It's a hard decision to make.  Be happy and over weight? Or Struggle with anxiety but not keeping gaining the pounds?

Sometimes when you are taking anxiety medication you can also find yourself gaining weight.  It doesn't happen to everyone and different medications have different side effects for people.  Personally, when I was taking medication for my anxiety I put on a lot of weight.  Like over 30kgs of weight!  I really struggled with the decision to come off the medication.  I saw my Dr and we had a long discussion about the pros and cons of staying on my medication.  I just couldn't help feeling that I was being more miserable by the week as my weight creeped up and my anxiety was still bad.  Ultimately the decision was made for me with the surprise arrival of my third child and my decision to come off all medication.

#PLEASE consult your doctor before stopping any medication!  That is their expertise, not mine.

Once you've weaned yourself off the medication does that mean the weight will just start falling off?
Unfortunately that is not always the case.  Our body has a job to protect us and sometimes it feels that the extra padding it carries is a protection from the outside world. 

• Maybe you want to feel invisible and carrying extra weight allows people to not look at you (My hand goes up!).
  
• Maybe you're in a relationship with a partner who you don't want to find you attractive and being with them makes you feel anxious because you know you need to talk about your relationship, but it's too scary.  Being overweight and unhappy with your body is a good out to not have to be intimate with each other.
• Maybe your job or friendships or environment is all too overwhelming so your body is holding on to the extra padding to make you feel safer.

There are also biological reasons why your body is refusing to kick the kilos.

• Medication can sometimes cause gastrointestinal reflux so in order to get rid of the burning and sick feeling, you eat.  
• Or, you take antacid medication to deal with the reflux which in turn lowers your stomach acid too low that it takes your body a long time to digest it's food and you end up gaining weight from a slow metabolism.
• Anxiety can trigger emotional eating habits.  Are you reaching for the oreos late at night because you are anxious about the day ahead?
• Chronic stress from anxiety increases cortisol which makes us resistant to insulin which raises our blood sugar, after a sugar crash our appetite increases and then we eat more! And this fat is usually deposited around our belly. 

So as you can see, there are a few hurdles you will have to face to lose weight while dealing with anxiety.  But, the good news is it is possible!
I myself lost over 54kgs after a prolonged period of anxiety and stress.

The first tip is before you start any weight loss journey, please consult a health care professional.  You want to succeed and I want you to too.  The way you do that is by having a plan for your weight loss. 

This includes:

• The right food choices for you.  Not everyone does well on a low FODMAP, Paleo, Keto, Low salicylate diet.  Make sure you are eating the right way for your body.  
• Make sure your digestion is up and running correctly so you can digest your food properly.  Do you need help managing reflux or increasing stomach acid to aid digestion of your food?
• Have tools in your bag to help reduce your anxiety levels such as herbs, nutrients, mindfulness, and tapping techniques.  The more prepared you are the higher chance for success.
• Have an exercise plan.  You don't need to go to the gym twice a day to get enough exercise to help with weight loss.  I started with walking around my backyard and parking a little further away from the shops.
• Who is your support person?  This is an important one.  You don't have to tell everyone you meet that you are trying to lose weight, but you need to have someone in your corner that you can talk to.  There are days where you are doing amazing and days where you fall off the wagon and eat a whole tub of ice cream (yes, speaking from experience!) 
  

​The good news is every day is a new day.  You are not losing weight for anyone else, you are losing it for you so there is no time limit.  Don't lose weight for an event, lose weight for you.  You 

Do you know when I started my degree I had no idea what a naturopath was?

Yep, I started as a nutritionist (der: must learn about nutrition) but then I started to chat to more people at uni who were talking about herbs.  

"I know what herbs are", I exclaimed.  "They're teas right?"

Yes, and more.  Here is where I started my journey to finding out exactly what a naturopath does, conditions we can help with and how we manage them. 

Spoiler alert: I don't just use herbs!

Conditions I can help with:

• ​generalised anxiety
• depression
  
• postnatal and perinatal depression
• immune health
• gut health/repair 
• skin conditions such as eczema, acne and psoriasis
• and many more....

If there is a condition you would like to chat to me about, then book in for your FREE 15 minute discovery call to see how we can work together.

​Leah xx

Would you know what someone looks like if they have anxiety?
Do you imagine them walking around wringing their hands, shaking and looking around frightfully?

Well that's very rarely the case.  Most of us do very well at hiding our anxiety.  Some of us don't even know that we are anxious until someone puts a name to our feelings and says, "do you think it could be anxiety?"

