In this episode, Dr Shami dives deep into the role of lifestyle and its impact on chronic diseases. She discusses how the gut is directly connected to the nervous system. Therefore, chronic stress can cause symptoms such as leaky gut, absorption issues and autoimmune diseases leading to chronic disease. Dr Shami sheds light on the impact of lifestyle habits such as diet, sleep and stress on chronic conditions.
Dr Shamistra Barathan has over 22 years of experience and has specialised in nutritional and environmental medicine by completing a degree (FACNEM) with the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM). She also holds the fellowship to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP). In 2021, she was Vice-President of ACNEM. Dr Shami is a pianist, loves singing, meditating, hiking and travelling. She is also a podcaster and blogger.
In this podcast episode, Dr Shami states that three main factors when considering nutrient deficiency include understanding:
-Is one eatingenough nutrient dense foods
-Is one losing nutrients e.g. through blood/stool
-Is one not able to absorb the nutrients
Dr Shami suggests a great way to a nutritional diet is eating veggies first, protein second and carbs last. Dr Shami discusses 80% of causes of chronic conditions is related to poor lifestyle and diet. Addressing simple things like nutrient deficiency, diet, stress management and lifestyle can help resolve some of these chronic conditions.
Dr Shami discusses simple strategies to improve one’slifestyle including:-Good sleep hygiene-Sunlight-Decreasing screen time-Vagal tone exercises e.g. deep breathing/meditation/yoga-Reducing caffeine intake-Magnesium levels
