A Gut Feeling

You may have already heard the term “leaky” gut floating around. Also known as Increased Intestinal Permeability, “leaky” gut is a term used to describe a condition whereby the integrity of the tight junctions and cells of the intestinal wall, and thus its functions (particularly the containment of materials and toxins) have been compromised. So the gut ends up “leaking” undigested proteins, particles, microbes, toxins, and waste metabolites into the bloodstream where they freely circulate (and shouldn’t be!). This can impact many aspects of our health, and can even affect the brain.

Why a gut tune-up is important:

The condition and functioning of the gut is not only important for digestive health, such as the ability to break down, absorb and utilise nutrients from our food, or mitigation of digestive conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It also feeds into, and has implications for other less obvious conditions.

Interestingly, the gut is also thought of as the ‘second brain’. This is mainly due to the fact that it relies upon the same neurons and neurotransmitters (such as serotonin) that are found in, and communicate with the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). This helps us to understand the link between gut health and mental health, and how they feed into each other. And suffice it to say, how psychological, emotional and physical stress can cause digestive troubles.

Signs to look out for, include:

•       Nutrient malabsorption -the inability to absorb essential nutrients

•       Fatigue

•       Chronic inflammatory conditions, such as: Asthma, Eczema, Heart disease, Dementia, Fibromyalgia, Pancreatitis, Gall bladder disease, Obesity, Autism, Depression, Lupus, Bleeding gums and Dental caries.

•       Candida or Thrush infections

•       Immune system function -susceptibility to, and ability to ward off infection; sensitivities and allergies; and autoimmune conditions such Hashimoto’s, Rheumatoid arthritis, and Type I Diabetes.

•       Cognitive function: for example, clear vs foggy thinking, and memory decline.

•       Mental health: poor mood (or moodiness and irritability), depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder

•       Hormonal imbalances, for example PMS or PCOS.

•       Skin conditions: eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea

•       Thyroid disorders

•       Joint pain

•       Weight gain

•       ‘Syndrome X’ (metabolic condition)

•       Toxic build up

•       Headaches and migraines

Factors that contribute to poor gut health and function, and “leaky” gut include:

•       Stress! Stress has a major impact on the gut (among other things!), and I see this in clinic, time and time again… The gut is a sensitive organism, that is highly vulnerable to the ill-effects of stress. From the tension held in the nerve plexus that feeds into the gut (the vagus nerve), changes to appetite, decreased digestive capacity (the ability to break down, absorb and utilise nutrients from our food), ulcers, reflux, indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea and IBS, to lowered immunity, increased susceptibility to infections, and the development of neurodegenerative and autoimmune conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

•       Poor Diet -The SAD (Standard Australian Diet), which is laden with nutrient poor, processed, sugary, and fried foods. The SAD burdens the body with rubbish, and typically lacks essential nutrients found in a nutrient-dense fresh produce, and a chemically-reduced (Organic, where possible) wholefood diet that the body requires to maintain good health and functioning.

•       Foods that commonly contribute towards and aggravate poor gut health include: sugar, gluten and unsprouted grains, dairy (although the A2 variety appears to be less so), caffeine, alcohol, processed/packaged and foods.

•       Medications: particularly antibiotics, due to the fact that they tend to wipe out the good bacteria colonising the digestive tract, destroying the ecological balance; the oral contraceptive pill; paracetamol and ibuprofen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) being most common.

You can take back control of your gut health today by:

•       Remove common culprits from the diet, like gluten, dairy, and sugar. This can be challenging to think about, but it doesn’t have to be too complicated or hard. The ability to collate the right resources and support, and make a plan goes a long way in making any dietary transitions like this smooth.

•       Take your time to eat. Even if it is just 5 minutes, undistracted.

•       Chew well. It may sound silly, but by paying attention to chewing each mouthful more completely, we’re actually helping the mechanical breakdown of our digestive process, which takes a burden off our digestion, and makes it noticeably smoother. Digestive disturbances are reduced, and nutrient absorption is enhanced.

•       Get serious about minimising your stress levels -see my articles on 6 Ways to Beat Stress Fast, and Little things you can do to Unplug for a few good pointers.

•       Eating more leafy greens, which feed and encourage good bacteria growth in the gut, and help physically sweep toxic waste out from the bowel. They’re also rich in stress-busting nutrients.

•       Trying a gut-healing Bone Broth. You can find good recipes for how to make a bone broth all over the net. It is a nutrient-rich, mineralising broth that helps restore the mucosal lining of the gut, aids digestion and the immune system.

•       Seeking professional help for a proper assessment, and treatment.

Learn more about Shanna.

Make an appointment to see Shanna.

Endometriosis: From a Naturopathic Perspective

Endometriosis is a condition that really needs to be treated using the best that both the Medical and Complementary healthcare systems have to offer. That is to say, treatment for Endometriosis should be undertaken in a comprehensive and focused way to throw everything you can at it, and achieve an effective therapeutic outcome.

