Moonhawk Healing Natural Therapies

Staying Well

Help for Hayfever

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Preventing and Managing Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal allergies, hayfever, allergic rhinitis are all terms for a group of symptoms where the immune system has become hypersensitive to pollens, dust, moulds, mites or animal dander. 

Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis

  • Runny nose
  • Red, itchy, watery eyes
  • Sneezing
  • Itchy throat, eyes & face
  • Sinus pain & headache
  • Stuffy, runny nose
  • Fatigue, generalised aches & pains
  • Sore throat
  • Post-nasal drip

Starting around August and running through to late summer around 20% of Australians are affected by seasonal allergies, which impact on day-to-day life for the duration of what is often called the “hayfever season”. 

The acute immune response associated with seasonal allergies is your body’s way of ridding itself of allergens. You can significantly reduce the severity and duration of allergic rhinitis by targeting key chemical mediators produced by mast cells and eosinophils which cause the reaction i.e., histamines, leukotrienes and IgE antibodies. 

Albizia lebbeck is a well know Ayurvedic medicinal herb with significant anti-allergic and analgesic properties. It strengthens the respiratory system, clears accumulated mucus and eases inflammation. 

Perilla is a Chines herb traditionally used for allergic rhinitis, sinus congestion, and as an antidote for seafood allergies. 

Baical skullcap balances the immune system response to allergens, decreasing the inflammatory response and easing symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

Golden Seal and Eyebright are mucous membrane tonics used to strengthen nasal mucosa and reduce mucous secretions associated with rhinitis. Eyebright is particularly effective for allergies that start in the eyes. 

Echinacea is an excellent tonic for the immune system as well as being a powerful anti-inflammatory which assists in reducing symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis.  

Vitamin C is useful in the prevention and management of seasonal allergies as it inhibits the release of histamines. Vitamin C is an immunomodulator i.e., it regulates immune function through enhancing the activity of immune cells. Vitamin C increases immunity in a number of ways e.g.:

  • influencing T-cells,
  • stimulating the production of interferons (proteins that protect cells against viruses),
  • stimulating production of antibodies, and
  • modulates immune function in the thymus gland.

Vitamin C also improves the function of leucocytes (white blood cells). 

Zinc is essential for the normal function of the inflammatory response and has an important role in the structure and health of cell membranes.  

Quercetin is a potent anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory. It reduces the response of immune cells responsible for allergic reactions. 

Inhalation can assist in clearing blocked nasal passage. To a bowl of steaming water add 1 drop of high-quality Australian Eucalyptus essential oil. With a towel over your head and your eyes closed, lean over the steam and inhale – through the nose as much as possible. Then move away and take a normal breath. Add another drop of essential oil to the bowl and breathe in as before. Repeat this procedure till you have used UP TO 5 drops in total. 

Rinsing your nasal passages with a neti pot can assist. Saline nasal sprays have a similar effect of clearing out allergens from nasal passages. 

Lifestyle choices can assist with seasonal allergies. Keep house dust to a minimum – vacuum your house regularly – and avoid highly scented household and personal products (air fresheners, perfumes, etc). 

Choosing the correct treatment regime is essential to preventing and reducing the impact of allergic rhinitis and seasonal allergies. The correct treatment regime will reduce chemical mediators associated with the allergic response, as well as providing relief of symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis.

Book an appointment with me to discuss the best way to reduce your hayfever.

Reference: Herbs & Natural Supplements: An evidence-based guide (3nd Edition), by Lesley Braun and Marc Cohen. 
Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy (2nd Edition) by Kerry Bone & Simon Mills
The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety, by Simon Mills and Kerry Bone. 
Medicinal Plants of the World by Ben-Erik van Wyk & Michael Wink.

Buying Food for a Healthy Diet

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How to Buy Food for a Healthy Diet

I’m often asked how someone can improve their health and wellbeing through eating good food. A healthy eating plan starts in the kitchen. You need to have healthy food in your fridge and pantry so you can quickly prepare a healthy meal and not be tempted to make poor food choices.

Start with a Meal Plan

Before you do your weekly shop write down a meal plan. This doesn’t have to be a complicated, “set in stone” meal plan. You can outline what you think you will be eating and write a list that fits that broad plan. The best type of meal plan is a flexible one.

