Behind the scenes of Natural Medicine Week: Insights from a naturopath and a kinesiologist

Natural Medicine Week 2023 was another great year with 55 events hosted, 82,590 visiting the www.naturalmedicineweek.com.au website; 190,227 people engaging across our ATMS channels with likes, comments, clicks and shares; 2.6 million consumers reached via social media and a total estimated reach of 4.1 million.

We recently had the chance to speak to two Natural Medicine Week Ambassadors about their experiences being involved, to find out what they’ve learned and how its benefitted them and the industry.

Meet Danielle Elliott, a naturopath, herbalist, and homeopath with a special interest in digestive complaints and Alice Bullivant, a kinesiologist, mind body medicine therapist and integrative complementary therapist, two of our Ambassadors since 2021 each passionate about their therapies and sharing their knowledge.

  1. How did you first become involved in Natural Medicine Week, and what inspired you to become an Ambassador?

Danielle: I hosted my first event in 2019. It was a big learning experience for me, but I loved it. When the pandemic hit, it really gave me opportunities to continue to reach new clientele. I was approached by ATMS to be an Ambassador for the first time in 2021 and immediately I was excited about the prospect of helping to build awareness about the massive difference naturopathy can make in people’s lives.

Alice: After hearing from colleagues about Natural Medicine Week, I thought I’d give it a go and try something new by hosting my first online webinar (well first week of webinars). I learned so much in that first year about time management and overcommitting myself, but also how rewarding it was. I was honoured to be invited to be an Ambassador, as my therapy, kinesiology, is not well known or understood, and being an Ambassador is such a great opportunity to share the gift of kinesiology with our community.

  1. How has your involvement with Natural Medicine Week benefited you and your business?

Danielle: I think you learn to step up and be more visible, to not ‘play it small’. It made me get over my fear of being visible and in the last three years I have been sharing so much more of what I do and what I can help people achieve. Being able to help each other promote what we do and feel supported is a great part of the Natural Medicine Week experience and I get excited each year. Every time I am involved it helps to grow my following and my email list too, by having another angle or reason to create and share content on my social media accounts.

Alice: Being an Ambassador has benefited me with admin tasks, like time management and deadlines, and in marketing tasks like promoting my events, and being on camera to talk to an audience. It helps my business on many levels – it gives me both a reason and a deadline to get in front of the camera and be the face of my business, which can be a challenge to make a priority as a small business owner.

  1. Can you share some highlights or memorable moments from Natural Medicine Week?

Danielle: The most exciting thing for me, is the feeling I get after presenting my masterclasses for Natural Medicine Week, it leaves me so inspired and grateful to be doing the work I do. Attendees’ reactions at the end are always heartwarming. Sharing our knowledge with people who are interested and willing to hear about ‘another way’ is always exciting.

Alice: My favourite year was last year, where I talked about a familiar but unknown topic, cycle syncing, or how to flow with the natural rhythms of your body. It was also my most popular webinar to date, and my most well-developed plan that aligned well with where I wanted to take my business.

  1. Is there anything that you’ve learned from the experience?

Danielle: To not shy away from opportunity and putting yourself out there. It has got me over my fear of sharing what I do in clinic, for fear of what others might think or that I might ‘say the wrong thing’ or something ‘I’m not allowed to’.  I realise people need to hear what we have to say and to be able to share exactly how we can help people out there that are searching for answers to their health concerns.

Alice: I learned to not over-commit! I’ve learned how important being the face of your business is, and to talk all things natural therapies and to share the gift of what we do. This experience brings back many elements of my training in the corporate world in terms of project delivery and being reminded how a lot of my skills are transferrable to small business.

  1. What is their advice to other practitioners on getting involved with Natural Medicine Week?

Do not hesitate to say yes, just do it! You will grow in so many ways and be able to be involved in so much positive change for our industry.

“I believe that a growing awareness of what we do has led people to seek us out first, not as a last resort, which is really refreshing and is an incredible shift when you think about it. But we still have more work to do.” – Danielle Elliott

“This opportunity is so beneficial to you if you are starting out your journey, to get your name out there and establish some credibility for your business brand.  If you, like me, are more established, it helps you re-affirm your authority in your field, make strategic decisions, keep talking to people about your business and your modality, and create new opportunities, year-on-year.”- Alice Bullivant.

