Journal Category: Latest News

By Gina Fox, Naturopath

Not just an issue at menopause, bone density is a lifelong women’s health issue.

Calcium is important in pregnancy and for fertility.  Here’s the low down.

If you’re a woman this might be an issue for you and the time to do something about it is NOW!  Don’t wait until you get to menopause to build bone strength. That’s a bit like waiting till the horse has actually bolted.

Are you at risk of low bone density?

Do you:

• eat very little calcium?
• take corticosteroids?
• do very little exercise?
• have low vitamin D?
• have a close relative with osteoporosis?
• have digestive issues?
• smoke?
• have a slight build?
• not have children?
• are you pregnant? 

Calcium plays a premier role during pregnancy to build strong bones and teeth when the baby will take what they need and may leave you deficient.  Building up calcium stores before you get pregnant is a wise move and as calcium is needed for healthy functioning of all our cells then it follows that it’s helpful to lift our fertility too.

What can you do to build strong bones?

Here are 5 simple things you can action straight away ….

1. Step up your exercise and make it varied as the best bone strengthening support is a combination of weight bearing, muscle strengthening, high-impact and high-intensity resistance training. Choose from walking, jogging, skipping, tennis or a team sport if that’s your thing. Make resistance exercise like using weights or a stretch band part of your exercise 2-3 times a week. Government guidelines recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most days and if you need motivation then ask friends about a good personal trainer or visit your local gym for inspiration. They’ll put a program together for you and it’s much more motivating exercising with others.

2. If you smoke that’s a real no no. Women who smoke lose bone density faster than those who don’t and smokers have a 40-45% increased risk of hip fracture. Stopping is hard so get help from one of our acupuncturists or visit a hypnotherapist.

3. Eat more calcium-rich foods. Yes dairy is a good source but that’s not the whole story. You’re aiming for 1000 mg of calcium daily which means around 3 serves of calcium rich food.  Dairy, soy, salmon or sardines with the bones and a daily serve of vegetables such as broccoli, bok choy or silverbeet are all great calcium sources.   Snacking on a small handful of almonds, sesame or pumpkin seeds or munching on tahini as a regular snack is an easy way to add a little more.

4. A daily dose of sunshine will help the calcium be absorbed into your bones. Safe sun exposure in Victoria recommends no sun screen between May and August and make sure you go in the sun for around 15-20 minutes ideally around mid-day each day. Between September to April 5-8 minutes of skin exposed to the sun either mid-morning or mid-afternoon on most days should be enough. Add in some more vitamin D through eating fatty fish like herring, salmon or mackerel, organic beef liver, butter and eggs.

5. Stay on the wagon a few days of every week and when you do drink keep to the guidelines for women – no more than two standard drinks nightly. It’s not well known but alcohol can reduce calcium absorption.

If you start now with some of these simple strategies your bones will stay strong and watch out for the side-effects –   more energy, feeling stronger, less coughs and colds and better sleep.

Need more help?

Consult one of our naturopaths if you are concerned you may need a calcium supplement as not all are created equal and keeping within safe dosing is important.  You don’t have to wait for menopause to start thinking about your bone health.  Sadly too many women do so if you know one of them, send them our way for a wealth of other tips on reducing fracture risk and strengthening bones.

Who wrote this?

Gina Fox is a naturopath with over 12 years’ experience. She trained under Francesca Naish (author of Better Babies) and is currently undertaking a Masters in Reproductive Medicine. As well as being an experienced clinician she is a speaker, naturopathic lecturer and student clinic supervisor.

Gina is highly skilled in providing naturopathic care for women’s health issues, pre-conception health, infertility, IVF support, pregnancy care and through menopause. She treats a wide range of issues including recurrent miscarriage, thyroid, auto-immune antibodies and she has seen good results working with men to improve sperm quality. She also enjoys the post birth appointments with mother and baby, maximizing wellness for the whole family and educating parents on how to manage many common childhood illnesses. Her professional approach involves working in collaboration with doctors and specialists to create an effective co-ordinated treatment.

