I am an avid fan of author Michael Pollan and his books are wonderful resources. He is visiting Sydney in July and will be speaking at the Opera House so why not go along!
Surprising Statistics on the Health of Australian Kids
Recently I was doing research as I am currently studying paediatric nutrition and came across the Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. It was commissioned by the government in 2007 and the next survey is due out 2013. The CSIRO in conjunction with South Australia Uni surveyed over 4,000 children between the ages of 2-16. They reported food and nutrient intake, physical activity levels and the weight, height and waist circumference of the children.
Key findings were:
72% of children surveyed were at a healthy weight: 17% of boys & girls were classified as overweight while 6% were obese
Over 30% of children did less than 1 hour of exercise daily
The older children became, they less likely they were to meet their RDI for fruit
The older children became, they less likely they were to meet their RDI for vegetables
Only 22% of 4–8 year old children and 5% of 14–16 year olds met the dietary guidelines for vegetables
In the children surveyed, sugar contributed to between 23–24% of total energy intake
Some micronutrient intakes such as calcium, sodium and magnesium are likely to be problematic, particularly for the 14–16 year olds who were the least likely to meet the recommended intake
Participation in screen-based activities (mainly TV) peaked in children aged 13–14 years, where screen time varied from 3.5 hours per day for girls to over 4 hours per day in boys
I was amazed at these findings! And I am a little frightened at what the current survey will report when it is released next year. In a relatively wealthy Western country where we have access to fresh fruit & vegetables our kid are really suffering. Are we becoming a nation that is calorie rich yet nutrient poor?
Our bodies are […]
Teething Problems
Teething in babies usually starts between the ages of 5-7 months, sometimes earlier and sometimes much later. It’s such a massive change in our babies lives and they go through tremendous pain to push those little teeth out. Herbal Medicine is a great way to provide care for their nervous system and to relieve pain during their teething episodes.
Tips To Help Your Baby
Matracaria recutita – this is commonly known as chamomile and is anti-inflammatory, mild sedative and a carminative.
Melissa officinalis – Lemon Balm is another beautiful herb to calm your infant when they are teething. It’s also a carminative and mild sedative and helps with irritability.
A great herbal tea for teething is 1tsp of chamomile and 1tsp of lemon balm in 100mls of boiling water and let it infuse for about 30min, once cooled down try to give it to your baby either in a bottle or sippy cup.
Frozen capsicum – Cut up thick red capsicum and freeze. Give to your baby at dinner time for him/her to chew on, the coolness will help with the pain and they are full of antioxidants.
Teething Toys – Find toys/teething rings that are BPA free. It’s really important for your infant to have something to chew during these times of distress and pain. A worldwide popular chewing toy is Sophie le Giraffe – this French giraffe has been around since 1961 and is made from natural rubber and food painted!
Love them – Even when nothing seems to help the pain or take the tears away, a parents cuddle and kiss can do more than we realise!
What is Spirulina?
I use spirulina daily and if you look through my recipes you will see that it features in many of them, so what exactly is spirulina? Well it’s a blue-green algae (don’t be turned off) and it’s been used by the Aztecs since the 16th century. This Superfood is found in fresh water lakes in hot climates and has thousands of varieties. Spirulina is picked and made into a thick paste before it is dried and turned into capsules, tablets or powder.
The reason why it is so good is because it is jam packed full of many nutrients and amino acids like:
Protein – Spirulina is packed full of protein (about 70%)
Vitamin A – This is in the form of beta-carotene and essential for the health of red blood cells, retina health and your immune system.
Vitamin B12 – Essential for the brain and nervous system as well as blood formation.
Vitamin E – Important in fighting free radical damage therefore preventing diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Iron – Super important nutrient for the health of red blood cells.
The best way to use Spirulina is by adding it to your smoothie….you can’t taste it and you are still getting all the health benefits!
Nutritional Punch of Hemp Kernels
I have been eating hemp kernels for a while now and love their nutritional bang. I add them to smoothies, make milk by soaking them, blending and straining and also put on my fruit for a protein hit. Hemp seed oil is also a wonderful addition to a salad dressing or add a drizzle over cooked vegetables. Although a little challenging to find, hempseeds and oil are well worth the effort. High in protein and anti-inflammatory fats as well as vitamin E, these little darlings are the answer to radiant skin.
