How I went from vaccine hesitant to staunchly pro-vax

To say that the last 18 months or so have changed my perspective as a naturopath, and human being, would be a massive understatement. Since the first announcement of Covid-19, my views around my role as a naturopath, how I treat and work with my clients and how I view conventional medicine have dramatically changed.

In the not too distant past, I would have referred to myself as ‘vaccine hesitant’. To be clear, I received all my childhood vaccinations, including an additional hepatitis vaccine/s as a teenager. My father was a nurse, and I can’t recall having been exposed to any anti-vaccine sentiment growing up.

When I was studying, I was young and impressionable. At that time, I saw naturopathy as an alternative to conventional medicine. I had felt dismissed and let down by doctors, being told there was nothing wrong with me when I was struggling with ongoing fatigue, debilitating period pain and mental health issues. Whilst I wouldn’t say I was anti-medicine, I felt very strongly about seeking alternatives to medication and medical intervention. I also suffer from generalised anxiety with what I like to refer to as a ‘dash’ of health anxiety (also known as hypochondria). It’s the health anxiety that made me susceptible to disinformation about vaccines.

I was about mid-way through my degree, when I was first exposed to the idea that vaccinations may be problematic and something to avoid or limit exposure to. I’m not sure how the topic came up (I need to be clear that this topic wasn’t part of the curriculum), but my clinical studies lecturer started talking about how in Japan childhood vaccinations didn’t occur until the age of 2 and that she had delayed vaccination for her child (who at the time was 8) and that if we had a healthy immune system we should be able to deal with whatever illness comes our way as is intended by ‘nature’.

As time went on, I heard bits and pieces about how vaccines at birth were traumatic for the baby. That vaccines contained preservatives and heavy metals that were toxic for babies, that if they’re breastfed and birthed vaginally, they will have the best protection against illness. At that time, I took this information on board as fairly gospel, after all, it was from the mouths of highly experienced and qualified practitioners, who was I to question their knowledge?

I never did my own research or questioned these ideas further but knew that when I had my own children, I would be pushing for delayed vaccination.

When I fell pregnant with my first son, a family member was also pregnant and we were discussing our concerns about vaccines. I was still nervous about my baby getting sick, so opted for my whooping cough booster post partum but didn’t get the flu shot and was adamant that I’d delay vaccination for my baby.

When my son was born, I initially refused the hepatitis B vaccine as I still felt conflicted about the possible adverse effects and heavy metals contained within, and again was reading information about the low risk of contraction of hep B in babies (therefore why would they need a vaccine?!). I spoke with several nurses and paediatricians about it, and they gave me detailed reasons as to why I should. As I spoke about my reasons for not allowing it, I started to realise that my convictions weren’t particularly strong and that I felt uncertain about the legitimacy of my ‘knowledge’ around vaccines.

My concern for protecting my newborn son against illness and disease kicked in, I consented to my son receiving the hepatitis vaccine and he was happily breastfeeding moments later. When I looked at the sticker placed in his green book, I was surprised to see that is said ‘preservative free’ (as in, free from thimerosal, the mercury containing preservative). This was the first indication that information I received about vaccines might have been incorrect.

I had 6 weeks to get my head around vaccines and whether I would push for delayed vaccination for my son. I started to ‘do my own research’, which I know sounds pretty cringeworthy given the current anti-vaxer sentiment, but I was (and still am) very experienced and knowledgeable about reading and interpreting research as this was a core component of my bachelor’s degree (and something I excelled at whilst doing my degree). To my shock, the research I did read about infant and childhood vaccines not only showed there was not only no link between vaccines and autism (a big concern of mine) there was also no mercury contained in them! I also found research that showed a decreased rate of asthma associated with whooping cough vaccination and a protective effect on lung and respiratory health. I was surprised and shocked and felt even more uncertain about my choice to delay vaccination.

I discussed these concerns with my doctor who I trusted and respected. I was met with a bit of exasperation (I’m not surprised to be honest!) but she very patiently went through all my concerns. The more we talked, the more I found, once again, that my convictions and belief in what I’d be told previously, weren’t very strong. I also acknowledged that whilst I have a Bachelor of Health Science and have a good understanding of the human body and disease, I do not know as much as my doctor! I chose to vaccinate my son without any delays.

Fast forward just over 2 and a half years, I didn’t even hesitate when it came to having my second son vaccinated at birth. When we found out at 9 days old that he had chronic kidney disease, I know that we needed to protect him at all costs and reduce his risk of sickness and followed the vaccination schedule to a T.

