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As we are in December, holiday parties, Christmas/etc, New Years and more, can mean a lot of food, high energy foods, and for some a lot of alcohol. This is usually super fun, but I also know a lot of my clients are working on their health goals or working through a protocol with heavy dietary changes. So how do you work on your goals into holiday feasts? When you’re working on a fat loss goal or restricted protocol diet, it can be incredibly hard to stay on track - which is why so many fall off the wagon and give up. There’s so much mental prep and fighting with your brain to put aside sugary and salty cravings. However, having a really solid plan with food and exercise can help take the pressure off. Decision fatigue and leaving things until the moment you’re hungry only provide the opportunity for you to go off track. So, by making a plan with your health practitioner you can remove those opportunities and stick to your goals for your future self. During the holiday season, this becomes slightly more difficult as you can't pre-empt exactly what's going to be served and of course you still want to be involved! Food is a naturally social activity and so vital in the holiday period. I've put together some tips to help you nagivate this season... Keep drinking your appropriate water intake (2-3L) daily Opt for low energy alcohol or soft drinks/kombucha if you can Reach for the proteins and vegetables first! Fill your plate with the good stuff before adding the carbohydrates that suit your goals Eat mindfully - eating too fast can cause you to miss your natural full cues so take your time eating the meal and really tune in to your body. Take a little 10 minute walk after meals - avoid the food coma by getting some light movement in post meal, this also helps to balance your blood sugars. Portion your desserts. No-one wants to miss out on dessert, naturally, but we can include these things mindfully and not overindulge. Find a support buddy to help you throughout the day if you need it. Lastly, and most importantly, remember - it's only one day. You can get back on track the next day (or week). This is not the end of the world. One day out of 365 will not ruin all the work you are putting in, or will put in. The holidays and time with family should not be overshadowed by food fears or overly negative thoughts around food, so if you are worried about this - get in contact and we can make a plan! Happy Holidays! xx

I'm not saying this will change your kids life but this bread is fricken delicious and if they refuse to eat it - cover it with cheese or nut butter. I also won't make you read a story because the bread doesn't need any fluffing, it's beautiful. Get cooking! Ingredients: ¾ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts or pecans (optional, I ended up putting some pumpkin seeds and buckwheat groats in) ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup honey or maple syrup 2 eggs ½ cup water 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary 1.5 teaspoon baking soda 1 fat tablespoon of pesto (maybe 2 if you like) ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (salt and let sit—gently squeeze out excess moisture over the sink before stirring it into the batter) 1/2 almond meal or coconut flour 1 and 1/4 buckwheat flour You can just use 1 and 3/4 cup plain flour too. I had run out and this turned out good. Yes you do want to add the honey, but it's not absolutely necessary. How to: Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a loaf pan with butter or spray oil to prevent the bread from sticking. Grate the zucchini and sprinkle with 1/2 - 1 tsp salt and let sit in its own bowl Toast the nuts if are adding walnuts. Grab a dry pan, medium heat. Gentle toss and move the nuts until they are fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Then put aside in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, pesto, rosemary and honey. Beat them with a whisk until they are combined. Add the eggs and beat well. We want airated and combined wet ingredients. Add the water, baking soda and whisk to blend. Add the flour and stir just until combined. You may need an extra 1/4 cup water with the almond meal but it will still be quite a thick mixture with a lot of bounce from the eggs. Switch to a big spoon and stir in the zucchini (be sure to squeeze excess moisture out of the zucchini first). Gently fold in the toasted nuts now, if using. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and top with thinly sliced brie or cheese (if you want). Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the center of the loaf springs back to the touch. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack. Use a serrated knife to cut individual slices. This bread is moist, so it will keep for just 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months or so. I like to slice the bread before freezing and defrost individual slices, either by lightly toasting them or defrosting them in the microwave. It's really yum with more pesto and some cottage cheese or as a shovel for bruschetta.

