Mark Westhead Naturopath

25/03/2022

Your gut is the seat of good health. When your gut is not right all sorts of health problems can occur from the obvious signs through to skin issues, fatigue, poor sleep, mood disorders and autoimmune conditions.
If you would like me to help you return to optimal health and feel like your old self again, book in to see me now. If you can’t come to my clinic in Shailer Park, I can arrange a video consultation via Zoom.

Cheers
Mark

18/03/2022

Imagine if you had an endless supply of fresh fruit and vegetables, free range eggs and fresh meat available in your back yard. Just imagine how healthy you would be eating all those nutritious locally grown products and not filling your plate with highly processed, fake foods.

Well, the reality is that you can still eat like that even if you can’t grow it yourself. The key is to not shop for food in a supermarket, there’s simply too many temptations to eat unhealthy, crappy food like products. Instead, get your in-season fresh vegetables and fruit from a green grocer. Get your fresh, locally grown meat from a butcher and your fresh caught fish from the trawler, or fishmonger. These business in my experience are often cheaper than the supermarkets anyway, and they never run out of product. Recent experience has shown that panic buying quickly strips supermarket shelves, but I can always get a good supply of food from my local fresh food retailers.

Of course, you can use your supermarket to buy your coffee, shampoo, toilet paper and other household needs. Just don’t buy food from there. Food-like products in supermarkets are designed to have a shelf life of between 3 months to 2 years. That’s the stuff you need to avoid. There are a few exceptions such as tinned tomatoes or tinned chickpeas etc, but I can usually get them from my greengrocer anyway.

Eating fresh food, prepared and cooked in your own kitchen is the key to staying healthy.

Food for thought
Mark

03/03/2022

Did you know that wheat is really high in sugar? In fact, on the glycaemic index, which goes from 0-100, wheat is around 75. And white bread is around 82. They are hidden sources of sugar that you probably didn’t realize that you were consuming.
If you have insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes or stubborn weight gain, try cutting wheat out of your diet for a while. That includes bread, pasta, pizza bases, wheat-based breakfast cereals, cakes and biscuits. Try it for a month and see how you feel. You may find that your energy improves, your digestion improves and your mental health improves. You might even lose a few kilos.
Food for thought
Mark

28/02/2022

I don’t like the word “Diet”. It conjures up images of restrictive eating, calorie counting and bland food. It’s very negative. Dieting comes with rules and rules result in guilt and shame if you break them. And as for calorie counting, well, that’s a load of crap. Just compare 100 calories from a salad and 100 calories from doughnuts. One food is good for you, the other is not.
Rather than the word Diet, I prefer the term “Eating Well”. Are you eating well? It’s pretty simple. Just have some good protein from fish, chicken or meat and lots of fresh vegetables and some fruit. You can eat as much salad or vegetables as you can without worrying about calories. Just know that your body and mind are being nourished.
I don’t like the term “Exercise” either. That sounds a lot like hard work. I prefer the term “Movement”. Just move every day. Ideally, walk for half an hour and build up to an hour a day. It doesn’t have to be fast, just go at your own pace. This way you strengthen all the large muscles below your waist. Gardening is a great workout if you have a garden. Also, squats are great and can be as simple as getting up from your chair and sitting down again. You would be surprised at how many you can do if you just give it a try.
What are your tips for eating well and movement? Leave a comment because I’d love to know and share.
Food for thought
Mark

22/02/2022

Eating on the go and wolfing your food down are some of the worst things that you can do for your health. Eating like this, in a sympathetic nervous state (fight or flight state), and eating food that has little nutritional content is detrimental to your health.
When eating, I recommend that you sit down, away from your desk and focus on the process of eating. Take small bites and chew your food slowly and as many times as you can. Count how many times you can chew each mouthful. Can you chew 30 times? What about 40, 50, 60 or more? If you’re eating a piece of steak you could get up to 80 chews if you try.
Also, savour the flavours and textures of each bite. Think about the aroma, the texture, the combined flavours and each individual flavour on your plate and fork. Be thankful for the nourishment that a healthy meal brings to every cell in your body. Be mindful and in the moment with each meal.
Did you ever see the movie Ratatouille? Its about a rat that has a passion for food and cooking. There is a scene where he has a piece of cheese in one hand and a strawberry in the other. With his eyes closed he takes a bite of the cheese and savours the aroma, texture and taste. He then takes a bite from the strawberry and does the same thing. Then he takes a bite from both and savours the combined flavours and textures as fireworks and a symphony play in his mind. That little guy gets it. He understands the importance of mindful eating. Try it. Your body and mind will thank you for it.
Food for thought
Mark

