RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 1

with 8 wellness boosting habits

DR RACHEL WYNDHAM MBBS NDdrrachelwyndham.com

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 2

CONTENTS

WELCOME: NAVIGATING BACK TO WELLNESSRecalibrating your Internal Guidance System

INTENTION

WHAT ARE YOUR HABITS?7 Day Diet Diary

BIOMETRICS: KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

THE 8 WELLNESS BOOSTING HABITSAM

1. Start Up Tonic

2. Dry Body Brush

3. Cold Water Burst

4. Break the Fast - Well

PM

5. Magnesium

6. Stretch Out Before Bed

7. Rest for the Mind

8. Sleep Hygiene

THE TRICK TO SUCCESS ON THE PATH TO WELLBEINGWellness Boosting Habits: Weekly Checklist

ABOUT DR RACHEL WYNDHAMContact

35

7

8 9

10

11

14

15

16

17

19

21

22

23

26 27

28 29

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 3

It’s the small and seemingly unnoticed rituals that lead to habit and it’s the consistent practice of habits that can make all the difference to your overall state of wellbeing.

How you choose to begin and end your day, every day, matters.

What if I told you that you could feel better, look brighter, sleep more soundly and have greater clarity of mind - without spending hours of effort, time and money to do so?

The good news is that you most definitely can and I made this guide to get you started! By implementing simple wellness boosting habits that have passed the rigors of time and research. Subtle daily tweaks to your morning and evening rituals that will slowly shift you towards your natural state of wellbeing.

Two years ago, I found myself hiding in the stores cupboard in the busiest emergency department in the country.

I was the cardiology registrar admitting critical patients with heart disease. I was also carrying the Code Blue emergency pager. The first responder if a patient on the wards anywhere in the hospital was at risk of dying.

Leaning against the cupboard door my heart was racing, my skin was cold with sweat and there was not enough air on the planet to relieve the suffocation I felt.

Breathe… Inhale, exhale. So this was panic. How did I get here?

I was capable and tough. I knew this job well and could make the correct decisions.

Navigating back to wellness

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 4

I had completed a degree in naturopathy, a bachelor of medicine, a bachelor of surgery, an internship, a residency, GP training, all with 3 beautiful kids and a husband with a thriving business.

My work was valuable and important, but I had stopped caring - for my patients and for myself. I had to hold my tongue when a patient was having a third coronary stent, and still overweight and smoking. I had to tolerate complaints and demands from those who had the latest successful treatment in facilities equal to the best in the world without any cost. I knew they would be back.

I was a fire-fighter rushing to emergencies that would not cease, in patients who took no responsibility for their health. I was stressed and exhausted.

That year, I had turned 40, lost my dear friend to cancer and developed an autoimmune disease. How had I moved so far from my divine state of being? When was the last time my face wore its natural expression?

When I started my career, I worked in health retreats - an environment of limitless opportunity for growth, change and healing. Now it was again time for me to walk the talk and make some hard decisions.

I had to learn to trust, to get back into the flow of life - and be aligned with my self and purpose. To listen to the messages my body was sending.

So I walked away. I quit. I took a full year out of clinic and hospital work.

I imagined I would have this blissful life of leisure, reading, doing yoga, cooking organic whole food meals. But nothing was farther from reality.

My habits were weak. My self talk was negative. There was a deep disconnection from my emotional being. I had to spend time in this discomfort, and heal.

It took one whole year. There is something complete about a 12 month cycle. Four seasons. Like The Happiness Project and Eat Pray Love, or my favorite philosopher Henry David Thoreau when he escaped life to Walden Pond.

Now I am back in clinic, at workshops and writing for you. Not only the knowledge of natural integrated health and scientific medicine, but how I experienced being way off track and returned to health by developing simple routines and habits.

This is my story… now back to you. Let’s get started!

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 5

RECALIBRATING YOUR INTERNAL GUIDANCE SYSTEM

Think of your body as having it’s own internal guidance system. One that, when working effectively, is naturally inclined to move towards your natural wellbeing set-point. Your physiology wants to attain your genetic ideal weight, natural sleep patterns, abundant energy, clear thinking and balanced mood.

