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The 4 Day Mini Cleanse to get your mojo back

November 1, 2020 by megan Leave a Comment

If you’re feeling a little sluggish or tired compared to usual, it may be time to take a little load off your liver and regenerate your body.

A simple 4 day stint of clean eating, hydration and sleep may do the trick.

Have a look at your dietary pattern. Has it fallen by the wayside? Too many takeaways, or are you having a little more alcohol than usual?

A simple tip is to take stock, and put yourself on a 4-day mini cleanse.

Basically, you’re taking a load off your liver, and allow your digestive system to rest and fire up so it can catch up with all the processing.

The liver is the heart of the digestive system, and works 24/7 to try and keep our bodies healthy.

It filters the blood that carries our all-important nutrients that we obtain from food that has been broken down and absorbed across the mucous membrane (our digestive tract).

The liver removes all the other stuff that’s not good for us…’toxins’! It does this by modifying the toxins and re-packaging them so they can be safely eliminated from the body. Too easy right? Ah, well that depends on you really.

The liver has a tough gig these days, with all the environmental toxins that we absorb through food, through our skin, from the air we breathe, and the water we drink!

So, let’s help this very important vital organ to do its job better, to protect us from pathogens, heavy metals, derivatives of pharmaceuticals, chemicals etc.

The key to help your liver in its detoxification processes is to lessen the load. The number #1 priority is AVOIDANCE!

Here are a few steps you can take and see how you feel after 4 days.

STEP 1 – AVOIDANCE

Avoid/ EXCLUDE all processed foods, sugars, alcohol, soft drinks, pastries, cakes, biscuits, chips (and the rest)! Basically steer clear of anything in a packet, or anything that has numbers in the ingredients list.

STEP 2 – REPLACE & AMPLIFY

Include plenty of vegetables, salads, fruit and a small amount of protein (palm sized fish, meat), or legumes/ rice/ quinoa for the vegans. Choose lots of ‘raw’ foods such as carrots, celery, capsicum, radish.

Amplify your green vegetables and the cruciferous family – broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, radish (aka the LIVER FOODS).

Other key liver foods are onions and garlic! Add freshly chopped raw garlic in with avocado and lemon, or make a hummus and have with vegetable sticks.

STEP 3 – HYDRATE

Drink plenty of water, and with a squeeze of fresh lemon, or warm water and lemon. Ideally aim for at least 2 litres per day. Too often when i do the VLA Bioimpedence test on clients, I find that cellular dehydration is such as common issue.

The area of our brain that governs thirst is the same for hunger, so often they get mixed up. So if you are feeling a little ‘peckish’, grab a large glass of water! We need more water than food, so always think to hydrate. Better still, add a squeeze of lemon for extra vitamin C!

STEP 4 – SLEEP

Go to bed early over these 4 days.

I guarantee you’ll feel better for it. Aim for 9 hours of sleep to allow your body to rejuvinate so you can get your mojo back. If your sleep hasn’t been great for a while, have a read of my blog on sleep to get a few tips. Sleep blog

It’s all about lightening the load so mini cleanses like this are a great way to get you back on track.

If you’d like to learn more, or be supported on a suitably tailored DETOX, then we’re here to help. Get in touch or book in for a naturopathy appointment.

Why Massage Therapy is the perfect body and mind tonic!

October 31, 2020 by megan Leave a Comment

Here’s WHY massage is an important body tonic

What happens when we push ourselves to the limit?

Massage therapy is now a mainstream health modality, deemed as an essential health service! Gone are the days where massage therapy is regarded as just a luxury.

In today’s society, ‘WE’ try to do X, Y and Z all at once, and push our mind and body to the limit. That may be fine for a while. But then the domino’s start to fall, as the pressure takes it’s toll.

I’m not just talking about a physical sport or job either, I’m talking about the whole picture, the way we do life, the way we live in general.

