Hey Goal Getter

How to make your health goals a reality.

With the new year, often comes new years resolutions. I’m not a fan of them myself. But I am a fan of goal setting. Whether that be in the new year or any time of year. Yesterday I created a vision board for my desktop wallpaper to help keep me on track with my goals for this year.

But what do you do if you have a long track record of setting health goals that never become a reality? You get caught up in the daily grind, distracted by other tasks and you never get chance to bring your goals to fruition. 

Here are some ways to smash through common mistakes when setting goals, to help you get to where you want to be.

Common Goal Setting Mistakes and How to Fix Them

If you have a habit of setting then quickly forgetting your goals, you’re not alone. But why is it so common for people to set their goals only to continually overlook them or neglect to put in the work to achieve them? It’s not usually due to lack of willpower or passion but more likely due to a lack of planning or just not knowing how to set yourself up for success and set goals in an achievable way. These tips will help you to make a plan and set your health (or any) goals the right way.

Your goals are too general and vague

If you write “get healthy” as a goal it is very difficult to know what needs to be done and almost impossible to track your progress. You need to break this down into specific goals you are trying to reach.
Get healthy could become:

• Get 8 hours sleep every night or

• Exercise for 30minutes five days a week or 

• Drink 2 litres of water every day 

Think about exactly what you want to achieve - more energy, better muscle tone, improved bowel habits - and then work out what you need to do to get there.

You are setting too many goals at one time

The best way to invite overwhelm and procrastination is to set too many goals at once making it hard to focus on any of them. If your goal list becomes overwhelming, it all becomes too hard and nothing gets done. 

Instead, set a small number of goals, preferably ones that are related to each other. Try to stick to no more than 3 major goals to work on at a time.

In clinic I like to focus on minimal changes for maximum impact. This is how you should also approach your health goals.

You’re Not Making a To-Do List or Tracking Your Progress

A crucial step in setting and achieving goals is assigning the tasks that need to be done in order to achieve those goals and then completing the tasks, so you can see your progress. Make sure you have a goal planner so you can write down what tasks need to be done in order to achieve each goal (download my goal planner template for free). Be as specific as possible here, writing down the name of the task, what you need for that task, when it should be completed, and any other details that are relevant.

If your main goal is to improve your energy, you could set yourself these tasks to get there:

1. Get to bed at 10pm and wake at 6am (8 hours sleep)

2. Eat a balanced breakfast every morning

3. Drink 2L water daily

Once these tasks become part of your normal routine, you can reassess your goal then work on implementing the next set of tasks if needed or move on to the next major goal.

You’re not Being Realistic with the Schedule or Goals

While it is good to be specific with your goals and tasks, you also have to be realistic. Keep in mind how much time you have and what you can actually get done. If seem to keep falling behind, missing goal deadlines or you’re feeling overwhelmed, then you might need to revisit your goal and see if it is realistic at this point in your life, or simplify and break it up into smaller, more gradual tasks. Perhaps it doesn’t matter how long it takes to reach your goal, as long as you are moving in the right direction. Little speed bumps or diversions off the path don’t need to derail all of your efforts. Get back on track and keep working towards your goal, you can do this!

Psssst Goal Getter, I have a gift for you!

I LOVE to-do lists and goal planners. Like really really love. The feeling of satisfaction I get from crossing things off my daily to-do list is THE BEST. I love it so much that I will add items to my to-do list that I have already completed, just so I can cross it off! Sometimes it’s hard to remember how productive you have been in a day, or it’s hard to be productive because you don’t have a plan or to-do list!

Flounder no longer, I have created the perfect goal planning, to-do listing, habit tracking bundle to help you get clear on your goals, set out your tasks, brain dump your daily to-do’s (I put everything on mine - dark washing, light washing, hang washing out, pick washing in, eat lunch, drink water, post blog, post to instagram, reply to client email, return calls, drop Akira to school, pick Akira up, unload dishwasher… You get my drift. Dump it down and cross it off!), and track your healthy habits to solidify your goal getting success.

Oh and it’s completely free. Grab yours below and slay those goals.

FREE GOAL PLANNER

A$0.00

Add To Cart

My Total Hip Replacement - Six months post op

Surgery Day

On the 28th of June 2021, I was admitted to the Mater hospital for a total hip replacement. This was also the day that stricter lockdown rules came in to play and I was not able to have anyone come in to the hospital with me. If you had seen or spoken to me in the 6 months prior to that you would know that I was HIGHLY anxious about this surgery and I actually did not want to get it done at all. I had had a bad experience with the anaesthetic from my prior surgery when I was 17 and I was very apprehensive going into this surgery. So naturally, the moment I stepped into the hospital alone, I burst into tears.. I believe it was sobs, actually. Luckily a few minutes later I realised I had left my X-rays in my mums car so I had to quickly pull myself together to call her and get her to return to the hospital drop off area. There were no tears after that.

The rest of my experience was pretty smooth sailing.. Except for the vomiting (I don't seem to react very well to anaesthetic and it took a while to find an anti-emetic that worked)! My anaesthetist was great. He chatted to me about herbal medicine and told me that his father had actually studied herbal medicine as part of his medical studies when he was becoming a General Practitioner (pretty cool!). He knew that I was worried because of my previous bad experience and assured me that it wouldn't be the same this time. He was right, I didn't even know that he was putting me to sleep. And before I knew it, I was was awake again!