When news of Covid-19 hit Australia, I was unsure what it all meant. I was hearing information that it was ‘just the flu’ and didn’t feel too concerned. As things progressed and we headed into our first lockdown in March 2020, I felt more uncertain about what was up ahead. Information trickled through about a vaccination in the works and I felt my old fears and hesitancy kick in. This was worsened by information I was seeing shared by fellow naturopaths and nutritionists in online practitioner only groups. There was talk of the vaccine being rushed, an ‘experiment’, spike proteins and vaccine shedding, blood clots and information about the ‘true nature’ of vaccine being suppressed. Clients started asking me what I thought about it, and I was honest in saying that I was unsure about it.

I am a huge user of social media, so naturally more information about covid and the vaccines started trickling through. I started to see a massive disparity between the information from medical professionals and those in the wellness industry. The information from medical professionals was clear, evidence based and often referenced, whereas the information from the wellness industry was aggressive, with fear driven language and vague references. I started to notice a strong ableist tone to this information as well, with a focus on covid only affecting a small minority and the mortality rate being very low (which is categorically untrue).

Information shared by my peers was getting increasingly suspect as well, with many links to conspiracy theories and so-called censoring of legitimate information. I started clicking links and reading the ‘research’ that my peers where sharing and felt very concerned. Many of the so called ‘research’ papers weren’t legitimate or from peer reviewed sources or they were case studies or studies performed on very small groups. Sometimes only a link with the abstract was shared and when I read the full paper, I would find that the report did not even support what this practitioner was claiming!

Throughout all of this, I started to learn more about covid (reading actual research papers), and the risks associated with it. I realised that my 5 year old with his kidneys functioning at only 50% may be at increased risk of kidney failure if he were to contract covid. Since we found out about his condition at 9 days old, we’ve always banked on his kidneys holding on until he was a teenager (before needing dialysis and a transplant) and I’ve worked hard to keep his health in tip top form with good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, so the idea that this virus might derail this ‘plan’ had me worried.

I started to feel concerned about my clients, friends and family members who have autoimmune disease, cancer, respiratory illness, compromised immune systems and other serious health conditions and the risk for them if they contracted covid.

My mental health was also under severe strain after a good year of lockdowns and stress about covid. When we went into our 5th lockdown in Victoria, I knew that the moment the vaccine was available to me I would be getting it as I wanted out from lockdowns and isolation. I also wanted to protect my vulnerable son at all costs. When my clients asked me what I thought about the vaccine, after advising that they should speak with their doctors and specialists, I told them that I believed that the risk of covid, as well as things like long covid, far outweighed any risk associated with the vaccine. I also started debunking some of the information my clients had heard about the vaccine.

Over the last 10 months, I have experienced a HUGE shift in my beliefs around health and wellbeing and preventative medicine. I have come to understand how I let my anxiety and fear cloud my thinking. I have always prided myself on my strong critical thinking skills and I feel ashamed that I almost allowed disinformation and fear prevent me from being the best possible practitioner, parent, family member, friend and member of my community. I realised that beliefs I’d previously had about health and disease prevention were black and white, with tones of ableism.

The penny dropped that all vaccinations aren’t just about protecting individuals but also everyone in the community (obvious I know!). I felt a huge amount of shame at the prospect that if I had not been vaccinated and contracted the virus that it would impact my family as well as feeling emotional when I thought about the prospect of a member of my community contracting Covid from me and becoming gravely ill or even dying. This is not the kind of person (or practitioner) that I want to be.

Covid and the debate around vaccinations solidified my belief in preventative medicine. At its core, naturopathy is a model of preventative medicine, prevention is the best cure. Yes, we can eat the best foods, support our bodies with herbs and nutritional supplements, sleep well and stress less and all of this may prevent disease. But this is not a reason to play Russian roulette with a virus like covid. I know, based on my understanding of the human body, particularly the immune system, that you literally cannot predict how the body will respond to illness and disease.

I firmly believe that vaccinations play an important role in preventative medicine and a naturopathic model of health, along with all the wonderful tools we use to improve health and prevent/manage disease. Of course, I am still working with my clients to educate them about how they may improve their health through dietary and lifestyle changes. I still want to empower people to be in charge of their own health and to arm them with information that makes them better advocates for themselves.

It’s been confronting to realise that I (a qualified healthcare practitioner) had been duped by disinformation. It’s taken a lot for me to be able to open up about my vaccine hesitancy and fall down the rabbit hole of misinformation and fear, but I share my story in the hope that even just a few people will see familiarity in what I’ve said and their own hesitancy.

By re-connecting with my critical thinker self, I also realised that I want to be part of the solution to dispel and debunk misinformation. Because of my own experience, I feel so passionate about helping others to navigate the information that is out there and to improve their own critical thinking skills. I have gone from vaccine hesitant to being so bloody pro-vax that I felt a sense of pride when I had my first and second Pfizer vaccine.

I am also intent on improving the perception of naturopathy and complementary medicine and reduce the damage that the wellness industry has inflicted on the public. I understand that it may have decreased the trust the public have in complementary medicine practitioners. I will be blogging and posting more on social media in the coming weeks with more information about what naturopathy is and how I practice, and I hope that I can regain your trust in complementary medicine.

