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Live Twitter Q&A Tuesday 30th 1:00 pm & 7:30 pm

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For those of you have been reading and (hopefully) enjoying my recent blog posts regarding how best you as parents can help your children navigate the choppy waters of education and careers related learning, and, by so doing mitigate the stress and anxiety associated with these huge decisions they are wrestling with, you will know I have a book due out at the end of the month…

Twitter Q&A on education and careers related learning and advice, Tuesday 30th 1 & 7 pm.

To that end I will be hosting not one, but two, count ’em, two live Twitter Q&A’s this coming Tuesday (30th) at 1.00 pm and again at 7.30pm – I would love to connect with anyone, parents, students, even teachers who have any questions they’d like to ask about education, CVs, work experience, university or not, whatever it might be, whatever it is that’s causing sleepless nights to try and help alleviate those concerns and give you guys back the power to make decisions and kick to touch those nasty brain worms that can niggle away causing untold misery and self doubt.

Please click through to the link below where the publisher has given all the details of how to get involved and for a little interview with yours truly!

I hope to see you there…

http://mailchi.mp/a639e261c4ff/exclusive-author-interview-and-live-qa-announcement?e=bc14d44ca3

talkhealth Blog

‘WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER?’

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Good old Freddie Mercury classic – ‘hitting the nail on the head’ brilliantly!  The one sure thing in life is that we’re all going to die – we’re all headed in the same direction – and yet it’s a subject most of us prefer not to think about or discuss.  Having faced imminent death ‘head on’ already anyway, I don’t have a problem with this at all – in fact, I’m probably better prepared due to my experience.  Nor do many other people, judging by the many advertisements for pre-paid funeral plans – it seems that many of us are now less ‘squeamish’ and being more practical.  Surely, it must be quite re-assuring to know that everything is in place and there is little for others to worry about, particularly financially.

Unfortunately, since my various diagnoses some eighteen months ago, this has been more to the forefront of my thoughts.  As I live alone, the main concern for me is that when it does happen, someone else will be left with the planning and arrangements.  Also, a consideration is that indications show that costs of funerals continue to rise at an alarming rate.

So, in an attempt to alleviate the above, I decided to start the process of planning for the eventuality – starting with comparing costs of pre-paid funeral plans on line, and received several brochures.  I did let two of those closest to me know that I would pass on details to them, once decisions had been taken (knowing that there would be quite a few decisions to be made!).  What’s all this about – ‘quality’ and ‘high quality’ coffins?  What does it matter?  When you’re gone, you’re gone – and they’re only either placed in the ground, or incinerated.  Not a bad business to be in, when you think about it – there’s always going to be the demand for services.

Whilst considering these, I recalled that when I was given the worst diagnosis, I had given serious consideration to a one-way ticket to Switzerland and now re-considered this, as there doesn’t appear to be a definite prognosis for ABPA.  At best, I guess I may just go on for X number of years as I am now – the worst scenario could be that it progresses to the chronic form – and then die!  The worry being the in-between chronic stage and dying – and the knowledge that many of the drugs do become fungal-resistant.  Happy days – not!  I then made some enquiries of Dignitas – which turns out to be another expensive ‘do’, but it’s important to know that there is this option if necessary.

I briefly outlined my dilemma to my close friend and colleague, Martin, saying – “What if I purchase a pre-paid Funeral Plan, only later to decide on an assisted suicide?”  He promptly replied that I could always raffle the Funeral Plan – it may cover the cost of the trip to Switzerland!

Decisions, decisions.  I must say that the whole process (whichever way) does seem a bit of a swindle!  Then I read an article on the ‘Moneywise’ website entitled ‘Death – the final rip-off’ – confirming my thoughts.  Interestingly, it mentions donating one’s body to research, therefore no costs involved – www.hta.gov.uk – (I have already made arrangements for my organs to be donated) – more ‘food for thought’!  It also makes mention of a chap who ‘haggled’ with the funeral directors over funerals for relatives and managed to achieve a 10% reduction – twice.    This I really like – it appeals to my love of bargaining and underlines to me that there must be a huge profit-margin here.  I don’t suppose many people would have thought of bargaining, as the funeral providers will be used to those who are perhaps in a fragile state, in shock, mourning, and with a massive ‘to do’ list, so are usually very compliant.

According to ‘Funeralzone’:  “The cost of a funeral varies depending on your location, the circumstance of the death and your requirements for the funeral. The average cost of a burial funeral is £4,136 and the average cost of a cremation funeral is £3,214 (according to the Royal London National Funeral Cost Index Report 2016). This will, of course, vary depending on specific choices and circumstances.   These costs can be separated into three categories:

  • Funeral director fees
  • Third-party costs paid by the funeral director (for example the costs of cremation or burial, gravesites, transport, venue booking, ceremony costs)
  • Local authority fees”

I do like to keep a sense of perspective and to see things from all angles, so another alternative – I’d be quite happy (!) to be buried at the bottom of my beloved garden, but this may be just a tad off-putting to future prospective buyers!  Who knows – I may be spending my days abroad when the time comes, which could then scupper all plans?!

