Do you suffer from an irritable bowel, fatigue, anxiety, depression, food allergies, brain fog, sugar cravings, skin problems or weight gain? Poor digestion may be contributing to your symptoms.
Poor digestion is a common problem I see among patients, much of which is contributed to by stress. So while you can start by eating all the right foods for optimal health, unless you have good digestion, those foods won’t actually be doing you much good.
Stress hormones directly affect your digestion. When your body is in fight-or-flight mode, it thinks you don’t have time to rest and digest. During periods of stress, blood and energy are diverted away from your digestive system and can cause cramping, inflammation and an imbalance in gut bacteria. These symptoms can further develop into gastrointestinal disorders such as: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), peptic ulcers or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
So while digestion might not be something we think of very often, it is fundamental to our overall health, influencing our mood, hormones and immune system. Our digestive organs also acts as a type of switchboard or communication centre to and from the brain, and functions as one of the body’s frontlines in the fight against disease.
The good news is, there are plenty of ways you can improve your digestion and overall health. Start with these:
Then add in a natural digestive aid, like:
To pick up a bottle of Wildfire Tonic or Fire in your Belly, or for more information on digestive health please stop by the shop or make an appointment with us today.
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The start of a new year is a perfect opportunity to reflect on what you might have learned about yourself last year, and how you'd like to grow in 2020. Instead of setting resolutions that can easily come and go, try setting intentions that will help you live as the best version of yourself, every single day. We don’t have control over the inevitable obstacles that life throws at us, but we can control our actions – how we respond to them and how they make us feel, by setting intentions.
Intentions are statements and declarations of what you both desire and consciously intend to be, learn, do, have, feel or experience in the coming period of time. They give you purpose as well as the inspiration and motivation to achieve your purpose. Setting and living your intentions allows you to focus on who you are in the moment, to recognise and live your values and to raise your emotional energy, which in turn raises your physical energy. It’s a powerful way to achieve happiness, and even change your life.
For the next 30-days, I’d like to invite you to set a daily intention. Here’s how:
Find a few minutes every morning – during your meditation is an ideal time, but any quiet moment when you can gather and ground yourself is good. Take a deep breath and visualise something attainable, ask yourself what brings you joy or fills you with purpose and set an intention based on whatever could provide the most benefits for you that day, like:
I intend to love unconditionally.
I intend to forgive others, and myself.
I intend to be open to success and abundance.
I intend to set healthy boundaries and respect those that others set.
I intend to invite peace and calm within myself.
If you have another intention in mind that isn't listed above, use that. Just remember, intentions come from the heart and should always be positive. Write your intention down too if that helps.
Revisit your intention throughout the day and reflect on how you’re doing. Connecting with how you want to feel like this every day, brings you one step closer to living a life that fits your desires and what you deserve.
I’ve selected two beautiful new products that are now in the shop, to accompany your daily intention ritual - the Stass & Co Body Brush and Musings from the Moon Affirmation Cards.
]]>With Easter just around the corner, what better excuse to enjoy the wonderful health benefits of chocolate. Yes, that’s right, chocolate can be good for you! But not all chocolate is created equal, I’m taking about chocolate in its purest form, as raw organic cacao, which is where all the health benefits lie.
The Latin name for cacao is theobroma cacao which literally translates to 'food of the gods'. Nowadays the term cacao has come to be known as the raw and unheated beans. In ancient Mayan civilisations cacao was considered sacred and highly-prized for its health-giving qualities. Shamans of the time would also use cacao in their rituals, as it was understood to be a tuning mechanism, opening the psychic being and connecting the mind with the cosmos.
Raw cacao powder is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans. This process keeps the enzymes in the cocoa and removes the fat (cacao butter). Cocoa looks the same as cacao, but it’s not. Cocoa - used in most conventional chocolate - has been chemically processed and roasted and contains very little cacao with 60-90% of the original antioxidants lost through this processing. Conventional chocolate is also loaded of sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oils, thickeners, colours, flavours and preservatives. Non-organic cocoa (and non-organic chocolate) has also been treated heavily with toxic pesticides and fumigation chemicals and may contain genetically modified (GMO) products.
Cacao contains over 300 identifiable chemical compounds, making it one of the most complex foods known to man. Today, scientific research confirms that high-quality, raw and organic cacao has many favorable qualities that support our health and wellbeing.
Health benefits of cacao -
Try making your own chocolate this Easter with this recipe for Raw Chocolate Galaxy Bark from our resident nutritionist, Lucy Stewart. Resembling the ancient heavens the Mayan’s were trying to connect with, this raw dark chocolate is naturally sweetened with mesquite and maple syrup and studded with bee pollen, dried wild blueberries, hemp seeds and cacao nibs. Not only does it taste divine, it makes you feel like a goddess too!
RAW CHOCOLATE GALAXY BARK
By Lucy Stewart
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Zinc deficiency is something that is very common and can cause a number of health issues. The World Health Organisation reports that the average prevalence of zinc deficiency across the globe at around 31%.