I remember well the first time my doctor mentioned that maybe I wasn't about to suffer a stroke or had a mystery stomach flu or some deadly illness.  She simply said, "do you think it could be anxiety?"  No way I cried!  This is real.  It isn't in my head.  I'm absolutely positive that I am about to end up in an early grave at the ripe old age of 19 and you are telling me it's all in my head?

Surely if I had anxiety I would be behaving strangely and someone would have noticed before now.  I mean I have a job and a boyfriend and friends. I'm not mental.

Oh how our understanding of anxiety has changed over the last 20 years.  It's now more acceptable to admit to your friends that you have anxiety, most of the time.  However it is still very hard to spot in ourselves and others.

I have many clients who come into my clinic with a health concern and have no idea that anxiety is compounding the issue and often blocking them from getting better.  They may have an image in their head on what anxiety looks like and they don't fit the picture.  But anxiety doesn't have an image.  There are people who walk around out in the world suffering the most debilitating anxiety and they have a perfectly acceptable smiling mask on their face.  They smile and say "I'm fine, how are you?"  Notice the quick deflection away from talking about themselves and focusing on someone else?  Much easier for someone with anxiety to help others than try and help themselves.

That's where I come in.  I have YEARS of experience helping others until one day I asked for help myself and it changed my life!  I am still so very grateful to the amazing counsellor who finally helped me understand what anxiety looks like.  It looked like me.  It looked like me on a happy day, on a sad day, on an angry day, at work, at the beach, at a party, at home in my PJ's.  I can't put a picture up on this blog of what anxiety looks like because it doesn't have a single face.  It has triggers.

If you would like help understanding what your anxiety looks like for you and what your triggers may be, then please give me a call or make a booking below.

Leah xx
​

As I sit here having lunch listening to the music in the clinic, I stop to contemplate why I chose the playlist I did this morning.  Usually I ask my Google home mini to play relaxation music on Spotify but as soon as it started I had to stop it.  It felt like nails on a chalkboard! Seriously, it was horrible.  Usually I love this playlist but today it was a no go.

I was shocked how quickly listening to music I was not in the mood for ramped up my anxiety level.  

I changed to 'chill-out' playlist and instantly felt a calm come over me and my clinic.  Funny to think how background music can affect my day.  I work occasionally with a guy who likes Jazz.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a bit of live jazz, but after two hours of Jazz radio my customer service kindness goes straight out the window!

So, I decided to investigate my love OR hate of music and it's affect on your anxiety levels.

In a study by Thoma et al (2013) on the effect of music on human stress response, they found that relaxation music had the ability to reduce the psychobiological stress response.  Maybe they weren't listening to my playlist or maybe I'm just very picky about my music haha.  Actually, yep. Definitely picky about my music.  Interestingly listening to natural water ripples had the greatest effect on reducing cortisol levels and relaxation music reduced heart rates faster after an induced stressor.  

The website Psychcentral also mentions many benefits of music on anxiety such as:

• Music’s form and structure can bring order and security to disabled and distressed children. It encourages coordination and communication, so improves their quality of life.
• Listening to music on headphones reduces stress and anxiety in hospital patients before and after surgery.
• Music can help reduce both the sensation and distress of both chronic pain and postoperative pain.
• Listening to music can relieve depression and increase self-esteem ratings in elderly people.
• Making music can reduce burnout and improve mood among nursing students.
• Music therapy significantly reduces emotional distress and boosts quality of life among adult cancer patients.

I know for me music has always been a big part of my life and I hope my children one day take up our ritual of dancing in the kitchen with the music blaring and dancing out all our anxieties about the day.  Whether it's quiet relaxation you are after or a Breakfast Club style breakout dance, add music into your life.

Here's what I'm listening to right now and it's a perfect way to continue my afternoon in the clinic.
Velvet Sky by Palmer Players 
  
​Leah xx

You know how sometimes we feel like we have butterflies in our tummies?  Well maybe they aren't little flying caterpillars in there but an imbalance of 'bad' bacteria.

We know that our gut health plays a huge part in our emotional health and wellbeing and now scientists are researching certain 'good' bacteria strains that could help with anxiety.  Most notably is a study published in PLoS One journal in 2018 showing a vast improvement of anxiety in animal models.  While the study couldn't specifically identify if this translated to humans, there is certainly some exciting news that probiotics may help with mental health.