There are more physical, mental, and emotional demands on our body due to a multitude of reasons. This compound load contributes to muscle tightness and tension, which may cause a variety of ill effects such as headaches, migraines, insomnia, anxiety, depression and chronic pain. There are so many contributing factors. Poor posture, or overwork, anxiety or mental stress.. and there we have it – a double edged sword.

Muscle tightness causing issues, and issues causing muscle tightness.

Chronic conditions take their toll

Even chronic conditions or ailments can take a toll on certain muscles in the body.

For example, with asthma, I often find that the sternocleidomastoid (front neck muscle aka the SCM) is tight, as well as the diaphragm and thoracic area. This is due to the shallow breathing capacity which causes these muscles to tighten over time.

Specialised techniques that help to release the sterno (SCM) and stretch out the diaphragm muscle can really help with breathing (this is so taken for granted)!

We’re not ever-ready batteries! Take time to chill.

Just like you get your car serviced, it’s important to service your body. Let’s face it, we’re not ‘every-ready’ batteries. Massage therapy helps us recharge. It literally lessens the load on our bodies that we carry about on a day to day basis.

The kneading the muscle tissue in remedial massage therapy creates better balance in the body. Manually smoothing out all the tight knotty, lumpy bits allows fresh blood into the area, and helps to warm the muscle tissue while calming and centering the nervous system.

Yoga at sunrise on the beach helps you feel relaxed just like a remedial massage — Feeling relaxed, calm and ZEN! Just like a massage.

Massage therapy makes you feel better on a day to day basis, helps to prevent physical injury and lower chronic stress.

Simply put, it helps you to feel relaxed, calm and pure ‘ZEN’! As good as a mini holiday

What to expect from a massage?

The word massage means “friction of kneading” in French, “to touch, feel or handle” in Arabic, and in Greek it means “to handle, touch, to work with the hands, to knead dough”.

Massage is a ‘hands on’ body work therapy – no gadgets here! We typically work with you, asking a questions for feedback on pressure, pain location etc.

This is especially important for a deep tissue massage or remedial massage. A common way to get feedback is to ask you to rate the ‘trigger point’ or pressure on a PAIN scale from 1 – 10! Now don’t get me wrong, we’re not trying to create pain, but sometimes a level of pressure is required to elicit a healing response, relaxing the tissue and bringing balance to the area.

If RELAXATION is what you’re after, there should be no pain WHAT-SO-EVER. This style of massage is completely different. Relaxation massages are more rhythmic, flowing and lighter. They are great for stress management, exhaustion, or for the girls (that time of the month).

In a typical massage appointment you will be asked a few questions such as:

What brings you here today?
Are there any medical issues, medications, injuries, hospitalisations, concurrent allied therapy treatments?
Are you undertaking any sports/ activities?

After this, your massage therapist will provide you with a brief overview, and/ or assessment and provide instructions in terms of positioning on the massage table. A full body massage may be indicated or massage just focusing on a specific area due to an acute or chronic issue.

What is the difference between Sports and Remedial massage?

The techniques used in sports massage and remedial massage can be very similar. The main difference between the two massages is the use of the technique and the way they are applied to the body.

Running can benefit from pre-event sports massage treatment — Running

Sports massage is focused on reducing tension in the soft tissue that may have tightened up or become out of balance due to the nature of the physical sport. It’s generally a more active massage style, which may require working with the client to release muscular tension.

The timing of the massage relative to the sport is also important. For example, when is the main event, or training days? Do you want the massage as pre or post therapy for event preparation or recovery.

Pre-Event Massage Therapy

In a pre-event sports massage, the techniques do not usually involve deep tissue. Especially since this can create a ‘detox’ response of the muscle, and potentially make the client feel a little sore or sluggish. Whilst this generally clears within 24-48 hours, its not ideal if your main event is the next day.

