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Lose weight to help your diabetes

Eat Diabetes Away with Weight Loss

Do you know someone with diabetes, or have a loved one with the condition?

If so, you may want to do everything possible to prevent this happening to you. With diabetes, there are many factors to consider, but the focus of this article is around how obesity can cause diabetes and how losing the weight can help you regain not just a stable blood sugar level, but melt away those pounds you’ve been wanting to shed for a while.

Almost 90% of people living with the type 2 diabetes are either overweight or obese. When you carry extra weight it puts additional pressure on the body’s ability to use insulin. The most important factor is that fat causes resistance to insulin, which is the hormone that regulates the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

What is the First Thing to Consider?

The first thing to consider is a high-sugar diet that includes refined carbohydrates, such as biscuits, cakes and sweets. Even though glucose, or sugar, is the primary source of energy for our bodies, too much sugar puts your pancreas under undue stress. This is because when glucose starts to rise in our blood, the pancreas released the hormone insulin to lower and control the rise of glucose. The higher the glucose level, the higher the insulin.

The same foods that normally cause you to put on the pounds, like cakes and biscuits, are a double-whammy as in addition to the refined sugar, the carbohydrates in them also turn into glucose in the body. When you eat a cake, there is a substantial release of insulin.

The Opposite of High-Sugar Diet: Low Glycaemic foods

Low Glycaemic foods are those foods with carbohydrates that are broken down into glucose in support of our energy at a slower rate, to sustain energy throughout the day. These foods include the following:

  • Oatmeal, oat bran, muesli
  • Sweet potato, corn, lentils, and legumes
  • Most fruits, non-starchy vegetables and carrots
  • Sourdough rye, wholemeal rye, pumpernickel bread

Protein

Combining foods such as proteins with low glycemic carbohydrates really helps stabilise blood sugar and reduces the need for insulin, and burning fat. The great thing about protein is that it releases small and equal amounts of insulin, which is the ideal situation.

Food Rich in B-Vitamins

Many people who are suffering from diabetes have high cholesterol. Food that is high in Vitamin B3 is very effective for lowering bad cholesterol and increasing your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which is your good cholesterol. These foods include:

  • Green peas
  • Chicken breast
  • Turkey
  • Tuna
  • Avocado
  • Sunflower Seeds

If taking a supplement, it is better to take a B3 vitamin as part of a B vitamin family, such as a B complex. Always check with your GP before taking any kind of supplements.

Breakfast: The most important meal of the day

While eating breakfast is important, what you eat for breakfast is equally important. Why? It not only affects your blood sugar levels but can contribute to weight gain depending on what you eat.

Make sure you include a little protein in your breakfast as this keeps you feeling full longer. Choose a healthier option like:

  • Scrambled eggs on rye bread.
  • Some humus with mixed nuts and seeds with some crudités.
  • Apple and cinnamon compote.
  • Oat pancakes with berries and yogurt.

The Importance of Water

Besides keeping you hydrated, water works wonders for weight loss because it gives you that feeling of fullness and is great for stabilising your blood sugar. The other thing is if you have fibre and drink water, the fibre will absorb the water and acts as a bulking agent.

For example, when you’ve chewed all your food and you drink some water, this acts as an appetite control, same as when you soak your oats in milk before you eat them…it gives you that sense of fullness.  Make sure that you drink a good 8 glasses of water throughout the day, as sometimes thirst can get confused for hunger.

How do you Cook Your Food?

It is always better to eat foods as close to raw as possible. How we cook our food is also important on how we digest, as this is a factor in losing weight.

Steaming. This is the best way to cook as food maintains its vitamins and minerals using this method. You can steam things like vegetables and fish.

Boiling. Similar to steaming, especially if you use very little water when boiling.  When boiling vegetables, keep the lid on but remember to eat them al dente (firm to the bite).

Poaching. When you poach fish and vegetables, keep the water and use it to make a delicious sauce to go with your meal. Add things like spices–such as lemongrass, garlic, ginger—to the water as all the nutrients will be in the water.

No Good Sleep Means More Weight Gain

If you don’t sleep you are less likely to fat burn efficiently. Therefore, getting into a good sleep cycle is beneficial if you want to lose weight. Try going to bed an hour early instead of staying up and going to bed late every night watching television, working on your computer, or reading you iPad as this stimulates your brain and disrupts your sleep cycle.

