GP – Dr Martins Offers Weight Loss Support in Coolalinga NT

November 8, 2015

General Practitioner, Dr Marcellina Martins has recently joined Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre. She has a deep interest in Women’s and Children’s health and is also providing a weight loss service.

What Do General Practitioners Know About Providing a Weight Loss Service?

That’s a reasonable question to ask. Particularly when it wasn’t too long ago that a doctor’s answer to weight loss was to provide a calorie controlled generic diet and a bottle of appetite suppressants. However, times have changed and there are doctors coming to the fore now who are passionate about addressing obesity and are wanting to provide the best support possible. Dr Marcellina Martins is one of those doctors.
So what kind of support can Dr Martins offer?

Personal Support:
Doctor Martins has a deep interest in helping people regain their health through providing personalized weight management support. This will include medical health monitoring.

Motivation:
Dr Martins uses a holistic motivational approach which encourages a healthy self-interest in accomplishing small comfortable weight loss goals.

Clarity:
Many people, who have had ongoing difficulty managing their weight, have come to believe that achieving their desired weight is a complex riddle that they will never solve. They may have had a tendency to jump from one diet to another and ended up weighing more than they did in the initial instance. It’s a pretty common occurrence.

It’s because of past failures and confusion about weight management, that it becomes increasingly difficult to see the forest for the trees. Most people wanting to lose weight benefit greatly from consistent personal guidance and support – particularly when there’s a long history of weight loss failure. Dr Martin’s support will help you to put your old fears into perspective.

Diet Progam:
Dr Martins can provide you with an individualized eating plan with easily prepared meals that the whole family will benefit from – you’ll have access to this both online and offline.

The Cost:
There is no out of pocket cost to you. Right now, Dr Martins is just starting her clinic at Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre and so all visits will be bulk billed.

About Dr Martins:
Dr Marcellina Martins is a family GP Besides her special interest in providing a weight loss support to people in Coolalinga and the surrounding districts of Humpty Doo, Palmerton and Darwin, she has a keen interest in women’s and children’s health. You can read more about her services here….

Dr Martins Talks About Thyroid & Weight Loss , Coolalinga NT

August 7, 2015

Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre –
GP – Dr Marcellina Martins About Your Weight

Could your Thyroid Hormones be keeping you Overweight?

Is it possible that your thyroid hormones are causing you to gain excess weight? According to Dr Michael Elstein, a general practitioner, who writes an anti-aging column in the magazine Well Being, Australia is having a low thyroid epidemic. A low thyroid condition can have the appearance of depression, but by adding up all the symptoms, it can be easy to spot.

What kind of symptoms could you expect to have with low thyroid function?

You can be constipated and notice that your thought processes are slowing down; your circulation also slows down as does your metabolism – which become sluggish. This leads to cold hands and feet – you may find yourself needing to wear socks in bed. You can feel depressed with little or no energy. You will feel so tired you won’t want to do anything especially exercise – which results in weight gain. Unfortunately, if the correct thyroid tests aren’t taken this behaviour can be misdiagnosed and treated with an anti-depressants.

The Common Thyroid Test that doesn’t provide the necessary answers:

What doctors do is measure a brain hormone called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is made in the pituitary, a gland situated just behind the middle of the forehead. As its name suggests, TSH steps in when thyroid hormones falter. TSH levels go up when the thyroid fails us, so, in theory, when doctors want to find out if your thyroid hormones are serving you, they usually just measure TSH – believing that a normal TSH indicates that thyroid hormones are fully operational.

This approach can be flawed:

Unfortunately, this approach is severely flawed because thyroid hormones have a complex relationship with all the cells in our bodies. Brain chemical like TSH try to gauge whether they are doing their job but a lot of time what TSH senses won’t be an accurate assessment of thyroid hormone activity. Using TSH levels as a sole indicator of thyroid function is a very inadequate means of determining if any thyroid hormone treatment is necessary. It is not uncommon to have a royal flush of symptoms suggesting under-active thyroid hormones married with a TSH that is entirely normal.