Post Event Massage for Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Woman lifting weights may need a massage for DOMS - delayed onset of muscle soreness — Weight lifting can cause a case of DOMS

On the other hand, post event may also not involve deep tissue due to DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), injury or dehydration of the muscle tissue. DOMS typically occur after intense workout or sport and particularly if different muscles have been recruited so the microtears and lactic acid build-up cause muscle pain and generalised soreness.

The best way to help a case of ‘DOMS’ is to drink plenty of water (and electrolytes), to properly hydrate, and have an Epsom salt bath, or infrared/ normal sauna to make you sweat. Another way is to dunk yourself in the ocean (no wetsuit) so as to cool down the muscles which shunts away the blood, and once you warm up fresh blood comes into the area. This creates a kind of vascular gymnastics.

Remedial or Sports Massage for Acute Injury

Remedial massage is often associated with helping injuries. The nature of the injury will determine the type of treatment applied.

If the injury is a sprain, and inflammation is present, the area is usually avoided for massage therapy until the inflammation goes down. This goes for any area where there is ligament or tendon inflammation. However, the muscles surrounding the area can be massaged to help relieve the tension on the tendon.

Remedial or Sports Massage for Chronic Injury

Ocean Swimming - areas that benefit from massage are Pecs, Lats, Upper Traps, and muscles of the Rotator Cuff. — Ocean Swimming – areas to massage are often the Pecs, Lats, Upper Traps, and muscles of the Rotator Cuff.

Massage is a fantastic adjunct to help the repair and healing of any muscular-skeletal issues that are chronic in nature.

Basically, a gentle massage helps to relieve tightness, and improve the local blood flow to the area. Improving blood flow will provide the nutrients into the healing zone, and help detoxification of the tissue.

Bringing balance back into the muscular system naturally takes pressure off the skeletal system and helps in the rehabilitation process.

My personal story and why I believe Remedial Massage is essential for body maintenance!

I stumbled across remedial massage decades ago, way before I trained as a remedial massage therapist. At the time I was having nightmares of zimmer frames because I couldn’t walk. I hobbled around at work, and looked like a broken down shopping trolley – you know the ones with the bung wheel. Basically my piriformis was locked, so my glutes couldn’t fire, and just wouldn’t work.

I thought I needed a hip replacement or something… and how could this be? I was only in my 30’s.

Eventually I tried remedial massage and it fixed my issue. I was hooked. I wanted to learn these skills so that I could help people. This propelled forward my health and wellness education. And thank goodness for that, because I love what I do today!

Here’s the thing. We often have clients come in, and they’ve been right through the medical system before ending up in our practice. It’s human nature, to think the worst. Massage therapy is often the last peg on the ladder, and yet, it is often what does the trick! MRI’s, Scans and blood tests definitely have their place! It’s great to get a birds eye view of whats going on in the body. It’s important to have a good check up. In fact I’ll suggest this if thing just aren’t stacking up.

But what I’m saying is that if regular massage treatment was a part of your holistic health plan, your body maintenance would be covered. You probably won’t be thinking the worst possible scenario.

The benefits of remedial massage

Clinical Trial – Massage does help lower back pain

It’s interesting that lower back pain is a common issue. And although remedial massage in some way or form has been going on for over 5000 years, today we have a clinical trial to back up the obvious. The trial shows that remedial massage works to help reduce chronic lower back pain.

Typical areas to release in helping lower back pain include the quadratus loborum, deep erector spinae, muscle attachment areas, fascial release, glutes AND those quadriceps! However, that being said, we all present differently, so each remedial massage is tailored to the individual.

You can read the full study here (pdf): Study – Massage Therapy Helps Lower Back Pain

Massage therapy helps chronic headaches

Another common complaint that we treat in our practice is chronic or acute tension headaches.

There are many triggers for a headaches – water intake, blood sugar issues, stress and tension, hormonal imbalance or emotional trauma.

