Herbs To Help You Relax – Which One

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Rowena


There are so many herbal remedies that one could use to assist with relaxation issues. You only have to walk down the herbal tea isle at the health food shop to find a myriad of choices. How does one know which is the best one to use at any given time?
You see, there must be hundreds of herbs that could help a person relax, choosing the right herb has never been the issue. Know why the sufferer has the issue in the first place is a more astute and important question to ask and that’s where the expertise comes in.

Based on a person’s symptoms, their age, general health at the time and lifestyle there might be many different reasons why someone would need support to relax.

Chamomile

Take Chamomile for instance. Chamomile acts to calm the nerves its true however which nerves and why? That is the question. I would mostly use chamomile as mentioned in a previous blog if there were problems involving the vagus nerve. That is a rather large never that comes directly from the brain and services the head, chest and stomach area mainly.

Chamomile is excellent for relieving tension from the stomach up to the head!

California Poppy

If a person were very jumpy, anxious and had difficulty relaxing because of it I might consider hops (not in the brewed form) as a good herbal choice for them. Together with California Poppy, this would make an excellent nerve tonic and soothe the troubled beast.

Valerian

Should my client be suffering from so much muscle tension that it resulted in headache or other neuralgia then valerian would be an excellent way of relaxing the muscle spasms and allowing the person to get some rest.

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort is indicated if the need for relaxation stems from the strain of dealing with mild depression. It’s important to note that this herb must not be used in conjunction with anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medications. See your qualified therapist before dosing yourself with this herb.

Basil

Basil is a culinary herb it’s true but it’s also a member of the St. John’s Wort family and as such will give support to calming the nerves.

Passion Flower
Scullcap

If you have such a “busy head” that your simply cannot turn your thoughts off at night in order to sleep then I would suggest passion flower or skullcap. Both of these herbs are wonderful for people who are thought driven.

Oats

Oats are an excellent source of nutrients for good health but did you know they also strengthen the nervous system? In strengthening the nervous system, this herb allows good healthy strong never messages to travel freely around the body. Oddly enough, this strengthening affect also has the added bonus of a more relaxed and mellowed state of mind. The clients for whom I prescribe oats in a liquid extract form always come back to thank me.

Call For Personal Attention

I can assess each person’s needs on an individual basis. The prescriptions I make for my clients using only the best quality herbs are formulated specifically for each client.

Call or contact the clinic today if you need help with any relaxation or anxiety issues.

Posted in Herbal Medicine, Natural Medicine, Uncategorized | 13 Comments

Vitamin E – The Intelligent Vitamin

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Rowena

We all know that all vitamins are good and necessary in order for human beings to enjoy good health. But did you know that some vitamins, like vitamin E have an intelligence of their own and actually “go in search” of situations in the body in order to set things right? Well, they do!

You may know that vitamin E is required fuel for the immune system. In fact, the older we get the more necessary it becomes. Food processing destroys this all important vitamin leaving most people in need of greater levels of it especially in our later years.

Why is it so important I hear you ask? In the shortest possible terms, it kills cancer! As the cancer scourge advances upon our society like the black plague vitamin E is one of the substances that can recognise, seek out and destroy cancer cells. Green tea joins the ranks along with vitamin E of those nutrients that have the “anti-cancer intelligence”. And unlike the chemical drugs used to kill cancer, these nutrients tend NOT to kill the patient at the same time, a very useful outcome indeed. Research has shown that these nutrients distinguish between a cancer cell and the healthy ones. Miraculously they protect the healthy cells while going about the business of destroying the mutant cells.

Of course these nutrients alone cannot “cure” cancer but they surely form an integral part of a natural therapies approach to cancer support.

Of the 8 different types of vitamin E it’s the one known as gamma tocotrienol that had the greatest ability to actually send death signals to prostate and breast cancer cells in scientific testing. It also activated a “tumor suppression gene, p53 which in turn governs the cell cycle to prevent cancer.

