Papillon Health
Nutritional Health and Wellbeing Food Sensitivity & Allergy Testing Article By Ginette Stevens for Village Living Magazine Jan 12
It's that time of year once again when I throw myself whole-heartedly into all that Christmas and New Year offers by way of family gatherings and celebrations. Whilst the magic of the time rubs off on all around, by the end of the festive period I always have a moment of guilt at my over-indulgence.
he New Year therefore comes with promises of a healthier lifestyle and fitness regime and this year, rather than thinking about what I should do, I took action with my diet and eating habits and visited Jane Nayar, a Naturopathic Nutritionist for some extra hints and tips I could take forward into 2012.
Jane has run her successful business for several years and offers appointments from a number of local locations including Shoreham, Hurstpierpoint, Worthing and Hove. My appointment was at the Sussex Osteopath and Complementary Health Clinic premises in Hurstpierpoint which is conveniently situated in the High Street.
Before my testing took place, Jane and I had time for a chat about how she became interested in this profession and the work she currently carries out.
Jane discovered on her return from travelling that she had picked up an Ecoli bug which, although treated with anti-biotics, left her feeling extremely unwell and intolerant to many foods. She had become gluten intolerant and the good bacteria in her gut was very low. Researching this further, Jane learnt that her immune system had been attacked by the bacteria and was now reacting to harmless foods. Doctors do sometimes find it hard to check for intolerances in the blood as there is often a delayed reaction and the effects of the foods can take up to 48 hours to show.
Jane's interest in nutrition blossomed and she went on to train as a Naturopathic Nutritionist. The treatments she uses are as natural as possible and combine diet, vitamins, minerals, herbs, Bach remedies and lifestyle changes. She carries out her testing using an energy feedback machine which helps determine which foods to avoid and also tests for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, as well as hormones, bacteria, viruses and parasites.
Any general health issues can also be explored and each programme is tailored to individual needs and concerns; to help you reach optimum health and vitality. Support can also be offered during or after a difficult time or illness.
Jane went onto explain that many people live with food sensitivities and allergies without realising they exist. We tend to adapt to various discomforts, not realising that with a few simple diet changes, we could feel so much better. Symptoms to look out for include headaches, eczema, fatigue, insomnia, aches, pains and stress. Actual conditions which Jane can help and support are IBS and bowel disorders, yeast infections, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, ME and chronic fatigue, auto-immune conditions, hormone imbalances and post cancer care.
Jane works with all age groups from new born babies to older generations. A lot of her clients have sought traditional medical advice but, having not been able to pinpoint the exact reason they are not feeling well, turn to Jane for a more a more natural approach to their well-being. Some people do come with a medically diagnosed illness and Jane sympathetically works alongside GPs to reach an agreeable outcome.
I was surprised to learn that as many as 1 in 4 people have some type of food allergy. But thinking about this, with all the processed and fast food in our diets these days, it actually made sense. Most of us try to eat as healthily as possible but time and financial constraints mean that this is not always achievable.
There are no foods which cause specific problems and you do not have to keep a food diary before seeing Jane. However, if you recognise symptoms after eating a particular type of food, this would be something to discuss at your consultation.
Jane gently builds up a picture of your lifestyle and eating habits through your consultation asking various questions about your wellbeing and symptoms. She explained that when treating babies, it could be that one parent was lactose intolerant without knowing but that this can be passed onto the new arrival.
It maybe that some type of trauma, virus or stressful situation has triggered an intolerance - it is your body's way of saying you can no longer cope with a certain food type and may need to be removed from certain foods for up to three months so you can build up tolerance to the food again.
Allergies can start at any time in your life and so what you could tolerate a year ago, may not be tolerated now. Common food stuffs include wheat, gluten, dairy, nuts, soya and eggs. There are substitutes out there and, as intolerances grow, even more substitutes become available.
With all these thoughts in my mind, it was time for my sensitivity test to begin. Number one hurdle over - no needles! The piece of equipment Jane uses is called a VEGA machine and tests the meridian (energy) points in your body and how they react to various food groups, food additives, chemicals, pollens, deficiencies and toxins. I held a small medal bar in my right hand and Jane tested by pressing a pen type piece of equipment into my left hand. By holding the bar in my right hand it meant my energy lines were not broken.
The machine has a dial that reacts to your body's tolerance of the various food groups. It gaily whizzes up to 100% if you are ok with that type of food, or goes rather lower if you are not. Luckily most of the foods I enjoy were ok, but I was rather sad to learn I had an intolerance to cow's milk, cheese, pork and wheat. As we took the discussion further, Jane explained the substitutes I could use and, as I was nearly in tears over the thought of no more cheese, or bacon sandwiches, she did say an occasion treat of these was fine. I also asked about wine and was I better with red or white. The reply was that red was the one I should stick with.
With my notes in hand, and shopping list in my head, it was time to take all this information home and digest it (not literally!). I will certainly be putting all the great advice I was given into practice as soon as possible.
Jane Nayar
Jane Nayar's website is www.papillonhealth.co.uk. Prices start from £48 for a full consultation. Jane can also be contacted by phone on 01273 835407 or 07958 541824