Hemp kernels are produced by removing the outer shell of the hemp seed, with no other processing or additives. The kernels are raw and free of chemicals and artificial additives.
Hemp seed contains both Omega 3 and Omega 6 in an ideal ratio of 1:3 along with uniquely high levels of vitamin E, which protects and preserves the delicate oil from oxidation. Further, unlike marine Omega 3, hemp seed is free from dioxins, PCB and other contaminants, making it an ideal choice for pregnant women and children.
Many modern diseases are caused by nutritional deficiencies due to the industrialisation of our food supply. To gain greater shelf life for their products, manufacturers chemically alter and adulterate foods.
Why eat hemp kernels?
Hemp kernels contain a complete range of amino acids and are suitable for those who choose vegetarian or vegan diets. Because they are low in carbohydrate, they are also suitable for diabetics.
Hemp kernels can be eaten straight from the packet, sprinkled over cereals of fruit salad, or added to a variety of sweet or savoury food. It is generally not recommended that kernels be cooked, although they can be added to baked goods, biscuits or breads, to […]
Which Milk is Best For Me?
It is no longer as simple as going to your local shop and buying milk – do you want it to have cow, goat or sheep milk? Do you want full fat or skim or A2? Or homogenised, pasteurised or unpasteurised? What about almond, oat, rice or soy milk? The answer depends on your individual nutritional requirements – do you have any food intolerances, how old are you, male or female etc.
Cow’s Milk
Cow’s milk needs to be avoided by those who have lactose intolerance – a deficiency in the body of the enzyme lactose which is needed to break down and digest dairy products. Organic milk is always preferable as conventional milk comes from cows that are fed in feed lots and contains traces of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones. Cow’s milk contains protein called A1 & A2 beta-casein which many people are intolerant to.
A2 cow’s milk
A2 milk contains only the A2 type of beta-casein protein instead of A1 beta-casein. Originally all cows produced only A2 beta-casein and came from Guernsey & Jersey (brown & white) cows. Now Friesian (black & white) cows produce most commercial milk and this contains both A1 and A2 beta-casein. A2 milk does contain similar levels of lactose as A1 milk. Many people are allergic to A1 beta casein and this is where A2 milk is a valuable replacement.
Skim Milk
Skim milk contains roughly 2% fat while full fat milk is around 4.5%. It still contains lactose and both A1 & A2 beta casein. Because the creamy part contains the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K you will be missing out on essential nutrients.
Goat’s milk
Goat’s milk contains lactose but at slightly lower levels than cow’s milk so people with a […]
Low Iodine is More Common Than You Think, Especially When Pregnant!
Pregnant women have been advised to have a daily supplement of 150 micrograms. Health experts are urging pregnant women in Tasmania to take iodine supplements to lessen the chances of their children developing low IQ’s. The Director of Public Health, Dr Roscoe Taylor, says most Tasmanians are iodine deficient because of low levels in soil and water. He says the health consequences of iodine deficiency in pregnant and breastfeeding women is greater because of the risk to babies.
Dr Taylor says iodine is essential to ensure normal development of the brain and nervous system. Low levels in pregnant mothers could result in their babies having lower IQ’s. He has written to all health practitioners around the state asking them to encourage expectant mothers to take an iodine supplement of 150 micrograms every day, equivalent to eating nine cans of tuna.
Iodine is a trace mineral, often referred to as “iodide”. Iodine is vital for the thyroid hormones that regulate our metabolism, body temperature, reproduction, growth, blood cell production as well as nerve and muscle function. Low thyroid hormones can cause a person to become sluggish and gain weight, affecting their general health, their fertility and ability to carry a pregnancy.
It is important to ensure adequate iodine intake during preconception, pregnancy and breast feeding. During pregnancy, the baby is entirely dependent upon maternal iodine, which plays a significant role in normal central nervous system formation and maturation. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy is the commonest worldwide cause of preventable intellectual impairment and can be associated with losses of up to 10 -15 IQ points.
