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Emma’s Favorite cough remedies

I would love to share with you some of my favourite herbs that I am using at the moment for this awful flu season. I am seeing many of my patients relapsing with acute infections not just once but up to three times!
I would encourage you to have a bottle of my flu tonic on hand and start dosing acutely as soon as you feel a sore throat or headache coming on.I have noticed clinically that there are 3 viral strains circulating at the moment and this is the summary of how the symptoms;

Gastro pre sensation with resolution within 48 hours
Sore throat, aching upper arms, seems to persist for a quite a while
Headache, dry cough with vomiting at the end of a coughing fit

Also, don’t forget about the relevance of having optimal vitamin D levels during the flu season – ask your GP to check your levels ASAP and supplement if necessary!
Herbal extracts can be highly effective for treating an acute cough and other common symptoms associated with upper respiratory tract infections such as a runny nose, sore throat, and headache. They also have an excellent safety profile. It’s ironic that many pharmacy cough mixtures contain active principles that were originally of botanical origin, obvious examples being codeine (opium poppy), guaifenesin (the guaiacum plant) and pseudoephedrine (from ephedra).
And whilst the isolation and synthesis of these active principles have given us some very powerful medicines, it has also created a new set of problems: powerful effects matched by equally powerful and negative side effects. When high-quality botanical extracts are used there is less likelihood of these problems occurring.
In the treatment of coughs and colds, herbal extracts do exert anti-tussive, expectorant and mucolytic […]

By |August 31st, 2016|Health & Wellbeing, Immune Health, Naturopathy, Nutrition, Research, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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We’re hiring! Virtual Assistant required for Studio You

Would you like to be a Virtual Assistant for Sydney’s newest and most progressive health clinic?
Studio You is an integrated, collaborative clinic which runs 100% online!  We’ll be one of Sydney first fully interactive clinics and therefore, require the support of a tech-savvy, reliable Virtual Assistant. 

The ideal candidate will have the desire and commitment to grow with the business and be part of our team, albeit ‘virtually’.

Starting from 10 hours per month,  the successful Virtual Assistant will receive one to one training with industry leader, The Healthy VA Founder, Joanna Mitchell.

To be successful in this role you will be someone who:

has a growth mindset and is a quick learner
has strong project management/organisational skills
values integrity and open communication
has good tech ability and can navigate their way around online systems
is a problem solver with the ability to create win-win situations
aligned to holistic health and natural therapies
experience working for the health industry (desired, but not essential)
has Office/Administration experience
is competent in Microsoft Office, WordPress, Google Docs, Google Drive, Mailchimp, Canva
is highly responsive and passionate about their role

MAIN DUTIES include but not limited to:

Marketing support, such as social media management, uploading newsletters and blog posts
Admin support, such as creating documents and spreadsheets
Creative support, such as content creation and social media graphics using Canva
Technical support, such as webinar support, website maintenance and creating processes and procedures
Customer Support – responding to customer requests about Studio You Cleanse and membership sites

Please note – a full job description will be provided to suitable candidates

HOW TO APPLY
Please only apply if you fit the above description, are looking for an on-going working relationship and are prepared to work with a passionate team who love what they do.

Send your application to Joanna Mitchell at info@thehealthyva.com and answer the following questions:

Why do you want to work with Emma Sutherland and […]

By |July 25th, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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The Truth About Probiotics – Part 3

Probiotics hold the key not just for better health and a stronger immune system, but also for healing digestive issues, mental health illness, and neurological disorders.

New research is continuing to prove that probiotic benefits go far beyond what we previously thought. As our knowledge of the importance of the microbes in our bodies grows, it’s important to give our flora a helping hand. But given the myriad of probiotic strains, it is always worth checking with your Naturopath or health care practitioner.

If you missed Part 1 or Part 2 of this popular series, makes sure you read them too!

 
Constipation
Constipation is a frustrating and common problem. Probiotics can play a key role in helping to relieve constipation, but it can be confusing trying to choose the correct and most effective one.

