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Welcome to the October issue of the LaVida Health Newsletter. LaVida Health Services - Naturopathy In this Issue
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Spring has sprung. Are you ready? As the weather improves we start to come out of our winter hibernation. In this newsletter we focus on nutrition and herbal therapies for optimising fitness. Whether you are exercising for general fitness, training for one of the many Summer sporting events or perhaps trying to shed those extra winter kilos, nutrition and herbs can help you achieve your goals. As the sun comes out, hopefully you will be feeling your energy levels improve. If you have let your fitness lapse over the winter months, now is the time to get out and get active. If you need help to get started or stay motivated, now is the time to make an appointment with your naturopath. There is more to fitness than just exercise. Don't let your efforts go to waste! Yours in good health, Kaye Wright Low physical activity is a significant risk factor for diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and more. And if that isn't enough to get you moving, how about moving to prevent stiffness of joints, loss of flexibility and loss of strength as we get older. Can you relate to that? For others, exercise just makes you feel good and gives you energy. It helps to relieve stress and the link between exercise and a better mood is well established. And then there is the satisfaction of achieving the goals you set for yourself. Many people also believe it helps to keep you feeling young. It can be as simple as a walk around the block with the dog, a friend or your own thoughts and the music of your choice. It could be a skipping rope in the back yard, playing with the kids or training for the next triathlon. The choice is yours. The main thing is to do something and get into the habit of doing it regularly. Whether you are exercising for general fitness, endurance or strength, good nutrition is essential to maximising your chances of achieving your goals. Besides the obvious aches and pains, exercise can increase oxidative stress in the body and can put extra pressure on the immune system. Consequently you need to make good food choices and possibly consider supplementing with nutrients or herbs specific to your needs if your diet is inadequate for the amount and type of training you do. Among its many functions, high quality protein is vital for development and maintenance of muscle as well as a healthy immune system. Animal foods are the richest source of protein as they contain all the essential amino acids whereas vegetable proteins don't, requiring you to combine them to ensure you are getting all the amino acids you need. Specifically, the branched chain amino acids of leucine, isoleucine and valine will help with recovery and repair of muscle. A good quality whey protein powder can very useful to provide all the essential amino acids in a readily digested form if you can't get them from your diet. Exercise can increase your need for iron, especially if you are undertaking intense endurance training. Again the most bio-available sources are animal products so consider if you are getting enough for your particular needs. Magnesium, vitamin C and essential fatty acids are all important when exercising. Magnesium will help with muscle relaxation and recovery, vitamin C is useful for tissue healing and essential fatty acids (e.g. Omega 3, specifically EPA) will help reduce inflammation. Anti-oxidants from a diet containing a wide range of fruit and vegetables will help to combat oxidative stress and also provide good levels of all the wonderful vitamins and minerals required for good health and energy production. Further supplementation may be necessary if you are doing a lot of exercise. There are many wonderful herbs which can assist with adrenal support, fatigue, energy, concentration, post exercise recovery, painful joints and recovery from injury and illness. They can also help your body to cope with the additional stresses of exercise. Consider herbs such as Withania, Korean Ginseng, Siberian Ginseng, Schizandra, Rehmannia and others. They can be just what you need to help you kick off an exercise programme, to get you through the build up to a particular sporting goal or to recover from "overtraining" or injury. To get the most out of your herbs, it is best to have a consultation so a tailor-made preparation can be put together specifically to suit your needs. The benefits of exercise are many but you won't be getting the best results if you don't also ensure your diet is appropriate to your specific needs. Don't overlook the value of supplementing with good quality nutritional supplements which have been prescribed to meet your personal requirements. Combine with herbs, if appropriate, to really make the most of your toil. You can walk into any health food store or supermarket and be inundated with choices but to make sure you are getting what you really need and not wasting your money, I think it is wise to have a consultation with a qualified naturopath who can advise and tailor a plan to suit you. A good naturopath will take an in-depth look at your overall health, your goals, your diet and your lifestyle to work out an individualised set of recommendations designed to work for you. 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 commencing any new exercise routine. If you have any questions 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. |
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