Health On The Hill

19/10/2026

The liver seems to get all the credit for what is definitely a group assignment.

Yes, your liver is incredibly important but detoxification and elimination involve multiple systems including the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and lymphatic system.

The gut-liver relationship is super interesting.

When you eat, drink or take medication, compounds absorbed through the intestinal wall enter the bloodstream. Much of this blood travels through the hepatic portal vein directly to the liver before returning to the general circulation.
This means the liver receives many compounds absorbed from the digestive tract and can then process, modify, store or prepare them for elimination.

Some compounds processed by the liver enter bile, which is released into the digestive tract. Meanwhile, your intestinal microbiome interacts with bile acids and influences what happens to them next.

Gut bacteria also produce metabolites that can cross the intestinal barrier and travel through the portal vein to the liver. This is part of the gut–liver axis: the gut influences what reaches the liver, while the liver sends certain compounds back to the gut through bile.

Dietary fibre can modify the gut environment, support microbial fermentation, influence stool transit and, depending on the type of fibre, affect bile acid excretion.

Which means one of the least sexy questions I ask in clinic is also one of the most useful:

How often are you opening your bowels?

Supporting detoxification isn't just about processing things, we also need an exit strategy.

www.healthonthehill.com.au

17/10/2026

Oooh I’m keen to see what this is like…. The add looks promising!

15/10/2026

15/10/2026

A lot of people are curious about Rejuvenast sessions but feel a bit shy asking what's actually involved, so here's the rundown.

You lie down. That's genuinely most of it.

The session is designed to support lymphatic flow, circulation and nervous system regulation, without you needing to do any of the work yourself.

For a lot of clients, this is the first time in a long while their body has had 30 minutes completely out of fight or flight mode.

Paired with pneumatic compression, it becomes a genuinely restorative combination, especially for anyone dealing with fluid retention or a lymphatic system that needs a bit of encouragement.

Most people leave feeling lighter and noticeably calmer. Book a session if your body has been asking for support and you've been ignoring it in favour of doing more.

https://healthonthehill.com.au/

13/10/2026

Well written!

We typically expect that eating fresh and whole foods from your local shops and supermarkets would be healthy foods, and obviously better than processed foods and fast foods (ie take-aways and junk foods). But a recent investigation and published report by an independent group (Pesticide Action Australia) on a large number of fresh foods in several major supermarkets in Australia, found these foods were exposed to an alarming amount of toxic pesticides, forever chemicals, and other issues.

The investigators purchased a total of 78 samples of 13 types of fruit and vegetables from Aldi, Coles and Woolworths stores across five cities (Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne) in June 2026. Produce was bought and delivered to an independent National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA)-accredited laboratory on the same day of purchase (Pesticide Action Australia, 2026).

The report on the investigations into pesticide exposures found:

1. 201 total pesticides in the 78 samples of vegetables and fruits, or an average of over 2.5 chemicals per item
2. 54 different pesticides detected
3. 56% of these pesticides are not approved in the European Union
4. 44% of items were exposed to “forever chemicals”, which can be hormone-disrupting, cancer-causing, or have other effects on your health
5. 14% of foods were exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides which can kill bees and other insects
6. 8 chemicals found on samples were banned and had no approval to be used on these foods
7. 4 samples had breached approved or accepted levels of pesticide exposure.

Even certified organic foods, which are meant to be safer and healthier, and not exposed to toxic agricultural chemicals, cannot be guaranteed to be free from them. I know of a former Woolies fresh produce employee who told me that she saw her colleagues going around the fresh food section daily in the warmer months, when there were a lot of fruit flies, with cans of insecticide and spraying this all around the exposed fruits and vegetables, including on and around all the “certified organic” produce.

This report, and together with the recent ABC Four Corners investigations into food fraud in Australia, shows a concerning lack of concern by the supermarkets, food industry, and food safety regulators, in the quality or safety of our foods. See my recent articles on this documentary series.

A recent online poll of over 1000 Australians found 80% wanted fewer agricultural chemicals on their foods. (Only 80%?! Who wants more?)

The Pesticide Action Australia group want everyone in our food supply, from the farmers, supermarkets, food industry, regulators, and consumers, to be aware of the issues with these chemicals on the environment and on our health, and to pressure the supermarkets, politicians, and anyone relevant, into making changes to reducing exposure to these chemicals and their effects. Such consumer action resulted in a reduction of chemicals being used in the UK in 2019. We can and should do the same.

