IN SEASON WELLNESS

Women’s Mental Health & Wellbeing

12th August, 2021

Mental health expands beyond psychological aspects, it’s a fundamental pillar to overall wellbeing, at every stage of life. Mental health has been defined as a state of wellbeing where individuals realise their own capabilities, have the ability to cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and are able to make contributions in their community. It is a worldwide priority to ensure the promotion, protection and restoration of mental health is maintained throughout life.

According to the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, mental health conditions are a growing concern, with almost half (46%) of individuals aged 16-85 reporting they have experienced a mental health disorder. Women have the highest prevalence and statistics show 14.5% of women reported high to very high levels of psychological distress and one third of females have experienced anxiety, all at higher rates compared to men. Women aged 18-24 years actually had the highest rate of psychological distress compared with any group of age or gender throughout Australia.

The determinants of mental health include: biological, lifestyle, environmental and socioeconomic factors, with gender increasingly being recognised as an influence. Women are affected by hormonal changes such as those during menstruation, pregnancy, lactation and menopause. Mental health conditions occur as a results of various accumulative factors and are rarely due to a single cause. Contributing factors include: genetics, age, health status/history, living conditions, unemployment, workplace environments, discrimination, prolonged stress, trauma, diet, physical activity and more.

So what are some approaches that women can take to maintain a positive state of mental health?

Physical activity is an outlet for stress and helps to keep focus on the present moment, plus supports cognition, sleep, energy and a healthy weight range. Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins and serotonin which can reduce symptoms of stress, mild anxiety, a low mood and also boost self-esteem. Australian guidelines recommend 30 minutes of moderate to intense exercise, daily.

Healthy lifestyle habits can improve both mental and physical wellbeing. The reduction of smoking, alcohol intake, recreational drug use and also screen time can together help to prevent a sedentary lifestyle that contributes towards poor mental wellbeing.

Sleep plays an integral role in general health but also benefits mental wellbeing. It’s recommended to sleep 7-9 hours per night, and according to the Sleep Foundation, women have longer sleeping durations than men, although they have an inferior sleep quality. To optimise sleep quality, practices of sleep hygiene including sleeping environment and sleep-related habits will help to rebalance your internal clock, the circadian rhythm.

There is a strong association between diet and mental health, with focus on omega-3 essential fatty acids such as those found in fatty fish, flaxseeds and walnuts, in supporting nervous system health. Other nutrients to consider include vitamins B12, B6, B9, B1, magnesium, iron, inositol, tryptophan, tyrosine and zinc. Foods to avoid are caffeine, sugar and refined or processed foods as they have an effect on blood glucose levels, which in rapid decline can have a negative impact on mood.

Relaxation is a state of calmness where individuals can manage their day-to-day stress levels. Relaxation practices are beneficial for mental and physical health and can help with muscle tension, sleep, mood and concentration. Find a technique that works for you to make part of your routine.

Relaxation and Stress Management Practices Include:

Deep Breathing Exercises
Mindfulness & Gratitude
Meditation
Visualisation
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Art & Music Therapy
Aromatherapy
Yoga or Tai Chi
Massage

Traditional herbal medicine has an array of benefits to support a healthy nervous system, providing soothing, calming, restorative, adaptogenic, anxiolytic, aphrodisiac, cognitive enhancing, stimulating, nervine and sedative actions. It is best to seek the advice of a qualified health practitioner such as a naturopath for a personalised health plan, however herbs to consider for support of the nervous system include:

Lemon Balm: soothes the nerves, increasing both mind and body relaxation to relieve symptoms of stress and mild anxiety.
Saffron: calms the mind and enhances mind relaxation to support a healthy mood, emotional balance and general mental wellbeing.
Rhodiola: reduces symptoms of mild anxiety such as irritability and nervous tension to help increase mental endurance and cognitive functions of concentration, focus and clarity.
Withania: enhancing the body's adaptation to stress and promoting physical stamina which helps to improve exercise performance, muscle strength and also reduce fatigue or debility.
Passionflower: promotes a refreshing sleep by restoring the circadian rhythm cycle, reducing the time required to fall asleep and relieving disturbed sleep to improve overall sleep quality.

For women wanting to improve their mental wellbeing, ensure you are practicing healthy lifestyle habits, partaking in physical activity, having adequate sleep, eating a nutritious diet and where appropriate, trying relaxation techniques or herbal medicines that suit you.

