There’s something lovely about stepping into a warm, bustling market as the sun goes down — especially at this time of year. I’m excited to share that I’ll be holding a stall at the Twilight Christmas Market at Windsor Public School on Thursday 28th November, from 5pm to 9pm.

It’s not often I do markets, so this feels a little special. I’ve been quietly gathering and creating behind the scenes, and this will be the first chance in a while to bring everything together in one cosy, festive spot. I’ll have my herbal teas, creams, and flower essences with me, including a couple of new remedies I’ve been working on and can’t wait for you to try.

Another little joy for me is sharing my pottery. Over the past few years I’ve been slowly building a collection of handmade pieces — mugs, bowls, and odds and ends that make their way into daily life. They’re not perfect but they’re made with a lot of heart, and I’m looking forward to seeing them out on the table, hopefully to be off to a new home.

Carissa will also be joining me for the evening. She’ll be offering mini iridology sessions – 5 minutes for $10, which are always such an insightful way to spark a conversation about health and what might be going on beneath the surface. We’ll both be around to chat, answer questions, and catch up with anyone who wanders past — whether you’re curious about herbs, want to know more about naturopathy, or just feel like stopping to say hello.

The market itself has such a lovely atmosphere. It’s at the lovely historic Windsor Public School, and there will be several other stallholders there as well as food stalls and face painting. Think twilight, fairy lights, Christmas energy, families wandering through, people picking up gifts, and the simple pleasure of seeing familiar faces. If you’re local, I’d truly love to see you there and share a little of that festive spirit together.

• Where: Windsor Public School

• When: Thursday 28th November

• Time: 5pm–9pm

If you’re planning to come along, feel free to send me a message — it’s always nice to know who I might see on the night. I hope to catch you there!

The post See You at the Twilight Christmas Market! appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

November is just around the corner, and there are some exciting changes happening that I wanted to share with you.

Clinic Update:

First and foremost, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have visited my clinic, whether it was at my home-based location or Health Dimensions. Your trust in my care has truly warmed my heart.

For 16 years, I’ve had the privilege of being part of the Health Dimensions family where i first began seeing patients, and it has been an incredibly enriching experience.

At the start of 2022 I began seeing patients from a clinic room located at my home, only working from a different space one day a week. Being able to work from a home based clinic has been a wonderful opportunity to be closer to family.

Starting from the beginning of the new year, I will be transitioning to an exclusive home-based clinic, no longer operating from Health Dimensions. What does this mean for you? It means you have until the end of this year to secure a Saturday appointment at Health Dimensions. So, if you’ve been considering a weekend visit, now is the time to make that happen!

From 2023 onwards, my clinic days will primarily be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. However, I understand that life can be unpredictable, and there may be circumstances where you require an appointment on a Tuesday or Thursday. In such cases, please reach out to me directly, and I’ll do my best to accommodate your needs. Your health and well-being remain my top priority.

Upcoming Workshops:

I’m thrilled to announce an exciting workshop on the horizon – “All things Endo.” Endometriosis is a condition that affects so many wonderful individuals, and I believe it’s essential to provide support, knowledge, and guidance to those dealing with it.

Workshop Details:

• Location: Her Health Physiotherapy, Richmond NSW
• Date: November 8, 2023
• Time: 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM
• Cost: $20
• Booking Link: Her Health Physiotherapy Booking

Endometriosis is a condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. It’s characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, often leading to severe pain, infertility, and a host of other challenges. In our “All things endo” workshop, I’ll dive into the nuances of endometriosis, its causes, symptoms, and the conventional medical approaches for managing it.

As a naturopath, I’ll shed light on the current approach to supporting individuals with endometriosis through naturopathic medicine. We’ll explore natural strategies, dietary recommendations, and holistic practices that can complement conventional treatments and improve your quality of life.

Group Baby Massage Classes:

Welcoming a new addition to your family is a special and joyous occasion. Building a strong connection with your baby is vital, and one wonderful way to enhance that bond is through the art of baby massage.

Class Details:

• Location: Online Booking Link
• Duration: 1 hour per week, 4 weeks
• Cost: $120 for all four sessions

Dates: Your ticket covers attendance for the following four dates, so mark your calendars!

1. November 22, 2023, at 10:30 AM
2. November 29, 2023, at 10:30 AM
3. December 6, 2023, at 10:30 AM
4. December 13, 2023, at 10:30 AM

In our classes, I’ll guide you through the gentle techniques of baby massage, providing you with valuable skills to soothe your baby, reduce fussiness, and deepen your emotional connection. You’ll have the chance to bond with other parents and caregivers, sharing experiences and forming a supportive community.

No prior experience is required, and I welcome all parents and caregivers. The class size may be limited, so I encourage you to secure your spot early.

