Ross Walter Nutritionist and Naturopath health articles and blog

Plastics are bad for the environment, and your health too!

16/6/2020

In my consultations, I always ask my clients about their use of plastic products, such as using plastic water bottles, or plastic food containers, or whether foods are cooked in the microwave in "microwave safe" plastic containers. There's no such thing as "safe" plastic!

In short, all plastics leach chemicals into the food or water they contain. And plastics leach chemicals at much greater rates when the plastic or food is warmer, or even when frozen in plastic containers.

The issues with plastics are that the chemicals in them (BP-A, BP-S and similar, PCB, PVC, phthalates, parabens and more) are "endocrine disruptors" or chemicals which mimic or disrupt your body hormones, particularly your sex hormones and mainly the female hormone oestrogen. An increased amount of oestrogen in your body can cause a number of severe and dangerous symptoms or effects, such as:

Thyroid hormone disruption (which will affect your metabolic rate and whole body function)
Blood sugar imbalances, and poor blood sugar control
Male and female infertility
Menstrual symptoms - PMS, irregular cycles, painful periods and heavy bleeding and more
Premature puberty and menstruation in girls, even as young as 7 years
Breast cancers in women and men
Ovarian and uterine cancers in women
Endometriosis
Weight gain
Smaller penises and testicles in boys
Reduced sperm count in males
Genital defects
Enlarged prostate in men
Prostate cancer in men
Manboobs and weight gain in men
Gender dysphoria - a mismatch between physical gender and how one feels, favouring a more female identity especially in males.

Hormone-disrupting and cancer-causing chemicals in plastics can be found in unlikely places, including from:

Plastic cookware and utensils
Plastic kettles
Drinking water from plastic water tanks
Chemicals in shampoos, body washes and hair products
Cosmetics
Fragrances and perfumes
Household cleaning products and vinyl products in flooring and cars
Childrens' toys
Thermal receipts from shops
Canned vegetables, especially tomatoes (the cans are lined with BPA)
And many more sources.

Excess oestrogens in your body from plastic exposure can have a severe effect on your health. Which is why you need to avoid plastics and their hormone-disrupting chemicals from all sources.

If you have any of the symptoms or conditions above, reducing your exposure to plastics needs to be a key initial step. Additional work will need to be done to reduce your levels of these chemicals, balance your hormone levels again, and improving your whole body health to recover - which is what I can do!

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soy products are not health foods

28/1/2020

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I often see clients who are consuming soy products because they believe that soy is good for their health. However, for most people who are interested in having the best of health, soy products are NOT what you should be consuming! Soy foods are not health foods! They are, in fact, highly processed foods, and should be treated like most junk foods, and restricted or even avoided in most cases!

Soy products such as the raw beans, tofu, soy milk, simulated meat products, soy ice cream, soy cheese, soybean oil, and soy baby formula and more are highly processed products that are known in research to be linked to breast cancer, thyroid disorders, intolerances, infertility, digestive complaints, and more adverse health effects.

Some might argue that Asians have been eating soy products for a long time and they have very long life spans. That may be true, but they don't eat very much soy, and when they do it's mostly fermented soy, a natural process which is needed to get rid of the anti-nutrients, oestrogen mimicking chemicals and natural toxins found in soybeans. Fermented soy products that are good to eat include tempeh, miso and natto. Also, Asian cultures have different genetics to many other cultures, and can perhaps handle soy better...

The problems with soy and soy products are many:

1) Unfermented soy products interfere with normal thyroid hormones (which controls metabolism), thus slowing down your metabolism making you put on weight as fat.

2) In most women. soy also enhances the effect of the oestrogen (ie female) hormone, causing a range of issues with the female menstrual cycle and therefore reproductive problems, infertility and an increased risk of female hormone related cancers such as breast cancer, cervical cancer and more.

3) The oestrogenic (female hormone mimicking) effects of the phyto-oestrogens in soy have a greater effect In men, to also affect fertility, increase fat production and create man-boobs, cause enlarged prostate gland, and over time, prostate cancer.

