The Blog

Carolyn

Where are you going this winter?

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Winter is coming! Eeek. It was here last week in full force with rain and hail and days that didn’t reach over 10 Degrees. People are booking holidays left, right and centre. Fleeing to tropical waters, to places where coconut shakes and fresh pineapple are the norm for breakky and where one can throw on one or two pieces of clothing and you are ready to go. As much as I like to embrace the variety of weather Melbourne has to offer, I am certainly dreaming about a little escapade too!

In the last week I’ve had a couple of friends ask me about what to take on their holiday adventures to stay well. They have been off to the travel doctor and want to compliment that with natural remedies. There are a couple of gems I would like to share with you.

As far as Bali belly goes, there are some amazing anti-parasitic herbs which may really take the punch off some cases of gastro and may even prevent it from occurring in the first place. These herbs have rescued me many times in many countries. My sister took them everyday on African Safari, over ten years ago, in which every one of the 20 people on her tour got sick with diarrhoea after sharing a communal meal, except her. Sounds far fetched I know, but true story. These herbs are also suitable for kids over the age of two.

Immune wise, we are pretty vulnerable when we travel with the excitement and anticipation of the lead up to a trip and then being encapsulated on a plane for up to 20 hours. Taking immune supporting herbs and good old vitamin C can really save your holiday. Of course taking these things prior, as a preventative, is the best and most effective way to do it. Remember herbal remedies are available in tablet and capsule form too, so you don’t need to worry about measuring cups or having extra liquids in your hand luggage.

There are many great natural remedies to help with other things which may pop up on holidays like:

  • Neem oil insect repellent to keep mozzies at bay
  • Tissue salts for blocked sinuses whilst flying
  • Australian bush flower essences for jet lag & resetting your body clock
  • Herbs to knock yourself out during a flight
  • Digestive remedies for sluggish bowels due to eating too many rich and delicious unfamiliar foods

Sometimes using one or two of these natural measures can make a holiday a lot more fun! Tummy aches and viruses can really take the edge off having a good time.

So if you’re going away and you’d like some tips regarding these things contact me so I can help you with your natural remedy packing. Always take into consideration your own personal health requirements and discuss with your health care practitioner before following general suggestions.

Happy holidays! Love and healing

Carolyn x

Remember to always consult with a health care professional before taking herbs and supplements especially if you are unsure, taking medications, have an illness or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Always take into consideration your individual lifestyle and food requirements before following general health advice. Contact Me to make an appointment to discuss your individual and specific health care needs. 

 

 

Carolyn

Chew Food Dude!

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I think people have forgotten why we have these pearly whites – are they really just something to flash when you’re in a good mood and having a laugh? They are for MASTICATION!! You heard me, mastication. The word that sounds a bit rude…… but it’s not! It is actually incredibly important.

Did you know that digestion begins in the mouth? Well actually, it gets stimulated prior to that as we smell, touch and prepare our food. This allows salivation to get going and also stimulates the release of our digestive juices such as stomach acid, bile and digestive enzymes.

So…… why do we vitamise food for babies? Why do we vitamise food for the elderly? Generally, it’s because they both have no teeth to do it for them selves!

There are a couple of other reasons too like bubs have sensitive little developing digestive systems that do better with simple mushed up foods and as we age our digestive function can become way less efficient.

If we miss this vital step of chewing (AKA mastication) food thoroughly, the rest our digestive system is put under a lot of unnecessary pressure making it work harder than need be.

Think about this; there are no teeth further down the tract! The mouth is where mechanical break down occurs and the rest is chemical break down with acid, enzymes and bile plus a little bit of encouragement with peristalsis (the muscle contractions that keep food moving on its way through the digestive tract).

Food lower down that has not been digested properly can sit in the bowels fermenting making us feel bloated, uncomfortable and gassy! Yikes! That’s not good at work or on a first, second or third date.

And even more worrisome this undigested food can look quite foreign to the immune system and may trigger an inflammatory response potentially leading to food intolerances and other inflammatory conditions. Ohh No!

None of these are great outcomes!