Eating Healthy on a Budget

There can be a whole bunch of reasons for looking at budgeting and cutting back on food spending, saving for a holiday or a house, reduced work, or a freaking pandemic like the current COVID-19 situation where many of us have lost work, jobs or have reduced access to money and food.

Whatever the reason, the main concern I have when people start thinking about spending less on food is a decrease in consumption of nutrient dense foods which may result in nutritional deficiencies, low energy or poor health in the long term.

Eating on a budget doesn’t have to mean eating crap though! And you definitely don’t have to start buying cheap processed or packaged foods to save a buck either. With careful planning and being a bit more knowledgable about how and when to be thrifty, you can easily reduce costs and ensure you’re meeting your own nutritional needs.

1. Go back to basics with ingredients i.e. some form of protein, complex carbs, beneficial fats, fruit and vegetables. Now is not the time to be purchasing super food and speciality ingredients if you are trying to cut costs (unless you want to of course!). The basics contain all the nutrition you need.

2. Eat seasonally and locally grown where possible. It costs more money to grow foods out of season (ie tomatoes in winter) and shipping food from further distances. This can also affect nutrition as seasonal produce is more nutritious as it takes less work to grow and storage/shipping can deplete nutrients.

3. Bulk out meals with MORE vegetables as these are generally cheaper than your proteins i.e salads, steamed or roasted veggies, veggie purees, vegetable hash with leftovers.

4. Reduce your animal protein portions (even by 20% could reduce the price significantly) or make these portions go further by combining with legumes which are significantly cheaper but still nutritious i.e tacos/nachos/chili with mince AND black beans, split red lentils added to spag bol (these are GREAT for fussy eaters), lentils added to slow cooked lamb/beef/chicken stews and curries. If you have trouble with digesting legumes, you could try activating them to improve digestibility, you can read more about that here

5. Purchase cheaper cuts of animal proteins (i.e lamb chump chops, chuck steak) and slow cook them. The beautiful fattiness of cheaper guts is also great for gut healing.

6. Buy near expiry date food and cook immediately for meal prep! i.e stewing fruit can be stewed or chopped and frozen for smoothies, saucing tomatoes can be made into sauce or slow roasted, near expiry mince made into meatballs and cooked immediately or frozen.

7. Use ingredients that you can get multiple meals out of i.e chickpeas cooked from scratch with most made into my slow cooked chickpea and pumpkin curry and the rest made into a batch of hummus or a slow cooked whole chicken served with a bucket load of veggies, the leftover chicken made into salad, stir fry or curry and the carcass made into bone broth.

8. Meal plan and reduce food waste. Meal planning and shopping accordingly helps to reduce costs by purchasing exactly what you need each week; it also helps to reduce food waste by ensuring you don’t have lots of excess produce or are making more than you need to. You can also further reduce food waste by saving veggie scraps for my scraps stock paste or by adding things like broccoli stalks to meals (check out my pumpkin, ginger and parsnip soup which also contains broccoli stalk as an ingredient).

Have your meals broken down into at least 75% vegetables and 25% protein. Sardines are a fantastic budget protein (a tin costs $1-2!) and a great source of protein, calcium and omega 3.

Make your animal protein serves go further by combining with legumes, or better still increase your intake of vegetarian meals throughout the week

Why you should ditch the New Year's health resolutions....

And focus on health goals that are fluid and flexible

It is literally impossible to remain in perfect health 100% of the time. There is a plethora of reasons for this, ranging from exposure to viruses, bacteria and microbes, use of medications, varying degrees of stress, varying degrees of sleep deprivation, different life stages (adolescence, pregnancy, breastfeeding, ageing etc) or health states (chronicity, progression etc).

Because your body is in a state of almost constant fluidity so should your approach to your health. Why set a rigid plan of don’t, avoids and non-negotiables? Only a small fraction of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions, and I don’t think it’s because it’s too hard/impossible to change or that living a healthy life is unachievable. I think it’s because we make our goals unattainable by being too rigid with the what, when and how we are going to achieve these goals. We implement these punishment and reward systems to try and get us there (lose this much weight and you can eat this, buy yourself x item, get married, go on holiday), and if you are the parent (or spend enough time with children) you will know that these systems generally don’t get you the results you desire. Or maybe they do but the outcome is very short lived, like asking your children to behave and they can have ice cream and then watching said good behaviour deteriorate once that last lick has occurred (not that that has ever happened to me ;P).

I see many clients who have goals of losing x amount of weight by x amount of time, or to completely quit sugar/cake/chocolate/coffee/cake and never touch it again, or to stick with that diet or protocol they were told they *must* do or they’ll never be healthy. Although I work with my clients closely to achieve some of these goals, I also work with them to be flexible and realistic in how they improve their health. My number one aim when you work with me is to come up with a plan that is practical, achievable and sustainable and completely specific to you.

