Digestion Perfection – The Importance of Digestive Enzymes
Alkalising Super Greens : Spirulina, Wheat Grass, Barley Grass and Chlorella
CNHC update for Camclub enews: July 2014
Ten top Techniques for a thriving Massage Practice
Digestion Perfection – The Importance of
Digestive Enzymes
Dr Elisabeth Philipps DPhil BSc Hons BSc Nut Med, FNTP
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Digestive Enzymes – The Missing Link?
What is the link between the following common gastrointestinal symptoms that afflict a large percentage of the UK population on a regular basis?
• Abdominal bloating and discomfort especially after meals and increasing through the day
• Excessive flatulence
• Irritable bowel syndrome (predominantly diarrhoea)
• Feeling full after only a few mouthfuls of food
• Sensation of food sitting in the stomach (a “rock” in the gut)
• Undigested foods in stools
• Stools that float and are very smelly
The answer may simply be poor digestion of food. CAM practitioners know of the importance of addressing gut bacteria balance through nutrition and supplements as a matter of course in a therapeutic programme. However, dysbiosis often arises through incomplete digestion of foods, which can lead to GI fermentation and auto-intoxication and many subsequent health problems not just confined to the gastrointestinal tract.
What Can Be Done to Improve Digestion?
Digestion is a complex process overseen by the release of digestive enzymes from the pancreas, and also from salvia and the stomach. Stress, ageing, low stomach acid, smoking, poor diet (e.g. high in refined carbohydrates), illnesses (e.g. Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, blood sugar imbalances, gallbladder stones and deficiency) can all lead to reduced endogenous production digestive enzymes. This in turn reduces the absorption and bioavailability of essential nutrients from our food, as well as providing a fermentation substrate for pathogenic gut bacteria.
Digestive enzyme deficiency is a bit of a “chicken and egg” situation. Enzymes are made from proteins. If the body does not sufficiently digesting protein then there will not be enough free amino acids to make the digestive enzymes in the first place. Low levels of digestive enzymes then exacerbate the problem of nutrient deficiencies by reducing levels of available amino acids, as well as many other essential nutrients required for energy production, which is essential for digestive enzyme manufacture.
The body also only produces a limited range of digestive enzymes for breaking down specific carbohydrates (carbohydrases), proteins (proteases), and fats (lipases). In fact we do not naturally produce the complete range of digestive enzymes we need for all the different foods that we eat, e.g. gluten, plant fibres and different plant sugars.
A therapeutic diet manipulating the different food groups can be devised to help alleviate the pressure on digestion. However, supplementation with a broad-spectrum plant digestive enzyme can support digestive processes by providing enzymes that help breakdown foods that the body cannot easily process on its own. This is of key importance to support digestion, health and well being.
Choosing A Digestive Enzyme Supplement
There are many different digestive enzyme formulae on the market but beware, they are not all equal in terms of effectiveness and therefore not value for money. A broad-spectrum supplement is recommended as it typically covers more digestive bases. That means taking capsules with main meals on a daily basis that contain a wide spectrum of enzymes supporting digestion of fibre (e.g. cellulase), lactose (i.e. lactase), carbohydrates, proteins and fats. A premium formula may also contain specialist digestive enzymes for digesting gluten (i.e. gluten digesting proteases) and raffinose (i.e. alphagalactosidase), which is a sugar found in beans that in excess could lead to flatulence. Very much an unwanted side effect! Table 1 shows are just some of the digestive enzymes to consider in a broad-spectrum supplement:
Table 1: Important Supplementary Plant Digestive Enzymes
DIGESTIVE ENZYME
FUNCTION
Lipase
Essential for digestion of fats (e.g. triglycerides and phospholipids). Lipase deficiency can lead to steatorrhea and many fat handling problems in the body.
Gluten proteases
Digest highly resistant proline-rich peptides in gliadin fraction of gluten and casein that can lead to activation of the immune system in the gut resulting in autoimmune damage to intestinal tissue. In addition, gluten and casein-derived proline-rich peptides may exert opioid-like activity in the central nervous system causing sedation (i.e. post-meal drowsiness) and food addictions. Think of feeling sleepy after a carbohydrate heavy meal or even feeling addicted to bread! Further along this neurological scale gluten and casein are believed to trigger neurological symptoms encountered in children with autism spectrum disorders.