To book your place and receive updates, please visit our Online Booking Link.

Let’s embark on this beautiful journey of bonding with our precious babies, one massage at a time. I can’t wait to see you there!

The post November Workshops and Clinic Update appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

For more information about the benefits of baby massage see here: https://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/babymassage

If Viewing from an Email, click here to Book

The post Infant Massage Class Dates – August appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

PCOS affects so many women but it’s not spoken about as much as it should be. This condition has many faces and because of that it can be really confusing to understand.

In this webinar I will help you to understand what’s going on in your body with PCOS , and what you can do to help it.

We will go through :

• What is happening in PCOS
• How is PCOS properly diagnosed
• What are the symptoms you might experience with PCOS
• What are some nutrients that you can take to help with PCOS
• How PCOS affects other hormones
• How you can improve PCOS with your diet
• Herbs that can help with PCOS

The live recording is 26th July 2019 – 12:30pm AEST

If you can’t make the life event there will be a replay available afterwards.

As an extra bonus you will receive 5 healing recipes to help with PCOS.

Related articles:

https://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/busting-pcos-myths

The post All About PCOS – Webinar appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

If you get a rebate for your Naturopathic consultations, these are going to be stopped as of April 2019.

Despite an abundance of protest by consumers who still want their health funds to provide them with these rebates (the Your Health Your Choice petition received over 100 000 signatures, and there have been many other petitions in addition to this such as the recent one by NHAA) these cuts appear to be going full steam ahead.

Considering 70% of Australians use natural therapies, it seems like there’s something amiss…

This change isn’t just affecting Naturopathy: rebates are also being removed for Western Herbal Medicine, Yoga, Pilates and more.

From 1 April 2019 the following natural therapies will be excluded from the definition of private health insurance general treatment and will no longer receive the private health insurance rebate as part of a general treatment policy: Alexander technique, aromatherapy, Bowen therapy, Buteyko, Feldenkrais,Western herbalism, homeopathy, iridology, kinesiology, naturopathy, Pilates, reflexology, Rolfing, shiatsu, tai chi, and yoga.
Department of Health, Private health insurance reforms

For some patients this change won’t affect them too greatly financially, as many health fund rebates average out at $15 per consult.

Many people will still choose to seek naturopathic care and will still continue to go to their yoga and pilates classes, in fact one national survey found that people without private health care insurance are 1.7x more likely to use complementary medicine.

So why does this make me so cranky?

What erks me is the lack of respect this shows to our profession, but also the ridiculousness of their justification (which I go into later in this post).

There are a large number of patients who choose naturopaths as their primary care physician, or who work with naturopaths and GPs together as a close knit team. For people with chronic health issues this is a vital part of maintaining their wellbeing, and this decision implies that we are not an important part of the health care teams as we actually are.

This also poses a risk to the public as the awareness of who is properly trained as a naturopath is now less obvious.

What can you do about it?

• Write a letter to the Minister of Health and your MP. Emails will probably get deleted so send a physical letter!
• Talk to your private health care. Ask for a discount, change your cover, or at the very least voice your concerns.

There are some many reasons why I consider this decision to be a bad move.

Their justification is B.S.

It’s based on the claim that natural therapies lack substantial evidence. But wait… there’s heaps of evidence! Well, that just depends on what you call evidence. For something like Naturopathy which is an umbrella term incorporating many different modalities such as nutrition, herbal medicine, massage and more, it is incredibly difficult to study Naturopathic services as a generalised service. Different Naturopaths place a stronger focus on different modalities. And let’s not forget that research costs a stack of money to do, and is usually funded by big companies or sometimes backed by the government. So who is going to fund this research when there’s no specific product to sell at the end of it?

There actually was research done on general naturopathic practice, and it found positive effects. “There was evidence to suggest that whole-system naturopathic practice is effective in improving patient health for a range of chronic health conditions, including anxiety, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal conditions”. (read more about this in the letter from NHAA below). But the positive research was dismissed due to the ‘unregulated nature of the work force’. But by removing rebates, it’s just making the profession more unregulated. Ugh.

If you look at the research done on our modalities in isolation then there’s piles of research. If you’ve seen me as a patient, chances are I’ve spoken to you about some of this research in regard to your treatment. Or you can have a look at some of my other blog posts where I occasionally share some of this with you.

But frustratingly there was quite a lot of research papers excluded in this decision making process. The review only looked at papers published in English between 2010-2015 and only used the term ‘naturopathic practice’ rather than assessing any of the remedies in isolation (to get an idea of the quantity of research available, head over to PubMed and search for things like Turmeric, Nigella, Folate, Magnesium, Mediterranean diet, omega-3 fatty acids, n-acetyl-cysteine, to name just some of the most studied remedies).

