Bone Broth! I am so surprised I dont actually have a blog post on this yet. (well I do now – LOL)!
It is full of amazing minerals and glutamine (which is an amino acid which is very healing for the gut). In fact several studies have shown it to reduce leaky gut and heal ulcerative colitis as well as other gut disorders.
Health Issues
How to Make Preserved Lemons
Many of you know I am a huge fan of fermented foods, and have written a few blog posts on the benefits of this for your gut health. Plus a recipe of my own on how to make kombucha. So when I was contacted by Gigi from My Fermented Foods with an offer to write me a blog post, I jumped at the chance of sharing more knowledge. (This is not an affiliated post – just sharing a mutual love of fermenting).
Should we eat wheat? (and what is the deal with gluten anyway?)
Back in 2013 I embarked on my gluten free life. At the time I didn’t know it would be so permanent but now that I have thoroughly researched it, I am glad that I am (mostly) gluten free.
It started off by having a baby. Why would that have an impact? Well this newborn baby of mine screamed his head off every time I ate wheat. No, he didn’t have a strange phobia of sandwiches but rather, 7 hours later, the components of the sandwich ended up in my breast-milk which he then drank. It took me a few weeks to figure it out (and you can read more about it in another blog post) but he had silent reflux and the “wheat” upset his tummy. It was more specific than wheat, actually the protein in wheat – the gluten.
Reflux in babies
If you have a baby with reflux your life can almost be a living hell. They scream, they are very unsettled and unhappy, and they don’t sleep. They also like to be held upright which (although cuddles are wonderful) is exhausting when it is 24/7.
I had one of these babies and It was very difficult until I figured out how to fix it. For my experience, within 24 hours I had a very different baby. No screaming, no crying, and more sleeping. Within a couple of months it was totally gone.
Low Allergy Cake
(and quite possibly the easiest cake in the world) This allergy free cake gets made almost every week in my house. It is easy to make and delicious – and being egg, dairy, nut, and gluten free, it ticks all the boxes. Ingredients: 1 cup of gluten free self raising flour 1 cup of […]
So… yesterday was my due date
So… yesterday was my due date. Yes, that is right. My due date. But I am not pregnant… In February this year, I had a miscarriage. Equally the most devastating and distressing day of my life… Equal to when I found out 5 days earlier at my 10-week ultrasound, that there was no heartbeat.
Help me Jackie the naturopath! My baby has a head cold
One of the most common questions I get as a naturopath and a mum is how to get rid of a cold/cough/runny nose in a sick child. It actually sparked me to create my Toddler and Kids Immunity program, as it is a common issue in families, particularly coming into winter.
The problem is, the younger the child, the trickier it can be to help with “home remedies” as they are not on solids, so cant take over the counter nutrients and herbs. When younger babies are sick, OR if your older child is catching everything that goes around, and is sick more then they are well, it may be better to bring them in for a naturopathic consultation. However if your child is eating solids and gets the occasional head cold then you may find the following advice helpful.
MTHFR gene – what is it? And what does it mean?
Genetics – it seems complicated and mind boggling that a bunch of proteins (our DNA) control every aspect of our lives, and that one very small change in DNA can have far reaching consequences. It is unfortunately true. And science has not been able to change our DNA. We are stuck with what we are dealt at conception.
A new part of genetic investigations is the MTHFR gene variations. Why is this important? Because it is estimated that between 40-60% of the population have a variation in this gene. Chances, are, if you are reading this, you may have one. I have one, and so do many of my patients – hence my strong interest in this area.
Benefits of Fermented Food
Many cultures have fermented foods as part of their cuisine. The Germans have sauerkraut, the Japanese have miso, the Russians have kefir, and western society has embraced yoghurt (although it originated in Asia). I have even written a blog on Kombucha, which is the latest fermentation craze – fermented tea.
So why all this talk on fermented foods?
A coughing baby and an exhausted mum!
A patient brought her 12-month-old baby to see me a few years ago. At 6 months of age he developed a nightly cough that didn’t seem to go away. He would go to sleep, and a couple of hours later, he would wake coughing. This would distress him, and keep him awake for a few […]