Liz Mountford - Nutritional Medicine Practitioner

2 days ago

“We are all in this together”

Health, Fitness, Nutrition & Mindset

I’m really excited to start co-hosting a regular free 30-minute online information session with Strength & Conditioning Coach, Personal Trainer and NLP Master Practitioner Margunn from Lifted:Ed Strength Studio to discuss health, fitness, nutrition & mindset.

Please join Margunns Facebook group here www.facebook.com/groups/581868809346059/.

The first session will be Friday 17th April at 10.30, check out my events page for further details.

Our plan is to discuss a different health topic each week and relate it back fitness, nutrition & mindset. To get started for the first session we will be talking about fitness, training, nutrition, mindset at the general levels and offer some very practical things everyone can do on a day to day basis. Then the weeks after we will look more specifically at topics such as gut health, diabetes etc.

We are going to be really interested to hear what everyone else is doing in regard to their health, fitness, nutrition & mindset so we will be leaving the last 10 minutes free for community discussion and Q&A’s.

If you just wish to sit back, listen and enjoy being in the company of like minded people then that is OK, we want you to feel connected and know both Margunn and I are here for you.

Anyway, stay safe and I will be posting updates in the near future. ... See MoreSee Less

Liz Mountford - Nutritional Medicine Practitioner

2 weeks ago

Our Amazing Immune System

The past week or so I have had to take stock of how I run my clinic and I made the decision to stop all face to face consultation by moving to a virtual clinic using Telehealth Video calls.

I have also adjusted how I interact when I need to go out into the public, with family and friends by ensuring I practice the recommended social distances. I have also stepped up to pay particular attention on hygiene methods that stop the spread of viruses such as ensuring regular hand washing with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds. These methods may sound simple, but they are extremely effective and something everyone should be doing, not only at this point but going forward.

I absolutely and completely understand the anxiety, stress, feeling that things are a bit out of our control and uncertainty with all the unknowns that many people are feeling in regard to the COVID-19, I also feel these things. However, when I start to feel I’m being swept away with the unknowns, I like to sit back, take stock of what we actually DO KNOW, especially in regard to our own natural defences to protect us from illness, the immune system.

The immune system is pretty damn amazing in terms of what it is and how it works. We actually know a great deal about how it functions and we also know that there are a whole lot of things we can control ourselves to help improve our overall health and wellbeing. Improving our health and wellbeing will ultimately strengthen our immune system to help us stay well.

So, I’m going to go back to basics about our immune system. I’m going to provide you with some easy to read information all about our amazing immune system and some practical ways you can incorporate changes to your food, diet, nutrition and lifestyle to support your health, especially in regard to bolstering your immune system. I really want this information to stay with you not only at this point in time, but to be incorporate in everyday good health practices.

When I write an article I spend quite a bit of time researching registered trial databases to study the underlying evidence to support my information before I translate the research into everyday practical guides. I’m aware there is a lot of predatory behaviour and information on social media at the moment all providing “information” and “advice” with scaremongering tactics to panic people into buying products and services that are not evidence based. Please be careful before you invest any of your hard earned money in “miracle” products that will do very little to help you and your health.

Anyway, take care and keep you eyes out for my articles all about our amazing immune system.

Liz xx ... See MoreSee Less

Liz Mountford - Nutritional Medicine Practitioner

3 weeks ago

Telehealth Video Appointments.

In light of today's announcements by both the Federal and State government asking Australians to be more aware of good social practice in regard to the current virus concerns to help protect each other and reduce the risk of cross infection, I will be moving all my appointments for the short term to Telehealth video appointments.

I know that this is a little less personal than an actual face to face consultation, but the basis of my decision is mainly due to the follow factors:

1. To help reduce peoples anxiety about having to travel to an appointment when technology is available that can be utilised for consulting purposes. Telehealth video conferencing is increasingly being utilised in many health practices and this is likely to grow in the future. I feel this option is especially important for those people that are more vulnerable to infections by allowing health practitioners to beam straight to their home without exposing them to any further risk of infections than is necessary but still having qualified advice, help and support.