Several studies have showed positive effects on constipation symptoms. 1

In one study published in the “Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology” in September 2010, a team of Italian researchers found that artichokes enriched with the probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei strain helped to treat constipation, reducing abdominal distension and the feeling of incomplete elimination.

Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 is a very well researched probiotic strain which has repeatedly demonstrated effectiveness at reducing constipation. This particular probiotic strain of B.lactis BB-12, has been investigated in several trials for constipation. 2

 
Oral Health
Lactobacillus. rhamnosus GG and two different Lactobacillus reuteri strains have been reported to colonize the oral cavity of 48–100% of volunteers consuming products containing them. 3 In addition, Streptococcus salivarius K12, used for treating oral malodor, temporarily colonizes the oral cavity for a short time after use.4

 
Travellers Diarrhea
There is increasing evidence that the gastrointestinal microflora is a major regulator of the immune system, not only in the gut, but also in other […]

By |July 14th, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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The Truth About Probiotics – Part 2

Amazingly, the human body is made up of more microbes than human cells. But it’s important to remember that not all bacteria is bad. They come in good varieties too. If you missed Part 1 of this popular series, read it here >>

Healthy bacteria (probiotics) in our system fight bad bacteria and assist in the absorption of nutrients just to name a few benefits.

There are a number of different strains of probiotics. Their effects are very specific so its always best to consult your Naturopath or health practitioner to find out which is best for you.

 
Eczema
Research suggests that skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis can be linked back to an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. It also shows that bacterial flora is very different in patients with atopic dermatitis, so adding back healthy bacteria might be a useful treatment. A study back in 2001 showed the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG reduced the incidence of atopic dermatitis in at-risk infants through the age of 7 years 1.

It was also found in recent study that supplementing with a type of beneficial bacterial called Lactobacillus rhapsodic GG or Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain HN001 cut kids’ risk of developing eczema in half.2

Another study in 2010 on a strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus showed babies exposed to probiotics prenatally & after birth for 6 months were less likely to develop eczema than those not given probiotics. 3

 
Colic
Recent studies suggest that low counts of intestinal lactobacilli may play a role in colic.

It has been shown that administration of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 significantly improved colic symptoms by reducing daily crying and fussing times in breastfed infants with colic with no adverse effects. 4

 
Women’s health
Just like the […]

By |July 14th, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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Is inflammation causing your symptoms?

Key Message: Your body can control the inflammatory response triggered by exposure to bacteria and viruses.

Action Point: Reduce any excess inflammation and include some healthy anti-inflammatory foods in your diet such as turmeric, fatty fish such as salmon and nuts like almonds and walnuts
 

According to researchers at Georgia State University, your body can control inflammatory responses produced by microbial pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. This is very interesting as the findings could lеаd tо the development of nеw ways to treat uncontrolled inflammation.

Thе study describes hоw mуеlоіd differentiation factor (MyD88), a рrоtеіn thаt рlауѕ a mаjоr role in mеdіаtіng hоѕt dеfеnѕе response against invading pathogens, іѕ tightly regulated tо рrеvеnt unсоntrоllеd inflammation.

For the first time it was found that a protein called CYLD, рlауѕ a crucial rоlе іn соntrоllіng the pathogen-induced іnflаmmаtоrу rеѕроnѕе by tаrgеtіng another protein called MyD88.

“CYLD acts as a “brаkе pedal” durіng thе bоdу’ѕ inflammatory rеѕроnѕе to раthоgеnѕ. It turns оff host dеfеnѕе rеѕроnѕеs аnd рrеvеntѕ оvеrасtіvе іnflаmmаtіоn” said Dr. Jіаn-Dоng Lі, dіrесtоr of the Institute fоr Bіоmеdісаl Sсіеnсеѕ аt Gеоrgіа Stаtе аnd a Georgia Rеѕеаrсh Alliance Emіnеnt Sсhоlаr іn Inflаmmаtіоn аnd Immunіtу.

Although an appropriate level of inflammatory response is crucial for combating mісrоbіаl pathogens, it is important that it be regulated as еxсеѕѕіvе оr unсоntrоllеd inflammation lеаdѕ to detrimental tіѕѕuе dаmаgе and a vаrіеtу оf diseases ѕuсh as ѕерtіс ѕhосk, asthma, саnсеr, сhrоnіс obstructive рulmоnаrу dіѕеаѕе аnd еаr іnfесtіоnѕ.

