Why Not Just Another Detox?

Let me start by asking what kind of brain washing marketing has made us believe that doing something completely unsustainable, unhealthy and often ridiculous for 5 days of our entire lives will allow us to lose any excess body weight we have gained over the past 20-30-40 years, change all our bad habits and maintain these new supermodel bodies when we are allowed to return to normal life?!? 

Amazing marketing, that’s what kind. The kind of marketing that is thought up by a laboratory of white coats who are ‘doctors of food’ with money to boot. Colourful posters, shiny packaging and skinny women drinking their shakes is all that is needed to top off the ultimate con.

I will resist the urge to debunk each individually (it would probably also render me liable) and instead provide the easier, cheaper, better, sustainable and smarter choice in my opinion. I will add however, that if you are thinking about swapping eating physical food for any kind of liquid replacement, if the replacement has words on the ingredient list that most biochemists probably could not pronounce OR instead of liquid, it comes in a pill - AVOID!

I was so sick of weight loss programs and diet plans that I felt the health and wellness industry needed a serious update.

What is DIET’s hip new cooler (and longer lasting) replacement called?

LIFESTYLE CHANGE.

And that is what we do in my Not Just Another Detox program.

The only complaint I get about this program?

There is so much food! But fact is, we need food, nutrients, protein and fat to effectively detox. Our bodies require these essential factors to do the job that they are created to do. And our body is created to effectively detox. We have excretory organs such as a liver, kidneys and our skin for this specific purpose.

So I hear you asking then, why do we even need to detox? The problem is, we are not putting the right nutrients in for our bodies to function optimally.

In today's fast food modern world much of what we are eating is not actually food, we're drinking liquids that do not hydrate our cells, breathing air that is becoming more and more polluted and turning our bodies into toxic dumping grounds from all of the products we use on our bodies and in our homes.

This hinders these natural processes in the body and we become unable to detoxify ourselves or mobilise fat. This has negative impacts on our hormones, body weight, mental health, fitness, immunity and overall general health. As a society, we are getting sicker, fatter and more fatigued and stressed than ever before.

Not Just Another Detox gives you the tools to change your environment, both internally and externally. It is not just a ‘diet’ or ‘detox’. It is not a checkup or service. It's a full over-haul!

The beauty of it as it can be done at your own pace. All you need to do is sign up, access the resources, get in the kitchen and read an email each day. What you do with the information, recipes and activities provided is totally up to you.

You will feel better, your body will work more effectively and your mind will be clearer even if you just change your eating habits for 2 weeks.

This program is not as easy as taking a pill or mixing up a food replacement chemical shake. But, trust me, it will change your life in much more significant and longer lasting ways than these quick fixes ever could.

Ready to cleanse and transform your life?

Click here and start today!

Breakfast: Is it Really The Most Important Meal Of The Day?

Breakfast has become another one of those clichés- I am always hearing things like ‘you won’t be healthy if you don’t eat breakfast’, ‘you need to have a big breakfast to lose weight’, ‘eat more in the morning and less at night’. But what do we really know?

I'll admit I’m a big breakfast fan. In fact, it’s probably my favourite meal of the day (but don’t tell lunch and dinner that) and although it’s certainly not the most important meal of the day, the benefits are up there for eating it and truthfully, who wouldn’t want to?

Why? Because you are breaking your fast (break-fast)! This will wake up your metabolism and stimulate it to start ticking over- which it will then continue to do for the rest of the day (with a steady stream of food).

Having breakfast can help:

•  Provide you with energy for your day!

•  Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

•  Reduce the risk of diabetes

•  Maintain a healthy weight

•  Improve alertness, concentration, mental performance and memory

•  Stimulate metabolism

•  Assist in weight loss

•  Improve your mood

Not having breakfast? What’s the harm? Well, it has been linked in studies to an increased risk of obesity and a lowered IQ. It is important, especially when trying to lose weight, to eat breakfast within 45 minutes of waking or the body will start to store all available fat as it goes into famine mode.

Can’t stomach it? We have a little more work to do then, but that’s ok. If you feel nauseous after eating breakfast, or fill quickly, or have any uncomfortableness with breakfast we need to find out why. Are you eating late and going to bed on a full stomach? Are you not breaking down the foods from the previous night/day effectively (which also means you won’t be utilising any nutrients from those foods)? Have you switched your metabolism off due to past fad or crash diets? Or is it switched off due to a lack of food or reduced calorie intake?