To make such a big call on a flawed review with shoddy search parameters, and to then not listen to the hundreds of thousands of people saying “Oi! Look properly!” smacks of something dodgy.

As fair a cost saving mechanism, I call B.S. again.

Natural therapy rebates are a drop in the ocean as far as the benefits paid.

“Australia’s health funds paid $4.9 billion in benefits for General Treatment [extras cover] in 2015–16 including $2.5 billion for dental, $800 million for optical and $400 million for physiotherapy. Benefits paid for natural therapies comprise less than one percent of all benefits paid by health funds.”

Dr Rachel David, CEO of Private Healthcare Australia

And given that Naturopathy has a strong focus on preventative health and wellness, if there was a greater use of our services one could argue that in the long run the government would save money.

Conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease and chronic pain are very expensive conditions which cost the government big bucks each year – we’re talking in the billions.

On top of this, if Naturopathic practitioners were better utilised we could work together with conventional therapist to reduce the pressure on GPs, such as by providing alternative to antibiotics in the case of colds and flus and providing support to patients with chronic conditions.

How will you be able to tell if someone is dodgy or not?

In order to get the health fund rebates we have to meet a minimum criteria of qualifications from quality educational bodies, maintain professional indemnity insurance, and keep up to date with research by fulfilling a certain amount of CPE points each year.

Seeing as anyone can call themselves a Naturopath, this was a great screening tool for patients to know who they were choosing to see was the real deal.

But that’s gone now, and this potentially poses a risk to the public. There isn’t really an obvious way for people to find out if their Naturopath got their “qualifications” from a 4 year university degree like myself and fellow members of NHAA and ATMS, or whether they got it from a deal of the day website for $17 and managed to smash it out in half an hour.

So while people previously would know that as long as they were registered with their private health funds they were okay, the only option I can suggest to find proper Naturopaths is by looking on the register of NHAA and ATMS and ANTA.

This may lead to less research.

Which perpetuates the whole cycle of ‘There’s not enough research -> so let’s not do any research into it -> there’s not enough research…’

Already there are cuts being done to research.

During an ABC Life Matters interview on 6 February 2019,
 Jon Wardle, Associate Professor in Public Health at UTS sites a number of studies examining the efficacy of complementary medicine have had their funding rescinded due to the wider reaching legislation associated with the review. These therapies can no longer be carried out in a hospital setting, even when replicating previously successful in-hospital research, such as a successful international study into yoga for lower back pain. As a research fellow with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), this has impacted his own research funding.

Gill Stannard

So is it worth it to have extras?

For many people it’s really worth considering ditching your extras cover. Considering that the health insurance premiums have increased dramatically each year, far outreaching the increases in services costs, most consumers are not getting their moneys worth.

Getting rid of your extras cover and sticking to hospital and ambulance cover would mean the medicare surcharge would not come into play.

Health funds spend a lot of money advertising their extras cover – because it’s the big bread winner for them. If you really did come out on top at the end, this wouldn’t be a lucrative business for them.

Do the maths: work out how much you get back each year vs. how much you spend on your extras cover. Chances are if you only get a couple of treatments per year from each modality, it isn’t worth it. Take that money and put it in a high interest savings account, pay out of pocket for your treatments, and there’s a good chance you’ll be better off in the long run.

Take care of your health.

You might like to read some of my other relevant posts:

How to find a good naturopath

My thoughts on the recent wellness scandals

The Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia letter to the Federal Health Minister

Published on Tuesday, 06 November 2018

The Honourable Greg Hunt, MP (the federal Minister for Health)’s recent decision has effectively banned Private Health Insurers (PHIs) from covering Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine, despite a high level of evidence of their efficacy and valued use in chronic conditions. The Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA) is opposed to this decision. In our opinion, these new rules do not help patients, save virtually no money, create new risks to the public, deny care that is effective, and potentially encourage care that is ineffective and/or unsafe.

Most of the issues with the new rules stem from their prohibitive nature, so, whilst the purpose was to remove public subsidies for these services, the new rules actually prohibit their provision as part of a private health insurance plan under any circumstances. What has not been made clear in the new rules is why removal of public subsidies from these therapies requires that their supply be prohibited in complying policies.

Removal of Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine from private health insurance refundable status is of particular concern to the NHAA, primarily due to the anticipated impact on public safety.  In the absence of statutory regulation (such as under AHPRA), Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine currently operate in a self-regulated environment. A key safety lever in the current self-regulatory model, is the need for practitioners to join a professional association to access PHI provider numbers in order to allow patients to claim private insurer rebates on the services rendered.  In the face of inaction on the part of various governments to regulate Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine, the private health insurers have assumed the pseudo-regulatory role in this area by requiring practitioners be members of a professional association, to maintain current first aid training, and meet continued professional development requirements, which has acted as a steadying influence on the profession.  This allows professional associations such as the NHAA to enforce standards of public safety. For instance: ‘registered’ practitioner listings, codes of conduct, education standards and educational accreditation, monitoring of compliance with first aid certification, overseeing member professional development and continuing education activities, and ensuring practicing members hold appropriate levels of professional indemnity and public liability insurance. 

