Wednesday, August 22, 2012

spring : notes from my naturopath

I see my naturopath once a season. While the financial cost of the appointment and the subsequent herbal tonics is significant, I firmly believe that it's the very best thing I've ever done for my health. I am rarely tired, I have only had two minor colds in one year and most of the time I feel strong and well. I'm a better mother because of it and much happier in my self.

Last week I went along to my appointment keen to find out a bit more about eating well in the spring time. I was at the tail end of a cold and as soon as I walked in the door my naturopath, Catherine, reminded me that my body was "spring cleaning" itself. "The liver is getting rid of the bulk from winter," she said. "It's a cleanse, not a cold." 


Nature is cleansing too - those wild winds that come every August...that's the earth decluttering. It's a good time to remind ourselves that we are nature, experiencing our own regeneration of sorts.


While I listened to Catherine talk about the seasons, the importance of looking to the earth for our food and the benefits of eating with awareness, I took notes. Here they are:

  • eat kale, in abundance - raw in salads, tossed through spelt pasta dishes or juiced.
  • fennel, celery and beetroot - in season and oh so good for you (fennel is great for breastfeeding mumas - helps stimulate milk production)
  • citrus juices
  • replace heavy winter foods with lighter, fresher alternatives. raw food!
  • root vegetables (roasted with fresh herbs) - eaten with brown rice or salads
  • increase vegetarian meals 
  • nettle tea for cleansing
  • ginger tea for restoring
  • less dairy, less sugar, less oils
Catherine also offered this "home remedy" for colds:

"...slice one onion, a lemon (skin on), three cloves of organic garlic, two generous slices of ginger and blend with a few tablespoons of manuka honey. You may like to add a bit of tumeric or cayenne pepper. Have one teaspoon neat per day or mix one teaspoon into lemon tea."

She also suggested I burn the following oils in my home (the smell is divine!):
  • frankincense - to strengthen the lungs
  • eucalyptus - to purify the blood
  • lemon - to clear the air and kill bacteria
Spring, it has begun. 


56 COMMENTS

  1. wow, i want to go to your naturopath! i'll have to add that to the list of things to do on my central coast visit x

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    1. Gaby, I've had so many pre-natal students who have spent years on IVF with no luck. Then they see Catherine and one month later they're pregnant - naturally. She is so wise x

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  2. I'm off to buy some oils! Great post. Thank you.

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  3. Thank you for sharing. Makes me inspired and enthused about the new season ahead... Rather than preparing myself to miss the cold!

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  4. My body is also cleansing right now ... off to make that home remedy for colds. (I actually think it sounds quite tasty!)

    Your naturopath sounds like a genius.

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  5. Love it! We live a similar way.

    Thank you for sharing your notes.

    Blessings,

    Janet

    www.homeward4.blogspot.com

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  6. Thanks Jodi you saved us all at least $100! It is a very nurturing experience for mama's to seek natural healing and all the better if we do it while we are well rather than waiting til we are sick x

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  7. You've re-ignited my desire to see a good naturopath again. Yes the cost is quite substantial but we think nothing of a coffee here and there or a takeaway. Spring sounds like just the time to hunt one out. Are you sill loving your juicespresso? I'm thinking we might invest in one. Hope you have a light filled day :) x

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    1. So true, it's actually less than a coffee each day, and much better for my health than caffeine. As for the juicepresso - amazing. When the kids are being fussy with food they'll still drink a fruit and vegetable juice which gives me enormous satisfaction. It's the best kitchen appliance I've ever bought and is doing wonders for my health (it makes ice-cream too....haven't tried it yet though) x

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    2. Sold then! And double yay to the ice cream capabilities :) Ta very much x

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  8. Woohoo! I feel like i've seen a naturopath...for free! ;)
    I am having one massive cleanse it seems! What a lovely way to look at it. x

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  9. I just went to see my Naturopath today here in Seattle, where Fall is beginning. Luckily, my insurance here covers her visits. Are naturopaths not covered in Australia?

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    1. The appointment is covered if you are in a private health-fund...but the tonics, herbs, supplements are not.

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  10. Thanks for sharing Jodi. I have very different viewpoint on nutrition, especially after following similar suggestions to that of your naturopath and ending up very sick with little immunity and energy. We have since adopted a traditional diet and never felt better. Raw diary (if you can tolerate it) is just one of the best things you can do for your health!