References: Upon request.

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Traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine healers have been using turmeric as a natural remedy for centuries. Today, Turmeric is now one of the most researched herbs in the world and thousands of studies have demonstrated its therapeutic benefits for a wide range of health conditions. Is turmeric a herb or is it a spice? It’s both. Turmeric is a perennial herbaceous plant from the same family as ginger. The underground stems, called rhizomes, are harvested, dried and ground into a powder, which is the golden spice used for medicinal and culinary purposes. What gives turmeric its health benefits? There’s a lot of confusion out there about how turmeric works. Turmeric isn’t just a homogenous powder. Like many natural remedies, it’s made up of a number of biologically active substances. Of these, there is a group of three compounds, called curcuminoids, which make up about 2% -5% of turmeric. They are curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Curcumin is the star of the trio. It’s the curcuminoid primarily responsible for turmeric’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory Inflammation can be triggered as the body’s way of defending and healing. In the process of inflammation, the release of cytokines sets off a pro-inflammatory cascade which lead to the production of inflammatory molecules such as thromboxane and prostaglandis. Tissue damage, as in arthritis, causes the release of cytokines and sets off pro-inflammatory processes which lead to the production of inflammatory molecules such as thromboxane and prostaglandins. These inflammatory molecules are produced by enzymes such as phospholipase, lipoxygenase, 5-LOX and COX-2. Curcumin works by inhibiting some of these inflammatory processes and enzymes, and also by down-regulating the activity of some inflammatory molecules. Curcumin also helps to support joint health. Curcumin also helps to protect cells from damage by free radicals Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that roam around the body and can damage cells through a process called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been linked to many health conditions, including poor joint health and function, so antioxidants are important to keep our bodies healthy. Learn more about the benefits of Turmeric for joint health, here. Curcumin works by directly scavenging free radicals as well as by inhibiting some of the processes that generate free radicals, so it helps to reduce the damage they can cause to body cells. Can you just eat turmeric powder to get the benefits of curcumin? Not really. Firstly, like we mentioned earlier, curcumin and turmeric are not the same thing. Curcuminoids make up only around 2-5% of turmeric rhizome powder, and of that 2-5%, curcumin makes up about 75%. So that means an average teaspoon of turmeric powder may contain less than 1% of the all-important curcumin. And that’s not the only reason that turmeric powder alone can’t really deliver much in the way of health benefits. To have a therapeutic effect in your body curcumin needs to get into your blood plasma. Once there it can circulate around the body and exert its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. But turmeric, and the curcumin in it, is very poorly absorbed by your body. It is naturally insoluble in water (just check out that yellow gunk at the bottom of your turmeric latte or tea!) Very little remains intact after it gets into the highly acidic stomach environment What does remain isn’t absorbed very well by your digestive system And what is absorbed gets broken down and excreted by your liver really quickly. So consuming turmeric, or even straight curcumin powder, isn’t a very effective way of getting enough bioactive curcumin into your bloodstream. A better way to get the health benefits of curcumin The best way to get the health benefits of curcumin is by taking a high strength supplement which has been formulated for higher bioavailability.

Benefits Of Turmeric For Joint Health 419c2c84 3bb8 421f befa cac98f7137fa

HERBAL MEDICINE WELLNESS

Turmeric- The ancient healing herb that’s now a modern wellness sensation.

Traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine healers have been using turmeric as a natural remedy for centuries. T...

