Journal Category: Health advice

Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) during pregnancy

written by Pria Schwall-Kearney, FGHG Osteopath

Ouch! Pelvic Girdle Pain in pregnancy (PGP) is often referred to as ‘pelvic instability’ and affects somewhere between 20-50% of pregnancies. PGP causes mild to severe pain in the pelvis/low back that becomes worse with movement.  It’s a significant source of pain and restriction for many pregnant women – but what actually is it?

The Pelvic girdle consists of seven bones – the triangular sacrum at the back (literally ‘sacred bone’ in latin, due to its role in childbirth) and three paired bones that make up the ‘hips’ – the ilia, ischia and pubic bones. Together these bones work together to take the weight of the spine, transfer and distribute forces evenly throughout the body whilst walking, and accommodate to allow the growth and passage of a baby throughout pregnancy and childbirth.pelvis diagramThe pelvis has three joints – the two sacroiliac joints at the bottom of your back (accommodating for rotation and forward/backward bending), and the pubic symphysis, located at the very front of the pelvis. If you place your hand on this joint, you can feel it performing a small scissoring motion while you walk. It is the location of these three joints that most pelvic girdle pain is felt.

While it used to be thought that pelvic girdle pain was purely due to the hormonal effects of pregnancy, it is now understood to be a mix of the slight increase in movement available in these joints (due to the relaxed ligaments), and an increase in mechanical pressure on these joints.

Biomechanics in pregnancy are a topic on their own, but it is suffice to say that a woman’s posture changes early and rapidly when pregnant. The low back increases its arch, the pelvis widens, the ribs spread at the front  and the legs step further apart to provide an increased base of support. It’s a well oiled machine – until it isn’t!  Just like non-pregnant people, areas of increased muscular/ligamentous tension can develop, either due to stress, sedentary/computer posture, fatigue, or a slip or fall. However, in pregnancy the musculoskeletal system is working much closer to capacity and it can have difficulty compensating for these areas, which can lead to the pelvic girdle pain of pregnancy.

While the majority of cases of PGP go away after the baby is born, during pregnancy it can lead to significant pain and disability, with women having difficulty performing their daily activities. It can negatively impact fitness, flexibility and sleep, all of which have implications for childbirth and the postpartum period. So what can we do about it?

Strengthening exercises and use of supportive ‘sacroiliac belts’ have good reports. Osteopathic management of patients with PGP includes assessment of pelvic joints, bones, muscles and ligaments and uses a range of manual techniques to balance these tensions. We also look at the biomechanics of the surrounding areas, as well as giving advice on stretches, exercises and referrals to other providers as necessary.

Pelvic girdle pain is not something you can expect during pregnancy, however it is very common. If you think you might be experiencing this, take heart – there are things to be done. See a health professional about it and don’t just suffer through nine months of pain!

 

Pria colourA registered Osteopath and mother of two, Pria has become increasingly passionate about supporting women and their families through the intense family phase of life. She uses a wide range of techniques and loves nothing more than listening to the body with her hands and successfully working out what it’s trying to say! Always learning, she regularly undertakes postgraduate training. Previous training has been in areas such as in the treatment of pregnancy, postpartum women and cranial osteopathy and has completed a Certificate IV in breastfeeding counselling, regularly volunteering with the Australian Breastfeeding Association.  She has a clinical interest in headaches as well as women’s health, including dysmennorhoea and pregnancy/postpartum care – supporting women’s bodies to move well throughout the changes associated with this period.

Acupuncture for improving sperm quality

Acupuncture for Improving Sperm Quality

Do you really need to improve your sperm health and can acupuncture help? If your semen analysis results came back less-than-ideal you are not alone. Male fertility is a common reason people go to IVF with research showing that 40% of infertility cases are due to poor sperm quality. The good news is that research also shows there is a lot you can do about it. Even if your results came back in the okay range you can still improve your sperm-health even further, giving you the best chance of conceiving.

Do I need to improve my sperm?

The answer is that we all probably could! Since 1989, there has been a 30% decrease in sperm count in the general male population and about one in twenty men has a fertility issue, even if they live a seemingly healthy lifestyle. This may be due to the plethora of environmental toxins we are all exposed to that are known or suspected to impact sperm quality.

Like women, men’s fertility also declines with age:

  • A man’s sperm volume drops by 20% between ages of 30 and 50.
  • The sperm motility (i.e. “swimming power”) drops 3.1% for each advancing year, whereas the percentage of sperm who swim in a purposeful manner decrease by 5%.
  • The older the man, the longer the length of time for his female partner to conceive as well as an increased incidence of miscarriage, regardless of her age.

Many men present with borderline sperm counts that have been deemed ‘fine’. There are a number of considerations we would take into account when assessing the values attributed to sperm counts. Firstly, it is important to know that reference ranges account for normal values in a given population. If the whole population has low values, then normal will be somewhere within a range of overall low values. This is shown clearly when looking at research comparing changes in normal values in a population over time. We also see that overall sperm counts have declined rapidly in the years 1935 to the present.