In the words of the researcher, it’s not a miracle it’s simply Mother Nature at work!


Of course one of the best sources of vitamin E is salmon.

Once cooked however, much of the vitamin E is destroyed. The Japanese have the right idea in consuming that food raw. The best way to get large enough amounts at once of course is to supplement. But in choosing a supplement of this important nutrient you should be sure that it’s the highest quality, properly stabilised and independently tested for quality assurance. Your life is too important to do otherwise.

I have access to one of the best ones on the market. It cannot be bought over the counter. So if you’re thinking of beginning a regime with vitamin E you should call the clinic and put in an order with me right away.


Other sources of vitamin E include:

Wheat germ oil, avocado, almonds, sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, safflower oil, hazelnuts, peanut butter, spinach, broccoli, soybean oil, kiwifruit, mango, tomato,

Posted in Natural Medicine, Nutrition, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

New Age Antioxidants

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Rowena

I’ve just read a wonderful article extolling the virtues of mulberries as the newest way to get massive amounts of antioxidants into your system.

You may know that antioxidants are essential for the protection of the human organism. They protect and also help heal against germs and viruses. People who have been exposed to large amounts of toxic material as with those who smoke regularly, take more than the recommended dosage of alcoholic drinks or work with toxic chemicals especially need extra antioxidants.

Previously blueberries, blackberries and cranberries were all the go for the best antioxidant action.

If you believe the hype some of the super-juices currently on offer can give you enough antioxidant to live to the ripe old age of 100 and beyond. The simple fact is, none of these sources will give us enough of the vital nutrients needed to detoxify the body, seriously delay the ageing process and protect from viruses and harmful bacteria adequately. Most have not been stabilised sufficiently to maintain antioxidant levels from the factory to your table.

Examples of other sources of antioxidant would include yerba mate tea, kale, green tea, tea and ruby grapefruit

Produce on the market today is often bereft of the vital nutrients needed for good health. This has been brought about by the advent of corporate farms that sacrifice careful quality for the efficiency of producing large cash crops. These same crops are harvested before they’re ripe to give them extra travel time and shelf life. The chemical treatments on corporate farms make organic produce more desirable than most but due to the toxic soup we breathe as air in today’s modern city living even that beautifully grown produce is not sufficient to heal the body and reverse the effects of toxic living. We need more.

That’s where the antioxidant product that I have found to have an excellent track record comes in. I have been using a product simply called AO and my clients have had great results by combining this product with my herbal preparations and a basic Glyconutrient rich program of supplementation.

The ingredients from this antioxidant have been sourced from locations all around the world where the fruits and vegetables are the richest sources of antioxidants. All of the nutrients in this blend have been proven to be stable and effective in double blind and placebo tests time after time and most importantly, by independent examiners. The method is patented so there is no other company producing antioxidants to this same standard.

If you want help with any issues that require recovery from viruses or toxic contamination or if you simply want to protect yourself from the ravages of time, weather and a toxic planet you should contact me and order some of this AO and get started on a course of it today.

Email: enquiries@wellbody.com.au

Posted in Advances in Nutritional Technology, Diet, Natural Medicine, Nutrition, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Overeating And Inflammation

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Rowena

Now we know there is a link to Inflammation, poor eating habits and changes in behaviour

Overeating is a self perpetuating habit
which has devastating health effects. The habit sets off a series of events which short circuit the normal signals the body gives to regulate eating habits. All this leads to wide spread inflammation, contributing to chronic diseases like arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Apparently food choices make changes, not only in your health, but in your behaviour as well. Overweight people approach food differently and scientists now think this might be due to a chemical response to their high fat diet rather than gluttony or lack of will power.

These were the opening words in an article by Maryann Marshall in which she outlines a very interesting phenomenon involving bad eating habits, inflammation and changes in human behavior.

In a recent study, scientists found that overeating caused actual changes in brain chemistry and this in turn caused people to approach food as though they were starving. It also found that the more people consumed a particular type of diet, the Standard American Diet (SAD) which consisted of mostly saturated fats and simple carbohydrates, the more they were susceptible to inflammation in the body.