Endometriosis feels like it's a big, shiney new discover now that it's finally getting attention - but this has been something that women (and a very small proportion of men) have been suffering from for decades. It's not an easy diagnosis, but the more information we put out there, the more accessible the treatment options and healthcare around this become. So let's get our heads around what endometriosis is and what's this gut connection! So what is Endometriosis? Endometriosis is currently defined as an inflammatory disease in which bits of tissue that are similar to uterine lining (glands and stroma cells) grows throughout the abdominal cavity on structures such as ovaries and intestines. It causes pain (sometimes severe), scarring, and infertility. This pain is inflammation driven via the production of cytokines and therefore prostaglandins. It can be all the time or just around ovulation and your period. Some women even experience pain with intercourse too. Fertility issues, irregular periods, dark blood, clotting… and often they also have high oestrogen due to the self producing tissue (I'll get into this later). Due to these hormonal and inflammatory changes, occassionally women will also present with anxiety and mood disorders. The scar tissue is described a few ways; dark brown endometrial fluid and are sometimes referred to as "chocolate cysts." The presence of cysts - called endometriomas - (around the ovaries) indicates a more severe stage of endometriosis. Surrounding tissue can become irritated, eventually developing scar tissue and adhesions — bands of fibrous tissue that can cause pelvic tissues and organs to stick to each other So why does this happen? There are several theories, as I say theories, as it currently hasn't been proven. This is something we chat more about in the podcast . Retrograde menstruation (tissue goes the wrong way down fallopian). This is observed in 90% of all women but it doesn't always develop into endometriosis. Coelomic metaplasia - transformation of healthy peritoneal tissue (uterine lining) into ectopic endometrial tissue due to common origin cells Müllerian remnant - cellular debris from embryonic Müllerian duct transform into endometriotic tissue by the influence of sex hormones rising at the beginning of puberty Still largely unknown - potentially many casues, including LPS production in the gut. HOW does it progress to Endometriosis? “ Inflammation plays a key role in the pathophysiology of the disease, mainly by altering the function of immune cells (macrophages, natural killer, and T cells) and increasing levels of pro-inflammatory mediators (cytokines) in the peritoneal cavity, endometrium, and blood. These immune alterations inhibit apoptotic (cell death) pathways and promote adhesion and proliferation of endometriotic cells. [1]” The microbiome (good bacteria) also plays a role. For example, women with endometriosis have a high level of gram-negative bacteria and the bacterial toxin LPS (lipopolysaccharide) in their pelvis, which can actively promote endometriosis and may be an initiating cause of endometriosis . See - Endometriosis is a disease of immune dysfunction . Lara Briden, a leading naturopath, is trying to change the face of endometriosis from 'hormonal condition' to 'inflammatory condition'. “ We have shown that IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α serum levels are significantly higher in women with endometriosis compared to women free of disease. ” Praccies you may want to look into regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) too. How does endo promote self growth? The Oestrogen-Inflammation Feedback Loop. Note: Endometriotic tissue (in endo) =/= Normal endometrium/endometrial tissue For the general population: [4,5] “ Endometriotic tissues have the ability to synthesize E2 (our main oestrogen during reproductive years) new from cholesterol, because there is a high expression of two of the most important enzymes involved in the process of oestrogen production: aromatase (CYP19A1) and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein. Additionally endometriotic tissue in this case have more oestrogen receptors than regular endometrium tissue, making it more sensitive to oestrogen. “ Inflammation and estrogen production in endometriosis are linked by a positive feedback cycle in which the chronic overexpression of aromatase and COX2 (involved in prostaglandin production) supports the sustained production of estradiol and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in endometriotic tissue. For praccies: "E2 and Oestrogen Receptor-β stimulated PGE2 formation, whereas PGE2 stimulated estradiol synthesis . Selective or nonselective COX inhibitors (i.e. turmeric and antispasmodics) that disrupt PGE2 synthesis effectively reduce pelvic pain in endometriosis." "Moreover, in uterine microvascular endothelial cells, ERβ mediated estradiol-stimulated COX2 expression and PGE2 production.” “The overproduction of estradiol in endometriosis drives ERβ signaling to support endometriotic tissue survival and inflammation. Additionally, ERβ may have estradiol-independent pathologic actions.” This loop depends on responsiveness of ER, heightened by endo pathology - proliferative signaling mechanism mediated by the estrogen-E2 receptors axis What else do we see? We ideally want to make sure you’re ovulating to get that progesterone to effects it’s anti-inflammatory actions and immune modulation effects. BUT we also see a lot of gut disturbances, and this is what we chat more about in the podcast I recently did - here. sensitivies (IBS/dysbiosis/SIBO) changes in bowel motions (diarrhoea, constipation) even just with the cycle gas, nausea the classic endo bloat pain with some foods increased food sensitivies Lowered diversity of the gut microbiome differences in abundance of 12 genus belonging to the classes Bacilli, Bacteroidia, Clostridia, Coriobacteriia , and Gammaproteobacter between endometriosis patients and controls an Escherichia/Shigella -dominant gut With most clients I see, we implement a low gluten and dairy diet. As these have been shown to impact the progression and symptoms associated with endo (including the disruption to gut health). “ dairy products intake was associated with a reduction in endometriosis, with significant effects when the average daily intake ≥3 servings ” . So reducing or cutting these out can help. The rest can be super individual depending on your symptom picture and if gut testing is necessary. We may look at a low FODMAP diet while completing a whole gut protocol, but a practitioner is best to judge. Options here to improve your gut include: PHGG - go SLOW - if this causes issues, come see me as you have deeper issues. Glutamine 5g FODMAP/Mediterranean diet - see more foods below Saccharomyces boulardii (SB) NAC to a degree Getting diagnosed: I should note that endometriosis cannot be formally diagnosed without a laproscopy. Some GPs may refer for ultrasounds, but these are not fine enough to pick up early stage endo. You will need to find the right specialist and the right U/S tech to even consider diagnosing with an ultrasound. Treatment options for Endometriosis: Ginger Cramp bark (and many others) Green tea Resveratrol N-Acetyl Cystine - “ NAC was found to both prevent the growth of cysts as well as reduce the size of existing cysts.” Food to eat MORE of: Parsley Turmeric Ginger Phyto-oestrogen Alternative therapies you should consider using: Acupuncture Vitamin D Relaxing - managing stress, exertion Heat/ tens machine / bath Also consider pelvic floor tone, new study showed stretching that pelvic area and connecting muscles can improve pain. I thoroughly hoped this help enlighten you, and gave you some options to consider with your practitioner. Should you need any guidance or have questions - feel free to DM @mickayla_naturopath or email me - mickayla@rosemarynaturopathy.com.au I would encourage you to listen to the podcast to learn more about treatment options and in depth chats on the gut relationship with Endometriosis! References: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2019.00935/full https://endo-update.blogspot.com/2015/03/endometriosis-awareness-month-part-iii.html https://www.larabriden.com/endometriosis-is-a-disease-of-immune-dysfunction/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7215544/ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rmb2.12285 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8339299/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662115/

