Holistic Massage Our extensively trained therapists combine Swedish, Deep tissue, Lymphatic Drainage and Hot Rock massage techniques to give you exactly what you are looking for in relaxation and muscle renewal.
Chiropractic Even a slight mis-alignment can be sufficient to gradually disrupt the body’s ability to function well. Chiropractic is a safe and effective technique which treats the musculo-skeletal system as a whole, including joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and the neuro-vascular system.
What is a Holistic Health Practitioner? Our GPs practice Integrative Medicine; combining conventional medical practice with scientifically founded, alternative treatments. Integrative medicine involves attention on all aspects of a person’s health, including physical, psychological, social, economic and cultural factors. Our three Holistic Doctors at The Medical Sanctuary practice nutritional and environmental medicine as well as various other therapies. Each holistic Doctor specialises in key areas and are supported by a team of highly experienced complementary health practitioners, trained to support your body’s natural ability to heal itself. Providing truly collaborative care, the team at The Medical Sanctuary work together to help you achieve greater levels of health, well being and happiness.
Naturopathy Naturopathy is a holistic approach to health and wellness, drawing upon 6 key healing principles – first do no harm, the healing power of nature, treat the cause, treat the whole person, doctor as teacher and prevention.
Osteopathy A manual medicine that emphasises a holistic approach to diagnose, prevent and treat many health issues affecting the physical body. An Osteopath works with your own natural healing ability to restore balance to the entire body.
Homeopathy Homeopaths believe that illness is specific to an individual and affected by every factor of their personal journey. In other words, two people with severe headaches may not need the same remedy.
The Medical Sanctuary is at the forefront of holistic medicine, bringing together the leaders in integrative health care. Our personalised team care approach to preventative health and healing ensures you receive the best that conventional and alternative medicine has to offer. Our unique combination of practitioners and modalities ensures you receive truly holistic treatment to help you achieve optimal health. The underlying philosophy is that everyone is unique and each approach to healing is therefore different.
Practitioners
DON’T PANIC
MOLECULAR HYDROGEN
MASSAGE – NOT JUST A LUXURY
The Medical Sanctuary brings together a team of health practitioners from different fields of conventional and alternative medicine. These include general practitioners, holistic doctors, naturopaths, nutrition specialists, chiropractors and osteopaths. All of us come together at to help our patients achieve greater levels of health, wellbeing and happiness, at a convenient Gold Cost location. Our practitioners can work with you individually, or with each other, to provide collaborative care. With so many health professionals at one service, you will be certain to attain the right support that your body needs. Arrange an appointment today, and make your health your greatest priority.
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The Medical Sanctuary 150 Ashmore Road Benowa, Qld 4217 Australia Phone: 07 5564 5013 Email:reception@themedicalsanctuary.com. au URL: https://themedicalsanctuary.com.au/
SLIM DOWN
GOOD FATS
HAPPY STUDY
TAME THE SABRE-TOOTH HOW TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL
words by Dr Cris Beer
The teenage years are a The primary hormones that and development of a kick in in puberty are the masculine physique. challenge not just for parents by for the teens themselves. With all those hormones surging in their bodies at record amounts there can be some significant disruption to the physical and emotional wellbeing of your developing teenager.
sex hormones and include:
But this time does not have to be one to dread but can be eased if you understand which hormones have been switched on in puberty and which natural supplements can provide some support and alleviation of the hormonal surges.
Sexual desire grows in accordance with testosterone levels and can be an awkward time for boys. Following on from all Testosterone in boys – testosterone surges in boys of these changes will be a cause a rapid deepening in boy’s final growth spurt their voice, growth of facial, somewhere around the age of 17 to 19. The later a boy underarm, and pubic hair,
Accompanying a physical change in a boy’s appearance will be a newfound desire to test their independence and aggression. This too is part of the testosterone surge and not to be confused with rebellion.
develops oftentimes the taller he will eventually be.
