The Rudd Government is about to overhaul our healthcare system and is asking for suggestions from the Australian public on how best to achieve this.

The website www.yourhealth.gov.au is where you need to go to make your comments.

As a Naturopath my focus is largely on preventing ill health through dietary and lifestyle advice and natural medicine. I believe that educating people on the benefits of healthy living is the key to a healthier and happier Australia. The following is my submission to the Rudd Government on healthcare reform:

Submission to the Health Reform Taskforce
11 September, 2009

My name is Merril Bowater and I work as a Naturopathic Nutritionist in Melbourne’s west.

I am fortunate to be able to spend up to an hour with new clients discussing the benefits of healthy dietary and lifestyle choices to address their health concerns. This education encourages my clients to learn how to keep themselves healthy in the future.

Our doctors are under enormous time constraints and do not have time to discuss preventative medicine, dietary and lifestyle issues with patients.

My clients often comment that they appreciate the extra time that a Naturopath spends with them and the focus on ongoing wellness. Giving people greater responsibility for their health is empowering and cost saving for the health care system in general. This in turn, produces a healthier and more productive nation.

A recent client of mine was prescribed a cholesterol lowering medication but he confessed to spending $200 a week on fast food. Clearly this is counter-productive. With the right dietary/lifestyle advice he could reduce or eliminate the need for expensive prescription drugs and learn how to manage this condition himself. This would produce a significant saving for the PBS.

Medical intervention with drugs can be life saving. However, many of my clients discontinue their prescribed medications due to the side-effects which are often worse than the original condition. If they do continue with their prescribed medication, they often have to resort to taking additional prescription drugs to deal with the side-effects of the original drugs that they are taking.

Most Naturopathic clients are looking for a safe and effective way to manage their health conditions with few or no side-effects. Naturopaths are often sought out as a ‘last resort’ by frustrated and very ill people with multiple pathologies, who have been through a battery of tests, procedures and prescriptions. Having reached the end of their tether with the healthcare system, they are willing to pay for consultations and natural medications out of their own pocket to achieve a sense of wellbeing and control over their health.

However, many more people are unable to access Naturopathic healthcare due to the cost.

Health funds cover Naturopathic consultations with good reason. They know that it makes sound economic sense to keep people well with education, rather than to foot the bill for surgeries, hospital stays and specialists which runs into the thousands.

If people could be given the opportunity to consult with a Naturopath to enhance their ongoing healthcare, I believe it would be very well received and the outcome could be dramatic for the nation.

Most of our most serious health concerns are entirely preventable with the right knowledge. I see weight loss clients every week who are in danger of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, reduce their risk of these conditions simply by changing their diet and lifestyle. On a large scale, this could save the country billions.

I’m not advocating Medicare coverage for Naturopaths but other incentives such as one off discount vouchers for an initial consultation with a Naturopath could work very well indeed.

We have the opportunity to change our health care system for the better. Let’s combine complementary medicine with western medicine for the best health outcome for our nation.

Merril Bowater ND ATMS
Getting Well Naturally, Naturopathic, Nutrition & Weight Loss Clinic
1 Greville Street, Caroline Springs Vic. 3023
Ph: (03) 8683 9487
gettingwellnaturally@gmail.com
www.gettingwellnaturally.com.au

If you would like to send comments longer than 500 words I’d recommend mailing your letter to the: Health Reform Taskforce, MDP 155, GPO Box 9848, Woden ACT 2601 (as the comments box on the website cannot handle submissions longer than 500 words).

In an ideal world your body would perform and function the way nature intended.

There would be no pain or depression, no allergies or constant infections. No irritating skin problems or difficulties conceiving a baby. No obesity or heart disease.

Alas, life is complex and our bodies are subject to stress, pollution, internal toxins, bad diets, a lack of fresh air and exercise, work and family commitments and a myriad of other stressors that detract from your health and wellbeing.

Maintaining abundant health in this scenario is a challenge but it’s not inconceivable.

All it takes is a conscious commitment to live well and be well.

We live in a society were ill health is tolerated as the ‘norm’. If you’ve got a headache then reach for a pain reliever. If you’ve got a bad back take an
anti-inflammatory.

