As a Naturopathic Practitioner in Sydney’s Inner West, I must admit, one of my most common interventions recommended to support a patient’s compromised digestive system is going gluten free. Cliché I know.
Whether your practitioner has advised removing gluten to simply investigate the root cause of your chronic digestive discomfort, or you have received a definitive diagnosis of coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, removing this protein (short or long term) allows the delicate intestinal lining a much-needed window to rest and heal…
When we shift our focus from "restricting" or “obsessing” to "nourishing," we give our body the beautiful, wholesome nutrients it truly craves for optimal functioning. These 5 core pillars of health are a great way to break down your focus and help you nourish your cells;
While conventional medicine is absolutely essential for many acute and chronic emergencies and long-term conditions, many people are turning to Naturopathy to address the "why" behind their symptoms. Naturopathy is a holistic healthcare system that focuses on the body's innate ability to heal itself by identifying and treating the root cause of illness…
The naturopathic approach to eczema is all about playing detective. We’re looking for the why behind the itch, particularly focusing on a "happy belly, happy skin" philosophy (say hello to the gut-skin axis).
The main three causative factors of childhood eczema I see in clinic include; food intolerances/allergies, nutritional deficiencies (in particular, Vitamin D and zinc) and their gut microbiome! There are also factors from their early days that may be contributing to their skin outbreaks including; c-section births, early introduction of solids (pre 6 months), and a history of antibiotic use…
Whatever your pre-conception journey has been, I am assuming if you are reading this, you are now pregnant and literally growing bones. This is such a unique and beautiful time in your life and one that is filled with much emotion and a whole lot of unknown, especially if this is your first pregnancy.
Your diet and lifestyle during conception and pregnancy have the ability to either benefit or possibly cause adverse effects to your growing baby. So, it is super important to provide optimum nutrition as best you can during this critical time of development to give your child the best start in life....
Your diet and lifestyle during conception and pregnancy have the ability to either benefit or possibly cause adverse effects to your growing baby. So, it is super important to provide optimum nutrition as best you can during this critical time of development to give your child the best start in life.
Classic Winter, bringing with it a surge of bugs, and walking pneumonia currently! Immune care is always important, 365 days of the year, but especially when these cooler months hit and the bugs come out to play….
There are many changes going on in the body during pregnancy, which is why occasionally headaches can be experienced. This can be due to and or associated with the obvious increase in blood volume in the body, your changes in body posture and weight, the hormones being released and tension on the spine. Other sources of headaches may be likely to be coming from vertebral restrictions, poor neck posture, altered biomechanics of the jaw, neck and or upper back…
New Year, Same You. You are not a “before” and you are not an "after". Yep, you heard me. You are just fabulous here and now and back then and always. ❤ The old 'New year, New you', which is thrown around at the beginning of each year, really grinds my gears (it’s February, and I am still hearing it). We are perfectly imperfect, and that is just the way it should be.
Yes, there are things we want to work on and improve within ourselves at times - striving for growth is a really great thing…
And although it is busy and sometimes a little chaotic…I love it. BUT…..What I don’t necessarily love is all the ‘health tips’ and ‘health advice’ I see come out at this time of year. For example, I read on social media the other day a nutritional health professional advising to “avoid pasta and rice over the silly season” and “don’t arrive hungry when going out for dinner so you can avoid the entrees and go straight to mains”…..face palm. I have no words for this kind of “health advice” and it truly saddens me.
What is Naturopathy?
The primary focus of Naturopathic Medicine is to identify and correct the underlying cause/s of disease.
Despite living in Australia, a large chunk of the Australian population have sub-par Vitamin D levels. In fact, approximately 25% of the Australian population are classified as Vitamin D deficient. Deficiency of Vitamin D is a global health issue– with more than one billion children and adults being deficient! And how do we get most of our Vitamin D? You guessed it, the SUN. What is the big deal? Among its many roles, Vitamin D is particularly essential for;
I am seeing so many patients walk through the door (including my own child) with eczema lately. Although it can be such a pain to deal with and the temptation to reach for those steroidal creams is highly enticing, there is A LOT we can do naturally to help heal your skin and scratch that itch…
Recipe time! So I made these bad boys a couple of days ago and they are almost gone! Note to self: make double the recipe, every time.
