GalleryWith the long winter days here, most of us go to work in the dark and get home in the dark so it’s the perfect time to be thinking about your vitamin D levels. It is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies I see in clinic and as it acts more like a hormone than a vitamin, a deficiency has far reaching implications.
Vitamin D has the ability to affect over 10% of your genes – to either turn them on or off. If you have a family history of insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease or obesity, imagine if you could turn that gene off! This is the field of epigenetics and it is absolutely possible that vitamin D deficiency can increase the ability of these genes to turn on. Your diet, lifestyle and environment have a huge impact on gene signalling.
A study released in the Anticancer Research Journal in March this year concluded that breast cancer patients with higher vitamin D levels were twice as likely to survive than patients with low vitamin D levels. That is phenomenal research! I highly recommend that you have your vitamin D levels assessed, especially if you have been diagnosed with cancer.
Vitamin D increases your ability to fight infections and when vitamin D receptors are present, blood flow to tumors is minimized and the growth of the tumor restricted.
Check out the app Dminder for an easy way to monitor your sun exposure to maximise vitamin D production.
Watch the video below where the researchers of the breast cancer study discuss their findings and PLEASE test your Vitamin D levels!
Reduce your Risk of Breast Cancer Significantly
Is Your Phone Making You Infertile?
A new study released by the University of Exeter involving nearly 1500 men showed a clear link between mobile phone use and infertility. Exposure to environmental factors such as electromagnetic radiation has increased dramatically due to the global rise of mobile phone use in the last 15 years.
Men who used mobile phones regularly had an 8% decrease in motility or the ability to swim forward towards the egg. Sperm viability or the percentage of sperm that were alive as well as the sperm concentration was also negatively affected.
Study author Dr Mathews said: “Given the enormous scale of mobile phone use around the world, the potential role of this environmental exposure needs to be clarified. This study strongly suggests that being exposed to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation from carrying mobiles in trouser pockets negatively affects sperm quality. This could be particularly important for men already on the borderline of infertility, and further research is required to determine the full clinical implications for the general population.”
Previous research has shown that using a computer affects sperm quality. If your computer is on your lap, within 1 hour the testicles will be heated above what is considered safe. This increased temperature causes damage to the sperm. This is another form of electromagnetic radiation.
Studies back as far as 2007 have shown a clear link between mobile phone exposure and poor sperm health. The more a mobile phone is used, the greater degree of abnormally shaped sperm and the less able they are to swim forward.
So what do you do? Tell your man to get his phone out of his trouser pocket and use a radiation reducing mobile phone cover such as Cell Safe.
GalleryAdd a Little Calm to Your Baby’s World
The new massage balm by Little By Nature, is a lovely combination of grapeseed oil, organic olive oil, organic coconut oil, macadamia oil, organic beeswax and the essential oils lavender and chamomile. A perfect blend for soothing your baby after a bath and keeping her skin soft and free of rashes.
When dealing with babies, it is imperative to use natural, non-toxic products. Research has shown that babies are born with a “toxic burden” of chemicals. How frightening that tiny newborns have nasty chemicals in their body!
A ground breaking study by the Environmental Working Group found 287 industrial chemicals in the cord blood of 10 babies. Exposure to chemicals in the womb can have life long detrimental effects. Once your baby is born, it is vital that all chemicals are avoided. Their livers are smaller and their ability to break down chemicals is limited.
Most parents are aware that natural products are better, but many products marketed for babies are still full of nasty chemicals. If you start checking labels for every ingredient you might just be astounded at what is “natural”. A good resource is Skin Deep, which contains an enormous amount of great information.
GalleryHealthy Easter Treat Ideas
Easter time is traditionally filled with chocolate in all shapes and sizes, but for toddlers the blood sugar rollercoaster that follows can result in temper tantrums, which leave everyone frazzled. By starting as you mean to go on, you can encourage your toddler to eat healthily at Easter and not automatically expect chocolate Easter eggs as she gets older.
Keeping in mind that it’s hard to avoid chocolate altogether (and a little chocolate is fine as part of a balanced diet), here are my healthy Easter treat ideas:
Healthy options for Easter
Have your toddler help you make fruit kebabs – make sure you use different colours to appeal to their visual appetite.
Offer plain homemade popcorn – every toddler loves the anticipation of the ‘pop’!
Opt for chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa solids (ie dark chocolate). This means more antioxidants for growing bodies – plus you and your toddler will eat less of it!