Remedial massage therapy focuses on softening and releasing the muscles that insert into the head. Helping to create neck and head rotation and movement. Sometime jaw clenching or teeth grinding (bruxism) can cause tremendous tension and bring on a headache. Massage techniques help to reduce muscle tightness that is often a trigger for headache.

A recent clinical trial has shown that by releasing the neck muscles at the front (the sternocleidomastoid and scalene) helps to lower tension and provide relief from tension headaches.

You can read the study that confirms techniques we use in our practice helps to reduce headaches here: Remedial Massage Therapy Interventions Including and Excluding Sternocleidomastoid, Scalene, Temporalis, and Masseter Muscles for Chronic Tension Type Headaches: a Case Series (pdf)

Massage therapy helps anxiety and stress by lowering cortisol

Massage therapy helps to reduce mental stress by physiologically reducing the level of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is our stress hormone – our fight or flight reactive hormone. Gentle relaxation massage supports the nervous system and helps to flick that switch from an alarm state to a relaxed state. By doing this, naturally the ‘threat’ has dissipated and the body starts to relax, so hence cortisol levels drop. In today’s society with so many external stresses, the sustained elevated cortisol impacts blood sugar which contributes to weight gain and other ailments such as anxiety, blood pressure, and immune system impacts.

A study from 2016 shows: Massage Therapy Reduces the Stress Hormones

Massage therapy helps lower blood pressure

It’s interesting to also note that massage therapy can help to reduce blood pressure. This is likely due to reduction stress in the body and promoting relaxation. Stress is such a major contributor to so many disease processes. I love that a simple massage can have such great impacts on the body creating healing and calmness. (See the article about stress above, again.)

How often should you get a massage?

This is a common question we get asked! And there is no absolute rule. It really depends on your issue, level of impact, and what’s going on in your life.

Generally, for acute conditions, we suggest 3 massages in a row. By this we mean weekly, or fortnightly. The reason being, the benefits of each massage compounds on the previous one. Overall, you get a better result with repetition.

Muscles have a memory, and if they’ve been stuck in a position for some time, they often revert back. The nerves innovate the muscles, so if your actions are the same (e.g. in the same job / chair / sport), then the issues (especially if it is posture related) may hold on for a while. Treatments in close succession really allows for the body to adjust to the new positioning more quickly. To allow the issue to resolve more naturally.

After the initial phase of a few treatments in close succession, a maintenance plan is discussed. For chronic conditions or tightness, 4-6 treatments may be required, to literally ‘chip away’ at the layers, bringing about balance, reducing knots and tightness, and allowing better freedom of movement to ensue. These may be monthly, 6 weekly or even 8 weekly depending on the body’s response, lifestyle impacts and the need.

Of course, for general good health, relaxation or simply to ‘tune-up’ a regular monthly or bi-monthly massage can be beneficial.

Working with Chiro’s and Physio’s

Massage therapy works in very well with chiropractic care and physiotherapy. At our practice we have a strong referral network with allied health practitioners who we trust our patients to. Together we communicate and get results for the client.

We help to save you time and money by utilising our cross-referral networks where warranted. This will help you get back on track as quickly as possible.

Post Treatment Plan

A post massage treatment plan is also very important. It empowers you to get the most out of your treatment for sustained improvement and healing.

We advise clients on certain stretches, or other important self-care strategies to do at home in-between treatments. This may include use of heat and ice, use of spiky balls or foam rollers, specific exercises!

Ready to start living a healthier life?

BOOK A MASSAGE APPOINTMENT

Massage therapy is one of the most effective ways to bring about balance and reduce pain in the body. The massage services we offer at our Dee Why practice on the Northern Beaches include

Remedial Massage
Deep Tissue Massage
Sports Massage
Relaxation Massage
Aromatherapy Massage
Pregnancy Massage

Light Your Digestive Fire

October 1, 2020 by megan Leave a Comment

Do you suffer from indigestion, bloating, burping and flatulence?

Has this become a chronic issue that you are putting up with?