I am not suggesting that you can’t or shouldn’t want to lose weight, improve your diet or exercise more, I’m suggesting coming up with goals that allow the ebb and flow of life to occur, that fit in with your work/home/parenting/studying schedule and that allow you to veer off the ‘path’ and come back to it. This will enable you to have the most long-term results and leave you feel empowered and in control of your own health.

Here’s a few ideas:

Instead of focusing on weight loss in a specific period of time that can only be achieved by sticking to a strict and restrictive diet, why not focus on eating mindfully, eating what you enjoy and addressing other factors that may be affecting your weight such as stress, sleep or hormone health. Ditch the timeframe and accept that it takes time to implement and see changes.

Or instead of focusing on weight loss to change your body shape or size or because someone told you you needed to lose weight, focus on self-compassion and love, eating well and moving your body because it makes you feel good. Or focus on feeling good and loving your body as is and not focusing on weight loss at all.

Instead of going cold turkey and quitting sugar or processed foods, why not increase cooking and eating the healthy foods you love and enjoy. How about ensuring that you are nourishing and caring for your body instead of depriving yourself or keeping yourself hungry in situation when there are no alternative foods to eat? We have so many nourishing and delicious recipes here on the website.

Instead of addressing your mental health by asking for help on online forums, signing up to free programs that will ‘cure’ you or force yourself to meditate when it never seems to work for you, how about spending less time online and more time outdoors? Or book that appointment with your doctor to ask for a mental health plan and lock in a session with your psychologist. Or see a naturopath (like me!) who will spend the time with you to come up with a plan to support and nourish your nervous system, working together with your GP and psychologist/therapist.

Health is a fluid process, with which we need to be flexible and adaptive.

Set health goals without focusing on perfection

Focus on health goals that easy and uncomplicated to implement and that have a positive effect on other aspects of your health. For example, you want to have more energy. Instead of signing yourself up for the latest multi-level marketing ‘transformation’ that promises more energy with a magic pill, ask yourself ‘am I really getting enough sleep’, ‘what is the quality of my sleep’, ‘how stressed am I’, ‘am I expecting too much from myself right now’, or ‘when was the last time I had a blood test?’.

Perhaps set a goal of going to bed 20 minutes earlier each night and avoiding any screen time in the hour before bed or cut back on alcohol consumption in the evenings or your second coffee after lunch.

Getting more sleep may flow onto better health choices the next day or hitting the gym, going for a walk or run before starting your day. These slight changes over time may mean that you shift a little weight that in turn makes you feel good and motivated to continue with these changes. Or maybe more sleep means less coffee throughout the day, reducing nutritional deficiencies and dehydration.

And if you really want to lock in some health goals, make them S.M.A.R.T

Focus less on ‘nailing it’ and getting those perfect results, take the shame and guilt out of improving your health and you will see wonderful changes. Set goals that are SMART with a focus on just a couple of goals to get you started:

Specific: choose a specific and well-defined goal. Ask yourself what do I want to achieve, how, when and why?

Measurable: how will you measure the outcome and determine when you have achieved your goal? Define the physical manifestations of your goal.

Achievable: is this something you can achieve?

Realistic: set yourself up for success. Are your goals realistic in terms of your schedule, the time frame and other variables?

Time bound: set yourself a deadline or even several deadlines but keep the timeline flexible and realistic allowing for things to come up or for that goal to be adapted as time goes on.

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And don’t forget, I am always here to assist you get your health goals on track in a way that is sustainable and achievable.

If you need a little help planning things out or want to take the stress out of improving your health, book yourself in for a consult and let’s get started! x Renee

8 Ways To Beat The Festive Season Bloat

We are literally days away from Christmas, and for most of us this means good times, lots of yummy food and a drink or two. And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, many of us end up feeling bogged down, digestive symptoms flare up and we end up wishing we could have had a little more self control.

Whilst we definitely don't want you to sweat the small stuff and feel anxious about a meal or two that might not be so healthy, we thought we'd share some of our tips for improving digestion so you can have you cake and eat it too. And the best thing about these tips? They can be used pretty much every day for helping to improve digestion.

We hope you enjoy the festive season! xRenee

1. Lemon juice in warm water

Add the juice of half a lemon to a glass of warm water (I do half boiling/half cold) and drink upon rising, or 15-20 minutes before breakfast (it’s also helpful before other meals too). This is like a healthy shot of coffee for your liver, without the caffeine comedown. It kick starts your liver for the day, increasing bile production which in turn improves your digestion. It’s particularly helpful after a night of booze and indulgent foods.