And so here is your challenge for the week. Chew chew chew. Take your time when eating. Smell, touch and look at your food! Try and chew each mouthful at least 20 times. Chew your food into a paste before you send it on it’s merry way. Try and eat uninterrupted and without multitasking, be peaceful and relaxed. Don’t shove it in, chomp twice, swallow and run off to do the next thing and wonder why you feel a little sick in the tummy 20 minutes later.

I don’t care if you were one of 10 kids and learnt to eat like a speed demon at age of 2 just to survive. There aren’t exceptions to this rule. It’s really important to change your ways or at least try!

And if you are still feeling bloating, uncomfortable or sluggish in the guts after really trying a bit of thorough mastication there are some great natural remedies to improve & support good digestion that you can discuss with any good Naturopath including myself!
But until then Chew Food Dude!

Love and Healing

Carolyn x

Remember to always consult with a health care professional before taking herbs and supplements especially if you are unsure, taking medications, have an illness or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Always take into consideration your individual lifestyle and food requirements before following general health advice. Contact Me to make an appointment to discuss your individual and specific health care needs. 

Carolyn

The Power of HERBS…

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I am a herbalist. I love herbs and their medicine. They are such an awesome gift to us that can provide such amazing healing potential. Herbs are powerful, they must be respected and understood.

Herbs can raise our vibration with their own vibration. Think about the energy of a plant, how it can make you feel when you see different plants. How strong and proud they are. A plant never questions it’s purpose, it does all that it can to grow and be it’s fullest potential.

Using herbs as medicine can strengthen and support different aspects our physical body. They are usually always multi-tasking, for example, some herbs which have a relaxing effect on the nerves can also be taken to support digestion like Chamomile, Melissa and Vervain.

Some herbs are loaded with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants and are natural “multivitamins” which our bodies easily recognise to absorb and assimilate making us feel great – raising our vitality.

They often work best in their whole form or at least a part of their whole form like the whole root, the flowers or the berries. Nature is so clever and perfect in this way. It is in fact all the constituents working together in synergy which can make them so medicinal.

Creating healing herbal tonics and tea mixes is something that is unique to naturopaths and herbalists. Herbs can be chosen and put together for someone’s specific health needs. I love making herbal tonics, it allows me to get my witch on, to be an artist and create healing intention for my client.

A healing tonic may be great for you if you are feeling exhausted and run down, if you are having digestive problems such as bloating, sluggishness and wind, if you are not experiencing quality sleep, if your immune system is struggling, if you’re grumpy and premenstrual, if you have skin problems such as pimples, eczema or itchiness. Or you may just want a tonic to keep you feeling well and healthy so your body can function at its optimal best. :-)

Contact me if you are intrigued about herbs as medicine, to chat about whether a herbal tonic may be appropriate for you at this time or perhaps if you already know how amazing herbs are and would like to have them again.

Love & Healing
Carolyn x

Remember to always consult with a health care professional before taking herbs and supplements especially if you are unsure, taking medications, have an illness or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Always take into consideration your individual lifestyle and food requirements before following general health advice. Contact Me to make an appointment to discuss your individual and specific health care needs. 

Carolyn

The joy of Cold Sores…

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The joy of cold sores…

So festival camping over Easter was amazing. I had such a beautiful time in the bush surrounded by my gorgeous like minded friends and people, checking out yoga, dance, chanting and other hippy workshops and swimming in a muddy picturesque creek that runs into the Murray. I was pretty at home.

Everything was close to perfect as were the conditions for cold sores to arise.

Sun-burnt lips, munching nuts and chocolate all day, not getting proper sleep due to excitement and too much other good stuff to do and I was struck. Even naturopaths get sick sometimes.

So it’s good to know, if you are cold sore prone, that there are certain times when you are definitely going to be more susceptible, often it’s a few things combined. This may vary from person to person but these are some things to be conscious of:

  • Big changes in temperatures/ change of season
  • Physical Stress to the vulnerable area like sunburn
  • Post cold or flu (lowered immunity)
  • For ladies just before your period
  • Eating a lot of foods rich in arganine (an amino acid which feeds the Herpes simplex cold sore virus) this includes foods such as chocolate, nuts & seeds especially almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, sesame seeds & lamb.
  • Stress (Perhaps the most obvious one – this can also be too much excitement!)
  • Exhausting yourself, lack of sleep, burning the candle at both ends
  • During pregnancy

 

With all that physical stuff aside, on an emotional level cold sores can be triggered when we are feeling irritated, pissed off, angry about something like someone or something is ‘under our skin’ – then it may manifest literally. Can you relate to this? Cold sores may also be linked with feelings of shame as we can’t really hide the fact we are displaying a contagious kissing disease on our face. :( It’s good to make peace with this. This is when bush flowers essences can be amazing to help work through the emotional stuff which is coming up.

