The Benefits of Spirulina to alkalise your body

 

Spirulina is a powerful superfood which is a type of cyanobacteria although it is called blue-green algae. This organism is packed with essential nutrients, antioxidants, and plant-based protein, making it a popular supplement for people looking to boost their overall health.

Rich in nutrients and vitamins

Spirulina has an impressive nutritional profile. Just one tablespoon contains:

• 4 grams of protein
• 11% of the RDA of Vitamin B1
• 15% of the RDA of Vitamin B2
• 4% of the RDA of Vitamin B3
• 21% of the RDA of copper
• 11% of the RDA of iron

It’s also a good source of magnesium, potassium, and manganese—minerals that play key roles in everything from muscle function to heart health and bone strength.

Since spirulina offers so many vital nutrients in one small serving, it’s considered a true “superfood.” While you can get these nutrients from various other foods, spirulina provides a concentrated dose that’s hard to match.

A great source of plant protein

Spirulina is rich in protein, with around 55–70% of its content made up of high-quality, easily digestible protein. This makes it a fantastic option for those on vegetarian or vegan diets, particularly because it also contains iron and B12—nutrients that can sometimes be hard to find in plant-based eating.

A powerful antioxidant

Spirulina is more than just nutritious—it’s also a powerful antioxidant. The key compound responsible is called phycocyanin, which gives spirulina its bright blue-green colour and helps fight oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can harm cells and contribute to aging and disease, so getting more antioxidants in your diet is always a good idea.

Phycocyanin can even help protect LDL (“bad”) cholesterol from damage, supporting overall heart health.

Good heart health support

Spirulina has been shown to positively impact cholesterol levels. In one study, people who took 1 gram of spirulina daily for 12 weeks saw a 10% drop in LDL and a 16% decrease in triglycerides. Higher doses have also been linked to reduced blood pressure, thanks to improved nitric oxide production, which helps blood vessels relax and improves circulation.

For blood sugar balance and allergy relief

Emerging research also suggests spirulina may help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, particularly in people with Type 2 diabetes. Plus, if you suffer from seasonal allergies, spirulina might offer some relief by reducing inflammation and easing symptoms like sneezing and nasal congestion.

Boost your strength and endurance

Early studies show that spirulina may also enhance muscle strength and endurance, especially in older adults. While more research is needed, this could make spirulina an excellent supplement for athletes or anyone looking to stay active as they age.

How to add Spirulina to your diet

Spirulina is usually grown in natural or man-made lakes and is harvested, then dried into powder or compressed into tablets. You can mix the powder into smoothies, juices, or even baked goods. It has a strong earthy taste which you can mix with other flavours if you like.

Spirulina’s nutrient-dense, antioxidant-richness can support all levels of your health. If you are looking to boost your health routine and need assistance on how to do this, with some unique ideas on how to get healthy give us a call or message at our natural health clinic in Greystanes for a free 15 minute discovery session. We can help you in clinic or online. Only available until end of September in celebration of Father’s Day. Check us out at www.stressfreehealthmanagement.com

How can Energy Healing help me?

Energy healing is a non-invasive technique that helps to restore harmony, energy and balance in your energy system. It does this by channelling the universal life force. Some energy healing modalities use touch during a treatment session to clear, balance and energise your energy fields. However, some don’t use touch at all.

An energy healer can transfer energy remotely to heal you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually no matter the distance. You can use energy healing alongside the conventional healthcare services or with other natural approaches to help with all your healing.

Energy healing works by opening your energy centres, clearing them out and channelling new energy into you. This helps to facilitate your natural healing mechanisms. By using energy healing you are unblocking your energy fields and helping to prevent future problems. It can also help to identify the issues before they manifest as pain in your body.

The benefits

Energy healing works on your mind, emotions, body and spirit. It is a process of transferring pure, positive energy to you. This then brings about numerous benefits for your physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual self.