The surgery was less complicated than my surgeon anticipated. I didn’t need any extra bone grafts to build up my previously grafted socket, instead he screwed the socket in to secure it. And I didn’t need a femoral osteotomy to even out my leg length. This meant that my rehab could go along the usual path without needing extra time on crutches for a bone graft to heal.

< The x-ray is in the window at the hospital and you can see the trees through it.. if you were wondering what was going on!

Due to the lockdown I couldn't have any visitors, but that turned out to be OK. It gave me time to rest and concentrate on recuperating. I spent most of my days choosing what I would order next from the room service menu! Yep, the Mater has room service. You literally choose what you want when you want it, and the food is DELICIOUS!

Waiting for surgery

Not long after surgery

Day after surgery

Rehab

My recovery went really well. I had decided early on that I was going to trust my new joint and not be scared to stand on it and use it. Someone I know actually had a double hip replacement a few days before me so every time I felt scared I thought of him and remembered he didn't get a choice to favour his un-operated hip, he had no choice but to put his weight on both of his new hips. So I was going to woman-up, do what the physio's told me, and do my exercise.

I did my six weeks of rehab at my Mum and Dad's house. Akira and I moved in for that time so that they could look after both of us while Jono continued to work. The first week was the hardest. I got really down at one point because I was feeling helpless - my mum was helping me put my undies on and dry my lower legs... And OMG I had NO IDEA how often I drop things until I wasn't able to bend down and pick them up!
A friend messaged to check in on me and I told her I was in a funk. Lucky for friends because she reminded me that there were lots of things I had planned to do while I was recuperating so why not take control of the things I COULD do instead. It was the reminder I needed and from that moment on I used my long handled grabber to pull my undies on and pick up my dropped stuff, and I found a technique to dry my own legs. Once I claimed my power to do what I could, I didn't feel bad about asking for help on the things I couldn't.

The other thing I found really hard was when the dressing came off my wound and I discovered that my surgeon had cut right through my old scar from my surgery when I was 18 months old. I was pretty devastated actually. I had mentioned to my surgeon before going into surgery that I wanted to keep my old scar if possible but it was only a quick comment as he was passing through. I spoke to my physio friend about it and she told me the entry point would be fairly specific and that he only would've entered there if he really needed to. That helped. But it took me a long time to be able to look at my scar without feeling sad. You can still see some of the old scar but it just looks very different. The old one had the big stitch lines going across it like an old fashioned 80's scar and the new one is very neat and clean looking. It's fine, I have accepted it now, I just feel like part of the road map of my life has been erased.

As far as rehab goes, a physio came to the house twice a week for the first two weeks and then once a week for the next four weeks (as set out by the rehab in the home program offered by my health fund). My physio set me up with exercises to strengthen my hips and knees. It shocked me how incredibly weak all of the muscles on my left side were. I literally COULD NOT stand on my left leg without holding on to something and even that was a struggle. My muscles were most likely weaker than the average hip replacement patient because due to my congenital hip defect I had probably never used them correctly. For this reason, six months on I am still seeng my physio every 4-6 weeks and still working to strengthen everything to the best that it can be.

In addition to physio, my rehab included walking. 1000 steps the first week, 2000 the 2nd week and building by 1000 steps each week until I reached 10000 steps/day. I cannot describe how amazing it feels to walk without stiffness and pain. The closest I have been able to come up with is this: you know what it feels like if you walk through thigh deep water? It’s fine for a little while, then starts to get tiring, and after a while its a real struggle to pull your legs through the water to take the next step. That is what it feels like to walk with advanced hip osteoarthritis. You are constantly dragging your leg through the motion of each step. It is exhausting. Now it feels as light as a feather and I can walk and walk and walk and so far I have gone over 11000 steps in a day and still felt I could do more.

Result

The main reason I have chosen to share my Hip Replacement journey through my instagram posts and here is to help other people who are facing hip replacement surgery. Especially those who have arrived here after being born with congenital hip dysplasia, like me. When I was heading toward surgery I was so scared! And even though all of the experts were telling me it was time, I honestly didn’t think I was in enough pain to be at the stage of surgery. Every person I spoke to who had been through a hip replacement told me they wished they had done it sooner and told me I would be glad. But I kept thinking it might not be the case for me. Maybe I wasn’t bad enough to experience the benefits. Let me tell you, I was wrong.

When you have lived your life with pain, you get good at coping with it. I now understand that I have a different definition for what pain is than other people. I didn’t find child birth painful. It was something.. overwhelming, all consuming, intense. But to me, not pain. It had purpose and it had pauses. What I experienced with my hip, I would describe as stiffness and discomfort, not pain. After my surgery, bruising and tenderness, but not painful. To me, something I would describe as painful is breaking your toe. When it throbs and throbs and throbs and you just don’t know if it’s ever going to stop.