Inflammation and obesity are inextricably linked

Put simply, it all has to do with chemicals in part of the brain called the hypothalamus that either inhibit or encourage the use of fat in the body as a source of energy and or storage of that fat. A high fat diet causes the release of chemicals that stimulate a desire for more fat and that stimulation is also linked to a high incidence of inflammation. Inflammation contributing to chronic diseases appears to be inextricably linked to obesity.
There was a 2nd study conducted at UC Irvine in which rats were fed unsaturated fat, oleic acid found in olive oil, avocados and nuts. After 20 minutes these nutrients triggered the release of a compound called oleoylethanolamide (OEA) which sent hunger-curbing messages to the brain and increased feelings of fullness. OEA not only reduced appetite, it produced weight loss and lowered blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.


Choose a healthy, inflammation reducing diet

What you can do about it? It’s recommended that your consideration for choice of foods over and above fat content should include those that lead to reduced inflammation levels in your body.

They include:


Bok Choy is a great choice!

Vegetables

Bell Peppers
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Broccoli Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Chard
Collards
Fennel Bulb
Garlic
Green Beans
Green Onions/Spring Onions
Kale
Leeks
Olives
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Turnip Greens

Fruits

Acerola (West Indian) Cherries
Apples
Avocados
Black Currants
Blueberries
Fresh Pineapple
Guavas
Kiwifruit
Kumquats
Lemons
Limes
Mulberries
Oranges
Papaya
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tomatoes

Herbs and Spices

Basil
Cayenne Peppers/Chilli Peppers
Cinnamon
Cloves
Cocoa (at least 70% cocoa chocolate)
Licorice
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Thyme
Turmeric

Fish

Cod
Halibut
Herring
Oysters
Rainbow Trout
Salmon
Sardines
Snapper Fish
Striped Bass
Tuna
Whitefish

Nuts and Seeds

Almonds
Flaxseed/Linseed
Hazelnuts
Sunflower Seeds
Walnuts

Oils

Avocado Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Drinks

Green Tea
Purified water

Posted in Advances in Nutritional Technology, Diet, Nutrition, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

To Flu Or Not To Flu

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Rowena

To Flu or Not to flu

Contrary to popular belief, there is no real evidence that the flu shot actually works. As we have all learned over the years there are many different strains of the flu. The injection formulae distributed each year are concocted for a specific strain of the disease. That pretty much makes them impotent against any of the other strains ciruclating at any given time.

Flu vaccines contain antibiotics which as you know indiscriminately destroy good and bad bacteria. They also contain mercury which is a seriously heavy metal. The range of side effects of mercury toxicity is wide and may include depression, memory loss, attention deficit disorder, anger management issues, digestive disorders, anxiety and much more.

So what can you do to protect yourself? Do you have to simply become a sitting duck each year? Not by any means. I find myself saying many times a day to my clients, “Your body was designed to recover when things go wrong. Supply it with the correct tools and you have the perfect self-healing machine”. So what ARE the right tools?


Fresh Air And Sunshine

Aiding your immune system with plenty of fresh air and sunshine is the best place to begin. Just 20 minutes of exercise per day is enough to affect your weight and it will also boost your immune system with extra Vitamin D and oxygen. Bodies kept fit and strong through exercise have better resistance to illness.

Immune Boosting Foods

Eat immune boosting foods, they include garlic, vitamin C containing fruits and fresh green juices (broccoli, cabbage, cucumber and celery). A diet rich in live foods is imperative. Extra omega 3 is important as it also supports the immune system in a myriad of ways. Omega 3 is best found in raw salmon and walnuts amongst other delicious foods.


Less Sugar
Better still eliminate it all together. Sugar suppresses the immune system


Water

Water is the mainstay of any effective anti-flu program but there’s a catch. It must be purified water. Tap water contains chemicals that kill harmful bacteria to make it safe to drink. Those same chemicals kill the good bacteria in your gut.