2. Serve bitter greens salads with your mains

This is a similar principle to the lemon juice, bitter foods help to stimulate liver function, but bitter foods also trigger the production of gastric acid. Sooooo if you’re eating a bit of a stodgy Christmas meal, a few bites of bitter greens first will get your stomach going to prepare for the rest. And it doesn’t have to be anything complicated, just chuck some fresh rocket (or a mix of bitter greens) in a bowl with cracked pepper and salt, lemon juice and drizzled olive oil and mix it all together. If you wanna get even fancier you could sprinkle a handful of roasted pine nuts on top.

3. Stay hydrated (and we don’t mean with wine!)

Gah, it is just too easy to become dehydrated over the festive season with all the booze, coffee/tea and just general lack of water consumption. Other than ensuring that you drink water regularly throughout the day (I always have my drink bottle with me as a reminder), perhaps serve your guests sparkling mineral water with meals, or herbal tea after meals.

A simple and refreshing way to jazz up water for your guests is to add things like citrus slices to big jugs of water, loaded with ice; or a handful of berries and citrus slices, fresh mint and cucumber, or my favourite, a few handfuls of lemon verbena (we have tons growing in our yard). There are so many possibilities to make your water look pretty and taste fancy, and keep everyone hydrated.

4. Rest and digest

This is a big one; slow down, chew your food and digest properly. It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of the day, or the delicious smells of the food, and just scoff everything down with very minimal chewing. And what’s going to happen? All that food is going to hit your stomach like a ton of bricks and take ages to digest, potentially leaving you feeling all bloated and sluggish. Then before your stomach has had a break, you’re scoffing dessert down, and maybe a wine or two.

So savour your food, enjoy the company, and chew your food thoroughly, your stomach will thank you for it. For those of you, who are real speed eaters, you might even find it handy to set yourself an amount of time to finish your meal. These days when I sit down to eat, I look at the clock and give myself a minimum of 10 minutes to finish my meal. Not only do I feel better for it, I appreciate the food so much more, and because I’ve chewed thoroughly and given my stomach time to start digesting, I actually notice when I’m feeling full and overeat less!

5. Serve enzymatic fruits as an appetiser

Fruits like kiwi, papaya and pineapple contain enzymes that aid digestion.So how bout serving up a tropical fruit salad containing pineapple, papaya and kiwi fruit with lime slices as an appetiser for your guests? Not only will it be a refreshing way to start a meal, but it will also help to prep your guts for digestion!

6. Deep breathing exercises

Sounds difficult yeah? Trust me, these are definitely not, and you’ll have them over and done with in less than 30 seconds. Before you sit down to eat, take 5 deep breaths; breathe in for a count of 5, hold for 2, then breathe out for 5.

These exercise work by triggering the parasympathetic nervous system (also known as 'rest and digest') that helps to calm you, and is also responsible for triggering digestion. I’m sure most of us have experienced that tightness in our stomach from tension or excitement where you try and eat and the food just sits there leaving you with indigestion and bloating. So help cut down the bloat, take a deep breath or two and enjoy your meal.

7. Take a moment to consider that 2nd or 3rd helping

Alright this is one that I am definitely guilty of during the festive season. In case you can’t tell, I love food! And at this time of the year, I let myself be a little more indulgent than usual. But I always end up feeling so sluggish and bloated afterwards and it makes me question whether or not it’s actually worth it.

So if this is you, perhaps taking a moment to think about whether or not you’ve really got room for that 2nd helping right now. Give yourself 10-20 minutes to digest and ‘make room’ for more food, you might go back for more or just realised that you’re perfectly sated and don’t need more food.

8. Balance out with salads and veggies

In the past, I used to think about Christmas dinner as a time to eat all the roasted/baked things that I love: roast veggies, roast chicken or ham and in more recent years, a baked nut loaf. As time has gone on, and my tastes have changed, I think more and more about the salads and green things I’d like to eat with my roast dinner. And when I do eat a more balanced meal like this, I feel much lighter afterwards and definitely no food ‘babies’ the next day.

And there you have it, some simple yet effective tips that will have you digesting better and able to enjoy the festive season without having to stress so much about what you're eating! If you're looking for some healthier recipes for Christmas, do check out our roasted turmeric chicken, sweet garlicky asparagus and others in the recipes section.

Let's Activate! Why We Activate Nuts, Seeds, Legumes & Grains

We know it’s pretty on trend to talk about activating nuts, grains and legumes, and it’s fairly easy these days to find pre-packaged (and expensive) activated nuts and grains (haven’t seen legumes yet). We've read a few articles talking about why activating isn’t necessary, and many articles talking about why it is, so we thought we'd share our take on activating and why we do it.

Plant based sources of protein such as legumes, grains, nuts and seeds are super good for you, not only do they contain protein, but they also generally contain complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. They are seriously awesome in our books.