Proteases including bromelain
Digest proteins within different pH ranges throughout stomach and small intestines
Amylase
Starch and glycogen specific enzymes that breaks down polysaccharides into disaccharides. Also works in conjunction with gluten-specific proteases to break down the carbohydrate portion of gliadin found in gluten that, along with the proline peptides, causes autoimmune damage and symptoms found in conditions like gluten intolerance. It is important to supplement with both amylase and gluten-digesting proteases for full benefits.
Amyloglucosidase
Breaks down amylase disaccharides into monosaccharides. Amylase and amyloglucosidase should always be taken together.
Lactase
Digests the milk sugar lactose into galactose and glucose. Lactase is naturally produced in the digestive tract of infants (unless they have congenital lactase deficiency). However the LCT lactase producing gene activity decreases into adulthood so that many adults are unable to effectively digest lactose. For many this results in symptoms of lactose intolerance.
Alpha galactosidase
Hydrolyses raffinose, stachyose and verbascose in legumes, whole grains and some vegetables into simple sugars glucose, galactose and fructose. Known to reduce gas production when eating fermentable carbohydrates.
Invertase
Breaks down sucrose and maltose into fructose and glucose.
Phytase
Digests phytic acid from nuts, seeds, grains and cereals such as bran and wheat into myo-inositol and phosphates. Phytic acid is considered an “anti-nutrient” as it binds essential minerals, such as zinc, resulting in decreased bioavailability, i.e. reduced absorption in the gut.
Cellulase
Breaks down cellulose, a plant fibre found in fruit and vegetables. Chitin, a structural component of Candida albicans yeast cell walls has virtually identical structure to cellulose. Cellulase may therefore help reduce Candida infection.
Plant or Animal Digestive Enzyme Supplements?
Two questions often arise when considering digestive enzyme supplements:
1. Should enzymes be from animal or plants?
2. Does taking digestive enzymes reduce endogenous pancreatic production?
Here are just some of the many benefits of plant digestive enzymes. Plant digestive enzymes:
o Do not have animal product contamination issues (animal digestive enzymes are usually derived from pigs).
o Are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
o Work across a wider pH range (compared to animal digestive enzyme supplements) found throughout the digestive tract.
o Contain a wider range of different specialist enzymes such as gluten digesting proteases, phytase, cellulase and alphagalactosidase.
o Are complimentary to natural pancreatic digestive enzymes so support digestive processes rather than taking over. This means they do not reduce pancreatic digestive enzyme output.
What to Look for in A Plant Digestive Enzyme Supplement
Buying cheap supplements is almost always a waste of money, as they often contain inferior (cheap) active ingredients, low levels of enzymes and can be packed full of unnecessary ingredients to bulk up the capsules. Digestive enzyme potency (i.e. “units of activity” measuring how well the enzymes digest food) can be rated on various different scales but you should always look for a potency rating (not just the weight of the enzyme contained within each capsule) from a recognised enzyme standard such as the FCC (Food Chemical Codex scale).
Getting to the core of the digestive problem by supplementing with plant digestive enzymes as part of a naturopathic nutritional therapy programme can free the client from unwanted symptoms, often relatively quickly. Improving digestion and nutrient bioavailability, in part through plant digestive enzyme supplementation is therefore a key stage in helping clients on the path to improving their health and well being.
References
All references for this article can be found in the FREE Nutrigold newsletters available at www.updates.nutrigold.co.uk.
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Digestive Enzymes – The Key to Optimum Health
Bowel Flora
Lecithin and Plant Sterols
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About the writer
Dr Elisabeth Philipps is a Nutritional Therapist (www.hartwellnutrition.co.uk) specialising in gastrointestinal health. She is also Technical & Educational Consultant with Nutrigold. Click here for information on the free Nutrigold Updates Service to access your free CPD accredited webinars. Click here for more information on about Nutrigold’s full range of IEB accredited, online Naturopathic Nutrition courses and CPD training. For further information please call Nutrigold on 0845 603 5675 or visit www.nutrigold.co.uk.
Alkalising Super Greens : Spirulina, Wheat Grass, Barley Grass and Chlorella
These Super Green are potent nutraceuticals that assist with alkalisation and detoxification – with research indicating that they also have a role to play in weight management and satiety. Some studies have indicated that they may also help to regulate cholesterol and reduce arthritic symptoms.
