This article will cover:

• Approach to Health (I believe that holistic healing is of primary importance- finding the cause of illness for each individual)
• What is a healthy diet
• Do you need vitamin and mineral supplements
• Preventative medicines (for children) /Alternatives to chemical drugs
• Supplementation- How much is enough?

Approach to Health

Health is affected by:

• Nutrition (intake, absorption, assimilation, utilisation by the body)
• Stress factors
• Strategies for relaxation

‘Lack of health’ or disease is often caused by the following:

• Diet factors, e.g. including malabsorption, deficiency and excess states, etc. These can lead to lack of nourishment to the body’s tissues and so may result in illnesses, weaknesses and lack of body functioning, etc.
• Exposure to environmental conditions, e.g. allergens, pollution, chemical contaminants, stress factors, etc. These factors can weaken or put the body under strain so that the body does not function at it’s optimum.
• Exposure to Pathogens, e.g. bacteria, viruses, etc. Pathogens reduce the body’s functionality at a cellular level.
• Genetic predisposition, e.g. asthma. Certain genetic predispositions can result in an organ or body part to be ‘weaker’ or to be more prone to certain illnesses/diseases.

The starting point is to endeavour to find out the cause of the ailment and then work out a treatment from there.

What is a Healthy Diet?

As a guide: (everything I say is a guide. Dosages are dosages in general & they differ on an individual basis)

Diet- a good diet is one that is full of of:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables (in season)
• High fibre (both soluble & insoluble)
• Low fat
• Low salt
• Low sugar
• Low in processed foods
• Good quality proteins, legumes & pulses, eggs, free range meats
• Good fats, e.g. essential fatty acids, e.g. flaxseed oil, extra virgin olive oil
• Exercise- walking, cycling
• Relaxation- listening to music, reading, getting a massage, breathing techniques

Do you need vitamin and mineral supplements?

The reason why there is so much talk about supplementing diets is because people don’t have enough time to spend on themselves so that their diets suffer, they aren’t relaxing (hence decreasing vitamin B’s) and they are too exhausted from working so hard to do any exercise.

For children, it is hard to constantly be taking responsibility for their health because it’s hard enough taking responsibility for your own health.

Children are also bombarded by advertising on the television to eat junk food etc.

The more ‘live foods’ you eat, the more energy you have, e.g. raw fruit & vegetables, or lightly steamed is the best. If you don’t feel satisfied, always have fibre to ‘fill you up’, e.g. brown rice, wholemeal breads, oats (porridge)

Preventative Medicine / Alternatives to Chemical Drugs

To avoid supplementation you can use some foods, which are very rich in nutrients, such as:

• Alfalfa
• Parsley
• Basil
• Berries
• Vegetables, e.g. green leafy vegetables, spinach, broccoli, brusil sprouts
• Capsicums (usually higher than citrus fruits in vitamin C)
• Evening primrose oil
• Fish oils
• Fruit, in season
• Garlic (fresh cloves)
• Kelp
• Nuts (not peanuts, e.g. almonds, brazil nuts (selenium), hazelnuts)- small handful maximum per day- can irritate the digestive system & give wind/gas if you have too much.
• Seeds (sunflower, linseed, pepitas)- small handful maximum per day- can irritate the digestive system & give wind/gas if you have too much
• Green tea (anti oxidants). From the same plant as black tea but black tea is fermented green tea but black tea does not have Epigallo-Catechin-Gallate (EGCG) which has many functions, e.g. reduce blood pressure, help digestive system, anti oxidant effects, etc.
• Watercress
• Wheat germ (insoluble)- sprinkle some over oats in the morning.

Supplementation- How much is enough?

Dosages of any kind, as a general rule is as follows:

• Children (up to 12yrs) - 1/2 adult dose
• Babies (3 months up to 2 yrs)- 1/4 adult dose

Vitamin C is the only exception. You can go up to the adult dose. The RDA of vitamin C for adults is 60mg which prevents scurvy but the naturopathic RDA is 250mg.

Most herbal mixtures and teas is 5ml or 1 tsp of dried tea in an infusion 3 times a day.

Chamomile tea is excellent for teething babies but instead of having 5ml 3 times a day, make up 1 5ml tea infusion & spread the intake throughout the day. Can add it to juice or water. Very subtle.

Clinic Addresses:
100 Raglan Ave, South Plympton, SA 5038
Hours: 10am to 7pm Tuesday to Saturday

1st Floor, 296 Payneham Rd, Payneham SA 5070
Hours: 10am to 7pm Mondays

Phone: (08) 8371 3549 or 0408 628876.