They also contain antioxidants called phytates (phytic acid) and polyphenols, which in some ways are good but in a lot of ways act as anti-nutrients when these foods are ingested. Both phytates and polyphenols exist in plant foods to protect them from being eaten and becoming rancid when they are growing. However, humans lack the enzymes required to break them down and this is when we encounter potential problems with digestion and nutrient deficiencies.

Phytates and polyphenols have the unique ability to chelate (bind) to minerals such as zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium causing insoluble (undigestible) salts. This prevents us from obtaining the nutrients from the food we eat, and if you eat a lot of plant based foods, you could end up with some nutritional deficiencies and digestive problems.

Traditional methods of preparing and cooking with legumes, grains and nuts help to break down these anti-nutrients, and these methods are becoming more widely implemented in modern day cooking. These methods include soaking, fermenting, germinating (sprouting) and cooking. We'll just be covering soaking (activating) for now, but will definitely touch on the other methods in future posts.

Activating essentially involves soaking legumes, nuts, seeds and/or grains in water and adding an acidic or alkaline solution or salt to help break down phytates and polyphenols. Phytates are water soluble, so soaking in water alone has shown to be effective in breaking down these anti-nutrients but soaking AND the addition of ACV, bicarb or salt, helps to increase enzymes that break down phyates and polyphenols. Cooking, germinating or fermenting afterwards further increases this breakdown.

WHY MIGHT YOU ACTIVATE?

• If you are vegan or vegetarian

• If you eat a lot of plant based foods i.e every day

• If you are prone to mineral deficiencies such as calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium

• If you have trouble digesting plant based sources of protein i.e legumes or grains

IS ACTIVATING ESSENTIAL?

Hmmmm, we're pretty chilled about these sorts of things and hate saying people ‘should’ do something. We think it is important as outlined above, however, if you don’t eat these foods on a regular basis, and don’t have any nutritional deficiencies or problems digesting these foods, then you probably don’t need to worry so much about it. And remember that cooking also helps to breakdown phytates and polyphenols so you don’t always have to go that extra step.

But if you’re dismissing it because you think it’s a bit hip, or you don’t have time, or don’t think it will make a difference, perhaps have a crack at it and see what you think. Don’t knock it till you try it!

IS IT OK TO CONSUME POLYPHENOLS AND PHYTATES?

Activating your grains, legumes, nuts and seeds will breakdown some phytates and polyphenols but not all of them, and that is ok. Although they act as anti-nutrients, they also play a beneficial role in the body. Their role as antioxidants helps to fight free radical damage, and consumption of phytates has shown benefits for diabetic patients by regulating insulin secretion and slowing gastric emptying, as well as reducing blood clots, triglycerides and cholesterol thereby playing a potential role in preventing cardiovascular disease.

Therefore, activating isn't about completely eradicating phyates and polyphenols, only reducing them to improve nutrient intake and digestion and balancing out the advantages and disadvantages of them.

HOW WE PREP OUR LEGUMES, GRAINS, NUTS ETC 

1. Meal plan and soak overnight according to what we have planned for the next day, or sometimes we'll soak a few things for a couple of days worth of food. For example, on a Sunday night on the kitchen bench we'll have almonds soaking for milk, quinoa soaking for lunches for the week and chickpeas soaking to go in the slow cooker for dinner the next night.

2. If we're trying to get really organised, we'll activate a bunch of things at the same time so they can be either cooked, dehydrated or chucked in the freezer. For example, have sunflower seeds and buckwheat soaking to be dehydrated, quinoa and brown rice soaking for cooking in bulk and almonds soaking to be roasted and made into nut butter.

METHOD

Legumes & grains: cover with water, adding 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per cup of dried legumes/grains. Soak overnight, or around 12 hours. Drain and rinse well and cook or dehydrate as desired, or chuck them straight in the freezer.  You’ll need to dehydrate* legumes on low for around 12-15 hours. Grains take around 8-12 hours depending on the grain.

Nuts & seeds**: cover with water, adding 1 teaspoon of good quality, mineral rich salt per cup of nuts/seeds. Soak for 8-12 hours, with the exception of cashews, which should only be soaked for a maximum of 6 hours. Drain and rinse well. Dehydrate or use immediately; they can be keep in the fridge for a few days, or chucked straight into the freezer for use later on.

* When dehydrating, you really want to make sure these bad boys are thoroughly dried out, as they will go mouldy soon enough. So plan ahead, and don’t skimp on the drying.

** We pretty much only activate sunflower and pumpkin seeds, seeds like sesame are just way too tiny and fiddly. Seeds like chia and flaxseed will not be able to be soaked and rehydrated as they absorb water and expand, however the act of soaking them alone to make things like pudding or chia/flax eggs will help to break down some phytates.

