October 2010 : Volume 12 : Number 9

Welcome to the October Newsletter,

Spring is finally here but with it for many people comes hayfever! Our whole valley is golden with the blackwoods, wattles and myrtles, which have all come into flower at the same time, but so far no hayfever in our house! In the garden the daffodils are out, along with the hellebores, grape hyacinth and bluebells - not quite a bluebell wood yet but hopefully in time.

The chickens finally started to lay and then they stopped - or so we thought. Where they were laying was a complete mystery with not many places to hide nests in the orchard. Cleaning out the chook house we moved a bale of hay put in there to keep them warm through the winter and found a nest with 42 eggs - 12 of which were duck eggs!! Lucky eggs are now considered to be good cholesterol and I hope that thought lasts as long as our chooks keep laying so prolifically!

We've been picking salad leaves and pea sprouts for a while and the brassicas and broad beans have finally started to grow. The potato crop has gone in, tucked up in straw to keep out the cold, and we're hoping we don't get too many more heavy frosts. Dean's seeds are all coming up in the greenhouse and he is finally growing many of the magical and homeopathic herbs he so loves. I now have my own strip of ground to plant a cut flower garden which is very exciting, and we will hopefully have a whole block of sunflowers. This week we plant our wide variety of tomatoes and cross our fingers that we don't get too many more heavy frosts.

My next door neighbour has recently had an uninvited guest who pushed his way through her fence and circled the garden leaving his curious cube-shaped calling card - a wombat. We haven't seen our own wombat recently but all the animals are more active with the spring weather including the platypus in the neighbour's dam and the wedge tailed eagles, which I recently spied while doing a consultation for someone!

Homeopathy for Menstrual Issues

So many women seem to suffer problems with their periods and while many of these issues need to be treated by a practitioner, there are remedies you can use to take the edge off some of the symptoms at home.

I do feel that because the pill has now been used for three generations this has impacted hugely on women's menstrual health. With the advent of the contraceptive implant women are controlling their periods to an even greater degree and inevitably there are going to be even more issues. I suspect also that this manipulation of the hormones extends to levels of fertility and also the menopausal experience and the perceived need for HRT, which we know now is so detrimental to health.

While it may seem old fashioned in this world of convenience, nature intended women to have a cycle which was in tune with nature and celebrated their uniqueness. Unfortunately due probably to the hormones taken by our mothers and grandmothers and hormones in the water and food, our systems are not in balance with nature as they were and this has compounded the problem for many. Two remedies I use frequently with period problems are Folliculinum which relates to the ovaries and Thyroidinum which is obviously a thyroid remedy. I have more recently started to use homeopathic Pituitary Gland, which is the gland controlling both the hormones and the thyroid. It seems to me the problem is going ever deeper.

If you have painful, irregular or excessively heavy periods or your moods are unmanageable each month, I would recommend seeing a homeopath.

Here are a few remedies and their menstrual symptoms. Note I don't say whether they cover pre-, during or post-menstrual because if the picture fits it doesn't matter. I would suggest you look up the remedy in a homeopathy book to see if the rest of the picture matches. Again, if symptoms persist see a homeopath as there are many remedies for menstrual symptoms.

Belladonna - Bright red blood. Dragging pains, throbbing headache, skin/face hot and flushed. Pain worse just before period.

Calc Carb - Tired, giddy, chilly. Legs feel like lead, breasts swollen and painful, crampy pains in abdomen and small of back. Weight problems. Craving for eggs and sweets things. Nervy, jumpy.

Chamomilla - Severe cramping pains especially if with angry mood and great restlessness.

Ferrum Met - Weary and weak, wants to sit down all the time. Face usually pale. Flooding, blood dark and watery. Walking seems to improve things.

Ignatia - Periods cease following a grief or loss. Moods can be a little changeable or hysterical!

Ipecac - Profuse bleeding, blood bright red, nausea.

Kali Carb - Blood thin and watery without clots. Cold extremities, general exhaustion, fear of dying, warmth makes the patient feel worse. Feels taut and tense especially if overweight. Often worse around 3am.

Mag Phos - Pain comes in spasms, crampy. Better by heat, pressure and movement. Take the remedy in warm water for best results in either a 30c or a 6x tissue salt.

Nux Vomica - Prolonged periods which may arrive early. Craving for sweet or fatty foods. Chilliness, exhaustion, constipation and irritability (as opposed to the anger of Chamomilla) are common.

Pulsatilla - Scanty periods, painful breasts, often irregular with nausea and vomiting. Bursting into tears is common.

Sepia - Tired, irritable, emotionally flat, chilly, averse to company (especially the husband!). Craving for salty, sweet or pickles. Sallow patches on face, thrushy discharge.

Homeopathy, Pregnancy and Caulophyllum

As with the menses, pregnancy should be a natural and joyous time. In a normal healthy pregnancy I wouldn't expect to have to intervene but if a birth is overdue sometimes there is a need to assist with remedies related to the emotional state.

I have had a number of conversations with pregnant mums who have been told by someone (often a midwife) that taking Caulophyllum on a regular basis during the last month of pregnancy can be helpful and lead to a better birth experience. I do not agree with this and would caution anyone from taking this remedy when it is not indicated or required.