Secondly, during IVF in particular, low sperm counts are not considered to be a problem due to technological advancements that allow doctors to ‘choose the best’ sperm and inject it directly into the egg (Intercytoplasmic Sperm Injection, or ICSI).  From a natural medicine point of view, we would consider it important to improve the condition of the sperm overall to increase the likelihood of obtaining a healthy embryo when a healthy egg and sperm meet.

As an example of how sperm health affects embryo viability, consider that a non-smoking woman has been shown to have a 30% higher chance of miscarriage when her partner is a smoker than a couple who are both non-smokers. Studies have also shown that miscarriage and birth defect rates increase when fathers have lower sperm counts.

How is sperm evaluated for quality?

Sperm is evaluated according to four main parameters:

  • Volume (i.e. how much semen per ejaculation)
  • Density/concentration/count (i.e. how many million/ml)
  • Morphology (i.e. % of normal v. abnormal in shape)
  • Motility (i.e. % of moving/swimming sperm)

If any of these parameters are abnormal, fertility may be compromised.

Can Acupuncture improve sperm quality?

Acupuncture has been found to improve the motility of sperm by improving its zinc:cadmium ratio. Zinc improves sperm motility whereas cadmium causes thicker semen, thereby slowing the sperm. SOD, an antioxidant which increases both sperm count and motility is also positively influenced by acupuncture.  Furthermore, acupuncture can increase levels of metenkephalin (an opioid which allows sperm to remain mobile for longer) in sperm. Therefore, acupuncture around the female’s ovulation may increase the chance of conception.

Acupuncture has been shown to increase the percentage of sperm with normal morphology. Sperm takes between 70 – 90 days to fully mature, with some studies showing positive results after only 5 weeks (bi-weekly treatments). Improving morphology with acupuncture has also been shown to improve the fertilisation rate using Intercytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI, an IVF procedure).

Where do the needles go?

Acupuncture points for improving sperm quality are not located on the genitals! Rather, points on the lower back, lower leg &/or abdomen are used. These points are generally painless and are used to increase a person’s strength and vitality, improve digestion, promote good-quality sleep and relieve stress. Any other health problems are simultaneously addressed during an acupuncture treatment, since we believe that your whole wellbeing is important to the health of your sperm. At Fertile Ground, we consider 10 weekly treatments to be optimal owing to sperm maturation time, although a minimum of 4-5 weekly treatments can still achieve positive results.

What else can help?

Diet and nutrition, lifestyle, weight, exercise, environmental toxins and smoking (including marijuana) also play a huge role in sperm health. We believe the most powerful approach is to make changes in these areas together with having acupuncture to really sky-rocket your fertility. This is were we see the best results. In fact, acupuncture can help with lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking and treatment can be tailored to address this along with improving sperm quality.

 

 

Research and references
Jensen, TK, Carlsen, E, Jørgensen, N, Berthelsen, JG, Keiding, N, Christensen, K, Petersen, JH, Knudsen, LB and Skakkebæk, NE. 2002. Poor semen quality may contribute to recent decline in fertility rates. Human Reproduction 17(6): 1437-1440.

Paulus WE, Zhang M, Strehler E, El-Danasouri I, Sterzik K. 2002. Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy.

Siterman S, Eltes F, Wolfson V, Zabludovsky N, Bartoov B. 1997. Effect of acupuncture on sperm parameters of males suffering from sub-fertility related to low sperm quality.

Gurfinkel E, Cedenho AP, Yamamura Y, Srougi M. 2003. Effects of acupuncture and moxa treatment in patients with semen abnormalities.

Pei J, Strehler E, Noss U, Abt M, Piomboni P, Baccetti B, Sterzik K. 2005. Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility.

Dong C, Chen SR, Jiang J, Xiao YH, Cai MX, Zhang YJ, Xu H, Deng LH, Li S. 2006.

Clinical observation and study of mechanisms of needle-picking therapy for primary infertility of abnormal sperm.

Fujisawa M, Kanzaki M, Okada H, Arakawas S & Kamidono S. 1996. Metenkephalin in seminal plasma of infertile men.  International Journal of Urology 3(4): 297-300

Bensoussan A. 1990. The Vital Meridian. Churchill Livingstone: 112

Guzick DS, Overstreet JW, Factor-Litvak P. 2001. Sperm morphology, motility and concentration in fertile & infertile men. New England Journal of Medicine 345(19): 1388-1393.

Ford W, North K, Taylor H, Farrow A, Hull M, Golding J. 2000. Increasing paternal age is associated with delayed conception in large population of fertile couples: evidence for declining fecundity in older men. Human Reproduction 15(8): 1703-1708.

Grieving the loss of mum on Mother’s Day

Mothers Grief

By Lucy Vorbach, Acupuncturist

Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. While for most it is a loving and joyous day, for those, like me, who have lost their mum it may not be the case.

A year ago today, I was writing my mother’s eulogy. On the 29th of April 2017, my mum passed away suddenly from the flu. Two days before she had told me she was feeling better. She was admitted to hospital in the early hours of Friday morning. She was diagnosed with double pneumonia and passed away by lunchtime Saturday. It was by far the worst day of my life. So, when my friend asked me yesterday “What does Mother’s Day mean to me this year”, I couldn’t answer her. My feeling was numbness.

