Hi Ladies,

Welcome to Issue 4. We have so much to share with you this month.

Pure Health Hub chats with Naomi Fryers, mental health survivor, advocate, journalist, author and TEDx Speaker about her experience with mental illness and her important new book A Very Long Way. 

As a mental health and abuse survivor myself, I was drawn to her story and her incredible tenacity to improve her mental health by reducing medications and building skills to develop resilience – all through communication.   

An extraordinary 45% of our population will experience some form of mental illness in their lifetime, yet society wants to continue to sweep it under the carpet. With so many people not willing to engage with those suffering, mental health conditions are prolonged and stigmatised as a result.  

I struggled for over a decade, particularly during my son’s first 10 years. I didn’t realise at the time I was sweeping my own experiences and feelings under the very same carpet, and it was only a matter of time until they had to come out.  In a big way. 

It was when my son turned six that I hit the wall, hard. I sought help and one psychiatrist pointed out that the reason for my breakdown at this point in my son’s life was because my own serious abuse ramped up – under a new and abusive family regime – at that same age and my anxiety for his wellbeing was me mirroring my own. Not long after, I went into 3 weeks of intensive therapy at a clinic. It didn’t help. In fact, it made me worse for a time. I was broken. But that’s another story. So, I continued to seek out anyone that who could provide a ear. I couldn’t find one.  

Not family: they had no interest, despite or because of, their own mental health issues. Friends couldn’t comprehend it and because I, from a young age, had my vulnerability stomped on, laughed at and worse, used against me, I found it extremely difficult to demonstrate any. So mental health support needs to step up, but in the absence of that, we need to support each other.  That starts with communication.

Naomi’s assessment of our mental health system being woefully inadequate is just part of the problem, a huge one, and she articulately shares some of the other ways we should be focussing on improving support. Read her story here. I hope it inspires you. 

The Hub was created so I could share what I am learning about women’s integrative health and, more specifically, the health of women 40+, because I found there was little easily digestible content in this space. So, we are committed to sharing ours and others’ experiences and more with you, our valued community.  

This month, I attended a full-day, virtual conference on Diabetes and I learned that my type 2 diabetes (T2D) is way more complex condition than originally thought. What I eat is of course a big part of it, and those relatively small changes were not too difficult but, when I eat, what I eat it with, the brand I eat, the exercise I do, when I do it, the stress I allow to overwhelm me and the chronic pain I live with, all impact my BGL’s (blood glucose levels). Phew! This balancing act, already in its 20th month is not something I’d wish for anyone, but it is my lot, and that’s okay because I am finding my way and it is my goal that Pure Health Hub will help other women do the same.

Every single one of us is susceptible to acquiring T2D, but some more so than others. Genetics, stress, chronic pain and of course, lifestyle all contribute to acquiring it. This is just a reminder for us women over 40 to start thinking about adding in a BGL test into your annual check-up, fasting and non-fasting (2hrs after eating a meal).  

Thank goodness for the Facebook groups dedicated to this, they have been a godsend of community support. 

This journey to health, as with any road, can come with its potholes and soft edges, and it is no different for me. Consistency can be my problem and for many others from what I hear, so our story 10 Ways Mindfulness can Benefit Wellbeing was a big fat reminder for me that if we don’t keep our mind fit and healthy, it’s likely to eventually make us physically sick. 

If stress can impact our immune system, then it stands to reason that using mindfulness and meditation techniques including tapping is likely to reduce stress and therefore improve the immune system.  

This issue, Dr. Emily Handley walks us through how chronic inflammation can greatly influence the progress of degenerative diseases, the severity of symptoms, and the effectiveness of treatment.

Aleney chats to leading Sydney Naturopath and Hub Advisory Board member, Victoria O’Sullivan, about a Natural Approach to Thyroid Care. Did you know that over a million Australians are living with undiagnosed thyroid disorders? I was just one.  Until an ultrasound on my neck for something unrelated revealed a 5cm goitre, a large thyroid growth that I am convinced was a result of years of unrelenting stress and pain.  I had a hemithyroidectomy (half my thyroid removed) and am grateful it was discovered and dealt with before it could become a more serious problem.  Victoria shares her knowledge on the best ways to test thyroid function, the common causes behind different thyroid conditions and some of the best natural approaches to resolving them. 

The medical research fraternity continues to take leaps, but women continue to be at the bottom of the priority list, and our ability to reproduce seems to be the underlying cause of so many of the issues we face.  Ever heard of Adenomyosis? Me either. But this hard-to-diagnose condition, which affects a surprisingly large percentage of women over 40, has been a millstone in the life of one of the Hub family. I am grateful she agreed to share her experience with this condition and the many other conditions it can domino – it will move you. 

Finally, we are beyond excited to bring you the Pure Health Hub store! The products on offer have been handpicked for your enjoyment and for their potential health benefits. From Hemp infused Kombucha and sugar-free Lemon & Ginger Mineral Water, my drinks fridge is full of them both, to natural oral health products.  

I love the Oil Pulling program. Feels like I’ve just visited the dentist!  

We’re offering our subscribers a 10 per cent discount on their purchase via the code PHH10. And we’ll be adding in even more products as we go forward, and we’ll be waiting for your feedback on them all.   

Stay cool and healthy,

Lindy xx