Detox Your Way To Better Health

Spring is a great time for a good clean up, not only of your house and garage, but also your own body. 

With the season changing and the end of the year fast approaching, take this time to think about how you are feeling.  

Perhaps over winter your body has become a toxic dumpsite and is crying out for help?  But how do you know if you need to detox?  

Top 5 Questions To Ask Yourself

1. Do I feel less healthy and energetic?
2. Do I often have difficulty thinking clearly?
3. Do I often feel tired, sluggish, flat and get sick often? 
4. Do I have digestive disturbances (wind, bloating, constipation, candida or heartburn)?
5. Do you eat junk food, drink alcohol or make poor lifestyle decisions?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you may be in need of a ‘spring clean’. These are the types of symptoms you may experience when many of the toxic substances you have been exposed to have accumulated within your body, leaving you feeling less than your best.

Our Integrated Detoxification Program is recommend as a safe and effective professional detoxification program to improve the way in which your body eliminates toxins and to bring you back to a state of health and vitality.

Toxic Exposure - A Reality of Modern Life

Toxin exposure is seemingly unavoidable in our modern world. Every day we are exposed to toxins like heavy metals, pesticides, chemicals, food additives and pollutants, which are present in the air, water and food that we consume. 

Toxins do not only come from our external environment; toxins can also be generated internally by ‘unfriendly’ bacteria, yeasts, and parasites in our digestive systems.

Your body has numerous mechanisms to help eliminate all these toxins, but these detoxification pathways can become overwhelmed if you produce, consume or absorb more toxins than you can easily clear. A professional detoxification program supports toxin clearance through these pathways, leaving you feeling healthy and energetic.

A Safe and Effective Detoxification Program

Detoxifying is serious business and your safety and comfort during detoxification is important to us. Undergoing the wrong type of detox for your individual needs may actually leave you feeling sick and tired. This is why you should not attempt a detoxification program without the guidance and support of a trained health care Practitioner.

5 Ways To Start The Detox Process at Home

 

1. Drink More Water
2. Consider adding super foods to your diet like Goji Berries and Spirulina
3. Eat more greens
4. Add fresh herbs like Rosemary and Tumeric to your cooking
5. Include bitter foods like endive in your diet

Make a Clean Start with Professional Help

If winter has left you feeling tired, sluggish, and less than your best, a detoxification program can help you to make a clean start with renewed health and vitality. 

Our $295 Integrated Detox Program Includes

• Nutritional, herbal and essential probiotics to cleanse, support, rebuild and regenerate your body and eliminative systems 
• Comprehensive booklet and directions to guide you how to safely and effectively detoxify and to get the best results possible.
• 6 weeks of guidance and email and telephone support from a fully qualified naturopath trained in detoxification.

Call 1300 133 536 to find out more about a safe and effective professional detoxification program to suit you. 

Or why not start today? 

 

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Corriander Chelation Pesto

3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup Brazil nuts

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

2 cups packed fresh coriander

2/3 cup flaxseed oil

4 tablespoons lemon juice

Process the coriander and flaxseed oil in a blender until the coriander is finely chopped. Add the garlic, nuts, and seeds,and lemon juice and mix until the mixture is finely blended into a paste. It freezes well, so purchase coriander in season and fill enough jars to last through the year.

Coriander and garlic are well known chelation agents for ridding the body of heavy metals. The seeds are rich in minerals and antioxidants and Brazil nuts are high in Selenium which is an important antioxidant for detox and fertility. Lemon juice also helps to support liver function and is rich in Vitamin C.

Two teaspoons of this pesto daily for three weeks is said to be enough to increase the urinary excretion of mercury, lead and aluminum. 
Use on toast, as a dip or on cooked vegetables or fish.

Narelle Stegehuis, is a practicing medical herbalist and naturopath specializing in restorative endocrinology for women, with over 14 years clinical experience.  She is both an accomplished writer, editor and technical training advisor for the Complementary Health Care Council.  A recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award, Narelle adopts an integrated approach of both medical science and traditional complementary health care principles.  www.massattack.com.au

Natural Relief For Interstitial Cystitis

According to the National Institute of Health one in five women experience discomfort caused by Interstitial Cystitis (IC).

