A recent article written by a journalist on the supposed ‘cause’ of autoimmune disease, left me shaking my head – aghast and appalled at the blanket approach the author claims is the reason why millions of women suffer from autoimmune disease – apparently all AI sufferers ‘loath themselves’…? If there is one thing I have learn’t in my 14 years in clinical practice as a Nutritionist specializing in treating chronic illness – in particular AI disease, it’s that no single case is the same, just as there is no single cause of AI disease. My approach to treating any and
If you’ve been following my blog, you may recall in my previous thyroid post that when it comes to pathology testing, you only find what you look for and this certainly applies to sufferers of thyroid disorders. Over 40% of women suffer from an underactive thyroid, yet the majority of them are going undiagnosed or being told by their Dr they have ‘normal’ thyroid pathology results, despite presenting with classic underactive thyroid symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, depression and brain fog. Worse still, even the cases that are being diagnosed, are either receiving inadequate diagnosis and or treatment. This was
It’s estimated 12-18% of Australian women suffer Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) making it the most common endocrine disorder experienced in reproductive aged women. The question is why are so many women falling victim to this often debilitating and increasing epidemic? PCOS is caused by a combination of hormonal and metabolic imbalances, resulting in irregularities in ovarian function. Factors such as excess sugar and starchy carbohydrate intake, obesity, genetic predisposition, inactivity, smoking, medications such as steroids and excess oestrogen production, or exposure to xeno oestrogens, are all factors that can induce insulin resistance and PCOS. Prolonged periods of chronic stress can also contribute to
Thyroid health is something I deal with everyday, not just professionally as a Nutritionist but because I work hard to keep my own thyroid happy, since being diagnosed 11 years ago with Hashimoto’s, along with a pituitary adenoma – code for a benign tumor on the master hormone gland. Every cell in the body has receptor sites for thyroid hormone, which is why thyroid hormones influence the function of every cell in your body! Their primary responsibility is to regulate your metabolic rate, which affects every system of the body. So in a nutshell – an unhappy thyroid can wreak havoc
I get asked by so many women “Why am I struggling to lose my post baby weight?’, especially after the second or third baby and the reasons are simple, yet complex. I say ‘simple’ in that they can be easy to identify if you are experienced in understanding the workings of the body’s endocrine and metabolic system and know what to look for, yet ‘complex’ in that the reasons can be due to a combination of factors and can take time to resolve. Losing your post baby weight is not always a case of eating less and exercising more,
I receive many emails from readers asking me what I think about the Paleo diet, and the short answer is ‘I concur’ on the majority of their principles anyway – especially considering they are largely aligned with those in my eating program Eat Yourself Healthy . In fact I wrote this program over 11 yrs ago – long before I had even heard the word ‘Paleo’. The main point of difference my program offers, is about how to heal your gut, so you can actually reap the nutritional benefits of your food. I also do not believe the Paleo diet should be
If you’re like me, winter sends a chill right to your core, making it my least favourite season which most definitely has something to do with having an underactive thyroid, and even though mine is largely under control now, it hasn’t changed the fact that I am the worlds greatest cold frog! But although winter’s not on our doorstep quite yet, the recent cold snap across most of Australia, has certainly provided a taste for what’s to come! Winters also a time when many of our healthy eating habits adopted over summer,like eating lighter foods such as salads, smoothies
Like it or not, we are living in an era where our lives are playing out through the virtual world of social media. New statistics report we are now ‘checking in’ to platforms like Face Book and Instagram as often as every 6 minutes! A statistic that sends shivers up my spine for many reasons. The constant need to check in on the lives of others – most of whom we would never speak to, let alone actually see in person – is giving way to a new level of anxiety and depression, whilst moving us further and further from
I was chatting on the phone to a friend the other night, having one of those conversations that close friends do – sharing stories, listening and supporting one another through whatever it is we were going through, when something he said disturbed, or should I say triggered an emotion in me. The conversation had turned towards a mutual friend and the emotional challenges they had been going through recently. My friend commented that “making change is hard”, as the reason why our friend had been struggling to overcome his ‘demons’ so to speak and shift the direction of his
Imbalances in our sex hormones – oestrogen and progesterone can wreak havoc on our health, causing everything from PMS – premenstrual syndrome, hormonal acne, fatigue, weight gain, fibroids and conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome – just to name a few. Like most things in life, the key to healthy hormones, lies in getting the balance right. The role of oestrogen in our health Our body needs oestrogen, but only in it’s natural form. In females, oestrogen plays an important role in the regulation of menstruation, maintaining pregnancy, as well the clotting potential of the blood, bone strength, blood
