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Tuesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 7:30pm Friday 7am - 5pm

Vela Health, 3/101 Palm Beach Ave, Gold Coast (2025)

12/05/2022

✦ F E R T I L I T Y F O E S

Are any of these factors in your life?

All of the above can disrupt your reproductive hormones in one way or another.

But do you know the main issue linking everything to your fertility?

Each factor can delay or completely prevent ovulation!

And when you aren’t ovulating, you can’t get pregnant.

The good news is that these are modifiable factors of infertility.

So, you have the power to improve your fertility by addressing these factors in your life.

Whether you're dealing with these issues, irregular cycles, excessive bleeding, no bleeding, or chronic PMS - I can help.

Come see me in person at Earth Mothers or book an online consultation.

🧡 Mac

14/04/2022

✦ Has your breastmilk supply decreased since being sick? 
Over the last few months, I've had many versions of the same conversation with breastfeeding mums.

So many women, who have been sick, notice changes in their breastmilk supply.

This topic has also been doing the rounds on my Instagram feed! 
So I wanted to share information to help you understand: 
1️⃣ A common reason why this may happen

2️⃣ To provide you with a solution often not covered
 But before I get into it, I want to be clear that everyone is an individual. So, this may not be the case for you, but this is what I see as a primary factor of low milk supply.
 So what's the main point I want to discuss?

💪🏽 PROTEIN 💪🏽 
Protein powers our immune system with amino acids and co-factors, which are critical for our bodies to build their immune system battalions, combat inflammation, fight threats and recover (1,2,3).

Protein is also one of the essential nutrients we require more of to create breastmilk (4).

So what’s the problem?

Sickness aside, a breastfeeding mum requires more protein than most women realise. They require approx. 20 grams more protein compared to a non-breastfeeding woman.  
So if a breastfeeding woman isn't eating the right amount of protein and gets sick, then her body may struggle to keep up the milk supply.

If the body has to pick between using nutrients (derived from protein) to help the mum recover or create breastmilk, we can be sure it will prioritise the mum. 
So, for your immune system to function, your body to recover and to ensure you keep pumping out an optimal amount of breastmilk, you need to eat the right amount of protein.

These amounts vary from person to person, so swipe right for help figuring out how much protein you require and some protein snack ideas.

If you require more help with your recovery or diet, please book a consultation with me. 
🧡 Mac
See comments for references 📖

25/01/2022

✦ How to cope with the current situation?

Like me, if you're living in Queensland, you or your loved ones are likely getting sick 🥲

So one of the best things you can do is prepare and support your immune system. 
🌶⏰ I recently caught the spicy cough myself and was fortunate to recover relatively quickly!

But what was the first thing I did?

🏁 I made sure my medicine cupboard was stocked and ready to go before the inevitable hit! 
Below is a list of each nutrient that I took and a solid reason why they are essential: 
⭐️ Vitamin D3: Vitamin D is an immunomodulator capable of enhancing the innate and adaptive immune response against SARS-CoV-2 infection (1, 2). 
⭐️ Zinc: Dietary zinc deficiency has been associated with immune dysfunction with increased vulnerability to infections because virtually all immune cells are highly zinc-dependent (3). A 2009 WHO report on disease risk factors found zinc deficiency may be responsible for 13% of all lower respiratory tract infection cases, primarily pneumonia and flu cases, in children younger than 5 years (4). 
⭐️ Vitamin C: Vitamin C plays a significant role as an antioxidant and co-factor of various biosynthetic pathways in the immune system (5). Vitamin C also supports the adrenal glands and nervous system with stress. We all know how stressful these times are! 
⭐️ N-acetylcysteine: NAC is a mucolytic nutrient that supports mucus clearance from the upper and lower airways. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunomodulating properties and has long been used to treat conditions that closely resemble the signs and symptoms of SARS-Cov-2 (6). A recent review of evidence found that NAC may prove beneficial in treating and preventing SARS-Cov-2 as it has exhibited strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulating characteristics (7).

➡️ Swipe right for more practical lifestyle tips to help you cope.

🙆🏽‍♀️ ohhh and mamas, you will be happy to know that these are safe during pregnancy. 
👩🏽‍💻HMU for naturopthic support during these times. I offer online consultations and can send you everything you need in the mail.
 Take care out there! 
🧡Mac 
👇🏽See references below

01/01/2022

✦ Hello 2022

Last year was momentous for me.

Two of my biggest dreams came true.

And we all learned to adapt to our weird and wonderful world ☯️

Mostly, I am so thankful to the mamas and mamas-to-be who have allowed me the honour of helping them along their journey to parenthood. Thank you.

