Book Your August Consultation Soon

Chasing the mountain sun! I'm heading over to the USA from 21st August - 4th September. This trip will be mainly business, with a touch of pleasure thrown in (yippee). I will be going to the Wake Up Festival in the beautiful mountains of Colorado and to do the DNA 3 ThetaHealing course in Idaho Falls. My practice will be closed for 2 weeks so book your appointments now for August as they are filling up fast. I will be back in practice on 5th September revitalised and inspired with all of the latest health tips and tricks.

Lemon and Thyme Poached Blue Eye Cod with Leek Quinoa and Steamed Vegetables

Blue Eye Cod is a deep sea fish (wild, not farmed) and is rich in Omega 3 oils. Quinoa is a gluten-free South American grain eaten by the Incas, that has been touted as a superfood due to its high vitamin and mineral content. This dish is mixed with the crisp flavours of lemon, thyme and leeks.

Ingredients - Serves 2
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 1 1/2 cup of water
- 2 Blue eye cod fillets
- 1 Tb Extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 Tb of coconut oil
- 1/4 bunch of finely chopped parsley
- 1/2 sliced leek
- 1/2 head of broccoli
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced lengthways
- 1 bunch of bok choy sliced in half

Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place Blue eye cod fillets in baking dish with olive oil smeared over them. Add 1/2 cup of water to the baking dish. Sprinkle with dried thyme, juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Place in the oven, covered with a lid for 30-40 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets.

Bring quinoa and 1/2 cup of water to boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the covered saucepan on the stove for another 5 minutes.

Melt 1 Tb of coconut oil in a frying pan and quickly cook sliced leek until soft. Add quinoa, juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp of lemon zest, chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Heat through for 1 minute, then remove from stove.

Place carrots and broccoli in steamer and lightly steam for 3 minutes. Add bok choy and steam for a further 1 minute.

Arrange on plate with blue eye cod, quinoa and steamed vegetables.

By Claudette

Should I Or My Children Have The HPV Immunisation?

Following on from yesterday's blog about the dreaded, but ever so important Pap smear, I thought it apt to share some of the research evidence that has come to light about the new HPV vaccine, Gardasil.

Australia is the first country in the world to administer the HPV immunization initiative. Gardasil is a genetically engineered vaccine given free to all girls aged 12-17 years and as announced recently, to boys aged 12-13 years from 2013 in Australia. It contains only 4 types out of the 100 strains of HPV, so it does not prevent infection from all strains. Gardasil has been shown in studies to reduce the incidence of CIN II precursor lesions but, as has been raised by many doctors, it is unlikely to reduce the level of cancer. It is well known that a healthy immune system naturally clears any HPV infection within 2 years anyway and Pap smears are still necessary every two years, despite vaccination. 

Federal Health Minister Tanya Pilbersek has stated "We know that it's a safe vaccine". However, according to information obtained by Channel 7 under a Freedom of Information claim, 681 reactions to Gardasil were reported to ADRAC (the Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee) as of January 30, 2008 with more than a third of these women not recovered after 6 months. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports "It is important to emphasise that the vaccine is supported by limited efficacy and safety data".

The Health Minister, Tanya Pilbersek has stated that all vaccines in Australia undergo stringent testing by experts. Unfortunately, according to our own TGA (the Therapeutic Goods Administration), vaccines are not tested in Australia for either safety or effectiveness. Gardasil's pre-licensure tests were performed overseas and were funded by the manufacturer of the drug. During this testing, 17 deaths were reported and a very large number of reactions (more than 90% of those tested reported at least one systemic reaction). Despite this, the vaccine is registered for use in Australia.

On 12 January 2012 the Annals of Medicine published a ground-breaking peer-reviewed paper written by renowned researchers Tomljenovic, PhD, and Shaw, PhD from University of British Columbia, Canada, citing that the HPV vaccine is neither justified by long-term health benefits (what, if any, is yet to be proven), economically viable, nor is there any evidence (even if it is proven effective against cervical cancer) that it will reduce the level of cervical cancer beyond what Pap screening has already achieved.

Long term effects of the vaccine are unknown but there have been reports of autoimmune diseases including arthritis and multiple sclerosis. The list of serious adverse reactions to the vaccine as detailed by The Financial Times and the Sunday Telegraph (06/07/2008) include fever, hyperventilation, bronchospasm, anaphylaxis, tinnitus, tremors, tingling, paralysis, Bells Palsy, Guillian-Barre Syndrome, blood clotting, chronic fatigue syndrome, deep vein thrombosis, seizures and deaths.

Four Melbourne school girls were rushed to hospital after receiving the vaccine in 2007. India halted trials of the vaccine in 2008 due to a number of deaths of the women involved. The European Medicines Agency reports 16 deaths of women after being given the vaccine in Austria and Germany. In the USA the numbers are increasing every year. The causes of death include blood clots, acute respiratory distress, cardiac arrest and "sudden death due to unknown cause", which are obviously uncommon for teenagers! The vaccines must not be given during pregnancy as it causes spontaneous abortion and foetal abnormalities.

