Author Archives: Merril

Natural Healthcare is “The Thinking Person’s Medicine”

Natural Medicine Melbourne No Comments

Whenever I think of natural medicine I think of this phrase.

Everything we absorb from the atmosphere (ie pollution, tobacco smoke, electromagnetic radition from devices such as TV’s, mobiles, computers, etc) coupled with everything that we ingest ie food, drinks, alcohol, drugs (prescription or recreational) has an effect on our health.

Just as our interactions with family, friends, coworkers and indeed anyone that we come in contact with, has an impact on our health.

Our family history has an impact on our health.

Our work has an impact on our health.

Our exercise or daily movements has an impact on our health.

In fact our health and wellbeing is so interconnected with everything and everyone that we come in contact with, that it takes a holistic approach to bring it into alignment.

When my clients come to see me they are effectively taking charge of their health.

Creating a sense of health and wellness that only comes from understanding how everything in the body is connected.

Thus, natural medicine is for people who want to think about how their environment, lifestyle, diet, family history, work and relationships are impacting on their health. Only then can they make targeted improvements in all areas of their life and wellness.

Let me give you an example:

Serena is a 34 yr old office worker in a managerial position. She is married with two children aged 5 & 13 yrs. She works full time and spends her weekends and evenings catching up on cooking, shopping, taking children to soccer training/games and occasionally has time for herself with some days of leisure during the school holidays.

She is often stressed, anxious and exhausted. Just getting through the week is a major feat.

She wonders if her increasing weight and emotional wellbeing could be improved by taking a natural approach?

And the answer is YES, YES, YES!

Serena (although fictional) does represent many of the women I have helped since starting my practice in 2007 in Melbourne’s western suburbs.

Time poor, always in a hurry, no time for herself, too many demands on her time and her body is starting to feel rundown and sluggish.

Sometimes just making a few tweaks to our lifestyle and diet can make a world of difference to our health.

Sometimes we just need a new perspective to alter our beliefs and habits for the better.

Sometimes we just need someone to look at our life and health overall and provide practical advice that we can implement straight away to begin to feel better.

Are you ready to feel better?

Contact us today or book online because GWN understands women & your health is our priority.

A girls guide to treating a UTI without getting Thrush in it’s wake

Women's Health No Comments

Starting out in the dating world and running the gauntlet of STI’s & UTI’s (not to mention unplanned pregnancies) can be enough to drive a girl wild!

In these heady years of partying and new relationships, a girl’s genitourinary health is at high risk of infection.

UTI’s or Urinary Tract Infections are extremely common and very uncomfortable. They can result in urinary frequency that makes it hard to walk for fear of needing to pee. It can also cause pain on urination.

If you are unlucky enough to have the bacteria responsible travel from the bladder to the kidneys then you will develop a kidney infection known as Cystitis. It can create a fever and pain in the lower back along with the other urinary symptoms.

Altogether a miserable experience and one that can be repeated many times over.

The usual treatment approach is to see your GP and have a urine sample to confirm the bacterial infection. If positive, a course of antiboitics will ensure.

Simples…right, all sorted or so you thought!

While the antibotics will kill off the offending bacteria, they will also kill of your protective bacteria which helps to prevent further infections.

The result is a higher liklihood of contracting another UTI down the track with the need for yet more antibiotics!

Each subsequent time you use antibotics you run the risk of becoming resistant to their benefits. The overuse of antiboitcs means that they will become less able to clear the infection as they once did.

Add to this lifestyle and dietary issues such as too much alcohol, yeast and sugar and you have a recipe for developing persistent Thrush or other candida fungal infections.

So how do you stop UTI’s from occurring and what to do at the first sign of a UTI to prevent it getting worse?

Prevention is always your best friend. Make sure you don’t wipe back to front after a bowel movement as this pushes the bacteria towards the urethra and into the bladder. Be especially wary of cleanliness before and after sex as frequent sex can create the well known ‘Honeymoon Cystitis’.

