In any one year over two million Australians have anxiety and over one million have depression. Australia has the second highest rate of anti-depressant use in the world. This is the bad news, the good news is there is much you can do to support your mental health.... • Zinc - Patients with depression show lower levels of Zinc than healthy controls and research has shown a positive association between zinc deficiency and the severity of symptoms. Randomised controlled trials & observational studies have found Zinc deficiency increases the risk of depression and when zinc is supplemented w ..read more

Be Kinder to your Kidneys - Just a reminder, the liver can take quite a battering before there is permanent damage. Given the right environment, the liver is often able to regenerate and repair after years of abuse. The gut can be smashed with stress, the wrong diet, antibiotics etc - but once you address these issues it is often able to be repaired... The kidneys are not so forgiving. In fact they are often damaged when these other organs are not working properly. Even healthy detox activities for some people can overload the kidneys with oxalates for others, this can lead to acute kidney dam ..read more

HISTAMINE & GUT HEALTH Mast cells are found in many parts of the body, but are concentrated in parts that are vulnerable to the outside world. The skin, the nasal passages, sinuses, the lungs and the gut. They are there to protect us but when levels rise above our tolerance, they can have a double edged sword & cause more issues than they should. IBS is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder affecting the quality of life of up to 20% of the population worldwide. It is characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, ranging from constipation to diarrhea, and everything ..read more

What is the difference between gluten free and wheat free? This is something that many of my clients get confused about. Gluten is simply the protein part of wheat. And as anyone who has ever tried to avoid gluten knows – it is in everything when you go to the supermarket… There are also gluten free options for everything. Unfortunately that does not make the product any healthier… GF pie anyone? No thankyou.… If I am honest – gluten free is a term I dislike. Simply because people think the food is better than the regular alternative. Often the gluten is replaced with other nasty ingredients ..read more

Anxiety and Your Gut health Probiotics are bacteria that are good for our health and well being. Recent studies have shown that restoring a good healthy balance of bacteria is one of the most effective ways to support mental health. As naturopaths, we have always thought that the gut was central to everything, but we didn’t understand exactly how the gut microbiome signaled and communicated with the nervous system, but we are learning more every day. Gut bacteria play a role in not just gut health. They are important for increasing tryptophan and serotonin levels and reducing inflammation. De ..read more

Why Detox? Often we become overwhelmed by the amount of toxins in our diet and environment. Put simply, our capacity to remove toxins is less than the amount that we are exposing our bodies too. This can lead to fatigue, weight gain, hormonal imbalances, cancer, infertility, depression etc...the list is infinite. Organs involved in detoxification The main organs of detoxification are; the liver, the gut, the kidneys, the lymphatic system and the skin. Phases of detoxification in the liver Phase 1 Phase 1 detoxification includes oxidation, reduction and hydrolysis and is catalyzed by P450 enzy ..read more

Ross River Fever - Poly arthritis Mosquito bites are itchy, annoying and sometimes they can be completely debilitating... Infection with Ross River virus isn't fatal, but the symptoms of severe joint pain and fatigue can be serious. The virus is carried and transmitted by mosquitos but is not contagious between humans. A common theory is mosquitos pick up the virus from kangaroos, wild rodents and other wildlife that act as natural incubators, before passing it on to humans via mosquito bite. Once the virus has entered the bloodstream it immediately travels to skeletal muscles where it multip ..read more

If you are tired, depressed, anxious or struggling with hormones then perhaps MTHFR is affecting you….MTHFR is an abbreviation for a common genetic mutation that is estimated to affect somewhere between 30-50% of the population. MTHFR stands for methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase. MTHFR is an enzyme that converts the folate you eat from foods or supplements into the active form 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate via a process called methylation. Methylation is a biochemical process, whereby a methyl group, consisting of 1 carbon and 3 hydrogen atoms is transferred onto a substrate including DNA, RNA ..read more

Addiction looks very different for different people. The amount or type of the addictive substance or activity is not the issue. It is whether it is having a negative impact on your physical, mental, or financial health and whether you want to stop the drug of choice, whether that be alcohol, cigarettes, excess food, drugs, screens, online shopping, gambling etc. The bottom line is, no matter the amount, if it is a problem for you, then it is a problem. Take alcohol for instance, 2 glasses a night seems perfectly normal to most people, even though it exceeds the recommended intake for women ov ..read more

Thyroid Hormones - the basics Thyroid hormones are essential in maintaining and regulating the body's metabolism. T3 is the most active of the thyroid hormones. Approximately 85% of circulating T3 is produced by mono deiodination of T4 - the inactive thyroid hormone in tissues such as the liver, muscle and kidney. This process of turning T4 into T3 requires selenium and zinc. TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is a pituitary hormone that signals the thyroid to produce more or less thyroid hormones, depending on circumstances. When things go wrong Hyperthyroidism, or excess thyroid hormone, pro ..read more