If you were to connect your internal guidance system via wifi to a GPS map, where would your little blue dot show up at the moment?

Perhaps you’ve taken a slight detour - a few kilograms over, a few sugar points higher, a few sleep hours short? Are you aimlessly circling, miles from where you want to be? Caught up in the detour destinations of pain, anxiety, addiction and disease?

Or perhaps you’ve lost your way altogether, through daily habits that have resulted in a physiology so far from your natural genetic set point, that you feel hopelessly lost and incapable of ever finding your way home?

The way to recalibration is to start HERE, in this moment. Wherever you are on the map, it’s time to reset and recalibrate – beginning today. Let’s set an intention to move towards the little red dot known as ‘Destination Wellbeing’.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 6

The chains of habit

are too weak to be felt

until they are

too strong to be

broken.

SAMUEL JOHNSON

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 7

INTENTIONFrom reading this book I hope you develop insight, some answers about yourself. Why you feel like you do, and some simple ways you can change to move towards your health goals.

To do this I could teach you physiology - the way the body works. Or anatomy - all the various parts that make you; or biochemistry - the chemical reactions that power you up. But if you wanted to know all of that you would go to university and research from text books.

If you wanted to know absolutely everything about how the body works it would take you a very, very long time. It took me 9 years of formal university education, and 15 years of clinical experience.

Life is busy, time is precious. Let me filter, decipher and give it to you in small usable chunks.

Being this messenger is a very great privilege. That you are here reading today warms my soul. Your trust is a very precious gift you give, and I honour that.

So come along on this journey… hit the reset button and uncover your true health. Action with intention is very powerful, even the small commitment to writing down your needs will move you closer to your happier healthier self. I encourage you to give it a go here:

Name _________________ Date _________________

It would feel like a miracle right now to ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (e.g. be 6kg lighter, have clear skin, sleep well)

The habit I commit to working on is __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Signed, _______________________________________________________________

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 8

WHAT ARE YOUR HABITS?

● How many hours do you sleep? ● What do you eat everyday? ● Are you meditating, exercising, drinking water? ● What quantity of caffeine, salt and sugar are you consuming?

Take a week to record and reflect – it’s not a test, there are no correct answers.

I find so often in clinic when we start discussing diet, most patients feel they don’t eat processed sugar, or they are really good with consuming water… until they start paying close attention.

We do so many things without awareness, this exercise shines a light on all the little daily habits that can make such a huge impact on your health.

Don’t change anything, just do what you usually do and write it down. At the end of the week take half an hour and consider your patterns. Here is a worksheet (over the page).

A FEW GUIDELINES:

Salt (Sodium or NaCl or Sodium Chloride) should not be greater than 120mg/100g. On packaged processed food this is simple to calculate from labels (although very difficult to maintain - as all packaged food has large quantities of sodium) When cooking with whole food you will rarely obtain this level, even adding a pinch or sprinkle of salt to your cooking is fine.

Sugar – high fructose corn syrup, fruit concentrate, fruit pulp, maltose, glucose, sucrose, fructose, mannitol, are sneaky ways to say sugar. We should consume no more than 6-9 teaspoons (24-36grams) of sugar per day. The average Australian consumes 40 teaspoons!

Water – 1-1.5L per day, one glass = 250mL, each caffeinated drink which is a diuretic is minus one glass.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 9

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

BREAKFAST

LUNCH

DINNER

SNACKS/DRINKS

SLEEP HOURS

MEDITATION MINUTES

WATER

SUGAR

SODIUM

CAFFEINE

7 DAY DIET DIARY

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 10

BIOMETRICS:KNOW YOUR NUMBERSWhere is your body today? Are you aware of your health status?

You can’t begin on your journey if you don’t know where you are right now.Take check, do some investigation, record your findings. Knowledge is power.

Do you know your blood pressure, your cholesterol, or the level of plaque in your arteries? Do you know how your liver is functioning or what your body fat percentage is?

On the next page is a worksheet for you to complete. It contains the basic biometric parameters you should know. Print it off and go on a fact finding mission.

