Park Orchards Health & Wellbeing Centre

02/07/2025

Very good news indeed!!

Solidteknics Australia - Australian Made Healthy Cookware & Kitchen Tools all the way. They are the best of the best, and will last a few lifetimes..

05/06/2025

✨ CBD ✨

Cannabidiol (CBD) may offer real benefits for young people with autism, improving social interaction and reducing anxiety, without the risk of side effects.

A meta-analysis of randomised, placebo-controlled trials found that CBD not only enhanced social responsiveness and reduced anxiety, but did so with a safety profile comparable to placebo. The research, presented at the 2025 European Congress of Psychiatry in Madrid in April 2025, revealed that the use of CBD cannabis extracts can lead to meaningful benefits and improve the behavior of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Three studies were included with 276 participants with a mean age of 10.5, ranging in age from 5 to 21. The dosage of CBD cannabis extract started at 1 mg/kg per day and was titrated up to 10 mg/kg. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was present in minimal amounts or in ratios of 9:1 to 20:1 CBD to THC.

The authors noted that the review’s limitations included a small number of studies, limited sample sizes, and significant heterogeneity. Future research with larger, robust trials is needed to clarify the efficacy and safety of CBD cannabis extracts (especially CBD on its own) in managing ASD.

For more information see: https://scitechdaily.com/breakthrough-study-cbd-calms-autism-symptoms-and-improves-social-skills-without-side-effects/

30/05/2025

Yes.

1000 Hours Outside

29/05/2025

I used to think parenting was about having the right strategies - the perfect games to play, the ideal bedtime routine, the best communication techniques.
😬
But I've learned that all the tools in the world don't matter if I'm emotionally hijacked in the moment. When my child pushes back or acts in a certain way, my own childhood experiences of being criticised or feeling overwhelmed can flood back instantly. Suddenly I'm not a calm adult with parenting knowledge - I'm a triggered version of myself, reacting from old wounds rather than responding to what's actually happening right now.
I think we all know this. It's those moments when we loose our centre.
😩
The real work happens in those split seconds when we feel our emotions rising. Can I pause and notice what's happening in my body?
Can I recognise when my inner child feels criticised or when I'm about to repeat patterns from my own upbringing?
The first step is in acknowledging and tracking our reactions.

Our children don't actually need perfect parents; they need parents who are committed to growing alongside them.
✨
If you want support with this, come and join me on my 8 week Parenting Immersion where we explore your stories and beliefs and how we can transform what no longer serves us.
Links in bios...

22/05/2025

Herbs really are the best medicine 🌱✨

I recently reported that a Boswellia extract improved cartilage volume, thickness and joint space width in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), a groundbreaking outcome. This disease modifying effect has now been backed up by a trial showing a similar finding for a combination of Boswellia with celery seed (Apium graveolens). Celery seed is one of my favourites for OA. The randomised, placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial was conducted over 90 days in 62 participants using standardised Boswellia serrata gum resin extract (600 mg/day, minimum 240 mg of boswellic acids by HPLC) and celery seed extract (500 mg/day).

Oral administration of the herb combination resulted in prolonged symptomatic relief with reduced pain, stiffness and swelling. Inflammatory (serum IL-7, IL-1, IL-6, hs-CRP, TNF-α, ESR) and cartilage degeneration biomarkers (serum CTX-II, COMP, MMP-3 and urinary CTX-II) were decreased in the herbal group compared to both baseline and placebo. Furthermore, serum N-propeptide of collagen IIA (PIIANP) and procollagen-type-C propeptide (PIICP) levels were increased in the herbal group, suggesting enhanced collagen synthesis contributing to cartilage regeneration. At the given doses for 90 days, there were no adverse effects based on a clinical examination, biochemical, haematological and ECG analysis.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39875757/

20/05/2025

I'm honoured to be a part of the Gentle Beginnings virtual birth summit - a partnership between Hygieia Health Ltd and The Reconnected that brings together 25+ birth and infant mental health experts.

The summit is free to attend live, with replays available for 24 hours after each session, while an all-access pass gives lifetime access.

You can register to support this event, which raises funds for Hygieia Health's birth house initiative.

https://thereconnected.com/gentle-beginnings/

20/05/2025

Yep.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40333243/?

Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate the effects of messenger RNA (mRNA) and inactivated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines on ovarian histology and reserve in rats. Methods: Thirty female Wistar albino rats, aged 16-24 weeks, were randomly divided into three group...

20/05/2025

Needing support with a lovely endorsed midwife and IBCLC lactation Consultant? Bec is also a mum herself, so can help you with empathy and kindness.
Bulk billed consults so all on Medicare.

https://babybusiness.com.au

14/05/2025

Scientists have discovered that norepinephrine, released in rhythmic waves during deep sleep, drives the brain’s glymphatic system, which pumps cerebrospinal fluid to clear toxins. However, sleep aids like zolpidem may disrupt this process, reducing the brain’s cleaning efficiency.

Researchers in Denmark discovered that norepinephrine plays a crucial role in the brain cleaning process, at least in mice. During deep sleep, the brainstem releases waves of norepinephrine roughly every 50 seconds. These waves cause blood vessels in the brain to contract, creating slow, rhythmic pulsations that propel surrounding fluid to carry away waste effectively. The scientists found that norepinephrine waves correlate to variations in brain blood volume, suggesting it triggers a rhythmic pulsation in blood vessels. They then compared the changes in blood volume to brain fluid flow and found that brain fluid flow fluctuates in correspondence to blood volume changes, suggesting that the vessels act as pumps to propel the surrounding brain fluid to flush out waste.