Pancakes with fresh berries or banana and maple syrup make a great Easter Sunday breakfast.
Chocolate beetroot brownies are a great way to sneak veg in, and create a deliciously moist cake at the same time
Easter bunny rice cakes: Take a rice cake, spread with hommus or your favourite dip and use this to start making a bunny! Use thin carrot sticks for whiskers, sultanas for eyes, cucumber for ears and a cherry tomato for a nose. Cute!
For creative fun, use food dye or hand paint boiled eggs
How to reduce the effects of sugar
There will always be times when your toddler eats their fair share of sweet treats. Plan ahead and incorporate some of these tips into her diet on the same day and the sugar fallout will be less harsh:
Make sure your toddler eats low-glycemic index […]
GalleryCommunity Detox Rockstars Edition #5 – Louise Crowe
In the last of my series of interviews with Community Detox Rockstars, I chat to Louise Crowe about her journey. She not only lost 6kg but both her psoriasis and chronic back pain radically improved! Louise is incredibly inspiring, honest and one committed woman. I am so proud of her and simply can’t wait to see her back on board in June.
What was the biggest achievement you experienced on Community Detox?
Gosh where do I start?
My biggest personal achievement was actually sticking to the plan. I’ve tended to be somewhat feast or famine where my diet is concerned and any attempts at healthy living quickly saw me fall off the wagon and I’d inevitably just throw in the towel (wow that’s a lot of metaphors!). I viewed the Community Detox as the first step towards a long-term lifestyle change.
As for the biggest physical achievement, I lost over 6 kg during the program. I’m not a big woman by any stretch but in completing CD I came within 1 kg of my optimal fat levels. I had some tests (live blood analysis and bioimpedence tests) done at the beginning and end of CD and received an unequivocally positive result, with the phrase “you’ve got just about a perfect score card” making me extremely happy and proud of all my efforts.
My biggest health achievements were seeing my psoriasis improve radically as well as a massive reduction, if not cessation, of the chronic lower back pain I’ve had for the past 8 years (I spent almost two years unable to lift my infant children off the ground). I was diagnosed with sacroillitis and a bulging disk a few years back and have been treating it with daily anti-inflammatories and Pilates and restricting certain exercise […]
GalleryCommunity Detox Rockstars Edition #4 – Michelle Lia
In the fourth interview with my Community Detox Rockstars I am chatting to Michelle Lia, Maternity Wellness and Yoga Coach. From the power of daily meditation to losing a crazy 5kg and mastering the art of consistency, Michelle shares with you her winning highlights from a month of super healthy living.
What was the biggest achievement you experienced on Community Detox?
Learning to control my cravings and being consistent with following the detox. I overcame some big personal challenges in the detox. I have never been able to stick to a program for its whole entirety before, normally I give up at the two week duration and get back into the routine I had before which would normally consist of chocolates, alcohol, coffee and all those bad things which aren’t good for my health.
I think I had a big wake-up call before this detox because after every time I had alcohol or coffee I was feeling sick even after having something high in sugar my body was feeling so toxic. I really needed this detox and it really changed my life in more ways than ever. I now still don’t drink coffee at all, I love herbal teas and become a lover of chai tea again. I have cut down my alcohol consumption and especially sugar consumption making bliss balls (sugar free) for treats when I need them or sugar free muffins. I do treat myself every now and again but I am always asking myself if this is what my body really needs or do I need something completely different?
How would you describe Community Detox to someone?
It’s the best thing you could ever do for your body. I am going to do the community detox […]
GalleryCommunity Detox Rockstars Edition #3 – Lee Sutherland
What was the biggest achievement you experienced on Community Detox?
The biggest achievement for me wasn’t anything that the scales told me (however dropping over 3% body fat in four weeks is pretty great!) what I loved was about putting the focus back on me, to nurture me. I work in the health industry (holistic PT, health coach, nutrition/herbal medicine at Fitness in the City) and it can be common to put all our focus into other people and forget the much important ‘self love’ we need to give our selves!!
How would you describe Community Detox to someone?
I would describe it a beautiful community cleanse where you eat real food, drop some bad habits for a few weeks all with the support of experts and other people who are also doing the cleanse. Watching other people kick goals or see pics of their delish healthy meals is enough to motivate anyone!!
Can you explain exactly how you achieved your amazing results? Do you feel there were any specific elements of Community Detox that really helped you?