Medical treatment may seek to reduce or stop periods altogether, using hormonally active medications to induce a continual pregnancy-like hormonal state or produce a temporary menopausal state. It would also be concerned with medicating for pain management, mood swings and depression. Medical procedures can range from the less invasive, to the higher end of the “invasive” scale, and may involve:

•       Medication -for example, oestrogen-modulating (e.g. the oral contraceptive pill),  progestogens (e.g. Provera), and analgesic medicines

•       Laparoscopic investigation and surgery/ablation

•       Regular D and Cs (dilation and curettage)

•       Hysterectomy

Naturopathic treatment for Endometriosis is centred on supporting appropriate organs, systems, and pathways in the body through a comprehensive nutritional and herbal prescription to target the disease pathways; as well as beneficial dietary and lifestyle modifications in order to mitigate symptoms, improve reproductive health and fertility, and ultimately, to manage and reduce disease progression.

After proper assessment of the condition -that is, how active the Endometriosis is, severity of growth and symptoms, treatment goals (symptomatic improvement vs fertility, for example), and contributing factors; the main areas of focus in treating Endometriosis from a Naturopathic perspective involves the regulation and support of:

•       Hormones (especially oestrogen and cortisol)

•       Liver detoxification pathways to improve toxin and hormonal clearance

•       Gut health and function

•       Lymphatic and immune function

•       Inflammation pathways

•       Oxidative stress within the system

Naturopathic investigations may also include:

•       Assessment of goal for treatment e.g. symptom reduction, fertility or treatment of entire disease process

•       Hormonal and Pain tracking

•       Hormonal profile (salivary test)

•       2 and 16 (pathways) oestrogen metabolism testing

•       Adrenal hormone profile

•       Food igG and IgG profile

•       Coeliac profile

•       Complete Digestive Stool Analysis

•       Vitamin D status

•       Lipid profile

•       Gene screen

•       Liver function: capacity for detoxification/assessment of phase I and II of liver detoxification processes

•       Levels of oxidation, pro-oxidant factors in the diet and lifestyle (e.g. stress and poor nutrition), and antioxidant status

Nutrition

Nutritional and dietary measures are mainly focused on the repletion and boosting of key nutrients, as well as the avoidance of foods and substances necessary to impact Endometriosis pathways (outlined above). Basic principles of which, include:

•       Nutritional (and herbal) prescriptions to provide symptomatic support (including psychological and emotional stress), and target inflammation and other disease pathways

•       Limit pro-inflammatory substances and foods, such as: dairy, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, non-organic meats and farmed fish, processed/packaged foods, saturated fats and deep-fried foods, soy and other oestrogenic foods (including xeno-oestrogens, commonly ingested through use of plastics)

•       Include more: fresh, whole (natural, non-processed), and organic (this is actually really important, therapeutically) foods that are nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-packed!

•       Increase fibre to aid digestion, enhance the ecology of the gut, and clearance of oestrogen and toxic waste from the system

LifeStyle measures may include:

•       Meditation and relaxation techniques can be invaluable in helping deal with the psychological, emotional and physical impact of endometriosis

•       Moderate, daily physical activity like walking, stretching and yoga are beneficial

•       Losing weight (if necessary), as adipose (fat) tissue produces more oestrogen, and is very hormonally active

•       Refraining from sexual intercourse during menses (due to the link to possible retrograde blood flow)

•       Awareness around what’s in your environment, food and personal care products (e.g. moisturiser, make-up, deodorant, sanitary items); and making appropriate changes to avoid and decrease exposure to chemicals and toxins (for example, heavy metals, pesticides, parabens, phthalates, solvents, and moulds), is a must.

References:

Cook, K and Trickey, R. Endometriosis. Crows Nest, N.S.W: Allen and Unwin, 2002.Print.

Hechtman, Leah. Clinical Naturopathic Medicine. Sydney, Australia: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier Australia, 2011.Print.

Shanna is a qualified Naturopath and EFT Practitioner, and member of the Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA). 

Shanna's interest in natural medicine came about through her own health challenges. She has a special interest in helping people with natural fertility, hormone balance, stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue and general wellbeing. 

Learn more about Shanna
Make an appointment to see Shanna

Food and Mood - emerging research aligns with traditional wisdom

You may have you heard about the gut-brain connection, or heard the gut being referred to as our ‘second brain’. But what if I were to tell you that you could fundamentally change your mental health and how you feel, by treating your gut?

Sounds “out there”, doesn’t it...

But if you’ve ever “followed your gut”,

had “butterflies” in your tummy from excitement,

or a “knot” in the pit of your stomach when you’ve been worried,

a “gut-wrenching” experience,

“lost your appetite”,

found yourself “hangry”  (being a moody-chops because you haven’t eaten in a while),

or had the proverbial “s**ts” with something;

then you’ve experienced the gut-brain connection first-hand, and can probably conceptualise how inextricably linked our gut, mood, and emotions are.

It may come as little surprise to you, that anxiety and other mood and mental health disorders can be directly linked to poor gut health...

