A painful symptom of a serious health issue, read on for a wholistic overview.

Angina = spasmodic, cramplike, choking feeling Angina pectoris – pain often radiates down the inner left arm and accompanied by a feeling of suffocation and impending death. Often occurs relation to exertion, emotional stress and exposure to intense cold

Pain caused when insufficient oxygen makes it to the heart because of:
- narrowing of coronary arteries that feed the heart – atherosclerosis
- spasm in coronary circulation – other cardiovascular diseases
- associated with diseases ie diabetes, anaemia, goitre

Pain is generally relieved by rest and dilatory medications. A very individual syndrome

NOTE: Many remedies interfere with Cardiovascular medications so no self medication recommended.
REMEDIES – many different supportive alternative therapies are available. Individual protocols may include supplements like Vitamin E, Carnitine, CoQ-10, L-arginine, Astragalus. Garlic helps the blood quality, provides immune support and may help to clear the blood vessels. Raw & freshly crushed for the benefits of allicin and other active constituents.

EMOTIONAL CAUSATION?: We think of the heart as the seat of love, and heart problems have been associated with psychological patterns such as:
Violating the laws of love – knowingly or unknowingly
Feelings of compassion or rejection being blocked
Feelings of resentment and/or hurt
Not feeling approval from others
Upsetting family problems
Having a difficult time forgiving (including self)
Wanting release from responsibility
In a relationship that hurts
Open heart – as opposed to closed heart?

Essentially one needs to fill the heart with nourishment to avoid angina.

Hear what the boys, and lady, have to say about it …Episode 8 http://www.abc.net.au/rn/thelonelyheartsclub/

A touching poem written by Lonely Hearts Club poet-at-large, Wesley Du Shon. He recited this on Radio National on Saturday 26 March 2011, around 11pm …

My breath smells like fresh death
My tongue of mouldy dung
My tonsils are quite toxic
Something foul lurks in my lung
My lips would make a skunk retch
My mouth, a corpse flower wilt
And, yet, my heart is pure dear
Is that not on what love’s built?

Do not diss me for my odour
Nor dismiss me in disgust
Simply kiss me, kiss me, kiss me
And only breathe in if you must.

(Wedding poem to third wife, Michiko)

Hear it yourself on podcast …  http://www.abc.net.au/rn/thelonelyheartsclub/episodes.htm

Halitosis = Bad Breath = Very antisocial disease

WHAT CAUSES IT?
- Most commonly poor oral hygiene – bad teeth or gum disease
- Infection in the throat (tonsils), sinuses, lungs, oesophagus or stomach
- Toxicity – build up of wastes because of deficient functioning of detoxification, such as poor digestion, constipation or sub-optimal liver function
- Somatic delusion or serious thought disorder whereby patient complains of bad breath that others do not perceive. This is called “Psychogenic Halitosis”.

WHAT CURES IT?:
Palliation (symptoms improved, but cause remains) = peppermint, chlorophyll, charcoal tablets (old fashioned remedy), papaya fruit and chewing parsley can all help.

Consider the cause to find the effective cure:

Oral hygiene:
- Flossing and oil pulling  (a traditional Ayruvedic practice)
- Visit the dentist for a thorough clean and check up
- Natural remedies examples:
Clove oil (or crushed cloves) – antiseptic & antibacterial, also can relieve pain
Myrrh – as a component of mouth wash – antiseptic, local anaesthetic,                         anti-inflammatory, aides wound healing (astringent)

Infections:
- immune boosting therapy  ie nutrients supplements, herbs, other remedies specific to infection or disease

Toxicity:
- increase digestive power (ie balance digestive acids and enzymes), relieve constipation (facilitate daily bowel movements)
- considering dietary intake and increasing whole food content

NB: for Dr Brendan of the Lonely hearts club: The orthodox Merck Manual states “… it is a fallacy that breath odor reflects the state of digestion and bowel function.”
This is quite contrary to Naturopathic understanding and treatments. But, whatever.

Interview information for the Lonely Hearts Club Program 26 March 2011. Pity you couldn’t see the terry toweling suit I was wearing…

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/thelonelyheartsclub/episodes.htm

Gout is inflammation in a joint (a type of arthritis) due predominantly to an excess of uric acid in the body. It comes on as “attacks” often in a single joint, often the big toe, often at 2am and often following a night of dietary or drug (including alcohol) excess.