What you really need is to have all your thyroid hormones measured, including thyroxine (T4)), triiodothyronine (T3) and reverse T3. T3 is the major player in thyroid hormone function while T4 is the source from which T3 is manufactured. T3 is the accelerator that energizes us and stimulates fat burning. Reverse T3 is the brake pedal that significantly slows your metabolism, aborting T3’s drive. When you are stressed or reduce your food intake, reverse T3 is activated.

The Nutrients You Need For Optimum Thyroid Function

To make T4 you need iodine, a nutrient found in oysters, seaweed, salmon and bread made with iodised salt. Iodine then has to go through a series of chemical processes facilitated by B vitamins, calcium, zinc, magnesium and iron, to name some of the key nutrients that help to give birth to T4. Soy, gluten and bisphenol A, found in plastic containers, and tinned foods, together with excessive consumption of kale and broccoli, can compromise this operation.

If you think you think that your thyroid hormones are keeping you tired and overweight you need to find a general practitioner , such as Dr Martins, at our family medical centre in Coolalinga, who will be able to determine if this is the case. Dr Martins provides a doctors weight loss service at the Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre in Coolalinga.

Coolalinga Doctors Surgery

Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre – Our Doctors Surgery in Coolalinga

The Doctors Surgery of the Past

Medical Centre Coolalinga

When I was growing up in Australia, the Doctors Surgery was the name we gave to the doctors premises as well as the medical procedures he carried out. The doctors surgery then was usually run and owned by the general practitioner. His rooms commonly consisted of a waiting room, and a nurse who also did reception; and of course there was the doctors consulting room.

And back then our family doctor did everything – he burned off warts, stitched up excisions, and in my case, pierced my ears when I was fifteen, because I asked him to. The fact that he put the hole in a different position in each ear didn’t matter to me and still doesn’t. He made it possible for me to wear stud earrings, just like my friends, and I was elated. I can never forget his kindness because I’m reminded every time I check out my lopsided earrings in the mirror.

Our Coolalinga Doctors Surgery

Our Coolalinga Doctors Surgery provides the same personalized attention as did our doctors surgeries in the past. Our family GP’s are the first point of contact when patients become ill or have an injury. Our doctors will diagnose the problem and either treat the patient or refer them on to a specialist. Our Doctors Surgery in Coolalinga is less about surgical procedures and more about ensuring that the patient receives the necessary medical expertise. Dr Hague and Dr Martins have both worked in Darwin and the surrounding areas for many years – together they own and run our traditionally based Doctors Surgery in Coolalinga NT.

NATURAL MEDICINE / Dorte Petersen in Coolalinga

July 23, 2015

Naturopathic medicine is natural medicine. Naturopaths use natural medicine to help those suffering from health effects usually caused by a poor diet and unbalanced lifestyle.

It’s not uncommon for people to achieve self healing through the power of naturopathic medicine as natural medicine improves the person’s overall health by addressing the body, mind and spirit. Our resident naturopath, Dorte Petersen uses a variety of natural medicines such as vitamin and minerals, herbs and homeopathy to name just a few.

What Conditions And Diseases Can Natural Medicine Help?

Most conditions can be helped through the use of natural medicine. Dorte says that she has mainly treated clients with conditions like asthma, acne, chronic fatigue, migraines, IBS, bowel diseases, infertility, and menopausal symptoms, and probably more but those listed are the more common ones.

Natural Medicine Can Be Very Potent:

Dorte says there have been incidents over the years where certain natural medicines have been reported to cause drastic health reactions; and she warns that just because a herbal supplement is natural doesn’t mean that it isn’t potent. A potent herbal medicine could possibly cause a toxic reaction in the wrong body type. Herbal remedies are concentrated and can work just as powerfully as a prescribed drug. The benefit of getting naturopathic advice is that you will not only receive the correct natural medicine for your condition but you will also get the correct strength – as well as instructions on how often to take it.

However, Dorte says life threatening reactions to herbs are extremely rare. On the whole, most people benefit from using natural medicines like herbs because the body can break down a natural product as if it were a food. However, refined synthetic medicines are often absorbed too quickly into the blood stream and often have the side effect of unbalancing the body system. In herbal medicine the main parts of the plants are used such as flowers, leaves, seeds, and roots. Many people would have tried some of the more common herbs such as lavender, linseed, red clovers, and ginseng. These are common relaxants and tonics that naturopaths use to strengthen the body – but the natural medicines used depend on the specific biological requirements of the person seeking help.

