Back into Balance Health

26/01/2026

08/01/2026

Japanese scientists have uncovered a fascinating connection between hair turning gray and the development of melanoma. Both processes begin with the same group of cells called melanocyte stem cells, which are responsible for giving hair and skin their color. When these cells experience DNA damage, they face two possible outcomes. They can self-destruct and mature too early in a process called seno-differentiation, which leads to the loss of pigment and causes gray hair. Or, under certain harmful conditions like exposure to carcinogens or ultraviolet radiation, they can ignore the damage and keep dividing, increasing the risk of melanoma.

The study showed that this protective self-destruction is triggered by a molecular pathway involving p53 and p21 genes. These act like an internal alarm system that prevents damaged cells from multiplying. But when this safety mechanism is overridden by environmental stress or chemical signals from surrounding tissues, the stem cells continue to grow instead of shutting down, which may lead to cancerous transformation.

This discovery reframes gray hair and melanoma as two sides of the same biological coin, one showing successful self-protection, the other representing a failed defense. While gray hair doesn’t prevent cancer, it might reflect how the body sacrifices aging cells to maintain long-term health. Understanding this cellular decision process could eventually guide new ways to prevent both premature aging and cancer development.

Research Paper 📄
DOI: 10.1038/s41556-025-01769-9

06/01/2026

Paternal skin-to-skin contact (SSC) in the first hour-often called the “Golden Hour”-triggers biological shifts in both father and infant that stabilize the baby and accelerates bonding.

🗂️Raising Oxytocin (The “Love Hormone”):

📑For the Father: Physical touch, especially bare chest-to-chest contact, stimulates the father’s brain to release oxytocin, which lowers his anxiety and reduces testosterone. This hormonal shift makes him more sensitive and responsive to his baby’s subtle cues.

📑For the Infant: Direct skin contact also boosts the baby’s oxytocin levels. This hormone serves as a natural sedative, counteracting the high levels of stress hormones (catecholamines) released during birth.

🗂️Helping the Baby Cry Less:

📑Biological Reassurance: A newborn’s brain interprets separation as a survival threat, leading to “separation distress calls” (intense crying). SSC provides the familiar sounds of a heartbeat and a parent scent, signaling safety and stopping the distress response.

📑Stress Reduction: Studies show that babies in SSC have significantly lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels after just 20 minutes of contact and they are 12 times less likely to cry compared to babies placed in a cot.

🗂️Improving Sleep and Regulation:

📑Deep Sleep Patterns: SSC promotes more restful sleep and longer sleep cycles. Babies in skin-to-skin contact spend more time in “quiet sleep”, which is essential for healthy brain development and organization.

📑Physiological Stability: The father’s body acts as a natural thermostat, stabilizing the baby’s temperature, heart rate, and breathing. When a baby’s vital signs are regulated by their parent’s body, they conserve energy that would otherwise be spent on survival, allowing them to fall into deeper, more restorative sleep.

📑Transitioning States: Infants who receive paternal SSC often reach a calm, “drowsy” state faster than those left in a standard bassinet.

03/01/2026

Recent studies, particularly in long-lived populations, suggest a “cholesterol paradox” where moderately higher LDL (“bad”) cholesterol might be linked to greater longevity, challenging the idea that low cholesterol always means longer life, especially for older adults, though this doesn’t negate risks in younger people or for those with very high levels or underlying metabolic issues like diabetes. Researchers found long-livers often have larger LDL particles, and some data indicates higher cholesterol doesn’t increase mortality risk in those over 60, suggesting LDL might play protective roles in aging, but context (like insulin sensitivity) is key.

🗂️Key Findings from Recent Research:

📑The “Cholesterol Paradox”: In elderly populations (like Sardinia’s “Blue Zone”), individuals with moderate hypercholesterolemia (LDL-C ≥ 130 mg/dL) sometimes lived longer than those with lower LDL.

📑Large Particles, Long Life: Centenarians often have larger, less dense cholesterol particles, which seem to be associated with longevity, unlike the small, dense particles linked to heart issues.

📑Not a Universal Rule: The inverse link between high LDL and mortality is observed in the elderly (over 60) but not necessarily in younger adults, where high cholesterol still poses risks.

