Serenity Health - Health and Wellbeing Coaching

09/05/2025

Like Coca Cola? Watch this….

18/04/2025

Eat mushrooms ladies to prevent breast cancer. Read link…..

Breast cancer can take decades to develop, so "early" detection via mammogram may be too late. The breast cancer you may feel one day as a lump in the

15/04/2025

It’s all about gut health and good nutrition for keeping us healthy…..

According to two new studies, gut immune cells called RORγt+ dendritic cells help “keep the peace” with food proteins and gut microbes.

Interestingly, they rely on RORγt, a protein that interacts with retinoic acid—aka preformed vitamin A.

💡 Which raises the question:
Could subclinical deficiency of preformed vitamin A (retinol) impair these critical peacekeeping cells? And could that help explain the rising tide of food allergies?

More research is needed—but it’s another reason to make sure you’re getting enough preformed vitamin A from animal foods like eggs, fish, and meat—not just beta-carotene from plants. (Be cautious with vitamin A supplements because too much can be harmful.)

Links:
https://medicine.washu.edu/news/researchers-find-intestinal-immune-cell-prevents-food-allergies/

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-immune-cell-key-food-allergies.html

15/04/2025

If you can want an alternative to hormone replacement therapy for hot flushes and night sweats then dry Liquorice root (not liquorice lollies) and passionflower

It really works.

Both are also superb at regulating the adrenals - soooo important during perimenopause and menopause and sleep and Passionflower helps to boost GABA which is an anti anxiety neurotransmitter

If you need any further information about this then reach out - gill@serenityhealth.co.nz

Serenity Health - helping you to be the best version of yourself

12/04/2025

In my opinion, the reason why so many women in the modern age are experiencing debilitating menopausal symptoms and massive weight gain is not because of the decline of the female hormones, but due to the adrenals and liver not functioning to their best due to stress. Or what they perceive as stress. Lets remember there is no such thing as stress in the universe, it is only our reactions to things which make them stressful or not. Let me explain....

Menopause is when the ovaries cease their production of s*x hormones which are predominately Estrogen and Progesterone. Small amounts are still made in other areas of the body- mainly the adrenal glands and body fat cells.

The relentless output of stress hormones in the lead up to menopause means that the adrenal glands have been receiving the message that they need to churn out a ton of stress hormones so they won't have been making any s*x hormones. So instead of going from normal amounts of s*x hormones to a gradual decline, women go from having plenty to having none. Couple this with a liver that is overwhelmed due to alcohol consumption and you have a recipe for insomnia, mood swings, and hot flushes and night sweats.

The functioning of the adrenal glands therefore plays a major role in determining how the menopause transition affects us. If the adrenals aren't up to producing s*x hormones, the body always has our back so thinking it is doing us a favour, body fat increases because body fat acts as a production for Estrogen.

The number one priority here is to manage stress. Learn to meditate, learn to delegate and say no to commitments (you don't have to be everything to everyone), belly breathe, make time for rest, plan days just for you, include self care into every day, journal, practice gratitude, eat a whole food diet and avoid or limit alcohol.

Calcium, magnesium and Vitamin D are great at helping hot flushes. Zinc is essential for s*x hormone synthesis.
Certain herbs such as Withania, Rhodiola, Wild Yam and Milk Thistle can be very helpful too and Liquorice (not the lolly variety) is very good at regulating the adrenals.

For specific symptoms, these are areas to focus on:

Insomnia - liver, nervous system and adrenals
Hot flushes - gut, liver and adrenals
Constant heat - gut and liver
Low mood - gut, adrenals and Thyroid
No libido - nervous system and adrenals
Weight gain - gut, liver, adrenals and Thyroid

If you have any questions or want specific advice re this transition, feel free to reach out.

gill@serenityhealth.co.nz
021 801 605

Your health is your greatest wealth. Treasure it.

20/03/2025

Get in touch for a free 50 minute health consult. You can then choose to work with me for 6 or 12 fortnightly sessions to improve your health and wellbeing

17/03/2025

It all starts with waking up... to what our bodies are expressing and our minds are suppressing

Western countries invest billions in healthcare, yet mental illness and chronic diseases are on a seemingly unstoppable rise. Nearly 70% of Americans are now on prescription drugs. Medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today's culture stresses our bodies, burdens our immune systems and undermines emotional balance. There is an absolute connection between our personal suffering and the pressures of modern-day living with disease as a natural reflection of a life spent growing further and further apart from our true selves. But, healing is possible if we are willing to reconnect with each other and our authentic (true) selves.

If you would like help connecting with your true self, feel lost and don’t know which way to turn next or need help working out how you can allow more time into your day for you …..contact me.

gill@serenityhealth.co.nz

16/03/2025

One of the biggest issues I would say today facing women heading into menopause is the health of their adrenals which are affected by stess

If you head into menopause stressed out, you are going to have a rough ride. The adrenals are meant to provide a back up supply of female hormones after the ovaries shut up shop but if they’re constantly producing the stress hormone cortisol, they will favour this over production of female hormones. Your body will always prioritise your safety over other hormones.

And what is really concerning is that a lot of this so called stess, is self inflicted. A lot of the stuff we stress about just doesn’t matter. A lot of women are prioritising career and external materialistic items that they think will make them happy. But what they fail to realise is that these things just bring fleeting satisfaction rather than long term happiness. This comes from within.

Social media scrolling isn’t necessary. Why compare your life to someone elses? Constant validation over your achievements or your child’s achievements is just that - looking for that next dopamine hit to make you feel good, make you feel noticed and ultimately worthy of love.

