By Karen Latter, naturopath

Let’s take two men: John and Matt. Both are looking to conceive with their partners in the next three months. They are chatting about whether they need to do anything to prepare. Their partners have started taking a preconception multivitamin and eating healthier, but would eating better and living a healthier lifestyle make a difference to their sperm health?
Read more to find out.
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​Thyroid diseases are more common than you may think. It is estimated over 14% of Australian adults have a thyroid disorder and a further 4% remain undiagnosed. Women are ten times more likely to have a thyroid disorder than men. Many of those affected do not have any family history of thyroid disease. So, what is going on? What is the cause of this growing malady?
According to researchers, a major contributor to thyroid disease are environmental toxins. This guide outlines the specific environmental toxins that are most crucial to minimize in order to protect your thyroid against damage. Toxins are pervasive in modern society, however, by following these simple steps, you can do much to protect thyroid health.

By Alison Maunder, naturopath

By Jo Bateman, naturopath

In the modern gender-balanced world women are flying high. It’s emancipating.
We have a voice, we are in business, in the boardroom, in government, in sport, in media. Women are fundamental to making communities thrive. The changes in how women live their lives are unprecedented. But at what cost to our health? 
 If we consider energy as a marker of health – how is your energy report card faring today?
How often can you honestly say you feel refreshed waking up in the morning?
Do you find yourself asking… if only I had the energy?  

Join me in a weekly 1-2 hr lunch-box prep pledge and try some of these yummy and simple recipes to get you started!
I am a stickler for healthy school snacks and lunches, yet the morning lunch-box panic-on often has me reaching for “packets”.  Judging by the school lunch boxes pictured in a recent survey of two Melbourne schools, it seems most Aussie parents are falling short of providing nutritious school lunches for their kids. Whether from wealthy or lower income families, it’s clear the conundrum of delivering on the healthy school lunch is ubiquitous and that junk food is winning.  We cannot let that happen. 

By Jo Bateman, naturopath

By Alison Maunder ​naturopath, herbalist, nutritionist

​Valentine's Day is a very old tradition. Some believe it originated from a pagan festival called Lupercalia held at the start of spring. In a sacred cave, priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. Following the feast, the goat’s hide was made into strips, dipped into the sacrificial blood and taken to the streets to anoint the women. Those touched by the hide were believed to become more fertile in the coming year.
Thankfully, the tradition has changed over hundreds of years! Valentine’s Day is now a time to celebrate our loved ones and a wonderful reminder to support your fertility. At Northern Beaches Health & Fertility, we see many opportunities to boost your chances of conceiving a healthy child. Here are my 10 recommendations to get you started:-

By Karen Latter, naturopath, herbalist, nutritionist

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. On average, 1 in 4 people – 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men – will experience anxiety.1
 
There are things you can do to help lessen and manage your anxiety. Here are some of our top recommendations that can help you feel better.

​If you have Australian private health extras cover you might already know about the federal government changes to health insurance. The change means that for naturopathy, western herbalism and another 14 natural therapies (alexander technique, aromatherapy, bowen therapy, Buteyko, feldenkrais, homeopathy, iridology, shiatsu, reflexology, kinesiology, pilates, relexology, rolfing, tai chi and yoga) you will no longer be able to make a claim through HICAPs or directly with your health fund. This change will be made on the 1st April.
 
So why the change?

Want to feel better in 2019? Let us help you.
 
Northern beaches health & fertility and the 5 practitioners who practice from the clinic have been working as naturopaths for a collective 40 + years.

​As holistic practitioners we're well equipped to support you on all levels of health. By nurturing your mental, physical and emotional needs we will guide you on your quest to reach your 2019 health care objectives!

By Jo Bateman, naturopath

​Turns out January may well be the best time to lose weight… Don’t miss your chance
Here’s the science of why.
 
Fifty-two percent of weight gained throughout the year occurs during the festive holiday period. But if we act now before our body gets accustomed to its new more rotund self we stand a chance of shedding the excess more easily now than if we wait until later.
 
Losing weight is so darn hard at the best of times. That’s because unbeknownst to many of us our body weight is under unconscious homeostatic control.  Just like our blood pressure, core body temperature and the acidity (pH) of our blood – our body weight is working to keep itself stable within tightly controlled parameters. This is known as the body weight set-point

By LIsa Whealy, ​naturopath

9 RULES FOR BETTER SLEEP

Sleep is the elixir of life. Inadequate sleep is a major stressor on the body and has been implicated in obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, impaired cognitive function, reduced testosterone in men and numerous other health complaints.
 
Do you have trouble sleeping? Make sleep a priority by following these nine tips that will help you fall asleep and stay asleep.