Soy may only help a very small number of people - such as those with oestrogen excess, in women and men. In this case, its phyto-oestrogens can block some of the oestrogen receptors on cell walls, to have a reducing effect of having high oestrogen levels.

Over 95% of the world's soy is genetically modified to survive being sprayed with the RoundUp/glyphosate herbicide which would otherwise kill the plant. Hence the soy products contain this toxic chemical which is a "probable" carcinogenic, according to the World Health Organisation in 2015. There have been a couple of very high profile lawsuits against the Roundup manufacturer Monsanto recently, after victims proved that the herbicide caused their terminal cancers.

In addition to the hormone-affecting issues, soy products can bind to many minerals in the meal to prevent the absorption of those minerals such as calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese and iron! Frequent intake of soy products can lead to deficiencies in these minerals, which results in many health issues and symptoms.

As most processed or prepared foods found in the supermarket contain soy products, it's best to look at the product ingredients and also avoid those that contain soy.

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Sunscreens are a major cause of skin cancers

1/11/2019

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Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates of skin cancers in the world. But incidences are also rising in countries that are generally colder or not well known for having a lot of sunlight, such as the UK or in the Scandinavian countries.
There are several reasons for this, including the lack of the protective ozone layer in the southern hemisphere, and the increasing use of sunscreens as a result of government sun-safe campaigns.

From looking at the research into sunscreen ingredients and health, I would not recommend using commercial sunscreens as they are the main reason for causing skin cancers. When their marketing says they protect you from the sun, it isn't true. Sunscreens CAUSE skin cancer.

There are 3 ways sunscreens cause skin cancer:
1) Sunscreens block the production of vitamin D, required for absorption of calcium for healthy bones and teeth, and prevention of hundreds of illnesses and chronic diseases, from colds and flu to mental health disorders. Cancer risk is reduced by over 50% with having sufficient vitamin D levels in your body. Vitamin D is a massive immune system booster, and as your immune system destroys cancer cells when it is working well, you need to support your immune system to do this. See my other articles on sunscreens, vitamin D and cancer below.

2) Sunscreens block the UV-B radiation which protects you from the sun and prevents sunburn. But it's the UV-B light which is needed for your body to produce vitamin D! HOWEVER, sunscreens therefore allow you to stay outside in the sun longer (and not get burnt) to be exposed to more of the UV-A radiation, which is the one that causes skin cancer... Let that sink in - sunscreens give you a false sense of security to stay out in the sun longer and be exposed to MORE skin cancer causing UV-A light.

3) Many chemicals in commercial sunscreens (read the ingredients list again) include carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals and hormone-disrupting chemicals which can affect your whole body to negatively affect your health.

Even sunscreens promoted by the Cancer Council have very toxic ingredients including neurotoxins, or they affect fertility or cause DNA damage (ie cause cancer), or disrupt your normal hormones. Australia's Cancer Council's own brand sunscreen contains 5 cancer-causing chemicals, and 4 hormone-disrupting chemicals, in their ONE product! It also contains other chemicals banned in other countries and other damaging chemicals too.

Scientific research proves this:
One study published in the International Journal of Cancer in 2000 (entitled: "Sunscreen use and malignant melanoma"), it showed that people who used sunscreens did NOT have a reduced risk of malignant melanoma, that they spent more time in the sun and got melanoma even if they didn't get sunburnt, and there was an increased risk of melanoma from sunscreen use.

An expert Dermatologist, Dr Bernard Ackerman, who has published 625 research papers on skin cancer says that there is no proven link between sun exposure and melanoma. And people with melanoma have it on less exposed body areas.

Sunscreens actually CAUSE more skin cancer than they prevent.

Please check your sunscreens, and do your research on the ingredients in them. For your family's health, be sun-safe by getting some sunlight on your skin in small doses regularly (but not enough to burn) and if you need to stay out in the sun for longer, cover up with clothes and a hat, or use a natural sunscreen that does not have toxic ingredients in it, from a health food shop.

