Women's Health & Hormones
Naturopathy & Nutritional Medicine
22/07/2025
Hypericum perforatum or more commonly known as St Johns Wort has been used for mental health conditions for many years! Although I love and live for natural medicine, this is something you should definitely be careful with as it can interact with many medications. Particularly antidepressants! This is because it increases serotonin, dopamine and GABA.
Not only is it beneficial for mental health conditions it has also been studied to improve PMS symptoms. Not just the mental health symptoms of PMS such as anxiety, depression or moodiness but also physical symptoms too. That’s because it also plays a key role in decreasing inflammation so symptoms such as cramping may also reduce.
I love seeing how St Johns Wort can really improve someone’s quality of life but I don’t recommend taking it without talking to a health professional. If you take any medication please do not take St Johns Wort unless you thoroughly discuss with your doctor as they can interact with each other.
If anxiety or depression are really making life difficult for you prior to your period and you don’t take any other medication maybe pop in for a quick consult and we can look at St Johns Wort.
26/03/2024
Vitamin C 🌿
Vitamin C is such an important nutrient because the body can’t make it for itself so it means we can only get vitamin C through our diet. It is also a water soluble vitamin meaning you can’t store it and “bank” it for later meaning you need to be making sure you get enough vitamin C every day!
Although we need to make sure we obtain adequate amounts of vitamin C we also don’t want to over do it either! Studies have shown that vitamin C absorption decreases to around 50% when consumption of vitamin C exceeds 1000mg and as mentioned, you can’t store it so it just ends up in the toilet. Exceeding intake of 3000mg of Vitamin C can also cause some digestive issues and often can result in diarrhoea as it will act as an osmotic laxative.
Why is Vitamin C important? It’s an antioxidant so it reduces free radicals and therefore the damage and inflammation these free radicals cause, it increases the absorption of plant based iron sources, supports the immune system and wound healing, plays a role in collagen production, required for norepinephrine synthesis and production of cortisol.
Luckily Vitamin C can be found in a variety of foods such as: berries, kiwi fruit, oranges, lemons, limes, guava, blackcurrants, broccoli, snow peas, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, capsicums, kale and pawpaw. Although it is abundant in foods, vitamin C is really affected by heat so its best to try and eat some of these foods raw. Vitamin C diminishes quite quickly once a fruit or vegetable has been picked so try to eat as fresh and locally grown as possible. Might be a great excuse to start growing some of your own strawberries!
The recommended daily intake for an adult in Australia for vitamin C each day is 45mg, that is equivalent to about half a cup of strawberries!
11/03/2024
Lemon balm is often used for its calming nature or sleep enhancing properties but it can also be used for premenstrual syndrome syndrome. It is theorised that this is due to this herbs effect on the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter which is known to have a calming effect.
There are only a few studies on lemon balm but there is evidence showing that there is decrease in PMS symptoms and increase in quality of life after supplementation of lemon balm. The only downside to these results are that they have often been used in small sample sizes and results have shown the best results after at least two months of supplementation.
This herb has also previously been used for diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting for the antispasmodic properties. Therefore it has been suggested that lemon balm would be beneficial for those women who suffer from pain and increased IBS symptoms during menstruation.
There is a study comparing antidepressants with their effectiveness at reducing mild anxiety and depression compared with lemon balm and lavender. Lemon balm combined with lavender showed to be nearly as effective as the antidepressants compared in the study for mild anxiety and depression. This means that lemon balm should not be used concurrently with antidepressants as it may increase the drugs effectiveness and cause adverse events.
Lemon balm is a great option for those who notice an increase in anxiety prior and during their period. However it is important to remember two considerations, this can not be used in conjunction with antidepressants and that it may take up to two months to show an improvement in symptoms.
Did you know there are many medications that were originally sourced from natural therapies? This is why you should always disclose medications but also why medications and natural medicine can work together.
Here are some medicines that started as natural remedies:
🌿Willow bark was used for pain and was studied and that prompted the creation of aspirin.
