It may be unappealing to think about, but there are about 10 billion bacteria living in your gut right now and your survival depends on keeping them healthy and happy.

So today, I want to introduce you to your gut bugs – the bacteria living in your gut that helps to digest food, produce vitamins, prevent bowel cancer and keep your immune system balanced.

For a start, did you know that your gut bug flora is very different to that of your great grandparents 100 years ago?

In my opinion, this may go a long way towards explaining such changes in our health these days, particularly when it comes to our kids’ health. Increases in conditions like eczema, asthma, learning and behavioural challenges and a massive increase in auto immune conditions can all be linked back to changes in our diet and gut flora.

Good Vs Bad Bugs

Probiotics are “friendly” bacteria or “good bugs” that live in our digestive tract. Unhelpful bacteria also live in our digestive tract, and it really is a dance to balance the two. When harmful bacteria outweigh the good bacteria, we suffer from what is called ‘dysbiosis’, resulting in bloating, gas, constipation and wind.

Over time dysbiosis (and also food allergies or intolerances) cause the breakdown of our digestive tissue. Once the tissue becomes damaged, food particles and bacteria get out into the blood stream where our immune system has to clean them up. If the immune system spends the majority of time fixing this process, it is unable to focus on more serious immune issues, leaving us exposed to more serious conditions like eczema, asthma, IBS, obesity and autoimmune conditions.

Daily Bugs

Probiotics act as a shield to protect the gut, enhance the immune system and help with everyday detoxification. Taking a probiotic capsule every day can be an easy way to boost the function and numbers of beneficial bacteria in your gut. Maintaining a healthy balance of bacteria can assist with positive health effects to improve:

• Digestive Disturbances
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• General immune function
• The frequency of cold and ‘flu symptoms in children
• The incidence of eczema, allergic rhinitis and food allergy
• Reduce the side effect of antibiotic use

Personalise Your Bugs

Just like people, different bugs behave differently in the body, so your naturopath at Mullen Natural Health will select a probiotic blend that matches your symptoms. Here are some examples of how specific good bugs can help:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and BifidobacteriumlactisBi-07 reduce the frequency and duration of upper respiratory tract infections in young children, significantly lowering symptoms of fever, cough, runny nose
• L. plantarum 299v reduces the frequency and severity of abdominal pain and bloating in people with IBS in just four weeks
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG (LGG®) is clinically proven to assist eczema and allergies
• Probiotics are completely safe for use in pregnancy, providing multiple effects for mother and child making them an excellent choice for pregnancy support.

Feed Your Bugs

To give your good bacteria the best possible chance of improving your gut health, you need to make sure they have enough fuel. What do gut bugs thrive on? Pre-biotic foods like:

• Brown rice
• Carrots
• Cacao (organic)
• Green tea
• Almonds (organic & activated)
• Apple cider vinegar
• Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, organic miso and coconut yogurt

Finally, remember…

No one is perfect, we all have our ‘cheat’ moments. Research shows that even one day of eating processed foods can significantly change the balance of bugs in the gut so it’s important to use a probiotic capsule everyday.

If you want to learn more the benefits of good bacteria and the crucial role they play in our health, take a look at the ABC Catalyst program ‘Gut Reaction’.

Yours in health,

Peter

Are you feeling frustrated and drained by your health?

Click here to discover how to boost your gut health naturally, which can in turn help you to lose weight, regain energy, support your immunity and even help to ward off cancer.

Think of your Naturopath as being able to see the forest for the trees. Unlike other health services, Naturopaths look at ALL aspects of your health, taking into consideration of your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.

Naturopaths help you work out an individual plan for your ideal health, and then help you implement it. If they believe you would benefit from further treatment, a good Naturopath will help you coordinate referrals to trusted professionals in the specific order that you need.

Do you want to find out more about how naturopathy can help you?

Click here to download our free guide that answers some of the questions you may have about what a Naturopath can do for you.

A Naturopath will provide you with an understanding of your current health and how your diet, lifestyle, relationships, stress and workplace has contributed to where you currently are.

We also offer:

• Specialised testing to uncover the underlying issues, including: iridology, zinc, live blood, salivary cortisol, stool testing, food intolerance
• Access to the best natural therapies and medicines available
• Someone who listens to your health concerns and works with you to set simple, achievable goals to help you start feeling well again
• Coaching and support every step of the way
• The ability to regain your health, happiness and vitality

Do you want to find out more about how naturopathy can help you?

Click here to download our free guide that answers some of the questions you may have about what a Naturopath can do for you.

Last week I shared my excitement about a brand new feature at Mullen Health – the TGA-approved CR3000 mini pathology lab.

What’s so exiting about a new testing machine, I hear you ask?

Firstly, it will help us examine how your diet, exercise and natural medicine is working in even more detail. (You can read my blog on that here)

Secondly, and my focus for this week, is how we can now clearly determine yourrisk of developing type 2 diabetes with the HbA1c test.

What is HbA1c and why does it matter?

HbA1c is more commonly known as glycated hemoglobin. Simply put, hemoglobin is an oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells that becomes glycated when it is exposed to blood sugar.

High levels of glucose in your blood stream will produce abnormally high amounts of glycated hemoglobin, which is an indicator of poor blood sugar control and either pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.

Why am I so excited about this test?

Currently GPs only use the HbA1c test to monitor someone who already has type 2 diabetes. But there is growing research to suggest this test should also be used to monitor people who may not yet have diabetes, but may be travelling down that path.

Why? Red blood cells have a lifespan of 8 to 12 weeks, therefore the HbA1c test is able to measure blood sugar control over a 2-3 month period instead of just measuring blood sugar at a particular day and time.

As a result, unlike the oral glucose tolerance test, Hba1c can be performed at any time of day and does not require any special preparation like fasting.

Can you see why I’m excited now? Having access to this test, which you would otherwise be unable to have, can show early indications that you may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. And early detection means you can work to lower your levels of blood sugar and avoid this chronic illness.

To learn more about this test and how we can help you, please don’t hesitate to call us on (02) 4961 4075 or email us at [email protected]

Yours in health,

Peter

Did you know it’s possible to manage, improve and even reverse diabetes and blood sugar problems naturally?

Click here to download our free guide on how natural health can help you to manage your diabetes naturally.

Until recently, you have probably never even heard of cacao. Growing up, mum would use cocoa in all her cooking – chocolate brownies and muffins, slices and rum balls all heavily featured cocoa powder.

Now, cacao is considered a healthier alternative. But do you really know the difference? And no, the answer isn’t just a few vowels!

Both cacao powder and cocoa powder both come from the same source – the cacao bean – but there is a big difference when it comes to nutrition.

Cacao

Cacao is the purest form of chocolate – it’s basically the raw, unprocessed form.

The cacao fruit tree produces pods, which are cracked open to release beans. Raw cacao powder is made by cold-pressing the uncooked cacao beans, meaning they are unprocessed and additive free. Cacao therefore contains more antioxidants and retains its nutritional benefits of fibre, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, calcium and essential fatty acids.

There are many health benefits of cacao, including lowering insulin resistance and blood pressure, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, protecting your nervous system and boosting your mood!

Other products made from the cacao fruit tree include cacao butter (made from the white, fatty lining of the bean) and cacao nibs (beans that have been chopped into edible pieces).

Cocoa

Cocoa powder may look the same, but there’s a very big difference – heat treatment. Cocoa powder is raw cacao that has been roasted at high temperatures, destroying its nutritional benefits and changing its molecular structure.

Interestingly, it’s not currently known whether heating raw cacao destroys some of its health benefits. However, starting with the raw, unprocessed form of chocolate is always going to be better for you.

Here is a recipe from our friend Collette at Cut Out The Crap that uses cacao to make a delicious and healthy treat!

Have you been living with a health condition for years that hasn’t responded to conventional medicine effectively? Or are you simply not feeling your best?

Click here to download our free guide with tips and steps you can take to feel well again, naturally. This guide covers everything you need for healthy living – diet, sleep, stress and supplements.

We often talk about a ‘gut feeling’, but there’s more to that saying than you might realise.

Your gut plays a crucial role in your feelings and mood, as well as your overall mental health, and can even contribute to conditions like anxiety and depression.

Naturopaths call the gut ‘the second brain’ because more messages are sent from your gut via the vagus nerve to your brain than the other direction. Also, up to 90 per cent of your brain’s neurotransmitters are produced in the gut.

How can an unhealthy gut play with your mind?