📑Metabolic Health Matters: Insulin sensitivity (often linked to HDL levels) provides crucial context; high LDL might be less risky if you’re metabolically healthy (good HDL, no diabetes).

📑LDL’s Role in Immunity: Some theories suggest LDL contributes to immune function, helping eliminate pathogens, which becomes more important as we age.

While high cholesterol is a known risk factor for heart disease in younger and middle-aged people, research suggests a more complex picture for the very old, where moderate hypercholesterolemia might be a sign of resilience, not a death sentence, challenging current guidelines for aggressive LDL reduction in the elderly.

PMID: 40077635

30/12/2025

As the year draws to a close, we’ve been reflecting on the quiet work that shaped our practice throughout 2025. While you’ve been coming in for treatments, we’ve also been tending the foundations of the clinic—refining skills, systems and structures that support your care.

🌿 Growing Our Herbal Craft
We deepened our mastery of Chinese herbs— creating tinctures, teas and balms—transforming clinic practice into refined, small-batch products now ready for clients.

💼 Strengthening the Business Backbone
We streamlined bookings, pricing and packaging systems, linking Acuity, Xero and dispensary tools to protect time, polish operations and prepare for expansion.

🧘‍♀️ Learning, Boundaries and Balance
We invested in new trainings, refined clinical intuition and reinforced boundaries—making space for steady, sustainable growth in both our practice and wellbeing.

All of this work supports what matters most: clearer communication, better herbal preparations and more grounded care—so your experience in the clinic continues to feel calm, considered and well held.

29/12/2025

In Chinese medicine, birth is understood as a significant depletion of blood and vitality. Thoughtful herbal support before birth can strengthen reserves and promote smoother recovery, while post-partum herbs are traditionally used to restore energy, support tissue repair, regulate bleeding, encourage lactation, and stabilise mood and sleep.

Modern medicine now recognises that full recovery after birth may take up to two years. Individualised Chinese herbal formulas can provide ongoing, gentle support during this time—helping mothers feel more resilient, grounded, and better able to meet the physical and emotional demands of early motherhood.

Herbal treatment is always personalised and prescribed by a qualified practitioner.

Online bookings available at www.backintobalance.com.au

Postpartum recovery measured over extended time.

Studies show that the body undergoes significant changes during pregnancy, including hormonal shifts, musculoskeletal adjustments, and cardiovascular adaptations. Full recovery from these physiological changes often takes one to two years, much longer than the commonly cited six-week postpartum period.

Medical research indicates that organs, connective tissues, and metabolic systems continue to normalize over months and even years. Recovery timelines vary depending on factors such as delivery method, nutrition, stress levels, and overall health.

Understanding extended postpartum recovery can inform healthcare recommendations, maternal support programs, and workplace accommodations.
It also emphasizes the importance of recognizing that short-term postpartum checkups do not reflect the full healing process.

Acknowledging the longer recovery period helps improve maternal well-being and supports informed guidance for new mothers.

28/12/2025

Handcrafted herbal teas, formulated in clinic.
Made in small batches with care and intention.

Blends available for sleep, mood, digestion, women’s health & post-partum support.
$22 (50g) • $40 (100g)
Pickup available • Delivery additional
Enquiries welcome via DM.

26/12/2025

Sometimes treatment is about releasing what the body no longer needs.

GB26 (Dai Mai) sits at the body’s natural beltline — the place where we often hold, brace and contain.

This point is wonderful for treating:
- Physical tension around the waist, hips and pelvis
- Digestive or gynecological issues
- Emotional holding and unprocessed stress
- A sense of being bound, stuck or unable to let go

GB26 works through the Dai (Girdle) Vessel (one of the 8 extra meridians), helping the body to release what is no longer needed and restore healthy flow between the upper and lower body.
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I love using this point — it has a way of magically opening the body horizontally as well as vertically.
- Working gently from the spine at the same level and moving toward GB26, softens the lumbar region and eases low back pain.
- When combined with nearby points along the Gallbladder channel, release tends to travel through the lower side body — down the outer leg and also into the groin.
- Anatomically, GB26 overlies trigger points commonly found in the internal and external obliques.
- In practice, I often see breathing become easier and fuller, alongside relief of low back and hip pain.

Everyone responds beautifully to this point.
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Online booking available at www.backintobalance.com.au