Hi! I’m Nellie Nature and I am a qualified Naturopath and Medical Herbalist.

My passion for Natural Health started as a little girl in NZ with my nanny who used fresh herbs to heal, her love and knowledge more than  inspired me. I wish I could say that it has always been happy sailing, I have gone through a few health concerns with one of the biggest being very severe acne.  At the time I was doing “everything right “You know, ticking all the boxes!  I was vegeterian, macrobiotic, meditated and did kickboxing, yet I had this horrible inflamed skin. Thats when, luckily, I meet my first Naturopath and she taught me two of my biggest lessons when it comes to health

1.    That my body was not “letting me down”  but working really well and letting me know something wasn’t working on the inside so I now had the opportunity to fix it.

2.    That there is no one diet or answer for everybody.

My approach to health and happiness begins with the idea that  we are all individuals , special and unique and need to treat our bodies with love, honesty  and compassion to achieve the health and happiness. I now  realise we need to nurture and nourish our bodies and have fun sometimes too. The mind is so important and our relationship with ourselves, our food and our environment is too. It’s exciting to help people feel better to let go of their judgements on themselves and to breath.

Yes, sometimes you need to shake things up a little, look at what you are eating , get moving and even think a little differently; we all deserve to feel amazing and we all can!

 Our bodies are constantly trying to reach a balance and our diet and  lifestyle should reflect this. I work with my patients to help them reach their health goals , reduce stress , ease inflammation and reach a place where they feel energetic , calm,  happy and in control. A place where they celebrate life. Feeling good about themselves.

When I was working at an exclusive spa in Thailand, I got to treat some  high profile guests. One of my favourites that I got to meet was Raymond Blanc.  I love his approach to food and will always remember him saying to a room full of executives, celebrities and models, that “as far as he was concerned,  food  should be an act of love for yourself and your family and serving up premade prepackaged frozen food was an act of hate” 

So eat, live, move and think with love and respect for yourself, your environment and your future.

workshops

New workshops coming soon to Fitzroy  www.ftbe.com.au

A Good nights sleep zzzzzzzz

A refreshing full nights sleep is essential for health.

We all have had those bad nights tossing and turning, not being able to fall asleep due to non stop mind chatter, and the next day felt the effects, daytime sleepiness, reduced cognitive performance, and poor concentration etc. If this turns into long term more chronic insomnia, this can impact our jobs and lifestyle. Poor sleepers according to studies recieving fewer promotions, higher absenteeism, and can show lower productivity (Leigh JP 1991; Rajput V et al 1999).

Insomnia is not a disorder in its self, it is a symptom. So looking for the underlying cause is key to improving sleep quality and really overall health and happiness.

 Start by trying some of the ideas below. If you do not see improvements, see a natural health professional to help you figure out and address the cause.

Heres a few points to help improve sleep patterns….

•    Avoid tyramine containing foods at night- bananas, pizza, chocolate, pickled salamis, liver, cavier, beans, avocado, fermented dairy products( dairy), cheese, yeast extracts, including beer, wine, fermented soy beans.
•          Eat tryptophan foods regularly, spirilina, chicken livers, pumpkin seeds, turkey, tofu, chicken almonds.
•          Melatonin reducing agents, caffeine, chocolate, prozac, asprin, iboprefen, nicotine and xanax. Don’t have these close to bed time.
•          Avoid fructose and fatty greasy food as lowers melatonin.
•          Go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday. 
•          Avoid naps during the day as they can interfere with the circadian sleep cycle
•          Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol late in the day – caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and alcohol can cause waking in the night.
•          Get regular exercise, however try not to exercise close to bedtime as it may be too stimulating. 
•          Avoid heavy meals late in the day, however having light protein with dinner helps balance blood sugars while sleeping - if sleep maintenance is a problem.
•          Ensure that the sleeping place is dark, quiet, and not too warm or too cold.  If there is too much light try a sleeping mask,  and if too much noise try earplugs. 
•          Establish a routine to help relax and unwind prior to bedtime, such as reading a book, listening to soothing music, sipping herbal relaxing teas, meditation, yoga, or taking a bath.
•          Do not watch TV or do any computer work prior to going to bed.
•          Avoid using the bed for anything other than sleep or sex.
•          If having trouble falling asleep then get out of bed and do something that is not overly stimulating until the sleepiness returns.
•          Try listening to relaxation tapes such as Deepak Chopra’s ‘Restful Sleep” tape. 
•          If lying awake worrying about things, leave a pen and paper beside the bed and write a to-do list which may help to "let go" of any worries. 
•          Consider acupuncture - it has been found to have a success rate of 90% in the treatment of Insomnia. 
•          Consider herbal medicine to support nervous system and reduce stress.
•          Try muscle relaxation techniques, e.g tense and relax different muscle groups throughout the body whilst going to sleep to help control the mind and the body. 
•          Meditation

Supplements

•       Calcium may help with sleep onset insomnia (due to its ability to sedate the central nervous system). I recommend getting a hair mineral analysis to measure the minerals.
• Magnesium will help with sleep maintenance insomnia, and it also reduces the next-day fatigue associated with insomnia. 
• L-tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP).  Serotonin is an important initiator of sleep and the synthesis of serotonin depends on tryptophan availability.  Note that L-tryptophan should not be used with other medications (benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and alcohol).  Important co-factors vitamin B6, niacin, and magnesium should be administered with L-tryptophan or 5-HTP to ensure its conversion to serotonin.  This supplement should only be prescribed by a Naturopath or doctor, as can have harmful effects if prescribed incorrectly. There are other specific supplements also but should only be given by qualified health professional.
• There are many herbs that can I have found to really help improve sleep quality. These should be prescribed by a qualified herbalist for best results, as a medical herbalist will be able to build a tincture that really addresses the individuals needs without causing negative side affects. Some of my favourite herbs here are Lavendula, Hypericum, Valerian, Avena, Withania, Passiflora, Scutellaria, and Zizyphus.  

SLEEP WELL AND SWEET DREAMS