Make an online booking here:
Book NowHibiscus tea is high in antioxidants, and also offers many other health benefits. Recent research has also shown that it may be able to prevent and even reverse Alzheimer’s Disease.
Alzheimer’s is caused by a build-up of certain protein deposits in the brain (A Beta and Tau protein aggregates). These deposits end up causing a chronic inflammatory reaction and damage to the nerve cells, which results in cognitive decline and memory loss.
The brain has its own immune cells called microglia, which attack and absorb these deposits. However constant exposure to the A Beta protein will end up exhausting the microglia, and they can’t continue to remove the deposits.
A recent study established that a compound found in hibiscus flowers called gossypetin activates the microglia. The research team treated mice afflicted by Alzheimer’s with gossypetin for three months, and demonstrated that the microglia were then able to scavenge the A Beta protein in their brains. The A Beta deposits decreased, and the impaired memory and cognition were almost restored to their normal levels. Clinical trials are now planned for developing gossypetin products for the prevention and treatment of dementia.
For more details on the research, visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221116133855.htm .
Hibiscus flower is yet to be regarded as a medical treatment or cure for Alzheimer’s. However, if there is a history of this condition in your family, or if you are starting to experience mental decline or memory loss, it is worthwhile considering drinking hibiscus tea regularly.
With any condition, to get results it is always important to treat the causes of the problem. We are currently offering a limited number of free Comprehensive Assessments. (Terms and conditions- the Assessment is a completely free service, with no obligations whatsoever.) These help to identify
If you would like to book in for an Assessment, please give us a call on 3376 6911, or you can book online using the link at the top of the page.
Be well, and have a great life!
There are a number of causes of back, shoulder, neck and hip problems. One of the more common ones we see is a misalignment between the shoulders and the hips.
In some ways, the trunk or torso can be viewed as a rectangle, with the hips and shoulders forming the corners. If one of these corners has shifted, it will often affect the other 3 corners as well. For example, if the left hip is tilted down the right hip will be tilted up, and the shoulders will also be uneven. So if someone has a shoulder problem, it might be due to a misalignment of one of their hips, or vice-versa.
As well as causing issues with these areas, a ‘4 Corner imbalance’ can have a flow-on affect to other parts of the body as well. If you try raising one hip high, as well as your shoulder raising up you might also feel how your neck will bend to the side to keep your head straight. So over time, this imbalance could also cause neck pain, lower back pain, soreness between the shoulder blades, sciatic pain, and sometimes even knee pain.
Diagnosis
The main method of identifying a 4 Corner imbalance is simply to look at the person’s back when they are standing up, to see if their shoulders and hips are all level. (You can see from the third diagram that the spine can sometimes also be bent to the side,) If the hips and shoulders are uneven, the person then lays face down on the treatment table, and the area between the shoulder blades is checked for any tightness or soreness. The top of the back of the hip bones (just under the iliac crest) is carefully checked as well.
Free Assessment
If you have a lower back, shoulder, neck or hip problem, we offer a free Comprehensive Assessment, which is a detailed look at what is going on in your body, what is causing the problem, and the best way to sort it out. (Terms and conditions- the Assessment is a completely free service, with no obligations whatsoever.) Most people find their Assessment results very insightful and informative.
Be well, and have a great life!
(Images from Clinical Strategies, Vol.1, by K. Matsomoto and D. Euler)
During a Federal election campaign, politicians are more likely to listen to what voters want, and many of our clients who have experienced the benefits of acupuncture believe that it should be included under Medicare. Below is a copy of a letter we sent to all of the local candidates for the 2022 Federal election, explaining why acupuncture should be included under the Chronic Disease Management scheme (and so covered by Medicare), and asking for their support on this.
Letters were also sent to Anthony Albanese and to Anne Ruston, who will be the new Health Minister if the Liberal National coalition wins.
Please feel free to write your own letters to Ms Ruston, Mr Albanese, and your local candidates as well. You can include details of your own experiences and benefits from acupuncture Brisbane, and all or part of the contents of our letter.
Addresses
Senator the Hon Anne Ruston
PO Box 1671
Renmark, SA, 5341
Hon Anthony Albanese MP
PO Box 5100
Marrickville, NSW, 2204
(Letter wording supplied by the The Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association.)