Kind of Anzac biscuit-ish, followed a vague recipe but like I normally do, added and subtracted stuff depending on what I have at home. and what I felt like devouring at the time.
There are so many ways a Naturopath can help a patient in recovery from an ED/DE - bringing it back to basics, and really focussing on food, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle is where it is at. And when a multi-disciplinary team is involved, the better I say - especially a GP and Psychologist/counsellor.
So, I have a question for you - when is it OK to comment on someone else's body weight/shape...pregnant or not??
Pretty much never.
Wanna hear my secret to health and ‘being/feeling well’? And by ‘being well’, I am referring to feeling mentally and physically well. Without our mental & physical health, we are stripped of all other beautiful things in life.
My secret to feeling well?
Did you know the practice of Naturopathy is defined by these six naturopathic principles!? These principles help shape how and what I do as a Naturopath, in helping individuals on their health journey ❤
** This article has been reposted from Body Matters Australasia with permission **
Tummy’s sucked in, lips pouted, photo taken and retaken (and retaken again) until the perfect angle is captured. Followed by editing, filters, skin smoothing, ‘face-tuning’ to make boobs bigger, tummies smaller and butts firmer. All of this to perfect the image before it is posted online. . .
“Scrap the Exercise” - I have your attention don’t I? What on earth is this Naturopath talking about!? Exercise is good for us right!? Yes, yes it is. Hear me out.
Do you struggle with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)? 🦵 You know that jittery feeling in your legs, especially at night time, that makes you want to constantly move/pace the lounge room!? People with RLS (myself included) feel the irresistible urge to move their legs, which is accompanied by uncomfortable sensations.
I want to ask you a serious question, are you eating enough? Are you eating enough every single day to nourish both your mental and physical body? Are you eating enough to THRIVE? Are you eating enough to replenish all that you use up each day?
Yes, I am a Naturopath and I drink coffee – SHOCK HORROR! Unless coffee doesn’t agree with you or you hate the taste, in my humble opinion a coffee a day is absolutely O.K! It has actually been associated with a number of positive health outcomes (isn’t that cool!?) Yet like most things, too much of anything is not necessarily a great thing and can quickly be associated with a number of undesirable health outcomes.
As a Naturopath, someone who works in the field of health & well-being every single day, I have a VERY strong opinion on “junk foods”.
Short answer? Doesn't exist. And whenever someone mentions "junk" or "bad" foods, please curse that language in your mind, and move the hell on.
Did you know your skin is your largest organ and is your main external indicator of your internal environment!? Skin concerns such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea, are your body’s very clever way of signalling that something on the inside is not quite right. Possible causes of skin issues include; potential food intolerances/allergies, diet, hormonal imbalances, stress, and gut disturbances. Listen to this quick video to find out more about why your skin might be flaring up.
Issues sleeping? Let’s take a look at screen time before bed and first thing upon waking up…
How did I get my period back and recover from HA and my ED? Well, it wasn’t easy…but boy was it worth it. It is a much longer and complicated story than this but, I got my period back and recovered from my Restrictive Eating Disorder by…
Zinc is probably one of my favourite nutrients and commonly prescribed supplements. Zinc is a vital mineral for many aspects of health, yet approximately 85% of Aussie women and 50% of men are not getting enough zinc in their diet!
We are all different and unique amazing individuals and we all function as individuals at our own personalised, natural, healthy weight, whatever that is for you. What actually matters is that you are functioning at your physical and mental best, and there are so many ways to measure this and achieve this. If you are nourishing yourself every way possible – physically, chemically and emotionally, your healthy weight, where you function at your best, should just slot in to that.
This blog is here to offer a new perspective for you all, which some of you may not necessarily agree with and that is completely fine, but I think the conversation is important. Due to my past experiences with my restrictive eating disorder, I feel having conversations like this one is so necessary and overdue.
And although it is busy and sometimes a little chaotic…I love it. BUT…..What I don’t necessarily love is all the ‘health tips’ and ‘health advice’ I see come out at this time of year. For example, I read on social media the other day a nutritional health professional advising to “avoid pasta and rice over the silly season” and “don’t arrive hungry when going out for dinner so you can avoid the entrees and go straight to mains”…..face palm. I have no words for this kind of “health advice” and it truly saddens me.
