1. Avoid sugary foods and refined carbohydrates like cakes, biscuits, white bread, soft drinks and white rice other than basmati. Too many refined carbohydrates such as these puts pressure on your immune system. Include wholegrains, brown rice, fruit (especially fruit rich in vitamin C such as oranges, kiwi fruit, lemons, pawpaw and strawberries), nuts, seeds and low-fat natural yogurt instead
2. Have a good-quality protein at every meal, including breakfast
3. Avoid excessive alchohol because it reduces essential immune-boosting nutrients in your body and also depletes your energy
4. Take a good-quality multivitamin and mineral supplement each day with breakfast
5. Exercise boosts your immune function and should be enjoyed most days
6. Did you know that a large part of your immune system is located within your gut? Therefore, it is important to keep your digestive system healthy. Make sure you eat plenty of fibre in the form of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and wholegrains. Include plenty of water (2-3 litres) and liver-friendly foods like beetroot, rocket, lemons and berries. If your digestion is under par you would benefit from an appointment with us.
7. Sleep increases immunity so aim for 8 hours sleep a night
8. Don't smoke
9. Reduce your stress levels by using relaxation and stress management techniques like meditation, massage therapy, deep breathing and daily exercise. We have some fabulous natural medicines that help your body resist the effects of stress and which reduce the symptoms of stress; and
10. If you have had poor immune function of late talk to us about an immune-boosting supplement.

• Chronic stress - this is such a common cause of low vitality because we lead such busy lives and everyone tries to cram so much into their week, losing the battle with maintaining a balance. If you have suffered with prolonged stress you could be adrenally depleted (your adrenals are glands that produce stress hormones). In this case, we would prescribe herbs such as withania and siberian ginseng along with nutrients such as vitamin C and tyrosine.
  
• Insomnia - there are different types of insomnia. You may have difficulty getting to sleep or find you wake in the early hours and are unable to return to sleep. All kinds of insomnia affect your energy levels due to sleep deprivation, and you tend to lose your sense of humour too! Herbs such as passionflower, hops and valerian are fabulous for breaking the pattern of insomnia and we often prescribe these along with some specific nutrients with great results.
  
• Chronic pain - naturally if you are suffering chronic pain it disrupts your sleep and also drains your vital energy. There are excellent naturopathic remedies for pain without the side effects that drugs might give. We prescribe fish oil and herbs such as rosemary, boswellia and ginger for a start. Depending on the cause of your pain we might suggest other herbs along with specific nutrients and dietary changes to help reduce inflammation in your body.
  
• Iron deficiency - is a common cause of fatigue for teenagers and women, particularly if their diet is poor. A blood test should always be carried out to determine this as a cause before prescribing iron supplements. And, dietary changes may be necesssary to ensure there is adequate supplies coming from iron-rich foods.

As low energy may also come from more worrying causes, it is important that you don't ignore this symptom and seek help in correcting the problem.

One very important step you can take if you do come down with a cold or the flu is to drink lots of warm clear fluids. Namely a herbal tea brewed specifically to combat viruses, reduce congestion and induce a feeling of warmth. This is our favourite.

Cold + Flu Tea
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 small fresh red chilli, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 stick cinnamon
3 tsp honey

Place all the ingredients into a teapot and add 2 cups of boiling water. Cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes before straining into a cup and drinking. Have about four to six cups a day to help relieve the symptoms.

Osteoarthritis is the wearing down of the cartilage in between the joints. In bad cases, bone rubs on bone instead of the protective cartilage cushioning that should be present. Causes are varied and include wear and tear, previous injury, genetics (thanks Mum and Dad!), food sensitivities, excess acidity in the body and simply ageing. 

Glucosamine is the first nutrient that comes to mind because it helps to improve mobility and reduce further degeneration of the joints. This is often combined with other nutrients such as chondroitin and methyl sulphonylmethane (MSM) which help to reduce inflammation and therefore pain.

Herbs that help with arthritis due to their anti-inflammatory actions include horsetail, rosemary, turmeric, ginger and boswellia.

Dietary "tweaks" may be necessary.

• You might need to find out if you have food sensitivities and reduce your consumption of the offending foods.
• You will also benefit from reducing red meat and saturated fats. Saturated fats found in fatty meat and poultry can exacerbate the inflammatory response.
• Increase your vegie intake to help reduce acidity in your body. In fact, make sure you eat four times as much vegies as you do protein foods to keep the balance just right. For example 2 cups of vegies with 100g or so of protein. We have a great chart on acid and alkali foods to help you with this further.
• Make sure you eat fish three to four times a week and, in addition, take a good quality fish oil supplement daily.

Some lifestyle factors need to be taken care of too.

• Exercise is essential to keep your joints mobile. Do what you can that feels comfortable and exercise daily.
• Lose that extra weight. Your joints will degenerate more quickly if you weigh more than you should.
• Have a regular acupuncture treatment to help reduce your symptoms.

These are just some of the tips and suggestions so if you suffer with osteoarthritis you might need a consultation to help put you on the right track with the best supplements and advice on offer. That's where we come in - to help you feel as mobile and pain-free as possible.