Clinic of the Year 2023 Winner Q&A

1. Tell us a little about your natural medicine clinic and the services you offer:

Jackie’s Sports Massage offers remedial massage treatments, and our focus is to provide the highest quality massages to benefit a wide range of ailments from headaches, upper and lower back pain, stress relief and management, sports injury rehabilitation and general maintenance massage for a healthy lifestyle and state of wellbeing.

2. When and why did you start your clinic?
From a very young age after having received a life changing massage when I was just 16 years old and already riddled with injuries from sport, I knew that I wanted to work with the body and in the massage field. I established Jackie’s Sports Massage in 1994 when I was 19 years old and had just graduated from the Remedial Massage Diploma at the Australasian College of Natural Therapies. My aim was to have one of Sydney’s leading clinics with an outstanding reputation for providing an outstanding premium service. Over the past 29 years the clinic has grown into a highly reputable clinic and my goals have been achieved.

3. What motivated you to practice your chosen field of natural medicine? Why are you so passionate about it?

My motivation has always been driven by the desire to help people feel better in their bodies. I have always loved being able to help rid the body from chronic or acute pain plus sports injuries. I receive immense job satisfaction hearing that my clients feel so much better after their massages with us.

4. What is your vision and mission for your clinic?

After 30 years of running the business alongside being a full-time mother I am at a stage where I am ready to expand my business model and branch out into new locations and providing a nurturing and abundant healing space for massage therapists to come an earn a living doing what they love. Plus reaching more clients with our high-level remedial massage treatments.

5. How does your type of natural medicine benefit your clients?

It benefits our clients enormously as stress and chronic pain is rampant throughout our society and an excellent remedial massage can be the cure of so many ailments. I always tell our clients that massage therapy can fix more issues than they are aware of because a well-balanced body is a pain free body.

6. How does your clinic connect and engage with your local community?

Google and social media are how we connect. Word of mouth is however our best referral source.

7. What are some of the ways you advocate for the natural therapies industry?

I have applied for the natural therapies ambassador position so that my voice can be heard in this field.

8. In your opinion, what does the future of natural medicine look like?

It looks amazing as the world is heading more towards natural therapies finally! We have come so far in the 30 years I have been in the industry with remedial massage now being recognised by private health funds and many other allied health care practitioners on board with referrals.

9. What does it mean for you to have won this award?

I am so honoured to have won this award and have been inundated with hundreds on congratulatory emails from our clients. It has been a great promotion tool and a huge validation for all the decades of hard work my therapists and myself have applied.

 

Student of the Year 2023 Winner Q&A

1. What attracted you to the natural medicine industry as a career choice?

My mum and aunties influenced my interest in wellness practices, nutrition and natural living as a teenager. I considered other career choices that could provide prestige and would satisfy mainstream society but I always returned to complementary medicine as my passion. What attracted me most was the opportunity to live a life of service to others, improving lives and enriching my own life with the knowledge I could gain as a natural medicine practitioner.

2. Which therapy type interested you the most and why?

I read an article about naturopathy when I was 15 and I immediately knew that it was what I wanted to do. I was interested because it combines my love of nutrition with the benefits of herbal medicine and has a holistic focus on health and wellbeing. When I saw naturopaths I was in awe of how caring and knowledgeable they were and I wanted to know what they knew! I also had work experience with a Sydney naturopath and was inspired by her to start the course.

3. Tell us about the course that you’re completing and what you enjoy the most.

I started studying a Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) at Endeavour College in 2020 and have loved it since the very first day! I was surprised at the depth of the subjects and how much content is jam-packed into the four-year course. What I enjoy most about it is the range of subjects we complete from physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacognosy, botany, manufacturing, nutritional science, counselling, herbal medicine and so much more! The course has really supported my critical thinking and sparked a deep passion for all things naturopathy.

4. Have you completed the student clinic? If so, what are some of the key learnings you’ve discovered?

Student clinic has really built my confidence and faith in myself as an emerging practitioner. One of the key learnings has been realising my role as a naturopath is not to heal but to facilitate a person to begin their own healing journey and have the tools to be in control of their health. Another big learning has been how to break strategies into manageable and achievable chunks instead of overwhelming clients with enormous amounts of information that they can’t digest.