So now I understand that when I was asked if I was in pain, I was but I just didn’t realise how much. I also managed it bloody well (read about that here), and I was extremely inactive so didn’t have cause to notice it too much. I was walking a maximum of 5500 step a day prior to surgery, and that was a push, and I was sitting down a lot. Now that I am no longer in pain, I can see how bad it was. Having a hip replacement was THE BEST decision I have ever made. It has changed so many aspects of my life. I have way more energy, I can keep moving all day, I don’t feel tired during the day (I also had an iron infusion the week before surgery so I’m sure that also contributes), I am happier, I can cut my toe nails with ease, I can put on my socks, I can squat down to do something on the floor and stand up without having to hold on to something, I can climb and descend stairs with no hip or knee pain, I have more drive and focus and interest in life. Oh, and I can wiggle my hips!

Life with my new hip is good. I have named her Pip and she is my highlight of 2021.

Advanced Osteoarthritis Protocol & Hip Replacement Pre-Hab

My path towards osteoarthritis and hip replacement surgery

This is a personal story today, based on my experience with congenital hip dysplasia, arthritis and my path towards a total hip replacement.

When I was born (in the 80’s in England), all of the usual checks were done and everything was deemed normal before I was sent home from hospital with my family. My Mum says that she mentioned many times over the next 15 months to health professionals that my left leg was turned in a strange way but she was repeatedly told that everything was fine, my hips weren’t “clicky” and it was nothing to worry about.

When I started to walk at 15 months old, finally they had to listen. I was diagnosed with congenital hip dysplasia that required corrective surgery due to being “missed” during the routine checks. My hip was so far out of the socket that it didn’t click (this was also the case with my niece and nephew, but luckily because of my history, all of our kids are given hip ultrasounds at 6 weeks old and theirs was corrected quickly and without surgery).

At 18 months old I had surgery and was in various harnesses, plasters and braces for a long time after that. I still remember wheeling around on my back using the board my dad made me covered in pink carpet and on casters.

Fast forward to my teens and I would often jump to my feet in the middle of class because I felt like my hip was about to pop out and I was in quite a bit of pain. This lead to another surgery where I was given a bone graft to improve the structure of my hip socket and keep things in place. After this surgery I was in traction for 5 days (similar to that first image above) and on crutches for 3 months. I had for some reason expected this surgery to give me completely normal usage of my hip and at a follow up with a orthopaedic doctor I was basically told to suck it up and that this surgery meant that instead of needing a hip replacement at 25, I now wouldn’t need one until I was 45. So, I sucked it up.

Thankfully, along the way I found myself working in a profession where I would work alongside some amazing physiotherapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, osteopaths, massage therapists and naturopaths. And I learnt that you don’t need to suck it up, there’s actually a lot you can do to improve the pain and mobility of these joints and to minimise the discomfort of osteoarthritis.

I am now 38 (I didn’t make it to the predicted 45), and am scheduled for a total hip replacement in a couple of months. It took me a while to come to terms with the fact that it was time to speak to a surgeon. My osteopath (and colleague, David from Dural Osteopaths) had mentioned it quite frequently, as he knew from years of treating me that my hip was rapidly declining, he was met with denial and refusal. My physio friend saw me walking late last year and was quite insistent that if I didn’t sort my hip out soon, other areas of my body would pay the price (she was spot on, my right knee has become quite dodgy). And eventually I had to “suck it up” once again and commence the path to surgery.

When I took the x-rays above to the surgeon and he assessed me, he told me it was end stage arthritis and that I was definitely a candidate for a total hip replacement. They would be able to operate the following month. I told him I wasn’t ready to book it in yet, which he said was fine but he said “you must be in a lot of pain, I’m sure you won’t want to leave it too long”. And the thing is, I am but I’m not. I have this amazing protocol that keeps me in a pretty manageable state of discomfort, and I know that without this protocol, I would either be in an unbearable amount of pain right now, or I would’ve had the surgery already. I know this because when I stop following my protocol I start to suffer pretty quickly.

My Osteoarthritis protocol

Being a naturopath, I am very lucky to have access to the best practitioner grade supplements and the most up to date research and knowledge when it comes to osteoarthritis treatment. I have treated osteoarthritis in my clients and I have done quite a bit of trial and error on myself. I am not going to give you a one sized fits all regime for arthritis because it doesn’t exist. Naturopaths look at each person as unique and each treatment protocol is also unique, and tapered to that individual. What I am sharing with you here are the herbs and nutrients that have had the most impact for me. I don’t routinely take any prescription pain killers or anti-inflammatories (not that i’m against it if required), and I can count on 1 hand the number of times I’ve taken ibuprofen or paracetamol for hip pain in the past 12 months. This protocol varies to a standard osteoarthritis treatment where we would be working to nourish the joint and help it last longer. I will share one of these with you after my surgery, when I’m working on building my knee back up to prevent further damage. What i’m sharing today is more acute care to keep pain and inflammation manageable in end-stage arthritis (where there’s not much in the way of cartilage left in the joint).

