The Health Shop, Rotorua

03/04/2026

✨🐰 EASTER HOURS 🐰✨

We are open today until 2:30pm
Sunday: Closed
Monday: Open 9am - 3pm

May your Easter be filled with peace and endless grace 💛

18/03/2026

() Originally published on www.sayerji.substack.com How plant blood hidden inside your mitochondria silently harvests the sun - and what this means for everything you thought you knew about energy, aging, and what it means to be alive. Share the X thread dedicated to this post here.

17/03/2026

Therapeutic quality, 100% pure Geranium and Rose Geranium essential oils are available at The Health Shop 🥰

Geranium oil benefits extend to improving physical, mental and emotional health. It helps treat acne, reduce inflammation and anxiety, and more.

17/03/2026

That photogenic cup of bubble tea may come with hidden downsides. Tapioca pearls made from cassava can absorb heavy metals like lead, and in large amounts they may slow digestion or even cause blockages. The drink is often loaded with sugar—sometimes more than soda—raising risks for cavities, ob...

16/03/2026

Methylation supports functions of the cardiovascular, detoxification and neurological systems, just to name a few. Learn how to optimize it.

15/03/2026

People don’t overeat because they’re hungry.

They overeat because the satiety signal never arrived.

And sometimes… it never had a chance to.

Appetite is not just a feeling.

It is a signaling system.

One of the most powerful signals in that system is a hormone called GLP-1.

After you eat, cells in the intestine release GLP-1 into the bloodstream.

It travels to the brain — specifically the hypothalamus, the control center that regulates hunger and energy balance.

When the signal is strong:

• appetite falls
• stomach emptying slows
• fullness lasts longer

This is the biological mechanism behind medications such as semaglutide, sold under names like Ozempic and Wegovy.

These drugs work by amplifying the GLP-1 signal.

But the real issue often isn’t hunger.

It’s signal interference.

In the modern food environment, ultra-processed foods stimulate the brain’s reward circuitry far more strongly than the body’s natural satiety hormones.

In effect, they create so much noise in the reward system that the brain struggles to hear the signal from the gut.

When that happens, the appetite system becomes distorted.

The cascade looks like this:

• reward pathways fire repeatedly → appetite signals stay elevated
• GLP-1 satiety signaling weakens → fullness arrives later
• stomach emptying accelerates → hunger returns sooner
• repeated cycles reinforce overeating patterns

The problem is no longer hunger.

It’s signal clarity.

This is why two people can eat similar foods…

yet one feels satisfied while the other keeps searching for more.

The difference is satiety signaling.

Modern pharmaceuticals attempt to restore that signal by turning up the volume on GLP-1 receptors.

But long before synthetic hormone mimics existed, researchers were already studying plants that influence the same appetite-regulating pathways.

Not by replacing hormones.

By supporting the biological signals that regulate hunger.

Examples include:

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
Rich in soluble fibers called galactomannans, which slow gastric emptying and enhance satiety signaling.

Caralluma (Caralluma fimbriata)
Contains pregnane glycosides studied for their influence on hypothalamic appetite signaling.

Green Tea (Camellia sinensis)
Catechins such as EGCG influence metabolic signaling pathways connected to appetite and energy balance.

Capsaicin (Capsicum species)
Activates receptors that increase energy expenditure and influence appetite signaling.

We are moving away from the era of willpower.

And into the era of metabolic signaling.

Whether through modern pharmaceuticals or biological approaches, the goal is the same:

Restoring the conversation between the gut and the brain that regulates hunger.

13/03/2026

Healthy collagen breakfast ideas to boost protein, energy and gut health. Try these easy recipes including smoothies, yogurt bowls, bagels and parfaits.

12/03/2026

🌟 MARCH ON WITH GO HEALTHY 🌟

SAVE $$ with the whole range of GO Healthy products on special now until the end of the month!!!

Shop here 💛 https://thehealthshoprotorua.com/collections/go-healthy

*Specials available while stocks last


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11/03/2026

🌟 SAVE $$ ON SOLGAR!! 🌟

💛 Full Spectrum Curcumin 30 softgels SAVE $20 - now only $48.99
🧡 Prenatal Nutrients 60 tablets SAVE $10 - now only $23.99
💛 Vitamin D3 1000IU 100 softgels SAVE $5 - now only $26.99

Shop for Solgar here: https://thehealthshoprotorua.com/collections/solgar

*Only available while stocks last


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11/03/2026

Sleep is not controlled by melatonin alone.

Even when the body should begin producing melatonin, another system determines whether the body can actually transition into sleep.

That system is the nervous system.

The body operates through two major nervous system states:

• the sympathetic system — often called the “fight-or-flight” state
• the parasympathetic system — the “rest-and-repair” state

During the day, the sympathetic system keeps the body alert and responsive to activity and stress.

At night, the parasympathetic system normally becomes dominant.
Heart rate slows.
Muscles relax.
The brain begins transitioning toward sleep.

But modern life often keeps the body stuck in the sympathetic state.

Late-night screen exposure, chronic stress, constant notifications, and irregular schedules can keep the nervous system in a state of alertness long after the day has ended.

When this stress system remains activated, it can suppress the pineal gland’s production of melatonin and keep the body in a physiological state of wakefulness.

People often experience this in familiar ways:

• lying in bed feeling physically exhausted but mentally alert
• difficulty falling asleep even when tired
• restless or fragmented sleep
• waking up feeling unrefreshed
• feeling wired late at night but drained during the day

In many cases, the body’s relaxation signal never fully engages.

Certain plants and nutrients have been studied for their ability to support parasympathetic activity and nervous system balance.

Examples include:

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) — studied for its ability to regulate stress signaling and help modulate cortisol responses.

• Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) — contains apigenin, a compound known to interact with calming neurotransmitter pathways.

• Magnesium-rich foods such as leafy greens, seeds, and nuts — magnesium plays a key role in neuromuscular relaxation and nervous system signaling.

Sleep depends on more than darkness and melatonin.

The nervous system must shift from alertness into restoration.

In the next post, we’ll explore another remarkable system that becomes active during deep sleep:

how the brain clears metabolic waste through a network known as the glymphatic pathway.

10/03/2026

💥 Next up in the Organics Aotearoa New Zealand webinar series:
Next Gen Organic, Farming Beyond Convention
🕢 Thursday 5 March, 7.30pm

🌿Across Aotearoa, a new generation is stepping forward, choosing organic and regenerative agriculture not as a throwback, but as the future of farming.
👉Join live as three emerging leaders share why organic and regenerative growing is becoming a space for innovation, entrepreneurship and long-term resilience, and what this shift means for the future of agriculture.
Meet the panel:
👩‍🌾 Penny Platt
Organic grower at Untamed Earth and Chair of BHU Organic Trust. From veggie boxes to multi-farm production, Penny brings hands-on experience and practical insight into building viable organic businesses.
👨🏻‍🌾 Zeb Horrell
Land Steward at Mangaroa Farms and founder of Future Whenua Charitable Trust. A third-generation farmer focused on rural innovation and turning bold ideas into practical change.
👨🏽‍🌾 Eli Pohio
Food and fibre thought leader and cross-sector mediator, bringing Māori perspectives, policy insight and systems thinking to the future of agriculture.
Whether you farm, work in food, or care about where our system is heading, this is a conversation about what comes next.

🌱ALL WELCOME!
Register now >>>
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EIPjqjhYQvK-JpBmTG824w #/

10/03/2026

is available at The Health Shop 🌱💚

Lemon balm is an herb grown all over the world that has used as a natural remedy for centuries. Learn how to use it, its benefits and more.