References:

Gupta et al, 2015, ‘Reduction of phytic acid and enhancement of bioavailable micronutrients in food grains’, Vol.52, Issue 2, pp. 676-684

Huma et al, 2008, ‘Effect of soaking and cooking on nutritional quality and safety of legumes’, Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 38, No. 6, pp. 570-577

Kumar et al, 2010, ‘Dietary roles of phytate and phytase in human nutrition: A review’, Food Chemistry, Vol. 120, pp. 945-959

DIY Zero Waste Toothpaste

Here at Westside Wellness, we love making our own skin, body and household products, mainly because we know EXACTLY what is going into those products AND because they work so well and are so cheap to make!

If you haven't used homemade toothpaste before, it is a *bit* of an adjustment, they are no where near as sweet and minty as the kind of toothpaste you can get at the supermarket, but once you've used it you'll never go back as homemade toothpaste leaves your teeth feeling so clean and helps to remove staining too.

Lets talk about the ingredients:

• coconut oil: antimicrobial/bacterial, draws toxins out of mouth and is effective against tooth decay, gum disease and whitens teeth

• baking soda: neutralises acids in our mouth and helps to prevent tooth decay; is also mildly abrasive so helps with removal of stains

• bentonite clay: aids with remineralisation and draws toxins out of your mouth

• calcium powder: aids with reminderalisation

• peppermint, tea tree and eucalyptus essential oils: all 3 are antimicrobial/bacterial and help to reduce odour

One small jar lasts approx 2 months, for extra teeth whitening we add a sprinkling of activated charcoal to our toothbrush a couple of times per week.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup coconut oil (liquid or solid is fine, but we prefer to use liquid as it's easier to get on your toothbrush

• 2 tbs baking soda

• 2 tsp bentonite clay (you can get it at The Source)

• 1 tsp calcium powder (we like Lifestream products)

• 20-30 drops peppermint essential oil (we love The Oil Garden oils)

• 8 drops each of eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils (we think Thursday Plantationoils are fab!)

METHOD

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and using a wooden or plastic spoon, mix until well combined. Scoop/pour into a small airtight jar.

2. To use, dip your toothbrush in and cover with the toothpaste. If you use solid coconut oil you may need to use a small spoon to scoop it out. Due to the oil content, we recommend avoiding spitting down the drain, instead you can spit into your compost bin, garden or have a spit jar on hand (a bit gross, but practical).

Orange Coconut Deodorant

Homemade deodorant is actually simple to make. It takes less than 3 minutes to whip up a batch....but best of all it actually works!! I had tried crystals, natural roll on, alcohol based and all sorts but this has been the only product that keeps both the sweat and the stink away.

All you need to do is source a few ingredients and store them in the cupboard ready to bring out when you need to make some more up.

Ingredients

• 3 heaping tablespoons of coconut oil

• 3 tbs arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)

• 1 tbs baking soda (I like this brand)

• 20 drops of orange essential oil (or an essential oil scent you prefer)

• Glass jar for storage

Method

1. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl.

2. Stir well, about 3 minutes for the mixture to become well-combined, depending on the temperature.

3. Place in a glass jar, label and keep in a cool, dark area (especially during the warmer months).

Makes about 1 cup which will last last for at least 3 months. 

Orange Coconut Body Scrub

We make a lot of coconut milk at Westside Wellness! ....And that means lots of leftover coconut pulp. You can blitz the leftover pulp in a food processor or thermomix and then dehydrate it to make coconut flour, but because baking requires so little of it we often have more than we can handle. 

I like to use the leftover pulp to make body scrub - it really helps exfoliate dead skin from your pores but at the same time adds a fine coating of moisture to the skin to keep it nice a smooth. The orange rind adds a nice scent and provides a natural anti-microbial element to to the scrub to prevent unwanted skin infections.

Simply grab a handful and scrub onto to the skin (pay special attention to the knees, ankles, feet and elbows) while your in the shower. Wait a minute or two and then rinse off - enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of coconut pulp (from making homemade coconut milk)

• 1 cup of salt

• Grated rind of 1 orange

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

2. Store in 3 x 200mL jars. Keep 2 of the jars in the freezer for up to 2 months. The other jar can be kept in you shower to be used daily until finished, about 2 weeks.

Hay Fever: Prevention and Management

Spring into action - get a plan to address your hay fever 

Spring is  upon us and this means that hay fever season is around the corner. If you, like lots of other Melbournians, are dreading the warmer weather and the pollen it brings then it's time to take action and address the underlying cause of the condition - not just the symptoms it brings. 

Hay fever is a condition that affects almost 1 in 5 Australians. Victoria is the 3rd highest affected state or territory in the country.

What is hay fever?

Seasonal hay fever is usually triggered by an allergic response to an inhaled allergen - in Melbourne it's usually pollen from plane trees and rye grasses. When inhaled these particles cause inflammation in the nose, mouth, sinuses and throat which can lead to a scratchy throat, itchy nose, watering eyes, constant sneezing and other unpleasant symptoms. 