Quick tip- avoid the breakfast aisle in the supermarket when looking for any appropriate Mel-Approved breakfast choices ;)

IN SAYING ALL THAT: if breakfast is absolutely-fricken-not for you, all I ask is that you eat before 11am. 

** Need some breakfast recipes or a bit of inspo? Check out Mel's book Simply Balanced, which includes 4 breakfast recipes PLUS 3 smoothies for those rushed on-the-go mornings! ** 

SUPERMARKET TRICKERY - BE YOUR OWN DETECTIVE

Generally I try to stay away from supermarkets. Overall I find them infuriating!

When I look in peoples trolleys and see that they have chosen foods which have been marketed so well to appear healthy, I know they are trying to do the right thing for themselves and for their families. I am positive that if they REALLY knew what was in that food and how it may be effecting their health, they would certainly not be filling their trollies with it.

However, we all know its not really the supermarket's fault and that big companies with lots of money, science and market research are targeting and promoting directly to us. We are being tricked at every turn to buy what we think are healthful products, mislead by labelling and not given all the information due to the lack of protective laws around food labelling.

The majority of Australians do not know how to read food labels nor do they have a very patient husband or a sad nerd-like interest in reading them as I do.

So, why the hell am I bothering to read them? Because the smarter and more health conscious we get, the more secretive the labelling gets.

In a recent (very occasional) trip to the dreaded supermarket, I am doing my reading and shopping and come a cross a bread that inspired me to write this blog.

Now, breads are some of the most hastily prepared, manufactured, additive and preservative laden, chemically fortified food products on the shelf. And no, it doesn’t mater if you get wholemeal, multigrain or white. It is all pretty nasty stuff. Even when I look at the beautifully baked sourdoughs from the bakery section, they are still preserved, fortified and yeast risen as opposed to sourdough culture.

However, all is not lost. I came across Bills Certified Organic Health Bakery bread and was pleasantly surprised. No yeast, no preservatives, NO FORTIFICATION. I actually don’t think there is another bread in the supermarket that is not fortified. PLUS it is made with himalayan pink salt as opposed to iodised salt and the wheat is stoneground, as tradition dictates it should be. Even their fruit bread uses organic dried fruit which means it is free from sulphites and preservatives. I could not believe it! Now keep in mind these are not gluten free, but they are the best quality in a bag that I have seen in years.

I keep shopping and reading and came across a new, very attractive, pre-made quinoa product. Cool, I thought. When I picked it up and turned it over I was so excited. Quinoa is a great wholesome food that I recommend to many of my clients, maybe this will make their lives easier, I thought.

I take a closer look. Firstly, it seems to be sweating in its plastic pack. Not great, I think. Secondly, I take a glance at the nutritional panel and its 15% sugar...WHAT? WHY? I head to the ingredients list and see half way through that is has cane sugar added, my audible WHAT?! was heard through the aisle and beyond.

But wait, there's other products in the range. I pick them up, start looking through and see that they have something called GDL in it. And, it's very hard to read in the list. Not good. I don't like numbers and acronyms in my food.

When I researched it later, I saw that it is a food additive, starting with "E" (E575). Here I was thinking that GDL looked better than E575, and I have studied Nutrition! It seems safe from a Google search, but still, if we can cook up some quinoa at home and not need the GDL then why does it need to be in the pre-packaged product? 

I quickly moved on to the yoghurt section, a favourite food detective haunt of mine, to continue my scrutiny of packaged food.

At the end of the day, unfortunately, my sleuthing determines that most of what is on our supermarket shelves, is not real food. 

Want to learn more about how to make your own real food from scratch?

Ready for a cleanse from processed foods?

Then I think you'd love my Not Just Another Detox program!

Click here to get started now.

All About Soy

There are so many questions when it comes to soy.  Do you believe the cardiac health benefits soy provides?  Or do you avoid soy because of the phytates?  Are you unsure about it?  Most importantly, what are we talking about when we say the word 'soy'?  