Honestly, this is one of the most common presentations I see in clinic (in children). Whether it's anxiety related to school, life in general, or one of the causes we'll discuss today. It can be the most heartwrenching for parents, as they don't know what to do to help and can feel guilt for something that's absolutely not their fault. Often, I see this in children who appear with ADD/ADHD or Austism as well, though they may not be diagnosed. Let's explore some of the contributing factors that can exaggerate or bring on feelings of anxiety in children. First off, anxiety can present differently in each child - including trouble sleeping, using comfort items or behaviours, explosive emotions, irritation/anger, and more obvious signs of fear and worry; as well as physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or stomachaches. A lot of the time anxious children have issues moving their bowels in places that aren't home, and this can absolutely contribute to poor gut health or resorbtion of toxins, only worsening anxiety. There are four possible causes to explore (among others) that can cause or contribute to anxiety in kids. Pyrrole disorder Poor gut health/ food intolerances High heavy metals Trauma Pyrroles Disorder Pyrrole disorder is a genetic blood disorder that results in a dramatic deficiency of zinc, B6 and arachidonic acid (a long-chain omega-6 fat) as the snip causes those nutrients to be excreted more rapidly. It is also known by pyroluria, kryptopyrroles and Mauve factor. It can make your child’s body inefficient at producing serotonin and GABA — meaning they are more susceptible to suffering the physiological effects of stress. It's not a commonly discussed condition and I haven't heard a GP mention it once, but it's rampant among people with mental health disorders. As high as 1 in 10 children. That means that in a typical class of 25 to 30 kids, two or three will be struggling with Pyrrole and won’t be learning or behaving well. Some of the linked conditions include: ADHD Autism/ASD Downs syndrome Schizophrenia Alcohol and/or drug dependence Bipolar disorder Sensory issues such as sensory processing disorder 5 things to look out for if you suspect your child may have Pyrrole Disorder Pyrrole presents itself differently among different age groups, but here are a my top 5 symptoms to look for: Emotional mood swings and anxiety, e.g. trantrums and impulsive behaviour Difficulty coping with stress, brain fog, tummy troubles Sensitivity to light and sound Pale skin that doesn’t tan and burns easily, bumpy skin on upper arms White spots on nails - linked to zinc deficiency The quickest and easiest way to find out if your child has Pyrrole is to call us and book in for a simple urine test. This is worth working with a practitioner as supplementation of zinc and B6 in children can be tricky and the dose is really important. At home, it's best practice to start the, on an anti-inflammatory diet (see this one) and rule out sensitivities to additives and preservatives from their diet, as well as gluten, dairy and processed sugar. Someone with pyrrole disorder may not need to take supplements forever. But many will need to use them on and off, particularly during stressful times. Poor Gut Health or Food Intolerances This, fortunately, has been well established. Increasingly, research has indicated that gut microbiota – the trillions of microorganisms in the gut which perform important functions in the immune system and metabolism by providing essential inflammatory mediators, nutrients and vitamins – can help regulate brain function through something called the “gut-brain axis.” The gut and the brain are connected via the vagus nerve. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That's because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected. But, more than that - the gut microbiome is a deeper connection regarding the production of neurotransmitters (like calming GABA and happy Serotonin). It's not always the traditional Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium phylums that are required too. Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Escherichia can synthesize serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, however Bifidobacterium strains were mostly responsibly for GABA production. Using probiotics with these families might not be enough though, some of the specific strains can be helpful. Overall, 11 of the 21 studies using probiotics showed a positive effect on anxiety symptoms by regulating intestinal microbiota, meaning that more than half (52%) of the studies showed this approach to be effective, although some studies that had used this approach did not find it worked. Of the 14 studies that had used probiotics as the intervention, more than a third (36%) found them to be effective in reducing anxiety symptoms, while six of the remaining seven studies that had used non-probiotics as interventions found those to be effective - a 86% rate of effectiveness. In those studies only using interventions to regulate intestinal microbiota, 80% were effective when using non-probiotic interventions, while only 45% were found to be effective when using probiotic ways. Regarding food intolerances - symptoms related to IgG reactions can often be manifested as chronic issues like joint ache, IBS and depression or anxiety, which are often overlooked and not associated with what we eat. Dietary interventions using probiotic and prebiotics foods have a more powerful and longlasting effect than just using probiotics, however the combination of both can really help speed up the process. A multi-strain Lactobacillus/Bifidobacterium probiotic blend has been the most researched for its ability to decrease symptoms of anxiety. You may want to read this blog and this blog for more info on prebiotic foods. High Heavy Metals Heavy metals are very hard to be metabolized by the human body and that is the main reason of their toxicity. Heavy metals bind with cellular elements like structural proteins, nucleic acids and enzymes and can affect their functioning. They can enter the body in lower concentrations and deposit in certain parts or organs of the body. Overall, long-term exposure to heavy metals can be carcinogenic. Other effects include circulatory and nervous system effects. High heavy metals is also quite common, considering the tap water can often contain lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. A plethora of studies, indeed, has declared the existence of a relationship between exposure to heavy metals and mood disorders. Similarly, various studies that have diagnosed patients with depression and panic attacks disorders showed an excess of some metals concentration such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb). Preschool aged children are more sensitive to