It’s due to too much uric acid, because of excess production or not enough being excreted (through the kidneys). Excess production is generally because there are too many purine rich foods in the diet. Gout used to be called the “rich man’s disease” associated with portly, middle aged men indulging in lots of rich meats, wine and cheese.

From a naturopathic standpoint, gout is an imbalance of acid and alkaline in the body. It can be corrected through avoiding foods high in purines, eating alkalising foods and reducing inflammation:

AVOID PURINE RICH FOODS:
* Alcohol
* Anchovies, sardines in oil, fish roes, herring (seafood)
* Yeast (including beer)
* Organ meat (liver, kidneys, sweetbreads)
* Legumes (dried beans, peas)
* Mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower.
Purines are a chemical structure involved in DNA, so many foods that contain purines.

INCREASE ALKALINE- FORMING FOODS
•    Vegetable broths
•    Water with a pinch of Himalayan or sea salt in it (ie rich in minerals and trace elements)
•    Seaweeds in diet
•    Raw cacoa (raw chocolate) – very high in minerals
•    Support the kidneys excreting – celery and cucumber juice
Reduce acidity = increasing mineral rich foods & reducing processed and deep fried foods.

REDUCE INFLAMMATION
•    Bioflavonoids (soy products tempeh, fruits like cherries, dark berries)
•    Essential fatty acids – from linseeds, fish oil
•    Vitamin E rich foods – like seeds and nuts
•    HEAPS of vegetables

Dorothy Hall (legendary Australian Herbalist, author and teacher) believes that all forms of arthritis are associated with an inability to let “acid” feelings and emotions out. And people who develop arthritic complaints tend to hold emotions in. Perhaps food for thought …  Dorothy recommends celery seed and juniper preparations to ease the pain of arthritic ailments (not appropriate for people with kidney disease)

Want to hear it discussed in the club – with Orthopedic surgeon Dr Brendan? Then download the podcast:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/thelonelyheartsclub/episodes.htm

Androgenic alopecia = male pattern baldness = androgenetic alopecia.

Baldness treatments are estimated to be a US $1 billion per year industry. Slightly less than half of men are affected by male pattern baldness (MPB) by age 50. A significant number!

Increased understanding of the role of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in male pattern baldness has led to targeted intervention to prevent this hormone from acting on receptors in the scalp

Male pattern baldness is mostly the result of a genetic event that causes dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a male hormone, to cause the hair follicles to shrivel (also causes the prostate to grow). The hair produced is progressively smaller, until it is practically invisible (or may disappear completely).

Research indicates that susceptibility to premature male pattern baldness is largely X-linked. (ie Maternal side) Other genes that are not sex linked are also involved.

Common Tactics:
The Comb over
Toupes
Total shave

Effective herbal remedies – with moderate evidence:
Saw Palmetto – inhibit 5-alpha-reductase by 32% – (5-A-R = enzyme that changes testoterone to DHT). Plus antagonistic effect on testosterone receptors. Mid to moderate MPB 200mg saw palmetto. 60% had hair growth improved. Preparations are often mixtures, containing other botanicals such as fennel, buckwheat, mint, chamomile, Thuja and hibiscus.

Green Tea – polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) may inhibit 5-alpha-reductases activity. EGCG can simulate growth in human hair. Early stage research

Zinc – Co factor for enzymes involved in hair follicle. Can reduce 5-alpha-reductase in animal studies. Nine out of fifteen people experienced benefit from zinc supplementation.

Vitamin E – tocotrienol complex increase hair growth by 42%. 8 month double blind trail gave 28 volunteers 100mg tocotrienol or placebo. 42% significant increase in hairs in a designated 2 x 2 cm area. 8 of the men had 50% new hair growth.  Be careful in self administering of Vitamin E however, as there are numerous interactions with commonly used pharmaceuticals.

Other antioxidants – betacarotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxantin, zinc and Vitamin C many help hair loss. (J cutan Aesthet surg, 2010; 3: 82-6)

Things that stimulate the scalp can help. Scalp massage using essential oils like rosemary, thyme, lavender and cedarwood in carrier oil can benefit (ie 44% with EO, 15% with base oil only)
Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy with essential oils significantly reduced hair loss
Low level light therapy (laser)– to stimulate hair follicles to grow.

Lifestyle factors – stress management, smoking cessation, reduce sugary foods, artificial colours and flavours and preservatives – increase sprouts, green leafy vege, pulses and nuts and plenty of water.

Future of balding treatments…

• Stem cell transplants to regenerate hair growth may be the possible next therapy.

