HEALTH HUB Latest Articles
5 Signs You’re Eating the Wrong Foods
When you decide to cut out certain foods from your diet such as sugar or caffeine, it is normal to feel withdrawal symptoms while your body adjusts. But this may not be the case all the time as your body could be reacting to certain foods that don’t make you feel so crash hot. It could be you’re not eating enough or eating too much of the wrong food and not getting the right amount of nutrients. Here are some signs to look out for that may prompt you to rethink your eating habits. 1. You have no energy This [...]
Listen to your body
Recovery is just as important as doing exercise. Some people struggle to get motivated to exercise, others go all out and never stop. The key is to find a good balance, maintain consistency and listen to your body. A key skill is to work out when your body is tired from a key session or constantly fatigued from back to back sessions and the daily grind. To assist my recovery from larger sessions (90mins of longer including intensity) I use Synd-X Protein Powder as a base to my banana smoothie. For most of the athletes I coach, we work off [...]
The Art and Science of HRT
Bioidentical versus Synthetic The art and science of natural or bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (bioidentical hormones) has flourished in the last decade. The outdated supermarket style of HRT for treating menopause has been surpassed by a combination of natural hormones tailor-made to suit every individual woman. Why is this so? Since a controversial study in 2002, HRT has been a hotly debated item. It was found that HRT increased the risk of breast cancer and subsequently this caused a decline in the number of women taking HRT for menopausal symptoms. Today, only eight per cent of menopausal Australian women use [...]
A cuppa a day to keep blood pressure at bay
Some years ago, an innovative study showed the medical world that a simple flower can help lower high blood pressure. It showed that following the British custom of ‘sipping a cuppa’ really helped to keep the pressure down. Blood pressure was lowered when participants drank three cups daily of herbal tea containing hibiscus. The study was simple and showed overall that drinking blends of hibiscus tea lowered systolic blood pressure – the top number in the blood pressure reading – by an average of 7 points. This was significantly more than the 1-point drop observed in people who were given [...]
Could you have irritable bowel syndrome?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) means an irritability of the bowel and this can affect any area of the digestive tract. The most common symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome are: Abdominal pain – this may vary from dull aching, swollen pressure, cramping, or sharp in nature. The pains are usually intermittent and may disappear for long periods of time. Irregular pattern of bowel actions – constipation or diarrhoea, or constipation alternating with diarrhoea. Other symptoms may include belching, bloating, reduced appetite and excessive gas (flatulence). What causes Irritable Bowel Syndrome? In most cases it is food intolerance. Sometimes it’s a sensitivity [...]
Healthy Shopping List for Liver Lovers
Next time you go to do the food shopping, why not use the healthy shopping list below as a handy guide? Remember, if your cupboards are full of good, healthy food then there is not so much room for junk food! If possible try to buy produce that is locally grown and in season and is fresh and free of chemical preservatives. Organically grown produce is ideal if your budget allows this, but it is not imperative or possible to always consume only organic foods, so do the best you can. Raw fruits and vegetables. Vegetables that are highly liver [...]
The fork is mightier than the sneakers
By Margaret Jasinska, Naturopath Do you think today’s kids are overweight because they’re not exercising enough? It’s a common assumption and it certainly seems to be a big message in the media lately. Childhood obesity is largely blamed on kids spending most of their time playing computer games and less time running around outside with their friends. Exercise definitely does have an effect on a person’s body weight, but a far smaller effect than you may realise. Exercise really doesn’t burn as many calories as most people assume. A recent study in Portugal highlighted this point nicely. Researchers carried out [...]
The problem with gluten and other grains
Your entire life, you’ve probably been told that grains are good for you and should form a major part of your diet. You’ve been led to believe you need grains for their fibre content, plus vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, grains have the potential to cause harm to the digestive tract and immune system of some people. Specifically, they can cause or aggravate a leaky gut. Grains are a very recent introduction into the human diet, and some people seem poorly adapted to consuming them. Our ancestors survived very well without them. If you think of traditional diets in many parts [...]
Getting your kids active
Children are the ultimate copy cats. With all of the electronic devices and sugar-laden treats out there it is all the more important to set a good example by eating clean. But what about exercise? The best way to get your children active is to do it with them. Below is an example of how to integrate your children into your own workouts. There are also plenty of commercial groups out there for baby and me classes including strength training, stretching etc. Workout schedule Monday 25mins of swimming with breathing focus extend from breathing every 2 to every 5 to [...]
Do we really need to eat carbohydrate for energy?
By Margaret Jasinska ND If endurance athletes don’t need to, perhaps you don’t either. I’m sure you realise there is a great deal of conflicting dietary advice out there. There are thousands of different diet books advocating one diet or another, plus you can regularly hear opposing dietary views expressed on television or in the newspaper. This can leave the average person terribly confused. Dr Cabot and I have written several books advocating a low carbohydrate diet and this is the diet we place most of our patients on. We believe the average person consumes far more carbohydrate rich foods [...]
