I am about to launch my new website and I would love if you could be part of it. I am filming video testimonials at Darling Street Health Centre on Saturday 18th July from 1-3pm and it would be great if you could take 10 minutes to drop by and say a few words. Kate Boorer from Employerbility will be filming and she will put you at ease with the process if you feel a little funny about being on camera. To show my appreciation for your time I would like to give you a 50% discount on your next consultation and a pot of my beautiful organic tea. Can you email Kate directly at kboorer@employerbility.com.au to let her know if you will be coming?Thanks in advance for your help,Emm
How Stressed Are You Really?
Using comprehensive testing methods to determine how stress is affecting you is imperative to your health. When we feel stressed, our adrenal glands become activated and they secrete the stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol. We all know how it feels to burn the candle at both ends, trying to balance work and family demands as well as keep up with daily chores. We become tired, irritable and run on adrenaline which depletes our adrenal gland and results in “adrenal fatigue”. This common problem can be very easily addressed with naturopathic medicine and have you feeling balanced, energetic and happy again.I recommend having your stress levels assessed with the Adrenal Hormone Profile so that I can tailor an adrenal health program to meet your requirements. This is a non-invasive saliva test which monitors the levels of the stress hormones Cortisol and DHEA-S, over the course of a day. This is an important test to determine adrenal function if you are suffering symptoms such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, insomnia, headaches, low energy, stress, hormonal imbalance and poor immune function. Book in today to begin your path to optimal adrenal health!
Did You Realise Your Teenager is Sleep Deprived?
The teenage years are a time when school, homework, extracurricular activities, active social lives and part time jobs keep kids busy from early in the morning until late at night. They are likely to try to make up for a lack of sleep by “sleeping in” on the weekends. Unfortunately this contributes to an irregular sleep schedule and actually makes the problem worse, setting them up for a kind of jet lag when Monday morning rolls around.In addition to having difficulty turning off the worries of their day, most teens show signs of delayed circadian rhythms –which contribute to their inability to fall asleep until later at night. During puberty, the biological clock in their brain naturally sets to a later time. The pineal gland releases melatonin later at night and this causes teens to fall sleep later.Then, when it’s time to get up, a teenager’s body clock is likely to still be producing the night time hormones. This makes it hard for them to feel active and energetic in the morning. Since many teens aren’t sleepy until around 11.00pm, but need to be at school by 7.30 or 8.00 they do not get an adequate amount of sleep.A growing body of research suggests that starting high school later, more in line with their natural body rhythms, improves attendance, achievement, and grades and reduces tardiness, in a landmark study a few years ago, the morning school bell was delayed for an hour in Edina, Minnesota. As a result, test scores on the SAT college entrance exams jumped more than 100 points on average. Unfortunately, most schools are not set up to start later and accommodate teen’s sleep needs.Lack of sleep can be very dangerous […]
The Five Foods for Beating Depression
Fish oils:Contain omega-3 fatty acids. Research has shown that depressed people often lack a fatty acid known as EPA. Participants in a 2002 study featured in the Archives of General Psychiatry took just a gram of fish oil each day and noticed a 50-percent decrease in symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disorders, unexplained feelings of sadness, suicidal thoughts, and decreased sex drive. Omega-3 fatty acids can also lower cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health. Get omega-3s through walnuts, flaxseed and oily fish like salmon or tuna. Brown Rice:Contains vitamins B1 and B3, and folic acid. Brown rice is also a low-Glycemic food, which means it releases glucose into the bloodstream gradually, preventing sugar lows and mood swings. Brown rice also provides many of the trace minerals we need to function properly, as well as being a high-fibre food that can keep the digestive system healthy and lower cholesterol. Instant varieties of rice do not offer these benefits. Any time you see “instant” on a food label, avoid it. Brewer’s Yeast:Contains vitamins B1, B2 and B3. Brewer’s yeast should be avoided if you do not tolerate yeast well, but if you do, mix a thimbleful into any smoothie for your daily dose. This super food packs a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals in a small package, including 16 amino acids and 14 minerals. Amino acids are vital for the nervous system, which makes brewer’s yeast a no-brainer for treating depression. Whole-grain oats: Contain folic acid, pantothenic acid and vitamins B6 and B1. Oats help lower cholesterol, are soothing to the digestive tract and help avoid the blood sugar crash-and-burn that can lead to crabbiness and mood swings. Other whole grains such as kamut, spelt and quinoa […]
PCOS – Diet & Exercise More Effective that Drugs!