When shopping for food choose:

  • Nutrient dense foods
  • Wholegrain foods that have minimum processing e.g. whole wheat, brown rice, oats, wholegrain breads and cereals. Highly refined grains that have been enriched still do not compensate for the nutrients lost in processing.
  • Dried beans/pulses like borlotti beans, chickpeas, black beans, lentils and moong dahl. Dried beans can be soaked overnight and cooked the next day. Beans/pulses are a great source of protein and fibre, which helps slow glucose absorption and keeps blood glucose levels stable. Dried beans/pulses can be used to make lots of delicious meals e.g. beans and rice, and dahl, or pulses can be added to a meat based casserole. Canned beans and pulses are an alternative for those who prefer not to cook their own.
  • Fresh fruit and vegetables over processed ones (dried, canned, frozen, juices, and juice drinks). It’s ok to have some frozen fruit and vegetables in the freezer for when you run out of fresh produce, however, remember fresh really is best.  Select a variety of vegetables from the leafy green, red, orange and yellow groups. 
  • Meat, poultry, fish that is low in visible fat.
  • Low fat (not no fat) dairy products – milk, cheese, yoghurt, soy products.
  • A variety of foods from all food groups.

Read the food label so you know:

  • The calorie/kj content of a standard serve of that food.
  • What other nutrients are in the food – look out for:
    • fibre content,
    • sugar (including corn syrup, honey, molasses, fruit juice concentrate),
    • saturated fats & trans fats,
    • salt,
    • added nutrients,
    • flavours & colours (natural & artificial).
  • Be wary of anything labelled ‘light’, low fat, low salt or low/no cholesterol. What else is in the food? e.g. many low/no fat foods are high in sugar.

Want to know how to improve the role food has to your overall health and wellbeing? Book an appointment with me – see Bookings page.

Travellers’ Diarrhoea

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Travellers’ Diarrhoea – one way to ruin a holiday

With international borders reopening many people are considering, or even booking, an overseas holiday. Travellers’ Diarrhoea is one of the most common illnesses experienced by people who travel overseas. It’s a generic term that covers anything from a mild stomach upset and loose poo, to severe vomiting and diarrhoea. It’s mostly a self-limiting illness that clears up in a few days. The good news is you can take steps to prevent it, and manage symptoms should they occur.

While tropical and sub-tropical countries, and developing countries, are common places to catch Travellers’ Diarrhoea, you can get it in other more developed countries. When you travel it’s important to be vigilant about hygiene. Carry an alcohol based handwash in our bag and use it before eating and drinking.

Definitions

Mild

Diarrhoea that can be managed and doesn’t interfere with planned activities

You feel it’s safe to leave your accommodation

Moderate

Diarrhoea that interferes with planned activities and can be considered distressing

You want to stay close to a toilet

Severe

Your diarrhoea is so bad it’s incapacitating

You feel quite unwell and may feel weak and/or tired

Persistent

Diarrhoea lasting 2 weeks or more – may be mild, moderate, or severe

Sadly for some people, symptoms persist beyond the holiday and people may present to their GP or a gastroenterologist, weeks, or even months, after the initial infection. Research has indicated that Travellers’ Diarrhoea can have a causative role in the development of post infectious irritable bowel syndrome.

A major cause of Travellers’ Diarrhoea is consuming contaminated food and drink. Risk is particularly high where sanitation is poor.

Prevention

As well as avoiding food and water where there is a high risk of contamination, you can take steps to prevent Travellers’ Diarrhoea.

Intestinal health and the immune system are intrinsically linked – you have more immune cells in your gut that anywhere else in your body. Support the health of your gut by eating a predominantly plant-based diet – choose from a wide selection of colourful vegetables and fruits, perhaps some chickpeas or lentils, and other plant-based wholefoods every day. Avoid foods that you know cause irritation or other gut problems.

A key to preventing Travellers’ Diarrhoea is to maintain the gut barrier. Certain herbs, fermented foods, and probiotics can support the gut barrier and reduce the risk of an infection taking hold; or even reduce the severity of an infection.

Seek advice from an accredited and registered Naturopath – they will guide you through the changes needed to improve your diet, microbiome and, therefore, improve your resistance to microbial strains associated with Travellers’ Diarrhoea. Their professional advice is invaluable. I suggest you seek advice a minimum of 2 weeks before you leave for your holiday.