So I must say, this cold sore for me was a doozy and the Herpes simplex virus did knock my nervous system and vanity around making me feel a bit vulnerable and out of sorts. I got onto it as soon as I got home by taking antiviral herbs, nutrients and tissue salts, getting some good sleep and avoiding nuts & chocolate all week and it has been healing pretty fast. Thank goodness.

If you suffer from cold sores once in a while or more frequently and you would like to know more about cold sore prevention and speedy recovery contact me to make an appointment because I would love to share with you the natural weaponry against them! :-)

Love and healing

Carolyn xx

Remember to always consult with a health care professional before taking herbs and supplements especially if you are unsure, taking medications, have an illness or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Always take into consideration your individual lifestyle and food requirements before following general health advice. Contact Me to make an appointment to discuss your individual and specific health care needs. 

 

 

Carolyn

Have you packed your Natural First Aid Kit? 

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This may look to you like a crusty bunch of old toiletries but these things, my friends, make up my beloved “Natural first aid kit”. I don’t go anywhere over night without it – not in an anxious something might happen to me kinda way but in a “it’s just so handy to have” way!

Your friends will also be extremely grateful, if you bring it along, when they’ve accidentally had a little too much sun, a nasty mozzie bite or three, sore achey muscles after carrying luggage or if they’ve knocked their shin on your tow bar quite badly when unpacking the car in the dark.

Arnica pills are a great homeopathic remedy for just after an injury, large or small, such as bruising, knocks & grazes.  Homeopathic Arnica helps the body have a speedy recovery and hopefully not so much of a bruise or wound to deal with later. On an emotional level Arnica pills/ drops can also help with the shock of an injury.

Aloe Vera Gel is wonderful on minor sun burn and other minor burns. It also may help to cool itchy, hot & irritated skin.
Put a small amount of aloe vera gel in your palm and add 1 or 2 drops of lavender essential oil, roughly 4 drops of rescue remedy – mix up with your finger in your palm and gently apply to minor sunburn. (Keep essential oils away from eyes and other sensitive areas.)

Rescue remedy Bach flower essences– most of you probably know this one and it is such a godsend! Rescue remedy is excellent to use in times of stress, anxiety, worry or simply when you feel a bit out of sorts. Like the arnica it can be used after an injury for shock. Rescue remedy is extremely safe and can be used in all ages and is also great for animals including the nervous family pet.

Tea tree cream is a great antiseptic – I use it on healing cuts, scratches, boils, sore inflamed skin, infected fingers and nails etc. It helps to kill off bad bugs and can also be drawing for things like splinters and ingrown hairs. It’s great on insect bites and can temporarily relieve the irritation. Tea tree cream is strong so use it sparingly and keep it away from sensitive areas like the eyes.

Fisocream is a muscle and joint pain cream. I use it for sore neck and shoulders (also great if you feel a headache coming on), back pain or if you’ve sprained something. For me, Fisiocream can also be relieving to rub on the lower abdomen for period cramps and pain (add a couple of drops of rescue remedy too).

Lavender essential oil is great in tiny amounts for minor sunburn (see recipe above with aloe vera and rescue remedy) If you’ve had a big and stressful day and need a little help winding down rub a little lavender oil on your fingers and smell it by taking some deep, gentle breaths in and out. Lavender is also antiseptic and great to dab on a pimple (not first aid information I know but in some cases can seem like an emergency!!)

All these things are readily available at most health food stores and many of them are even at the chemist. Use all of the products above as directed on their labels. :-)

So if you’re going camping this Easter, like me, pack your natural first aid kit along with your band aids, tweezers, alcohol wipes and bandages and you will be well prepared!