Nothing can prepare you for what it is like to lose your mum. Three of my closest friends have lost their own mothers before me. I felt deeply sad for them, offered them words of comfort, I tried to support them in anyway I could think of, even offering out my own mother to help my friends “get through” the grief. I had no idea though how excruciating it is to no longer have your mother.

I was in the supermarket the other day and found myself standing in the isle where the entire Mothers’ Day cards and gifts were displayed. For half an hour, I stood there reading the prose of the Mother’s Day cards. With tears rolling down my face I pondered which one I would buy my mum, then said to myself “don’t be silly” and walked away. This morning I have realized that despite my mother not being here, I never want to stop honoring her. How can I do this on Mother’s Day? I cannot plan for how I am going to feel but I do know the things that have helped me in the past year to feel better. For those who have also lost their mother, maybe my plan will help you too.

My 10 Step plan:

  1. Start my day with gratitude- I am so grateful in so many ways for the mother I had. She was an amazing woman and I am so lucky to have had her as my mum. Starting my day with gratitude frames my day to be filled with positivity.
  2. Spending time with family, friends and the support network that have helped me to move forward step by step this year- I’m going to Warrnambool to spend the day with my brother and sister- in-law and my 4 year old twin niece and nephew. Spending time surrounded by the people I love makes my heart full.
  3. Exercise helps to release stress and tension and most importantly to me, clear my mind. My sister in law and I ran the mother’s day classic last year and we will be participating again this year. Last year was not easy. Crossing the finish line together holding hands is a moment I will never forget.
  4. Write my mum a Mother’s Day card. Roll it up and put it in a balloon. Fill it with helium and let it go for her to catch.
  5. Write! Writing about my mum helped me in the healing process. I have written her letters, written about how I feel and noted memories. I have poured out my heart in words and this has helped me to keep going when I’ve felt scared or lost.
  6. Have a glass of her favourite wine. I will need to hold my nose for this as I don’t drink (much to her disgust!).
  7. Talk about her and the wonderful memories we have!
  8. Take joy in life. She would want me to do this. Take time to appreciate and listen.
  9. Light a candle in her honor- my niece and nephew will love blowing them out over and over again
  10. Allow myself to feel and know that it is okay! It’s okay to be sad, okay to be happy, okay to feel love and be loved. It took me a long time to realize this during this past year but I now know that “feeling” speeds up the grieving process and that my mum would not want me to be sad for any longer than I need to be.

Now that I have my 10 step plan in place, I am confident that this Mother’s Day will be a little easier for me to manage. On that note, I am off to the supermarket to buy my mum a Mothers Day card.

Sending all my love to the mums and mum’s-to-be this Mother’s Day.

Lucy xx

Marijuana and your fertility: are my eggs/sperm “stoned” too?

by Charmaine Dennis FGHG Director and Naturopath

The most commonly used illicit drug amongst people of reproductive age, this one is worth discussing as it is linked to decreased fertility in both men and women, dramatically affecting the quality of sperm and impacting negatively on the health of developing babies during pregnancy.

In men, marijuana disrupts the complex THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) weakens sexual drive and reduces sperm production by interfering with the production of testosterone. Sperm party hard too – research has shown that they become hyperactive, swimming too hard too early and burning out before they reach the egg.1 Yes every cell in your body becomes “stoned” and if sperm don’t have the energy left by the time they reach the egg, they don’t have a chance of breaking through the outer casing of the egg for fertilisation to occur.

Women who smoke marijuana also secrete small amounts of THC in vaginal fluid and reproductive organs, and when the sperm come into contact with it, they go into party mode, becoming hyperactive and burn out too quickly. Marijuana can also harm a developing baby, especially in the first weeks when you may not even know you are pregnant.

Consequences of smoking marijuana on fertility

In Men: 1,2

  • reduces libido and sexual function
  • decreases fertility
  • reduces the number of sperm produced
  • reduces capacity of sperm to fertilise the egg

In Women:3

  • reduces chances of conception
  • reduces the number of eggs retrieved in IVF4
  • reduces chances of healthy pregnancy, associated with implantation failure, spontaneous miscarriage, foetal growth restriction, low birth weight babies and premature birth5

Of course some men who smoke marijuana do get women pregnant, but every man has a different fertile potential and it changes throughout his life. If your fertility is already compromised, smoking marijuana will make you infertile. Women who smoke can also conceive, but as for men, if your fertility is already compromised by any factor, or your man’s fertility is poor, smoking marijuana will make it very difficult to conceive, reducing your chance of having a healthy baby.

If you are trying to conceive we recommend that you don’t use marijuana in any form
Aside from the above risks, marijuana may also be contaminated with problematic heavy metals (such as lead to increase its weight and sale value per gram) or more addictive illicit drugs, such as cocaine. It’s just not worth it.

Research is tricky to conduct on the singular impacts of marijuana on fertility specifically, as people who do smoke or consume it tend to higher rates of cigarette smoking, alcohol, caffeine and other illicit drug use before and during pregnancy, confounding results of any research as they are known to cause issues for fertility and pregnancy.  Of course marijuana is often smoked in combination with tobacco and this has it’s own inherent fertility disasters too.

