Lima Bean Mash

It doesn’t take much to make lima beans into something special. Puréed and used with
a casserole it makes a healthy alternative to regular mashed spud. If you like simply
substitute cooked fresh red lentils or fava, navy, or cannellini beans for the limas.

2 cups fresh shelled or frozen baby lima beans
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Salt
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
salt

1. Combine lima beans, garlic, 1⁄2 cup water and a generous pinch of salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover,reduce heat to low, and simmer until beans are very soft, about 15 minutes.

2. Coarsely purée beans and garlic in a food processor. Transfer to a small bowl and
gradually beat in olive oil. Remove zest from lemon with a zester or vegetable peeler, then finely julienne zest and set aside. Halve lemon and add lemon juice to purée to taste, then season with salt and pepper. Serve with your normal vegetables or in a small bowl with toasted bread on the side.

Inflammation, Immunity and The Body Fat Connection

We often think of pain and inflammation as a result of localised injury due to sprains, cuts and insect bites.  However, when pain and inflammation is happening internally (as in the case of immune system problems), it is not so easy to detect.  What we do know though, is that inflammation is a key driver of many chronic, degenerative conditions such as fatigue, arthritis and unexplained weight gain.

You may not even be aware that your body is inflamed.  You may think that the ongoing tiredness, digestive problems or those aches and pains that you feel when you wake up in the morning are a sign of old age. If only it were that simple!

Top 5 Causes of Inflammation

Many elements of our modern lifestyles can perpetuate and exacerbate inflammation, including:

1. toxicity
2. stress
3. poor dietary habits
4. drug and alcohol abuse
5. low levels of physical activity

Top 5 Reasons To Lower Your Body's Inflammatory Response

1. Inflammation Triggers Increased Fat Cell Production - As a safety mechanism, toxins that cannot be eliminated are stored in fat cells. As more toxins are ingested, more fat cells are added to store them, causing weight gain. Eventually the fat cells can become unstable and toxins start leaking into the blood. This can set up an inflammatory response to clean up the ‘foreign bodies'.

2. Inflammation Causes Leptin Imbalance - Leptin is the hormone responsible for helping regulate appetite and energy production.  However, if your body is inflamed, chemicals are released by the fatty tissues to control the inflammation. Studies conducted at Harvard Medical School suggest the chemicals which help to control the inflammation can have a disrupting effect on leptin. This leads to leptin resistance which means the leptin receptors in the brain are not accepting the messages properly. Therefore the balance between energy consumed and energy used is disrupted, appetite is no longer regulated and metabolism slows.

3. Inflammation Triggers Insulin resistance - The same study showed the same effect on insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. The body's chemicals which control inflammation have a disrupting effect on insulin causing insulin resistance. This is why there is a strong correlation between being overweight and insulin resistance.

4. Inflammation Triggers Complex Hormone Imbalances -  A number of studies have shown that overweight individuals have high levels of leptin but it is no longer effective. High levels of this hormone are a problem because they further increase inflammation, interfering with the entry of glucose into the cells and with the body's insulin response. This may, in turn, lead to insulin resistance and influence the production of other hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and thyroid hormones.  All of these hormones are linked to metabolic performance.  

 5. Increased Fat Storage Triggers More Inflammation - When you have an increase in fat storage, the inflammatory response becomes heightened and so the vicious cycle continues.

Symptoms to look out for:

• Lowered Immune System
• Fluid retention
• Headaches
• Stubborn weight gain
• Tummy fat that won't budge
• Uncontrollable cravings
• Aches and pains

Food Power to Produce or Reduce Inflammation

Fruits, vegetables and good fats from fish and nuts all help to reduce inflammation, whilst other foods can increase inflammation. Inflammatory foods include high sugar foods, heavily processed foods that are high in colours, flavours and other artificial ingredients and foods that are high in certain fats, such as many processed and fast foods.

Steps to overcoming chronic inflammation and eliminate toxins

• Remove processed foods from your diet
• Eat organic foods whenever possible
• Eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Limit intake of saturated fats
• Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids
• Buy a water filter and drink 2 liters of filtered water a day
• Undertake moderate physical activity

Effective natural anti-inflammatory and pain relief options

Fortunately nature has provided us with many remarkable herbs which have been used traditionally for centuries to treat acute pain and inflammation. Some of these are:

• Turmeric has anti-inflammatory actions and has traditionally been used in herbal medicines to support digestive health,reducing toxicity and inflammation.
• Boswellia has analgesic, anti-rheumatic and anti-inflammatory actions, for all types of pain, but specifically for arthritic or traumatic pain associated with inflammation.
• Ginger has traditionally been used as an anti-inflammatory for arthritis.
• Hemidesmus, Echinacea and Rehmannia to regulate the immune system

The combination of hops, rosemary, and olive leaf can also provide excellent long-term anti-inflammatory relief for chronic pain and inflammation. This combination may assist in relieving the pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatism, and is safe to take long term. Modern formulations containing these ingredients can be rapid in their action, often reducing symptoms within a few days.

There are many natural herbal and homeopathic treatments to help you detoxify and overcome inflammation. These should only be undertaken with the help of a qualified practitioner who can take your individual circumstances into consideration. Some herbs may be contraindicated if taking certain pharmaceutical medications or if sensitive to salicylates. A naturopath can develop a supplement program designed to help you detoxify, overcome inflammation and lose weight naturally and safely.

