Journal Tag: nutrition

Pregnancy & Skin Changes

Pregnancy & Skin
Pregnancy & Skin – how are they related?

Pregnancy is an exciting journey, but may involve a set of new and frustrating skin challenges. The body undergoes a tremendous amount of change through pregnancy with more than 90% of women experiencing significant and complex skin changes. These changes may be desirable for some, but for others, pregnancy may trigger the onset or worsening of pigmentation, acne or eczema. 

Please understand that the tips included below are a general guide only. Each person requires individualised treatment as we’re all unique – so make sure you book in to get tailored advice before self prescribing as it may not suit your situation or health needs

Pigmentation

Hyperpigmentation (melasma) is one of the most common and early signs of pregnancy. High levels of Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (MSH), oestrogen and progesterone are believed to be responsible for hyperpigmentation. Progesterone appears to increase oestrogen to signal melanin output, which stimulates pigmentary changes in the skin. This type of pigmentation is seen more in those with darker skin and hair. Melasma is said to be caused by stagnation of Liver energy, which effects the movement of qi and blood throughout the body. Acupuncture around the area of pigmentation is thought to help improve the flow of energy and blood, so that melasma are less pronounced in colour and size.

Tips – Protect the skin from sun exposure with physical sunscreens, as these reflect the heat away from the skin, which is good for a pregnancy-flushed face. Use a natural SPF 30+, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. For targeting localised brown spots, opt for Vitamin C. For safe exfoliation, use Lactic Acid or a gentle exfoliating enzyme mask to brighten the skin.

Avoid – Limit exposure to ultraviolet light. Topical formulations containing hydroquinone and tretinoin should be avoided in pregnancy, but may be added after pregnancy, or as advised by your doctor. 

Acne

Although some women experience improvements or no change in acne during pregnancy, a substantial number suffer acne flare ups during this time, which may also indicate a higher risk for similar flare ups during future pregnancies. A shift in hormones, specifically progesterone, estrogen and androgens, during pregnancy can stimulate the sebaceous and sweat glands, resulting in more perspiration and oilier skin triggering breakouts. Studies show hormone levels spike during the earliest stages of pregnancy and often again in the third trimester, which may explain the initial onset of hormonal breakouts and then another surge of acne toward the end of pregnancy and up until birth. Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, when combined with dietary and lifestyle modifications, may help to positively impact any skin changes, improve digestive function, reduce inflammation and redness, swelling and painful pimples, and bring your body into harmony.

Tips – Opt for oil regulating products such as niacinamide (B3) and bentonite clay spot treatment. Reduce acne triggering bacteria with zinc, topical probiotic/ferments, and antioxidants such as resveratrol and green tea.

Avoid – Concentrated salicylic acid formulations should not be used, as well as prescription and oral retinoids, and high strength topical retinoids. Always check the ingredients of your skin care for potential toxins.

Eczema

Atopic dermatitis, otherwise known as eczema, is another commonly seen skin condition that may be worsened through pregnancy. The reason for this is not well understood, but may be due to the effects of oestrogen on cellular responses in the immune system. Specifically, this involves a shift from cell-mediated immunity toward humoral immunity. Additionally, the high estrogen state of pregnancy stimulates mast cell activation and allergic responses. The relationships between skin, brain, and gut health and between eczema and the nervous system suggest an important role for acupuncture due to its known impact on calming nervous system hyperreactivity. 

Tips – Fish oils deliver anti-inflammatory omega 3s, which is great for skin inflammation and dryness of the skin. Probiotics containing lactobacillus rhamnosus are safe to use through pregnancy and helpful in atopic conditions. Mild gel/cream cleansers and products should be used, containing calming and soothing ingredients like Panthenol, chamomile and Licorice root. Barrier-building ingredients such as oats (Avena Sativa), sunflower seed extract and borage seed oil reduce irritation. 

Avoid – No hot showers or abrasive scrubs, as these will irritate the skin. Stay away from artificial fragrances and direct application of essential oils.

Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine

Because acupuncture sessions to improve skin conditions are focused on moving qi and blood, treatment will depend on your current health and stage of pregnancy. Sessions with me will mostly involve a combination of facial gua sha and sliding cupping to move lymph, increase blood circulation to the area, and encourage any skin changes to move towards skin healing, alongside constitutional and pregnancy support acupuncture, nutrition and lifestyle counselling.

Written by Holly Peyton-Smith

Holly Peyton-Smith is an Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine Medicine Practitioner at Fertile Ground Health Group.

If you’re suffering with a skin condition and seeking treatment, please feel welcome to make a booking with Holly.

References

https://medcraveonline.com/OGIJ/a-review-of-the-clinical-and-immunologic-effects-of-estrogen-on-atopic-dermatitis.html

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114665/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26957383/

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4311336/

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2019/1907578/

Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup is one of my favourite winter recipes. Roasting the tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness and enhances the flavour. You don’t have to add the wholegrain sourdough/ciabatta into the soup although that does make it more filling. I usually double or triple the recipe and stock up the freezer with it so it’s easy to take out the night before for a very quick dinner the following day (all you have to do is pop it on the stove to reheat and it’s ready in minutes) 😊 

Serves 6

Ingredients

½ bulb of garlic 

2 kgs of ripe tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano

1 Litre of vegetable stock

4-5 sprigs of fresh basil + additional leaves for garnish

1 tbls of red wine vinegar

~150gm wholegrain sourdough/ciabatta/gluten-free bread

Olive oil

Method
  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Break the garlic up into cloves and slice the tomatoes in half. Lay out the tomatoes (cut-side up) on a roasting tray and scatter over the garlic cloves (unpeeled). Sprinkle over the oregano, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 50-60mins until the tomatoes are soft and sticky. 
  2. Remove the tray from the oven and pick out the garlic cloves. Tip all contents of the tray into a large saucepan. Squeeze the sticky insides of the garlic cloves into the saucepan and throw away the skins. 
  3. Add stock and roughly chopped basil (including stalks).  Tear the bread into pieces and add to saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 10 mins. 
  4. Add the red wine vinegar and then blitz in a blender until smooth. 
  5. Serve in bowls, drizzle with olive oil and remaining basil leaves. 

Enjoy your delicious and nutritious Roasted Tomato Soup.

Written by Tina Jenkins

Tina Jenkins is available for one on one digital naturopathic consultations. You’re welcome to book in with Tina.

Magic green sauces

Josephine Cabrall at Fertile Ground Health Group

We all know veggies are good for our health but who really feels like eating salads in the middle of Winter? The solution? Delicious baked Winter veg made interesting with magic green sauces! Green sauces are herbaceous, full of flavour and packed with immune boosting antioxidants and vitamin C. A little garlic adds a bang to the flavours whilst keeping those winter bugs away. Green sauces are a tasty way to sneak in some extra greens and jazz up roast veggies to make sure you are meeting your vegetable quota.

The best thing about green sauces is that you be sure to use up all of those half bunches of herbs that would otherwise sit and wilt in the fridge. They never have to go to waste again because there is no wrong or right way to make a green sauce – just throw in whatever you have and blend! Some guidelines are good to get you started though, and after some practice you can just use your instinct. Here are our favourites:

Rocket pesto

This twist on regular basil pesto is great for getting the digestion going as rocket has that gentle bitter quality to it. The bitterness is balanced out by the other ingredients though, making it a flavour party for your palate. Top any roast veg with it, such as sweet potato, cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin, beetroot, carrot, parsnip, fennel or red capsicum. If you chop the veg into bite sized pieces you can easily toss them into a salad with some green leaves and add the pesto on top as a wonderful dressing. A dollop of rocket pesto on top of your scrambled eggs is also wonderful.

  • 1 small garlic clove
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 25g pine nuts, walnuts or cashews very lightly toasted in a dry frypan or in the oven
  • 50g rocket
  • 1 bunch of basil
  • 25g Parmesan, finely grated (optional)
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 125ml cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
Salsa verde

This classic Italian green sauce goes wonderfully with any roast veg but also on fish, chicken, poached eggs or steak. You can swap the mint out for fresh coriander or rosemary as you please.