heavy metals also, as there are significant blood amino acid changes that affect neurobehaviour. These processes involve links between the hippocampus and the amygdale in the brain, and the main involved pathways, which the links are specifically made by a set of monoamine neurotransmitters, mainly dopamine and serotonin 5- hydroxytriptamine (5-HT). These can be assessed via a hair mineral analysis, but you may like to read more here. Working with a practitioner to bind the heavy metals (chelation) and support detoxification pathways is recommended. Trauma Now, this should be self explanatory, but trauma doesn't just go away when people stop talking about it. Trauma can hide in organs or muscles and come back as health issues or knots. Accumulation of early life stress also increased the levels of late-adulthood anxiety symptoms and the risk of anxiety regarded as clinically significant. Many children and adolescents are exposed to different types of trauma, e.g. abuse or various disasters. Trauma can cause severe and long-term impairment and consequences, the most studied of which are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and PTSD symptoms (PTSS). If this area contributes, I highly recommend working with practitioners and psychiatrisits. This blog doesn't go through all the causes of anxiety and is not meant to be used for diagnosis or treatment. I hope this has given you some insight or new ventures to consider for your child with anxiety. As I said, I often see these presentations, and a lot of ADHD behavioural traits that are caused by one or more of the above health pressures. Children are still quite open and sensitive to treatment, so we typically start slow and work with the parents to determine what potential aspects of a treatment plan will work best for their family. If you'd like to explore one of these options or an appointment - please see this page. I'd love to meet you!

So you're tired? It's impacting your day-to-day and you're worried you'll feel this way forever. Let's talk about it. How does normal fatigue differ from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? 'Normal' fatigue has explainable roots; changes in sleep, emotional distress, nutrient deficiencies, perhaps a smidge of adrenal depletion. Most people have experienced this at some point in their life. Whereby something is contributing to their energy levels, often one of those things or a disease state (IBS, SIBO, HPA disruptions etc). We will often look at nutrient levels and more obvious triggers like sleep first, in case it's something simple. Nutrients such as vitamin B6 and B12, folate, iron/ferritin, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D will contribute to energy levels from various mechanisms. But what if it goes beyond that, it's been months with little to no improvement... Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS is characterized by numerous symptoms which come from that deep, draining, pile of tired that you live under. headaches, myalgia, arthralgia, and post-exertional malaise; cognitive difficulties, with impaired memory and concentration; un-refreshing sleep; and mood changes, such as depression and anxiety. It's intense, disabiling and often comes after a viral infection. This level of fatigue has to be consistent for 3-6 months. The amount of research out there for post viral fatigue is showing us some clear signs - especially with Glandula Fever (epstein barr virus = EBV), and now COVID too. But, WHY? With post viral fatigue, usually the EBV or COVID has done some damage to an organ, such as the thyroid or the lungs, that interrupts normal feedback or energy production needs. This is without taking into account the enormous load on the immune system to repair, source nutrients, fight of the EBV ghost, and calm back down. In the gut, and lungs, and skin, we have a mucosal barrier which protects us from the 'outside'. In the gut it's highly affected by stress, accidentally allowing entry of antigens and microorganisms due to the loosening of tight junctions. Which in turn stimulates hyperactive responses in the mucosal immune system. So then you've got inflammation, hyperactive immune activity and a leaky gut. But, why does this immune stress lead to fatigue? Because it drains nutrients, takes the focus away from other areas, creates a lot of collateral damage and is a constant driver of higher cortisol and adrenaline. Your body interprets all danger as stress - mental, physical, or physiological. This includes mental stress, a workout, inflammatory foods, high immune activity, organ damage, too little water, too little sleep = danger! We're not safe. Again, being on high alert also drains us of nutrients and energy. With EBV you often get this immune attack on the thyroid as it likes to hide out there, a crucial member of the energy support team. With COVID, I've found it can affect oxygen status, lung capacity, and neural connections. Cortisol is ordinarily anti-inflammatory and contains the immune response, but chronic elevations can lead to the immune system becoming “resistant,” an accumulation of stress hormones, and increased production of inflammatory cytokines that further compromise the immune response. They work side by side, so one affects the other. So this issue of the immune system being hyperactive = inflammation, adding stress - can contribute to fatigue from more than one area, despite you initially only having had a virus. The stress from that load + the stress of the immune system responding can weaken the gut and cause issues there too. A Fatigued Gut... The other fun fact about CFS, is that it involves a hell of a lot more than just potential thyroid damage. Patients with CFS are more likely to report a previous diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). They're more likely to have issues with that mucosal barrier, issues with bowel motility and changes to their microbiome. Remember how I said the gut is highly affected by stress? And that high immune activity is a stressor? Well...patients with diagnosed CFS (already hard to get) also have lower levels of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus (the good guys) and higher levels of aerobic bacteria (boo). At the same time, they also have raised serum concentrations of IgA and IgM to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of gram-negative enterobacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Morganella morganii, Proteus mirabilis, Pseduomonas putida, Citrobacter koseri, Klebsiella pneumoniae and high D-lactic acid producers. Not good. This is an unhappy, pro-inflammatory and sad gut. Image what that's signalling to your body? Now, not all is lost because probiotics could alter the gut microbiota, improve mucosal barrier function, decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines, and have the potential to positively influence mood in patients where both emotional symptoms and inflammatory immune signals are elevated. There is hope! HOWEVER, not all probiotics are the same. You can eat good foods to help rebalance your gut microbiome, but further than that and it's best to seek assistance from someone who knows their stuff. This is what naturopaths do all day. Assess what's going on for you and work out what can have the best impact. Probiotic wise, this means finding key strains that will bring balance, while working on reducing the overgrowths (if they exist). For CFS, this is also means looking at your cortisol levels, your adrenal function, your nutrient needs, and your immune system and working out what will actually make a difference for you. If you'd like to learn more about my services - click here.