What is inflammation? The word inflammation is derived from the latin word, “inflammatio”, which translates to ‘ignite’ or to ‘set fire’. During the 1st century AD, the Roman scholar and medical encyclopaedist Aulus Cornelius Celsus described the clinical symptoms of inflammation, as: calor (heat), dolor (pain), rubor (redness) and tumour (swelling). With thousands of years in medical advances, the understanding of inflammation’s pathogenesis has subsequently expanded into a sophisticatedly coordinated cascade of events. The 5 cardinal symptoms are: heat, pain, redness, swelling and a limited range of motion. Inflammation is a defence mechanism and essential component in the healing process where the body attempts to maintain homeostasis by repairing affected structures and restoring function, in order to return the site of damage back to its pre-injury state. Inflammation is produced by the body when it interprets trauma or potentially harmful agents and in response stimulates a series of immune reactions, however depending on the cause of inflammation, the process may slightly differ and involve condition specific immune reactions. For example, inflammation from physical injuries, skin irritation and sinus allergies will have unique immune responses such as the chemicals stimulated and pathways allowed, although the common phases of the inflammation cascade are as followed: Understanding the inflammation process The process of inflammation is initiated by a varying degree of trauma or damage, which can occur either internally or externally. The initial trauma which triggers inflammation can be due to virtually anything that causes damage to our body cells, tissues, organs or other structures. Common causes could include injuries, infections, allergens, certain medications, chronic stress and exposure to harmful pathogens, irritants, toxins or chemicals. There is a diverse range of inflammation causes, examples may range from a paper cut, pollen, certain foods, topical sensitives, sprained ankle, broken bone or underlying health conditions i.e. arthritis. Inflammation is a multi-factorial however the progression has various influences, such as: genetic predisposition, medical history, lifestyle and dietary factors, age, weight, immune function, sensitivities and allergies and current health status. The first response is the immediate recognition of trauma to the cells which is detected by sentinel cells, such as mast cells or macrophages. These immune sentinel cells are often referred to as the body's first line of defence as their duty is to recognise damage or harmful microbes and signal for a recruitment of inflammatory factors to regulate and remove the damage, thereby commencing the immune-inflammation cascade. In this acute phase, there is a stimulation of chemicals and hormones such as histamine which assists in the breakdown of our blood barriers at a microcirculatory level. The release of histamine increases local blood flow and a process of vasodilation takes place where blood vessels dilate and enlarge, resulting in an increased capillary permeability. The vasodilation facilitates the transportation of inflammatory factors including plasma and White Blood Cells (WBC) at the site of injury. This activation causes the presentation of heat and redness and can generally last 2-5 days. In the sub-acute phase, the focus is removing acquired threats and repairing damaged structures. The immune WBC’s migrate towards the affected area where they stimulate the release of inflammatory mediators such as antibodies, immunoglobulins (IgE), cytokines (IL, TNF) and prostaglandins (PGE2). Inflammatory mediators are essentially ‘messengers’ that promote stimulation of immune responses. This stimulation causes an accumulation of various active hormones, chemicals and plasma proteins which then actively work together in removing the damaged cells. The localised concentration of substances is what causes swelling. An additional process in this phase is the production of Nitric Oxide (NO), which is a ‘pain producing’ substance. The local release of NO signals the nervous system for the generation of the pain sensation, which interestingly is a protective mechanism the body makes! If the structure that is inflamed is experiencing pain, we are more likely to protect the area. A fifth symptom is also observed here, a limited range of motion which is another protective method. The repair and removal of cellular waste can have a duration lasting up to approximately 6-8 weeks. Throughout this sub-acute phase, the main pathway involved is the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway. The final stage is known as the chronic phase, where remodelling and maturation of the original injury or trauma takes place. Once the inflammation inducer has been removed, the process of wound healing and/or tissue repair occurs, where damaged tissue is regenerated or they may be replaced with collagen strands and fibroblasts to begin the remodelling process. When collagen has been generated, the strands are progressively replaced by other materials and they adapt to the original tissue. If the inflammation continues, or the structures further destruct, scar tissue or fibrosis follows. This chronic phase can last months to years, depending on the type of injury and the inflammation. What is the difference between acute and chronic inflammation? Inflammation may present as acute or chronic and the main influence of this is the type and intensity of trauma. In acute inflammation, the onset is rapid with short-term symptoms which may be severe, whereas chronic inflammation has a long-term presentation with a prolonged duration that may last years. In some cases, chronic stressors causing inflammation can have a suppressive effect on the immune system in contrast to the acute stressors which enhance immediate adaptive immunity. In this scenario, sustained stressors may actually over-activate the immune system causing an imbalance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators in the body, causing chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation has a negative impact on overall health including our cells, tissues and organs which in-turn can increase the risk of developing disease and poor health states. Tips to help better manage inflammation Just as there are various factors contributing to the progression of inflammation, there are also multiple strategies for the management of symptoms, including pharmaceutical, physical therapies, dietary or lifestyle alterations and other complimentary or alternative medicine modalities. Some natural remedy suggestions may include herbal or nutritional sources with anti-inflammatory actions. The term ‘anti-inflammatory’ relates to a substance which has direct actions in reduces inflammation. Dietary food sources with anti-inflammatory actions can inhibit pathways such as the COX and therefore the inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins, TNF, IL etc. described earlier also provide benefits to inflammatory conditions. Overall, an anti-inflammatory diet would ideally include higher intakes of antioxidant and fibre rich foods plus ensuring an adequate balance between healthy fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Try to avoid In inflammatory conditions, it is advised to limit the intake of refined carbohydrates i.e. white pasta, trans fats i.e. margarine, processed meats i.e. deli meats and sugars. It is best to avoid these food groups as they aggravate inflammation and contribute to inflammation by producing Advanced Glycation End (AGE’s) and may raise blood glucose levels, with cell damaging effects. Lifestyle suggestions to support the anti-inflammatory diet may include moderate physical activity to maintain a healthy weight range, reducing stress levels, allowing enough sleep for cell repair and recovery and managing any associated pre-existing conditions. It is also recommended to reduce alcohol intake and smoking as they can create inflammation driving toxins in the body. Fun Fact: Conditions ending in ‘-itis’ indicate inflammation of a specific organ, tissue or structure. For example: derma (skin) + itis (inflammation) = dermatitis