‘Oops, I did it again’ – sorry, Britney – couldn’t resist!  Ultimately for me, the strongest contender seems to be to make a ‘Living Will’ (see Living Will – Patients Association) for my ‘nearest and dearest’ outlining my wishes regarding such issues as resuscitation or otherwise, and when to ‘accidentally’ trip over and un-plug life-support.  Then, put aside an amount of money to cover costs of an inexpensive (but pretty!) funeral, less, at least 10% (!) and a much more generous amount for a good old ‘knees up’ / Wake.  Priorities are so important, don’t you think?

So, if I can set my mind to planning this, I can then ‘put it away’ and get on with the far more important matter of living!  The only other major item is my Will, followed by minimizing my wardrobe and sorting my knicker-drawer – then I’m good to go!

‘Always look on the bright side of life …  diddum, diddum, diddum, diddum, diddum …!’  One other concern is – God forbid – that I should at some point have to move to a care home.  Apart from being at the mercy of others, there is also the huge financial implication.  There is the option of setting up a Trust, in order to avoid ones’ home being sold to pay for fees, but Saga warns “Beware of any company or scheme that claims to protect your home or assets from being sold if you go into care by placing them in trust.  Local authorities are increasingly wise to these type of schemes, with teams in place to ensure residents are not using them to get out of paying rising care costs.”

I’d be very interested hear if anyone has any suggestions or advice (obviously, apart from ensuring, insofar as possible) that savings/assets will cover this?  How anyone can ensure they have sufficient funds to plan for this is beyond me – if only we knew how long we have left, it would certainly simplify the problems!  Who can afford to live forever?!

Currently, the only way for me (as with most everybody else) is to hope against hope that I’ll be able to continue happily in my own home, ‘With a little help from my friends’ – right to the end.

talkhealth Blog

Fight histamine inflammation: live longer and younger

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Inflammaging is the ageing effect of inflammation on the body and brain. We have modern medicine to thank for life span increases, but scientists believe part of the reason inflammation takes such a toll on us is because the immune system must nowadays stay active for longer than ever. This very long activity may lead to chronic inflammation that begins damaging internal organs. As a key component of the immune system, excess histamine is also implicated in ageing and damage to internal organs. Below you’ll find a list of natural anti-inflammatory foods and anti-ageing (all low histamine) oils for topical application. 

Alzheimer’s, diabetes and cancer all have an inflammatory component, but science tells us that genetics plays an important role in their development. Those with genes linked to inflammatory changes are “related to unsuccessful ageing”.

Inflammatory responses are believed to be the driving force behind tissue damage associated with age related diseases, which is why the term “inflammaging” was coined.

Chronic inflammation is considered to be involved in all age-related diseases.

Cancer rates spike dramatically in those 65 and over. Researchers are finding that previous infections in youth, which have triggered inflammation when fought, is a key measure of later inflammaging and cancer rates.

Lower rates of alzheimer’s disease in those with a history of long term use of NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen, is another indicator of just how strongly inflammation impacts the ageing process.

A recent study of Japanese people over 100 years old found that, contrary to what we’ve been told in recent years, the best predictor of a long and healthy life is not telomere length, but levels of inflammation in the body. Scientists running the study found that lower levels of inflammatory agents released by mast cells in the blood meant longer life. The more mast cell activated inflammation in the body, the more age related disease and and shorter life expectancy.

In terms of skin, inflammation can accelerate fine lines, wrinkles, as well as causing engaged pores, puffiness, sagging, blotchiness and reddening of the skin.

One of the main keys to fighting inflammation is avoiding unhealthy fats like partially hydrogenated ones found in processed foods, cottonseed, palm, soy and corn oils, which can now even be found in “healthy” foods found on organic supermarket shelves. Eating anti-inflammatory foods, particularly ones rich in omega 3 fatty acids meanwhile has a significant anti-ageing effect on the body and brain.

One of the most terrifying symptoms of histamine/mast cell activated inflammation has to be its effect on the brain, otherwise known as brain fog. In my case this manifested in the inability to understand or remember what was being said in classrooms. I relied heavily on my notes, when I wasn’t too exhausted or disinterested to write them (motivation takes a plunge into the toilet bowl when you’re too tired to walk to class), but even a hint of stress would send said information scurrying into the furthest recess of my memory. A leftover from those years, which has sadly persisted to this day, is that I will question something I believe I know – something I have read or studied, simply because accessing memories formed in those troubled years is like trying to scoop up a catfish from a slimy green pond using freshly vaseline-d hands. The harder I try to extract said nugget of information from that murky green pond, the more it writhes and wriggles free, till I lose it, unsure it was ever there.

Thank goodness for iphones, wikipedia and google.

Luckily, memories formed in recent years have proven far easier to access (now that my brain fog has resolved) and so today I’m sharing some of the causes of brain fog in histamine disorders and the research on how to alleviate it. There is of course far more than just one cause and more than one approach to treating it.