To be honest the food component of the cleanse is very similar to how I currently eat anyway, so the only difference was cutting out red meat for 4 weeks (which was harder than I thought!!), no sneaky dark chocolates at night-time (tear) but the real game changer was Emma introducing me to Intermittent Fasting, something I have read a little about in the past but never have put it into practise. Emma made the info really easy for everyone to understand which I love and then we had two IF days a week which is where the real fat loss would have came from. It is something I will continue to […]
GalleryCommunity Detox Rockstars Edition #2 – Emma Peters
In the second interview with my Community Detox Rockstars I am chatting to Emma Peters, mum to a 9 month old. Listen as she shares with you her winning highlights from a month of super healthy living. From FOMO to a whopping 7kg drop on the scales this woman will completely inspire you!
Edition #2 – Emma Peters
What was the biggest achievement you experienced on Community Detox?
My biggest achievement was getting over my “fear of missing out” on my favourite treats. They were my way of relaxing and rewarding myself after an exhausting day. After a month of eating mindfully, I can finally say no to those pesky treats and enjoy a healthy substitute – so empowering.
Oh, and just over 7kgs weight loss and counting!
How would you describe Community Detox to someone?
Community Detox is the most supportive environment with a winning combination of education, encouragement and structure. On good days, there’s always someone to congratulate you. On difficult days you get cheered on to make the best decisions. This was very sustaining for me.
Can you explain exactly how you achieved your amazing results? Do you feel there were any specific elements of Community Detox that really helped you?
I stuck to the rules as best I could. It seems all or nothing works for me. The great recipes inspired new meals throughout the month. Planning for the week ahead with groceries to suit was key. My detox buddy and sister, Hannah, constantly checked in on me and gave me advice. And applying mindful eating – this eliminated grazing or mindless snacking.
What was the key lesson you learnt on this Community Detox?
I learnt that I can say no to unhealthy food, substitute in healthy choices, and not […]
GalleryCommunity Detox Rockstars Edition #1 – Trudie Hood
This week I have been interviewing some of the members of February’s Community Detox. We had incredible results all round but there were certainly some Rockstars amongst the group. Make a cuppa and get comfortable as I discover the secrets of these amazing people!
Edition #1 – Trudie Hood
What was the biggest achievement you experienced on Community Detox?
My biggest achievement was losing 7kg in a month and being in a good mindset to stick to my goals. Also not giving into peer pressure to ‘have an odd wine” or “surely one coffee wont hurt”. The feeling gained from being strong is amazing
How would you describe Community Detox to someone?
CD is a life changing experience, this is my second one and I have once again gathered so much more information and learned much about myself. CD is a real time of honesty and change if you truly want it. The sense of community really lifts you and at the same time remains a private space to share your experience. Detox for me has to be a month only then can you truly see what you need to change.
Can you explain exactly how you achieved your amazing results? Do you feel there were any specific elements of Community Detox that really helped you?
I think mainly because I was focused, I didnt cheat and prepared well knowing it would be tough and I wanted so much to kick start a change. Choosing to ramp up my detox with intermittent fasting probably made the difference as it allowed me to see how much I was eating and why I was eating. This in turn helped me shed the kilos while still eating amazing food. The advice from Emma and […]
My Most Used Essential Oil
I adore lavender essential oil and use it every single day. Did you know it takes 27 kilos of lavender tops to produce just 450ml of therapeutic grade essential oil? As a naturopath and herbalist I am constantly amazed at how herbs can heal – not just physically but also emotionally and mentally. Often we overlook the more gentle and subtle therapies such as aromatherapy and head straight to liquid herbs and nutritionals.
My love of essential oils began as a teenager when I began using them for perfume – the heady scent of jasmine, the grounding effect of lavender to the uplifting notes of lemongrass. In fact I stumbled across Lemongrass House in Phuket and nearly exploded with excitement! They hand make a huge range of products all based on lemongrass essential oil and supply many of the worlds leading spas.
Let me tell you about the most frequently used essential oil in my house – lavender. It’s been used for thousands of years for it’s calming and relaxing effect. I remember being in hospital when Sophia was born and I sprinkled drops on the floor under our bed. Research shows that pain scores are lower after having a C-section when you smell lavender essential oil regularly, it is a natural analgesic!
Every midwife that came in to our room would literally stop, take a deep breath and visibly relax. In fact, a study involving nurses and workplace stress showed that their stress symptoms reduced by over 55 % when they used lavender essential oil. Check out the study as it makes great evidence for adding a few drops of lavender to your workplace!
Every single day of Sophia’s life I have added lavender essential oil to […]
