Welcome to the August 2009 issue of the LaVida Health Newsletter.

LaVida Health Services

- Naturopathy
- Massage Therapy
- Life Coaching
- Energy Healing
- Myotherapy

In this Issue

	Welcome to new subscribers...
	How well do you sleep?
	Do you know what to expect when you see a naturopath?
	The Disclaimer
	We love feedback.....

Website Articles

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Welcome to new subscribers...

Firstly, welcome to those of you who are receiving this newsletter for the first time. I hope you find the information contained within interesting.

This newsletter is published every two months and contains information on different topics related to health and wellbeing.

This month, we look at the importance of a good night's sleep and we thought it might also be worth covering what to expect when you see a naturopath.

How well do you sleep?

A good night's sleep is essential for good health and vitality.  While we are asleep, our brains recover from the days activities and our bodies do much of their repair, detoxification and rejuvenation work.

Some people may function perfectly on 5 hours a night while others may struggle on anything less than nine.  There is no one answer.  It is important to recognise what is necessary for you and then tailor your lifestyle to ensure you schedule enough hours in your evening to meet your sleep needs.  Otherwise you risk accumulating a "sleep debt" which can be hard to pay back.  You also need to ensure your sleep is of good quality.

Some of the signs that your sleep may not be as good as it could be include:

• reliance on caffeine or sugary foods and drinks for an energy boost
• fatigue and lack of energy
• clumsiness
• poor memory or forgetfulness
• poor concentration
• low mood or lack of joy
• difficulty getting to sleep
• regular waking throughout the night or waking too early

There are many possible causes of poor quality sleep but stress is one of the more common ones.  Prolonged or excess stress can play havoc with your hormones, specifically cortisol and melatonin.  If these are out of balance then sleep with suffer. 

Critical nutrients for a good night's sleep include magnesium, calcium and iron.  A naturopathic consultation can help to identify if you are deficient in any of these vital minerals.  Perhaps they are missing from your diet or  maybe you are not absorbing them well.  Furthermore, we have a wide range of herbs at our disposal which can help support the nervous system and regulate sleep patterns.  We will tailor a treatment plan to match your unique needs.  The benefit of natural therapies such as herbs and nutrients is that they are not addictive and don't cause morning grogginess.  They can also rectify the underlying cause of the problem.

Other simple hints for a good night's sleep include:

• don't use the bed/bedroom for watching tv, using the computer or reading anything too stimulating
• try getting some exercise during the day (but not just before bed)
• eliminate stimulants such as caffeine and sugar, especially from mid-afternoon onwards
• limit your alcohol consumption
• ensure your bedroom is as dark and quiet as possible
• try to develop a regular pattern of going to bed and rising at the same times each day
• a warm shower or bath before bed might help to relax
• practice some relaxation or breathing techniques to help the brain and body to switch off
• a high protein snack an hour or so before bed can prevent your blood sugar dropping too low during the night (a common cause of waking)

Do you have other tips???  We'd love to hear what works for you....email us at info@lavidahealth.com.au

Everyone, suffers from a bad night's sleep occassionally. However, if this is happening to you on a regular basis or if you are experiencing one of the signs of poor sleep mentioned above, you would be wise to seek support from your naturopath or other health care provider to work out what is contributing to your problems and rectify the situation to enable you to get the most out of your days.

Do you know what to expect when you see a naturopath?

by Kaye Wright, naturopath and owner of LaVida Health...

If you’ve not seen a naturopath before you may be wondering what will happen in your first appointment and subsequently.

The initial consultation usually lasts up to 90 minutes. This is because I need to gather a large amount of information about your current and prior health. I will ask questions about your immediate health concerns and symptoms in order to clarify your priorities for treatment. However, as a naturopath I endeavour to go beyond the immediate symptoms and get to the root cause of your problems. In order to do this it is important to get a picture of your past health history, possibly even going back to childhood, as well as family history if known.

I also like to do a quick “top to toe” assessment of all aspects of your health.  You may be surprised to know that often your current symptoms may be linked to other areas of your health.

Dietary assessment is a major part of any naturopathic treatment. I may ask you to complete a diet diary for a few days as well as a questionnaire to help gather information about your health. I may look at your eyes (the study of Iridology) as well as nails and tongue. 

Sometimes, pathology tests will be warranted. You may already have these from a recent visit to the doctor or I may request other tests such as salivary hormone tests or liver detoxification profiles. These tests can often be done at home.

The aim of naturopathic treatment is to relieve your symptoms, not just by suppressing them but by eliminating or minimising the causes. Often these causes are lifestyle or diet related or they may just be due to a lifelong vulnerability. For example, asthma may have dietary and lifestyle triggers, which if identified and modified, may improve symptoms. Also, in some people, their lungs are just inherently more vulnerable and we can treat them with herbs and extra nutrtitional support to strengthen them where possible.

Once an assessment of your health has been made, I will develop a treatment plan in consultation with you.  This might include suggestions for diet and lifestyle and/or nutritional or herbal treatments but it will be based on what is realistic for you in your current circumstances.

Depending on the complexity of your health concerns, you may require one or more follow up visits. These are generally 30-45 minutes long. We discuss your progress and tailor your treatment further to ensure we achieve the best possible outcomes.

Once you have achieved your health goals I would encourage you to have a brief consultation a couple of times per year just to keep your health on track and “put out any spot fires “ before they get out of hand.  Working on the theory that prevention is far better than cure, once we have your health to where you would like it, it's wise to try and keep it that way.

This may all sound like it requires a lot of effort on your part, and to some extent you are right.  Most people need to work at their health, especially as they get older.  However, I am a strong advocate for working at your own pace and seeking the advice of an expert to maximise  your results and ensure your efforts aren't wasted.  There is usually more than one way to achieve your goals and it can get confusing trying to work out what is right for you.  That is where your naturopath can be an invaluable resource.

The Disclaimer

Naturally, the advice in this newsletter is of a general nature for educational purposes and should not be taken as a substitute for personalised advice from your health care professional. It is provided in good faith without any express or implied warranty. If you have, or suspect you have, a medical condition you should seek expert advice prior to taking any supplements or treatments.

Self-diagnosis and treatment may be ineffective, costly and possibly even harmful in some circumstances.

We love feedback.....

If you have any questions relating to any of the above or suggestions for topics you would like covered in subsequent newsletters, please feel free to email us at info@lavidahealth.com.au or call LaVida Health on 9620 9503.