Super Greens are also a good source of fibre which assists with bowel regularity and satiety with the key ingredient common to all of the Super Greens being chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a super nutrient that acts as a blood purifier, system alkaliser and heavy metal detoxifier. It has anti-inflammatory properties which help in the treatment of common skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis and is the perfect alternative to coffee to provide a natural energy boost. It is often recommended before exercise to help with both strength, performance and endurance.
Spirulina is a phytonutrient rich, microscopic freshwater plant that is reported to be the richest whole food in nature. It has been harvested from lakes for thousands of years in many parts of the world. It contains over 100 bioavailable nutrients and is 60 – 70 per cent protein by weight. There is 50 times more bioavailable iron in Spirulina than spinach and it’s beta carotene content is 25x that of carrots.
There’s more nutritional good news in that it is 3x richer in Vitamin E than wheatgerm and best of all it is absorbed up to x16 more effectively than synthetic multi-vitamin and mineral supplements. It is high in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which is a beneficial fatty acid and contains phycocyanin, which is a pigment that has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.
Spirulina is prescribed to support liver health, lower cholesterol, manage weight and to help to reduce allergic reactions.
Triticum aestivum : Wheat Grass, provides an array of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, enzymes and fibre. With 300% the calcium of milk, 800% more iron than spinach, 200% more fibre than bran this is one of the most popular Super Greens available. It is 24% protein and contains the major 18 vitamins, 20 minerals and 8 basic proteins. Wheat Grass is high in beta carotene and chlorophyll and is high in SOD – super oxide dismutase.
Wheat Grass is used clinically to remove toxic metals from the cells, to cleanse the lymphatic system and to boost immune function.
Barley Grass (Hordeum vulgare) has 500% more Vitamin C than oranges, 200% more Calcium than milk, 500% more iron than spinach and 200% the fibre of bran. Barley Grass provides a wide range of nutrients including beta carotene, vitamin C, B-complex , magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It also contains beta-sitosterol, chlorophyll, pectin and flavonoids. It naturally detoxifies and like Wheat Grass it contains the enzyme SOD superoxide dismutase – a powerful antioxidant that protects cells against free radicals damage and cellular ageing. Barley Grass is an excellent antioxidant and free radical scavenger and is commonly used to improve stamina, libido, mental performance as well as skin ailments. It also naturally hydrates the body with organic electrolytes.
Chlorella vulgaris is a nutrient dense microscopic freshwater plant which contains more chlorophyll than any other known plant. It is well known as a heavy metal detoxifier and has been shown to be effective against PCB’s, dioxin and uranium.
Chlorella contains a compound called Chlorella Growth Factor which has been shown in research to promote normal cell growth and boost the immune system. Therapeutically, chlorella is used to improve digestion, to enhance mental clarity and to promote a healthy acid / alkaline balance. It also contains high levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids making it a good choice to treat any problem skin conditions.
All of these Super Greens can improve energy levels, balance blood sugar, help decrease appetite and can promote fat loss which is why so many people use them to help with their weight management programs.
About the writer
Rick Hay is a resident nutritionist for Xnergy, a distributer and retailer of authentic superfoods, complementary supplements and paraben and chemical free, skincare and haircare. To find out more, please visit www.xynergy.co.uk.
CNHC update for camclub enews: July 2014
• Private Health Cash Plan providers checking CNHC registration
If you are CNHC registered and have been advising clients to claim reimbursement through their private health cash plan – make sure your CNHC registration is up to date.
CNHC has had contact from a number of private health cash plan providers recently who are checking with us that practitioners are registered. Unfortunately in a number of cases the practitioners concerned had let their CNHC registration lapse which means their clients won’t be entitled to reimbursement.
You can find out more about cash plan providers that recognise CNHC registration for reimbursement on our website here: Private Health Cash Plan providers
We are aware that Bupa has stated that in time it will be willing to consider reimbursement for practitioners registered on Accredited Voluntary Registers (AVRs). However to date it has not made this commitment.
The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) included the following comment from Bupa in a recent bulletin: ‘Given the value we place on quality assurance of providers, Bupa supports the work of the Professional Standards Authority to accredit voluntary registers of health and social care practitioners. In due course, once the scheme has taken off, we may wish to review Bupa recognition criteria to reflect membership of an accredited voluntary register.’