There are three ways your gut can impact your mental health.

Firstly, symptoms of gut inflammation (such as bloating, cramping and IBS) can cause confusing messages to be sent from your gut to your brain, increasing levels of anxiety.

Secondly, if you’re also suffering from a leaky gut, toxins crossing the gut wall cause inflammation, which has been linked to brain fog, anxiety, depression, Autism and behavioural problems like ADHD.

Finally, if you have too many bad bacteria in your gut, this imbalance decreases your body’s ability to respond to stress, and leads to a myriad of other health conditions, from autoimmune to mental health.

How to rebalance your gut and clear your mind

Studies have shown the greater the number of different bacteria in your gut, the less chance you have of experiencing anxiety and depression or an exaggerated stress response.

The best way to encourage a healthy gut flora is to increase your intake of both prebiotic and probiotic foods, as well as taking a good quality probiotic supplement.

Probiotic foods introduce a wide range of healthy bacteria to your gut, while prebiotic foods encourage the growth of those good bacteria in your gut.

I’ve included for you a list of the best probiotic and prebiotic foods to add in to your diet for good digestive health.

Taking a probiotic supplement has been shown to improve symptoms of anxiety by reducing cortisol, as well as improving the mental symptoms of people suffering chronic fatigue, depression and anxiety.

When it comes to choosing the right probiotic supplement, you need to choose one that has been well-researched or you will be wasting your money.

The best probiotics include strains that can survive the acid environment of the stomach and actually reach the large bowel, where they are most effective.

PROBIOTIC FOODS:

Dairy:

• Kefir yogurt
• Yogurt containing cultures must be fermented for 24 hours to be effective. This does not include store bought yoghurt. Learn more about fermenting at our upcoming talk – Natural Remedies for Gut Health on 9th August.

Grains:

• Real sourdough bread made from a starter

Soy:

• Tempeh
• Miso Soup
• Natto

Drinks:

• Kefir Milk
• Kombucha tea
• Fermented Kvass
• Apple cider vinegar

PREBIOTIC FOODS

Vegetables:

• Garlic
• Onion
• Leek
• Shallots
• Spring onion
• Asparagus
• Beetroot
• Carrots
• Fennel bulb
• Green peas
• Snow peas
• Sweet corn
• Savoy cabbage

Fruit:

• Ladyfinger bananas
• Custard apples
• Nectarines
• White peaches
• Persimmon
• Watermelon
• Grapefruit
• Pomegranate
• Dates
• Figs

Legumes:

• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Red kidney beans
• Baked beans
• Soy beans

Nuts:

• Cashews
• Almonds
• Pistachios

Grains:

• Barley
• Rye
• Couscous
• Brown rice

If you have any more questions, you can call us to book a FREE 15 minute chat with one of our Naturopaths to see how we can help you. Call now on (02) 4961 4075.

Yours in health,

Peter Mullen

Are you feeling frustrated and drained by your health?

Click here to discover how to boost your gut health naturally, which can in turn help you to lose weight, regain energy, support your immunity and even help to ward off cancer.

If you feel like the number of children with food allergies is greater now than when you were at school, you would be right. The instances of food allergies have increased in the past 15 years. When I was at school, there was no such thing as a list of foods you couldn’t bring due to allergies, but these days every school or childcare has restrictions on certain foods like peanuts, tree nuts and eggs.

But when it comes to allergies and intolerances, do you know the difference?

What is an allergy?

Allergies affect 1 in 20 children and about 2 in 100 adults.

It is an immediate abnormal response by your immune system to a substance that it decides is harmful – known as an Immunoglobulin E (IgE) response.

To ‘fight’ off the ‘invading’ substance, your immune cells release chemicals like histamine, which results in symptoms like breathing problems, hives and rashes, coughing, vomiting, swelling and more.

In some cases, this reaction can be life-threatening, such as when a person goes into anaphylaxis.

The most common food allergens include:

• Cow’s milk
• Egg
• Peanut
• Tree nuts
• Shellfish
• Sesame
• Soy
• Fish
• Wheat

Common environmental allergens include:

• Dust mite
• Pollen from grass and trees
• Pets and animals
• Mold spores

What is an intolerance?

Food intolerances affect 17% of Australians, or 3.8 million people, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

An intolerance is still an immune response, but it is a different kind of response – called Immunoglobulin G (IgG).

Intolerances are generally not life threatening and can take hours or days to develop any symptoms. For this reason, they can be much more difficult to identify. Some people live with the symptoms of food intolerances for years without realising the cause.

Another difference between intolerances and allergies is that intolerances build up over time. You may really enjoy a bowl of cereal and a coffee, but over time, too much dairy may start to cause you issues. Interestingly, the foods you eat most regularly are often the foods you become intolerant to, such as dairy, wheat, gluten, egg and nuts.

So how do you tell if you have a food intolerance? The symptoms include:

• Chronic stomach aches
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Headaches or migraines
• Recurring infections
• Skin rashes or hives
• Asthma
• Eczema

Children may present other signs and symptoms, like:

• Colic (in babies)
• Hyperactivity
• Poor concentration
• ADD, ADHD
• Fibromyalgia
• Bed wedding
• Rash around the mouth
• Chronic runny or congested nose
• Dark rings under eyes
• Red ears and cheeks

If you suspect a food intolerance is the issue, our comprehensive Food Detective Food Intolerance Test is the best option. Using just a small pinprick, Food Detective tests for intolerances to 43 foods and gives you results in just 40 minutes. We can also arrange to test for a larger number of foods if necessary.

You can also check out our blog on food intolerances in kids.

If you have any more questions, you can call us to book a FREE 15 minute chat with one of our Naturopaths to see how we can help you. Call now on (02) 4961 4075.

Yours in health,

Peter

Do you suspect you have a food intolerance?

Click here to download our free guide on food intolerances, including advice on the common types of food intolerances and allergies, the symptoms you should look out for, the testing process for food allergies and how to manage intolerances naturally.

By now you will have heard questions are being raised about the safety of taking vitamins and dietary supplements on both the ABC’s Four Corners and the Project on Channel Ten, rehashing a story that aired in America on PBS Frontline.

But before you get caught up in the hysteria, I want to point out some important facts that have been overlooked by the media.

Firstly, the story concentrates on American standards of manufacturing and regulatory practice, which cannot possibly be compared to the high standards and consumer protection mechanisms we have in Australia. American supplements are regarded as foods, and subsequently do not have the strict manufacturing processes and regulatory controls we have here.

Our industry operates within one of the most tightly-regulated systems in the world, where products are manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and strict safety and quality regulations are enforced, ensuring that responsible, evidence-based and high quality products are available to consumers.

Australian supplements are made in TGA-approved facilities with strict guidelines and are fully accountable. The Therapeutic Goods Administration even ensures that any health claims regarding the supplements being manufactured are evidence-based, further protecting the consumer from unrealistic claims. This is unfortunately not the case in the USA or for the supplements you can purchase online.

In fact, the Australian regulatory regime for complementary medicines is viewed by most countries as the benchmark for protecting consumers. It is not fair or realistic to compare our system to the USA.

While I feel the story was biased and not applicable to what actually happens in Australia, it does highlight some very important points…

I do believe that too many people are self-prescribing and this is why I am really passionate about people actually going and getting advice – proper advice from a qualified practitioner. They will take into consideration your individual health, any medication you are taking, including potential interactions, as well as your diet and lifestyle, and will prescribe you something that will actually work for you.

If you are self-prescribing at this point, I would recommend you check-in with a practitioner to go through your supplements to make sure you are not taking uneccesarily products and ensure you are taking the right dosage and the best quality products for you.

If you are importing supplements online from companies such as iherb – a word of warning. You really are taking a risk with your health because of the fact that those products do not have to go through our strict TGA regulations and standards, meaning can’t really be sure of what you are getting.

I do, however, feel that there could be higher industry standards even in Australia. For example, I will only use products of companies which I know do their own testing, rather than outsourcing.

For instance, one of the companies that I use lists in each product where the herb has come from, how much of that herb is in there, what strain of herb and what part of the herb has been used, and they guarantee how much of the active constituant is in each tablet. This means that you are actually getting what you are paying for.

This is important to understand because this level of quality control is not something that is done with all supplements in Australia at this time. This is why I only prescribe practitioner-only supplements and herbal medicines from companies I know have the highest standards of quality control. If you are buying supplements from your health food store, your discount chemist or the supermarket, ask yourself, am I really getting what I am paying for? They may be cheap, but do they actually contain enough of the active constituents to be effective?

