Let's Talk Health

How naturopathy helps when nothing else makes sense | with Jasmine King

• Torrens University Australia • Season 1 • Episode 12

Share episode

Naturopathy is growing in popularity, but many still don't know what it's really all about. If you've heard the name but want to know more, this episode of Let’s Talk Health is the perfect introduction to the intriguing world of herbal medicine. Natalie is joined by Jasmine King, Clinic Lead and Learning Facilitator in Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine at Torrens University Australia, to explore the science, traditions and everyday applications of this holistic approach to wellbeing.

In this episode, we cover:

  • What naturopathy is and how it blends biomedicine with holistic practice
  • The difference between functional testing and standard pathology tests
  • How hormones influence mood, energy, and mental health
  • Why women commonly struggle with protein intake (& why it matters)
  • The role of blood sugar regulation in fatigue, irritability and brain fog
  • How gut health, digestion and nutrient absorption impact overall wellness
  • The connection between mould exposure, environmental toxins & endocrine health
  • How naturopathy supports mental, emotional and physical well-being
  • What to look for when choosing a qualified naturopath
  • Why long consultations help identify root causes, not just symptoms
  • How herbal medicine, flower essences and targeted nutrients fit into treatment
  • Practical lifestyle tips to improve mood, energy, and daily balance

Connect with us and follow our news and stories:
→ Blog and Newsroom: https://www.torrens.edu.au/stories
→ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@torrensuni
→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/torrens-university-australia/
→ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TorrensUni/
→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torrensuni

Natalie Cook:

Welcome to Let's Talk Health. I'm your host, Natalie Cook, Director of Innovation, Industry and Employability in Health and Education at Torrens University Australia. On this podcast, you'll hear from experts who'll share their knowledge to help you make more informed choices about your health. Have you ever wondered about naturopathy? You might have heard of it, or maybe you've tried it yourself, but what is it really all about? Today we're going to explore this field which is very dear to my heart. We're going to break down some myths, answer questions, and uncover the benefits it might offer you. Joining me today is Jasmine King, clinic lead and learning facilitator in Naturopathy and Western Hobble Medicine here at Torrens University, Australia. Jasmine, great to be speaking with you today. Lovely to be speaking with you to the wonderful Nat Cook. Now, I don't know. I think many people might think that being a biomedical science y geek, for want of a better word, doesn't exist in the same person that's a really holistic naturopath. But yet, here you are.

Jasmine King:

Yes, no, if that's absolutely not the truth. But uh many of my students and myself included, yeah, big bio-nerds, but also connecting to traditional medicine as well at the same time. So the beautiful thing about naturopathy is that it connects both modern biomedicine with traditional kind of ideas around medicine. So um holism, vitalism, alongside, you know, the fundamentals of physiology and anastomy and that kind of thing. So it's an amazing modality.

Natalie Cook:

And you you've got a strong background in functional medicine. Yep. How do you explain how functional medicine, pathology testing, how that sits alongside a naturopathic approach to healthcare?

Jasmine King:

Yeah, so I find it's a really invaluable tool. In naturopathy, we have a lot of tools. You know, we use nutrition, diet, lifestyle. Functional testing specifically is really amazing because it allows you to understand your patient in a deeper way. So not just snapshots of what's going on for them in their health, but also around how they're functioning in the day-to-day. How do they digest? How do they absorb the nutrition from their diet? You know, how do their neurotransmitters work? You know, the fundamental building blocks of how health is sustained, we're able to test and understand. And we in our consults in naturopathy, we ask a lot of questions. And I feel like functional testing is just another way to ask those questions.

Natalie Cook:

That's an interesting way to frame it because I don't know that people necessarily have a intuitive understanding of what you mean when you say functional testing. Yeah, yeah. I suppose it's it's niche, yeah. What's the difference between just going and having a blood test to check your iron versus having more functional testing?

Jasmine King:

When I worked in pathology companies, so we'd have two kind of divisions. We'd have general pathology and functional pathology. General pathology tended to be more focused on snapshots. So you're getting details of how your cholesterol is going off, moving like that. Whereas functional, it's in the name, I suppose, it's assessing the function of a particular aspect of your house. So, yeah, as I say, like the way that you're digesting. So assessing the microflora in your gut or looking at how your hormones fluctuate throughout a woman's cycle. So it's not just getting that one snapshot, it's looking at function over time, hence functional medicine. So it's understanding you holistically, what's going on for you in the everyday, you know?

Natalie Cook:

Okay. So it's it's biomedical, it's pathology testing, but it is quite holistic just by definition.

