Tag Archives: headaches

Could you be experiencing Perimenopause without even realising it?

If you’re a female aged 35 yrs or older, you may have a sneaking suspicion that your hormones are changing and are creating havoc in your life.

Periods may have become a little less predictable, longer or shorter cycles and heavier or lighter bleeds.

Recently you have noticed an increasing amount of anxiety, bloating, headaches and unexplained tiredness. Perhaps even hot flushes and night sweats. Not to mention aches and pains which seem to have come out of nowhere.

And alarmingly, you may also be experiencing stubborn weight gain and feeling more irritable or emotional of late.

Most women are familiar with Menopause, the time of life when periods cease. Once a woman has not had a period for 12 months she is technically in Menopause. This creates a hormonal deficiency of progesterone which the body no longer makes and a huge reduction in estrogen (down to 40%) and testosterone.

However, in the 10+ years in the lead up to Menopause the female body undergoes a lot of hormonal upheaveal. There are months when ovulation does not occur and this creates a complete deficiency of progesterone which has a vital role in creating not only fertility but also in being a calming hormone with anti-inflammatory effects, body composition improving effects (ie it helps to reduce pain and keep your weight stable).

At Getting Well Naturally we’ve been supporting perimenopausal women in Melbourne’s western suburbs for more than 13 years. This is such a tranformative experience in a woman’s life, that it’s important to be guided by a specialist in effective natural medicine at this time.

So many of these symptoms can be safely and effectively managed through diet, nutrition and natural treatments that work in harmony with your body.

Best of all, at GWN we’re offering Telehealth consultations which can be done from home and as we are your local area natural health specialist, we can deliver supplements to your home if you live in a 20 km radius within the western suburbs of Melbourne.

So whether you’re in Derrimut, Tarniet, Caroline Springs, Taylors Hill, Hillside, Keilor, Cairnlea, Sunshine, Yarraville or anywhere in between we are here for you.

So if these symptoms have rang a bell with you don’t hesitate to book an appointment online today. We have a special offer (initial consultation just $99) visit the Contact Us page for more details.

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

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.

 

Overcoming Food Addictions

You might be surprised to learn that food can be addictive and act like a drug in your body, but it’s true.

Some of the most troublesome food addictions include:

Sugar cravings (chocolate, cakes, lollies, biscuits, pastries), carbohydrate cravings (bread & pasta).

Refined sugar has very little to recommend it. Once consumed it rapidly goes about increasing your blood glucose and insulin levels and giving you a short lived energy burst. Sadly, when it’s effects wear off you are dumped back down again. In the meanwhile unstable blood glucose levels can create headaches, irritability, tiredness, an inability to concentrate and feelings of being faint or shaky. Even worse high sugar diets can predispose you to Type II Diabetes Mellitus.

You may wonder then why we crave sugar in the first place? Isn’t glucose meant to be good for us? Don’t we need it for our brains and to power our muscles during exercise?

The answer is Yes and No.

All carbohydrates break down to glucose. That includes all grains, fruits and produce made from sugar. Clearly there are good and bad carbohydrates. The difference is the rate they covert to glucose. Refined carbohydrates such as added sugar or cakes, biscutes, white bread, white rice, etc., have a high GI Factor. This means that they are coverted to glucose very rapidly. Therefore, the side-effects mentioned above are far more likely to occur with these types of sugar products.

Complex carbohydrates have a low GI Factor which mean that they covert to glucose much slower. This gives you sustained energy without the sugar highs and lows. This group includes wholegrains, vegetables and fruit.

If you want to exercise effectively, eating complex carbohydrates in conjunction with protein is optimal for energy.

We used to think that the brain needed glucose to function. In recent years we’ve learnt that the brain is more than happy to run on ketones which are made from the breakdown of fats. Energy converted from fat is almost double that of carbohydrates and proteins. Good fats are those of the omega 3 and 6 variety found in fish, nuts, seeds and advocados, olive oil and eggs.

Craving sugary foods for a quick fix is usually a sign of an underlying health condition such as: fatigue, mineral/vitamin deficiencies, yeast infections, low iron levels, hypoglycemia (low blood glucose), Type II Diabetes or emotional problems ie anxiety or depression. Often it presents during the later phase of the menstrual cycle. Craving carbohydrates and sugars to ward of PMS is a common finding among women. This is a form of self-medication to help offset the estrogen deficiency and balance moods, energy and emotions.

Sometimes its just a habit that once formed is difficult to break. Often its a lack of real food in the diet to sustain your appetite between meals.

Whatever the cause it’s worth having it checked out if it becomes more of a persistent craving.

Phone 0409 352 478 for an appointment today.