law.

We often talk about FEAR with our patients. Fear of becoming ill, fear of coming off a drug, fear of taking a drug. The pharmaceuticals and the doctors certainly work on our fears when dispensing drugs and leaving patients on them – even if they may be symptom free. Are we going to challenge this Western approach where more people actually die from disease and modern drug intervention?

Note: It’s an American video so some of the drugs might be sold and used under different names in other countries.

As a small natural medicine practice it would be cheering to think we can help. Certainly there are a number of wonderful herbs that have excellent levels of Iodine  which could help someone with detoxing radiation. We can certainly test to find out whether someone’s health has been effected and see which remedies may really help them to restore their balance or tackle any radiation they might have been exposed to (though major exposure is perhaps something we could not necessarily mitigate against with this approach alone.)

Often at times like this, whether parents or not, we worry terribly about the  children or friends and family who may have been exposed. If you would like to have anyone tested (we use kinesiology and a wide range of test nosodes to do a wide health screening – not laboratory tests) please do send us a hair sample with a fully completed patient form and payment – see hairtest page – and we will email your results and recommended natural remedy within usually a week. 

For children and adults alike, it may even be just  a few drops of White deadnettle tincture daily to deal with part of the radiation – and we will  test all our measures of health -  such as  hormones, immune system , digestion, cancer indicators, bone and tissue formation –  as regularly as you need us to. We cannot recommend a single remedy that would work with everyone as it will very much depend on the individuals’ health – so all we can really offer is to test individuals  to find out what will work well for them. 

 As the fear of nuclear contamination is great, we will do any tests for radiation as quickly as possible and email results back usually within 48 hours of testing.  Please post us a return addressed and stamped envelope if you would rather receive a report by post – please note – our reports are in English only.

Hairtesting means that we can work with you where-ever you are being effected by these sad events. And our thoughts go out to the huge numbers who have lost family members in the Tsunami - it has seemed over the recent weeks that they  have not had their deserved memorials given the headline grabbing nuclear distaster in its wake.  We hope we can help any of you who would like to get in touch.

Best wishes

The Health Detectives