Whilst gut health has always been at the core of Naturopathic philosophy and treatment (we’re talking in the realm of a couple-thousand years, since Hippocrates ‘The Father of Modern Medicine’ time). It is only in more recent times that we are seeing both a huge shift in paradigms and awareness; with more promising research on the gut-brain relationship emerging, the idea is coming into a space of more understanding and general acceptance. There are now even bestseller books based solely on gut health at the local book store! It’s wonderful to be able to discuss the relevance of the gut and how it is linked to mood, skin, autoimmune disorders and more -and suddenly it’s actually kinda plausible; not just some crazy thing you might hear about in a Naturopathic consultation...

Did you know that you are about 90% bacteria?! I’m not kidding...And the make-up, or balance, of this bacteria (our personal “ecosystem”) can impact not only our gut, digestion, and immune system function; but can also profoundly impact our mental health and emotional wellbeing.

There is a rapidly expanding body of research showing that specific strains of bacteria are indeed influencing our brain. They are actually termed ‘psychobiotics’, because their actions are not dissimilar to that of psychiatric pharmaceutical drugs (like common anti-anxiety drugs that work by targeting GABA receptors). These bacterial strains have been observed toinfluence our emotions, higher cognitive functions, ‘intuitive’ (perhaps quite literally, “from the gut”!) decision-making and motivation. In studies on both mice andhealthy human volunteers, using an array of brain-scanning and psychological tests, psychobiotics are having distinguishable effects.

One study on mice of calm vs. anxious highlighted the psychiatric possibilities of modulating gut flora when faecal microbiota was transplanted from an anxious strain of mice caused a previously calm mouse to behave very anxiously. And, yep, you guessed it... A transplant of gut content from the calm strain had a relaxing (and even confidence-boosting) effect on the anxious strain.

Our mircobiome is influenced by factors like how we were born (vaginal vs c-section), if we were breastfed or bottlefed, our diet or stress levels, metabolism, medications -especially antibiotics, age, geography, and genetics. Whilst there is much more to learn, especially on the exact mechanisms of action; what we are understanding is their ability to modulate our brain chemistry. With a serious percentage of neurotransmitter (NT) production and receptor sites residing in the gut (40 NTs in the gut have been identified, to date), it makes sense that if the ecology of our gut is out, our mental and emotional wellbeing is going to follow (and vice versa).

But our mental health and emotional wellbeing is not just governed by the health status of our microbiome. It is also profoundly influenced by an orchestra of nervous system data, endocrine, inflammatory and immune messengers...

The gut pretty much has an entire nervous system cosmos of its own. This is the Enteric nervous system, which is embedded in the gastrointestinal lining, and also referred to as the “second brain”. The Enteric nervous system contains an estimated 500 million neurons -yup; and it is thought to house more neural tissue than that the spinal cord or the peripheral nervous system (everything outside of the brain and spinal cord!).This means there is a veritable information superhighway in there; that is constantly sending, receiving and reacting to various neural and chemical signals!  Some of these messengers that traverse it include:

●      Stress hormones such as Adrenalin, Noradrenalin, Cortisol

●      Metabolites including toxic materials produced by the microbiome -which, Sarkis Mazmanian, a Medical Microbiologist and Professor at the California Institute of Technology, says function as “equally drug-like chemicals” in their communication with the brain.These metabolic molecules have a demonstrated ability to cause behavioral abnormalities in mice that are associated withanxiety (and even autism) when otherwise healthy mice are inoculated with them.

●      Inflammatory cytokines: messengers of inflammation

●      Serotonin: the happy, calming, feel-good NT (95% of which is produced in the gut, meaning only 5% is made in the brain)

●      GABA: the chillaxing NT (significant amounts of GABA are synthesised by the bacteria species Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which are known to inhabit the gut);

●      Dopamine: the pleasure and motivation NT (about 50% produced by the enteric nervous system in the gut)

The role of stress

“Stress” can be experienced on different levels (mental, emotional, physical), and originate from various sources (e.g. nutritional, chemical, psycho-social, environmental, visceral). Now, consider how extensive this nerve plexus in our bellies I’m talking about is; and how positively connected this neural superhighway is to our brain... This (enteric) nervous system, and the vagus nerve are highly attuned to our thoughts, moods, emotions, and of course, stress response. In fact, stress signals release neurotransmitters and proinflammatory cytokines, affecting the gut in a number of ways, one of which being the initiation of an inflammatory cascade, which compromises intestinal integrity; contributing to ‘leaky gut’ issues.

Some studies have demonstrated how bacterium exposed to noradrenaline (a stress hormone) clearly responded to stress, and may even induce stress, as a heightened perception of stress or anxiety-like behaviour has been demonstrated.

So, whilst the ‘beneficial’ bacteria are associated with more positive mood and mental health states, greater nerve plasticity and repair; the pathogenic bacteria appear to have the opposite effect.

As you can see, a crucial part of treating anxiety, and other mood and mental health disorders (even more serious disorders such as bi-polar and schizophrenia) actually lies within addressing the gut.

Naturopathic treatment

The basis of Naturopathic treatment uses the tenets of ‘Nutritional Psychiatry’ (that is, a nutritional medicine approach to prevention and treatment of mental disorders) to restore mental (emotional and behavioural) wellbeing.