5. What is one thing you’ve learnt in your studies that surprises / interests you?

What has really interested and definitely surprised me throughout my studies, is how much research is available to us right now. We aren’t guessing whether a certain nutrient or herb will be therapeutic in different conditions, our clinical decisions are guided by research. There is an enormous amount of research that grows every single day on how nutrition and herbal medicine can support acute and chronic illnesses and improve health.

6. What are your plans for when you graduate?

I am planning to take the next three months to really rejuvenate and support my nervous system after studying full-time. I will be spending time with my family, travelling and trying to go with the flow! In the second quarter of next year, I will dedicate myself to building an online business where I can practice naturopathy to support people with their health. I have been slowly working on it behind the scenes in my final year of college but now I will have the time to finalise everything. I also plan to begin a master’s degree in the next few years but I haven’t decided which course yet.

7. How do you think people will benefit from your chosen natural medicine therapy?

People need guidance on how to support their health by optimising their diet and lifestyle. We live in a world with so many barriers to health and it is not a surprise that we are facing so many chronic illnesses due to stress, poor nutrition, toxin exposure and sedentary lifestyles. I want to break down the barriers to receiving disease prevention advice as I believe people can really benefit from the nutrition and lifestyle practices that stem from the naturopathic philosophy and are supported by evidence.

8. What is your hope for the future of the natural medicine industry?

My hope for the future of the natural medicine industry is for more recognition of the benefits we can provide for society by improving health and wellbeing. I hope natural medicine can be fully appreciated alongside allopathic medicine and allied health for what it contributes to the prevention of disease, improving quality of life and empowering individuals to be healthier.

9. How will this award influence you in your future endeavours?

This award has confirmed that I am on the right path and have so many people supporting my purpose. It has inspired me to dream big and work towards breaking through the barriers that prevent people from using naturopathy. Most of all it will influence me to believe in myself as an emerging naturopath.

10. What does it mean to you to win this award?

Winning this award has meant so much to me as it has shown me how far I have come. When I enrolled in my course I lacked confidence in myself and let others’ opinions give me doubts about my decision. I have given this course my all and my passion has grown exponentially. It is amazing to be recognised for the contribution I have made to the local Endeavour community and also the Fijian communities through volunteer work. To win this award has assured me I am in a really supportive and inspiring profession that is filled with like-minded and dedicated practitioners.

Practitioner of the Year 2023 Winner Q&A

1. What is your chosen accredited natural medicine practice?
I am a Naturopath, having completed a Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) & other qualifications including as a Nutritionist. I love learning so over the last 22 years of practice I have also studied Functional Medicine and Integrative Oncology in Australia and Internationally.

2. What drew you to focus on this type of natural medicine?
I studied Naturopathy as a 17-year-old straight out of high school, I wanted to help people and I just kind of found my way to this course and the rest is history. I love our industry and my job! I would not want to do anything else.

3. What is your motivation to deliver this type of care for your clients?
My motivation is to deliver hope to patients with even the most complex diagnosis. I want to empower them with information and lifestyle medicine tips to give them back a feeling of hope and control on their journey, to show them ways they can feel healthier or ‘well’, no matter the diagnosis. I also love to share with them the amazing depth of scientific research that enables us to achieve amazing results in conditions that sometimes have little hope. Examples include all the research I utilise to help my patients minimise the side effects from their conventional oncology care by utilising safe evidence based complementary medicines appropriately alongside their pharmaceutical interventions. In my experience this helps make patients with cancer feel happier with improved quality of life. This also applies for my patients with Long COVID where we already have lots of evidence on complementary medicines like herbs and nutrition, as well as lifestyle advice, that we can use to improve their post viral illness.

4. How does your type of natural medicine support your clients in reaching their health goals?
I work to find the cause of their health complaints, as well as address their concerning symptoms. Using testing, questionnaires, pathology and careful case taking; I look to unravel their complex cases and make a care plan to address their acute symptoms but also to understand what the cause/s of their health complaints are. By addressing these causes with dietary education, stress management, herbal or nutritional medicines, we can often make huge differences in even the most complex and chronic cases. Allowing patients to achieve results that often exceed their health goals. It’s also all about listening and connection, the therapeutic relationship – I am so lucky to get to call this my job.

