It's Springtime! Let the unfurling begin
Happy Springtime everyone! We've managed to get through the long, cold winter days, and can now look forward to the promise of warmer weather and more time outdoors (although as I write this it's still cold and raining outside, but that's Melbourne for you).
Spring is a time when the trees and plants unfurl and blossom, and it's also when we feel like getting out, doing more, and begin to make plans as we head towards the latter end of the year. This is a good time to set some goals for your health - whether that be a change in your diet, a decision to prioritise your health or introducing exercise into your week.
This is a good time to do an overhaul of your diet, find some new recipes, and replace the stodgy foods of winter with lighter, fresher foods that are in season such as artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, fennel, snow peas, silver beet and spinach; and fruit such as bananas, strawberries, grapefruit, mandarin and oranges. Lighter meals with lean red meat, hormone-free chicken or fish with the above vegetables or dark green leafy salads is the way to go. If you've been digging into the heavy desserts/biscuits/cakes over winter, you can replace these with fruit and yoghurt, or a protein smoothie made with almond milk, coconut water, yoghurt and mixed berries/banana.
If you'd some help working out what's best for you right now, come in an see me for a comprehensive assessment of you health - http://essentialsforhealth.com.au
The beat on wheat!
A recent study may explain why people who don't have coeliac disease can experience adverse symptoms after eating wheat and related grains. The study, by researchers from Columbia University Medical Centre, shows that for some people, exposure to wheat and related grains can trigger an systemic immune response rather than just one that is localised in the gut. Symptoms can include stomach pain, wind and bloating, as well as headaches, lethargy, skin irritation and many more. While there are no accurate figures for the amount of people with non-coeliac wheat sensitivity (NCWS), it is estimated to be about 1% of the population, which would equate to around 230,000 people in Australia.
Which rice is best?
There is a lot of nutrition informationavailable on the internet, and one topic that recently interested me was brown vs white rice. There is no arguing that brown rice is better for you, as it is higher in fibre and more nutrients, but it's not always convenient to make, or palatable for younger children (and some adults too). However if you were to choose white rice, I would recommend basmati rice, for a number of reasons. Basmati rice is not comparable to brown rice in terms of levels of the vitamins B1 and B2, but it has high amounts of vitamin B6 and Manganese, and similar levels of Iron and Zinc to brown rice. Basmati is also lower on the Glycemic Index than other types of white rice, meaning it doesn't shoot your blood sugar levels up after eating it, which is important in preventing diabetes.
Did you know Michelle offers pregnancy massage, pre-conception acupuncture, acupuncture treatments concurrent with IVF, treatment for conditions during pregnancy, and acupuncture to help induce labour?
In Best Health,
Michelle Bryceland - Naturopath, Acupuncturist, Health & Wellness