Conclusion

Avoiding refined foods with high sugar content, and including protein and fibre with complex carbohydrates so that you release glucose slowly to help with energy, will help you lose weight while managing your blood sugar levels. And make sure that you drink at least 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day to help with cravings and keep you feeling full. Get a good sleep routine going, your body and mind will thank you for it, as well as burning fat while you sleep.

If you like this post please share on Facebook and LinkedIn or on any social media.  Please also leave your comments as I always love to read them.

Improving your digestion can help you lose weight

Do you suffer from a lack of good digestion?

Is eating on the go giving you a bad stomach? Good digestion, or the lack of it, appears to be the new health issue of the century. It really isn’t a surprise considering our modern fast-paced lifestyle and the way our diet and nutrition has adjusted over the years to fit around the way we live our lives.

Avoid Foods that Impair your Digestion

While fast foods are convenient, eating it constantly can overburden your digestive system, and avoiding processed or fast foods can be difficult. These foods play havoc with the body’s neurotransmitters like dopamine, the “feel good” hormone, which can be addictive. Processed foods are also harder to digest as is more difficult for the digestive system to break down the food correctly, consequently putting stress on your immune system by:

  • Causing fermentation in the gut. This will have a knock-on effect on things like yeast growth, known as Candida. Once this gets out of control, your immune system will weaken and you’ll start to feel the unhealthy benefits of having an impaired digestive system along with a multitude of other things like lack of concentration, or “brain fog”.
  • Contributing to inflammation. Processed foods are high in sugar and fat, which can exacerbate inflammation, causing damage to the lining of the gut. When this occurs, you start to develop intolerances to food. It also increases acidity in the body.

Yeast, the Hidden Culprit

Yeast is something we all have in our digestive tract, and in small amounts contributes to healthy digestion. When yeast growth gets out of control, this condition is known as Candida, which can be caused by:

  • Overuse of antibiotics. This kills the good bacteria as well as the bad. The good bacteria usually keep yeast growth in check.
  • Drinking too much alcohol. Alcohol contributes to fermentation in the gut, which leads to an increase in yeast.
  • A compromised immune system. It can also happen when someone immune system is compromised, as in the case of those suffering from critical illness such as AIDS or cancer.

If you are on a course of antibiotics, taking a probiotic supplement may help to support your good gut bacteria. Just make sure you leave at least 3 hours between taking the antibiotic and the probiotic, otherwise the antibiotic will kill the probiotic before it can help.

Other contributory factors for a weak digestive system?

There are other culprits at hand that can sabotage your digestive system, such as leaky gut. This is when the lining of your gut develops holes by conditions like Candida or a food intolerance, allowing undigested food molecules to penetrate the intestinal wall and directly into the blood stream. Imagine a hose pipe that has a puncture, causing water to leak out.

Parasites are also one of the usual suspects when it comes to weak digestion. People who eat a lot of sushi can develop problems with parasites if not careful.

Food is your Best Medicine to Strengthen Digestion and your Immune System

To improve your digestion and your immune system with it, make sure you are eating a variety of fresh ingredients like:

  • Probiotic-friendly foods. As discussed previously, good bacteria have many benefits. For one they help us fight infections and disease, increase and support your immunity, and keep yeast growth in the digestive system in check. It also does wonders for bowel health. Foods rich in probiotics include kefir, sauerkraut linseeds
  • Essential fatty acids. Eat foods rich in essential fatty acids, like your oily fishes such as salmon, tuna, and trout to support anti-inflammation and gut health.
  • Colour is also important. Dark vegetables and fruit tend to be high in antioxidants which strengthen the immune system against inflammation.
  • Alkaline v acidic foods
  • Soluble fibre. Helps fuel your bowel, if your bowels are not working properly, then you will not be eliminating toxins in your body correctly including things like cholesterol. You should aim for eating about 30 grams of fibre a day. Adding things like oatmeal to your diet reduces the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Other good sources of soluble fibre are beans and pulses, apples, and root vegetables.

 

Supportive Supplements to Help with Digestion

Caprylic Acid is an antifungal supplement and is used as a colon cleanse. It will also support any overgrowth of yeast. Taking this for a few months with every meal should help deal with reducing Candida.