Jasmine King:

You're not just searching for a static statistic, it's in the person as they're living, yeah, as they're functioning in their life and and where there may be problems that we can help with.

Natalie Cook:

When someone goes to see a GP, those appointments are notoriously short. Yeah, unfortunately. And so if someone is struggling with something that is more complex or more broad, low mood, low energy, where do you begin in asking questions? Do you use functional testing for that? Or is that is it more about the questions that you ask about their lifestyle, their diet, their environment? You'd be using functional testing.

Jasmine King:

But yeah, absolutely. Um our bread and butter is to actually understand the person that's sitting in front of us. So we want to know everything, you know, we want to know how you eat, how you sleep, you know, your toilet functions, that kind of thing. We want to understand how you're living your life and uh get to know you. So our consults tend to be a lot longer, you know, a good hour or so, because without that, I feel like we don't get to understand the nuts and bolts of how you're living your life and where we can support you. And so if there's an aspect that we can't answer through questioning, that's when we'd step into functional testing to answer this question.

Natalie Cook:

And when the conversation veers towards talking about people's hormones, I think a lot of people, you say hormone and they assume estrogen or testosterone, you know, your sex hormones. But obviously there's more to the endocrine system. But I'm interested in our hormones and our mental health and what the interplay is there. Could you talk a little bit about that?

Jasmine King:

Oh, absolutely. It's a passion area of mine, particularly in regards to, well, there's a few factors, but certainly thyroid health. So people may be familiar with their thyroids. There's a lot of patients who are dealing with thyroid disease. So the thyroid helps to regulate our mood, our energy, even the temperature of our body. And so when there's problems in that regard, that's when you can see lowered mood or heightened anxiety. Also, there's a lot of mood-related issues around the reproductive cycle. So there's a rise in PMDD, which affects the second half of a woman's cycle, and it can be drastic, as in women can feel really, really poorly and and depressed. So these hormones, they really have a drastic impact on mental health when they're dysregulated, when they're out of whack.

Natalie Cook:

And the DD part of the PM, so premenstrual dysphoric depression. Sorry. There's a lot of acronyms, right? Yeah, my God. Yeah. It's it's interesting. I think it's quite common that people, when they're speaking about how they are, whether they lead with mental health or whether they might say, I'm tired, or I'm feeling fatigued. And it feels more and more common when you ask people how are you, that they will lead with, I'm busy, I'm tired, I've got a lot on. It's that sort of thing. And it's almost like it's a bit of a badge of honor, but it just seems like it's a normal condition, I think, for life now. I don't know. Yeah. When you hear people say they're fatigued, what do you hear? And what do you think about as in terms of underlying causes?

Jasmine King:

My mind goes to so many places. I'm wanting to understand what's going on in their diet, what's going on in their life, what's going on in their hormones, the way they think. You know, the thoughts we have about ourselves and the world around us can create fatigue. But then also on that biochemical level, someone could have drastically low levels of iron, or and they're not consuming enough protein, or they struggle with blood sugar regulation, which is a big problem and affects mood drastically. So yeah, my mind is going in all directions when it comes to fatigue because there's so many factors that are so important to sustaining energy and feeling vital in life. And certainly in Western culture, it's not uncommon to feel like wearing yourself out is a badge of honor. But in naturopathy, we really teach about resting, giving yourself space to actually rest and enjoy life. Like it's not all about being busy and being overworked, it's about enjoying the beautiful aspects of life as well as having accomplishments and ambitions and things like that. It's just, yeah, we help people to try and find balance.

Natalie Cook:

What are some everyday tips or changes that people can implement in their own life to improve their mental health and well-being? I think a really easy one is addressing blood sugar.

Jasmine King:

I feel like a lot of people are walking around not eating enough protein, maybe you're relying too heavily on coffee, which coffee is wonderful, but I don't think people fully appreciate how often throughout the day their blood sugar is spiking and then dropping. And they may be experiencing sudden drops in energy or suddenly they become irritable. And often it's to do with blood sugar and uh what we call insulin resistance, which is a whole kind of dynamic functional issue. But I feel like if there's one thing that people could do is ensuring that they're sustaining good amounts of protein throughout the day to support blood sugar. That could revolutionize someone's mood and their energy, particularly with women, I find in clinics. Women are not having enough protein throughout the day to sustain themselves and support healthy mood. And protein is fundamental, a fundamental building blocks for hormones as well. So if you're not consuming enough of that protein, you're not creating hormones, you're gonna have problems. So I feel like that's a good place to start. And water, actually. I constantly shocked by the lack of water people have, you know.

