At various social gatherings I am often asked what people can do to feel better – my standard answer is “only eat real food, get outside and come and see me for an appointment”. I am often amazed at how many people dismiss my advice to get outside as flippant. I am serious – GET OUTSIDE and you will feel better.

From healing gardens, conservatories and greenhouses to restorative nature sanctuaries and forest bathing, being in nature has been used as a therapy for ages because it makes us feel better. Thankfully research is catching up and providing us with some quantitative data.

The benefits of spending time outside include: 

Thanks to some excellent new research and many professional sports figures we are becoming more aware of serious risks associated with concussions.

Most players, coaches and parents are aware of the major signs and symptoms of a concussion (loss of consciousness, vomiting, loss of memory, etc.) but are often unaware of the more subtle signs and symptoms of concussion. Fewer people still are aware that the signs and symptoms of a concussion can take hours or even days to manifest.

Things I have learned about concussions


1. Any violent, jarring motion can result in concussions

Concussions can be caused by more than just direct blows to the head. Anything that causes the brain to be shaken or bounce around in the skull can result in a concussion – think of: whiplash; players colliding together; or, flying through the air while tobogganing and landing with a thud. 

I was on vacation sailing for 2 weeks and it was amazing up until the last 3 days when one after another we all came down with stomach flu (viral gastroenteritis)…Homeopathy to the rescue? Sadly no. I forgot ½ of my first aid kit on my desk at home - the ½ that included the remedies we needed!...and the much needed Mozi-Q!

We had to manage our way through without the help of homeopathy – not easy or pretty but we all survived.  


Things I have learned about viral gastroenteritis

1. Antibiotics are unlikely to help you and may make it worse
Antibiotics will have no effect on the viruses that cause the majority of stomach flus. Antibiotics will destroy the healthy bacteria in your digestive tract.

I have a wart – a big ugly plantar wart on my right heel. It is my stigmata. I mean that quite literally. I had plantar warts forever as a kid and it was awful – they physically hurt, the removal methods were barbaric, and I was teased.  I have a lot wrapped up in my wartiness.

The logical part of my brain is telling me that the presence a wart is a sign that my immune system is compromised and that there are obviously issues I need to address. The emotional part of my brain is saying hide it, ignore it, hide it, ignore it, hide it, ignore it…something I am tempted to actually consider were it not for the pain and that annoying logical part!…like I said, I have a lot wrapped up in my wartiness.

Things I have learned about warts:

1. Warts are caused by the virus HPV
Which means that, like all pathogens, you will only become infected by HPV (human papilloma viruses) if you are susceptible. Having a wart means your immune system is not functioning optimally. There are over 150 known types of HPV that cause warts.

2. Warts are superficial but tenacious
Warts form in the your skin/mucosa and cause rapid overgrowth in the top layers. It may take several months of slow, persistent growth beneath your skin/mucosa before you can even notice a wart.
- Plantar warts are warts that are formed on the pressure points of feet and driven inward…I am getting smacked with the symbolism here….

3. Conventional treatment methods are largely ineffective
Conventional treatment methods still rely on the physical removal of the warty growth via burning or other mechanical methods. Since the immune system weakness and susceptibility remains, warts treated conventionally often return despite the painful and invasive procedures.

An apple a day or statin drugs? Based on research recently published in the BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) both are equally effective at preventing vascular disease!

Personally I would pick the apple - far more delicious (full disclosure: I have never tasted a statin pill) and far fewer side effects…apple peel stuck in my teeth was the only one I could come up with. With statin drugs the more common side effects are:

Well I am sad to say that cold & flu season is upon us.  While it may see logical to blame the vectors in our lives (aka children, colleagues, fellow commuters, etc.) more times than not our own immune system to blame. 

Most of us are exposed to cold or flu viruses on a fairly regular basis, but we only get sick when our bodies are in a weakened state. A weak immune system means that cold & flu viruses are able to get a foothold in our bodies and proliferate.

So if colds/flus are simply a matter of our individual immune systems being weakened why is there a cold/flu season? There are a lot of interesting theories regarding cold/flu seasons, like the cold nose idea, but I think it just boils down to an end of summer. Summer has a slower more relaxed pace – we take vacations, entertain casually, and we take time to enjoy sitting outside. Generally, we take better care of ourselves in the summer. In the fall everything seems to ramp up to a hectic pace as we get the kids off to school, head back to the gym, and tackle the piles of stuff we procrastinated all summer. In addition we spend less time outside getting our vitamin D and the weather is erratic which means that we get chilled often.

5 Things You Can Do To Survive The Cold & Flu Season

1.  Eat well
 Food is your fuel. Crappy food equals crappy performance.  Strive to eat only real food – nothing processed. Keep your diet high in fresh vegetables and fruits all year round.  Many people recommend increasing your garlic intake during cold/flu season and for good reason.


2.  Drink well

August is a month of trips and travel. For most of us that is a great thing, but for those of us that experience motion sickness trips and travel are something to be endured. Homeopathy will help you and your loved ones arrive at your destination with a smile on your face...If only I had known about homeopathy years ago I could have saved a childhood friend from what turned out to be a ghastly weekend sailing with my family! Sorry Susan.

There are lots and lots of homeopathic medicines that can be used to treat motion sickness - there will be one that is particularly suited to your brand of travel induced nausea, headache, anxiety, etc.. I have indicated some of the most common ones below,  if don't find one that works for you from the list below don't despair - just contact me and we will find the one that works for you. In no time you will be able to breeze out of a car/boat/plane like a seasoned international jet setter - looking and feeling fabulous!

Sleeping is my superpower...most of the time. My husband teases me that I can fall asleep anywhere and sleep through anything. I suppose that is why when I have the occasional bout of sleeplessness I really feel it. 

Like everyone else I have nights when I can't stop the thoughts & worries: finances, the kids, the house, work, laundry, global weather changes, reorganizing the shed, the kitchen reno, becoming bi-lingual...my mind is a crazy place at 2:30am! 

Most of the time I can track down the reason I am sleeping badly - too much caffeine, too much wine, working right until bedtime, aches & pains, etc. - and I alter my daily routine accordingly. Sometimes I need help. After 2-3 nights of sleeping badly or if it starts to be regular occurrence I realize that my system is out of whack and it is time to see my homeopath.

Things I have learned:
1. How you sleep is an indicator of your general state of health and vitality.  A lack of sleep impacts every aspect & level of your health - mental, emotional & physical.

2. Good sleep hygiene won't guarantee a good nights sleep,  but bad sleep hygiene equals a bad sleep.

3. Properly prescribed homeopathic treatment helps.

At this time of the year we are bombarded with so much information and advertising re: allergies & allergy treatments I hope that this presentation brings some clarity to it all - pun intended! I have found that it has been a good tool in helping people understand allergies and the treatment options available. 
Please contact me if you have any questions. Enjoy.