References

Ebeling, P. R. (2013). “Building healthy bones throughout life: an evidence-informed strategy to prevent osteoporosis in Australia.” Med J Aust 199(7 Suppl): S1.

Greenway, K. G., J. W. Walkley and P. A. Rich (2015). “Relationships between self-reported lifetime physical activity, estimates of current physical fitness, and aBMD in adult premenopausal women.” Arch Osteoporos 10: 34

Liberato, S. C., J. Bressan and A. P. Hills (2013). “The role of physical activity and diet on bone mineral indices in young men: a cross-sectional study.” J Int Soc Sports Nutr 10(1): 43.

Victoria, S. (2016). “How much sun is enough.” from http://www.sunsmart.com.au/vitamin-d/how-much-sun-is-enough.

Weaver, C. M., D. D. Alexander, C. J. Boushey, B. Dawson-Hughes, J. M. Lappe, M. S. LeBoff, S. Liu, A. C. Looker, T. C. Wallace and D. D. Wang (2016). “Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and risk of fractures: an updated meta-analysis from the National Osteoporosis Foundation.” Osteoporos Int 27(1): 367-376.

After going through menarche at 17 years of age and proceeding with a persistently irregular cycle (6 months – 1 year), I naturally concluded I was not of the breeding kind. As this didn’t bother me so much at such an immature age.

At 23 I was diagnosed with PCOS after a an ultra-sound showing multiple follicles and blood tests showing high testosterone with high free-androgen index. I was more upset then I ever would have expected. I was referred to a gynaecologist who told me to take the Pill. With no desire to do so I quickly moved on to see an endocrinologist in Sydney. This doctor took a different approach and put me on a little cocktail of Androcur and Oestrodial. Ignorantly, but glad not to be on the pill I took them both for one and a half years with no period. After I found out on the internet that Androcur was given to sex offenders, I ended my relationship with Androcur and Oestrodial.

Six months after stopping Androcur, my testosterone levels remained lower than before but were beginning to rise. I put up with the irregularities, or put them to the back of my mind until I moved to China when I was 27. In China I took regular herbs and had a more relaxing lifestyle. After about 8 months my period started to show every 2-3 months! Then upon coming home my hormones weren’t so decisive and I skipped a few periods.

One day in mid 2013 I read an article in the Fertile Ground Health Group newsletter by Tina Jenkins about PCOS, so I made an appointment.

At this stage my Free Testosterone was 20.16, FSH 5.2 and LH 28.7. My first 1st full cycle I had under Tina’s care, was a picture perfect 26 day cycle. I was very compliant with the herbs and supplements, as well as a no dairy, gluten, or sugar PCOS diet. The subsequent cycles were anywhere between 32-38 days and I tracked ovulation each month.

In November I had my hormones re-checked Free Testo 13, FSH5, LH6.3 which had improved significantly. Then later in the month a few weeks prior to my 30th I decided to TTC as I thought it was going to be a long hard road and everyone always says its better to try sooner rather than later. That month I ovulated somewhere between day 22-29 and haven’t had a period yet! I can now confirm that I am about 16 weeks pregnant and completely thrilled!

I’d like thank Tina for giving my story such a wonderful end.

We are so grateful to this patient for sharing her story – thank you. Do you have an inspiring story to share? We are collecting your stories to collate and share with our patients who are doing the hard yards and need some inspiration to keep them going. Your story could help someone going through a similar experience to you. If you would like to share your story, please email Milly & Charmaine at management@fertileground.com.au and of course all stories will be treated with the upmost confidentiality.

We’ve seen quite a few cases of full blown hay fever this season. This changeable weather seems to really challenge our immune systems. Pollens, damp, drying winds one after the other. Seems like no matter what your trigger is this year everyone is copping it!

