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iDNA Health - Sharon Palmer

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Do you Want Solutions to Your Health Problems?

Sharons entire professional career has been focused around health and wellbeing. For the past 5 years she has been very involved in the exciting new field of genetics and personalised health. Sharon's focus in clinic is to identify and treat the driver's of disease, not just focus on symptoms. This is why a genetic profile is so valuable as it shows right at a gene level what is occuring.

DNA Expert
Sharons foresight meant she was an early adopter of DNA profiling and was one of the first practitioners in Australia to successfully integrate DNA into clinical practice. In addition to maintaining a busy practice, Sharon has been a business development manager and consultant to a genetic profiling company and has trained hundreds of doctors and allied health professionals throughout Australia and overseas in the clinical use of DNA.

Sharon is passionate about how DNA can help support people in making better choices regarding their health and wellbeing. This led to her establishing the first DNA-centric clinic in Australia. She was both Director and Principal practitioner of this award winning clinic. With iDNA Health she has expanded upon this model and is now also offering personalised skincare and skincare products, as genetics around skin is giving us astounding insight and treatment options.

Specialising in Womens Hormones
For over 16 years Sharon has applied her expertise and skills as a Medical Herbalist, consulting with patients on a wide-variety of health issues, with a special focus on womens hormonal problems. She has experience dealing with women of every age, at every stage of their hormonal problems. What is now very exciting is that a genetic profile can give a woman insight into her hormonal issues in a way that has not been possible before.

Sharon is considered an expert in hormones and women's health. For the past 12 years she has conducted hormone-based courses for GP's and other allied health professional in understanding hormones and interpreting saliva hormone reports.

Advanced Functional Testing
In addition to genetic profiling, Sharon uses a wide variety of advanced functional testing to determine what factors are contributing to your symptoms and health problems.

Treatment
Treatment interventions are a combination of herbs, vitamins and minerals, diet and lifestyle changes to restore balance and good health.If you have your DNA profile, your treatment goes to the next level and becomes personalised and much targeted.

Career Background
Sharon's professional practice also includes developing an anti-ageing program for a leading integrative health clinic, incorporating state-of-the-art diagnostics.She has held positions as the Health Promotion Officer at Curtin University, been a Director of a Corporate Health and Wellness Program, and undertaken university-based research into alcohol and caffeine.

About Genetic Testing
Your DNA test will report on a range of genes that control key biological functions in the body. The genes themsleves cannot be changed, but their function, the gene expression, can be modified with key intervention strategies.

Areas of Practice

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These are the health issues I work most frequently with:

• Hormones and Women
  
  • Menstrual issues
  • Peri-menopause
  • Menopause
  • Endometriosis
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome
  • Breast cancer
  • Contraceptive choices
  • Bio-identical or natural hormone replacement: pros and cons for using.
  • HRT: pros and cons for using.
• Hormones and Men
  
  • Poor libido
  • Erectile dysfunction / impotence
  • Loss of muscle mass and strength
  • Prostate cancer
  • Bio-identical or natural hormone replacement
• Natural Fertility Programs
  
  • Preconception care
  • Preconception detox
  • Infertility
  • Support prior to and during assisted conception such as IIVF
  • Charting for conception or contraception
• Stress and Adrenal Fatigue
  
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • OCD
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Fibromyalgia
• Thyroid
  
  • Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
  • Autoimmune Hashimoto Disease
  • Graves Disease
• Anti-Ageing

Advanced Testing

• Salivary Hormone Testing
• Urinary Estrogen Metabolism
• Organic Acids
• Amino Acids
• Gut Microbial Analysis
• Hair Mineral Analysis
• Functional Liver Detoxification Profile

Background

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Sharon is a qualified Medical Herbalist. She studied in the USA and then practiced in New York prior to returning to Australia in 2000.

On her return to Australia she spent two years researching and developing a comprehensive anti-ageing program for an integrated clinic. It was from this research that Sharon began to use a lot of the advanced testing listed above.

Sharon has specialized in the area of hormones for the last 6 years and provides workshops for other naturopaths and GPs on testing and rebalancing hormones and advanced hormone diagnostics.

