Wellness

What exactly is anti-ageing medicine?

May 19, 2018 by Tracy

If you’ve ever wondered what anti-ageing medicine is and how it can help you live a fuller, healthier and longer life, then read on… This post is for you!

Anti-Ageing Medicine is aimed at the early detection, prevention and treatment of age-related decline; it explores methods to slow ageing and promote wellness into older age.

We live in a society that values youth above all else and while we may seek aesthetic enhancements to help us look younger on the outside, with a raft of wonderful promises from surgery, lasers and injectables; none of these treatments will halt ageing on the inside.

Many skin conditions and lifestyle-related diseases can be eased by receiving a health coaching assessment and following a guided personalised prescriptive protocol. This is an advanced form of functional medicine which focuses on locating and eliminating all causes of disease.

The skin is the largest organ in the body and is the outward mirror of a sign of imbalance inside the body. Tired, lacklustre skin, or the presence of acne, eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis can leave you feeling self-conscious, unhappy and fed up. No amount of creams, peels and magic potions can fix these skin conditions without addressing what is happening on the inside. Trust me, I have spent many years as a paramedical aesthetician and dealt with many cases. While topical solutions might help, they will never completely reverse these conditions.

Stress, poor gut health, toxicity, inflammation, glycation and food sensitivities all play a major role in annoying skin conditions, disease and ageing.

The Key Pillars used to target anti-ageing, longevity and disease reversal are:

Exercise: We gain many health benefits from regular exercise that is aerobic in nature.
Diet and Nutrition: Scientists have found that what we eat and how much we eat influences how long and how well we live.
Relaxation: Stress is, unfortunately, a by-product of our way of live, and can affect how quickly we age and how good we feel.
Supplements: Taking good supplements is important to provide nutritional building blocks required by the body to function well, protect against free radical attacks and build strong immune systems.
Medication: Using a balanced approach to vitamins, mineral and hormone supplementation through testing and assessment to restore normal levels can be highly effective in this wellness model.
Inflammation: Reducing inflammation in the body is a direct way of reducing illness and promoting wellness.
Genetics: Genetic research and testing is a growing area seeing remarkable steps in predictive and preventable health care in individuals. Using Smart DNA genetic testing with full comprehensive blood testing and analysis of bio chemical deficiencies and or excesses.

So, I encourage you to undertake my full comprehensive questionnaire so we can analyse your situation and get to the root cause of your skin condition, ageing or lifestyle-related disease and start reversing it.

Once a timeline and a full recommendation of recovery has been established, it is possible to get to work and reverse all of the conditions plaguing you. The same protocol can be followed for the prevention of disease.

If you follow this way of life permanently and from an early age your life will be enriched. You will be taking steps to prevent many health-related conditions and live in wellness, always! It takes courage and commitment but the rewards are well worth the effort.

There is always rain before a rainbow…

April 29, 2018 by Tracy

Have you found yourself struggling to keep your head above water in the face of adversity?

The definition of adversity is a difficult or unpleasant situation – misfortune, bad luck, difficulty, hardship, distress, suffering, affliction, sorrow, heartbreak, pain, trauma, but the list goes on.

I am on my own personal comeback from adversity and felt it was a perfect time to reflect and write some heartfelt thoughts on this subject.

It appears that at some stage of life, some type of adversity will befriend each of us (I use the word befriend purposefully… Read on to discover why).

The adversity faced could be:

The loss of a loved one
A health crisis
Relationship break up or divorce
Cancer diagnosis
Bankruptcy;
or any number of painful occurrences

I believe no one is exempt from adversity, it’s part of walking the being human path. But what if we turned adversity on its head? What if we looked at it as a gift? A learning opportunity for growth and self-healing. That’s how I have learned to look at it.

Now, you may not agree with my opinion, and that’s okay as we always have choices when seemingly bad things happen to us.

We can choose to bury our head in the sand and give ourselves as many distractions as possible, in the hope that the raw reality of pain will miraculously go away if it is ignored. If you have tried this strategy, you might agree that life seems to bring more hardship and pain until you are forced to take notice, turn in and face the fear or pain that is demanding your attention.
Or we can take a deep brave, courageous breath, step inwards and face that pain and fear itself. Essentially, fear is stress. All the what ifs, what could be, the should be, the life traumas, beliefs, past hurts, emotions, and thoughts that amount into a churned up bundle of fear begging to be returned to love, your self-love.

