Category Archives: Health Wellness

Self prescribing vitamins and minerals and herbs can be a mindfield…..

Health Wellness No Comments

If the latest installment of the popular SBS program ‘Insight’ has taught us anything, it is the need to get qualified advice for taking supplements of vitamins, minerals and herbs.

The program looked at the current system of sales of nutritional and herbal supplements over the counter from chemists and health food shops in Australia.

Australia has some of the most rigorous safety requirements of any country in the world. It is regularly reviewed by the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) so that only ingredients which are deemed safe can be formulated into supplements sold in Australia.

Each year the TGA does a random audit of supplements on the market and any manufacturers who make unsubstantiated or illegal claims are promptly prosecuted.

The onus is on the pharmacy or health food shop to give quality advice based on the other medications the customer may be taking and their presenting health problem.

However, in a retail setting there are a lot of customers who simply know what they want and go in to buy it, without asking for advice.

Self prescribing is at best proactive and at worst Russian roulette. Customers may be doubling up on supplements when their prescribed medicines are given for the same complaint. They also run the risk of up regulating the effects of their prescription medicines.

With so much information available online with regard to supplements, it pays to ask the retailer if there are going to be any contraindications by taking a supplement with a prescription medicine.

If in doubt it is best to work with your GP and Naturopath/Nutritionist to make sure you are on the right track. There are some medications which create deficiencies of certain nutrients so co-prescribing these nutrients can elevate some of the side-effects of taking the medication.

This complementary approach is the best form of health maintenance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling rundown following the change of seasons in Melbourne this March?

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The final burst of summer was exceptionally hot and dry in Melbourne this year. Temperatures in the high 30’s set the stage for sleep deprivation and difficulty finishing even the simplest of tasks, as we attempted to stay awake and motivated in the unrelenting heat.

This has been followed by a week of much milder temperatures, a chill in the air and a sprinkling of rain as we entered Autumn.

It’s certainly easier to sleep now the nights have cooled down. However with sun down now arriving earlier, there is also a sense of wanting to go to bed earlier and this is compounded by having more difficulty waking up, as it’s comfortably warm under the donna!

Hibernation mode is kicking in. It’s becoming harder to plan activities in the evenings now than it was on the long, warm sunny days. This is nature’s was of easing us into the cooler months of the year where we cocoon ourselves against the elements and stay indoors more.

The change of seasons also brings with it more colds, flus, runny noses, sneezing, headaches, muscle and joint aches and fatigue.

Thankfully there are lots of natural ways of dealing with these maladies. Getting enough sleep is crucial to recovery.

As is giving yourself some TLC and listening to what your body needs. If that means calling in sick for a day or two, it’s better to do that than push on and potentially make yourself worse.

Hot lemon, honey and ginger drinks, clear soups with onion and garlic and light nourishing foods should have you feeling tip top in no time.

However, if these simply measures don’t have you feeling better within a week, then you may have some underlying health or diet concerns that we can address to boost your immunity as we head into winter.

Don’t hesitate to book an initial Naturopathic consult if you experience any lingering health concerns.

 

How do I know if I’m dehydrated?

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Dehydration can affect anyone, any time, anywhere and in any season including winter.

However, in the warmer months it’s very easy to become dehydrated without even realizing it.

There are many people who are at an especially high risk of dehydration. They include the elderly who have a reduced sensation of thirst. Athletes and tradespeople who perspire at a higher rate due to the physical nature of their jobs. And young children and infants who need to be offered liquids frequently, as they are unable to ask or know when they need it.

But you don’t just have to be in a high risk group to be affected by dehydration. 

Picture this…..you’ve just put in a long day at the office and have had a couple of coffees to keep you going. After work you go out for drinks with friends.

You notice that you’ve hardly gone to the toilet all day and when you did go, it was a horrible dark brown color with a strong smell.

