Ginger and Nausea

Ginger is such a wonderful remedy for nausea…and is often one of the first things I recommend for morning sickness. It’s a remedy that has been proven to relieve the severity of nausea and be more effective than B6. 

first trimester

In clinical trials, the women experiencing the benefits often do so in the first 4 days of taking it! 

Making ginger tea, is as simple as grating some ginger root, placing it in a tea pot, pouring boiling water over it and leaving it steep for 10 minutes, then enjoying a cup! (Make enough so you can have 2-3 in one day.) 

And the good news... even the humble ginger biscuit has been proven to work…although the amount of biscuits used in the trial was 5 a day (!), (which amounts to a lot of sugar,) so please try the ginger tea first. 

For those who find the tea too hard and the biscuit to sweet, the Blackmores pregnancy product, Morning Sickness, is a good bet (take as directed). And if you’re still experiencing nausea, please get in touch with us for some more recommendations.

Winter Immune Essentials

It seems that as soon as the weather cools the cold and flu season hits. Having had an influx of patients over the last few weeks with colds, sore throats, sinus infections and coughs it is important to make sure you are prepared should you feel the dreaded flu lurking…. Because while it is normal for an adult to experience 2-3 colds a year, these should only last a couple of days at a time and all the research shows that if you get on top of the symptoms as soon as they start you should not be sick for long. Here are some of the handiest products and foods to keep in the house to support immune health- think of them as your natural medicine cabinet essentials.

Mediherb throat spray

Using a combination of marshmallow root, echinacea, sage, calendula, myrhh and clove, this spray works via a few different mechanisms. Not only does it give relief of the pain associated with a sore throat due to its demulcent and soothing activity, but it has local antimicrobial, anaesthetic and anti-inflammatory actions. It comes in an easy to use spray bottle which allows you to spray it straight into the throat a few times a day as needed and kill those germs that cause infection. It’s a good idea to have some in the house so it can be used at first sign of pain or infections for quick results.

Metagenics Nasoclear nasal spray

Nasoclear is a saline solution with the added benefit of including essential oils. Lavender and peppermint are astringent herbs to dry up mucous and both the thyme and eucalyptus and kill infections. While the benefits of flushing out the nose with saline are well known, having the essentials oils included is an easy way to get straight to the nasal passages and not only drain mucous but kill microbes and inhibit further mucous congestion all at once. I have seen amazing results with this product for sinus patients, some who have had sinus issues for YEARS completely clear out after using the spray.

Manuka honey

Manuka honey has natural antibacterial properties (and tastes good!). A spoonful can help a sore, irritated or itchy throat, calm a cough and can even be used topically on the skin for wounds. It can be used to flavour a flu brew tea (see our website for recipe) or to disguise the taste of herbs or garlic for kids. Manuka honey can be found in most health food stores and will have a UMF reading to describe its antibacterial strength. Use a 25-35+ UMF for immune health.

Garlic

Garlic is nature’s own antibiotic and should always be on hand to cope with colds and flus. You can consume it by adding into foods (such as stir frys or raw into salad dressings) as normal. However you should look at increasing your intake when unwell. Try rubbing raw garlic over your toast before adding your toppings, such as avocado. Add garlic into a fresh juice or your herbal teas. You can add a crushed garlic clove to olive oil to make olive oil ear drops for ear infections and ‘garlic socks’ work well on infants. Yes, the odour will be evident for a few days but better to be smelly then sick.

Remember that if you start to feel an infection coming on it is important to address it quickly to prevent an infection lingering. 

Both the Nasoclear and Throat sprays will be in the clinic and available through winter should you need them. 

Call us if you need more support or for an express cold and flu appointment.

Red Quinoa Patties

Makes 12 medium size patties.

Quinoa is a wonderful grain; well technically speaking it’s a pseudo-grain, really a seed. It is high in protein (a whopping 13g of protein per 100g, double that of rice) as well as being mineral rich, a good source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and zinc. With a nutrient profile like this it certainly deserves a place in my kitchen.

I am not much of a fan of plain quinoa so I like to jazz it up, making it into patties, using it for porridge and as a base for a grain salad. Here is my quinoa patties, inspired by Heidi Swanson (101 Cookbook fame), this version uses more vegies and has a red twist from the quinoa and beetroot.

1 cup of quinoa

4 eggs

½ tsp of fine-grain salt

1/3 cup of dill

2 small onions, chopped finely

3 cloves of garlic

1 beetroot grated

1 large carrot grated

2 zucchini

Sprinkle of dulse flakes

Grated parmesan (100g) or crumbled goats cheese (optional / without for vegans)

1 cup of breadcrumbs (helps to mould into patties and hold shape)

Sesame seeds to roll the patties in.

