This month’s case study is ‘Lisa’ who came to the Clinic wanting to lose weight.

Lisa’s story:

I had always been very slim and a size 10-12 throughout my twenties and thirties and since reaching my forties I had been gradually gaining weight and finding myself buying size 14-16 clothes. My lifestyle had always been very rushed – working long hours in London, commuting and not always eating the right foods because of lack of time.

What I couldn’t understand was why the excess weight was accumulating around my middle, and nowhere else. All my clothes felt tight and my waistbands very uncomfortable. I had tried several diet books and slimming programmes, none of which worked in the long term and have all been very difficult to maintain.

I was on the train coming home from work one night with the usual tight feeling around my waist and I read an article about ‘Fat Around the Middle’ by Dr Marilyn Glenville. As I was reading it, I found I could really relate to it and it just sounded like me – high stress levels, eating on the go and constantly on and off diets. This was the prompt I need to do something about it!

I called the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic and booked an appointment. I had read all about the link between high stress levels and gaining weight around the middle so I decided to perform the Adrenal Stress test before my initial appointment. The test kit arrived and all it involved was providing 4 saliva samples over a 12 hour period, which measured the stress hormone called cortisol.

I also had to fill in a very comprehensive questionnaire and return before my first appointment. The questionnaire enabled me to give my full medical history, symptoms I was experiencing apart from weight and importantly my current dietary habits. It was actually really valuable writing down my food intake and made me realise just how erratic my eating habits were.

My first hour appointment was broken down into sections. It started with the practitioner gathering information about me; explaining why I had been gaining weight, and then giving me dietary recommendations and a course of nutritional supplements. What I didn’t realise was that being ‘fat around the middle’ or apple shaped could actually be dangerous to my health, increasing my risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and certain cancers. This really worried me because there is quite a strong family link with diabetes.

The practitioner explained the main reason some people gather more fat around their middle than others is specifically because of the action of the stress hormone cortisol and she explained that a fundamental reason for this weight gain is poor blood sugar control. When blood sugar increases (a result of the stress response or from what you have eaten), our body releases insulin to help move the glucose out of our blood and into the cells to actually provide them with energy. But if we don’t need that energy the body will store the glucose as fat.

If the stress continues (it usually does) cortisol levels remain high, so the body triggers the breakdown of sugar stores in the liver and muscles to provide further fuel. Out comes more insulin to deal with the extra blood glucose. It made such perfect sense as she explained that over time, the body simply can’t respond to insulin the same way it used to. We then become intolerant to insulin – or insulin resistant. It was recommended that I follow some basic dietary principles to help me lose the weight from around my middle. The main principle was to keep blood sugar stable during the day by always combining protein with carbohydrate (i.e. fish or beans with vegetables and brown rice) which I rarely did because I lived on pasta with tomato based sauces because it was low fat so I thought I was being healthy!

The second principle was to eat breakfast otherwise cortisol is produced and the whole blood sugar/insulin roller-coaster starts. Again, I rarely ate breakfast because I was always running late for the train or just not hungry. I suppose I had got so used to living like this my adrenals were just allowing me to ‘run on empty’. Something that surprised me was having to give up coffee and fruit juice. I thought I was being good by having my glass of orange juice each day and surely if my lattes were made with skimmed milk there are virtually no calories?!?

She explained that fruit juice is very concentrated which increases blood sugar and consequently more insulin needs to be produced and we’re back to the roller-coaster effect again. The same is true of caffeine – I had no idea that caffeine stimulates the same blood sugar response as sugar! So I had been doing everything wrong! I had been more concerned with counting calories and fat and eating a lot of starchy foods like bread and pasta which I then realised were not helping to keep my blood sugar levels stables and in fact were exacerbating my sugar cravings. The adrenal stress profile really helped me to understand what was happening to my body and the link between cortisol and the weight around my middle.

Each cortisol reading throughout the day was significantly higher than it should be which meant I was putting too much strain on my adrenals. In the longer term when the cortisol levels have been depleted, it can end up as to total exhaustion where symptoms of chronic fatigue can appear. I think seeing my results in black and white gave me the motivation to really make a change.

Finally, the practitioner recommended some specific vitamins and minerals and herbs to support my adrenal glands, blood sugar and cravings and weight loss. She also asked me not to weigh myself and rather judge my success by how my clothes fitted. This made so much more sense than hopping on the scales every day, which in fact was very soul destroying.