Steroids have been effective at suppressing inflammation, however they are not recommended for long term use as they can cause serious side effects. This study is significant because there is an urgent need to develop new and innovative anti-inflammatory ways to fight inflammation, and these findings could offer an alternative.

Understanding how […]

By |March 10th, 2016|Community Cleanse, Health & Wellbeing, Naturopathy, Nutrition, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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How playtime can optimise your child’s gut health

Key Message: Exercising at a young age can have a positive effect on gut bacteria

Action Point: Ensure you and your children get some level of physical activity each day to ensure optimum health and build a strong gut and immune system
 

The human gut contains over 100 trillion microorganisms and recent research has shown that exercising at a young age can promote a healthier brain and metabolic activity of the course of a lifetime by changing the gut composition.

The research, published in the journal Immunology and Cell Biology, shows that during early human development, there may be a window of opportunity to improve the chances of better long term health.

The positive effects of exercise have been well documented. Physical activity reduces the chances of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and it ensures a range of other functions work properly. Now, a team from the University of Colorado-Boulder believes we can add the digestive system’s microbial community to that list.

Gut microbes are fundamental to the development of your immune system and other neural functions. In fact these microbes can add as many as 5 million genes to a person’s overall genetic profile and therefore have incredible power to influence aspects of human physiology.

During adult life, this diverse microbial community is influenced by various environmental factors such as diet and sleep patterns and although it remains adaptable as we grow, researchers have found that the gut microorganisms are especially ‘plastic’ at a young age.

Monika Fleshner, a professor in CU-Boulder’s Department of Integrative Physiology and author of the study said “a robust, healthy community of gut microbes also appears to promote healthy brain function and provide antidepressant effects”.

Future research will further investigate how these microbes influence brain function in […]

By |March 6th, 2016|Gut health, Health & Wellbeing, Research, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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How your bedtime affects your BMI

Key Message: The length and quality of your sleep can impact your weight

Action Point: Try to get the recommended hours of sleep per night and take measures to ensure your quality of sleep is as good as it can be. If possible, go to bed early at least one night per week
 

No matter what your age, too little sleep and too-late bedtimes may result in weight gain according to new research.

Babies, toddler and preschoolers need plenty of sleep and when they don’t get enough, it takes a toll. Due to busier schedules and more casual bedtimes, kids these days are sleeping less than their parents did at similar ages and going to bed later.

It has been shown that quality of sleep is very much linked to metabolism and any disruption could lead to weight gain in the long run.

A recent study conducted on young adults and adolescents showed that a later bedtime was associated with weight gain regardless of the total hours of sleep. This could be due to a number of possible causes such as eating meals later in the day. In a study conducted last year in Akron, Ohio it was found that there are significant associations between sleep quality, duration, bedtime stability and obesity.

“There is a strong relationship between sleep duration and obesity in both children and adults, in particular between short sleep and obesity,” says Dr Nathaniel Watson, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Not only is the quality of sleep important but also the time of day. Nighttime sleep is associated with the release of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. In addition, untreated sleep disorders such as sleep apnea can reduce people’s motivation to exercise and […]

By |March 2nd, 2016|Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research, Uncategorized, Weight Loss|0 Comments
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The Importance of DHA – Part 2

Key Message: During pregnancy and breastfeeding DHA plays a vital role in foetal and infant brain development and visual function.

Action Point: Maternal intake of DHA is crucial and dietary intake should be increased to avoid becoming depleted, especially during the third trimester when there is significant brain development.
We know that DHA is critical for optimal brain development, health and function at all ages. While it provides support for memory and cognitive function and healthy development of eyes for adults, research has shown DHA supplementation during pregnancy and breastfeeding plays a significant role. It assists with foetal and infant brain development, increases IQ scores, lengthens attention spans, and enhances foetal and infant eye development.