A study has just been released that proves changing your diet and exercising more is your best bet for inducing ovulation and improving your chance of pregnancy. This study divided 348 overweight women with PCOS and infertility into four groups. One group received dietary and exercise advice. The other 3 groups received Clomid, metformin, or a combination of the two drugs.
Clomid is used to stimulate ovulation. Metformin is used to reduce insulin resistance.
The women in the Clomid group had a 12.2% pregnancy rate. The metformin group had a 14.4% rate. The group taking both Clomid and metformin had a pregnancy rate of 14.8%. The group not taking any drugs but only making dietary and exercise improvements had a 20% pregnancy rate. The study authors concluded: “…lifestyle modification may be used as the first line of ovulation induction in PCOS patients.”
I cannot emphasise enough the importance of keeping to a therapeutic diet and exercising 3-4 times a week. I counsel all my PCOS patients on what foods they need to be eating and what foods they need to avoid. Trust me – it does make a difference and this study confirms my advice!
An assessment of lifestyle modification versus medical treatment with clomiphene citrate, metformin, and clomiphene citrate-metformin in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.
Karimzadeh MA, Javedani M.
Research and Clinical Centre for Infertility, Yazd Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of clomiphene citrate, metformin, and lifestyle modification on treatment of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: Prospective randomized double-blind study. SETTING: University-based infertility clinic and research centre. PATIENT(S): Three hundred forty-three overweight infertile women with PCOS. INTERVENTION(S): The participating women were assigned to four groups: clomiphene (n […]
PCOS – Diet&Exercise More Effective that Drugs!
A study has just been released that proves changing your diet and exercising more is your best bet for inducing ovulation and improving your chance of pregnancy. This study divided 348 overweight women with PCOS and infertility into four groups. One group received dietary and exercise advice. The other 3 groups received Clomid, metformin, or a combination of the two drugs.Clomid is used to stimulate ovulation. Metformin is used to reduce insulin resistance.The women in the Clomid group had a 12.2% pregnancy rate. The metformin group had a 14.4% rate. The group taking both Clomid and metformin had a pregnancy rate of 14.8%. The group not taking any drugs but only making dietary and exercise improvements had a 20% pregnancy rate. The study authors concluded: “…lifestyle modification may be used as the first line of ovulation induction in PCOS patients.”I cannot emphasise enough the importance of keeping to a therapeutic diet and exercising 3-4 times a week. I counsel all my PCOS patients on what foods they need to be eating and what foods they need to avoid. Trust me – it does make a difference and this study confirms my advice! An assessment of lifestyle modification versus medical treatment with clomiphene citrate, metformin, and clomiphene citrate-metformin in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.Karimzadeh MA, Javedani M.Research and Clinical Centre for Infertility, Yazd Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of clomiphene citrate, metformin, and lifestyle modification on treatment of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: Prospective randomized double-blind study. SETTING: University-based infertility clinic and research centre. PATIENT(S): Three hundred forty-three overweight infertile women with PCOS. INTERVENTION(S): The participating women were assigned to four groups: clomiphene (n […]
Kava Helps Treat Anxiety
Kava, used for generations in traditional ceremonies by Pacific islanders, is an effective and safe treatment for anxiety, university researchers say. People with “chronic high levels of anxiety” feel less worried and, in some cases, less depressed during a 60-person trial undertaken at the University of Queensland.
“We’ve been able to show that kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety and, unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side-effects,” said lead researcher Jerome Sarris, a PhD candidate from UQ’s School of Medicine. “We also found that kava had a positive impact on reducing depression levels, something which had not been tested before.”
