Anorexia Nervosa
What Is It?
Anorexia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening, psychological eating disorder. The person suffering from this complaint will still feel hungry but will have such a distorted body image and a fear of weight gain, they will eventually lose the ability to eat to the point where they are unable to sustain a normal body weight. According to the National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) there are more than 30 million sufferers in the US alone. Although it is often thought of as mainly affecting women, the disorder is becoming increasingly common amongst men (especially young men).
Cause and Effect
A study by King’s College London and the UCL Institute of Child Health published in May 2013 in the BMJ, reported that the number of people diagnosed with eating disorders has increased by 15 per cent since 2000. The increase was more pronounced in males with incidences rising by 27 per cent.
Some of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa include extreme weight loss, dizziness, fatigue, thinning hair (or hair prone to breakage), insomnia, constipation and an intolerance to cold. It can also have more serious consequences on the body such as osteoporosis, low blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms and the absence of menstruation. www.mayoclinic.org
There have been suggestions that anorexia nervosa may be a combination of factors including:
Biological - Genetics could be responsible for some cases, or possibly learned behaviour, especially if other family members have the same condition.
Psychological - Low self-esteem, feelings of ineffectiveness, depression, peer pressure even sexual abuse. In many cases it is young girls who come from families who tend to ‘bottle up’ emotions and avoid conflict.
Environmental - Society places great emphasis on body shape and as young people mature into adulthood, some feel their bodies don’t fit the image constantly displayed in magazines and TV.
It has also been suggested that thiamin, riboflavin, B6, D, valine, isoleucine, tryptophan, serotonin, zinc deficiencies and low plasma levels can also play a part.
Juice Pharmacy Recommendations
What to Include
There have been many studies carried out showing that an increase in nutrients can have a beneficial effect for someone suffering with anorexia nervosa. A review on nutritional rehabilitation in anorexia nervosa published in November 2013 concluded that more focus should be given to nutrient rather than calorific intake. Juicing seems to be the perfect way to achieve this. www.biomedcentral.com, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
A detailed study by the University of Arkansas, found that a deficiency in vitamin D was a determining factor in the development of anorexia.
Neville H. Golden, MD and Wendy Meyer, MS, RD of Schneider Children’s Hospital, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, USA found that: ‘Nutritional rehabilitation in subjects with anorexia nervosa resulted in metabolic recovery with improved mood and psychological functioning. Weight restoration is accompanied by reversal of most of the medical complications.’
Calories - Juices are a good way of helping sufferers to take some really good nutrition on board. The calorific quality of juices can be increased using boosts such as Udo’s oil, blended nuts, seeds, avocado and soft fruits.
Zinc - The liver is thought to play a large part in the onset of this disease, together with zinc deficiency. Fruits and vegetables which have high levels of zinc, e.g. green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, apple, watercress and seeds including pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds, which can be milled and added to smoothies, are valuable.
The Juice Recipes
Shot: Wheatgrass Shot
Put 1tsp in 30ml-50ml of water or freshly extracted apple or orange juice, stir well and down as a shot. You can also add a tsp of wheatgrass powder to your favourite green juice or smoothie to add a nutritional boost!
Juice: Mineral Magic - taken from The Funky Fresh Juice Book
2 Apples
2cm Broccoli Stem
1 Large Handful of Spinach
½ Celery Stalk
¼ Cucumber
½ Lime (peeled)
1 cm Ginger Root
30ml Wheatgrass Shot (fresh or powdered)
1 Slice of Orange (optional)
Ice
Juice everything together, ensuring you pack the spinach in tightly if using a centrifugal juicer. You can add the wheatgrass shot to the juice or drink separately, finishing with a bite of orange after the shot.
Blend: Chocolate, Orange Power Blend - taken from Jason Vale's 5:2 Juice Plan
2 Oranges (peeled with pith on)
1 Banana (ripe)
1 Heaped tsp of Cocoa Powder
½ tsp Maca Powder
1 tsp Manuka Honey
Ice
Juice the oranges and blend with the other ingredients.
Disclaimer
Please note, it is impossible to give a definitive list as what supports one person can be a trigger food or allergen for another. You must stay your own juice detective at all times and listen to how your own body responds to certain foods and always consult with your healthcare provider when making changes to your diet which may affect your medication. Please be aware that we are not doctors, so it is important to consult with your GP or medical practitioner BEFORE making any changes to your diet. The suggestions above are not meant as an alternative to any current medical treatment so please DO NOT stop taking any medications you are on. They are also not an endorsement of their effectiveness, or a recommendation that they should be followed but instead, are provided for informational purposes. None of the information on the Natural Juice Therapy site is intended or implied to treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease.