How then do we determine a cause not to mention a treatment plan? What detective work can a naturopath use to gain some insight into the possible reasons for this malaise?

Taking a case history is one obvious and important way of attempting to identify an underlying issue, however in addition there are clever pointers to be found in the nails, face, eyes and tongue that may collectively hint towards a body system to look at in more detail.

Tongue

When we look at the tongue we are taking into account the size, texture, colour, coating, shape and ‘mapping’ – organs of the body being represented on specific parts of the tongue. For example:

• Bright red indicates inflammation, infection and general heat in the body
• Pale pink denotes coldness or a deficiency of vital force
• Purplish indicates poor circulation, stagnation and general congestion
• A smooth sore tongue can point to a deficiency of iron, niacin, riboflavin, B12 or B6
• A tongue that deviates may indicate paralysis of the 12th cranial nerve
• A shallow midline crack in the tongue stopping before the tip indicates some kind of stomach deficiency.

Eyes

In iridology we study the iris (or coloured) part of the eye which can reveal different aspects to the health of a person. The basic colour not only relates to our core constitution and a susceptibility to certain ailments, and within the iris itself we look at the structure of the fibres, openings in those fibres, contraction and furrow lines, areas of cloudiness and hyperacidity and a whole wealth of other information requiring closer inspection.

On a very basic level the core constitutions are:

Lymphatic – these eyes are blue and people with blue eyes have a tendency for hyper-responsive complaints: hyper-acidity, inflammations, allergies, irritable bowel, arthritis, ear, nose and throat complaints. Foods to avoid for lymphatic types include mucus forming foods like dairy and refined carbohydrates such as white flour products and processed foods, as these affect the pH of your tissues and break down to form acidic wastes which are often implicated in inflammatory conditions. Lymphatic people mostly benefit from dry skin brushing, yoga and regular detoxification.

Hematogenic constitution – these eyes are pure brown and people with them have a tendency for blood related disorders (circulatory), anxiety, stones and diabetes. However, unlike the reactive lymphatic types, the hematogenic has a slow and gradual build up to disease and has therefore the tendency to only find problems in later life thereby potentially missing early warning signs. Foods to avoid here are sugar and saturated fats with an emphasis on choosing circulatory stimulants like cayenne, ginger and garlic and exercises that strengthen the heart – all cardiovascular work is indicated here; dancing, swimming, jogging etc.

Mixed biliary – these eyes have mixed colour (green/hazel) and people with them may have problems associated with a sluggish digestion, there may be a reduced supply of digestive enzymes from the liver, gallbladder and pancreas leading to bloating, belching, constipation and candida. The avoidance of dairy and saturated fats is again recommended for this type; juicing is good so as not to overload the system whilst still intaking high quality nutrition and eating smaller more frequent meals. Supportive exercises here might be certain yoga postures which can aid or “massage” digestive organs and gentle walking after meals.

Nails

Our nails can point to certain imbalances also and are often used in conjunction with tongue and eye analysis:

• Vertical ridging – often indicates poor absorption of Vitamins A, B and C as well as possible calcium, magnesium, zinc and EFA’s.
• Pale – when hands are outstretched our nails go white and once relaxed usually change back to pink; if they stay white, this may suggest anaemia.
• Brittle – B12 deficiency, silica, calcium, iron deficiencies; associated with hypothyroidism
• White spots – Zinc or Vitamin A deficiency
• Spoon-shaped nails (concave and brittle) – severe iron or zinc deficiency.

Face

The correlation between face and body organs have been used in China for routine diagnostics for thousands of years:

• One deep line on the forehead – small intestine issues, problems with digesting and assimilating nutrients
• Dry, red forehead – bladder weakness, urinary infections etc
• Vertical line between the eyebrows – stomach deficiency
• Two vertical lines (either side of the stomach line) on the forehead – liver problems and suppressed anger
• Cracks around the mouth – possible B and Iron deficiency
• Blue-black shadows under eyes/bags – kidney and adrenal exhaustion.

There are many other indicators of certain imbalances and they are only pointers which, when taken together and within the context of a consultation may enable a naturopath to refer for blood testing or to recommend supplementation, changes in diet and herbal protocols. These would benefit your specific constitution to not just prevent a condition from worsening or even taking hold in the first place, though to optimise feelings of wellness, radiance and positive good health.

For consultations please contact on Melanie on 07840 202930 or melanieherbalist@tiscali.co.uk

The post Diagnosis from a Naturopath appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

In our rushed 21st century society we have somehow lost the ability to truly look at people, rather more we are looking down at our smart phones. Starting with the eyes (often referred to as the windows of the soul) here are some symptoms that people suffer from and what they could mean (but not definitely mean so please don’t rush off to your GP unless you have real concerns!).

