A magic pill would certainly be the easiest quick-fix around disease.  I could’ve done with a supply when I was working in health food or nowadays at backyard BBQs when I’m hit up for advice on all sorts of ailments. There are regular requests for quick fixes for weight loss, for lowering blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, for clearing problem skin, increasing energy or reducing stress and anxiety.  It’s a magic pill they’re often looking for.  A miracle cure in a capsule or tablet that will take away all their health problems so they can just keep doing as they’ve always done.  As the saying goes, nothing worth having comes easy and if it does, then it won’t last.

Some treatments are simple and resolve health issues faster than others.  For example, herbal medicine for an acute cold. Others take longer, especially when we’re tackling more chronic conditions that have taken years to develop. Hunting down the source of the underlying problem is a priority and when it’s found, it can take motivation and commitment on the patient’s part.  That’s because the underlying cause might be a leaky gut, an insidious bacterial infection or a food intolerance which is contributing to the illness and that might involve a rigid diet for a period of time, taking some horrible tasting but highly effective anti-bacterial treatment or removing dairy from the diet.

Are you willing to give up the things that made you sick?

In the process of leading people towards optimal health, I’ll often ask if they’re willing to give up the things that made them sick in the first place. From the time I graduated, I vowed not to be that broad-brush approach Naturopath who removes gluten, dairy, alcohol, coffee and chocolate from everyone who comes to see me. I for one, am partial to the odd glass of red and some darky chocky so I don’t like to put those around me into a state of denial unless it’s necessary. Besides, we’re all individuals with unique genetics, living and working in varying environments and we all manifest poor health in different ways so there’s no one-size fits all approach.

But when it’s necessary to adopt the changes that can turn health around, most people are willing to dig deep and give it a good crack, even if it seems a little overwhelming at the start.

What if diet or lifestyle changes are required and how can you set yourself up for success? Should you go all out or start small?

Research has shown that you are more likely to achieve your health goals if they’re small and achievable.

Getting started

Sometimes just getting started with a new behaviour is the hardest part. One of the best ways is to break it down into very small goals…..tiny goals. Let’s say your goal is to improve your physical health by becoming more physically active. Setting a goal that you’ll walk every day may be too big to start with. Start by asking yourself can you do five minutes of walking? If the answer is yes then go for it and maybe you do that every day for a week. The next week, increase it to ten minutes and the week after, to 15 minutes. The goal’s not to run a marathon but instead to break down the barriers and create a new habit.

If your big change revolves around eating better, setting a goal that you cut out all sugar, fried foods and coffee might be too big for you. Breaking it down into smaller health goals like drinking coffee only one day this week, swapping the toast and jam at breakfast for a homemade omelette or trying a new vegetable this week could certainly be more achievable.  For more tips on eating for optimal health check out my Naturopath’s Tips for Eating Well.

Consistency is the key

These examples are SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. Goal setting in this way helps you to focus your efforts and increases the chances of achieving your goals. When you set small goals and achieve them, it feels good right? The reason for that is because when you deliver on a promise to yourself, your brain releases the neurotransmitter dopamine which is responsible for pleasure, reward and motivation. Each time you achieve your goal, the surge of dopamine rewires your brain for continued success.

Small goals that are achieved and repeated become new habits and something that comes naturally like showering, eating or going to work.  This might just be the magic pill for health.

The post Getting Smart With Your Health Goals appeared first on Evoke Naturopathy.

What is fibre?

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate. Unlike those you usually think of, fibre cannot be broken down by the human digestive system. Instead, it travels through the gut undigested. This is actually a good thing!

There are two main types of fibre to consider – soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre is fibre that absorbs a lot of water, whereas insoluble fibre does not. Both are essential nutrients within a healthy diet, but each offers unique benefits.

Benefits of fibre

For something we don’t actually digest and absorb, fibre has a lot of linked benefits. In general, good fibre intake has been linked to:

• Improved blood sugar regulation
• Increased satiety
• Reduced risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome
• Improvement in digestive complaints such as constipation
• Enhanced immunity
• Enhanced weight loss for those attempting to lose weight
• Increased diversity of the gut microbiome

When it comes to specific benefits, soluble fibre may be able to reduce blood cholesterol and aid with blood sugar regulation. Insoluble fibre adds bulk to your stools, making bowel movements easier.

Fibre-rich foods to add

Ready to boost your fibre intake? Some of the best fibre sources in your diet might include:

• Fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, avocado, apples and pears
• Vegetables such as sweet potato, Brussel sprouts, artichoke, tomato, beetroot, broccoli, kale and spinach
• Legumes and beans such as lentils, chickpeas, split peas and kidney beans
• Nuts such as almonds, pistachios and walnuts
• Seeds such as chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds
• Wholegrains such as oats, brown rice and popped corn

You can also add fibre into your diet with supplements. However, I don’t recommend doing so without the supervision of a qualified naturopath or nutritionist.

