Essential Wellness Blog

One woman’s experience of periods often differs from the next. Periods can range from painful, to irregular, to non-existent. So what explains this variation?

Well, your period is an expression of your underlying health. Think of it as a monthly report card that provides a snapshot of your health at a particular point in time. When your period runs smoothly, it is generally an indication of good health, whereas a disrupted and irregular menstrual cycle or painful periods may be a sign of poor health. Therefore, charting your menstrual cycles is a good way of monitoring your overall health.

If you suffer from pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), painful periods (dysmenorrhea), absence of menstruation (amenorrhea), breast pain, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis, it is the result of underlying hormonal imbalance. This imbalance can stem from diet and lifestyle habits and environmental factors such as exposure to toxic metals and chemicals.

There is growing research indicating that exposure to chemicals known as xenoestrogens can disrupt our body’s regulation of hormones. These xenoestrogens encompass a range of harmful chemicals used in a countless array of plastics, domestic goods, foods, drugs, cosmetics and insecticides. The xenoestrogens from these products are absorbed into our body when we consume food and beverages, apply creams, makeup and shampoos to our skin and even inhale particles from window and floor coverings around the home. When xenoestrogens enter the body, they mimic our oestrogen hormones, blocking or binding our hormone receptors. This disrupts our hormones and causes harm to the reproductive system, including our menstrual cycles.

Among the most widely used xenoestrogens is ethynylestradiol, a type of synthetic oestrogen commonly found in hormonal birth control medications such as the oral contraceptive pill, Mirena, patches and injections. Ironically, these same medications are freely prescribed to treat the symptoms of the hormonal imbalance which drive menstrual disorders. While birth control medications are effective at eliminating the symptoms of hormonal imbalance — for example, by relieving pain — they do not remedy the underlying hormonal imbalance and thus only provide a band aid effect.

In fact, birth control medications have a dramatic effect on your hormones. For example, the pill works by switching off your natural hormones and replacing them with its own synthetic hormones. Whilst these synthetic hormones may alleviate symptoms of hormonal imbalance, they don’t address the root cause of the hormonal imbalance and may adversely impact fertility.

An alternative approach for treating complications with your periods is to address the underlying hormonal imbalance. Changes to diet and lifestyle may help but, in most cases, supplementation is often needed to detoxify and balance your hormones. Not only does this approach work to support your body’s natural hormonal function, but it avoids the adverse side-effects that come with birth control medications.

Essential Wellness Studio is here to help you overcome your period issues and restore your hormonal health.

In an increasingly appearance-conscious society, our skin is too often seen as a reflection of our status and value. It is no wonder that those with skin conditions such as acne become increasingly self-conscious and even avoid socialising with friends and family. More than simply a condition of adolescence, acne can have a devastating impact on our self-esteem. Acne is the result of inflamed hair follicles, which occur mainly on the face, back and chest. This inflammation manifests in the form of pimples, blackheads, white heads and cysts. In some cases, acne can lead to permanent scarring.

Why do I have acne?

Acne usually coincides with the start of adolescence and generally lasts about ten years, but it some cases, can continue into adulthood. It is primarily caused by androgen hormones, which are released into the body at the start of puberty. Androgens are present in both males and females but are more predominant in males. These androgens increase the production of oil in the skin glands on the face, neck, shoulders, chest and back. Bacteria that naturally occurs on the skin surface digest the oil, and the by-products that result irritate the skin and block pores, ultimately causing blackheads, pimples and cysts.

Lifestyle factors also play a role

There are a number of lifestyle factors that trigger or exacerbate acne:

• Stress – Unfortunately, the added stress of socialising with friends and family can aggravate acne symptoms. This is because there are a multitude of nerve endings connected to the skin which also wrap around the organs. When we become stressed, it is expressed through our skin, similar to how stress manifests through high blood pressure and gastrointestinal symptoms.

• Certain medications – Drugs such as those containing corticosteroids, testosterone or lithium.

• Diet – Studies indicate that diets with high levels of high glycaemic index (GI) foods – such as white bread, short-grain rice, confectionery and fried foods – may worsen acne. A link has also been found between aggravated symptoms and dairy foods, with the exception of cheese. To maintain a healthy functioning skin, it is important to consume a well-balanced diet and keep active. Water is also an important nutrient as it helps to flush the wastes impurities out of the body.

Conventional treatment methods

When we have acne, the instinctive solution is to apply topical anti-acne creams. While some creams may be effective, they are only a band-aid solution and do not treat the underlying cause of the problem. Some of the stronger creams have also been shown to have harmful side effects.

Doctors commonly treat acne by prescribing antibiotics and retinoids (vitamin-A derived drugs) such as Roaccutane. The problem with antibiotics is that they wipe out the gut microbiome, thereby compromising gut health and exposing the body to other inflammatory conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. Roaccutane, as a derivative of vitamin A, can if not monitored lead to toxicity of the liver. It also has several side effects, including depression with or without suicidal thoughts.

For women with acne, another commonly prescribed treatment is the contraceptive pill. While it is effective at suppressing skin oils and clearing up pimples, it does this by overriding the function of your hormones, switching off your ovaries entirely. This may lead to complications falling pregnant in the future.

An effective alternative

The devastating impact acne can have on our self-confidence means that we are often willing to take or do anything to make the pimples go away. However, it is important not to create more problems by using shortcut solutions that only address the symptoms (pimples etc.) whilst overlooking the underlying causes (hormonal and physiological functions). This is not to say that traditional treatment methods such as anti-acne drugs are ineffective; however, once we stop taking these drugs, the acne often reappears.