Dear ,
Health is a major issue for many Australians and affordable, accessible, evidenced based health care is a basic need for all Australian citizens.
The expenditure on health for 2021-2022 is estimated to be $98.3 billion which, according to the Budget Strategy and Outlook: Budget Paper No.12021-22 pp 161-162, represents 16.7% of the Australian Government’s total expenditure.
While it is understood that the provision of health care is under the jurisdiction of the State and Territory Governments, you will be aware that Medicare and the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) is a Federal Government responsibility.
It is the CDM and the inclusion of registered Acupuncturists that I wish to address.
Guaranteeing Medicare – Updating the Medicare Benefits Schedule Budget 2021-22
“The Australian Government acts on the best advice to continue to add and amend listings on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) to improve access to medical services for all Australians.”
“$14.2 million for new MBS items for allied health professionals who participate in case conferences which are organised by a patient’s GP. This will support increased allied health participation in multidisciplinary, coordinated care for patients with chronic and complex conditions.”
Chinese medicine became a registered allied health profession under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) on 1st July 2012.
https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/national-registration-and-accreditation-scheme
https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/allied-health/about
Despite registration and government recognition as an allied health profession, Chinese medicine Acupuncturists have been denied inclusion into the Medicare CDM.
Acupuncture is a recognised treatment under Medicare only if performed by a western medicine trained general practitioner. MBS Item code 173 for acupuncture will cease in November and will be replaced by four time-tiered acupuncture items (193, 195, 197 and 199), which are currently restricted to GPs who have done the training but will be opened up to all “qualified medical acupuncturists”, allowing non-GPs to claim them as well as long as they have done training overseen by the Australian Medical Acupuncture College.
These changes announced in the March 2022 federal budget coming into effect in November, announces Medicare rebates for acupuncture will be restricted to doctors who have done a one-year training course.
Recommended by the MBS Review Taskforce’s general practice committee, claiming “that it will promote high-quality acupuncture”, what it actually does is provide evidence of a gross anomaly.
This is further compounded by the fact that the Federal Department of Health did not have figures on the number of doctors who were providing Medicare-funded acupuncture without doing any formal training but still claimed acupuncture rebates under the outgoing item 173.
Dr Ian Relf President of Medical Acupuncture Association said it was unlikely to be many, which suggests that doctors were claiming Medicare rebates for a practise for which they were not trained nor endorsed to practise by the Medical Board of Australia. Such practise absolutely contravenes the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (The Law 2009) that was passed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG- now the National Federation Reform Council NFRC)) with the aim of protecting the public by standardising a high level of education and training for the 16 registered health professions that provide health care under the NRAS.
The decision to let more doctors claim the MBS items with higher rebates would likely benefit a small number of GPs who were not vocationally registered, Dr Relf added.
“There are GPs who have accreditation in acupuncture, but because they are not vocationally registered or missed grandfathering, they could not claim the 193 series. It is a great change for them because they will no longer be stuck in this no man’s land.”
Training for doctors to practise acupuncture is only 60 hours of online tutorials, 30 hours of hands-on clinical experience and both written and clinical exams. The training is overseen by the Australian Medical Acupuncture College.
In stark contrast, registered Chinese medicine acupuncturists must successfully complete a 4 year Bachelor’s degree that includes between 650-1000 hours of clinical practice to be registered with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia to be able to practise acupuncture.
Chinese medicine practitioners were required and have shown proof of the effectiveness of acupuncture, even though it is already available on the MBS provided by practitioners who do not need the same standard of training.
Why is there this level of discrimination and double standards?
A great proportion of the health budgets in countries around the world are spent on pharmaceuticals. $43 billion has been committed over 4 years for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to make medicines more affordable for Australians.
Pain medication ranks high on the list of medicines that Australians regularly need. According to Pain Australia, the total financial costs associated with chronic pain were estimated to be $73.2 billion in 2018 equating to $22,588 per person with chronic pain.
Pain is universal and there are many studies that confirm the effectiveness of acupuncture for the relief of pain from a variety of conditions including knee osteo arthritis, migraine prevention, tension and chronic headaches, chronic low back pain and postoperative pain.