I want to preface this by saying that each persons response is highly individual, but on the basis that antidepressants don't thoroughly treat, nor cure depression - let's talk about it. Depression costs more than 9 billion dollers per year, more than that now considering the state of the world. Officially, the WHO has projected it to be the leading cause of disability by 2030, and I feel that we are well and truely on that path still. I want to show you why these drugs don't have lasting change, and what else you could do. Pill State Anti-depressants were discovered by accident. Yep, that's a fact you can look up. There have been multiple variations of the same drug developed since it was invented, but honestly, since the 80's nothing much as changed in the way of therapy for depressed people. This is including therapies such as talk therapy and magneto-therapy (electroconvulsion therapy). In the 1950's (around 70 years ago) a drug with the action of inhibiting (stopping) monoamine-oxidase (an enzyme) was first testing on Tuberculosis patients to treat their TB. Iproniazid, the drug in question, caused such elation in those patients that the doctors working the study thought to use it for other conditions. This triggered scientists to look at other drugs that may do the same thing - enter imipramine, the first drug in the tricyclic antidepressant family. "The clinical introduction of fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, in the late 1980s, once again revolutionized therapy for depression, opening the way for new families of antidepressants." However, all these antidepressant work via similar mechanisms. They prevent the reuptake of certain neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine or dopamine) to improve mood, also known as a the 'happy hormone'. If you see the image below, (MAO is monoamine oxidase) you can see where these drugs are doing their thing. The main point for me explaining this, is to then tell you that there is no evidence that [all] depressed people have low neurotransmitters. The drug was discovered by accident, depressed people could use some elation, they worked the theory back to explain how the drug worked without ever fully understanding how depression worked. In fact, we still don't fully understand how depression works because the brain is just so damn complex. 33% of depressed people find that their medications become ineffective, not to mention the side effects, no matter which one. Symptoms like low mood, anhedonia (apathy) and low energy start to creep back in slowly. Health practitioners (including me) will often rule out anything that's interacting with the medication - such as alcohol, pregnancy, sudden weight gain, or other medications - before suggesting a medication review. They don't have any good research to say why these medications stop working, because they don't understand. The body is smart, and constantly adapting, so you could theorise that it has learned to work around the medications, or that their mechanism of action (like in the photo) is not treating the cause of the issue. While these medications have trials suggesting their effectiveness, increasing happy hormones is likely to improve low mood for anyone, but it doesn't address the cause of the depression, nor is it a good long-term solution. These are not meant to be long-term medications, but once you stop - symptoms return for the majority. Safe to say they don't offer a holistic or lasting solution. Even, Penn and Tracy (2012) states "fundamentally current medications may be hitting the ‘wrong’ (or at least an upstream and indirect) target, hindering efficacy." The Alternatives The theory most naturopaths run by, is either consistent with higher levels of inflammation, damage to the gut microbiome or the neuroendocrine theory, which implicates hormonal abnormalities in depression due to hyperactivity of the hypothalamic–pituitary axis (HPA) meaning there is insufficient feedback suppression of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and glucocorticoids (to improve BDNF). I don't want to get too deep into the specifics but, working holistically is absolutely essential to treating depression. Mindset training has also shown some benefit for changing the pathways in the brain. What else could contribute? enviroment (exposure to toxins, heavy metals, relationships) gut health (more LPS producting bacteria) Inflammatory conditions (endometriosis, arthritis.... anything ending in 'itis') medications dysfunction in the HPA nutritional deficiencies trauma Most, if not all, of these are variable measures, meaning we can change or remove them, effectively removing the causation. This is work that I do with clients all the time. See my services. What could help? Saffron - this little stem of sunshine has been used to centuries but some of the latest data shows "8 weeks of saffron supplementation resulted in significant improvements in depression scores", especially with PMDD (pms depression). Keep an eye out for our new product related to this. You can also read more in this blog on saffron here. St John's Wort - a well known treatment for depression, with similar score improvement to the above medications. Although, I caution it's use as there's a lot of interactions - one of the few herbs that causes hormonal contraception to be ineffective (as well as blood thinners). Lemon Balm - used for both anxiety and depression, especially in the acute sense. This herb makes a great tea, you can grow it at home easily too. Lavender - in combination with lemon balm, a common and traditional mix in some Asian countries. This pairing was comparable to fluoxetine (developed in the 80's) in improving depression scores. You can try these herbs as a tea, but I would recommend speaking to a herbalist or naturopath (such as myself) if you are already on medication to avoid serotonin overload. There is many more on this list to support mood stabilisation, but let's leave it at a few for now. Overall, medication have their place in acutely managing moderate to severe depression (to reduce risk to life), but have absolutely no impact on the cause of depression. You should by no means reduce or stop your medication without guidance from a GP. Holistic healthcare can help identify the cause/triggers to help heal the depression from the root of tree, so to speak. If you have any questions, feel free to email me - mickayla@rosemarynaturopathy.com.au Genetic side note: polymorphisms associated with favourable antidepressant response, e.g. a functional polymorphism: 5HTTLPR, of the 5HT transporter gene (5HTT) has a short and long allele. The long allele has been associated with better response to SSRIs, whereas the short allele with poorer response. Genetic testing is something we can order for you if you were concerned about genetic inheritance or predisposition to disease.

