Blood-Sugar Balance, Energy, Sleep & Mood

I had an interesting chat with a woman last night who has been using the Zoe mobile app to monitor her blood-sugar response in order to better manage her weight. She's been finding it really helpful and stated that her sugar and carbohydrate cravings have noticably reduced and her afternoon energy has improved, but said that what had really surprised her was how much calmer she felt. She said "I don't think I've shouted at the kids once since I've been using it." 

Our adrenal glands are tiny little things, but they do an awful lot of work to maintain balance throughout our whole system. They are the glands that kick into action when we're stressed - the flight or fight response - by pumping cortisol into our system to protect us. When we evolved as humans, this stress would have probably been a woolly mammoth or invading horde every so often. However, the adrenals don't differentiate and nowadays this stress is often psychological, but can come from overtraining, starvation, or a nasty virus and that stress is often near-constant. The adrenals will just keep trying to produce more cortisol to protect us. Many of us regularly over-produce cortisol and this causes mayhem in the body - it messes up our sleep patterns, the thyroid hormone cascade and sex hormone cascade amongst other things and can lead to burn-out of the adrenal glands - which is one main reason for chronic fatigue syndrome. 

I personally beleive that many of the symptoms attributed to the primenopause or menopause are, at least, exacerbated by overproduction of cortisol and overtaxed adrenal function. If we avoid over-producing cortisol, this makes a big improvement on our sex hormone production and balance. I will blog about this soon. 

But back to the blood-sugar balance and not shouting at the kids. One of the subsidiary jobs the adrenals glands perform is to kick into action if our blood-sugar levels drop. Therefore, eating a low-glycaemic diet helps balance our blood-sugar levels and, consequently, takes the pressure of these little, hardworking glands. The proof of the power of this simple change is what the woman has experienced - simply by better balancing her blood-sugar levels she was noticably calmer. Her adrenal function had a bit of spare capacity and she could feel the difference.

There are many stressors in life that we can't avoid, but blood-sugar balance is something we can manage, so it's one of my golden rues for patients wanting to support adrenal function - whether that's to sleep better, maintain better mood, better sex-hormone function or to maintain weight - blood-sugar balance is essential. 

I work with patients to adopt a Paleo or Keto diet to support good blood-sugar balance. I also teach Mindfulness and breathwork techniques to calm the autonomic nervous system which is essential for taking the pressure of our adrenal glands and providing that essentail spare capacity. I also provide treatments - acupuncture, massage & reflexology - to encourage the relaxation response. I find this three-pronged approach a great way to help patients achieve their goals. 

If you are interested in working with me, contact me on: https://www.lisarutter.info

Acupressure & Reflexology for flu, fever and cough

Acupressure & Reflexology for flu, fever and cough

As medicine has become increasingly technocratic and Big Pharma's influence on medical practice escalates, we have lost faith in our bodies and their ability to heal. What is going on in our body when we become ill is often misunderstood and we are now extremely pharmacologically moulded when thinking about how to best deal with illness. This does not need to be the case.

The dietary suggestions and fever-management procedures described in the previous posts, together with these acupuncture and reflexology suggestions, are gentle, restorative approaches. However, I am convinced that in the case of infection with covid-19, they would make a significant difference to the severity and duration of the illness. What is more, there should be no need for those of us in reasonable health, with normal immune function, to need hospitalisation should we become infected: if we know what to do to support our immunity, encourage effective liver and kidney detoxification and reduce lung congestion, this would leave the limited ventilators and oxygen that the NHS has for those vulnerable patients who become infected.

While these disciplines are complex systems of medicine, I've hopefully reduced this information into tips that you can do at home without any training.   

Don't be overwhelmed by the detail, give some of these a go!

Acupressure

Lung channel, Photograph© Peter Deadman& Mazin Al-Khafaji, 

A Manual of Acupuncture, 1998

I would needle these points on a patient with cough, fever or breathing difficulty. However, it is also effective to press and rub the points vigorously a number of times per day. So, if you don’t have easy access to an acupuncturist, this is something that can be done at home by you or a willing friend.

