Take control of your muesli
My health-filled recipe for muesli PLUS a friend’s cacao/cardamon/walnut version.
How to get off the sugar roller coaster
We all know that we “should” eat less sugar – but that’s easier said than done. Refined sugar is actually quite addictive – especially the sugars hidden in packaged and process foods. Understand why you have the craving you have Like anything else that we keep struggling with – it’s complicated. (If it were simple, it…
How I’m recovering from my own cold
Being a Naturopath doesn’t make me superwoman – and last week I came down with the dreaded lurgy. Now that I’m no longer contagious, I thought it would be useful to talk about what I’ve been doing to help myself recover: I’m resting as much as possible – this isn’t the time for me to “soldier on”. …
Why come back to see me?
After a period of treatment, I often suggest people come and pick up remedies without a consultation as we know we are on the correct path and just require consolidation. However best practice requires that I see you at least once every 6 – 12 months. This is because: your life circumstances change and bring new challenges and…
Go nuts about your health
When I talk to clients about health and weight loss, one of my strong recommendations is that they include a variety of nuts in their diet – and I’m always asked “Aren’t nuts full of fat?” and “Won’t I put ON weight if I eat nuts?” The answer is “No – nuts are good for…
Solving the jigsaw puzzle of wellbeing
The first question I’m often asked is “How many treatments will I need?” It’s a realistic one when consulting any practitioner. A rough rule of thumb is that for every year a complaint/symptom has been around, one month of treatment is likely to be needed. Of course this varies considerably, depending on your age, constitution, genetics, ability…
This paleo thing
A few people recently have asked me what I think about “The Paleo Diet”. So I thought it was worth putting this online, not just in individual conversations. What I like: It excludes two of the biggest inflammatory food sources that cause many problems for my patients 1) grains and 2) dairy. It encourages a…
Managing bronchitis without antibiotics
Despite official guideline which state specifically that antibiotics should NOT be the first line treatment for bronchitis*, 2014 statistics from the Medical Journal of Australia show that 90% of the time, doctors prescribe antibiotics for new cases of acute bronchitis in adults. If antibiotics don’t help, what DO you do? First of all, if your…
How is a space station like a couch?
A: Both stop your muscles and bones using gravity. The medical research on keeping astronauts healthy in space is also delivering new insights into how we can keep healthier back here on Earth. What they’re finding is that bouts of intense exercise aren’t enough – we also need to keep moving. (Read more here) Not…
Women, ageing and the contraceptive pill
It was fascinating to watch Catalyst’s recent program on the “Female Sex Drive” and be reminded of how ageing changes horomone levels and creates new side effects for long term medications. In this story, they were discussing a range of issues, including: The contraceptive pill can reduce levels of sexual interest at any age. The…
Folic acid and depression – we’re complex systems!
I’ve just started working with a patient with severe depression – and conventional medication isn’t shifting her experience. My process as a “health detective” starts with taking a whole-of-life perspective on the person – and this uncovered a couple of clues: the patient has been prescribed high-dose folic acid long term (post-cancer) the patient has…
Good bugs to help tackle sadness
The new Disney movie “Inside Out” gives a great insight into the interplay of our emotions – one of which is sadness. Sadness is a real and useful part of our lives WHEN it’s in balance, and I feel that it is important to allow sadness – but not to let it rule the roost….