If you are suffering with hay fever, or any other lingering, annoying condition, it is a sign your body is out of balance in some way. Our bodies work as an intricate whole which is why we always like to treat what we see presenting in our patients. Your current issues, niggles, struggles, aches, pains and irritations do matter! Whether you are trying to conceive, already pregnant or not in either category, we do not recommend random acts of self-prescription or active acts of self-neglect. Your body is giving you signs and now is the time to seek help to get it back into balance.

Patients often ask us not to bother to treating their hay fever – just get on with improving fertility and they’ll keep taking the anti-histamines. The flaw in treating this way is that hay fever shows an underlying predisposition for immune dysregulation and possible gut problems which both potentially impact negatively on fertility. Not to mention that anti-histamines used regularly can affect thyroid function. If not absolutely necessary they are probably best not taken in pregnancy as research seems to suggest that more information on safety is needed.

Sometimes professional assistance is needed to understand your circumstances fully. This is where we come in. Chat with one of our naturopaths (we have some super strong anti-hay fever herbs we can recommend) or acupuncturists today. Call 9419 9988 for an appointment or a quick script (for acute issues only).

Our 10 top tips for overcoming your spring hay fever frustration this season:

1. Green Smoothies: anti-inflammatory, full of nutrients to support your immune system, and greens have a knock on effect in soothing the liver. Be careful not to include too much fruit and replace all your stimulant drinks with at least 500 mls of green smoothie plus lots of filtered water daily. For more on green smoothies, look here.
2. Include lots of natural anti-histamine foods in your diet. Foods rich in vitamin C and bioflavonoids such as parsley and green leafy veggies (another reason for your daily green smoothie), capsicum, sweet potato, tomatoes, citrus fruits and mangos. Some lemon juice in warm water is a perfect way to start your day.
3. Omega-3 fats have an anti-inflammatory action so give yourself regular meals of grilled salmon with broccoli and other vitamin C rich veggies. Plus a handful of walnuts a day to snack on.
4. A quality loose leaf organic Nettle tea infused overnight for a strong brew reduces allergic symptoms. Drink 2-3 cups a day. Our Spring Cleansing Detox Tea is also recommended, particularly if you’ve been burning the candle at both ends or overindulging of late.
5.  Pressure points: These acupressure points bring quick relief if your nose or sinus’ feel congested or irritated. You’ll know when you are pressing the right spot because it feels really good.
6. If the media say it’s going to be a high pollen count or windy then stay indoors as much as possible, and wash your face with cold water often.
7. Rub paw paw ointment inside each nostril before you go out. This will go some way to catching the pollen before it irritates the lining of your nose.
8. Alcohol can exacerbate symptoms so limit intake during the hay fever season.
9. Reducing or avoiding inflammatory foods such as gluten and sugar may also be helpful and avoid foods that you know cause bloating or digestive issues. This will help regulate your immune function.
10. Eating 1 tsp of raw local honey daily may help to reduce your sensitivity to pollens. (if you can find it – if you are in Melbourne – try Melbourne City Rooftop Honey. These guys are doing wonderful things for bees and local honey production)

Written by Gina Fox (FGHG Naturopath) & Milly Dabrowski (FGHG co-owner and Acupuncturist)

I have been busy over the last week with antenatal visits with new clients and post natal visits with clients who have just recently had their babies. Each of these meetings is special in their own way.

One of my antenatal visits this week was a Birth Plan meeting where I help a couple prepare an outline of their hopes and expectations for their care at hospital and for their birth. I love these meetings as they are so informative for everyone involved. For the couple they are exploring what they envisage for them to be their ideal birth. For me it is about building a relationship with them and getting to know them as individuals and as a couple. It also gives me an opportunity to play an educative role in highlighting issues they may not have considered and things they need to discuss so we can all be clear about what might be needed on the day.

