Northern Beaches Health and Fertility - Blog

Winter Warmers

19/6/2019

I sit here as the rain is lashing outside, I am rugged up and have a pair of sky socks on(!), the heating is cranking and I am eating a bowl of quinoa and chia porridge, I feel cosy.
Intuitively in the colder seasons we gravitate to warming practices and foods, and as our cold months are short in Sydney, I feel that we can actually celebrate the fact we can stay in a bit more, go to ground and eat more warming foods such as soups, slow cooks, porridges and the likes. However, I do find that in clinic when reviewing people’s diet diaries they still contain a lot of cold food such as smoothies, raw summer salads and fruits. So, I have got together with Alison and Hayley to provide you with some winter warming inspiration – with our top tips and favourite recipes.

By Karen Latter naturopath, herbalist, nutritionist

Are you maintaining your vitamin D levels this winter?

17/6/2019

By Alison Maunder, naturopath, herbalist, nutritionist

Winter has been a little late arriving this year. Despite this, with the sun lower in the sky, our vitamin D levels can fall by up to a massive 30% in winter. When our vitamin D levels drop, so can our general health and well-being. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the immune system protecting us from infections and ensuring resilience against autoimmune diseases and some cancers.

Creating healthy immunity over winter for your kids

14/6/2019

By Hayley Stockbridge, naturopath

It seems that as soon as the weather cools, the cold and flu season hits. Already this winter has seen an influx of colds, sore throats, ear infections, sinus infections and coughs. While researchers are yet to understand why we are more prone to ‘colds’ when the weather is cooler, we cannot deny winter brings with it more infections. Kids will average six to eight colds a year and adults between two and three. While it is normal for kids to get a few colds a year, these should only last a couple of days at a time with complete recovery within a week. A snotty nose or cough lingering for weeks at time can mean your child’s immune system needs some support.

Lunch Box Ideas

13/5/2019

As naturopaths we are very interested in the food that you put into your body, which is why we often ask you to recall what you have eaten in the last 24 hours and also keep a 3 or 7 day diet diary, it gives us a window into your eating habits, lifestyle and your relationship with food. We find, for lots of people, lunch is often the time where good nutrition goes downhill. Whether it is a hastily grabbed convenient one at work, reaching for easy fillers at home or packing a lunch box for your kids to only see it returned uneaten. So we’ve put our heads together to give you some of our favourite lunch time recipe ideas:-

Lessons on life and longevity from the world’s Blue Zones

11/5/2019

By Karen Latter, naturopath, herbalist & nutritionist

We each have a finite life span, something most of us think little of day to day. With this in mind it is easy to have an interest in longevity and extending this precious life. Of course, this is more than just about the length of life, but rather the quality of the life we lead and how we maintain our vitality as well as mental agility, physical strength and emotional health into our old age. The question is how best to do this? And where to look for answers?

Fourth trimester

29/4/2019

Most new mums will have heard about the ‘fourth trimester’ and will think of it as the time that their new baby is adjusting to life outside of the womb. Those first 3 months after your baby is born are equally a time of change and challenge for mums. Mothers need care and attention to enable health and recovery, in the same way that our babies are given time to adjust to life in the outside world. In our culture this time of caring for the mother’s health is often overlooked and we are expected to be back to our normal self within a few weeks of giving birth. However, mums need time to reach optimal health and recovery post birth and pregnancy so we can feel well and healthy to care for our bubs.

By Hayley Stockbridge, naturopath

Even naturopaths like chocolate

8/4/2019

We really enjoy the taste of chocolate. The cocoa in chocolate gives it the antioxidant benefits and it is rich in magnesium (double bonus), however most chocolate contains refined sugar so if it is a 70% cocoa then it is going to have 30% sugar!
Generally small amounts in moderation is a good rule of thumb, however for some trying to reduce sugar from their diet a dilemma exists on how to get the deliciousness of chocolate and the antioxidant benefits of cocoa without the added sugar. So to help in this we’ve dug deep into our recipe books to give you some chocolate yumminess this Easter

Immunity boosting in the cold & flu season

7/4/2019

By Jo Bateman, naturopath

I love the onset of cooler weather, cold, crisp, clear mornings are a welcome respite from the long Aussie summer. But as temperatures plummet and we dig out the slippers, blankets and woolly jumpers, we also need to brace ourselves for cold and flu season.
There’s a lot we can do to help protect ourselves from the viral onslaught.

The what, why and how of mindfulness

5/4/2019

By Karen Latter, naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist

I feel that this year with the bonus of a late Easter rolling into Anzac Day that there is genuine excitement from everyone, whether it is time to holiday, to be with friends and family, to rest or to simply slow down and take stock, Easter is certainly a welcome break. And as we slow, we allow room for mindfulness and an opportunity to lighten our cognitive load and gain the many health benefits.
WHAT the heck is mindfulness?

Sperm Health: What's diet got to do with it?

11/3/2019

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.