Women’s health expert and naturopath Narelle Stegehuis, explains that “effective management requires an individualised approach to provide long term relief”. 

Interstitial Cystitis is a complex condition caused by erosion of the protective bladder lining. This may be due to infection, inflammation, hormones,  autoimmune conditions or a combination of factors.  For many suffers, symptoms are often worse during ovulation and under stress due to a neuro-hormonal connection. 

Symptom relief can be achieved with traditional herbal support that targets the underlying cause.  This can be established with hormonal profiling and wellness mapping. 

For example, Rachel achieved relief from IC by applying a combination of antimicrobial herbs such as Thymus vulgaris and anti inflammatory herbs such Achillea millefolium, as the underlying cause of her IC was triggered by bacteria and inflammation.  Other herbs such as Passiflora incarnata were included in her tonic since stress was thought to be a contributing factor.  This is why a tailored herbal tonic is often the best choice of natural treatment.

So What Natural Support Is Available?

IC may improve with medical treatment but unfortunately infection associated with both of these conditions may be resistant to traditional antibiotic treatment which means symptoms may recur with time. 

Improving bladder tone and the health of the urinary tract is achievable in three easy steps:

Step 1 Identify The Cause

A diagnosis for IC can be both time consuming and frustrating and even once a diagnosis is made, treatment options can be limited until you isolate the cause. “Symptomatic health screening and hormonal profiling coupled with pathology testing to identify the underlying factors triggering the symptoms, is the first step in the right direction”, says Stegehuis.  “Once the cause is established, effective long term management is possible”.

Step 2 Diet and Lifestyle

Start making small changes such as giving up coffee and alcohol.  Consume foods that promote alkalinity within the body and remove allergens such as wheat or dairy from your diet.

Other changes depend upon a more individualised approach such as tailored diet and lifestyle changes to support immune or digestive health and hormonal balance.

Step 3 Targeted Treatment

Finally, the choice of traditional herbal medicine for IC and UTI’s depends upon the underlying contributing factors to the condition, such as hormones, auto-immunity, central nervous system excitability, bacterial infection, inflammation or digestive weakness .

According to Stegehuis, a common mistake is to take Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) for IC.  For many women with this condition, taking this herb aggravates the condition. 

Probiotics such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus may provide beneficial support for IC caused by Escherichia coli due to their protective influence on the immune system. 

Remember, IC is a complex condition requiring an individualized treatment approach.  This is why I recommend sufferers seek the expertise of a qualified health practitioner and if symptoms persist seek medical advice.

Narelle Stegehuis, is a practicing naturopath and medical herbalist specializing in the natural treatment of women's health and hormonal imbalance for over 14 years. She is both an accomplished writer, editor and recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award.  

To find out more, call 1300 133 536 or visit www.massattack.com.au

Interstitial Cystitis - Natural Relief

Hormonal profiling is the first step towards relief from Interstitial Cystitis (IC), as Rachel*, discovered.

Rachel’s Story

After surgery, my health changed.  For starters, I always felt bloated and stress from a relationship bust up left me exhausted and run down. 

My immune system was so low that I constantly had either a cold or a flu.  In spite of several courses of antibiotics, my health just would not improve.  Worst of all, my whole body felt painful and constantly ached.  I was gaining weight around my stomach and always battling thrush.

Although I had suffered from Urinary Tract Infections from time to time, it was when I first experienced the excruciating pain and urgency to go to the loo, that I knew something was wrong.  Over the next 12 months my symptoms worsened; (urgency, pain, poor immunity, bloating) and I was also constantly fatigued.  I had a series of tests and finally a diagnosis of IC was made.  

There had to be a reason why I had IC  – and I knew I had to find it. Over the counter remedies from the health food store, although helping a little, were not enough.

Narelle’s Comments

Rachel’s story is a perfect example of how important hormonal profiling and wellness mapping is.  We see all too often the effects of ‘blanket treatments’ that treat the symptom rather than the cause. 

It is important to remember that to restore long term health, you need to identify the initial cause and this takes time and expertise.  Investing time into getting to the ‘root’ cause of Rachel’s health challenges is what made the difference.   This is what Rachel’s ‘wellness’ map looked like:

 

Establishing her hormonal profile, I then designed a wellness map that was not only going to improve her immune system and energy, but also restore digestive health and hormonal balance.  It was time to help Rachel overcome IC and feel fantastic.   