McDonald J, Janz S. The Acupuncture Evidence Project: A Comparative Literature Review (Revised Edition) Brisbane: Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd; 2017. http://www.acupuncture.org.au
Acupuncture provides a drug free pain relief option which will not only help Australians living with pain to better manage their condition but also reduce the burden of cost for both the Government and the people who pay out of pocket expenses to manage their acute and/or chronic pain.
Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis
The Journal of Pain Volume 19, Issue 5 May 2018 pages 455-474
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1526590017307800
In summary-
We ask that if you are successful in winning your seat in the 2022 Federal election, you endorse the inclusion of Chinese medicine acupuncturists in Medicare’s Chronic Disease Management, thus providing an evidence based, drug free, cost effective, option for pain management for all Australian citizens.
Yours faithfully,
How has your head been feeling? The brain is an incredibly complex, sensitive, and often overworked part of the body. It can be affected by heat, toxins, hormones, lack of fluid, pressure, and many other factors. In fact, headaches are one of the most common health problems, with almost 90% of the population experiencing them occasionally. Symptoms can range from mild discomfort, to feeling like someone is putting an axe through your skull, and having to lock yourself in a dark room all day.
There are over 200 different causes of headaches, however over 85% of the cases that we see at the clinic involve stress and/ or neck problems. Other causes can include dehydration, toxic overload, high blood pressure, sinus, inflammation, medications, and food sensitivities. Most of the time a good massage will get rid of the headache and treat the neck problem or stress that caused it. However, if this doesn’t help, if they keep coming back, or if you suspect something else may be causing your headaches, please book in for a free Health Assessment at our clinic.
Some migraines can be completely debilitating. They usually show up as an intense, throbbing or pounding pain around one temple. (Sometimes the pain is located in the forehead, around the eye, or at the back of the head.) Some people experience visual disturbances before an attack, known as an ‘aura’. When the migraine occurs, the sufferer may also experience nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound, so they may want to lie in a quiet, dark room during an attack. A typical migraine lasts between 4 and 72 hours.
A migraine is caused by the vasodilation (expansion of blood vessels) in the brain. The enlargement of these blood vessels stretches the nerves that coil around them, and causes the nerves to release chemicals. These chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery, making the pain even worse.
Preventing Migraines
As with any condition, it is important to treat what is causing the problem.
Any of these can indicate pressure in the blood vessels inside the head. This can be caused by a) the constriction of the arteries to the head, or b) a build-up inside the walls of the blood vessels.
a) With migraines (and most headaches) there is virtually always a problem with the muscles or alignment of the neck. Usually the top vertebrae in the neck is twisted, which ‘kinks’ the Basilar artery into the back of the head. The compression of the artery increases the pressure in the blood vessels, causing them to expand and press on the nerves in the brain. Because the Basilar artery supplies blood to the vision area of the brain, this can also cause the visual disturbances many people get with a migraine.
(Illustration from ‘Clinical Strategies’ by Kiiko Matsumoto and David Euler.)
b) It is also important to make sure that there is no build-up on the walls of the blood vessels (arteriosclerosis), such as cholesterol or calcium deposits.
Improving the blood flow to and in the head is particularly important for women who get headaches or migraines before their period. There is a natural increase in the volume of blood in a woman’s body prior to her period, which puts extra pressure on any areas in her body where the blood flow is restricted.
Because this circulation disturbance causes less oxygen and nutrients to the brain, and a build-up of toxins in the head, the person may also experience anxiety, depression, or foggy thinking.
(Migraines are caused by pressure in the head, and a common migraine personality type is a very responsible person who put too much pressure on themselves.)
If you suffer from regular headaches or from migraines, we can help. A Comprehensive Health Assessment will uncover what is causing the problem, and how it can be fixed. (The normal value of an Assessment is $120, but we are offering them free of charge for a limited period.) To find out how good you can really feel, please call us on 3376 6911, and ask for your free 1 hour Health Assessment soon.
The start of the year is a great time to reflect on your life and how you would like it to be. Unfortunately, plenty of people make sincere resolutions to improve their life or their health which only last a few weeks, then they fall back into their old patterns. Often the biggest obstacle is our own subconscious mind. Our subconscious is stronger than our conscious mind, so if you and it are pulling in different directions, sooner or later your subconscious will win. The trick is to get your subconscious to work for you rather than against you, and the best way to do this is to train it to associate your goal with nice images and good feelings.
Here are a few methods that have worked well for me.
