Are you low in Iron? Quick Quiz + what all the fuss is about.

So what's the big deal anyway?

You need iron to produce red blood cells. These deliver the most essential nutrient of them all, oxygen to all the cells of your body.

Low iron left unchecked and untreated can develop into iron deficiency anaemia, this is where you may notice symptoms of fatigue, weakness, pale skin and shortness of breath.

On top of this, iron levels affect cellular energy production, hormone production and detoxification pathways. If your levels are low your going to be feeling under the weather...all the time. 

Iron is absolutely crucial for periods of growth, especially pregnancy, teenagers and for children six months to four years of age. If iron levels aren’t up to scratch in these special times, you might see suboptimal growth and development.

Do you have low iron? Read through these questions and take note of how many yes’s you have.

1. Do you feel tired or fatigued?

2. Do you feel weak?

3. Do your skin, nails or gums look pale of feel cold?

4. Do you get short of breath or breathe rapidly?

5. Do you get dizzy or lightheaded?

6. Is it difficult to concentrate?

7. Does your pulse race?

8. Do you have heart palpitations (are you conscious of your heart beat often?)

9. Is your menstrual cycle irregular

10. Do you have numbness or coldness in your hands and feet

11. Do you have Restless Legs that keep you up at night?

12. Are you irritable and grumpy?

13. Do you feel sad or depressed?

14. Do you suffer from recurring infections or colds?

15. Is you have haemoglobin levels less then 130 – 170 g/l for adult males and 120 – 150 g/l for adult females (you’ll get this in a blood test)

16. Have you ever been diagnosed with anaemia?

If you answered yes to five or more of these questions, you may have an underlying iron deficiency. We'll have to test you to be sure. It's important not to commence iron supplementation without consulting a health professional. I highly recommend you discuss this with your naturopath so we can further evaluate your iron status, and set you on the path to wellness.

You need to be especially vigilant if you're

• pregnant
• an athlete
• a teenager
• have a digestive problem that affects nutrient absorption
• vegetarian or vegan
• have recently lost a lot of blood or continuously lose blood

If you're a sandgroper and worried about your iron please drop into the Fremantle Markets and speak to a qualified Naturopath at the NatMed stall on the weekend. Otherwise contact the lovely reception girls at NatMed 9339 1999 and make an appointment.

Look after yourself

References: Hectman L, Hywood A, Newton T, Integria Pregnancy Intensive Handouts, Eagle 2014.

The number one best detox weapon EVER!

I should be able to put myself on a detox right? After all I’m a fully qualified professional. I have more then enough knowledge to take myself through the ins and outs of a piddly little detox. How can anyone possibly know what I need more then me? I’ve actually been attempting self imposed detox for years and I have a metallic silver detox ‘journal’ to prove it.

Let's revisit some of these detox attempts shall we?

24 January 2010

As I wear these now rather tight pants, the same work pants I’ve owned since I was 21 that are feeling a little pulled across the backside, I contemplate the rather bizarre rocky road craving I just indulged. The remainder of the package is hidden safely at the back of the pantry top shelf, out of sight.

On one hand I’ve just read a book about macrobiotic veganism and am inspired to increase vegan meals, on the other hand since Friday I’ve shamelessly cracked 2 beers, 1 Jim Beam and coke (?!...I never drink that stuff) and about 3 glasses of wine. I also helped Andy through his Myalup service station hot chips and corn chips with salsa and guacamole both Saturday and Sunday. Why this self-destruction I wonder? I’m sure my sugar cravings are directly related to the alcohol consumption

2 Jan 2011

December was like a month of endless pleasure and indulgence. It’s time for detox once more.

21 October 2012

My Detox Intentions: – I will be more beautiful then ever turning 30. I eat well, in small portions of amazing food. My body is strong. I love to exercise. I’m toned. I look great in those Current Elliott skinnies. Other people respect me because I respect myself.

There have been times when I’ve come up detox trumps, with mega energy, sparkly whites in my eyes, looser clothes, soft lustrous hair, glowing radiant skin. It was great, and when I look back on it, those times were helped because I had a support system, I had detox companions to hold me accountable, and we talked about our experiences, our cravings and our successes to cheer each other on.

