Penny's Natural Health

Penny's Natural Health Penny's Natural Health provides tailored herbal medicine and massage therapy with care and compassion to business people.

24/01/2023

Vitamin D deficiency in Australia
Despite plenty of sunshine many Australians are Vit D deficient, less than 80nm/L. Often diet and sun exposure are not enough to raise Vit D levels. Vit D is not only important for strong bones and calcium absorption but it maintains a healthy immune system. New to the market place is now another form of Vit D capsule that is absorbed must faster, especially useful if your Vit D levels are very low. It contains calcifediol instead of colecalciferol . One client of mine increased her Vit D levels from 59 to 109 in a 3 month period much quicker than regular Vit D supplementation.

22/12/2022

7 Tips for surviving the holiday season
This will increase your calm, gratitude and love for others and reduce your own stress and overwhelm.

1. Be conscious of how you feel. Before you get angry or frustrated with someone, stop,pause and notice what is going on. This too shall pass.
2. Build routines before, during and after Xmas/New Year. Go for that walk, swim, run. Or read and meditate.
3. Do not let others rule you or boss you around. You are responsible for your emotions. Talk less and listen and observe more. Notice the feelings of others more too.
4. Feel more gratitude for what you have and whom you have in your life. Life will be more enjoyable.
5. Be conscious about what you eat and drink and feel. Your routines and how you show up!
6. Stay focussed and be positive. Don't let the rainy days get you down.
7. Recognise your internal rules for gift giving and behaviour. Do they clash with others?

22/12/2022

5 points to consider to reduce neck and shoulder strain whilst sitting round the lunch table or gardening.

1. Keep your neck central over your spine so you are not poking your neck forward when in conversation or even when gardening, weeding or pruning to get your place spruced up for guests.
2.Do not twist your neck to the same position, left or right for more than 15 to 30 mins to talk to someone. Similarly for gardening if your are pruning up high.
3. Sit evenly on your sit bones
4. Keep your back upright so you are not slumping. Slumping reduces oxygen to your lungs and reduces your energy and aliveness!
5. Keep your shoulders back and down so that your shoulder points are sitting in imaginary pockets. This will help your neck.

Dear clients, Wishing you a fabulous Xmas and New Year. And 8 tips on how to Survive the Silly Season. by exuding calm,...
22/12/2022

Dear clients,
Wishing you a fabulous Xmas and New Year. And 8 tips on how to Survive the Silly Season. by exuding calm, gratitude and love for others which in turn can reduce your own stress too!
1. Be conscious of how you feel. Before you get angry or frustrated with someone, stop, pause and notice what is going on.
2. Focus on food,exercise and lots of water.
3. Build routines AM and PM. Go for that walk, run or swim. Or maybe meditate, do yoga or read.
4. Do not let others rule or boss you around. I am responsible for my own emotions.
5. Talk less and listen and observe more. In this way we notice the feelings of others more.
6. Feel more gratitude for what you have and the people in your life. Life will then be more enjoyable.
7. Recognise your internal rules. e.g. Does buying gifts clash with others ideas etc?
8. Stay focussed. Be positive and don't let rainy days get you down.

30/05/2022

More on managing chronic pain.
1. Social connection is very important to reduce your perception of pain.
2., Quality of support is very important too.
Self management
a) Laughter
b) Good sleep
c) Be in nature by bush or sea
d) Ease up on coffee and alcohol
e) Meditation, relaxation apps
f) Look at your own perceptions on how bad the pain really is.
Anyway I hope all these posts on managing chronic pain have given you some useful ideas.

30/05/2022

How to manage chronic pain?
1. Herbs and supplements
A new product called PEA which is neuro protective, an analgaesic and anti inflammatory. It is for arthritis, shingles, fibromyalgia, after back surgery and migraines;
2. NAC - reduces neuropathic pain
3. Magnesium
4. Vitamin D- Magnesium deficiency can contribute to Vit D deficiency
5. Zinc, green tea and Cucurmin
6. Omega 3 or fish oils - Eat Salmon, anchovies or mullet 3X a day
7. Probiotics

Activity/Exercise
a) Exercise can reduce pain and depression and improve physical function
b) Use of an exercise physiologist for Pilates instructor to rehabilitate is very useful
c) Massage can help tight muscles associated with muscle and nerve pain.
d) Very important to pace yourself within your pain levels when you are in rehabilitation. A fine art!