When your befriended choice of adversity strikes, it is essentially an invitation to go on a self-healing journey. By examining your heart and soul, you can work out what it has been crying out for… Attention and love. The question is… Are you brave enough to take a peek? Will you take notice of that divine tap on the shoulder that affords the incredible opportunity to heal yourself back to whole, allowing you to fully live the life that is intended for you?

My recent adversity is behind me, and I’m enjoying the rainbow. Who knows when it will strike again? But I now see adversity as a blessing to be embraced and conquered, not something to be feared. I know that true healing lies within us.

How brave are you? What has your healing journey been? What form did it take? I would love to hear from you. Or if reading this has allowed you to recognise that you have a healing journey ahead of you, please contact me for support. I would be honoured to sit beside you.

Smiles & Blessings. Tracy Px

Get Your Green On!

September 24, 2015 by Tracy

Spring has definitely shown up on our landscape. Grass is green, baby animals are bounding and nights are shorter. The gym has been a reliable friend over winter and will always be there for you, but it is time to GET YOUR GREEN ON.

Many of the health benefits of exercising outdoors are obvious, especially in nature: the scenery is inspiring and ever-changing, the air is fresh and fragrant (no-one can convince me that gyms smell great), and the quiet to be found in hills and forests helps to calm our sympathetic nervous systems. However new research has shown that there are also very scientific and specific advantages to “green exercise.”

GET YOUR NATURE ON

In a recent study, researchers compared over 800 participants divided into “indoor gym” and “outdoor scenery” exercise groups. They measured the subjects’ blood pressure, heart rate and self-esteem before and after a controlled (heart rates were kept as similar as possible) session of exercise.

Post exercise measurements showed reduced blood pressure and improved self-esteem in both groups. However the “outdoor scenery” group showed much more significant blood pressure reduction, and in addition to improved self esteem, they also reported results hits of mental revitalization, huge boosts in emotional vitality and elevated enthusiasm for the remainder of their day. Positive feelings such as these help to “proof” our minds and bodies against stress and help prevent stress-related disease.

GET YOUR SUN ON

Exercising outdoors also gives us the opportunity to expose our skin to sunshine. Although this practice gets a pretty bad rap in New Zealand, it is important to remember that Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and a healthy immune system. Exposure to sunlight can also reduce pain, improve the quality of your sleep and regulate hormone production, resulting in increased feel-good endorphins.

GET YOUR EARTH ON

Very recent research has shown that even without exercising, just being outside and in direct contact with the earth is very important for neutralizing the overload of positively charged electrons in our bodies. Positively charged free radicals occur naturally in our bodies, but when combined with the man-made electrical energy generated by wifi and cell phones (also positively charged), we can overload ourselves to the point where damage can occur. Regular “earthing” neutralizes these positive electrons and returns our bodies to the same neutral, natural state of the earth.

GET YOUR UNDERFOOT ON

The best way to maintain strong healthy micro-muscles is by walking and running on uneven natural ground and unpredictable surfaces such as sand, pine needles and loose rock. Our tendons and ligaments grow lazy and weak with the repetitive actions and flat floors in the gym. Moving around on irregular surfaces keeps our vital connective tissue as strong as the big gym muscles, helping prevent injuries and restore balance to our bodies.

GET YOUR HORIZON ON

As a society, our eyesight is deteriorating in direct correlation to the amount of time we spend indoors and looking at screens. Although the science is still not exact, it seems that exercising outside with changing light and varying distances helps keep our eyes strong and healthy, and can reduce instances of nearsightedness.

I challenge you to Get Your Green On, ditch the gym and roll with nature!

Going nuts for coconut oil

August 12, 2015 by Tracy

For years you’ve been told that saturated fat is bad for you, and the humble coconut has had a bad rap because of that; but if you haven’t seen the light already, now’s a good time to start going nuts for coconut oil…

The difference between coconut oil and most common vegetable or seed oils is that it is made up of about 2/3 medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also known as medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. Whereas the aforementioned “other” oils comprise of mainly long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.

What a difference one letter of the alphabet makes!

LCTs

LCTs are difficult for your body to break down, requiring special enzymes for digestion.
LCTs put more strain on your pancreas, liver, and your entire digestive system.
LCTs are mainly stored in your body as fat.
LCTs can be deposited within your arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol.