From a Naturopathic standpoint, it is always important to work holistically. So one would also consider the regulation of these pathways through not only the modulation of the microbiome inhabiting the system; but also the repair the intestinal lining to resolve any pervasive“leaky” gut issues. The latter being where toxic metabolites may be escaping into the bloodstream causing a cascade of chemical messengers to ensue. This inflames the system and the brain; which is a mechanism shown to cause, drive, and exacerbate mood and mental health disorders.

The power of a few significant dietary and lifestyle changes are utilised; avoiding those things we understand have a negative impact on our gut, microbiotica, and mood -such as: processed, fried, and sugary stuff.  And getting stuck into real, whole foods; fresh, from the source, non-adulterated, that grows in the ground, on trees, in your garden, or hails from a farm, and are recognisable as foods (wild-caught fish, organic, grass-fed meat, free range eggs, legumes, leafy greens, and an array of fresh, seasonal fruit and veg for example), rather than packaged goods. Along with specific, individualised supplementation to replete and balance the system, where necessary.

Craniosacral therapy

The Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility reported the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 normalised anxiety-like behavior in mice with infectious colitis by modulating the vagal pathways within the gut-brain. The gut-brain connection is actually via the vagus nerve, which acts as a direct neuronal higway between our gut, brain and organs.

Craniosacral therapy can work to activate and “tone” the vagus nerve. This downregulates the sympathetic stress response in the body, and promotes your natural relaxation response, elevating feelings of calm and stability, and decreasing inflammatory mediators.

As your vagus nerve is activated, you are reassociated with what it feels like to be at ease. It stimulates the release of oxytocin (aka the “hug” or “bliss” hormone), and has a myriad of other benefits on the gut, digestion, organs and wellbeing.

If you would like to make a Naturopathy or Craniosacral therapy appointment, you can book online.

Shanna is a qualified Naturopath and EFT Practitioner, and member of the Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA). 

Shanna's interest in natural medicine came about through her own health challenges. She has a special interest in helping people with natural fertility, hormone balance, stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue and general wellbeing. 

Learn more about Shanna
Make an appointment to see Shanna

6 ways to turn stress around, fast!

We all have our ways that we “deal” with stress. Commonly, it’s a very tried and very tested autopilot response by which our brain and nervous system “cope” under pressure to meet the demands of our daily lives. But tolerating stress all the time is tiring (literally).

Here are 6 things you can do today to help you feel more ease, rather than stressed, and restore more of the good feelings in life:

1.     B-R-E-A-T-H-E deep into your belly. Allow your belly to fill with air and expand like a big balloon. Then release… This is an instant de-stressor to both the body and mind. Do this 1 time, do it 3 times, or do it as many times as you need in order to clear your head and create a circuit-breaker. The more often we can practise this technique, the more we will feel the benefits of “un-plugging” from our stress response. I know I’ve said it a bunch of times when it comes to dealing with stress, but this is arguably the quickest way to do so.

2.     Go easy on the caffeine. I’m sorry to say this - I am :), but the physiological impact of that coffee is like actually drinking a cup of liquid stress; this is the hormonal impact it has on the body as it activates a stress (hormone) response. Interestingly, when we’ve been in stress mode for an extended period of time our adrenals start to flag and we find ourselves on a seesaw of stress and fatigue, so our caffeine intake (e.g. from coffee, black tea, chocolate, soft drinks and energy beverages) can become a crutch to help get us through the fatigue and keep pumping, or at least, remaining functional. Unfortunately though, the way caffeine (and also, sugar) is broken down and metabolised in the body creates a substance called lactate (you may already be familiar with lactate build-up in your muscles after exercise). A build-up of lactate in the system has been shown to elevate stress and anxiety levels, and to even induce anxiety attacks in some studies. That caffeine hit usually gives us the sense of relief from our stresses momentarily, but it acts like a credit card in the sense that it gives us energy we don’t actually have. “Borrowing” energy and stimulating the adrenals in this way “buys” us time and keeps us steaming along in survival mode to do what we need to do. But it comes with extra interest, and we pay that price when our adrenal glands become so depleted that instead of playing on that seesaw of stress and fatigue we eventually just hit the wall -with fatigue, poor mood and a decline in mental and physical function. The hormonal and metabolic pathway of caffeine in the body also places stress on the liver, spikes blood sugars, raises cholesterol levels and places the body in fat-storage mode, leading to unhealthy weight gain. Initially, even the idea itself can be difficult to come to grips with, but it’s worth noting that forgoing our usual caffeine intake can dramatically decrease physiological stress levels with each fix we choose not to have. Of course, having something to substitute it with is equally important. You may like to trade it for a herbal tea -for example, roasted, unprocessed dandelion root or peppermint; a lemon or lime water; fresh vegie juice or a homemade energy ball snack.