16/02/2022

These food-like substances are manufactured to last between 3 months and 2 years on supermarket shelves. They are full of preservatives, artificial colours, artificial flavours, added sugar and salt, stabilizers, emulsifiers, transfats etc, etc.
Real food is full of minerals, trace elements, vitamins, fibre, phytonutrients, protein and healthy fats. They nourish the body and enhance your immune system, your hormones and your mental health. Real food has a short shelf life and needs to be eaten fresh for optimal benefit

11/02/2022

Reposted from Dr Berg

08/02/2022

When was the last time that you read the list of ingredients on a food packet or box? There are so many additives such as artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, food acids, colours, artificial flavours, preservatives, thickeners, stabilizers, gelling agents, bulking agents…. The list goes on and on. It’s not food and it’s not good for you.
The Australian government states that some of these additives may have adverse effects such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, hyperactivity, insomnia, irritability, asthma, sinusitis, hives, rashes, itching and swelling. Mmmm, sounds delicious.
What are you and your kids eating on a regular basis? Now might be a good time to check.

Food for thought
Mark

02/02/2022

Do you take acid suppression medications? Do you know the health risks associated with them?

30/01/2022

27/01/2022

Leaky gut. What is it and how does it happen?

25/01/2022

You may need my help if you have any of the following..
If you have acid reflux, bloating, excessive burping, excessive farting or tummy cramps. If you take medications for heartburn, you have alternating constipation and diarrhoea, incomplete bowel movements, pale coloured stools or food sensitivities.
If you feel like food just sits in your stomach, you have difficulty digesting meat, difficulty digesting fruit and vegetables, or struggle digesting fatty foods. If you have carb or sugar cravings, have a white coating on your tongue, are still hungry after meals. If you have IBS, SIBO, yeast infections or candida. If you have had food poisoning, recent antibiotic use, or you use laxatives.
And
If you have anxiety, depression, poor memory, brain fog, mood swings or poor motivation.
If you have iron deficiency anaemia, pernicious anaemia, brittle finger nails or white spots on your nails. If you have general fatigue and weakness, or fatigue after eating.
If you have skin rashes, eczema, dermatitis or rosacea. If you have seasonal allergies, hay fever, asthma or sinusitis. Or if you have joint pain, thyroiditis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis or an autoimmune condition.
If you suffer from two or more of the above conditions, you have a gut problem. DM me or book an appointment through my website and start your journey back to optimal health.

Good Health
Mark

20/01/2022

The stomach is the most misunderstood, underrated and abused organ in the body. Find out why here

18/01/2022

Leaky gut occurs when the endothelial cells of your gut lining lose their permeability and become inflamed. There are a number of reasons why this might happen but the leading cause is diet. Here are the top 5 foods to avoid if you want to heal your gut.
1. Wheat. No, not just gluten - Wheat. Why? Because there are other damaging proteins in wheat such as Gliadin. Wheat is both pro-inflammatory and high in sugar. You will feel so much better by giving up wheat for a month. You’ll lose weight too.

2. Sugar. All sugars, particularly artificial sweeteners. Be especially on the look out for Hi Fructose Corn Syrup, it consists of 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Did you know that sauces can be up to 50% sugar? Also remember that sugar feeds opportunistic (bad) gut bugs.

3. Cow’s Milk. Milk is also pro-inflammatory. The two main proteins in cow’s milk are Lactose, which causes loose bowels in some people and Casein, which causes constipation in some people.

4. Processed foods. These food-like substances contain many additives to enhance their appearance, smell, taste and shelf life. They have artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizers, salt, MSG, sugar… and the list goes on.

5. GMO foods. Genetically modified crops are developed to absorb chemical pesticides and herbicides such as glyphosate. Glyphosate attacks the shikimate pathway in plants that synthesise folate and amino acids. While humans don’t have the shikimate pathway, the organisms that live in our microbiome do. GMO foods destroy your microbiome

If you think that you have Leaky Gut, or any other digestive issues and you would like my help, just DM me or book an appointment through my website markwestheadnaturopath.com

Good Health
Mark

22/11/2021

In this video I explain how stress affects the gut.

10/11/2021

'ath

05/11/2021

04/11/2021