There’s no doubt that these drugs do work, the pain subsides but the problem remains. Symptomatic relief is very tempting but at some stage wouldn’t you want to get to cause of that discomfort and fix it if you could?

Let’s take the example of a reoccurring headache. Would you be surprised to learn that it may simply be a sign of dehydration? Alternatively, your blood glucose levels may have dropped or you may have a sinus infection or eye strain, neck and shoulder tension, a vitamin/mineral deficiency or any one of a myriad of other potential causes.

As a Naturopath I’m trained to take everything into consideration and view your life holistically. Therefore, during an initial consultation while discussing your medical history (past and present) I’ll be looking for clues to explain the cause(s) of your discomfort.

Your diet speaks volumes about your health both past and present and your potential to develop preventable health concerns in the future. Your working and living environment and past and present stressors also provide clues. Risk factors such as being overweight, smoking, high blood pressure, etc. all impact significantly on your current and future health.

Despite the myriad of health concerns that my clients present with, there is infinite potential for every client to achieve greatly improved health and wellbeing.
It‘s not uncommon for my clients to present with 2-3+ serious health concerns during their initial consultation. The second consultation is very exciting as many positive changes have typically occurred. From a practitioner’s point of view this is very rewarding. From the client’s point of view this is a definite improvement and the start of a wellness journey.

I don’t see you as you are…but as you can be

Welcome to wellness medicine.

I envisage your body full of youthful energy. Fit and capable of fighting infection and disease naturally. Your body is designed to heal itself and given the right ingredients, I can help your body to do just that.

Almost every cell in your body is renewed every 100 days. So by making some positive changes to your diet and lifestyle, you can look forward to a body which is strong and healthy for a lifetime.

It’s time to think about your health in a whole new light. It’s time to put your health first and realize that it is your most important asset. Make abundant health and wellness your priority today.

You have only one life to live and only one body to see you through it. Choose wellness and feel fantastic again.

Recent research has shown that 75% of those surveyed had tried Natural Medicine in the last 12 months. As a Naturopath this comes as no surprise. My clinical experience has shown that my clients typically fit into one of four categories, especially if you’re over the age of 30.

1. The first group of clients are those who are passionate about healing themselves through natural medicine supplementation, improved nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle. They prefer to use natural medicine in preference to pharmaceutical drugs to treat their health conditions.

2. The second group are those clients that know that their diet is not healthy and they are experiencing health concerns such as weight gain, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, etc. but feel sure they can get on top of it, given the right information. Many of my clients who come for weight loss are already doing an exercise program but are just not getting the results that they desire because they don’t have all the information they need from a dietary or nutritional perspective to put it all together. There are also other things that affect a person’s ability to lose weight such as hormonal changes in the body (i.e. menopause, andropause, high cortisol levels, adrenal and thyroid issues), toxins, stress, inflammation, infection and allergies). Only by addressing all of these health concerns through natural medicine and diet, can real progress be made.

3. Another type of client that I regularly see are those using pharmaceutical drugs and experiencing lots of side-effects such as weight gain, reduced libido, reduced energy, etc. These clients are looking for a natural alternative to address their health concerns safely and without side-effects. A Naturopath is focused on treating the root cause of the illness rather than simply masking the symptoms. For example, instead of using antihistamines for Hay fever and affecting no real change, the Naturopathic approach would be to rebalance their immune system and supplement their diet with nutrients such as Omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium and zinc.

4. Finally, I see an increasing number of clients who have done the rounds of doctors and specialists and have completed untold numbers of tests, only to be given a complete bill of health. All the while these clients know in themselves that they are not well. In this instance the Naturopath is seen as someone who can explain why their body is producing the symptoms that it is and give them a holistic treatment plan incorporating natural medicine.

So did any of these client categories sound familiar to you?

Natural medicine focuses on changes to the diet, nutritional supplementation and herbal medicine. The treatment plan may also take into account environmental and emotional aspects of your health. For instance, what toxins have you been exposed to and what are your relationships like? Do you enjoy your work and how stressful is your life? Only by looking at the whole picture can potential explanations be given as to why your health has reached the state that it has. What is your body trying to tell you? What changes need to be made to ensure you have optimal health in the future?

