Are you ready to stop just surviving and start thriving with ADHD? At ReMed Natural Medicin Clinic, we believe in empowering individuals with ADHD to achieve optimal wellness through natural and holistic strategies. Here’s how you can support your journey with ADHD using movement, nutrition, and mindful practices.

1. Morning Movement: A Natural Dopamine Boost

Starting your day with exercise can give you an instant hit of natural dopamine, a neurotransmitter essential for mood regulation and focus. Whether it’s a brisk walk, yoga, or a more intense workout, morning movement helps maintain steady dopamine levels throughout the day. This practice can improve executive functioning, reduce stress, and enhance emotional regulation.

Benefits of Morning Exercise:

• Increased dopamine levels
• Improved brain connectivity and executive functioning
• Stress reduction
• Decreased hyperactivity and impulsivity
• Weight management
• Better sleep quality

2. Establishing Consistent Routines

A consistent daily routine can significantly impact productivity and overall well-being, especially for those with ADHD. Regular sleep and wake times help regulate your body’s internal clock, enhancing mood stability and cognitive function. This consistency can reduce the unpredictability that often exacerbates ADHD symptoms.

3. Nutrition: Fueling the Brain

Nutrition plays a crucial role in managing ADHD symptoms. A balanced diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, lean proteins, and plenty of fruits and vegetables supports brain health and mental clarity. Avoiding processed foods and excessive sugars can help prevent mood swings and energy crashes. It’s also important to address any nutritional deficiencies, such as low iron levels, which can impair dopamine production and exacerbate symptoms like inattentiveness and restlessness.

Key Nutritional Tips:

• Include omega-3-rich foods like fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts
• Incorporate lean proteins to stabilize energy levels
• Consume a variety of fruits and vegetables for essential vitamins and minerals
• Avoid processed foods and excess sugars

4. Supplements and Herbs for ADHD Support

Natural supplements and herbs can complement a healthy diet and help regulate neurotransmitter levels. Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and zinc are beneficial for brain health. Herbs like Ginkgo biloba, Withania somnifera, and Rhodiola rosea can also support mental clarity and stress management. Always consult a healthcare practitioner before starting any new supplements.

5. Reducing Toxins: A Cleaner Environment

Detoxifying your body from harmful substances can enhance mental clarity and overall health. This includes reducing exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides and heavy metals, as well as avoiding harmful chemicals in household products. Proper hydration, a balanced diet, and detox programs can aid in this process.

6. Mindful Consumption of Media

The media we consume affects our mood and mental health. Limiting exposure to negative or stressful content can reduce anxiety and promote a positive mindset. Instead, focus on consuming educational, uplifting, and positive media to foster a balanced mental state.

 

If you’d like to learn more about how to support your ADHD symptoms, book a FREE Health Reset Consultation today.

 

Do you wake tired and unrefreshed, dose yourself up on caffeine and sugar just to make it through your day, struggle to concentrate on the simplest of daily tasks, and all day long feel flat, lethargic, achy and irritable?

Fatigue has become an epidemic thanks to our modern lifestyles and never ending ‘to do lists’, with women suffering from fatigue conditions 2 to 4 times more than men. And can you blame us? We almost need to be ‘Super-Women’ to manage the daily tasks of organising the family in the morning, packing bags, lunchboxes, clothes, hygiene, school drop-off, working part or full-time jobs, school pick up, managing extracurricular activities, homework, grocery shopping, dinner and quality family time. 

Sleep, rinse, repeat. 

Women are so busy caring for everyone else that they drop ball when it comes to self-care. This is even more problematic if the cause of your fatigue is more serious than the exhaustion of keeping up with a busy schedule. 

There are many causes of fatigue and it is important to figure which ones are affecting you. After all, even Super-Women needs fuel sources to function at her best! 