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2-1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 bunch of fresh basil
  • 1 handful of fresh mint
  • 1 small handful of capers
  • 6 anchovy fillets
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 8 tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
Zhoug

This Middle-Eastern version of pesto is traditionally made with green chilli and is quite hot. Its a wonderful winter warmer but feel free to modify the heat level or omit the chilli. You can also add lemon zest if you like a more punchy flavour. Zhoug is magical with roast pumpkin and labne, over roast eggplant and cauliflower, or on meatballs, felafels or boiled eggs.

  • 4 jalapeño chillis
  • 4 cloves garlic (peeled)
  • 1/2 cup parsley
  • 1/2 cup fresh coriander (leaves and stalks but be sure to wash the sand out thoroughly)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
  • salt to taste

Green Tahini

This sauce is addictive so consider making a double batch to keep in your fridge and spread over everything. Goes well drizzled on roast veg, roast chicken, felafel or on toast.

  • 150ml tahini
  • 70ml lemon juice
  • 150ml water
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 30g (or one handful) flat-leaf parsley leaves (you could also use coriander or a combination of both)
  • salt to taste

Chimichurri

This Argentinian green sauce with its dominant parsley and garlic flavour is an excellent sauce or marinade for meat and vegetables, or can be used as a condiment to spice up just about anything you can imagine.

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
  • 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems removed
  • salt to taste

Written by Josephine Cabrall, Naturopath and Natural Fertility Educator at Fertile Ground Health Group. Josephine is a respected fertility practitioner with a special interest in PCOS treatment.

Find out more about Josephine and how she can help you.

Quinoa Salad with Yoghurt Dressing

by Tina Jenkins, FGHG Natruopath

This recipe is one of my all-time favourites! It is great anytime of the year and is a real powerhouse of nutrients. It’s also such a beautiful looking dish to serve up to guests with the gorgeous greens of the fresh herbs and the bright red pomegranate seeds.

The recipe below is a modified version of George CaIombaris’ Cypriot Salad (from his Hellenic Republic restaurant). I have changed the grain to quinoa (instead of freekah) for more protein and left out the honey in the dressing to reduce the sugar content.

The greens in the salad are rich in folate and antioxidants which are important nutrients to support a healthy conception and pregnancy, whilst the nuts and seeds are high in zinc (great for sperm health!), magnesium and fibre. There is another anti-oxidant hit with the delicious pomegranate seeds on top and some beneficial gut bugs in the form of probiotics if you use a good quality yoghurt (not to mention the additional protein and calcium in the yoghurt).

It is a really delicious crunchy salad and pairs well with a slow cooked lamb or grilled fish. It’s also a great vegetarian dish on its own with the protein from quinoa and the lentils (the latter also being a vegetarian source of iron). Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad with Yoghurt Dressing

Ingredients:

1 bunch coriander, chopped

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1 cup quinoa

1/2 cup Puy lentils

2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp toasted slivered almonds

2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

2 tbsp baby capers

1/2 cup currants

Juice of 1 lemon

3 tbsp extra virgin olive

Sea salt to taste

1 pomegranate, deseeded, to serve

Dressing

1 cup thick Greek yoghurt

1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground

 

Method

Cook quinoa and lentils separately in boiling water until both just cooked. Drain well and allow to cool.

In a hot pan toast the nuts and seeds. Remove and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl mix the salad ingredients (except pomegranate) and season to taste.

Top with mixed cumin & yoghurt dressing and pomegranate seeds.

 

For the original recipe by George Calombaris click here – Cypriot grain salad

Zucchini, fig and goat’s cheese salad

by Joanne Sharkey, FGHG acupuncturist

In Chinese medicine theory, eating seasonal food is an important part of gaining balance and health and encourages us to live harmoniously in our natural environment. Eating cucumbers and mint in summer will cool you down, and in winter eating pumpkin soup with ginger and garlic will help you feel warm and satisfied, and guess what cucumbers and mint grow in summer as does pumpkin in winter. The best way to buy seasonal fruit and veg is to buy what is in abundance and cheap at your local green grocer and supermarket, or if you grow your own you will easily know if it’s in season or not!