Sharon has spent over 25 years working in the area of health and fitness. Prior to becoming a Medical Herbalist she was a Health Promotion Officer at Curtin University in Perth, W.A., and Director of a Corporate Health and Wellness Program.

Hormones and Women

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As a woman you know that your hormones play a major role in your mood, energy and overall wellbeing. When your hormones are out of balance you experience:

• PMS (moody, emotional, bloated, cravings)
• Changes in your menstrual cycles (shorter, longer, irregular, absent)
• Changes in your menstrual bleed (heavy, light, spotting, clotting, continuous)
• Changes in your wellbeing (low energy, lack of motivation, poor concentration)
• Maybe at risk of hormonal diseases such as endometriosis, PCOS and reproductive cancers such as breast cancer.
• May have problems with miscarriages and infertility.

Creating hormone balance is not a one size fits all approach. Creating balance in hormones is complex. Have to consider:

• Capacity of the gland to produce the hormone (e.g. ovaries, adrenal, thyroid).
• Transport of that hormone from the gland it is made in, to the tissue it is going to act on (e.g. estrogen made in the ovaries but exerts if affect on the lining of the uterus, the breasts, the brain, the skin).
• The ability of the tissue to respond to that hormone.
• The ability of the body to metabolize and clear that hormone safely.

As a practitioner specializing in hormones, I understand

• The causes of hormonal imbalance.
• I know how to assess your hormone levels.
• I know how to treat and manage hormonal problems.

Menstrual Issues

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Many women think that it is normal to have painful periods or terrible PMS. Your menstrual cycle should not be painful, you should not have excessively long or really heavy bleeding and you should not become overly moody or depressed, or suffer from bloating or breast tenderness.

My approach to menstrual problems:

• Identify the underlying cause by
  
  • Measuring your hormone levels.
  • Assessing your symptoms.
  • Taking a thorough personal and family medical history.
  • Reviewing the need for any additional tests such as blood tests.
• Provide you with a written report that includes
  
  • In-depth review of hormone results.
  • Treatment options.
  • Recommended protocol.
  • Lifestyle changes e.g. diet, exercise that will support hormone balance.

Peri-Menopause

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Up to 5 years before the menstrual cycle finishes, hormone levels can begin to change. As we get older there are less and less eggs or follicles left in the ovaries, and this leads to changes in hormone levels and changes in the menstrual cycle.

From my experience of treating women it is during peri-menopause that many women begin to experience a lot of symptoms around their menstrual cycle. Sometimes these symptoms are mild and easy to live with, but they can also be more severe and impact dramatically on quality of life. The most common symptoms I see are:

• Menstrual cycles that are coming too frequently, often every 21 days.
• Menstrual cycles that are becoming less frequent, late by weeks or months.
• Significant changes in bleeding often becoming very heavy and lots of clotting.
• More breast tenderness, bloating and changes in mood.
• A lack of energy and motivation.

My approach to Peri-menopause:

• Make this transition as easy as possible by reducing and managing symptoms.
• Assess your hormone status and create hormone balance.
• Support other organs so they can continue hormone production.
  
  • The ovaries are not the only organs that produce your hormones.
  • Your adrenals, brain and kidneys can all produce hormones.
  • As ovarian production diminishes it is important that these other organs are healthy and have the necessary nutrients from which to make hormones.
• Assess your risk factors as hormone levels change.
  
  • As hormone levels changes your whole body will be affected.
  • Important to look at increased risk of osteoporosis, Alzheimers etc.
  • A review of family and personal medical history is critical.
  • Review the need for any additional tests such as blood tests, bone density.
• Discuss options available to maintain hormone levels.
  
  • Natural therapies: herbs, vitamins and minerals.
  • Bio-identical of natural hormone replacement therapy.
  • HRT.
• Provide you with a written report that includes
  
  • In-depth review of hormone results.
  • Treatment options.
  • Recommended protocol.
  • Lifestyle changes e.g. diet, exercise that will support hormone balance.