3.     Take a closer look at your blood glucose levels and try to manage them appropriately. Dishevelled blood glucose levels are a major physiological cause of stress in the body that also causes havoc on our hormones. Stress activates adrenalin and cortisol to initiate the release of glucose into the bloodstream which causes blood glucose levels to spike, and then crash. Thus perpetuating the physiological stress response as well as the energy deficit. Making sure you don’t leave too long between meals and keeping meals and snacks well-balanced with a portion of protein, healthy fats, fresh vegies and other complex carbohydrates such as brown rice or quinoa are good rules of thumb to start with.

4.     Get your hands on some Lemon balm -Fresh or dried leaves or the essential oil itself -scrunch it, inhale it, dab the oil on yourself or steep it in hot water and drink as a tea. The aromatic essential oils of Lemon balm (aka Melissa Officinalis) are calming and rejuvenating for the head, heart and nerves, lifting the spirits and helping to ease stress and emotions.

5.     Do a brain dump -This where you blurt out (through writing) all that’s stressing you and playing on your mind. Much of our stress these days is perpetuated by a psychological element that involves the way we perceive, think and feel about things being directly processed by our nervous system all the time. So it can be helpful to get all your stresses, worries, thoughts and feelings out onto paper. For a more constructive and perhaps effective version of this: try a mind map. If you’re not familiar or have a limited understanding of exactly what mind mapping is and how it works, there are some excellent online sources that will take you through how to do it and explain the many benefits. It can be an effective stress-busting exercise whereby we lay out a detailed roadmap of the issues at hand; you can see what’s going on and what needs to be addressed more clearly, and begin to understand how things are tied together. You can then do another one for all the potential solutions. Try to remain open to new possibilities that may arise during this exercise. It’s a powerful clarifying tool and good a way to stop your stress from “swimming” around in your head and body like a big, accumulating stormcloud running amok. It’s helpful to finish by redirecting your thoughts to workable solutions that you can act on now.

6.     Go out of your way to treat the physical: Book yourself a bodywork session -whether it’s craniosacral therapy, massage, acupuncture, or a Yoga, Zumba or Tai chi class. Perhaps taking a hike (and a picnic) up one of Canberra’s many mountains, booking in for a trail ride on a horse, or doing some gardening is just the thing. We can also affect the finer physiology of our brain chemistry and nervous system activity by going back to step one and focusing on stress relief through the breath; listening to a guided meditation or visualisation can also give us some much-needed mental space; or some helpful binaural tones that directly change the electrochemical activity through specific audiotones that can induce relaxation throughout to improve resilience, mood, sleep, and cognition.

Here’s a bonus tip that works: Make yourself hold a smile and breathe deeply for as long as you can. This will change the tone pretty quickly. Even if initially it feels ridiculous; it may feel ironic, somewhat exasperating or outright absurd -it may probably even feel like a little of all of the above. This is because it feels incredibly counter-intuitive to be smiling away when you’re in the middle of a stress-out! When we’re under pressure and most need to use this trick we’re also likely to resist it madly. But if you can persevere, even just for a minute or two, you may just find it does the trick to get you into a better frame of mind or have you feeling a bit silly and more able to laugh at yourself and your problems rather than get stuck in a mental loop about them.

I encourage you to try one (or all) of these tips for yourself the next time you’re feeling stressed. They will not only help to create a bit of space from your experience of stress, but they help facilitate a mental and nervous system shift so you can then redirect your energies and change the way you’re feeling for a better outcome.

Naturopathic support is always a game-changer when it comes to feeling stressed, and I can help you to naturally enhance your resilience and to feel, and cope better. So if you feel you could do with a bit of a “tune-up” or you’re ready to just not-feel-this-way anymore, you can call Live Well to book an appointment, or use our online booking system and find a time and day that suits you.

Best wishes,

Shanna

P.S Check out my Little Things You Can Do To Unplug for some extra useful ways to tackle the stress in your life.

Learn more about Shanna.

Make an appointment to see Shanna.

A Naturopathic Perspective on Insomnia

When it comes to insomnia and poor sleep my clinical experience tells me that what we really need to be doing is look at the source. In other words, if you were a tree and the insomnia or poor quality of sleep (the symptoms) are represented by the leaves, our inquiry needs to be centred around what’s happening at the level of the soil and at the roots (of the proverbial tree). This is where we find the diet, stress and lifestyle factors that contribute to nutrient deficiencies, toxicity, inflammation and the other driving factors that are causing the disturbances and symptoms in the first place. So rather than just trying to band-aid or prune the leaves and branches with various remedies (that are not going to treat at the source level), you’ll find it more effective (and life-changing) to work from the ground up…

So what does that mean?

The substances we put in our body have such a major influence on our physiology –from our hormones and nervous system (including our brain), our immune system function, how we feel emotionally, clarity of mind and concentration, ageing processes, you name it –the lot! And whilst there are many factors that can contribute to a person’s experience of insomnia, our diet and the kinds of things we’re eating and drinking can be a (if not THE) major culprit. To read more on food & sleep, see my Guide to Eating Right for Better Sleep)

If you’re suffering through your own version of poor sleep or insomnia, it’s likely you’re not feeling great. Once insomnia and poor sleep establishes a habit, it can become difficult to cope after a while.  You probably still having to get up and appear like a normal, functioning person…  So what do you do?