If you suspect that a UTI is just beginning make sure you drink lots of water and get a hold of some Cranberry capsules in maximum strength. This helps to prevent the bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall.

Load up on antibacterial herbs such as Garlic and Uva Ursi and nutrients such as Vitamin C to fight the infection.

Also consider taking a probiotic to reintroduce good bacteria into the gut.

If you are very prone to developing Thrush after antibiotics and especially if you are on contraceptives, you need to avoid antibiotics as much as possible.

This may include addressing dietary and lifestyle factors, taking targeted nutrients and medicinal foods to reduce your levels of candida, repairing the damage it has done to your gut lining and immune system.

At GWN we understand women and the health challenges that they face.

If you are finding yourself at the mercy of repeated infections you really need us to guide you through a natural approach in prevention and treatment of UTI’s & Thrush.

We will provide you a tailored treatment plan to get you back on the road to wellness so you can be the best version of you.

Book online today and start Getting Well Naturally!

Nutritionist’s Top 3 tips for Weight Loss

Nutritionist Melbourne No Comments

Find the right diet for you.

No two people will respond in exactly the same way to the same way of eating.

Eating a vegetarian diet might work well for your neighbour but could leave you feeling bloated and sluggish. Alternatively, eating a higher proportion of protein in an Atkins, Paleo or Keto Diet could do wonders for your brother but leave you feeling constipated and heavier than ever.

Effective weight loss isn’t just a calories in, calories out equation.

Buring fuel to assist with losing weight is important but moving more and eating less is too simplistic. Eating lower calorie foods which might not be healthy, is just as bad as eating too much. Therefore, substituting foods which appear ‘healthier’ is not always the best way to go.

My Number 1 tip for effective weight loss is reduce or eliminate alcohol.

The body will NOT burn fat in the presence of alcohol. Instead it stores it as fat, if the liver is unable to detoxify it fast enough. Alcohol is toxic to the body and the safest way the body can handle it, is to store it in fat cells unless the liver can keep pace with the amount being consumed and the amount it can eliminate.

By incorporating alcohol free days or elimating it completely, you will reduce your weight quicker. You will also retain far more nutrients and be healthier overall. Your liver will also work better and you will have more energy (for exercise) less brain fog, less mood swings, less period problems, less thrush and the list goes on.

My Number 2 tip for effective weight loss is drink more water.

Invariably weight gain is associated with dehydration. The body will crave food in order to get water. That’s because humans are not good at recognising when they are dehydrated and will only seek water when they have a dry mouth. So the body sends you hunger signals in order to get rehydrated. This often results in over eating, especially if the foods you are eating are low in moisture content.

Avoid drinking large volumes of water all at once and instead have 250 mls or a cup of water every few hours throughout the day, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Water is effectively an appetite suppressant. When you are well hydrated you will crave less food. You’ll also have more energy, clearer and less wrinkled skin, better brain function, less irritability and be healthier in every respect.

My Number 3 tip for effective weight loss is to ditch weight loss over Winter.

Winter is the most difficult time of the year to begin a weight loss regime.

Your body will fight you every step of the way. Winter is a time of hibernation. It requires you to sleep more, eat more and stay indoors out the cold. Now admittedly, we can override these natural impulses but you will find it more difficult to get up early to go out late to exercise. Not to mention drinking more water when you kidneys just want to dump it to keep you warm! And then there is the issue of wanting to eat stoggier and heavier foods again to keep you warm. Eating salads in winter time is difficult to do.

And while there are ways around this, maintaining your health and immunity during winter and avoiding really unhealthy foods, is a better option for most people. Then come Spring, you will be bursting out of you skin to embark on a weight loss regime.

If you need help with incorporating these measures into your life, book a Initial Nutrition Consultation today and start living the life of your dreams.

Nutritionist says No! to Diet Plans

Nutritionist Melbourne Uncategorized No Comments

If you Google a Diet Plan for XYZ (ie weight loss) then you will find a host of websites which will happily give you a list of recipes to eat every day of the week.