Rub along the whole length of the Lung Meridian. Pay particular attention to the ‘dots’ on the picture: these pertain to ‘acupoints’ or points where we can activate the ‘qi’ or energy within the body. They are described in greater detail on the following slides.

Most acupoints are in a depression where two bones or muscles meet. If you feel gently to find the point, you should get a sense of this ‘indentation’. The measurements are given in ‘cun’, which is the width of your patient’s thumb at the widest point.

Lung 1, Zhongfu

Zhongfu benefits the lungs generally, alleviates cough and clears heat from the lungs.

Lung 2, Photograph© Peter Deadman& Mazin Al-Khafaji, 

A Manual of Acupuncture, 1998

Location:

Feel along the underside of the collarbone to where your finger meets the deltoid muscle (of the shoulder). This hollow is the location of Lung 2. Move your finger 1 cun downwards and very slightly outwards.

Rub quite firmly in a little circular movement: this is a delicate area, so don’t go mad.

Lung 2, Yunmen

Yunmen is especially good at clearing heat from the lungs.

Location:

As explained above. And, again, rub quite firmly.

Lung 3, Tianfu

Lung 3, Photograph© Peter Deadman& Mazin Al-Khafaji, 

A Manual of Acupuncture, 1998

Tianfu is a point that, for millennia, has been considered useful for treating fever, cough and difficulty in breathing.

Location:

Divide the distance between the axillary fold (armpit crease) and elbow crease into thirds. Tianfu is one third down from the armpit crease, where the outer edge of the biceps meets the bottom of the deltoid muscle. Note: easier to locate with palm turned upwards.

Rub firmly.

Lung 5, Chize

Lung 5, Photograph© Peter Deadman& Mazin Al-Khafaji, 

A Manual of Acupuncture, 1998

Chize’s principal action is to clear all forms of heat from the lung and to calm agitation of the lung. This point has traditionally been considered useful for managing fever. It is also useful for calming anxiety.

Location: In the slight hollow, on the thumb side of the tendon of the biceps brachii  (elbow crease). Note that, again, the palm is facing upwards.

Rub firmly.

Lung 7, Lieque

Lung 7, Photograph© Peter Deadman& Mazin Al-Khafaji, 

A Manual of Acupuncture, 1998

Lieque is considered a very important point in the treatment of fever, coughs and shortness of breath.

Location:

A tricky one to locate. With the patient’s arm on its side, thumb uppermost, place your finger in the ‘anatomical snuffbox’, indicated here as L.I.5, and move it towards the elbow, over the bone of the wrist: your finger should fall into a little groove between two tendons. If you feel around the area gently you should feel a subtle ‘channel’. In an adult, this is about 4cm in distance.

Rub firmly.

Lung 8, Jingu

Lung 8 & Lung 9, Photograph© Peter Deadman& Mazin Al-Khafaji, 

A Manual of Acupuncture, 1998

Jingu is considered very useful for fever, cough, wheezing and difficulty in breathing.

Location:

Easiest to locate Lung 9 first, at the significant depression below the wrist joint, between the radial artery (pulse point) and the tendon of the thumb.

Then move finger 1 cun further away from the wrist, over the styloid process ( the prominence at the bottom of the radius) and your finger will drop into the depression that is Lung 8.

Rub firmly.

Lung 9, Taiyuan

While you’re about it, rub Lung 9 too! A generally very supportive point for lung function.

Lung 10, Yuji

Lung 10, Photograph© Peter Deadman& Mazin Al-Khafaji, 

A Manual of Acupuncture, 1998

Yuji is commonly used to ease asthma attacks, so good for shortness of breath. It is also effective at easing coughs, heat in the body, chills and fever.

Location:

In the fleshy area at the base of the thumb, feel for the depression midway along the 1st metacarpal: if you roll your finger over this bone from the outside of the hand inwards, towards to palm, it will dip down into the point.

Alternately, squeeze your thumb against the side of your palm: the highest point of the muscle bulge is Yuji.

NB. If you dig in with your finger it should feel quite achy to the patient. 

Rub firmly.

