Metro Centre Magazine Winter 2006

“As Marketing Manager at Metro Centre life is never dull. At one of out regular meetings with retailers we were discussing the content of our forthcoming Christmas magazine and asking retailers if they had any unique services.

Ron Scott who owns two shops in the Centre mentioned that his shops provide an sensitivity testing service. Both Isis Aromatherapy & Isis Mind Body & Spirit can be found in The Village where they offer a variety of unique products.

I was intrigued, so one quite cold and wet Tuesday in August I decided to be a guinea pig. As I am maturing I have taken a lot more interest in my health and particularly in what I eat. I have put myself thorough the Carol Voderman detox programme which eventually did make me feel that I was functioning much better and it is all down to the fuel that I was effectively giving my body.

(Although those that did have to suffer my initial introduction to no alcohol, bread, meat or dairy products would, I am sure, tell a different tale). I didn’t look any better but I felt cleansed. I obviously do not follow this detox programme all the time as I would have no friends or partner, only now and again do I stick to it for 4 or 5 days if I know I have over indulged.

What I did learn from the detox is how to become a much healthier eater and I am much more conscious about the effects of a good diet. But as they say ‘everything in moderation’ which is what I try and stick to. Although it doesn’t always happen.

Anyway back to my Sensitivity Testing – I am sitting in my office with John Neal who has been offering this service for 9 years and keeps up to date by keeping in regular contact with the Health and Science Institute at Harvard University in America. They give information relating to research projects throughout the world.

I am, as you can imagine getting very strange looks from the management team with a probe in one hand while john is putting various test tubes full of liquids in what looks like a centrifuge (without the spinning action) then he tests my reaction by putting a sensor on my finger. It is a non-invasive testing and the machine they use is called a VEGA machine.

John is a very good talker and overwhelmed me by his wealth of knowledge on health and food and he made a lot of sense. It is very true that we are what we eat – putting cheap petrol in a tank is not going to make your car sound like a well oiled Rolls Royce engine.

Knowledge is power to make the right decisions in everything we do in life especially how we look after our bodies and John gives so much good advice it was very difficult to absorb it all at once.

John said that taste is a huge barrier against progress in eating well. Which I must admit I do agree we have to educate our taste buds and steer them towards changes in our diet.

John has tested a variety of clients from as young as 8 months to 84 years of age at Isis on a Saturday. If you want to make an appointment with John he is very busy so you will need to pre book, alternative dates can be made depending on availability.

Well how did I do?

I was tested for my reactions to 116 foods, 14 vitamins and 23 minerals the good news is that I don’t really have many sensitivities and he agreed that I did have a healthy diet, although we didn’t really talk about alcohol consumption.

However I am sensitive to egg white and veal which is not really a problem but also chocolate and cocoa! Of all the things i’m sensitive too does it really have to include chocolate!!! It is not that I can’t eat it, its just best if I eat less of it.

The tests also picked up that due to my lack of tonsils, removed when I was eight that I need to eat more foods to help the spleen because the lymphatic system does not work as efficiently therefore the spleen needs to work harder.

I should avoid too many carbohydrates and eat celery, apples, watercress, parsley and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper every day. But less chocolate.

The tests also showed that I had slight deficiencies in Iron and vitamin A & E. To counteract that I should take more seafood, liver, red meat and blackberries for Iron and Vitamins A fresh fish oils, liver, kidneys and dairy products and for E avocadoes, seed oils, sunflower seeds, spinach, cod liver oil etc. But less chocolate.

John gave some excellent tips which we should all try and incorporate:-

  • Learn through the generations
  • Eat things in season where possible, nature provides these foods for us.
  • Foods to eat November/December to help us though those dark days of winter include: cabbage, pumpkin, swede, cauliflower, potatoes, leeks, chestnuts, cranberries, turnips, pears, Brussels sprouts, wild duck, sea bass, goose and of course turkey.
  • Avocados are one of the best fruits to eat for your complexion. Helena Rubinstein swore by it. She said never put anything on your face you would not put in your mouth!
  • Marilyn Monroe only ever slept in Chanel no 5, a good tip as sleeping in the nude helps the skin to breathe. Maybe a bit too cold in the winter.
  • All sea minerals are excellent as they contain all the nutrients, which are swept down from the mountains.
  • Honey is one of the most rewarding foods you can eat. As soon as you pick something its life force is dying. Honey lasts almost indefinitely.
  • Don’t have any more than three cups of tea and one cup of coffee per day. Too much tea can lead to arthritis. Too much coffee tends to thin the bones.
  • You should eat like a Prince for breakfast – as it is the breaking of your fast – the longest period you have gone without food. This means fruits and cereals not the big fry up.
  • And the one we hear about all the time is drink drink drink lots of water. But you shouldn’t drink while eating as this interferes with the digestion.

John did say that if I remember one thing about our meeting it is:-

The farther we go from nature for our food the worst it will become in terms of nutrients. The quicker something is eaten the more goodness you will receive. Cooked food is like glue sticking to your inside, raw food is an intestinal broom cleansing as it goes. Now remember everything in moderation and you do obviously need to cook certain foods.

If you have any health concerns or just want to become more knowledgeable on how to put the best fuel into your body to gain the best rewards then make an appointment to see John.

Some of our ailments can be related to our diet such as headaches, stomach upsets, irritable bowel, rashes and some asthma attacks.

Ever wondered why we all feel tired after Christmas lunch? Its because turkey contains melatonin which helps promote sleep. Still it is a nice way to relax after the busy festive season.”