For example, “I will create a fitter and healthier body by going for a pleasant 20 minute walk twice a week, and enjoying a tasty and healthy meal from my new cookbook at least once a week. Then, in June I will successfully climb Mt Ngungun in the Glasshouse Mountains.”
These techniques may sound a little ‘out there’, but when used well they are surprisingly effective.
If you are serious about improving your health, consider seeing a qualified health professional, such as an experienced naturopath, or book in for one of our free Comprehensive Health Assessments.
Why not make 2017 the year you changed your life for the better?
9,000 people who had questions and concerns about their health, and wanted to try a different approach. 9,000 people learning what it really means to feel healthy and vibrant and ready to get up in the morning.
We would like to sincerely thank all of our clients for placing your trust in us to take care of your health and wellbeing. This is not something we take lightly, and we will continue to strive to provide you the highest quality treatments and service possible. By improving your physical and mental health, we aim to give you all much healthier and happier lives.
Nick Meek is a young up-and coming athlete, who has only been training and competing for 12 months, but has already represented Queensland in his age group. What makes his achievements even more remarkable, is that he received a debilitating injury to his ankle in a soccer tournament late last year, which required extensive rehabilitation and 6 months to heal.
Despite this, Nick has won 2 medals at QLD state level (1 silver, 1 bronze), and 4 at Regional level for MetWest (2 gold, 2 silver) in the last 12 months. His highlight was representing the QLD Heat team in Perth in March, placing 7th in Australia in the 400m, after only 5 months of training and still recovering from injury.
Nick currently competes in the 100m, 200m and 400m. After struggling with niggling injuries for a while, he came to our clinic for therapeutic massage, and we were able to sort his injuries out. Nick continues to receive regular massage treatments from us, and he has now remained injury-free for many months.
Nick is only 14, and while he is relatively new to running, he is being looked at as a promising young athlete with potential.
We have decided to support Nick in his endeavours to one day represent Australia, and are providing him a free massage roughly every 2 weeks, plus regular nutrition advice from our naturopath.
Go Nick!
October 10th is World Mental Health Day. Unfortunately, mental illness is one of our most common conditions, with 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 4 young Australians suffering from one. We have also noticed an increase in the number of people coming to our clinic with anxiety or depression, so we have created a crisis contacts list, covering a wide variety of situations, which we would like to share with everyone. It may be good to keep a copy handy somewhere.
Mental Health Emergency Numbers and Contacts
To celebrate our 20th year of providing better lives by restoring people’s health, over 20 weeks we will be donating 20 massages to 20 deserving people who have made a significant contribution to our community.
If you know someone who has made a real difference to other people’s lives, please let us know their name and why you are nominating them, and each week we will give a free one hour massage to someone whose story and contribution stands out. As well as entering the person to win an hour of rest and relaxation, this is a wonderful chance to showcase some of our local unsung heroes.
So if you know someone who deserves a free massage, please go to our Facebook page, pop into our clinic, or send us an email. (You can also send us a private message through Facebook if you prefer.) We would love to look after those who look after others.
Congratulations to Belinda Karnaghan, who was selected to receive the first of our ‘Free Massages for Local Heroes’. Here is her nomination-
“Hi Centenary Natural Therapies, I saw your facebook post about nominating people who give to the community.
I would love to nominate … Belinda Karnaghan. She works tirelessly throughout each year to organise the Centenary Rocks! festival, and the Centenary Santa Sleigh. She also voluntarily managed the Centenary Community Centre, ‘The Hub’. She also organises and runs several other community events and projects each year. She has been an outstanding member of our community for as long as I can remember. … she ran the local Safety House, was P&C president at Jindalee State School for several years, and rallied to get Centenary High built. She was also a part of Neighbour Hood watch.
(She) has done all of this on a voluntary basis, she is a wonderful role model and someone who I truly admire.”
Thanks very much Belinda for the great work that you do!
Congratulations to Lucas Patchett, who was selected to receive the second of our ‘Free Massages for Local Heroes’.
Lucas co-founded Orange Sky Laundry, the world’s first free mobile laundry service for the homeless. He and his friend Nicholas Marchesi installed a donated washer and dryer in a van and hit the streets. Orange Sky has now grown to 10 services across Australia in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide, SE Melbourne and Hobart. They have also gone into cyclone-ravaged communities in far north Queensland. The laundry now does over 6.1 tonnes of laundry every week. However, most importantly, they conduct 1,300 hours of positive and genuine conversations with homeless people every week.