2. The other deciding factor is that I have a clinical practice joined to my family home where I quite often consult with people that are ill. I have regular visits from family and friends that are at higher risk of complications if they are infected due to the presence of other health issues. Therefore, even after taking the necessary and increased clinical hygiene precautions I felt Telehealth video appointments for the short term is the best way forward to minimise any infection risks for my patients, family and friends.

Video appointments are very straight forward. When an appointment is booked, you will be sent an email with a unique link and all you need to do is click on that link at the appointment time to enter the online appointment room. Please ensure that your computer, laptop or device has microphone and camera function enabled.

I have updated my details on my fees & contact page to reflect the new Telehealth Video Appointments.

Fees --> www.fant.com.au/fees/

Contact --> www.fant.com.au/contact-me/

“Calmness is the cradle of power.” Josiah Gilbert Holland

Liz ... See MoreSee Less

Liz Mountford - Nutritional Medicine Practitioner

3 weeks ago

Fast Facts # 10: Vitamin C

I understand the community anxiety in relationship to the current virus and I am getting reports that Vitamin C is increasingly being sold out, with my own suppliers currently out of stock.

I just wanted to put a bit of context around using Vitamin C as a preventative, especially in relationship to how much you actually need to take daily to archive optimum blood plasma levels and how much we can actually absorb in one go. It is important to note that high blood sugars can hinder cells up taking Vitamin C, therefore food choices are important.

Many might be surprised that the daily dose of Vitamin C is WAY less than what we are sold in supplement form, which is a bit of a bugbear of mine that you can only really buy supplemental Vitamin C in doses that are way above what we actually need to take. So, if you are considering taking Vitamin C supplementation and you feel like you need to buy huge quantities to take mega doses, this is not going to be the most effective way to take this supplement and to ensure everyone has access to it, especially the vulnerable.

Anyway, I have been reading through my stash of research papers in regard to Vitamin C and although I put this under Fast Fact, it is a little longer than normal, so if TL; DR (Too long; Didn’t read), here are the highlights:

1. Although Vitamin C will not prevent you from getting sick, it can reduce the duration and severity of sickness associated with colds and the flu.

2. We can only absorb small amounts of Vitamin C at one time. High doses above 400 milligrams will be excreted in our urine.

3. The optimal dosing of oral Vitamin C at one time to archive absorbency is between 70 – 90% is between 30 – 180 milligrams, lower dose of 20 milligrams of oral Vitamin C will archive the highest absorbency at 98%.

4. On a normal day to day basis some people in certain groups should already be consuming increased daily intake of Vitamin C above what is considered for a healthy person to help maximise blood plasma levels.

5. To maximise absorbency, frequent low doses of Vitamin C should be considered during the day, which means looking at splitting tablets into lower doses. Dosing higher than 1 – 2 grams per day if you are not currently sick may cause you stomach upsets.

6. Vitamin C competes with glucose for absorption into your cells. If you have a diet high in sugar or eating foods that break down easy to sugars, then you may be impairing Vitamin C absorption.

7. If you do develop cold or flu like symptoms, there is some evidence that dosing up to 8 grams per day on the onset of symptoms will have further efficacy in reducing cold or flu symptoms.

Note: This is for general information purposes only. Please speak with your health care practitioner if you have any concerns in regard to your current health prior to taking any supplementation.

What is Vitamin C?

- Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin meaning that it dissolves in water. Vitamin C is transported around the body to tissues that require this vitamin. Vitamin C is not stored within in the body, therefore we do need to ensure we are getting adequate supplies.

- The average adult body at any one time will usually have a blood plasma pool of between 1.2 – 2 grams of Vitamin C. This blood plasma pool can be maintained with 75 milligrams per day.