Managing Travellers’ Diarrhoea

Mild to moderate Travellers’ Diarrhoea can usually be managed with rehydration drinks and, if needed, over the counter antidiarrheal drugs. If symptoms persist beyond a few days, or become severe, seek medical advice (it’s one of the reasons you buy travel insurance for). A severe bout of Travellers’ Diarrhoea may indicate the presence of microbes that need to be treated with antibiotics or other pharmaceutical drugs.

Your naturopath or herbalist will be able to help you with herbs and supplements you can take with you to minimize the risk of an infection taking hold and ruining your holiday.

When Symptoms Persist

Sometimes symptoms persist after you have returned from holiday. Seek medical advice. Your GP may order a faecal PCR test to check whether there are persistent pathogens that are causing ongoing symptoms.

Your herbalist and naturopath will be able to help you with ongoing symptoms as well. They can help with the side effects of antibiotics prescribed to deal with pathogens, and help repair gut cells damaged by infectious pathogens.

My Own Experience

I had Travellers’ Diarrhoea on a trip to one of the pacific islands. It was so bad we had to call a doctor out to the hotel. The next day I was on the road to recover, and had a doctor’s bill for $2000 to pay (remember, travel insurance is really useful when you need it). Since then I take a great deal of care around what I choose to eat. I do eat at food markets (look for where the locals eat), and restaurants that are off the beaten track. The basic rule is – if it looks/smells dodgy, don’t eat there. Don’t let fear of Travellers’ Diarrhoea prevent you for trying local cuisine. One of the joys of travel is trying different food.

The other thing to consider is that you can get Travellers’ Diarrhoea eating at a 5 star hotel – it’s about the personal hygiene of the kitchen staff.

I always travel with herbs and supplements for Travellers’ Diarrhoea – if I think I’ve eaten something dodgy, I take the herbs straight away. Your naturopath and herbalist can advise you about this.

Key Message

Prevention is the key when it comes to Travellers’ Diarrhoea. Look after your gut and your gut will look after you. To learn more about gut health, see my Blog on Gut Health.

Healthy Gut Healthy You

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 Your Gut -The Seat of Health

What is your gut

For many people, the gut is a bit of a mystery – food goes in one end, something happens in the middle, and thensomething else happens at the other end. As long as the gut remains a diligent servant, quietly going about its duties and keeping us oblivious, most don’t give it a second thought.

Where does your gut start and end?

Your gut starts in your mouth and ends at your anus. Your ongoing health and wellbeing depends on the health of your whole gut i.e. it’s necessary to consider the health of your entire gut – oral health to colonic health.

What does your gut do

Your gut is responsible for the physical and chemical breakdown of the food you eat. Along the way nutrients and water are absorbed. At the end waste is expelled.

Accessory glands and organs

You gut doesn’t work alone. Salivary glands in your mouth moisten food and provide enzymes to start the breakdown of starch. The liver, gall bladder and pancreas add other enzymes to aid the breakdown of food to molecules small enough for the body to absorb. 

How does it work

Peristalsis is the rhythmic contraction of smooth muscle in along the gut – it starts when our swallow your food and continues on the end. Good gut motility (how much your smooth muscle contracts) is essential to the health and function of the gut.

More Than a Processing Station for Nutrients.

Natural medicine practitioners have long recognisedthe crucial role that the gut plays in our health. Clinical observations and scientific confirmation have revealedlinks with almost every health condition – from depression to diabetes, autism and autoimmunity.

What we are justbeginning to appreciate is that the gut is registering a mindboggling amount of information every day; and we are unaware of it.

Gut Feelings: Who Has Them?

The gut is an essential part of our interaction with the world. As well as happily digesting our food, the gut is working as a sense organ – it’s our primary environmental interface, with more nerves than the rest of the peripheralnervous system put together.

With all this sensing and sampling occurring the gut is the greatest source of microbial and environmental antigens, and our body is keenly interested in their composition

Which brings us to the microbiome

Bacteria are critical for human survival, living both within and on your body.

Having the right types of bacteria in the right place and the right balance can help your body function optimally.

It is estimated that for every one human cell in your body, there are ten bacterial cells; this means you are about 1% human and 99% bacteria! There are billions of different types of bacteria in your body, all playing different roles to keep your health in check. When these bacteria are out of balance, it can make you susceptible to digestive symptoms and conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); as well as having an impact on immunity, allergies, metabolism, and skin health.