What can I do to manage it?

Many foods in our diet can help to manage the inflammation of the condition and provide the cofactors needed to reduce the excessive immune response. Make sure you're eating plenty of these foods:

• Quercetin: Onions - have some chicken soup

• Bromelain: gnaw on some fresh pineapple, especially the core

• Papain: eat some fresh pawpaw

• Vitamin C: include fresh kiwi fruit, strawberries, red capsicum, broccoli, lemon and kale in your daily diet

• Other goodies: ginger, turmeric, horseradish and nettle - make a cup of tea from slices of ginger, turmeric and nettle, served with a slice of lemon.

Prevention is better than cure

Know what your triggers are! If you think dust is the main culprit then make sure you have a regular cleaning plan in place to minimise the amount of dust in your home (especially your bedroom).

If you suspect that pollen is causing the problem then you can apply an ointment to your nostrils to reduce the amount of pollen you are inhaling. We recommend using paw-paw ointment or sesame or coconut oil for this.

At the end of the day you can clear out your nostrils and sinuses with a neti pot. This will irrigate your nose with salt water and remove any debris that might be causing your hayfever symptoms  - here's a You Tube video explaining the process behind this: How to Use a Neti Pot

If you're unsure what your triggers are, get in touch with our team to find out how we can help with testing or identifying potential triggers in your diet and environment that may be contributing your hay fever.

What's my digestive system got to do with it?

There are lots of approaches you can make to maange your hay fever. As naturopaths we commonly address what is referred to as "leaky gut" or "intestinal permeability". This is the theory that a damaged digestive system allows partially-digested food partials to enter through the walls of the intestines and triggers an immune response. 

You can use probiotics and herbs such as Golden Seal, Echinacea, Baical Skullcap, Nettle and Fenugreek to manage the "leaky gut" and reduce the over-reactive immune response. At Westside Wellness always recommend that you seek the care and advice of registered naturopath before using any of these therapies. These are powerful medicines and can have interactions with other supplements, herbs and medications, not to mention negative consequences for your health if used improperly. 

Want to find out how Westside Wellness can help overcome your hay fever? Book a free 10 minute phone assessment to find out more.

References:

Medscape 2017, "Allergic rhinitis", updated 10th April 2017, viewed 1st September 2017, <http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/134825-overview>.

The Conversation 2014, "Hay fever survival guide: why you have it and how to treat it", updated 17th November 2014, viewed 1st September 2017, <https://theconversation.com/hay-fever-survival-guide-why-you-have-it-and-how-to-treat-it-34000>.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2011.

Homemade Face Cleanser

Making your own chemical-free face cleanser is easy

Have you ever checked the ingredients of you favourite skin cleanser? Most of us would struggle to pronounce some of the ingredients, let alone know what they are or where they come from. 

Many substances used in skincare manufacturing (such as EDTA, sodium lauryl sulfate and formaldehyde) are harmful to our bodies. In many instances they are known carcinogens (substances known to cause cancer). 

You can avoid these harmful substances simply by making your own skincare products at home. It’s fast, cheap and so simple to do. 

I whip some a batch of this skin cleanser every month or so. It's gentle and effective, you can apply the product to the skin every day - it's both nourishing and deep cleansing to clear out clogged up pores. 

If you find the skin is too oily, simply cleanse you skin at night and by morning the oil will have absorbed into your skin, leaving it soft a smooth. 

About Bentonite Clay

Bentonite clay is formed by volcanic ash and contains many minerals including silica and magnesium. It acts to detoxify the pores of the skin due to it's difference in electrical charge. This assists it's drawing action to pull excessive oil and gunk from the pores to give you softer, smoother and clearer skin. To learn more about Calcium Bentonite (green clay) - we recommend reading more here. 

Using Non-Metallic Equipment

Bentonite clay strips heavy metals from the body and from any minerals it comes into contact with….including your aluminium or stainless steel cookware.

Ingredients

• 2 tbs coconut oil Ÿ

• 2 tsp raw honey Ÿ- I love this brand

• 1 tsp baking soda - this brand is great

• 1 tsp bentonite clay Ÿ - I recommend this brand

• 3 drops essential oil of your choice Ÿ- I love ylang ylang or geranium oil

• Dried flower petals
  

Method

1. Mix all ingredients in a non-metallic bowl and store in a glass jar.

2. Leave ample room in the jar as the mixture will swell as the clay expands.

Application

1. To use simply wash your face with warm water.

2. Apply a small amount to the skin (about the size of a 20 cent coin).

3. Massage into the skin and wash off with a warm wet face cloth.

Keeps for up to 3 months in a sealed container. I prefer to use a glass jar for a container but you could also use a food grade plastic one. In the warmer months the oils will separate, simply stir to recombine.