Time for a detox.

With spring nearly upon its a great time to spring clean the house and and the body. Marissa from MELBOURNE NATUROPATHIC WELLNESS, talks about detoxing.

The benefits of a detox program
Will You Benefit From a Detox?
Do you lead an incredibly busy life? Would you like to feel more healthy and alive? Would you like to look and feel younger? Would you like to have clearer skin? Would you like to have less body odour, bloating or flatulence? Do you want improved concentration and focus?

If you answered “Yes” to more than two of these questions then a detox program will benefit you. You won’t believe how great you can feel!

Why Do People Need a Detox?
Everyday 700,000 tonnes of chemicals and toxins are released into our environment. These chemicals and toxins can then be ingested through the food and drinks you consume, you may absorb them through your skin, and you may breathe them in. Lifestyle choices have a big impact on your body’s toxicity, with alcohol, smoking, fast food, artificial sweeteners and sweets particularly taking their toll. Yet even when living in the cleanest environment, your body produces its own toxins daily through normal processes. Your digestive system and liver need to neutralize and eliminate these toxins in order to keep you healthy and feeling your best. If your ability to process toxins is compromised, they can build up in your body, leaving you feeling tired, with headaches, aches and pains, prone to infections, body odour, digestive symptoms or experiencing many other effects. Reducing the toxins in your body can resolve many of these issues, leaving you healthier and happier.

What Does Detox Mean?
When you do a detox, you simply support your digestive system and liver in their ability to process toxins, allowing them to do the best possible job to keep you healthy. Unfortunately many of the detox packages that are available for purchase only do half the job – they support the liver, but do nothing for your digestive system. To get the greatest benefits, you need to follow a detox program that has been specifically designed to address your needs.

The Right Program for You
There is no one detox plan that suits everyone. Your detox program should be designed to suit your needs. You may need specific support for your stomach or intestinal digestion to help settle bloating and ensure you are absorbing the nutrients you are given. If you are on certain medications I will tailor your detox such that these are not adversely affected. A urine sample allows an accurate assessment of your digestive toxicity and to monitor your progress throughout the program. This way you’ll actually be able to see the detox difference as well as feeling better.

Delicious Detox Dining
Doing a detox does not mean eating dull, flavourless food. Recipes are available in a booklet as part of your detox package.
1800 606 256 to arrange a time to discuss how a detox will benefit you and to get started on your individualised program.

MELBOURNE NATUROPATHIC WELLNESSMarisa Camilleri - NaturopathMelbourne Suite 15 / 12 Collins St 9663 5940Williamstown 95 Douglas Parade 9397 7885marisa@naturopathicwellness.com.auhttp://www.naturopathicwellness.com.au/

* Specialist in Fat Loss, Wellness & Preventative care * Naturopathy * Herbal Medicine * Homeopathy * Nutritional & dietary advice * Ear candling * Bioimpedance Analysis (BIA),

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Global Clean up Project

Global Clean-up Project

The most profound changes start by our every day choices…




Date: Sunday, 23 Aug 09
Location 1:
Montrose Reserve
Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd
Melway Ref: Map 52 C-8

Co-ordinator: Rose Italiano
Contact: 0425-796-382
Date: 30 Aug 09

Location 2:
East Malvern Station
Sylvester Cr
Melway Ref: Map 69 B-1

Co-ordinator: Laurence Poncin
Contact: 0420-802-044

To attend please choose one of the locations listed.

Bring your gloves, a hat, drinking water, sunscreen, and please wear protective shoes.

Please bring your mobile phone with you and have it switched on.

· If you are unable to join us, you can take individual action collecting rubbish. Bags of trash you collect can be added to our global tally.


Many blessings and thank you for your participation.

Kind regards,
Rose Italiano
Global Clean-up Co-ordinator

“Leave every space more beautiful than you found it”
- Louix Dor Dempriey

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Beet packs a punch

Researchers at the University of Exter have found that drinking Beetroot juice increases oxygen supply to the muscles.

Researcher Andy Jones says: 'We were amazed by the effects of beetroot juice on oxygen uptake, because these effects cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training..... Stunned by the results, these results indicate some of the benefits of a daily dose of beetroot juice, even surpasses those gained from strict training routines professional sportsmen follow.'