• Water is essential for life. Yes this is starting simply, but even mild dehydration can reduce your energy levels and mood, causing impaired memory and brain performance.
• Are you eating on the go? Making poorer food choices due to lack of time, energy and organisation? Foods are our essential fuel source! We require B-group vitamins, iron, magnesium and proteins for our basic cellular energy production. No nutrients = no fuel. Quick-fix foods often contain little nutritional value and provide a spike in our blood sugars, followed by a quick crash, leaving us feeling more depleted than ever. Weekly meal planning will be your saviour here – reducing the amount of time you spend shopping, mentally preparing what you can cook for dinner, and provide you with more substantial and energising meals.  
• Iron, B12 and Folate deficiencies can all contribute to fatigue and are especially prevalent in women due to our monthly blood loss. Checking these levels on a regular basis is an easy prevention of chronic energy insufficiencies. 
• Vitamin D levels are also necessary for your immune system to work at its best so if you feel ‘run-down’ or suffer from frequent colds consider testing your vitamin D levels or taking the time to enjoy the sunshine. 
• Are you consuming higher levels of so-called ‘energy robbers’ that further deplete your nutritional levels such as sugar, alcohol, coffee, medications, dehydration, stress, a sedentary lifestyle or over-training? How do these make you feel in the long run? Look at your attachment to these vices and question if they are helping or hindering? Are you simply putting a band-aid on your energy stores?
• No time or energy to exercise? Research shows that even gentle exercises such as a brisk walk can increase your energy levels by releasing hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine. It also promotes a more restful sleep.
• Ensure to get a good night’s sleep. Practicing sleep hygiene, taking some much needed ‘down-time’ before bed, listening to sleep hypnotherapy apps, taking an Epsom salt bath or some magnesium can all vastly improve upon your quality and quantity of sleep. 
• There are many medical conditions that can be at the root causes of fatigue syndromes, including, but not limited to chronic fatigue syndrome, anaemia, thyroid issues, endometriosis, anxiety, depression, autoimmune conditions, a weakened immune system and chronic infections. It is important to find the right support when it comes to managing your health care, getting regular check-ups and blood tests from your doctor and finding the right health practitioners for you and your needs. Even the Carers need care. 

Take time out for yourself! This is a big one and I don’t want you to pass it over as ‘too hard’. We are no good to anyone if we are not feeling our best. Taking the time out for yourself to re-charge, re-energise, and re-boot yourself should be your Number #1 priority! What activities make you smile? Socialise with friends, walk in nature, read your favourite book, take a bubble bath, take a yoga class, swim in the ocean, dig your toes into the grass and simply bask in the sunshine. Your options are endless ?

Have you ever felt tired & exhausted, yet also wired at the same time? Sounds bizarre I know, yet many women are living with this daily. We are run off our feet &
wanting to collapse at the end of the day, although our minds are in full flight of stimulation with to-do lists & everything in between!

What does this mean?

The body is in ‘fight & flight’ mode, scientifically it is called our sympathetic nervous system. This is where our body is designed to respond to a threat by either staying to fight or running away (like our ancestors needed to from potential animal predators). Ideally, when there are no immediate threats in our day, we should be in ‘rest & digest’ mode, this is called our parasympathetic nervous system. This is where our body is taking care of our digestion & our nutrient absorption & all other processes that make us function. Various methods which relax the nervous system include stimulating the vagus nerve.

Why do we want to stimulate the Vagus nerve?

Various techniques can stimulate the vagus nerve providing rest & digest – parasympathetic nervous system activation. The vagus nerve has direct and indirect
connections to the cortical-limbic-thalamic-striatal neural circuit involving emotional and cognitive functions. Vagal nerve stimulation influences the activity of
norepinephrine and neurotransmitters such as serotonin, assisting in improving mood.

What techniques can we use to activate our ‘Rest & Digest’ Nervous System?

Slow, rhythmic, diaphragmatic breathing Try breathing deeply from the diaphragm rather than shallowly from the top of the lungs, and focus on your breath. As the amount of breaths per minute reduces, ideally to about 5-7 times per minute this is when our ‘rest & digest” nervous system is activated. The muscles will become more relaxed and the oxygen supply to the cells will increase producing endorphins; the body’s feel- good hormones. This in turn will help lower heart rate and reduce anxiety & worry.

How to deep breathe?

Take a deep inhalation through your nose into your belly, expanding the diaphragm to the count of five. Pause on the inhalation, and then exhale slowly through a small hole in your mouth to the count of six. Repeating this process for multiple rounds/minutes. The most important part of your breathing is ensuring that the exhale count is longer than the inhale count.

So next time you’re feeling wired & tired try this breathing exercise for some immediate relaxation.

Yesterday I spent the day at a seminar learning more about the impact stress has on our brain and our health. Not only is stress a driver of numerous chronic health conditions (including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease), it also causes structural changes in our brain including atrophy of our prefrontal cortex (responsible for planning complex cognitive behaviour, personality expression, decision making and moderating social behaviour), our hippocampus (responsible for motivation, emotion, learning and memory) and initial hypertrophy and later atrophy of our amygdala (responsible for the response and memory of emotions, especially fear). These changes in our brain sensitise our brains and heighten our stress response which means that our bodies reaction to a stressor becomes heightened and more severe.

