Women’s Health

The soil of New Zealand is deficient in iodine, and as a consequence our diet is deficient in this important element, as most of what we eat is grown in New Zealand

Every woman’s experience of menopause is different. And whether you suffer from hot flushes, mood swings or sleeplessness, this “change of life” does not have to mean the end of your way of life.

Menstrual aids have been used for centuries to soak up the flow of blood from menstrual periods. Since the middle of the 20th century, it has been possible to buy disposable menstrual aids rather than use rags or cloths which needed soaking and cleaning as they were re-used.

If you do not mind cleaning your menstrual aids there are some non-disposable products available that will not result in increased landfill or waste. They do require you to be vigilant in your cleaning and skilled in their use. Often it is costly to purchase these products, but they may be reused over several years, so may work out less expensive than needing to keep purchasing disposable pads and tampons.

When a woman is pregnant, what she eats needs to sustain both the mother and the growing baby, so it is important to eat the foods that will allow both her and her baby or babies to stay healthy.

A Urinary Tract Infection (UTIs) is a reasonably harmless, though painful, condition that many people are too embarrassed to get help for. In some cases ignoring the pain and discomfort can lead to serious complications so it’s important to get it checked out.

Thrush may be a regular nuisance for some women, while others never experience this infection. If you are taking antibiotics, are pregnant, going through menopause or are on the contraceptive pill you are more susceptible to this infection. But it can easily affect any woman at any stage in their life - many find it unnecessarily embarrassing.