What if you could change all of those issues with a few lifestyle modifications. What if you could really light your digestive fire, and in doing so improve your symptoms and overall health and wellness.

In our society, mild digestive issues are becoming more common. If left unchecked, digestive issues can become chronic and lead to other health concerns. Our digestive function requires both a chemical and mechanical sequence of events some of which we have complete control over which are:

chewing
taking time out with ‘mindfulness eating’ to allow your parasympathetic nervous system to light your digestive fire
our choice of ‘fuel’ (aka food)

It’s funny that the single most important thing you can do to improve your digestion, before taking any supplements, herbs, or medications is to chew your food. Many people just don’t chew their food adequately. Did you know that the average amount of time you should chew each mouthful of food is 30 times?

Here’s the thing…

Digesting your food properly is incredibly important because it allows you to get the most out of the food (or fuel) you’ve chosen for your body. I hear of so many situations where clients are literally ‘eating on the run’ from this task, to that. It may have worked for a while, but sooner or later it will catch up on you. When we scoff our food, we miss out on crucial digestive steps which places more stress and strain on our digestive system causing issues.

Prominent Signs and Symptoms of poor digestion

Poor absorption of nutrients – especially Vitamin B12, Iron, Zinc.
Soft, flaky nails, white spots
Limp and dull hair, hair fall
Digestive symptoms (as above)
Undesirable bowel movements such as constipation, diarrhoea, or undigested food present
Fatigue
Thyroid issues
Anxiety (poor digestion can exacerbate anxiety, and anxiety can cause issues with digestion)

7 Keys for Better Digestion

Home cooking activates the cephalic phase (the smell of food interacting with the brain) and this helps to stimulate your digestive enzymes. Think salivation from the smell of a roast dinner.
Allocating a proper meal time allows us to relax into the parasympathetic nervous system which governs digestion. This allows blood flow to the digestive tract providing the fuel to boost our digestive fire.
Having a ‘pause’ or saying grace or simple gratitude statement before each meal really enhances the time out for your meal.
Chew chew chew chew for 30 times to activate the salivary amylase which starts to breakdown the starches in food.
Prior to eating you may wish to sip on some apple cider vinegar in hot water. This bitterness will stimulate your digestive enzymes.
Bring back the bitter foods – rocket, endive, baby spinach, lemons, limes, apple cider vinegar. Foods that are naturally bitter get those enzymes going for efficient chemical breakdown of your foods.
Really take your time during meal times and practice mindfulness eating. No phone, emails, TV, or work. Just focus on the food you are chewing.

Take the challenge to improve your digestion and overall health

Practice ALL of these 7 steps over the next week. Really take it on as a challenge, and focus on completing each step with your meals. See how you feel at the end of the week.

P.S. Focus on choosing ‘whole’ foods – not processed or packaged foods. For example, think ¾ vegetables and salads on the plate with a few ‘bitter’ foods, and some lean protein, wholegrain carbohydrate.

See how you feel, if it improved your digestion somewhat. If not, you may be requiring some more complex digestive system support. Get in touch and we’ll support you.

Book your Health Care – Mini Consultation (15 mins) $45 for an overview of your digestive system.

Meditation for Moods and Sleep

September 23, 2020 by Christine Blanchard Leave a Comment

We hear a lot about why we should take up meditation, especially now when we are facing so much more uncertainty and stress. But if you haven’t tried meditation before, or it all sounds too difficult, then you may need a little more inspiration to make it part of your everyday routine.

Every day, we are bombarded with so much information- from people we meet, emails, phone calls, advertising, social media, tv and billboards popping up in more and more places.

And then there is the constant chatter of our own minds.

It is estimated that we have about 60 000 thoughts per day. And 95 % of them are thoughts we had the day before!

Deepak Chopra

There is no rest from all this visual and mental stimulation………

Unless we choose to take rest from it.