What this means is that a daily dose can help you exercise longer, and can lower your blood pressure...but wait there is more its good for you on so many other levels, high in vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and iron, minerals and photochemicals in beetroot help to resist infection, boost cellular intake of oxygen and treat blood, liver and immune system disorders. Beetroot stimulates the immune system by improving cell respiration and tissue oxygenation, by encouraging the production of new blood cells. This keeps the heart, muscles and nerves in good condition. Beetroot contains a high amount nitrogeneous compound betaine. In the diet, betaine rich foods are pharmacologically active and promote the synthesis of the mood enhancing chemical serotonin, which relaxes the mind. Betaine also helps in the cleansing of the stomach and the intestine.

So get into it...Try a beetroot, carrot, apple and celery juice. Try fresh organic grated beetroot in your salad or sandwhich. Use it where you can...Get healthy.

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Organic Meat.....its not just a treat

Ten good reasons to eat organic meat.
1. Free of antibiotics, added hormones, GMO feed and other drugs; no GMO animals
Animals raised organically are not allowed to be fed antibiotics, the bovine human growth hormone (rbGH), or other artificial drugs. Animals are also not allowed to eat genetically modified foods. Further, animal products certified as organic can not have their genes modified (for example, a scorpion gene cannot be spliced into a cow gene).
How: The animals are raised in a healthier environment, fed organic feed, and often eat a wider range of nutrients than those raised in factory farms (such as would be the case of free-range chickens and ranch cattle). The animals are not from a test tube.
Highlights: Organically raised animals have been shown to be significantly healthier than their factory-raised counterparts.
2. Mad cow safeguard: Animals aren’t forced to be cannibals. The practice of feeding cattle the ground up remains of their same species appears to cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a horrific disease that destroys the central nervous system and brain, can be given to humans who eat the cows. The disease in humans has a very long latency period, and is called Creutzfeld-Jakob disease.
How: Animals are fed 100 percent organic feed without ground up animal parts.
Highlights: By eating 100 percent organic meat you are protected by a label insuring the cow has only been fed 100 percent organic feed.
3. More humane, ethical treatment of animals Factory farms treat animals like commodities, and they are kept in tightly confined pens and often never move more than a few feet their whole lives.
How: Buy meat and eggs raised from chickens raised outdoors free ranging and grazing.
Highlights: Animals are more likely to be raised without cruelty.
4. Animals free-range and graze The words “free-range,” and “ranch raised” are clues that the animals were raised in a more humane way. Their diet tends to be more well-rounded; the animals are not confined and spend time outdoors in the fresh air.
How: Free range chickens eat more grubs and bugs than their industrially-raised counterparts; free range animals graze as they are inclined.
Highlights: Humane and ethical treatment of animals; more nutritious food.
5. Manure Small farms use it, industrial farms pollute with it.
How: On small, diverse farms, manure is used to naturally fertilize soil. Industrial farms produce so much manure, on the other hand, that it is a human health risk. The overspill of manure can contaminate wells with E. coli and other pathogens. In one region of North Carolina, for example, hog farms produce 10 million metric tons of waste annually.
Highlights: Sustainable farms use their manure productively as organic fertilizer. The manure is “pure,” coming from animals fed organic diets.
6. Animals are integral to small farms. Using animal manure is considered recycling of nutrients. No farm can cope with all the animal offspring, so selling some makes economic sense. Sustainable farms tend to provide and sell a range of products, and organic eggs and animal products would be included.
How: Most organic farms have a few cows, chickens, etc.
Highlights: The animals—many of diverse gene pools—serve a purpose besides providing food.
7. Fewer chemicals usedSynthetic pesticides and fertilizers are not used on the food or land. Residues of persistent chemicals such as DDT, PCBs, dioxin, and many pesticides concentrate in animal fat. Eating organic animal fat reduces your exposure to these chemicals.Farmers working on organic farms are exposed to fewer chemicals.
How: Organic agriculture works for a healthy balance of the soil, including using crop rotation and other techniques to improve soil fertility, instead of controlling the environment with chemicals. The animals are not fed food containing pesticides, and so the amount of persistent pesticides in their fat is reduced.
Highlights: Safeguards groundwater, farmers’ health, topsoil, habitats, and neighborhood health.
8. DiversityIndustrial farms rely on just a few species of cattle, chickens, pigs, etc., whereas small sustainable farms tend to raise a wider variety of livestock. Entire species of livestock can die out if they are not raised on farms.
How: Support our food supply by buying food representative of a wide gene pool. Every time you even buy a brown instead of a white egg you are helping to support diversity.
Highlights: Support diversity by supporting diversity on your local farms. Buy their milk, eggs, and meat.
9. Factory farms use huge amounts of resources. The factory farm industry is run with cheap, nonrenewable fossil fuel. Producing, transporting , processing, and marketing the food all depend heavily on it. Without cheap fuel, industrial agriculture would be impossible because it would be too expensive, notes organic farming expert Fred Kirschenmann. The heavy pesticide use on industrial farms contaminates groundwater and soil. Kirschenmann believes industrial farms are responsible for the loss of over half of U.S. topsoil.
How: Organic farms uses less energy with careful ecological management, and using natural ecological balances to solve pest problems. Buying animal products from local farms further reduces energy by reducing the amount of miles the food travels to your table.
Highlights: Organic farms use 70 percent less energy than industrial farms, and since they don’t use pesticides they help preserve ground water. The farming techniques of organic farms builds topsoil and doesn’t contribute to its erosion.
10. Your dollars support the farm you buy fromIf you buy your meat from an organic farmstand at a farmer’s market you support that farm. On the other hand, if you buy non-organic meat that isn’t local, free-range, or ranch-raised from a supermarket chain, you most likely support a multinational food conglomerate.
How: You can contribute to the well-being of your community by supporting small, local, diverse organic farms.
Highlights: Buying organic animal products is better for your health, your local community, and the larger community as a whole.