Traditionally, soy was eaten as fermented foods but now nearly all the soy we see & eat is genetically modified (GM) & unfermented.  91% of soy grown in the US is GM.  While this increases farming efficiency & provides cheaper soy, the downside is that your soy is loaded with toxic pesticides. Current research indicates that GM soy is linked to an increase in allergies & even more frightening may have the potential to cause infertility in future generations.

For centuries, Asian people have been consuming fermented soy products such as miso, natto, tempeh, & tamari safely.  After a long fermentation process the anti-nutrient levels of soybeans are reduced.  These antinutrients, called phytates, are compounds which interfere with the absorption of nutrients & are what can cause unpleasant tummy upsets.   

So if you are going to eat soy, make sure you get fermented soy such as tamari, tempeh, miso & natto & avoid soy protein products.  Whilst soy sauce is fermented the consensus is that the cheaper style at the supermarket is massed produced using a chemical process & no longer fermented. 

The best way to eliminate non-fermented soy from your diet is to avoid all processed foods & instead purchase whole foods that you prepare yourself.   Here is a guide of common soy protein foods to avoid:

Tofu
TVP (texturized vegetable protein)
Soybean oil
Soymilk
Soy cheese, soy ice cream, soy yogurt
Soy "meat"
Soy protein
Soy infant formula

If you do buy packaged foods, you can check the label to see if it contains soy. Food manufacturers are required by law to list & bold soy on the label, because it's one of the top eight food allergens. One other common source of soy is lecithin (Number 322 or E322) which is used as an emulsifier in many foods & supplements.  As always check for non-GMO labelling & choose organic where you can!

You  can learn more about soy on my podcast The Naked Naturopath or join the mailing list to be the first to know when I am presenting my Soy Talk next.

What is Adrenal Fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue is a term thrown around in my industry for various symptoms. It is commonly associated with feeling tired and stressed and not having enough energy to face the day. However, adrenal fatigue is a very real and debilitating syndrome. It is under recognised and under diagnosed and I wonder to what point we are all pushing past the ability of our poor little adrenal glands to keep up with modern life.   

Considering the massive job they do, the adrenal glands are only little guys. They live on your kidneys and release hormones in response to any and all stress you experience. Cortisol, adrenaline and epinephrine are systematically released as needed to deal with anything from a broken nail to a job interview, a car accident or a breakup.  These hormones allow your body to respond to stress itself, and also determine how you respond. But that’s not it; these workaholics also have an impact on weight gain and the body’s ability to shed excess weight as the secretion of stress hormones regulates sugar release in muscles and can determine the rate of your metabolism.                                   

Adrenal fatigue commonly occurs after a prolonged period of stress (hello daily life) or an infection (hello winter and pre-school children).  It's important to note that although adrenals are related, chronic fatigue syndrome differs to adrenal fatigue as it is more serious with severe unexplained fatigue for 6 months or more. My clients who experience adrenal fatigue say they feel like something is missing, they don’t feel like themselves. They are always tired and run down with a noticed difference in the energy they used to feel everyday. Waking up tired is a common sign and no amount of sleep is enough to quench the fatigue. The other thing common to adrenal fatigue is a second wind at night after feeling exhausted all day. Adrenal fatiguers love stimulants - coffee, sugar, tea, soft drinks, cake-anything to keep them going.  This is the short lived fuel that turbo boosts energy but has a shocking drop after about half an hour-when more is needed.  This cycle perpetuates adrenal fatigue and sends the body into a hormonal and blood sugar dysregulation whirlpool. The decrease in adrenal hormones affects how food is used and stored in the body (weight gain), electrolyte balance (fluid retention) and sex hormones (libido). The inability to function in daily life can lead to depression and feelings of guilt and inadequacy.  

We all experience adrenal fatigue to some degree. When life is too big, due to the death of a loved one, a stressful event at work, or long term continued stressors all add up and this outweighs the ability of our adrenal glands to manage. Some of us can be more susceptible to suffer from adrenal fatigue from our lifestyle choices, diet, sleep habits, life pressures, alcohol or substance abuse or other disease or sickness.

People always ask- how do I know if I am adrenally fatigued?  I reply- You would know! But here’s a few ways to tell from AdrenalFatugue.org.