Natalie Cook:

Which, yeah, I understand, but yeah, it can make a big difference. And when you talk about protein, I think people go, oh yes, I ate protein. I had an egg for breakfast. I had an egg and toast for breakfast and a cup of tea. Yeah. Is an egg enough protein for breakfast? No.

Jasmine King:

An egg is about six grams of protein. Average person needs about between 60 to 80 grams of protein a day. So if you're having an egg and you may be having a little bit of cheese at lunch or something like that, which maybe have a has a few grams of protein, you're not hitting it. You're not starting your day off at an advantage. Yeah. Looking into ways that you can incorporate more protein. So there's easy ways, like, you know, having more cottage cheese or um introducing tofu or having more nuts and seeds, legumes, lean red meats, that kind of thing.

Natalie Cook:

I saw a comment in the news the other day saying that cottage cheese shortages are a thing because there's so many recipes. People are putting cottage cheese in everything. Yeah, it's good. I I get it. It's true, right? Yeah. And I think you're right, I don't want to gender things, but I do think women in particular struggle with often getting enough protein. And then we're getting all of these messages about needing to be strong and we should be lifting weights, and particularly as people move into perimenopause and so on. Yeah. Do you find when people eventually make their way to naturopathy, they've come and seen a naturopath? Is it their first photocall or have they tried other things earlier?

Jasmine King:

Maybe I've found actually, maybe 15 years ago, yeah, you probably get a lot more people who they've tried everything so they're coming to a naturopath. Whereas nowadays I feel like there's been quite a shift who are more interested in the kind of integrative health that we provide in naturopathy, where it's the bridge between the biomedicine and the traditional kind of holism and vitalism that we um utilize in naturopathy. So nowadays, yeah, I'd I'd have a selection of both. Some who has they have tried everything and they're going to try naturopathy. And then others that are devoted to naturopathy, like they feel like they get so much benefit from the holistic way that we practice. Um yeah. And I've certainly been a primary practitioner for a lot of my clients, obviously in collaboration with other practitioners. But yeah, yeah, no, I I feel like people are utilizing naturopathy as a first protocol more.

Natalie Cook:

So many of the conversations that you're having with people are about what's going on inside them. So what's happening with their blood sugar, what's happening with their hormones, or yeah. What about the external factors that influence people? So what about what we're putting on our skin, the environment around us generally, pollutants, mould, toxins? Yeah. Where's the evidence going on that, the impact of our environments on our own health?

Jasmine King:

First of all, I absolutely love talking to clients about that because so often people don't appreciate, you know, the things they put on their skin, what's in their environment is actually having an effect on their body, on themselves, on the way they function on the inside. And there's so much research going on in terms of, you know, how we're affected by mold, how we're affected by environmental toxins, you know, microplastics, things like that. These are what we call endocrine blockers or a lot. They affect the way the endocrine system, our hormonal system, functions. And so it becomes cumulative. So if you have a lot of factors that are affecting the health of the endocrine system and the body at large, you can see those kind of hormonal problems. So it comes back to mood. It comes back to the way that the person is, whether they're fertile, whether they're able to have a healthy cycle, whether they can lose weight easily or what have you. Um lots of little insidious things kind of occur due to these external factors.

Natalie Cook:

And I feel like some of those things that perhaps a shifting from being a bit fringe or something that a naturopath might ask about, like asking about your gut or your bowel habits. It used to be, oh, naturopaths are obsessed with all this stuff. But now it's like actually the the role of, yeah, supported in the research now.

Jasmine King:

Yeah, yeah, it's wonderful. It's a really fantastic time to be a naturopath because there's so many research centers around the world and here in Australia that are doing this fascinating research into how the gut microbiome affects immunity and you know how endotoxins affect us and things like that. So these things that we've understood intuitively in naturopathy for decades are starting to come to the fore and be a part of mainstream medicine, which is granny.

Natalie Cook:

And I feel like events like massive rain events, particularly say in northern New South Wales, um, with the flooding and so on, like the understanding that came from that around the impact of mold on people's health was quite profound. And in a way, validating, but you never want to be validated by having an unfortunate thing to validate.

Jasmine King:

But uh, now that we understand more about how molds can affect inflammation, like immune response and that kind of thing, even to the point of affecting being able to pass the blood-brain barrier. So that's diffusing into the brain and affecting the way our neurotransmitters function. Like it, it's we're still learning how the depths and capacity that these molds affect us, but I feel like we're at a point where we understand it better and able to do more to counter it. There are people who are championing education and research into that space. And it's helping a lot of people, you know, people who feel like they're going nuts. They're like, why am I always sick? Why do I always have skin conditions? I'm, you know, using good stuff. I'm taking care of my diet, but what's happening? And then, yeah, realizing that mold plays a big part.

