Stress and Mood Support
Do you suffer with anxiety or depression?
Have issues coping through the day?
Experience irritability, low motivation or issues with sleeping?
These can all be signs of an unhealthy stress response in the body. I can assist you with getting to the underlying imbalances that are wreaking havoc on your mental state and get to the bottom of your mood imbalances.
We all experience stressful periods in our lives. Being able to manage and deal with stress before it sends the body out of balance is the key with a Naturopathic Approach to Stress and Mood problems.
Depression is a common condition that affects approximately 10.4% of the Australian Population
How Could Stress be affecting me?
In this modern fast-paced life stress is becoming increasingly problematic. Although our bodies are designed to manage stress by activating the sympathetic nervous system, releasing cortisol, adrenalin and noradrenalin, , stress can become chronic, raising our cortisol levels for prolonged periods of time that it begins to affect our:
- Endocrine system – high cortisol production reduces our reproductive hormones (in both males and females) which can affect the menstrual cycle, fertility, thyroid hormones and neurological hormones
- Digestive system– Elevated cortisol levels long term reduces blood flow to our digestive system contributing to bloating and pain, diarrhoea and/or constipation, reflux and nausea.
- Weight– high levels of cortisol will cause glucose to increase in our blood stream to give us the energy for our ‘fight or flight’ response. If this is occurring and we aren’t using the glucose (think sitting at your office desk, driving the kids to school), then it gets converted to fat storage. It also causes our insulin levels to raise and over time we can become ‘insulin resistant’ think stubborn fat around the tummy
- Immune system – Have you ever gotten sick right at the start of your holiday? Long term high levels of cortisol will decrease the production of immune cells which reduces our immune system’s ability to protect us against pathogens. This may manifest in colds, flus, cold sores, fungal and bacterial infections.
- Nutritional status– When you’re stressed, your adrenal glands require higher amounts of magnesium, B vitamins, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E and essential fatty acids (just to name a few), so you end up using more than the body has stored leading to poor nutritional status.
How Could Stress be affecting me?
In this modern fast-paced life stress is becoming increasingly problematic. Although our bodies are designed to manage stress by activating the sympathetic nervous system, releasing cortisol, adrenalin and noradrenalin, , stress can become chronic, raising our cortisol levels for prolonged periods of time that it begins to affect our:
- Endocrine system – high cortisol production reduces our reproductive hormones (in both males and females) which can affect the menstrual cycle, fertility, thyroid hormones and neurological hormones
- Digestive system– Elevated cortisol levels long term reduces blood flow to our digestive system contributing to bloating and pain, diarrhoea and/or constipation, reflux and nausea.
- Weight– high levels of cortisol will cause glucose to increase in our blood stream to give us the energy for our ‘fight or flight’ response. If this is occurring and we aren’t using the glucose (think sitting at your office desk, driving the kids to school), then it gets converted to fat storage. It also causes our insulin levels to raise and over time we can become ‘insulin resistant’ think stubborn fat around the tummy
- Immune system – Have you ever gotten sick right at the start of your holiday? Long term high levels of cortisol will decrease the production of immune cells which reduces our immune system’s ability to protect us against pathogens. This may manifest in colds, flus, cold sores, fungal and bacterial infections.
- Nutritional status– When you’re stressed, your adrenal glands require higher amounts of magnesium, B vitamins, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E and essential fatty acids (just to name a few), so you end up using more than the body has stored leading to poor nutritional status.
How can I help?
- Use food as medicine and restore the gut microbiome (did you know many of our neurotransmitters like serotonin, the feel good hormone are actually produced in the gut!). Folate which is a precursor to our neurotransmitters is synthesised by bacteria in our gut
- Restore any nutritional imbalances
- Get to the root cause of your anxiety or mood problems (testing in house or functional options (click here) may be indicated)
- Create Balance in your life
- Enhance the body’s ability to cope with stress
Could it be Pyloruria?
Pyloruria in itself can be a common cause of many mental health conditions. Pyrroles act as nerve toxins and interfere with zinc and vitamin B6 levels in the body which can effect cooper and zinc ratios leading to a long list of symptoms triggering anxiety, mood, addictions, irritability, learning disorders and skin conditions just to name a few.
I can help to identify this condition and provide simple testing options.
How can I help?
- Use food as medicine and restore the gut microbiome (did you know many of our neurotransmitters like serotonin, the feel good hormone are actually produced in the gut!). Folate which is a precursor to our neurotransmitters is synthesised by bacteria in our gut
- Restore any nutritional imbalances
- Get to the root cause of your anxiety or mood problems (testing in house or functional options (click here) may be indicated)
- Create Balance in your life
- Enhance the body’s ability to cope with stress
Could it be Pyloruria?
Pyloruria in itself can be a common cause of many mental health conditions. Pyrroles act as nerve toxins and interfere with zinc and vitamin B6 levels in the body which can effect cooper and zinc ratios leading to a long list of symptoms triggering anxiety, mood, addictions, irritability, learning disorders and skin conditions just to name a few.
I can help to identify this condition and provide simple testing options.
Michelle has helped me to lose weight and manage my anxiety. She is easy to talk to, genuine, caring, very knowledgeable and I don’t feel judged.
Michelle has been so supportive and I always feel like I can contact her if I ever need to send my food journals, or having any problems or need advice, which helps me stay on track.
Previous to seeing Michelle I had been eating healthy and exercising 1 hour a day exhausting myself and not losing much weight, so I decided to see a Naturopath to see if that could help me. After trying a food and exercise plan and doing a gut microbiome test, I could find out what was a barrier for my individual weight loss. After some alterations, I have lost 12 kilos so far and still working to lose more. I am not tired or exhausted on the meal plans and I feel like I’m doing less but achieving more. My anxiety has also improved which helps me worry less and sleep better.
I originally started seeing Michelle about 18 months ago for constant migraines which within the mainstream medical system, I had to manage when they arrived, rather than work out WHY I was getting them. Michelle has helped me to get on top of my hormonal and thyroid health, along with an overall healthy lifestyle adjustment, and I haven’t had another migraine since, which I didn’t think would be possible!! I cannot recommended Michelle’s services enough, and I am so glad I made the decision to make my health a priority. Michelle is happy to work with me, with all my fussy eating habits, my inability to be constant with taking supplements, and she keeps me accountable to my health journey in such a positive and approachable way. No words can thank Michelle enough, and if you’re considering your own health journey, Michelle is an excellent place to start