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Tips on how to reduce acid reflux

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Naturopath Mt Gravatt

Acid reflux is a common condition among many people. Personally, I have seen and treated quite a few of them.

So what is acid reflux?

Here is the quick explanation. Acid reflux is a burning pain or sensation in the lower chest area, also known as heartburn. The stomach contains hydrochloric acid, which is a strong acid that helps break down food and protect against pathogens such as bacteria. The lining of the stomach to protect it from the powerful acid, but the oesophagus is not protected. The gastroesophageal sphincter, which is a ring of muscle, normally acts as a valve that lets food into the stomach but not back up into the oesophagus. When this valve fails or doesn’t work properly, and stomach contents are backed up into the oesophagus, the symptoms of acid reflux are felt, such as heartburn.

Here is the list of foods to avoid with acid reflux:

  • Fatty or fried foods.
  • Peppermint and spearmint.
  • Dairy products.
  • Processed foods.
  • Sugar.
  • Citrus fruits and juices (grapefruit, orange, tomato).
  • Onion especially raw.
  • Coffee (regular and decaffeinated).
  • Caffeinated soft drinks.
  • Black tea.
  • Other caffeinated beverages.
  • Some medication such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

Tips on how to reduce symptoms of reflux include:

  • Do not lie down immediately after eating.
  • Avoid tight clothing and bending over after eating.
  • Elevate the head of the bed to prevent reflux when sleeping.
  • As much as possible avoid stress and anger.
  • Lose weight if overweight. Obesity leads to increased reflux.
  • Include protein sources such as tuna, salmon, chicken, cashews, almonds, and lentils.
  • Include fruits, vegetables in your diet.
  • Eat smaller meals more often. Chew your food well. Eat slowly. Don’t drink any liquids while eating.

Here is the list of herbs that might help with acid reflux:

Slippery Elm: Slippery elm is a soothing herb which is high in mucilage, soothes irritated mucous membranes of the digestive tract.

Marshmallow root forms a protective barrier between the stomach acid and the oesophagus. Its anti-inflammatory properties provide quick relief.

Chamomile. A cup of chamomile tea may have a soothing effect on the digestive tract.

Ginger. The root of the ginger plant is another well-known herbal digestive aid. It has been used for centuries as a folk remedy for heartburn.

Liquorice has proved effective in several studies. Liquorice is said to increase the mucous coating of the oesophagal lining, helping it resist the irritating effects of stomach acid.

-If you suffer from acid reflux and need help, give me a shout I’m happy to help you out.-

 

 

 

How to improve sleep?

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Naturopath Mt Gravatt

Lately I have seen quite a few clients with sleeping problems, it’s either they can’t fall asleep or can’t stay asleep.

Some of them are so used to waking up at night that they think it’s normal to get up at night - just to use the bathroom!

A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health and wellbeing. In fact, it’s just as important as eating healthy and exercising.

Regular, good quality sleep is important for brain functioning, emotional wellbeing, physical health, daytime performance and personal safety.

Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and premature ageing.

Here’s a few keys to getting a good night’s sleep:

*Stay away of the electronic devices

While others roll in bed toss and turn and then get their phones/iPads/computers even turn tv on or have something to eat to make them sleepy. But it works completely opposite.
Having food late at night or in bed puts so much pressure on our digestive system. Which means it must work harder to digest the food and in turn keeps us awake for longer.

Electronic devices are stimulating on our brain. Too much light from screens at bedtime affect the melatonin production giving the body the impression you aren't ready for sleep.
There are other things that can impact our sleep.

*Reduce stress levels

Stress is the most common one. Could be anything from having a demanding job too many deadlines, studying, (assignments, exams) busy lifestyle. Also, there are many school children that I have seen having sleeping issues and not established sleeping patterns.
Things that we need to do when we are going under a lot of stress is to learn how to relax. A lot of us find relaxation is difficult in times when our mind is so busy.

Try meditation. Many people find meditation is quite useful, especially regular meditation helps us to relax and handle stress a lot better.

Practice deep breathing. Deep breathing is stomach breathing. Generally when we are stressed we tend to shallow breath. Breathing exercises are a great way to relax body and mind, reduce tension, and relieve stress. This is because when you breathe deeply, messages gets send to your brain to calm you down and make more relaxed.

*Avoid caffeine, alcohol, or any other stimulants before bed

Research’s found that coffee or caffeinated drinks can disturb circadian rhythms which are the 24-hour cycle of biological processes that regulate our sleeping and waking. Also, drinking coffee 3 hours before bed time you can experience a roughly 40-minute delay in your circadian patterns.

*Include physical activity in your daily routine

Regular physical activity can improve better sleep. However, avoid physical activity too close to bedtime, spending time outdoors every day might be helpful too.

*Limit daytime naps
Long daytime naps can interfere with night time sleep. If you choose to nap, limit yourself to up to no more than 30 minutes and avoid doing so late in the day.

A good night's sleep is incredibly important for your health and wellbeing.
In fact, it's just as important as eating healthy and exercising.
Regular, good quality sleep is important for brain functioning, emotional well being, physical health, daytime performance and personal safety.
Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and premature ageing.

So if you have troubles falling asleep or staying asleep I am more than happy to help contact Pure Naturopathy now or send an email to purenaturopathy@gmail.com

~Take care of your health ~

How to Reduce Stress

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Naturopath Mt Gravatt

We all have stress and it is a normal part of life. Eg. Change is stressful whether the change is good or bad. Also, worry produces stress. It can result from things both physical and psychological. Stress in small doses is not so bad it can help us perform better.

