Back to Eden Health - Barb Lees

07/06/2025

30/04/2025

Be aware of what you put on your skin as well as in your mouth and in your environment. All the chemicals add up. There is also a great app called yuka. It allows you to scan barcodes and tells you about the chemicals in the product and rates them accordingly. Have a look

https://apps.apple.com/au/app/yuka-food-cosmetic-scanner/id1092799236

29/04/2025

Another discovery backing the power of our gut! If you have an autoimmune disease I would highly encourage you to address your gut health and lifestyle. It does require a holistic approach. For me I have seen remarkable differences in my health and blood test results by doing just that.

✓ What Happened - Scientists from the University of California, San Francisco and international collaborators have identified specific gut bacteria that appear to trigger or worsen multiple sclerosis. Published in Nature, their study analyzed gut microbiomes of MS patients and healthy individuals, discovering several bacterial strains significantly more abundant in people with MS.

These microbes stimulate immune responses directly linked to the disease, particularly by activating pro-inflammatory T cells. The researchers demonstrated causality by introducing these bacteria to mice with humanized immune systems, which subsequently developed MS-like inflammation in their central nervous systems. Conversely, when they removed or suppressed these bacteria, the inflammatory response decreased significantly.

💡 Why It's Important - This discoverychanges our understanding of MS, transforming it from a purely neurological disease to one with potential origins in gut microbial imbalance. For patients with this debilitating condition, this research might offer new pathways for intervention beyond current immunosuppressive therapies.

The findings suggest ways to perhaps treat MS but also prevent it in the future. This research adds to growing evidence that the gut microbiome significantly influences conditions previously considered unrelated to digestive health. It's interesting to note that good regulation in the nervous system, i.e. keeping stress and trauma low and well processed, is also linked with healthy gut bacteria balance.

♾️ The Takeaway - Throughout medical history in the West, we've often compartmentalized diseases by organ systems or individual causes, but this research continues to point to the value of a holistic approach. Whether it's environmental factors contributing to the loss of a healthy gut biome, or whether it is stress and unprocessed trauma, everything points back to focusing on the whole person when we think about preventing and treating disease.

Study: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2419689122

15/04/2025

Some great news!!! 😊

11/04/2025

For all my gf friends who might be craving something a little sweet. Not guaranteed healthy but on the rare occasion it’s 👌. Just a little serving 🙃!

Okay so next article I need to tell you about and it's a guide - all the gluten free icy poles and ice creams you can get around Australia.

This guide is consistently in the top 10 year-round on my website. I made it over two and a half years ago and it gets updated all the time - as recently as last month.

I know people who use this who have been coeliac for years. Why? Because it suuuuucks to stand in the freezer at the shops for ten minutes, your hands getting cold and sore, reading labels. So I do it for you instead. 😅

Plus it's hot in a few cities today, and really warm in Melbourne this weekend - 30C! I'll be buy some new ones.

https://katikeksi.com/gluten-free-ice-creams-and-icy-poles/

17/02/2025

We have experienced a lot of mould sickness in our family over the years. And with that really wet season a couple of years ago it seemed to be affecting a whole lot more people. Often a cause of headaches and chronic fatigue. It can’t be take lightly. Here’s some good tips.

11/02/2025

Hope you are managing to get your eggs! Gone are the days when the thought was that we needed to restrict them because of cholesterol. Now cholesterol that’s another story! Eggs are a great source of protein and so easy to include in our diet. In case you would like o read a little more about eggs here’s a link you may be interested in

https://www.australianeggs.org.au/nutrition/cholesterol?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Eggs+and+Cholesterol&utm_term=Eggs+And+Cholesterol+Myth+exact&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAh6y9BhBREiwApBLHCyy8CR-G1mabBHPL2qbkuPkxxJaDh4j2l2gJFmmsPWxTBOgymDhQwBoC2JcQAvD_BwE

Know what you’re buying, Pasture-raised eggs are often called ‘expensive’ or ‘overhyped,’ but let’s get one thing straight: the difference isn’t just the yolk color.

Factory-farmed eggs come from hens crammed into cages, fed soy and corn, and often pumped with antibiotics.

Meanwhile, pasture-raised hens roam freely, foraging naturally and getting exposure to sunlight.

The nutritional difference? Higher omega-3s, more vitamin D, and fewer inflammatory fats.

Don’t let anyone convince you that an egg is just an egg—there’s a reason those free-range ones cost more, and it’s worth every penny!!!

17/01/2025

A little bit of dinner inspiration for this cold and windy night! Slow cooked lamb tagine! I love slow cooked meats especially lamb. Totally recommend this recipe. It’s from an old newspaper clipping I had saved. You can add veggies of your choice in the last 45 mins of so or cook some separately as mentioned in the recipe. That’s what I’m doing tonight. Eggplant and pumpkin make great accompaniments to the lamb. Recipe is in the comments. Let me know if you try it!