Naturopathy is a multi disciplinary approach that uses the healing power of natural resources such as medicinal herbs, homeopathies, nutritional supplements, exercise and water; to allow your body to heal itself. As naturopaths, we believe the body will always strive toward good health or homeostasis, and that the body is its own best healer.

Many factors in these days such as an unhealthy diet; lack of sleep, exercise or fresh air; emotional or physical stress; pollution in the environment allow waste products and toxins to build up in your body and upset self-regulation.

This in turn can overload your immune system and weaken our vital force, the body’s innate ability to maintain good health. Your body then becomes susceptible to bacterial & viral infections, allergies and other immune mediated disorders.

On examination with a Naturopath you are given a routine medical examination that may include tests for blood pressure, blood glucose and your blood group. Your practitioner may also arrange for blood pathology, urine tests and X-rays. Other non-conventional tests may be carried out such as iridology, hemaview, cellular health analysis, vega testing and hair analysis.

Nowadays, there is also an enormous body of scientific information and research in the field of herbal medicine.  This information assists herbalists to apply their traditional remedies with even greater safety and efficacy.  Herbal medicine is the forerunner of modern drug medicine.   Many chemical drugs are based on compounds found in plants.  For example, the idea for aspirin came from the salicylates found in Willow bark, and heart drugs are still extracted from the Foxglove, more than 200 years after their discovery.  There are many other examples.  The Madagascar Periwinkle provides drugs for the treatment of leukaemia, and taxol from the Pacific Yew offers one of the most promising breakthroughs in cancer chemotherapy for decades.   

The World Health Organisation encourages herbal medicine because it is cheap and effective.

Why is it Different?
A major difference is the form in which medicines are used - herbalists prefer the crude plant form of a medicine instead of pure chemicals refined from plants.

In modern medical science, pharmacologists examine the traditional medicinal used of plants and then locate what they believe to be the active chemical.  They then make the drug by isolating that active principle.   Herbal medicine acknowledges the existence of this active principle, but insists that the other less active components of the plant are essential in presenting the medicine in a form which is easily absorbed, utilised and excreted by the human body.

Herbalists believe that the biological complexity of humans is ideally matched by treatment with remedies of biological complexity - plants!  In other words, herbalists believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  Another major difference is that herbalists work on the premise that we have an innate ability to heal ourselves, and that medicines should be used to restore and support the body's own very capable defensive and restorative mechanisms, rather than try to replace these mechanisms.   Herbal medicine is used within a holistic philosophical framework, treating the whole person rather than just a disease or one part of the body.  Herbal medicine empowers people to play an active role in their own healing.

What Should I Expect?
During a consultation with a herbalist, the problem itself in examined along with an assessment of diet, lifestyle, emotional factors and other body relationships.  Then a diagnosis is made.  Not just in terms of the name of the disease, but also in respect to what is perceived to be the underlying cause in holistic terms.  In other words, the herbalist attempts to remove barriers to health, empowering and mobilising the patient to restore their own defences.

According to the practitioner's assessment of the patient, a prescription will be formulated.  Usually containing 4 to 6 herbs, this prescription is usually given in liquid form because liquids are easily combined in a formulation.  Also liquids represent the least amount of processing needed to turn dried plant material into an acceptable pharmaceutical form.  If the patient experiences difficulties with the taste of liquids, they can be taken in juice, and if this fails, tablets or capsules can be prescribed.  The individual prescription is reviewed and adjusted at follow-up consultations.

How Do I Choose a Herbalist?
There are some health care professionals who are specialist herbalists, but herbal medicine in mainly practised by natural therapists who combine a number of natural treatments.  A number of medical practitioners and pharmacists also use herbal medicine.  If there is no government registration of herbalists in your area, then it its best to ask the practitioner whether they are a member of a professional association appropriate to their claimed area of expertise.  It is best to choose a practitioner with whom you think you would feel comfortable in discussing your lifestyle and health problems.

What Can Herbal Medicine Treat?
Herbal medicine can successfully treat may common health problems.  However, it is particularly suited to the treatment of chronic disorders such as arthritis, asthma, skin disorders and digestive problems.

Herbal medicine is also highly effective for the treatment of female menstrual problems such as period pain, excessive or disordered menstruation, pre-menstrual syndrome and menopause.

One of the greatest strengths of herbal medicine is the way it can improve the functioning of the immune system.  Good immune function in vital, given the demands of modern living.

How Long Does Treatment Take?
Treatment of chronic problems is sometimes slow, taking many months, but a permanent change and relative freedom from side effects are more than adequate compensation.  Generally some improvement will be experienced within 4 to 6 weeks, although this varies widely and also depends on how much effort the patient is prepared to make on their own behalf.

For more acute problems such as colds and flu, response to treatment can be very quick, with benefits coming in a day or two.

Is Herbal Medicine Safe?
Used properly, herbal medicine is safe and effective for healing disease and maintaining good health.  Herbal medicine fills a gap in conventional medical treatment because sometimes it is only the subtle complex of chemicals found in plants which can meet the needs of patients and help to restore them to health.

