Journal
How Antibiotics Can Affect Your Mental Health
Did you know antibiotics don’t just impact digestion—they can also affect your mood? While these medications are life-saving and often necessary, research shows that they can have unintended effects on the delicate balance of bacteria in your gut. And because your gut and brain are deeply connected, those changes may ripple out into your mental health. The Gut-Brain Connection Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria, fungi, and…
The Hidden Signs of Hormonal Imbalance Every Woman Should Know
Hormonal imbalance affects far more women than most people realise. Because hormones influence everything from your metabolism to your mood, even a small imbalance can lead to a cascade of symptoms that feel difficult to explain or connect. Unfortunately, many women are told their lab tests are “normal” or that symptoms like fatigue, anxiety and low libido are simply part of getting older. In reality, these are often early warning…
The Link Between Blood Sugar Spikes and Hormonal Chaos
Did you know that your blood sugar levels can directly impact your hormonal health—even if you don’t have diabetes? Many women experience mood swings, fatigue, and cravings that trace back to blood sugar imbalances. What Blood Sugar Imbalance Looks Like: Afternoon crashes Cravings for sugar or caffeine Irritability when hungry Trouble sleeping Hormonal issues (PMS, PCOS, etc.) How We Help Balance It:…
Could You Have Leaky Gut and Not Know It?
Have you been feeling off lately—bloating, brain fog, fatigue—but can’t quite figure out why? You might be dealing with something called leaky gut. It’s more common than most people think, and chances are, you’ve never been tested for it. Here’s What Happens with Leaky Gut: Your gut lining is meant to act like a strong filter, allowing nutrients in and keeping bad stuff out. But stress, medications, food additives, and gut imbalances…
Unlocking the Secrets of Quality Sleep: How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?
Understanding the Importance of Sleep Sleep is not merely a state of rest; it’s a vital component of overall health and well-being. Just like the Tooth Fairy and Santa bring magic in the night, our bodies undergo a plethora of essential processes during sleep. But how much sleep do we truly need? Debunking the Myth: Recommended Sleep Duration Research suggests that adults require 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night for optimal…
The Magic of Sunshine: Unlocking Vitality and Health
Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin In our modern world, where indoor living and sun protection have become the norm, the importance of sunshine on our health cannot be overstated. Vitamin D, often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin,” plays a crucial role in numerous bodily functions, acting more like a hormone than a vitamin. Understanding Vitamin D Deficiency Despite its significance, Vitamin D deficiency has become a…
Unlocking the Secrets of Sustainable Weight Loss
Understanding the Complexity of Weight Management Weight loss is often portrayed as a simple equation of calories in versus calories out. However, the reality is far more complex. If weight loss were easy, we wouldn’t be facing the obesity epidemic that plagues society today. At my Naturopathy clinic, weight loss is consistently one of the most desired goals among patients, second only to increasing energy levels. The impact of…
Relief From Painful Periods
Painful Periods (or the technical term Dysmenorrhoea) are very common but are not normal and a sign that things may be out of balance. There can be some discomfort with your periods, but they should be relatively pain free. It amazes me when I have clients that have suffered painful periods their whole life and they thought it was normal. Interestingly, painful periods are one of the leading causes of female school and work…
The Issues With Becoming A Vegetarian Or Vegan
I recently presented a workshop about nutrition and mental health with a group of teenagers. There were 38 kids in total and I was nearly knocked off my feet when I asked if any of them were vegetarian or vegan. 16 said that they were. Wow, that’s over 40% This really concerns me. Only 2 of them were aware about the issues of vitamin B12 deficiency. There is a massive movement for vegetarianism and veganism at the moment and I get it.…
Resistant Starch – Fuelling The Microboiome
USING RESISTANT STARCH TO FUEL THE MICROBIOMEResistant starch is a type of fibre and is one of the fuel sources that feeds our amazing microbiome. It gets its name from being resistant to digestion and when it arrives in the large intestine this is where it gets to work. It promotes fermentation of short chain fatty acids, which then promotes the production of a compound called butyrate, which plays a key role in promotion of gut…