Alternative treatment methods such as changes to diet and lifestyle combined with supplementation target the causes of acne by supporting the body’s natural processes. These methods help to bring about a more sustainable solution to the condition. I have seen these positive effects firsthand in treating my own son’s acne.

If you are struggling with the anxiety of acne, get in touch to see how we can help.

For many women, menopause is a life-altering and in some cases, unsettling experience. As a menopausal woman myself, I have experienced first-hand the symptoms that are typical of many women at this stage in life: from hot flushes to weight gain, to loss of mental focus and mood changes. Menopause is a natural life stage marking the end of a woman’s reproductive years. A woman is deemed to be officially in menopause when she had twelve consecutive months without menstruation. Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, the average age being 51. The years preceding menopause (known as perimenopause) can range from two to eight years, marking the onset of a range of challenging symptoms.

So, what exactly causes menopause? As you approach menopause, the ovaries stop producing ‘female’ hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, which leads to an irregular menstrual cycle. For many women, the cycle may become unpredictable and may be longer or heavier. Eventually, cycles stop altogether.

It’s getting hot in here …

Arguably the most common symptoms of menopause are hot flushes and their associated night sweats, which are known collectively as vasomotor symptoms. Hot flushes are defined as intense heat with sweating and tachycardia (rapid heartbeat). This feeling can last anywhere between minutes to an hour. Up to 80% of peri- and postmenopausal women report having vasomotor symptoms, with up to a third reporting severe symptoms.

The fluctuation in oestrogen levels is seen to be a significant cause of hot flushes. This variability in hormone production compromises the brain’s perception of temperature, meaning that even a slight increase in temperature triggers a sweating and flushing response. However, fluctuating oestrogen is not the only cause of hot flushes. Research has found that stress levels can also play an influential role. Therefore, addressing stress is vital to managing menopausal symptoms.

Other symptoms that result from fluctuating oestrogen include:

• mood disturbances such as depression, anxiety and fatigue;
• cognitive impairment;
• weight gain;
• hair loss or thinning;
• insomnia;
• increased neck, lower back and hip pain;
• abnormal skin sensation (like ants crawling beneath the skin);

Know the risks

Remarkably, there is an association between vasomotor symptoms and later development of cardiovascular disease. Such symptoms are also correlated with increased insulin resistance and diagnosis of diabetes. If you go through menopause early or you have BMI higher than 25, this further increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The seriousness of this risk is demonstrated by the fact that prior to menopause, men have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than women, but after the menopausal transition the risk of cardiovascular disease between men and women is almost equal.

The loss of oestrogen that occurs in menopause also results in accelerated bone breakdown and rapid decline in bone density. It is estimated that a woman will lose about 10% of her bone mass within the first five years of menopause, increasing the risk of her developing osteoporosis.

What you can do

The profound physiological and emotional changes that women experience during the menopausal transition can make this time overwhelming. However, these changes can be an opportunity to transition into a new, exciting phase of life. Just remember that hormonal changes form only one part of the overall picture of menopause; environmental factors such as stress and a poor diet can be the difference between a positive transition and a challenging one. This is why every menopausal journey is unique.

The good news is that there are simple things you can do to make this transition more comfortable. Research shows that low-impact exercise and mind-body therapies such as Pilates can improve menopausal symptoms. Also, having a strong support unit can make an enormous difference.

Essential Wellness can provide you with the nourishment and support to feel more comfortable in your own skin.

In developed countries like Australia, cases of eczema (or atopic dermatitis) are on the rise, with infants being the most vulnerable to developing the condition. Eczema is a common chronic inflammatory skin disorder that usually starts in infancy. Your child may have eczema if they present the following symptoms:

• Skin inflammation
• Dry scaly skin
• Swelling
• Weeping or oozing fluid on skin
• Intense skin itchiness, particularly around ankles, knees, elbows and neck
• Scratching or picking of the skin

While topical treatment of eczema provides a superficial solution, it is important to treat its root cause to protect against the development of related conditions such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma. This progression from one condition to the other is known as the ‘atopic march’. The link between these conditions is complicated, but what essentially happens is that as eczema compromises the skin barrier, it leaves the immune system vulnerable to attack thereby triggering a response in the form of an allergic or asthmatic reaction.

What causes eczema?

What causes any one particular infant to develop the condition over another has long been the subject of debate and it is difficult to pinpoint any exact cause. However, there are certain factors that can increase an infant’s risk of developing the condition. These include:

• infants delivered by cesarean section; 
• an imbalance in the mother’s gut microbiome;
• a family history of eczema, asthma or hay fever; and
• environmental factors (animal saliva, dust mites, woolen clothing).

What can be done to manage eczema?

The most common way of treating eczema in infants is with traditional skin creams such as corticosteroids. While effective, they have been shown to have harmful side effects such as the thinning of the skin barrier which increases the risk of infection. Alternative naturopathic treatments offer a more holistic approach that focus on the root causes of the condition rather than merely the symptom. This means addressing issues including:

• the gut and skin microbiome;
• the immune system;
• inflammation; and
• skin integrity.

To achieve this requires changes to diet and lifestyle as well as nutritional and herbal supplementation. For instance, there is growing recognition that certain strains of probiotics can restore the balance of the gut microbiome and ultimately alleviate the symptoms of eczema.

Essential Wellness can help you or your infant to restore the body’s physiological balance and improve the overall quality of life.