Did you know there are well over 20,000 edible plants found in the world, but only about 20 of these make up the foods we eat every day? That's so crazy to think & unfortunate considering the enormous variety of fruits and vegetables, in every size, shape & colours. From a health perspective, we want as many plant varieties in our diet as possible to get the full range of phytonutrients & to fed our gut microbiome. Phytonutrients found in fruits and vegetables include carotenoids, flavonoids and polyphenols, these have multiple actions in the body including antioxidant and anti ..read more

Can you guess what is the most common nutrient deficiency I see in clinic? IRON!!! An essential mineral, that is absolutely vital for healthy bodily functions. Iron is metal & thus is not produced in the body, meaning it must be obtained by external sources, making it easy to be deficient in if your diet is lacking for various reasons (vegetarians & vegans need to be extra conscious of their iron levels). So why is iron soo important? Essentially iron is needed for almost all natural bodily functions - Bone health Detoxification of peroxides Growth Haemoglobin synthesis Oxygen transp ..read more

The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland that is located at the front of the neck, it is part of the endocrine system & produces hormones which are responsible for metabolic health (absorbing & processing nutrients in your diet so the cells can use them), heat production (keeping the body temperature ideal), muscle support, brain development, digestion & bone maintenance. Thyroid tissues are delicate & fatty & is vulnerable to toxins such as mercury & fluoride which accumulate in the thyroid. Often triggered by nutrient deficiencies, STRESS, infection & even pregnant ..read more

Poor old oestrogen gets a pretty bad rapt & when out of balance rightly so, for when it is out of balance it can lead to – PMS, pelvic pain, weight gain, heavy periods and and and…but when in balance oestrogen is a beautiful thing that can support a healthy mood & healthy cycle. This blog explores the important topic of oestrogen and some signs that there may be an imbalance. The following shows some of the positive effects of oestrogen in the body – that might surprise you. Oestrogen is considered the beauty hormone; she plays a role in collagen production and moisture retention for ..read more

Endometriosis is fast becoming a common chronic women's health condition, affecting 1 in 10 women (Australian statistic), with a lot of cases going undiagnosed or very late to be diagnosed. It is a progressive inflammation disease, manifesting when endometrial tissue is found in ectopic (abnormal) sites outside the uterus. It can lead to implants, scarring, adhesions and ovarian cysts (endometriomas). Endometriosis usually becomes apparent in the reproductive years, when ovarian hormones stimulate the lesions, which will become proliferative (grow/multiple rapidly) and undergo menstrual breakd ..read more

Alcohol!! Do I dare talk about it? Do you dare to listen? One of those potentially awkward questions I ask in my consultation with clients is how much alcohol do you drink in a week? The shuffle in the seat & the quick reply, indicates that most know the deal with alcohol, its not great for your health. Does that mean you can never drink again? No certainly you can enjoy a couple of drinks, however here are some factors to take into consideration! When we drink alcohol, of any sort, our body sees it as a toxin, thus our liver goes into defense mode & starts clearing the alcohol out. Wh ..read more

Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world, it's one of the greatest ways to get to know yourself better, to have life changing experiences and meet amazing new people from far away places. Travelling is one of my favourite things, I love to see new places, eat new foods and be totally immersed into new cultures. It's when we travel that we want to be our most healthiest, vibrant and full of energy, ready to experience all of the amazing experiences. Here are my top tips and tricks to ensure you stay healthy and happy and enjoy your travelling to the most- Gut h ..read more

A rather taboo area of discussion is that of feminine hygiene products (tampons and pads), yet it is a discussion that needs to take place for the sack of roughly 1/3 of the population. Why?! Because feminine hygiene products are loaded with toxic chemicals that are wreaking havoc on women’s health! We are seeing a rise in women’s hormonal conditions, particularly things like endometriosis, PCOS, infertility, cysts and dysmenorrhea, and a large reason is that our world is bombarded by xenoestrogerns and toxins! Some might wonder why feminine hygiene products could possibly be an area of conce ..read more

Gardening, the activity of tending and cultivating a garden! I remember as a child being given a small section of the family garden, that was my own plot of land, I could choose whatever I wanted to plant, with the proviso that I had to tend and take care of it. I loved this, especially seeing all the amazing flowers grow. It gave me a sense of pride and accomplishment that I looked after the garden and it bore fruit! Fast forward into my adult life, living in an apartment in Sydney, I tried to grow a little potted garden on my veranda but to no avail. So you can imagine how happy I was when ..read more

I bet that at some point in your health journey you have been told "inflammation" is the cause of your issues. But what exactly is "inflammation" and is it really to blame? Firstly let's me make it clear that inflammation in itself is not bad, in fact it's the body natural defence mechanism, the issues lies with CHRONIC INFLAMMATION! Our immune system is constantly acting as a surveillance system & when it notices something that the body perceives as a threat (infection, viruses, bacteria, injury, radiation, pollution, toxins, stress etc) it will active the inflammatory response & che ..read more