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Kiera Hinshaw Naturopath, Airlie Beach (2026)

04/09/2026

Please don't let clever supplement marketing take your money! 🙈

Following on from my last post about Australian supplements and the TGA, here's a perfect example of why I always encourage you to look beyond the marketing.

Products promising things like a natural tan from within keep appearing on my socials, and I find it incredibly frustrating seeing people spend their hard-earned money on supplements based on claims that sound too good to be true.

When I look at a product like this, I'm asking very different questions.

🔎 What are the active ingredients?

🔎 How many milligrams of each ingredient am I actually getting per dose?

🔎 Are they using the forms that have been studied?

🔎 Is that dose anywhere near the amount used in the research?

🔎 And most importantly… is there good evidence that these ingredients can actually produce the result being promised?

Simply including B vitamins and other nutrients in a formula doesn't mean taking it will suddenly make your skin look beautifully tanned.

If I can't clearly establish what's in a product, how much I'm getting and the evidence behind the promised outcome, I'm not interested in the beautiful packaging or clever social media campaign.

Save your money.

And if what you really want is a gorgeous summer glow… I'd invest in a good spray tan instead! 😂☀️

Supplements can be incredibly useful when they're correcting a deficiency or supporting a genuine clinical need.

But more supplements aren't always better.

Only take what you actually need.

If you're unsure about something you've seen advertised, bring it along to your appointment or send me the details before you spend your money.

I'm always happy to help you work out whether there's actually something worthwhile behind the marketing.

02/09/2026

Following on from the Four Corners: Duped investigation, let's talk about Australian supplements.

After watching the program, it's understandable to start questioning what we can actually trust.

But when it comes to supplements, there is some reassurance in buying products that are properly regulated here in Australia.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulates therapeutic supplements and complementary medicines supplied in Australia tightly.

Australian-listed and registered products must meet regulatory requirements around things like:

✔️ manufacturing standards
✔️ ingredient safety and quality
✔️ permitted ingredients
✔️ labelling
✔️ evidence supporting the types of health claims they make

Manufacturers are also expected to comply with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.

That's quite different from simply ordering a supplement from an overseas website, where the product may have been manufactured under a completely different regulatory system and may not meet Australian requirements.

It's one of the reasons I'm quite particular about the supplements I recommend in clinic.

I want to know:

What's actually in it?
What form is it in?
Is it the right dose?
Who manufactured it?
And what quality standards are behind it?

A supplement isn't automatically a good supplement simply because it's labelled natural,

And after talking about food fraud, I think it's important to also acknowledge the systems we do have in Australia that are designed to protect consumers.

My advice?

Look for the AUST L or AUST R number on the label, and if in doubt check with your Naturopath1

The AUST L or R number is a quick way to identify that a therapeutic product has been entered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and is being supplied within Australia's regulatory framework.

Another little reason to look beyond the marketing and turn the bottle around.

01/09/2026

Food fraud in Australia… this was an interesting (and pretty shocking!) watch. 👀

ABC's Four Corners recently aired the result of an ;eight-month investigation into food fraud' — and what they uncovered is concerning.

And it's not necessarily about what's written on the ingredient list.

It's about whether the ingredients themselves are actually what we think we're buying.

🍅 Canned tomatoes
🫒 Olive oil
🍯 Honey

Basic pantry staples that most of us wouldn't think twice about.

The investigation raises some really important questions around food authenticity, labelling, regulation and the enormous financial incentive that exists within the global food industry.

It's certainly worth a watch.

BUT… there's another side to this conversation that I really want to emphasise.

I don't want information like this to create even more anxiety and fear around food.

Nutrition is already incredibly confusing for people.

We're told to avoid this.
Only buy that.
Check every label.
Watch for additives.
Buy organic.
Don't buy processed.
Now apparently we need to question whether what's inside the packet is even what it says it is!

You could very easily walk into the supermarket feeling completely overwhelmed.

Please don't. 💛

We can only do the best we can with the information we have.

Perhaps you can buy your honey from a local beekeeper.

Maybe you can purchase some foods from your local health food shop, farmers' market or directly from a farm.

Choose reputable brands where you can.

Stay informed and ask questions.

But you don't have to investigate the origins of every single ingredient that enters your kitchen.