May this year bring you all hope & healing.

🦋

29/12/2021

✦ Do you need to detox post festivities if you're doing preconception care?

☝🏽Before I get into it, I want to start by telling you not to worry if you've overindulged.

Honestly, a few days of joyous eating and drinking isn't going to undo the weeks to months of hard work you've done preparing your body🎉

Over the last few days, many people have reached out for advice on bloating, reflux or detoxing in the new year.

So, I thought I'd share some info on these topics and we're getting started with detoxing.

So do you start a detox?...

NOPE.

While it might be enticing to jump on board a 3-day detox marketed to give you a boost of energy or lose weight, I do NOT think it is necessary if you're TTC 🙅🏽‍♀️

Get back to your regular healthy eating habits instead of forking out more money and restricting more food in the new year.

🥇When it comes down to it, the best way to 'detox' is to gently support your organs of elimination to aid your body's innate detoxification pathways.

The following organs naturally detoxify and eliminate all sorts of substances including waste and toxins:

✅ The liver
✅ The kidneys
✅ The skin
✅ The lymph
✅ The colon
✅ The lungs

Swipe right for tips on how to support your natural detoxification pathways. No restrictive juice cleanses are required here, folks!

If you are thinking about baby-making in 2022, start your preconception care by following these recommendations for the next two weeks.

For those ready to do the work, book a consultation with me. Together, we can determine what course of action is best for you and your journey.

🧡 Mac

27/12/2021

✦ O U T O F O F F I C E ✦

🦋 The Vela Health clinic is closed for the rest of the year 🦋

You can find me swimming in the ocean, walking in the rainforests and soaking up the summer sun until the new year 🌞

🏁My first day back in the clinic will be Thursday 6th January.

You can email or DM me cause I’ll still be online.

🧡 Mac

24/12/2021

✦ How to thrive this season

May these tips help nourish your mind, body and soul 🕊

🤍 Tips for your M I N D:

⭐️ Eat intuitively with your loved ones. In other words, enjoy anything you want whether it's a cocktail, crackling or chocolate. Intuitive eating implies you make peace with your food and avoid labelling it as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Focus on the beauty in the time spent sharing with your community and truly enjoy it.

⭐️Honour your boundaries. It helps to first identify the boundaries you’d like to have with friends and family over the next few days. This is important for your mental health. No, you don't have to answer those insensitive questions. And no, you don't have to stay if you don't want to stay.

🤍 Tips for your B O D Y:

⭐️ Stay hydrated and drink lots of water, especially alcoholic beverages.

⭐️ Practice mindful eating (chewing slowly with intent). This will aid your digestive system and reduce overeating.

⭐️ Have chamomile or peppermint tea on hand for the inevitable post-feast bloat.

🤍 Tips for your S O U L:

⭐️Prioritise making time for yourself this holiday season and do something that brings you joy.

⭐️Pick one thing that you're grateful for at the end of each day and think about it before going to bed.

⭐️Slow down. It doesn’t matter if you don't get to your in-laws place 30 minutes late.

Here’s to a holiday season where you thrive 🙆🏽‍♀️

🧡 Mac

23/12/2021

✦ A R E Y O U O V U L A T I N G ?

In terms of preconception care, the answer to this question is everything.

But, do you know why ovulation is so important, let alone whether you're ovulating or not?

First, you've got to understand that ovulation is HUGE in determining whether or not our bodies can begin the process of baby-making.

But that's not all…the healthy hormone production associated with regular ovulation has a positive effect on many things including:

⭐️Mood balance
⭐️Bone health
⭐️Sleep⁣ quality

So how can you tell if you are ovulating?

Well, you can start by paying attention to the following signs:

✅ Change in basal Temperature

✅ Egg white-like cervical mucus

✅ Cervix positioning

✅ Increased Libido

✅ Tender Breasts

✅ Mittelschmerz (ovulation pain)

✅ Nausea

✅ Light ovulation spotting

✅ Regular periods

The problem is these signs are not experienced by everyone who ovulates because everyBODY is unique.

For example, a breastfeeding mum who wakes up multiple times a night may not see the temperature changes they’re told to look out for.

For that reason, one sign should not be your SOLE means of confirming or predicting ovulation.

Stay tuned for my next few ovulation posts where I cover the ‘how-to’ aspects involved in assessing ovulation.

Until then, start sign spotting if you can.

This fosters a more conscious connection between your mind and body and is an excellent tool if you're trying to conceive consciously.