It helps your physical self by treating ailments, using energy to repair skeletal or muscular injuries, restoring balance to your basic body systems and it promotes overall wellness and improved immunity. For your mental health it helps to release internal negative thoughts and become more positive. It also helps you let go of old feelings such as regret and guilt that have been holding you back, helps you conquer fears, build confidence and develop a positive mindset. When it comes to your emotional self it can help to ease pain brought on by depression and start to bring joy into your everyday life. It can help to release anxiety and gives you a sense of calmness and confidence, sooth your anger and relieve sadness. On a spiritual level it can give you a sense of purpose and meaning in life, encourage your natural intuition to unfold and guide you in the right direction. It can help you gain new insight and harness better connection to all the people in your life.

Types of energy healing

There are quite a few different types of energy healing modalities. Each one follows its own process, but they all have the same outcome as the goal. This is to make some lasting changes in your energy field and improve your overall health. Some of the energy healing modalities that you may come across are polarity therapy, reflexology, reiki, touch for health, Pranic healing, emotional freedom technique or EFT, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, or PEMF or Theta healing.

This clinic specialises in clearing out your energies and teaching you how to keep them balanced in order to heal. We also hold classes for those interested in reiki and other forms of energy healing. If you would like to give energy healing a go give us a call and book a session to try.

As a special for Mother’s Day which is fast approaching, we are offering here at our natural health clinic in Greystanes, Sydney 20% discount on vouchers for your mum, grandma or special person in your life. Mention this blog to take advantage of the offer. Contact us at www.stressfreehealthmanagement.com, Facebook or give us a call. #naturalmedicineweek2025

Treating diabetes with herbs

 

Diabetes is a disease that affect how the body uses blood sugar, or glucose. Glucose is a source of energy that is important for the cells in your body that make up your muscles and tissues. Glucose is your brains main fuel. There are two chronic types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. There are also types of diabetes that can potentially be reversible. These are pre-diabetes and gestational diabetes. Pre-diabetes is when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, however they are not high enough to be called diabetes. If you have been told you have pre-diabetes you should be aware that this can lead to diabetes unless you take certain steps to prevent it. The other type of diabetes is called Gestational diabetes. This type happens during pregnancy. However, there is a good chance it will go away after you give birth to your baby. Once again you need to be careful and be aware that this may not always be the case.

Causes of Diabetes

The main causes for diabetes vary depending on the type.

All types of diabetes lead to excess sugar in the blood.  If you  have too much sugar in the blood it can lead to other serious health problems.

Type 1 Diabetes is usually from birth though it can be otherwise. It can occur if your immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes may be generic but some environmental factors, such as viruses, can trigger the disease.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. There are a few contributing factors that can cause you to develop this type of diabetes. There are many lifestyle factors involved and some people do believe it is in your genes. Often some type of energetic healing is needed in that case. If you are overweight, eat junk foods, too much sugar or chemical type GMO foods then you have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Natural ways to manage your diabetes

There is a way that you can help manage your diabetes naturally. You can do this through the use of certain herbs and adjust your diet and lifestyle.

Some of these herbs include bitter melon. This helps to reduce blood sugar levels and helps with other symptoms of diabetes. Gymnema is an herb that can help get rid of sugar levels and increase your insulin levels. It can also assist in helping with the cravings for sugar. Another good herb is cinnamon. This herb can lower your blood pressure, your cholesterol and your glucose levels, while increasing your insulin sensitivity. Ginger is also good for lowering blood sugar levels and it can help your digestion and is an anti-inflammatory.

One herb that is good for slowing the progress of Type 2 diabetes is Aloe Vera. This is because of its antioxidant effects. Milk Thistle also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Milk Thistle is a good herb to detox your liver. Lastly Fenugreek is a good herb for increasing your insulin levels as well as helping to reduce blood sugar and lower cholesterol.