And please don't let this become another reason to fear food.

If there's one thing I want you to take away from all of this, it's to keep coming back to the basics:

Just eating more real, whole food will help so many things.

Fruit. Vegetables. Meat. Fish. Eggs. Nuts. Seeds. Legumes. Whole grains. Simple meals cooked at home.

Hopefully investigations like this lead to greater transparency and meaningful changes within Australia's food industry.

You can watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/_9m2qUJRFck?si=1gRZYw3HVSs8-xSE

26/08/2026

Another supermarket snack find for the kids 👀🌿

If your kids love those crispy little seaweed snacks, this is one worth looking out for!

**GIMME Roasted Seaweed Snacks with Olive Oil**

What caught my attention?

**No added vegetable or seed oils.**

A lot of the seaweed snacks you'll find at the supermarket are roasted with oils like sunflower or canola oil — even some of the organic options.

This one keeps things beautifully simple with **organic seaweed, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt.**

Seaweed also naturally provides nutrients including iodine, which is important for healthy thyroid function, growth and development.

And let's be realistic — packaged snacks are part of family life!

I'm not looking for perfection. I simply love finding convenient options with better-quality ingredients that I feel good about putting into a lunchbox or handing over when the kids are hungry.

Crunchy ✔️
Salty ✔️
Kid-approved ✔️
Made with olive oil ✔️

Such an easy little supermarket/online find!

24/08/2026

“What medicine calls ‘unproven’ often means ‘unfunded’.” — Kerry Bone

This quote really made me think.

There is some wonderful research behind nutritional and herbal medicine — but there are also areas where the research simply hasn't caught up yet.

Large clinical trials are expensive.

Naturally occurring foods, nutrients and herbs don't always attract the same level of research funding as interventions that can be patented and commercialised.

That doesn't mean we throw evidence out the window. Far from it.

I spend a LOT of time looking at research — the ingredient used, the dose, the form, the quality of the study and whether it actually applies to the person sitting in front of me.

But research is only one part of clinical care.

If changing the way you eat has improved your energy, digestion or cycle…

If correcting a nutrient deficiency has helped you feel like yourself again…

If a particular intervention is helping you and it's safe and appropriate for you…

That matters too!

Your lived experience is valuable information.

Health doesn't have to be **natural medicine OR conventional medicine**.

Sometimes medication is absolutely needed.
Sometimes nutrition, lifestyle and targeted supplementation can make an enormous difference.
Often, the best approach uses the right tools from both.

The goal isn't to prove that one side is better.

It's to help *you* feel and function better, safely and sustainably.

19/08/2026

Will I have to take all these supplements forever?

No!

And that's something I really want people to understand about working with a naturopath.

When you first come to see me, we look at what's actually happening.

That might mean reviewing your blood tests, investigating symptoms, looking at your diet and lifestyle, or ordering further testing when it's needed.

Then we make a plan.

Sometimes supplements are an important part of that plan — particularly when we're trying to correct a deficiency, restore nutrient levels or give the body some extra support while we're working on the foundations.

But the goal isn't to keep adding supplements forever.

The goal is progress.

Have a good month.
Then a better month.
Then a great month.

We review how you're feeling.
We look at your results.
We adjust what needs adjusting.

And as your body becomes better supported, we start taking things away.

Maybe the dose comes down.
Maybe something moves to maintenance.
Maybe you don't need it at all anymore.

Ultimately, I want as much of your health as possible to be supported by the foundations — nourishing food, movement, sleep, stress support and sustainable habits you can actually maintain.

Supplements are there to **support the process**, not become the process.

Good naturopathic care should evolve as your health does.

14/08/2026

Another win for saffron.

The research on saffron for mood continues to grow — and this is an exciting one.

A large randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial followed 202 adults experiencing low mood and subclinical depressive symptoms over 12 weeks.

Participants received either:
🌸 28mg of a standardised saffron extract daily
OR
🌸 a placebo

And the results?

Those taking saffron experienced significantly greater improvements in depression scores compared with placebo.

Even more interesting;

'72.3% of those taking saffron achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in their depression score.'

Researchers also found that among participants who started the study with more significant sleep disturbance, saffron was associated with improvements in sleep.