Well, most people begin to rely on caffeine and high energy, sugar-laden foods to get up and going and push you through the walls of fatigue and dullness so they can show up and get things done. Physiologically, blood-sugars will spike -which will help you through; but they’ll soon also crash -which is a bit like catching a wave to surf and then being dumped! It essentially creates a cycle of reliance on substances and behaviours –for example, that propensity for an alcoholic beverage of an evening, carb/sweet or salty cravings, inordinate amounts of screen-time and being sedentary.

Whilst these practices initially appear to help in managing the fallout from the poor quality sleep, it also creates not only a deficit in the system (from poor nutrition and unbalanced stress and lifestyle factors) but establishes an unhealthy crutch that you probably feel you need to go about your day and demands, and to get through. You’ll likely be relying on “uppers” –things you’ve found that help to get you functioning -like coffee or chocolate for example; and “downers” like alcohol, a big rich meal or even chocolate again (seemingly conversely, but it also hits the “reward” centres in the brain and alters the brain chemistry to soothe, as well as pep you up). These things appear to work in the short term and help bring you back to a place that feels more “relaxed” or is more conducive to falling asleep. 

But how you feel in the morning when you wake is usually the best sign to go by, as it is your indicator for quality of sleep. And we’ve all had those “perfect” 8+hr nights of sleep and woken feeling less-than-amazing. So it’s not necessarily about the amount of sleep-time you’ve clocked up in a night, nor the fact that you may be sleeping through. So let’s explore quality of sleep a little further…

What kind of sleep disturbances are you experiencing?

□      Having difficulty getting to sleep, feeling tired, but too “wired”, and unable to wind down at the end of the day?  

□      Have you come to rely upon certain “crutches” -like alcohol, chocolate, ice-cream or tv to help you wind down?

□      Are you generally able to fall asleep OK, but are waking during the night?

□      Are you technically “sleeping through”, but your sleep is restless and non-refreshing –are you waking feeling just as tired (or more so!) than when you went to bed the night before, feeling headachy, unmotivated, slow  or foggy on a regular basis?

□      Do you find yourself waking too early in the (middle-of-the-night) morning, having 2 a.m, 3 a.m and 4 a.m wake-ups; lying awake for hours at a time and unable to fall back asleep, or falling asleep right before your alarm goes off…?

Well, you’re not alone!

Here are some of the most common factors that play a role in insomnia and poor quality of sleep:

·       Stress! Plays a huge role in insomnia, and is an absolute must-look in any case.

·       Diet and nutrition: excesses, deficiencies, toxicity and inflammation; psychoactive substances such as caffeine, sugar, alcohol, nicotine, amphetamines, opioids and medications.

·       Blood glucose imbalances (one of the triggers for insomnia) can cause a neuroendocrine response that activates the brain to be awake -hence, an early dinner that is not rich and is easily digestible + a light snack or gentle supper in the hour before bedtime can help. (see my Guide to Eating Right for Better Sleep for more information on how our food choices can help you sleep better)

·       Hormonal disturbances and irregularities e.g. menopause

·       Rich meals and desserts

·       Stimulant intake throughout the day - sugar, caffeine, alcohol (yes, alcohol initially acts as a depressant on the nervous system; but it winds up messing with blood glucose levels and burdening the liver, which can be a major causative factor in sleep issues)

·       Electromagnetic disturbances from electronic gadgetry, wiring and lights in the bedroom

·       Exposure to short wavelength blue light emitted from our phones/tv which impacts the pineal gland and reduces melatonin (the hormone responsible for regulating our sleep and circadian rhythm)

·       Other underlying conditions, for example:  stress, anxiety or depression; sleep apnoea; menopause; arthritis; gastric ulcer

·       Medications

·       Sedentary lifestyle

It is worth noting that many of the factors listed above are not only underlying causes in insomnia and poor quality of sleep; but many –such as elevated stress hormones, intake of high-caloric, sugary, quick energy-releasing foods, use of stimulants, hormonal disturbances, depression, anxiety and states of inflammation like arthritis –are also behaviours and effects that are in turn, driven by insomnia and poor sleep. So a vicious cycle ensues, and it can be a real “chicken or egg” situation.

Good quality of sleep is so vital to our health and wellbeing.

If we’re sleeping poorly, it not only impacts our energy, how we feel, or our focus, cognition, and how we eat on any given day. Chronic poor quality sleep also sparks inflammation and disease pathways in the body, can cause leaky gut, foggy head -and even brain damage; it promotes metabolic, endocrine and cardiovascular disorders, and is terrible for mood and mental health. In essence, if you are experiencing consistent poor quality sleep or insomnia it’s an awful space to be in, and it’s important you to seek professional help so you can feel well and be well again soon!

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Little Things You Can Do To Unplug

21 Ways you can Reduce Anxiety in Your Life

When anxiety has taken a hold, grasping onto something simple to help you out of that space and to recalibrate, can be immensely helpful.