Here are the warning signs that you may be zinc deficient, why and how to supplement your diet with zinc rich foods to try and improve your zinc status.
1. Compromised Immune System
The number one warning sign that you have a zinc deficiency is if your immune system is compromised. If you are suffering from frequent infections, have immune system issues, or suffer from chronic allergies.
Why? Because zinc plays a vital role in regulating immune function.
It plays a part in:
So if you’re immune-compromised — or if you get sick often or you are always the one person in the group that seems to be getting sick all of the time - it is a major warning sign you need more zinc!
2. Leaky Gut Syndrome
One of the most concerning sign that the body is zinc deficient is if you have leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut is a condition in which proteins can leak through the gut and cause systemic inflammation, and that can lead to to food allergies, thyroid problems and adrenal fatigue.
Zinc has been shown to resolve permeability issues by strengthening the tight gap junctions along the intestinal lining and resolve permeability issues and improve levy gut symptoms.
So, if you suffer from leaky gut, have malabsorption issues and/or do not digest nutrients properly, you may be suffer from a zinc deficiency.
3. Diarrhoea
If your are struggling with chronic diarrhoea you are likely to be zinc deficient. A "solid" zinc deficiency sign (pardon the pun) is if you have loose stools and what you see in the toilet bowl isn’t firmly formed. Other warning signs you may be low in zinc include inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome or even just simple gas and bloating.
4. Thinning Hair or Hair Loss
If you have thin hair or are losing your hair, zinc is an essential mineral that really supports thicker hair growth often zinc deficiency can be overlooked when someone is starting to show signs of balding but because zinc supports growth, healing and repair of the body it's a great natural hair loss remedy.
5. Inflammatory Skin Issues
Any sort of inflammatory skin issue can suggest a Zinc deficiency, especially acne, eczema, dermatitis or psoriasis.
Zinc Deficiency Causes
So who is most likely to be zinc deficient and why? Typically it is those who are experiencing either physical or emotional demands such as someone who is over-exercising such as a triathlete, marathon runner or CrossFit athlete or a women who is either pregnant or breast feeding or someone who is suffering from chronic emotional stress.
Malabsorption is another issue that is firmly aligned with a zinc deficiency status. Typically, the aging or elderly tend to have malabsorption issues, so they have poor zinc absorption and overtime will start to present with zinc deficiency signs.
How to overcome zinc deficiency
If you’re going to get more zinc in your diet to offset your zinc deficiency symptoms, a few things need to happen. The number one thing you need to do is consume more high zinc foods and in many cases discuss with your practitioner a zinc supplement that is right for you and your needs and is prescribed at the right dose.
High zinc foods include:
As well as probiotic foods such as kefir and fermented foods and vegetables like sauerkraut which improved your absorption and digestion of zinc.
For more information on zinc or anything discussed above please stop by the shop or make an appointment with us today.
]]>At Orbit of You we focus on the integration of mind, body and spirit, and exist to introduce people to their true self by giving them the tools and space to enjoy, love, and trust themselves.
I am Kate O’Flynn ND BHSc, Wellness Educator, Naturopath, Life Coach and Nutritionist, and I the founder of Orbit of You.
Orbit of You (formally known as Wellness by Kate), is the next chapter in what has been an incredible wellness journey. I started in this industry over 20-years ago, driven by my passion to address health from a holistic perspective and help people to meet their true potential through an integrated approach to health and wellbeing.
My journey in the health industry has seen me work with institutions such as Royal Hospital for Women in Randwick, Genea (formerly Sydney IVF) and Your Health Manly, and I continue to collaborate closely with gynaecologists, obstetricians, fertility specialists and general practitioners (GP’s) to develop medically sound holistic programs for couples trying to conceive and for women experiencing menopause, PCOS and PMS. I also have a special interest in managing nervous system disorders such as anxiety, insomnia and stress and treat a variety of gastrointestinal disorders, for men, women and children.
Orbit of You is not just a clinic, it's a space that can benefit everyone who walks through the door or visits the website, not just those who have an appointment with one of our experienced practitioners. Everything in the shop is thoughtfully hand-picked and tried and tested by myself and my amazing team. I am passionate about the marriage between mind, body and spirit, and know that true wellbeing comes when these three elements work together. We believe that something as simple as the scent of a candle, a herbal medicine elixir or an essential oil mist can be the first step in achieving your best self.
At Orbit of You we believe in the power of cycles. It’s not about fast, quick-fixes, we focus on nourishment for all areas of your life and body and have curated our product catalogue to help you achieve this.
Orbit of You is about the present moment. Who you are right now, and what you can do to feel even better in body, mind and soul. The emphasis is always on you - empowering everyone to tap into their inner wisdom and powers of self-transformation. Among an oversaturated market of exercise fads and Instagram fitspo, Orbit of You believes that the key to happiness and health lies in the interconnected nature of our true and whole selves.
Whether you’re interested in naturopathy, wellness in general or are just looking for a beautiful gift, we’d love you to stop by our shop or visit the website and explore what Orbit of You has to offer.
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