When people think about stress, they often just think of emotional stress however stress by definition is a physical, mental or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tensions. Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure). What this means is that we also have to consider physical and environmental stressors such as temperature extremes, circadian light-dark cycle, travel (jet lag), accidents and injuries, inflammation, infection, toxins, food, medications, alcohol, drugs, lack of sleep, over-exercising, pollution, air quality, noise, surgery and disease processes- each of these things act as stressors to our body. 

The way stress manifests in our lives is different for everyone, but common symptoms of stress include:

• Poor sleep, nightmares, disturbing dreams
• Changes in appetite and weight
• Mood disturbances, lack of motivation, anxiety and depression
• Frequent crying
• Feeling overwhelmed, out of control, easily agitated or frustrated
• Gut symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, reflux or abdominal pain
• Immune dysfunction such as frequent infections or autoimmune conditions
• Fatigue
• Headaches and migraines
• Muscle pain and tension
• Hormonal disturbances such as PMS, irregular periods, low sex drive
• Chest pain, palpitations or rapid heartbeat
• Forgetfulness, disorganisation and inability to focus 
• Light-headedness, faintness or dizziness
• Rashes, itching or hives
• Chest tightness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing

The good news is that there are plenty of things we can do to reduce the negative effects stress has on your life and improve the way your body reacts to stress. 

One of the best tools we have as naturopaths when working with clients who are experiencing symptoms of stress is herbal medicine. Herbs have the ability to increase resistance to stress, protect against the effects of stress, protect the brain against atrophy and promote regrowth of nerve cells, stimulate the immune system, improve cognitive function, improve energy levels, promote sleep, improve mood and reduce anxiety and the list goes on! 

You do not have to put up with negative effects stress may be having on your life and on your health. If you’re suffering from any of the above symptoms or would like to know more about naturopathy, I would love to see you. Book a complimentary 20-minute appointment at ReMed in Lower Plenty or a phone or skype appointment by calling 1300 173 633 or online at https://remed.com.au/book-now/

ReMed Natural Medicine – Are You Magnesium Deficient? 

My love for Magnesium is two-fold. For one, I love what a difference replenishing someone’s Magnesium levels can make on their health and feeling of wellbeing and two, it was my own Magnesium deficiency that first introduced me to the world of Naturopathy.

I’d been experiencing twitching muscles which over time progressed to constant eye twitching which was driving me crazy! I asked some nurse friends and doctors about it, but no-one could tell me why it was happening or how to stop it. I then met a Naturopath- an industry I didn’t know much about and if I’m honest was a little sceptical about given I studied and worked in Western Medicine- and asked her about my eye twitch. She quickly identified that I was Magnesium deficient and within three days of taking the recommended Magnesium supplement my eye twitch disappeared- my Magnesium Miracle! It wasn’t just my muscle twitches that went away, I also noticed that my body aches and pains had improved, my headaches had lessened in frequency and severity and my body no longer felt like a tight rubber band ready to snap. So what is Magnesium and what happens if we don’t get enough?

Magnesium is a mineral that is crucial to the body’s function, in fact over 300 enzymes require Magnesium to function. In Australia, up to 72% of people don’t get adequate amounts of Magnesium in their diet and this is before we talk about the things that reduce the absorption and increase the excretion of Magnesium. 

Cooking and processing deplete Magnesium from foods while alcohol, coffee, sugar, soft drink, high levels of protein in the diet and some medications such as diuretics, cytotoxic drugs, antibiotics and Beta Blockers (blood pressure medication) cause Magnesium to be excreted through the kidneys. High stress levels also increase the excretion of Magnesium. Even before we start destroying Magnesium in the kitchen, we’ve depleted Magnesium in the soil so the food we’re eating has lower levels of Magnesium than it used to. If you have any sort of digestive disturbance such as coeliac disease, Crohn’s, low stomach acid, dysbiosis or loose stool or have high stress levels then your body will also have trouble absorbing enough Magnesium from foods. 

Signs that you may be deficient in Magnesium include: low energy and fatigue, muscle weakness, muscle aches, twitches and cramps, high blood pressure, asthma, headaches and migraines, period pain and hormone problems, osteoporosis, sleep problems, stress, anxiety, depression and heart ‘flutters’ or palpitations.