When the microbiome becomesunbalanced (dysbiosis) you become susceptible to a range of health conditions – IBS, SIBO, changes to immunity (autoimmune, allergies), changes in metabolism, mood changes, skin health. When your diet is not supportive of your gut, the density of immune and sensory cells can become the gut’s Achilles heel, generating significant inflammation, pain and systemic dysfunction.

Diet is the Key

Eat a predominantly plant-based diet – choose from a wide selection of colourful vegetables and fruits, perhaps some chickpeas or lentils, and other plant-based wholefoods every day.

You need to eat 6-9 cups of vegetables and fruits every day to get the amount of fibre your gut needs. Choose a range of different vegetables and fruits each day – preferably seasonal vegetables and fruits. Variety is the key

Resistance Starch – gold for your gut bugs

Resistance starch is a type of insoluble fibre that behaves more like a soluble fibre – it feeds your gut bugs.By feeding your beneficial gut bugs, resistance starch supresses potential pathogens and is important for metabolic and heart health.

Sources of Resistant Starch 

Foods high in resistant starch included legumes (e.g red kidney beans, butter beans, adzuki beans, lentils, black eyed beans, chickpeas); whole grain cereals e.g brown rice; cooked and chilled white rice, potatoes, sweet potato and pasta (cooking and chilling causes modest rises in resistant starch); cashews, green peas, green banana flour, unripe bananas.
Regularly include foods high in resistant starch in your daily diet – your gut bugs will thank you. Remember, happy gut bugs means happy you 😊

 

Next Steps

Seek advice from an accredited and registered Naturopath – they will guide you through the changes needed to improve your diet, microbiome and, therefore, improve your overall health. Their professional advice is invaluable

Three Stages of Fatigue

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 Three Stages of Fatigue

It’s rare for people to go from feeling ok to feeling fatigued. The journey to exhaustion generally goes through three stages. Recognising and addressing fatigue in the early stages can reduce the risk on moving onto later stages.

Stage One – constantly on alert

·         You feel constantly alarmed, even when they are not in stressful situations

·         You may experience anxiety – constantly worrying about even trivial things

·         Your immunity is low – you catch everything that’s going around

·         Insomnia – poor sleep leads to more fatigue

At this stage your cortisol levels may be elevated.

Stage Two – feeling stressed and tired is constant

This stage is when cortisol becomes dominant. Cortisol is fat sparing, so quite often in this phase people feel they are gaining weight and/or can’t lose weight.

·         Sleep problems start to escalate, often manifesting as waking through the night, waking up tired, or having trouble going to sleep

·         Concentrating on a task becomes more and more difficult

·         Energy crashes happen throughout the day

·         Other changes to hormones and blood glucose levels can lead to other health problems

Stage Three – exhaustion

Completing even day to day tasks becomes a challenge.

In this stage cortisol levels are often low.

·         Fatigue is overwhelming

·         Anxiety and depression escalate

·         People often have constant body aches and pains

·         Immunity is low

Get Help Sooner Rather Than Later

Recognising the Stages of Fatigue is essential to making a recovery before you reach the exhaustion phase.The sooner you ask for help the sooner you will start to feel better.

Seek advice from an accredited and registered Naturopath – they will guide you through the changes needed to address your fatigue, as well as prescribing personalised herbs and nutritional supplements to help you feel better faster. Their professional advice is invaluable.

 

Tiredness and Fatigue

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 Tiredness and Fatigue: A Crisis in Modern Society

Are you just tired or are you fatigued.

Fatigue can be defined as a generalised malaise that impacts on a person’s physical and mental health. People often lack motivation (and the energy) tocomplete even simple day to day tasks.

People with fatigue may experience:

·         Low energy and vitality

·         Poor physical performance, along with low stamina and strength

·         Mood disorders such as low mood and/or depression

·         Poor memory, inability to concentrate

The interplay between physical and cognitive performance is disrupted, and a cycle of physical fatigue leading to cognitive fatigue leading to physical fatigue – the cycle can go on and on.

When defining fatigue, it’s essential to differentiate between daytime sleepiness and fatigue. People with fatigue often say things like ‘I’m exhausted allthe time’, or ‘I can’t concentrate on anything’.

