Programs

"The greatest wealth is health."
~ Virgil, 28 BC

The following programs are available to help you with specific treatment and health goals:
 
o   Immune Optimisation
o   Preconception Preparation
o   Fertility Enhancement
o   Digestive Health Reboot
o   Easy Detox
o   Healthy Kids
o   Stress Support
o   Food as Medicine
o   Pantry Overhaul

Babies/Children/Teenagers

"There are only two things a child will share willingly - communicable diseases and his mother's age."
~ Dr Benjamin Spock, Dr. Spock's
Baby and Child Care, 1945

Naturopathic medicine is especially effective in babies, children and teenagers. The goal is to restore healthy function and correct imbalances to enhance growth and development.

Just like adults, children are exposed to physical, chemical and emotional stresses that can impact their health. These stresses may manifest as developmental, immune, behavioural, emotional, dietary and physical health challenges.

In particular, understanding the myriad of behavioural conditions that exist today can be overwhelming and confusing. Also, working out the best and most effective treatment is often time consuming and expensive. Collaborating with other specialised practitioners in the clinic, children are provided with effective, gentle and yummy treatment strategies. Prescriptions are adapted according to the child's age or weight and yes, we understand that compliance is an issue with kids!

Naturopathy can support children reach their full potential by helping with:

o    Digestive System: Colic, poor appetite, food intolerances, weight issues, abdominal pain, excessive burping and wind, IBS, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, reflux
o    Nervous System: Sleep problems, bed wetting, irritability, learning and attention difficulties
o    Immune System: Frequent colds and flus, tonsillitis, chronic sinus and ear infections, allergies, eczema
o    Musculoskeletal System: Teething pain, low energy and fatigue

Hormones /Fertility/Preconception/Pregnancy

"Women deserve to have more than twelve years between the ages of twenty-eight and forty."
~James Thurber, Time, 1960 

Hormones, hormones, hormones. From PMS to pregnancy, from menstruation to menopause, fluctuations in a female’s hormones can affect mood, weight, libido, food cravings and the list goes on... For many women, it's an easy journey, but for others, it’s challenging to say the least. But even small changes can make a huge difference.

Preconception preparation for both females and males is best started six months before any conception attempts. The rationale behind this time-frame is to allow safe detoxification and implementation of dietary changes, all before producing the best ova and sperm possible. Sperm can take between 76-116 days to form and the ova up to 100 days, knowing this allows time to positively influence conception, pregnancy and baby’s health.
 
By understanding and knowing her body a woman can identify when she is fertile within her cycle. Fertility signs can be used to avoid conception or to enhance conception naturally. It has been found that women who chart their cycles and are aware of their fertile signs, generally conceive up to 50% faster than women who don't.

Having a baby can be an amazing and rewarding experience. It can also be a challenge with hormonal, physical and emotional changes occurring through each stage of pregnancy. Naturopathy can help support a pregnancy by ensuring a safe diet and proper nutrition. It can also help manage concerns such as headaches, morning sickness, colds/flus, allergies, and even stretch marks.
 
Assistance with breastfeeding may involve a combination of dietary, herbal or nutritional recommendations which can help support lactation and prevent mastitis.
 
Make your hormones work for you, not against you!

Digestion/Microbiome/Food

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."
~Thomas A. Edison,1928

Naturopathic medicine excels in the area of digestive health, successfully treating many conditions with specific dietary and lifestyle recommendations as well as nutritional supplementation and herbal medicines. Food as medicine is a core principle of naturopathic medicine but what does this mean? Our society has never been so confused as to what to eat!

Should we eat butter? Is coffee good or bad for us?  Why is gluten suddenly a problem? Are organic vegetables any different to conventional vegetables? I eat salmon, do I still need to take fish oil capsules? What’s does eating Paleo mean? Can children drink soy milk? What’s all the fuss about vitamin D?

Are we what we eat?

Microbiologists have known for some time that different diets produce a balance of different gut microbes. Many types of microbes, including bacteria, inside the gut can change within three or four days of significant dietary modifications. The human body contains over 10 times more microbial cells than human cells, they make up the microbiome which has been described as an ecological community of micro-organisms that share our body space! Although the gut microbiome only weighs about 200 grams, it is thought to play a role in auto-immune diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, neurotransmitter imbalances and obesity.  Its vital role in our health and wellbeing continues to shock and surprise.
Beneficial microbes, especially from naturally fermented foods appear to be one of the best sources of favorable micro-organisms. Fermented foods include: yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchee, and pickled vegetables. Prebiotics are the foods and nutrients that feed the beneficial microbes in your microbiome. Prebiotics are rich in inulin, arabinogalactans and fibre. Prebiotic foods include asparagus, carrots, garlic, leeks, okra, onion, radishes, and tomatoes, as well as turmeric and cinnamon.

This year, the Mayo Clinic suggested how doctors might incorporate research on the microbiome into their clinical practice, proclaiming, ‘understanding the basic concepts about the interactions between humans and their microbiome will be as important to clinicians as understanding concepts of genetics or germ theory.’ Amazing!

Immunity/Stress/Allergies

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."
~ Pooh's Little Instruction Book, inspired by A.A. Milne, 1925

A healthy immune system is definitely the best defence against infection and numerous other debilitating conditions.
The immune system can be weakened by;
o   Stress
o   An inflammatory diet - high in sugar and alcohol
o   Inadequate sleep and relaxation
o   Mental illness such as depression
o   Too little or too much exercise, moderate exercise improves immunity
o   Nutritional deficiencies, particularly fish oil,  zinc and vitamin C

Correcting dietary and lifestyle factors that deplete immunity, often gives rapid results. Many herbal medicines, vitamins and minerals and medicinal mushrooms also help support the immune system.  Maintaining a strong immune system is important at all times of the year but especially throughout the winter months.  
Naturopathic medicine may also help correct the underlying immune dysfunction often found with allergies, as well as reducing the severity of symptoms. For example, fish oils (omega 3 fatty acids) reduce inflammation associated with allergies and asthma whilst probiotics (beneficial bacteria) stabilise the immune response through the gastrointestinal system.