Guts and Girl Bits

After just having had a baby, being told that you have post-partum thyroiditis is not fun at all. You'd much rather put all your energy into your cute little bundle. Potentially, many mothers don't feel themselves, and unknowingly struggle with symptoms of post-partum thyroiditis because they don't know of it to ask for diagnosis and help. This episode will help to provide tools to those who have been told they have this condition, and information for any mothers that may suspect something is 'just not right'. I interview nutritionist Renae Bartlett who has experienced post partum thyroiditis herself and has made it her mission to help other mothers through this journey as well. You can contact me on www.naturopathnsw.com.au About Renae: Renae Bartlett is a Clinical Nutritionist who until 12 months ago, was based in Adelaide South Australia. She is currently residing in Canada for the next two years with her husband, one year old daughter and their dog Diego. Renae assists people by focussing heavily on the fundamental basics of using ‘food first’ for healing, health and wellbeing. Renae was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in 2016 and Post-Partum Thyroiditis following the birth of their daughter in 2018. This has led Renae down a path focussed on helping women who may have been diagnosed with post-partum thyroiditis, or who are at risk of developing this condition. Get in contact with Renae - https://www.instagram.com/rebornhealthnutrition/ https://www.facebook.com/RebornHealthNutrition/ Email: [email protected]

Health & Wellbeing Podcast #18 with guest Hayley Stockbridge In this episode Hayley and I discuss our approach to treating eczema from a naturopathic perspective. We talk about the link between gut health and eczema; a nutritional approach to eczema such as nutritional supplements, diet change and looking at food intolerances; herbal medicine for eczema; what topical treatments we recommend; how stress affects eczema, and more. Hayley practices at Manly on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and in Stanmore in Sydney’s Inner West. Her major focus is always educating her patients to live healthier and happier lives. She treats women, men and children of all ages and a wide variety of health issues such as weight loss, digestive problems, anxiety/stress, fertility, hormone imbalances, food intolerances and headaches. You can also connect with Hayley on Facebook and Instagram. Want to subscribe to get podcasts automatically? You can do that here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/health-wellbeing-podcast/id1006574743 Podcast Breakdown 0:00 Intro and disclaimer 0:43 Welcome 2:09 What's happening in the skin of someone with eczema? 3:15 Food intolerances and allergies 7:20 The importance of treating the gut 8:55 Types of people who experience eczema more 10:27 Increased prevalence of eczema 10:50 Immune imbalances leading to eczema especially in children 13:50 Probiotics to prevent and treat eczema 14:40 Stress and eczema 16:40 How can diet affect eczema? 17:33 Common nutrient deficiencies in eczema. 18:40 Herbs in eczema. 19:24 Low stomach acid is common in people with eczema. 20:33 The importance of changing your diet. 21:00 Topical treatments for eczema. Moogoo Eczema and Psoriasis Cream - http://moogoo.com.au/irritable-skin-balm.html Hope's Relief - https://www.hopesrelief.com.au/ 22:30 Cautions with topical coconut oil 23:40 Oat baths 24:30 The illusion of having less time 25:25 The importance of an individualised treatment approach 26:35 How to get in contact

It’s time for podcast number four, and in this one I talk with fellow naturopath Laura Burton from http://www.burtonhealth.com.au about stress, neurotransmitter health, adrenal health, ways to deal with and reduce stress via diet and lifestyle techniques. Want to subscribe to get podcasts automatically? You can do that here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/health-wellbeing-podcast/id1006574743 Podcast Breakdown: 4:27 What have Laura and I been up to? Laura has been busy with her Tea Club and clinic life, and I have been busy in the clinic as well. I also have the Stress Talk coming up this Saturday at Windsor. 5:50 Stress has a big impact on our everyday life and it can be difficult to recognise stress because it comes in so many different forms. Sneaky stress! 7:00 The impact of over-exercising or the wrong forms of exercise on stress and adrenal health. 8:22 Stress impacts on nervous system balance. 8:54 The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. 9:24 Serotonin 10:45 Histamine 12:52 GABA 14:14 Dopamine 14:46 Adenosine 15:26 Laura talks about diet and nutrients for neurotransmitter and mood health 17:30 Digestive health is important in neurotransmitter health because we need to be able to breakdown our foods to absorb the nutrients required for neurotransmitter production 18:22 Vitamin C and other nutrients required for neurotransmitters and adrenal health 21:28 Iron supplementation risks, haemochromatosis and anxiety 22:40 Laura sums up how a balanced diet can usually provide the variety of 22:11 Adrenal health: How norepinephrine and epinephrine work in the body, and why high cortisol can impede muscle gain from exercise. Chronic stress can suppress out immune system and reduce our ability to heal from injuries. 24:50 Adrenal fatigue symptoms we’d look for in clinic. 26:36 Saliva testing for adrenal fatigue 28:00 Diet and lifestyle ways to deal with adrenal fatigue 29:29 Hugs for relieving stress! 30:39 Meditation increases dopamine and serotonin 31:09 Mindfulness, meditation and breathing exercises. One moment meditation video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6eFFCi12v8 35:29 Changing our mindset and ways of thinking 37:43 Gratitude practice 40:31 Our favourite stress herbs