Caulophyllum is indicated when labour pains are weak or irregular, cease because of exhaustion or which are painful. It is also indicated where the cervix is extremely rigid. If you don't have these symptoms in the first place (and you obviously don't know that you are going to), you should not be taking the remedy and the danger is that taking it unnecessarily can produce a labour, which is too fast and unmanageable.

We are very fixated these days on being in control of everything, but like the menses, birthing your baby should be in tune with nature. It should be a time when we surrender - to whatever comes - and we need to just 'be' at some point in the proceedings. Frequently post natal depression is associated with needing to be in control, having been in control through a work situation and then finding that new babies don't want to be controlled!

Please don't take remedies to bring on labour or even to enhance labour without talking to a Registered Homeopath with some years of experience. These practices are to be discouraged because homeopathy is a very powerful system of medicine. Despite the label of 'safe, natural, non-toxic' things don't always go to plan and knowledgeable assistance may be required. Even if you buy a birthing kit from me I am quite clear on not using remedies like Caulophyllum without guidance.

What's new on the Website

After wading through the future changes to the TGA legislation, I have made the relevant updates to the website and you should find most products back in their usual places!

Kali Mur/Ferrum Phos/Nat Mur 6x has now been relabelled Tissue Salt Combination K (or just Combination K) as the name was getting a bit cumbersome!

Compost Heap Combination I'd actually forgotten about this little recipe of homeopathics to make your compost heap work better.
We've added this to the Combination list if you are interested. Just add a few drops to a watering can and sprinkle on the compost heap. It's a catalyst and improves soil, vegetables, fruit, plus keeps pests away. Dean is going to experiment with using it in the vegie garden as well.

Tales from the Wyldwood

Many of you will know of Dean's interest in the power of intention and spiritual healing, and his love of nature. He has just produced a new website which combines all of these interests, has some lovely photos of our garden and sells some of his products.

If you are interested in any of Dean's lovely essences but don't want to purchase with Paypal, you will soon be able to buy on the Elements of Health website. Enjoy! www.wyldwoodgarden.com

Weekend retreat in Southern Tasmania

My colleague, Maria Duggan, Naturopath, is running a weekend of rejuvenation, nourishment and relaxation at Niche, Deep Bay from 12-14 November. The weekend includes yoga, wholefood recipes and preparation using locally grown produce, information on wellbeing, and an individualised iridology and nutritional consultation.

If you feel in need of some 'me time' contact Maria on duggan_m@bigpond.net.au or call her on 0409 166950.

Visit the venue at www.nichetas.com.au.

Bits & Pieces

Skype Consultations - our internet connection is working better than it has in the past and I am now able to offer skype consults again. This can be very useful for treating children and just for having a face to face chat. Let me know if you would prefer skype to a phone consult. The Skype program is a free download and is easy to use.

On-line Education

I'm still working on this. There are just not enough hours in a day!! I will send out a separate email when I'm ready to roll.

Going Vegetarian

Here is another easy recipe for parents who are at their wits end about what to cook for a vegetarian or fussy child. It isn't necessarily gluten or dairy free (although could easily be) but is a wholesome and tasty meal which children usually love! You can experiment with different ingredients once you have the basic recipes. This month's recipe takes 5 minutes to make, tastes great cold and is really good for school lunches or a picnic.

Crustless Quiche

The basis for this recipe comes from the lovely mums at Tarremah Steiner School here in Tasmania who look after Rudolfs Diner at the Spring Fair each year. I must cook this recipe in one form or another at least once a week and I hope they won't mind me sharing it with you.

5 eggs
1 ½ cups of milk
½ cup plain flour
3 tbspn melted butter
S&P
1 cup grated cheese
Add any combination of lightly fried onion, capsicum, corn, mushrooms, spinach.

Beat eggs, add melted butter, vegies, milk, cheese, S&P

Sift in flour and stir well. Pour into a lamington tray (or similar size) lined with baking paper or into well greased muffin tins.

Bake in a moderate oven for approximately 20 minutes until golden. I do find this can actually take a bit longer, so keep an eye on it.

Vaccination Issues

Homeoprophylaxis (HP or Homeopathic Immunisation) - Adding new babies to your program

If you have a new baby and want to use your homeopathic immunisation program for this child you need to complete a questionnaire and organise a phone consult, after which I will send you out a record card and offer the usual support. Your new baby will then be added to the register I hold in the clinic of all children who are currently using an HP program, which is at the request of the Australian Homeopathic Association.

Homeoprophylaxis for Travel

Homeopathy has been used for many decades by people wanting to protect themselves against a variety of diseases during travel. If you are not keen to have conventional vaccinations for travel, contact me regarding the options.

Even if you decide to go ahead with the vaccinations, it is important to be aware that they are probably the least effective of all the vaccinations produced and you can use homeopathy alongside to boost your protection.

I also produce the Safe Vacc Pack (available on request only) which can be used to give some level of protection to the immune system if you choose to have the vaccinations.

Clinic Hours

I am now consulting in Hobart all day on both Tuesday and Friday. Saturday mornings are now by arrangement only. Consults (including phone consults) are available at Mountain River all day Wednesday and some Mondays if I have time.

If you have purchased a kit to use with your family, please ensure you keep me updated of any changes in your email/contact details. Sometimes there are changes to the program and I may need to get in touch with you.

You can contact me at: melanie@elementsofhealth.com.au or phone 0409 089965

Please note the clinic is closed on Thursdays.

Until next time,
Warmest wishes

Melanie Creedy