- Intakes of greater than 140 milligrams per day will saturate the total body pool of Vitamin C.

- Our body tightly regulates plasma concentration of Vitamin C. Excess Vitamin C that our body does not need is excreted via the urinary system.

How much Vitamin C do we absorb?

- In general, oral Vitamin C is absorbed more efficiently at low doses.

- Taking Vitamin C at 12 grams or higher - absorbency is low at approximately 16%.

- Taking Vitamin C at doses of 20 milligrams - absorption can be up to 98%.

- Vitamin C doses between 30 – 180 milligrams - absorption is between 70 - 90%.

- Doses above 400 milligrams at one time is usually when we see excess excreted in the urine.

- Daily doses of above 2 grams can cause nausea, diarrhoea and stomach upsets.

- Absorption of Vitamin C into a cell is impacted by high blood glucose levels due to the fact that Vitamin C and glucose are very similar structurally and compete for the same transporter for absorption into the cell.

When would we require increase intake of Vitamin C on a day to day basis?

- In certain circumstances on a normal day to day basis certain groups of people will need increased daily intakes of Vitamin C. Increased intake of Vitamin C for these groups is usually due to the fact that their cells have a higher turnover of Vitamin C due to an increase need to keep cells healthy. Some of these groups include:

- A person with cardiovascular diseases – so think heart and blood vessel issues.
- People with diabetes.
- Cancer patients.
- People that are immunocompromised.
- Smoking – increases the metabolic turnover of Vitamin C due to its antioxidant properties trying to protect the body against the carcinogens in cigarettes.
- The elderly.

Vitamin C and the Immune System Support

- Certain specialised cells found in our immune system need vitamin C to do their job properly and will store this nutrient, moreover vitamin C has been found to also stimulate certain immune cells in response to illness.

- Vitamin C has been shown to stimulate our immune system by enhancing T-cells. T-cells are a type of white blood cell in our immune system that help fight infections. T-cells will either send a message out to the rest of our immune system for re-enforcements depending on what type of infection we are fighting, or some T-cells will directly try to get rid of the virus be breaking down the infected cell and killing off the virus.

- Vitamin C has also been demonstrated to protect T-cells from breaking down which may help further stimulate or maintain the T-cell to help fight the infection.

What is the overall benefit in regular Vitamin C supplementation in relationship to preventing illness?

- A pooled analysis of 29 studies reviewing the impacts of Vitamin C on preventing people from catching a cold showed no reduced risk with a supplementing with 200 mg of Vitamin C per day for people in the general population.

- However, there is some evidence that regular intakes of Vitamin C in the general population can Reduce the severity and the duration of the illness.

- There is some evidence to suggest that on the onset of a cold or flu symptoms that doses of Vitamin C up to 8 grams per day decreased symptoms by up to 85%.

Considerations when supplementing with Vitamin C

1. To maximise absorbency, frequent low doses of Vitamin C should be considered during the day, which means splitting tablets into lower doses. Dosing higher than 1 – 2 grams per day if you are not currently sick may cause you stomach upsets.

2. If you have high dose tablets then consider splitting these tablets, for example if you have 500 milligram tablets split in half, if you have 1000 milligram tablets split into quarters, if possible.

3. If you do develop cold or flu like symptoms, there is some evidence that dosing up to 8 grams per day on the onset of symptoms will have further efficacy in reducing cold or flu symptoms.

4. Finally, if you have a diet high in added sugars, foods that contain high levels of natural sugars such as dried fruits or foods that break down easily into sugars such as starchy foods including rice, pasta, breads, breakfast cereals then you may be compromising Vitamin C entering your cells. This is due to both glucose and Vitamin C being structurally similar and competing for the same transporter to be taken into the cell. Look to decrease these foods that are going to elevate blood glucose level and focus on good quality proteins, healthy natural fats with fruit and vegetables naturally lower in sugars and starches. ... See MoreSee Less