🌿Foxglove or digitalis lanata prompted the creation of digoxin which is a heart medication.
🌿Belladonna or Atropa belladonna prompted the creation of Atropine which is used for overdose of certain medications and mushroom poisoning.
🌿Opium poppy was used for pain and prompted the creation of morphine.
Note- This information is general in nature and does not replace personalised health advice. Please do not take any supplements, increase dosages or swap supplements or medications without the individualised health advice from a health practitioner.
29/07/2023
Pregnancy multivitamin supplements 🌿.
09/06/2023
Did you know that Winter can often be the best time for a detox? It’s great because often we don’t have as many social engagements, we crave warming and nourishing food and we are often looking after ourselves. Here are my top tips for a detox;
🌿Hydrate! Make sure you’re drinking enough water especially if you’re adding some extra love to your liver and wanting to detox.
🌿Cut back on alcohol intake.
🌿Make sure you’re moving your bowels regularly and having enough water is essential.
🌿Swap coffee for herbal tea! Caffeine in coffee, just like any other drug needs to be processed by the liver and therefore if you’re trying to detox your liver it is important to reduce the burden on the liver. Try swapping to a liver loving herbal tea such as St Mary’s thistle, Dandelion or Green Tea.
🌿Dry body brush before having a shower, using a firm bristled brush, dry brush the skin in sweeping motions towards the heart starting at the feet and then the hand. Be gentle and don’t over brush. Make sure you moisturise with a natural body moisturiser after.
🌿Detox your skincare! Go through and check any expired make up or skincare and start making swaps to more natural skincare.
🌿Wholegrain, fresh and unprocessed. Trying to eat as many whole foods as possible so veggies, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and organic or at least hormone free meat.
🌿Swapping a few of your weekly meals to meat free can be such a game changer as if you are using legumes and grains it increases your fibre intake really quickly. Fibre is great for gut health but also for moving toxins through our digestive system.
08/06/2023
Breast pain is caused by oestrogen receptors in the breast tissue getting overstimulated by oestrogen during the pre-menstrual stage of the cycle. It can also occur due to fluid retention and that can also cause some pain in the breast tissue as well!
Iodine is actually one of the key treatments used for breast pain or fibrocystic breast tissue. It helps by down regulating oestrogen receptors, which as mentioned breast tissue contains a large amount of oestrogen receptors this helps reduce the pain. It has also shown to possibly decrease the risk of breast cancer and decrease density of fibrocystic breast tissue!
Although I’m an advocate for iodine…I’m not an advocate for self prescribing iodine! Firstly, there are a few different forms of iodine, some are better for the thyroid and some are better for the breast tissue, it’s better to consult a practitioner about which one is best for you! Secondly, dosage is important. Too low of a dose and you won’t get a positive effect but too high of a dose and it can start to cause grief to your thyroid! Thirdly, if you are struggling with other conditions such as thyroid conditions or PCOS and acne I would be cautious prescribing because iodine may exacerbate symptoms of these conditions.
If one of your main PMS symptoms is breast pain please reach out and know that many of my clients have shown such a marked decrease in pain!
13/05/2023
Weekend vibes 🌿.
25/04/2023
Iron deficiency 🌿.
24/04/2023
Did you know during peri menopause the changes in hormones actually makes the body more sensitive to sodium and this impacts blood pressure? This is why it’s very common for women who have always had normal or very good blood pressure to start to experience changes as their hormones change later in life.
Processed foods are often laden with sodium and what’s worse, it actually doesn’t change the taste very much so they are often packed with sodium and you won’t even notice the taste until your turn the packet over. Don’t skip the salt on your vegetables if it makes you enjoy them more when it’s actually the sauce you got from a packet that you need to watch.
Here are my top tips for lowering sodium intake;
🌿Check your food packets - the only way to know is to check what you’re eating. I’m not saying you have to count or become obsessive but it’s interesting to see how much of your daily intake of sodium you are taking in just in one product.
🌿Reduce the amount of processed food you consume, especially fast food, packet food and microwavable meals.