Around 60% of pregnant Australian women in a recent survey had low iodine levels -mainly due to decreased consumption of iodised salt and changes within […]
Australian Women Not Having the Births They Expect
Pregnant women have unrealistic expectations about their chances of having an uncomplicated birth and may feel cheated and depressed when they have obstetric interventions, a Victorian study has found. A survey of almost 200 women with a first pregnancy at a Melbourne hospital found that they believed they had a 56% chance of having an uncomplicated birth without the need for induction, forceps, suction cup or caesarean. However, Victorian data show that a woman’s actual chance of a medically uncomplicated birth is only 21%.
Does this reflect our medical systems high intervention rate? In my experience when women birth, suggestions for “moving things along” come far too quickly. Is it to free up hospital beds or keep within “time frames”? Either way, the fact that 80% of women have a birth that involves induction, forceps, suction cup or caesarean is unacceptable to me. What happened to the trust and belief that a woman can birth naturally? Of course there are circumstances that require intervention but I don’t believe that it needs to be as high as 80%!
Likewise, women believed they had a 31% chance of having a delivery without the need for sutures, but the actual chance was only 8%! Attending antenatal classes did not give women a more realistic view of childbirth interventions, the study found.
The findings published in the Australia and NZ Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in January 2012 showed that medical staff also had overoptimistic expectations of a natural birth, with obstetricians predicting a 41% chance of uncomplicated delivery and medical students rating the chances as 45%.
This study is groundbreaking as it highlights where we need to focus our work –supporting a mother to trust her body to bright naturally and […]
The Facts on My Inner Health – This Naturopath is Astonished
“If you can tell me right now, what it is that gets you up in the morning, your life expectancy is 7 years higher than the person sitting next to you who can’t tell you why they get up in the morning” says Dan Buettner. Dan spent 5 years travelling the world and studying the world happiest people and has written a brilliant book, Blue Lines. He came up with 9 behaviours that lead to living a longer, better life;
1. Move (find ways to move mindlessly, make moving unavoidable)
2. Plan de Vida (know your purpose in life)
3. Down Shift (work less, slow down, rest, and take vacation)
4. 80% Rule (stop eating when you’re 80% full)
5. Plant-Power (more veggies, less protein and processed foods)
6. Red Wine (consistency and moderation)
7. Belong (create a healthy social network)
8. Beliefs (spiritual or religious participation)
9. Your Tribe (make family a priority)
I have just completed Dan’s Vitality Compass, found at bluelines.com, and the results are astonishing. After answering a series of 35 questions such as how often I felt anxious in the last month to how many serves of fruit I have eaten this week to am I single or married I have a few hard facts staring at me.
My biological age is actually 32.8 which is a vast improvement on the 38 years I actually am. This reflects my health habits and great diet choices.
I am expected to live until 90.2 which, considering my strong family trends of longevity did not surprise me at all. My grandmother is 85 and a ball of energy, she Skypes me regularly and always makes me promise to have some down time!
The figure that worries the hell out of me is that I am […]
Children Born to Stressed Mums Have Higher Health Risks – Latest Research
A study just released has demonstrated the strong link between a pregnant woman’s stress levels and the negative effects this has on her child. It is one of the first big studies to prove that while in the womb we are being influenced by maternal hormones and when it comes to high stress levels, that is not a good thing. In fact, it leads to a higher risk factor for malformations, asthma, and mental and behavioural disorders. The study was based on over 66,000 mums and bubs and assessed by a team of clinical psychologists.
Key findings were:
There was an increased risk of mental disorders during the first 2.5 years of life in children of mothers reporting high life stress during pregnancy compared with mothers reporting low life stress.
Maternal life stress during pregnancy was also associated with an increased risk in the diseases of the eye, ear, respiratory system, digestive system, skin, musculoskeletal system and genitourinary system in children.
Maternal life stress during pregnancy was again associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations in offspring.
Maternal emotional stress during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for the first diagnosis of infectious and parasitic diseases.
The analysis of the data revealed that elevated stress levels across pregnancy altered the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (proteins that serve as messengers between cells of the immune system) in the offspring; the dysregulation of cytokine production could cause certain mental disorders, infectious diseases and diseases of the various body systems. This shows the importance of having an anti-inflammatory style diet that is high in vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish and healthy fats. It also supports a place for antioxidants in pregnancy to counter balance cellular stress.
During my pregnancy I ate organic, anti […]
