It isn’t all in your head !

“Everyone was telling me there was nothing wrong”.

Have you ever had real problems and been told that it’s all in your head?

When medical tests all come back ‘normal’ you are diagnosed with depression and prescribed antidepressants.

Even though they don’t help, we often find that people accept whatever the doctor says.

This is even more so the case for women.

Growing research shows that women are more likely to wait longer for a health diagnosis and they are more often told “it’s all in their heads.”

That can be lethal; diagnostic error cause as many as 40000 to 80000 deaths in the US alone.

The tendency to attribute women’s physical complaints to mental illness has its roots in the history of ‘hysteria’.

Hysteria was the worst kind of gaslighting.

It was a mythical female disorder that was blamed on a ‘wandering womb’ or sensitive nerves and eventually, thanks to the (in)famous Sigmund Freud – the father of modern psychology came to be seen as a psychological problem.

(tune in to the video above where we reveal some little known facts about the father of modern psychology..)

Today, we want to give you some real reasons behind itchy skin because itchy skin is often put in the too hard basket and blamed on stress.

So, what could be causing persistent itching?

There is a connection between itchy skin and liver and kidney diseases, low iron levels, medications, gallstones, and even heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

I once had a client who struggled with persistent itching, and we couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause.

Then, she stumbled upon the answer, and it was her shampoo.

She realised every time she washed her hair, her skin would itch and burn afterwards.

She immediately switched over to organic shampoo and conditioner and her skin issues cleared up.

Another client was plagued with pruritis and eczema and we couldn’t get to the bottom of it.

We had recommended a diet of high fat low carb/sugars, and nothing changed.

During one of her sessions, I asked her what she had for breakfast and she said: “Oh, just my juice.”

It was carrot juice.

I suggested that she gave her body a break from carrot juice for a week to see what happened, and her skin cleared up!

The thing with carrot and other juices is that it contains too much sugar, which overloads the liver.

Did you know that there is a connection between itchy skin and the body’s detoxification process?

Our skin plays a significant role in eliminating toxins from our body, along with the liver and kidneys.

When the skin becomes irritated, it might be a sign that something is amiss with the detoxification process.

This can lead to issues like acne, rashes, and, of course, itchy or burning skin.

Pregnancy-related itching and cholestasis are also fascinating subjects to explore.

Cholestasis is a condition where bile flow from the liver is impaired.

It can lead to various complications, and it’s known to be associated with intense itching.

(Interestingly, nearly 80 to 100 percent of people dealing with cholestasis experience pruritus so there is definitely a connection there)

To understand how cholestasis can contribute to itching, we need to understand how the liver, bile, and digestive system work all work together to keep your blood clean.

Your liver produces around 750 ml of bile per day, and this is stored in the gallbladder, where it becomes highly caustic.

Bile keeps your intestines sterile, (think of caustic soda) and is essential for digesting fats and eliminating toxins.

When bile doesn’t flow properly due to issues like gallstones or thickening, toxins can accumulate, leading to skin irritation and itching.

Now, let’s look at some factors that can thicken bile, potentially causing issues like cholestasis.

One common factor is an excessive intake of grains and carbohydrates.

Elevated estrogen levels, often caused by stress, can also play a role in bile thickening.

Additionally, low stomach acid can affect bile flow, as stomach acid triggers the release of bile.

Surprisingly, low iron levels can be linked to itching as well because low iron is often caused by low stomach acid levels.

To access iron from food, we need adequate stomach acid and bile flow.

If your body struggles to digest and extract nutrients from food due to digestive issues, it might result in low iron levels.

This is a critical connection to understand.

If you’re wondering whether your itching is related to bile flow, you can look out for certain signs in the toilet bowl.

Light-colored stools, loose stools indicate poor bile flow and so do gas, bloating and burping, trouble digesting fats, nausea, and blood pressure fluctuations.

Finally, itchy skin is often a sign that you have parasites (worms) in your body, and nothing will change till you have done a parasite cleanse.

I hope you found this topic helpful!

We are here to help you have the best life.

If you want to get all the answers and take a deeper look into your biology, book in for a Full Health Audit / Complete Health Analysis with Pete.

This can be done as a Telehealth session or you can come to our facilities in Forth.

The second best option would be to see us for a ‘diagnostic session’ where we work together to help you reach your health goals in the shortest amount of time possible.

For healthy stomach acid levels, we recommend Betaine HCL.

To keep your digestion ticking over and your skin healthy and glowing, check out the Ultimate Vitality Boost Package.

Magnesium is essential to keep stress levels at bay.

Healthy fats are coconut oil, butter, meat fats, macadamia nut oil and olive oil.

Stay away from all other oils.

Para-Fight and Diatomaceous Earth help your body get rid of parasites.

We are open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday – 9AM to 5 PM.

Call us on 03 6428 3007, alternatively our online shop is open 24/7.