Love and healing
Carolyn xx

Remember to always consult with a health care professional before taking herbs and supplements especially if you are unsure, taking medications, have an illness or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Always take into consideration your individual lifestyle and food requirements before following general health advice. Contact Me to make an appointment to discuss your individual and specific health care needs. 

Carolyn

How GOOD are YOU at Change?

Me? Well I am so so at it… I am moving house next week and it’s a really exciting and positive change. However, I am still feeling those little hunches of resistance, being a tad sentimental about the place I am leaving and packing procrastination has set in. Lucky I know all about Bottlebrush as an Australian bush flower essence.

Using Bottlebrush as a Bush Flower essence may actually help you adapt in times of change and make it feel a bit gentler, especially for those who need to be coaxed and soothed into it. You know who and what I’m talking about. Physically, Bottlebrush essence may also get sluggish bowels moving. Basically this essence may help us to let go in every sense of the word ;-), embracing change, going with the flow and just trusting life’s evolving, ongoing process.

Bottlebrush is such an unusual and striking Australian bush flower, but really all flowers from our beautiful country are pretty unique and quite captivating with their extraterrestrial looks. As nature gives us gentle clues about how something may be beneficial to us by the way it looks – this flower really does resemble a bottle-brush. We could even use our imagination and think that it could gently sweep through our bowels removing stuff we don’t need to hold onto anymore.

I always add Bottlebrush essence to a tonic for someone who is feeling sluggish and constipated especially when it’s stress related. And like I said it is especially great when undergoing life changes (big or small) like moving house, going up a grade at school, having a baby or just experiencing changes at work. This is a great essence for you if you’re someone who is a bit resistant to or feels a bit uneasy around change – even if it’s a good thing and something you want!!

Flower essences are a wonderful remedy that can have gentle and beneficial effects on both physical and emotional health. Flower essences are super safe to use and can be given to babies, grandmas, pregnant ladies and even the family dog. They are a wonderful tool that, when I was introduced to them, changed my life dramatically! But that’s another story. :)IMG_2911

Remember to always consult with a health care professional before taking herbs and supplements especially if you are unsure, taking medications, have an illness or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Always take into consideration your individual lifestyle and food requirements before following general health advice. Contact Me to make an appointment to discuss your individual and specific health care needs. 

Carolyn

5 Ways to get your sluggish bowels moving

It’s ideal to use your Bowels and for this to feel complete, once or twice a day, everyday. The bowels are after all a major pathway of elimination. If this isn’t the case we can feel irritable, sluggish and pretty uncomfortable. With all the over-indulgence of Christmas and New Years parties, this issue can become worse. There are so many simple things we can do to ensure we are eliminating properly.

1. Fresh warm lemon juice – drink first thing in the morning to gently stimulate the liver and bowels. Squeeze half or a quarter of a lemon and drop the piece including rind into the same mug. Add boiled water and allow it to sit for 10 minutes to cool. Sip this warm lemon drink first thing and have breakfast at least 20 minutes later.
2. Organic Kiwi fruit – eat one a day (including the skin like an apple) – Always buy organic, if you can, especially if you are going to consume the skin. Kiwi fruit contains enzymes which help with digestion and the soften the stool.
3. Ground Linseed/ Flaxseed – Really easy to do yourself – grind flaxseeds in a food processor or nut/ coffee grinder. Make enough for only 1-2 weeks and keep it fresh in the fridge in an air-tight jar. Consume 1 to 2 tablespoons daily on yogurt, stewed fruit, muesli or in a smoothie etc. Make sure you increase your daily water intake when consuming more fibre to soften and move everything through.
4. Hydration – I know this seems obvious and it should be at the top of the list. The whole body works so much more effectively when it’s well hydrated. Imagine doing the clothes washing – putting in the powder and only filling the tub with half the amount of water needed – the clothes are not going to get cleaned properly and the machine is going to struggle.