We will keep practitioners updated as and when this situation changes.
• CNHC registered? Check out CNHC’s Resources!
If you are CNHC registered you can download a range of resources, including the CNHC Quality Mark and PR Tips, aimed at helping you to get the most from your activities. You can also download a CNHC Poster, Appointment Card template and
letters to send to GP surgeries.
Just login to MyCNHC and click on the “Resources” option. You can find out more about MyCNHC and CNHC Resources on CNHC’s website under Current Registrants.
• CNHC Facebook page – Job and volunteer roles
Make sure you check CNHC’s Facebook page and website for news updates plus details of job and volunteer roles for CNHC registered practitioners.
You can find CNHC’s Facebook page by clicking on the live link here or through the CNHC website home page.
• Advertising update
Remember that social media counts as advertising so you will need to ensure that any promotion you do on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other social media sites meets the Advertising Codes.
CNHC has updated its Advertising Guidance. You can find it by clicking the live link here: CNHC Advertising Guidance, on our website under Publications / Guidance Sheets or you can download it by logging into MyCNHC.
For further information about the CNHC and how to register or renew call 020 3178 2199, email info@cnhc.org.uk or visit www.cnhc.org.uk
Ten top Techniques for a thriving Massage Practice
Hands up those of you out there who have the massage practice you desire. By that I mean a massage practice in which:
o You are making the income you need to enjoy your life.
o You are getting the results you crave
o You feel confident in safely and successfully treating musculo-skeletal pain such as back pain, herniated discs or carpal tunnel syndrome
o You have all the clients you need
o Your body feels alive and vital after giving massage not achy and depleted
o You have no hand or wrist injuries
If the above seems like an impossible dream then read on! Unfortunately the reality of most bodyworkers in the UK often paints a sad picture; we love what we do but are unable to make a good living, we injure our hands and bodies, or we are unable to get the results to build a thriving massage practice.
The good news is that you CAN make a wonderful living out of this business. The secret lies in learning advanced massage techniques that will enable your practice to flourish and grow. At Jing Advanced Massage we say “a teacher’s job is to shorten the journey”….after 20 years in the business I am happy to share my “top ten” techniques and approaches that have been of the most benefit to my career.
Great Body Mechanics
Good body mechanics is important for many reasons if you want to develop and maintain a thriving practice. Firstly good body mechanics will prevent you getting injured as you will learn to use the strength of bodyweight and energy to work deeper rather than force and muscular strength. Secondly good body mechanics enables you to give a better treatment to your client every time. Relaxation massage becomes more powerful, trigger point work becomes more effective and deep tissue massage becomes deeper yet gentler.
For a thriving practice, learn the dance of massage, moving according to the principles of Tai Chi, using breath and energy and from a firm rooted foundation.
Trigger Point therapy
Do you know clients, or friends, or family members, who have bad backs, persistent migraines, carpal tunnel syndrome, whiplash, bad knees or sporting injuries? Chances are you do and that even as a qualified massage therapist, your heart has sank at the expectation to “cure”, to move them out of pain – you really want to help but you just don’t know how.
The good news is that as a bodyworker you can learn to bring clients out of pain quickly, effectively and permanantly, within 1-6 weekly treatments using trigger point skills.
Thanks to the work of Dr Janet Travell, the doctor who pioneered trigger point work in the US, we have a growing body of evidence that many pain conditions are actually caused by trigger points or small contraction knots in the msucles. Studies suggest that trigger points are a component of up to 93% of the pain seen in pain clinics and the sole cause of such pain as much as 85% of the time. (Gershwin; Fishbain quoted in Travell and Simons: Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The trigger point manual Volume 1)
Trigger Point skills are highly effective techniques that can be easily incorporated into your existing massage work and will astound you and your clients with the power of their results. As one of our students said “ I don’t know who was more surprised- me or my clients- when they came back the next week reporting dramatic relief from long standing problems”
Myofascial Release (MFR)
MFR techniques address the body’s fascial system, that is, the 3D fibrous connective tissue that holds the body together and gives it shape. Most commonly taught massage techniques fail to address the fascia, thus denying practitioners a large piece of the puzzle when treating pain conditions. MFR techniques aim to restore mobility in the fascia and soften connective tissue that has become rigid, with highly effective results in the treatment of chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, low back pain, RSI and many others.