Menopause

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Your hormones are not just about having a menstrual cycle. Your hormones play an integral role in your health. They

• Offer cardiovascular protection.
• Impact on your brain function and mood.
• Impact on your immune system.
• Are important for healthy bones.
• Protect you from many of the chronic disease associated with ageing.
• We are going to be living longer than previous generations. We dont yet fully understand how changing hormone levels will impact on long term health and risk of disease as we age.

My approach to menopause:

• Ensure you stay healthy.
• Assess your hormone status and create hormone balance.
• Support other organs so they can continue hormone production.
  
  • The ovaries are not the only organs that produce your hormones.
  • Your adrenals, brain and kidneys can all produce hormones.
  • It is important that these other organs are healthy and have the necessary nutrients from which to make hormones.
• Assess your risk factors as hormone levels change.
  
  • As hormone levels changes your whole body will be affected.
  • Important to look at increased risk of osteoporosis, Alzheimers etc.
  • A review of family medical history is critical.
  • Review the need for any additional tests such as blood tests, bone density.
• Discuss options available to maintain hormone levels.
  
  • Natural therapies.
  • Bio-identical of natural hormone replacement therapy.
  • HRT.
• Provide you with a written report that includes
  
  • In-depth review of hormone results.
  • Treatment options.
  • Recommended protocol.
  • Lifestyle changes e.g. diet, exercise that will support hormone balance.

Endometriosis

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Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological problems. It is a leading cause of hysterectomy, is responsible for about 25% of cases of infertility, and rates of this disease are increasing in teenagers. This is a complicated disease caused by many factors.

My approach to treating Endometriosis:

• Assess
  
  • Hormones levels.
    
    • Endometrial tissue is stimulated by estrogen.
    • Progesterone levels impact on responsiveness of endometrial tissue to estrogen.
    • Endometrial tissue in women with endometriosis may react very differently than normal endometrial tissue. It may be overly sensitive to estrogens. It is important to understand enzyme and receptor action and not just hormone levels.
  • Immune function and immune dysregulation.
    
    • There is substantial evidence demonstrating the role of the immune system in endometriosis.
  • Inflammation.
    
    • This is an inflammatory disease and inflammatory markers are often raised.
  • Lifestyle habits.
    
    • Diet, stress, exercise, and exposure to xenoestrogens are all important factors.
• Explain the conventional medical approach to treating endometriosis.
  
  • Drug options.
  • Surgical options.
  • Pros and cons of these types of treatments.
• Protect fertility for women who want children in the future.
• Reduce symptoms so you can have a more normal life.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

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PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. It is not simply a reproductive problem but a complex endocrine disorder with many causes and many clinical presentations. Besides the reproductive complications, PCOS has many long term serious health implications.

My approach to treating PCOS:

• Because if its complexity a certain amount of testing is required to identify the underlying causes, but also to assess risk of other complications. It is important to assess:
  
  • Hormones levels.
  • Ovarian function.
  • Sex hormone binding globulins.
  • Enzyme activity.
  • Glucose and insulin levels.
  • Blood lipid profile.
  • Thyroid function.
  • Body mass index (BMI)
  • Lifestyle habits.
• Explain the conventional medical approach to treating PCOS.
  
  Drug options.
  
  
  • Surgical options.
  • Pros and cons of these types of treatments.
• Re-establish regular menstrual cycle and ensure ovulation.

Breast Cancer

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Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer in women. The causes of breast cancer and the treatment options are vast. I treat many women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or have had breast cancer in the past.

The main problems I see with women who have been recently diagnosed is trying to come to terms with the shock of the diagnosis, trying to cope with the information being presented by the medical team, overwhelmed with how quickly they have to make decisions about treatment, and trying to sort through the massive amount of information on alternative therapies.

What I offer women recently diagnosed with breast cancer:

• An overview of the role natural therapies can play in your treatment.
• How to integrate your natural therapies with conventional medical treatment.
• How to prepare for and protect the body from surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
• How to support the body after radiation and chemotherapy.
• Once you have finished the acute phase of treatment then there is time to do more in-depth testing and develop a long-term protocol.