5. How is the perception of natural medicine changing in Australia?
Over my 22 years in practice, it has changed a lot. I think the huge body of evidence on topics like the microbiome, greater details on how herbal medicine works and better understanding of complex health complaints, have all enabled us to really uplevel what we do and to take an even more important place as part of more and more people’s primary healthcare team.

6. Why are you passionate about your type of natural medicine?
It’s simple…. Because every day I see what we do change people’s lives in big and little ways!

7. What are some of the ways you advocate for the natural therapies industry?
My business Peninsula Herbal Dispensary & Naturopathic Clinic employs one of Australia’s biggest teams of Naturopath’s, we have 11 qualified Naturopaths and final year students. Together we advocate for the industry, educating 5000+ patients a year in our acute care ‘green pharmacy’ setting, many of whom have never used natural medicines before. We are also involved in lots of industry events like Natural Medicine Week and other educational events that strengthen our industry. I personally have helped to educate and mentor 1000’s of other practitioners in my professional courses for practitioners. It’s easy to advocate for something you love.

8. What does the future of natural medicine look like to you?
My clinic Peninsula Herbal Dispensary & Naturopathic Clinic grows every year, next year will be our 20th birthday so that will be a real time to celebrate and look to the future. I can’t wait for 2024 as I also have 2 big new businesses to launch – giving me the opportunity to help even more people… watch this space!

9. What does it mean to you to have won this award?
To win the award Practitioner of the Year is such an honour for myself but also for my team. We all love what we do, the people we help and our industry. Without my team (and my family) I could not achieve all I do. It is such a lovely surprise to win!

Relieve IBS Pain: 5 Mistakes To Avoid

Woman crouching over clutching stomach in pain

A super common symptom associated with IBS pain is BLOATING. Bloating is a big sign that your gut just isn’t coping with all it has to do. It’s incredibly common among “busy” people, who are always on the go!

Here are the TOP 5 MISTAKES I see people doing again and again when it comes to trying to ‘self-treat’ bloating:

1. Eating a restrictive low-fodmap diet. This is a very common diet used to reduce symptoms of bloating, that most people find when they Dr Google “how to get rid of the bloat”. It is also often recommended by gastroenterologists or dieticians, when medical scopes and blood tests come back as “fine.” While I have nothing against using such a diet in healing protocols, I DO have a problem when people go on restrictive diets long-term to reduce gut symptoms, without understanding or treating WHY they are bloating in the first place when they eat healthy foods like onion or apples. A healthy body SHOULD be able to eat healthy foods.

2. Taking random gut supplements. Look, I think it’s great you’re trying out natural supplements like probiotics and digestive enzymes to try and address the bloat. But honestly, randomly taking pills RARELY addresses the root cause of the bloating, which is why one of our core principles in our practice is to test not guess. Once you actually KNOW what is happening deep down in your gut, you can then use targeted support – much more effectively.

3. Taking anti-spasmodic medication. Ok, so this isn’t really ‘self-treating’ as you need a GP script to get such drugs. But again, these types of medication only relax the smooth muscles of the gut, they DON’T address why your gut is twisted up and inflamed in the first place. Plus these drugs can have nasty side-effects like causing drowziness, blurred vision and constipation (ummm, more bloating!!!).

4. Holding onto wee. This is a random one, hey?! It’s not really a self-treat method, but it’s a problem many rushing women have which can literally CAUSE (or exacerbate) bloating. If you’re so busy that you can’t go to the toilet regularly, your bladder will no doubt be very full for most of the day, which can cause the sensation of abdominal bloating, and even IBS cramping. Pee people, pee!

5. Not acknowledging that stress plays a big part. Yes ma’am / sir. I get it, life can feel hectic. You can feel like you don’t have enough time in your day. You’re juggling work and kids and housework and volunteer work and the gym and all the other things women pile onto their ‘to-do’ list. And even though your bloating is becoming a BIG ISSUE, you can’t work out how you can reduce your stress-load, you don’t know how to get off this merry-go-round of madness, even though deep down you KNOW your gut is more aggravated the more overwhelmed you are.

 P.s. If you’re struggling with gut issues, food sensitivities and your relationship with food, I’m running a Root Cause of Emotional Eating Webclass on Mon 22 May 7pm for Natural Medicine Week. It’s free! And you can sign up here.