The bottom line is that you shouldn’t panick and think your supplements aren’t safe, or what was represented in the USA is happening in Australia, or for you to get any flack about taking supplements. Please feel free to share this blog if you need some back up!

While there were some valid points in what was discussed, this was not an accurate or truthful representation of Australian quality control standards. I hope this puts your mind at ease, and as always, if you have any questions, please ask!

Yours in health,

Peter

Have you been living with a health condition for years that hasn’t responded to conventional medicine effectively? Or are you simply not feeling your best?

Click here to download our free guide with tips and steps you can take to feel well again, naturally. This guide covers everything you need for healthy living – diet, sleep, stress and supplements.

One of our favourite health food gurus, Lee Holmes, is coming to Newcastle to launch her book Eat Right for Your Shape in a special night for Mullen Health clients!

In her own words, Lee Holmes explains what her sixth cookbook in the Supercharged Food series is all about:

Eat Right for Your Shape takes a fresh look at the ancient healing system of Ayurveda and applies it to the way we eat and live. This book has been cooked up in the Ayurvedic kitchens of Kerala, where I spent time last year studying Ayurvedic nutrition and cooking.

Originating in India, Ayurveda presents a holistic approach to feeling well and living in harmony with yourself and your surroundings. It is a union of the mind, body, senses and soul.

Through nutrition, yoga and meditation, it focuses on treating the individual as a whole rather than a specific issue or disease, so that you can achieve balance and good health, not only in your physical body, but also in your mind and spirit.

Immersing myself in Ayurveda and its philosophies inspired me write a practical based book with an emphasis on balance and self care.

In this book, I’ll show you how to apply Ayurvedic principles to your life. I cover eating habits, digestion, daily routines, yoga and meditation.

One of the starting points 
is establishing your own particular dosha or constitution to enable you to tailor the principles and recipes to suit you. There’s a comprehensive questionnaire in the book to help you do this.

Following that is a chapter on basic yoga poses and breathing exercises unique to you to help pacify your dosha or shape, and I’ve included over one hundred and twenty delicious and nourishing recipes that correct your doshic imbalance, in order to create harmony, weight management and health.

In the book I offer a wealth of practical advice to eat right for your own dosha or shape.

I believe that this is more than just a book about losing weight and eating right for your shape. It has been the hardest book I’ve ever written but it’s the one I’m most proud of.

I’m hoping that it becomes a book that you can turn to at any point in your life to get in touch with your constitutional needs and understand how to bring harmony into your life through food, nutrition, mindfulness and meditation.

I want you to be able to use this book in your own kitchen and feel excited about the recipes, enjoying their special and unique feel-good curative capabilities.

The ingredients used in this book come directly from nature, and I’ve included nutritionally dense foods with potent healing properties so that you can enjoy food the healthy way.

One of the big attractions of the recipes is that they’re created with simple ingredients that are grown and picked in tune with the seasons, which makes them so full 
of flavour and undeniably satisfying. A home truth about Ayurveda is its emphasis on freshly prepared earth-based foods. Big tick!

Whatever size you are or desire to be, the recipes and principles in Eat Right for Your Shape will help you to bring your body into balance so that you’ll become the size and shape you were always meant to be.

When you learn and implement achievable and simple practices and embrace nutrition, based on Mother Nature, you’re more in tune with your uniqueness and that is where you’ll find true contentment, health and happiness.

The book embraces guiding principles rather than strict rules. This isn’t a restrictive fad diet like so many others endorsed in the Western world as a result of our reliance on processed foods and changing food systems. It’s a balanced and considered approach to lifelong health, one that will give you complete control over the interplay of your bodily systems to keep your true self feeling balanced, healthy and calm.

I hope you’ll jump on board this adventure with me and find balance and happiness in your life.

My mantra; ‘following your own path will serve you greatly when adopting Ayurvedic principles, so let go of comparing yourself to others and make your own way to your preferred weight and maximum health’.

If you are intersted in learning more, you can purchase Lee’s book online here or if you have questions for one of our Naturopaths, call us for a FREE 15 minute chat on (02) 4961 4075.

Have you been living with a health condition for years that hasn’t responded to conventional medicine effectively? Or are you simply not feeling your best?

Click here to download our free guide with tips and steps you can take to feel well again, naturally. This guide covers everything you need for healthy living – diet, sleep, stress and supplements.

There are more than 350 food additives approved for use in Australia. They appear in everything from cake mix to taco seasoning and more than likely can be found in food items that you least expect. Have you ever wondered how safe these extra ingredients are to eat?

Whilst these additives are all approved by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, there is evidence to suggest that some may in fact be harmful to you and your family.

Even if you think you can read food labels, that don’t always tell the full story. Clever loopholes in legislation and the labelling system allow companies to avoid having to list all the chemicals they use to produce our food. This permits companies to either omit additives from the ingredient list completely or list it under a generic, less alarming name.

Today I want to arm you with the information you need to read labels properly and to make informed choices while shopping for your family.

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to spot an additive – they go by both names and numbers so you need to be aware and conscious of what to look out for.

1. Artificial Colours

Colours are distinguished by the 100 range of numbers. The additives are used to add or restore colour to foods make foods appear more appealing and appetizing. Think of sugary cereals or flavoured chips, they often appear so vibrant and perfect in colour. The worst offenders:

• Tartrazine (102) – can induce hives and asthma
• Allura red (129) – linked to hyperactivity
• Ponceau 4R also known as Cochineal Red (124, E124) – linked to hyperactivity, banned in the USA for links to cancer

2. Preservatives

Preservatives protect food against deterioration and improve the shelf-life. They are identifiable by the 200 number range and have been linked with intolerances, particularly in people with asthma. Look out for:

• Sorbates – commonly used in fruit sauces, drinks, baked goods, cured meats, yoghurts as well as home care products plus so much more. Sorbates are linked to migraines and hypersensitivity reactions like itching of the eyes, throat, mouth and skin, runny nose and congestion
• Sulfites – used in wine and dried fruits. These can trigger wheezing, throat tightening and coughing and can lead to the degradation of B vitamins
• Benzoates – commonly added to soft drinks, cordials and fruit drinks. Benzoates may trigger allergic reactions and have also been linked to hypersensitivity
• Propionates – added to breads, cakes and pastries to inhibit mould growth. Propionates are linked to hyperactivity in children. Calcium propionate can cause behavioural changes like irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbances
• Nitrates – used in processed meats and has been classified as a probable carcinogen to humans by the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research for Cancer

3. Antioxidants

Antioxidants appear in the 300 number range and are used to prevent or slow down oxidative deterioration of foods. A perfect example is fresh salmon, have you ever noticed how vibrant the colour of salmon is when you purchase it? Untreated the vibrancy of this fleshy red colour would oxidise to a dark brown but with the help of antioxidants, the fish appears as if it was caught fresh off the coast that very same morning. Now the term antioxidants is misleading because as a general rule we assume all antioxidants are health promoting, but this isn’t necessarily true. Yes, antioxidants found in wholefoods (eg: vitamin C found in strawberries) are powerful nutrients that reduce oxidative stress and promote hundreds of helpful physiological functions in the body, this is because they work synergistically with other nutrients and polyphenols found in that food. Selective antioxidant additives however, do not benefit the body the same way.

• Butylated hydroxyanisole aka BHA (320) – is found in margarine and spreads, cereals, gum, potato chips and oils. It’s listed as probable carcinogen to humans by the World Health Organisations’ International Agency for Research for Cancer, but is still among the commonly-used preservatives in packaged foods.

4. Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners appear in the 900 and 420 number range. They give products sweetness without raising blood glucose levels and without less kilojoules than regular sugar. They were once touted as the answer to eliminating sugar from our diets but we now know the many health implications of eating these additives. Some of the worst include:

• Aspartame (951) – commonly found in diet (low sugar, low fat) foods and soft drinks, it can be found or rather hidden behind names like Nutrasweet and Equal. A 2007 study found feeding rats aspartame increased risk of leukemia, lymphoma and breast cancer. Aspartame has also been associated with migraines, weight gain, insomnia, depression, anxiety, rashes, heart palpitations and even Multiple Sclerosis.
• Acesultamine-K aka Acesulfame Potassium (950) – a chemical sweetener found in Diet Coke and Coke Zero, it contains methylene chloride – a known carcinogen.
• Cyclamate (952) – Cyclamate has been banned in Canada, the UK and USA for many years due to links to cancer, it is however, still approved for use in Australia.