Anxiety levels were reduced in trial participants who took five tablets of kava daily, as opposed to a placebo group that took dummy pills. Critically the study’s participants did not show any signs of potential liver damage – contrary to concerns that prompted European, British and Canadian authorities to ban kava sales in 2002.
Kava products sold in those countries were based on ethanol or acetone extracts of the kava plant, Mr Sarris said, not the water-soluble extracts used traditionally by Pacific islanders and approved for sale in Australia. “Our study used a water-soluble extract from the peeled root stock of a medicinal cultivar of the plant, which is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration,” Mr Sarris said. “When extracted in the appropriate way, kava may pose less or no potential liver problems and I hope the results will encourage governments to reconsider the ban.”
The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum.
Sarris J, Kavanagh DJ, Byrne G, Bone KM, Adams J, Deed G.
School […]
Kava Helps Treat Anxiety
Kava, used for generations in traditional ceremonies by Pacific islanders, is an effective and safe treatment for anxiety, university researchers say. People with “chronic high levels of anxiety” feel less worried and, in some cases, less depressed during a 60-person trial undertaken at the University of Queensland. “We’ve been able to show that kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety and, unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side-effects,” said lead researcher Jerome Sarris, a PhD candidate from UQ’s School of Medicine. “We also found that kava had a positive impact on reducing depression levels, something which had not been tested before.” Anxiety levels were reduced in trial participants who took five tablets of kava daily, as opposed to a placebo group that took dummy pills. Critically the study’s participants did not show any signs of potential liver damage – contrary to concerns that prompted European, British and Canadian authorities to ban kava sales in 2002.Kava products sold in those countries were based on ethanol or acetone extracts of the kava plant, Mr Sarris said, not the water-soluble extracts used traditionally by Pacific islanders and approved for sale in Australia. “Our study used a water-soluble extract from the peeled root stock of a medicinal cultivar of the plant, which is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration,” Mr Sarris said. “When extracted in the appropriate way, kava may pose less or no potential liver problems and I hope the results will encourage governments to reconsider the ban.”The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum.Sarris J, Kavanagh DJ, Byrne G, Bone KM, Adams J, Deed G.School […]
She Let Go
This has to be my favorite poem to date and I wanted to share it with you. It embodies the effortlessness of surrendering. “She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go. She let go of fear. She let go of the judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons. Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go. She didn’t ask anyone for advice. She didn’t read a book on how to let go… She didn’t search the scriptures. She just let go. She let go of all of the memories that held her back. She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right. She didn’t promise to let go. She didn’t journal about it. She didn’t write the projected date in her day-timer. She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go. She didn’t analyse whether she should let go. She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment. She didn’t call the prayer line. She didn’t utter one word. She just let go. No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations. No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go. There was no effort. […]
GM Foods – Are You Aware of Why You Should Avoid Them?
The Academy of Environmental Medicine has released the following statement: Natural breeding processes have been safely utilized for the past several thousand years. In contrast, “GE crop technology abrogates natural reproductive processes, selection occurs at the single cell level, the procedure is highly mutagenic and routinely breeches genera barriers, and the technique has only been used commercially for 10 years.” Despite these differences, safety assessment of GM foods has been based on the idea of “substantial equivalence” such that “if a new food is found to be substantially equivalent in composition and nutritional characteristics to an existing food, it can be regarded as safe as the conventional food.” However, several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food consumption including infertility, immune dysregulation, accelerated aging, dysregulation of genes associated with cholesterol synthesis, insulin regulation, cell signalling, and protein formation, and changes in the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal system. Read more at http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopost.html Genetic engineering (GE) is a radical technology that manipulates the genes and DNA of living things. Unlike traditional breeding processes, GE takes genes from one life form and forces them into another. Using GE, genes from bacteria, viruses, plants and animals have been inserted into soybeans, canola, corn and cotton to grow commercial crops. These GE crops (also called genetically modified organisms or GMOs) are processed into foods and sold in our stores. Most processed GE foods are unlabelled. Right now, millions of Australians are eating GE food without realising it. I am strongly opposed to GM foods – we already have evidence that they cause health problems but I think there will be so much more information coming out over the next 5 years. So far, there […]
