Nikki Hawkes

Medical Herbalist

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leaky gut

Can a leaky gut make you ill?

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As a practitioner that uses functional medicine principles it is clear to me that to improve the health of someone with a complex, chronic condition, factors that contribute to the progression or the severity of that condition must be addressed. We might start by optimising lifestyle factors, such as diet, quality of sleep, type of exercise, stress management, and so on. But, how well someone digests their food has a key role in any functional medicine assessment, especially in relation to how gut health might be linked to overall health and vitality.

There are thousands of research studies that support the importance of good gut health. This article is about the findings of one of these studies, a 2018 systematic review about the association between a leaky gut and disease.

See What can go wrong with the digestive system?

[Read more…] about Can a leaky gut make you ill?

Alzheimer’s disease – is fibre good for the brain?

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Dementia is now the leading cause of death in England, ahead of cancer and heart disease. Yet, while many people might know someone that has survived cancer, how many people with Alzheimer’s disease do you know that have got better, or even improved? Currently conventional medicine has no treatment for Alzheimers disease that does anything but slightly delay progression of the disease. A situation that is unlikely to change in the near future. Not because of a lack of research. A quick search on the Pubmed database reveals over a hundred thousand research papers on Alzheimer’s disease. But, even if a cure for Alzheimer’s was found today, it takes an average of seventeen years to translate findings such as these into treatments available to the public. [Read more…] about Alzheimer’s disease – is fibre good for the brain?

Reduce your IBS symptoms with a low FODMAPs diet

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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition of the gastrointestinal tract, and many people say that food either triggers or exacerbate their IBS symptoms. Yet, there is considerable evidence that making a change to a diet low in FODMAPs can help to reduce these symptoms.

IBS is a functional condition, meaning that there are no structural changes to the gut, but that does not mean that the symptoms are not real. The main symptoms of IBS are abdominal pain, bloating and a feeling of distension, with an altered bowel habit that is not explained by other causes. This might entail abnormal stool frequency, stool form, or passage of the stool through the gut.

If you suspect you have IBS it is important to be checked out by a doctor. This is because there are other conditions that may have similar symptoms and these should be ruled out before a diagnosis of IBS can be given. [Read more…] about Reduce your IBS symptoms with a low FODMAPs diet

Is all processed food unhealthy?

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The extent to which a food is processed is a major determinant in how healthy that food is. The Western diet includes many processed foods and even some ultra-processed foods. Researchers now think that this processing may have a large role in what makes the typical Western diet unhealthy.

Food processing includes food preparation methods such as chopping, mincing and blending. As well as cooking methods such as steaming, poaching, roasting and grilling. Food extrusion is a modern method of food processing used for making products such as breakfast cereals and snack bars. In fact, breakfast cereals are likely one of the most highly processed of food categories. [Read more…] about Is all processed food unhealthy?

4R – Nutrients that repair a leaky gut

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This is the next in a series of blog posts about the 4R program for optimising your digestion and gut health. Here I discuss ways to repair a leaky gut. You can read the previous posts in the series by following the links below.

1 Optimise your digestive health
2 4R program – Remove the triggers
3 4R – Replace whats missing to optimise your digestion
4 4R – Reinoculate with probiotics

The fourth R in the 4R program is for repair.

So, once the factors causing gut inflammation have been removed. You’ve improved your digestion with supplements such as digestive enzymes, and you have added back some probiotics. It is now time to aid the repair of the gut lining to support the proper absorption of nutrients. [Read more…] about 4R – Nutrients that repair a leaky gut

Why am I reacting to everything I eat?

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As a herbalist, I am often asked this question. If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, avoiding your trigger foods can help to prevent symptoms. Yet, if you’re not sure what your trigger foods are. Or you find yourself eating fewer and fewer foods, it can be a scary outlook. As well as creating a scenario where you also have several nutrient deficiencies. Understanding why this happens shows us how to improve the problem.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common digestive problem that some people endure throughout their life. It is identified as a collection of symptoms, typically, stomach cramps, bloating, and constipation and/or diarrhoea. Your doctor may tell you that there is no cure. So, when most of the foods you eat cause these symptoms, life can be difficult. In fact, many people with irritable bowel syndrome are offered antidepressants to help them cope with the anxiety and depression that often result. [Read more…] about Why am I reacting to everything I eat?

How to fight depression

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This is the first part of a three part series about how to fight depression. In this first article I will briefly discuss how stress can cause changes in the body that result in low mood. Then I explain how to fight depression with dietary changes and nutritional supplements.

In the second part of the series, I will be talking about herbal medicines and depression. Herbs that have a history of use as well those with scientific proof.

The final part is about lifestyle changes and stress management techniques. Especially those proven to help boost your mood. [Read more…] about How to fight depression

Rosacea and the gut-skin connection

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Rosacea is a common inflammatory facial skin condition. In fact it may affect up to 10% fair-skinned people of Northern European descent. People with rosacea often also report having digestive symptoms. So, could this be another condition showing a link between gut health and the skin?

Symptoms of rosacea

Symptoms usually occur in older people. Women are more likely to have rosacea than men. Easy facial flushing is the first symptom to appear. Which occurs more and more frequently until the redness is permanent. There are usually also spots and fine, spidery, red veins called telangiectasias. As well as stinging, burning, dryness or swelling of the skin. [Read more…] about Rosacea and the gut-skin connection

A different approach to Meniere’s disease

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Meniere’s disease is an uncommon, chronic condition of the inner ear. The part of the ear that helps to control balance. It can be a frightening disease with a serious impact on wellbeing and quality of life.

The disease often starts between the ages of 40 and 50. Triggered by injury or disease. Research suggests other causes may be genetic, allergic or autoimmune. In any case, it changes the volume or composition of the inner ear fluid. [Read more…] about A different approach to Meniere’s disease

Is bone broth harmful?

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If you are trying to heal a leaky gut then you may have heard that bone broth will help. Bone broth is made by simmering bones (usually chicken, lamb, beef or fish) in water. Some people also add vegetables, herbs, seasonings or vinegar. The bones are simmered for a day or more. Longer simmering helps to break down the bones and release nutrients. Chicken bones simmered for twenty-four hours will crumble between finger and thumb. When broth is made this way it is a delicious, nutritious and healing food.  [Read more…] about Is bone broth harmful?