Natalie Cook:

It's yeah. It's amazing. And it's often something that you can't even see. It takes a bit of investigation to find out where there might be damp or not.

Jasmine King:

It's it can be kind of obvious in places that are, you know, 100 years old or what have you, like houses. But even uh modern builds, the way that buildings are built and kind of the nature of the construction materials, it can encourage mold. And then if there's not movement through, like airflow and taking measures to counter that, then yeah, you're gonna be susceptible to it. The majority of the population uh are walking around feeling fatigued, they're feeling pressure, they're feeling like they've they're overworked. That is putting uh the individual at a disadvantage in terms of their immune system. So if you're worn out, if you are not eating enough protein, if you're not taking care of your blood sugar, that kind of thing, those kind of fundamental things can mean that you're not as strong as you could be in terms of fighting some kind of, you know, if there was mold in your environment, your immune system is less able to fight off and protect you from problems associated with contact with mold. So people are at a disadvantage, even just generally, not just someone who has asthma, but people who are worn out, people who are malnourished or what have you.

Natalie Cook:

I think what really strikes me is that it's there's no system or part of your body that's operating independently. You can't say it's not like you can just point to it and go, oh, there's a problem with that. And if it sounds it's pretty rare, right? That you think, I don't know, don't bring back scurvy. But you know, something where you can say, right, you've got a deficiency in vitamin C, you've got scurvy, you take vitamin C and we'll get rid of the scurvy. It's there's so many interplaying parts between the gut, your hormones.

Jasmine King:

Yeah, yeah, things are uh it's complex. We live in a complex world, complex society. We live complex lives. And what I love about naturopathy is that you don't just look at someone who had scurvy. I wouldn't just be thinking, oh yeah, vitamin C. Like what's going on so then in their life that they are not able to consume enough vitamin C. What's going on in their digestion that when they eat something that contains vitamin C, they're not absorbing it. What's going on there? So yeah, you go down the rabbit hole with it. But yeah, it's wonderful because by actually going in and looking holistically and treating and supporting the person holistically, you're actually able to get to a resolution, find that linchpin that's underpinning everything and be able to help them with that. And then you have these clients that had drastic turnarounds in their health, and it's almost as if they feel good for the first time in their lives, you know, that kind of thing. So it's it's wonderful. Quite liberating. It's worth the effort to go into the complexities of it.

Natalie Cook:

And in terms of the tools in your toolkit to make those changes, so obviously some of them are nutrient, you know, you need vitamin C, you need magnesium. You're herbalist as well as a naturopath, of course. So herbs. Flower essences, perhaps a little bit more at the less understood end of the spectrum. Yeah. Do you you use them in your practice? Certainly. How do they fit into that picture of how you might help someone?

Jasmine King:

They're amazing because they they work more in again with mood and with kind of emotional well-being. So in naturopathy, we treat people holistically. We look at their physical health, we look at their mental health and their even their spiritual health to some degree, I suppose. And so flower essence are able to kind of help a person in terms of that more mental, emotional, kind of spiritual space. So looking at they they help in terms of like the thoughts that you have about your life or how you feel about, you know, your job and your family and things like that. All those kinds of aspects of the way you think can have a physiological response in the body. When we're using fluorines to help a person, it's not just about fixing their emotions, but it has kind of a symbiotic effect in terms of the physiology of the person too. So working with fluorescence helps with that, if that makes sense. It's it's a hard one to explain because it is so holistic. It's a beautiful, gentle medicine spiral. So it's for that kind of working with those gentle kind of emotions that need to be supported and regulated.

Natalie Cook:

And in using herbal medicines, so using herbs, some of them are things that everyone's heard of. I don't know, thyme or saying's the latest craze. Oh, yeah. Ashwagandra is hot right now. Yeah. Um, but there's a lot of kitchen garden sort of stuff as well. Sage and thyme and some of those really old rosemary. Are herbal medicines, how do you view herbal medicines? Are they a sledgehammer or are they gentle like a flower essence, or can they traverse?