Pericardium 6, Neiguan

Pericardium 6, Photograph© Peter Deadman& Mazin Al-Khafaji, 

A Manual of Acupuncture, 1998

Neiguan is a much-used point for all manner of conditions, but is considered to ‘unbind’ the chest, so useful for coughs, ‘clearing heat’ and laboured breathing.

It is often used to ease anxiety and agitation, so very useful for a distressed patient.

Location:

With the palm facing upwards, from the wrist crease, move two cun towards the elbow, between the two tendons.

Rub quite firmly, but be careful not to press too hard on the tendons.

Reflexology for flu, fever and cough

Reflexology works on the principle that there is a ‘map’ of the body on the feet. In fact, there are ‘maps’ of the body on the hands, iris & around the orbital fossa (the bone around the eye socket) and probably others that I’m not aware of.

The principle of As above, so below applies throughout the natural world and nowhere is it more apparent, to me at least, than in the body. It seems to me that the body can be considered a universe where the individual parts of the body constantly reflect the whole.

So, get rubbing those feet! I use a little carrier oil rubbed into the palm of my hand to make rubbing over the skin more comfortable for the patient. I generally use my thumbs to rub into the specific points while supporting the patient’s foot with my hand, as shown opposite.

The following chart has been highlighted in pink to illustrate the areas to focus on…

Have faith in your body

The body errs towards healing and, given the right treatment, will often heal without the need for any drugs. 

Your body’s ability to heal is greater than anyone has permitted you to believe.

Good luck!

Disclaimer:The information in this document is presented for educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment, or advice of a qualified, licensed medical professional. The facts presented are offered as information only, not medical advice. Any product or procedure mentioned is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease, simply to support the immune system and assist the body's own response to fever.

Lisa Rutter, therapies@lisarutter.co.uk, 2020

Managing a fever headache & cough

Managing a fever, headache & cough

NHS advice regarding fever now recognises a raised temperature as a purposeful mechanism: a critical part of the immune system’s strategy for fighting infection and destroying diseased or damaged cells. In other words, an elevated temperature triggers an immune response which prompts our white blood cells into action. Fevers are usually self-limiting and in most cases should be allowed to run their course and not be brought down with medication. 

Generally speaking, a fever brought about by a virus will last around 2-3 days and usually break on day 3 or 4, if it’s not being interfered with by medications to reduce it. This ‘dosing with paracetamol (or other meds) every four hours’ to bring down a temperature actually impairs the immune response, allowing the virus to survive and prolonging the illness. 

But, there are a number of exceptions where medical aid should be sought:

• A high fever (41C or above in an adult) that doesn’t abate after two or three days

• You are on treatment for immune deficiency

• You are on immune-suppressant drugs, such as regular steroids, methotrexate, azathioprine or cyclophosphamide (among many others)

• You are taking medication where there is a risk of reduced immune function

• You are on, or recently completed, treatment for cancer, leukaemia or lymphoma

• You are a transplant recipient

• You are HIV positive

Children:

• Under three months old and has a temperature of 38C (101F) or above

• Between three and six months old and has a temperature of 39C (102F) or above

• If your child has other signs, such as persistent vomiting, refusal to feed, floppiness or drowsiness.

NB, the actual number on the thermometer often tells you less about severity than signs and symptoms.

Naturopathic means to ease a fever

Take a bath in lukewarm water, adding Epsom or magnesium salts to soothe muscles and aid relaxation. This temperature will feel cool when you have a fever, and the bath should help bring your body temperature down. Don’t try to bring a fever down rapidly by plunging yourself into cold water: that sends blood rushing to internal organs which is how your body defends itself from cold. Your interior actually warms up instead of cooling down.

Give yourself a sponge bath. Sponging high-heat areas like your armpits and groin with cool water can help reduce your temperature as the water evaporates.

When you’re not bathing, place cold, damp facecloths on your forehead and the back of your neck.

When you have a fever, it’s easy to become dehydrated. Drink 8 to 12 glasses of water a day or enough to make your urine pale (NB: B vitamins can make urine look quite fluorescent green!). It is important that you replace lost minerals as well fluids lost to dehydration: soups, broths and vegetable juices can replace lost minerals, but dioralyte can be bought over the counter too.