Removal from private health insurance refundable status in relation to naturopaths (and western herbal medicine practitioners) removes the ‘pseudo-regulatory’ function currently operating in the public interest and is likely to facilitate underqualified and non-compliant persons to practice Naturopathy or Western Herbal Medicine with no professional checks or balances. There are already high-profile cases of misconduct by people claiming to be Naturopaths while not meeting even the most basic requirements set by some of the other representative bodies.  Had there been statutory registration, cases like this would have been clearly described in the press as ‘fake Naturopaths’ in similar terms to those used for other fake medical practitioners. The NHAA is concerned the regulatory vacuum resulting from removal of PHI for Naturopaths (and western herbal medicine practitioners) will enable people with little or no qualifications in the discipline to misrepresent themselves and anticipate more harm to the community and to the standing of the profession. 

The Minister purports to use the “Review of the Australian Government Rebate on Private Health Insurance for Natural Therapies”^[1] as the justification for preventing PHI’s from providing rebates for Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine. The limitations of that review (eg., restricted to systematic reviews from 2008 onwards, missing an important review from 2007), as well as the large number of randomised controlled trials undertaken in the years since that review, make that reliance questionable. Not only was the report limited to published systematic reviews, but evidence has grown considerably since then: e.g. in 2013 there were six randomised controlled trials (RCT) comprising a total 692 patients for “whole practice” Naturopathy, however, there are now 31 RCTs comprising a total 9798 patients.  Even then the review found that there was evidence to suggest that whole-system naturopathic practice is effective in improving patient health for a range of chronic health conditions, including anxiety, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal conditions. Of the studies which were included their positive outcomes were dismissed as not relevant to the Australian context due to the unregulated nature of the workforce. 

For western herbal medicine the review noted that while there is a large body of research on the effects of individual herbal agents and remedies, the study of the real-life practice and outcomes of western herbal medicine as a health service was separate to this research and as there were no studies of the real-life practice and outcomes of individualised western herbal medicine as a health practice they could not reach any conclusions as to its effectiveness or potential harms.

Had Naturopathy already been registered as a profession then it would not have been subject to the review in the first place. Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine have previously been assessed against the requirements for registration and found to meet the requirements.[2] It is the NHAA’s position that the lack of statutory regulation of naturopaths and western herbal medicine practitioners under the National Scheme (through AHPRA, as the agency that supports the National Boards to implement the National Scheme) is the key difference, to naturopaths and western herbal medicine practitioners’ adverse treatment under the policy change (that removes the government rebate to private health insurers in relation to a broad range of natural therapies). Registration under the National Scheme would address this issue and the NHAA has been, and will continue to, work to facilitate this.

In the interim, the NHAA will be working to have Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine removed from the “banned list”.  This is an administrative process, but it requires understanding of the issues by the Health Minister so that it becomes easier to make the change rather than to leave it as it is.  This requires a grass roots campaign with Naturopaths and their patients contacting their local member and the health minister to bring this to their attention and give them a reason to implement the change required.  The message needs to be succinct and to the point.  The NHAA will be keeping members updated with advice on practical action they can take to assist with the amendment process of the new PHI rules in the best interest of members and the public alike.

[1] Baggoley, C., (2015). “Review of the Australian Government Rebate on Natural Therapies for Private Health Insurance.” Australian Government Department of Health, Canberra.

[2] Lin, V., et al. (2005). “The practice and regulatory requirements of Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine ” Melbourne: Department of Human Services.

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Welcome to 2019! It’s in full swing, we’ve hit February already!

I am not back to normal clinic times, so for those who would like a refresher of where and when I am available, here you go:

Monday: Available for Skype Consults only

Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday: 1230-530pm at Windsor

Thursday: Closed

Friday: 11-7pm at Dural

Saturday: 9-130pm at Windsor

Sunday: Closed

You can book for Naturopathy or Massage in any of the clinic times, and you can book for Skype Consults (Naturopathy) on the Monday or any of the clinic days.

Contact me to book in

The post Clinic Times – 2019 appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Book review: The Garden Apothecary by Reece Carter

What a beautiful book Reece has created.

The wonder that is herbal medicine is available to everyone, but just how to make use of the beautiful gift from Mother Nature when you haven’t been trained in herbal medicine can be a little daunting. This book makes herbal medicine doable for everyone, and the collection of home remedies will also hopefully help you to improve yours and your families health.