From the Orange Sky website -“Orange Sky Laundry is a catalyst for conversation. In the one hour time it takes to wash and dry someone’s clothes there is absolutely nothing to do but sit down on one of our 6 orange chairs and have a positive and genuine conversation between our everyday volunteers and everyday friends on the street.”
From an interview with Nicholas- “We’re a charity run purely by sponsors and donations. Each van costs $110,000 to build, and each load of washing and drying costs $6. We have 500 awesome volunteers who each make a fortnightly commitment. Lucas and I don’t earn a wage; we’re full-time volunteers … when Orange Sky Laundry pulls up under railway bridges, people are brought to tears with excitement. Shy, reserved individuals, who might not have spoken to anyone for a couple of days, open up. The most important thing our vans carry isn’t the washing machines or dryers and detergents. It’s the six orange chairs that foster a really great conversation.”
The two of them were named 2016 Young Australians of the Year for the amazing work they do.
Lucas lives in the Centenary area, and we are very proud to provide him a free 1 hour massage.
Toni Both has been holding ‘Girl’s Nights In’ for more than 10 years now to raise money for breast cancer research. In that time she has raised over $30,000! That’s wonderful Toni, and we really enjoyed thanking you for your good work with a free 1 hour massage.
Elizabeth P. is one of those kind-hearted people who love to go around quietly helping others. This includes helping out at local funerals, taking elderly ladies to hospital, their church, the hairdresser or their podiatrist, visiting people in their homes that are housebound, etc. Elizabeth is always cheerful and friendly, but doesn’t like to talk about all of the good things she does. We think you are wonderful Elizabeth, and are honoured to be giving you a free massage.
Kay Whitby has been a volunteer with the Australian Breastfeeding Association for the past 20 years. She is a volunteer breastfeeding counsellor, and goes out of her way to provide support and advice to new mums. Great work Kay, and I am sure you enjoyed your massage!
This is a remarkable story of selflessly caring for other people who are less fortunate. We are very grateful that people like Rae and her husband Dave are around, and Rae we hope you enjoyed your free massage as a token of our appreciation.
“I nominate Rae Taylor. Rae and her husband Dave spent countless hours supporting a local homeless guy in Forest Lake. They fed him for nearly three months, drove him to medical appts, supported him at a court hearing, gathered community support and launched a fundraising campaign to pay for flights and accommodation for two months for Geremy to get home to NZ, where he is now able to access income support, and pay for a roof over his head (something the Aussie system won’t cover for unemployed Kiwis).
Geremy has dignity and hope now, because Rae didn’t walk past.
This was all done whilst Rae was sick herself and off work for a few months.
Rae is very deserving of recognition for her financial and personal generosity.
(I also know that she would benefit mightily from the skill and knowledge that Roger has brought to your practice.)”
Geremy came to Australia from NZ to be with his partner and small child. He fell on hard times when his relationship broke down and he sustained an injury which left him unable to work. Geremy ended up homeless on the streets, with no money, no work prospects, and no current passport to get back to NZ. After completely turning this total stranger’s life around, Rae continues to touch base with Geremy most weeks to check on how he is going.
Meet Sandy Dow, our latest free massage recipient – she takes on dogs that are about to be put down as they don’t meet behavioral assessments at the shelters they’ve been surrendered to, trains them and finds them homes. She works seven days a week, and always answers her phone in case there’s a dog that needs her.
She took on her first rescue dog around 20 years ago. 8 years ago she started working at the Animal Welfare League, and five years ago she started her own dog training business – all while maintaining her commitment to finding homes for animals that even shelters had written off.
We’re very pleased to have been able to offer Sandy some relaxation and pampering.
Karolyn Owens is heavily involved in the Night Watch Patrol, where volunteers in purple shirts patrol inner city streets at night to help anyone in crisis, at risk or in need. They deal with everything from violence, injury and drug overdoses, to food and accommodation problems. Night Watch volunteers work between 10.30 pm and 5.30 am every Friday and Saturday night. They are trained in first aid, and how to intervene and defuse challenging situations.
