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Winter Greetings, As I look around my community there is so much sickness, both in those people that I would normally consider to be very healthy and whom look after themselves with sound nutrition, with sufficient exercise and correct levels of rest. Why then I ask is this happening. Flu vaccinations, stronger virus replication, poorer levels of quality nutrients in our food, increased stress levels, more work and less play, reduced sun hours??? Well, most definitely all of those are linked in some way, to our ability to resist and recover from the dreaded winter viruses.
When you are sick who do you call? We would like to think that it’s your Naturopath or Medical Herbalist. Natural medicines are some the most effective ways to enhance your immunity rather than robbing your body of its natural immune response as a result of antibiotics or flu vaccinations. We have put together an immune pack that is proving to be both supportive during episodes of sickness but also preventative to reduce likeliness of contraction when exposed to the nasty winter viruses.  We have seen many viruses this winter that just seem to be going round and round the community, some people ending up sick 2 - 3 times alone just this winter. So if this sounds like you – the immune pack may be just what your Naturopath would recommend. If in doubt come in for a consult to restore your inner health and improve your vitality as spring & summer are fast approaching and these are seasons to be enjoyed. Don’t forget you can order your products over the phone for those of you who are too unwell to get in for an appointment, in the first instance. I am excited to announce that we have another addition to Discover Health team, Madeleine Bassett, Massage Practitioner and student Osteopath. With many years in the massage field, Madeleine brings to us an abundance of expertise particularly in the Sports and Deep Tissue work. Madeleine will be available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the evening. Consider a beautiful warming sauna to complete the experience; I assure you it is well worth the effort. On the note of Massage, our winner for the Business Card draw for July is Patricia Williamson, we are sure that you will enjoy this complimentary service. Remember everyone to bring your cards in and drop one in the jar each time you are here, if you don’t have a business card, then write on a piece of paper and do the same. I am sure that everyone is looking forward to spring; being only around the corner, I know I am sure appreciating the mornings getting lighter, and the ever so slightly longer day. We would love to see you all in the practice for a health WOF, and reminders will be sent out now for those who have not been in for 6 months, so watch your emails for these. If you purely need a reminder about your food, then think about our Food for Life seminar, held on the first Wednesday of every month in the practice reception area. For now keep well, warm, dry, and inspired about your health. Look forward to seeing you all in the practice soon. Yours in health and vitality Jen
Keeping immunity strong As many of you would have come across this winter, the virus’s that are around are more and more resistant, and much harder on our systems. The severity of symptoms is higher, there is a broader range of symptoms, the length of down time is longer, and the recovery is also slower. Many different factors affect how our immune system is influenced, and it is essential to not only improve lifestyle factors, but take the necessary steps to protect yourself from getting hit hard from these virus’s.  With our busy lifestyles comes the all too familiar stress. Whether this is stress from work, financial stress, personal or family stress this all has an impact on how our immune system functions. There is a fine balance between how our body copes in certain conditions, and typically when we are running in high stress mode, our immune system is then lowered as a result. This not only leaves us more susceptible to catching something from others surrounding us, but particularly with a higher stress response the recovery time tends to linger a lot longer, and the resilience levels towards the virus are dramatically lowered. Although we sometimes can’t eradicate the stress in our life, we need to look at how we manage our stress through regular exercise, breathing/relaxation techniques or meditation, great nourishing nutrition and sometimes supplements to support our adrenals. Speak to your practitioner more about this if you need some more advice on stress.  With winter typically being a time that we contract more viruses, there are many different reasons for this, one being lower Vitamin D as discussed in last month’s newsletter, but also more comfort food and less exercise. Bugs thrive off sugar in our system, and sugar can come in the form of sweet treats, starchy foods, alcohol etc, therefore, the more sugar we consume to “comfort” ourselves through winter, the more susceptible we are to contracting a cold or flu. One of the major reasons for this is that Insulin competes with Vitamin C for membrane transport sites, and typically Insulin wins the fight. Vitamin C and blood sugar have opposite effects on white blood cell function with sugar reducing the ability of white blood cells to destroy foreign particles and micro organisms. We all know the importance of Vitamin C in enhancing our immune system, so this is not ideal. If taking Vitamin C supplements, ensure that these aren’t sweetened with sucrose or fructose as this will have the same effect. Zinc also has many roles in immune system reactions by promoting the destruction of foreign microorganisms, protecting against free radical damage, improving white blood cell function and improving thymus function.  Another important nutrient to consider is iron. A deficiency in Iron can lead to a decrease in Anti body synthesis, shrinking of the thymus and lymph node, a decreased white blood cell response and function and it is particularly evident when there is reoccurring illness and lack of recovery. Iron is also essential for bacteria to thrive as during infection one of the body’s defence mechanisms to limit bacterial growth is to reduce iron levels in the blood. During acute infection Iron is contraindicated, but for prevention it is essential. By getting it through dietary sources through meat it will also ensure you are getting adequate protein which is essential to boost white blood cells and immune health. Alongside nutrients are herbal medicines which have many properties to them to assist with other functions as well as immune health. Ask your naturopath to make a specific blend for you as it may help improve many facets of your health.  Make sure you keep your hydration up with at least 2 L water, and include vegetable broths, herbal teas and lemon in water to assist your system in flushing out wastes and reducing congestion. If you have congested sinuses, we have a great nasal spray suitable for all the family which is very effective in clearing blocked noses, and inhalations with eucalyptus and sage are also very effective. Most of all, rest is essential! If you find you come down with a cold/flu, make sure to rest up as much as you can, get plenty of sleep, keep exercise to a minimum, eat nourishing light food, and relish in the attention and affection from loved ones around you.