You may be experiencing adrenal fatigue if you regularly notice one or more of the following:

You feel tired for no reason.
You have trouble getting up in the morning, even when you go to bed at a reasonable hour.
You are feeling rundown or overwhelmed.
You have difficulty bouncing back from stress or illness.
You crave salty and sweet snacks.
You feel more awake, alert and energetic after 6PM than you do all day.

There are many herbs and supplements that can help with adrenal fatigue, as well as the resulting symptoms. It is one of the most common things I see in my clinic. Make an appointment so I can help with sustainable lifestyle changes and herbal medicine. ALSO- look out on the events page for my next Adrenal Fatigue talk and sign up for the newsletter to be the first to know.

Iridology

Iridology is the study of the iris in the eye. We are born with a set constitution which adapts to our environment and surroundings as a child and becomes our life tapestry. Our constitution is genetically inherited but this becomes unique with physical, emotional, spiritual and mental changes and occurrences in our lives.

Iridologists assess:

·         Patterns

·         Density and shading of colours

·         Structure of the iris fibres

·         Markings and shapes

Iridology can be a fantastic tool during your herbal medicine consultation in identifying areas that can be assisted by herbs. From your eye, I can determine genetic predispositions and 'nurture' points telling you those things that you may have to take a little extra care of. I can often see characteristics which make you who you are and give me an insight of how you interact in the world with other people. I can also, most importantly, tell you what your health priority is at any given time. Iridology can also help outline a diet that would be best suited to your eye colour and structure, which your body would most efficiently function on.

“The most common thing I see in an eye is a strong determination and love – for everyone else in that person’s life – but very little for themselves”

-Mel

Everyone Is Talking About Turmeric!

Everyone is talking about turmeric! And when I mention it to clients they often reply that they are already taking it. They cook with it in curries, take it with water in the morning or are enjoying turmeric late. However, turmeric for cooking is very different to medicinal turmeric. Turmeric powder from the supermarket is not therapeutic grade and may have little or no medicinal effects. It would also be very difficult to eat enough to get the dose needed to provide health benefits. 

• The most common complaint I hear is that turmeric can be expensive in capsules.  It is expensive.  There is no way around it.  However, the health benefits it provides are priceless -  as is the money saved long term if you have or are predisposed to any of the conditions listed below!  Even in supplement form there can be difficulty in determining quality vs cost. This is why it is really important to get qualified advice from me or another herbalist.  Avoid supermarket supplements where possible as well as one-supplement-fits-all fixers. The best thing that you can do is pop in for an appointment to see, firstly, if turmeric is the best herb for you and your complaint; and secondly, what the best form of thermic for you will be. You can get whole herb thermic in liquid or supplement form or you can start to get into the nitty gritty of active ingredients isolated into supplement form. And then, you need to know what dose will be effective and safe to achieve your health goal and get results. 

  Turmeric is not just for arthritis, although it is an excellent anti-inflammatory and pain reliever.  It is also an amazing anti-oxidant so will fight free radicals which may cause cancer.  A superb liver cleanser, it detoxifies waste through the second phase of the liver which we can then excrete, so that toxins do not return to wreak havoc on the body.  It is perfect and safe for an every day, all round super supplement, or to assist and help prevent any of the following:

• Arthritis – osteo, rheumatoid

• Peptic ulcer

• Dyspepsia

• Autoimmune dysfunction

• Chronic fatigue

• Liver issues of any kind

• Detoxification

• Asthma

• Bowel disease

• Cancer

• Cystic Fibrosis

• Alzheimers disease

• Multiple Sclerosis

• Period pain

• High cholesterol

• Heart disease

• Neurodegeneration

• Anti-ageing 

• Eczema & psoriasis

• General and specific pain relief and to reduce the frequency of use of pharmaceutical pain relief (can be used in conjunction)

  So, pop in to get specific advice for you and to find out what supplements you need (if any!) or if we can do it all through the power of a beautiful, individualise herbal tonic.

What You Need To Know About Protein Powders

What you need to know about protein powders

There are so many different protein powders available on the market. What's the best one for you?