I easily knew the fruit and vegetable in this salad were in season as the zucchini, figs, mint and chilli came from my garden. This salad is full of fibre and flavour. The sweetness of the figs, contrasts the saltiness of the Goat’s cheese, the sourness of the lime, the freshness of the mint and the heat of the chilli. Fibre from fruit and veggies helps us feel full and satisfied, while being food for our beneficial gut bacteria. This salad will also help you meet your daily requirements for beneficial minerals and vitamins such as potassium, calcium, folate and vitamin C.

Jo's zucchini saladIngredients

3-4 zucchinis, cut into ribbons, using a wide vegetable peeler
a handful of mint leaves
2-3 Figs, chopped
1 fresh chilli (or to taste), finely sliced
juice of half a lime
2 tablespoons of olive oil
A handful of roasted almonds, chopped
50g Goats cheese (or more, to taste)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Simply place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Serve with grilled or panfried salmon, a poached egg or lightly fried tofu.

Fresh salmon patties with yoghurt sauce and green salad

Recipe by Rhiannon Hardingham, FGHG Naturopath and Nutritionist

This delicious and easy to prepare meal is so full of flavour and goodness that you’ll want to make it over and over again!

 

Fresh Salmon Patties with yoghurt sauce

Makes 12 large patties, to provide 6 serves.

These are a great way to sneak fish and greens into kids or fussy adults who are not usually a fan.

Salmon is an excellent source of protein, as well as omega 3 fats. Try to get Atlantic salmon if possible but otherwise Tasmanian salmon will do just fine.

By cooking and cooling the potato, you turn 50% of the starch into what is called ‘resistant starch’: a high quality fibre that is both good for your digestion, but also lowers the glycaemic load of the potato by half.

These make an excellent main meal, or individual patties make great snacks through the day.

560g skinless salmon fillet

400g potato, roughly chopped

1 celery heart, finely chopped to make about 1 cup

fresh parsley and/or dill, finely chopped to make about 1 cup

1 small red onion grated, or 5 spring onions, finely chopped

zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

1 cup fresh sourdough wholemeal or GF breadcrumbs

3 egg, whisked

salt & pepper to taste

flour for dusting

olive oil for frying

Steam salmon fillets until just cooked through. Meanwhile, boil potatoes until tender. Combine in a large bowl, mash together, and season with salt & pepper. Set aside to cool completely.

Once cooled, add celery, fresh herbs, onion, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, whisked egg, and further salt and pepper to taste. Combine.

Form into 12 patties, dusting with flour. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes until firm, and then fry in olive oil over medium heat until golden and cooked through. Rest on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil, and then serve with yoghurt sauce and a large green salad.

Keeps well in the fridge for 3 days, and makes excellent lunches or snacks.

Yoghurt Sauce

Combine greek yoghurt with chopped fresh mint or dill.

Green Salad

serves 2

2 handfuls of rocket leaves

1 medium zucchini, finely chopped (I use the slicing side of a box grater).

large handful of snow or sugar snap peas,

1/2 firm avocado, chopped into 1/2 cm dice

1/4 cup pepitas

handful of picked leaves of fresh herbs of your choice (parsley, mint or dill are all perfect)

Dressing

juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

good slug of olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Dress salad and toss.

Figs and Goats cheese on wholegrain sourdough

by Rhiannon Hardingham, FGHG Naturopath

Figs are just coming into season, and they are a fabulous fruit indeed. High in magnesium, calcium, B6 and fibre, they are a bit of a ‘super fruit’. Add them to the complex low-GI carbs of a good quality wholegrain spelt sourdough, the protein of a quality fresh cheese and the blood glucose balancing benefits of cinnamon, and you’ve got yourself a well balanced, nutritious sweet breakfast option. Just don’t go too heavy on the honey!

Serves 2

Ingredients
  • A good quality whole grain sourdough loaft (I used a spelt & buckwheat loaf)
  • Soft goats cheese or curd (labne, ricotta or cottage cheese also work well)
  • 4-5 fresh, perfectly ripe figs
  • Raw honey, for drizzling
  • Ground cinnamon, to taste
  • Some fresh mint or thyme leaves from the garden, if you have them
Put it all together

Simply toast 2 slices of your quality wholegrain sourdough, spread generously with goats cheese, top with quartered fresh figs, drizzle with raw honey, and finish of with a sprinkle of cinnamon powder and some picked fresh herb leaves.