Back to present day I’m well a truly due once again for a good detox and regeneration. My own rules and plans just havn’t been cutting it. I don’t listen to myself enough. Especially not in the long term. If it’s just me to answer to, I might just let those slip ups slide.

Well I tell you I’m sick of failing, I don’t want to find myself still drinking coffee in three weeks, when I’m supposed to be detoxed by then, like history repeating. Real change starts with the individual, but support and encouragement get results.

Having a professional take you through the detox process and the very act of making a time for appointments as well as a financial exchange is a powerful deed. It cements commitment. And further to this, chatting to a health coach about your goals achieves clarity about what you actually want. With a pro you get measurable results, such as live blood analysis, gut bacteria testing and acid/alkaline balance.

Lets face it, it’s embarrassing to admit failure to anyone, especially after promising them and ourselves from the bottom of our hearts we’ll do otherwise. It’s called social accountability and it goes a long way towards measurable results and long lasting success, especially among women.

This is why I’ve enlisted the support of an experienced naturopath, the wonderful Cassandra Boylen of Cassandra Boylen Naturopathy, for my detox this time round. It’s the real shebang, six weeks of alkaline foods, liver nourishment and gut repair to have me radiating health and rainbows from the inside out, and you know what, I can’t wait. I’m excited about herbal tea in the morning instead of coffee, I’m excited about morning yoga and fab skin.

More then anything else, I’m excited about regular sessions with my naturopath to chat about ins and outs, ups and downs, my emotional detox response, cravings, daily successes and miniature failures. I want encouragement combined with professional health care. I’m forgiving myself for not being little miss perfect naturopath with a goody goody green-ness track record, because I’m not. I’m human and I want to achieve my health goals. I realise my value, and future are totally worth the investment of a pro to help me with my detox commitment.

So there you have it, why evens pro’s need other pros to lean on (cue The Beatles song of the same name). If you want to detox yourself, get rid of hassled sugar cravings, bacterial overgrowth, troubled digestion, regain your energy and feel bliss, give me a call, we’ll book you in for a detox intro sesh.

Green Smoothie Goodness to ya

Love Lib

How I gained and lost 25kg. And then put some on again.

After smashing on 10kg when I was 12 and then another 10 kilo when I was 13, I was horrified with my reflection. I spent the next few years of teenager-hood depriving myself during the school week and then bingeing on Friday night. A whole packet of Caramel Crowns and I were good friends. My giant butt and I were not good friends. The boys at school used to call me stumps.

When I was 15 I started to explore my spirituality. I did a magic spell to lose weight. It involved chopping up bay leaves into little tiny pieces, breathing my intention to lose weight over them, and blowing them to the four corners. Afterwards I went inside and fixed myself some toast, like usual, with Grandpas homemade Jam. I had a bite, and for the first time, realised I wasn’t hungry enough to finish it. I learnt how to tune into by body and listen. I could taste the density of all foods I made and whether or not my body needed it or not. Every bite of a chocolate bar tasted like fatty calories, and white rice felt, well, empty.

Thats me in the white, age 16, 75kg

My eating habits changed. I started to eat regular sensible meals. I was still tortured by my heavyset body, and longed for a boy to find me attractive. Slowly though, with sensible and natural eating I had lost 10kg or so by the time I turned 17 and when I turned 18, I had lost the other 10. I was 162cm and 53kg. In the end the weightless was pretty much effortless.. I hadn’t even kept a regular exercise routine. I had been walking long distances pretty much daily as I didn’t yet have a license. God bless 17 year old metabolism! Plenty of boys found me attractive.

The next 6 years after leaving high school were a breeze - well in the weight control sense anyway.

On an 18 year old roadtrip wth my bestie Kat

This entire time my relationship with food was effortless and I remained slight, though I must say being a cigarette smoking vegan might have had something to do with it. A bad habit I’m grateful to see the end of.

