For some reason I dislike the term vaginal discharge. Discharge to me carries some negative connotation that implies the body is rejecting or expelling fluids because it’s bad or somehow unhealthy. However vaginal discharge is in fact is a very normal function of the vagina to ensure the area of the vagina and vulva is kept clean by removing bacteria and maintaining moist.
So now that we now know that vaginal discharge or secretions
are normal, let’s talk about the secretions and why it’s such an interesting
topic and why every women needs to know.
Throughout our monthly cycle, our secretions change in
colour, viscosity, smell and even taste as of result of the hormonal changes
happening in our bodies!
The skin of the vulva is very sensitive and delicate, so it’s
important to recognise any changes that may indicate an infection or irritation.
Some things that aren’t normal include redness, swelling, burning or itchy sensations,
the skin is splitting or cracking, the skin feels too dry or that the odour is
unpleasant.
Some immediate things you can do is avoid wearing tight
underwear such as G-strings and clothing. Switch to breathable underwear that’s
made of cotton.
Avoid using products that can further irritate the skin and
may contain harmful chemicals that affect the balance of the bacteria. Consider
switching your laundry detergent / powder to clean label products, avoid feminine
hygiene products that often have synthetic perfumes and toxic chemicals, use organic
cotton sanitary pads / tampons, avoid any perfumes to make the area smell fresh,
switch to plain unscented or natural toilet paper, avoid “fancy” condoms and
when looking at lubrication used for intercourse perhaps opt for natural oils like
almond oil.
It’s important to seek the advice of your healthcare provider and in the meantime, since the weather is warming up in Sydney, make a trip to the beach, it’s amazing how healing a swim in salt water can do!
I was getting ready for the day and my husband was baffled with the layers of items I was putting on as I was getting dressed. I’m sure he was thinking if I was getting ready for battle. In a sense, I kind of was. Other than a bra and undies, I was wearing a radiation shielding belly band and a supportive pregnancy belt before I had even put any clothes on. Just in case your wondering, I’m 30 weeks pregnant.
Most people might be aware of pregnancy belts which are designed to support a growing belly and help reduce lower back pain but many might not know what a radiation shielding belly band is. Have you heard of it?
I definitely didn’t when I was pregnant with my first child!
As a work from home mum and running an online business, I spend a lot of time on my phone and computer. I was already concerned about radiation in our home, every night I turn off the WIFI and put my mobile phone on aeroplane mode charging in a separate room.
Now that I’m pregnant with my second child, I bought myself a radiation shielding belly band and blanket from Radia Smart and I use these two products every day when I learnt that a child’s head absorbs more radiation than adult, I can’t imagine the impact it would be for brain development for a growing fetus.
Everyday radiation is a health risk. As an OBGYN, I recommend my pregnant patients and those looking to conceive to minimize their exposure, and using a barrier from possible radiation sources is a practical way to do this.
Dr. Huai-Yan Ang, Obstetrician & Gynecologist
Photo by Daria Shevtsova
What is radiation?
Radiation is energy, it’s something we can’t see but affects us. A good example is sunshine radiation. Depending on the weather, time of year and day, it’s the effect on us varies on how the sun’s strength, distance to our location and how long we are in the sunshine for.
The radiation I’m most concerned about is the artificial radiation that is emitted by things such as mobile phones, laptops, computers, power lines, cell phone towers, wireless networking, cordless headsets and microwaves. I think we can all agree that mobile phones would be the number one source of everyday radiation particularly for the most part it’s always switched on and we carry it with us at all times. We pretty much do everything with our mobile phones, I know for me I use it a lot for navigation, as an alarm, timer when I’m cooking, banking and online shopping on top of using it for work and keeping in touch with friends and family.
Why is too much exposure is bad for our health?
Both human and animal studies report large immunohistological changes in mast cells, and other measures of immune disfunction and disregulation due to exposure to ELF and RF at environmental levels associated with new electrical and wireless technologies.
Dr Olle Johansson
What we know about radiation is that it has a biological impact on cell growth, DNA replication and brain function. I don’t know how many times, I’ve had to stop women placing their mobile phones in their bra, on their lap or anywhere near their reproductive organs and recommending them to go back to corded headphones. I guess this would also apply for men too, carrying their mobile phones in the front pockets and this latest obsession with smart-watches.
