Spring is definitely here in Brisbane. The weather is warming up and there is a renewed sense of optimism in the air.  Nature is flowing and growing in its season of new life and renewed vitality after the hibernation and nurturing foundation of winter.  
 
We can flow and grow in alignment with the Natural World too.
Clearing out the clutter of our cupboards, wardrobes and bodies is naturally felt at this time.  Gentle cleansing of the body is as simple as
1. Drinking plenty of water – 6-8 glasses per day rehydrates skin and tissues, improves digestion and renews the 80% water content of our bodies
2. Spending time walking or gardening is a gentle and enjoyable form of exercise.  The weather is inspirational for all forms of exercise and moving the body is an excellent detoxifier.
As we move the lymphatic fluids of the body are mechanically dispersed through their system and nutrients are delivered to cells and tissues whilst any wastes are simultaneously removed.   
3. Taking time to ‘smell the Roses’.
Appreciating the beautiful displays of nature, whether in flower blooms, foliage, butterflies birds or the changing colours of the sky is actually a form of meditation included in the Indian Vedas within the practise of Yoga which is essentially Union of the Self with the whole universe.  The universe is vast yet nature and the earth we stand on is a vital and part of the whole.  As are we.
 
Speaking of vitality and nature….
4. Is swapping commercially, over processed, convenience and comfort foods for nutritious whole foods and is a simple choice with the availability of fruits and vegetables at this time of year. 

Adding some summer vegetables, herbs and fruits to the hearty winter menu helps by keeping up the sustaining warm meal staples during the still chilly mornings and evenings whilst bringing in the new fresh salads and seasonings of spring.  

Fresh summer greens are plentiful and full of valuable vitamins and minerals. 
Cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, capsicum, parsley, spring onion and coriander are a gorgeous lunchtime salad waiting to happen.  With the addition of nuts and seeds, quinoa, burghal, olive, avocado or walnut oil, apple cider vinegar, seasoning and perhaps olives and fetta, it becomes a balanced meal with carbohydrates, protein, fibre and the small amount of healthy fats that your body needs. 
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Today many of us are interested in our health and implement positive food choices, additional supplements and lifestyle adjustments to take care of ourselves. This is a fantastic thing and shows how often simple changes, that are right for you, can greatly improve health, vitality and happiness.

There is a plethora of health information available to us via friends, print media and online.  Discerning fact from fiction and fad from cutting edge scientific breakthrough is a daunting task. 

Consultation with a qualified Naturopath is an opportunity to review your health goals, discuss your medical conditions and symptoms and to analyse and evaluate your whole health picture. 
It is an opportunity to draw on a wealth of modern health science and traditional natural medicine knowledge. 

 A Naturopath has the time to listen and explain and support you that Doctors and specialists often don’t.

 As part of the overall health care system in Australia a Naturopath offers:
 Support – by listening, hearing and encouraging you on your healthy living or journey to health for those with present symptoms or medical conditions.
 And
 Information – a thorough understanding of the human body, how it works and what it needs. 
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​Real fixes for everyday problems such as:

Herbs that: prevent menstrual pain, wind, indigestion, bloating, calm the nerves, assist sleep, heal and manage skin conditions. 

Nutrients for increased energy, skin, mood and whole-body health.
Pain relieving herbs and nutrients. 

Prevention: diagnostics pinpoint areas of weakness in the body where systems are under pressure, strain or inflammation.  These areas can be addressed to provide relief and potentially prevent further issues.
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Medical information about current health conditions. Learn about the disease and then you have the power to take control of your health through diet, lifestyle and natural medicines that complement your conventional medical care.