There is a wide range of remedies – creams, teas, tinctures, foods, gummies, addressing many issues such as colds and ‘flu, stress, sleep issues, skin issues, digestion and more.

Most people think of home remedy books as those faded books stored in our grandmothers bookshelf or in the second hand bookshelf, but this book is a modern take on those classics that you will find yourself returning to again and again.

And the herbalist that delivers this information is a different picture to the traditional herbalist stereotype – not a gypsy-esque woman wearing shawls and beads, but a charming muscular man (Reece is a model in his spare time) who sweetly dedicated this book to his Mum.

There’s plenty of eye candy in this book, and not just the pages with the tight shirts. Beautiful pictures of amber bottles, raw herbs, spices and luscious gardens are the pages I dwell on the most.

I am so excited to see this type of information being shared into the world. The remedies are gentle but effective, the recipes are easy to follow and achieavable.

There are so many brilliant recipes in this book I can’t list all of my favourites, but some include the herbal tea blends pg 120-121, the skin repair body cream pg 68 and lemon balm ointment for cold sores pg 73 (I love these herbs!) and the ‘Forget-Me-Not’ Salsa Verde pg 104 (I love herbs used in food).

There’s guides on how to grow you own herbs, where to source them, and information about what the herbs are useful fore.

If you want to start growing your own herbs or making your own recipes, check this book out. It is something you’ll keep coming back to, not just for the recipes but the scattering of health tips and naturopathic wisdom as well.

The Garden Apothecary by Reece Carter

The post Book review: The Garden Apothecary appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Need some inspiration for gift giving this Christmas? I’ve compiled a list of present ideas for those people in your life who are interested in looking after the environment, reducing waste in their household and looking after their health. These gift ideas aren’t just good for Christmas, they’re good for any time of the year really – Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthday presents, you name it!
With present ideas ranging from $4 to $149 there’s plenty of options for everyone.

Beauty and Body Care

Massage voucher

I don’t know many people who don’t enjoy massage. I think that a voucher for a pamper session may get you more brownie points than a pretty or useful object, because it sends the message to your recipient that you care, you think they deserve some pampering, and you’re acknowledging all the things they do for you that makes them need that pampering.

You can purchase a voucher for a massage with myself here.
30 minutes – $55
60 minutes – $100

Silk pillow

While initially the idea of gifting a silk pillow might seem a bit strange, silk pillows are a great way to look after the delicate face on your skin, as well as your hair. Cotton absorbs moisture from your skin, can cause friction on the surface of the skin which can lead to wrinkles over time, and can pull on your hair, which leads to more fly aways and split ends. Silk doesn’t do these things and so can be a simple way to look after your skin. They are more expensive than your typical pillowcase but when it comes to the investment that many women put into their skin care, its worth it in the long run.

Go-To has a pure silk pillowcase for $65, or Slip has a variety of colours and patterns at $85

Foam Roller

One of the things I recommend to my massage patients frequently is to stretch and foam roll. Using a foam roller helps you to reduce tension and tightness in muscles, and is also good for fascia.

There’s lots around, but this one is more affordable and straight forward. – Foam roller

Weleda Skin Food and Lip Balm

If you haven’t tried the Weleda Skin Food, then you’re missing out. This gorgeous cream is great for all sorts of skin issues, I love it for all the drier areas such as feet and elbows. This pack is good value and comes with a soothing rose fragranced lip balm.

Weleda Gift Pack – Beauty Essentials – $24.95

Lip Gloss & polish Kit

I use this mineral lip gloss a lot and it leaves a lovely feel, and is a pretty colour. This is a good price with the polish as well.

Mineral Fusion Lip & Tip Kit – $18

Waste Less

Stainless Steel Lunch Box

I’m a fan of a stainless steel lunch box as a way to reduce the amount of plastic we’re exposing out kids to. Most companies will use BPA free plastics, but I’m leaning towards the ‘better safe than sorry’ mentality and avoiding as much plastic as I can, because we don’t have the long term safety data on the new plastic that has replaced the old BPA type.

I like this one because it seals nicely – Seed & Sprout $44

Reusable coffee cup

Given that we know how big an impact disposable coffee cups are making on our landfill AND we want to reduce plastic exposure where possible, reusable coffee cups are a great idea for my fellow caffeine lovers.

I love my glass KeepCup and it gets used more than my other reusable coffee cups because of it’s sturdiness and lack of leaks, however my favourite is my very pretty Pottery for the Planet cup.

KeepCup Medium LongPlay – $34

Joco Medium Glass Cup – $29.95

Biome Ceramic Coffee Cup – $34.95

Metal straws

A great stocking filler is a metal straw – it looks pretty but it’s good for the environment. The more people using less disposable plastic straws, the better. There’s different colours and shapes to choose from, and prices range from $3.50 to $16.95.