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)

PEA is a game changer for chronic pain and inflammation. I started on a dose of 1200mg daily (taken as 4 x 300mg doses) and now hover between 2-3 doses a day depending on my pain levels and compliance. This isn’t something you take acutely, expecting pain to disappear after one dose. Rather, PEA needs to be taken for 8-12 weeks before most people notice a significant improvement. But once the improvements kick in, they are noticeable. PEA is generally quite safe to use and is safe alongside most other supplements and medications.

Curcumin

Curcumin is derived from turmeric and is well known as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic herb for arthritis treatment. I am taking a high dose of curcumin, far greater than you would likely get by including turmeric in your daily diet (it would equate to over 20g of turmeric root daily). I have tried a number of different curcumin extracts from different suppliers and have settled on one that I find most effective, with a backup option if my first choice goes out of stock. Curcumin can interfere with the action of a number of pharmaceutical drugs so you definitely want to seek advice from your healthcare provider before starting this herb.

Boswellia serrata, Piscidia piscipula & Harpagophytum procumbens

You probably know Boswellia by its common name, frankincense. Boswellia has be proven to reduce pain and improve joint function in osteoarthritis patients. It’s an anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and analgesic herb. Piscidia (Jamaican dogwood) and Harpagophytum (Devils claw) are also used for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, reducing or eliminating the need for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers. These herbs can interact with pharmaceutical medications so practitioner advice and prescription is recommended.

Physiotherapy

As I mentioned earlier, I have worked with a range of fantastic practitioners over the years. The first treatment I received was from a physiotherapist called Sue Brown and she completely changed the way I walked, and it felt like she untwisted my spine. The other physio, who helped me to learn how to walk up stairs in a way that protected my knees and helped to work on my leg length difference was Peta Gosbee. Peta is a friend of mine and also recommended the surgeon I have chosen to perform my hip replacement. These physio’s helped me to gain confidence in my body and take control of my situation. I will be using physio again for pre-hab and rehab around the surgery and have been given some exercises to do at home.

Osteopathy

My hip has never felt as good as it has since I started working at Dural Osteopaths. I am certain that David has kept me moving well and helped to delay my need for a hip replacement. I am currently having osteopathic treatments with David every 3 weeks. I have found that this is the magic number to keep me moving without too much stiffness. David not only works on my hips/pelvis/lower back but also work on releasing my ribs, upper back and neck. It amazes me every time I see him how much more movement I get in my hips after he has adjusted my ribs. Mind blowing!

Remedial Massage

As a remedial massage therapist myself, I obviously value and recognise the benefits of regular massage. At the moment I get a massage approximately every 4 weeks and if I manage to time it within the week before my osteopathy appointment I find both treatments even more effective. My massage therapist Louisa Lin has a similar treatment style to my own and she successfully releases my tight muscles while relaxing me to a state of zen that usually results in me waking myself up with a snort! I also had a treatment with Elizabeth from Natural Tranquility recently when my sacrum was aching constantly. Liz was fantastic and relieved me of my pain in just one 30minute session.

Total Hip Replacement

The above protocol has been fantastic for keeping me moving, able to run (sometimes hobble) around after my four year old, and working over the past year while my hip has been rapidly declining. It’s not a long term solution though and I have come to accept that a new hip should help me gain back more quality of life. With two months until my hip replacement, I am now about to commence my pre-hab protocol which will include all of the above, plus an anti-inflammatory diet and some exercises to improve my recovery outcomes.

I wanted to share this information with you so that if you’re struggling with advanced osteoarthritis, you can see that there is a lot you can do to improve your symptoms and keep yourself relatively pain free. I definitely recommend seeking the guidance of a naturopath for the herbal and nutritional side of things, getting the right quality and right dosages is vital to right outcome. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.

Laura

Is Fish Oil Making You Sick?

Don’t be silly Laura.

Fish oil is anti-inflammatory, prevents cardiovascular disease, reduces arthritic pain, improves brain function,  helps improve skin tone and appearance and is just generally good for you!

Well yes, that is all true. If you’re taking the right fish oil.

Do you get fishy burps after taking your fish oil?

If you do, I have two suggestions for you:

1)      Stop taking it with hot drinks and/or hot food

2)      Chuck it in the bin

It may seem a bit dramatic to tell you to throw away your fish oil supplement but sadly, some fish oil supplements sold in stores are doing you more harm than good.

Rancid fish oil causes disease.

If you get fishy burps after you take your fish oil capsules then chances are, the oil is off. Rancid oils are oxidised (opposite to anti-oxidants) and are very harmful for the body.

One of my reps recently encouraged me to chew one of his companies fish oil capsules. I was hesitant. I really didn’t want to be left with a fishy taste in my mouth all day.. And who wants to see a Naturopath with fish breath?!
He saw me turn up my nose and immediately popped a capsule in his mouth and started chewing. Well, I didn’t want to be a wimp, so I copied. To my amazement I could not taste one iota of fish! In fact I quite enjoyed my fish oil capsule, it was kind of like a lolly! And at no point in the rest of the day did I get any hint of fishy after taste.

The reason I could chew this fish oil capsule so easily is because the oil was clean, pure and fresh. During the manufacturing process it had not been left out in the open air being exposed to oxygen and going rancid.