menstrual period anywhere zinc for stretch marks and from the ages of nine to acne. sixteen. Naturally supplements If your daughter is having which can help your boy A girl’s final growth spurt difficulties with her transition through puberty will be just before she starts menstrual periods a natural include vitamin B6 for mood menstruating so oftentimes, supplement called changes, a good quality fish just like boys, the later she chasteberry (vitex agnusor cod liver oil as well as a develops the taller she will castus) can help. Steer zinc supplement to assist be when she finishes your girl away too from with growth, calcium for growing. Throughout this foods that contain high skeletal development, time oestrogen surges can amounts of oestrogenic magnesium to assist with cause breast tenderness, hormones including sporting activities, and moodiness, oily skin and hormone-fed chicken and plenty of good quality hormonal acne. soy milks and other soyprotein to based help with foods. muscle Hopefully development. the above Steer your natural teen boy strategies away from will allow processed your foods which family to are high in sail refined through sugars and the artificial changes Many girls will also not like colours and flavours which that come with the teenage their newfound curves and can spark hyperactivity and years and help calm those other behavioural changes may notice the raging teenage hormones. development of stretch in many boys. marks due to rapid changes If you feel that your teen Oestrogen (and later needs extra support or in breasts and hips. progesterone) in girls – there is anything else you Supplements that can help oestrogen causes girls to are concerned about your girl with these issues start to develop firstly consider seeking advice include vitamin B6 for breasts, then pubic and from a nutritionally hormonal irritability, underarm hair, and finally medicine trained evening primrose oil for menstrual periods. Girls practitioner who can breast tenderness, iron for provide that next level of can start developing as anaemia and fatigue, and young as seven or eight advice. and can have their first
Molecular Hydrogen Why we need it
Medical professionals agree that all chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and cancer are linked to inflammation and oxidative stress (or rusting). This is because it directly damages our cells stopping them from functioning properly causing disease.
In order to help treat these diseases and reduce our risk of getting them it is crucial that we reduce this inflammation. Damaging free radicals causing oxidative stress come from UV radiation, unhealthy food, cigarettes, infections, air pollution and also from within our own bodies especially when we are stressed.
When our cells create energy we actually make free radicals causing oxidative stress, so in times of emotional stress or high intensity exercise when we need to produce lots of energy quickly the levels of damaging free radicals escalates increasing our and risk of disease. The catch 22 of this problem is that when our cells have high
levels of free radicals they can’t produce energy properly and this creates even more free radicals. This is why a lot of elite athletes “burn out”. It is also the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. The way our bodies mop up this oxidative stress that damages cells is through antioxidants. These come from healthy food such as fruits and vegetables. We also manufacture our own antioxidants within our cells. Aging and disease occurs when we are exposed to more free radicals than we have anti-oxidants to mop them up. The problem with taking anti-oxidants supplements is that some free radicals are
actually necessary for the cell to cope with stress and to fight infection.
How do we get around this problem? The answer is with molecular hydrogen. Molecular hydrogen has been well documented in medical research since 2007. It’s unique way of functioning means that it only mops up the dangerous free radicals and leaves the beneficial gentler free radicals that control infections and help the cell cope with stress untouched. Medical research shows that Molecular Hydrogen due to its
anti-oxidant and antiinflammatory properties increase energy, reduce the bodies acidity level, increase mental clarity, reduce allergies, improve skin health, helps stabilise blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation in arthritis, improve athletic performance and this list goes on. Combined with a lifestyle program of good stress management, gentle exercise and healthy diet it quite simply is one of the most powerful ways to improve your health and help reduce the risk of chronic disease.
By Dr Elen ApThomas
MASSAGE
Not just a luxury
Massage is not just a luxury to remedial massage for sport injury, be enjoyed every now and then pregnancy massage, and lymphatic when you think you deserve it drainage massage to name a few. (which is never often enough). Many people do not know the differences between the types of Instead massage is an massage therapy available and the essential part of any well benefits associated with each type balanced health and wellbeing of therapy. regime. One of the most beneficial and Many people think of massage in worthwhile style of massage to the sense of a relaxation therapy enjoy is a lymphatic drainage only. Something you enjoy only massage. when on holiday or when pampering one’s self.
What is Lymphatic Drainage? A really good and well trained professional massage therapist should be able to offer a selection The Lymphatic system is the heart specialized treatment options to patients. Specialised areas include beat for good health; it is the main
circulating system in fighting bodily infections, detoxifying the body, transporting metabolic wastes, excess water, bacteria and toxins out of the body. Your lymphatic system can be compared to a motorway, congested, nothing moves. The same thing happens in your body. Your lymphatic system affects every organ and cell in your body.
