Naturopath, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Discover Health, Naturopathy, New Zealand

Welcome to the mid-year newsletter, yes, it is June already and the first official day of winter is here. The theme for this month’s newsletter is immunity, being that winter is unfortunately the time of the year that many of the cold and flu virus’ present. If you want to stay well through this time you need to be proactive with your healthcare and your foods. Read further on for some great tips from the team on keeping well during winter.

Just this last weekend, my sons sport (BMX Freestyle) hit the news, with his friend Jed Mildon breaking the world record doing a triple back flip in Taupo his home town. Now this may sound crazy, and I am not preaching that you all go out and attempt triple back flips, but it did start me thinking. Jed’s comment was “this has been something that I have been working on for a long time, I have had it in my sights, planned it, visualised it, dreamt it and now I have succeeded.’’ It was only through his passion for what he does, his belief, his vision and of all his commitment that has allowed him to become the first person in the world to achieve this. Now my question is how committed are you all to achieving great health, reaching your optimum genetic potential?

When you have a vision/goal, it is the things you do every day that make the difference, not just the things you do occasionally. With this in mind I would like to see that everyone is achieving great health, this means doing things that promote health every day, not just when we remember. Appointments made regularly help our clients to stay on track and maintain the motivation and commitment that they know gives outstanding results. All we ask is that when you make your appointment with us, schedule it wisely and commit to it. We have a reminder system to help you do that, each Thursday morning reminders for the following Monday and Tuesday will be emailed out. Each Monday morning reminders for the Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday of that week will be emailed out. Failure to inform us promptly that you need to reschedule, leaves us without enough time to fill those appointments.

Car parking at the new practice has proved at times to be difficult for some people, depending on the time of the day the appointment is. Please don’t forget there is ample parking in Erin Place, one block up from us and a short walk to the practice. There is a submission with Council, for the parking in Ngaire Ave to have restricted times, but this may take some months yet before it is approved. If you simply can’t find a park, call Georgie and she will direct you to a couple of spare parks that the landlords have allowed us access to in emergencies. Our new signs for our entrance door are being made presently and we are very excited about having these put up within the next week, so no more confusion about where we are.

One last event to inform you of is that from June onwards we will be attending and consulting at least once a month in Hamilton on a Monday. This will happen on the 3rd Monday of the month (first date - 20th June), working with our friends and colleagues at AITUZ Chiropractic, Hamilton. There will be a Food for Life Seminar held as well as full day of consulting for all of you Hamiltonians. We thank you Paul Aitu for allowing us to be part of your client’s health journey.

We all know the symptoms of the common cold: sneezing, sore throat, runny nose and fever. Although these symptoms are usually mild, colds and flu are the leading cause of doctor visits and missed days from school and work. The common cold strikes many people every year, especially during these cold winter months. Many people often dread the winter months, not because of the cold, windy, wet weather, but because they suffer terribly with the symptoms of the flu or common cold. Keeping your immune system healthy by eating a well balanced diet and taking natural supplements can assist your body’s natural immune function and get you through the winter months without suffering those terrible cold and flu symptoms.

Maintaining optimal nutrition is extremely important in maintaining health, wellbeing and a balanced immune system. In order to give your body a fighting chance against the common cold, follow these tips for a Healthy Immune System:

Inside your body there is an amazing system of immune cells and tissues whose sole purpose is to defend you against invasion by bacteria, viruses, allergens and parasites. Collectively, this is called your immune system. A healthy immune system is like having your own private army. When the soldiers in your army are working well, you hardly even notice that they are there. You feel healthy, you have low levels of inflammation, and you are resistant to infections. However, when the army becomes disorganised, confused or overworked, then you may start to notice signs that all is not right.

Your army is in constant contact with many kinds of potential invaders (e.g. bacteria, viruses, parasites, allergens). Each line of defence within your immune system has its own weapons and methods of attack to fight off these potential invaders. With winter on the way there are more potential invaders around and your immune system will be working overtime to protect you from the viruses that cause the common cold and the flu. To give your army the best possible chance at protecting you this winter, there are some simple things you can do.

Both the common cold and flu are caused by viruses and what many people may not realise is that antibiotics are not able to kill viruses; they are only able to help with bacterial infections. Fortunately there are herbs and nutrients that can help manage these viral infections.

o Andrographis paniculata is an Ayurvedic herb which has a long history of use for bacterial and viral infections. Clinical studies have shown it can reduce the severity and duration of the symptoms of colds and flu. Its anti inflammatory properties contribute to its symptom relieving properties.

o Picrorrhiza kurroa has been used traditionally in Indian and Chinese Medicine to help maintain a normal healthy immune system. It has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulating actions.

o Sambucus nigra (Elderberry) has traditionally been used for its anti-catarrhal and fever-reducing actions to help relieve the symptoms of colds. It is indicated in catarrhal inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, such as the common cold/flu, sinusitis and recurrent or acute coughs.

Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM is a strain of beneficial bacteria that naturally occurs in the human gastrointestinal tract and is important for healthy digestive and immune function.

Zinc may be the most important mineral for your immune system. Zinc deficiency may cause a weaker immune response, predisposing you to a more lengthy or severe cold, with increased risk to infections and allergies. Low zinc is also associated with poor growth, skin disorders, low fertility, and also low mood. In fact, optimal zinc levels have been found to inhibit the common cold virus.

Vitamin C is also important as it increases the activity of infection fighting white blood cells. Vitamin C may prevent the common cold as well as shorten the duration of the symptoms. Anyone with a highly processed diet is guaranteed to be vitamin C deficient. Your immune cells have the highest concentration of vitamin C of any cells in your body. Most animals make their own vitamin C in large amounts, but humans lack a specific enzyme, and so we are unable to make vitamin C. Therefore it is important to make sure you are including plenty of vitamin C rich foods into your diet and supplementing where necessary.

With children even more exposed to colds and flu's it is essential to keep their systems boosted to prevent them from continually being sick throughout the year. It is natural for them to catch 1-2 colds which will ultimately boost their antibodies and immune responses however, when your child is sick 3-4 x year their immunity is low and needs support. By following the guidelines for a healthy immune system above with healthy food choices and minimal sugar, good quality protein, fresh air, exercise and plenty of water it will help to keep them supported. For those kids more susceptible we have a great kids immune boosting powder to keep them topped up over winter ensuring their wellness and equalling less days off work for mum or dad!

You want to ensure you are staying active all year round to keep everything running smoothly in the body. By getting the heart rate up you are helping your cardio system by keeping your heart fit and getting a sweat up helps to rid the body of toxins and reduce water retention, which can make us look puffy and tired in the winter months.

Exercise has so many benefits and is essential for everybody, regardless of age. It doesn’t have to be a long outdoor run, it can be a short daily walk with your dog or a yoga/pilates class indoors. If you want to exercise at home, invest in some exercise DVDs, there are plenty of fun and energetic ones out there to keep you interested.

Your immune system is one the most complex systems on the planet. It is highly evolved and is able to cope with an amazing diversity of challenges. The problem is however, that the amount of stuff that your immune system has to deal with is increasing. Our world is not becoming cleaner, but is changing rapidly, with new chemicals and toxins introduced every day. The fact that allergies and many immune disorders are increasing is hardly surprising. Make sure to eat well and keep your lifestyle balanced to keep your immune system supported naturally.

Although lemons and limes may not be what you would choose for an afternoon snack, they are perfect for bringing out the flavour of other foods. These yellow/green balls of goodness are packed with so many nutrients that are crucial to our health, especially at this time of year. They are one of the highest forms of vitamin C, an extremely important water soluble antioxidant, which will help to keep your immune system strong at this time of year. Including lemon into your everyday routine in the form of a hot lemon/ginger drink will bring great benefits.

The combination of lemon flavoured fish with the sweet peas in this recipe is a great way to enjoy lemons in a savoury dish. The peas are a not only a great alternative to rice but add extra health-promoting nutrients and flavour as well. Enjoy alongside a salad!

5. While fish is baking, heat 1 TBS broth in a 10 inch stainless steel skillet. Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. Add 3 TBS broth, peas, sunflower seeds, salt and pepper, and heat for about 3 minutes.

The annual Metagenics International Congress is upon us again, where Jen and I will be heading over to Melbourne for 3 intensive days of the latest research, findings, treatment protocols and new products being developed. This years theme is Fertility, pre conception, pregnancy and child care. A very important topic and one that Jen and I specialise in so we are very excited to learn more about it and all the latest research coming out on it. Stay tuned for more news on this as we will have information overload coming out our ears we will love to share with you! Due to this trip there will be a few days where we are out of the practice. We will do our best to accomodate you outside of these hours.

Nearly two months in, and we are feeling much more settled in our new premises. If you haven't been in yet we encourage you to do so to get the most out of the winter so you aren't left in Spring time wishing you hadn't hibernated quite as much!

The new addition to our website is our new blog. There will be regular updates on either tidbits of information, articles, opinions, stories, recipes etc on this so do check it out.

We are expanding our services to the Hamilton area, and having a day each month at least consulting at Aituz Chiropractic practice. We are very excited to be part of his health education for his clients.

For those who are short on time, we are offering Skype appointments with Jen or Tarryn which may make it easier for you if you are either stuck at work or home with the kids. Unfortunately the downside of this is that you won't be able to get your body test reading done, so for weight loss clients this wouldn't be adviseable more than once per month, but a check up with some motivation and inspiring advise is better than plodding along without the accountability you may need to keep your health moving towards optimal. Enquire with Georgie today if this is of interest to you.