Prime importance is your diet and enough exercise is key for managing your diabetes. Also reducing your stress levels and taking time out for yourself. You cannot expect herbs, supplements or even doctors’ medication to work properly if you keep messing it up by not attending to what it means for you to heal it yourself. If your lifestyle is bad you can’t expect to be healthy nor to live on this planet for any length of time because it will all catch up to you. So please do something about your health now before all your hard work is of no avail and you risk becoming just another statistic.

How to get help

This clinic specialises in helping people create healthy lifestyles, address their illnesses and eradicate them. Please give us a call for a few minutes chat to see how we can help you. Or email us on www.stressfreemanagement.com.au

Autophagy and why it’s important to know what it is

Autophagy is your body’s way of getting rid of damaged cells. This essential cleaning process helps to promote building of new, healthy cells and is a needed for cellular rejuvenation and longevity.

What is Autophagy?

Autophagy destroys foreign invaders in your body like viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. Autophagy helps to detoxify the cells of harmful materials. However, it tends to slow down with age. When this happens, it can create a wide variety of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.  There are a number of ways to activate and increase the natural process of autophagy which then helps us to prevent many health problems. Heard of intermittent fasting? Here is a full explanation.

How does it work?

Autophagy activation is a powerful way to treat many diseases. Autophagy normally happens at a rate of continuous supply in most cells. It eliminates protein masses forming and damaged small structures in cells that have functions like small organs but are within the cell itself. These are called organelles. This happens so that your body maintains a healthy balance within the cell for it to work properly. It includes reduction in the production of energy by a part of the cell called mitochondria via a process called, mitophagy. Mitophagy is the removal of damaged mitochondria (the structure that produces energy in the cell) All this is to keep your cells healthy.

This is a process that limits both the production of reactive oxygen species and the release of toxic proteins which can damage RNA, DNA or proteins needed by the body. This destruction happens in many illnesses such as neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic conditions, infectious diseases and cancers. These things can disrupt autophagy or inhibit it.

The disruption and inhibition of autophagy can increase disease. However, in some other cases autophagy may be good regarding the development of a disease. Inducing autophagy has been shown to increase longevity and help with some neurodegenerative diseases as well as inhibiting autophagy inhibition has been used as a strategy for treating some cancers. Basically, cyclical autophagy is a natural way to help improve your health and longevity.

How to boost Autophagy

To help achieve these benefits you need to boost autophagy naturally. You do this through healthy lifestyle strategies. The most effective way is to fast. This is because autophagy is stimulated during various pathological and physiological states like starvation. Starvation induced autophagy is a way to control cells by destroying proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. This then lets the cell adapt its metabolism to meet its energy needs. Water-only fasts are a form of starvation that induce autophagy. Even only as little as 200 calories can inhibit the process. This starvation period needs to be around at least 16 hours longer if possible. However, autophagy cannot remain activated all the time as you need to let the cells rebuild and rejuvenate. Rejuvenation happens during the re-feeding phase which is why cyclical fasting and feeding both need to be done.

Precautions you must take

There are precautions you need to take though, if you're on medication, you need speak to your natural therapist and doctor to ensure this is done safely. You should continue taking nutritional supplements during your fast. You also need to take a high-quality salt. The first time you do a water-only fast, start slowly by fasting for 16 hours a day, and slowly work up to 20 hours a day. Once you've done that for a month, it will be easier to get through a five-day water fast. All fasting needs to be supervised by a medical professional and I can’t stress this enough. Your doctor, naturopath or natural therapist must be on deck to supervise your fasting and be aware that it is happening. If they ever tell you to stop then you must stop as these people are highly trained to help you achieve optimum health. 

Alzheimer’s disease – prevention is better than cure

 There are times when we all forget things - like where we put our keys or sometimes what we walked into the room for, but if you are finding that you are forgetting things more often than normal, or are starting to repeat phrases and stories in a conversation, then this could be something more serious. Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia and typically the most common. It is also one of the leading causes of death. This disease progresses differently in people but it commonly begins with short term memory loss. Later it can cause speech problems and issues with executive functions.