According to a paper by Dr. Theoharides at Tufts, published in Neuropharmacology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, brain fog is a constellation of symptoms that include reduced cognition, inability to concentrate and multitask, as well as a loss of short and long term memory. The paper goes on to share that brain fog is common to those with celiac, chronic fatigue, autism spectrum disorders, fibromyalgia, mastocytosis, postural tachycardia syndrome, as well as in early clinical presentations of alzheimer’s. Dr. Theoharides believes that brain fog may be due to inflammatory molecules and histamine released from mast cells, causing brain inflammation.

The paper sums up the findings I spoke about earlier regarding histamine’s opposing roles in memory: “It appears that some histamine is necessary for alertness, learning and motivation, but too much histamine shuts the system down, in mast cells and histaminergic neurons, by activating H3 auto inhibitory receptors leading to brain “fog”.

The paper concludes with a review of recent research, including that of Dr. Theoharides, showing that flavonoids occurring in nature, like luteolin (though quercetin is also one), can prevent and treat neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases (including alzheimer’s). In a similar vein, researchers at the University of Illinois recently published research on how luteolin could help alleviate or prevent symptoms of alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis, based on its brain protecting activity.

Now while we’re told that eating our medicine is unlikely to be enough for us, I still believe that eating a diet solely comprised of said healing foods is still an awesome healing approach, whether or not we choose to use supplements. I actually only came up with my diet after doing some hardcore research into mast cell stablising and histamine lowering nutrients available in the supermarket.

Common inflammation triggers

Excess histamine

Allergies

Stress

Trauma/injury

Inflammatory diet (high histamine diet, a diet low in omega 3 fatty acids, a diet high in processed foods)

Why take NSAIDs for inflammation when you can eat your medicine?

Studies show that NSAIDs delay muscle regeneration (like after you exercise), reduce cartilage healing, and others find that they work no better than placebos in reducing pain and soft-tissue swelling. This class of medications is also known to cause kidney damage and heart attack in older patients.

Please do not add any supplements to your diet without consulting your doctor. Sone of these supplements may be very high in salicylic acid and are not suitable for those with salicylate intolerance. 

Fish/omega 3 oils

Now recommended by the American Heart Association, fish oil is an important component of an anti-inflammatory diet. From a histamine perspective, it’s not so clear. The best choice would be an unfermented fish oil. Studies have found that DHA, a type of vegan omega 3 rich oil, is particularly effective at preventing histamine release from cells in animals.

I use Dr. Fuhrman’s DHA+EPA Purity oil with no problem.

White willow bark

One of the oldest inflammation remedies known to man, this tree bark is high in salicylic acid, the stuff aspirin is made of. It blocks the COX enzymes and prostaglandins. Studies show it can be as effective as NSAIDs and aspirin, with fewer side effects.

Curcumin

The active constituent of turmeric has been shown to be a potent anti-inflammatory with potential to treat colitis, neurodegenerative diseases, arthritis and cancer. It is also an antihistamine and mast cell stabiliser. It can however negatively impact the histamine-degrading enzyme DAO in some. I use turmeric daily in cooking.

Green tea

Anti-inflammatory, antihistamine and mast cell stabilising. As with all teas however, it may negatively impact the DAO enzyme. I drink green tea infrequently because of the caffeine.

Pycnogenol

Another bark product, this extract is comparable in efficacy to sodium cromolyn, the most commonly prescribed pharmaceutical for preventing histamine release from mast cells. It’s considered useful in promoting wound and ulcer healing in particular but also other inflammatory conditions.
Anti-inflammatory and antihistamine beauty/ageing prevention (to be applied topically)

Pomegranate seed oil

Baobab oil

Moringa oil

Oat masks

Coconut oil

——REFERENCES——

Bost, Jeffreyw, Adara Maroon, and Josephc Maroon. “Natural Anti-inflammatory Agents for Pain Relief.” Surgical Neurology International Surg Neurol Int 1.1 (2010): 80. Web.

Yamada, Koji, Mitsuo Mori, Noritaka Matsuo, Kentaro Shoji, Takashi Ueyama, and Michihiro Sugano. “Effects of Fatty Acids on Accumulation and Secretion of Histamine in RBL-2H3 Cells and Leukotriene Release from Peritoneal Exudate Cells Isolated from Wistar Rats.” Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, J Nutr Sci Vitaminol Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology 42.4 (1996): 301-11. Web.

Franceschi, C., and J. Campisi. “Chronic Inflammation (Inflammaging) and Its Potential Contribution to Age-Associated Diseases.” The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 69.Suppl 1 (2014): n. pag. Web.

“Brain Fog – the Histamine Connection and beyond.” THE LOW HISTAMINE CHEF. N.p., 2015. Web. 06 Aug. 2016.

talkhealth Blog

How to make goats milk kefir probiotic for eczema from live kefir grains

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Here’s how I make my own live kefir probiotic from goats milk to help calm, soothe and improve my eczema and atopic dermatitis symptoms. Does kefir help eczema? Well, while live kefir it is not a miracle cure for eczema it has certainly helped to improve my condition.
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