Stay healthy!

References:

Pesticide Action Australia. (2026). Australia’s Residue Report 2026. Retrieved 8th October 2026 from https://pesticideaction.org.au/residuereport26/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_source_platform=mailpoet

12/10/2026

11/10/2026

🍲🐓 Another batch of SUPER tasty homemade chicken soup!

And the secret to a really good chicken soup? It all starts with the quality of the chicken!

A big thank you to TMP Organics for their beautiful organic chicken carcasses. Perfect for making a rich, nourishing broth packed with flavour and goodness. Nothing wasted, and everything put to good use!

TMP Organics recently shared a really interesting post about chicken production and the differences between conventional and organic chicken. It was a timely reminder that not all chicken is created equal, and knowing where your meat comes from really matters! Even organic!

As a naturopath, I’m a big believer that good health starts with good food. And that means looking beyond the supermarket label and asking questions about how our food is raised, what the animals are fed and where it’s sourced and then how it’s prepared.

Know your farmer. Know your food. Support producers who care about quality.

And let’s not forget, sometimes the most nourishing meals are also the simplest. A pot of homemade chicken soup, beautiful fresh vegetables, herbs and a little patience. ❤️

Who else loves making their own chicken broth or soup from scratch? 🍲

11/10/2026

For most people, aiming to include more fibre in your diet is a brilliant place to start but if you really want to take it to the next level, we want to also focus on fibre diversity.

Fibre has different roles within the gut.

Some forms help support bowel regularity by adding bulk or holding water to give you the perfect stool.

While other fibres help support gut bacteria and provide them with fuel.

Then when those microbes ferment the fibre, they can produce compounds that support the gut environment, the intestinal barrier and immune signalling.

Take Bifideobacteria as an example. These are generally considered important members of a healthy gut microbiome and when they ferment certain prebiotic fibres, they produce compounds like acetate and lactate.

These compounds are then used by other gut bacteria which go on to produce butyrate.

Butyrate then acts as an important energy source for cells lining the colon and plays a role in maintaining intestinal barrier integrity and regulating inflammatory and immune processes.

As a terrain focused naturopath, I work with my clients to help diversity their fibre sources to give their gut the diversity it’s craving to support their health and wellbeing.

10/10/2026

🌿🍳 WHAT DOES YOUR BREAKFAST LOOK LIKE?

They say practice what you preach… but when food looks and tastes this good, it’s hardly a chore! 😍

As a naturopath, I’m a big believer that food should be more than just fuel. It should be nourishing, colourful, full of flavour and, most importantly, something you genuinely look forward to eating!

🌿 On my breakfast plate this morning…

🍞 Homemade gluten-free antipasto sourdough, toasted and topped with beautiful organic butter.

🌱 Homemade organic green pesto — and not your ordinary pesto! Packed with garlic, olive oil, macadamia nuts, nutritional yeast, black olives, gotu kola, parsley, basil, mustard greens and sorrel. A delicious way to get some fabulous medicinal greens into your day!

🍳 Eggs cooked in olive oil and chilli oil — because a little spice makes everything better!

🥦 Fresh mustard and broccoli sprouts — tiny nutritional powerhouses packed with naturally occurring phytochemicals.

🥬 Homemade fermented kimchi cauliflower and dill sauerkraut — bringing tang, crunch and some lovely fermented goodness to the plate.

💚 Why do I love breakfasts like this?

Because in one delicious meal we’re bringing together healthy fats, protein, fibre, diverse plant foods, bitter greens, sprouts and fermented vegetables.

It’s all about feeding ourselves AND supporting the incredible ecosystem of microbes we share our bodies with.

And the best part? Nothing here feels like a sacrifice!

Good nutrition doesn’t have to mean bland food, restrictive diets or another boring bowl of something you don’t really want to eat.

Sometimes it’s simply about getting creative with real ingredients, growing a few greens, fermenting a few vegetables and rediscovering the joy of making food from scratch.

🌿 Food is medicine… but it should also be an absolute pleasure!

Now I’m curious… WHAT DOES YOUR BREAKFAST LOOK LIKE? 👇

Are you a toast-and-coffee person, a smoothie lover, or do you love getting creative in the kitchen too?