Method:

·       Cook the quinoa as directed on packet (I generally cook like rice, checking along the way to see if done). Once done drain, cool and start to prepare the other ingredients.

·       In a bowl place the cooked quinoa, grated zucchini, carrot and beetroot, chopped onion and garlic.

·       Grate the parmesan or crumble goats cheese in.

·       Stir in chopped dill and sprinkle some dulse flakes in.

·       Mix well and add the breadcrumbs, stir and leave for a few minutes to allow the crumbs to absorb any moisture.

·       Then form in to patties, they should be moist and hold together.

·       Roll into sesame seeds

·       I cook either by baking for 40 minutes on a 180c heat until golden or if you prefer you can fry on a medium/low heat, using clarified butter (ghee) is a good stable oil to fry in.

These keep well in fridge for couple of days plus you can cool and freeze, defrosting when needed. Great for lunch boxes or for dinners on the go!

Waking Fresh In The Morning - 5 Top Tips

Want to regain that spring in your step, enhance the morning motivation for exercise, find an alternative to the caffeine reliance? 

Recently I was interviewed by the editor of our local newspaper for a new Wellbeing lift-out section on this exact topic, one that seems to be of interest to many patients of late.

1.    GET GOOD SLEEP – Aim for 6 hours as a minimum. Create “self settling” habits (those who are mothers will understand what this means!) – avoid screen time for 1 hour before bed, bath, stretch, breathe, meditate, make chamomile tea. Magnesium and herbs such as Valerian, Kava, Passionflower and Hops can assist in a deep restorative sleep if stress high. Melatonin can help shift workers and frequent flyers.

2.    LOVE YOUR LIVER – minimise alcohol. Aim for at least 4 alcohol free nights per week and avoid binge drinking (it can throw your system out for days). Know your standard drink size – most of my patients underestimate the amount they drink (eg. a glass of wine is 100ml). Women are particularly sensitive to the disruptive effects of alcohol on their sleep, especially after childbearing and during menopause.

3.    DO DINNER PROPERLY – Leave 2 hours between dinner and bed. Don’t over eat. Minimise sugar and alcohol. Don’t go carb free – your body needs carbohydrates in the evening to make serotonin and melatonin.

4.    SORT THE SNORING & WATCH YOUR WEIGHT – sleep apnoea, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome are all associated with poor sleep and energy deficit during the day. Losing weight and being assessed at a sleep clinic may be necessary.

5.    BE VITAL, BE PROACTIVE – Physical, Mental and Emotional factors will influence vitality and morning fatigue. Many underlying health issues affect our zest for life – these include: anaemia/iron deficiency, B vitamin deficiency, food allergies, thyroid conditions, CFS/fibromyalgia, diabetes, arthritis, menopause, adrenal exhaustion and depression. If you are concerned about your health, be proactive and seek guidance from a health professional. 

The Lunch Box

The other day I was inspired by the TV programme River Cottage (the English TV programme where Hugh Fearnley-Whittinstall grows and rears his own food embracing ethical and sustainable means). 

In this particular episode he was focusing on the “Lunch Box” and encouraging people to quickly and easily create really tasty lunch boxes of their own without relying on the quick fix café from around the
corner. 

This is a particular passion of my own as your lunch should be a quality meal that includes fresh ingredients full of flavour, however it should be convenient too. Here are the elements of a good lunch box:-

1.     Starchy carbohydrates – e.g.  yummy grains (brown rice, buckwheat, barley), sourdough bread or pumpkin.

2.     Tasty protein – this is a great opportunity to make the most of your left overs from the night before, so cook a few more of those organic sausages, roast a little extra chicken, leave some roast beef for the next day or boil an extra egg at breakfast or cook up some extra beans.

3.     Vegetables – use lunch as an opportunity to increase your daily consumption of vegetables (remember the daily goal is 5 serves) include your green leafies, root vegetables such as carrots and beetroot, brassica vegies (broccoli and kale) etc.

4.     Tasty sprinkles – now I can relate to this as I currently have a passion for toasted pepitas or sunflower seeds sprinkled with tamari – it's salty and crunchy, or try a sprinkling of chopped spring onions, coriander, chopped nuts – the world is your oyster really. YUM!

5.     Dressings – quite frankly a good dressing  can make any meal…and really there is no need to rely on inferior shop versions – make your own…a combination of extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, seasoning, a little Dijon mustard and you are getting near to having something quite spectacular.

Now how much tastier does this sound than the uninspired sandwich from that sad café round the corner…

Experiment and Enjoy!

Hugh’s website - http://www.rivercottage.net/

Chemical Sensitivity Week

This week May 6^th to 12^th marks Chemical Sensitivity week.