🧡 Mac
📷 thank you for your beautiful art

19/12/2021

✦ M O T H E R ✦ N A T U R E ✦

📷

18/12/2021

✦ waiting for motherhood ✦

It's a sacred place we women spend a lot of time in.

Waiting while we prepare our bodies ~
Waiting those two weeks ~
Waiting months ~
Waiting years ~
Waiting another two weeks ~

Then if you’re lucky, you can breathe...

And then you’re back to waiting.

Waiting for some semblance of safety that the 12-week mark holds.

And finally, you can't wait to meet your baby.

I try to always remember:

Waiting makes you conscious of your priorities.
Waiting makes you persevere.
Waiting makes you strong.

Be tender with yourself if you're waiting for motherhood, whatever stage of waiting that may be.

🤍 Mac

📷 my beautiful bff with baby Zuri

17/12/2021

✦ Do you need to balance your progesterone levels? 
Low progesterone is an issue we regularly see in the world of fertility.  
Here's why it's crucial, progesterone is produced during ovulation and prepares the uterus for implantation of a fertilised egg 🥚

Then, if pregnancy occurs, the corpus luteum and the placenta produce it to continue supporting the foetus🤰🏽 
So how do you know if you've got low progesterone?  
Testing can be done, but it’s finicky and has to be done on day 21 of your cycle. Alternatively, you could assess yourself for symptoms of low progesterone 💁🏽‍♀️

➡️ Swipe right for a brief list of symptoms and causes most commonly associated with low progesterone levels. 
The following foods can help balance your menstrual cycle and support healthy progesterone levels: 
⭐️Healthy fats: needed to create s*x hormones e.g. progesterone
⭐️B6: helps with progesterone synthesis
⭐️Zinc: aids ovulation and egg maturation
⭐️Vitamin C: increases progesterone and supports luteal phase defects
⭐️Magnesium: reduce stress and cortisol levels
⭐️Cruciferous vegetables help improve the ratio of oestrogen to progesterone (☝️🏽 very important).

Consider booking a consultation with me (or your preferred health practitioner) if you think you may not be ovulation. This is one of the most important causes to assess 🚩  
Stay tuned though, I'll be posting about ovulation next week. 
🧡 Mac 
Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes. Always make sure you see a health professional before self-diagnosing or self-prescribing.

10/12/2021

✦ S***m health needs to be addressed ✦

📈It is no secret that fertility issues are rising at an alarming rate in men, and men's reproductive health needs improvement (1).

Case in point, a leading environmental and reproductive epidemiologist warned that most couples will have to use assisted reproductive technology (e.g. IVF) by 2045-2050 if s***m counts continue to decline.

So why is this happening? The answer is complex and complicated 🧐

But what is certain is that we can turn it around for the next generation by improving our health before conception🤰🏽

The key is to go back to basics and assess your life for the following:

🚩poor diets
🚩sedentary lifestyles
🚩chemical exposure
🚩unmediated stressors

If this is something you’re interested in, swipe right for tips on improving s***m health.

Always have those swimmers tested if you're 🧪

Preconception care and infertility is NOT just a female problem 🙅🏽‍♀️

You can book a consultation with me by using the link in my bio.

🧡 Mac
***mhealth ***mcount ***mmotility
Reference:
1. Levine, H., Jørgensen, N., Martino-Andrade, A., Mendiola, J., Weksler-Derri, D., Mindlis, I., Pinotti, R., & Swan, S. H. (2017). Temporal trends in s***m count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Human reproduction update, 23(6), 646–659. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmx022

09/12/2021

✦ How to Fill your Script ✦

After your consultation, you will receive a script including any products you have been prescribed.

You then have two options:

1️⃣ Visit your local chemist or health food store to collect your products (just like you would following an appointment with your GP).

2️⃣ Order your script from your phone (just like you would from your favourite online store).

At Vela Health, we use an online ordering platform called Vital.ly 💜

Here’s how you fill your script online via Vital.ly:

1. Your script arrives in your inbox.
2. You click order now or the free shipping button.
3. You register your details and place your order.

It is as simple as that 🙌🏽

DM me if you have any questions about this process.

🧡 Mac

07/12/2021

✦ Is your gut health impacting your fertility?

Surprisingly, your gut health CAN have an impact on fertility.

The environment in your tummy (or your gut microbiome) is important to consider as poor gut health has been associated with oestrogen-driven conditions like endometriosis and PCOS (1).

Before I go on, it should be noted that oestrogen plays a crucial role in reproductive health for both females and males.

So what's the go? The gut microbiome is one of the regulators of oestrogen. The guts regulatory process is largely attributed to an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase.

If the gut microbiome is not ideal, the actions of this enzyme may be impaired and this interferes with the elimination (or detoxification) of oestrogen.