Deep in Winter’s clutch, comes the cold and flu season. We’ve all seen it come home from school, experienced it, or even had whole families go down with illness at once. Now while the media loves to promote various pills and whatnot to keep you healthy, let’s talk about what is actually proven to help ‘boost’ your immune system and keep the sickness to a minimum. It’s completely normal to get sick a few times a year, but more than that and you might need some extra support from a practitioner. I give you my top five lifestyle and top five diet tips to surviving this season. So what can you do lifestyle wise to keep health up: Sleep your optimal 7.5 hours Maintain regular exercise Drink 2-3L of water on the daily Manage your stress levels - for real, use meditation if you like Get 15 minutes of sunlight each day (or 2-3 each week) What can you do food wise? A lot. I’m sure you can guess vitamin C foods will be high on this list, but let’s go through them anyway Vitamin C - as in most fruits and veggies in higher amounts. This doesn’t stop you getting sick, but it can significantly improve symptom severity and reduce the length of the illness. The bonus of eating foods at a source of vitamin C over a tablet, is that it’s more bioavailable and works in synergy with other nutrients found in those foods. I do stress whole fruits and vegetables, not juice. Garlic - especially raw garlic, contains high levels of allicin. Not only is this allicin super antimicrobial, but can support your immune cells. If you can’t stop ½ clove of raw garlic, just aim to include it in your cooking often. Prebiotic foods - gladly including garlic here too, but also artichokes, green banana, starchy root vegetables or brown rice (cooked and cooled) and asparagus. All the lovely prebiotic fibre contained in these foods go towards feeding your good gut bugs which are absolutely vital for immune health. Your gut is 70-90% of your immune function. Antioxidants - with stress comes increased oxidative damage, this is not helpful for immune support as it takes essential nutrients from building more white blood cells. All the colours in fruits and vegetables, the phytonutrients that provide those colours, also act as antioxidants among many other great actions. Think purple, blue, orange, red, yellow and green colours! Quality protein - vegan or omnivore, and all the in betweens, you cannot fault the biological and physiological need for protein (amino acids) to repair, create new DNA, new cells and signalling molecules. These amino acids, plus a few other things, are required to create new white blood cells - your immune cells. Obviously these will be vital to your immune resilience and how well you fair with cold and flu season. That’s my top five lifestyle and diet tips to maintain great immune health over the Winter season. I’d love to know, did you learn something?

We've all had that moment when we're feeling a little blue. Maybe you're stressed about work, or maybe you just feel kind of down for no reason. Whatever the cause, saffron might be able to help! That's right—the same stuff that makes your favorite Indian dish so flavorful can also improve your mood and help treat depression. It's a rich source of carotenoids, which are antioxidants that protect against cell damage and may help ward off signs of aging too. But how does saffron, or Crocus sativus, do this magic? Well, it turns out that the spice contains an amino acid called crocin, which has been shown to increase levels of serotonin in the brain—that feel-good neurotransmitter that makes us happy! Saffron is an antidepressant and mood lifter that has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine. It's also a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, so it can help boost your immune system while it helps improve your mood. This spice contains carotenoids (like crocetin)—powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals. Free radicals are created by stress and pollution, and they can cause tissue damage throughout the body by attacking healthy cells. By fighting these free radicals with carotenoids, saffron can help keep you healthy while it helps lift your mood. What's the science say? The first study (here) was a randomised, double blind trial with a control group - i.e. the best kind. Out of the 30 people who completed the trial in the saffron group, all reported reduced depression scores on testing, and improved social relationships. As depression often has negative effects on socialisation and therefore relationships, this is so heartening so see! Not only did mood improve, but the response to stress improved too. A physiological stress test showed that saffron lessened the feelings on stress during this test. This means saffron also works as an adaptogen. Another report suggested improvements in sleep onset and insomnia. "Saffron intake was associated with improvements in sleep quality in adults with self‐reported sleep complaints". This study used around 14 mg twice a day in the 55 strong group. Now this can get pretty pricey if your trying to do this at home. A practitioner can dispense a quality medical grade extract that is a much more effective and affordable option. They can also work out why you need support here, and remedy the driving factors behind sleep issues - click here. The best part of that study? NO REPORTED SIDE-EFFECTS!! I love herbal medicine. The final study, was regarding diabetes type 2, now this was interesting. Saffron was able to noticeably reduce hyperglycaemia AND hyperlipidaemia. Wait there's more! In the 8 week clinical trial, the 35 people on saffron (100mg/day) also had improved liver function. This is really important, as diabetics often have super high toxin load and stress on the liver. "At the end of the eighth week, saffron supplementation significantly decreased FPG, triglyceride (TG), insulin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT)" So next time you're feeling blue, try adding a pinch of saffron to your cooking—or even try making a cup of tea with it! You'll be surprised how quickly this spice will lift your spirits!