My approach to Breast Cancer:

• Assessment of
  
  • Hormone levels.
  • Thyroid function.
  • Mineral and vitamin levels.
  • Heavy metals.
  • Liver detoxification pathways.
  • Biochemical pathways.
  • DNA damage.
• Support Key Areas
  
  • Strengthen and balance your immune system.
  • Prevent inflammation.
  • Support apoptosis your own bodys ability to destroy cancer cells.
  • Prevent spread of cancer.
  • Support liver and detoxification pathways.
  • Prevent free radicals (damage DNA).

Contraceptive Choices

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As a woman contraception is an extremely important decision. You spend most of your reproductive years trying to prevent a pregnancy, so you need a method that is effective and has few side effects.

There are many options available to you, and it is important to assess the pros and cons of these options.

Many women think that taking the oral contraceptive pill is a safe and easy option, but it does have side-effects. Before using the oral contraceptive pill, contraceptive implants or depro-provera it is important to:

• Have your family medical history assessed.
• Have your personal medical history assessed.
• Understand the vitamins and minerals that are depleted.
• Not use these forms of contraception long term without regular and lengthy breaks.
• Know that the younger you are when you start these types of contraceptives, the greater the likelihood of long term problems.

I encourage you to book an appointment to assess your contraceptive choice.
What I cover in this appointment includes:

• Contraceptive choices.
• Pros and cons of different contraceptives.
• How to minimize side effects from whatever form of contraception you use.
• Teaching you how to determine your fertile times during the month.

Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy

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Bio-identical hormones are increasingly being recommended to women. Bio-identical hormones are hormones that are bio-identical to your own hormones (same biochemical structure). The hormones are manufactured in a laboratory and are delivered into your body via creams, troches (placed under the tongue) or injection.

Before using bio-identical hormones it is important to

• Have your hormone levels checked.
• Understand the different hormones that can be taken.
• Understand how these hormones will act in the body.
• Know the pros and cons of using these hormones.
• Know how you can support your own hormone levels naturally.
• Regularly monitor hormone levels while taking bio-identical hormones.

Bio-identical hormones have only begun to be used more recently.

• We do not have long term studies to confidently answer issues around their action in the body, efficacy or risks.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

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Hormone replacement therapy has decreased since early 2001, when the long term studies detailing their risks were publicized. Hormones that are given to women as HRT are conjugated equine estrogens, essentially estrogens from a pregnant horse. They do not have the same chemical structure and are far more powerful than human estrogens. This is why many practitioners are recommending bio-identical hormones instead of HRT. HRT also includes progestins, which are synthetic progesterone. Progestins do not act like natural progesterone once in the human body.

If you are considering using HRT or are already using HRT, I encourage you to book an appointment to discuss

• Long term health risks of HRT.
• Other options available, including bio-identical hormones, herbs, nutrients and lifestyle factors.
• Testing your hormone levels.

Hormones and Men

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Men go through a form of menopause just like women and it is termed Andropause. The main hormonal issues that men face are:

• Declining testosterone levels.
• Increasing estrogen levels.
• Increased progesterone levels with increased stress.

As these changes occur you may begin to experience symptoms such as lack of energy, decreased mood, decreased libido, erectile problems, prostate problems, loss of muscle mass.

Your hormones play an integral role in your health. They

• Offer cardiovascular protection.
• Impact on your brain function and mood.
• Impact on your immune system.
• Are important for healthy bones.
• Protect you from many of the chronic disease associated with ageing.
• We are going to be living longer than previous generations. We dont yet fully understand how changing hormone levels will impact on long term health and risk of disease as we age.

My approach to andropause:

• Ensure you stay healthy.
• Assess your hormone status and create hormone balance.
• Support other organs that are capable of hormone production.
  
  • The testes are not the only organs that produce your hormones.
  • Your adrenals, brain and kidneys can all produce hormones.
  • It is important that these other organs are healthy and have the necessary nutrients from which to make hormones.
• Prevent testosterone converting to estrogen.
• Assess your risk factors as hormone levels change.
  