Whether it's in the form of a ritual that supports your balance on a daily basis, or an emergency exit strategy, the key really,  is in having a few tricks to keep up your sleeve that are both super-easy and totally (fail-safe) doable. 

What are some small, key things you could do to throw yourself a lifeline next time you're heading out to sea in the rip of an anxiety tide?

Putting together a little list for yourself of the kind of things that you feel could work for you, can be useful. Because when anxiety has taken charge it can be incredibly difficult to access that clear, wise, creative part of our brain that would otherwise be really helpful in that situation.

 In the list below, you'll find 21 simple ways you can reduce anxiety in your life. I encourage you to pick and choose whatever personally feels good and resonates with you. And perhaps even to have a think and see what other kinds of things might help you re-set next time you're feeling anxious and strung-out.

1. B-R-E-A-T-H-E. Just breathe... Bringing your awareness to the breath, drawing your inhalation in through your nose, into your chest, and down into your navel (imagine filling up a balloon in your belly) interrupts the stress response, and sends ripples of instant calm throughout your nervous system! 

 2.  Practice Acceptance, and just.. Letting go. Of whatever you can, whenever you can... Even if it just means letting go of a particular stressful thought, for even only a minute... It still counts!

Resisting what IS in our lives creates a physiological stress response in our bodies. It's like when the river (that is, life) is flowing one way, and we are busy busting our chops, trying to swim upstream against the tide, or clinging to the riverbank; but if we can learn to just let go a little, find acceptance in what is (our feelings, the situation...), there's an almost-instant relief to be found in just that shift, alone. We can then stop struggling, and deal with what's on our plate from a different, calmer space.

3. Nourish your nervous system and adrenal's with wholesome food choices. Top up on your dark leafy greens, healthy fats, quality protein sources (a steak of oily fish or bowl of dahl, for example), and root veggies, which have a grounding effect. Also, take care to chew your food well.

4. Prioritise. When things seem overwhelming, take a minute to (re)consider what is most important and at the very top of your agenda, and focus on just doing that...

 5. Be in Nature. Even if just for 5 minutes. Get outside, be in the elements, and bring awareness to all of your senses. Feel the sunshine or the fresh, crisp air on your skin; notice the colour of the sky or the shapes in the clouds; listen to the sound of birds singing or acorns crunching underneath your feet. Let your eyes soak up all the green they possibly can.

 6. Nip it in the bud. If there's something worrying you, and you can’t put your finger on it, pop your creative and strategic hats on, identify the issue, and do whatever is in your power right now to send it packing.

7. Ground yourself. Go and be in the garden; pull out a few weeds, plant something new; or simply take off your shoes and sit on the grass for a while. It's hard to stay too anxious in this space.

8. Tune in. Take your awareness past all the frenzy, and feel the sensations in your heart, throat and solar plexus regions... Can you feel tightness, knots, churning, butterflies, sinking, pulling...? What sensations do you get in these physical centres, when you're feeling anxious? Just bringing awareness to it can be enough to help the energy to dissipate and clear.

9. Listen up. Play some feel-good tunes or listen to a guided meditation, and let them help you to feel better.

10. Get physical. Discharge anxiety physically and get your feel-good endorphins flowing. Try walking, riding, jogging, rowing, swimming, lifting weights, dancing, stretching, yoga, pilates, kick-boxing, however  you like to get your body moving.

11. Tea time. Have a cup of herbal tea. Chamomile, Passionflower, Valerian and Hops are all great for calming and relaxing the nervous system. 

12. Burn or vaporise some soothing, uplifting essential oils such as Lavender and Peppermint, Sandalwood or Bergamot. They have the power to benefit your emotions by directly stimulating the limbic system.

13. Bring your creativity into play. Whether it's in a colouring book, painting, playing with kinetic sand, crochet, losing time on Pinterest, cooking up a storm… What gets your creative juices flowing? Being in the "flow" + engaging your creativity are two major anxiety busters!

14. Take time out. Book a holiday, a weekend away, or even just go on a day trip. Make an opportunity to get out of your usual surrounds, head to the beach, the mountains, the snow, the country or another city; maybe even abroad!

15. Light candles and have a bath (even just a foot bath!). Add a bunch of Epsom salts, and a few drops of your favourite essential oil/s. Tea, book, and music all optional.

16. Choose your thoughts. Take note of the quality of your thoughts/self-talk. Are they helpful? Supportive? Insightful? Critical and judgemental? Irrational? 

17. Detach from expectations and outcomes. When we can bring our attention to the present, and relax our minds from particular expectations and outcomes, we can also take a detour from the anxiety and pressure we might have been inadvertently placing on ourselves. 

18. Have an early night. Give yourself one of the best gifts of all: An Early Night... Giving your body adequate time to rest and restore at night is a vital part of re-setting the nervous system and encouraging greater resilience (ability to tuck & roll, bend with the wind and bounce back easily). And sometimes just “sleeping on it” really does help.