According to Gray and Threlkeld (2019) who summarised the current research and based on the American Diabetes Association, basically state the four objectives of the diet for someone with Diabetes. Promote healthful eating patterns, emphasizing nutrient dense foods to achieve and maintain body weight goals; attain individualised blood (test) goals; and delay or prevent complications. Address individual nutrition needs, health literacy and barriers to changes Maintain pleasure of eating by providing nonjudgmental messages are food choices Provide practical tools for day-to-day meal planning rather than focus on single aspects. There is no magic ratio of protein:carbohydrates:fat here, but simple foods and calorie maintenance. Gray and Threlkeld (and ADA) (2019) do not recommend low carbohydrate diets as they are hard to maintain for most people and the concept is very broad. Instead whole grain and complex carbohydrates should be replacing high glycaemic index carbohydrates. The focus on fibre here (as is typical in complex carbohydrate foods) has many added benefits, including supporting the digestive tract and microbiome. Low-carbohydrate diet studies in Type 1 DM are limited, but some report improved HbA1c and some report severe hypoglycaemia. Rani and Bhadada (2017) suggest a mix and match technique (with quantity) to make a healthy meal and low-calorie dessert options. This provides a very easy meal building process (i.e. protein + carb + # of vegetables or fruit) and the low calorie desserts offer the fulfillment of a craving without the spike of blood glucose that typically follows a traditional dessert option. This is definitely a very flexible and widely applicable, practical tool that comes into the ADA recommendations. The ever popular mediterranean diet (or modification thereof) seems to fit most nutritional guidelines from government institutions while being flexible enough to achieve specific goals - largely it is an anti-inflammatory, high(ish) fibre and high antioxidant diet - at it’s best. Some evidence suggests it doesn’t improve blood sugar control, though more research and clinical trials are needed with type 1 DM. There are definitely more benefical aspects of a whole plant based diet than blood sugar control, though it is an important factor in type 1 DM. The takeaway: Again, making meal building simple will help balance out meals and provide more satiety and satisfactsion, as well as helping to regulate blood sugar. Remember 2 fruit & 5 vegetables, and protein at each meal is a base line for daily intake. protein + carb + # of vegetables/ fruit

Have these been popping up in conversation for you? Has someone you know recently been diagnosed and you're confused as to what it is? Let's talk about IBS and SIBO and what the main differences are. Both dysbiosis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) cause IBS symptoms. In fact, between 4 and 78% of IBS patients have SIBO. IBS is commonly diagnosed by symptomatic picture and ruling out other causes, where SIBO can be confirmed with a hydrogen breath test or the more reputable quantitative jejunal aspirate culture. IBS will present as abdominal pain/ discomfort, irregular stool form and transit time (constipation/ diarrhoea), bloating, and flatulence. SIBO presents similarly with abdominal pain/ discomfort, bloating, flatulence, nausea, feeling of fullness and diarrhoea. There may be many other 'odd' symptoms experienced with SIBO, as it can and does interact with many body systems. The differences between the two are that IBS bouts can be triggered by certain food sensitivities, increased or acute stress, and hormonal fluctuations and SIBO can be continuous symptoms beginning after a trauma/ associated condition or drug use, such as protein pump inhibitors, antibiotics or major stressful events. There are a number of risk factors and complications for each, which is why it’s important to correctly diagnose each condition. S. boulardii (a specific probiotic strain) has shown symptomatic improvement for SIBO patients when combined with traditional antibiotic treatments, though updated research on probiotic use alone is very limited. Standard dietary increase in soluble and insoluble fibre (to 25 grams per day from vegetables mainly), as well as complex carbohydrates (from veggies and grains) were also protective in rat studies. One study concluded herbal therapy to be at least as effective as tradition Rifaximin in the treatment of SIBO, they combined 4 naturopathic blends (3x day) into two separate treatments (see image below) and compared those to rifaximin (3x day). A review of treatment for IBS found Artichoke, St John’s Wort, Peppermint, Psyllium (a bulking fibre) and Lemon balm to be effective in reducing symptoms - the actions of which include antispasmodic, bulking, carminative, thymoleptic, and antibacterial. If you are starting to increase fibre - START SLOW. I mean less than a teaspoon at a time, too much fibre increased at once will cause more distress than intended. Take the time to less your stomach and microbiome get used to a small dose before increasing, at least a week. If you see yourself in any of these symptom pictures, make sure to book an appointment and get it checked out! Health is wealth. You may find a lemon balm tea to be soothing on your tummy if you want to try it out! Always consults your naturopath or doctor before self-prescribing. *This is not meant to diagnose or treat. Please seek professional treatment before attempting to self diagnose or treat.