If you have had blood tests in the last 6 months, your doctor should be able to provide you a copy of the results. This is your information to own, so gently insist on taking a print out. If you don’t have results, a yearly check up with blood tests is a great idea, so have a chat with your lovely GP.

Your local chemist may offer blood pressure testing. A small personal blood pressure monitor is not expensive. You can purchase one or sometimes a family member with hypertension may own one and let you borrow it.

Remember that blood pressure fluctuates and it is important to take a few readings at different times of the day and look at the average and the variation.

If your blood pressure is high on one occasion, there is no need to panic. Over 30% of patients have ‘white coat syndrome’ where their blood pressure increases while having a test or in a doctor’s office due to the stress and perceived threat. I have all my patients with high blood pressure do a 24 hour blood pressure monitor where they have measures taken night and day to obtain a correct picture of their pressures before considering treatment.

BMI, body fat percentage and hydration can be measured with smart scales, if you have these at home - great. Your doctor may be able to help you with this, or your gym will often do an initial assessment when starting a new program. The BodPod is an excellent tool for measuring body fat and muscle mass.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 11

Know your numbersWEIGHT

HEIGHT

BMI

KG

CM

Your body mass index is your mass in kilograms divided by your height in metres squared. Here is a calculator, BMI is an indication of an average healthy weight range for your height. Some people with very stocky frames and little body fat or those with large muscle mass will be misled by the BMI. If your BMI is:

● Under 18 - you are underweight and possibly malnourished.

● 18 - 25 - you are a healthy weight. ● 25 - 30 - you are overweight. ● Over 30 - you are obese.

BMI = weight kg / height M2

ABDOMINAL GIRTH

(the measure of your waist around your belly button breathing out relaxed! This is a direct indicator of visceral fat around your organs and risk of diabetes and cardiac disease)

CM (Women > 80cm at risk > 88cm high risk. Men > 94cm at risk > 102cm high risk)

HIP THIGH ARMCM CM CM

Body Fat PercentageIdeal for women is 20-30% Ideal for men is 10-20%. There are slight variations for under and over 40’s. If you can’t get to a gym you can calculate this from you BMI with this formula:

● Women: (1.20 x BMI) + (0.23 x Age) - 5.4 = Body Fat Percentage

● Men: (1.20 x BMI) + (0.23 x Age) - 16.2 =

Body Fat Percentage

REACH IN CM

(how far can you reach to your toes when sitting with your legs extended? You may not reach all the way therefore you will have a minus - 3cm, for example. If you reach you are 0, if you reach past you are +x cms.)

Paper catch testHave someone hold a piece of A4 paper from the top and you hold your fingers either side of the paper at the bottom ready to catch it when it is dropped.

Your reaction time is a measure of body age and nervous system function. Measure the distance in cm, and record

the average of three of these tests.

Blood pressure (Normal is 90-120/60-80. Over 140/90

needs review)

Resting heart rate bpm (Average adult 60-80s. Athlete 50-60s)

Heart rate after 3 minutes of strenuous exercise bpmMinutes to recover to resting heart rate bpm

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 12

Cholesterol (fasting)

over 5.5 increased risk of Cardiovascular disease, over 6.5 is extremely increased risk.

Triglycerides (circulating fat) less than 2 ✓

HDL (“good cholesterol”) greater than 1 ✓

LDL (“bad cholesterol”) levels less than 2 ✓

Ferritin (circulating iron)

> 25 but healthy female

80-100 is ideal

Vitamin B12over 250

Vitamin D50 – 75 is ideal

Zincover 10

Blood pressure can be simple – a closed plumbing system (blood vessels) with a pump (the heart). The amount of fluid in the system = the pressure, just like your garden hose. It is also immensely complex, with kidney function and delicate hormones and sodium levels affecting the system every second.

HIGH BP TIP NO. 1 For each extra kg of weight you grow an extra kilometre of small blood vessels which the heart has to pump blood through. That is a huge extra stress on the heart. Lose the weight and sort the blood pressure.