The conversation goes far beyond what their ideal birth may look like – birth is a dynamic process and we can’t guarantee the outcome, we can only prepare ourselves for any scenario. Often the discussion encompasses birth choices and ideas that the couple hadn’t considered or even heard of. Whilst looking through some Birth Plan samples there are moments where the couples say, “Oh I hadn’t even thought of putting that in!” or “What exactly does that mean?”

While the conversation can be serious at times, talking about birth choices that need deep consideration there are also many moments of laughter about the lighter side of birth. One of my favourite moments occurs when a woman’s partner, usually a man, relaxes and engages with the process – realising that their chosen birth attendant is as invested in supporting him as his partner.

These Birth Plan meetings are one of at least two antenatal visits we do with clients as their Birth Attendant. Across these two meetings I use my training as a Birth Educator, my experience as a mother who has birthed two children (one in a private hospital and one at home) and as a woman who has a passion about birth, to help them feel as informed and confident as possible about their pending birth.

To me the most important thing for any couple is that they feel safe in the choices they are making, empowered with knowledge of how their chosen system works and what important considerations require their attention as part of their preparation. My experience has shown me that, as always, it is this early preparation, knowledge and empowerment that leads to satisfaction in birthing – no matter what the actual birth outcome.

I never take for granted when people choose me as their Birth Attendant or consult with me to help them plan or prepare for their birth. I always feel truly blessed to be invited into these intimate spaces. Each couple and each birth teach me something new – no two birth experiences are the same. They differ in how long they are, how they progress, how women approach the intensity and how I need to support the woman and her partner.

Upon arriving home one night after being at a birth all day, my 5 year old daughter said to me, “Mummy why did you take so long at the birth?” I told her that some births (particularly first births) sometimes take a long time. To this she replied, “Yeah, because the woman hasn’t done it before and she is just learning.” “Exactly” I said, “and that is why I am there to help them!”

Melanie Maycock
Birth Attendant/Birth Educator

Melanie Maycock also offers Birth Choices/Birth Planning Consultations at FGHG. You can contact our reception team if you require any further information about any of these services – telephone 9419 9988.

The Fertile Ground Health Group Birth Attending Team:
Melanie Maycock, Fiona Harrison, Kathryn Moloney, Nicole Tracy and Kerry Marshall (Nicole and Kerry are currently both on sabbatical caring for their own new borns.)

Not there yet?

Only 3 seminars left in 2013:
7pm Thursday 10th October 2013
7pm Thursday 14th November 2013
7pm Thursday 12th December 2013

Cost: $35 per person or $55 per couple
Bookings: phone FGHG on (03) 9419 9988 or book online.

I really dislike being sick and so usually do my best to avoid it. Though over the last month or so I let things slip. After a month of complete sugar abstinence, I fell off the wagon on Easter Sunday and have not looked back! I encountered two people in one week with sore throat-type colds and I didn’t take my usual precautions (mental declaration that I don’t get sick from other people, increase Echinacea and vitamin C). Coupled with some late nights and early mornings, a change in the weather and here I am with a throat like sandpaper and a nose running like a tap. Argh!

Anyway, my motto is that all crisis (no matter how small) leads to transformation so I figure this is my learning opportunity. No point learning alone, I thought I’d share the love with you.

Today I realised that this relatively mild cold is just a practice run for my immune system – warming up for a winter onslaught of cold, wind, bugs and bacteria. Over summer my immune system hasn’t had to do much. Warm weather suits me well and I don’t suffer hay fever so it’s been on low revs for a few months now. Our immune systems have evolved to be reactive – feeling a little hot and flushy, inflamed and runny right now are all signs of my immune system reacting to an invader. It’s a good thing.

The best thing to do when your immune system needs to fire up this much is to get out of its way and let it do its job. Take even just one day off (no-one at the office wants your germs anyway) and rest quietly, doing all the traditional things like keeping up your (sugar free) fluids, taking your garlic, Echinacea, zinc, C and whatever else your naturopath recommends and just let your well supported immune system have its moment in the limelight.