How Can A Person Know What Natural Medicine will Suit them Best?
Working with a naturopath means learning about your health and experiencing how certain prescribed naturopathic medicines work on your symptoms. Research has shown what every naturopath knows well; that different people respond to different nutritional support.

Because everyone has their own unique set of symptoms , a naturopath provides an individualized program which takes into account not only the clients presenting physical issues, but their mental and emotional reaction to their health issue is important as is certain personality traits. Interestingly, natural medicines can address all these aspects of a person.

Should I use Natural Medicine instead of What my Doctor Prescribes?

Dorte advises an absolute ‘no’. Some natural medicines will interfere with prescribed medication and it is the job of a naturopath to advise you accordingly. You must always listen to your doctor’s advice when experiencing health issues that require medical intervention. However, many naturopathic medicines can help protect your body from the harmful side effects of prescribed drugs. Again, it is important that your doctor is aware of what you’re taking and can monitor your health accordingly.
If you want to request an appointment with Dorte, you can contact her on her mobile 0410 10 33 88.

How GP’s Can Provide A Better Service In Darwin

July 22, 2015

Coolalinga Doctors & Health Centre
eHealth Registration in Darwin

Here is All You Need To Know About eHealth

This article is being written because while many people have heard of eHealth, and can acknowledge its advantages, many still haven’t registered their details out of fear of what it may entail. The process is so simple that if you read this article to its end, you will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

Health Care Services in Darwin

The Northern Territory is not a state. It is considered by many to be the last frontier in Australia. Darwin, the capital city, could be described as a large country town where cowboys still ride their horses and wrestle cattle; and crocodiles can be found at the bottom of swimming pools. Between our hot and humid weather and a cost of living that can exceed Sydney many wilt at the prospect of staying too long in Darwin and soon return to the comfort of the states in Australia. However, for many of us, Darwin is in our blood, and we couldn’t leave even if logic was to tell us to do so. Where ever I travel in Australia I always feel the place I’m visiting has something missing – and that missing something is the unique intangible energy of Darwin.

However, because of its downside many do come and within a relatively short period of time – they go. This is particularly the case with GPs and other Health Care Professionals. Medical specialists who arrive in Darwin to provide Health Care Services – often leave after a a stint in Darwin and return to the more civilized environments found in the Australian states. It’s common to hear the disappointed question “Why do all the best doctors have to leave?’

I remember seeing a brilliant lady doctor but months later when I tried to make another appointment with her, I was told she had left the clinic. Determined I wasn’t going to give up on a good doctor so easily, I decided to find out if she was still in Darwin. I was surprised to discover she had joined and left 3 different medical centres – but I was overjoyed when I finally traced her to where she was practicing and victoriously made an appointment! What a shock it got when she told me that she was leaving for Queensland within the month and it would be better for me to see someone more permanent!

Now that I work in administration for Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre I know that all the best doctors have not left town. There are good doctors that stay here for the long term. It’s just that they become one of the best kept secrets in Darwin because all their patients stick with them for years – and so they never have any reason to advertise their medical services.

This is the case with Dr. Hauge of Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre, who has been serving the local community for thirty years – and as a GP with his own practice since 1991. He has recently been joined by a lady doctor, Dr Marcellina Martins, who has been with the same medium sized medical centre for the last 7 years and is now wanting to be part of a traditional family practice. These doctors have made Darwin their home.

However, these doctors are a minority; and since Darwin is a very transient place, most of us have come to accept that we will see a range of different doctors for our health issues. The concern is that not all the doctors we see belong to the same medical centre. So our medical history can end up being pretty patchy – which isn’t ideal when our medical history is what provides a doctor with the road map for better diagnosing a complaint.

But this doesn’t have to be such a concern. There is a very simple way to make sure every doctor we see has access to all of our medical records. The way to do this is to register your medical history with the government system called eHealth.

What is eHealth

eHealth is a health care service that keeps a record of all your important and not so important health issues. It mentions any unusual health conditions, severity of any diseases, medical reports, medication, scan results and discharge summaries. Everything that is needed to help a new practitioner get a clear idea about your health history – so that he or she can deliver quick and effective results.