HIGH BP TIP NO. 2 Basic high school chemistry, water follows salt. More salt you eat, more fluid = more pressure. We look at sodium in the diet diary section.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 13

8 simplewellness boosting

habits

PM

Lemon juice / Apple Cider Vinegar in water.

Dry body brush.

Cold water burst.

Breakfast with protein and no sugar within 30 minutes of waking.

Magnesium – supplement, spray, rub or soak.

Stretch out before bed – 5 poses in 5 minutes.

Rest for the mind – meditation 10 minutes.

Sleep hygiene. Clear the space. 9:30pm to bed. No EMF’s.

AM

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

WEBSITE: SOCIAL MEDIA:

www.DrRachelWyndham.com Facebook // Instagram

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 14

AM HABITSThe following wellness boosting tips are based on the assumption that you drink water, shower and eat in the morning. You can adjust as necessary, to suit your schedule.

The beauty lies in their simplicity. They require little extra time, energy, or effort and will soon become an automatic part of your daily routine.

Upon waking, drink a 250mL glass of filtered water with ¼ Lemon juiced, or one tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar. Room temperate or slightly warm is best.

You can heat it with a 1/4 teaspoon of Organic Honey as a morning cuppa, or use your favourite herbal tea blend with the Lemon or Vinegar. Sip slowly, over 20 minutes.

1. START UP TONIC

DO NOT USE Lemon juice or Apple Cider Vinegar: ● If you take a regular prescription medication called a

PPI (proton pump inhibitor) such as Nexium, Losec or Omeprazole.

● If you have severe heartburn or reflux. ● If you have been diagnosed with a gastric or duodenal ulcer. ● If you have oesophageal dysplasia.

Instead, start with 250mL of warm water and one teaspoon of Slippery Elm Powder. When your condition has improved, you may begin this process of stimulating the stomach’s natural acid-producing ability with lemon or ACV.

This morning drink stimulates the stomach, cleanses the mouth and reminds the stomach hormones (known as Gastrin) to prepare for the ‘Break of the Fast’!

You’ll break down your proteins, absorb your nutrients and reduce the load of gas producing substance. This helps with weight, fluid and skin health.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 15

2. DRY BODY BRUSHTake a natural fibre brush with a long handle, and start brushing your skin vigorously in small circles.

This is best done just before you step into the shower. My hot water always takes a minute or two to warm up so having your brush on hand, undress for your shower and brush while you are waiting to step in - this quick simple therapy will get your skin glowing and your circulation pumping.

Start from the tips of your fingers, towards your heart.

Imagine that you are ‘colouring-in’ and have to cover every inch of your skin. Do this quickly up one arm, then the other, then resume at your toes and go up your legs to your buttocks.

Continue up your stomach and chest, finishing with big circles on your biggest muscle, the bottom. This is often the greatest storage area of fat and subcutaneous (under-the-skin) toxins which appear as cellulite. Brush this up your lower back, over your thoracic (mid-back), shoulders and finish at your heart.

Dry Body Brushing stimulates the skin, moves the circulation from internal to the external vessels and pushes the lymphatic system to drain its collected lymphatic fluid. The lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump like the heart pumps blood; it relies on your movement or massage to shift stagnant flow.

Dry Body Brushing also aids immunity, skin health, circulation and cellulite. It also exfoliates old skin cells and feels amazing!

If you shower at night or take baths, no problem just switch this to the evening or before a soak.

Here is your challenge: Brush 5 days per week

for 30 days.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 16

3. COLD WATER BLASTYes, I know it’s cold, but that’s the point!

Think of the Scandinavian’s, with their saunas and cold plunges into snow covered waters. And look at their health statistics, longevity and beautiful complexions!

Blasting cold water at the very end of a warm shower shocks the circulation and sends the blood back to the skin, giving it a boost of oxygen and nutrients.

You will glow!

Your heart will race and you may say a few words kiddies shouldn’t hear! But you’ll have forgotten quickly once you are dry and dressed. You’ll feel invigorated and ready to bring some extra bounce to your day.

This is also an excellent test of discipline. Are you a comfort seeker? Unable to tolerate any level of discomfort? Be this the initial discomfort of a craving, the heaviness at the start of exercise, or the avoidance of a perceived negative feeling of fear or anger?