5. Flavour Enhancers

Arguably the most well-known of alarming food additives are the flavour enhancers found in the 600 number range. As the name suggests flavour enhancers make foods hard to resist by triggering a neurological response that keeps us coming back for more.

• Mono-sodium glutamate aka MSG (621) – found in Asian cuisine and added to soups, stocks, sauces, instant noodles, chips and snack foods. Often disguised under many names; glutamic acid, yeast extract, hydrolysed protein, natural flavour or umami. MSG is often associated with a collection of symptoms including headaches, numbness and tingling. Regular consumption has been linked to obesity, eye damage, headaches, fatigue, disorientation, depression and so much more!

6. High fructose corn syrup and cane sugar

We often hear a lot about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is added to every single processed food in the United States. And we mean, everything! There are 80 million acres in the United States dedicated to the production of corn as the addiction to this additive is so ingrained in the culture. In Australia we don’t use HFCS, instead we rely on sugarcane as our crop of choice and readily add this to most of our processed foods as our addiction to sugar is almost as strong.

HFCS is made up of 55% fructose, 45% glucose, while cane sugar is 50% fructose, 50% glucose – and they function in the exact same way, to make food sweeter. In Australia, sugar as an additive can be listed as one of over 50 different names, which is a clever way to disguise it if you are only looking for the word ‘sugar’ in the ingredients list. HFCS and cane sugar raise blood glucose and insulin levels causing energy to spike and then crash. Additionally, due to the high fructose content of these additives they metabolise to fat more rapidly than other sugars, they raise triglycerides impacting cholesterol levels and causing weight gain.

7. Trans Fats

Trans fats are a by-product of hydrogenation, a process used to turn healthy oils into solids and to prevent rancidity. They were officially banned from all foods in the USA in May 2019 as research had shown they were no longer considered safe for consumption. Unfortunately, there are still present in packaged and processed foods in Australia and alarmingly are not required to be included on a nutritional label unless the manufacturer has made a claim relating to cholesterol or other fats.

Trans fats are commonly found in deep fried foods, commercial cakes and pastries, canned soups, cake mixes, crackers and snack foods, margarine, dips, frozen foods and popcorn. Trans fats are a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, they increase the low-density lipoprotein (LDL’s) cholesterol in the blood, also known as bad cholesterol and decrease the good cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

The 5% loophole

Earlier I mentioned clever loopholes that allow companies to mislead consumers with their labelling. The 5% loophole means that if an additive is equivalent to less then 5% of the total ingredients, it does not need to be listed. For example; “Chicken Flavour” tactfully disguises MSG as an ingredient in some snack products.

Armed with this information you needn’t be nervous, you should feel empowered. You don’t need to learn these chemical names and complex numbers by heart, set yourself simple guidelines when navigating through food additives:

• Remember wholefood is best, steer clear of processed foods where possible
• If it contains a number in the ingredient list, it’s probably not worth eating
• If it contains more than five ingredients OR you can’t pronounce an ingredient, put it down
• If it looks highly processed, assumed its full of additives

For more information on food additives, we recommend these resources:

The book The Chemical Maze by Bill Statham

Website: Food Intolerance Network – providing independent information about the effects of food on behaviour, health and learning

Website: Food Standards Australia and New Zealand – for a full list of additives by alphabetical names and numeric identification.

If you have any more questions, you can call us to book a FREE 15 minute chat with one of our Naturopaths to see how we can help you. Call now on (02) 4961 4075.

Peter

Is your kid always sick? Do you suspect he/she has a food intolerance? Difficulty concentrating? Gut problems?

Click here to download our free guide containing tips and advice on naturally managing your kid’s health, including foods and additives to avoid, boosting their immune system, managing screen time, and what to feed your kids for better health.

Are you wasting your money on supermarket vitamins?

A question I’m often asked is: “Why can’t I just buy the same supplements at a health food store or the supermarket where it’s cheaper?”

The answer is simple: not all natural medicines are created equal.

Well it’s a little bit more complicated then that, but let me explain.

The ingredients:
Naturopathic supplements contain the highest-quality ingredients, while supermarket supplements often contain low-grade, cheap alternatives.
For example:the multi-vitamin Centrum contains the least absorbable form of calcium, calcium carbonate. Whereas our naturopathic supplement Calcitite from Metagenics contains calcium hydroxyapatite, which is a highly-absorbable form of calcium and the most similar to human bone.

The extras:
It’s unfortunate that with a lot of supermarket supplements, you can’t be sure of the hidden extras you may ingest in the form of toxins and unnecessary additives. We only stock naturopathic supplements from companies that can assure us of the quality of their excipients and fillers. Our products are also quality assured, meaning the freshness of the supplement is guaranteed – it hasn’t been sitting on a shelf for months like supermarket vitamins.

The dosage:
The dosages of naturopathic supplements have been clinically tested to produce therapeutic results – they are stronger, meaning you will need less of them to get the desired benefits. Have you ever looked on the back of a supermarket vitamin container to see that the recommended dosage is 6 tablets a day to get the proper effects? No thank you!

The advice:
There is one more benefit to buying naturopathic supplements, and that is the advice that you will get from your practitioner. We know whether a product is right for you, how much you should be taking to get results, and whether or not it will interfere with your current medications. We’ll also monitor the effects over time and make recommendations as you go to ensure that you’re always getting the vitamins and minerals you need.

That’s what we’re here for, so please, let us help you get the right supplements for YOU! Don’t waste your money on supermarket supplements that aren’t effective.

Have you been living with a health condition for years that hasn’t responded to conventional medicine effectively? Or are you simply not feeling your best?

Click here to download our free guide with tips and steps you can take to feel well again, naturally. This guide covers everything you need for healthy living – diet, sleep, stress and supplements.

You know that you get withdrawal symptoms from drugs and smoking, but did you know you get them from coming off sugar, caffeine and any food intolerances?

Don’t worry though. If you’re feeling tired and moody right now, with a raging headache, it’s actually a good thing – it’s your body starting to detox.

Interestingly, the greater your symptoms, the more toxic your body has been.

You may experience tiredness, headaches, mood swings, constipation and diarrhoea. It can also aggravate other symptoms you already have, like rashes, aches and pains.

The good news is, this is all a normal part of the withdrawal process and it should generally only last a few days, depending on your body’s toxicity. Trust us, it will all be worth it in the end!

To ensure you get through withdrawal with minimal symptoms, drink plenty of purified water, take the recommended supplements and of course call us on (02) 4961 4075 if you are concerned.

Have you been living with a health condition for years that hasn’t responded to conventional medicine effectively? Or are you simply not feeling your best?

Click here to download our free guide with tips and steps you can take to feel well again, naturally. This guide covers everything you need for healthy living – diet, sleep, stress and supplements.

I grew up without a microwave in the 1960s. Shocking, I know. How on earth did my mother cook for a family of six? Vegetables were boiled, meat was grilled or baked and food was fresh.

If you came home late from rugby, your dinner was sitting on a plate over a pot of hot water, with a saucepan lid on top to keep it warm.

Now microwaves heat food in 30 seconds by bombarding them with electromagnetic radiation.

But how much do we actually know about how they change our food or what effect this has on our health? Not much.

History of the microwave

The first microwave was invented by accident. After World War II, American engineer Percy Spencer was working on radar technology when he noticed that the microwaves from an active radar set he was working on melted the chocolate bar in his pocket.

The first food he deliberately cooked with a microwave was popcorn, and the second was an egg, which exploded in the face of one of the experimenters.

It wasn’t until 1967 that microwaves became affordable for the general public, which when you think about it, makes them relatively new technology in the history of gathering and preparing food.

My problem with microwaves

In my opinion, there hasn’t been enough studies done, or enough time passed, to determine the long-term effects of eating microwaved food.

From what is known, here are a few of the issues I have with microwaves:

1. Microwaving your food creates URPs (Unique Radio-lytic Products) – which are compounds with an unknown but potentially dangerous effect once consumed. URPs increase oxidative damage in the body, which has been linked to both cancer and cardiovascular disease.

2. Microwaving zaps the nutrients from your food – a number of studies have shown that microwaving negatively impacts the nutrient levels in food, so if you’ve spent money on fresh, organic produce, you may be throwing it out the window. For example, one minute of microwave cooking was enough to deactivate its allinase, garlic’s principal active ingredient. Another study found broccoli cooked in the microwave lost up to 97% of its antioxidants compared to 11% when steamed. Microwaving can also destroy the essential disease-fighting agents in breast milk that offer protection for your baby, as found in this 1992 study.