Recipe of the Month: Asian Beef & Vegetable Casserole Preparation Time 20 minutes Cooking Time 110 minutes  Ingredients (serves 6) • 2 tbs rice flour • 1.5kg beef casserole steak (such as chuck steak or gravy beef), cut into 4cm pieces • 2 tbs olive oil • 1 brown onion, halved, thinly sliced • 3 carrots, peeled, cut into 2cm-thick slices • 4 whole star anise • 4cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced • 2 stems lemon grass, pale section only, halved • 500ml (2 cups) beef stock • 125ml (1/2 cup) brandy • 90g (1/3 cup) tomato paste • 300g green beans, topped • Fresh coriander leaves, to serve
Method 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the flour on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss to coat. Shake off any excess. 2. Heat half the oil in a 4L (16-cup) capacity flameproof, ovenproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add half the beef and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until brown. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and beef, reheating the dish between batches. 3. Add the onion and carrot to the pan and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the star anise, ginger and lemon grass, and stir to combine. 4. Add the beef, stock, brandy and tomato paste to the dish. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the beef is tender. 5. Meanwhile, cook the beans in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Drain. 6. Add the beans to the beef mixture and stir to combine. 7. Top the beef mixture with coriander.
Super food of the month: Green beans  Green beans are packed full of nutrients, with hardly any calories to them. Full of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Manganese, Vitamin A, Iron plus plenty more. Due to the levels of Vitamin C and A, along with Iron, this makes green beans ideal to keep in your fridge for regular meals, assisting with the body’s immune system and also providing oxidant protection, helping to eliminate cellular damage from toxicity and inflammatory components.
Special of the Month: Immune pack – Keep your family’s immune system up this season with this power packed immune package, designed for preventative as well as acute care. Free sauna with massage – Take advantage of this special offer this winter, to rest and revive your muscles, and then enjoying an Infrared Sauna to stimulate metabolism, detoxification as well as Immunity. Sniffle ease tea – Manage your immune system with some sniffle ease tea. It is decongesting, warming and soothing.
News at Discover:
24th August & 7th September Dr Louisa Walker will present a mindfulness seminar introducing you to the importance of meditation, connectedness and overall relaxation. These seminars are an introduction to a 6 week course on Meditation which will start on 12th October. Welcome to Madeline Bassett our new Massage therapist, with years of experience and in the throes of studying towards Osteopathy also. Madeline has a fantastic approach to the body with great techniques for sports recovery, deep tissue, remedial and therapeutic massage. We also welcome Grant Bottomley, Acupuncturist. Grant has many years of experience in pain management, reproductive care, digestive care, as well as balancing physical and emotional stress.  Reshapers Club : Off to a great start, with the first few months of our Reshapers Club. It's great to see our past participants on board to continue on their journey in achieving their goals whether it be maintaining health or working down some more weight. Congratulations to those who have joined, and we look forward to seeing more of you to join. Last month's adventure session was Rockclimbing which certainly pushed us past our comfort zones, but showed us that there are more fun ways to getting exercise, particularly in this winter weather.
New Biological pH (RBTI) testing: Looking for some more in depth knowledge on how your internal systems are functioning? This testing service is great to give us more information on your health and to give us more tools in ensuring you are getting the best possible care.
Infrared Sauna : With the weather getting cooler, it is the perfect time to come and experience our Infrared sauna. The health benefits for an Infrared sauna are outstanding, not to mention the warmth alone on these cold days! Why not take advantage of our special and enjoy a free sauna with an hour massage booked.
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