Drink a cup of yarrow or elderflower tea. Both herbs trigger the sweating that eases a fever. Steep a tablespoon of the herb in a cup of freshly boiled water for 10 minutes. Let it cool. Drink a cup or two until you start to sweat.

Drink a cup of hot ginger tea, which also induces sweating. Steep a half-teaspoon of minced ginger root in 1 cup just-boiled water, strain, then drink. Cayenne pepper can also be used as a tea for the same reasons.

Elderberry or rosehip extract can be bought (or made in the autumn when these bushes fruit).

Feverfew is a herb that has been used traditionally to manage fevers: make a tea as above.

Try the wet-sock treatment, a popular home remedy for fever. First, warm your feet in warm water. Soak a pair of cotton socks in cold water, wring them out and slip them on just before going to bed. Put a pair of dry, wool socks over the wet ones. This approach helps ease a fever by drawing blood to the feet.

Another way to draw blood to the feet is with a mustard footbath. In a basin large enough for your feet, add two teaspoons of mustard powder to four cups of warm water, then soak.

Manuka honey eases a cough and has antiviral and antibacterial properties (this has been well researched). It has also been shown to possess cytophylactic (cell-renewing) properties, so speeds up tissue healing: making it the ideal medicine for a cough caused by an infection. 

Sleep is one of the best medicines, so if someone is in real discomfort because of a fever and cannot sleep, then paracetamol is probably the medication of choice, certainly for children. But bear in mind that paracetamol needs to be processed by the liver and, therefore, gives the body more work to do when it needs to be healing, so use very sparingly.

What to eat 

Probably not much, the body stands a better chance of healing quickly if it’s not wasting energy digesting complicated foods. Fasting is useful if that’s what your body tells you to do (not with type-1 diabetes or a metabolic disorder). See previous post (Food that heals... 29/3/21) for more information.

Supplements to manage a headache

Magnesium (citrate, bisglycinate or fumarate) is a muscle relaxant. Take 600mg daily (take the last 200mg before bed).

Ginkgo Biloba helps prevent blood vessels constricting; however, because one of its actions is to increase blood flow, there are various drug interactions with drugs like warfarin, aspirin, heparin and metformin, amongst others. If you are taking any medication, check https://www.rxlist.com/ before supplementing.

Niacin (vitamin B3) is a vasodilator (dilates blood vessels), so can ease a 
headache. Take 100mg daily. Use the type that induces a red flush (the supplier will state whether it is flushing or not – usually contains nicotinic acid), on your face and upper body (this can be quite dramatic with some people at first: taking it with food helps this).

Mixing a couple of drops lavender (lavandula angustifolia) essential oil into 50ml carrier oil (rapeseed, almond etc) and then rubbing into the temples and around the back of the head and into neck can increase circulation and ease pain. NB. Pregnant women should consult an aromatherapist before using essential oils.

Willow bark is a natural painkiller. Consume it as a tincture, in powdered form or as a tea.

Using a clay pack to ease a headache

Montmorillonite and bentonite are effectively the same: a soft phyllosilicate group of minerals that form clay. Using this clay in a poultice has a number of therapeutic actions but, in the case of fever or headache, it has a cooling action and eases pain.
To make a clay pack, mix approx. 1 tablespoon of bentonite or montmorillionite (food-grade) powder in approx. 2 tablespoons water. This should form a thick paste that will stick to a bandage.

Cut a gauze or bandage (a piece of clean cotton will do) that is big enough to cover the forehead and temples.

Apply a good covering of clay to the gauze (a couple of mm thick) and stick onto the head.

Wrap a second piece of clean fabric around this (a stretchy bandage is ideal) and secure in place with a safety pin. Failing this, a piece of cling film wrapped around the gauze should hold it in place.

This can be kept in place for quite a few hours, or overnight.

Disclaimer:

The information in this document is presented for educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment, or advice of a qualified, licensed medical professional. The facts presented are offered as information only, not medical advice. Any product or procedure mentioned is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease, simply to support the immune system and ease the symptoms of fever.

Lisa Rutter, therapies@lisarutter.co.uk, 2020