Himalayan Salt

Add a few grains of Himalayan salt to your water to boost the body’s salt content with a healthy alternative to ordinary table salt. You need good sources of salt for health.


Apple Cider Vinegar

The flu virus does not like vinegar, it’s the wrong Ph. A teaspoon of pure organic apple cider vinegar in your purified water each day will assist in warding off the virus.

Sleep and Stress Management

Get plenty of sleep. Insufficient sleep suppresses the immune system. And deal with emotional stress as this will also hamper your ability to withstand illness if not dealt with appropriately.
Finally, if you feel you may be coming down with anything, do not delay. Get to the clinic for your herbal prescription as soon as possible. The sooner you attack the virus the less opportunity it will have to establish a hold.

There are many excellent herbs we are trained to use as herbalists that will treat the flu effectively.

Posted in Lifestyle, Natural Medicine, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Aloe Vera, A Herb For All Seasons

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Rowena

“If it hurts, stings, itches or burns, put Aloe Vera on it.”
Researchers have found that Aloe Vera applied externally has the ability to reach the deepest body tissues, penetrating some seven layers. Research at the University of Texas showed that aloe penetrates human skin almost four times faster than water.
Aloe Vera is a herb that is often touted to be useful for burns, cuts and scratches but it’s so much more than that.

Aloe Vera has been in use as a medicinal herb throughout history.
There are records of its use in the burial preparations after the crucifixion of Christ.

Egyptians first wrote of the healing powers of the plant on their ancient papyrus texts calling it the plant of immortality. Cleopatra and Nefertiti bathed in aloe juice to retain their youth and beautiful looks.

MSPs (or mucopolysaccharides) are long-chained sugar molecules, which are found naturally in every cell of the body, however, around the time of puberty, the body stops producing them. When taken internally, they have been shown to have immune stimulating effects. These poly saccharides occur naturally and in very large numbers in the Aloe Vera plant.

Research has shown that Aloe Vera can increase the proliferation of lymphocytes and stimulate natural immunity through killer cell activity. Aloe has a strong effect on the immune system, by activating and stimulating macrophages, monocytes, antibodies and T-cells, as well as increasing the number of anti-body forming B cells in the spleen. This is extremely important research in the area of cancer treatment.

The herb can be used internally as well as externally.

Applications can include:

1. A pain and allergy inhibitor,
2. for inflammation
3. fluid retention
4. perspiration odours
5. itching
6. haemorrhaging
7. to close cuts for cell regeneration and healing
8. to destroy parasites
9. harmful bacteria and fungi in the intestinal tract
10. relieve bowel tension and help produce bowel movements
11. moisturise skin
12. increase blood flow
13. remove toxins and dead tissue
14. penetrate skin to reach tendons, muscles, joints and the lymph system
15. promote the growth of new tissue
16. It also has a normalising action on fluid levels and the acid/ alkaline
balance in the body

When you consult a herbalist, if your condition requires it you will most likely be given Aloe Vera in liquid extract form in solution with 3 to 4 other herbs to address your specific health challenges.

For anyone not in a position to grow Aloe Vera, numerous bottled brands of aloe juice or drink are available. However, large doses of aloe at one time are unwise. Overdose can cause irritation to the stomach with diarrhoea and vomiting. As taking aloe may stimulate uterine contractions, it should be avoided during pregnancy. And taken by breastfeeding mothers, aloe can have a laxative effect on the baby.

To gain the benefits of using the nutrients from Aloe Vera in large doses without the deleterious effects mentioned above, one would be wise to investigate and use a polysaccharide powder and the best one I have found by far is produced by the Mannatech “Real Food Technology”. This powder has been stabilised using a patented method that preserves all of the important nutrients of the plant in a way that is gentle to the stomach and beneficial to every cell in the body.

If you think you may be a candidate for Aloe Vera treatment, please feel free to contact the clinic for more information and assistance.