3. Microwaves are unsafe for breast milk – as well as damaging the milk, microwaving also creates hot spots which can potentially burn your baby if they go unnoticed. The Australian Breast Feeding Association does not recommend the use of microwaves for warming breast milk or formula.

4. Plastic + microwave = dangerous toxins – microwaving your food in some plastics causes the leaching of numerous toxic chemicals from the packaging into your food. One to be particularly wary of is BPA (bisphenol A), which is known to disrupt your hormonal balance and has been linked with cancer, behaviour problems, cardiovascular problems and obesity.

Cooking has changed a lot over the years as we’ve become time poor and accustomed to convenience. But I can tell you from experience that it’s both possible and preferable to cook without using a microwave. A few changes in the kitchen will have tremendous results for your health, and you can start by pulling the plug on your microwave.

As always, if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section below. And if you want more information or would like to book an appointment, please call us during business hours on (02) 4961 4075.

Have you been living with a health condition for years that hasn’t responded to conventional medicine effectively? Or are you simply not feeling your best?

Click here to download our free guide with tips and steps you can take to feel well again, naturally. This guide covers everything you need for healthy living – diet, sleep, stress and supplements.

Supporting Cancer Treatment with Natural Therapies

You may have been led to believe that the only route to treating cancer is our medical system. But chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are designed to do one thing – to reduce or eradicate cancer in your body.

What you may not know is that natural therapies can play a vital role in supporting your body during cancer treatment, and getting you the best health outcome available.

Before I go into how Naturopathy can support cancer treatment, it’s important to understand that Naturopathy views cancer as a chronic disease developed over a long-term period. While there are many things you can do to help prevent cancer, this week I want to focus on what you can do once you have been diagnosed.

Change your lifestyle:

There are three major areas of your life that impact how your body responds to cancer treatment. The benefits of these cannot be stressed enough.

• Exercise – in the past, people being treated for cancer were often told to rest and reduce their physical activity. This is sound advice if movement causes pain, shortness of breath or rapid heart rate. However, newer research suggests that exercise is not only safe and possible during cancer treatment, but it can improve how well you function physically, as well as your quality of life. We recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, five days a week.
• Sleep – less than eight hours sleep a night is, in my opinion, sleep deprivation. Your adrenal glands (stress coping system) recover between 9pm and 1am, so it is important to get to sleep early. A good night’s rest is also important for liver detoxification, which happens between 1am and 3am. You want to make sure you’re giving your body every chance to recover of a night.
• Stress management – stress exacerbates all five of the key drivers of cancer, so it is crucial to recognise if you are under stress and develop strategies to cope. Meditation or gentle yoga are great ways to take a moment to relax, de-stress and ensure your mind is up for the battle you’re facing.

Change your diet:

• Drink filtered water to reduce your exposure to contaminants – ensure you’re drinking at least 2 litres per day.
• Eat a range of coloured fruits and vegetables to stimulate your immune system and give your body essential vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Think red capsicum, orange carrots, yellow lemons, green spinach, blue blueberries and purple eggplant. Dark green veggies are full of nutrients and are definitely your friend!
• Eat organic foods – they contain higher levels of essential nutrients and importantly, they aren’t covered in nasty pesticides.
• Reduce your red meat intake – it’s harder to digest and places strain on your detoxification process and is often full of added hormones.
• Boost your intake of protein by eating good quality fish and vegetarian sources of protein like lentils, beans, nuts, chickpeas, eggs and yogurt.
• If you eat grains, make sure they are whole grains – breads with a high glycemic index raise your blood sugar quickly which can have a negative impact (see Insulin Resistance below).

How a Naturopath can help:

Naturopaths focus on assessing and treating five key areas that can contribute to the progression of cancer.

1. Inflammation – this is the body’s response to trauma, which can distract the immune system from fighting abnormal cells. Long-term inflammation can be the result of infections, allergies, leaky gut, arthritis, toxins (heavy metals), or even surgery (root canal).
2. Immunity – an unbalanced immune system can also compromise the body’s ability to recognise abnormal cells. Immune balance can be affected by low-grade chronic infections (such as glandular fever, herpes virus, mycoplasma and chlamydia), chronic allergies, medications (steroids), chronic stress and dietary and lifestyle factors such as sugar, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco.
3. Hormonal – your hormones can create an environment which stimulates the progression of abnormal cells into cancer. Addressing this imbalance is particularly important for both breast and prostate cancers, which often feed on oestrogen.
4. Insulin Resistance – if you eat an excess of sugar and carbohydrates over a long-term period, your cell insulin receptors may start to fail, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. Your pancreas responds by producing more and more insulin to combat the sugar-overload, causing excess inflammation and fuel for cancers.
5. Digestion & Detoxification – similar to chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the majority of cancers occur over a long-term period due to unhealthy dietary and lifestyle choices. It is extremely important to address these areas to optimize your body’s ability to detoxify (liver function) and restore balance.

You should always seek the advice of a qualified Naturopath experienced in the area of cancer support. If you are under medical care, your doctor should be advised of any natural medicines you are taking.

For more information on cancer support or to see a Naturopath, call us on (02) 4961 4075.

Are you looking for more support?

Click here to download our free guide containing information on how natural health can help support your cancer treatment.

Many of us know of someone who has made a change to their lifestyle, usually through diet and exercise, and achieved incredible results. At the same time, another person will have made the same changes but will not have achieved the same outcome.

Unfortunately, there is a misconception in that the non-responders must not have complied (or even cheated) with the diet and exercise plan.

What if that is not the case? Why does this happen?

There’s a good reason for it – your genes are to blame for up to 70 per cent of your weight problems. Lifestyle and environmental factors make up just 30 per cent (Weighing it up – Obesity in Australia 2009).

Genes influence your ability to maintain a healthy weight. When it comes to food, they affect what you should eat, right down to the level of total fat, saturated fat and carbohydrates you can tolerate. They even influence how much fat you absorb from food, your appetite control and satiety. Some people are genetically prone to overeating, more inclined to want high fat, high carbohydrate food, and feeling like they have not had enough to eat.

Your genes also determine the best type of exercise for you to burn body fat and how prone you are to rebound weight gain.

Your genes also impact how your hormones, liver function, level of inflammation and toxicity affect you. Some people are just genetically more prone to having a weight problem.

Knowing this, you can see why it is SO important to understand how to eat and move in a way that your body will respond to. Weight loss is NOT simply about calories in and calories out. It is far more complex and is different for everyone.

How can you find out which of your genes are causing your weight problems?

Our new Fitgenes genetic profiling tests for 24 genes associated with fat metabolism, as well as a further 30 genes that influence your ability to maintain a healthy weight.

For example:

One of the genes tested is ADRβ2 – this gene is involved in mobilizing fat for energy production in response to stress. If your gene test results show an orange or red dot, this indicates decreased function and decreased ability to burn body fat. An orange or red dot in your report indicates an increased risk of obesity, weight gain, difficulty losing weight and rebound weight gain, as well as a decreased tolerance to carbohydrates. From this result, we can then recommend the individual diet, exercise and nutritional supplements needed to ‘turn up’ this gene to normal functioning capacity.

If you think genetics is playing a role in your weight problem, book your Fitgenes test to find out what you can do about it. Call us on (02) 4961 4075.

Yours in health,

Peter

Struggling to drop those extra kilos?

Click here to download our free guide on weight loss to discover our top tips on losing weight and keeping it off naturally.

It’s that time of the year again – the weather is getting cooler and it’s almost time to start swapping your summer smoothies for winter greens.

So we thought we’d take the opportunity to give you a quick refresher on how to concoct a green smoothie that tastes great and is full of goodness!

If you have tried (and failed) to make a green smoothie that you like, or haven’t caught on to the craze, there are plenty of reasons to give this super-drink a go:

• It incorporates more greens into your diet – kale and spinach are some of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat
• Blending makes these nutrients easily accessible to the body
• It helps you ‘go’ (you know where)
• It’s filling – great for a snack or breakfast on the go
• It’s naturally alkalizing

So how on earth do you make one?

Green smoothies can be anything you want them to be – but there are a few basic guidelines (see image).

If you are time-poor you might also like to try preparing your smoothie ingredients at the beginning of the week. Just place all your chopped up ingredients in a snap-lock bag, freeze, and then take out and blend each day.

