Content Starts Here

Live Blood Analysis at Galen Naturopathic Centres

80% of the population are dehydrated! 'Surely not' I hear you say, 'we drink lots of cups of tea and coffee, not to mention a tipple or two in the evenings and weekend'. But if you're not drinking water, then that just ain't good enough! The truth is you need to drink two litres of water every day to keep your body hydrated and in tip top condition. If you're not, then your poor blood cells will be squashed, a funny shape and clumped together, instead of nicely round and plump. The blood doesn't lie, and this I learnt from experiencing a Live Blood Analysis at Galen Naturopathic Centres in Richmond, London.

The experience

My visit to Galen was painless and fascinating. Caroline, an expert in complementary medicine, naturopathy, Chinese medicine and acupuncture, took my blood from a pin-prick on my finger. Placing the blood on a glass slide, she examined it in detail underneath a microscopic lense. There in front of me was a computer screen full of my blood cells. From there on the analysis began.

The diagnosis

Caroline identified that I wasn't at my optimum health levels due to the shape and structure of my blood cells. Her expertise allowed her to give me a proper diagnosis as to what was wrong and how this could be simply improved.

Dehydration - my blood cells were squashed and a peculiar shape. Caroline could identify that I wasn't drinking enough water. Even though (at that time) I drunk at least 2 litres of tea and coffee with the odd water thrown in here and there each day, it wasn't what my body needed. This could explain why on a scale of 1-10 my energy levels were quite a low 4-5.

Candida - it's common for many people to have some parasites in their bloodstream, but I was full of them. Candida can cause a variety of problems however the one that I can personally identify is bloating. To eliminate candida, it's good to avoid sugar where possible as the fungi will feed on this and multiply. Yeast should also be avoided for the same reason. Candida can also be caused by taking too many courses of antibiotics. When you take antibiotics, not only do you kill the bad bacteria in your gut, but also the good bacteria.

Acidity - again, this is caused by drinking too much tea and coffee. Also, for every tea and coffee you drink you are dehydrating yourself more. By eating lots of fresh vegetables and salad I can help to reduce the acidity.

Toxins - very simple lifestyle routines can eliminate toxins in the bloodstream. Eating lots of fresh vegetables and salad can help get rid of the toxins along with plenty of water. Also, body brushing and body scrubs and exfoliatiors can help to break down the toxins. The most luxurious way of busting down the toxins however is to go for a good massage.

Intolerance - Caroline identified a few blood cells that told a story of an intolerance in my gut that I had suffered from for some years. This has been an ongoing problem, again, possibly attributed to too many antibiotics. However of course intolerances can occur for many reasons at any time. Caroline advised me to cut out wheat and dairy products to help assist my digestive problems.

The cure

My prescription was simple and straight forward. Caroline wrote me out a food plan that consisted of lots of fresh veg and salad, oats and tasty foods like hummus and avocadoes for protein, hazelnut rice milk to replace dairy and various other flavoursome treats. Being healthy doesn't mean that you have to cut back on tasty wholesome food. By cutting back on sugar not only would I help to get rid of the candida, but I'd also regain taste buds that may have been lost. Sugar kills your taste buds. I was advised to abstain from dairy and wheat and to cut out all tea, coffee and alcohol. Alcohol contains lots of sugar, yeast and of course dehydrates you. Also, I was told to treat myself to some dry-body brushing as this helps to break down the toxins under the skin. I already exercise, so I was to keep that up. That, along with a specially blended bottle of all things natural, (compiled by Caroline herself in front of me), my diagnosis was complete and I was well informed to work towards reaching my most optimum health.

Editor's afterthought

As Dr Caroline Longmore, the founder of Galen says: "If you've got money to spend on giving your car a thorough MOT each year, you owe it to yourself to give yourself a regular check-up". I totally agree. Too often we put off visits to the doctor, especially the men among us. Unhealthy food is on offer everywhere you go and our busy lives don't always allow us to look after ourselves as well as we should. It's definitely worth getting your blood analysed as the truth is there in front of you on the PC. After following my diet for just one week, I could feel my energy levels increasing dramatically. My digestive system was also starting to work a lot better than it had done for some time.

But the best thing of all for those of you who hate visiting the Dr, at Galen, there is no waiting for results, no prodding and probing and nothing invasive will occur during your visit. It's all there before you; as Dr Caroline says, "It's the bloody truth".

Find out more about Galen at www.galennaturopathic.com or by calling the centre on 0208 332 7711.

Organic Producers