“It’s like turning on the dishwasher before you go to bed and waking up with a clean brain,” says senior author Maiken Nedergaard of the University of Rochester and University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

“You can view norepinephrine as this conductor of an orchestra,” says lead author Natalie Hauglund of the University of Copenhagen and the University of Oxford, UK. “There’s a harmony in the constriction and dilation of the arteries, which then drives the cerebrospinal fluid through the brain to remove the waste products.”
Hauglund then had another question: is all sleep created equal? To find out, the researchers gave mice zolpidem, a common drug to aid sleep. They found that the norepinephrine waves during deep sleep were 50% lower in zolpidem-treated mice than in naturally sleeping mice. Although the zolpidem-treated mice fell asleep faster, fluid transport into the brain dropped by more than 30%. The findings suggest that the sleeping drug may disrupt the norepinephrine-driven waste clearance during sleep.

“More and more people are using sleep medication, and it’s really important to know if that’s healthy sleep,” says Hauglund. “If people aren’t getting the full benefits of sleep, they should be aware of that so they can make informed decisions.”
The team says that the findings likely apply to humans, who also have a glymphatic system, although this needs further testing. Other researchers have observed similar norepinephrine waves, blood flow patterns, and brain fluid flux in humans. Their findings may offer insights into how poor sleep may contribute to neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.

For more on this study, see: https://scitechdaily.com/ambiens-hidden-risk-how-zolpidem-may-damage-your-brains-cleanup-system/

11/05/2025

I wrote this earlier this year, but thought it was worth re-sharing for Mother's Day.

Nature demands a lot from Women.

By assigning their bodies the overwhelming burden of responsibility for the task of reproduction, we ask significantly more of Women's bodies than we ever do of Men's.

Men's bodies are tasked with only one obligation, to sustain the life of the host.

Women's bodies are tasked with creating it.
..then nurturing this new life when it cannot possibly sustain itself, with providing anything this new life needs, to growing it, and protecting it... then, and only then, will it commit to the task of sustaining itself.

By merely possessing a reproductive system, a woman is more prone to chronic diseases than men. They have seven unique organs that men don't, all committed to the reproductive process. Which means more organs that must be developed, cared for, and can at any point become cancerous or malfunction.

Menstrual cycles are at best a monthly inconvenience for most of their lives, and at worst an endless excruciating physical torture from within their own bodies... and that's all before the physical duress of carrying a child.

During pregnancy a Woman's body is twisted and stretched in a way no Man's could ever endure, their organs are squashed, its nutrients and vitamins are diverted, often with months of debilitating nausea and fatigue, and at least a few weeks of almost complete incapacitation.

Only then to be compelled to endure hours of anatomically defying physical trauma which often literally tears through her skin. Or perhaps she is afforded the comparably less glorified pain of invasive surgery being conducted on her WHILE SHE'S AWAKE!!!

Over the course of human history, more Women have died in child birth than all the Men that have ever died in all of history's wars.

By bearing humanity's children, we ask a lot of Women.
..all they ask for in return is the right to choose if and when they do it.

Every woman should have that right.

03/05/2025

More research on fresh vs frozen embryo transfer ✨

A multicentre randomized controlled trial published in The BMJ in January 2025 compared fresh versus frozen embryo transfers in 838 women aged 33–34 years with low prognosis for IVF success. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either fresh or frozen embryo transfers. The study found that the live birth rate was higher in the fresh embryo transfer group (40%) compared to the frozen embryo transfer group (32%). Additionally, the cumulative live birth rate within one year was higher for fresh transfers (51%) than for frozen transfers (44%).

The researchers concluded that fresh embryo transfer might be a better choice for women with low prognosis in terms of live birth rate compared to a freeze-all strategy. They also noted that treatment strategies preventing fresh embryo transfers, such as accumulating embryos through back-to-back cycles or performing routine preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, warrant further studies in this patient group . 

These findings suggest that, unlike in women with a good prognosis where frozen embryo transfers may be equally effective, fresh embryo transfers could offer improved outcomes for those with a lower chance of IVF success. 

03/04/2025

Adenomyosis and Endometriosis are very nasty sisters 👯‍♀️😈😈

Last month was Endometriosis Awareness Month and it is important to now bring awareness to the sister of Endometriosis, that being Adenomyosis.

April is Adenomyosis Awareness Month and it is important to bring focus onto this disease that affects millions of women, and menstruation persons, world wide.

Under the microscope, histologically speaking, there is very little difference between Adenomyosis and Endometriosis. Basically the only difference is their location. Adenomyosis is confined to the uterine muscles and tissues.

Endometriosis is found outside the uterus, and can spread to other parts of the body.

Both disease states can, and often are present at the time, and many of their symptoms overlap. Adenomyosis usually presents with more bleeding issues, and heavier bleeding symptoms, which is not normal.

Adenomyosis is most often diagnosed in middle-aged women, and women who have had children, but Adenomyosis can present in younger women and teenagers.

Some studies also suggest that women who have had prior uterine surgery, such as a termination, caesarean section, or any other invasive surgery, may be at higher risk of developing Adenomyosis.

Just like Endometriosis, the exact cause of Adenomyosis isn't known, but because it has the same, or similar pathways as Endometriosis, estrogen is a driving factor.

We know that endometriosis is estrogen driven, so to Adenomyosis is known to be the same. Research has shown that there may be a link with longer estrogen exposure at the time of a woman’s first period. There is also a link between short duration between the me**es and obesity is also linked to the disease. There are also family and hereditary links, just like there are for endometriosis.

This month I will be posting the facts about Adenomyosis to bring awareness to this disease as well.