Articles in the Health and Wellbeing department are written by Jacinta McEwen and Elvian Drysdale of Mullumbimby Herbals and have been published in Kindred or (prior to Dec 06) byronchild. Other articles have been written by Sue Kira, Byron Bay naturopath and were published in the now defunct Here & Now magazine in 2004-2006. Visit to find out more about Sue.

Flowers essences at home Flower essences and remedies are increasingly becoming a regular part of many household's first aid box. From Rescue remedy which can instantly settle hysterical crying or terror induced by nightmares to remedies that just help your child sleep, they're w more...

Ayurvedic Medicine Ayurvedic Medicine has been practised and refined for thousands of years, and has a completely different level of understanding health issues, the human body/mind. more...

Overweight and undernourished? Are we feeding our children the food that they really need for optimal health? Or are we feeding them nutritionless junk that does not satisfy them, so they eat and eat in order to quench their needs for nutrition and emotional fulfilment? more...

Sneezy Spring Allergic attacks are for many people synonymous with spring as nature releases its pollens. Red eyes, sneezing, asthma, eczema are some of the symptoms. Allopathic medicine represses symptoms which while helpful does not do much, unlike various herbs. more...

Mumps We have been looking at common childhood illnesses over the last three issues, covering chicken pox, measles and whooping cough. These illnesses we see frequently in the clinic at Mullumbimby Herbals and have had a lot of experience guiding parents throug more...

Spring Renewal Spring seemed to come earlier this year for many of us. In spring mother nature wakes up after winter and begins sprouting and growing. Energy moves up and out, the natural world is blooming and flowering, full of colour and greenery. Generally we become more...

Teenagers Wellbeing As our kids become teenagers immediately it seems that the limits of behaviour and experience are smashed. Emotionally and hormonally they are on a roller coaster that we as adults have forgotten about. Here are some useful health tips to support them. more...

What diet is best? ‘Eat this eat that, don’t eat this don’t eat that’ advice is every where but who do we listen to? I have been a naturopath for 15 years and a mum for 20 years and still the information on diet changes daily. I don’t think I or anyone else really know abso more...

Mullumbimby Herbals Each issue Mullumbimby Herbals will feature a naturopathic and herbal perspective of health issues. Questions and answers as well as related articles will be featured. To introduce this department for our inaugural issue, following the Q & A are personal more...

Morning Sickness Morning sickness - the bane of many pregnant women who spend the first trimester throwing up or feeling nauseous instead of the thrill of pregnancy. Here are some helpful tips to make this phase as pleasant as possible. more...

Parenthood When we become parents we also become the primary care providers for our child, and are confronted with a plethora of childhood ailments. Jaundice, nappy rash, colic, conjunctivitis and immunisation are just some of the issues parents have to deal with. more...

Glandular Fever Practicing naturopathy in my small community has allowed me to watch the local children grow into teenagers. The kids that I once treated for chicken pox are now coming in with problems that seem to affect their older age group. One of these illnesses is more...

Flu Season It’s that season again. Some people are becoming concerned not only about flu in general but about the Bird Flu. It is important to understand that there has yet to be a case of Bird flu that is passed on from human to human. Remember too, that there are more...

Fertility and Conception Care I feel passionately about preconception and fertility awareness as it immediately affects not only us but the future generation. As a health professional for over 25 years I have noticed the definite decline in my patients’ overall health, wellbeing and f more...

Simple Ayurvedic tips for enhancing your family’s wellbeing Ayurveda is a holistic system of healing which evolved among the Brahmin sages of ancient India some 3–5000 years ago. Ayurvedic understanding states that on our individual paths on the human journey, each of us is meant to learn the truths of our physica more...

Summer Days As we are now moving into summer, this time we will address health issues relevant to the hotter weather. Summer is a good time to lighten up the whole family’s diet. Raw foods and salads are great foods for this time. I like to make sprouts so that they more...

Eating Habits & Food Allergies In issue 9 we discussed basic nutritional guidelines. Food is always a big topic when it comes to children. Cultural and societal backgrounds will influence many families. One of the biggest problems we are faced with as parents is excess sugar and chemic more...

Cleanse time! As I drive through the beautiful north coast scenery to my work every morning, I love to listen to Life Matters, an ABC (Australian public) radio program about life, family and children. Lately there have been many discussions about the rising incidence o more...

Birth - Choice and Surrender Birth is the woman’s second blood rite of passage, the first being Menarche, our first menstrual cycle, transition from a girl to woman. Birth is the transition from lover to mother, and bringing conscious awareness to this powerful life transforming time more...

Childhood Diseases Part 1 Generally, allopathic medicine has treated childhood diseases like chickenpox as meaningless invasions of germs requiring elimination at all costs. A more holistic approach understands that these diseases are necessary for the healthy development of the i more...

Childhood Diseases Part 2 When a parent comes into my clinic and asks, ‘Should I immunise my baby against childhood diseases?’ my answer is never a yes or a no. My answer is more of a question. ‘How are you going to raise this child?’ I ask. I also suggest the parent read both sid more...

Childhood Diseases Part 3 The healthier our families are, in mind, body and spirit, the stronger the resistance to any childhood disease. Good health starts with whole, pesticide-free, nourishing foods, which are easily digested by our bodies. Paying attention to improving digesti more...

Immune System balance At the start of spring it can be time for the dreaded hayfever and allergies to find their way into our system. It is therefore a great time to do what we can to support the immune systems of our whole family. more...

Stress: As we settle into our work/school year again and the Christmas holidays become memory, the stress in our lives tends to resurface. There are so many causes of stress in our modern lives, from traffic jams to difficult family or work situations. A commo more...

Spring Cleaning As we are now moving seasonally into spring it is appropriate to look at spring cleaning of the body. Cleansing is often referred to as the basis of good health and the best time to cleanse is spring. After the colder more inner time of winter, spring is more...

Health Tips for Young Children As our babies make the huge step into becoming toddlers, their needs, and possible mishaps, change. This is the time of the ‘Terrible Twos’ — a new independence for the child as she moves on from being breastfed, begins to walk, and explore the world. For more...

Health Tips for School Aged Children Much health advice can be applied to any aged child simply by varying doses and using common sense. Always the best health prescription is: prevention! As our toddler moves off into the big world of pre-school then school he/she is exposed to many more in more...