One thing I have been doing this year is contracting for Open Polytechnic, and doing workplace assessments for Pharmacy Technicians who are working on their Level 4 and Level 5 diplomas. I love this – it’s amazing to get out of the house and explore a different part of Northland, plus get the opportunity to talk to other Pharmacists and discuss what Pharmacy is like. I also really love supporting learners, and I know there are always things we can …
“She looks like she has it all together, and I’m a mess.” I hear variations on this all the time. Social comparison is a really harmful behaviour, especially when what you see is the good times and you notice it when you are feeling overwhelmed or struggling with life. A study published in the Journal of Behavioural Addictions cites social comparison as a potential mechanism for the link between social media use and depression (1). Previous studies have also highlighted …
The last two days we have talked about the influence of birth order, and some homeopathic remedies that may be indicated for middle and youngest children. Today, finally, let’s look at Eldest and Only children. The Eldest are used to being first. It can also come with a lot of responsibility, often they are expected to help at a much younger age than younger siblings. They can act as a leader and a role model for others. They have also …
Continuing my birth order post, let’s look at Youngest children. The “baby” of the family, they may be more indulged and be considered less capable than their siblings were at the same age. While they may or may not be spoiled in terms of what they physically are given, they certainly don’t usually have the responsibilities of their older siblings, and this can give them a more care-free nature. Youngest children can be easy going, looking for a good time, …
I am the second child of four, and I was fascinated as a teenager and in my early 20s by the writings around birth order. In one job I had a colleague who was also second of four children, boy, girl, girl, boy, same as my family, and despite the different age gaps between siblings and growing up in different places, with different cultures and family background, her stories about her siblings could have been mine, and vice versa. Last …
It’s World Breastfeeding Week! I am passionate about breastfeeding but for many women it is not easy. Last year I wrote about mastitis, if you need support for that you can find the post here: One problem with breastfeeding can be the supply – too much causes engorgement and can lead on to mastitis, other women struggle to have enough breast milk to feed their baby. Today I want to talk about under supply. There can be some myths about …
These are a common childhood complaint and can affect the skin anywhere on the body. (You can also get warts of the mucous membranes, of the anus or genitals, but I am not going to be discussing those today). Warts are caused by the Human Papillomavirus and are most common in school aged children, although any age group can get them. The virus affects the base layer of the skin which forms more keratin than normal, causing the thickened and …
I recently had a very mild bout of shingles – the fact that this was very mild was likely due to two factors, one is my age, in general people under 50 have a milder experience of shingles, although there are exceptions. The other factor was I noticed the first expression, just 5 little dots like a line with an arrowhead, and recognised it immediately for what it was and started taking a homeopathic remedy. The next day I got …
The weather has definitely cooled down so it is time to think about winter and preparing for the viruses that are more prevalent over this time. It’s also flu vaccine season- I keep hearing ads for this, and there are other options if you want to support your immune system without a vaccine. First of all, let’s talk about the fundamental building blocks for health and wellbeing: lifestyle, what we eat and how we treat our bodies. *nutrition is the …
Happy Easter Among other things, Easter is a time of chocolate and over indulgence. Even if you actively limit sugar at home it is difficult when the kids go to different things and are given an Easter egg or two while there. So here are some reminders of what you can do. If possible, limit snacking on chocolate all day. Having it after a meal is ideal because it not only reduces the blood sugar spike but it means you …
I periodically ask for ideas that people would like me to write about, and this is one that came up a while ago – “after school restraint collapse”. This is a really common phenomenon. Children go to school all day, hold it together, then get home and lose the plot. It can be emotional breakdowns with tears, it may be anger or rage, and typically it will be the smallest thing, maybe something irrational, that sets them off – the …
It’s Valentines Day! So let’s talk about an important aspect of many relationships – sex, and specifically for women when there is a lack of libido. This is something that comes up in my clinic semi regularly, and this post is an overview of some of the issues that can affect your desire. The first point here is that women are all different – so what turns us on (or off) can be different too. That doesn’t mean that you …