One month later I had my follow up consultation. In this time I had been keeping daily diet diaries that really kept me on track! I was definitely losing weight from around my middle as I could see some shape to my waist and my waistbands did feel more comfortable which psychologically made me feel more positive and motivated. I couldn’t believe that I was actually eating more food and losing weight!?

I was having breakfast, lunch and dinner with a mid morning and afternoon snack. My energy levels were also better and I felt less stressed and anxious, so better able to cope with the day to day work/life pressures. Three months on and I’m looking and feeling great. People have commented on the ‘new me’ and it’s given me a real boost to my confidence. I now realise that this is a way of life for me and I’ll never be tempted to follow quick fix diets!

Marilyn’s comments:

Lisa’s story is such a classic example of the women we see at the clinic where they have lead busy lives during their twenties and thirties, holding down stressful careers or bringing up their children and not really looking after themselves and really ‘living’ on their adrenals.

When they reach their mid to late forties the weight suddenly creeps up because they have pushed their adrenal glands to the limit. Of course it is not just purely down to lifestyle, because with age we lose more muscle mass which is essential to help us burn fat.

Although the diet is the most important area we focus on, we do recommend nutritional supplements and exercise to support and enhance how successful your outcome is. Successful weight loss is about looking at all aspects of your life, i.e. diet, lifestyle and stress and activity levels and making changes for the best outcome. So if you are caught up in the yo-yo dieting trap and you want to take control of your weight and life, then please do contact the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic. If you are interested in having the Adrenal Stress Test mentioned please click here.

This month’s case study is ‘Jane’ who came to the Clinic with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Jane’s story:

I had always had what I would call ‘normal’ bowels and a healthy digestive system until 2 years ago when I changed job and worked as PR consultant putting in incredibly long stressful hours in the City. I would have diarrhoea at least once a day which would be debilitating because of the pain and it started to rule my life because I always had to be within reach of a toilet which was incredibly difficult if I was travelling or out away from home or the office.

To start with it was difficult at work having to rush away from my desk during the day and it wasn’t the easiest thing to talk about with my colleagues. However, I confided in a couple of people, making it slightly easier for me.

After a year of suffering I decided this wasn’t normal and went to see my doctor who said it was just ‘irritable bowel’ and it was all in my mind and stress related. I went away feeling very upset and that I really hadn’t been listened to. He prescribed me a drug to stop the diarrhoea but I knew this was only masking the underlying problem. I took the course of medication for a month but had such bad cramps and bloating that I decided to stop taking it. I went back to my doctor and he referred me to a gastroenterologist (reluctantly!). I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy which both came back ‘normal’ yet I knew it was not normal to have such chronic symptoms.

I was talking to a colleague at work who mentioned that she had been to see a nutritionist Therapist for her digestive problems. She had been experiencing constipation and bloating and within a month she was a different person. She gave me the number of the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic and I phoned straight away to book my first appointment.

Before booking, I spoke to a nutritionist at the clinic to make sure it was something that could be helped with nutrition. She explained that my symptoms came under the ‘umbrella’ of irritable bowel syndrome and it was certainly influenced by diet but stress could exacerbate it. She briefly mentioned the common trigger foods that I may have to cut out and although it sounded hard I was desperate to feel well again so I booked the appointment.

My first consultation was one hour and the nutritionist took a very detailed medical history and went through my ‘typical’ diet – something that the doctor never did because he said that it was nothing to do with food. She explained IBS differs from other bowel disorders like Crohn’s and Colitis in that there is no underlying detectable pathology (i.e. nothing shows up with routine medical investigation) that is causing the digestive symptom or discomfort.

However as the name suggest there must be something that is causing an irritation to the bowel wall or else the symptoms would just not exist. Commonly acknowledged foods that irritate the intestinal wall include dairy products, coffee, alcohol, wheat and citrus fruits. Well, this was my diet! I drank a couple of cappuccinos to get me through my stressful working day and lived on sandwiches and biscuits washed down with orange juice!

The nutritionist talked about stress and how it impacts on digestion. When the body is under stress the energy available to the digestive tract is compromised so the release of digestive enzymes (these are naturally produced by our body to help digest carbohydrates, fats and proteins) is impaired and food is not digested properly and this results in diarrhoea and bloating.

It all made so much sense because stress definitely made my symptoms worse – almost like an ‘exam tummy’ churning around. I thought this was something I just had to live with because of the nature of my job. From my experience, stress and IBS became a vicious cycle because my stress would trigger my symptoms and my painful bloating an diarrhoea made me more stressed and so on.