Have you been living with a health condition for years that hasn’t responded to conventional medicine effectively? Or are you simply not feeling your best?

Click here to download our free guide with tips and steps you can take to feel well again, naturally. This guide covers everything you need for healthy living – diet, sleep, stress and supplements.

Are you still searching for the perfect things to make on Christmas Day? Here are some healthy, gluten free and grain free recipes we love making from some of our favourite cooks and authors. Click on the links below to find the full recipe. Have fun baking.

Stuffins

Looking for a simple, healthy dish this Christmas? Stuffins are a great idea to take to someone’s house and serve before your main meal or perhaps a side dish to your main meal. This recipe has kindly be shared by Sarah Wilson from ‘I Quit Sugar’. To see the full recipe, click this link here.

Prawn and Mango Salad

This Prawn and Mango Salad is a fresh and delicious dish that the whole family will enjoy. This recipe has been kindly shared by Melanie Avery from Let’s Party Additive Free and can be found in her book ‘Let’s Celebrate Christmas Additive Free’. To see the full recipe, click this link here.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Cashew and Spinach

If you want to try something adventurous, why not try Stuffed Tomatoes?  An exotic way to incorporate a host of delcious in-season vegetables into one glorious mouthful. This recipe has been kindly shared by Lee Holmes from Supercharged Food. To see the full recipe, click this link here.

Baked Maple Chicken with Sweet Potato

Baked Maple Chicken and Sweet Potato is fantastic main dish for the Holiday Season. The combination of different flavours will certainly be a hit with the family. This recipe has been kindly shared by Melanie Avery from Let’s Party Additive Free. To see the full recipe, click this link here. 

Zucchini and Smoked Salmon Fritters

Fritters are always a great easy meal to make, and these Zucchini and Smoked Salmon Fritters are delicious. Melanie Avery has also shared this recipe from Lets Party Additive Free. To see the full recipe, click this link here. 

Honey Mustard Vegetables

Honey Mustard Vegetables are a great way to add a little extra flavour to your vegetables. A perfect way to compliment your Christmas dish. All the above dishes from Melanie Avery can be found in her cookbook – Let’s Celebrate Christmas Additive Free. To see the full recipe, click this link here.  

HOW TO FIND THE BEST OF THE REST AT HUNTER MARKETS

How many times have you been to the farmers markets? Do you ever find it difficult to find what you want at the best quality and price?  Maybe the idea of going to the markets seems all a bit too hard?

If you would like to give the farmers markets a go, but you find it a little daunting to get the best produce, this guide is for you. Last week I took a look at the best veggie stalls in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, and the week before we served up the best fruit. Today, it’s all the other stuff! Meat, milk, eggs, bread, honey, treats – you name it, you can find it at the markets.

Wootton Valley Meats (and more!)

Jim’s outstanding quality meat from a family farm in the beautiful Wootton Valley, 14km inland from Bulahdelah. His beef is Angus and cross Hereford/Sant-Gertrudis beef, which is pasture fed, hormone free and tastes delicious. Jim also sells lamb, chicken, eggs, and honey (see below) and gives the best service going! This is where I buy all my meat and chicken from and I really recommend his lamb and chicken as they are just outstanding.

A quick word on buying honey from the markets – yes you will pay more than the supermarkets, but trust me, it will taste better than anything you can get from there. Supermarket honey has generally been through a heat-treatment process which makes it look better, but affects the taste and kills off any of the beneficial yeast and enzymes which are responsible for activating vitamins and minerals in the body. So natural is much better for you!

Over the Moon Milk

This Jersey milk is creamy and delicious – nothing like what you’ve been buying from the supermarkets. The milk is pasteurised and bottled in the old-fashioned way, one small batch at a time, and is not mixed with milk from other dairies. It is non-homogenised, with cream on the top – the way nature intended.

Over the Moon milk is sold by Karl & Cathie Johnson and comes from Ian & Sue Lindsay’s dairy farm in the Hastings Valley (near Wauchope). Their herd of Jersey cows are grass fed, with no pesticides or man-made fertilisers  used in their pasture production.

Sherallee Goat Milk

If you’re sensitive to cow’s milk – goat’s milk may be an alternative for you to try. It still contains lactose, but is more completely and easily absorbed than cow’s milk. And how lucky are we that we have access to family-owned Sherallee Goat Dairy which sells fresh, unpasteurised goat’s milk from Cooranbong?

Bills Certified Organic Stoneground Sourdough Breads

Sourdough is a great low-gluten option for those who want an alternative to normal white or brown bread. It is made with a starter and usually contains better quality flours than you would find in supermarket breads. Bill’s breads have no added yeast or sugar, no chemical pesticides, no artificial preservatives or flavourings.

They also do a delicious Kamut Sourdough, an ancient grain which has a great buttery flavour and is higher in vitamin E, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Phosphorous, Magnesium and Zinc. Kamut is not gluten-free, but is a good option if you are on a low-gluten diet.

The Banana Bread Man Bakehouse

Looking for a gluten free banana bread? The Banana Bread Man Bakehouse make gluten-free banana bread with 100% real fruit. The amount of potassium and fibre in bananas may help combat atherosclerosis, or the hardening of arteries that can lead to heart attack and stroke. Their Honey, Oats and Cinnamon bread is another delicious option which is dairy-free, nut-free and cholesterol-friendly, meaning you can enjoy a slice toasted with a herbal tea as a guilt-free weekend breakfast.

Thai Food

Peter’s Thai food at Newcastle Farmer’s Market is both delicious and healthy for you, and I always make sure to get a couple of curries to have in the freezer, ready for a quick meal. Just defrost and add tofu or chicken and veggies, and you’re good to go.  It contains no preservatives, no artificial colours, no artificial flavours and no added MSG.

Bon Chai

Chai is a mixed-spice tea from India which has become very popular here. It’s a good alternative for those who’d like a hot beverage, but aren’t drinking caffeine and don’t want the sugar-hit of a hot chocolate. I don’t normally like Chai all that much, but this one is delicious and is based in Newcastle!

Kentholme Condiments’ Worcestershire Sauce

This sauce is handmade, with no preservatives and adds a delicious flavour to your food!

Chickens

Did you know you can also buy chickens from the markets in Newcastle? I’d love to have the space for chickens. If you’re lucky enough to have some room, these market chickens lay eggs and are a great addition to the backyard!

Dominic The Flower Man

This is my one little indulgence – a bunch of flowers for work and a bunch for myself. Flowers make any space feel lovely and alive, and it always makes my day seeing Dominic.

Dog Treats

Teacher’s Pet doggy treats are great – they ship worldwide and don’t contain any of the nasties that you find in supermarket treats. Dogs need looking after too! I buy a packet every week for my little dog.

If you live in the Hunter region, here are the two main farmers markets you can find these stall-holders at: 

Newcastle: Held most Sundays at Newcastle Show Grounds or Hunter Stadium and now every Wednesday afternoon / evening.

Speers Point: Held 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month at Speers Point Park. Note: They tend to have less stalls so not all of the above stallholders are guaranteed to be there, although there is quite a bit of crossover. 

I’m really excited this week about a brand new addition to the Mullen Health team… the CR3000 mini pathology lab! I know that might not sound all that exciting, but hear me out.

As naturopaths, our main focus is to help you achieve better health. But how do you know if your natural medicines, healthy eating and exercise are paying off?

While we currently use several methods to monitor your progress, this machine allows us an insight into one very revealing indicator of your health: oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is an imbalance in the production of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) and antioxidant defenses in the body.

A certain level of oxidative stress is a normal part of the aging process, however excessive oxidative stress is associated with degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and has also been linked to the development of cancer.

Causes of excess oxidative stress can include:

Physical:

• UV rays from the sun and radiation
• Poor sleep quality

Chemical:

• Processed foods including additives, preservatives, poor quality carbs (sugar) and trans fats
• Exposure to pollution and toxins in water and air
• Toxins in personal care products
• Pesticides
• Antibiotics or hormones such as those found in animal products
• Smoking
• Drinking alcohol
• Illegal and prescription drugs

Biological:

• Viral and bacterial infections
• Immunological reactions, allergy and autoimmune
• Human metabolism – day to day.
• Overtraining, aerobic and endurance exercise.

Antioxidants from our diet as well as specific antioxidant supplements work to decrease the activity of free radicals, whileproviding the raw materials for the body’s own powerful antioxidant Glutathione. 