  • As hormone levels changes your whole body will be affected.
  • Important to look at increased risk of osteoporosis, Alzheimers etc.
  • A review of family medical history is critical.
  • Review the need for any additional tests such as blood tests, bone density.
• Discuss options available to maintain hormone levels.
  
  • Natural therapies.
  • Bio-identical of natural hormone replacement therapy.
• Provide you with a written report that includes
  
  • In-depth review of hormone results.
  • Treatment options.
  • Recommended protocol.
  • Lifestyle changes e.g. diet, exercise that will support hormone balance.

Natural Fertility

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These programs have been developed to support couples in all aspects of their reproductive health from pre-conception, through pregnancy and post-natally.

The aim is to support the health and well-being of couples so they can conceive naturally, have a healthy pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby.

There are a number of different programs as couples looking for basic pre-conception care have very different to needs to couples who have struggled to get pregnant after months or even years of trying, while other couples struggle with recurrent miscarriages. There is also a program to support couples through assisted reproduction such as IVF.

All of the programs and recommended protocols have been thoroughly researched.

Pre-conception Care

A pre-conception care program is one of the most important decisions a couple can make for the health of their baby. The main aim of pre-conception is to ensure good nutrient status so that the egg and sperm develop in a nutrient rich environment. It is important for both men and women to undertake a pre-conception program. Research shows that a pre-conception program will:

• Improve both female and male fertility.
• Decrease problems during pregnancy e.g. gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, pre-term delivery.
• Decrease rates of birth defects.
• Improve the health and growth of the embryo and foetus.
• Improve early childhood health.
• Improve health of the child into adulthood.
• Improve generational health, the health of future generations. Called Epigenetics.

Why Women Need Preconception Care

Every woman planning to get pregnant should complete a pre-conception care program. However, there are some women where it is extremely important. These are:

• Women who have used the oral contraceptive pill, depro-provera or contraceptive implants.
• The older you are the more important pre-conception becomes.
  
  • With increasing age women have reduced numbers of eggs and hormone levels, reduced mitochondria function in eggs, reduced nutritional status, increased exposure to toxins over a longer period of time.
  • In women age has long been acknowledged as a risk factor for fertility, reproductive health, miscarriage, premature and stillbirth, poor foetal and infant health.
• History of miscarriage.
• History of premature labour.
• History of birth defects.
• Unexplained infertility.
• Planning to do IVF.

Why Men Need Preconception Care

The male contributes 50% of the DNA. Research is demonstrating that the age of the father is just as important as the age of the mother.

• Children born to men over 40 are almost six times more likely to be autistic than if the man is under 30.
• Children whose fathers were over 35 had 2x risk of developing schizophrenia as those whose fathers were under 35. 5x the risk if the father was over 50.
• A man of 40 has the same risk of having a child with schizophrenia as a woman does of having a baby with Down Syndrome. In men older than 50, the risk of fathering a child with down syndrome is 4x greater than if aged under 30.
• DNA damage in men over 45 is double that of men under 30.
• Sperm cells accumulate mutations as men age, potentially leading to a greater risk of brain abnormalities.
• Mental health issues are a big factor in offspring when father over 40.
• Paternal age also increases miscarriage risk. Men over 40 associated with 60% greater risk than if <29. These results were all independent of maternal age.
• Male fertility decreases with age. Men over 35 are 2x as likely to be infertile as men under 25.

Pre-Conception Detox

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The aim of this program is to remove heavy metals and toxins from the body. Both men and women can benefit from this program prior to getting pregnant.

Why a woman should detox prior to pregnancy:

• 8 out of 10 down syndrome babies are born to mothers under the age of 35, and there is a strong link with toxicity.
• Chemical exposure in pre-natal life increases that childs future risk of delayed puberty, dramatically decreased sperm count and reduced semen quality in men, endometriosis and pre-term labour in women.
• The foetus is at increased risk from heavy metals.
  