The NSW department of health reports that 2.1% of children and 2.9% of adults have been diagnosed

with a chemical sensitivity.
Those are big statistics for a condition that many people are unaware exists! 

People with a chemical sensitivity can suffer from a range of symptoms that are often unexplained such as headaches, fatigue, asthma, sinusitis, nausea, dry or sore eyes, joint pain, rashes and poor cognition or memory problems. The most common chemical culprits include pesticides, exhaust fumes, perfumes, fragrances, air freshener, washing powders, chlorine, plastics, rubber, cleaning products, paints and cigarette smoke.

While some of these environmental pollutants cannot always be avoided, there are many we can control. This highlights yet another reason why we should be aiming to use chemical free household and personal care products where possible.  This is an important step to take for both yourself and family, but perhaps we should be thinking about how we are effecting other people we come into contact with as well. I have had patients who cannot catch public transport or take a job in an open plan office environment due to their chemical sensitivities. This has a hugely debilitating effect on their life.

Think about just how many different chemicals you may have been exposed to via beauty products by the time you leave the house in the morning- soap, body wash, face wash, toothpaste, shampoo, condition, moisturizer, perfume, deodorant and make-up. I challenge you to check the ingredients list of your products next time you are getting ready for the day and see just how many chemicals you are being exposed to each day.

It is a similar story with cleaning products - there is an abundance of chemicals found in everyday household products that we are exposed to every day.

Start with small changes. As your products run out, switch to a chemical free and natural alternative. Always check the ingredients label as often products labelled ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ are not chemical free.
Eventually your house will be full of safe and friendly products!

Upcoming seminars

Learning is growing, I firmly believe this. There is nothing like attending a course or cooking class to inspire you in the way of self-empowered nutrition, in May we have two corkers:

•  David Wolfe Australian Tour - 2 years ago I went to David Wolfe's Sydney weekend workshop and his delivery of info and maxed enthusiasm for super food and super herbs is contagious - (he is back to Aus this May which kicks off in Sydney on Friday 17^th May) - its bound to be full of really great info to excite and ignite you in the way of supercharged nutrition. If signing up to the weekend seems a bit OTT there is a Friday evening taster lecture ...check it out at: http://davidwolfeaustraliantour.com/sydney/

• MINDD Forum (17-20^th May) -  this 4 day event is for the general public as well as health professionals and includes info streams on Food as Medicine, Integrative Treatments for Brain Gut Illness and Paleo diet with Paleo Queen, Nora Gedgaudas (US author of Primal Body/Primal Mind) heading the 2 day Paleo lectures. Check this out at: http://mindd.org/forum/

Looking forward to June, there is a wholefood seminar, -

• ‘Food, Love and Breath: the essential of good health -  (Sydney Seminar’) with 3 lovely wholefood ladies on Sunday 2nd June...not to be missed if you want to set your wholefood pantry up and learn from wholefood gurus Jude Blereau and Holly Davis. Honestly if you don’t own a cook book from either of these fine wholefood cooks this Sydney seminar will be a gift of an introduction. For Bookings, go directly to: http://wholefoodcooking.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/food-love-and-breath-essentials-of-good.html

If you do get a chance to attend, please share your thoughts and learnings, we would love to hear them!

Celebrating & Supporting Mothers

Next week (May 6 – 12) is National Mothering Week. I never knew this week existed – why isn’t it highlighted in all our diaries, husbands smart phone calendars, school term material, workplace social spaces…? Why are we just content with the one Sunday celebrating our skills, talents, sacrifices and achievements? (Mothers Day is on May 12^th just in case any husbands or partners are reading this and need a gentle nudge)

The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA)* has over 200 groups around Australia that hold activities in the first week of May each year to celebrate National Mothering Week. The theme this year is “Modern motherhood – mother-to-mother support in a digital age”. Perfect really, since we know that 80% of pregnant women are seeking pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding advice on the internet (and yes, their friends too). Online communities are sprouting up everywhere to fill a deep, intuitive need – that of another woman’s support.

Traditionally, new mothers were supported by their extended family – mum, aunts, aunt’s best friends, grandmothers… Now we are living an isolated existence by comparison and many women are not getting the support they need to be the best mothers they are capable of being.

With my new discovery I plan to celebrate the WHOLE week wholeheartedly – each day giving thanks and honouring the mothers in my life. And on the Sunday there will be candles on a big chocolate cake as I inspire my children to celebrate too!

* The ABA was set up in 1964 by mothers who wanted to support other mothers. This sentiment continues today with the added support of science, academics, professionals and government. They do amazing work and are well worth connecting with - https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/

PS. Pop this date in your diaries too – World Breastfeeding Week August 1-7. I’ll be posting 7 recipes for boosting and nourishing breast milk during that week.