Stretching Techniques
Learning effective stretching techniques will elevate your confidence in your work. Stretching will enable your sporting clients to improve performance, prevent injury and treat it effectively when it occurs. You can use stretching with everyone from the athlete to the elderly and enable your clients to take greater control over their own health by teaching them to stretch between sessions. And those are just the benefits to your clients! The benefits for you are tremendous: you will have a unique selling point to widen your practice and increase your income.
Forearm Fun!
Learning to work with your forearms will give you the vital tools to protect not just your hands but your neck, back, body and ultimately your career. Protecting your hands is easy when you absorb the principles of dynamic body use and the good news is that it also helps to give your clients an even better treatment!
Know Your Muscles!
Knowing your musculo-sleletal anatomy is a must if you want to achieve lasting results with your clients and gain respect from other health professionals. Doing bodywork without knowing your muscles is like trying to get from one place to another without a map – you might get to where you want to be but it will probably take you a lot longer or you could end up hopelessly lost! Your anatomy is the “roadmap” of the body; if you really feel your anatomy in your hands your ability to gain results will increase a thousand fold. Find a course that will teach you your anatomy in a 3 dimensional way and teach you that anatomy is fun fun fun!
Power Effleurage and Super Dooper Swedish!
Giving a great general massage is about a combination of many of the skills mentioned above especially good body mechanics and combining forearm work with Swedish strokes. At Jing we teach you how to develop your standard effleurage stroke from “fluff and buff” into what we call “power effleurage”. In this way your Swedish massage becomes Super Dooper Swedish; not just a superficial stroking but a powerful treatment in itself that will have your clients lining up for more!
Assessment Techniques
Developing good assessment and evaluation tools enables your practice to move onto a truly professional level. Quite simply, a good assessment enables us to plan effective treatments that achieve the goals or outcomes that the client desires. From a business point of view, achieving good outcomes leads to satisfied customers, which leads to a thriving and interesting practice. A good assessment enables you to see whether your treatment is working and gives you measurable benchmarks so both you and your client are able to assess progress.
Whether you are doing relaxation massage, sports massage, energy work or pregnancy massage, some form of assessment is vital. You always need to know why your client has come to you, what they are expecting from the treatment and a baseline for any changes you make.
Hot Stone Fusion
Without a doubt if you are looking to build your practice, make more money, and save your hands then learning Hot Stone Fusion will be one of the most worthwhile investments you make in your massage career. My students repeatedly come back to me and say “this is the course that built my practice”.
Quality of Touch
“It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it…..and that’s what gets results..”
And the winner of my “Top ten” techniques is actually not a technique at all- but it is the single attribute that will bring you new clients and joy and passion in your work. Great touch supersedes all “technique” – you can know all the technique in the world but unless you are focussed and sensitive in your application, the techniques will not bring you the results or clients you desire. Like everything else, good touch and sensitivity comes from application, focus and experience. Good teachers will teach you not just technique but how to touch – how it feels to palpate a tight muscle, restricted fascia, stagnant energy or the gentle tide of the cranial rhythm. Receiving bodywork yourself will teach you what feels good and what doesn’t. Cultivate your sense of touch by being fascinated by the body and its hidden rhythms and find yourself a good teacher whose touch thrills your senses.
About Rachel Fairweather and the Jing Institute of Advanced Massage
Rachel Fairweather is co-founder and director of The Jing Institute of Advanced Massage Training – an organisation dedicated to excellence in all aspects of postgraduate massage training. We are dedicated to helping massage therapists have the lifestyle and business you deserve. Based in Brighton, we offer courses around the country including London and Edinburgh. Our courses include longer qualifications in advanced massage including our revolutionary BTEC Level 6 (degree level) in Advanced Clinical and Sports massage and 1-2 day CPD courses in Marketing, Hot Stone Fusion, trigger point, myofascial release, stretching, pregnancy, on site, living anatomy and many others.
Jing Online and Jing TV- You can also now check us out from the comfort of your own home with weekly free Jing TV episodes and our comprehensive online CPD course in treating low back pain. Please call or check our website for further information and course dates.
www.jingmassage.com
info@jingmassage.com
Tel: 01273 628942
You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter! @JingInstitute