Feeling a little head achy and weak, you decided to have something to eat…assuming that you must be hungry. Oddly, you seemed to be craving salt so a big serve of French fries seemed like the perfect snack. After eating the fries you felt nauseous and really unwell. Your head started pounding and you felt like you needed to lay down.

You decided it’s time to go home, take some Panadol and go to bed. All the while not realizing that much of what you experienced was simply a lack of water.

Caffeine and alcohol exacerbated the dehydration problem by acting as diuretics further reducing your available water and the salt compounded the issue.

For many, the signs and symptoms of dehydration are often missed or attributed to something else entirely. For instance, nausea and headaches are common in people who need to rehydrate. As are feelings of fatigue and weakness, irritability, lack of concentration, palpitations, dry skin and muscle cramps and spasms.

The sensation of a dry mouth is one of the last symptoms that people experience and by the time that people register that they’re thirsty, they’re already dehydrated.

So how do you know if you are hydrated?

Well aside from a lack of the symptoms above, you will also have very light colored urine. This is really the best indication to go by.

Sometimes you have to drink water even when you don’t feel that you need it. This just keeps you topped up to account for all the body processes that use water continually to detoxify and purify your liver, bowel, kidneys, skin, etc.

So when in doubt aim for 2-3 litres of water a day. A small glass every hour or two is absorbed better than a whole litre at once! Keep a jug or water bottle within eyesight to prompt you to drink more and you body will thank you for it.

Are you ready to put yourself first & experience best energy of your life this February?

Health Wellness Women's Health No Comments

The long school holiday break can be a challenging time for parents.

The pace of modern life is such that even the holidays can seem like a marathon. Things that should be enjoyable become can unbearable, as the energy needed to keep everyone ‘busy’ throughout the break is slowly depleted.

Endless rounds of cooking, cleaning, washing and shopping, while keeping everyone entertained with sport and other activities, can make the holidays seem more like work than play.

Many parents are also juggling the holidays with busy jobs which can make for a pretty stressful and overwhelming couple of weeks, in particular if you’ve had family and friends to entertain as well.

While, none of these things are bad in themselves, when they coincide together for weeks on end, cabin fever can bring things to breaking point.

In the lead-up to the new school year, it’s not uncommon for parents to feel completely exhausted, as they drop their children off at school and finally take some time for themselves. (That is after they’ve cleaned the house…yet again!)

And once everyone is back to their usual work and school routine, things usually subside. Energy and mood improves and parents begin to feel like themselves again.

However, this is not always the case. For many people, the fatigue simply lingers on. They begin the new year feeling as though they’d had not break at all.

If you’re struggling with low energy take the time to put yourself first, you deserve it!

Make an appointment and take advantage of our 20% off for new Naturopathic and Nutrition consultations and reclaim your vitality this February.

 

 

 

Ageing is Optional

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We all have entrenched ideas about what ‘ageing’ looks like.

As we grow older we expect to see irreversible changes in our eyesight, hearing, weight, mobility, drive, memory, aches and pains and independence.

It’s a depressing outlook.

Comments such as ‘men mellow with age’ are commonplace.
In reality, many of these changes are just a refection that the hormones that once made men assertive and dynamic have dropped.

Andropause or male menopause is just androgen (testosterone) deficiency. This takes place from the 40’s onwards (occasionally earlier) and it redefines many of the characteristics that we associate with a healthy, virile male.

Declining testosterone levels affect a man’s stamina and endurance, memory, muscle mass, fat mass, mental health, libido and overall sense of motivation, confidence and drive.

Many men no longer recognize themselves in the mirror.

For women, it’s the deficiency of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone during Menopause from the late forties to early fifties (and the changes that happen throughout Perimenopause) that creates an overwhelming feeling that their youthfulness is gone.

Once shapely legs are now laced with varicose veins, cellulite and bruises as the skin thins and loses its muscle tone.

Random aches and pains in the muscles and joints often replace a fit and agile former self. Fat mass accumulates in the abdominal region and can prove very hard to shift.