• In 2011, research showed that treatment with astressin-B caused the sudden growth of hair in mice bred for a propensity for baldness. Astressin-B ia a nonselective corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonist. This may possibly be used in the future to aid in the regrowth of human hair (and would explain why antioxidant therapy was effective).

Hear me chat with the men of the Lonely Hearts Club about balding – download the podcast here:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/thelonelyheartsclub/episodes.htm

WHAT IS GLUTEN?

A protein present in grains such as wheat, rye and barley.  It provides the elasticity of dough, the chewy texture of bread and the absorbency of donuts. Gluten is actually a number of different proteins. The one found in wheat is gliadin. The one in barley is hordein. The one in rye is secalin.

CELIAC DISEASE (also confusingly referred to as Gluten intolerance) is an auto immune disorder, whereby the body’s white blood cells attack the small intestines when triggered by gluten containing foods. Detected by a blood test identifying gliadin antibodies. This attack destroys the villi (finger-like protuberances) in the intestines, which results in reduced absorption of nutrients.

Symptoms are many and varied – bloating, indigestion, poor appetite, copious diarrhoea that floats, constipation, weight loss, abdominal pain, mouth ulcers, blistery skin eruptions (dermatitis herpetiformis), depression/anxiety, abnormal dental enamel, anaemia, fatigue, bacterial overgrowth in the gut, osteoporosis/penia, short stature, can contribute to thyroid and diabetic issues and in the long term associated with milk intolerance, adenocarcinoma and lymphoma in the small intestine – for example.

WHEAT ALLERGY is an exaggerated immune response to gliadin (found in wheat products). The gastrointestinal tract inflames, creating indigestion, bloating and stool irregularity. Reaction occurs quickly after the consumption.

WHEAT OR GLUTEN INTOLERANCE is a non-immune response to wheat/gluten products, which makes digestion difficult or slower. Often symptoms of bloating and indigestion develop hours or days after ingestion.

Symptoms of these problems will generally disappear with a gluten free diet:

Avoiding: Wheat, Rye, Barley (for extra sensitive people also oats)

Avoiding the flours of these grains – which are regularly, used as processing aids as binders, fillers, flavour carriers. So read labels on all packaged foods.

Avoiding any potential contamination of food by these proteins (for people with allergies and coeliacs particularly)

What can you eat?

Gluten-free products – Commercial gluten-free flour blends made primarily of white rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch are products of nutrition and contain almost no fibre. Depending on the soil it is grown in gluten rich grains often contain B-Vitamins, minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium) and also fibre, so be wary not to miss out on these through other foods.

Grains: Rice, Corn, Millet, Quinoa, Amaranth, Buckwheat (not buckwheat flour, it’s mixed with wheat flour generally)

All legumes, nuts and seeds, coconuts, fruit, vege, dairy, fish, eggs etc etc

Wheat intolerant people: May be okay eating spelt, rye, barley and oats. Lots of guidance from http://www.celiacsociety.com/searchFood.asp – Has a search engine if unsure whether or not a food contains gluten

WHERE DO YOU FIND GLUTEN?

The commonest gluten grains are wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, kamut, couscous, triticale, bulgur and semolina but there are others too, including, durum, seitan, faro, emmer, graham, malt and einkorn.

Gluten is hidden in so many things especially processed foods often used as additives or to bulk up foods. Some hidden sources include soup mixes, sauces, soy sauce, candies, salad dressings, frozen meatballs, cold cuts, low and no fat foods to name just a few.

They often appear labeled as “modified food starch.” Malts Starches Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) Texturized vegetable protein (TVP) Natural flavoring.

Gluten sensitivity could affect as many as 1 in 7 people.

Because it is still an “alternative diagnosis”, it is often not considered during a doctor’s visit.

Why does it happen?

Maybe the high incidence of it is associated with the hybridisation of wheat throughout the industrial and green revolutions. This has changed the nature of the grain that potentially our digestive enzymes haven’t evolved to meet.

The ongoing use of synthetic chemicals in the production of wheat has over time lead to an issue with our ability to deal with it.

Often “wheat” is so refined by the time we ingest it, that it is a long way from it’s whole state. This then becomes increasingly foreign to the digestive system.

“I’m gluten intolerant intolerant” – Mandy Nolan, Comedian, and perhaps the Lonely Heart’s club Second unit director Duncan agrees…

Download the podcast from: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/thelonelyheartsclub/episodes.htm