Mitochondria and Fatigue

Fatigue and mitochondria are linked. 

Mitochondria are tiny organelles found in most cells of the body that are responsible for energy production.

Mitochondria produce energy. No matter whether you are at rest or exercising vigorously you need energy to function properly. Energy production is a complex process that relies on the Krebs or Citric Acid Cycle, and the Electron Transport Chain. Simply put, glucose goes in one end and energy comes out the other.

Adequate amounts of energy are needed by cells and organs in order to function properly and maintain metabolism.

Many drivers of fatigue impact on the health and function of mitochondria.

Drivers of Fatigue

The underlying causes of fatigue are many and varied. Most people who have fatigue often have more than one reason why they are fatigued. Causes include:

·         Infection – microbial and/or viral. It’s worth noting that post-viral fatigue is a well-known phenomenon in Naturopathy. Naturopaths and Herbalists have been helping patients overcome post-infection fatigue for decades.

·         Nutritional deficiencies can play a major role in fatigue. Mitochondria need more than just glucose to make energy. To make energy each mitochondria needs a mix of B vitamins, magnesium, manganese, cysteine, lipoic acid, iron, copper and Coenzyme Q10. These nutrients need to be in the right proportion – too little and your mitochondria can’t do their job, too much can cause toxic stress. Mitochondria can be damaged by oxidative stress, drugs and alcohol, environmental toxins, ageing and genetic vulnerabilities.

·         Low iron, which leads to low cellular oxygen (iron in haemoglobin carries oxygen around the body distributing it to cells)

·         Lifestyle factors such as poor sleep habits, lack of exercise, and lack of fresh air can all lead to fatigue.

·         Hormonal changes – stress hormones such as cortisol and DHEA, sex hormones such as testosterone

·         Gastrointestinal issues – malabsorption, dysbiosis

A major driver of fatigue is thyroid dysfunction. Low levels of thyroid hormones (T4 and T3), poor conversion of T4 to T3, and cellular hypothyroidism are key drivers of thyroid related fatigue. Thyroid and fatigue is a topic in itself, so I won’t cover it in this Blog.

Helping patients with ongoing fatigue is a matter of peeling away at the layers that make up the cause. It is rare that there is one clear driver of fatigue.

Treating Fatigue

Pathology testing is often used to detect changes to biochemistry and nutrient levels which may provide valuable clues to the underlying cause of fatigue. Once nutritional abnormalities are identified, a tailored prescription of nutritional supplements can make a significant change to energy levels.

Common supplements prescribed to help patients with fatigue include magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin D, carnitine, CoQ10, and lipoic acid.

Eating the right food can help as well. Including good fats, fibre, vegetables and fruits (6-9 cups daily), and good sources of protein can provide your body with the nutrients and fuel it needs to function better.

Avoiding refined food, particularly added sugar, and alcohol can be of great benefit.

Specific medicinal herbs can help with fatigue. Different herbs are prescribed depending on what fatigue signs and symptoms to patient has. There is no ‘one size fits all’ herbal prescription for fatigue. What suits one patient, won’t suit another.

Adrenal Fatigue – an overused and misunderstood term

There is a need to move away from the term adrenal fatigue as this does not really describe what is happening. Adrenal insufficiency may be a better description as it does address the completely exhausted phase of fatigue where the adrenal glands do not produce adequate amounts of cortisol. Adrenal dysfunction may better describe what is happening in the adrenal glands. However, as the adrenal glands do not work alone, they are part of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. All three have a role to play in fatigue.

It doesn’t matter what we call it, millions of people with fatigue suffer from similar signs and symptoms. Naming a disease doesn’t necessarily change the treatment.

How Long Before I Feel Better?

Most patients who come to see me for fatigue are looking for a quick fix. While it’s possible to have people starting to feel better in a short time, the reversal of fatigue can take some time, and is often dependent on the patient making some diet and lifestyle changes. Many patients need to look at and change their working and sleep habits, for example, before they can truly start to feel better.

It’s essential to find and address the underlying causeof the fatigue. Without doing this it’s an uphill struggle to reverse fatigue.

Seek advice from an accredited and registered Naturopath – they will guide you through the changes needed to address your fatigue, as well as prescribing personalised herbs and nutritional supplements to help you feel better faster. Their professional advice is invaluable.