What about other drugs?
Party drugs, street drugs, illicit drugs such as cocaine, speed, ecstasy, heroin and ice all have dramatic affects on fertility and of course your overall health. Men may suffer reduced libido, abnormally shaped sperm and low sperm count and women often suffer abnormal ovulation and irregular menstrual cycles as well as a reduction in ovarian reserve.1 Long-term use can lead to permanent problems for your fertility and your baby, but in many cases, any damage caused may start to reverse as soon as you quit your habit.

Results from research can be confusing, however, the growing body of evidence that suggests that to produce optimal outcomes for healthy pregnancy and baby, women and men should be encouraged to avoid all forms of substance use behaviour while trying to conceive and during pregnancy.

My future baby
With the regular use of any addictive substance during pregnancy, your baby must suffer the withdrawal symptoms after birth that you are avoiding yourself. After getting your baby used to regular doses of these substances, even though some will cross to the breast milk, compared to being more directly attached to your blood supply there is a dramatic reduction in exposure. This means your baby suffers severe headaches, pains, shakiness, emotional turmoil – all of this while getting to know the feeling of life on the outside – what a difficult start to life (for all of you!). There is no better reason to give up now! Giving up now is not more stressful than the potential poor health outcomes you are creating for yourself and your baby.

But what if I am addicted? How can I give up?
Stay motivated. Get support. Join a group. Be kind to yourself but stay on track. Remind yourself why you are doing it. Reward yourself regularly. Save up the money you don’t spend on these things and treat yourself to a massage – or even a holiday! Do the maths – most people don’t realise how much these habits are costing them!  Literally put the money aside and use it to reward yourselves every week or month that you stay on track.

Support for detoxification with naturopathic work can help by improving elimination and reducing suffering experienced during withdrawal and reduce cravings. Acupuncture and hypnotherapy have both been shown to significantly reduce cravings.

With our patients we often find that emotional reasons underlie substance use. We try to duck and weave away from our feelings and fears by masking them or pushing them down with a cigarette/a drink/a shopping spree/a food binge … (or insert your special avoidance tactic here).

Counselling of some kind can be very useful to identify the ways in which we hide, what in fact we are hiding from and how we can show up to and resolve these issues without the need to dampen it down. You may have tried this in the past and didn’t find it worked for you – don’t give up! Try someone else, something else to give you the support you need to make the change.

You know the ways these things are harmful for you, your fertility and your baby. Now is the time to work on this and it will actually make the inevitable stresses of early parenting easier too. Let us know if you need a referral to a good practitioner.

Research cited:

  1. Fronczak CM, Kim ED, Barqawi AB. The insults of illicit drug use on male fertility. J Androl. 2012;33(4):515-528. doi:10.2164/jandrol.110.011874
  2. du Plessis SS, Agarwal A, Syriac A. Marijuana, phytocannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system, and male fertility. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2015;32(11):1575-1588. doi:10.1007/s10815-015-0553-8
  3. Brents LK. Marijuana, the Endocannabinoid System and the Female Reproductive System. Yale J Biol Med. 2016;89(2):175-191. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27354844. Accessed April 18, 2018.
  4. Klonoff-Cohen HS, Natarajan L, Victoria Chen R. A prospective study of the effects of female and male marijuana use on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) outcomes. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2006;194(2):369-376. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2005.08.020
  5. Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ, Northstone K. Maternal use of cannabis and pregnancy outcome. BJOG An Int J Obstet Gynaecol. 2002;109(1):21-27. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.2002.01020.x

Charmaine Dennis NaturopathCharmaine Dennis is a naturopath, fertility and health expert, mentor, writer, mother, and businesswoman. She is the founding director of Fertile Ground Health Group, co-creator of the Be Fertile relaxation CD series and co-author of The Breakfast Project, among other health inspired projects. Her greatest gift and inspiration is making health, wellbeing, and passionate living accessible, inspiring and achievable for everyone. Charmaine’s naturopathic career has followed a special interest in working with couples with infertility requiring IVF support since 1999.  She has assisted many in realising their dreams to conceive healthy, beautiful babies in collaboration with GPs and fertility specialists, acupuncturists and other health modalities.

 

Food allergies and intolerances in children

by Sarah Harris, FGHG Naturopath

Allergy and immune diseases are among the fastest growing chronic diseases in Australia. In fact, 1 in 10 babies are born with an immediate allergy to food. The impact allergy can have on a child as they grow becomes even more apparent at school age. It can be a major reason for school absenteeism, whilst allergy symptoms and some medications used to treat those symptoms can lead to poor learning at school and may also be a risk factor for ADHD.

What are the symptoms of allergies or intolerances?

Symptoms of allergies and intolerances may be quite different to what you would expect. There may be the common and more obvious symptom of mucous congestion or there may be something less specific like restlessness. Here are some key signs to look out for:

  • Instead of feeling more energetic after a meal, a child may feel tired or out of balance in some way
  • Mucous congestion, often caused by difficulty digesting lactose, can lead to a constant runny nose, chronic cough, or even asthma
  • Children experiencing restlessness, ear tugging, hyperactivity, mood changes, unusually quiet, or bed wetting may be signs of reactivity
  • Symptoms can be worse at night, with mouth breathing and snoring, which interferes with sleep and leads to irritability
  • A child will often crave the very food that is worst for them…seen as a child showing a ‘love’ they show for nothing else!