How Do I Register?

Registering an eHealth record in Darwin (or anywhere else in Australia for that matter) is a simple process. . Anyone over 18 years can do it. You can organize it on-line, call the free number: 1800 723 471, or just turn up at a Medicare office and fill out a form.

What Documents Do I Need To Register My Record?

You just need to provide proof of your identity and age – your driving licence or birth certificate will do. If you are applying for your children then you will have to provide the following three documents:

Details of your identity.
An authorization letter on behalf of the children.
The child’s birth certificate or any other proof that validates your child’s age.
The number issued to your child on your Medicare card.

If your applying by phone or on-line you need to send photocopies signed by a Justice of The Peace. It’s not hard an by following these simple steps, anyone in Darwin (in fact Australia wide) can register with eHealth.

Since eHealth was introduced in Australia in July 2012, it has gathered much attention because of the increase in the number of complicated and chronic health issues. Combine this with our unfortunate turn over of general practitioners in Darwin – and registering with eHealth in the N.T. becomes a very simple and personally responsible action to take.

Make sure that every GP has access to your medical records by registering with eHealth soon.

Dr Martins Supports Exercise In COOLALINGA NT

July 21, 2015

Dr Martins Supports Exercise

Everyone is aware of the benefits of exercise. It bulks up our muscles over which our skin drapes. Muscle increases our metabolism and helps to burn fat. And of course the health benefits of exercise is that it delays aging and promotes longevity.

Best of all, it makes us ‘feel’ good. If we feel good then we are less likely to indulge in emotional eating. Dr Marcellina Martins, who provides weight loss support at her clinic, Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre says she couldn’t be happier to see a gym coming to Coolalinga . Exercise and weight loss go hand in hand.

Erika Hewitt, Manager of Snap Fitness Coolalinga says she is just as excited to have recently become part of the Coolalinga community as we are to welcome her. She says:

Erika tells us that Snap Fitness Coolalinga is fully equipped to handle everyone’s needs no matter what age and level of fitness. She says:”We are proud to work along side local business’s such as the Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre – and to be able to offer a suitable environment for our local clients to reach their health, fitness and rehabilitation goals.” You can contact Erika on 0409 933 286 or you can email her at [email protected].

What If I Can’t Get To A Gym?
In Darwin, going to a gym is a great way to get fit and reduce weight; especially since the heat counteracts the desire to exercise – and one of the best tips for weight loss is to include some form of exercise that lasts around 30 minutes at least every second day, if not every day. Any regular exercise is beneficial. The latest research has produced facts that sitting down all day is disastrous for our health – and that just getting up and walking around the room for a few minutes every hour, can counteract that damage. So whole body movement at regular periods through out the day is crucial to good health.

So what do we do when we have an office job that demands we sit down all day? As mentioned above, in order to keep your body functioning optimally get up every hour and walk to somewhere – even if its around the office desk – and perhaps include a few stretches. In America, some office workers are choosing to do their work standing up – and they’re reporting they feel more refreshed at the end of the day! Personally, I’d rather get up and walk around every hour but everyone to their own.

Walking is still considered the very best exercise anyone can do; our very own Dr Hauge, principal doctor of the Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre, would attest to this as he walks several miles each week and hasn’t had a sick day for as long as I’ve known him. But if walking outside in Darwin makes you feel like a hot puddle of sweat or worse – the neighborhood dogs leave you in fear of your life – then there other solutions.

Exercise doesn’t have to be hard, in fact the more you enjoy it the more you’ll want to do it. Dancing, mini-tramping (called re-bounding), treadmilling, etc can all be done at home in front of TV. It doesn’t have to be formal exercise to be beneficial either; gardening, playing sport and even house work can count as exercise – the important thing is that for better health and weight management you find a form of exercise you enjoy and do it on a regular basis.

Find out more about your local coolalinga GP – and her weight loss support here.

Medical Centre in Coolalinga

July 20, 2015

Our Medical Centre in Coolalinga Is Unique!