From personal experience I know this to be true.  Recently I had a middle ear infection and had to take a round of antibiotics.  While I know the need to maintain our gut microbiota integrity, I also know that when it comes to ear infections and hearing I don't mess around.  So I started taking SB alongside my antibiotic. SB or Saccharomyces Boulardii is a beneficial yeast that lays a protective layer over our good bacteria and prevents the proliferation of 'bad' bacteria that can occur.  Most often with antibiotic use patients can suffer clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea. SB has been shown to prevent that in many cases. However in my case, it tends to cause me to become constipated after a few days so on day three I stopped taking it and continued with the antibiotics alone as I only had to take them for a few more days.  Boy did I notice a difference in my gut bacteria after a few days on it. 

Antibiotics are like throwing a bomb in your gut when you are as sensitive as me and I could feel the anxiety start to rise.  I believe you need to let the antibiotics do their job, so straight after my last dose I was onto a good multiflora probiotic with the strain Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG (LGG) and I started to feel better within a day.

Anxiety is a full spectrum issue that is not treated with a single treatment as there is not always a single cause.  But an easy cause to rule out for a spike in your anxiety could be an imbalance in your gut bacteria.  If you'd like help choosing the right probiotic for your condition send me a message.

​Leah xx

* 
Yesterday I came face to face with someone who hurt me last year so much that it changed my life and I was shocked at my reaction!

I consider myself a strong, independent woman who doesn't let other’s opinions darken my day.  I advocate for equality and try to treat others with respect.  I'll admit I am far from perfect. Really far from perfect some days. But I try my best.  

Like many of us, bullying has affected my life before, but I really thought as I got older it would be something that I wouldn't have to go through again.  It happened in high school, so I moved schools.  It happened in the workplace, so I left my job.  As I got older, I swore I wouldn't let others hurt me that way again, but it did happen again.  This time in my child's primary school.

The definition of bullying is to "seek to harm, intimidate or coerce (someone perceived as vulnerable)".

Bullyingnoway.gov.au says: 

• It is ongoing and repeating. 
• It is a misuse of power (or perceived power). 
• It involves behaviour that can cause harm.

The Australian Human Rights Commission say:

• Keeping someone out of a group
• Acting in an unpleasant way towards someone
• Giving nasty looks, making rude gestures, calling names, being impolite
• Spreading rumours or lies

It is not a one-off argument between two people or two people simply disliking each other.  It's one or more people causing intentional harm to another over and over again.

Now I won't go into the details of what happened as that is not necessary for my story here.

What I was shocked at was my reaction to this person.  It has been almost 12 months since this all happened.  I've moved on, but my subconscious obviously hasn't.  When I saw this person, my heart started to race, I tingled from head to toe and then got on with my job of good customer service.  I believe in forgiveness, and being an eternal optimist, thought I may get an apology one day. But what I encountered was the same dismissal I felt the year before.  Someone who took no responsibility for their actions. 
When they left I crumbled.  I couldn't stop shaking. The adrenaline had flooded my system and while I shook I could feel the tears start to well.  I couldn't catch my breath and thank goodness the shop was empty as there was no way I could have spoken to someone else without losing it.  It took about 10 minutes for me to calm down.  Then the fascination kicked in.  Why did I have such a huge reaction to someone I really hadn't given a thought to in six months? 

When the bullying started last year I was at first shocked and laughed at the fact grown adults were acting like children but then it didn't stop.  It just kept going and started to affect my health and relationships with other people.  When I realised it was affecting my children too, I knew I had to change how I was reacting to it. So, I worked very hard with the help of some amazing other professionals.  I moved on. Interestingly, my subconscious had not!

After a day of reflecting I have learnt a lot.  I realised my body will tell me when it perceives danger and hit me with a mini panic attack.  No, the person wouldn't physically hurt me, but emotionally my body wanted to protect me from being hurt again and for that I am truly grateful. My body has an inbuilt warning system and it let me know that it associates this person with danger, however this time there was no danger and the interaction went off without any further harm being done. So next time I see this person I wonder if my body will have the same reaction?  I don't think so.  

For emotionally charged days like yesterday I always turn to my flower essence therapy.  I came home, did a card reading. Found the flowers I needed and made an essence.  Instantly I felt better.