 

You Hold the Key to Improving your Digestion

We tend to be our own worst enemies in terms of keeping ourselves healthy, by the way we eat, what we eat and how we generally live our lives.  So just take a few steps back to review how much processed foods you are eating vs fresh ingredients.  Treat your body with respect, give it what it needs, and you will shine!

If you like the article, please share it on LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media avenues. If you try any of these suggestions, please do leave me your comments, would love to hear how you get on.

How to Lose Weight for Summer

 

Spring is already here and as we move into summer, I’m sure you ladies will be digging out your swimwear and your bikinis and looking forward to booking a summer holiday.

The good news that we still have several months to prepare our beach bodies but no doubt the weeks will fly by so there’s no time like the present to start thinking about how to shed a few pounds.

With that in mind this blog will outline some top tips about what to focus on if you really want to lose some weight in time for summer.

The problem with fad diets

Before we come to those tips it’s worth noting that trying to lose weight for so many people means trying out the latest fad diet. My question for you if you have tried out those fad diets is have you ever managed to keep the weight off? Or does your weight fluctuate, like the yo-yo effect?

The problem with fad diets is that they are too difficult to stick to and they only focus on food. They overlook the fact that weight loss is not simply about what you eat, it’s also about how you eat, what your lifestyle is like and what genes you’ve inherited from your parents. All these factors should be taken into account as you work towards reaching a weight goal that’s sustainable.

So here are my top tips for losing weight and staying healthy this summer

1 – It’s about more than just food

Losing weight is not about just focusing on the food you eat, it’s about much more than that.

2 – Set yourself a target weight and date

Setting a target weight and date to strive towards can help you retain the kind of focus that can make all the difference. Although, if you don’t reach your desired weight goal then you mustn’t despair, simply focus on how much weight you have lost and try to maintain that positive mindset.

Always give yourself a minimum of three months because your metabolism will need time to adjust to its new regime. Starting out with a cleanse can be beneficial as it will help your body rid itself of parasites, candida and old waste.

3 – Be sure to get enough sleep

If you don’t get enough sleep, your body will not fat burn efficiently. This also means that your cortisol levels will increase due to stress and have a knock-on effect on your appetite. Stress has a negative effect on weight, the first place we store fat is around our midriff, in particular during the menopause, due to the drop in estrogen levels.

Getting into good lifestyle habits will help you and your body relax and will change your mindset to calm the adrenals. Remove anything that causes you a lack of sleep, for example, watching TV just before you go to bed, or using a computer late at night. Instead you could read a book, do something relaxing, like deep breathing exercises or turn on some of your favourite ‘chill out’ music. Remember that a relaxed mind means a relaxed body which equals more efficient fat burning.

3 – Beware of intolerances

Food intolerances can also play a major part in weight gain, in particular if your body reacts negatively to certain foods. This negative reaction provokes an inflammatory response to the negative food which can then make it more difficult for you to lose weight.

4 – Stay active

If you’re aiming to lose weight then you should try to include some exercise in your daily routine. If going to the gym is not your thing then you can always walk to your local shop instead of driving, take the dog out for a walk, climb up and down the stairs more times than usual or find some other way to add some exercise into your routine.

5 – Be careful with carbs

Try to exclude eating carbohydrates in your evening meal. Instead, eat a good source of protein and a mix of vegetables.  Eating nutrient dense food will help eliminate any food cravings and give you the sense of feeling full and satisfied.

The problem with carbohydrates is that they turn into sugar during digestion and can disturb your sleep patterns. Normally people wake up during the early hours of the morning because their blood sugar takes a dip, causing insulin to move the sugar out of the blood and into the cells, which gives you a sleepy sensation. This is all great but when that dip takes place blood sugar triggers a stress response in the body, increasing both cortisol and adrenaline, waking you up and potentially keeping you from getting the sleep you need.

6 – Eat with the sun

A good rule of thumb is to always eat like the sun – so as the sun winds down so should you.

You should also give yourself at least a five hour break between meals because this will support correct metabolism and give your digestion process a break before it deals with the next intake of food.

7 – No food after 9pm

You should always aim to complete your final meal of the day by 9pm. The reason for this is that your liver is an organ of filtration and it works very hard to make sure that nutrients are absorbed and fat is digested but eating late at night overworks the liver and makes it sluggish and makes the fat burning process inefficient.