Allergy and reactivity symptoms can vary significantly from person to person and even vary at different times of our lives depending on our state of health. Intolerance or sensitivity is different to, but can lead to allergy. Allergy reactivity can vary from a serious anaphylactic response to allergic conditions such as hay fever, allergic asthma, eczema (atopic dermatitis) or food allergies; extending to a diverse range of physical symptoms including respiratory symptoms (red itchy nose, sneezing, sinus pain), gut symptoms (cramping, bloating, flatulence) and/ or skin symptoms (red/ itchy skin or hives).

If you suspect that symptoms are related to a food – then you are most likely right!

Intolerance to certain foods can be a result of poor digestion caused by enzymes imbalances (such as in reactions to milk products) and reactivity to chemicals in foods (natural: histamine, salicylates; or food additives, often synthetic). These can lead to additional, less specific systemic symptoms such as headaches, poor concentration, mood changes and energy slumps. Food allergy is also a key factor for atopic conditions such as eczema, hay fever, asthma; whilst other causes may be early exposure to solid foods or formula and heavy exposure to environmental allergens.

Digestive health is the key.
Allergy and reactivity has multiple causes and contributing factors, including genetics and environment but often gut health is at the centre of the problem.

Poor digestive health plays a crucial role in the development of allergies and intolerances. With approximately 70 per cent of the immune system residing within the gastrointestinal tract there is a close connection between the immune system and integrity of the gut. Healthy gut flora (microbiome) plays an important role in enhancing immune tolerance; the resulting appropriate processing of proteins is fundamental to the prevention of allergy in children, whilst poor digestion can lead to intolerance and allergy over a lifetime. Use of antibiotics, although essential at times, can negatively affect digestive function and immunity.

What can be done about allergy and reactivity?
Essentially, get help to assist you to identify the real cause and navigate the maze of testing, elimination diets and improving gut health. Immune processes can be modified to help you or your family to become less reactive. Dietary changes can be helpful; such as eliminating wheat or dairy, although sometimes it feels like “where do I begin?” Short-term symptomatic relief is important in order to relieve physical and emotional consequences of allergy symptoms and can be gained by avoiding the allergen (trigger). However, nutritional deficiencies, especially in children, can result from highly restrictive diets that eliminate entire food groups. Focus on correcting the underlying processes that perpetuate symptoms, combined with therapeutic elimination and gradual re-introduction of appropriate foods, creates the potential to decrease the frequency and intensity of the symptoms experienced. Increasing tolerance to food and environmental factors can enable improved quality of life, both short and long-term, which is preferable to a long-term restrictive diet.

By understanding yours or your child’s aggravating food groups according to the symptoms you experience alongside optional testing of potential allergens, an individualised program can be recommended by your Naturopath. Resting from foods that you are sensitive to reduces the immune system load. Herbal medicine and nutritional supplementation improves immune tolerance, reducing allergic symptoms, and works at a deeper level, to support a more normal immune system function.

 

sarahharris_edited_colourSarah Harris is a qualified and experienced naturopath, herbalist and nutritionist with more than a decade of knowledge and practice in complementary medicine. As a mother of three children and highly skilled in providing  naturopathic care, Sarah has a special interest in treating children of all ages. Her empathetic and kind nature instills comfort and confidence when providing advice to parents about their child’s health and she works well with families and individuals to find solutions for health concerns.

Buddha Brekky Bowls

by Charmaine Dennis, FGHG Director and Naturopath

Variety is the spice of life – so good for getting a variety of micro, macro nutrients and phytochemicals, pre and probiotics for your microbiome, fibre for your digestive health, and keep you interested in breakfast! These Buddha Brekky bowls are super flexible. You can mix and match whatever little tasty bits you feel like on the day. Your kids will love it too!

What have I forgotten here? What else would you add?

1TBS of each… -ish… whatever you feel like on the day… all organic if you can. Soak the nuts and seeds overnight if you can… or buy already “ activated”.

  • Gluten Free muesli – buy a couple of varieties, or simply soak some oats if you need it as a base. You can get GF oats at the health food store if needed. Adding lots of other bits and pieces of wholefoods will reduce any sugar load in a commercial muesli – or delete the muesli altogether.
  • Walnuts
  • Almonds
  • Macadamias
  • Brazil nuts (try to get the ones grown in Brazil as they are much higher in selenium)
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Linseeds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Chia Seeds – you can soak them in coconut or almond milk overnight for a few spoons of a tasty pudding – or just sprinkle them on, but they do love to get stuck in your teeth!
  • Nut butter – peanut, ABC, cashew etc
  • Dried Coconut
  • Cacao nibs
  • Goji Berries
  • Natural cow, goat, sheep or coconut yoghurt
  • Kefir
  • Fresh almond milk
  • Berries/mango/banana
  • Bee Pollen (small sprinkle)

Come and join us for breakfast! We’re over on our FB page sharing ideas, recipes, pics and inspiration as a community of breakfast lovers HERE.