🌿Swap to reduced sodium where possible - there are so many options available now for salt reduced options. Swap to salt reduced options especially for things like sauce!
🌿Try a new recipe - how many times do we use packet sauce because it’s easy or just because it’s habit. Try a new recipe and try making your own sauce.
🌿Try reducing the table salt you add to food over time, don’t go straight to nothing. Just reduce the amount of shakes or grinds you put in your cooking or on your food. Even better, switch to Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt.
When it comes to salt, quality and amount consumed daily matters. The sodium in packaged foods and table salt is the type you want to avoid. Table salt is processed which removes other minerals in the process. Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt in moderation are the healthier options. They are less processed therefore retain its minerals and taste better.
17/04/2023
Turmeric is such a potent anti-inflammatory but did you know that not all turmeric supplements are created equal. There are different strengths, strains and added ingredients that all effect the quality of a turmeric supplement.
Strength will depend on the type of strain used but it’s important to know that just because it says it contains a certain amount of grams or milligrams of turmeric on the front, not all of that is therapeutic. If you turn the supplement over there should be an amount listed of “active” ingredient or curcumin.
Strains will depend on what you are wanting the product for and what it is being marketed as. There are some strains of curcumin that have been researched specifically for depression or arthritis or certain autoimmune conditions. This is why it is best to get advice from a health practitioner who can tell you what the strain is in the product and see if it’s best suited for what you want to use it for. If it has a researched strain it will have some letters and a number beside the curcumin amount on the back of the supplement.
Added ingredients will depend on if it is a quality strain or just plain turmeric in a capsule. The turmeric capsules need black pepper to absorb the curcumin effectively, whereas researched strains of curcumin that have been extracted don’t need the added ingredients.
Choosing a turmeric supplement can be overwhelming and it’s why I always recommend you get advice from a health practitioner rather than just picking one off the shelf. It’s important to know why you want to include turmeric into your health regime and knowing which one supports you most for what you need it for.
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St. George Private Hospital, L5, Suite 7A North, 1 South Street, Kogarah Sydney, NSW
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Send a message to Inspired By Wellness- Dianna Bedran Naturopath:
Welcome to Inspired By Wellness. My name is Dianna and I’m a naturopath living in Sydney. I am passionate about Women’s Health and Hormones, and that is at the core of all I do as a Naturopathic Practitioner. Having experienced debilitating hormonal issues in the past, I eventually came to understand that unless the root cause of the issue is addressed then it will not go away.
There seems to be a huge gap in the medical system when it comes to women’s healthcare. I’d like to change that. Not by changing the medical system, and I am not against the medical system at all, but I believe if we empowered ourselves through education then we are more capable of making better health choices for ourselves and our daughters. Through well informed practitioners, the knowledge should be accessible to everyone.
It’s time for a shift in perspective, a time to establish a healthy relationship with our bodies, and a time to recognize how capable we are in reversing or slowing down disease progression. Understanding that food is medicine, and that lifestyle choices have the ability to affect our overall well being.
Embracing over 18 years in the health and well being industry, my career began with a Health Science degree from the University of Sydney. With a particular specialisation in Counseling at the time, I later over the years studied various courses in the field of natural medicine attaining my qualifications at the Australasian College of Natural Therapies. I further deepened my knowledge in Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consulting, Traditional Hatha Yoga and Meditation when traveling to the Himalayas of India.
I truly believe healing occurs at many levels. Consultations with me take into account scientific approaches, the power of nature, the individuals perspective of their condition, and the importance of connecting beyond the physical body as we find balance in a fast paced society. Nourishing the mind, body and soul is key to achieving a complete state of healing.
My support team includes a number of health professionals that consists of Pathology Laboratory Specialists, Pharmacists, Fertility Specialists, Counselors, and various leading Naturopaths in the field.
I am currently a member of The Australian Natural Therapists Association ANTA, and continue professional education throughout each year to remain ahead on the most recent research available. All part of being able to empower others as best I can through education. Only then can real change occur, and I'd like to see that happen in the field of women's healthcare.