8 – Drink plenty of water

Always make sure that you drink enough water if you’re trying to lose weight. Insufficient water in the body makes it harder to get rid of morbid matter and toxins. You should aim to drink at least between 1.5 and 2 litres of water per day.

I hope these tips help you achieve your weight loss goals this summer!

Remember that steady weight loss is far better than losing weight too fast because sudden changes to your diet put your body into starvation mode which make it cling on to fat, which then makes it super difficult to keep the weight off.

Thanks for reading everyone – until next time – be positive, be sensible and treat your body with respect!

And if you found this post helpful please share the inspiration on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook

A testimonial from a Metabolic Balance Client

Started the Metabolic Balance program after trying lots of other diets based ‘on trend’ which haven’t given me the expected results and also put me into starvation. I almost gave up trying to lose weight until I came across MB. This diet was so far the best decision I ever made in regards to weight loss. Start weight was at 95kg ( 14.96 stone), and after 2 and half months I am down to 83 kg (13.07 stone) and still dropping. Seeing my clothes baggy and fitting in smaller sizes is one of the most satisfying feelings a women can have. Noticeable change occurred in my sleep, skin , mood and energy level.

Wouldn’t achieve all this without the help of Christina , who was there whenever I needed her advice and support she was excellent.

To everybody out there who struggles losing weight , Metabolic Balance is the answer.

I highly recommend this program! It is life changing!’

 

Thanks

Andreea

Testimonial from a client on Metabolic Balance who loses 28lbs

Like to share what a client said this morning::

Thank you ever so much for all your help and support and for the brilliant diet of Metabolic Balance . I am really happy with the results .

Regards,
Andreea

Client loses 28lbs in seven weeks, sleep has improved, energy and skin is much clearer and healthier.

Alzheimer’s the preventative approach

 

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and there are 850.000 with this disease in the UK.  The numbers are set to rise to over 1 million by 2025 and by 2051 it will rise to 2 million (facts taken from the Alzheimer’s society)

Our brain is the command centre of everything and keeping this healthy is imperative.  There are things we can do to keep the brain healthy and correctly nourished.

Preventative Foods for Alzheimer's

What can we use as a preventative, or to help support and heal.   DHA, is a component of the omega 3 fatty acids which can slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s and by eating or including things like eggs, wild salmon which is a good oily fish, tuna steaks, soaked walnuts and sea vegetables are also a good source of whole food which contain good sources of minerals.

Including raw butter, why? Because when you think about it, breast milk is around 50% of raw fat.  This type of produce in raw form, is far better that anything homogenised.  There are some sites that show you how to make raw butter, check out YouTube.

Exercise

Consider keeping a healthy weight and do some natural exercise, like walking to a corner shop instead of driving, taking up a hobby that you may enjoy doing, like salsa dancing, swimming, things that give you pleasure, just as long as you don’t lead a sedentary lifestyle day in and day out.

Toxic Metals

Aluminium has also been lined with Alzheimer’s. Doctors have found concentration of aluminium in the brains of people who have died of this disease, and minimising things like aluminium cookware, foil, toothpaste’s, buffered aspirin, antacids and antiperspirants, these all contain aluminium.  Try to minimise the use of these products.  For example, instead of using foil use grease proof paper, use stainless steel instead of aluminium etc.

Mercury is another metal we have exposure to, for example amalgam fillings, these leek over time and may be a factor of neurological damage.  If you eat fish, make sure it is not contaminated.

Other Helpful Natural Tips

Detoxifying the body helps to rid it of mercury, for example, taking a good antioxidant, taking a good omega 3. Dark fruit and vegetables are also good when detoxing.  Eating good nutrient dense food is also helpful, like avocado, asparagus, watermelon, lentils, hemp, flax seeds and chia seeds.

Having a colonic is good now and again, but not on a regular basis, I’m a firm believer of detoxing, and giving the body what it needs, to support the immune system, are all good practices.  Having a colonic once or twice a year should be enough.

I always recommend my clients eat fermented foods when appropriate. It also supports the body’s natural defences and gut health.