Posted in Advances in Nutritional Technology, Herbal Medicine, Natural Medicine, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

An Apple A Day

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Rowena

It’s amazing to me how often we’re regaled with news of a NEW breakthrough in diet and nutrition only to find that the new thing is something our grandparents knew and lived by on a daily basis.
The latest in a long line of “discoveries” is apples. In a recent study, scientists have shown evidence through stringent testing on 160 women aged 45 – 65 that an apple a day will significantly reduce the incidence of LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol. Hydroperoxide levels in the blood can be a precursor to arteriosclerosis. These levels and those of C-reactive protein which are an indication of inflammation in the body were also greatly lowered.

The women also found that the extra 240 calories per day consumed in the form of the dried apple they were testing had a completely different affect on their weight than the researchers had expected to see. They actually lost an average of 1.5kg over the test period. Researchers think this must be a result of the pectin contained in apples which can act as an appetite suppressant.
So after great amounts of research and studies carried out with meticulous care, the end result was (and I’ll paraphrase here) “Eat more whole, raw, unadulterated foods. They’re good for you and lower your chances of contracting serious disease, help you keep your weight under control and although it wasn’t a stated outcome of the testing, you’ll feel so much better”.

The only thing I would add to this amazing new discovery is to remind you that the best source of fresh produce is an organic one. Before buying any such produce, be sure to look for the “certified organic” authenticity.

Posted in Diet, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Are Your Hormones Making You Fat?

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Rowena

Getting Older Is not the signal for becoming unhealthy!

Hormones have been ruling us since before we were born!

__________

First it was the hormones that our bodies secreted that signalled the time was right for our mothers to birth us.

Then we were flooded with hormones that stimulated the rapid growth and brain development which carried us through our early years.
___________________
Don’t even get me started on those pesky hormones that heralded our passage into adolescence.
___________________________

It was slow and subtle hormone change that brought us into what we laughingly refer to as adulthood. Hormones put us to sleep and wake us up. The chemicals known as hormones govern our moods and how we handle stress.
____________________________________

In short your hormones have got you by the throat and are in complete control of everything about you. If you have repeatedly had difficulty finding a healthy weight profile then maybe, just maybe you need to look at more than what you eat or how much you exercise.

___________________________________________

This workshop is designed for you. You will receive a full week’s worth of the supplements you need to get you on your way, course notes and personal coaching and supervision. A package worth over $300

It will be held on:

Date: Saturday, June 4th
Time: 3:00pm – 5:00pm

Cost: $125.00

Earlybird: $115.00 pay before May 23rd.

BOOK NOW! Call to reserve your place on 0416-276-926

Posted in Diet, Emotional Wellbeing, Natural Medicine, Nutrition, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Organic Or Bust~

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Rowena


Discerning shoppers or are we a
few baskets short of a load of groceries?

I was recently sent an article by Chris Hook of the Daily Telegraph (Australia) April 16th. Had there been an audio option on that file, I’m sure it would have been possible to hear Mr. Hook laughing his head off at those of us stupid enough to spend what he referred to as “our hard earned” on organic foods.

According to Mr. Hook, there is no difference between foods which come to our tables via conventional farming practices and those we source from organic farms. He based his conclusions on a study conducted at Cornell University where 144 shoppers were asked to taste test junk foods such as cookies and potato chips in a blinded study. The foods were placed in two groups, sign-posted organic and non-organic. Overwhelmingly participants selected items in the organic group as tasting the best despite the fact that these foods were not actually organic.

Researchers referred to this as “the halo” affect meaning that non-discerning shoppers would select a food as being a better choice simply because of the perceived notion that organic food tastes better.

Chips are not healthy food

Firstly, foods such as cookies and potato chips will NEVER be good for us, organic or otherwise.

Secondly, most of us who buy organic do so in the fresh produce section. The issue here is getting foods that are as close to nature as whatever creator you believe in happened to make them.

Thirdly and most importantly of all, my understanding of the use of the word organic is that I have an assurance that the produce is free of chemicals and contaminants, not necessarily that they taste any better or worse.