5 Evidence-Based Immune-Boosting Foods

Bench full of vegetables

Winter is coming – and that also means a higher rate of colds & flus! Here are 5 immune-boosting evidence-based foods that can help speed up your recovery from viral infections, including COVID – most of which are probably already sitting in your kitchen.

  1. Increase vegetable intake. This study found that COVID severity decreased by a whopping 73% in participants who ate 40% more vegetables and other plant-based foods, while diets high in protein and low in carbs (yes – low in carbs – surprising, I know!) was linked with moderate to severe COVID. If you contract COVID, increase your vegetable and plant-food intake (up the vegetable and fruit juices!). This can be used as a preventative measure also.
  2. Nigella Seeds.There are a bunch of antiviral, immune-modulating foods that can also help prevent and improve recovery from viral infections. Nigella seeds have been used in ancient times to treat illnesses, including asthma, hypertension, diabetes, inflammation, cough, bronchitis, headache, eczema, fever, dizziness, and influenza.  This study found that nigella seeds boost the humoral immune system and induce the expression of cytokines, which lead to early viral clearance. Nigella seeds can be purchased at some health food stores or online (sometimes under the name of black cumin), and can be added to salads, smoothies, yogurt, wholefood treats, or whatever tickles your fancy! We’re lucky enough to have nigella flowers growing like crazy in our garden.
  3. Cinnamon has also been shown to be antiviral and immune-modulating – the best part: it’s usually a staple in all cupboards. At least it is in ours! I LOVE putting cinnamon in and on everything. My littlest even sprinkles it over her scrambled eggs – cuteness factor! Cinnamon has been shown to fight against many viruses, including HIV, Dengue fever, and is showing antiviral mechanisms against RNA viruses like coronavirus and other super-flus. Add heaped tsp’s (even tbsp’s!) on everything – smoothies, curries, eggs, mashed veggies, soups, hot drinks.
  4. Your antiviral fungi friend! According to this study, approximately 700 species of medicinal mushrooms with pharmacological properties have been documented. Mushrooms contain compounds that can directly inhibit viral enzymes, viral nucleic acid synthesis, and adsorption and uptake of viruses into cells. Some of the most potent antiviral mushrooms to look out for are cauliflower mushrooms and Reishi, Ling Zhi mushrooms. These mushrooms can be difficult to find in shops, but they can be easily purchased as a superfood – usually in the form of powders or tablets. Be careful of mushrooms if you have an active case of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).
  5. Most people know that yogurt is a healthy fermented food, containing live good bacteria. Some studies have shown that yogurt increases cytokine production, antibody production, phagocytic activity and T cell function, and natural killer (NK) cell activity, which ultimately boosts up the immune system. Another study has linked improved gut microflora as having a significant role in preventing COVID. Consuming yogurt can be part of your gut-enhancing foods to prevent against colds and flus. When purchasing yogurt, make sure you get one that doesn’t have added sugars and nasties. Plain yogurt is best, or one that is slightly sweetened with vanilla or fruit juice. Be careful of yogurt if you have histamine intolerance. If you’re allergic to dairy or dairy intolerant, or if you’re avoiding dairy as part of your healing diet protocol, sub for coconut yogurt.

Need Personalised Immune Support, or Body Systems Work To Resolve Chronic Issues? 

In our practice, Chris & Filly Functional Medicine, we are big believers in healing body systems that have burned out or become imbalanced as the BEST method for creating a robust and resilient immune system. If you’re struggling with low immunity, autoimmunity, energy, mood, or gut issues, these are strong signs that your immune system is not quite up to scratch. On the other hand, if you’ve had COVID, or even long-term problematic viruses like Glandular Fever, and are struggling with long-haul problems, please reach out. It is highly likely your body systems such as the mitochondria, brain, and/or detox pathways have become compromised. You might be feeling a bit helpless now, but know that all of these things can be reversed when we identify where the imbalances lie and treat the root causes. To start your journey, book in for a “Connect The Dots” Initial Consult HERE.

P.s. If you’re struggling with healthy eating that supports the immune system, especially if it’s showing up as emotional eating, I’m running a Root Cause of Emotional Eating Webclass on Mon 22 May 7pm for Natural Medicine Week. It’s free! And you can sign up here.