Reusable Food Wraps

Instead of going through gladwrap like there’s no tomorrow, reusable food wraps are gentler on the environment, but also your health (less plastic exposure).

I use beeswax food covers like these ones but for a vegan alternative you can use these silicon wraps – $27.

Handkerchief

Save all those tissues heading into landfill and look cute at the same time by using a hanky. There’s lots of reasons why carrying a hanky is a good idea, and it’s not nearly as gross as some may think.

If you accidently leave it in your pocket it won’t cover your clothes in lint. It’ll just get clean.

If you haven’t blown your nose on it already you can mop your brow with it, use it as a barrier for unclean doorknobs, clean your glasses or phone screen and more, plus you can offer it chivalrously to a friend in need.

Ideally you’d have one for every day of the week, and change to a fresh one every day, washing at the end of the week. Hankies are pretty big so if you do need to blow your nose a few times on it there’s plenty of space.

Check out these gorgeous designs at $11.95.

 

Produce Bag

A lightweight string bag is a great option for putting your fruit and veg into at the grocers, because it won’t add too much onto the scales.

Choose one like this and you’ll be looking trendy at the same time.

Organic Cotton String Shopping Bag – $14.95

Composters

I’ve asked my parents to get me a pet waste composter for Christmas. Yes a bit strange I know, but that’s me.

I like that it will save the plastic bag usage in collecting the poos (I have a Labrador so have to collect daily), but with time it will improve my soil.

Just dig a hole, bury the composter and then start adding the dog poo along with the starter grains and it will start composting the poo down into the soil.

For a more traditional type of composter you have plenty of options.

I love my worm farm – since I’ve gotten the hang out how much to feed and water the worms they are thriving and I’m regularly getting liquid fertiliser for my garden. I got mine with a discount from my local council through https://compostrevolution.com.au.

Books

Recipe Books

Who doesn’t love a nice fresh bit of cooking inspiration! I for one love getting a new recipe book, and will keep it on the bench for weeks at a time while I chip away at the new recipes.

There’s endless choices, but here are some of my favourites.

Deliciously Ella The Plant Based Cookbook: 100 simple vegan recipes to make every day delicious  by Ella Mills – this has some gorgeous flavour combinations and is very inspiring for increasing the diversity of ways you have vegetables in your diet. I will have the meals as a side to a serve of meat or it’s fine to have it on it’s own. I love the Harissa Eggplant and the Cauliflower and turmeric salad.

Living the Healthy Life by Jessica Sepel – Gorgeous recipes and a lot of healthy eating and lifestyle tips as well. A very pretty book to look at and the recipes as tasty and easy to make.

Wholesome Child by Mandy Sacher. This one is a great choice for people who have young kids, because it’s meals are family focused as well as being great for cooking for kids. I’ve written a review of this book here, so feel free to check it out.

Kitchen Novice eBook and Meal Plan by Alison Mitchell (that’s me!) – Oh and did you know that I have a meal plan and recipe book? It’s designed around whole food for people who are getting familiar with cooking, so if you like the idea of a recipe book and healthy eating but don’t feel confident in the kitchen, check this one out. It also has a guide on learning to eat well, a meal plan and a shopping list, all for $24.95.

Other Books

Not everyone wants a recipe book, so here are some other great books you can consider.

One Bite At A Time by Sarah Lantz & Tabitha McIntosh – This book delves into the issues facing our health and our environment as a result of chemical exposure. It is a gorgeous book as well so would make a beautiful coffee table book, something that will certainly be a conversation starter.

The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape – Touted as being the only money guide you’ll ever need, this could be a great idea for friends or family alike. This book has ranked #1 on Amazon multiple times and is currently still #1 in wealth books. Financial stress is a big one and cutting this down will make this gift recipient grateful for your thoughts.

Idaho by Emily Ruskovich – There’s nothing quite like sitting with a good book and a cup of tea to relax and take your mind off the worries of life. Sadly I haven’t read a fiction book in over a year, so I asked my book loving husband what his favourite book of the last year was, and this was it. I asked ‘What do you like about it’, and true to his English Teacher form he replied: “An engaging story with well written prose and emotional poignancy.” Sounds good to me.

Audiobooks

Since having kids I don’t get much time to sit down and read, but not prepared to give up my fantasy novels I turned to audiobooks. When I’m cooking, driving by myself or going for a run I will put on an audio book and it helps me to chill out, but I’m still getting things done.

Audible books vary in price but if you get a membership you get a credit each month, making the books much cheaper in the long run.