How can you help your body to function properly?
broad network of vessels which transplant fluid. When a lymph fails to function properly it becomes blocked. The clear lymph fluid becomes sluggish or stagnant. The lymph starts backing up in the system creating a toxic oxygendeprived environment, conducive to degeneration and disorder. Muscular movement is required to move lymph fluid and where a lymph is blocked or sluggish manual therapy is needed to unblock the system and clear out the lymph pathways.
The lymphatic system that is blocked, sluggish and over stressed Lymphatic drainage massage is the results in a body that is susceptible to infection and disease. best choice you can make in assisting your body to help itself, regular Lymphatic drainage, can increase you general health and sense of wellbeing. The human lymphatic system contains over 600 collection sites, called lymph nodes. These nodes constitute a network of collecting vessels throughout your body. Lymphocytes (specialised immune cells), tonsils, adenoids, spleen, and thymus are all part of the lymph system. The main lymph glands are found in the neck, armpits and groin however they are only part of a
Toxic lymph fluid can be stored for a long time in the body’s lymphatic system regular lymphatic drainage massage treatments will ensure your system is clear clean and flowing.
Get active, take control of your life. Words by Jennifer Kirk – Remedial Massage Therapist
Slim down for Spring Racing
The weather is warming up Over the years I’ve learnt a few fail safe concepts combining conventional and the body will soon be on and holistic medical wisdom that show again at the spring races quickly help shed some unwanted kilos relatively painlessly for a special and maybe the beach. If you’re like most of us and like event or simply to get back on track. to indulge in winter comfort Our muscle is our most active fat burning cells and the more protein we food and are looking at your eat the more muscle we tend to put swimming cossie with distaste on. As a general rule protein (eggs and meat) builds muscle tissue and high it’s time to give the body a quick spring clean and drop glycemic index carbohydrates (like white bread and flour) create fat those winter kilograms. stores.
Starting the day with a high protein meal such as eggs or baked beans starts the day by building muscle, increasing energy and reducing sugar cravings. The better our energy and the less we crave sugar the more likely we are to stick to our best intentions and not sabotage our weight loss goals. Protein again at lunch time (such as chicken or tuna and salad) again supports energy and muscle production and helps with brain energy keeping us focused and not craving the sweet treats as we hit our lowest energy point at 3 pm. Just in time for school pick up or that work deadline. Many people don’t know that we are meant to have our lightest meal at night when our digestion is at its weakest. In order to support weight loss only foods that have a higher alkaline forming profile such as green vegetables, salads and vegetarian proteins due to their high mineral content and not animal protein foods that are acid forming are meant to be eaten after 3pm.
This is because the enzymes that burn fat are very sensitive to our body’s pH level and if we are too acidic then we don’t burn fat well at all. This is why some people find it very difficult to lose weight.
My advice to quickly drops a few unwanted kilos is to have a protein shake with greens such as the organic Clean Energy protein shake for breakfast, a tuna or chicken salad for lunch and a vege stir fry, vege juice or soup for dinner. Or for a more rapid weight loss program I suggest you look at an intense detoxification program such as an organic fermented food detoxification programs (such as the FFDetox program) that supports alkaline balance and increase healthy bacteria in the gut that reduce acidity and inflammation that then help the body burn fat more efficiently. By Dr Elen ApThomas
FATS Why is This Food Group So Confused & Maligned?
Perhaps because many sources contribute to the name of FATS and not all fats are the same. Terms like cholesterol, oils, saturated fats, trans-saturated (hydrogenated) fats, lipids, polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats etc.
most people, I too fell for the ‘Low Fat Myth’ hook, line and sinker in the 80s & 90s, which was largely based on flawed science. Then I started to investigate this further and realized that fat was not the evil it was made out to be. However, not all fats are the same.
We have 3 major food groups: carbohydrates, Oh, how confusing!! proteins and fats. Fats are an essential part of our dietary intake. To Fats are an essential simplify the story, I like part of our diet. Like
to focus on good fats and bad fats and why. The so called ‘BAD’ fats consist largely of 2 groups: the vegetable or seed oils ie. The polyunsaturated, omega 6 oils (sunflower, safflower, canola (mainly from rapeseed), soybean, cottonseed , palm oil, soybean oil) and the trans-saturated (or hydrogenated ) fats, so called because they are the result of chemically treated ie industrialised vegetable oils.