Memory changes

If your friends and family are starting to notice changes in your thinking skills and memory this could mean you could have a mild cognitive impairment. This is a slight decrease in your cognitive abilities. If this is the case you could be at an increased risk of it becoming Alzheimer’s or any other form of dementia. However, if these changes start to affect your daily life or your ability to live independently it could be the onset of dementia.

If you find that you become lost and disorientated in a place that you are familiar with, or are unable to remember a situation when your memory loss was a problem when someone is telling you about then it is a big red flag it could be related to Alzheimer’s. There are other things to look out for as well such as asking the same question multiple times, having difficulty making decisions, showing poor judgement or inappropriate social behaviour and difficulty in daily tasks such as personal hygiene and paying the bills.

Memory issues like leaving the stove on, not being able to recognise familiar faces, personality changes or losing interest in activities can all be signs as well.

Preventative measures

Things that can help prevent Alzheimer's include exercise, optimising vitamin D and hormones, getting more sleep (as sleep is necessary for maintaining metabolic homeostasis in your brain). Without enough sleep, neuron degeneration sets in. Catching up on sleep during weekends will not prevent this damage. Meditation, detoxification, and dietary changes such as removing processed foods and gluten are also great preventatives. Challenging your mind daily can also help. Try learning something new such as a language or learn how to play an instrument. By doing this you are decreasing your risk of Alzheimer's and dementia.

Another way to help prevent Alzheimer’s is by optimising your gut flora. You can do this by avoiding processed foods, antibiotics and antibacterial products, fluoridated and chlorinated water. Also, intermittent fasting is great for getting your body into remembering how to burn fat and repair the insulin/leptin resistance as these are primary contributing factors for Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's can affect anyone and it is important that if we notice signs in ourselves, our friends or our families so we can seek medical advice both mainstream and natural. This clinic specialises in meditation, mindfulness, nutrition, naturopathic and dietary advice to help your mind and brain function to its optimum capacity. 

How to have a healthier home

       

Every section of our daily life revolves on the topic of health. When we are faced with a health issue, big or small, it can be overwhelming to try and adopt healthier choices and actions. When you become overwhelmed you stop trying because the challenge seems impossible to overcome. A smart way to approach an overwhelming goal is to take little steps that can soon become a big step towards the goal. The food and drinks we have at home can help us achieve our goal of being healthy. You only need to change a few things in your daily routine to become healthier.

Ten ways to begin a healthier lifestyle

1. Place plants inside the house to freshen the air and form a relaxing setting for the kitchen.
2. Place a bowl of fresh, washed fruit on your kitchen table. You can place fruits like grapes, mangoes, bananas or nectarines into the bowl.
3. Sliced vegetables like; carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers must be kept in clear glass containers. After buying vegetables from the shops wash them so it removes any bacteria off them.
4. If there are any unhealthy foods contained in your fridge, place them all at the bottom of your fridge so they won’t be the first thing you see, so that it won’t make you tempted to eat them. Place all vegetables at the centre of the fridge.
5. The same tactic applies to the pantry, all unhealthy foods must but be at the top of the shelf at the back. Place healthier foods at the front and centre.
6. People put advertising and other things on their fridge. If you hang images of inspiring words, healthy recipes and people who are healthy, it will inspire you to keep healthy as well.
7. Put pots and pans in cabinets near the stove. Remove any cooking items that are chipped or broken. Arrange dry herbs and spices in an organised manner that are within reach near the stove. Clear out a shelf to place a cookbook and recipes in, if wanted.
8. Get an oil diffuser. Essential oils not only smell nice they also relax the body, boost your mood and improve your focus. There are many different blends you can search out from the variety of companies. Grab a small booklet off Google to learn which would help you best to get healthier. It’s a fun learning curve.
9. Create a safe and calming setting in your bedroom to encourage your brain to sleep. Use colours like blue, green or pink. These colours are known for peace and calm. Decorate your room with photos and arts to make it feel more peaceful. Keep electronics outside of your bedroom and turn them off an hour before you sleep. Listen to music on the radio or read a book to make the mind at ease.
10. If a goal of yours is to be active regularly, set down a set of workout clothes and leave your sneakers on a chair near your bed, so when you wake up, it will remind you and motivate you to get dressed and be active. If you go to a gym after work is over, pack a set of gym clothes and sneakers into a bag before heading off to bed, ready for the morning.