I have gifted Audible Memberships before and it’s been well received. But you might just want to get it for yourself. I love my audiobooks – I went through the entire Outlander series on Audible, and my recent favourites are The Millenium Series (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), The Kingkiller Chronicles (The Name of the Wind) and The Sellout.

I’ve also done a fair few non-fiction books on Audible such as Work Rules by Lazlo Block, Eat The Yolks, Gut and Food Politics.

Gift a membership here.

Other

Seed Card

A seed packet and gift card all in one, these cute little cards are a great gift for all ages.

Sow ‘n Sow Seed Card $9.95

Herbal Teas

I’ve tried a lot of different herbal tea blends and I keep coming back to Burton Health Tea. I love the herbal blends in each of them, but the flavours of the teas are carefully thought out and well executed. A 30 serve bag of tea is very cost effective and a great gift idea.

Perhaps you might like to give the TeaStress blend to a person who is under a bit of pressure in their life.

Or perhaps you know someone who gets sick all the time, in which case Immunitea might be a good choice.

Rest and Digest is one of my favourite blends – it helps to get he nervous system and digestive system talking to each other again, switching you back into a parasympathetic nervous system state.

Or the other option is Dandy Chai, a delicious blend that is warming and good for your digestion.

Check out the teas here, and if you use code NATNSW at checkout you will receive a 10% discount.

Burton Health Tea – from $9.00

Spiraliser

Spiralizer – Making zucchini noodles can be loads of fun, but if you get a good quality spiralizer you can make noodles out of loads more vegetables. Increase your vegetable intake and have fun doing it.

Water Filter

Remove the bad stuff, and put back in the good stuff with a water filter. I like this little one because it’s cost effective and can be carried around with you when travelling. It is made from plastic but you could fill it up, let it filter through them tip it into a stainless steel or glass bottle.

Mini Waterman Water Filter Bottle 600ml – $79.95

Why would you want to filter your water?

Chlorine in tap water is thought to negatively affect our gut bacteria balance, and it can also affect our iodine levels. Flouride is another chemical that can affect iodine levels and thyroid health, but if you’re still wanting to get the fluoride for your teeth, the amount you’re exposed to when rinsing your teeth when brushing them is enough to do it’s job. It also helps to filter our pesticide residue and other heavy metals.

Blue Blocking Glasses

Did you know that we are constantly exposed to blue light through TV screens, computers, phones and tablets. It affects our melatonin levels, a hormone that we make through our eyes in response to orange light. Altered melatonin levels can cause issues with hormone balance but mostly affects our sleep.

Blue light from the sky is actually important in the day to normalise our circadian rhythms and promote mental wellbeing, but when we’re being exposed to excessive amounts of it from our screens this can be a problem, and in addition the wavelengths from the screen are different to the blue in our natural environment which makes them harmful.

Clever people have found ways to counter this effect by tinting glasses – these glasses used to be very uncool, bright orange safety type glasses, but now there are glasses that look like normal glasses, and they even come with the option to put your prescription into them.

BLUblox is an Australian company that has created three types of lenses – the standard clear lense filters blue light from your computer screens which reduces eye strain and reduce the impact of the blue light on melatonin and other hormones.

You’ve also got the option of red lenses for that extra melatonin boost in the hours before bed, and yellow glasses to promote a heightened sense of happiness in the day.

So if you know somebody who works in front of a computer screen all the time, why not share this with them or pair for Christmas.

BluBlox – $149.95

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you make a purchase from using that link. This helps contribute to the ongoing costs of running this website. Thank you for your support.

The post Gift Guide for the Health and Environment Conscious appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

I am excited to be a part of this wonderful workshop series by Empowering Births. This three part, recurring workshop is focused around supporting, educating and empowering women in the period of time after birth, a time when mothers are often in need of much support.

Mothers can receive guidance, expert advice and support during these workshops.

My contribution to these workshops is a 3 part infant massage class, teaching you how to massage your baby safely and confidently. I will also be available to answer any Naturopathy questions you may have.

Friday 16th, 30th November & 14th December 2018.

Empowering Births team Cat & Melissa open & hold this space with a nurturing postnatal workshop, helping you ease into your 4th trimester. We will be sharing knowledge & support for you as new mothers to gain strong bonds with your babies.
Each session includes a 45 min baby massage & naturopathy Q & A.

Over the 3 days this workshop will cover breastfeeding, bathing, settling, sleep & more…

Includes FREE baby massage oil

Call or email for more information
Cat – empoweringbirths@outlook.com
0400 458 699

The post Post Natal Workshop appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Getting your children to eat well is a big concern for many parents. The struggle involves not just knowing what to feed your child, but how to get them to actually eat it. Meal time battles are a great source of stress, and it’s in response to this that paediatric nutritionist Mandy Sacher has created her book: Wholesome Child.