Sleep, sweat, drink, eat plenty of ginger, keep warm, stay hydrated, rest a little more, eat light nutritious foods. These are the things that have been shown to reduce the severity and duration of the flu or a cold because it lets your immune system just do what it does best – macrophage (what a great word: literally meaning engulf the nasties).

If you have struggled with your immunity in the past or if you are a little more vulnerable this year (more stressed, dealing with existing health issues, pregnant, etc.) AUTUMN IS THE TIME to get working on your immune system so it is ship-shape for getting you through the winter.

Many people are getting flu injections and trusting that it holds the answers to their winter health blues. Sadly there will only be a few of the ‘most likely’ strains included in the flu vaccines so you can still get the flu even if vaccinated. It also will not prevent you from getting a range of other winter ills, in particular, an annoying cold like the one I have now! In my experience as a health practitioner it is those lingering coughs and repetitive cold cycles that can really zap your energy over winter.

Prepare now:

• If you have or get a sore throat, you must get this: PIC OF THROAT SPRAY. It tastes like hell but it really reduces the pain of a sore throat and also has strong anti-microbial action to have an impact where it is most needed. One spray lasted me almost all day.
• See your naturopath if you haven’t in a while and top up with remedies that will see you through the winter – preventative stuff for now (esp Echinacea and adequate zinc) and an acute treatment for if something crops up unexpectedly.
• Maintain your vitamin D – hopefully you’ve been getting outdoors enough this long warm summer to boost your vitamin D level? But this nutrient is low in so many individuals right now. Make sure you get 20 minutes outdoors every day with as much skin exposed as you can (tricky in a Melbourne winter!). Check with your naturopath to see if it is worthwhile getting tested to check your levels (recommended if pregnant or if struggling with ongoing immune issues).
• Even better, get your Vitamin D hit while getting some exercise. Regular exercise and a regular good sweat are essential to health and wellbeing. Exercise helps with stress management, weight control, physical fitness, sleep quality, and importantly, sweating is one of the mechanisms our body uses for detoxification.
• Remember Quick Scripts so when you feel the first signs of something developing, give us a call so we can make recommendations for a speedy recovery. Quick scrips cost $40 which is a great price for a quick acute action and remedy check.
• Be conscious of your sugar, alcohol and coffee intake. In different ways all of these adversely affect our immunity – by upsetting our blood sugars, directly impeding our immune system, dehydrating us and affecting sleep quality – all factors that can reduce and/or compromise your immunity.
• Aim to be asleep or at least in bed with lights off by 10pm. Eight hours of sleep is ESSENTIAL for almost everyone and certainly helps boost immunity. A very dark room helps to boost melatonin levels and as many hours as possible asleep before midnight have proven health benefits that I don’t have room to explain here.
• Rug up – protect the areas we refer to as Wind Pools in Chinese Medicine. The lower back and back of the neck are particularly susceptible to ‘cold wind invasion’ which can scatter protective Qi and leave us vulnerable to pathogenic invasion. Isn’t Chinese Medicine poetic? Anyway, it just means that nana was right: tuck in, wear a singlet and do not be seen without a scarf around your neck between April and November.
• Most importantly, remember that good health doesn’t mean you don’t ever get sick. It means when you get sick, you respond appropriately, recover quickly and reap the benefits of an immune system work out. Push through and ignore this opportunity and illness and a lack of good health is bound to follow. It all just mounts to looking after yourself, and it is actually not that difficult.

Thanks for the reminder immune system. Thanks for all the good work you are doing to look after my body and kick this invader right out of here. I am duly reprimanded and reminded to look after you better.

Health is very often about choices and there are many we can make to support our own wellness and greatness. Let us know if you need a little extra support in preparation for this winter.

Milly
with all at FGHG