19. Blow it all off. When it all gets too much and life feels like it's getting on top of you, take a more radical approach to the whole situation; if you need to, take the day off or give yourself an early mark, but take some time out to abandon responsibility and do something that sweetens the deal for you and helps you take your mind of things for a while... 

20. Hugs and laughs whether it's a dog, a cat, a human, a gift or your favourite funny movie/TV series. Hugs and laughs are real, good medicine. 

21. See your Naturopath to have a chat and get some much-deserved wellness support.

I encourage you to pick and choose whatever personally feels good and resonates with you. And perhaps even to have a think and see what other kinds of things might help you re-set next time you're feeling anxious and strung-out.

 Shanna

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Under Pressure

What is the most common reason Canberrans visit the doctor? If you guessed high blood pressure you are right! Remarkably one in three adults have high blood pressure and up to one in ten are on high blood pressure medication.

High blood pressure or hypertension describes a condition where there is extra strain on your circulatory system including the heart, blood vessels and kidneys which can lead to calamitous health crises like stroke, heart disease and kidney failure. 

What causes hypertension?

If you are overweight, have high cholesterol, are a smoker or have a family history of hypertension then you’re more likely to develop high blood pressure, however 95% of people are said to have ‘essential’ hypertension meaning there is no known cause or the cause is vaguely described as lifestyle factors. 

Thankfully, if you’d prefer to treat hypertension without resorting to medication, it typically responds very well to natural medicine. Whilst there are many factors that cause high blood pressure, the overwhelming theme of clients who we see with high blood pressure have a lifestyle with high levels of stress and an inability to unwind and switch off which means their nervous systems, just like their circulatory systems are always under the pump.

How to heal hypertension

Herbal medicine is remarkably effective at treating hypertension. Herbs are selected to improve liver function, balance the nervous system and support the heart and blood vessel to build resilience. 

Acupuncture is exceptionally good at tackling stress and restoring optimal organ function and with stress under control hypertension is history. 

Naturopathy tackles hypertension from a number of angles via nutrition, lifestyle changes as well as herbs.

Kinesiology helps you break through old patterns of thinking and responding to life so you can treat the causes of your stress. 

Meditation restores your ability to switch off and unwind and is deeply restorative to your nervous system.  

If you suffer from hypertension and would like some support we are always here to explain how natural therapies can help and guide you through the process of treating hypertension naturally.

Wes Smith

Wes Smith is Live Well's Director and has 20 years experience as a practitioner and wellness educator. He has a special interest in working with chronic immune issues, stress, anxiety and depression. 
Wes is passionate about inspiring and educating people to create and sustain their vitality and wellbeing so they can live life to the full.
Wes also enjoys teaching meditation and is the creator of meditatewithwes.com an online resource for learning how to meditate. es has a B.App.Sc.(Acup), Diploma of Herbal Medicine, a Yoga Teaching Diploma and is an APHRA registered acupuncturist. Learn more about acupuncture, herbal medicine and meditation.

Part Two - How Naturopathy Can Boost Your Immune System

In Part Two of the How Not to Get Colds and Flu's series Live Well’s Sarah Grossemy explains how a Naturopath can make your immune system stronger and more resilient to colds and flu's.

About Naturopathy 

First some background… Naturopathy focuses on treating your whole being, so symptoms are seen as clues that help us understand your overall health picture. Naturopaths look at stress, wellbeing, diet, specific nutrients, herbs, exercise, water and rest. Our aim is to tap into and catalyse the body’s innate ability to heal itself, restore balance and resolve unwanted symptoms.

Why see a Naturopath

Seeing a Naturopath for a cold or flu will allow your body to be supported with natural remedies that have been around for hundreds of years. Not only does Naturopathy treat the symptoms but the practitioner looks further into your history to figure out why you get sick. If you are run down and are getting sick regularly then it’s important to understand why your immune system is underperforming so that the underlying causes can be addressed.

Doctors can do some great things but treating colds and flu's is not one of them! Conventional medicine’s armoury for colds and flu's is very limited, for example prescribing antibiotics, which are ineffective for viruses and at the same time completely wipe out all of your healthy gut bacteria. In contrast, a naturopath will nourish and improve gut health which contributes to supporting your body’s ability to defend itself.

The Nutritional Aspect

Without adequate nutrition your body cannot make the essential white blood cells to defend your body. A Naturopath can advise on what to eat, what supplements to include and how to make a meal as nutritionally dense as it can be. Proper nutrition is the basis of excellent wellbeing and if you are just interested on what to eat to be as healthy as you can a Naturopath can help with that too.

The Herbal Aspect

Herbs are used to help the body restore balance. There are many herbs that are specifically used for helping the body to combat colds and flus as well as herbs that boost the immune system, support your lymph to flush out toxins and nourish the nervous system to build resilience.

So whether you’re already run down and needing a boost or you just want to maximise your wellbeing so you don’t get sick, naturopathy has something to offer. As a Naturopath, I treat the person as a whole, looking at all aspects of body and mind to support you to be the healthiest you can be.  

If you'd like to come in and see me to find out how we can boost your immune system and get you feeling energised, robust and full of vitality again then please click here to make an appointment.