You've tried again and again to lose weight?  Do you usually only see minor results?  Sometimes go for weeks without the loss of a single kilogram?  What if you could see and feel amazing results day after day? Isn't that what you have been looking for? Well, here at the Natural Health Clinic Toowoomba, we are very excited to be offering the HCG Fat Reduction Program that does just that!  It is a 6 week program to help you lose excess fat and improve your overall health.

The program is divided into four stages - Preparation Stage, Fat Loss Stage, Maintenance Stage and the Lifestyle Stage.

The Preparation Phase is very important and one of the keys to the success of the program.  It is at this stage that you arrange an appointment with one of the naturopaths at this clinic where a VLA test will be conducted.  This will record your muscle mass, fat stores and body fluid.  The program will be explained in detail requiring you to set your starting date and get organised for the next phase, which is the Fat Loss Phase.

The Fat Loss Phase lasts for three weeks and requires you to follow a restricted eating plan, while taking a number of supplements, including a homeopathic formula.
This is a very effective fat loss program because the homeopathic formula allows the body to use your stored fats for energy thus preventing you from experiencing the symptoms that people usually experience on a restricted diet, such as fatigue, irritability, hunger, cravings, headaches and the inability to stick to the program.  The added bonus is that you lose weight where you need to, resulting in significant refinement of your shape.
This phase is strict and does require that you drink 2-3 litres of water a day, get eight hours sleep a night, minimize stress levels and ensure that you don't use any oil based creams.  It is important that you have a VLA test in the middle and at the end of this phase to confirm that you are losing fat and maintaining your muscle mass.
The Fat Loss eating plan includes two meals a day consisting of protein and specific vegetables, rice biscuits/bread sticks and specific fruits.
Clients are getting excellent results, losing 1/4 to 1/2 kilogram a day and sometimes more in this phase.

    Imagine 3 weeks from now weighing 6-10kgs less!!!

The next 3 weeks, which is the Maintenance Phase, is about maintaining your weight.  You can eat anything, except sugars and carbohydrates.  Food is introduced slowly while keeping a daily record of food eaten as well as weighing yourself every morning to know what foods best suit your body.  A final VLA test is recommended at the end of the maintenance phase.  If you have more weight to lose you can do the program again till you achieve your desired weight.

The aim of the HCG Fat Reduction Program is long term fat loss.  In the Lifestyle Phase ongoing support and monitoring is provided to ensure you keep the weight off and maintain good health.

The naturopaths here at the Natural Health Clinic Toowoomba are very excited about the effectiveness as well as the health benefits of this program. 

To get started on your road to a healthier weight or to learn more about the program, call for an appointment today.

Testimonies

     When I first heard about the program I was very apprehensive because I have never been able to stick to a diet.  I was amazed, with the drops I didn't feel hungry and completed the program and lost 6 kgs.
                                                                                             Belinda

     After reading about the HCG diet I thought I wouldn't be able to do it.  Too hard!!  But I found it easy and lost around 8 kgs after doing the program and I feel fantastic.
                                                                                             Beatrice

     I have tried many weight loss programs over the years but the HCG fat reduction program is definitely the one I would recommend to anyone else who is wanting to lose weight.  The fact that you can lose between 6-10 kgs during the program is not only a great incentive to try it, but also the health benefits you gain are immeasurable.  It is very rewarding and exciting when you can fit into clothes in your wardrobe that you haven't been able to wear.  I lost 8 kg.
                                                                                              Kay

Ear Candles - How they work
The basic technique involves the use of a hollow candle which looks like a thick straw coated in wax.  The candles are double coated with pure bee's wax for an extra long burning time of approximately 25 minutes each.  It is placed gently in the ear and the wick end is lit.  The burning flame creates a gentle warm air vacuum in the auditory canal.  This gentle suction aids in the removal of wax and fluid and works similar to the principles of moxibustion in chinese medicine.  This procedure is totally painless and relaxing and a slight crackling sound will be heard by the patient whilst the candle is burning.

Where does ear wax come from?
The outer ear is the funnel-like ear canal section of the ear which extends from the pinna (the ear flap on the side of the head) to the eardrum. The skin of the ear canal is lined with hair follicles and glands that produce the waxy oil called cerumen.

How does it work?
The wax protects the ear by trapping dust, micro-organisms and foreign particles and prevents them from entering and damaging the ear. The wax usually makes its way to the opening of the ear where it falls out or is removed by cleaning. Ear wax is nature's defence, preventing foreign particles from reaching the eardrum. Ear wax also acts as a temporary water repellent. The absence of ear wax may result in dry itchy ears.

Clogged?
In some people the glands produce more wax than can be easily excreted out of the ear, this extra wax may harden within the ear canal and block the ear. More commonly however the ear canal becomes blocked when attempts to clean the ear using such things as cotton wool buds, napkin corners, and pencils push the wax further into the ear canal causing a blockage.

Recommended Therapy Schedule
Our practitioners recommend ear candling for regular cleaning.  They suggest 1-2 candles per ear 2-3 times per year.  In the treatment of specific problems if relief is not felt within 2 days, the procedure should be repeated.  With chronic problems it may be necessary to treat the person once a week for a number of weeks. 

Ear candles can be used in combination with other treatments.   However, CARE should be taken not to use candles with people who have had recent ear surgery, have perforated eardrums, or who have cysts or tumours in the ear.

People with a history of recurrent serious problems should have their ears checked by a medical specialist before commencing treatment.