And while this can be helpful as an initial starting point, it doesn’t address the most important aspect of diets for good health. Every person is unique and has own dietary requirements based on their past and current health concerns. A one size fits all approach simply doesn’t work.

It can also become repetitive and uninspiring over time as women feel locked into eating foods in the same way each week.

Ideally, food should be fun! At GWN we aim to educate and empower our clients to take control of their health, by teaching our clients what a healthy diet looks like and applying it to their unique situation.

Therefore, we provide dietary guidelines and recommendations which give women more scope in selecting foods and combining them in healthy way. The increased meal options as a result of knowing which foods to choose, makes sticking the diet easier and more enjoyable over time.

As a Nutritionist I am invariably asked by prospective clients if I do Diet Plans. And my answer is No! Shocking I know, but here is my version of what a Diet Plan should include.

Rather than a list of recipes to eat throughout the week, I would rather educate my clients to know:

  • What to look for when buying groceries, ie what foods are healthy and which truely are not healthy and why.
  • What foods should be eaten the most.
  • What foods should be eaten the least.
  • Which foods are carbohydrates, proteins and fats and what proportion of each they need to eat for their unique circumstances. And which carbs, proteins and fats are beneficial and which are best avoided or limited in their diet.
  • Which foods are harmful to their body ie gluten, lactose, etc based on their health history and current health.
  • What types of diets are best suited to the client based on their unique circumstances. For instance, Keto diets and Vegan or Vegetarian Diets need to be applied on an individual basis. Not everyone will respond in the same way to the same diet.
  • What drinks are recommended and which to avoid & more….

And then if recipes are required I point my clients in the direction of good cook books.

As a Naturopathic Nutritionist I’m trained to take everything into account when recommending a diet. The weight loss diet prescibed for a post menopausal women would be different to a weight loss diet for a women who’s a new mum.

Each have their own unique challenges and require a different approach.

So if you need a different approach or if you’ve tried umpteen diets without lasting results, book an Initial Nutrition Consultation today, you’ll be glad you did.

The little known secret to great health…is in your hands

Natural Medicine Melbourne Naturopath Nutritionist Melbourne No Comments

When I began studying Naturopathy in 2002, I was stunned and amazed by the host of health treatments and information that exists in the field of natural healthcare.

Who knew there was a whole wellness industry out there focused on the treatment and prevention of illness? What a concept!

Growing up, I had a mostly western medicine approach to health. My only experience of holistic healthcare was from eating a healthy diet, which my parents considered essential for health living.

As I was nearing the end of my Naturopathic studies in 2006, I had to decide on an area to specialise in. For me, Nutrition was my favorite modality in the whole course and the one which I naturally gravitated to.

I loved the whole concept of ‘Food as Medicine’ but also using the diet as a preventative treatment to maintain health. It just made so much sense that we all have to eat, so why not select foods that could reduce weight, decrease inflammation, improve energy, improve periods and other women’s health issues, enhance fertility, improve immunity, reduce anxiety and depression, enhance concentration and memory and improve just about any health concern you care to mention.

The study of Naturopathy is very comprehensive in the fields of study that it entails. Ranging from hands on therapies such as reflexology and massage to nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy and more. Not to mention the health science subjects such as chemistry, physics, anatomy & physiology, pathophysiology & symptomology and pathology to name a few.

So whilst Nutrition has always been my favorite treatment to share with clients, the combination of Nutrition and Naturopathic principals is quite exceptional in the results it can achieve.

The twin power of Naturopathic Nutrition can boost your health beyond belief.

Before I go on I should explain, I don’t use any hands on therapies (despite having trained in them). I prefer to work as an ingestive practitioner (ie. I prescribe diet, herbal and nutritional formulas in the form of powders, tablets, capsules, etc…anything that you ingest).

However, treatment recommendations don’t end there. Lifestyle recommendations and referrals to other treatment modalities (sometimes for hands on treatment, etc) or specialised testing also rounds out the Naturopathic Nutrition (NN) experience.