These are found in margarines, processed and packaged foods and fast foods. These fats have been shown to raise the LDL (bad ) cholesterol, contribute to heart disease, obesity, cancer growth, inflammatory conditions ie. many of the age related diseases. These fats are attractive to the food industry because they extend the shelf life and flavour stability of the packaged and processed foods. They are cheaper than the natural solid fats and liquid oils. Unfortunately there is a lot of confusion in the media between the saturated and transsaturated fats and are often presented as one and the same fat. Not so! Saturated fats are an entirely different group of fats to the trans fats. The saturated fats are in fact the ‘GOOD’ fats. These are the animal
fats (preferably from those that are grass fed) ie. meats, eggs, cheese, dairy ( not the low fat type), butter, fish, avocados, olive oil, coconut oil. These fats are stable at high temperatures. We do not make these fats in our body, they are essential to our health and so we need to get them from our diet.
vitamins such as A,D,E,K are found in good fats, cholesterol is the mother of our hormones, about 70 % of our brain is fat and in fact it appears that our brain’s support cells churn out their own cholesterol, needed for memory and learning.
They have an antiinflammatory effect and good fats do not make Why are they good us fat. If we eat too fats? Well, they are much of the saturated another fuel for our (good fats) the body energy production. This excretes any excess fuel is slower burning from the gut, unlike then sugar thus keeps with excess our motor running for a carbohydrates or lot longer, keeps us protein. satisfied and decreases So, in conclusion, hunger. trans-saturated fats Good fats do not and saturated fats are stimulate insulin very different groups of production like excess fats with very different carbohydrates do and and opposing health so do not cause consequences. Do not obesity. be afraid of the good saturated fats. They do But, apart from being a not make you fat. Let’s good fuel, they provide get back to grandma’s the body with many cooking! other benefits. They are a source of the HDL(good) cholesterol, By Dr Jolanta Paszkiewicz
HAPPY STUDYING
It’s after school and as you better opportunities to supervise a posture and their internet walk past your child’s room child’s activities. you look in delight at your child doing their homework. Getting this right for our kids is super important because Then you pause and really look, noticing the way they are hunched growth spurts coupled with over their desk. Your own shoulders sustained poor posture can and neck start to ache at the lead to everything from thought of holding that position. scoliosis to a lifetime of Homework can be hard enough but back and neck pain and lots let’s not make it painful as well. in between. Ergonomically, the ideal thing would be to get a height adjustable desk and chair that suits your child right now and also has the capacity to grow with them. It’s also worth knowing how to adapt a shared computer area, as this may give
The easiest way to think about ergonomics is to see this setup as a series of right angles and work our way up from the ground. First start with feet flat on the floor, as dangling feet can create pressure
points along the underneath of the thighs and impact circulation. A foot rest can be used to support the feet if the chair doesn’t go low enough.
injuries. Smaller keyboards without a side number section are better for smaller children so they can reach everything. Finally the top of the monitor should be at eye level, Next make sure the child is sitting centered in front of the child and at comfortably with their bottom at the approximately arm’s length distance back of the seat so that it can away to avoid neck and eye strain. provide lumbar and general back support, by reaching up to the These are the basic principles of shoulder blades or higher. setting up an ergonomic study area for your child. As a chiropractor I A cushion to support the back can assess children and can give be used if the seat is a little long for individual setup advice, as well as the child. Then with their shoulders gently treating any pain or relaxed, get them to bend their arms discomfort that may have already at the elbows as if they were going arisen. to rest them on the desk. Parents can also model good The keyboard should sit directly posture, break and hydration habits under their hands with the wrists for their children. Let’s help their remaining straight instead of bent growing bodies have efficient and up, down or sideways. successful study habits. Bending the wrists stresses them By Karen Hall, Chiropractor and can lead to repetitive strain
How to become more successful
We all want to be more successful. So what does being successful mean? Success can have many different definitions depending on your perspective and culture. Many people in a western capitalistic culture automatically jump to thinking of success as relating to monetary wealth, fame and power. The richer, more powerful and more famous you are the more successful, right? Not necessarily. With wealth and notoriety normally comes some negative “cost”. Working in a well-paid job usually involves a great deal of stress and long hours as well as a huge
burden of responsibility, family members often fight over financial matters and fame and power usually entail yourself and your loved ones being harassed by the media. Success penetrates into many other often more important aspects of our lives; the quality of our relationships with loved ones and ourselves, our physical health and levels of fitness, our mental wellbeing including levels of happiness and it is all greatly affected by our depth of sense of purpose and spiritual beliefs about the bigger picture of what we really think life is all about. While most of us would like to be wealthy I think it’s time to expand
our view of success. Success should incorporate aspects of health and well-being, having our actions guided by an inner calmness and wisdom of and for the greater good, approaching life with enthusiasm and being present in the moment. Research shows that we are at our happiest when we give rather than receive.