I talk to Naturopath Lisa Costa-Bir (http://lisacostabirnaturopath.com.au) about thyroid health. We discuss the prevalence of sub-clinical thyroid problems, some common symptoms you experience with a thyroid disorder, links between thyroid, stress and depression, thyroid and cholesterol and also the way thyroid health can change during and after pregnancy. Podcast breakdown: 1:30 The prevalence of thyroid conditions; sub clinical thyroid problems are frequently going undiagnosed and taking into consideration more factors than just blood test results, the rate of thyroid problems (hypothyroidism in particular) would likely be much higher. TSH alone is not enough. 3:50 TSH can be artificially suppressed. 4:30 Reverse T3 6:15 Causes of elevated thyroid antibodies 7:47 Foods Lisa recommends for people with thyroid disorders 10:45 Wheat and thyroid 12:00 Soy and thyroid 14:14 Nutrients for the thyroid and how thyroid problems can cause reduced absorption of nutrients 16:35 Look the adrenals and stress first 18:38 Oestrogen, progesterone, PMT and thyroid 20:43 Thyroid medications - You need nutrients for it to work properly 22:00 Iodine and the building blocks for thyroid hormones 23:40 Vitamin D 25:30 Thyroid and Iodine in Preconception, Pregnancy and Post-Partum 30:22 Thyroid and Depression 31:26 Thyroid and Cholesterol 34:30 How long does it take to improve thyroid function? 35:35 Sleep for thyroid 37:44 Basal body temperature and salt in the morning 38:20 Our favourite thyroid herbs

I talk to Naturopath Hayley Stockbridge (http://www.hayleystockbridge.com.au/) about digestion and answer some questions which cover reflux, constipation, children's stomach pain, bloating and gluten intolerance. Podcast Breakdown 3:57 What is a normal bowel movement? 6:50 Question 1: I've had GORD ever since I can remember, I'm on Nexium and I take metamucil. I still get the occasional bit of reflux but mostly it's controlled with the medication. I don't want to stay on it because I don't want to rely of a medication. I also get diarrhoea every week or so that's watery, explosive and smelly and really urgent and uncomfortable, and I'm frequently bloated. Is any of this connected and what do you suggest I do about it? 9:05 Diet for reflux, food intolerances. 9:40 The importance of easing of PPI medications slowly. 11:00 Reflux often due to a structural/mechanical issue, but this doesn't mean you're doomed. 12:50 Testing and avenues to look at for assessing causes of reflux, most common food triggers of reflux. 14:15 Question 2: I feel bloated and grumpy whenever I eat bread, but my GP said I'm not celiac so I can eat as much wheat as I want. I don't get it though, why am I getting these feelings if I'm ok with bread? 15:00 Non celiac gluten intolerance including fructose mal-absorption 18:34 The general overconsumption of wheat and gluten containing foods and the issues with processing of wheat 22:40 It's advisable to rule out celiac disease, as knowing this will determine how much gluten you can tolerate. 24:00 Sourdough may be an option for people sensitive to wheat as the fermentation breaks down some of the gluten and gliadin 25:45 Gluten free products are not always better for you 26:45 Experiment to find out what foods work best for you 27:55 Question 3: Help for constipation please! I have been taking movicol for about 5 yrs now. I go to the toilet once a day, but if i don't take movicol I go once a week. I don't like relying on it, but I don't know what else I can do. Hayley and I discuss some common approaches to supporting constipation and diet for good bowel movements. 30:29 Papaya vs Pawpaw 33:00 Probiotics 34:40 Apple cider vinegar benefits 36:00 Dandelion coffee/tea 37:00 Manual work for constipation 37:25 The importance of exercise for healthy bowel movements 38:57 Toilet time - make time each morning to train your bowels to go at that time, and don't suppress the urge to go when you need to. 39:50 Our yoga efforts. 41:00 Question 4: My 4 year old daughter frequently complains of stomach pains, I'm always at the doctors with her trying to find out what it is but they can't find anything. It can be really upsetting for her, and sometimes she's doubled up and crying with the pain. We eat well, but she always has a runny nose and this stomach pain is very concerning. She started preschool last year and seems to get sick all the time, I'm worried about how she'll go at school with this stomach pain. She used to go to the toilet every 3-4 days, and even though this is considered normal the doctors gave her parachoc to try and help in case this is causing the pain, now she does go to the toilet easily (although it's very lose) . Is there anything else I can do for her? 46:00 Infant massage for stomach pain 47:15 Our favourite digestion herbs