Bullying causes harm.  No matter how old you are, 4 or 40.  Bullying is not on.  Neither is standing by and letting someone get bullied.  And if you have been a bully, just say sorry.  If I have been a bully in the past, I am deeply sorry.  If you have been bullied by someone else, I understand. 
I live in hope that the more people talk about bullying and learn that it isn't just something that happens between children but also between adults, then we will have progress.  If you need help coping with being bullied, please ask for help. 
Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36
Kids help line 1800 55 1800

​Bulling, it's not on!!
​

CHOCOLATE!!!
Who else is excited it’s chocolate season?
Easter is a Christian holiday celebrated on the first full moon of spring based on pagan rituals. The egg is a symbol of new life, the beginning. Traditionally no eggs were eaten the week before Easter. Instead they were saved up and decorated and then given to family on Easter Sunday. In Europe during the early 19th century the first chocolate egg was made.
This traditional chocolate was hard and bitter and probably a lot better for you than the dairy and sugar laden chocolate we eat today. Chocolate has so many amazing health benefits being high in polyphenols which exert antioxidant and anti inflammatory actions in the body. It also contains tryptophan which is a precursor to serotonin, the happy hormone.
So which chocolate to choose this Easter? The darker the better! The more cocoa, the more health benefits. But also please be aware of where your chocolate comes from. Most companies have pledged to have their chocolate ethically sourced by 2020, meaning there are still some companies using child labour to harvest their cocoa beans. Most health food shops will sell ethically sourced, organically grown chocolate which is high in quality and lower in added sugar.
This Easter if you are a chocolate lover like me, enjoy good quality ethically sourced dark chocolate and know you are getting some amazing health benefits xx

Something is missing. 
Yep, something is missing.  I couldn’t put my finger on it.  I mean I was achieving all my goals.  I graduated from my bachelor’s degree.  Took the kids on a European trip of a lifetime.  My kids were happy at school, three different schools, and I was managing to stay on track of who needed to be where and what they needed.  Ok maybe I messed up a few times there and forgot free dress days or money for this or that, but hey, they were still willing to go to school and I’m really glad about how their year went. 

So, 2018 was pretty good.  But still I had this nagging feeling something was missing. 
I was very busy but coping well right until the end of 2018.  About November it all started to fall apart.  I was too busy.  I was stressed out that I was spread too thin.  I wanted to be everything for everyone.  I was the good baseball Mum who made sure I was home from work in time to take the kids to training Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and trying to come up with dinners that were nutritious quick and easy as I was feeding them at 8pm once we got home. Then I was also an assistant coach to Isabelle’s team and on a Saturday was racing between her field at 9.30am and then Connor’s at 12.15pm.  Thank goodness for amazing friends who were able to pick up Connor and get him to his game on time.  Couldn’t have done it without you Deb! And you know the games were rarely at the same field.  I think the first game the girls were at home in Darra and Connor was at Redcliffe! Oh and I forgot to mention I also had to feed the horse at 5.30am so I could be back to clean the house for the open homes as our house was on the market which meant tidy, vacuum and mop and taking the dogs with us to baseball.  Thank goodness for well-behaved dogs.

Through this time I was also working in a health food shop, working on my business seeing a small number of client’s as a naturopath, working on my diploma of counselling, working on keeping the house clean, working on finding a new car and organising a trip to Sydney to see family, working on keeping the kids alive and working on keeping my sanity!  So, with all this working how could I be missing something!  I was full.  My days were full, my afternoons were full, my nights were full, my weekends were full.  I have amazing friends who help me tremendously and I try to be available for them and keep in touch, so my friend card was full, but still, something was missing.

Then at Christmas 2018 I found out what was missing.  I was giving out more of me than there was to give.  I was running on empty and hadn’t been filling myself back up.  You see when I was at uni I was surrounded by like-minded people who loved talking health and healing, who embraced my crazy thirst for knowledge and knew the struggles that came with being overwhelmed.  I mean we were all studying juggling families, work and home. We knew all about being busy and had a place where we could voice it and then share different techniques on how to fill ourselves back up. 

That’s what I’m missing.  I’m missing my tribe of women, and a few men, who helped me get through each week with a smile on my face.  I want to talk about health and wellness and meditation.   I want to learn about different cultures and religion and spirituality and connectedness.  I want to explore other’s beliefs and challenge some of my own.  I want to release my inner child and sing and dance and cry and laugh with people I know well and with complete strangers. 

I was missing kindred spirits of like-minded people who also needed to be filled.  So, this year I am starting a community information group all about health, wellness, and support.  We will discuss topics such as hormones, mental health, weight loss, skin care, cardiac care, and anything else that comes to mind.  I’m hoping through these classes’, others will lead the way in their health journey and come up with topic suggestions.  There will be guest speakers from people more knowledgeable than me in certain areas.  Now these classes are not ageist! They are for people of all age and walk of life who like me are searching for kindred souls.
I really hope to see you at our inaugural class where we will be learning about setting clear directions for 2019 and goal setting.  There is a small fee of $15 per person to cover some tea, coffee and nibbles. 

I look forward to seeing you there.

​Yours in health and happiness,
Leah xx