As well as being a volunteer for 7 years, Karolyn is also the counsellor for the Brisbane Night Watch, and so helps other volunteers who have had to deal with fatal or near-fatal situations.
Thanks very much Karolyn for your caring support of people in need, and enjoy your free massage!
Diana Sumner-Armstrong is another very worthy recipient of a free ‘Thank You’ massage from us. Here is her nomination.
“I would love to nominate Diana Sumner-Armstrong. She is a hard working community member who has been a crisis support counsellor for Brisbane Lifeline for 5 years now. She works 5 night shifts a week as a crisis and suicide interventionist, keeping many around Brisbane and Australia out of harms way! As well as this, Diana works 3 days at Kenmore Woolworths.
She also worked tirelessly with Community Recovery following cyclone Marcia in Rockhampton; visiting families, providing basic needs and counselling support through Uniting Care.
She is truly a kind, caring citizen who deserves a much deserved reward for all her efforts!”
Congratulations Diana, and have a wonderful massage!
Congratulations to Brett and Carolyn Swann, who have certainly earned a free massage from us. They are an amazing couple, who dedicate their time and energy to helping young people with disabilities and their parents. Here is their nomination.
“Brett & Carolyn run Enhanced Care which is a respite home for children and young adults with high needs/multiple impairments, to give their parents a break. They also work tirelessly to care and run another centre for these children to learn new skills, hang out, and they nurture them to be their best.”
They have also established and run Empowered Futures, which provides services to young adults with disabilities and their parents, including
Carolyn also runs the My Time program every 6 weeks at Mt Ommaney Special School, to provide info and support to parents with disabled children.
Thank you both for your wonderful work!
“I would like to nominate Lynn Atkinson and her husband Neil … they run Giving Grannies and do amazing work within our community and beyond .. they give their time and hard work to help others and best of all they are lovely people.”
Giving Grannies are a not for profit group who collect and distribute pre-loved baby and children’s goods. This includes clothes, shoes, toys, books, prams, cots and other baby furniture. They also provide Baby Welcome Kits to mums who need a helping hand when a new baby is on the way. These Kits include singlets, mittens, socks, bibs, hats, clothing, cot sheets, bunny rugs, blankets, toys, books, towels, face washer, nappies, wipes, baby toiletries, etc. They may also include a small gift for the mother, formula, baby bottles and other items of use. Giving Grannies rely totally on donations, and they receive referrals from hospitals, community groups, refugee organisations and other charitable groups.
Thank you Lynn and Neil for looking after our new mums so well, and making our community a better place. Please enjoy a free 1 hour massage on us as a token of our appreciation.
We are very pleased to announce that Lisa Baillie, the founder and an Admin of the ‘4074 Community & Beyond’ Facebook page, is the latest winner of a free massage from us. Here are a few comments about her from that page.
‘Well done Lisa and admins. You have brought this community together like no-one else before. You have achieved and helped others achieve so much. There’s a lot more sharing and caring in this community because of you, people are looking out for each other, and sharing experiences, advice, and resources. Your efforts have shown how many people from different walks of life with just a postcode in common can come together, work together and play together. This is a generous, friendly postcode, and it has become much closer because of the medium you have provided us. My wife and I have met, helped, and been helped by countless people over the past few years, and it all comes down to you and your helpers. You are an asset to the community and we owe you an enormous debt of gratitude. As our local political rep, I hope that Matt Bourke is able to facilitate some more formal recognition as Australia Day nears. It is people like you, who do so much for our community, that deserve proper recognition. You are touching many lives, both directly and indirectly, and making a difference that cannot be under-estimated, particularly as it is done in your spare time and on a zero budget. THANK YOU. Well done, and please keep up the great work; it is very much appreciated.’
‘Well said Steve. I have seen the hard work she puts in and the many hours it takes to pull together events like the Family Fun Day and last weekends Trivia Trail. Yes, she has her trusty group of helpers and the support from our local members and businesses but the ideas and drive all belong to her. She is one amazing lady who I’m very blessed to call a friend.’
Lisa also recently established the 4074 Health & Beyond Facebook page to ‘promote a healthier way of living in the Western suburbs of Brisbane’, and the 4074 Community & Beyond RACK webpage, to promote Random Acts of Community Kindness. She never stops trying to give to our community!