Before putting me on an exclusion diet, the nutritionist explained that it would be useful to perform a food allergy test. This was a full blood test, which analysed 217 different foods and food additives that can cause ill health. The test results came back showing a strong reaction to wheat, dairy and citrus so she recommended that I avoid these foods for the next 4 weeks and keep a diet and symptom diary. This really helped keep me on track and focused. I had to cut out all bread, pasta, biscuits and cereals and of course my milky cappuccino and cheese. However, much to my amazement I found some great alternatives and all from the supermarket which made my life easier. Even eating out at restaurants I became aware of so many wheat and dairy free options. I suppose until you have to avoid certain foods, you don’t look to see what else is out there.

The nutritionist also prescribed me some basic vitamins and minerals to boost my immune system plus specific gut support in the form a probiotic (BioKult) to boost all my ‘friendly’ bacteria that live throughout the digestive system and digestive enzymes which I had to take specifically every time I ate to help digest the food and reduce my bloating.

Within 4 days my diarrhoea had stopped and consequently I no longer had a painful bloated stomach. For the first time in years I wasn’t constantly thinking about having to find a toilet and my commute to and from work was stress free. My clothes felt comfortable at the end of the day and I didn’t look 6 months pregnant as I often did before I went to the clinic. I couldn’t believe how such common foods could cause such debilitating symptoms. For the first time I was actually enjoying my food and taking a real interest in what I was putting into my body rather than just stuffing a sandwich down every lunch and relying on that coffee fix to get me through the day.

I had my follow up consultation 4 weeks later and the nutritionist recommended I continue with the same diet for another 8 weeks and then we could try reintroducing one food at a time. She explained that I may be able to eat these foods in moderation in the future, but for the moment it was important just to keep the digestive system calm and not stress it with foods that it was trying to ‘fight’. This made so much sense, plus I was motivated because I felt so well so naturally wanted to continue.

Marilyn’s comments:

This is a good example of how powerful the nutritional approach can be in changing someone’s life almost overnight, just by making some simple dietary modifications. Jane like many others in the UK eats a diet that contains a lot of wheat and dairy. It is all too easy to grab toast for breakfast, a cheese sandwich for lunch and have pasta and cheese for dinner. Bowel symptoms, whether they be diarrhoea, bloating, wind or constipation is our body trying to tell us that something is irritating our digestive tract. If you are about to exclude major food groups it always best to seek advice from a qualified nutritionist to make sure that you’re substituting with healthy alternatives so you don’t miss out on any valuable nutrients.

All too often we hear patients tell us how their doctor has made them feel like their symptoms are in their head, particularly when routine medical testing shows there is nothing ‘physically’ wrong like Coeliac disease or colitis. Listen to your body and if your bowel pattern changes and more serious bowel conditions have been ruled out, take a closer look at your diet as it could be something you eat everyday which you may never have considered!

If you are interested in having the test mentioned here please call 0845 8800915.

This month’s case study is ‘Clare’ – who came to the Clinic because of fibroids

Clare’s story:

I was first diagnosed with a fibroid in 2006 and although it wasn’t causing painful or heavy periods, it did cause general abdominal/pelvic tenderness. I also knew it wasn’t natural to have a large mass within the uterus and it could possibly interfere with my fertility.

My initial scan revealed that the fibroid was the size of a 16 week foetus which was quite shocking. I also had a small cyst on my right ovary. My consultant suggested that I should have a hysterectomy straight away but I felt very strongly that I didn’t want to go down this route, particularly because I hadn’t had children.

I researched Fibroids on the internet and came across The Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic and I downloaded a chapter on Fibroids. It was so useful because it the chapter was broken down into what fibroids are and the factors which cause the condition and what the medical and natural treatment options are. Rather than trying to follow the advice by myself I decided to book an appointment as I knew I would be better with professional guidance.

I phoned the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic and booked an appointment with one of the practitioners. I had read about the Hair Mineral Analysis which I was keen to do before my fist consultation so I arranged for this to be done so the results would be back before my appointment. I had to complete a very comprehensive Nutrition Questionnaire which I sent back to the practitioner so she could look through it before meeting me. This enabled me to explain more about my condition and how it was effecting my health, plus I had to fill in a 2 day diet diary. It was really helpful doing this because I didn’t realise how much caffeine and sugar I was consuming!