A new concept, ‘body neutrality’ has made its way into the mainstream to provide a more realistic balance between body-hatred and body-love. The aim of body neutrality is not to necessarily love how you look all the time, but to respect your body enough so that you can take care of it, even when you’re having a bad body image day. Ultimately, it is knowing your body is good and worthy of care regardless of how it looks.…by Body Matters, Australasia
Sometimes, during dark periods in our lives, we find ourselves at a loss to name or understand our emotions. This can be incredibly frustrating, leaving us feeling helpless and overwhelmed. From an early age, we have all learned to some extent, that we need to protect ourselves and others by suppressing or avoiding emotions deemed "unacceptable" such as anger, fear or grief. We employ coping mechanisms such as alcohol, drugs, food, distractions such as overworking, humour to laugh off our feelings or daydreaming to disassociate ourselves instead of being fully present.
There are a number of effective treatments and management strategies for depression. As well as seeking psychological/medical support, herbal/nutritional medicine, diet and lifestyle factors can play a crucial role in supporting your mood…
As well as seeking psychological support, herbal/nutritional medicine, diet and lifestyle factors can play a crucial role in supporting our nervous system, adrenals, and mood. One great and vital place to start, is to look at what we are feeding our cells on a daily basis. So, here are 5 of my top nutrients to help support your nervous system, adrenals and mood…
Throughout the years, especially when at my worst, my mum would try subtly suggest that seeing someone might help. I would never have a bar of it. For a long time, I liked my ED. She was comfort to me…
I have been wanting to share my story for a while, yet never quite knew how to start. I still don’t know how to start or even describe all the ins and outs of my story. On so many levels it is so complex and intricate and there are so many words…and yet, I find myself lost for words…
Why should we bother being grateful? Aside from the fact that you have the power to put a smile on some ones face, or improve their day/life, there are plenty of reasons why it is good to be grateful! Therapist, Ray Medhora explains here…
Honestly, there is no excuse for not making hummus from scratch, because it is SOOOO EASSSYYYY. All you need is a few ingredients and your trusty food processor, and voila! You have hummus!
Local Pilates studio, Pilates 360, share the benefits of Pilates and how it supports our mental health, helping to reduce stress and promote overall well-being…
There are numerous strategies we can implement to help reduce inflammation, as our overall health depends on a myriad of factors. One great and vital place to start, is to look at what we are feeding our cells on a daily basis. This is where an anti-inflammatory, wholefoods-based diet comes in…
Another classic #iso recipe for you! As Naturopaths do, I have taken your classic banana bread and transformed it into a gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free loaf - packed with goodness, but most importantly taste!
This blog is dedicated to giving you 50 easy and accessible ways to help reduce your stress response and calm your mind and body…
What you do in that hour or 2 after waking up for the day, has an enormous impact on how your day is going to pan out. I am talking about morning rituals - how you start your day each morning…
The gut-skin axis is enormous. I can honestly say I have never had a patient with skin health concerns where their gut was not a big driver. We MUST always look at the gut when addressing skin health. Leaving the gut out of the picture would be the whole border of the puzzle missing.
Here are 5 of my favourite snacks on the go. Nothing fancy, they take VERY MINIMAL prep time and I promise you they are tasty.
Four really simple strategies we can add to each day to help switch on our digestion and assist the functioning of our gut;
My top 5 tips on what to include in a kick-butt smoothie. These five points will ensure you will use what is in the fridge/pantry whilst at the same time, cramming your smoothie with delicious goodness…
No matter where you fit on the scale of a good night’s sleep, it is vital to consider both the quantity and the quality of your sleep. Lack of sleep can affect how well you think, react, work, learn, interact with others, heal and restore….
Although we are in the midst of Summer, there seems to be a lot of coughs, colds and sore throats out there. I think we all just need another holiday already. So here we are, talking about what we can do to support and boost our immune systems. Get excited folks…
Oh stress, how prevalent you are these days! Stress acts to motivate and sharpen our focus and reactions when we are faced with an immediate issue or ‘danger’. This is a REALLY GOOD response…
Did you know your skin is your largest organ and is your main external indicator of your internal environment!? Skin concerns such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea, are your body’s very clever way of signalling that something on the inside is not quite right….