If you do not think you are getting enough sunlight to maintain your vitamin D levels (at around 5-10 minutes per day in spring or summer) you can opt for a good vitamin D3 supplement - ask me for details!

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why you should avoid plastic water bottles and containers

16/1/2019

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When I see clients for helping them to improve their health for all types of health conditions, I always ask about their fluid intake - what types of drinks they consume daily, how much, and with regards to water, what type of water they drink, tap water or filtered or bottled, and what type of container they use to store or carry their water in.

While it's great that most people do take water with them to work or when they go out, most people I see are still using plastic bottles for this purpose. I explain why this isn't good for your health, and they quickly change to healthier options!

We now have "BPA-free" plastic bottles and containers because BPA (Bisphenol-A) was added into plastic decades ago to make plastics flexible and durable. But in 2010, the Australian government announced a voluntary phasing-out of BPA in baby bottles only, based on scientific studies showing that BPA was causing many health issues. Other products followed, but it was still a voluntary measure by the plastic producers. Other countries also made similar decisions to reduce BPA in products.

BPA was replaced by BPS (Bisphenol-S), apparently being safer. As time went on and more studies were done on BPS, it was found that BPS is causing exactly the same health problems as BPA and is just as harmful. Some studies show that 81% of Americans have BPS in their urine.

BPA and BPS, even in very small amounts, have large effects on your cells and your body. These chemicals leach from the plastic into the water or food they contain. BPA and BPS are endocrine disruptors or xeno-oestrogens, as they mimic oestrogen and its effects in your body. Endocrine disruptors and xeno-oestrogens disrupt your hormones to affect a cell's normal functioning to cause metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity, asthma, birth defects, heart conditions, menstrual cycle issues and PMS symptoms, infertility, prostate enlargement, and many types of cancer.

The issues with BPA and BPS and other chemicals in plastics are worse when the plastic is exposed to warmer temperatures, as the chemicals leach much more in summer, or in hot cars, or worse, when used in the microwave oven to cook or heat foods. BPA and BPS also causes similar affects in animals and wildlife, as our waste water and plastics get into waterways.

BPA chemicals are also found in your shop receipts, in the thermal paper used. BPA is also found in the lining of many tins of various foods, with tinned tomatoes being the worst possible to buy and consume. Tomatoes are very acidic and this eats away at the BPA, so there will be BPA in the tinned tomatoes, and this will affect your health. Just use fresh tomatoes instead! Steam some fresh and organic tomatoes yourself to use in cooking, as well as being better for you and the environment! BPA and BPS exposure can also come from using plastic cooking utensils, plastic kettles, and paper cups lined with BPA/BPS, soft drink cans, and other sources.

Even if you have "BPA-free" plastic bottles and containers, the manufacturers are not telling you that the BPS or other chemicals added to them are just as dangerous to your health as BPA. No plastic bottles or containers are safe! Get rid of them! Replace plastic containers and utensils with glass, stainless steel or other inert containers!

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PMS or menstrual symptoms indicate a hormone imbalance

30/4/2018

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Why are females so complicated?! I don't mean in a relationship sense, but hormonally! Male hormones (mainly testosterone) by comparison are generally stable (females may say that men are emotionally "flatlined"!), but there are many more dynamic hormones in a female (FSH, LH, several oestrogens, progesterone, testosterone and more!) which can change from day to day through their cycles.

Female hormones must be finely tuned and balanced for menstrual cycles, fertility, pregnancy and other processes. Unfortunately many things can upset the delicate hormone balance, such as stress, nutrient deficiencies (and excesses), alcohol, digestive system function, exposure to toxins and chemicals, exposure to plastics, and other potential factors.

If you are female and have any regular symptoms just before and/or during your period such as headaches or migraines, cramps (especially if severe), bloating, pains, acne, clots, being very emotional, sore breasts, difficulty getting pregnant, miscarriages, or if your period is irregular in frequency and duration, then you have a hormone imbalance. A "normal" period really should be symptom-free, except for the bleed! Unfortunately, other period symptoms have become normalised by doctors, when they really are signs of hormone imbalance.