I think also we need to consider the impact of baby development in the first trimester when cell division is so critical. Reducing exposure needs to be taken into consideration even before conception occurs.
A joint study conducted by Denmark and United States surveyed the mothers of over 13000 children who were aged seven between 2005 and 2006, they found that mothers who had used a mobile phone while they were pregnant were 54% more likely to have children with behavioural problems, such as hyperactivity and difficulties interacting with other children. ¹
Photo by Bruce Mars
How can we reduce our everyday radiation exposure?
There are two main ways:
Get rid of the source or significantly reduce the exposure to the source
Use products that help reduce the exposure to the radiation.
With mobile phones, I prefer to use a corded headset or use the speaker function. The added benefit is that you don’t have to charge corded headsets! I always have my phone or tablet on aeroplane mode when my son is using it. So make sure you have pre-loaded games and movies ready to go. I don’t wear my mobile, it’s either in my bag or up high. I know when I hold my mobile phone for too long, the heat and radiation start affecting my arthritis so limited use is intentional when checking emails and social media.
Since my work life revolves around my laptop, I make sure I never
rest my laptop on my body. I will only use this at a table or desk and if I
haven’t got my radiational shielding belly band on, I’ll use my radiation shielding
blanket.
The Environmental Working Group EWG released the 2019 Dirty Dozen where they have listed my son’s favourite fruit, strawberries at the top of the list.
Although sometimes it can be expensive to buy organic (certified or uncertified), you can skip organic produce listed under the Clean 15 and try to aim for organic produce listed under the Dirty Dozen below:
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomatoes
Celery
Potatoes
However it’s still better and healthier to eat fresh locally grown produce, even if it’s not organic than nothing at all.
There is nothing more satisfying and beautiful than seeing a plate full of colourful fruits and vegetables being enjoyed by the whole family.
Do you wonder what to buy at the health food store?
In the next couple of months, I will be running a Health Food Store Tour at Rouse Hill Town Centre. Register your interest today and I will contact you once dates are confirmed.
Your mental health during pregnancy is just as important as your physical health if not more. I find if I’m not mentally well, it’s hard for me to have the energy and motivation to do the things that are good for me, like eating nutritious foods and engaging in fulfilling exercise.
For me, checking items off my to do list actually release oxycontin, the happiness hormone but sometimes I can get a little bit too carried away and next thing I discover is that I’ve said yes to too many things and I’m feeling more stressed than accomplished.
So it’s important that we check-in with ourselves on a daily basis and one of the most simple ways is, meditation. Meditation isn’t about sitting cross legged and saying ommmm and waiting for enlightenment. For many, it’s an opportunity to go inwards. To seek guidance from our own inner wisdom that often we neglect. Women’s intuition is a powerful tool that sometimes we overlook. When we scheduled 10 minutes day for some quiet time, it’s amazing what can happen. It’s very common to feel “too busy” to meditate but what you’ll discover that meditating actually helps you become more productive, intentional and focused. You actually get time back threefold!
Right now I’m 26 weeks pregnant and admittedly there are moment that I’d like to go and have a 6 week vacation to get away but for me that’s not quite that practical with all the things that’s going on in my life. However incorporating a few minutes to recentre and rejuvenate as part of my daily routine helps me feel happier and supports me to make healthier and better choices.
Here are some soul nourishing tips that you can implement straight away:
Enjoy eating without technology
For many women, we have a negative relationship with our food. Eating while watching a series, scrolling on our mobile phones or working actually robs us of the enjoyment of eating and it encourages mindless eating.
When I use to work on corporate, it was common to see women eating at their desk thinking that multi-tasking was going to save them time but does it really?
I know for me sleep is so important, I’ve actually made it a rule not to watch a series whilst pregnant, getting hungry at midnight and eating out the fridge only to find myself at 4am finishing a series then to be greeted by a toddler at 6am to start his day.
Take every opportunity to eat for quiet reflection or to catch up with your partner, friends and loved ones as a great way to refocus, connect and eat mindfully.
Do one task at a time
In the home when your pregnant, you might have this desire to start nesting and suddenly by the end of the day, you discover that you have created more mess! Although women are great at multi-tasking, it can also make us less efficient because we are devoting ourselves to multiple tasks at once.