Many spiritual practices test the physical body to give the mind a chance to strengthen and allow more discipline over its tendencies to sabotage our efforts.

The more resistance you have to this practice, the more you need to push in. Put that cheeky monkey mind back in its box where it belongs.

How bad can it really be? You will feel empowered and invigorated after.

Here is your challenge: Switch to a cold water spray

for the last 10 seconds of your shower.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 17

4. BREAK THE FAST - WELLRules for breakfast:1. Only whole fruit sugar – no processed sugar2. Include protein3. No caffeine 30 minutes before or after (this applies to all meals).

Sugar is everywhere. Most of you are trying your best and choosing ‘healthy’ supermarket options such as cereal, fruit yogurt, and breakfast bars. Start reading the labels and don’t be fooled by the marketing. The sugar levels are usually dangerous.

Our second breakfast crime is eating bread: for breakfast, lunch and with dinner.

Here is your challenge: 30 days: No boxes of cereal, no fruit juice, no fruit yoghurts, no bread.

Include protein and no caffeine for 30 minutes before or after.

If you change your breakfast, you are halfway there to a balanced healthy diet, moving toward your ideal weight and experiencing good levels of energy throughout the day.

Make sure you do not consume caffeine, either 30 minutes before, or after, meals. If you eat and have tea or coffee, your body cannot assimilate or break down food correctly.

This results in poorly digested large molecules in the gut that causes irritation, inflammation, and can imbalance the delicate gut flora.

Weight gain, bloating, lethargy, and poor mental function can also be caused by consuming food with caffeine, so watch this: it’s a very common practice.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 18

Great breakfast protein options include:

1. Eggs, fish or tofu. 2. Porridge is another good breakfast choice, add protein powder when cooking.3. A smoothie with protein powder, fruit, water ice and yoghurt.4. One of my personal favourites is a breakfast egg muffin.

Crack an egg with a small piece of ham/salmon or mushroom, a sprinkle of fetta and a few spinach leaves into a muffin tin and bake for 15 mins. So easy!

These morning ‘wellness boosting’ rituals shouldn’t take any more time out of your day and you have so much to gain. Really embed them into your routine, so they become second nature. You’ll experience long lasting benefits within days.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 18

Look out for:I Quit Sugar

Pete Evans’ Paleo Everyday The Happy Cookbook

A Quirky Cooking

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 19

PM HABITS5. MAGNESIUM FIXMagnesium is the miracle mineral.

Well known to be essential for muscle relaxation, Magnesium is a critical nutrient. It is estimated that 80% of adults are deficient in Magnesium. It is not a mineral that can be tested for in blood tests. So it is a silent deficiency with slow subtle health deterioration as its effect.

Over 300 enzymes utilise Magnesium which means it is responsible for thousands of reactions in the body every second. Some critical uses include:

● Detoxification ● Growth ● Repair ● Immunity ● Healthy Brain Function.

There are many forms of Magnesium. You can use a powder, tablet, oil, cream or salt. Your practitioner or health food shop assistant can help recommend a form that suits you. Blog posts on my site will discuss in more detail.

HERE IS MY MAGNESIUM ROUTINE:

If you bathe at night, use 1 cup of Epsom salts dissolved in the bath and soak for 10-15 minutes. If you don’t have a bath, use a foot spa/small shallow bucket to soak your feet. Remember, the Magnesium is absorbed into the blood stream through the skin, its not only helping the feet but the whole system. I mix the following blends for muscle pain:

● 10 drops eucalyptus oil ● ½ cup chamomile flowers ● 2 drops chamomile oil ● 1 tablespoon of Magnesium Oxide powder.

Or replace the eucalyptus with 10 drops of lavender oil for relaxation, nervous system support and to help sleep.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 20

I mix the following blend for

muscle pain:

● 10 drops eucalyptus oil,

● ½ cup chamomile flowers,

● 2 drops chamomile oil,

● 1 tablespoon of Magnesium

Oxide powder.

(Or replace the eucalyptus

with 10 drops of lavender oil

for relaxation, nervous system

support and to help sleep.)

