Julie Farrelly at Achieve Optimal Health | Health & wellness website
Julie Farrelly at Achieve Optimal Health
Reviews
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24.01.2022 How does Functional Medicine work? When women (and men!) start working with me, it's usually because they are wanting to resolve a 'symptom'. Symptoms are messages that our bodies are receiving to tell us that we are out of balance - not necessarily that we have a 'diagnosis' that needs to be treated. Symptoms can range from hot flushes to gut bloating, rashes to joint pain, anxiety to headaches and everything in between.... Imbalances may show in your blood work, such as sluggish thyroid, low iron, elevated insulin or low progesterone or testosterone. Functional Medicine doesn't work to 'treat' these symptoms or sub optimal blood markers. Instead it gradually peels away the layers of imbalance and inflammation - working on optimising sleep, removing foods and toxins (including stress!) that are irritating the gut lining, eating the most nutritious foods and creating a calm environment for your unique body. During our time working together, not only do symptoms start to resolve, but there are 'side effects' from the inflammation in your body calming down. Often weight loss is one of the last signs of inflammation to resolve, because your body is in a state of protection, trying to keep you safe! But that's ok, we need time to dig deep into what is going on for you. Just imagine living a life free of the symptoms of inflammation!
24.01.2022 Going on from how alcohol affects perimenopausal symptoms, in this month’s blog I look at how the loss, or slow decline, of oestrogen production influences heart health - something I am very passionate about in women ! https://achieveoptimalhealth.com.au//oestrogen-and-heart-/
23.01.2022 Has Anxiety crept into your life and robbed you of your Joy? Is Joy even a foreign word to you these days? Some of my clients look completely confused when I ask them ‘What do you do in your daily life for Joy’?... Often it is more that as you go about your life you are sideswiped by waves of anxiety, waves that start in your breath, moving to the depths of your chest and then up to your already foggy brain.... We thought that things were supposed to be getting easier at ‘this time’ of our lives - But now we are consumed by the worries of our young adult children (maybe even grandchildren), helping them to navigate through these bizarre times. And on the other side of life, we have our elderly parents who might be needing more and more help. They call us the "Sandwich Generation. So in reality because of these pressures, THIS is the time when finding our Joy is so important. Rather than just ‘existing’, putting up with those waves of anxiety - which will eventually wear our already stressed adrenal glands down - finding moments of Joy actually help to BUILD our resilience. Oestrogen dominant states (where our progesterone levels are dropping in peri-menopause), can be the trigger for anxiety thanks to spikes in our cortisol levels causing the ‘fight/flight or hide’ reaction. This is our natural response to help us escape from whatever we might be perceiving as stress in the moment. Thankfully my clients report greatly reduced anxiety and depression levels once we get to the root cause of WHY this is happening. Working together to heal the gut and improve liver function to help hormone processing. Working on the mind to find more Joy in life. Remembering the truth of the gut/brain connection to bring great relief!
23.01.2022 Oestrogen Balance and Mental Health :)
22.01.2022 I know some of us have been leaning on alcohol a little more than usual during 'these times' Here is my latest blog post that speaks to the Effects of Alcohol on Menopause https://achieveoptimalhealth.com.au//effects-of-alcohol-o/
22.01.2022 Menopause and gut health: "If you have poor digestive function (liver, stomach, intestines) and your adrenal glands are overworked, this affects many of your hormones. And when entering menopause, your hormones are already out of ‘whack’; which affects your ability to lose weight from your middle area, leads you to have sugar cravings, mood swings, digestive issues, etc!!"... Read more in my latest Blog :) https://achieveoptimalhealth.com.au//24/gut-health-menopa/
21.01.2022 Gaining weight and Anxiety - Combined! Anxiety/mood swings etc. are usually very elevated on the symptom questionnaire scores that my clients complete before starting to work with me. Remember EVERYTHING is interlinked - you CANNOT lose weight if you are feeling stressed or anxious. It can take weeks of working together to peel away the layers to discover the truth around this. We cannot choose to expect our bodies to function AS IF they are living in a perfect environmen...t, when the environment that we exist in (mental, spiritual, social, physical) is totally or even partially in opposition to that. There are no magic meal plans, no fancy exercise programs, no perfect pills or supplements. Everyone is UNIQUE, with their own reasons for WHY they are experiencing these signs or symptoms - which by the way are GIFTS, to alert you to the fact that your mind and body are calling out for help. Most importantly, YOU ARE NOT BROKEN See more
21.01.2022 The wonderful Matty Lansdown has a fantastic podcast series that I highly recommend to you all. I had the pleasure of being interviewed by him recently, I hope you enjoy listening! https://podcasts.apple.com//how-to-not-get-si/id1450212088