Age 22 at Yallingup, 54kg

I moved to Perth with my boyfriend. Andrew and I adopted a puppy-child named Jim, and we lived a very happy little family life. I was thrilled to fulfill my call to massage by studying Shiatsu Therapy during the evenings,  as I worked an office job to pay the rent. Andy and I married in Lorne Victoria (near my place of birth). The day was perfect. I had no body hang-ups and in fact, I had consciously tried to put on a little weight before the wedding so my boobs would look good in my dress . This plan went out the window when I pretty much forgot to eat for the week prior to the big day, running on adrenaline.

Andy and Me on our honeymoon in NZ

Something changed after the wedding. I was 24, suffocating in my corporate job and eager to study for a career that I actually wanted. My husband was at a crossroads in his professional life, and on the verge of setting up his own business…but not sure if that was what he really wanted at the time. Things were uncertain. You know, they say the first year of marriage is the hardest, and I began to diet.

I wasn’t even overweight by any measure, but I could definitely be thinner, and I absolutely hated my legs, chubby little legs that they are (I say that with love). I severely restricted calories and would sit on the bus hungry and miserable comparing myself with all the girls on St Georges Terrace.

Then one day, I got sick of being hungry and just started to eat again. This was the first yo yo of my twenties. Loving being a new wife, I developed a huge love of cooking and especially baking. Within a few months I’d regained all weight I had shed earlier and added on a kg or two. I’d started an exercise routine, jogging in the park and on the beach with my dog. But even with the exercise I still put on weight. The running made me hungrier and served as a mental excuse to eat more then usual. This kind of behaviour went on for a few years, my diets, though healthy and nutritionally sound, were coupled with extreme sessions at the gym and calorie counting. I’d successfully get into my skinny jeans and celebrate regularly with champagne and raw desserts....continuously for several months. Whoops now the jeans don't fit, and I'd actually put on a little extra. Repeat.

Everything changed in the weeks leading up to my 29th birthday. I was ridiculously fit, and time-consumingly counting every calorie. I'd lost 5kg within the previous two months and should have been feeling amazing. Suddenly a horrible and nightmarish trauma for my family back at home and a separate personal trauma for me in Perth hit in the same week, and on the cusp of leaving my security blanket job. I was shocked, devastated and gutted all at the same time. I realised I had been chasing a grueling illusion. A banging bod doesn't solve all your problems. My hot bod wasn't going to make my life awesome, it's just a hot bod. Sure, it helps, but it certainly doesn't make you happy.

The months following my gym attendance ...just....dropped....off. I had been a get-up-a-5.30-and-go-every-morning kind of girl. I used to proudly declare I would work out two hours a day if I had the time, but I just didn't care anymore. The motivation was gone. I started yoga, and enjoying leisurely walks rather then runs. I ate whatever I felt like, I put on 8kg.

It's been nearly 16 months since that traumatic December. At first, when my exercise motivation stopped, I thought it would come back "I'll get back into it," but then days, turned into weeks, turned into months, turned into a year.  Though there have been a few moments when I felt bigger then I wanted to be, I feel I've slowly made peace with my pants. Maybe its helped by my age, 30 now, maybe by the security in my romantic relationship, but if anything good came out of that traumatic time in my life it's that I now have a new kind of body comfort, a healthy, curvy, feminine shaped body comfort that won't compare myself to others or stress over not looking like Miranda Kerr. It feels cruisy, easy, free,  just how I like it.

I've actually been revisiting the gym recently, out of a want to maintain muscle mass, enhance my circulation, clear my mind and keep my skin young. There's no guilt for missing a day, or even for leaving early. I'm giving myself some loving kindness, and my resultant peace of mind speaks volumes.

You are absolutely gorgeous, no matter what your size, and you completely deserve some loving kindness too. Love the one you're with.. ....I'm talking about your body honey!. If you feel drawn to chat with a professional about your body love goals, don't hesitate to drop me a line or pick up the phone.

Happy Avocados and Mega Melons

Love Lib

Me, being curvy, 63kg

My wonderful reiki-healing friend Anyes and I on on my 30th birthday

So what's a naturopath anyway?