I always tell my clients, “If there is only one supplement you are going to spend more money on it should be fish oil”. This is not a sales pitch. I’m not salesy at all. In fact, I mostly prescribe liquid fish oil because its a lot cheaper than capsules (and easier to take). This advice is simply because I want to help you improve your health, not make you sicker!

The other problem with bargain basement fish oil is Mercury. Cheap fish oil usually comes from large fish. Large fish are known to retain high levels of heavy metals. Hello toxic fish oil! This is particularly concerning when we are feeding nasty fish oil to kids (often in the form of equally worrisome chewy, coloured fishies). I hate to think that we are filling these little people with such toxic substances.

When you are buying fish oil, read the packaging. It should state on there somewhere that it is from a sustainable source and from small fish.

And for the record; Krill oil is not equivalent to 6 fish oil capsules in 1 (cleverly marketed) capsule. Fish oil is fish oil and no other oil, including krill oil, matches its supreme power.

OK, I got a little bit carried away with my creative writing at the end there. But seriously, don’t believe the hype. Krill oil has been proven to be great for cardiovascular disease. But fish oil has been proven to be amazing for so much more!

Why I follow the 80/20 principle

It's time to set the record straight.

Sometimes people say things to me like "Laura! You're a Naturopath, you can't eat/drink/say/do that!" And it always shocks me when they do, because I feel like I'm pretty open about who I am and what I do. I purposely post photos of coffee, wine, chocolate etc on my Instagram and Facebook pages and I don't pretend to be a fanatical Naturopath.

My policy is that I will never ask a client to do something that I wouldn't be willing to do myself.

I think that's pretty fair.

I look after myself very well. My partner and I cook our meals from scratch, I drink at least 2 litres of water a day, I buy as much organic produce as I can, I eat lots of veggies and fruit and I'm very aware of what foods and drinks my body can't tolerate and I avoid them.

But sometimes I just want to eat malteasers! And sometimes I drink one too many wines and sometimes I eat takeaway. Yes, I am human.

Have you heard of the 80/20 principle?

I haven't always been a Naturopath. I was once a child who loved kingston biscuits, musk lifesavers and rainbow paddle pops. I was once a teenager who went to backyard parties and drank waaaay too many alco-pops, and I was once a twenty-something who spent too many nights at cargo bar drinking QF's and cowboys!

Yes, I'm a reformed sugar addict and binge drinker. And my health did suffer for it.

Now I like to do things in moderation (most of the time). And I like to subscribe to the guideline of 80% for the body and 20% for the soul. This means that while I mostly fill my body with nourishing, nurturing food and beverages, sometimes I'll have a treat.

This principle works really well and I know a lot of Naturopaths and health professionals who also follow this, or similar guidelines. And this is what I expect of my patients.

Having a balance of the foods that love your body and the foods that you love helps you to be happy and healthy in the body and the spirit.

Following the 80/20 rule means that you don't need to feel guilty about having a treat. Give it a go and let me know what you think.

And for the record, when people try to chastise me for having a treat, my usual answer is:

“I’m a Naturopath, not a saint.”

---

Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Getting You Down?

One of the main things I treat in my clinic is the gut. Recently I’ve been seeing a lot of people come in with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) so I thought it was high time I set the record straight about you and that irritable little gut of yours!

Why is your gut so irritated? AKA What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

In my opinion IBS is a shrug the shoulders “I don’t know” condition. This means you’ve had every test under the sun and nothing shows up. You’re not a coeliac, you don’t have crohn’s disease, there’s no diverticulitis, no cancer (thank goodness), nothing showing up in your bloods and nothing that can give you a medically diagnosed condition.

Hurray there’s nothing wrong with you! But something’s still up.
This is when people often receive the “I don’t know” shoulder shrug and “It’s IBS” diagnosis. Which is fine. If we have to put a name on it, Irritable Bowel Syndrome is just as good as any.

What happens next? Are you stuck with IBS for life?

The problem many people encounter once they are told they have IBS is that everything goes quiet. There are no more tests to be done and you’re sent on your merry way with this name for your condition but no solution.

It bothers me that people believe that having IBS is just something they have to live with. “Oh I have IBS which means I get constipated for four days and then have explosive diarrhoea for one day and then I’m normal for a week or two and then I get constipated again.”

Really? You live your life like this and you think it’s normal and OK?

Enter the Naturopath!

Luckily, there are a lot of people who are not willing to settle for a life full of stomach cramps, bloating, running to the toilet and generally feeling crap (pun intended)!
This is when people end up in my clinic saying that I’m their last option and they have heard that a Naturopath had helped a friend of a friend of a friend who had a similar problem. Yep, this is what we do.

How can I help you?

I was explaining what I do to someone the other day and I told them that I think of myself as a “Health Detective”. Pretty corny I know but I actually had to give myself a pat on the back for finally finding the words to explain what I do!

IBS is a condition where the detective work really comes in to play. No two cases are ever the same and it takes a lot of questioning and investigating to get to the bottom of what is causing the problem.

Just as the symptoms can vary dramatically from person to person, so too can the cause. This can range from stress, anxiety and nervousness, to food intolerance’s or an imbalanced diet or it could be that your digestive system isn’t keeping up with its job description and it needs a bit of retraining to remember how to digest and process your food. My job is to work with you to discover what the cause is and then help you to get your body back into balance so that IBS is a distant memory.

