Best Wishes This Christmas

In my health centre today, we have begun to see some of the difficulties of this hectic time of year. People in pain from car accidents; people emotional about family; people exhausted from trying to "finish" too many things before their holiday. And so we welcome them into our peaceful haven. We encourage them to rest, relax. We treat their pain. We send them back out into their world refreshed, ready to face the next day, and maybe even enjoy it.

To all my readers, be careful and kind to yourself and your dear ones. Should anyone be challenged by accident or misadventure, we are here to help throughout the Christmas Holiday Season. Every day except Public Holidays, you can contact the Health Centre if you need some relief from pain, stress or exhaustion.

My Best Wishes are with you, for a Happy and Healthy Christmas. And together, lets make a New Year resolution for a prosperous 2011 full of action on climate change!

Christmas Spirit

In these last days before Christmas Day, it is easy to forget our intentions to live a healthful, mindful life. I know I keep looking in shops, picking up more "things", looking for that elusive "perfect" present. In truth, I chose gifts for all my close family and colleagues weeks ago. There is nothing more that I have to do, but enjoy the Christmas Spirit.

I invite you all to take a moment to consider this festival of the birth of Christ. The man who urged us to "Love one another as I have loved you." It is a worthy event to celebrate. Peace and Joy are the elusive perfect gifts ... how are we experiencing these gifts in our life today?

Harmony of body, mind and spirit is the cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine. I encourage each of us, me included, to be willing to live this Christmas in Peace and Harmony. If you are not sure, how get some for yourself first, then share it around.

For me, that will be a massage today, some acupuncture next week, preparing vegetable salads on Christmas day ( my sister-in-law is doing the pork, ham and organic chickens!). Looking for the love and kindness in everyone I meet, and showing each person the love and kindness in me.

Summer Skin Care

Summer is here! Time for holidays, days at the beach, BBQ’s in the backyard. Sydney turned up the heat in November – lots of hot, sunny days in between cold, wet ones. Who knows what summer will bring? Let’s be prepared.

Let’s look at our sun protection behaviour, and how we choose a sunscreen. This is important because we need to protect our skin, yet evidence is tending to show several common sunscreen chemicals have toxic or adverse effects on human health.

• Use sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Buy new sunscreen every year. Avoid products in sprays or with fragrance (this includes flavoured lip balms!). Do not combine sunscreen and insect repellants. Look for zinc and titanium active ingredients. Avoid PABA, oxybenzone, octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC), 4-MBC and octinoxate, which are all known to disrupt your hormone production. (I've just read my sunscreens ingredient list contains OMC! Out it goes!)
  
• Get your vitamin D – take 10 minutes of direct sun on your skin (without sunscreen) several times a week. Yes, even in Australia! Get some early morning sunshine onto your body ... feels good.
  
• Children are more sensitive, so take more precautions. Under 6 months, neither sunscreen or direct sun is a good idea. Keep your babies clothed or in the shade, using sunscreen as a last resort only.
  
• Avoid the midday sun… obvious isn’t it? Try a European approach, midday siesta in the shade for all the family and friends.
  
• Slop on good quality sunscreen and reapply often. This is the key, as sunscreen breaks down in sunlight and washes off in water.
  
• Parents – be a good role model, especially for your teenagers, make sure they see you protecting yourself with a zinc/titanium based sunscreen.
  
• Eat a wide variety of delicious, organic, summer vegetables and fruit, everyday. This is how you get the anti-oxidants and phyto-nutrients your body will use to build healthy skin and a strong immune surveillance system, which helps you avoid skin cancer and every kind of cancer.

Mosman Daily Business Achiever Awards Winner second year running

Kaye Gartner's Health Centre winning the Mosman Daily 2010 Business Achiever Award for the second year running.


For the past 16 years, the Business Achiever Awards program has recognised local business as being the lifeblood of the community; providing jobs, supplying vital products and services, opening early, closing late, or making customers feel valued.

The event was celebrated at the Kirribilli Club and photographer Dave Swift captured our excitement.

We are pleased to bring home the award in the Wellbeing Therapies & Services category. Thanks to everyone who voted and congratulations to all the team.

Human Maturing

On Saturday night, I stood in the midst of a massive crowd at The Domain, dancing and singing along to the sounds of Al Green. The Reverend Al Green, who must be 70 by now, sings with such excitement, his crooning lifting cheers from the whole crowd. His wide smile and sense of humour thrilled us all.

Aboriginal Elders had opened the evening's performance with a smoking ceremony. The Black Arm Band, a troupe of indigenous performers, opened the evening with a celebration in song of the survival of their peoples and culture. The true survivors, musical elders too, Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach graced the stage.

The crowd was full of young and old fans and dancers. One woman, in her 60's who danced all night told me that 60 is the new 40, didn't I know? 

I do know it was a privilege to be present to such a performance. Such display of energy, prowess and mature musical gifts that the Reverend Green, Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach shared with us on Saturday evening. 

Thank you to the Sydney Festival!