19.01.2022 For those interested in nutritional intervention for immune health in these 'times', please enjoy!
19.01.2022 If you haven't already joined my private facebook group, please do! It is a lovely safe space to connect with other women who may be experiencing the same symptoms of peri/menopause as you ... Here is the link to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1950324901777981/... Recently we talked about menopause after hysterectomy and I made a short video in response to some great questions in the group :)
19.01.2022 Gaining weight in peri/menopause makes you want to throw your hands up with the total frustration of it all. You feel like you are stuck with this weight around your middle now that you have hit the 'change' Your doctor keeps saying all you have to do is 'eat less and exercise more'....But you HAVE been doing that!... - You have tried every diet trend out there - keto/paleo/fasting/plant-based/carnivore/calorie counting - You exercise for an hour several days a week - you've tried HIIT, long distance running, crossfit, old school aerobics, hot yoga, and still nothing wants to shift. It's so easy then to take our your frustrations by throwing in the towel or bingeing on chips and chocolate, leaving you feeling like a complete failure The truth is you CAN budge that menopause middle without starving yourself and exercising like a mad thing. You can even treat yourself with your favourite foods without ruining it all You just need to know the right way for YOU. When you have a practitioner who can dig deep to find the root cause of WHY your middle isn't shifting, the puzzle pieces fall into place. As we peel away the layers to reveal what is the best plan for you, the need to eat less and exercise more will be gone forever! If this resonates with you feel free to reach out for a chat
19.01.2022 Stop the frustration! #menopause #perimenopausal #weightgain #functionalmedicine #hormonebalance #womenshealth #hormonehealth #chronicillness #menopause #perimenopause #fatigue #fibromyalgia #autoimmunity#digestivedisorder #ibs #menopauseweightloss #moodswings #womenover40 #womenover50 #hormoneimbalances #thehormonefairy #menopausesymptomsgone
17.01.2022 Tired of trying a million diets to help with your night sweats? Are you being woken at night with hot sweats and then disturbed by hot flushes during the day? I am sure you are you craving for a decent night's sleep without waking up suddenly because you are steaming and sweaty under the covers!... You must be wondering when this will ever end...... Women you know suggest trying different diets that have worked for them to help stop the night sweats and hot flushes. One is fully 'keto' and the other is 'plant based'! And now you're totally confused! It is possible to learn what foods and nutrients will work to reduce your night sweats and hot flushes, for YOU You don’t need to keep trying different diets because what works for one, may well not work for you We just need to get to the root cause of WHY you are having such bad events and work upstream from there... One of my clients was having dreadful sweats and flushes. She was exhausted from being woken several times a night, having to throw the covers off again when she'd finally fallen into a deep sleep. And the hot flushes during the day were making her more and more anxious and stressed. But we were able to investigate what was CAUSING her symptoms so that she could stop worrying about what different diet fad she should 'try' next. We were able to maximise the correct nutrients, minimise what we found was aggravating her symptoms and prioritise the important things in life that were needed to bring her vitality back! Is this scenario happening to you too - have you tried all of the ‘diets’ hoping for a change with no luck?