With nearly half of infertility cases attributed to a failure in sperm development (spermatogenesis), it’s important to consider the exceptional variety of contributing factors in a fertility case. These may consist of; age, mental stress, diet, fitness, caffeine intake, high temperatures, mobile phone placement, and environmental exposure (Ilacqua, Izzo, Emerenziani, Baldari & Aversa (2018). All of which, when out of balance, can cause high oxidative stress and damage to sperm DNA, therefore creating poor or inviable sperm. For example, long-term exposure to RF-EMR from mobile phones being kept in pockets close to reproductive organs has shown to significantly decrease good swimming sperm count, and potentially increase sperm DNA damage (Gorpinchenko, Nikitin, Banyra & Shulyak, 2014). And yet, how many people keep their phones in their side pockets all day long, without knowing. Of course, these are all aspects of a person's lifestyle that a naturopath will advise on, but let’s take a closer look at stress. This is the number one crossover between disease states, as psychological stress has physical impacts. It is normal, it happens to everyone, every day. Acute stress that resolves quickly may impair testicular function for a short period of time, but it’s the chronic stress that has the bigger impact (Ilacqua, et al., 2018). Chronic stress from daily life (lasting more than a few months) will show other symptoms, though in the case of fertility, it is marked by the presence of glucocorticoid receptors in the testicles (the Leydig, Sertoli and germ cells in particular). Remembering that cortisol is a glucocorticoid, we can see that prolonged high levels cause cell death (apoptosis). Ilacqua, et al. (2018) note that the response to this is 39% decreased sperm concentration, 48% decreased motility, though no changes to volume or morphology just yet. Poor morphology (or structure) of sperm likely is a result of poor nutrition or increased nutritional needs elsewhere (e.g. in healing). The authors also note the stress levels can rise during infertility treatment. This makes stress management and self care the number one priority during pre-conception. There are many changeable stressors, such as diet and phone placement, and some non-changeable aspects, such as age and inherited complications. A naturopath can assist, or advise on most of those mentioned, though a lot of it is patient input. As the lifespan of a sperm cell is around 64 days, it will therefore be safe to assume that treatment for infertility or preconception care will take at least 64 days (more because an egg takes 90 days to develop). Gorpinchenko, I., Nikitin, O., Banyra, O. & Shulyak, A. (2014). The influence of direct mobile phone radiation on sperm quality. Central European Journal of Urology, vol 67. Issue 1. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4074720/#:~:text=The%20authors%20concluded%20that%20the,to%20cell%20phones%20%5B12%5D. Ilacqua, A., Izzo, G., Emerenziani, G., Baldari, C. & Aversa, A. (2018). Lifestyle and fertility: the influence of stress and quality of life on male fertility. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, vol 16. Issue 115. Retrieved from: https://rbej.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12958-018-0436-9

According to NUNM (2019), that is, the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, seed cycling is when you rotate seeds into the diet based on the phase of the menstrual cycle you are in. Apparently this has shown to support hormonal health anecdotally. They report this to be beneficial because of the content of essential fatty acids in the chosen seeds, which aid hormone production. In addition to this, the fibrous content of the seeds aids phase III detoxification of hormones. In the follicular phase, one would consume seeds such as flax or pumpkin daily to support oestrogen regulation. In the luteal phase, this switches to sunflower or sesame seeds to support progesterone. NUNM referenced the 1993 study by Phipps, et al. to support this article. Within the study the authors looked at flax seeds' (powdered) effect on the menstrual cycle. The lignans contained in flax seeds show weakly oestrogenic and antiestrogenic properties. The authors compared the second and third cycle of the women’s regular diet with the second and third cycles during flaxseed supplementation. None of the cycles during flaxseed supplementation were anovulatory, compared to 3 prior, and a slightly longer luteal phase. There were minimal hormonal changes; luteal phase progesterone/estradiol ratios were significantly higher, mid follicular testosterone concentrations were slightly higher during flax cycles (Phipps, Martini, Lampe, Slavin & Kurzer, 1993). Perhaps this theory is more grounded in the nutritional content of each of the seeds. Dietary zinc may reduce or prevent premenstrual cramping, which doesn’t make sense when it was suggested to be consumed pre-ovulation (Eby, 2007). Or the addition of these seeds boosting magnesium (150mg in 28g of pumpkin seeds) or iron intake (by 1-2mg/d) suggesting some effect (Parazzini, Di Martino & Pellegrino, 2017). This seems unlikely, it is such a small amount, even everyday. Maybe they meant to suggest the omega-3 fatty acid content? As this has shown benefit in treating dysmenorrhea also (Rahbar, Asgharzadeh & Ghorbani, 2012). There are no published studies so any evidence towards this is based on theory or suggestion. Healthline suggests flax seeds for their fibre, protein, magnesium, thiamine, manganese, and omega 3 content, but must be broken down or ground (Robertson, 2017; Osiecki, 2007). Chia seeds could easily be swapped here. Sesame seeds for their sesamin (lignand), however, contain a majority of the copper RDI. Pumpkin seeds for their phosphorus, magnesium and manganese, zinc and protein. And finally, sunflower seeds for their vitamin E, protein, magnesium and anti-inflammatory action (?) (Robertson, 2017; Osiecki, 2007). I see the benefit of the added nutrition, but I do not seed the reason for cycling. Why not just make a mix of the four and use it daily?