Narelle Stegehuis, CEO of Mass Attack is a practicing naturopath with over 30,000 hrs of in-clinic experience. Specializing in the natural treatment of women's hormonal imbalances, she has a trained eye for hormonal weight gain. Uniquely, for patient convenience, her programs are offered via the internet. She is both an accomplished writer and recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award. To find out if hormones are making you fat, visit http://www.massattack.com.au


Current Drug Targets Inflammation and Allergy. 2005 Jun;4(3):281-6. Macrophages in inflammation. Fujiwara N, Kobayashi K.
Jane K. Howard and Jeffrey S. Flier, Attenuation of leptin and insulin signaling by SOCS proteins. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 17, Issue 9, 365-371, 1 November 2006
Obesity. Gabriel I Uwaifo, MBBS, Clinical and Research Attending, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology, MedStar Clinical Research Center, MedStar Research Institute and Washington Hospital Center

Are Your Hormones Making You fat?

Is your diet being sabotaged by an undetected hormone imbalance?

Broccoli – it’s one of those vegies we dish up on the dinner plate not because of its tantalising taste but because we know it is good for us. It’s the poster food for healthy eating as it’s jam-packed with antioxidants and nutrients – you know the drill. But eating broccoli and other healthy foods may be sabotaging your weight loss efforts – if you have an undetected hormone imbalance. Feature Article - Womens health & Fitness ... Read more ...

Toxins, Chemicals and Hormonal Imbalance

Did you know that women use on average 12 personal care products each day - this can expose them to up to 160 different chemicals that have a direct influence on hormonal balance and metabolic performance.

For example: Sanitary products, shampoo, conditioner, soap, moisturiser, mascara, lipstick, foundation, blusher, bronzer,hairspray, nail polish.

Miso, Pumpkin & White Bean Soup

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 butternut pumpkin, cooked & pureed
½ cup cooked white beans
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup of water
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of white pepper
1 cup plain soy milk (can omit if necessary)
3 table spoons White Miso
Handful of baby spinach leaves
¼ cup fresh basil leaves

1. In a medium pot, heat oil and sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add pumpkin purée, stock, water, cayenne pepper, and white pepper.

2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for 5 minutes. Add soy milk and miso; cook for 1 minute more (do not boil).

3. Transfer soup to a food processor and purée until smooth. Add basil and purée for 30 seconds.

4. Add white beans & spinach

5. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot. Add cooked white beans and a handful of baby spinach leaves just before serving.

Enjoy!

Candida, Diet and the Hormone Connection

Candida, diet and lifestyle habits all trigger hormonal changes in women that are linked to weight gain, especially around the middle.

This fat can be difficult to budge, often leaving you feeling not only tired and bloated, but frustrated and depleted.

One of the main hormes at play is estrogen. Estrogen excess can be caused by hormone disruptors - (industrial chemicals found in cleaning products, foods and make up).

Estrogen excess can trigger candida outbreaks, which not only cause digestive disturbances, but are one of the leading causes of hormonal imbalance within women.

Studies Show that...

A comparative study found a trend toward higher faecal levels of Lactobacillus sp in pre-menopausal women, whilst post-menopausal women showed higher levels of fungi and yeast. The most concerning trend was found in breast cancer patients, found to have higher levels of E. coli, Bacteroide sp. and Clostridium sp., than both pre- and post-menopausal controls.¹

Thrush is a common condition...

An estimated 75% of all women will develop a yeast infection during their lifetime and 90% of these infections are caused by Candida albicans. Three main theories exist for recurrent thrush:

• Chronic systemic infection & hormone imbalance
  
• Reinfection from a sexual partner
• Poor immune system

Estrogen, HRT, and Brith Control ...?

Does estrogen, HRT and the birth control pill trigger thrush? Yes, researchers find that oestrogen stimulates mature epithelial cells lining the vagina to produce glycogen - a favourable substrate for the growth and promotion of C. albicans.³

The great news is, if you are suffering from thrush, or the symptoms of thrush, we can help.

To read about the symptoms of thrush or for more information, click here

References

1. Perisic DV, Dokic M, Kovacevic G. The role of prebiotics and probiotics in female health. Arch Gastroenterohepatol 2003; 22(3-4) 79-83.
2. Nirjesy P. Chronic Vulvovaginal Candidiasis. Am Fam Physician. 2001;63(4): 697-702.
3. Dennerstein GJ, Ellis DH. Oestrogen, glycogen and vaginal candidiasis. Aus N Z J Obstet Gynaecol 2001; 41(3): 326-8.

Lima Been Mash For Healthy Hormone Balance

It doesn’t take much to make lima beans into something special. Puréed and used with a casserole it makes a healthy alternative to regular mashed spud. If you like simply
substitute cooked fresh red lentils or fava, navy, or cannellini beans for the limas.

2 cups fresh shelled or frozen baby lima beans
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Salt
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
salt
1. Combine lima beans, garlic, 1⁄2 cup water and a generous pinch of salt in a small pot.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until beans are
very soft, about 15 minutes.

2. Coarsely purée beans and garlic in a food processor. Transfer to a small bowl and
gradually beat in olive oil. Remove zest from lemon with a zester or vegetable peeler, then
finely julienne zest and set aside. Halve lemon and add lemon juice to purée to taste, then
season with salt and pepper. Serve with your normal vegetables or in a small bowl with
toasted bread on the side.

Enjoy!