In fact that is true here in Australia and a number of other countries in the world. In this country, there is an independent certification system which tells me the shopper that the following applies to my food:


Farms are strictly monitored
• avoidance of most synthetic chemical inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc) genetically modified organisms, irradiation, and the use of biosolids which is a polite name for sludge;

• use of farmland that has been free from synthetic chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more);

• keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail);

• maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products;

• undergoing periodic on-site inspections

This certification is awarded by an independent third party and may only be had if all of the above criteria have been met.

These are all vitally important considerations as they affect our health individually and as a nation. Auto-immune diseases have never been more prevalent in the population at any other time in history (illnesses such as depression, arthritis, lupus, ADHD and anaphylactic allergies) than they are right now. Our food is increasingly adulterated in the ways outlined above. In fact, even foods that are “certified organic” may be found to contain a certain amount of contamination from airborne sources which cannot be controlled.


Type B Malnutrition is rife

There is a new class of malnutrition called “Type B Malnutrition” . Our immune systems are being affected en masse due to the systematic killing off of our clean food sources.
As such, it occurs to me that arguing against organic foods on the basis of cost or sufficient foods to feed the world as did Chris Hook in his article is false economy. His premise was the tenant that taking up valuable land resources to produce smaller amounts of organic foods while the world’s population is exploding with more mouths to feed is foolhardy.

What good is it to produce enough cheap, nutrient poor food if that food is robbing us of our health thereby placing a huge load on an already failing health system?

If you have any health challenges with which your immune system is not coping, it would be fair to say that supporting your fight for health with a good source of the nutrients missing from our food would be a very wise strategy.


Herbal Remedies Can Help

Herbal remedies will help there is no doubt. More of the class of nutrient referred to as Glyconutrients will assist in that process tremendously however. These are the nutrients most affected by modern farming practices. If you’d like to know more, feel free to contact me at the clinic.

Posted in Advances in Nutritional Technology, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

An Injection to Lose Weight. What Next?

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Rowena

Well here’s an interesting bit of lunacy for you. I recently was made aware of a practice where people are on a dietary program that involves eating a paltry 500 calories a day and then having in injection of human growth hormone to stave off the hunger pangs!

Is the drug safe to use for this purpose? No one really knows. At 500 calories a day, is such a severe dietary restriction safe (You would hit your daily limit with one turkey sandwich with Swiss cheese and mayo)? The answer is a resounding NO. It’s long been known that weight loss at this rate – the article claims that you can lose 30 pounds in a month – is not only unhealthy, it’s dangerous. Still there is a demand for this type of torture because we are a world hell-bent on addiction, speed and the easy way out.


Ironically, this is not the easy way out

The rebound weight gain after such a severe program (witness Oprah’s tragic yoyo experiences) triggers the loss of nutrients to vital organs like brain and heart muscle not to mention the assault on one’s immune system. It makes this option very much like exceptionally hard work. But still people persist.

Increasingly we are becoming used to speed. We want the things we want and we want them yesterday. But the price for speed in weight loss is that all the weight comes back minus your health. Innumerable studies have proven this over and over again.


In so many cases today, people are using food as their drug of choice.

This is an addiction problem rather than a nutritional problem. The source of the pain is in the fact that so many of us are using food to calm our troubled natures rather than exercise, meditation, healthy relationships and healthy food. There is a reason we as a group of practitioners are called holistic.

All aspects of the human experience must be addressed in order to have good health. Mental, spiritual and physical, there are no quick or easy ways around this truth.


Mental, Physical, Spiritual

For help with this issue and more you are welcome to speak with me on the phone or make an appointment. My ways of dealing with these issues are to listen, support, educate and empower. There are many wonderful herbs that will support your weight loss program. They are safe and effective and best of all you will have healthy supervision.

Contact me today, don’t wait.

Posted in Diet, Lifestyle, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Call us on 0416 276 926 or email us at enquiries@wellbody.com.au