What do IBS treatments involve?

Obviously each person will have a different treatment plan based on what is causing their issue. Some of my patients just need to make a small change to their diet and *BOOM* irritable bowel syndrome is a thing of the past. Others need to take herbs to improve their digestive function and others need to start stress management practices like yoga and meditation while I give them herbs to nourish their overactive nervous system.

The key message here is that there is a reason that you have an irritable gut and there is ALWAYS something we can do to calm it down and help it be a bit more friendly and cooperative.

So you have a choice. Live with IBS and deal with the unpleasant symptoms, or join the growing number of enlightened beings and see a Naturopath who can help you on your path to freedom.

If you can't go 100% organic is it worth going organic at all?

Not everyone has easy access to organic food and I often get asked by my clients if it’s worth buying some foods organic and the rest non-organic.

The short answer is:

Yes.

The long answer is:

Organic food, in my opinion, is real food. It has been farmed without the harsh chemicals that are used in conventional farming. These chemicals might be pesticides, fertilisers, weed killers, hormones or antibiotics that if used in the farming process will undoubtedly result in us ingesting those chemicals with the food.

Filling your diet with as many organic foods as possible will lower your exposure to these chemicals, and reducing chemical load on your body has a great impact on your health and wellbeing.

Organic food contains higher levels of nutrients which will help to keep you well and reduce your need to take supplements such as multivitamins and minerals.

Organic food is happy food. This is relevant to vegetarians and carnivores alike. Organic vegetables have been grown in fertile soil, at the proper pace and are usually available seasonally (when they’re fresh). The welfare standard of organic meat is considered to very high plus the animals are not fed waste and genetically modified junk. Generally they are allowed to graze on grass, the way nature intended.

Organic food tastes better. Do the taste test, you’ll see what I mean. If you want strawberries that make your taste buds tingle, apples that taste like an orchard and milk that tastes like your childhood – go organic.

What about the cost? The second most common thing I hear when it comes to organic food is “but it’s so expensive”. My thought on this is that organic food represents the real price of food. Obviously if a carrot has to be left in the ground longer to grow without chemicals, it means that the farmer has a slower rate of production and therefore needs to charge more to cover costs and make a living. I’m cool with that.

Choosing to buy organic is about prioritising your health and quality of food over things like getting your nails done and buying new clothes every week. I choose to spend my money on organic food and to be honest I don’t think the price is that different. Organic fruit and vegetables generally last longer so there is less waste and eating food that makes you healthier means that you potentially will spend less on health care and medications in the future.

So if you’re wondering if you should venture down the organic route when you’re at the supermarket, give it a go! Your meals will be tastier, more satisfying, healthier and fresher and there is no harm in mixing a bit of organic with a bit of conventionally farmed food if that is all that’s available. At the end of the day no matter how your food is farmed, fresh is best and we can just take baby steps from there 

What is a Naturopath?

As a Naturopath, I am a Herbalist and Nutritionist…. With a few extra hidden talents

Every now and then it gets brought to my attention that not everyone knows what a Naturopath is! These are things you forget when you work in the industry!

Each Naturopath is different as we often continue to study throughout our careers to add extra tools to our belts. But generally a Naturopath is someone who works with natural medicines including Herbs, Vitamins, Minerals, Homoeopathics and Flower Essences.

In addition to the above modalities their studies should have included Nutrition, Iridology, Counselling, Pharmacology (to learn about pharmaceutical drugs and how they interact with natural medicine), Anatomy, Chemistry, Biochemistry and courses about symptoms of disease. The older courses, like the one I studied also included body work such as Remedial Massage.

Your Naturopath should have an industry recognised Advanced Diploma or Bachelor level qualification and they should be registered with an association such as ATMS or NHAA. Registration with one of the associations means that their qualifications meet a high standard and it should enable them to provide you with private health fund rebates. It also means that your practitioner is monitored to ensure they keep their knowledge up to date with courses and seminars every year.

As a Naturopath, I believe that it is my role to work alongside other health care practitioners whether that be Acupuncturists, Energetic Healers or GPs. I don’t believe that a one size fits all approach should be taken to health care and I think that every form of healing has its place. Usually its just about finding the right practitioner to suit your needs.

When you are looking for a new practitioner, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Your health is your most important asset and you should feel confident that you have the right person looking after you.

10 reasons to eat Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are likely to help balance blood sugar, improve heart health, reduce inflammation, aid weight loss and improve digestive function. All fantastic reasons to include them in your diet!

I am a little bit obsessed with chia seeds at the moment. I add them to my oat bran of a morning, make puddings, put them in my banana muffins, choc mint brain power bites, smoothies, yoghurt, salads and pretty much anything else I can think of!