How much are you willing to improve your lifestyle and home to be healthy? It’s not that hard really. Give us a call if you need help with that. We also offer Feng Shui services for your home or office.

 

How’s your memory?

Have you ever walked into the room and forgotten why you went in there, or forgot where you left your keys? Most likely this has happened to you from time to time as there are times when we all forget things especially when times are busy or we are in a rush. This can be completely normal but at the same time very frustrating.

Research has shown that genetics play a role in memory loss, particularly when it involves conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, but your diet and lifestyle can also have a big impact on your memory. The good news is there are some natural ways to give your memory a boost.

(pic thanks to Samantha Hurley - Burst)

How did this happen?

There are some changes you can make to your daily diet to help improve your memory. Firstly, you should eat less sugar as too much sugar has been linked to memory loss. A diet high in sugar has been shown to reduce brain volume in the area that stores short-term memory leading to cognitive loss. Cutting back on your sugar will help to make your memory a bit sharper.  

Do you crave carbohydrates? Pasta? Pizza? Potato? Cakes? Cookies and white bread? It has been shown that eating large amounts of refined carbohydrates like these also impact on your memory. This is because these foods have a high glycaemic index, namely convert straight into sugar in your body and are digested quickly causing a spike in blood sugar levels. Studies have shown that refined carbohydrates are linked to dementia and cognitive decline. On the other hand foods that have anti-inflammatory effects are rich in antioxidants and may help to improve your memory.

Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to a reduction in cognitive function. So, make sure your vitamin D levels are high enough. Alcohol in large quantities can be bad for your health in many ways and can also negatively impact your memory. Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that raises your blood alcohol levels to 0.08 grams per ml or above. Studies have shown it alters the brain and results in bad memory.

Obesity is also linked as a high-risk factor for cognitive decline. Being obese can actually cause changes to memory-associated genes in the brain, negatively affecting your memory.

What to use

Curcumin is good for helping to improve your memory. Curcumin has been known to reduce oxidative damage and inflammation in the brain and also lower the quantity of amyloid plaques. These gather on neurons and cause cell and tissue death. This may also cause memory loss.

Cocoa is not only delicious but also nutritious. It may help stimulate the growth of blood vessels and neurons and increase blood flow in parts of the brain involved with memory.

Fish oil is a great supplement to take if you are looking to improve your memory. Fish oil is rich in the omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. These fats are important for overall health and have been shown to slow mental decline.

There are also many other herbs and supplements that can help your memory improve – like Brahmi tea. Brahmi tea has a full rich flavour and is a nice warming cuppa on any day.

Aside from that there are games you can play which will keep your mind mentally active. Also make sure you get enough sleep and try some meditation and mindfulness practice. Learning to meditate and focus your mind will improve your concentration and in turn your memory.

All this of course will lower your stress and frustration levels but it is not an easy task to do on your own. Seek out a trusted natural holistic therapist that can help you put your mind and body in tune with each other, bring about more harmony, assist you in gaining more peace of mind and you will soon find your memory begins to improve. Even if you can’t repair all the cells any repair is better than none.

Give us a call if we can assist you with your stress levels, memory improvement, lessening your fatigue and if you need more balance and peacefulness in your life.

Natural remedies for colds and flu

This winter is not just about Covid 19. Remember we are also susceptible to colds and flu. There are many recipes for helping with symptoms. Our energy levels and alignment also affects the types of illnesses we attract. Every part of your body aligns with you psychologically, emotionally, spiritually and energetically.

There are many cold and flu remedies but here are a few I have found tried and true after the years.