Michael Devlin is a member of the Brisbane Motorcycle Street Feed group, who provide free hot, home-cooked meals to homeless people. Once a week they feed 150 – 300 needy people, and Michael has been doing this for over a year. Sometimes people donate clothes to Michael and other members of the group, and these are also passed on to the homeless. In winter, they also make a special effort to collect and distribute socks to help homeless people keep their feet warm.
Thanks Michael for your caring and selfless work. Enjoy your massage!
Natasha Butcher has been convening the South West Brisbane Nappy Collective for the past 3 years, and in that time she has collected 50,000 nappies for community organisations who work on the front line with women in need, including domestic violence support groups, homeless groups, and teenage mums. (For more details about the Nappy Collective please see www.thenappycollective.com.) Natasha has just been elevated to the role of Brisbane coordinator in recognition of her hard work and dedication to helping these women.
Thank you Natasha for looking after our new mothers in need, and helping to make our community a better place. Please enjoy a free 1 hour massage on us as a token of our appreciation.
Kara-Leigh James is the latest winner of our Free Massages for Community Heroes.
“Hi there, I would love to nominate an amazing local community member Kara-Leigh James! She gives so much of herself to this community and Jindalee State School P & C association. She donates so much of her own time and effort so selflessly. There would hardly be a person in this community that wouldn’t know and acknowledge how much she gives and couldn’t think of a more deserving person for this prize. … PS if you would like references of her amazing work you would only need to ask the community, school and 4074 as I’m sure they will all vouch. There are local MPs that have known her for years also! An amazing strong lady, sooo deserving!”
(I personally am amazed at the huge amount of time, effort and creativity she puts into making the Jindalee State School Fete a great success every year.)
Congratulations Kara-Leigh! Have a massage on us for all your good work.
Congratulations to Inga Werber, who we have chosen to receive a free massage from us for her good work. Inga runs the Middle Park Knitting Stars and the Jambo Knitters programs, and she gets people to knit woolen squares. She and the students from the Middle Park and Jamboree Heights State Schools then knit these squares into blankets for the homeless. Inga has won the Matthew Bourke Community Award, and this year she also initiated the Twiddlemuff Project for dementia patients. A Twiddlemuff is a double thickness hand muff with bits and bobs attached inside and out, and is designed to provide a stimulation activity for restless hands for those suffering from dementia. Inga arranged for the Centenary Knitting and Crochet Circle and other members of the community to knit these Twiddlemuffs to help those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Thanks Inga for your caring support of our community. Have a great massage!
Karen Bennett has played a huge role in the retention of the Early Childhood Development Program. This Program is designed to help assist preschool children with learning disabilities or challenges, so that they can then attend a mainstream school instead of a special school. The Program was to be scrapped, however Karen organised a Facebook page to raise awareness of this issue, and she gathered support from families all over Queensland. She organised a petition to have the Program continue, and obtained over 30,000 signatures for it. The Program now has funding guaranteed by the government until 2020, largely due to Karen’s efforts.
Thank you Karen for your work looking after disabled children, and enjoy a free massage on us!
“I would like to nominate Vicki Mynott as deserving of a free massage for her many years of dedicated volunteer work for the community, by researching and producing many local histories for the Inala History Association.
Her work has resulted in capturing local histories in detail, for use by the communities and students. There a number of local publications in which she has been the major researcher and writer.”
Have a wonderful massage Vicki!
Theanine, an amino acid with relaxing and tranquilizing properties is thought to be the reason behind tea’s relaxing, soothing effects.
Studies in mice strongly suggest that green tea is able to prevent the damage caused by Alzheimers and Parkinson’s; in said study, it protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged cells.
Green tea increases metabolism; the polyphenol found in green tea increases the rate at which your body is able to turn food into fuel, as well as boosting fat oxidation.
Green tea has less caffeine than coffee, but there is still enough to produce an effect. It also contains the amino acid L-theanine, which can work alongside caffeine to improve brain function.
While it’s obvious that swapping sugary drinks for green tea is going to improve the health of your teeth, the benefits may go beyond that. Some studies have shown that the catechins in green tea can help to destroy harmful bacteria in the mouth.
Valued at $120, your Assessment will help to uncover:
All this will be fully explained to you, and you can ask as many questions as you like. That way we can be sure to give you all of the right information, understanding and advice you need. Terms and conditions: This is a free, no obligation offer.