Checking items off your to-do list actually releases oxytocin so even if you just have a list that says something like, do the dishes after every meal and complete 1 basket of laundry each day, it can be quite fulfilling.
Tip: Putting a timer on for 10 – 15 minutes and focusing on one area of the house a day.
Put your phone to bed
Not take your phone to bed! These days it’s hard to imagine living without our mobile phones, we use it to get to places, stay connected to the people we love and to research pregnancy and baby stuff! But at the end of a long day, adopting a “no phone in bed” policy can be key in getting a good night’s rest.
Sleep is essential for the energy to help your baby grow, so relaxing and unwinding and creating your own bedtime routine is so imperative to setting your body and mind for bed. The blue light from the phone screen and alluring desire to see what’s happening on social media, flicking through Netflix or checking your email just one more time can make it harder to fall asleep. So try putting your phone to bed charging in a separate room.
Do you have some tips on self care tips that helped you when you were pregnant?
Would you like help in incorporating self care in your life? Curious about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes? Let’s talk! Schedule a free maternal wellness and self-care assessment with me today.
Learn more about my training and my unique approach to health coaching.
In the next couple of months, I will be running a Health Food Store Tour at Rouse Hill Town Centre. Register your interest today and I will contact you once dates are confirmed.
Sauerkraut is a great staple to have in the fridge to add to any dish as a side, awesome salad replacement when you’re lazy and strange I know but pretty nice in smoothies too!
This has got to be the easiest recipe. It just requires a bit of manual labour but it’s all worth the effort.
Slice red cabbage as thinly as possible. The thinner the slicers the better. If you have a food processors or slicer, this would be very handy. Unfortunately I don’t and if you don’t either, don’t worry – you’ll still make delicious sauerkraut.
Place the sliced red cabbage in a big bowl and add a teaspoon of pink salt. Massage the red cabbage until the cabbage starts to glisten. You’ll start to notice, the cabbage is also sweating. The more sweat, the better.
Once you are happy with the amount of juice, place the sliced red cabbage and juice in a jar. Make sure the brine is covering all the cabbage. You can place a smaller jar with (sand / water inside) as a weight or rocks to help the cabbage submerge.
Cover with a tea towel and secured with a rubber band. You can leave the sauerkraut to ferment for a couple of days. Keep tasting it every now and then until you have the desired taste and texture. I have my fermenting between 3 – 7 days depending how quickly I want some. Once the sauerkraut has reached the taste and texture to your liking, place the jar it in the fridge and consume within a week.
Tip: make sure the red cabbage is at room temperature. I made this sauerkraut while the cabbage was cold from the fridge and almost froze my fingers off!
I graduated in November 2018 from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and I loved it every minute of it. When I enrolled I was a stay-at-home mum and breastfeeding my 9 month old baby and this transition into motherhood was a turning point for me to turn my passion for health and wellness into a career.
My story
Prior to enrolling into IIN, I had been researching a couple of courses, I looked into counselling, naturopathy and life coaching but something about IIN really resonated with me. About a decade ago I studied with the Australasian College of Natural Therapies to study Nutritional Medicine but didn’t complete it due to lifestyle circumstances at the time. So when I happen to come across a friend who had studied with IIN, I reached out and everything she shared with me, I just knew it was exactly what I was looking for.
When I look back, I don’t know how I was able to run my online wellness and consulting business, function as a co-sleeping and breastfeeding mama and still manage to fit in my study. It really came down to the fact that studying with IIN had something to do with the fact that I felt it was so aligned with what I wanted to do with my future. So instead of feeling tired at the end of the day, I was excited to be studying between naps and from the hours of 9pm to midnight!
What is the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN)
IIN is the world’s largest nutrition school that offers a year-long online program designed for people who are passionate about health and wellness. You could be interested in learning more for your own personal benefits, launching a new and exciting career or adding it to your existing qualifications in health and fitness. Read about the curriculum or test out a sample class:
Firstly, Health Coaches do not replace the role of a GP, Psychologist, Dutritionist, Dietitian or any other allied health professional. The same way a Fitness Personal Trainer can work in partnership with a Physiotherapist, is the same as a Health Coach can work closely with GPs, specialists and other allied health professionals to support clients in their journey to build healthy new habits and create sustainable lifestyle changes.
