Amy Johnson Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine | Medical service

Amy Johnson Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine

Phone: +61 476 909 368

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19.01.2022 A couple of snaps from my trip to Mallacoota this weekend. It was so refreshing to have a little getaway somewhere wild and remote, especially after all the restrictions we have had in Victoria. Currently on the early train from Bairnsdale heading to Melbourne for my first clinic day of the trimester!

18.01.2022 ZINC One of the nutrients I find many of my patients deficient in is zinc. In clinical practise naturopaths investigate zinc levels using a zinc tally test. Low zinc is a common outcome, and deficiency may be related to reduced nutrient absorption, high alcohol and drug consumption, low dietary zinc intake due to insufficient zinc levels in soil its grown in or simply eating foods that generally contain low zinc. Other reasons for deficiency may be an increased need f...or zinc such as when sick or when the body is undergoing increased detoxification. Zinc is one of the most important minerals in the body. Since we cannot make zinc, our bodies require us to obtain it from our diets. Zinc is needed for over 100 enzymatic reactions in the body and is needed for many aspects of cellular metabolism. Zinc plays a key role in regulating our immune systems, protein synthesis, skin repair and wound healing, DNA synthesis, cell division, and supports normal growth and development. For adult males the recommended daily intake is 8mg/day and 14mg/day for adult females. Living in the coastal town of Lakes Entrance, I consume a lot of seafood in my diet. In particular, I love eating oysters and usually have at least half a dozen of them each week. Oysters also happen to be the highest known sources of zinc. A serving of 6 oysters contains roughly 74 mg of zinc. Comparatively, other food sources high in zinc include red meat, poultry, fish, cereals and dairy. While zinc can be absorbed from plant based sources, zinc absorption from animal protein is greater than from a diet rich in plant derived proteins. Therefore, vegetarians are generally required to consume more zinc in their diet to account for the reduced absorption rates in plant based foods. Signs of low zinc include hair loss, bad breath, low stomach acid, impaired digestion and GIT complaints, poor wound healing, low immunity, low appetite, altered sense of taste and smell, low energy and depression. Do you experience any of these symptoms? Low zinc may be a piece of the puzzle in your health picture. If would like to investigate further reach out to me and we can book you in for a consultation.

11.01.2022 Habits are programming our brains have evolved with to make life easier and we largely run on autopilot. Habit formation involves associations between an event and a behavioural response, and forms through cues, routines and rewards. Habitual behaviour is highly regulated by stress. For example, dopamine pathway dysfunction or dopamine blunting, leads to increased engagement in reward seeking behaviours that upregulates dopamine and endorphins, increasing habit formation. The... more rewarding our brains perceive a behaviour to be the more likely a habit is to form. So how can we take back control and form habits that arnt just rewarding in the short term but are most beneficial to us overall? The solution is mindfulness. Mindfulness involved harnessing the power of the mind by seperating oneself from the brains messages and choosing which to respond to and which to ignore. A few ways to use mindfulness to break bad habits include: Meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness practices to manage stress Redesign your environment to remove unhealthy habit cues and avoid self control struggles, and implement healthy habit cues to promote beneficial habit formation. Set incremental goals everyday. Dopamine will flow as a result of your brain’s positive reinforcement every time you complete a step and meet a challenge and your need for short term gratification will be less urgent.. Urge surfing > delaying the routine and reward and wait until the urge has passed. Habit formation is area I am particuarly interested in discussing with my clients. Practical ways to change bad habits that are hindering your health goals and creating new habits that will help you thrive! If this sounds like an area you need support in, I am offering discounted consults for another 6 weeks in Melbourne before I move to face to face consults in Lakes Entrance and online at full price. Through tailoring a bespoke treatment plan for you, I can support you holistically through nutrition, herbal medicine and diet, while devising a actionable plan to help you change habits that are no longer serving you through setting health goals which are measureable and achievable.

11.01.2022 THE GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION Part II Neurological disease and BBB We are seeing a rise of neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s are increasing in aging populations, and the prevalence of Multiple sclerosis and strokes increasing in younger people. The contributing factors are complex as many aspects of modern living, such as nutrient deficiencies, low B12 and vitamin D, improper omega3/6 ratio and high oxidative stress are not supporting our cardiovas...cular, neurological, immune and gut health. Dysfunctions of the blood brain barrier (BBB) is a prerequistise for neurological disease development. Much like our gut epithelial barrier, mediated by our immune system and microbiota, the BBB is mediated by a system of endothelial cells within the microvasculature of the CNS. These endothelial cells form tight junctions that control movement of molecules, ions, and cells between the blood and the CNS, creating a restrictive barrier capacity that regulates CNS homeostasis, which protects the CNS and is critical for proper neuronal function. Dysfunction of this BBB, or BBB hyperpermeability, leaves us vulnerable to proinflammatory cells migrating through the BBB triggering autoimmune and neurodegeneration disease processes. Protect the BBB: Balance the gut brain axis dysbiosis, leaky gut and other factors affect the function of the gut brain axis which in turn influences permeability of the BBB. See my next post for more on this. Increase consumption of EFAs particularly omega3s which are essential for building cell membranes in the brain and GI tract, and as important anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. Ensure optimal B12 for the repair of the myelin sheath, the protective layer around nerves. Ensure optimal vitamin D a powerful vitamin which modulates the immune system and autoimmunity, and reduces neuroinflammation and BBB disruption. Continued in comments...

10.01.2022 1. Stimulate your liver upon waking up in the morning, before you eat breakfast have a glass of warm water with a squeeze of lemon. Throughout the day, take 25ml of lemon juice in 250mls of water 15 minutes before each meal to stimulate your liver to secrete HCl acid to begin the digestion process. 2. Drink more water consistently throughout the day to keep things moving. Avoid drinking excessive amounts of water in one sitting before a meal as this dilutes your stomac...h acid and digestive enzymes contributing to constipation. Incorporate herbal teas to hydrate while nourishing the nervous system to encourage parasympathetic nervous system dominance (the rest and digest) mode. In this state the body is able release stomach acid, and enzymes to digest food more effectively. 3. Follow the seasons in winter eat warming, nourishing foods that will build up the integrity of your digestive system. Think slow cooked stews, soups, casseroles or bone broth full of protein and root vegetables. 4. Nourish your microbiome eat 7 servings of fibrous fruits and vegetables each day. 5. Develop regular mealtimes develop habits that involve eating at roughly the same time every day. For each meal, sit down, relax and chew food properly to stimulate digestion. As the body learns that it will be fed at the same time everyday it becomes programmed to secrete digestive hormones that regulate appetite and optimise digestion. Furthermore, the bowels become used to moving more regularly and frequently throughout the day after each meal. 6. Balance your circadian rhythm Similar to developing regular mealtimes, adjust your sleep-wake cycle to your bodies natural circadian rhythm, going to bed at roughly the same time every night, preferably in the PM, and waking at the same time every morning during the AM. Via balancing the circadian rhythm, the body releases the hormones cortisol and melatonin at the correct times optimising rest and digestion. An out of sync system causes excessive cortisol release, resulting in blood sugar crashes and snacking on refined carbohydrates which both messes with our microbiome and causes weight gain.