I love seeing larger, well-designed studies like this emerging for herbal medicine.

And it reinforces something I talk about all the time:

The form matters.
The dose matters.
The research matters.

This wasn't simply “some saffron”.

It was a specific, standardised saffron extract at '28mg per day', taken consistently for 12 weeks.

Herbal medicine can be incredibly powerful — but choosing the right extract at the researched dose is an important part of getting results.

And yes, saffron continues to be one of my favourite herbs for mood support!

14/08/2026

Greek yoghurt or Greek *style* yoghurt… have you ever noticed the difference?

Next time you're standing in the yoghurt aisle, take a closer look at the label.

A lot of the tubs we casually call “Greek yoghurt” actually say **Greek style yoghurt**.

Traditional Greek yoghurt is strained to remove some of the whey, creating that beautiful thick texture and concentrating the protein.

And that's one of the main reasons I love it 💛

🥣 Higher in protein
🥣 Generally lower in carbohydrate than regular yoghurt
🥣 Filling and satisfying
🥣 Can provide beneficial live cultures to support gut health
🥣 An easy way to increase protein at breakfast or snack time

Depending on the product, a strained Greek yoghurt can contain around twice the protein of a traditional yoghurt.

“Greek style”, on the other hand, describes yoghurt made to recreate that thick, creamy consistency, and the nutritional profile can vary considerably between brands.

One option I often recommend is 'Chobani Greek Yoghurt'. It has a lovely simple nutritional profile and gives you that naturally high-protein yoghurt we're actually looking for.

My tip?

Don't rely on the words on the front of the tub.

Turn it around and read the nutrition panel.

Compare the protein, carbohydrates, added sugar and ingredient list.

Sometimes two products that look almost identical on the supermarket shelf are nutritionally very different.

A little label reading goes a long way.

12/08/2026

Not all supplements are created equal 👀

When I recommend a product in clinic, I don't just look at the pretty packaging or the ingredient written on the front.

I do the research.

I want to know:

🔬 What *form* of the ingredient was actually used in the research?

🔬 What *dose* produced the clinical results?

🔬 Is the extract standardised?

🔬 And does the product you're buying actually provide a comparable amount?

Saffron is a great example.

There is some really interesting research emerging around specific saffron extracts for mood, anxiety and attention.

But simply seeing “saffron” written on the front of a supplement doesn't mean you're getting the same thing that was used in a clinical trial.

Some research has used standardised saffron extracts at around **28–30 mg per day**, and small studies in children with ADHD have even found certain saffron preparations produced results comparable to methylphenidate over the short study period.

That's very different from assuming that 'any' product containing saffron will give you the same result. There are some questionable saffron gummies available at the moment with excellent marketing, but not necessarily excellent ingredients or quality.

And this applies to SO many supplements.

✨ The ingredient matters.
✨ The form matters.
✨ The dose matters.
✨ The research behind it matters.

Marketing can make almost anything sound impressive.

My job is to look behind the marketing and ask:

“Is there actually enough of the right ingredient in here to do what we're expecting it to do?”

That's why I spend so much time researching the products I recommend to you.

If you have any questions around this, please feel free to pop into my DM's.

07/08/2026

Some exciting news for naturopathy!

After years of advocacy, we're finally seeing some positive changes.

Many of you will remember that private health rebates for naturopathy were removed back in 2019.

I'm so pleased to share that provider numbers have now been reinstated with ARHG and CBHS, making it possible for eligible members to once again claim rebates for naturopathic consultations through these funds (depending on their level of cover).

This is a really positive step towards recognising the role that naturopathy can play in supporting people's health.

If you're insured with ARHG or CBHS and you've seen me recently, please send me an email if you'd like an updated receipt issued for claiming purposes. I'd be more than happy to organise this for you.

Now we're keeping our fingers crossed that other major funds, including Medibank, Bupa and HCF follow suit in the near future.

I'll be sure to keep you updated as I hear more.

Here's to another step forward for natural healthcare!

Kiera Hinshaw Naturopath

04/09/2026

02/09/2026

01/09/2026

26/08/2026

24/08/2026

19/08/2026

14/08/2026

14/08/2026

12/08/2026

07/08/2026

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