We humans are generally get a little bit lazy when it comes to drinking good quality, filtered plain water. This does not include other beverages like fruit juice, soft drinks, regular tea and coffee. I suggest to have about 6 glasses of water a day (this is roughly 1.5L) and more if you exercise.
Hydration Hints:

  • Sip water throughout the day – always have a glass or bottle on the go
  • Add mint leaves, a dash of herb tea or fresh lemon/ lime juice to your water jug/glass
  • Have a freshly filled stainless steel bottle of water in your car with a sipper lid for easy sipping
  • Filter your water – Use a Britta jug and replace the filter once a month

5. Movement & exercise – The bowels rely on movement and exercise to be gently massaged and stimulated. This increases the rate at which food travels through the digestive tract, potentially making it softer and easier to pass. Babies are a great example of this as they naturally do a lot of kicking to get things moving before moving their bowels.

Always take into consideration your individual lifestyle and food requirements before following general health advice. Contact Me to make an appointment to discuss digestive support specific for you. Carolyn :)

Carolyn

5 Ways to reduce Pain & Inflammation

There are simple diet and lifestyle changes that you can make that can help to reduce inflammation in your body:

 
1. Include a colourful range of veggies, berries and a small amount of fruit every day plus good fats from wild fish, avocado and fresh raw nuts.
2. Minimise your intake of refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, white rice, cereals.
3. Reduce your intake of red meat (once or twice a week is great) and opt instead for wild fish, organic free range chicken and eggs or vegetarian protein sources such as chickpea, beans and tempeh.
4. Reduce your intake of alcohol, coffee and processed foods high in sugar and salt.
5. Avoid foods you may be reactive to, such as wheat and dairy products.
 
For optimal health, it is important to dampen down the inflammatory response. Pharmaceutical anti-inflammatories are commonly used to help relieve pain and inflammation, however many of these carry risks such as causing damage to your digestive tract. Fortunately there are some safe and effective natural anti-inflammatory and pain relief solutions available:
 
* Turmeric – This Ayurvedic herb has been used traditionally for the treatment of traumatic injury, and to reduce swelling and pain in arthritic conditions.
* Boswellia – Has analgesic, anti-rheumatic and anti-inflammatory actions, as well as being effective for arthritis and pain, it may also assist with inflammatory conditions of the lungs, digestive tract and skin.
* Omega 3 essential fatty acids from fish oil containing EPA and DHA, may reduce acute and chronic pain and inflammation.
 
Remember to always consult with a health care professional before taking herbs and supplements if you are unsure, on medications, have an illness or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Contact Me to make an appointment to discuss natural pain relief suggestions specific for you. Carolyn :)

Carolyn

The Best Belly Bugs

There has been a lot of media talk lately about the importance of the “good” bacteria that live in your digestive tract – Have you noticed? This is for good reason.

Roughly 400 species of good bacteria live inside your digestive tract. In fact, you have more bacteria living inside you than you have cells in your entire body! To maintain optimal health and wellbeing, it is important to have the right balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria making up your intestinal micro-flora. An overgrowth of pathogenic “bad” bacteria can cause various symptoms such as:

* Increase in allergies/ intolerances or eczema.

* Immune dysfunction

* Poor digestive function.

* Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome – constipation, diarrhoea, bloating and/or gas.

Stress, illness, antibiotic treatments, poor diet, excessive alcohol or physical alterations in the gut can all contribute to the overgrowth of “bad” bugs which affects digestion and immune system function. Probiotics can help replenish the “good” bacteria, supporting the integrity and function of the gastrointestinal tract.

 

Scientific studies support the therapeutic use of specific strains of probiotics for different conditions. For the best results, it is important to use the right strain to match your health concerns.

 

Probiotic Strain Benefit to you
Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFMand Bifidobacterium lacitis Bi-07

 

 Suitable as an everyday probiotic to help maintain healthy gastrointestinal function, and restore healthy gut flora, especially after a course of antibiotics.
 Lactobacillus rhamnosusLGG (LGG®)

 

 A restorative strain, beneficial for food allergies and eczema.
 Saccharomyces cerevisiae (boulardii) SB A protective strain suitable for the prevention and treatment of travellers’ diarrhoea.
 Lactobacillus plantarum 299v An anti-inflammatory strain to reduce the symptoms of IBS and inflammatorybowel disease.

 

Contact Me to make an appointment to discuss your digestion and overall heath and whether taking a probiotic could be beneficial for you. Carolyn :)