I’ve come across a fair few cook books aimed at children, but Wholesome Child is currently my favourite. This is not just a recipe book but an impressively thorough nutrition guide as well. It includes digestible information about the different food groups, additives and preservatives, good vs bad fats, sugar, and tips for dealing with fussy eaters. There are also lunch box ideas and meal plans. The recipes are aimed at children between 1-6 years of age, however my husband and I have enjoyed the dishes as well.

The book is structured around an 8 step guide of incremental changes that can be made to your diet, which will allow you gradually introduce healthy foods and phase out unhealthy foods. Dramatic diet changes are rarely well appreciated by young or old, and by making small steps it helps to reduce the negative responses your child may have.

Step 1: Whole Grains – Replace processed grains with whole grains and focus on variety

Step 2: Reduce Sugar – Set healthy limits and create structure

Step 3: Increase Vegetables – Get creative and persevere

Step 4: Boost Protein – Balance healthy animal proteins with vegetarian options

Step 5: Healthy Fats – Focus on good fats and avoid processed low-fat foods

Step 6: Balance Fruit – In the recommended amounts, it’s a healthy part of a child’s diet

Step 7: Rethink Dairy – Moderate milk consumption and focus on high-calcium foods

Step 8: Avoid Nasties – Eat real food that is free of preservatives, additives, artificial colours, GM ingredients and excessive sodium

With the focus on making small changes, these suggestions are ones you are likely to stick to. It also helps that the recipes genuinely taste good.

Generally the recipes are gluten free and low in dairy, and use alternatives to sugar such as maple syrup, and use coconut oil rather than butter. Most commonly they are recipes you and your children are already familiar with such as brownies, cupcakes, fish fingers and patties, but they are boosted with vegetables and other healthy ingredients such as seeds, good fats and other wholegrains.

Spread throughout the book are charts and tips which allow you to make modifications to the recipes, for instance a guide on how to bake with different flours is extremely handy if you wanted to adjust some of the baking recipes to suit what you have on hand. Initially I didn’t have the variety of ingredients Mandy suggests, so adjusted the recipes to use spelt or wheat flour where gluten free was called for, or puffed rice instead of puffed quinoa, and when carob powder is used I’ve just used extra cocoa powder. But because I really like all the recipes and plan to keep cooking them, I’ve been gradually adding to my collection of pantry staples.

My favourite sections include Mandy’s suggestions on dealing with fussy eating, her guide on additives and preservatives, and her thorough guide on sugar which includes an eye opening section on hidden sugars and suggestions on how to curb sugar cravings and swap the worst offenders for healthier, but still tasty, alternatives.

On top of all that, the book is just gorgeous. The rainbow charts, decorative details and vibrant photography make it a pleasure to read through. This is a recipe book that you can immerse yourself in, and I have done this on numerous occasions. I like to sit down with Ash and say “What would you like to make today?” So far he has picked out the veggie platter (that wasn’t a recipe but he liked the picture, pg 47), choc chia pops (pg 89), strawberry milkshake (pg 225), carrot and cinnamon muffins (pg 83) and flaxseed crackers (pg 185).

One of the big successes we had was the Mac ‘n’ Cheese, which I am excited to share the recipe with you.

Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Serves: 4
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Brown Rice Penne
• 1 Cup Cauliflower Florets
• 1 Cup Zucchini, Peeled And Shredded
• 1-2 Tbs Coconut Oil
• ¾ Cup Milk Of Choice
• 1 Tbs Tapioca Flour
• 1 ½ Cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
• 1 Tbs Chia Seeds
• Sea Salt And Pepper, To Taste
• 1 Tsp Paprika Powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. Place cauliflower in a food processor and process until it reaches a rice-like consistency.
4. Heat oil in a large frying pan and sauté cauliflower and zucchini for about 5 mins.
5. In a saucepan, warm ½ cup of milk.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining milk and the flour until there are no lumps. Then whisk this mixture into the warm milk. Continue whisking gently until milk thickens to the consistency of heavy cream.
7. Mix cheese, chia seeds, sautéed cauliflower and zucchini into the milk-flour mixture and season with salt and pepper. For a smoother consistency you can process using a hand held blender.
8. Place the pasta in a casserole dish and pour the cheese and veggie sauce over it. Sprinkle with paprika powder and shredded cheese (optional) and bake in the oven for 30 mins until the top is golden.

Tip: For a school-friendly version, place mixture in mini muffin holders and bake for approximately 25 mins to create mini mac ‘n’ cheese muffins. If your child does not like the sight of seeds, them leave out chia seeds and use chia powder instead.

The post Review: Wholesome Child Cookbook and Nutrition Guide (plus Bonus recipe!) appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.