Here are 10 reasons why you should add
some chia seeds to your diet:

1. They are high in fibre which improves digestive function and bulks up the stool to make bowels more regular
2. Chia seeds contain all 8 of the essential amino acids making them a complete protein. Protein helps with muscle repair, blood sugar balancing and appetite regulation.
3. They are high in antioxidants so they help to destroy disease causing free radicals.
4. Chia contains good amounts of lots of essential nutrients including calcium, iron, vitamin c and potassium.
5. They are mucilaginous which means they secrete a gel like substance that is nice and soothing and healing to the gut – put some chia seeds in a small amount of water and watch it turn to jelly. Now imagine this in your digestive system. So good!!
6. Can be used to substitute egg. Yep! If you’re allergic to egg you can mix chia seeds with water so it goes all jelly-ish and use that in place of egg in your recipes! To make Chia gel mix 1 part Chia seed with 10 parts water, stir, then let it sit for around 10 minutes
7. Chia is full of omega 3 ALA fatty acids which are anti-inflammatory and good for cardiovascular health as well as arthritis sufferers. If you’re a vegetarian you can use chia seeds as one of your non-meat or fish sources of omega 3.
8. Chia slows the digestion of carbohydrates to glucose which provides a slow release of energy to keep you going and going and going.
9. Chia seeds have been shown to increase HDL cholesterol and lower Triglycerides as well as lower blood pressure all good news for heart health.
10. Chia seeds are gluten free so can be enjoyed by coeliacs and those with gluten sensitivities.

If you are a naughty person who doesn't drink water, you will need to start if you are going to include chia seeds in your diet. A lack of water may result in constipation due to the high fibre content.

While chia seeds are an amazing superfood to include in your diet to boost overall health and nutrition, if you do have any medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, you still need to seek professional medical advice for your condition.

Giveaway - Closed, sorry!

The lovely people at The Chia Cohave given me one prize pack to give away to a lucky Burton Health friend :)

The pack includes:

• 1 x 150g black Chia
• 1 x 150g white Chia
• Sunscreen
• Jute bag with recipe card

Just head over to the Burton Health Naturopathy Facebook page to enter. You will need to 'Like' our page and comment on the competition picture to tell us how you will use your chia seeds if you win. Winner will be drawn on Monday 26th August. Good Luck xx

---

A Naturopaths view on coffee

A question that comes up a lot in my clinic is “can I still drink coffee?” or sometimes it can be a statement “Don’t tell me to give up coffee, because I won’t!”.

Coffee is something that ignites passion in
the hearts of many!

So what is the answer when it comes to your cappuccino, latte, macchiato, flat white, espresso etc? My standard answer is pretty much in line with my whole approach to health: everything in moderation.

It’s important to have balance in our lives and our diets and if coffee makes you happy I’d be reluctant to say you can never have it again. Having said that, there may be cases where I suggest that people do cut it out because it is making their condition worse, for example women suffering menopausal hot flushes, or someone with anxiety or migraines.

My general compromise for a person without these conditions is: 1 good quality coffee per day. What do I mean by good quality coffee? Coffee made by running water through ground coffee beans with an espresso machine, plunger etc. Instant coffee is not OK as it is high in a chemical called acrylamide which has been shown to cause nerve damage and some research suggests that it is carcinogenic (cancer causing).

Studies have shown that if you drink 1 cup of coffee daily your concentration improves. However, more than one coffee daily can reduce your ability to absorb nutrients so no more than one is the rule I impose. Personally, I can’t even drink that much. If I start having one coffee every day, after a few weeks I start to get heartburn and what I describe as a livery taste and smell on my breath. So for me, 2-3 per week is my limit.

Coffee really is a substance that can divide opinions because there are good sides to coffee or more specifically caffeine but there are also bad sides and in my opinion, the bad usually comes from over consumption. So let’s break it down to the good and the bad of that delicious black elixir.

Good:

• As stated above, one cup of coffee per day can help improve concentration and learning.
• Caffeine extracts are used in a lot of fat burning pills to increase metabolism. Studies suggest that caffeine does help with fat loss if used short term.
• Contains antioxidants

Bad:

• Coffee consumption can result in deficiencies of vitamin B1 and other vital nutrients in the body
• Caffeine has been shown to contribute to insulin resistance therefore has the potential to hinder weight loss.
• Coffee can exacerbate anxiety, hot flushes, migraines and long term over use can lead to dysfunction of the adrenal gland.
• Coffee increases blood pressure

Now, you've probably noticed that I've missed one important point from my good list and the main reason why most people tell me they drink coffee; to wake up in the morning. The reason I haven’t added it to the list is because I don’t agree with it. I understand that it feels like coffee is the only thing that gets your brain started in the morning and you just can’t function until you've had a cup but you’re wrong.Caffeine is addictive and this is your addiction talking.

Out of the patients I’ve taken off coffee, whether it’s for a 6 week cleanse or because of a medical condition, 99% of them tell me that they feel better when they’re off coffee, once they’ve made it through the withdrawals of course. Their energy is better and lasts longer, their bowel function becomes more regular, solid and less urgent, their appetite is more balanced and their general feeling of well-being is improved. If you think you’re not addicted, why not stop for 2 weeks and see how you go?