Meditation for a Mental Break

That is where meditation comes in. Meditation allows us to take a mental break, to stop, (even just for 10 minutes) and bring our awareness within. It allows us to slow down, focus on our breath or a simple mantra, help slow the thoughts and gain some clarity. If we are constantly on the go, busy-busy, thinking, doing….. we may become exhausted, or irritable or cranky or not sleep well.

As a naturopath, I have many resources I use for my health and well-being, but meditation has by far, been the one tool that has had the biggest impact on my life.

I love thinking. I love dreaming and scheming and reminiscing. But I didn’t realise how much this exhausted me as my mind would tell the same stories, repeating scenarios and anticipated conversations. Learning meditation, for me, gave me a simple mental break from all this noise. And I learned to appreciate quiet and stillness. I still think, and I still dream, but it is more mindful now and I make sure that my thoughts are productive and useful. I aim to not have the same thoughts 95% of the time, but rather, rest in the quiet for 20 minutes, once or twice a day.

Benefits of Daily Meditation

And what have I noticed since making meditation a part of my every day?

More patience.

More time and presence for conversations I have, and people that I love.

Meditation helps a Better Version of ‘me’.

My 12yr old daughter now will often ask if I’ve meditated in the afternoon – as she knows she gets a better version of me, once I have meditated. She gets all of my attention then, not a scattered, exhausted mum.

Better moods

By learning to periodically stop, I find I notice finer details in life. Moments of connection, moments of joy that I can stop and enjoy and moments of peace to just be, to observe and wonder. Meditation allows us to process stresses and emotional unrest so we don’t keep accumulating these.

Meditation helps Less Coffee, Less Sugar

I find myself less reliant on stimulants such as coffee and sugar. By taking just a short time out each afternoon, meditation helps to recharge my energy for the rest of the day. Most people think meditation is best at night, but a simple meditation practice can actually recharge you for up to 4-6 hours! Much better for you than a caffeine addiction 😉

Better Sleep after Regularly Meditating

This has been a huge shift for me. By allowing my mind to rest, twice a day, I can clear and process thoughts and stresses from the day. Just like we periodically back up our computer and phone, to create more space and memory and make it work more efficiently. The same with our minds.

If we make a habit, or a ritual, of stopping each day, we can back up our memory, which leaves more operating space and clarity. Doing this for just a short time each day, means you don’t have to process it all during sleep, and your body has more time to repair and renew. If you find you are waking in the night with a busy, racing mind, then meditation may help (you may also need some liver support as a restless mind can often be sign of an over-loaded liver).

How to Start Meditating

If you have contemplated learning meditation, and not known where to start, come and chat to Christine. She can talk you throughsome simple steps to get you started.

Why not book in a massage and reflexology and she can chat to you about it while your stress and unease is being unraveled and relaxed. Christine is available for appointments with us on Fridays (and Sundays on request).

Christine is also a facilitator with a local Northern Beaches not-for-profit organisation, Making Meditation Mainstream which holds free weekly beach meditations in many locations (including Dee Why and Narrabeen).

She will also be running 5 -week Meditation for Women courses in October. Send us a message to request more details.

As we step into Spring, it’s a great time to embrace a new health ritual such as meditation.

The Health Benefits of eating Organic Oats

August 6, 2020 by megan Leave a Comment

Organic Gluten Free Oats

Oats (Avena sativa) are a highly nutritious breakfast cereal containing a broad range of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, polyphenols and soluble fibre. Unique standouts for oats are:

the Avenanthramides which help to lower blood pressure by inducing nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is responsible for the dilation of blood vessels.
Oats are high in the soluble fibre called beta glucan. This helps to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and balance blood sugar levels.
The slow release fibres make you feel fuller for longer offering a slow release of carbohydrates helping to balance your energy requirements.

Cooking oats is easy and quick!

1/2 cup of raw organic gluten free oats provides about 3/4 cup yield. Cook with a little himalayan rock salt and water (just to cover) for about 3-5 minutes.