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 21

6. STRETCH - YOGAYou can do this before or after your shower or bath. I find this depends if I’m in work clothes or gym gear. Try to do it as close to bedtime as possible. It’s also great to do this with kids as part of their bedtime routine. Gets some of the wriggles out of them and teaches them good habits.

5 SIMPLE ESSENTIAL MOVES FOR THE MAJOR MUSCLE GROUPS

If you are a yogi, these are very simple and you may like to mix up a few of your favourite postures for variation that you can cycle through. Remember, even if you have been to yoga class through the day, still practice this routine at bedtime for 10 minutes. This reminds your body of its balance and restores its awareness of the tissue – preparing you well for sleep.

If you haven’t practiced yoga before, don’t despair: these are simple stretches that are great to start with. Start where you are comfortable, hold the position while slowly inhaling and exhaling through the nose. As you feel resistance and tension in your muscles ligaments, fascia and joints simply breathe into that area and consciously allow the body to relax. These tight muscle fibres will slowly lengthen with practice. This will give you more flexibility, balance, joint protection and may reduce the risk of injury. Try yoga online here, or take a look at the DVDs from my lovely teacher Michelle Merrifield here.

Your challenge is 10 minutes – 5 moves

SEATED FORWARD FOLD DOWN DOG COBRA

HIP OPENER CHILD POSE FINISH WITH MEDITATION

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 22

7. MINDFULNESS MEDITATIONThere is a mass conscious shift to understanding that there is more to physiology than chemicals nutrients and hormones. We are not only lego building blocks of cells but energetic fluidity.

Chinese medicine knows it. Ayerveda knows it. Indian medicine knows it . Aboriginal medicine knows it. Its time we in Western medicine caught up.

My undergraduate thesis in 1997 was on Psychoneuroimmunology. A then unknown topic on how the power of the mind can influence the nervous and the immune system. Science has forged ahead in this area and we have many powerful studies to prove that our mind has a very powerful impact on our physiology. We must harness it and not let it control us.

3-5 minutes to start is all you need. Many practiced meditators still feel they are learning after 1000’s of hours sitting, including extensive retreats and months abroad in training. Be gentle, kind and patient.

Trust that the process your mind and body is going through is normal and is still very beneficial, even if you feel like nothing has been gained.

The commitment to giving yourself those few minutes of what you may feel is ‘unproductive’ time, is a precious gift. Your time is more valuable than anything else

you can give. This is caring for yourself at the highest level, and you will get better and better eventually experiencing peace, healing and even rare moments of bliss.

Some of my favourite meditations:

● Sonesence ● Belinda Davidson

chakra meditation ● Danielle LaPorte ● Head Space app

‘Meditation is for the mind what sleep is for the body.’

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 23

8. SLEEP HYGIENEThis term relates to the environment you create in which to sleep. Hygiene makes us think of cleaning – and in a way, it is a ‘clean’ sleep environment without dirty air, noise, light, dust or electromagnetic fields.

The word hygiene also reminds us that this is a daily practice, not a once off ‘spring clean’, but the small efforts that you make everyday to create a healthy place to rest your body.

1. ENSURE AIRFLOW, YOU MUST HAVE FRESH AIR IN YOUR ROOM. If you are out for the day, leave a window open. Even in cold weather allow fresh air to circulate for a few minutes in the morning or evening. Don’t breathe stale air all night.

2. NO DUST. Vacuum mattresses weekly, seasonal airing in the sunshine. Replace pillows regularly and use mattress and pillow protectors that are hot washed with bedding. Consider the age of carpet and curtains and the possible need for cleaning/replacing. Remove excess stuffed animals, stored old jumpers, linen or other dust collecting material within bedrooms or wardrobes.

3. DARKNESS. The pineal gland is in the centre of our brain, behind the point of our third eye. It detects light and dark cycles. With artificial light we confuse the natural diurnal variation of hormones and don’t allow natural sleep chemicals to kick in. Keep lights low before bed and try to sleep in an environment of no light wherever possible.