Do you really like the taste of coffee but want to cut out the caffeine? Lots of decaffeinated coffees are made by using chemicals to strip out the caffeine which is not ideal. But you can get decaffeinated coffee that has had the caffeine removed using a Swiss method that is natural (the green beans are immersed in water until there is only 1% caffeine remaining). I recently came across Adelaide company Baristador coffee who make organic coffee in three levels of Swiss decaffeination 70%, 30% and 1% (Decaf). I have been trialing the 1% and 30%. Both are delicious and I have noticed that I am not left feeling dehydrated, jittery or “livery” - this is exciting!

So, you’ve decided your coffee intake is acceptable, you’re not addicted and you’re happy to just have one cup per day. The next question is when is the best time to drink your one cup of coffee per day? I recommend no coffee after midday.

If you are using coffee/caffeine to enhance your performance at the gym then the research points towards drinking coffee before you work out. This is supposed to increase your energy and make you burn more calories. As we know, coffee increases blood pressure as does intensive exercise so I would not recommend this practice for you if you have high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease, please speak to your health care practitioner before using coffee to enhance your work out.

I think, in the morning, with or after breakfast is a pretty reasonable time to have your coffee. On an empty stomach you may find that it makes you jittery so ensure you have something else in your belly. And my number one rule when it comes to drinking coffee – for every cup of coffee you must add an extra glass of water (in addition to your daily requirement) as coffee is dehydrating and must be processed by the body so let’s help it out by flushing the body with pure water to hydrate the cells and aid detoxification.

The info above is my general advice for fit and healthy people. If you have any medical conditions please speak to your Naturopath or health care provider to get a specific answer as to whether you should be drinking coffee or not.

Interview with Steve Davis from Baristador Coffee

1. Why did you decide to start making reduced caffeine coffee?

A few years ago, I went to a naturopath in Adelaide for a general check-up. At the end of the consultation she was telling me she wanted me to abstain from caffeine for six weeks. I knew my head was nodding as she spoke but inside I was shaking my head and thinking, there is no way I'm going to subject myself to vial, decaf coffee.

At that time, I had been perfecting an espresso blend for myself and decided to experiment with a new decaf bean my coffee supplier had obtained. It was much more pleasing than I had experienced previously but it wasn't until I met my current coffee roaster that we were able to extract its full flavour.

With friends 'pestering' me for my blend, I decided to start Baristador Coffee to make it available as a coffee service, rather than a full on coffee conglomerate!

2. What health benefits have you seen since you started drinking Baristador coffee?

I initially found that just going cold turkey from full caffeine coffee to decaf, led to hideous headaches and a really unwell feeling. But as I moved forward with my new health plan in conjunction with my exercise physiologist who encouraged me to move away from my carbohydrate-intense diet towards a more protein-forward diet, I found I 'needed' the caffeine hit less.

In fact, these days I never drink coffee for the caffeine, I drink it for the flavour.

At the same time, I know that fear of the withdrawal symptoms can stop some people from easing off their caffeine reliance, which is why I crafted the 30% less caffeine, 70% less caffeine and decaf options, to make it easier to 'come down'.

3. What is the difference between the decaffeination method of Baristador coffee compared to traditional methods?

A local Naturopath, Phil Sheldon, discussed Baristador Coffee with me on his radio show and was quite impressed by my decision to use a Swiss Water Method decaf coffee. Traditional decaf is made by using chemicals that Phil says are virtually identical to those used in dry cleaning! I couldn't think of anything worse; no wonder that style of decaf tastes awful.

In the Swiss Water Method, the beans are immersed in water releasing some of the oils and the caffeine. The caffeine is naturally removed from the water, and then the beans are resoaked to restore their original flavours before being dried, roasted, etc.

It is worth noting that this natural method does result in some trace elements of caffeine remaining, but I would much prefer that than dry cleaning fluid residue.

4. What is the key to making really good coffee?

This is a personal question, in many ways, because it comes down to your preferences and palate.

Some rules of thumb are:

• Use fresh coffee. Coffee that has been roasted, ground and stored in an airtight bag with a one-way valve for letting unwanted gases escape, can stay fresh, unopened for quite a few months - around 6 months, in my opinion. However, once opened, I suggest using it in 2-3 weeks at the most. Note that some of the coffee you see in supermarkets has already spent 3-12 months in storage and      transit!
• Fill your container. Whatever coffee appliance you use, do not skimp on the coffee. Fill the coffee holder to its maximum height. Most appliances and makers have a specific capacity and to reduce the coffee you use can lead to too much      extraction and lead to the coffee becoming bitter.
• Warm your utensils. It really does make a difference if  you warm cups and makers before making coffee.
• Store in a cupboard. In a proper bag like we use at Baristador, keeping your coffee in a dark, cool cupboard is perfect. I recommend NOT using a fridge or freezer because the condensation that occurs every time to remove and replace your coffee can spoil your coffee very quickly.

Perhaps the best advice is to point you to my most popular blog post ever: Three reasons why your cup of coffee tastes bitter 

5. Do you have an interesting coffee fact or quote you’d like to share?

Actually, I have a surprising book. It is called, The Various Flavors of Coffee: A Novel, which I picked up on impulse in an op shop. It is an exotic story about a man involved in the beginning of the organised coffee culture in the 1800s. I learned a few things about coffee, blushed during a few scenes and was quite moved in parts. Not what you expected, I'm sure.