Whey protein is the most common protein powder and has a full amino acid profile so it provides a complete source of protein to provide recovery and repair to muscles. Whey is a dairy product and can be hard for the digestive system to process especially if you are sensitive to dairy or lactose. It can cause abdominal cramping as well as diarrhea, constipation and bloating so this is where vegetable proteins excel as an alternative to whey.

Most veggie proteins are dairy free, gluten free, artificial flavour and colour free, preservative free, vegan, and low in carbs and sugar. They are also easier for the body to utilise, process and digest. Some come with digestive enzymes in the powder as well. They are alkaline, whey is acidic and they are in general priced they same as whey if not cheaper.

Pea Protein-9 essential amino acids, great for recovery just like whey, can lower blood pressure and flush toxins from kidneys. High in lysine (cold sore fighter), arginine and glutamine (gut repairer).

Brown Rice Protein-9 essential amino acids, also great for recovery, can help lower cholesterol and improve energy. High in calcium and iron B1, B2, B3, phosphorus and potassium.

The best of both worlds...

Pea protein and brown rice protein are now starting to be blended together to make a complete protein just like whey. This mean that you get the best of both worlds. Our favourite is RAW by Amazonia, which also has the added digestive enzymes. Get this from the MGHerbs shop now by clicking here.

Some things to consider when picking your protein...

Organic- free of GM, pesticides, fertilisers and chemical free.

Bio- fermented-digestive enzymes have pre-digested your protein allowing you to reap the benefits with 98% absorption.

Sprouted- this activates vitamins, minerals and proteins increasing availability by up to 30%. Sprouting is also thought to reduce the likelihood of triggering allergic responses.

The Paleo Trend

Are you sick of hearing about a paleo diet? Or do you want to try paleo but don’t want (nor have the time) to become increasingly obsessed with every intricate detail of a caveman-like diet?

Just take a breath. This post is everyone friendly and based on a premise of common sense (as I am paleo but eat rice-lol).

So, for starters what the hell is it? Simply-Paleo, short for Paleolithic, is a caveman AND cavewoman diet. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, veg, nuts, seeds, and some seasonal fruit. Loads of great fats (yes including that yummy bit attached to your steak and bacon!), fermented foods, spices and herbs. No grains allowed (yes this means no rice), processed foods, legumes, dairy and a general avoidance of nasty preservatives and artificially coloured life.

So at its heart, a paleo diet is a good all round healthy diet and similar to what I put into meal planners for clients with weight loss goals, training and sports goals and for general wellbeing and feeling super energetic.

Many of the arguments for and against paleo diets are ridiculous, when at its heart it is a good wholesome diet. Google the word paleo and scroll through the never ending pages of dogmatic for and against and you will get the gist. This is a great way to eat. There are fantastic recipes. And they tick many gluten free, dairy free boxes for those with allergies or intolerances.

However, I think we need to be careful not to get caught up in the drama of it all and not to become obsessive. This is not a truly scientific caveman diet- just a modern day version where whole foods from the ground up are eaten every day. It’s the perfect way to get clear of all the processed crap in our life and stick to the veg and meat essentially. 

So the answer to paleo life on earth.....and I’m begging you at this stage....make it suit you and your family. If you like a yoghurt in the morning and feel ready to tackle the day after you eat it...then have it. Feel like a bit of rice once a month and have no pre-existing reasons why you can’t eat it? Then have some. Want to be fully and strictly paleo with no if’s or buts? GO HARD! (Though don’t go all fanatical on us- this suits you and that’s great- it may not be so for all your friends and family).

I’m not sure when we reached a point where we can’t make our own decisions on what we eat, or why we feel the need to be so strict with the boxes we build around ourselves. Especially with diet, not to mention how harshly we judge each other! There is a rare time and a place for strict meal planners and diets but for the average Joe’s who just want to eat well, put beautiful foods in our body and feel amazing every day, wouldn’t sustainable changes for the long term be a more practical and happy-making choice? 

 My advice…? Life is not all or nothing, nor is diet. It is a constant search for balance. Don’t freak out-take some pressure off you and your family. Give yourself a massive pat on the back because if you’re not eating the majority of processed foods from the supermarket and you’re reading this blog, you are probably not the average Joe. You are making a concerted effort to better your health-mind and body. Just remember to have fun with it. This is your life and food is essential to joy.