Personally I don’t like the oats cooked too much because I’m not a fan of the soggy texture. Cooked to soften with the oats remaining a little firm is my preference.

Here are some of my favourite topping for oats!

1/2 grated apple with a squeeze of lemon juice, a few walnuts, tahini and a drizzle of honey.
1/2 banana, some blueberries, pepitas, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and a dollop of Organic pot-set sheeps yoghurt.
strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, honey, tahini, and coyo yoghurt.

Add any combination for variety.

I recommend buying ORGANIC and GLUTEN FREE so as to ensure the oats are not contaminated during processing. Having oats as a breakfast cereal with a variety of different toppings can replace any commerical brand which are usually high in sugar, salt, preservatives and additives.

What does Vitamin D do in the body

August 6, 2020 by megan Leave a Comment

How we absorb Vitamin D

Vitamin D is actually more like a hormone, synthesised in the skin by ultraviolet B radiation by the action of the 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase. Once absorbed through the skin it is hydroxylated in the body in both the liver (storage form) and then the kidney when it becomes the active from of vitamin D – cholecalciferol. The vitamin can also be absorbed into the body from foods such as fatty fish, however the best absorbed form is that of the skin’s reaction to the sun.

Barriers to absorption and function

The major barriers to absorption are: wintertime; lack of sun exposure; darker coloured skin (a high melanin content); sunscreen blockers; pollution; issues with the converting pathways within the body (e.g. polymorphisms on the genes); and the amount of vitamin D receptors in the target tissues.

A brief Overview of the Various Functions of Vitamin D in the body

1. Cell organisation

Vitamin D plays an active role in the cell cycle, function and differentiation. Differentiation broadly means that the cells are organised into their various tissues within the body – hence they know where to go and what to do in terms of cell renewal. The active form of vitamin D exerts its function in various areas of the body via the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The extent of importance vitamin D has in the human body is still largely unknown, however the sheer abundance of VDRs signals its importance.

2. Thyroid function

It’s not exactly clear the function of vitamin D with the thyroid gland. What is know is that there is a direct relationship between low levels of vitamin D and thyroid disease. Furthermore, auto-immune thyroiditis also correlates with low levels of vitamin D.

3. Immune System

The complex immune system utilises vitamin D in both the innate and adaptive immune systems.

4. Blood Sugar Metabolism

Studies have showed a beneficial role of vitamin D in diabetes with improved fasting blood sugar and insulin levels and a decrease of insulin resistance.

5. Skin diseases

Vitamin D has been shown to assist with the improvement of inflammation and skin barrier function. There is a direct inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and skin conditions such as psoriasis, vitiligo and atopic dermatitis.

6. Bone Health

Vitamin D is well known to be involved in the maintenance of bones and teeth with a focus on the balance of calcium and phosphorus and management of these minerals.

7. Chronic disease prevention

Vitamin D is thought to have a protective effect in the from cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and autoimmune diseases. It has been shown to exert a beneficial effect on cancer by inhibiting the proliferation and spread of cancer cells. With cardiovascular disease its show to help regulate thrombosis (blood clots), atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and endothelial function (ensuring smooth flow within the arteries). There is a relationship between low levels of vitamin D and autoimmunity, however the exact mechanism warrants further research. It is thought to largely assist with the control of inflammation.

8. Mood

There is growing evidence to support the relationship with vitamin D levels and mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Naturopathic view on Vitamin D

From a naturopathic viewpoint, the range shown on the blood test reports are low. Obtaining a higher level than what is stated on your blood test is often a strong consideration for optimal health. Vitamin D is cheap and best absorbed sublingually. If supplementation is recommended, it may take 3-6 months to obtain the desired level. Signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency may be overlapping numerous other potential causes. Naturopathy is an individualised whole systems approach to health and wellness, and the status of vitamin D is always considered in the context of your health concern.