We Have Two Family GP’s – A Male and A Female Doctor –
So You Can See The Same Doctor Every Time

One of the main differences between the larger medical centres and our traditionally run medical centre in Coolalinga is the doctors themselves. The larger medical centres in Darwin are more impersonal which could be why they are reported to have a large turn around in patients – however, this can be due to the large turn around in the doctors themselves.

The doctors in family GP practices are known to stay at the same location for longer periods of time (sometimes all their lives) and this sense of permanency helps them to develop a relationship of trust with their patients. This is so in Dr Erik Hauge’s case, who established his family medical centre in coolalinga in 1991; and which continues to provide a personalized service to all his patients.

It Benefits Patients To Have Doctors Who Are Around For The Long Term:

Having the opportunity to offer a long term presence in the same clinic, obviously helps our doctors to better recognize emerging medical conditions and provide timely medical advice. Also being fully conversant with their patients medical history is important when an illness needs to be monitored. No matter what the medical condition, it is very reassuring for the patient to know that their doctor knows them well enough to accurately diagnose their condition.

Both our 2 GP’s prefer their work to be based on the traditional Family Practice model and are around for the long term.

Dr Erik Hauge:

Dr. Hauge is the founder and principal doctor of Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre, and has practiced family medicine for over 30 years. His doctors surgery has treated patients coming from Darwin, Coolalinga and the surrounding localities of Palmerston, Howard Springs and Humpty Doo. (You can read more about Erik here)

Dr. Hauge is devoted to his patients; and many who became his patients thirty years ago still attend his family medical centre in Coolalinga. Patient attendance hasn’t been hindered by the fact that many have moved out of the locality and now live in areas that require up to an hour’s drive to attend his family practice.

Needless to say, with Erik’s extensive local medical experience he is able to diagnose patients’ symptoms efficiently and the appropriate medical advice is always forthcoming. If he can’t help you, he will know of a specialist that can, and you will be referred to the appropriate specialist without any hesitation. Dr. Hauge holds to the values of the traditional family doctor, so you will never be limited to talking about one complaint as happens in the larger medical centres.

Dr Marcellina Martins:

Like Dr. Hauge, Dr. Martins also takes a traditional approach to patient care, and believes patients need to fully disclose their health concerns in order for her to give the most appropriate medical advice. Dr Martins does not want her patients to feel that one appointment is equal to one medical complaint. Unfortunately, this practice is becoming more common in the larger medical centres in Darwin.

Dr Marcellina Martins, being a mother herself, with two adult children attending university, and a teenager still at high school, has a deep understanding of the physical and emotional needs of women and children in Darwin today. For this reason she has a keen interest in women and children’s health.

Another of Dr Martins special interests is in the area of obesity. She provides a comprehensive weight loss service to those who are struggling with their weight and are in need of personal support. She is offering this service at the Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre on Tuesday afternoons (by appointment only).

In the past GPs handed out diet pills to their patients, along with a calorie controlled diet plan and a stern warning on shortened life expectancy. However, today with obesity on the rise and the associated health risks, there is a strong demand for doctors to become more proactive and offer more realistic guidance. Dr Martins and other like minded doctors are making it their business to understand the many variables involved in weight issues so that they can play a more life- changing roll by offering meaningful personal support every step of the way. To do it all alone is to invite failure. You can read more about Dr Martins program on this website under Weight Loss Services or select here.

We Also Provide The Services Of Our Resident Naturopath
Dorte Petersen:

You won’t very often find a qualified alternative practitioner, such as a naturopath, in a medical centre. However, because our clinic offers a unique and personalized service, we want to cater to those who prefer the natural route. Dorte Petersen, gained her naturopathic degree in Germany before coming to Australia and settling in the Northern Territory. She has been working from the Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre for over ten years. Dorte is available by appointment on 0410 10 33 88. To read more about Dorte’s services, please go here.

Our Receptionists – Sylvia and Jenny:

Our receptionists, Sylvia and Jenny, keep the medical centre functioning at its optimum. These two caring ladies bring with them a wealth of experience from their previous years of full time employment in areas of administration and welfare. They enjoy doing their best to make your every contact with the Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre, a pleasant and satisfying experience.

Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre is a unique medical centre that provides traditional family care. Visit our doctors surgery in Coolalinga today.

Coolalinga Doctors and Health Centre – GP – Dr Marcellina Martins About Your Weight