For more nutritious and delicious breakfast recipes check out Charmaine and Milly’s “The Breakfast Project” e-book.

Breakfast Project Cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CharmaineDENNISC1

Charmaine Dennis is a naturopath, fertility and health expert, mentor, writer, mother, and businesswoman. She is the founding director of Fertile Ground Health Group, co-creator of the Be Fertile relaxation CD series and co-author of The Breakfast Project, among other health inspired projects. Her greatest gift and inspiration is making health, wellbeing, and passionate living accessible, inspiring and achievable for everyone. Charmaine’s naturopathic career has followed a special interest in working with couples with infertility requiring IVF support since 1999.  She has assisted many in realising their dreams to conceive healthy, beautiful babies in collaboration with GPs and fertility specialists, acupuncturists and other health modalities.

 

 

 

 

 

Fertility charting instructions for conscious conception

Fertility Chart

by Charmaine Dennis, FGHG Director and Naturopath

Do you want to know exactly when you are fertile so that you can have the best chance of consciously concieving each cycle? Your body will give you all of the signs that you need to identify your fertile time of the month – your fertile window. Fertility charting is a highly accurate way to become aware that ovulation is imminent and often very easy to learn. You may find that you can easily interpret your signs and get started at timing your attempts to concieve with no trouble. If you have irregular cycles or have trouble clearly seeing the signs you may need extra guidance from one of our naturopaths or acupuncturists.

Where time permits, it is useful to check and record the signs and symptoms of your reproductive cycle for a few cycles before you try to conceive. Knowing your signs of ovulation and timing your sex with understanding of your cycle will give you an increased sense of confidence in your conscious conception. Marking secondary symptoms like headaches or fluid retention gives very useful information about your cycle and hormones to assist with providing the best treatment for your individual needs. Download your free chart here to get started.

CHECKING AND RECORDING YOUR CERVICAL MUCUS CHANGES

Check your mucus each time you go to the toilet (before urination) by wiping at the opening to your vagina and stretching it out between two fingers. Record the amount, colour, texture, and external sensation on your chart. Always record the most fertile mucus you noticed that day.

Your basic infertile pattern of mucus can vary from none/dry or damp, pasty, flaky, crumbly, thick, dense in the non-fertile phases. As ovulation approaches, the mucus pattern will change to creamy or milky and start to increase and become wetter. Your fertile mucus will be clear, wet, watery, slimy, slippery or stretchy at ovulation, more like raw egg white.

How does the outside of your vagina feel? Is it wet or dry, moist or damp? Is there a lot of it, a medium amount or very little. The wetter the sensation, the more fertile you are.

You are most fertile in the 2-3 days before and on the day of ovulation. This is your Fertile Window. This clear, egg white mucus will help the sperm to reach the egg.

Immediately after ovulation, there is a marked decrease in mucus production, with a quick return to your basic infertilepattern. You can confirm ovulation has occurred if you are charting your temperature as well (see below).

CHECKING AND RECORDING YOUR RESTING TEMPERATURE
You need a digital thermometer designed for under-the-tongue use (not an ear thermometer).

Have the thermometer beside your bed before you go to sleep. On waking, before getting out of bed or even talking, take your temperature by placing the thermometer under your tongue. It is important to make as little movement as possible whilst taking your temperature to get a true resting temperature. On your chart place a dot in the box that corresponds to your temperature and day of cycle.

Many thermometers keep the temperature displayed until you use it again, so you don’t have to record it straight away if it is still dark or you are trying not to wake your partner.

Your temperature needs to be taken ideally at the same time each morning after at least 5 hours consecutive sleep. Mark your regular waking time, and record any variation. When you sleep in, record the temperature and add a second mark 0.05 down (one box) for every ½ hour extra sleep. If you wake up early, adjust your temperature 0.05 up for every 1/2 hour.

Usually, there will be a “thermal shift” of about ½ a degree celsius that indicates ovulation has occurred. The temperature starts to shift after the egg is released – The rule is 3 over 5 – you need to see 3 mornings of higher temperatures than the last 5. This is why you can’t use temperature charts to time your conception attempts, as once the shift has occurred, ovulation is already over and you have missed your chance. You can however record any sex you have had and use your chart to see if you did indeed get the timing right in that cycle to know that you are in with a chance.

Conditions that may affect your temperature may include things like a late night, fever, a cold, sleeping in, broken sleep or alcohol. These may cause abnormally high or low temperatures, so it is important to record them for understanding your temperatures when looking back over time.

MAKING SENSE OF IT
Scan and email, or bring your charts to every appointment where possible. Your practitioner will help you to understand and interpret your chart with ease. It may seem confusing at first but with in a few cycles, it will become clear – a free and easy method to understand your cycle for your reproductive life.