During my first appointment the practitioner went through my questionnaire to glean as much information as possible. She also talked me through the results of the Hair Mineral Analysis which was fascinating. It showed that I was low in the minerals zinc and chromium. Zinc is needed for hormone balance and the production of progesterone which was very relevant to my condition. Chromium is related to blood sugar stability and indirectly keeping progesterone levels high which again was relevant because I do tend to suffer with sugar cravings through the day and that mid afternoon ‘slump’!

The practitioner explained more about the nature of fibroids and how important nutritional therapy is in balancing hormone levels. Because I didn’t suffer any day to day symptoms apart from pelvic tenderness, we were concentrating on trying to reduce the size of the fibroid through diet, vitamins and minerals and herbs. She recommended that I have another scan 6 months on with my gynaecologist to assess the effectiveness of the nutrition because without a physical examination it is hard to know.

I was put on a hormone-balancing diet, which involved avoiding meat and dairy because they may contain hormones which would create more imbalance in my system. The first month I also had to avoid caffeine from tea and coffee and sugar which can all suppress the immune system and deplete my body of vital nutrients. The caffeine and sugar was in fact the hardest thing to reduce but I was obviously addicted to them after years of consuming them! After this initial detoxification period, I continued to follow the same diet because I felt so well on it.

The practitioner explained that fibroids are stimulated by excess hormones, predominantly oestrogen, which can be exacerbated by poor liver function/detoxification.

She recommended I perform a ‘Detoxification Capacity Profile.’ This involved providing a saliva and urine sample which assessed the various different stages of liver detoxification. It is well known that people with hormone imbalance often have a reduced ability to clear then hormones from their liver. The test results showed that both phases of liver detoxification were sluggish which meant the hormones were more likely to get reabsorbed back into my blood stream, setting up further hormone dominance and imbalance, which in turn ‘feed’ the fibroid and stimulate its growth. This area was supported with specific herbs and vitamins and minerals and I was advised to really increase my intake of brassica vegetables like broccoli, kale and cabbage which help to clear oestrogen efficiently from the liver. This was an area I knew I had to improve because I struggled to get my greens everyday.

Although I couldn’t measure exactly how effective the nutrition was on dealing with my fibroid I generally felt so much healthier – I had more energy, less pelvic pain and my skin looked bright and clear. 6 months after seeing the practitioner and following her recommendations, I had a follow up scan and it showed that my fibroid had reduced in size! It had shrunk from 86 x 106 mm to 78 x 66 mm and the small cyst on my ovary had totally disappeared!

My gynaecologist was quite shocked and it was only then he believed that the nutritional protocol worked and he no longer kept trying to push me to have a hysterectomy. He recommended that I have another scan 6-12 months on to keep a check on the fibroid. I was so pleased with this outcome and it made me even more confident and inspired to continue eating so well.

Based on my experience of nutritional therapy, I would recommend to anyone reading this who suffers with fibroids or other hormone imbalance to seek advice from a practitioner.

It has changed my life in so many ways not only because it has helped to reduce the size of my fibroid but I feel more educated and informed on what foods I should and shouldn’t be putting into my body. I think Drs are all too keen to recommend hysterectomy as a ‘quick fix’ solution. Not only would it have been an invasive procedure with general anaesthetic and scarring after, but it would have meant I’d never be able to have children. My message to anyone is be open minded to other treatment options before making decisions.

Marilyn’s Comments:

Claire’s story is very inspiring and a good motivation for those with fibroids or indeed any hormonal imbalance. The medical profession recommend drug therapy and/or surgery which can sometimes feel like the easy option, but Claire has shown us how effective nutritional therapy can be.

Of course, there are times when surgery is needed and in fact is essential, but even if this is the case, good nutrition is still essential to reduce the risk of reoccurrence and to help the healing process.

It also shows how conditions can vary so much in regards to the symptoms. For example some women with fibroids have extremely heavy and debilitating periods which can lead to severe anaemia and some can suffer with constant pain, tenderness and a ‘dragging ‘sensation in their pelvic area.

Claire suffered with pelvic tenderness, but thankfully didn’t have the heavy periods. This is why it is so important to seek professional advice to get the correct treatment plan. My book, ‘The Nutritional Health Handbook for Women’ is a good starting point but if you would like to find out more about having a consultation and the tests that were mentioned, please do call The Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic on 0870 5329244. The functioning of the liver’s detoxification pathways is assessed from a saliva and urine sample.