However, long term stress/ chronic stress and increased levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, can lead to increased vulnerability to illnesses, such as depression, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc.

Causes of stress:

  • Relationship problems
  • Personal or family illness or issues
  • Bullying or harassment
  • Work or study pressures
  • Traumatic events
  • Financial problems
  • Concerns about life direction
  • Job loss/insecurity
  • Pressures from competing demands or a combination of the above

Sometimes there are less obvious causes of stress such as: noise, pain, change of weather temperature, lack of sleep and physical illness.

However some people handle stress very well and it has a little impact on their emotional or physical health. While others are negatively influenced by it.

Identifying the cause of stress in your life is very important and it is the first step in managing stress.

The symptoms of stress can vary between each person. The most common symptoms are:

  • Luck of sleep/tiredness
  • Muscle tension
  • Irritability
  • Fatigue, chronic headaches
  • Anxiety/Depression
  • Lack of motivation
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Change in eating habits
  • Increased use of alcohol or other drugs

Evidence shows that stress can trigger reactions to allergens and make allergic symptoms more severe. Also stress can aggravate certain skin conditions such as psoriasis. It aggravates by damaging immune cells in the skin.

There are some ways to reduce stress:

  • Do the things you enjoy and make you happy.
  • Include raw foods in your diet.
  • Avoid processed foods, artificial sweeteners and sugar.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Try meditation.
  • Remember to relax.
  • Talk to someone.
  • Manage your time.
  • Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, and Nicotine.
  • Keep a Stress Diary.

Take the next step and take care of your health with Pure Naturopathy.

Love

Bozana xx

Naturopath Mount Gravatt

Why Gut Health Is so Important

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Naturopath Mount Gravatt

Healing your gut allows the body to build a stronger immune system and produce the right kind of good bacteria. Healthy digestion is important for breaking down food into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth, cell repair and also to help fight invading microbes like the ones you get with food poison.

The health of your gastrointestinal system is extremely important to your overall health and well-being. If you have any of the symptoms below that would indicate unhealthy gut:

  • Digestive issues such as bloating, gas or diarrhoea.
  • Sugar cravings.
  • Food allergies or sensitivities.
  • Moodiness, anxiety and depression.
  • Skin problems such as eczema.
  • Diabetes.
  • Autoimmune disease and suppressed immunity.

This sounds like everything is caused by gut imbalance, and it is hard to get your head around the fact that most of it is!

"All disease begins in the gut."

-Hippocrates

Bacterial overgrowth in the small bowel, which interferes with the normal functions of the good bacteria, can cause malabsorption (poor absorption) of important nutrients. The balance can be disrupted for many reasons such as stress, diet and alcohol. It can also occur with antibiotic use. Antibiotics target the desired bad bacteria but in the process wipe out our beneficial bacteria at the same time which can result in an overgrowth of infectious like candida.

The gut is one of the core disease-fighting systems of the human body. All foods we eat are in communication with immune receptors in the digestive tract, triggering hormones and various cell types that help the body with its immune function.

Here are just a few tips on how to improve your gut health:

  • Reduce and manage stress. Make time for yourself, keep a positive attitude, and accept the things that you cannot control.
  • Eat well. Include fermented foods eg. Kefier, sauerkraut and kombucha. These are foods that can help you with good beneficial bacteria levels
  • Stay active and maintain a healthy body weight such as walking, running and swimming

Bozana here at Pure Naturopathy can help you to improve your gut and improve your overall health.

The Importance of Vitamin D

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Naturopath Mt Gravatt

Our body makes Vitamin D by itself but only after sufficient sun exposure. This is a problem for many people. Even living here in a sunny country, there are still many of us vitamin D deficient. The main reason for that is because we don’t expose ourselves to sunlight much at all. We all use 3 S’S which are slip, slop, slap, using sunscreen, spending more time indoors, having darker skin (the darker the skin the higher the levels of melanin, and the less vitamin D the skin can absorb.)

Vitamin D has many important functions in our body. If our body doesn’t get enough vitamin D, we’re at risk of developing bone abnormalities such as soft bones in children (rickets) soft bones in adults (osteomalacia) or fragile bones (osteoporosis).

Getting a sufficient amount of vitamin D is crucial for:

  • Prevents bone fractures vitamin D helps our body to absorb calcium.
  • Reduces the risk of cancer, especially colon cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer
  • Protects against heart disease, including high blood pressure and heart failure. It increases levels of nitric oxide (NO) in our bodies - linked to a dilation of blood vessels, less risk of strokes and heart attacks.
  • Improves your mood- and it increases serotonin levels. Serotonin is the 'feel good' hormone. It assists with depression and encourages melatonin production which helps us to have a deeper sleep.
  • Vitamin D has also been shown to reduce gut inflammation and gut bacterial composition is known to play a role in asthma as well. Vitamin D, acts like a hormone, and it has anti-inflammatory properties which help with reducing inflammation in the airways.

Here is a list of just some of the foods that contain vitamin D:

  • Salmon
  • Mushrooms
  • Sardines
  • Almond milk
  • Egg yolk
  • Butter

It can be hard to get enough vitamin D each day through sun exposure and food alone, so taking a vitamin D supplement can help. We at Pure Naturopathy will take care your health.

Do you know what your vitamin levels are?