Article by Annie B Bond. Check her out here http://www.anniebbond.com/

ELIKA FOODS: stock many cuts of organic beef and lamb, roasts, as well as their very own homemade Sausages. They make a Organic Lamb,Honey & Rosemary sausage as well as a Beef- Bratwurst styled sausage. They only use natural skins for our sausages and they are also gluten free .
Their Pork comes from Otway and from this they make their own pork sausages.

Just recently they have introduced the following Free Range Small goods:
Bacon, Salami, Ham, Ham Hocks and Bacon Bones.

Go and check them out at Shop 2, 2 Clarendon street , Thornbury. Ph. 9416 - 8360

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Eat a rainbow

It's the colour of food that makes it amazing(along with the taste). Within each color are brightly coloured, disease-fighting phytochemicals called antioxidants. Studies suggest that single plant pigments need other phytochemicals within that plant and from others to provide all their benefits. Supplements do not offer the same protective benefits as foods. So the best way to get your complete vitamin dose is to eat a rainbow, eat as many natural foods as you can on your plate. The more colours, the more amazing antioxidants we provide for our bodies.

On a basic level, it does make more sense than eating a monochrome, all white dinner for example. Each group of antioxidants are represented by different colours, lets take carotenes for example, in our food they range in colour from deep yellow to deep red. Carotene acts as our defense mechanism to resist carcinogens. Carotenoids can offset the effects of exposure to environmental toxins such as air pollution and cigarette smoke and help the body to protect the body against sun damage.

The Reds, Purples and Blues
Top choices: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, saskatoon berries, cranberries, apples, cherries, pomegranates, red grapes, beets, red cabbage, black rice.

The antioxidants in these are very potent, work as an anti-inflammatory . They rid the body of free radicals and cytokines, which have been linked with neural and cellular breakdown from aging.

Orange reds, tomatoes, papayas, pink grapefruit, watermelon, guava, red peppers

Lycopene and carotene rich foods may substantially reduce your risk of lung cancer, as well as other cancers. (Adding some oil, when serving them will make it easier for your body to absorb lycopene. )

The Greens
Top choices: spinach, cos lettuce avocados, broccoli, asparagus, watercress, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts

Green chlorophyll has disease-fighting, but it's the yellow under-pigment, lutein, in leafy greens that really benefits eye health. Eyes absorb lutein which protects them from light and free radical damage

Dark leafy vegetables, like spinach and broccoli, help build resistance to colon cancer.

