Almost ¼ million Irish people have diabetes, and a further ½ million of us are pre-diabetic. This is particularly shocking when you consider that most cases are preventable and that it can have serious long-term health consequences. It’s not all bad news though! There are some easy ways to identify if you are at risk and some simple dietary changes that can reduce your risk in as little as three months. Read on or watch Heather share her tips on Virgin Media’s Weekend AM.
Iodine is essential for thyroid function
Iodine is essential for thyroid function. It is taken up into the thyroid gland from the bloodstream where it joins to thyroglobulin within the thyroid tissue to form thyroid hormones. Three iodine molecules join to form T3 or tri-iodothyronine and four molecules are added to form T4 or thyroxine. These hormones are then released from the thyroid gland back out into the bloodstream where they have wide reaching effects on every system in our body.
Should you take supplements?
We believe that food is always first. Natural wholefoods are so much more than the sum of their parts and eating them should be one of life’s pleasures. However, evidence unfortunately shows the decline in nutrient levels in our food over the last 50 – 100 years. This means that it’s even more important than before to squeeze many nutritious wholefoods into our daily diet. It also means that some of us may benefit from the use of supplements. This can be in the shorter term as we work on dietary change.
Obesity Over The Years
Obesity is one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century and is also one of the largest contributing factors to chronic disease and ill health in the world. In Europe alone rates have tripled since the 1980s and in Ireland over 60% of the population is either overweight or obese. Furthermore, weight gain and obesity is now evident in children as young as 3 years of age.
GI EcologiX – Secretory IgA (sIgA)
Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an antibody playing a critical role in immunity. In its secretory form, sIgA is the main immunoglobulin found in mucous secretions and provides protection for us. The antibodies are proteins that our immune cells make to fight off bacteria, viruses, and other harmful invaders. [Read more…]
