Posts in Diet and Nutrition
Foods That Reduce Inflammation

What is inflammation?  Your immune system becomes activated when your body recognises anything that is foreign—such as an invading microbe, plant pollen, or chemical. This often triggers a process called inflammation that, in this situation, protect your health.

However, sometimes inflammation persists, day in and day out, even when you are not threatened by a foreign invader. That's when inflammation becomes a chronic problem. Many major diseases that plague us—including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer's—have been linked to chronic inflammation.

One of the most powerful tools to combat inflammation comes not from the pharmacy, but from the grocery store. Many studies, including one recent one by Harvard University, have shown that components of foods or beverages have anti-inflammatory effects.

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Natural ways to deal with menstrual pain

Although period pain is common, it’s most definitely not “normal”, and shouldn’t ever occur in an otherwise healthy woman. The presence of pain indicates to a Chinese medicine practitioner that the usual flow of the menstrual cycle is not occurring as it should, which means some other factor is getting in the way. These factors can include a hormonal imbalance (from contraceptives or an unhealthy diet), stress and other lifestyle factors, nutrient imbalances, or an undiagnosed and untreated underlying condition. So what can you do about it?

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How Does Chinese Medicine Support Your Digestive Health?

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture treatments can improve digestive function through supporting the Spleen and Stomach meridians. From a biomedical perspective, Acupuncture supports the Vagus nerve and regulation of the Gut – Brain axis.

Acupuncture also calms the central nervous system and this can also have a beneficial effect on digestion.

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Let's talk about sperm

Do you really need to improve your sperm health? The answer is probably!  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. Male fertility is a common reason people go to IVF with research showing that 40% of infertility cases are due to poor sperm quality. 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.

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Beat the Heat for Summer

Summer in Brisbane is in full swing. While that can mean swimming, beaches and mangoes, from a clinical perspective, I notice a shift in the symptoms that patients describe when heat and humidity ramp up.

They report seemingly mysterious fevers, headaches, nausea, diarrhoea, sweating, dizziness and a heaviness of the head (or the whole body). Some also have respiratory symptoms that seem like a cold or the flu, and many say that their symptoms occur randomly and are unexpected.

So what can you do naturally to help reduce the effects of the extreme weather on your body?

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