Too much fibre can be a problem

If you over-consume any nutrient, problems can arise. This goes for fibre as well. Excessive amounts of fibre can cause digestive complaints such as pain, bloating and gas. Fibre is also able to bind to minerals and could increase the risk of mineral deficiencies.

Try this Nutty Muesli recipe for a fibre-packed, protein dense and healthful fat breakfast alternative.

4 cups rolled oats (use quinoa flakes for a gluten free option
4 cups puffed brown rice
2 cups puffed millet or quinoa
⅔ cup brown linseeds
4 handfuls raw sunflower seeds
¾ cup green pumpkin pepitas
2 cups roughly chopped raw almonds
¾ cup roughly chopped raw hazelnuts
1 cup roughly chopped raw cashews
½ cup raw walnuts, lightly crushed in your hands
1½ cups organic, preservative free shredded coconut
¼ cup raw honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup extra virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil

Preheat fan-forced oven to 150°C.

Melt honey, olive and coconut oils together in a saucepan over a very low heat for about 5 mins or until warm, liquid and well combined.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the grains, nuts, seeds and flaked coconut together by hand. Once the warm honey-oil blend is ready, pour slowly over the dry ingredients, mixing rapidly until well combined.

Split the mixture between two baking dishes or roasting pans, ensuring not to pack the mixture down tight. Place in the oven and bake for 30 mins, making sure you turn over the ingredients with a large spoon and rotate the pans after each 10 mins.

Once the mixture is slightly browned, take out of the oven and allow to cool on bench.

Store in an airtight container until ready to be served. Can be stored this way for several weeks.

Enjoy!

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24180564
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3544045
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/85/4/1157/4648880
https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(09)02062-9/fulltext
https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-abstract/67/4/188/1901012/Health-benefits-of-dietary-fiber?redirectedFrom=fulltext
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B012227055X009238

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Learn your goal setting type

Before you set a goal, you want to know what kind of goal setter – and goal achiever – you are. Do you tend to overestimate your abilities, and feel crushed when you don’t succeed? Or do big goals inspire you to stretch yourself?

There is no right or wrong answer. I’m the type to stretch myself – like I did when I took on a three year degree in Naturopathy so I could help people reclaim their health.  In the early years of study though, it was daunting looking down the barrel of all the hours of study and there were times I questioned whether I could do it.  So I chunked it out, focussed on attending each lecture, completing each assignment and exam and taking in all the knowledge I could until eventually I’d ticked off around twenty five education units and was handed my bachelor degree. One of the best days of my life!

By understanding how goals motivate or deter you, you can be more clear on the type of goal you want to set.

Get clear on your why

Setting a goal is great. But if you don’t know why you’ve set it, you’re likely to drop it whenever life gets tough. Sometimes, we set goals because of what society thinks, or because our partner makes a comment about our weight or drinking.

We’re more likely to stick to goals that are made based on internal motivators – things like how we feel and what we want from our lives – rather than external motivators, like peer pressure or an ideal appearance. When you set a goal, think about why you want that goal. Will you feel more energetic? More confident? Will you be able to keep up with your kids at the park or achieve more in your day?

Make it flexible, but targeted

It is important to put a timeframe on goals – if you say you’re going to lose weight in 6 months, it is always going to get pushed back. But if you say you’re going to lose 5kg by April, it’s a hard date and you can break it down into incremental fortnightly losses which you’ll either achieve or not.

That being said, life happens. You might set a goal to walk five kilometres three times a week but then after a few weeks, you injure your foot and all of a sudden, that goal is almost impossible to achieve. So make sure you add in a bit of buffer time, especially if you’re likely to come up against any obstacles.

How do you eat an elephant?

The answer is ‘one bite at a time’. Don’t worry, you don’t need to eat an elephant, but you do need to look at big goals the same way. When something seems overwhelming, breaking it down into bite-size goals makes it easier to start taking action.

For example, say your goal is to reduce your stress levels. For you to reduce stress in one month might seem impossible. But if you broke it down into 5-10 minutes of mindfulness or breathing exercises each day, you could achieve your goal by doing that mini goal each day.

If you could do with some personalised support to make your 2019 goals happen, book in a compatibility call here to find out if seeing me is right for you.

For the year ahead, I’m picking up with the mindfulness I gave up on late last year when things got crazy busy.  Check out this link to my previous blog on mindfulness.

The post Made Your New Year’s Resolutions? Now To Make Them Happen appeared first on Evoke Naturopathy.

I know someone who’s been stuck in that space for the last twenty years. Mandy is a patient of mine and she’s struggled with her weight since she turned 30. She’s tried every diet, counted calories and exercised like there’s no tomorrow. When she first came to see me she said “I’m the fittest fat bitch I know”. Her doctor suggested she have the gastric sleeve, where the stomach is reduced to around 15% of its original size but opposed, realising there are more natural options other than tampering with the anatomy. When her weight crept up to just over 105kg, she’d had enough and she sought my advice.

