The immune system and white blood cells The immune system is the most dynamic indicator in determining our overall health and wellbeing.  A very complex and capable network responsible for defending us against germs that are trying to invade us daily, it plays a vital role in keeping us healthy.  It is on constant alert to determine what’s friend or foe, what’s foreign and what’s not and then responding accordingly.   The immune system is made up of specialised cells, tissues and organs.  Important among these are the white blood cells of which there are different types with different life spans, from a few hours to a few days. Millions develop everyday in bone marrow, made up of shimmering little granules that look similar to granules of sugar.  In a healthy immune system, the granules vibrate and this movement gives the cells ’legs’ so they can walk around and patrol the body, destroying germs as soon as they enter.  If the granules don’t vibrate, e.g. because of nutritional deficiencies or damage to the lining of the gut, then the immune system can’t patrol as efficiently.   A healthy immune system needs a variety of good bacteria to fight the bad bacteria or pathogenic bacteria that...

Baby Naturopath Approved - Gut-Loving Veggie Purée Cooking vegetables in bone broth helps to boost their nutrient profile.  This base recipe can be used to supercharge all purées with nutritional goodness. Ingredients 2 cups Gut-Loving Bone Broth 1½ cups vegetables, washed and chopped Method Add the broth and vegetables to a small saucepan and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender. Drain vegetables and reserve the bone broth. Place the vegetables into a blender and blitz adding the reserved bone broth until you reach the desired consistency. Leftover broth can be kept for 3 days in the fridge and reused to make another purée. Store leftover purée in fridge for up to 2 days. Age:  6+ months Makes: 1 cup Prep time:  5 minutes Cooking time:  10 minutes Freeze:  Yes Naturopathy Can Help With the Following Childhood Conditions Fiona provides tailored health plans based on a multitude of factors relevant to your child’s symptomology (how they are feeling), pathology (how their body is responding), plus dietary and lifestyle factors. ✅ Digestive complaints – constipation, diarrhoea, loose stools, pain or bloating ✅ Allergies and allergic conditions – such as asthma, eczema or hayfever ✅ Poor Immunity – recurring colds or ear infections ✅ Skin Conditions – rashes, eczema, acne, pimples or allergic reactions ✅ Moods – anxiety, depression or mood swings ✅ Food Intolerances – identifying food...

Baby Nutritionist Approved - Bambino Beef Purée This beef dish is super easy to make and the perfect addition to a simple veggie purée to boost protein levels and help keep little tummies full.  In these important early years of your infant’s rapid development, protein helps to grow and maintain all the cells in the body.  Beef is also an excellent source of the essential mineral iron. Ingredients 300 g minced beef 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil Method Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the meat and garlic and cook, breaking it up as you go. Once the meat has changed from red to brown and cooked through. Using a spoon, add the meat to a food processor and blend until you reach your desired consistency. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Divide the puree into silicon moulds or ice-cube trays for easy portion sizes ready for the freezer. Age:  6+ months Makes:  2 cups Prep time:  5 minutes Cooking time:  10 minutes Freeze:  Yes Naturopathy Can Help With the Following Childhood Conditions Fiona provides tailored health plans based on a multitude of factors relevant to your child’s symptomology (how they are feeling), pathology (how their body is responding), plus dietary and lifestyle factors. ✅...

The Organic Acids Test (OAT) offers a comprehensive metabolic snapshot of a patient’s overall health with 76 markers.  It provides an accurate evaluation of intestinal yeast and bacteria. Abnormally high levels of these microorganisms can cause or worsen behavior disorders, hyperactivity, movement disorders, fatigue and immune function. Many people with chronic illnesses and neurological disorders often excrete several abnormal organic acids in their urine. The cause of these high levels could include oral antibiotic use, high sugar diets, immune deficiencies, acquired infections, as well as genetic factors. Our Organic Acids Test also includes markers for vitamin and mineral levels, oxidative stress, neurotransmitter levels, and is the only OAT to include markers for oxalates, which are highly correlated with many chronic illnesses. Organic acids are chemical compounds excreted in the urine of mammals that are products of metabolism. Metabolism is the sum of chemical reactions in living beings by which the body builds new molecules and breaks down molecules to eliminate waste products and produce energy. Organic acids are organic compounds that are acidic. Organic acids are substances in which carbon and hydrogen are always present but which may also contain the elements of oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus as well. The names of...

A new study has revealed that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have 50% more microplastics in their faeces than healthy controls. The concentration of microplastics was also higher for those with more severe IBD, suggesting an association between the two (1). Inflammatory bowel diseases, including crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are complicated, chronic, relapsing conditions characterised by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. More than 6.8 million people are currently estimated to be living with IBD worldwide, and the prevalence is rapidly rising (2). Although the cause of IBD remains unknown, evidence suggests that genetic, immunological, and environmental factors initiate inflammatory and autoimmune reactions (3,4). Microplastics are plastic particles that appear in a configuration of particles and microscopic fibres ranging in size from 1 µm to 5 mm (about the width of a pencil eraser). They are either intentionally added to products, such as cosmetics, cleaning products, and medical applications, or have fragmented and degraded from larger plastic items, including plastics bags and food and beverage packaging. These microplastics contain toxic chemical additives that are known to affect human health, including bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, triclosan, and brominated flame retardants (BFR) (5). Furthermore, they can absorb heavy metals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and microorganisms,...