​The many biochemical processes that the human body carries out to sustain life, require delicate and specific pH parameters.  A situation of acidity in the body (Acidosis) or alkalinity (alkalosis), disrupts normal functioning and leads to ill health, disease and when extreme will potentially cause death.
The body self regulates its pH balance in numerous ways and it is usually not of any concern.  Although if the body is subjected to an extreme load of either acid or alkaline producing foods, attention must be paid to rectify the situation.
It is important to remember that stress is a major cause of ill health within the body and trusting our truly amazing ability to survive, maintain health and prosper as an innate reality will allow peace of mind whilst we calmly embrace our body and assist it in health consciousness.
To balance your pH substitute acidic ash forming foods for alkaline or vice versa. Decrease intake of one and increase intake of the other for a short time and then and go back to eating a variety of foods from all food groups in moderation. 
It is not the acidity or alkalinity of the foods in themselves that determines their effects in the body.  It is the result of their digestion, metabolism and the resulting ash residue that determines a food’s pH in this sense.
The most common and detrimental imbalance in our modern diets is excess acidity.  The simplest way to correct this is to consume mostly vegetables and alkaline carbohydrates such as millet.  By increasing vegetable intake and it becoming a major part of the diet for two weeks the body can relieve itself of its acidic overload.  A normal diet can then be resumed that includes meats, legumes, grains, fruits, nuts, seeds and lots of vegetables.
For a more detailed reference the table below lists common foods and which side of the acid/alkaline spectrum that they occupy.

​www.courts.ca.gov/documents/List_of_Acid-Alkaline_Forming_Foods_-_NEED_PRINT.pdf​

Vitamins and Minerals are found in foods and many of them we get enough of when we eat a balanced and varied diet. 
They are not optional they are ESSENTIAL for Human biological function because the body cannot make them within itself.  They act as structural elements, cofactors and coenzymes in many molecules and biochemical reactions. 
The reason we eat is because we need these molecules to live. 

​A balanced and varied diet is the right amounts of Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats (the Macronutrients), Water and the Micronutrients – Vitamins and Minerals gained from eating all different kinds of foods daily.  

These days we have a huge range of vitamin and mineral products that we can choose to supplement our diet with.  They aren’t the same as getting nutrients from your food, they are processed products.  Not meant to replace foods but as a supplement to your diet (daily food intake) when your body is not getting enough or when it needs more.  That is why they often have that on the label and why some people scoff at the very notion of taking supplements. 
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The balanced perspective is that Vitamins and Minerals are essential to human life and deficiencies or low levels (status) reduce the body’s ability to perform biochemical functions that require those molecules.  Yet consuming amounts over the scientifically determined Upper Limit (UL) causes another set of problems related to how the body uses, stores, transports and excretes the vitamin or mineral.  At best your body will release the excess in urine as is the case with most water-soluble vitamins (the Bs and C) thus causing the much-emphasised expensive neon wee. 

At worst overconsumption of Vitamins and Minerals can cause a severe adverse reaction and the ultimate demise of the life that one was trying to maintain the health of.  [Aside: the authors avid HHGttG reader status shining through here.]

The risk of adverse reactions from vitamin and mineral supplements is deemed as low by the Therapeutic Goods Authority of Australia (TGA) [and equivalent regulatory bodies across the globe] if taken within the recommended guidelines and Authorised label instructions.  This is why these products are listed as Aust L medicines or Food Products whereas pharmaceutical drugs and some over the counter medicines are Aust R (regulated because the risk of harm is greater). ​

Some other Websites to check for suitabiltiy of your medication with Nutritional Medicines:
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NPS MedicineWise has searchable CMI's  which list things to avoid while taking your medication
www.nps.org.au/medicine-finder

Better is the Medscape drug interaction checker which will cross reference supplemental herbs and nutrients with medications:

reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker 

During your Naturopathic Consultation I will note all your medications and am able to prescribe Herbs, vitamins and Minerals that are safe to take with them.  Often Foods can be a great and delicious way to increase nutrient intake and avoid any risk of interaction.  Contact me, Book your session or Purchase and complete a totally online Supplement Safety Review form which will provide you with a report of current supplements to avoid or explore for optimal health.