In addition, if you (or any other female you know) has PMDD, PCOS, endometriosis, fibrocystic breasts, fibroids, or cancers of the breast, ovaries, cervix or uterus, these are more chronic and severe symptoms of hormone imbalance. Hormone imbalances can result in these very serious conditions. This is why hormone imbalances should not be ignored or hidden each month with painkillers and anti-inflammatories or contraceptive medications. The root causes of the hormone imbalance needs to be investigated and resolved. This is what I do!

In my detailed questioning, I will seek to identify all root causes of hormone imbalances. I may also recommend specific pathology testing, including a saliva test of female hormones (which I have noted that not a lot of doctors or even specialists even look at), before recommending a personalised treatment plan.

How good would it be to not have any PMS symptoms or other chronic female conditions (PCOS, Endo, fibroids, etc)?! You can! And I would like to help you have a "normal" period again, or resolve other female hormone related health issues.

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CAN naturopathy reduce PMS symptoms? YES!

23/12/2016

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This is an article on a real case I've been working on for a female client with severe hormonal issues. Please note that painful periods, PMS, painful breasts, and other menstrual cycle symptoms are NOT normal! They are a sign of hormonal imbalance and there are things which can be done to get rid of these symptoms. I hope this case resonates with you, as it shows how natural medicine works to resolve such issues!

Client: Female, mid-30s with personal and family history of painful endometriosis, severe period pains, cramping and other symptoms, ovarian cysts, painful and swollen fibrocystic breasts, lots of stress and anxiety, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), low energy, constipation, sleep issues (because of the frequent pain), and other health issues and symptoms.

This sounds like a very complex case, but fairly typical of what I regularly see! By asking lots of questions and investigating all aspects of someone's health and lifestyle, I can find the causes of all her health problems. Only when the causes have been identified can a personalised treatment plan be designed and put into action. This is the naturopathic approach - to find the causes, and treat the causes, then the whole body will be healthy and healed!

As always, I reviewed the client's weekly diet - as some specific foods cause inflammation and can make menstrual cycle symptoms worse. Only minor changes to her diet was required. Cooking and lifestyle factors can play a part in hormonal conditions too, such as how are foods cooked, or are plastics containers or bottles used to store food or drinks?

Her symptoms were commonly seen with having "oestrogen dominance", meaning having too high oestrogen levels compared to progesterone (another female hormone). Stress plays a huge part in her symptoms - progesterone is preferentially converted into cortisol (the stress hormone), to cause the oestrogen dominance. But to prove my theory and before I can fix the hormone issues, I needed to recommend the client get a saliva hormone test. This was arranged, and the results confirmed the oestrogen dominance - with all 3 of her oestrogen hormones over double the normal recommended maximum, and progesterone in the lower 1/3 of the recommended range.

A holistic treatment plan was implemented, which included some nutrition changes, stress management, flower essences, and a nutritional supplement which supports the liver to detoxify the excess oestrogen and also to increase production of progesterone.
Within a couple of weeks of starting the treatment plan, the client reported that her fibrocystic breast pains were dramatically decreasing, and when she had her next cycle, she had no PMS pains at all, and the following cycle she had NO symptoms of PMS, or breast pains! This is what all menstruating women should have each month! Other actions were recommended to help with her additional issues.

If you, or someone you knows, is having troubling or painful PMS symptoms each month, or struggling to lose weight, or signs of depression or anxiety (or other symptoms as seen in the picture), then oestrogen dominance may be causing it. I can determine if this is causing your issues, and if confirmed in a pathology test, then you can have the same results as the client in this article!

If this story sounds like you, then I'd love to help you too!

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Plastics are bad for the environment, and your health too!

soy products are not health foods

Sunscreens are a major cause of skin cancers

why you should avoid plastic water bottles and containers

PMS or menstrual symptoms indicate a hormone imbalance

CAN naturopathy reduce PMS symptoms? YES!

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