Success emanates from people who have found their passion in life and experience it regularly. They feel fulfilled and highly energised with a desire to give back to society of not just their finances but also their time. I have always found it paradoxical that in a “free” society where we can do whatever we choose (without harming others of course) that we have no conscious control over what we actually feel passionate and excited about. This can be a great guide to help mould your life to become more fulfilling and hence more successful. Ask yourself what truly inspires and motivates you. The answers to this question can help clarify what success means to each
individual and what we wish to look back on from our death bed. Quite a confronting but very effective thought process to do regularly to ensure that your life is on track. Wanting success isn’t enough, to attain it as with many things in life you get back what you give. Acheiving a holistic version of success requires looking at all aspects of your life; eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising, connecting with yourself through stress reduction programs such as yoga meditation and mindfulness, putting down the ipad and spending time with your family and nature. Consider doing volunteer work with people less fortunate than yourselves, this is a sure way to fast track feeling grateful. Forcing yourself to focus, do one thing at a time. This helps you to become truly present giving each moment of your life a fresh new invigorating quality. Success in its many various forms is there to be had by everyone. If you want more love, give more love. If you want to be appreciated more, truly appreciate others. Be your own success story and see the change in the world. By Dr Elen ApThomas
Turn That Sabre-Tooth Tiger Into A Pussycat
Words by Cassi Cowlam
to the essential organs to help this fight/flight response, namely the heart, lungs, brain and muscles. Cortisol also increases the amount of sugar released into the blood to provide energy for our muscles to attack or run. Once the danger is over, these We all know what it’s like to be chemicals return back to normal quite stressed; it’s an everyday occurrence, quickly. and in fact we need a certain amount of stress to survive. Even so, it can In ancient times our society was more get out of hand. confined: we were not often exposed to unfamiliar faces, we never travelled When discussing stress with patients, far from our groups, and our stress I often use the Sabre-Tooth Tiger was surviving the elements and analogy: our body is no different wondering where our next meal was biologically from what it was coming from, as well as having the thousands of years ago … when occasional savage beast to contend facing that tiger, we had two choices – with. attack or run (known as the fight / flight response). This is how we Well, it’s no different for us in today’s managed to survive day to day, and is age, except that the tiger is now in a why stress is necessary. different form, and we have a much higher exposure to it. We are When this “stress” button is hit, constantly being bombarded with chemical messengers are produced information via emails, television, by the brain and adrenal glands called internet, we are exposed to hundreds adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. of unfamiliar faces on a daily basis, These chemicals increase blood flow long work hours, financial worries,
STRESS! Can’t live with it, can’t live without it.
traffic jams, family problems … you get the picture? And all the time these chemical messengers are being released telling us to fight it or run! In some people, this fight/flight button may never get turned off, and this leads to chronic stress. Chronic stress can be the underlying cause of many health conditions today, as it weakens the delicate homeostasis (balance) in our bodies. It can have a negative impact on our cardiovascular system, lead to poor digestive function, create sleep disturbances and nervous system disorders such as anxiety and panic attacks.
nutrients can also assist with stress, such as Vitamin C, Magnesium and the B Group of vitamins. Because we are all different, it is best to have a treatment program especially tailored for you. Still, even without taking supplements or herbs, there are things you can start to do today to help turn that tiger into a pussy cat: • Exercise – a great stress buster that releases feel-good endorphins. Yoga is also recommended as it teaches breathing exercises that can come in handy when feeling stressed. • Make time “just for you” – have that pedicure, go see that movie, sit quietly and start that book you’ve been meaning to read.