Amazingly, the foetal brain is consuming 70% of dietary energy fed to it by the mother to meet the demands for its rapid rate of growth. Similarly, when the baby is born, it will use up to 60% of the energy from its mother’s milk for growth. That is why adequate maternal DHA intake is vitally important as without sufficient dietary intake, mothers become depleted of DHA and may increase their risk of suffering major depressive symptoms in the postpartum period. 2   Some say that “baby brain” is more likely caused by the depletion of maternal DHA, as it makes up 97% of the omega 3 fats in your brain.

 During the third trimester there is significant development of brain and fat tissues and maternal DHA levels decrease while foetal accumulation of omega-3 fatty acids (mainly DHA) increases. Therefore maternal intake of omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation is crucial as it not only determines the DHA levels of a newborn but also has a significant impact on post-natal development of […]

By |January 27th, 2016|Children, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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What is Resistant Starch?

Key Message: Resistant starch plays an important role in our diet and helps maintain intestinal health
Action Point: Choose whole, unprocessed sources of carbohydrates such as wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes
Resistant starch (RS) plays an important role in our diet. It is a type of starch that isn’t fully broken down and absorbed in the small intestine, but rather turned into short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) by intestinal bacteria. SCFAs can be absorbed into the body from the colon or stay put and be used by colonic bacteria for energy.

The amount of SCFAs we have in our colon is related to the amount and type of carbohydrate we consume. And if we eat plenty of RS, we have plenty of SCFAs. But the most important of these SCFA’s is butyrate, which is actually the preferred fuel of the cells that line the colon. So, by increasing the amount of butyrate, resistant starch feeds both the friendly bacteria and indirectly feeds the cell in the colon. 1
What makes a starch “resistant”?
Most of the carbohydrates in our diets are starches. All starches are composed of two types of polysaccharides: amylose and amylopectin.

Amylopectin is broken down quickly, which means it produces a bigger rise in blood sugar (glucose) and subsequently, a large rise in insulin. Examples are waxy rice, maize and potato starch.

Amylose predominates in RS. Foods high in amylose are digested more slowly and are less likely to spoke blood glucose or insulin. Examples are beans and other legumes.

Not all the starch we eat gets digested and it is therefore resistant to digestion. We call this resistant starch,which acts like soluble fibre.
What are the health benefits of resistant starch?
Eating foods rich in resistant starch nourishes your […]

By |January 17th, 2016|Gut health, Health & Wellbeing, Naturopathy, Research, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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Setting realistic new years eve resolutions

Do you set new years resolutions every year but fail to follow through? The best way to achieve your goals is to make them realistic. Here are my top 4 easy to implement resolutions:

Sugar – instead of stripping every single bit of sugar out of your diet, why not aim to remove all added and hidden sugar. Aim for no more than 5g/100g in any packaged food and stop adding refined sugar to your coffee etc
Stop eating take away – for this to come into reality, it means writing a menu plan, which is a very time saving and cost effective exercise. Imagine not having to think about what’s for dinner! Spend an hour on Saturday or Sunday mapping out your lunch and dinners, then do a batch cook or chop veggies up and store them in airtight containers, make your salad jars up for a 3 day run and simply add your dressing and protein at the time
Weight loss – concentrate on small, consistent changes rather than radical overhaul type changes. Wear a pedometer and aim for a minimum of 8k steps daily, reduce your dinner portions by 20% and ensure you get 7-8hours sleep every night. Research also highlights the importance of gut health for weight loss. By increasing prebiotic foods such as chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, dandelion greens, leeks, onions, garlic, asparagus, broccoli, bananas, pistachios, this increases gut bacteria that helps to regulate appetite hormones.
Remove alcohol – instead ensure that you hit your water and hydration intake by getting in 33ml/kg body weight and using an alcohol points system. For example, a glass of wine is 1 point and you allocate 3 points a week. This avoids blowouts, binge drinking and learning moderation […]

By |December 29th, 2015|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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How to Heal Your Adrenals Naturally

How to Heal Your Adrenals Naturally

Adrenal fatigue is one of the most under diagnosed illnesses in western society. Download a copy of my free ebook to learn about the symptoms and how to heal your Adrenals naturally.

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