EYES
Glassy-eyed: excess adrenaline, exhaustion, prescription or recreational drug use.
Bloodshot: lack of vitamin B, tiredness, allergy, infection or it could mean you have shampoo in your eyes!
Itchy/dry: allergy, vitamin B deficiency or lack of tears (Sjogrens syndrome)
Dark circles: tiredness, anaemia, parasitic infections (often seen in children) Allergic shiners: again usually seen in children, allergy or food inhalant
Photophobia: lack of vitamin B, migraine/headache sufferer
Sunken eyes: dehydration/exhaustion Pallor under the eyes: anaemia

NAILS
White spots: calcium/zinc deficiency – (often seen after illness)
Pitted nails: can indicate partial or total hair loss
Ridges: vertical can indicate poor health/horizontal can occur after severe stress

PULSE
Very slow: under 50 bpm is known as braccycardia, unless the person is super fit this can be a sign of hypothyroidism
Fast/irregular pulse: heart rythmn problems, anxiety/overactive thyroid

SKIN
Spots: there are so many reasons for spots/acne – round the chin and hairline can be hormonal
Rashes: allergy/fungal infection Dry and scaly: dehydrated, lack of vitamin A, or essential fatty acids
Athletes foot: fungal infection Easy bruising: can indicate a lack of vitamin C
Dandruff: usually a fungal infection Psoriasis: stress, lack of essential fatty acids, allergy
Eczema: stress, lack of essential fatty acids, allergy
Vitiligo: Autoimmune condition/lack of PABA’s

SKIN COLOUR
Lemon yellow: Lack of vitamin B12, pernicious anaemia
White: Anaemic, lack of zinc
Orange: can indicate liver problems or jaundice
Dark Pink/Red: high blood pressure/heart problems

LIPS
Cracked: lack of essential fatty acids, or lack of vitamin B
Sores at the corners of the mouth: lack of vitamin B3
Dry: lack of essential fatty acids

MOUTH
Dry mouth: dehydrated, medication, lack of saliva (sjogrens syndrome)
Ulcers on the tongue: run down or allergy
White coating on the tongue: oral candida
Bad breath: tooth decay or bad digestion

Headaches? Tired All the Time? IBS? Fuzzy thinking? Aches and Pains? Not feeling your best? I offer a two hour 1-1 MOT service. Call 01323 737814 or visit www.katearnoldnutrition.co.uk

Nutrition workshops: Come join us at The Cookshelf from 28th January. Topics: IBS/Gut disorders, The myths of a balanced diet, Stop dieting and start losing weight. www.thecookshelf.co.uk

The post Do eyes tell us anything about overall health? appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

Eyes
Glassy-eyed: too much adrenaline, exhaustion, prescription or recreational drug use
Bloodshot: lack of vitamin B, tiredness, allergy, infection
Itchy/dry: allergy, vitamin B deficiency or lack of tears (sjorgrens syndrome)
Dark circles: tiredness, anaemia, parasites (often seen in children)
Allergic shiners: usually seen in children – an allergy to a food or inhalant
Photophobia: lack of vitamin B, migraine/headache sufferer
Sunken eyes: dehydration/exhaustion
Pallor under eyes: anaemia

Nails
White spots on nail: calcium and/or zinc deficiency (often seen after an illness)
Pitted nails: can indicate partial or total hair loss
Ridges: vertical can indicate general poor health and horizontal can occur after severe stress.

Pulse
Very slow: i.e. if under 50 bpm and little/no exercise done it can be braccycardia – a sign of hypothyroidism
Fast/irregular pulse: heart conditions/anxiety/overactive thyroid

Skin
Spots: there are many reasons for spots or acne. Usually where they are on the face can give a clue, e.g. around the chin and hairline is usually hormonal.
Rashes: can indicate an allergy or fungal infection
Dry and scaly: dehydrated, lack of vitamin A, lack of EFA’s (essential fatty acids)

Skin colour:
Lemon Yellow: lack of vitamin B12, pernicious anaemia
White: anaemia, lack of zinc
Orange: can indicate liver problems, jaundice
Dark Pink/Red: high blood pressure/heart problems

Athletes foot: fungal infection
Easy bruising: can indicate a lack of vitamin C
Dandruff: usually a fungal infection
Psoriasis: stress, lack of EFA’s, allergy
Eczema: stress, lack of EFA’s, allergy
Vitiligo: autoimmune conditions/lack of PABA’s

Lips
Cracked: lack of essential fatty acids or vitamin Blips
Sores at the corners: lack of vitamin B3
Dry: lack of EFA’s