So how does the CR3000 test for oxidative stress?

• The Free Oxygen Radical Test (FORT) measures your level of free radicals
• The Free Oxygen Radical Defence (FORD) measures antioxidant capacity
• The difference between these tests will reveal your level of oxidative stress.

As you can see, testing oxidative stress is an excellent way to not only measure how fast you’re aging, but also whether you’re at risk of degenerative diseases.

Retesting your level of oxidative stress allows you to see that your dietary, lifestyle and antioxidant supplementation is in fact having a positive effect on your long-term health.

But do you want to know the best thing about this machine? It measures WAY more than just that. In next week’s post, I’ll share how it can help you avoid developing type II diabetes.

To learn more about this test and how we can help you, please don’t hesitate to call us on (02) 4961 4075 or email us at [email protected]

Yours in health,

Peter

Your thyroid affects so many aspects of your overall health, from your weight to the way you feel. So it is important to make sure that it is functioning well.

If you believe you have an overactive or underactive thyroid, the first step is to determine the cause. You can get familiar with each of these conditions in our comprehensive reports here and here.

But today I want to share with you some basic steps that everyone can take to improve the function of their thyroid.

1. Take supplements – there are several essential nutrients for thyroid function that many people just don’t get enough of. These include (but are not limited to):

• Iodine
• Tyrosine
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Vitamin D
• Iron / Ferritin (stored iron)

One of the most effective ways to correct these deficiencies is to take supplements, as correcting low thyroid function through diet alone is almost impossible. Our Naturopaths specialise in determining what your specific needs are so that you can be prescribed the right supplements and herbal medicines for you. Remember, overactive and underactive thyroid conditions need different treatment, so it is important to seek advice.

2. Address your stress – stress and adrenal fatigue directly impact the health of your thyroid, which you can read more about in our previous blog. Three quick tips for helping reduce adrenal fatigue are to:

• Increase your intake of vitamins B6, B5, C and Zinc.
• Get to bed early and sleep for a minimum of eight hours. Your adrenals repair and recover between the hours of 9pm and 1am.
• Work on recognising your stress triggers and developing strategies for either preventing these or dealing with them in a more mindful way.

3. Sort out your diet – the food you eat can help to improve your thyroid function. There are a few simple rules to follow for good thyroid health:

• Avoid gluten and dairy (casein protein)
• Eliminate refined foods – sugar places extra stress on your adrenals and thyroid
• Eliminate stimulants like caffeine
• Eat regularly to ensure healthy blood sugar levels
• Increase your protein intake, and ensure you have a good balance of protein to complex carbohydrates, as well as good fats
• Increase intake of seaweed, coconut oil, brazil nuts, seeds, carrots and sweet potatoes

4. Exercise – exercising increases the output of thyroid hormones as well as causing tissue to be more sensitive to thyroid hormones. In other words, it works! Aerobic exercise is the best type for hypothyroidism as it gets the heart pumping, burns calories and elevates your mood. Aim for 30 mins, 4 to 5 times a week. We recommend swimming as a great low-impact aerobic exercise.

If you suspect you may have an overactive or underactive thyroid, call the Centre on (02) 4961 4075 to book a FREE 15-minute chat.

I look forward to hearing from you,

David

Do you want to find out how natural health can help treat your thyroid condition and discover some of the super foods to eat and diet principles to follow to help balance your immune system? 

Click here to access our free guide – Natural Remedies for Thyroid Health.

Are you trying to fall pregnant after being on the pill for years?

I frequently see women who have been on the pill for a long time and, when the time comes to start a family, struggle to conceive. Unfortunately, they often didn’t realise or were not made aware of the fact that the pill can affect fertility.

So how does the pill work?

When I talk about the pill, I refer to all synthetic hormone contraceptives including the mini pill, the combined pill, implants such as mirena (TM), Inter Uterine Devices (IUD’s), and patches.

The majority of these synthetic hormone contraceptives contain a mix of oestrogen and progesterone that prevent the uterus from releasing eggs. They also work to thicken the mucus in the cervix, preventing sperm from getting through.

The pill affects:

• Your hormonal balance – it can take quite a long time for the menstrual cycle to return to normal after going off the pill.
• The production of mucous, which transports and nourishes sperm
• How your body metabolises essential nutrients for conception such as Folic acid and Zinc.
• Your relationship, by changing the pheromones you find attractive

So what can you do if you’re struggling to conceive after being on the pill?

Firstly, give yourself time. A review of studies comparing reversible forms of contraception found a majority of women were able to get pregnant in the 12 months after they stopped taking the pill. Ideally, you should ensure you are off the pill for at least 3 to 6 months before trying to fall pregnant. This will give your hormone levels a chance to return to normal.

It is also important for both partners to follow a period of pre-conception care in order to ensure your eggs and sperm are of the best possible quality. This includes detoxifying your system using a program like our free two-week clean eating challenge (CLICK HERE). Follow this up with four months of clean, healthy eating. A supportive natural fertility treatment program may also be beneficial during this time.

If you have any questions about the pill and your fertility, please don’t hesitate to post below, or call us on (02) 4961 4075.

Yours in health,

Peter

Are you planning to have a baby? Or are you already pregnant and looking to provide the best start for your new family member?

Click here to download our free guide on natural fertility, preconception and pregnancy to discover the steps you and your partner can take to boost fertility and make a healthy baby naturally.

Does your child find it difficult to cope with stress? Do they experience emotional mood swings, and a sensitivity to light and sound? Do they have a learning difficulty or struggle listening in a noisy environment?

They may have a little-known but common condition called Pyrrole Disorder.

Never heard of it? I’m not surprised. Many GPs don’t know about it, but it is a disorder that is becoming more prevalent in both children and adults alike.

In fact, 10 per cent of the population have it – it’s even higher among those with mental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia and depression. That means that in a typical class of 25 to 30 kids, two or three have it and won’t be learning or behaving well.

But while adults develop coping mechanisms to deal with these symptoms, kids often find it much more difficult.

Let me tell you first about what it is…

Pyrrole is a genetic blood disorder that results in a dramatic deficiency of zinc, B6 and arachidonic acid – a long-chain omega-6 fat.

Although there are many signs and symptoms of Pyrroluria individuals will usually only exhibit a portion of these and each may vary in severity from one sufferer to the next.

Common symptoms to look out for include:

• Anxiety
• Auditory processing disorder
• Craving for high-sugar and high-carb foods
• Delayed onset of puberty
• Fatigue
• Hyperactivity
• Insomnia
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Joint pain
• Low stress tolerance
• Memory loss
• Mood swings and depression
• Motion sickness
• Poor dream recall

Some physical signs to look out for:

• Cold hands and feet, even in summer
• Larger mid-section
• Overcrowded teeth and poor tooth enamel
• Pale skin that burns easily
• Sweet, fruity breath and body odour
• White spots on fingernails

What to do if you think your child has Pyrrole disorder

The symptoms of pyrrole can be exacerbated by stress and a poor diet, so my first recommendation would be to put your child on a low-inflammatory diet by removing all additives and preservatives from their food, as well as cutting out dairy, gluten and processed sugar.

The easiest way to determine if your child does have Pyrrole is to bring them in for a simple urine test – this is the easiest way to determine if they have the disorder.

If it turns out they do have Pyrrole, don’t worry. It can be managed quite easily through supplementation of zinc, B6 and evening primrose oil, as well as diet.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask in the comment section below or call us on (02) 4961 4075.

Yours in health,

Peter

Do you suspect your child has Pyrrole Disorder?

Click here for our free guide that will take you through what Pyrrole Disorder is, the symptoms to look out for and how to manage Pyrrole Disorder naturally.

Milk – we’re taught it’s the best source of calcium and essential for bone development. But milk may not be as good for your health as you might think.

A lot of our clients are initially quite shocked when we recommend they cut dairy out of their diet.

We do this for two reasons – firstly to determine whether or not they have an intolerance to dairy, but also because milk isn’t all that nutritious for humans.

I have a few problems with milk as a main staple in our diets today:

1. Milk contains lactose (sugar) – In order to break down the lactose in milk, humans need to produce the enzyme lactase. Humans are born with a high amount of lactase, but as we age, the production of lactase decreases. This explains why as you get older, you may develop an intolerance to lactose leading to symptoms like bloating, wind, diarrhoea and IBS.
2. Milk contains the proteins casein and whey, which can also be difficult for some people to digest. These people can develop an intolerance or even an allergy to milk which can lead to symptoms like asthma and eczema.
3. Milk is full of hormones. This fact is often forgotten, but milk is designed to help fatten and grow baby cows and as a result, contains cow oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and growth hormone, all of which can wreak havoc with our own hormone levels. Maybe this is why our kids are taller now than they were 50 years ago?