Summer is here and with it the good old Kiwi Barbecue. One risk with barbecues and camping is food poisoning – something no one wants to deal with. The best treatment is prevention, so here is a reminder of the basic food safety rules: Wash your hands, especially after handling raw meat. Wash any utensils or chopping boards in hot soapy water and dry well. Cook food all the way through – especially chicken, mince and sausages. Reheat food to …
The summer school holidays are long. The first couple of weeks there is a lot of excitement- a busy term 4, then Christmas and new years, and by now, coming up 3rd week of January, some kids are bored, missing the routine of school, and there can be fighting with siblings, or just relentless whining and whinging going on. (If the moaning started as soon as the holidays, I apologise for leaving it so late to post this for you!) …
This is a common skin condition in teenagers, but does occur in adults as well. Our skin is out outermost layer, and healing here usually requires working from the inside out. In addition hormones have a big affect on the skin – the reason why puberty is the time acne often starts – so if you have done all you can at home, it is worth seeing a professional – both Homeopathy (my modality) and Naturopathy and Medical Herbalism can …
It’s the final week of November, and only a few more weeks of school. Now is the time to get prepared before school ends, the silly season is upon us, and you can’t get the remedies you need over the Christmas and New Year period. So let’s talk about some good remedies to have on hand. Here are brief notes on a few remedies you may like to consider having on hand. Firstly, Sol Australis. The New Zealand sun is …
It is once again Antibiotic Awareness Week. A time to reflect on how we use antibiotics, so that we are not over using these life saving medicines and contributing to antibiotic resistance. While we focus on appropriate antibiotic use in a medical setting, another area of concern is antibiotic use in agriculture: this is not my area of expertise, but definitely a concern. Once again this is a place where Homeopathy shines, and a shout out to Homeopathic Farm Services …
It’s cake week in my house. The official celebration starts on the 5th with my birthday, and ends on the 12th with my eldest’s birthday. Cake week is characterised by celebrations, and lots of cake. Sometimes it stretches into cake fortnight, which is dangerous for diets and waistlines. This year cake week is a milestone for me – 40 years. So I am going away with hubby and leaving the kids with my Mum (thanks Mum!). As such this week …
Recently there has been a case of measles in Northland , which has brought measles back into the media (1). Regardless of whether or not you choose to vaccinate, it is useful to know how to support yourself or others if you develop measles. Before we talk Homeopathy, let’s discuss the basic supplements you can have on hand and use as needed. First, for any virus is Vitamin C, which is an essential micronutrient that we need to get through …
Headaches Headaches can be debilitating, and affect a large number of people – a 2022 review showed the prevalence of active headache disorders in the Global population was 52%. All types of headaches also disproportionately affected more women than men. (1) Common types of headaches include Tension headaches and Migraines. Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, can be felt like a band around the head and are often related to other factors like stress, muscle tension or …
It’s World Breastfeeding Week! I am passionate about breastfeeding and supporting mothers to breastfeed. I breastfed all three of my children, for over ten years in total, and over that time I dealt with under supply, expressing when returning to (nearly) full time work, and mastitis. Today I want to talk about mastitis as this can be a terrible infection, and the knowledge to treat this with homeopathy and supplements can avoid the need for antibiotics and hospitalisation. Mastitis is …
Paracetamol is one of the most common medicines in use in New Zealand today, if not the most common. I used to dish out loads of it as a Pharmacist. But I also find it a medicine that people take for granted, and these days recommendations for use have changed, but common use has not. My focus is Homeopathy, so towards the end of this post I will talk about alternatives to Paracetamol for fever, but let’s look at the …
I see you, all those busy people who have taken on more and more, until one day you crash, hit the wall, flame out. Or it could be more of a slow decline in energy, still doing everything but it feels harder and harder, like walking through water, then walking through mud. Sometimes it’s an illness that takes you down, the cold that one of your kids had for 2-3 days that you’re still trying to kick 2 weeks later. …
I attended my first aid refresher yesterday. It’s important to go along and practice my CPR, just in case I ever need to use it or come across more than the minor injuries I am more familiar with. It did make me reflect on homeopathic remedies that are appropriate in these circumstances. Important to note that you would not be giving a remedy to an unconscious person, but with permission in other circumstances you can give a remedy while they …