Cold and flu remedies

Remedy 1

Add the juice of a whole lemon & warm water with one teaspoon a day of this remedy. It can be taken in the morning and is great for a sore throat. It is also disinfectant so it will kill off microbes.

Ingredients

Add some fresh Ginger to fresh Turmeric

Mix in some fresh Garlic, Lemon, thyme, black peppercorns with some natural honey.

Method

Finely grate the Ginger, Turmeric, Garlic & the lemon rind in a bowl.

Gently remove all the sprigs of leaves off the thyme and add them in the bowl.

In a mortar & pestle crush the Black Peppercorns or use pre cracked pepper if it’s easier. Add the Pepper to the bowl.

Next add honey and stir.

Store it in a cool, dark place.

Remedy 2

Take a Spanish onion and cut in half

Grate the onion or cut into small pieces

Add a teaspoon or two of natural honey

Mix these together well

Eat this mixture for a sore throat

It has a tang to it but your sore throat should soon disappear unless it is caused by an underlying infection which will need attention.

Remedy 3

This is an old energetic remedy to increase your energy levels and wellbeing.

Place a glass of water in the sun. Can be through a sunlit window.

The water must be pure filtered water

If you have a sore throat it needs to be in a blue coloured glass or wrap some see through blue cellophane paper around the glass so the sun can go through the blue colour and affect the water.

If you have a temperature you also need a blue coloured glass.

Blue energy is the colour of the throat chakra and blue brings down fevers.

Drink Pranic energised water all day either in blue or ordinary sunlight filtered glasses to detox your energy.

Supplements for cold and flu

Echinacea, olive leaf, sage tea, fenugreek tea, Vitamin C, Vitamin B. Remember to take a multi-vitamin daily and in these times of Covid 19 a good dose of Olive leaf daily as well and some Vitamin C. Nothing compensates for good immunity.

If you need help with colds and flu remedies or aches and pains we also specialise in Bach remedies, Shell essences and aromatherapy oils. We do online sessions so you can give us a call to book a time.

Healthy habits that make you successful

Successful people make success a part of their lifestyle so to become successful we need to copy some of the things they do. This involves looking at future goals in order to make working towards these part of your daily habits. We need to first take care of ourselves with a healthy diet, some physical activity and good sleeping patterns so that we are healthy enough to work towards what we desire in our lives. There is no such thing as a quick fix and it’s important to start thinking long term about what you want your life to be. Setting small goals to achieve this will help keep you motivated to work towards that long-term goal.

It’s very easy to make excuses for not doing something and then beat up on yourself for not being successful. Excuses are a way of deflecting responsibility of weaknesses and past failures. In order to become successful it’s important to take responsibility for our own mistakes and learn from them. Excuses will just stop you from reaching your full potential. Once you put the source of the problem inside yourself you become empowered to do something about it. It is difficult to find perfection in an imperfect world but if you give of yourself 100% every time to reach your goals the very motivation and momentum will keep you going. This will make you the best you can possibly be. Sometimes we get stuck in the moment thinking that we cannot do something because our intelligence or talents are predetermined and that we can’t change this. If we change our way of thinking and remember that we can learn new skills then begin to work at it then it is possible to achieve anything.

Achieving our goals needs constant relentless attention. Find your dream and break it down easily into goals that are achievable. Put a time limit on each goal and work towards each one, one at a time. Be focused and do not diverse your attention. It is incorrect to split your energy and believe you will succeed. Multi-tasking is not a time saver because you are wasting time swapping from task to task and not giving each task your full concentration hindering the outcome. So stay focused and work your way towards success. Have faith and simply follow the path without needing to have vice grip control of everything. Some things need to gain their own momentum. Over control of situations leads to a lot of unnecessary stress over what we cannot control however it is important to remember that we can control the way we react to things. Change our reactions and immediately everything around them will change also.

To be successful you need to work smart, stay focused on your path, learn to discern what is not included in your path and say no to it, don’t let others distract you and don’t get side-tracked wasting time on other things.