The constant release of cortisol can also wreak havoc on our hormones, affect our blood sugar levels, lead to an increase in weight, and deplete our • Regular massages not only feel immune system. good, but are excellent for the nervous system. Can you see how important it is to • Avoid stimulants such as tea, manage our stress? If we are constantly looking over our shoulder coffee and alcohol. at that sabre-tooth tiger, can we really • Stop smoking. expect to successfully improve our • Watch your diet – avoid high sugar poor sleep patterns, or to lower our intake, junk and processed foods. Eat blood pressure, or resolve whatever wholesome foods high in fruit and health issues may be the problem? vegetables. There are many herbs available that • Spend time with nature – get that work successfully to help the body adapt and resolve inappropriate stress sand between your toes, walk barefoot on the grass, have a picnic in responses. Before self-prescribing, I the park. would recommend you consult a qualified health practitioner, as some STRESS! Can live with it, can’t live may be contraindicated with certain without it. conditions or medications. Certain
FOOD FOR LIFE Words By John Burchell
We are constantly bombarded with the do’s and don’ts of foods, the latest must follow diets, how food should look and taste, where we should buy foods and how much we should or shouldn’t eat.
choose to consume will have an influence on our health, mood, vitality and immune response.
Choice is the critical word here. Choosing to eat to obtain optimal health can be a very different choice to living to eat what you want. Understanding this is very The foods we eat, in fact any of the important when it comes to dietary things we ingest, will have a large planning. influence in the over all outcome of our health. By no means does Coming into winter give rise to healthy mean boring or uninspiring! specific dietary needs. Depending Food for life is defined as the intake of nutrients to provide all the vitamins, minerals, trace elements, starches, carbs, fats, proteins and enzymes etc that we need to keep our bodies going. The foods we
on where you live will vary the requirements, but I m going to use cold and cosey as the mood and winter warming foods as the focus. Warming foods are important in autumn and winter to keep colds and flus etc at bay. Warm foods
are nutritious and comforting and can be very enjoyable. Open fires, Casseroles, red wine, stews, stout, Thai and Indian curries, beer, roasts, pies (savory or sweet), puddings and spirits. Minestrone soup using bone stock or veggie broth with all the traditional ingredients (just use a non wheat pasta!). Lasagna, Gnocchi and non wheat/vegetable pasta can all be enjoyed when we use unprocessed ingredients. Lots of hearty warming, fun, comforting indulgences! Are we bad?! All of these foods can be sustaining and healthy or plain bogged down and stodgy. It all depends on the intent and the choices of ingredients.
is pasturised, homogenised and standardized. Salami, bacon and ham. These can be highly processed so source produce that have the least processing and additives. Some salami contains nearly the same proportions of sugar wheat and emulsifiers as white bread, let alone the salt! Wheat flour is basically white powder void of anything nutritious unless it is specifically labeled as unprocessed organic whole grain. White sugar is, well let’s not go there!
Always use the closest to organic garden fresh produce as you possibly can, if you haven t grown it, purchase it from someone you know that does. Failing that, source from the best provider that you can. Meats are best when they are from free grazing animals.
It is always best to avoid processed foods. Processed foods are usually modified in some way by heat, standardisation, chemical modification, refining, hydrolyzing and preserving. Good examples are milk, which
True organic meat is sourced from unvaccinated animals that have not been on antibiotics, steroids or modified food diets. It is ok to include some fats. Trim the outer fat, but leave some fat on the meat. Good fats
Some rules for optimum health orientated cooking and consuming:
are necessary for hormone production, energy, inflammation control and keeping the gall bladder active. Olive oil, grape seed oil, sesame oil, ghee, unprocessed goat produce; even raw dairy produce can be included. Slow cooking casseroles or stews and the like are wonderful for winter. Combining meats, veggies and herbs with a boutique stout or red wine and cooking at low heat for several hours provides easily digestible high quality gourmet nutrition. Non meat proteins are found in beans, chic peas, lentils, and nuts, seeds such as pepitas, and tahini. Breads, cakes, pastries and pasta are often a source of culinary grief. Grains are a great food but due to growing and processing techniques to meet demand, wheat in particular has become a recurring culprit for poor health. I prefer to use
unprocessed spelt, kamut or rye flours for making breads, pastries and casings. Almond flour is great for cakes, biscuits and slices. Tahini, puréed nuts, reduced beetroot and carob are tasty, a great source of protein, alkaline and good for digestion. Look for cheese cakes, chocbeetroot slices etc made with these. Winter foods have been subject to criticism and labeled as “fattening” and “unhealthy” in recent years, unfortunately with no attention to the detail of the ingredients and the way they are prepared. These types of foods have been the source of healthy sustainable nutrition for centuries. It is with the inclusion of produce from more recent practices of growing and processing techniques that we are seeing implications on health.