Minerals are naturally occurring substances found in soil and rocks.  They are essential nutrients required to carry out key functions each day for your child’s optimal health.  We get minerals from our diet when we eat plant foods that have absorbed the nutrients directly from the soil.  Minerals are also found in meat from plant-grazing animals. If a growing child is deprived of any one of the important minerals, various functions may be impaired and therefore a contributing and underlying factor in many common childhood illnesses Minerals play the following roles in Children's Health ✅ Bone and teeth health ✅ Energy production ✅ Nerve and muscle function ✅ Immune health   Minerals can be depleted in food ✅ When produce is grown in poor top soils, which are naturally low in minerals. ✅ If fruit and vegetables are not allowed to ripen on the vine; this being the critical stage when minerals are released into food. ✅ When fresh produce is stored for extended periods before it reaches the supermarket shelves. ✅ If the minerals get bound up in the chemicals stored in the top soils and not released into the food.   How Calcium Benefits Children's Health Among all the health benefits of calcium, the standout benefit for children is its role in maintaining...

Minerals are naturally occurring substances found in soil and rocks.  They are essential nutrients required to carry out key functions each day for your child’s optimal health.  We get minerals from our diet when we eat plant foods that have absorbed the nutrients directly from the soil.  Minerals are also found in meat from plant-grazing animals. If a growing child is deprived of any one of the important minerals, various functions may be impaired and therefore a contributing and underlying factor in many common childhood illnesses Minerals play the following roles in Children's Health ✅ Bone and teeth health ✅ Energy production ✅ Nerve and muscle function ✅ Immune health   Minerals can be depleted in food ✅ When produce is grown in poor top soils, which are naturally low in minerals. ✅ If fruit and vegetables are not allowed to ripen on the vine; this being the critical stage when minerals are released into food. ✅ When fresh produce is stored for extended periods before it reaches the supermarket shelves. ✅ If the minerals get bound up in the chemicals stored in the top soils and not released into the food. Zinc supports normal growth and development during childhood.  It is required for every enzyme process that takes place in the body;...

Kids Health Benefits Of Molybdenum Minerals are naturally occurring substances found in soil and rocks.  They are essential nutrients required to carry out key functions each day for your child’s optimal health.  We get minerals from our diet when we eat plant foods that have absorbed the nutrients directly from the soil.  Minerals are also found in meat from plant-grazing animals. If a growing child is deprived of any one of the important minerals, various functions may be impaired and therefore a contributing and underlying factor in many common childhood illnesses Minerals play the following roles in Children's Health ✅ Bone and teeth health ✅ Energy production ✅ Nerve and muscle function ✅ Immune health   Minerals can be depleted in food ✅ When produce is grown in poor top soils, which are naturally low in minerals. ✅ If fruit and vegetables are not allowed to ripen on the vine; this being the critical stage when minerals are released into food. ✅ When fresh produce is stored for extended periods before it reaches the supermarket shelves. ✅ If the minerals get bound up in the chemicals stored in the top soils and not released into the food. Molybdenum promotes normal cell function and works with vitamin B2 to incorporate iron into red blood cells...

Minerals are naturally occurring substances found in soil and rocks.  They are essential nutrients required to carry out key functions each day for your child’s optimal health.  We get minerals from our diet when we eat plant foods that have absorbed the nutrients directly from the soil.  Minerals are also found in meat from plant-grazing animals. If a growing child is deprived of any one of the important minerals, various functions may be impaired and therefore a contributing and underlying factor in many common childhood illnesses Minerals play the following roles in Children's Health ✅ Bone and teeth health ✅ Energy production ✅ Nerve and muscle function ✅ Immune health   Minerals can be depleted in food ✅ When produce is grown in poor top soils, which are naturally low in minerals. ✅ If fruit and vegetables are not allowed to ripen on the vine; this being the critical stage when minerals are released into food. ✅ When fresh produce is stored for extended periods before it reaches the supermarket shelves. ✅ If the minerals get bound up in the chemicals stored in the top soils and not released into the food.   SELENIUM FOR KIDS HEALTH Selenium is a key nutrient for robust immune health to help fight against bacterial and viral infections. It plays...

Minerals are naturally occurring substances found in soil and rocks.  They are essential nutrients required to carry out key functions each day for your child’s optimal health.  We get minerals from our diet when we eat plant foods that have absorbed the nutrients directly from the soil.  Minerals are also found in meat from plant-grazing animals. If a growing child is deprived of any one of the important minerals, various functions may be impaired and therefore a contributing and underlying factor in many common childhood illnesses Minerals play the following roles in Children's Health ✅ Bone and teeth health ✅ Energy production ✅ Nerve and muscle function ✅ Immune health   Minerals can be depleted in food ✅ When produce is grown in poor top soils, which are naturally low in minerals. ✅ If fruit and vegetables are not allowed to ripen on the vine; this being the critical stage when minerals are released into food. ✅ When fresh produce is stored for extended periods before it reaches the supermarket shelves. ✅ If the minerals get bound up in the chemicals stored in the top soils and not released into the food.   Manganese for Children's Health Manganese supports bone structure by creating essential enzymes for building healthy bones.  Other functions include the formation of...