One the best things about using NN is that you will not only get well, you also be educated and empowered to take control of your health.

So that instead of just going to appointments and getting prescriptions when you’re sick, you’ll be able to help prevent getting sick in the first place. Or able to get better quicker by adjusting your routine, lifestyle & diet.

Working with a NN means you’ll learn what caused you to become unwell in the first place and you can use this knowledge to prevent it happening again.

For instance, as a past sufferer of sinus infections, I know my triggers are diary, sugar and stress. This trinty of factors repeatedly lead me to suffering horrible headaches, nasal congestion, fatigue and facial pain on and off for years until I made this discovery that changed my life.

Thesedays, my sinus infections are very mild or non-existent. But I could have gone my whole life without knowing that I had the power to prevent and treat these infections effortlessly.

There has never been a better time to invest in your health. Book today for a healthier tomorrow.

Are you eligible for a health insurance rebate for Nutrition?

Health Insurance Nutritionist Melbourne No Comments

Covid has altered the way we do consultations but things are changing for the better. At present, Telehealth/online consultations are not covered by health insurance providers.

However, in person consultations are. So as it currently stands, there are eleven health insurance funds which provide rebates for Nutrition consultations.

If you are with one of the health insurance funds, below check your policy to see if you can claim for a Nutrition consultation:

Medibank Private

NIB

Australian Unity

Westfund

Australian Health Management (AHM)

CUA Health (Credicare)

HBF

Health.com.au

MDHF

Phoenix Health Fund

Queensland Country Health

With in person consultations available at our Spotswood clinic at: 2/55 Hudsons Rd, Vic there has never been a better time to book in and receive a new patient discount of $61 plus your health insurance rebate!

Don’t delay, appointments are limited.

Does your period wipe out your vitality & mood?

Nutritionist Melbourne Uncategorized Women's Health No Comments

If so, you’re not alone. Many women experience some form of emotional disruption a week prior to, during and to some extent after their period.

It can range from frustration and anger to sadness, anxiety and deep depressive feelings.

These irrational thoughts that at other times of the month might simply be dismissed as ‘ridiculous’ take on a very serious side when you are premenstrual.

Premenstrual Mood Swings PMS or as a client of mine likes to calls it ‘personal mood swings’ or the more serious Premenstrual Mood Dysphoric Disorder PMDD is a common and frustrating experience.

There is a whole constellation of symtoms associated with the menstural cycle. Flutuating levels of Estrogen (Follicular Phase) and Progesterone (Luteal Phase) throughout the cycle can create a hormonal hell if your nutritional balance is off.

The period itself is well know for depleting your body of iron, which if not repleated sufficiently, either though an iron rich diet or an iron supplement, has the capacity to create very low moods and a lack of energy.

These symptoms become more pronounced the longer you’re iron deficient and may eventually lead to anemia.

Lesser know nutritional deficiencies are also linked to your period cycle.

Women can also become deficient in B Vitamins, Zinc, Magnesium & Calcium. This can create a raft of mental health issues ranging from moodiness to paranoia and fatigue.

Deficiencies of Vitamin D & Omega 3’s are also a common issues with heavy and painful periods.

If you or someone you love is experiencing any of these symptoms with their cycle it’s time to be proactive and get help.

It doesn’t matter if you are 25 or 45, period problems ebb and flow throughout life and now is the time to address them.

Hormonal flutuations in themselves can create mood disturbances and when coupled with nutritional deficiencies it can create a world of despair.

Book today either online or in person to discover a better way of coping with periods. Visit the Contact Us page and click on the Halaxy icon for the next available appointment.

Clinic Update March 3, 2021

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We’ll it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to see my clients face to face but that’s all about to change.

Starting on the 17th of April, 2021, Getting Well Naturally will be operating from it’s new home at Suite 2/55 Hudsons Road, Spotswood, Vic 3015!