Bring everything back to you, turn inward. Learn to meditate, sit in silence, distance yourself from social media, take time to observe the miracles happening all around you in nature, focus on loving yourself and making time for you. Bring joy into your day. Learn to say no more.

Then the stress just dissolves away. The cortisol decreases and we are more able to deal with the menopause journey that was never meant to be hard. We are aging, we need to slow down and accept what is. Otherwise the body will find a way of doing this for us. The body will always keep the score.

And for those struggling with cortisol issues, adaptogens are amazing at bringing the body back into balance - PM me for more details

Your health is your greatest health. Treasure it like gold.

www.serenityhealth.co.nz
gill@serenityhealth.co.nz

09/03/2025

Happy to announce that my new booklet "Break the Mould" detailing all about mould illness- what it is, how it affects the health and what you can do about it will be available very soon!!

Super excited to be working with 3 great professionals on this project, The Staywell Man and Mike Healy of Mould Remediators NZ plus my own GP.

Sooo super excited about it as education is what we need in this area......mould illness is so common especially in New Zealand and is so under rated. Even if you have no idea what it is, now is the time to educate yourself.

Booklet is at last stage of being written and will be going to graphic designers very soon. Will be available on my website late Autumn.

Watch this space.

Your health is your greatest wealth. Treasure it like gold.

Health and Wellbeing Coaching giving you the wisdom to enable change and the courage to embrace it Welcome At Serenity Health I work with people from all backgrounds and ages to empower them to reach their personal health and wellness goals. As a Health and Wellbeing Coach I provide people with a sa...

16/12/2024

The biggest thing I have personally come to realise this year is that there is no such thing as 'stress'. Stress doesn't exist in our universe, it's just our reactions to situations that make them stressful experiences for us.

And linked to this is how the accepted norm for modern day living revolves around the notion of always being busy, always doing which is a complete recipe for disaster. If I could say one thing to my younger self, it would be to rest more and do less.

Rest is essential for good health and wellbeing and is so under estimated in the Western world. Even race horses rest at the end of each race. If we continue working and rushing around, like is accepted now, trying to be everything to everyone and not allowing our bodies the rest they need, we will burn out and our bodies and health will suffer. If we don't make time for rest, our bodies will eventually make time for us through illness, disease or burn out, forcing us to take the rest.

By rest, I mean silence, stillness and being able to be introspective. Learn to meditate and do it on a regular basis. I do this regularly now and it honestly has been life changing. Resting is essential.

And we need it more at this time of the year when everyone just seems to be in one big rush.....I am sure forgetting about the real reason we celebrate Christmas.

Rest, learn to be introspective, enjoy silence where you can, be still and see where that journey takes you.

Be love, give love, with love, Gill x

15/11/2024

Self confidence and self worth....do you know the difference?

Self confidence can fluctuate depending on the external situation, whereas self- worth is believing and knowing that you are enough, regardless of what is happening around you.

A lot of people struggle with self- worth. They believe that by achieving, setting themselves continual career and personal goals to accomplish, getting a huge following on social media for validation, looking good, altering their image by cosmetic surgery, following strict diets and exercise regimes that this will make them enough....but it doesn't. When we achieve everything we want to, this helps to boost our self confidence (which is important and wonderful) but we haven't done the work to help booster self-worth, which is different.

Self confidence is what you show on the outside
Self worth is what you feel on the inside

Self confidence is what you can do
Self worth is who you are

Self confidence is believing you are skilled enough
Self worth is believing you are enough

Self confidence fluctuates based on your environment
Self worth is stable through every environment

Self confidence is fragile
Self worth is foundational

Self confidence confidence gives you drive
Self worth gives you peace

Self worth is your foundation
Self confidence is the house you build on top of it
Your house will only ever be as secure as the foundation it's built upon

Come as you are
Heal where you need
Blossom what you choose
Journey toward your calling
Stay as long as you like
You belong here
You are worthy
You are loved
You are love

Be love, live love, give love, Gill x

I’m always here to help. Contact
gill@serenityhealth.co.nz

09/11/2024

All things we strive for, in any area of our life, all come down to one simple thing.....we hope they will make us feel enough and loved. After our basic needs are met and we are financially secure, why is it that most people still want even more money? To buy things? Why do they want those things? To feel important, to gain external admiration or for the positive emotions they expect to experience when they have them? Why do they want that? Because underneath it all, they want to feel enough and loved and they believe that acquiring these things will give them these feelings. So many of us spend the majority of our lives trying to look a certain way, others trade the maximum amount of their time on this earth for the maximum amount of money, fast flash cars and job titles they can acquire. All with the often unknowing belief, that the closer we get to the aesthetic ideal, the more we will be enough and ultimately loved. And these beliefs are often reinforced as truths by well intentioned people around us, social media and just about every advertisement we see. None of these things we spend so much striving for actually leads us to the true feeling of being enough, truely loved and truely fulfilled. They aren't truths at all, they are based on the same lie.....that you need to achieve, to do more and be more in order to feel love.

The only way you can achieve inner happiness and true fulfilment is by learning to love yourself, not in an obsessed way but truely admiring yourself for the wonderful miracle that you are. When you do this, your sense of self worth starts to improve. True self worth can give you a stable, dependable, unaswering and unshakable sense of mental and emotional armour. It is very difference to self confidence which can be swayed by feelings, thoughts, behaviours and experiences.

Learning to develop amazing self worth takes time and patience but it is the most amazing thing you can do for yourself to be at peace and happy in your life, just as you are.