Philosophy
Living outside of nature and eating un-natural foods will lead your body straight to disease. Many chronic diseases plaguing our world today are a direct result of poor diet and lifestyle. Our foods are becoming more and more processed, our lives more sedentary, our mental capacity more superficial. Re-connecting with the natural world on every level - physically, diet-wise, medicinally, mentally, spiritually- will see a return to health. It is the naturopath’s role to educate and guide you back to this state of harmony with nature, to live a healthy, wholesome and meaningful life on our beautiful, natural planet.
The philosophy at the heart of naturopathy is the body’s own ability to heal itself and the use of natural treatments to assist the body in doing this. Naturopathy is about treating the CAUSE and not the SYMPTOMS.
Plant medicines are the oldest form of therapy of mankind. They pre-date the written word. Originally the use of medicinal plants seems to have been based on highly developed “dowsing” instincts by tribal healers or “medicine men”. This may sound bizarre but even today wild animals use this same instinct to seek out plants to eat when they are sick. And it must also be said that many of these plants have been put through the scrutiny of scientific testing and Hey Presto!- Their traditional use has been proven valid. For instance, a hot water extract of Hibiscus sinensis has been used for menstrual problems and fertility regulation amongst primitive people in places thousands of kilometers apart, separated by water- in Fiji, Papa New Guinea, Samoa, Indonesia, Kuwait, New Caledonia and the list goes on. Modern scientific trials have proven Hibiscus to have anti-oestrogenic activity.
The World Health Organisation estimates that 80% of the world’s population use plant medicine for some aspect of primary health care. Around 74% of modern pharmaceutical medicines are derived from the active constituents of plants and their traditional use. The difference with using the whole plant (herbal extract) instead of the active constituent of the plant (pharmaceutical medicine) is that the effect on the body is SLOWER and MORE GENTLE with LITTLE TO NO SIDE EFFECTS. The body slowly adapts and HEALS ITSELF with the aid of the plant remedy or shift in diet. Nature designed plants to be used medicinally. The modern scientific mind says “Why do you need all those extra parts? It is the active constituent which has been ‘proven’ to work”. It is very mysterious that the all of the parts of that plant that surround the active constituent work together in unison to provide gentle, effective stimulation of the body’s healing mechanisms with little side effect, whereas the active constituent alone can fix the problem quickly, it is not recognized by the body and the body reacts in the form of “side effects”. The Biomedical System, has been around for a mere second of the lifetime of Traditional Medicine. Nature is not as fast as a bullet train. Nature is steady in its pace just as growth to support life should be. In this modern world, we want things YESTERDAY, we DON’T HAVE TIME TO GET SICK, we want to get better NOW. Well, the human body does not work like this. This modern view of “I am sick, my body is weak, my body needs a pill to fix this problem” is really off-track. The human body, no matter what the disease, will always strive to get better on its own- this is called homeostasis. This is nature! Our bodies are natural and organic. Natural plant medicines and food as medicine STIMULATE OUR OWN BODIES HEALING PROCESS. They support the body on its journey back to homeostasis.
About Danielle
Danielle has had a keen interest in natural medicine and ‘food as medicine’ for over ten years. After several trips to Fiji, Bali and Vanuatu her interest in the local plant remedies and medicinal foods used for just about every medical condition inspired her to embark on an Advanced Diploma of Naturopathy at the Nature Care College in Sydney in 2005.
She has been practicing as a Naturopath in Balmain since January 2011 and is currently midway through a Bachelor of Health Science with a focus on nutrition at Charles Sturt University.
Danielle runs integrative detoxification programs, weight management programs, pre-conception and pregnancy care programs and herbal/nutritional treatments for digestive complaints, menstruation issues, skin conditions, physical and mental fatigue and any other chronic health imbalance. She also runs a clinic for acute conditions such as cold, flu, respiratory conditions, for adults and children.