This new clinic is inside the Kingsford Business Centre and the Tiny Clinic. I welcome all past and present clients to join me there.

Hudson’s Road in Spotswood is a fantastic location, minutes from the Westgate Bridge and Williamstown Road turnoff with easy access to the CBD, Yarraville, Seddon, Kingsville, Footscray, Newport, Williamstown, Altona and many other locations within Melbourne’s Western Suburbs.

Why not plan your outing with a trip to the beach or a visit to Grazeland a foodies paradise opening just up the road.

Enter Hudsons Road off Williamstown Road, go over the railway line and you will find the Kingsford Business Centre on your right. There is ample on street parking opposite and in the surrounding streets.

Bookings can be made via the Halaxy booking icon on the Contact Us page.

Please note I will initially only be onsite every second Saturday, so booking in advance is highly recommended to ensure that you can be seen.

In the interim, I will continue to offer phone and online appointments throughout the week and alternate Saturdays for your convenience and continuity of treatment.

Yarraville Thrush Clinic Naturopathic Nutrition

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Throughout my time in practing in the western suburbs of Melbourne and elsewhere, I’ve noticed a consistent theme of clients presenting with Candida infections.

These fungal/yeast infections are endemic in our society. Clients often struggle for years with a baffling array of seemingly unconnected or random symptoms, without any proper explanation or resolution.

The merry-go-round of GP’s and specialists visits, tests and medications can be extremely exhausting for clients who just want answers and a treatment that works.

If they’re lucky enough to present with a known fungal infection such as Thrush, then they will receive some anti-fungal treatment either topically or taken as a pill but once they go off the medication it rears its ugly head again.

These infections are insidious. Many of my clients present with a host of seemingly unrelated symptoms and we uncover a Candida infection.

Sometimes if you’re unlucky enough, you can be infected with a bacterial and fungal infection at the same site, such as in the sinuses, which antibiotics will only be partially successful in treating. What’s more, the antibiotics will encourage the growth of yet more fungal problems elsewhere in the body.

So if you have a recurrent Thrush or suspect that you have an underlying health issue, book in today to be screened for Candida. You’ll be glad you did.

How to make 2021 your year to get healthy.

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Every January Getting Well Naturally comes alive with new patients all with one thing on their minds. The wish to make the new year the one where they finally get their health sorted.

Every new year presents us with a clean slate to make changes in our lives. Among the most popular new year’s resolutions is how to get healthier than ever before or to regain the health you once had.

If you are wondering where to start on this wellness journey, then look no further than your most pressing health issue.

Is it a lack of energy or motivation?

Are you carrying too much weight?

Do you have skin problems, allergies or gut issues?

Are your hormones wreaking havoc in your life (ie PMS, perimenopause, menopause, infertility)?

Do you suffer from frequent infections or being rundown?

Whichever health concern causes you the most grief is the best place to start.

Everything in the body is interconnected. And the beauty of natural medicine and nutrition is that by addressing one health issue it inevitably improves other health conerns that you may have.

For instance, any natural treatment that you do to improve your digestion will enhance your absorption of nutrients and your hormones, skin and energy levels will also improve.

Working with a Naturopath will help to change your life in ways you cannot even imagine. When your body is in balance, everything just flows. Stress, anxiety and depression and all facets of mental health have nutrition as a central theme.

When the body is properly nourished amazing things can happen. In conjuction with our Naturopath, you will learn which foods will make you body sing and which are best avoided or minimized. This alone can have a profound effect on your overall health and wellbeing.

The natural medicine treatments used by Getting Well Naturally are high grade, prescription only supplements and they are targeted to your unique health needs.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach at Getting Well Naturally. All of our clients recieve a personally tailored treatment plan.

So if your new year’s resolution is to get your health back on track, book an appointment today.

We have special offers on Initial Nutrition and Naturopathy consultations so why note take advantage of our great deals and kick start you health in 2021!

Visit www.gettingwellnaturally.com.au, Contact Us, Halaxy to book.