Mandy is a self-confessed night owl, fought going to bed and when she finally hit the hay around midnight, she’d often take medication to help her sleep. Adrenal testing showed that her evening cortisol level was too high.  As a result she felt “wired” at night. She’d wake at various times through the night, tossing and turning for about an hour before going back to sleep and waking the next morning feeling wretched. The extra weight and high inflammation were causing her feet and body to ache constantly. Digestion was sluggish – she was often constipated – and felt bloated and “blah”.

We kicked off with a liver detox – a really sensible and safe one – with guidelines on a wholefood, nutritious diet and a couple of nutritional and herbal supplements to support the liver and help with elimination of toxins. She surfaced at the end of the three week detox feeling amazing and made it quite clear she wanted more. Read more about detox programs here.

Mandy’s now following a slightly modified program that supports weight loss, control of blood sugar and long term health. Her weight loss should start to slow a little – we’re aiming for an average 0.5-1kg per week which puts her in prime position for long term sustained weight loss and maintenance once she reaches her goal.  Already, Mandy has seen a vast improvement in her presenting symptoms.  She’s sleeping better, has more energy, no more bloating or constipation and her aches and pains have greatly improved. And the best part is that she’s lost 7kg, putting her under the 100kg mark and still going strong with motivation and excitement for what the future holds.

Teamwork is a vital component when it comes to health care and it requires effort from everyone on the team to achieve victory however that looks for the individual.  When it comes to achieving your short and long term health goals, who’s in your corner?

The post Teamwork makes the dream work appeared first on Evoke Naturopathy.

Focus on wholefoods
If there is one thing that every diet should have in common, it’s a focus on wholefoods. Refined, processed and additive-packed junk foods don’t help anyone. But unprocessed wholefoods as nature created them are full of nutrition and flavour.  Wholefoods include fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, grass-fed meat, free-range/pasture raised poultry and eggs and sustainably sourced fish and shellfish.

Add more plants
Almost everyone can benefit from adding more vegetables into their diet. They contain many essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They’re also alkalising which can help reduce inflammation that causes aches and pains and ultimately leads to disease states. Vegetables are also an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fibre, supporting your gut health.  If you can’t afford or access organic vegetables, eat the freshest, in-season produce you can find because that’s better than eating none at all.

Don’t force yourself to eat foods you hate
Research has shown that we absorb fewer nutrients from foods we dislike or are unfamiliar with. Find a way to make healthy food enjoyable. Try different cooking methods, using seasonal ingredients and new flavours.

Eat mindfully
How you eat is just as important as what you eat. If you’re shovelling down a salad on the run, in the car or at your desk, you’re not going to get much out of it. In fact, you’re less likely to chew your food properly and feel satiated. Instead of making meal time stressful, take 20 minutes out to focus on your food.

It’s all in the presentation and taste
Many ancient cultures prepared food to maximise flavour and nutrient absorption. If you eat meat, try a marinade or rub to spice up the taste. Take some extra time to dress up your plate to make it more appealing.

Enjoy this recipe for my all time favourite Wholefood Breakfast Smoothie Bowl (pictured).

Serves 4
¼ cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoons raw buckwheat
2 tablespoons pumpkin pepitas
2 frozen, coarsely chopped bananas (minus their skins), partially thawed
½ cup organic rolled oats (or quinoa flakes for a gluten free option)
1 cup frozen organic berries, plus extra to serve
¼  cup Greek natural yoghurt
2 tablespoons vanilla pea protein powder
1½ cups almond milk
raw cacao nibs, to serve
chia seeds, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan forced.  Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place the coconut, buckwheat and pepitas on the prepared tray and bake for 5-10 minute or until golden in colour.  Set aside to cool.
Blend bananas, oats, berries, yoghurt and almond milk in a blender or Thermomix until smooth.
Swirl in extra Greek yoghurt, sprinkle with the toasted coconut mix and top with cacao nibs, chia and extra berries.
Enjoy!

References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/851082

The post A Naturopath’s tips for eating well with any diet appeared first on Evoke Naturopathy.

Sustainable weight loss is dependent on so many other things than calories, including:

• Nutrient dense foods eg. good levels of protein, adequate fibre and healthful fats
• Hydration with clean filtered water
• Balanced gut flora
• Regular exercise
• Balanced hormones including thyroid, stress hormones and male/female sex hormones

Healthful fats like those found in coconut oil and avocado attract big calories but are amazing considerations for long term health and longevity and may also provide good dietary support to those trying to trim down.  Let’s take avocados for example – high in fat but it’s monounsaturated fat which helps to increase HDL cholesterol that cleans up arterial walls to lower cholesterol.  Coconut oil consists of medium chain fatty acids that convert to energy in only three steps, much less than any other fats, leading to beneficial effects on metabolism.  These dietary fats increase feelings of fullness leading to an automatic reduction of calories….not that we’re counting those.

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