30/05/2022

A. 7 Foods to promote recovery from chronic musculo- skeletal pain:
1. Vegetables
2. Berries - Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries
3. Citrus fruit such as lemons
4. Nuts
5. Turmeric and ginger
6. Soybeans
7. Green tea

B. And foods that will promote persistent pain:
a) High levels of saturated fats such as fatty red meat, cheeses
b) High levels of sugar: Chocolate, cakes, biscuits and any processed /packaged food.
And different types of diet will work better with different diseases. For example if you have fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis or general musculoskeletal pain then a Mediterranean diet is the best as it is lower in protein and saturated fats than regular diets.

C. Other contributors to chronic pain:
1. As we all know structural misalignment and nerve entrapment
2. Ongoing use of opiates
3. Long term depression
4. Unsupportive relationships
5. Interrupted sleep
6. Negative thought processes
7. Vitamin D and Magnesium deficiency
8. Omega 3 deficiency - Fish oils

In my next post how to manage chronic pain.

18/02/2021

Four Ways massage therapy makes you feel better.
* Touch stimulates the release of neurochemicals associated with pain relief and relaxation.
* Creating a healing environment is important. Music, warmth/cooling and a positive interaction with the therapist.
* Using massage to help reduce inflammation and scar tissue formation in the early stages of an injury can help the body to respond to subsequent rehabilitation. Gentle stretching of the nerves and muscles helps reduce swelling around the area.
* When I give you a massage it can be either light or firm. Each level of pressure activates different receptors in the skin. Stimulating the skin inhibits pain receptors and so our experience of pain is diminished.

18/02/2021

Magnesium deficiency is a common condition in Australia! Issues such as leg cramps, pain, headaches, muscle weakness, fatigue, anxiety and depression can be caused by a shortage of magnesium.
Or putting it the other way round- stress, excess alcohol consumption, boiling your vegetables to a mulch, excessive exercise and mal absorption syndromes will reduce the absorption of magnesium.
Foods high in magnesium are green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes.
If diet and lifestyle are not enough you need to look to magnesium supplements.
Some magnesiums will give you diarrhoea so choose a magnesium that is a chelated, such as magnesium bisglycinate which will not disassociate in the gut. There are also different formulas on the market for different issues i.e. cramps, stress, pain and high blood pressure. So choose carefully.

12/11/2020

3 tips to survive gardening and house chores without too much angst!
1. Jobs around the house and garden require lots of bending and twisting, which is no good for the back. Be kind to your back and give it a break every 30 mins. To counter the forward posture lean backwards with clenched fists into the lower back. Hold for 1-2 mins. To counteract the twisting put the hands on the hips or across the shoulders and twist to the right and left. Repeat several times. Or put clasped hands above the head and lean sideways to left and to right.
2. Weeding/mulching/planting - bend on one knee and then alternate onto other knee. This evens out the load on the back, hips and legs. Or bend /hinge through the hips rather than your back, like a rugby scrum, if your knees are too sore. Beware of spending too much time in this one position.
3. Pruning hedges up high
This position can put you off balance and create sore arms, backs and shoulders! So move in close to the area, open up the chest and do not spend too long in the one position with the long pruners. Have a break and do these exercises. Chin tucks for the neck and shoulder rolls. Stretch the back sideways, backwards and rotate left to right. Stretch both sides of the forearms on the wall.

I hope these tips hep=lp.

25/11/2019

How to be flexible after 40!
Did you know :
1. Once you hit 40 your connective tissue comprising skin, tendons and ligaments become less elastic and are more prone to tearing. Sprained ankles and shoulder tendon damage come to mind.
2. Shoulder joints move about 6 degrees less in any direction every decade from your mid 50 s.
So what can you do to improve your flexibility?
a) Drink more water
2L a day is best. Hydrated tendons, ligaments and discs are more likely to stay elastic and less prone to injury.
b) Stretch for at least 10 mins a day - and include regular massage to increase your ability to stretch further.
c) Use a foam roller - in combination with stretching. The roller targets fascia that surrounds muscles and joints.
d) Lifting weights - As we age we have less muscle mass which is shortened and we become stooped. Lifting weights increases muscle mass and forces your body into a greater range of movement.
e) Dance classes - Older adults experienced greater flexibility and improved posture after 10 sessions in a 2018 study sat Queensland University of technology.

Address

16A Grafton Avenue
Crows Nest, NSW
2065

Opening Hours

Monday 5:45pm - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 7pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 5:45pm - 7pm
Saturday 9am - 12pm

Telephone

+61294360306

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