 

Rhiannon-Hardingham_1Rhiannon Hardingham is a naturopath and nutritionist with a passion for food, fertility and pregnancy care. Specialising in male and female infertility, IVF support and naturopathic care during pregnancy, Rhiannon offers her patients a wealth of information and knowlege regarding nutritional, herbal, diet and lifestyle support during their journey. She also offers education and mentoring to naturopaths wanting to improve their fertility knowledge or upskill into the highly specialised area of IVF support.

Freekeh superfood salad with Persian feta

Ginas Salad
By Gina Fox, FGHG Naturopath
– based on recipe from Oxfam website

Freekeh is a superfood. It is an ancient form of wheat made from young, whole-grain, green wheat kernels that have been roasted and sun-dried. This gives it a lovely nutty, slightly smokey flavour and because the wheat is so young when it’s harvested, it holds plenty of nutritional value. Freekeh is very high in protein and fibre, which helps you feel full and satisfied, whilst also being great for beneficial gut bugs, supporting healthy digestion and keeping you regular. It is also rich in minerals such as magnesium, zinc, potassium, and iron – essential for good health.

Being packed with nutrition and flavour, this freekeh salad is sure to add health to any meal, without compromising on taste. It pairs well with roast meats, fish, roasted eggplant slices, roasted chickpeas, grilled haloumi cheese, lamb koftas or meatballs but it’s also filling enough to have a stand alone dish. What’s more, its super easy and can be made in a big batch to feed a group or help get you through the week. You can find Freekeh at most health food stores and supermarkets, in the grains section.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup freekeh
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 6 tbs toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup currants
  • 1/4 cup barberries (optional)
  • 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/3 bunch mint, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley or equivalent baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
  • 100g Persian feta
Dressing
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1 tbs preserved lemon, finely chopped
Method
  • Bring stock to the boil, add freekeh and cook until tender or the stock is absorbed, approximately 20 mins.
  • Remove freekeh and allow to cool.
  • In a bowl, combine freekeh (breaking up any lumps), pine nuts, currants, red onion, mint and parsley or baby spinach leaves.
  • Combine dressing ingredients and pour over.

Rhiannon’s Roasted Chilli and Dill Salmon with Mustard Dressing

A common question in clinic when discussing healthy eating strategies is ‘how do I cook fish?!’ Lots of people are nervous about cooking seafood, but it doesn’t have to be tricky.

This roasted salmon recipe is so easy and super healthy. Loaded with lots of protein, plenty of greens, good fats and low GI carbs.

Ingredients: 

For the roast salmon:

2 x 150g salmon portions

chilli flakes, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil

 

For the salad:

4 large handfuls of mixed salad greens

2 handfuls roasted pumpkin

handful of mung bean sprouts

 

For the dressing:

50g full fat natural yoghurt

1/2 tsp seeded mustard

– stir to combine

 

To serve:

fresh dill

lemon

olive oil

 

Serves 2

 

Instructions:

Pre heat oven to 190C.

Place salmon on lined roasting tray, and top with chilli flakes and salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and roast in oven until medium-rare (approximately 7 minutes).

Meanwhile, divide salad ingredients into 2 large bowls.

Place roasted salmon over salad, drizzle with olive oil, lemon and finish off with fresh dill. Serve with yoghurt mustard dressing.

 

L9999600Recipe by Rhiannon Hardingham, FGHG Naturopath and Nutritionist

Rhiannon is passionate about good food that is not only nutritious and easy to make, but most importantly delicious! As a busy naturopath Rhiannon understands the challenges that many of her patients face when trying to incorporate healthy eating into their own busy lifestyle.

Rhiannon constantly inspires us with her yummy lunches at work and now as a regular recipe contributor, shares with us how eating the right balance of nutrients in a meal can be easy and super tasty.

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.