So what should you drink if not milk?

There are so many alternatives out there, including soy, oat, rice and almond milk, but whatever you choose, be careful to check the sugar content.

I personally prefer unsweetened almond milk which is now widely available in the UHT milk section of most supermarkets.

Which type of milk do you prefer?

Yours in health,

Peter

Have you been living with a health condition for years that hasn’t responded to conventional medicine effectively? Or are you simply not feeling your best?

Click here to download our free guide with tips and steps you can take to feel well again, naturally. This guide covers everything you need for healthy living – diet, sleep, stress and supplements.

If you’re struggling to think of some fresh Christmas ideas, the wonderful Melanie Avery – author of Let’s Party! Additive Free, Let’s Celebrate Christmas! Additive Free and more – has generously shared some of her favourite additive-free Christmas recipes. Here’s how she likes to celebrate:

Christmas would have to be my favourite time of year. The magic and wonder, the sparkle and twinkle, the carols and Christmas decorations and let’s not forget the cooking and creating!

Even though it can be quite warm in Australia at Christmas and we have often had a ‘cold’ lunch on Christmas Day, I still prefer the tradition of a warm Christmas lunch. My favourite and easy lunch recipe is Herbed Roast Chicken and Vegetables served with Asparagus & Beans with Citrus Butter. Our family has a few favourite desserts that we share at Christmas but we always have Additive-free Traditional Christmas Cake (which last year I converted to be gluten free) and nibble on Rocky Road later in the day while playing games.

Enjoy the recipes which can all be found in Let’s Celebrate Christmas! Additive Free and have a wonderful Christmas.

Herbed roast chicken and vegetables

Ingredients:

Whole chicken
1/3 cup macadamia nut oil
2 tsp mixed dried herbs
8 small-medium potatoes, halved
500g kent pumpkin, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Un-waxed kitchen string

Method:­

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C for fan-forced). Trim any obvious pieces of fat from the chicken and discard the neck. Rinse the chicken, including the cavity, and pat dry with paper towel. Tie the legs together with the kitchen string.
2. Brush the chicken with 2 tbsp of the oil and sprinkle with the herbs, salt and pepper. Place the chicken with the breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Place the pan on the lowest shelf of the oven and roast for 1 hour.
3. In a separate roasting pan, add the potatoes, pumpkin and carrots and remaining oil. Toss to coat all vegies in the oil.
4. Put the pan of vegetables on the highest shelf in the oven, with the chicken still on the lowest shelf. Roast the chicken and the vegetables for 40–50 minutes, turning the vegetables while cooking.
5. Serve with your favourite green vegetables.

Asparagus and beans with citrus butter

Ingredients:
125g pure butter
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp grated orange rind
1 tsp grated lime rind
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1½ tbsp Masterfoods Dijon mustard
2 bunches fresh asparagus
500g fresh green beans

Method­:

1. Beat half of the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until it is softened.
2. Add rinds, juice and mustard, beating to combine.
3. Roll the butter mixture into a 15cm log in baking paper. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
4. Trim the ends from the asparagus and beans and cut the asparagus in half.
5. Boil or steam the asparagus and beans separately, until they are just tender. Drain.
6. Toss the remaining butter through the vegetables and serve on a dish or platter, topped with slices of the citrus butter.

Additive-free traditional Christmas cake

Makes a 20cm square cake (a round tin could also be used). Be sure your dried fruits are 100% fruit with no additives such as sulphur – choosing organic helps.

Ingredients:

225g unsalted butter
225g soft brown sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence
4 teaspoons orange marmalade (additive free)
4 teaspoons golden syrup
1.25kg organic, mixed dried fruit
225g plain flour
50g SR flour
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
120ml brandy, rum or port (additive free)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150oC/130oC for fan forced. Line the base and sides of a deep, 20cm square cake tin with baking paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugar in a small bowl until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla essence, orange marmalade and golden syrup and beat until the ingredients are combined.
3. Transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl and stir in the fruit. Using a metal spoon, fold in the flours, mixed spice and cinnamon alternately with the liquid. Stir until the ingredients are just combined and the mixture is almost smooth. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a wetted hand.
4. Tap the tin gently on a work surface to settle the mixture. Wrap a triple thickness of baking paper around the tin and secure with a paper clip. Bake for 3- 3 1/2 hours, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Leave the cake out overnight before turning out of the tin.
5. If you want to jazz up your cake, you can tie a length of ribbon or Christmas Cake wrap, around the sides of the cake and tie in a bow.

Rocky road

Ingredients:
400g Green & Blacks milk or dark chocolate
1 packet Smallows
1 packet Natural Confectionary lollies
½ cup organic desiccated coconut
1 cup of crushed nuts or 1 packet of Arnott’s Scotch Finger biscuits (if prefer nut free)

Method­:

1. Line a slice tin with baking paper. Cut the lollies into small pieces with kitchen scissors and place in a large mixing bowl with the smallows.
2. Add coconut and either nuts or broken up biscuits to the bowl. Combine.
3. Melt chocolate and pour over ingredients in mixing bowl. Stir to combine and then spoon into slice tin. Push down and put in the refrigerator to set.
4. Once set, take the Rocky Road out of the tine and cut into pieces.
5. It is sometimes good to make a double batch as it doesn’t last long!!!

Tip: A mix of both milk and dark chocolate works well. Great for gifts in a nice jar or lined box.

Variations:
•   Twix Bars chopped up can be used to replace nuts or Scotch Finger Biscuits as can Arnott’s Milk Arrowroot Biscuits.
•   Nestle Choc Melts can also be used for this recipe.
•   A white chocolate Rocky Road can be made with Green & Blacks White Chocolate (or Nestle White Melts), pistachios, Craisins, biscuits and with or without coconut.
•   Be brave, lots of variations can be made using additive free ingredients.

About Melanie Avery

A passionate mum to three gorgeous children, Melanie began her additive free journey nearly four years ago when her daughter suffered stomach pain, bloating and asthma.  After eliminating additives from her home, both Melanie and her family have reaped great health benefits. She started Let’s Party! Additive Free to share her growing knowledge and awareness about food additives with as many people as possible.

P.S. If you’d like to win a copy of Let’s Celebrate Christmas! Additive Free, simply

1. Like us on Facebook
2. Comment below letting us know why you’ve gone additive free

By now you have probably heard the media hype linking fish oil to an increased risk of prostate cancer. As fish oil is a supplement we recommend at our practice, I wanted to take the time to assure you that there is no cause for alarm.

If you missed it, a report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute last month showed a potential link between omega-3 fatty acids and the risk of developing prostate cancer.

However, before you throw away the fish oil, it is important to examine the facts behind the apparent association.

The problems I have with the trial are as follows:

• The original focus of the study was not to examine the link between omega-3 and prostate cancer. The results may have been influenced by the original intent of the study, which was to examine the use of selenium and vitamin E in cancer prevention.
• Researchers did not collect information on the men’s diets before, during or after the study. Therefore, it is unclear whether the omega-3 fatty acids in their blood came from food or supplements.
• Omega-3 intake was measured was through plasma phospholipid levels, which can be influenced significantly by a single meal or even the timing of a fish oil dose.
• The ‘high’ range of omega-3 levels described in the study are within the range attainable in a typical Australian diet.
• There is an absence of other trials that can demonstrate a causal relationship between increased omega-3s and prostate cancer.
• There have been over 10,000 studies on the health benefits of omega-3s

For more information on why the media hype shouldn’t be taken at face value, you can read an analysis University of Newcastle nutritionist Peter Howe here.

Fish oil has been repeatedly proven to promote cardiovascular health and improve cognitive function, as well as counteracting inflammatory conditions. At this stage, without a proven direct relationship between fish oil and prostate cancer, I believe it would be unwise to forego the established benefits of fish oil.

I hope this has put your mind at ease and that you continue to reap the benefits of fish oil. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment section below.

Have you been living with a health condition for years that hasn’t responded to conventional medicine effectively? Or are you simply not feeling your best?

Click here to download our free guide with tips and steps you can take to feel well again, naturally. This guide covers everything you need for healthy living – diet, sleep, stress and supplements.