Are you a little shady on what a naturopath actually does? My mother never took me to see an alternative healthcare practitioner of any sort. If I hadn’t become so fascinated in nutrition I may never have found out. Now I’m super passionate about naturopathic medicine as a well rounded, affordable and effective health care with real value for everyone in our community. To put it simply, a naturopath uses herbal and nutritional science to get you healthy, and ideally, Super healthy. We see you for about an hour or maybe two, depending on the practitioner. We have a good long chat, we look at your blood, we put you on a fancy machine and give you a health scan. We look into your eyes with our iridology torch, We’ll talk about your diet, your lifestyle, and then we discuss nutritional, herbal solutions that are chosen based on your individuality to help you and your body gently heal and reach optimum health.

So does herbal medicine actually work?

Yes herbal medicine absolutely works and is a wonderful tool for helping the body to heal. There are thousands of studies proving herbal medicines are effective in many different conditions. Plant medicine is 100% natural and organic, just like you are. Our bodies have a natural affinity for naturally occurring compounds, be they nutritional or medicinal. Just think about how good you feel after a vitality giving green juice compared to an artificially coloured, flavoured and sugared up refreshment. Your body can assimilate the goodness in an earth created product much easier.

Naturopaths and Doctors

Modern naturopathy combines evidence based science and modern testing techniques with traditional knowledge and health care.  Naturopaths help you heal and repair back to a level of optimum health.

Your naturopath may refer you back to your doctor for testing and diagnosis of a suspected condition. Once diagnosed, we will work with you and your doctor to give you the best well rounded health care possible.

Gentle nurturing to help your body heal itself

Naturopaths are trained to help you with any medical condition, and treat based on the whole person, rather then individual symptoms. Naturopaths great for dealing with chronic conditions such as allergies and auto-immune disease. The aim of naturopathic medicine is to get to the source of the problem and heal you from the inside out.

Case Study: Sally has eczema on her hand

Sally goes to her GP with eczema who prescribes her a corticosteroid cream, a potent anti-inflammatory to make the symptoms go away. It works quickly and her skin clears. However once she stops using that cream Sally’s eczema comes back. She is frustrated and feels like she’s going round in circles. Sally doesn’t want to use the cream long term because she knows continual use of topical steroids thins the skin, weakens the bodies innate ability to heal, and also may interrupt her natural hormonal balance.

Whole Body Healing

Sally see’s her naturopath and is prescribed a herbal anti-inflammatory cream to protect the inflamed skin and lessen symptoms, without any side effects. Her naturopath takes a full health and diet check, and identifies possible lifestyle factors that may be contributing to her skin condition. Together Sally and her naturopath eliminate irritants from the diet, and treat Sally’s digestive system and detoxification pathways. After 6 weeks the eczema has healed on its own, and after 12 weeks Sally is able to reintroduce some of the irritant foods with no re-occurrence of symptoms. Sally also has lost a little weight, is sleeping better and has more energy

Naturopaths have Science Degrees

It takes four years study in a full time science degree to graduate as a degree qualified naturopath.

Time to talk:

A consult with your naturopath takes an hour initially, and an average of 30 – 50 minutes for each consult thereafter. These long consults are an opportunity to really explore your health and lifestyle thoroughly and identify ways and means to improve your experience of living. Your health is important and often the value of having someone to really listen to you rather then rush you out the door can be priceless. The act of talking and being heard is often quite healing in itself. A naturopath gives you the benefit of being heard by a scientifically trained expert in herbal and nutritional medicine, who can really give you solid strategies for achieving your health goals.

Are you feeling a little more informed now? Can you see the benefits of seeing a naturopath? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Tell me your naturopath story, or put down any concerns or questions you might have regarding seeing a naturopath and I’ll do my best to nut it out with you.

Healthily Yours

Libby

Your body is brilliant. Love it.

My blood pressure dropped dramatically greying out my vision as I stood up from a forward bend in yoga this morning. My vision returned and I managed to steady myself, averting a fall. This wasn’t the first time I had a dizzy spell in the last couple of days. I wondered what has caused this sudden blood pressure irregularity and then it hit me… I gave up coffee the other day. I, almost ashamedly, have been quite a coffee drinker of late, particularly my student self who was afraid that a lack of caffeine would dreadfully impact my powers of concentration and academic smarts. I knew the excess coffee was stressing me out but like a true addict, was too scared to stop.