Libido drops due to a decrease in desire and thinning/dryness of the vaginal tissue is a further blow to her femininity.

An increase in hair grow on the face in addition to more wrinkles and sagginess in the breasts paints a very sad picture.

However, we live in an age when anything is possible. Ageing is optional.

Natural anti-ageing strategies are here to help so you can enjoy your best life possible.

Through a combination of diet, lifestyle, exercise and nutritional supplementation, it is possible to look and feel years younger.

Keeping Colds and Flu Away

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How to keep Colds and Flu away and achieve Winter Wellness.

Protect Yourself Naturally this Winter with 12 Hints to Boost Your Winter Immunity

1. Viruses such as colds and flu are most easily transmitted when large numbers of people are gathered in confined spaces. Therefore, avoidance of these situations is recommended as much as possible during winter.

2. If you do find you yourself in this situation, staying well hydrated is the best way to avoid a contracting a virus. In winter the mucous membranes of the nose and throat can dry out as people gather indoors in heated rooms. Without adequate moisture (via water intake) these membranes are unable to effectively capture the virus in mucous to be blown out. Drinking up to 8 glasses of water per day can significantly reduce your chances of contracting a cold or flu.

3. Similarly, keep heaters at temperatures at or below 20 C to avoid drying out the atmosphere. If possible open a window slightly to let in some fresh air and use layered clothing to obtain a comfortable level of warmth.

4. Use a tissue to blow your nose or cough into, then dispose of it in the bin and wash your hands with warm soapy water. It may sound simple but this is a powerful way to avoid reinfecting yourself or infecting others. (Handkerchiefs are very unhygienic. They need to be disinfected and washed between every use.)

5. Getting adequate sleep/rest is essential to retain your immunity throughout winter. If you are rundown and sleep deprived you become a primary candidate for an infection, cold or flu to take hold.

6. Keep stress and sugary foods/drinks to a minimum. Both of these will reduce your immunity and leave you susceptible to colds and flu.

7. Keep alcohol to a minimum also as this depletes your body of essential nutrients needed for your immunity to keep you healthy.

8. Reduce or eliminate cigarettes from your life. Smoking damages lung tissue and the respiratory system in general. Therefore, smoking prolongs recovery from colds and flu and worsens the symptoms and severity of bronchial infections, leaving you open to developing bronchitis, pneumonia and pleurisy.

9. Maintaining an exercise regime throughout winter can be extremely powerful for preventing viral infections such as colds and flu. Just be sure to avoid heated swimming pools or any activity which is overly strenuous.

10. Eat fresh, unprocessed foods and avoid mucous forming foods. Your body’s natural response to infection is to reduce your appetite, as the energy required to digest your food is redirected to the immune response to fight the infection. Therefore, eating heavy/fatty foods slows down the healing process. The lymphatic system which works in conjunction the immune system also transports fatty acids around the body. So eating a meal of fish and chips will make the lymph flow even more sluggish which prolongs the healing effort. (The lymphatic system drains and filters toxins, dead infectious organisms, etc. from the cells. The flow of lymphatic fluid is enhanced with exercise.)

11. At the first sign of an infection, cold or flu make a cup of hot brewed tea/filtered coffee. Both tea and coffee contain antioxidant and antiviral properties. You can also add fresh ginger to tea to increase its healing properties. Peppermint tea and green tea are also good choices.

12. Load up on Vitamin C (otherwise known as Ascorbic Acid). My personal favourite is powdered Vitamin C which can be taken in water every hour. It does wonders for fighting an infection. Many studies have confirmed Vitamin C’s ability to reduce the severity and duration of colds and flu. During an acute infection the body will need many grams of Vitamin C a day to perform this function. Vitamin C is not stored in the body so it must be obtained from the diet or supplements. NB if you experience diarrhoea you have reached bowel tolerance so back off slightly until the bowel returns to normal.

This list contains just a few things you can do achieve Winter Wellness this winter, to boost your immunity and keep colds and flu at bay.