This month is dedicated to raising awareness of Australia’s second deadliest cancer. Sadly, Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world; 1 in 13 Australians will develop the disease in their lifetime, however, almost 99% of cases can be treated successfully when detected early! Raising awareness is important, as bowel cancer doesn’t discriminate, affecting men and women, young and old.
This year, Bowel Cancer Australia and Red Apple Day have set up a virtual bowel cancer ribbon that you can download to show your support! Head to their website here for more information – https://www.virtualbowelcancerribbon.org/
Are you part of the 38% of the world’s population that is affected by chronic pain?1 If so, you know firsthand how it can reduce your quality of life, and take a detrimental toll on your physical and emotional health. If you’re at the point of feeling like you’ve tried everything, read on to learn about a compound that may be the pain-relieving answer you’ve been searching for. But first, let’s take a look at how chronic pain develops in the first place. 👀
When tissues become injured or damaged, which occurs in fibromyalgia, arthritis, neuropathy, musculoskeletal disorders (and many more conditions), there is a multitude of systems, cells and chemical messengers that coordinate to create inflammation and the sensation of pain at the site of injury. In the ideal scenario, once the tissue is repaired, an orchestra of cells and compounds also work to slow and eventually turn off these responses, returning the body to normal. Unfortunately, when the body cannot resolve this tissue damage, turn off this inflammatory response, or reduce the number of pain signals produced, chronic pain develops. 🔥
The Power of PEA
The powerful compound that works to reduce inflammation and pain, which I hinted at above, is called palmitoylethanolamide, or, PEA. Have you heard of it before?
If not, PEA is a natural, fat-soluble molecule produced by humans, animals and plants, and can be found in foods such as meat, eggs, soy and peanuts.2 It is produced on demand when pain or inflammation are created within your body, acting to reduce their levels and helps to bring your body back into balance (homeostasis).
PEA is a natural, fat-soluble
molecule produced by humans, animals and plants, and can be found in
foods such as meat, eggs, soy and peanuts.2
It does this by supporting a system you also may not have heard of before, called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is made up of compounds and receptors that predominantly work on your brain, spine and immune system, communicating with them to reduce the sensation of pain and the production of inflammatory cells.
Specifically, PEA works to stimulate or increase the activity of the
ECS, spurring it on when there is this pain to relieve or inflammation
to dampen. However, if the pain or inflammation becomes chronic, PEA
levels can become depleted, restricting the benefits it can provide.
For this reason, people with chronic pain may choose to supplement with PEA, to make up for what their body is struggling to produce. Being that PEA can already be made by your body, it is considered very safe to take and has been shown in numerous clinical trials to assist a broad variety of pain-related conditions at several different doses.
What the Research Says
PEA has demonstrated its pain-relieving effects in the following conditions:
Fibromyalgia (FM): 35 patients with FM, already taking pain medications, took 600 mg/d of PEA for 12 weeks. Results showed PEA reduced their overall pain. The average number of painful body points also decreased from eight to one.3
Osteoarthritis (OA): 111 people with mild or moderate knee OA received 600 mg/d of PEA for 8 weeks, and at the end of the trial, their knee pain and stiffness reduced by 53.7%, compared to 25% in the placebo group.4
Diabetic neuropathy: A 600 mg/d dose of PEA across 8 weeks reduced the intensity and presence of pain, pins and needles, burning and numbness in 30 people with diabetic neuropathy.5
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS): 50 patients took 1,200 mg/d of PEA for 8 weeks, experiencing a decrease in the pain intensity of their CTS, compared to people who didn’t take PEA, whose pain actually increased.6
Sciatica: 636 sciatica participants who were prescribed 600 mg/d of PEA for 21 days reported their pain reduced and quality of life improved.7
A 600 mg/d dose of PEA across 8
weeks reduced the intensity and presence of pain, pins and needles,
burning and numbness in 30 people with diabetic neuropathy.5
PEA: The Missing Puzzle Piece?
If you’re suffering from chronic pain, PEA could be the missing puzzle piece in your pain management plan.
Whilst PEA does not carry with it many interactions with medications, I always recommend discussing your unique case with a healthcare Practitioner, to ensure PEA is appropriate for you. Further, as PEA is fat-soluble, it’s also important you’ve prescribed a type of supplemental PEA that enables it to become more water-soluble, so your digestive system (which is also water-soluble), can absorb it properly.
If you would like to discuss if PEA could assist with your case, and ensure you are prescribed a well-absorbed form please contact me. As providing or replenishing your body with PEA will allow it to do the work it loves to do, which is reducing your pain. Having seen PEA’s wonderful benefits in patients with conditions such as those we’ve been through above, I’d suggest to give it a go-to to see the pain relief you could experience too!
It is important when taking a probiotic supplement to select the right type (strain) of bacteria, as different probiotic strains can play different roles in the body. To provide a brief snapshot, we’ve included some examples of strains with their specific therapeutic qualities (just to name a few!) Your Practitioner will recommend a probiotic specific to your needs, which also meets strict quality and efficacy criteria. So you can ensure that you are taking the right probiotic combination for your health condition or restoring your microbiome. 🌿
Catching the nasty seasonal bug going around is a battle no one wants to fight!!🤧🙅♂️ If you do start to feel like are getting sick, there are immediate steps you can take that can help your immune system regroup, get stronger and start fighting back.
Create your very own cold and flu ‘first aid’ kit, using our top six natural remedies, so you can knock infections on the head and stay well this winter! 🌨
To help you come out on top this cold and flu season, speak to me about sourcing the best quality supplements to help you beat cold and flu symptoms.
The aim of the week is to highlight how powerful exercise, physical activity and movement are for your physical and mental health. Being physically active reduces your risk of chronic conditions, like heart disease and diabetes, reduces your risk of mental illness and helps you to live a happier and healthier life.
Head to the website https://exerciseright.com.au/ to learn more, and to find some great resources like fact sheets and eBooks to help you to Exercise Right.🏃♂️
There are a lot of hidden sugars in the sauces, fruit juices, soft drinks, coffees (not black), bread, snacks, chocolate and alcohol we eat and drink.🤦♀️
These foods also do not generally contain fibre, which is important for our bowel health. 💩
Please comment, on what simple changes can you make to improve your diet?🤗
Tracking your weight loss progress results is now easier than ever with TANITA’s latest innovation – the RD-545. Available in the clinic now, it takes body monitoring to a whole new level.
With accurate feedback, in less than 60 seconds, you will instantly receive information about 26 full-body and segmental body composition readings including your body fat, muscle mass and hydration to boost performance and avoid injuries. Helping you focus on the areas which need improvement. 💧🏋️♂️💪
So how does it work? TANITA’s pioneering BIA technology uses two different bio-electrical impedance frequencies. As a result, the RD-545 provides valuable insight on your body composition, going as far as rating the quality of your muscles. The addition of hand-held electrodes allows the superior RD-545 to perform a thorough body composition analysis; breaking down the measurements of fat and muscle for each limb and trunk. 💪🦵
(With reference to this ‘Muscle Quality’ measurement, you can adjust your training program to improve the strength and quality of your muscles.)
This in-depth analysis of your current physical status will enable us to make adjustments to your training and diet regime to help you reach your peak performance.🚴♂️🏊♂️⛹️♀️🏌️♀️🏂🤽♂️🤾♂️🏃♀️
To find out more information on the Shake It- Weight Loss program or how you can enhance your weight training performance please contact me. 🌱