How to increase your Magnesium levels

Eating foods high in Magnesium is a great way to improve your Magnesium status so make sure you’re including some of the following foods into your diet every day: dark green leafy vegies like spinach, kale and collard greens, quinoa, nuts eg. almonds, cashews and brazil nuts and seeds eg. flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds, avocados and whole grains. 

For some people just increasing their dietary intake of Magnesium is not enough so taking a Magnesium supplement may be required. There are a number of different types of Magnesium supplements on the market which come in different forms and doses and not all supplements are created equal! In order to ensure you’re taking the most suitable and bioavailable form of Magnesium for you and at the right dose make sure you consult a health professional such as a Naturopath or Nutritionist. 

Take this quick 1-minute survey to identify whether you are at risk of Magnesium deficiency

https://magnesiumguide.com.au/magnesium-minute/

If you think you may not be getting enough Magnesium or want to know more about the role Magnesium plays in health and disease I’d love to talk to you. Call 1300 173 633 or visit www.remed.com.au to book an appointment or a complimentary 20-minute consultation.

Melbourne Naturopathic Clinic

We are currently experiencing a fatigue epidemic in Australia. Unexplained fatigue is one of the most common complaints to general practitioners. Unfortunately, preliminary blood tests often fail to provide an answer for these patient’s, leaving them more tired, stressed out and fed-up than ever. This desperate search for answers can often lead to a generalised diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), a debilitating disorder of unexplained, persistent and/or relapsing fatigue that results in significant reduction in occupational, social and personal activities. Other diagnostic criteria for CFS includes:

• Impaired memory or concentration that severely impacts daily functioning
• Chronic or recurrent sore throat
• Tender lymph nodes
• Muscle and/or join pain
• Headaches
• Unrefreshing sleep
• Increased levels of fatigue after exercise

Although CFS has no definitive, singular cause, chronic infections such as Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), also known as glandular fever, and biotoxin exposure from tick bites and exposure to mould are among the most commonly associated causes. These suspected infective agents trigger an immune cascade that leads to immune dysfunction, chronic inflammation, hormonal imbalances and oxidative stress, which in turn presents symptomatically with a wide range of symptoms from altered perceptions of fatigue and pain, as well as cognitive, mood and sleep disorders.

However, there are other contributing factors from our modern lifestyles that are having an impact upon our energy deficits:

• Nutritional deficiencies including iron, B vitamins (especially B6, B12 and folate), Magnesium and Zinc.
• Dehydration is a common cause of fatiguability, especially if you regularly consume coffee, tea and/or alcohol.
• An inflammatory diet high in refined carbohydrates i.e. take-out, sugar and ‘white’ foods.
• Chronic stress can offset a number of health conditions affecting the immune system, gut, mind and thyroid health.
• Thyroid disorders exhibit a wide range of metabolic symptoms including fatigue.
• Gut dysbiosis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) reduce nutritional absorption and are linked to a range of inflammatory and immune conditions.
• Exposure to environmental and household toxins i.e. chemicals in your skin care products, household cleaners, pesticides and fertilisers, mould, heavy metals etc.
• Electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure from mobile phones, telephone towers, Bluetooth devices, microwaves etc.
• Insomnia and sleep disturbances

For most people, it is not one singular cause but an accumulation of these modern-day assaults that provides the proverbial ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ when it comes to chronic fatigue symptoms. Considering the potential number of causative agents, as well as the multiplicity of symptomatic presentation when it comes to fatigue issues, is it any wonder that so few people are able to find a long-term resolution?

But there’s hope! From a Naturopathic perspective, there is a lot we can do to correct these imbalances. Such interventions may include:

• Identifying and removing the causative agent i.e. fungal, bacteria or viral infection
• Enhance the health and functionality of mitochondria, the energy powerhouses in our cells.
• Optimise nutritional intake and absorption for energy production
• Reduce inflammation
• Assist detoxification
• Restore gut health
• Normalise immune function
• Mediate stress and personalise some stress-coping mechanisms
• Provide natural pain solutions
• Improve sleep onset and duration
• Implement diet and lifestyle changes suited to the individual

If you or someone you know is suffering from the debilitating effects of chronic fatigue, book in for a complimentary 20-minute consultation to discuss how you can invest in your health for better energy, vitality and quality of life.