So go and sing a rainbow, better yet, eat a rainbow.

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"Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one." (Ancient Chinese Proverb)

Try some green tea today; studies have shown that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol and inhibits the abnormal formation of blood clots. If thats not enough of a reason to enjoy a cuppa, Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay...

If you don't like the taste, try brewing with peppermint, lemon myrtle, rooibos or whichever tea you do like the taste of. For the best tasting tea, brew for a maximum of 3 minutes.

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Moods, moods, moods

Are the Blues Getting you Down?
Have you been feeling sad or unhappy? Are you finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning? Do you feel like you just can’t face another day? Do you burst into tears at the smallest thing? Have you noticed friends and family are avoiding you or walking on egg shells around you?

Occasional Low Moods are Normal
Whilst it is normal to feel like this occasionally, there are people whose lives can become engulfed by a constant dark cloud of negative feelings and low moods. These people may also find that their mood can affect their appetite, sleeping patterns and general health.

Many People Struggle with Low Moods
The heart breaking news is that there are at least one million people in Australia that have been diagnosed with a mood disorder. The good news is that naturopathic medicine may provide some options for you if you are struggling with low moods.

What Affects our Moods?
It seems the world today is so much busier; many of us are working longer hours and not spending enough time looking after ourselves. Throw in financial problems and relationship issues and it’s easy to see how our emotions can become affected. However, did you know that diet, being overweight, hormonal imbalances and even chronic pain can contribute to the spiral of sadness? These things can upset the delicate chemical balance within our brains, so it is essential to address these factors if you have mood problems. Fortunately, MNW may bring you back into balance with a range of well researched management programs and nutritional and herbal medicines designed to address mood disorders, and may help to resolve any driving factors.

Lifting the Dark Clouds
When it comes to helping people maintain their moods, MNW believes quite strongly that one shoe doesn’t fit all; this is why we manage each person individually. We use well researched natural medicines that may be very effective for helping people with low moods (see below).

5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and SAMe
5-HTP is a nutrient derived from the amino acid tryptophan. SAMe is a substance that is naturally made in our bodies. These two nutrients may be useful to support normal functioning of our brain and nervous system. Both 5-HTP and SAMe may help to correct imbalances in your neurotransmitters or ‘brain chemicals’. This may help to improve anxiety, irritability and that overwhelming chocolate or sweet craving that you get when you are sad!

St John’s Wort
Another popular herb has many beneficial actions for maintaining healthy moods. Scientific studies have shown that it can help to regulate many of our ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine. In doing so, it may help improve mental health. Did you know that St John’s Wort can interact with some conventional medications? As your Naturopath I can help determine whether St John’s Wort is suitable for your needs.

The Importance of Good Diet and Regular Exercise
As well as Natural Medicines it is important that we look at your diet and lifestyle. Poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle can exacerbate the effect that stress and low moods has on your body. At MNW we have a number of dietary and exercise plans that we can advise you on to help you eat well and feel better, creating a lasting change and true wellness.

Other Important Management Strategies
Other recommendations we could discuss to help you better manage your moods include counseling, relaxation techniques, meditation, support systems (people with strong social support systems experience fewer physical and emotional upsets) and life goals (having a firm purpose in life is associated with the tendency to have less anxiety and a lower incidence of depression).

If you, or somebody you know is feeling down, then it is a good idea to make an appointment. MNW may offer you real solutions to help improve your mood and overall wellbeing.



MELBOURNE NATUROPATHIC WELLNESSMarisa Camilleri - NaturopathMelbourne Suite 15 / 12 Collins St 9663 5940Williamstown 95 Douglas Parade 9397 7885marisa@naturopathicwellness.com.auhttp://www.naturopathicwellness.com.au/

* Specialist in Fat Loss, Wellness & Preventative care * Naturopathy * Herbal Medicine * Homeopathy * Nutritional & dietary advice * Ear candling * Bioimpedance Analysis (BIA)

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