Rachel’s  treatment strategy included a personalized tonic using traditional medicinal herbs such Thymus vulgaris and Gentian to restore  digestive health and eliminate infection while the addition of Withania somnifera combined with Passiflora incarnata helped to restore adrenal and central nervous system health.  Other herbs such as Rehmannia, Achillea millefolium and Echinacea were included to lower inflammation and improve immune health.  Other herbs were included throughout her treatment  to support hormonal balance. 

Targeted dietary changes to support healthy hormonal balance including limiting coffee, tea, orange juice and broccoli, were provided in an easy to understand format, that fitted well with Rachel’s busy life. 

Personalized orthomolecular and nutritional therapy, formed part of Rachel’s long term plan.  These changes, combined with gentle detoxification techniques; gently guided her health to new levels.  Her new wellness plan was a must for overcoming her symptoms of fatigue, bloating, lowered immunity, hormonal imbalance and IC.

Outcome:

Today, Rachel has restored energy levels and is no longer bloated.  Her immune system is healthy and she no longer suffers from chronic pain and urine frequency caused by IC.

To discover your wellness map, complete your Assessment online at www.massattack.com.au

Getting Sick Too Often?

Beating the Winter Blues: Naturally

Most adults will get at least two colds every year, and children can get up to eight. This is hardly surprising given that there are more than 200 viruses known to cause respiratory tract infections. Although viral illnesses are rarely serious they certainly cause misery and may lower immune defenses against more dangerous secondary bacterial infections.

Fighting viral infections – Colds and 'flu

There are a number of clinically effective Natural Medicines that can be used to help your patients support their immune systems and fight viral infections this winter, including the Ayurvedic herb Andrographis paniculata. Traditional use of Andrographis effectively stimulates immunity and reduces inflammation; used in the acute stages of viral infection, Andrographis has been shown to reduce cold and ‘flu symptoms and shorten the duration of illness.

To enhance these effects, a personalized herbal tonic blends Andrographis with Picrorrhiza kurroa and Sambucus nigra to help relieve symptoms of fever, sore throats and excessive mucous secretions to shorten the duration of colds and 'flu.

Certain mushroom extracts may also help fight off viral infections. Research focused on the immune enhancing effects of Japanese mushrooms finds the extracts from Coriolus versicolor and Grifola frondosa to powerfully boost immune surveillance against viral infection and reduce the risk of secondary bacterial infection. Together these mushroom extracts help prevent and treat viral infections in those with poor immunity.

Nutritionally, zinc and vitamin C are important as they are both rapidly depleted during the acute stages of infection. An acute dosage strategy of up to four doses of Zinc and Vitamin C Powder daily from the first signs and symptoms of a viral infection is recommended to support immunity and prevent depletion.

Narelle Stegehuis, is a practicing medical herbalist and naturopath specializing in restorative endocrinology for women, with over 14 years clinical experience.  She is both an accomplished writer, editor and technical training advisor for the Complementary Health Care Council.  A recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award, Narelle adopts an integrated approach of both medical science and traditional complementary health care principles. 

Her services can be accessed at www.massattack.com.au or www.bumpfertility.com.au

Zucchini Soup

4 to 6 servings.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

zucchini, (about 7 cups diced)

2 teaspoons curry powder

6 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

1/4 cup basmati rice

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

Pinch of cayenne

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For garnish:

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1.      Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it is tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic and the zucchini and stir for about a minute, until the garlic smells fragrant.

2.      Add the curry powder, stir together, and add the stock or water, the rice and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.

3.      Purée the soup with blender.

4.      Return to the pot, heat through, add pepper and cayenne to taste and stir in the lemon juice. Serve, garnishing with chopped chives.

Narelle Stegehuis, is a practicing medical herbalist and naturopath specializing in restorative endocrinology for women, with over 14 years clinical experience.  She is both an accomplished writer, editor and technical training advisor for the Complementary Health Care Council.  A recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award, Narelle adopts an integrated approach of both medical science and traditional complementary health care principles. 

Her services can be accessed at www.massattack.com.au or www.bumpfertility.com.au