  • Heavy metals will cross the placental barrier and the blood brain barrier.
  • Heavy metals have a stronger affinity for foetal haemoglobin than maternal haemoglobin.
  • A baby can be born with 10 times the heavy metal load of the mother.
  • Detoxification systems not fully developed in the foetus. It is not able to sweat, make bile or have bowel movements, all of which help to clear heavy metals.
  • There is rapid cell division in pregnancy, especially in the first three months. Cells that are rapidly dividing are more prone to heavy metal damage. In the fourth week of pregnancy the foetal brain is growing at a rate of 4,000 cells per second.

Why a male should detox before getting his partner pregnant:

• Sperm are some of the smallest cells in the human body leaving their DNA very vulnerable to heavy metals.
• Males are contributing 50% of the DNA.

Stress and Adrenal Fatigue

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Stress has such a negative impact on your health. Most people know this, but do very little to effectively decrease stress. Stress will lead to an imbalance in hormones, will suppress immune function and increase the rate at which you age. One of the biggest impacts of stress is on the adrenal glands, as they produce your stress hormones. As your adrenals become depleted the symptoms you begin to experience are, lack of energy, poor sleep, waking in the middle of the night, increased anxiety, poor mood and depression, inability to switch off mentally.

My approach to stress and adrenal fatigue:

• Measure your adrenal function.
• Support and protect your adrenals with key herbs and nutrients.
• Support and balance your nervous system as it is your nervous system that allows you to react to stress and to calm down afterwards.
• Protect your body from the negative impact of stress, especially your thyroid and hormone levels.
• Help you identify the cause/causes of your stress and learn to better manage these stressors.
• Discuss lifestyle habits that will help you decrease and better manage stress.

Thyroid

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Thyroid disease is extremely prevalent. The thyroid is affected by many factors including adrenals and stress, hormone levels and diet.

My approach to hypothyroidism:

• Support your thyroid function.
• Measure your thyroid hormones, not just TSH.
• Screen for thyroid antibodies to ensure your underactive thyroid is not due to Hashimotos disease.
• Ensure you have plenty of nutrients needed to make your thyroid hormones.
• Support other organs such as the adrenals that have a major influence on the thyroid.
• Ensure hormone balance as hormones have a major impact on thyroid function.
• Decrease the risk of the long term complications associated with an underactive thyroid such as elevated cholesterol, constipation, increased cardiac problems.

My approach to Hashimotos Disease:

• Measure your thyroid antibodies and thyroid hormones.
• Protect the thyroid from these thyroid antibodies, which have the ability to destroy your thyroid cells.
• Support and rebalance the immune system. This is an autoimmune disease.
• Find the cause of the immune dysregulation, why has the immune system forgotten that the thyroid is part of its own body.

My approach to Graves Disease:

• Measure your thyroid antibodies and thyroid hormones.
• Calm and settle the thyroid.
• Protect the thyroid from the antibodies, which are stimulating the thyroid gland.
• Prevent damage to the thyroid while in its overactive state.
• Decrease the risk of long term complications associated with an overactive thyroid such as osteoporosis and increased cardiac problems.
• Support and rebalance the immune system. This is an autoimmune disease.
• Find the cause of the immune dysregulation.

Anti-Ageing

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I spent two years researching and implementing an anti-ageing program for an integrated health clinic. Anti-ageing is a highly researched field and our knowledge of what causes ageing is rapidly increasing. We now have a very good understanding of how to slow and even reverse it.

Our focus for anti-ageing is often a cosmetic approach that is quickly progressing from covering the grey hair, to the more radical botox, liposuction and cosmetic surgery solution. Unfortunately, although these may give you a more youthful appearance, at least for a while, ageing is a process that occurs at the cellular level. We know with certainty that your chronological age does not mean anything. You have the capacity to be much younger physiologically if you have good health habits, or can be much older physiologically if you engage in unhealthy health habits.

The question is How old do you want to be?

What Causes Ageing

If you want to slow or reverse the ageing process you need to know what causes ageing. There are four major processes that contribute to ageing. They each have there own impact but are all interrelated and having one process in operation will encourage and perpetuate the others.

Glycation Is the process by which extra glucose molecules attach themselves to protein. Not the protein from your diet, but the protein that is the building block of the human body. These proteins are used to make your hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, cells of your immune system, and form the structural base of your chromosones.