Whilst studying, I developed a strong understanding of many dietary theories however this is considered secondary in our training, primarily we focus on the food that nourishes the soul such as things like fulfillment in relationships, career, exercise, spirituality and home environment to name a few and how this has an impact on our health. Our lifestyle choices are interrelated to our food choices.
I’ve heard some Health Coaches say they are like Life Coaches with an emphasis on food, self-care and healthy living.
The mission of the school is to “play a crucial role in improving health and happiness, and through that process, create a ripple effect that transforms the world.”
What I loved about the health coaching training program
It’s a 1-year program that’s delivered entirely through an impressive online learning platform where you can study from your phone
The have a coaching circle where you get to speak to a Mentor and other students
They have a Facebook Group dedicated to all the students that are studying the same time as you, so you can connect with students in your country and abroad
You’ll learn over100 dietary theoriesas well as business skills and coaching training
The school teaches you how to work with clients one-on-one, run group programs, and hold workshops
IIN covers cutting-edge, modern, traditional, and holistic nutrition concepts you won’t find in a traditional nutrition program
You’ll fall in love with it’s founder Joshua Rosenthal
IIN has a global community of over 100,000 students and graduates from over 150 countries and provides ongoing training and support
Sharing the love
Graduating from IIN was a turning point in my life. I had already had years of experience running workshops and coaching people 1:1 in my corporate career and online wellness business and doing this course was the next piece of the puzzle. I get questions all of the time about my journey as a health coach, I love sharing information about the program with anyone else who might benefit from it and created this post specifically to answer the most frequent questions I get.
This may or may not be for you but if you’re curious about starting your journey? I’ll be in touch to answer any specific questions and I can share exactly how much you can save through me. Click here to chat!
As an IIN Ambassador, I received a small commission for every person who signs up and mentions that I have referred them. I choose to be an Ambassador because I had such an amazing experience and it has changed my life!
Ready to enrol?
Call (844) 780-3300 (US) 212-730-5433 (International) to speak with an admissions advisor, or email: admissions@integrativenutrition.com to schedule an appointment.
Be sure to mention “Merly Hartnett” as your referrer to get you savings and bonuses!
Join us for this informative workshop discussing a variety of issues around women’s health, delivered by certified Health Coach Merly Hartnett. Topics covered will include:
Common health concerns for women.
Self-care strategies for an extraordinary life.
Discussion on top causes of women’s health issues.
Top foods for improving women’s health.
Warning signs for women to look out for and not to ignore!
Date And Time
Wed., 4 September 2019 at 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm AEST
Location
Max Webber Library, Blacktown Cnr. Flushcombe Road & Alpha Street Blacktown, NSW 2148
Tried a new dish called polenta bake with veggie stuff for hubby and Laura’s lunch box tomorrow and it’s OMG delicious! So good I had to share.
Prep time 30 minutes Serves 3 – 4 people
1 pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and cut into cubes
Herbs of your choice (I used Italian mixed herbs)
500mls of stock (I used veggie stock)
1 cup of polenta
100g of greens stuff (I used baby spinach, I think baby kale would be delicious too)
Jar of stuffed bell peppers
Handful of sliced cherry tomatoes or whatever veggies you have on hand, olives, capsicum or mushrooms would be nice.
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese or whatever cheese substitute you prefer
Roast pumpkin with oil and herbs for 20 mins at 200’C. Boil stock, then slowly pour the polenta and stir continuously on low heat for 8 mins. When ready stir in 50% of the cheese in mixture. Add the roasted pumpkin. Scoop out polenta onto a baking dish, push handfuls of the green stuff into the polenta, decorate with bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and the remaining cheese then bake for 20 mins.
Oh and season with salt and pepper whenever you like, at the end when serving, perhaps before baking or when cooking the polenta.
Tadaaaaah! Your welcome.
Tip: You could also swap out the pumpkin for zucchini or sweet potato and totally go crazy with the garlic and spices. Let me know if you try it and what you changed for your tasty buds.
Get even healthier! Want help learning how to choose and use nutritious fats and other good-for-you foods? Curious about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes? Let’s talk! Schedule a complimentary health discovery consultation with me today or pass this offer on to someone you care about!
About me I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I learned about more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, I will help you create a completely personalized “roadmap to health” that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals.
Learn more about my training and my unique approach to health coaching.
