HERE FOR YOUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS
When we think of insulin, we think of diabetes. Insulin is needed Metabolic Syndrome (also known as MetSyn or Syndrome X) is the polite name given to the signs of an over-indulgent lifestyle. These cluster of signs include:
Ever feel like your hormones are out of control? If so, you’re not alone- too many women suffer with horrible PMS, irregular bleeding, heavy bleeding, sore breasts, headaches, bloating, mood swings and weight gain for a few days (or more) each month. Although it may be common, and even the subject of many ill-considered jokes, it is definitely not normal;
Do you suffer from headaches? If so, consider how often, how bad and when do they arise? Millions of us get headaches often enough to be annoying; but some of us are unlucky enough to get headaches that are so debilitating that we are resigned to spending up to 3 or more days in a dark, quite room, totally unable to participate in our regular life.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (Hashi’s) is the most common type of auto-immune thyroid disease, whereby the immune system starts attacking the thyroid gland. Hashi’s is no fun- symptoms involves anything from fatigue to brain fog, hair falling out, intolerance to cold, weight gain & fertility problems and, as with any auto-immune disease, it is life-long.
The gall bladder is a little known organ in our body. Most of us wouldn’t be aware we had one, until something goes awry. It seems that, frequently it does, with 18 thousand gall bladders being removed surgically in Australia each year .
We are allowed to have an off day where we feel a bit grumpy, flat or irritable. To experience the full range of emotions is to be human, and we all must learn to sit with uncomfortable feelings at different points in our life. However, depression and anxiety have tripled in the last ten years, which suggests that black moods frequently overwhelm many of us.
There is a lot of confusion out there about food sensitivities. Is it an intolerance? Allergy? Or something else? Allergies are easy to identify- they involve an immune reaction to a food. An intolerance, on the other hand, has no immune component;
Fasting has been used as a healing practice for thousands of years. Hippocrates, Aristotle, Socrates & Plato all praised the benefits of fasting, and our Grandmothers encouraged us to starve a fever, feed a cold. Essentially, fasting, means abstaining from food. It can be a multiday fast, or it can be skipping a meal a couple of times a week. It can also include fasting on juices,
Understanding brain chemistry and depression is a highly complex matter. In fact, there are few things more complex than the wiring of our own brains. They are awash with different chemical neurotransmitters that are responsible for passing messages from one neuron to the next.
Neurotransmitters are important chemicals involved in our brain’s wiring. We need our various neurotransmitters to be in a healthy balance in order for the brain to perform its many complex functions. Today’s article will focus primarily on serotonin, a particularly important neurotransmitter involved in regulating our mood, social behaviour, digestion, sleep and sexual drive & function.
If we can get our children’s gut right from a very early stage, we massively increase their chance of having a strong immune system, a well functioning brain and nervous system and general high level of health. It absolutely makes sense, therefore, to consider just how we can achieve this optimally healthy gut right from an early age.
Diabetes was virtually unheard of before the advent of our modern western diet. Today, the number of people with diabetes is reaching world epidemic proportions: in 2001, 366 million people were officially diagnosed with the disease; by 2050, this is predicted to be over 550 million
If you had to choose a food that was richest in healing minerals, you couldn’t go past bone broths. These are extraordinarily rich in minerals and amino acids that offer some important health benefits. In traditional meat-eating societies importance was given to eating the whole animal, and the bones were especially revered for their health-giving properties.
Anxiety is an overload of worry but the symptoms are often hard to spot, as they can develop gradually over time. While it’s totally normal to experience anxious feelings sometimes, how much is too much? According to Beyond Blue, anxiety may be affecting you if more often than not, you:
We all know someone who could easily be the subject of today’s article... that 40-something guy: grumpy, tired, pot-bellied, forgetful & grumpy. What you may not know (unless he happens to be your partner) is that he also has low sex drive, can’t maintain an erection, and is losing muscle mass. Sound like anyone you know?
Ah, the subject of ageing. This thing we’ve come to fear and dread, even though it’s a completely normal part of being alive. We fear ageing for two main reasons. Firstly, we’re constantly exposed to ridiculous standards of appearance that we’ll never live up to, and we’re bombarded with images of gorgeous people that include no-one over the age of 45. And ,secondly, ageing well is just not something that we’re good at.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a concerning issue throughout the Western world. In 2000, the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing reported that 11% of children and adolescents fulfilled the criteria for ADHD. This is a significant portion of our children.
We are all too familiar with spreading waistlines. Most of us have had to let our belts out by a notch or two, or have resorted to wearing elastic pants for a while. When we are in our twenties and thirties, we can generally shed an extra couple of kilos easily by cleaning up our diet and doing some more exercise. As we get older, however
40… Strange things start happening to our body when women hit this notorious age (I’ve certainly noticed some)! Aches emerge that we’ve never noticed before, a few kilos suddenly appear around our middle, our energy is never really great, our skin looks dry and dull,
Have you ever seen a beetroot seed? Its the most insignificant prickle-like little thing that must be soaked in water to soften for a good while before it can be planted into some good compost-rich soil. I like, immensely, the
You might remember the movie, ‘Top Gun’? The part, in particular, when Maverick (Tom Cruise) says to Goose in the midst of a very tense bit of air-combat, ” Switching to Guns“. This classic 80’s movie proved surprisingly inspirational on
One of the biggest issues we have to address when it comes to improving our health is actually making space to take care of ourselves. Real care that is ongoing, not a fleeting 48 hours of eating right & going for
Recently I’ve found myself going back to the real basics of Naturopathic medicine. The principles First, Do No Harm and The Healing Power of Nature have been incredibly important and have stood me (and those patients I’ve work with)
Fertility Support Having a baby is not always easy. One’s fertility is, essentially, a reflection of their overall health and wellbeing. Making a healthy baby requires optimal health of both partners and many factors may impact their fertility. The good
Type II Diabetes in Australia is reaching epidemic proportions. The number of people diagnosed with Diabetes closely correlates with the number of people who suffer from Obesity. Indeed, the two are intricately connected. And herein lies the key: to treat
A staggering number of people (mostly women) in Australia suffer thyroid disorders: Hashimoto’s, Graves, Hypothyroidism & Hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism, which is an under-functioning of the thyroid gland, is the most common of the thyroid disorders. In the early stages, the symptoms
Depression, anxiety, behavioural disorders (ADD, ADHD) and autism have a profound affect on ourselves, our family & our society. There are a multitude of factors at play that may lead to the development of these disorders, thus requiring a