Being the practitioner of last resort is not a glamorous title but it is an important one. When clients come to see me they’re frustrated, overwhelmed and at their wits end. They cannot understand why no-one can tell them what’s wrong with them let alone how to fix it. While these people are among my most challenging clients, they are also incredibly rewarding to work with, as each naturopathic consultation brings new information and improvements to their health.

As a Naturopath I get an unbelievable buzz out of helping people to help themselves. There is nothing better than providing an alternative to people who have tried everything else with little success. So if you fall into one of the above categories, you now know that Natural Medicine can help you to improve your health, not only for now but also well into the future.

PROTECT YOURSELF NATURALLY THIS WINTER

12 Hints to Boost Your Winter Immunity

1. Viruses such as colds and flu are most easily transmitted when large numbers of people are gathered in confined spaces. Therefore, avoidance of these situations is recommended as much as possible during winter.

2. If you do find you yourself in this situation, staying well hydrated is the best way to avoid a contracting a virus. In winter the mucous membranes of the nose and throat can dry out as people gather indoors in heated rooms. Without adequate moisture (via water intake) these membranes are unable to effectively capture the virus in mucous to be blown out. Drinking up to 8 glasses of water per day can significantly reduce your chances of contracting a cold or flu.

3. Similarly, keep heaters at temperatures at or below 20 C to avoid drying out the atmosphere. If possible open a window slightly to let in some fresh air and use layered clothing to obtain a comfortable level of warmth.

4. Use a tissue to blow your nose or cough into, then dispose of it in the bin and wash your hands with warm soapy water. It may sound simple but this is a powerful way to avoid reinfecting yourself or infecting others. (Handkerchiefs are very unhygienic. They need to be disinfected and washed between every use.)

5. Getting adequate sleep/rest is essential to retain your immunity throughout winter. If you are rundown and sleep deprived you become a primary candidate for an infection, cold or flu to take hold.

6. Keep stress and sugary foods/drinks to a minimum. Both of these will reduce your immunity and leave you susceptible to colds and flu.

7. Keep alcohol to a minimum also as this depletes your body of essential nutrients needed for your immunity to keep you healthy.

8. Reduce or eliminate cigarettes from your life. Smoking damages lung tissue and the respiratory system in general. Therefore, smoking prolongs recovery from colds and flu and worsens the symptoms and severity of bronchial infections, leaving you open to developing bronchitis, pneumonia and pleurisy.

9. Maintaining an exercise regime throughout winter can be extremely powerful for preventing viral infections such as colds and flu. Just be sure to avoid heated swimming pools or any activity which is overly strenuous.

10. Eat fresh, unprocessed foods and avoid mucous forming foods. Your body’s natural response to infection is to reduce your appetite, as the energy required to digest your food is redirected to the immune response to fight the infection. Therefore, eating heavy/fatty foods slows down the healing process. The lymphatic system which works in conjunction the immune system also transports fatty acids around the body. So eating a meal of fish and chips will make the lymph flow even more sluggish which prolongs the healing effort. (The lymphatic system drains and filters toxins, dead infectious organisms, etc. from the cells. The flow of lymphatic fluid is enhanced with exercise.)

11. At the first sign of an infection, cold or flu make a cup of hot brewed tea/filtered coffee. Both tea and coffee contain antioxidant and antiviral properties. You can also add fresh ginger to tea to increase its healing properties. Peppermint tea and green tea are also good choices.

12. Load up on Vitamin C (otherwise known as Ascorbic Acid). My personal favourite is powdered Vitamin C which can be taken in water every hour. It does wonders for fighting an infection. Many studies have confirmed Vitamin C’s ability to reduce the severity and duration of colds and flu. During an acute infection the body will need many grams of Vitamin C a day to perform this function. Vitamin C is not stored in the body so it must be obtained from the diet or supplements. NB if you experience diarrhoea you have reached bowel tolerance so back off slightly until the bowel returns to normal.

This list contains just a few things you can do achieve Winter Wellness this winter, to boost your immunity and keep colds and flu at bay.