 

CharmaineDENNISC1Charmaine Dennis is a naturopath, fertility and health expert, mentor, writer, mother, and businesswoman. She is the founding director of Fertile Ground Health Group, co-creator of the Be Fertile relaxation CD series and co-author of The Breakfast Project, among other health inspired projects. Her greatest gift and inspiration is making health, wellbeing, and passionate living accessible, inspiring and achievable for everyone. Charmaine’s naturopathic career has followed a special interest in working with couples with infertility requiring IVF support since 1999.  She has assisted many in realising their dreams to conceive healthy, beautiful babies in collaboration with GPs and fertility specialists, acupuncturists and other health modalities.

Sleep Boosters

By Consuella Garreffa, Diploma Remedial Massage, Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition) – current

Making up the triangle of a healthy lifestyle alongside diet and exercise, is ensuring a restful sleep cycle. Sleep allows our body and mind to fully relax and recharge. We like to think something that is so important for our wellbeing should be so easy. But often a full night’s uninterrupted sleep is not as easy at it seems.

Have you ever got into bed and felt like every problem you put on the back burner during the day has now decided to pop up to be solved and two hours later you’re suddenly wondering why humans talk and monkeys don’t?

After a long day out and about I think we can all agree that this is the last thing that needs to be solved!

With a little help from these sleep boosters you should see less time solving the language of the world at all hours of the night and more time recharging your body and mind for the next day ahead.

1. MASSAGE

Human touch is an important part of survival. This is no wonder when you think of all the things it helps to alleviate when receiving a cuddle from a friend in times of stress, a pat on the back for encouragement, or a massage when you’ve got aching muscles. But there is more to massage than what you may think. A one-hour therapeutic massage has been shown to positively increase our hormones serotonin and melatonin needed for that crucial nights sleep.

2. SWITCH OFF

Research suggests that exposure to blue light (projecting from LED, mobile phones, computers and tv screens) down-regulates production of the sleep hormone Melatonin. Switching off these devices at least an hour before going to bed will help the body to produce melatonin – important for that peaceful nights sleep.

3. TEMPERATURE

Throughout the day our body temperature likes to sit at around 37degrees, when we go to sleep this temperature generally drops, varying 1-2degrees. Make sure your room is well ventilated; keep a window open where possible. Ensure pyjamas are made of natural fibres such as cotton, allowing the body to breathe. Shall you dare, sleeping naked is most optimal, allowing your skin to fully breathe.

4. MEDITATE

Whether you’re in a full time job, on holidays or retired; it is always important to take time to check in. Meditation prior to going to bed helps to manage stressors by grounding thoughts. Free useful apps such as Headspace and the Smiling Mind App will assist in guided meditations or you could choose to download the Be Fertile meditations from Fertile Ground website. All you have to do is select one that connects with you.

5. SMELL THE ROSES

Smells may trigger different emotions and feelings for different individuals. Essential oils such as lavender, vetiver, chamomile and bergamot can be applied topically with oil such as sweet almond oil or place a few drops in a diffuser in the bedroom. Don’t have a diffuser but having a shower or bath prior to bed? Pop a few drops on a hot face washer in the shower and let the steam diffuse it whilst bathing to promote calm and relaxation.

6. LET THAT WATER RUN

Talking about showers, have that shower just before bed. The warmth of the shower can help signal that temperature drop spoken about earlier. Once warming up the body needs to cool down as you get out and dry yourself off. It can also be a nice mindful exercise to practice visualising any daily stressors being washed beyond your head, down your shoulders and down the drain… simply washing away any heavy thoughts.

7. BELLY BLISS

Eating and sleeping can be two of the best past times. Let’s keep them apart though. Once we’ve had a beautiful satisfying meal our body has a slight temperature rise as metabolism speeds up and digestion occurs. Allowing a few hours prior to lying down ensures that the most of our dinner has moved through our stomach and therefore will not be likely to cause any discomfort such as reflux or heartburn.

8. FEEL THE SUN

Spending time outdoors during the day time gives us a lovely boost of serotonin. Serotonin is a wonder hormone helping us feel happy and at good levels we feel content with a positive outlook and mental state. As the sun goes down and it gets darker this serotonin is then converted to that very important sleep hormone mentioned earlier, melatonin. We LOVE melatonin at sleep time!

9. MOVE

MOVE. It’s that simple. Our body is designed to move. Just 20 minutes a day is proven to help assist in a productive sleep as well as increased energy during the day – double bonus!

 

Consuella_Garreffa colour

Consuella Garreffa, Diploma Remedial Massage, Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition) – current

Consuella Garreffa is a Remedial Massage therapist with years of valuable experience and is currently studying a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutrition. Since birth Consuella has been immersed in natural living principles, growing up on a vineyard in Mildura where traditional methods were opted to prevent disease and treat any health complaints.

Char’s Mouth-watering Chocolate Health Cake

by Charmaine Dennis, FGHG Director and Naturopath

Impress your friends and loved ones with health cake.

Super easy, quick to make AND pretty. It’s nutrient dense, high in fibre, good fats, antioxidants, protein and energy as well as gluten, dairy and soy free and fine for vegans too.  Small pieces are satisfying so it is a good idea for afternoon treat compared with a chocolate bar – but if you need something like to get though your afternoon or crave something sweet after dinner, you should probably come have an appointment with one of us to help you sort out your blood sugar balance!