MCTs

MCTs permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require special enzymes in order to be used effectively by your body.
MCTs are easily digested, and therefore put less strain on your digestive system.
MCTs are rapidly metabolised by your liver and immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
MCTs work to keep you healthy by eliminating disease causing microbes and lowering inflammation.

Coconut oil can be beneficial to your health in many ways; even though it’s a saturated fat, it can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and related illnesses. It supports your immune system and is a powerful antioxidant, so it can reduce your risk of cancer, and help prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, osteoporosis; and it can help control diabetes. Now that’s what you call a super food!

So how do you get more of the good stuff into your diet? Well the good news is that this super food is super versatile, it’s definitely more than a cooking oil! Here are 5 ways to incorporate coconut oil into your diet without melting it in a pan…

Bake with it – Replace butter in your favourite baking recipes with coconut oil, substitute it weight for weight.
Spread it – Replace butter or jam on your toast with coconut oil.
Sip it – Melt a teaspoon of coconut oil in a hot beverage.
Blend it – Add coconut oil to your smoothies, for a rich creamy texture.
Fudge it – Mix together 1 cup of nut butter (peanut, cashew, etc), 1/4 cup coconut oil, and several tablespoons of cacao powder. Freeze for 30 minutes to set and snack away!

But there’s more… Coconuts really are one of nature’s greatest gifts… Use it as a leave-in hair conditioner, a body moisturiser, a lip balm, a make-up remover, a balm to soothe bug bites and so much more!

5 Common Myths About Cancer

July 10, 2015 by Tracy

Since I have begun my journey in further education in the prevention and healing of cancer. I have read, researched and learned some wonderful information; I’ve also discovered that there is a lot of conflicting information about cancer. There are many opinions about causes, risk, and how you can beat it. How do you decide what are facts and what are myths?

CancerCell
Some of the truths behind common misconceptions about cancer may surprise you.

Myth #1 – Cancer is genetic so nothing can prevent whether or not you are diagnosed. This is one of the biggest myths because experts estimate that more than half of cancer diagnoses can be prevented. Less than 5 percent of all cancers have a genetic link. A vast majority of cancers are caused by environmental toxicity.

Myth #2 – Alcohol is good for your health. While a glass of red wine has proven beneficial to heart health; alcohol essentially causes inflammation. A state of chronic inflammation has been linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Myth #3 – People with cancer should “rest” as much as possible. Whilst adequate rest is definitely necessary to stay healthy, experts advise against isolation and inactivity, which can lead to increased fatigue, a weakened immune system, and depression. Patients who exercise consistently have a higher rate of survival and maintain a more positive outlook throughout their recovery.

Myth #4 – The food you eat doesn’t prevent cancer or fight it. Foods high in refined sugar, refined sodium, and unhealthy fats have been shown in countless studies to influence cellular mutation that leads to cancer. Cancer cells consume more sugar (glucose) for fuel than any other cell in your body. Conversely, eating a diet of organic foods with vitamins and nutrients that prevent cellular deterioration naturally increase your chance of preventing and beating this devastating disease (and many others).

Myth #5 – Obesity doesn’t increase risk of cancer. With New Zealand’s obesity rate at 66%, (the highest in the world); and Australia’s at 63% (slightly lower but the fastest growing rate in the world), this is an incredibly dangerous myth. Experts agree that hundreds of cancer cases are directly caused by carrying excess weight. One primary reason is that fat cells secrete estradiol which acts as a “fertiliser” for cancer cells.
Shockingly, the major organisations that are considered the “leading authorities” on what causes cancer (and how it can be prevented), perpetuate a few myths about cancer of their own. Despite scientific evidence to the contrary by independent labs – meaning, no one is profiting from the information – they claim there is no link between cancer and…

• Cell phones and power lines
• Cosmetics
• Hair dyes
• Deodorant
• Radiation treatment
• Chemotherapy
• Household cleansers
• Processed foods
• Artificial sweeteners
• Soy products
• Stress
• Sugar
• Herbicides and pesticides

Myths about cancer are dangerous and so is the medical community’s refusal to look further than “traditionally accepted” causes. As with every part of your life, being informed is your first line of defence in prevention of disease. Making decisions based on the facts increases your ability to prevent cancer and – if you are diagnosed – beating it.

What exactly is anti-ageing medicine?

There is always rain before a rainbow…

Have you found yourself struggling to keep your head above water in the face of adversity?

Get Your Green On!

Going nuts for coconut oil

5 Common Myths About Cancer

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