After a glucose molecule has joined to a protein, the protein is damaged and unable to perform any useful function. What you end up with are AGEs (advanced glycation end-products), and these are the most toxic molecule to protein, especially to collagen which is what your skin is made from. AGEs make your tissues, muscles, ligaments, organs and the retina of the eye stiff, hard and inflexible and increase oxidation. And because the only fuel source for our brain is glucose, our brain is very vulnerable to glycination. The brown liver spots on the skin of older people are AGEs laid down in the skin.

Certain diet and lifestyle factors can decrease the process of glycination.

Oxidation Although oxygen is necessary for life, our using oxygen to produce energy results in the production of free radicals, and it is free radicals that cause oxidation. Free radicals damage DNA and the mitochondria that produce energy, they damage your bodys protein and immune system and damage the cell membrane which controls how nutrients get into your cell and toxins and wastes are eliminated. The cell membrane that controls what gets in and out of your cells is largely made up of fat and is very prone to oxidation, as is your brain. It has been estimated that each cell sustains 10,000 free radical hits per day. With anti-ageing testing it is now possible to measure the oxidative damage to your DNA.

There are key nutrients which will help decrease free radicals and protect your DNA from damage.

Poor Methylation

Methylation is a very important process in the body. It is how we make sure our genes replicate properly, how we turn genes on and off, control protein synthesis, and how we clear estrogens, toxins and heavy metals from our body. When you fail to methylate well you increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, have poor gene expression which can lead to more diseases and cancers, and you fail to detox and inactivate harmful substances you ingest or are exposed to.

You can measure your capacity to methylate and there are key nutrients which will ensure healthy methylation.

Inflammation Is our bodys natural reaction to injury and infection. As you age you tend to release more inflammatory cytokines into your body. Diseases such as arthritis, inflammatory bowel disorders, asthma, eczema, allergies, fibromyalgia are all inflammatory in nature. We now realise that cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity are also inflammatory mediated diseases. Stress increases inflammation. The more inflammation we have the more free radicals we generate.

Inflammatory markers can be measured in the blood and there are key nutrients to help decrease inflammation.

By taking key nutrients and undertaking key lifestyle factors you can have a dramatic impact on the rate at which your body is ageing.

Advanced Testing

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Salivary Hormone Testing

Hormones can be measured by blood, urine and saliva. When measuring hormones through blood these hormones are bound and have no biological activity. I prefer to measure hormones through saliva as it is measuring free and available hormones.

Many symptoms of hormone imbalance are overlapping, so it is impossible from symptoms alone to be able to determine hormone levels. The most important factor with hormones is looking at the balance between hormones. To assess hormone levels and understand how they are impacting on the body and other hormones, it is important to look at them all, not just one or two in isolation.

Sharon recommends a standard 7 hormones be screened. The three estrogens: estrone, estradiol and estriol, progesterone, testosterone, and the two adrenal hormones, cortisol and DHEAS, and for women planning a pregnancy, androstenedione.

Urinary Estrogen Metabolism

The amount of estrogen in the body is very important, but how the body metabolizes this estrogen is just as important if not more important. The body can metabolize estrogen through pathways that make estrogen very weak and very safe, or through to pathways that make estrogen more powerful and can lead to an increased risk of various cancers.

I recommend this test for

• Women and men with excess estrogen.
• Women with a personal or family history of breast cancer or cervical cancer.
• Men with prostate cancer or benign prostatic hyperplasia.
• Men and women with bowel cancer of family history of bowel cancer.

Organic Acids

Organic acid testing gives an insight into the biochemical pathways of the body.
It shows

• The metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.
• The ability to make energy at the mitochondrial level.
• Neurotransmitter markers such as dopamine and serotonin.
• Detoxification pathways.
• DNA oxidation.
• Intestinal dysbiosis.