There is also concern it will encourage young women to have unprotected sexual intercourse at a younger age without concern of HPV infection, which is untrue as only 4 types of HPV are covered. The vaccine also contains aluminium as an adjuvant which is a toxic heavy metal for the nervous system. 

Considering the above evidence, I do not recommend the Gardasil vaccine to be given to anyone regardless of age or gender.

Why do I need to have Pap Smears?

Pap Smears test for cervical dysplasia, which is an abnormal growth of the epithelial cells of the cervix. If left undiagnosed and untreated, then it can eventually progress to cervical cancer.

However, cervical cancer is a largely preventable and curable disease as it slowly progresses through recognisable stages. As there are no signs or symptoms of cervical dysplasia, regular Pap Smears every 2 years until 70 years of age is essential for all women who have been sexually active at any stage in their lives.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is now regonised as the most important causative agent in cervical cancer. It is the most commonly acquired sexually transmitted infection in young, sexually active women spread via skin contact through vaginal, anal and oral sex, with condoms providing only limited protection. There are over 100 genotypes of HPV but not all of them cause cancerous cell changes. HPV types 6 and 11 commonly cause benign lesions such as genital warts which do not turn into cancer, while types 16 and 18 are most commonly found in cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. However, in 90% of cases, the immune system naturally clears the HPV infection within 2 years.

Risk Factors

• Compromised Immune System: A healthy immune function is necessary to clear HPV infection and prevent recurrence. Vitamin D deficiency has also been associated with cervical dysplasia and cancer and is essential for proper immune function. Food sources includes cod liver oil, butter, sardines, mackerel and milk. Have a walk in the sunshine everyday for 15 minutes.
• Smoking is an independent risk factor for cervical cancer, so do your body a favour and quit!
• Oral Contraceptive Pill: Long term use of the Pill increases risk of cervical cancer. This may be due to the high synthetic oestrogen levels or reduced nutrient absorption, especially B vitamins, Discontinued use 10 years or more returns risk to women who have never used it. Women who are taking the Pill should take a good quality multivitamin.
• Sexual Activity and STIs: First intercourse at an early age and sexual promiscuity is associated with increased cervical dysplasia. Infection with other STIs such as Chlamydia, Herpes and HIV play a role as well. Make sure you get checked by your doctor.
• Increased Oestrogens: HPV together with increased levels of 16a-hydroxyestrone increase the risk of cervical dysplasia and cancer. Balancing oestrogen and progestrone levels as well as clearing excess oestrogens via the liver and bowel is essential. Avoid alcohol and drugs, detoxify your liver, avoid constipation and improve your digestion. Herbal medicines help address any hormonal imbalance, so seek a qualified naturopath. 
• Diet: High intake of fruit and vegetables is associated with reduced risk because they contain protective vitamins and minerals, so eat lots of colourful vegetables, salad and fruit everyday, especially Brassica vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts. Drinking 2 cups of green tea a day has been shown to be beneficial. 
• Malnutrition: A deficiency of folic acid increases the risk of persistent HPV infection and cervical cancer. Studies have found low selenium and zinc levels in cervical dysplasia patients. This is particularly important in Australia and New Zealand as we have very low Selenium levels in our soil. If you have an abnormal Pap smear, take extra Folic acid, Selenium, Zinc and Vitamin D.

Your body is your friend, not your enemy and loving it will speed up healing and bring it back into balance.  Make time in your life for things that boost your self-esteem and make you feel good about yourself. Start putting yourself first and avoid people who put you down or make you feel bad about yourself. Remind yourself daily of how vibrant, healthy, energised and magnificant your body really is!

Vanilla Chia Pudding with Pear and Rhubarb

This delicious, easy, sugar-free, nutritious dessert is perfect for a winter's treat, courtesy of Mama Chia.

As you have read before, chia seeds offer the most amazing nutritional benefits -

omega 3, fibre and protein and are jam packed with antioxidants.

Ingredients:

- 4 tbsp of chia

- 1.5 cup of water

- 3/4 cup of cashew nuts

- 2 medjool dates (pitted)

- 1 vanilla bean scraped or 1 tsp of vanilla extract

- contents of 1 chai tea bag

- 2 pinches of cinnamon

- 1 pinch of nutmeg

- 1/2 bunch of rhubarb

- 1 pear

Method:

1. On stove top steam pear and rhubarb, or add 1/2 cup of water

to make stewed rhubarb and pear

2. Soak chia in water for 30 minutes or until it turns to gel. In a blender combine with remaining

ingredients, (except rhubarb and pears) and combine until silky smooth

3. Pour chia mixture into cups, top with warm rhubarb and pear mixture and serve.

Serves 2-3