My favourite part is how the thick layer of chocolate on the top cracks when you cut it. Such a satisfying sound.

Ingredients
·       2 cups walnut halves (soaked for 4 hours or overnight, rinsed and dried)
·       ½ cup shredded coconut
·       1/3 cup rolled oats
·       ¼ cup chia seeds (white or black)
·       2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
·       1 tablespoon raw cocao powder
·       pinch chilli
·       pinch sea salt flakes
·       18 medjool dates, fresh, pits removed
·       100g good quality dark chocolate, at least 75% and fair trade or organic
·       Raw cacao powder, sifted over to serve
(Organic ingredients where possible make it taste even better of course)
Instructions
1.     Process the walnuts, coconut, oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, cocoa, chilli and salt in a food processor until all the ingredients are chopped (not too finely) and mixed.
2.     With the blades spinning, add the dates a few pieces at a time, until all the dates are added and mixture is starting to come together. Stop the processer and spoon down the sides a couple of times to mix well.
3.     Press the mixture evenly into a 20cm cake tin, lined with baking paper (no need to grease) pressing and smoothing the surface down firmly with the back of a metal spoon.
4.     Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over boiling water and poor gently onto the top of the cake to cover completely to the sides
5.     Cover and refrigerate until required.
6.     To serve, dust with more cacao and cut into thin wedges

Notes
This recipe can also be turned into a slice or balls and rolled in cacao or coconut or dipped in the chocolate. If you are gifting the cake, it is nice to make a few balls to keep for yourself too.
Throw in what ever interesting ingredients you have – try other nuts like cashews or macadamias or seeds like sunflower or pipitas, nut butter, tahini, dry goji berries or other dry fruit, puffed quinoa or amaranth, matcha, bee pollen, maple syrup. You can experiment with different interesting tastes every time. Bit of this, bit of that, taste, taste, yum, yum.
It will keep in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Let us know if you make one – we would love to hear about your variations.

 

CharmaineDENNISC1Charmaine Dennis is a naturopath, fertility and health expert, mentor, writer, mother, and businesswoman. She is the founding director of Fertile Ground Health Group, co-creator of the Be Fertile relaxation CD series and co-author of The Breakfast Project, among other health inspired projects. Her greatest gift and inspiration is making health, wellbeing, and passionate living accessible, inspiring and achievable for everyone. Charmaine’s naturopathic career has followed a special interest in working with couples with infertility requiring IVF support since 1999.  She has assisted many in realising their dreams to conceive healthy, beautiful babies in collaboration with GPs and fertility specialists, acupuncturists and other health modalities.

Top 10 Steps to a Healthy Home: a guest post by Nicole Bijlsma

Toxic exposure is all around us but most people aren’t aware of how they are being impacted, even in their own home. Nicole Bijlsma has delved deeply into this, as she explains in her book Healthy Home Healthy Family:

“As I sifted through the research, three things became apparent: firstly, there was an incredible amount of information about the health hazards in the built environment that was documented in the scientific literature. Secondly, corporations with vested interests had a significant influence in the way exposure standards for chemicals and electromagnetic fields were established and regulated. Lastly, there were various governmental and non-governmental agencies in various countries around the world willing to tackle these issues; unfortunately, Australia was not one of them.”

So how can we avoid it when it’s right where we live? To help us not only become aware of the hazards but also do something about them Nicole has kindly shared her top 10 tips on how to avoid toxins in the home that impact your family’s health.

Nicole’s Top 10 Steps to a Healthy Home

  1. Take your shoes off before you enter the home as this will reduce toxicants like pesticides and traffic-related air pollutants being tracked onto carpets
  2. Get rid of the clutter, because it restricts air flow, increases the dust load and encourages house dust mites and pests
  3. Use a vacuum cleaner fitted with a HEPA filter and motorised head to reduce the allergen load (house dust mites, mould, pet and pest dander) in the home.
  4. Dust your home with a slightly damp microfibre cloth followed by a clean, dry tea towel.
  5. Reduce the chemical load in your home. Air fresheners, perfume, pesticides, solvents, paints, cleaning and personal care products contribute to poor indoor air quality.
  6. Use the sun to air pillows and mattresses, pet bedding, chopping boards and soft toys.
  7. Store food and beverages in glass, stainless steel and lead-free ceramics. Avoid plastics, pewter, highly coloured ceramics, ceramics with a corroded glaze and leaded crystal.
  8. Ensure electrical appliances are at least 1 metre away from your bed, favourite couch and any other areas where you spend time in order to reduce your exposure to electromagnetic fields.
  9. Chlorine and fluoride in drinking water are associated with health risks. Use a water filter.
  10. Mould is caused by dampness and moisture. Find the moisture first and then remove the mould with a damp microfibre cloth.

 

Nicole BijlsmaInspired by her own fertility health issues, Nicole Bijlsma has spent the past 15 years researching health hazards in the home. She has become a building biology expert and she shares her knowledge in her best selling book, Healthy Home Healthy Family. But Nicole is not just stopping there. She’s on a mission to help millions of people by developing a Healthy Home Tool as part of her current PhD. You can help her by buying a copy of her book or donating.