I recommend this testing for people with

• Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia
• Allergic disorders
• Auto-immune disorders
• Autism, ADHD.
• Bi-polar, schizophrenia.
• Depression, anxiety, OCD.
• Anorexia, bulimia.
• Any form of cancer.
• Any one who has tried many treatments for their disorder with little success.
• Athletes looking to improve performance.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building block for our muscles and tissues and for our neurotransmitters in the brain. These amino acids need to be balanced with one another in order to work effectively. When supplementing with amino acids it is important that you do not inadvertently disrupt this balance.

I recommend this testing for people with

• Autism, ADHD.
• Bi-polar, schizophrenia.
• Depression, anxiety, OCD.
• Anorexia, bulimia.
• Any form of cancer.
• Athletes looking to improve performance.

Gut Microbial Profile

The health of the gut is so important to overall health. Naturopaths have always known the importance of healthy gut flora and healthy gut function. All of the recent research shows the role of the gut in so many aspects of health.

There are many types of stool test to check for gut microbial levels. I prefer to use a laboratory that performs DNA finger-printing technology. This test measures

• Commensal flora
  
  • The bacteria you should have in the gut.
  • However, if these bacteria are insufficient in number or overgrown they can cause problems.
• Opportunistic bacteria
  
  • Can overgrow given the right circumstances.
• Pathogenic bacteria
  
  • Bacteria that should not be in the gut and causes many problems.
• Yeast and fungi
• Parasites
• Drug resistance genes

I recommend this test for people with

• Gastrointestinal Disorders
  
  • Celiacs Disease
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  • Crohns Disease
  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Persistent constipation and/or diarrhoea
• Chronically low iron (parasites can deplete iron)
• Autoimmune disorders
  
  • Hashimotos
  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
• Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia.
• Autism, ADHD.
• Any skin disorders.

Hair Mineral Analysis

• Minerals, like hormones, need to be at adequate levels and balanced with one another.
• Minerals play an essential role in health and are important for enzymatic reactions in the body.

A hair mineral analysis can answer all of these questions.

• Do you need to take mineral supplements?
• If you are taking mineral supplements, are you taking the minerals you need?
• How do you now what you need?
• Are you absorbing what you are taking?
• Are these supplements being blocked by heavy metals or toxins from entering the cell?

There are many factors that impact on your personal nutrient needs.

• The young, elderly, pregnant, sick and stressed have a higher nutrient requirement.
• Stress, processed foods and alcohol deplete the body of nutrients.
• Exposure to heavy metals and toxins will increase your need for specific nutrients.

What nutrients are in your foods to begin with?

• Australia has the most depleted soils in Australia with WA being the worst.
• Fertilizers and pesticides block plants from absorbing nutrients from the soil.
• Many foods are picked early before ripe and are lower in nutrients.
• Nutrients are lost during transporting, storage and cooking.

Our ability to absorb nutrients is impacted by many factors.

• Many of the minerals added back to our food after processing are in forms that are not easily absorbed.
• Many vitamins and minerals need to be converted by enzymes to their active form before they can be absorbed. Many people lack these enzymes. Best to take certain vitamins and minerals in the activated form.
• As we age our ability to digest and absorb nutrients diminishes.
• Poor gut flora and gastrointestinal diseases inhibit our ability to absorb nutrients.
• Heavy metals and toxins will block nutrients from being transported into the cell.

Functional Liver Detoxification Profile

The liver performs more functions than any other organ in the body. If the liver cannot detoxify effectively, you will be come toxic from the inability to clear byproducts of metabolism, over the counter and prescription drugs, alcohol, toxins and heavy metals.

The best way to test you livers ability to detoxify is to do a Functional Liver Detoxification Profile. It measures the many different pathways in the liver. Many people have had a Liver Function Test (LFT) ordered by their doctor. This test gives no insight into the capacity of the liver to detoxify.

Many people put themselves onto a detoxification program. If your liver is unable to detoxify well and keep up, your detoxification program can do more harm than good.

I recommend this test for people

• Prior to undertaking a detoxification program.
• Prior to and after chemotherapy treatment.
• With any form of cancer.
• Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia.
• Autoimmune conditions.
• Allergies.
• Asthma.
• Any skin disorders.

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See Also...

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