31 March 2021  Tis’ the season where we start to talk about histamine - but i’m going to take the opportunity to explain some of the links we see between the effect female sex hormones have on mast cell (MC) behaviour and corresponding release of histamine. |
27 July 2020  Hot flushes and night sweats are hallmarks of menopause, occurring in more than 70% of women and can last up to 10 years after menopause. They emerge as oestrogen and progesterone levels decline, and also good evidence implicates the involvement of the autonomic nervous system too. In this post I’ll address the hormone component and next week the autonomic nervous system. The conventional medical mindset is that menopause is an oestrogen deficiency resulting from ovarian failure. While oestrogen levels decrease during perimenopause, the truth is, levels do not fall appreciably until after a woman’s last period. In fact, far more women suffer from the effects of oestrogen during the transition — that is, they have too much oestrogen relative to progesterone. Read on to find out Oestrogen Dominance Symptoms and the causes... |
17 February 2020  Perimenopause and menopause happen when the body’s natural production oestrogen (in the form of oestradiol) is reduced, due to the diminishment of ovarian follicles. As a result, progesterone production falls which in turn prevents the endometrium (the tissue that serves as the "wallpaper" of the uterus) from proliferating resulting in no shedding and bleeding. The decline in these hormones, as many women discover results in symptoms, common ones being: Hair loss, Hot flushes, Mood changes, Sleep disturbances, Urinary incontinence... and plenty more! BUT……..help is at hand, yet again, mother nature has a wonderful toolkit up her sleeve! The “treatment” of menopause from an allopathic perspective is based on HRT. From a naturopathic perspective we focus on symptomatic support in the form of dietary, nutrient and herbal therapeutics and a significant component of this are the inclusions of Phyto-oestrogens. |
1 Comment22 January 2020  Have you been told or bought into any of these statements: You have adrenal fatigue! | You are suffering as a result of “cortisol steal” - it’s hijacking/ stealing away from all of your other hormones, such as oestrogen and DHEA | Your adrenal glands are your back up at peri menopause and menopause... All these statements are incorrect. “Adrenal fatigue”, “adrenal exhaustion” and cortisol steal - are terms offered as a “diagnosis” by sadly too many practitioners to summarise the complex dysfunctions related to the stress response. Here I explain more about the background to the stress response and why biochemically cortisol steal is impossible... |
28 January 2019  Sleep is optimal to our health. During sleep, the body is in an anabolic state - basically when in energy conservation, tissue repair and growth take over. The body temperature falls, growth hormone is secreted and immune cell production is increased - ahh – why we get that cold or flu when we’ve been burning the candle too much! While there are numerous and varied reasons for sleep disturbances, a common denominator is physical, emotional or mental stress to the nervous system. By following some of my tips for sleep hygiene & lifestyle changes as well as certain herbs and nutraceuticals - I hope it helps you to get some extra healing zzzzzzs in! |