    Of course its what works for you, however I will say OH please don't eat kale raw!!! - all cruciferous vegetables need to be well cooked and eaten with a fat (like butter or olive oil), they deplete thyroid function! a little more information here. http://www.thenutritioncoach.com.au/anti-ageing/be-pro-thyroid-up-your-tempo/

    Anyway thats enough from me - sorry just can't help myself - I'm a passionate convert. (even managed to convert my dad, vegetarian of 35 years!)

    x

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    1. Oh interesting! I still have dairy in my diet (just less at the moment to reduce mucous) and I always add butter to the vegetables when I cook them but I didn't know that about kale...thank you. Are you following that bible of a cookbook about traditional eating (I forget what it's called!)?

      I eat meat too....I need it in my diet - that I know! x

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    2. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

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    3. Along the lines of Nourishing Traditions however I personally think it is a little heavy on the grains (even though they do tell you to properly prepare by soaking etc). Having said that it is a great resource.

      I have a section on my blog about what we eat and have some books listed there that I recommend. Deep Nutrition is wonderful - Catherine Shanahan is a medical doctor and explains the human physiology of why to eat traditional foods/ diet - Honestly a must read, just so fascinating and eye opening. Eating traditional foods can change your genes!

      I am no expert, however so interested in nutrition and read widely. I don't think any one way is right, however I do think there are certain fundamentals. For example vegetable oils are just toxic, sugar should be limited, meat should be grass fed, dairy should be full fat unprocessed (it is very common for pasteurised dairy to give people mucous plus so many other problems - try raw milk the difference is incredible), meat should be slow cooked on the bone or consumed with bone broth/ stock, high quality bovine gelatin is a superfood (its like liquid collagen - cellulite is a lack of collagen holding up the cells, so better than any fancy cream you buy, is a bag of grass fed beef bones cooked into a broth and added to your meals)

      I better stop there :) I am working on a meal plan/ guide for getting started on a traditional diet as it can seem very daunting (I know it was for me). Will be up on my blog in the coming weeks :)

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    4. A really valuable post and even more valuable comments! I'm off to research kale now... I have it growing everywhere in my garden and eat it very often just sautéed in a little butter and oil (heaven), but we juice it regularly too. Like Jodi, if one of my children skips the veg or an entire meal I feel better if they've had a cup of green smoothie in the day.

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    5. One thing Jude Blereau (author of Wholefood for Children) said at a recent seminar I attended was that these days we place way too much emphasis on "eating your veges" - instead of focusing on what growing bodies need which is quality protein and fat - like grass fed animal fats essential to healthy brain development. (None of this 'plant seed promise' rubbish!) We are then able to get the benefit of all that lovely 'green stuff' (cellulose) by letting the cows do the work for us.....they are the ones with 4 stomachs and were designed to eat that. That's why you always want your meat and dairy grass fed (not grain fed).

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    6. I've heard wonderful things about Jude and her books. I'll have to track them down! x

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  11. Great advice, thank you. I guess it's what works for you but def worth giving it a go. Nettles and kale grow in abundance in our garden. X

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  12. Going to the Naturopath seasonally is a more affordable and clever idea. I prefer naturopaths but don't tend to go because of financial reasons.
    Thank you, as well, for sharing the tips you learnt. That is kind of you.
    Interesting what Natalie said about raw kale as I often eat kale.

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  13. It sounds well worth the cost. Thanks for sharing the advice, definitely going to give some of those tips a try :)

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  14. I never thought of using oil through the house. What a great and natural air freshener!

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  15. Lovely notes and great advice. Thank you for sharing Jodi! xx m.

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  16. I have never been for myself but I used to go with my dad he would leave with some many things to take. Maybe I should book myself in.
    thanks x

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  17. Our thoughts are turning to Autumn up north, I guess I should be doing the opposite! Craving crumbles and pies...

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  18. A good naturopath far outweighs the financial cost in my view. We used to see an iridologist every few months, and it was amazing what he could tell. I'd never thought about August winds being a type of earthly cleanse. But I have been feeling rather sluggish and I've noticed my diet has changed slightly over the past few weeks. Less heavy food and bread. I ate half a fennel yesterday, which now I feel good about since I am still breastfeeding.
    Hoping you enjoy your city stay. We'll be heading up there early next month. xo

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  19. I just saw my naturopath as well and got some great advice. I have been doing very well and recommend naturotherapy to EVERYONE!

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