IN SEASON WELLNESS

Understanding Inflammation

Inflammation is a defence mechanism and essential component in the healing process where the body attempts to ma...

One day your jeans zip up without a problem… the next day you’re undoing the top button or browsing for clothes with elasticated waistbands. Belly bloat, food baby, abdominal bloating, abdominal distension…whatever it’s called it’s uncomfortable! What causes bloating? A bloated stomach is that feeling of pressure or fullness in your belly. It may or may not be accompanied by distension, which is a noticeable difference in the size of your abdomen. A build-up of gas in the stomach and intestines is one of the most common causes of bloating. Intestinal gas can be caused by eating certain foods, particularly beans and cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. Some foods are high in a type of sugar called FODMAPS. In people sensitive to FODMAP-rich foods, the small intestine doesn't always fully absorb these carbohydrates, and instead passes them to the colon, where they are fermented by bacteria and produce gas. FODMAPs don’t affect everyone equally, so while certain FODMAPs may make you feel bloated, you may be able to process others just fine. Eating too quickly, drinking through a straw, or drinking lots of fizzy drinks can cause you to swallow lots of air and make you feel full. Constipation can cause a build-up of faecal matter in the intestine leading to abdominal distension and bloating. Bloating can also be caused by medically diagnosed conditions such as food intolerances and intestinal disorders such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), IBD (inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), and SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Is bloating the same thing as fluid retention? Yes and no. Fluid (water) retention, also known as oedema, is related to the kidneys, while bloating is usually related to the gastrointestinal tract. Fluid retention can make you feel bloated, but it doesn’t usually affect your abdomen as much as bloating caused by intestinal gas. Fluid retention occurs when excess fluid builds up in your body's circulatory system and generally causes swelling in your extremities, such as your feet, ankles, legs and hands. A common sign of fluid retention is when your rings feel tight on your fingers, or your ankles are swollen after sitting down for a long time. A diet high in carbohydrates, sugar and salt can cause your body to retain water, leading to that feeling of puffiness and heaviness. Fluid retention can also be caused by hot weather and hormonal changes. What can I do about bloating? Bloating that comes and goes is usually digestive-related and tends to disappear after a couple of days. It will often help if you cut down on salty foods, carbohydrates and fizzy drinks. If you have a food intolerance, or suspect that FODMAPS might be the issue, try eating less of the problem foods for a while. Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, noting everything that you eat and drink and when bloating troubles you most. If you find you have a regular problem with certain foods though, you should consult a doctor or dietitian before making any permanent dietary changes. Adopting a few simple lifestyle changes may also help. Avoid chewing gum Eat slowly Avoid drinking from a straw Drink plenty of water If you suffer from constipation, try eating more high-fibre foods, increasing the amount of water that you drink, and exercising regularly. It might also be helpful to try taking probiotics. These can support a healthy gut bacteria population and help your digestive system moderate the effects of a bloated stomach. If bloating or fluid retention persists for more than a couple of days, or is accompanied by pain or diarrhoea, then you should speak to a doctor.

IN SEASON WELLNESS

The dreaded belly bloat

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Women’s Mental Health & Wellbeing

12th August, 2021

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