Poor elimination can lead to elevated oestrogen levels or oestrogen dominance. And this oestrogen dominance may then contribute to the development of conditions linked to infertility and low s***m production (2,3).

Keep in mind - this is only one aspect of gut health, oestrogen and fertility. There are more considerations to be mindful of e.g. inflammation and vaginal health.

So, check in with your bowel movements. They say a lot about your digestion.

If you’re not sure if your gut game is strong, book in for an appointment. We’ll get into the nitty-gritty of it all.

p.s this photo is what I envision when I think of good bacteria in my tummy. So cute 😂

🧡 Mac
References in comments 👇🏽

01/12/2021

✦ Summer has arrived 🌞

And with it comes some hot hot heat! So, remember to protect yourself from getting too much sun exposure.

Btw - did you know that the old slip slop slap saying has been updated by 🧐

👇🏽We are now doing this to be SunSmart:

👚 SLIP on clothes that cover your skin
🧴 SLOP on a natural sunscreen
👒 SLAP on a hat
🏖 SEEK a shady spot
🕶 SLIDE on sunnies to protect your peepers

Happy days 🌞

🧡 Mac
photo by

30/11/2021

✦ Conscious Conception ✦

If you're wondering what all the hype is about, then I've got you covered!

Conscious Conception is a holistic approach for preparing your body, mind, and spirit to become a parent 💫

The term primarily refers to the notion of setting an intention and holding space to call in your baby. However, it involves so much more than that.

The concept itself is really very similar to naturopathic preconception care. So I'll break it down into three primary aspects to try to simplify it:

⭐️ Mind: this aspect involves the mental preparation for both yourself and your partner. It sets the stage for you to look within and evaluate things like your stress levels or work-life balance. Learning more about your state of mind will help you move through whatever might be holding you back emotionally. It might even help you determine whether you need to develop more effective coping mechanisms before the baby arrives.

⭐️ Body: this aspect involves preparing your physical body to conceive your baby, withstand pregnancy, birth and then provide nourishment/support for your baby. Think cycle education, detoxing the home environment and optimising nutrient levels. Your focus is on building a solid foundation of health to support fertility.

⭐️ Spirit: this aspect invites you to open the line of communication with your spirit baby to welcome them into your life. It often involves embracing your own spirit on a daily basis by dedicating some time to yourself. This helps you meet your own spiritual needs and could include anything that aligns or connects you to spirit, e.g. drawing, journaling, dancing, meditation or connecting with your community.

I've barely scratched the tip of the iceberg that is Conscious Conception, mainly because each journey is sacred and unique to you.

If you decide to conceive consciously, remember it doesn't matter how long it takes or how you get there.

What matters is that you are amazing for doing everything in your power to give your baby the best start to life.

Here's a hot tip to kick it all off - start by permitting yourself to bring a baby into your world!

🧡 Mac

25/11/2021

✦ H E L L O ✦ I thought I better put a face to the feed and properly introduce myself. I'm Mackenzie, Naturopath and founder of Vela Health 🌞

I'm the sort of Naturopath who values modern evidence-based medicine and holds deep reverence for my naturopathic values. So while I sincerely believe that science holds the answers to the world's most prominent health issues, I also believe the body can return to health if given the best conditions to do so.

I have supported clients with a wide range of health conditions, from arthritis to anxiety and PMS to BPH. But I am most passionate about preconception care. My drive comes from my frustration with the modern-day approach to fertility issues.

I've seen many frustrated clients who feel like their GP didn't or couldn't help. Upon questioning one of my clients who left her GP feeling lost, we realised she didn't actually know where her fertile window fell in the month. The timing never came up in her visit with the GP. I believe that gaps in care, like this one, need to be filled. Because sometimes, it is the simple changes that could stop unnecessary heartache.

There is power in understanding, and I hope to empower you to take control of your health. Through Vela, I hope to teach you more about your body and the subtle connections between your body, mind, diet, and lifestyle.

This is why I started Vela Health.

🧡 Mac

25/11/2021

Inspired by the Vela Constellation, Vela Health’s name carries deeper meaning shrouded in ancient greek mythology and celestial symbolism. Vela means sails in Latin and represents the sails of the legendary ship, Argo Navis. The story goes that this ancient ship of the gods valiantly sailed the seas on its quest to find the Golden Fleece. This vessel was the first of its kind with sails, and the sails are said to have lead to the voyage’s many successes. Vela Health holds its attributes to this ship’s sails and aims to help people embark on their sometimes treacherous journeys to better health.

Vela Health

12/05/2022

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