4. EMF FIELDS. Electromagnetic fields are the energy emitted from power sources and devices. These can be plugged in next to your bed, within the walls of your room or even behind the outer wall in the power box. There is controversy about the safe types, levels and distance we should sleep from these. A practical approach is to keep alarms, phones, iPads or any electrical devices 3 metres from your body.

No screens 30 minutes before bed. Set your alarm for 9pm, then go to bed at 9:30. Read a real paper book for 10-15 minutes, and then put in your earplugs if there is noise and turn the lights out. If you lay there awake, use this time to practice meditation. Just think how experienced you’ll be if you get to meditate 2-3 hours per night!

If you have persistent problems with sleep – see your doctor. You may need a sleep study, a trial of prescription melatonin (our lovely natural sleep hormone). You may need to consider a hormone imbalance, review your heart health, or rule out anxiety and/or depression.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 24

Sleep is essential. It is critical for wellbeing.

Sleep deprivation is the most effective form of torture, if you have ever worked shifts, cared for babies, or travelled and experienced severe lack of sleep you understand the dramatic effects on all areas of our physiology.

80% of Australians with sleep apnoea are undiagnosed – if you snore, or feel tired in the day. A sleep study is needed. Sleep apnoea causes low oxygen through the night and creates stress on your heart.

If you aren’t sleeping well, nothing else you do in your life will have any lasting effect. No perfect diet, exercise, spiritual practice will make up for adequate hours of good quality sleep.

Make this your priority.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 25

How we spend our days is how

we spend our lives.

ANNIE DILLARD

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 26

The trick for success on the path to wellbeing.

In clinic, as a doctor I often feel like a cheerleader, buoyantly motivating my patients to take that first step.

It’s a bit like trying to move a stationery car. Instinctively, you know that it will eventually roll and gain momentum, but that initial push often requires all of our strength and focus.

Where I see you fall is when there is an attempt to make too big a change, too quickly.

If you start a new ‘Monday morning health kick’ by spending two hours at the gym, meditating for an hour and cutting your daily caloric intake by half – is it any wonder that you end up feeling defeated and bingeing by Wednesday?

Where I see you succeed, is when you consciously implement subtle changes in small increments.

● The amount of water you consume every day. ● The two minutes of stillness every day. ● Keeping a regular bed time, as much as possible.

Motivation is the perfect way to kick-start change... and habit will keep you going. There needs to be a balance between effort and ease, sustainability and satisfaction.

It’s about letting go of the need to change everything at once and focusing on small things that provide significant results.

Let’s begin.

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 27

WELLNESS BOOSTING HABITS: WEEKLY CHECKLIST

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

START UP TONIC

DRY BODY BRUSH

COLD WATER BLAST

BREAK THE FAST - WELL

MAGNESIUM FIX

STRETCH- YOGA

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

SLEEP HYGEINE

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 28

When I was young we took herbal tonics, grew sprouts, raised chickens and drank goats milk. My aunt was a naturopath in the 70’s. As a little girl I believed this was how we all looked after our health.

When I qualified and began working in clinic as a Naturopath, now 17 years ago, I realised this wasn’t the case. Many people who came to me thought this nutrition and lifestyle medicine was alternative - there was confusion and distrust.

I then went on to study Medicine. Fast forward through hospital medicine, emergency trauma, psychiatric wards to general practice – and a very different view of my world was formed.

I’ve dedicated my life to learning about wellness and how to re-establish balance and a sense of peace. I’ve seen both sides of the health industry and they are both valid and valuable.

I have an Integrative clinical practice on the Gold Coast, Australia, and consult in Wanaka in New Zealand every three months. I am also available for Skype consultations. I run workshops and speak at events on the following topics:

● Womens health and bio-identical hormones ● Adrenal and thyroid support ● Mental health with pyrrole and methylation nutrients ● Cancer Support.

I look forward to continuing to help you uncover your true health.Be Well With Love.

About Dr Rachel Wyndham MBBS ND

RESET YOUR HEALTH BY DR RACHEL WYNDHAM PAGE 29

WEBSITE & BLOG:

ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

www.DrRachelWyndham.com

Facebook // Instagram