Coffee has long been linked with a rise in blood pressure. Caffeine stimulates adrenals gland to release cortisol and aldosterone – the blood pressure hormone.

I’m pretty sure my coffee intake was elevating my aldosterone and driving up my blood pressure. To compensate, my body had been releasing less aldosterone because my coffee intake was dependable, regular and catalysing the release of aldosterone for me. So I quit coffee and my blood pressure drops for a few days while my body figures out how to bring itself back into balance.

Rather then get into a lecture on the negative health impacts of coffee here, I simply wish to remark at the incredible intelligence and beauty conveyed by the human body.

I just wanted to take this moment to truly express gratitude for my body and the amazing balancing wholeness that it is. This caffeine addiction experience (the latest of a long on-again off again love affair) was also a bleeping red alert to take better care of my clever body.

We are the custodians of a brilliant finely tuned living breathing physique that we should absolutely be in love with. Your body will love you back providing you take good care of yourself. Since giving the black gold the flick I am sleeping better, dreaming better, I have lost a little weight (or fluid) and my eyes are brighter.  Small changes can harbour big results over the long term.

What small change can you make today to make yourself feel healthier? Share your ideas in the comments below.

It’s an exciting time coming up, in December I will be graduating as a Naturopath and I am look forward to sharing loving health and wellness thoughts with you for many moons to come ;-) Click here to to get my newsletters in your inbox.

Take care of yourselves beautiful angels

Love Lib x

Fight Flu with Elderberry

After not being sick for years I flew into Broome the other day (yes on a holiday) coming down with a head cold. It started in my ears and at the back of my throat. My ears were tingly ears and swallowing felt weird and uncomfortable. The uncomfortable feeling moved down into the larynx. My head was tired, as the plane came into land my ears felt like they were filled with glue, very painful pressurised glue. I was equipped with lemons, ginger, and a herbal tablet that contained immune boosting, energising anti-inflammatory herbs. I craved horseradish and ate it with my lunch that day, the cooling radish helped clear my sinuses and soothe my throat.

Immediately after stepping off the plane I felt the humid air dry up my nostrils. It was like a healing gift from the universe. I felt grateful that on the day that I am hit with my first cold in two years is the day I fly to extreme northern Australia. The symptoms were relieved somewhat by the climate but the underlying cold was still hanging around.

Several days later I stepped out for lunch at an amazing Japanese fusion restaurant and I noticed they had an Elderberry extract available for a refreshing beverage, claiming to be the 'Flavour of Angels'. Being an angel lover I fell for the sale point hook line and sinker and ordered one immediately.

Yes my Elderberry was indeed was incredibly delicious. I had a hunch though that the elderberry was actually just what the doctor ordered for my head cold. Knowing that Elderberry is considered good for the respiratory system I decided to some research when I got home. As it turns out my hunch was correct.

• Some viruses, such as influenza A and B, and the Herpes virus, have little tiny spikes on their exteriors. These spikes piece the outer membrane of your cells allowing the virus to enter and infect the cell. Elderberry has constituents that actually deactivate these spikes, so they are unable to piece your cells and continue to infect you further.
• Several studies have shown that with regular dosing of Elderberry extract flu symptoms were less severe and resolved a couple of days quicker then those taking placebo.
• Elderflower is particularly effective at fighting colds and flu when taken with zinc and vitamin C.

I noticed in the pharmacy the other day that you can actually buy a bottled extract of Black Elderberry, botanically known as  Sambucus nigra (Fun Fact: Sambucca liqueur is made from elderberry hence the name Sambucca). The product is marketed with cold and flu syrup, and I recommend getting the one with  added Vitamin C and Zinc. The product also comes in dried tablet form and lozenges. I'm more inclined to go for the bottled variety as the healing constituents are better preserved that way. I love sharing health and well being knowledge. If you love hearing it subscribe to my newsletter and I'll let you know about any new updates.

In health and wellness

Lib