Herbal Medicine Archives - Page 2 of 2

Wired and Tired – from stress to exhaustion

November 8, 2022

Adaptogens, Health, Herbal Medicine, Metabolic health

Trying to achieve more than most people? Or maybe you’ve been doing that and have hit a wall? Welcome to the world of adrenal exhaustion, or technically, the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction, adrenal insufficiency, or hypercortisolism. It all starts with stress According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2020-2021, 15% of Australians experienced high levels of psychological distress, and this was higher in women, and younger Australians (16-34 years). This is likely to be higher in Melbourne where the pandemic stress combined with lockdowns meant long periods of reduced social activities and parents trying to juggle work with home-schooling. Our central nervous system has two modes: sympathetic nervous system (SNS) dominance, known as ‘fight or flight’, and parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) dominance, ‘rest and digest’. During life we...

Men’s Health: puberty and prostate

September 11, 2022

Herbal Medicine, Men's Health, Nutrition

With Father’s Day this month, it’s a great time to talk about men’s health. We’ll take a look at two conditions: teenage acne and Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). These are both caused (at varying degrees) by male hormone imbalance. Androgens are a group of hormones of which testosterone (the predominant male reproductive hormone) is the most common. Testosterone levels increase for young men in their late teens, and the excess androgens contribute to acne. The sebaceous glands which secrete oil onto the skin, produce androgens, along with other glands, and in excess are converted to a hormone called dihydrotestosterone which promotes acne. Research has found herbs such as Serenoa repens (Saw palmetto) effective in treating hormonal acne, especially when combined with other androgen regulating herbs is....

Springtime allergies

August 9, 2022

Herbal Medicine, Immune, Vitamins

I do like Spring, it brings the promise of warmer weather. I particularly like wattle, the way it blooms well before the weather has begun to warm, like a promise that winter won’t last forever. But for many of us, springtime has a unique set of problems: hayfever and allergies. Symptoms obviously depend on what allergens your body is sensitive to, and the degree of sensitivity will determine the severity of your symptoms. Those with asthma or eczema in their family often have increased genetic sensitivity. What’s going on? An allergen enters the body and triggers an immune response to defend against the allergen. Mast cells (part of the immune response) release histamine which causes inflammation, usually in the nose, throat or skin. What’s going wrong? In someone without allergies, histamine...

Is stress is impacting your immune system?

April 22, 2022

Herbal Medicine, Immune, Lifestyle

The last two years have certainly been a challenge for most of us. Whilst some people have enjoyed more time to themselves and cutting out the commute time for work during lockdowns, others have found themselves juggling work with home-schooling, lonely without social interaction, or afraid of the effects of the virus. What does stress do? The autonomic nervous system controls digestion, heart rate, and blood pressure, and stress plays a major role in how these functions work. It consists of two opposing modes of operation: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems. You have likely heard of the sympathetic nervous system, the “flight or fight” response, where cortisol production is increased in the adrenal glands. For a short-term situation, this is helpful as it gives you the...

It’s that time of the month

March 8, 2022

Herbal Medicine, Nutrition, Women's health

With International Women’s Day on Tuesday 8th March, now is a good time to talk about periods. Having a positive mindset about your cycle can help reduce some of the negative emotions around it. Know that this can be a time to deal with emotions gathered over the last month and a chance to give yourself time for nurture and rest. Whilst every woman’s cycle has it’s differences, a normal cycle is 28 days (give or take 7 days), last for 4-7 days (give or take 2 days), and loss should be 30ml-80ml (although this can be hard to measure). If your cycle is not within these parameters, or you experience the following, you should see your doctor: Cramping that lasts more than a few days,...

Herbal medicine

February 21, 2022

Herbal Medicine

To most people, herbs are used to flavour food: basil, thyme, garlic, onion, etc. Whilst these herbs can help with your health, what we prescribe is much more concentrated and there are over 100 herbs available, most of which are not commonly known. In all traditional cultures around the world, herbs were the main form of medicine, and as knowledge has been shared, we now have even more herbs to choose from. Many of these herbs are gaining a reputation as scientific research is providing the evidence for what was traditionally passed down. When a herbal formula is made, herbs that work together in synergy are used to create a powerful natural medicine. The main brand of herbs that I stock is Mediherb. Mediherb is one of...

Herbal Medicine

Wired and Tired – from stress to exhaustion

Men’s Health: puberty and prostate

Springtime allergies

Is stress is impacting your immune system?

It’s that time of the month

Herbal medicine

Trouble getting your iron levels within range?

Springtime allergies

Vitamin D for a strong immune system

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