Jasmine King:

Kind of think of them like a superfood, usually. So it's more for when there's been problems for the patient and simple kind of diet and lifestyle changes are not going to cut it. Like they've been in a position where a certain function of the body has been so impaired that they need extra support to be able to kind of get back out of it. And then we can kind of, once they're out of that kind of health cul-de-sac, I suppose, we're able to kind of use diet and lifestyle to get them back on track. But in order to get there, we utilize herbs. Because the herbs, um, they have, you know, different minerals and constituents, nutrients and things like that really worked um amazingly with particular systems of the body. And so we, you know, create personalized blends of different herbs to support that individual person and get them back to a place where they can support themselves through their lifestyle, their diet. So yeah, I'd probably say a superfood.

Natalie Cook:

Yeah, I love herbs. I think that they're amazing. And I think that we've evolved as humans alongside these plants since time began. What an amazing real life science experiment of trying things.

Jasmine King:

We've gotten stronger in terms of our understanding of how they work. And yeah, they are, they're amazing to the point where so many herbs have had their constituents utilized in modern medications, you know. So it's it's just the um natural world is amazing.

Natalie Cook:

Like you said, it it's one thing to have, you know, thousands of years of of experience, but then to bring the science in and to be able to explain why something's happening. And then as you said, I think something like aspirin classic comes from the willow, you know, willow bark. Yeah, and there's lots of different ones like that.

Jasmine King:

Yeah, it's amazing.

Natalie Cook:

So if someone's listening and they're like, you know, I've never thought about seeing a naturopath, but this sounds like something that would appeal to me, and they were curious about exploring it, what should they look for in a practitioner and what should they expect in for that first consultation?

Jasmine King:

First of all, I would say look for a qualified practitioner. So the term naturopath isn't a protected term in Australia. Um, someone can call themselves a naturopath and not be trained or um be a member of an association. So we have regulating bodies uh in Australia that are called associations that help keep our clients at large safe and ensure, you know, our working guidelines for practicing naturopaths and herbalists. So that'd be the first thing that I'd say, you know, when you're looking around for a naturopath, make sure they're qualifying, make sure they're part of an association, they're all insured. The beauty of naturopathy is we all bring our own unique personality to being a naturopath. It's a very personal medicine because your naturopath is going to get to know you, not just your symptom picture or your disease process. They want to know you and how you think and how you eat and how you live your life. So expect to have many questions asked and that the practitioner is going to spend a lot of time getting to know you. And a good healing relationship requires a lot of trust. So, you know, ensure that you feel comfortable with the naturopath that you're seeing, that you feel like you can tell them the ins and outs of your life and things that are important to how you're going to heal. Yeah. And also just be prepared for change. Natropaths, we try to do things gently, make little changes here and there and re-educate and support you to be able to live a life where you're feeling happy and fulfilled and you're not having to worry about the little anigly issues that you put up with in daily life. So it's going to be a process, it's always worth it, it's magical when you can, and I've had it many times in my career where I've seen clients for years and years and years, or even sometimes just a short amount of time. But when you're willing to make the changes and integrate that kind of holistic understanding about your health, then it's a real team effort, I feel. When I see clients, I feel almost like a coach supporting the client for anyone out there listening. Yeah, it'll be What's the match? Sounds life-changing. Life-changing. Yeah. So strap yourself in. But in a good way, in a beautiful way. Like, you know, and the amount of times I recommend to clients rest. Just take care of yourself. Put yourself first, you know? The amount of times I have to say that.

Natalie Cook:

You can't, um, what's the saying? You can't put rest in a bottle. There is no pill. There's no pill for rest. And I think that's what I hear a lot from the way you're describing it is that it's not just what the nutritional supplement does, or it's not just what the herb does because every single person is different. And why you might need something and how much of that you might need and how long you might need it for is all going to be completely down to that individual. So there is no quick fix here, take this because it works for everyone.

Jasmine King:

And that's the thing I get asked all the time. People coming out to me and saying, what can I take for this? What can I take for that? It's like that, it's not as simple as that. It goes back to I'm not just giving you vitamin C for your scurvy, I'm understanding how you digest, I'm understanding how you absorb, I'm understanding how your almonds are working, how you use that vitamin C, you know, what is your lifestyle? So yeah, it's not as simple as what's good for this. It's because I need to understand you before I can tell you what's going to help you.

Natalie Cook:

Does that make sense? Makes perfect sense. I think it's a beautiful summary of what naturopathy is. And I loved speaking with you today and understanding that and your perspective from the science to the nature and everything in between. So thank you. Oh, it's always a joy to talk to you. Pleasure. And a disclaimer, uh the information discussed in this podcast is for general information purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content should not be relied on as a substitute for professional health care. And if you have any concerns about your health, please do consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Head Shot

Natalie Cook

Host