15.01.2022 Anxiety and palpitations can come right out of the blue in peri-menopause You wake up from a dead sleep - It’s not quite a panic attack but it’s very scary and unnerving. During the day - you could really do without that nervous feeling in your chest.... The shaky deep breath and panic feeling, like you're not getting enough air for a moment. - You're probably too embarrased to talk abou this with your friends if you are usually the 'calm' one - You pluck up the courage to discuss the anxiety with your doctor, and they just offer to prescribe you an anti-depressant - But you know you're not depressed! What WILL work is a practitioner who takes the time to correctly investigate what is going on for YOU. To peel away the layers to find the CAUSE of your anxiety Reach out if you would like to chat about how we can work to put your puzzle pieces together - and bring you back to your VIBRANT self
14.01.2022 To all my Health Practitioner friends and colleagues ! Are you frustrated with mediocre improvements when it comes to chronic disease? Join us for a one-day workshop that will completely change your practice and patient’s health! A full-day, hands-on virtual workshop for you to take your practice to the next level with Tracy Harrison, Founder and Lead Educator at The School of Applied Functional Medicine. All licensed medical modalities are welcome. We will be diving deep i...nto a different approach of how to resolve your patients’ chronic health issues. To learn more and register - check out the link in the comments.
10.01.2022 I am so pleased to be listed in the international database of Applied Functional Medicine Certified Practitioners. I followed my passion by completing my formal certification more than 2 years ago now and truly love being able to serve my private clients, helping them to achieve their health and wellness goals. AFMC Certified Practitioners Are Highly Qualified:... Each practitioner showcased in this database has completed 620+ hours (approximately 2 years) of advanced, comprehensive training in functional etiology, physiology, and biochemistry in addition to their other health care credentials and has demonstrated hands-on experience using their knowledge in credible, case practice. https://afmccertification.com/practitioner/farrelly-julie/ Follow this link to book a Discovery Call with me and learn more about what I can offer to help you to achieve optimal health! https://p.bttr.to/366ntG4
10.01.2022 If you haven't already signed up for my monthly newsletter, here is a link to my latest blog post :) https://achieveoptimalhealth.com.au//hysterectomy-and-men/
07.01.2022 This article makes me so sad, that women have to reach desperation point before they seek help. The most telling paragraph is the following - this is how I work with my clients, getting to the root cause of those awful symptoms (clearly worse for some). "My consultant weaved together my blood results, to tell the story my body had been trying to. I was insulin resistant (insulin is one of our largest hormones, hence the massive role it plays in the menopause and the dreaded ...middle aged spread), my testosterone and oestrogen were virtually non-existent and my folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin D, far too low. We designed a phased approach. The first thing to tackle was the insulin resistance - a combination of medical interventions and diet and the vitamin deficiencies. After that we tackled the oestrogen and testosterone levels. And after that we looked at long term solutions, for controlling the insulin and fluctuating hormone levels". Don't wait until you feel so desperate! You need to be cared for on an individual basis. One size, one pill, one supplement, does not suit all women................ https://www.linkedin.com//desperate-reality-menopause-nik-
05.01.2022 There are solutions :)
04.01.2022 Please enjoy my latest blog post - the first of a two-part article about anxiety and forgetfulness. My blog posts are and concise, easy to to read with lots if information for you to take onboard! https://achieveoptimalhealth.com.au//anxiety-and-forgetfu/
03.01.2022 Once again, you wake up worrying about how your body is going to let you down with these awful hot flushes over and over. You’re back at work today and the anxiety levels are rising just thinking about it, so you make sure you've applied plenty of makeup to try and hide the redness when it happens. Will it just be a mild flush, or the raging one that everyone notices because of the sudden anxious look on your face - that has now gone beetroot red.... Not the ‘embarrassed’ type of blush, it's the deep-to-the-core beacon red. You've already thought ahead for somewhere to duck out and hide if you can get away for a few moments to recover - likely just dashing into the bathroom to splash your face with water to cool down a bit. And dab on another light layer of makeup (not that that helped!) Then back out to face the teasing from your workmates while you try to carry on, dreading the next episode with a sick feeling in your stomach. What a shame that the hot flushes of menopause aren't talked about openly amongst women like the discomforts of pregnancy or the challenges of motherhood, where we band together to support each other! But menopause really is another stage in our lives that we should embrace, not dread happening to ourselves or tease our loved ones about. There are solutions to dramatically ease the amount and frequency of your hot flushes - you just need to be shown HOW for YOUR unique body .