Mouth
Dry mouth: dehydrated, medication or lack of saliva (sjorgrens syndrome)
Ulcers on tongue: run down or allergy
White coating round the gums: oral candida
Bad breath: tooth decay or bad digestion

The Four Humours

Although there is no scientific basis whatsoever, I love the idea of the very old practice of humors. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Hippocrates (400 BC) and Galen (140/150 AD) classified four types of “humors” in people. Each type was believed to be due to an excess of one of four bodily fluids, corresponding to their character. The personalities were termed “humors”. All diseases and disabilities resulted from an excess or deficit of one of these four humors. The four humors were identified as black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. Greeks and Romans, and the later Muslim and Western European medical establishments that adopted and adapted classical medical philosophy, believed that each of these humors would wax and wane in the body, depending on diet and activity. When a patient was suffering from a surplus or imbalance of one fluid, then his or her personality and physical health would be affected. This theory was closely related to the theory of the four elements: earth, fire, water and air – earth was predominantly present in the black bile, fire in the yellow bile, water in the phlegm, and all four elements were present in the blood. Theophrastus then developed a set of characters based on the humors. Those with too much blood were sanguine. Those with too much phlegm were phlegmatic. Those with too much yellow bile were choleric, and those with too much black bile were melancholic. Here are the general personality types of those humors:

Sanguine
A person who is sanguine is generally light-hearted, fun loving, a people person, loves to entertain, spontaneous, and confident. However they can be arrogant, cocky, and indulgent. He/She can be day-dreamy and off-task to the point of not accomplishing anything and can be impulsive, possibly acting on whims in an unpredictable fashion. The humour of Sanguine was once commonly treated with leeches.

Choleric
A person who is choleric is a doer. They have a lot of ambition, energy, and passion, and try to instil it in others. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Many great charismatic military and political figures were cholerics. On the negative side, they are easily angered or bad-tempered.

Melancholic
A person who is a thoughtful ponderer has a melancholic disposition. Often very kind and considerate, melancholics can be highly creative – as in poetry and art – but also can become overly pre-occupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world, thus becoming depressed. A melancholic is also often a perfectionist, being very particular about what they want and how they want it in some cases. This often results in being dissatisfied with one’s own artistic or creative works and always pointing out to themselves what could and should be improved. They are often loners and most times choose to stay alone and reflect.

Phlegmatic
While phlegmatic are generally self-content and kind, their shy personality can often inhibit enthusiasm in others and make themselves lazy and resistant to change. They are very consistent, relaxed, rational, curious, and observant, making them good administrators and diplomats. Like the sanguine personality, the phlegmatic has many friends. However the phlegmatic is more reliable and compassionate; these characteristics typically make the phlegmatic a more dependable friend.

As I said, the humors have no scientifically proven basis, and are out of favour now. Like an astrology chart though, part of the thought process does have a sense of… something.

Type A personality
If we bring things up to date slightly, our 21st century equivalent is the Type A and Type B personality, first suggested by Meyer Friedman, an American cardiologist, who noticed in the 1940s that the chairs in his waiting room got worn out from the edges. He hypothesized that his patients were driven, impatient people, who sat on the edge of their seats when waiting. They labelled these people “Type A” personalities. Type A personalities are workaholics, always busy, driven, somewhat impatient, and so on. Type B personalities, on the other hand are laid back and easy going. “Type A personality” has found its way into our general vocabulary. Since its inception, the theory has been widely popularized and also widely criticised for its scientific shortcomings. It is thought to be that Type As tend to get more fatigue syndromes (the yuppie burn out so common in the ‘80s and ‘90s), and also heart disease, than Type Bs.
Type A can be described as impatient, time-conscious, concerned about their status, highly competitive, ambitious, business-like, aggressive, having difficulty relaxing; and are sometimes disliked by individuals with Type B personalities for the way that they’re always rushing. They are often high-achieving workaholics who multi-task, drive themselves with deadlines, and are unhappy about delays. Because of these characteristics, Type A individuals are often described as “stress junkies.”

Type B personality
Type B individuals, in contrast, are described as patient, relaxed, and easy-going, generally lacking any sense of urgency. Because of these characteristics, Type B individuals are often described as apathetic and disengaged. Whatever your personality, there are certain traits individual to you that make you unique. That is why for me no one is ever treated the same. It’s extraordinary how two people with two similar health problems have completely different symptoms, coping strategies and outlooks and that’s why I love my job so much! Again there is no scientific basis on constitutions but there are certain types of people that are forever strong – Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill showed the same ‘never show weakness’ mentality. For me these people have strong constitutions and good genes, but maybe its more simple than that – perhaps they have a more healthy way of coping with stress than others.

www.katearnoldnutrition.co.uk

The post Outward signs of health issues appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.