Sugar is something most people battle to give up, because it makes food taste more appealing.  Alzheimer’s has been dubbed “type 3 diabetes” because Insulin resistance compromises the brain, .  Sugar and glucose sent to the brain can damage healthy brain tissue. Eating excess sugar also cuts the amount of oxygen the blood carries around the body, hence, less oxygen to the brain.

Most of us enjoy a little bit of sugar but others are addicted to it, you can take native elements chromium, it’s a good food state supplement, to help and support blood sugar and curve those cravings.

 Adding cinnamon, or a little apple sauce in your tea/coffee or breakfast, may help you gradually cut down on your sugar intake.

Please do share my blog with someone who may find it helpful!

Healing power of broccoli

Broccoli is a member of the calciferous family this vegetable has anticancer effects, particularly in breast cancer.

There are compounds in broccoli that increases the excretion of the form of estrogen (2-hydoxyestrone) lined to breast cancer. It is also very high in calcium.

If the broccoli is not organic, let it soak in some cold water and vinegar, this helps clear up any pesticides etc.

Broccoli can be eaten raw or cooked as a side dish to accompany your main meal or you can add it to salads too.

Steaming or roasted is the best way to cook broccoli if you like it cooked.  My personal favorite is to saute it with some olive oil and pine nuts and a little garlic.  It’s great in soups too!

Healing benefits of peppers

 

Studies have shown that bell peppers contain healing benefits against the effect of cataracts, possibly due to their vitamin C and its beta carotene. The healing benefits of peppers also contain capsaicin, flavonoids and vitamin C all showing the prevention of blood clotting formation, heart attacks and strokes and a great vegetable for those who also have high cholesterol levels.

They are a great addition in casseroles, stuffed peppers, or even in salads raw or cooked! So enjoy the benefits of this vegetable.

Other considerations for those who may not be able to eat peppers: Some individual suffering from arthritis would benefit from limiting foods from the nightshade family

Tried making your own kefir and the benefits this great nutritional product has to offer?

Alternative to dairy

In a previous blog, I explained the health benefits of kefir, this wonderful fermented beverage, gets its sour taste from the lactic acid it contains.  Although some people may make kefir from dairy, you can also use an alternative product, such as raw coconut water or fresh coconut milk.  The benefits of making it yourself would be money saving. Because kefir is fermented, the beneficial bacteria and yeast have depleted much of the lactose (sugar contained in milk). Kefir may also help those suffering from lactose intolerance, keep in mind that when you ferment foods, it changes the chemical make-up of that food, and kefir is relatively low in lactose.

Restoring the lining of your gut

Other benefits of this fermentation process are that it is rich in enzymes, making it much easier to digest.  If you are intolerant to casein products, homemade kefir may be a great alternative to dairy.  If the gut has been compromised over time, addressing this may be the way to start. I offer an initial telephone consultation, should you wish to discuss this further

What are the health benefits of kefir? It is a fermented milk product, using cow, goats or sheep’s milk including coconut. Some people say it tastes just like yoghurt, it also contains high levels of B12, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, biotin, folate and enzymes.  Kefir is rich in probiotic foods. There are many health benefits to be had by including kefir into your diet, for example, it helps the body’s immune system, it heals inflammatory bowel disease and because of its calcium properties, it helps support and build bone density, and kills candida and helps support the detoxification process.

Being rich in lactic acid bacteria, kefir can bind aflatoxins (class of toxic compounds produced by certain moulds found in food, which can cause liver damage and cancer).

Causes of imbalance in gut bacteria

Antibiotics kill the good bacteria as well as the bad causing an imbalance of bacteria in your digestive system.  Next time you get sick, why not try including or adding some kefir into your diet.

You can choose what type of kefir to make! Including kefir water, which you can make from water and can be used as an alternative to drinking fruit juices and sodas! You can add your kefir into smoothies if you wish.

I would love to hear how you get on making your own kefir!! Please feel free to share my blog with others.

Natures products for beautiful skin

The skins job

Skin is one of our organs of elimination, which is why when you detox toxins come out via the skin causing pimples or spots. The blog will give you some insight on using natural products.

I guess that’s where the expression “inner beauty comes into”. Let’s give you some tips to use, so you can have that beautiful glowing skin!

Foods that burden the skin

First tip,  minimises junk food and any foods that are greasy, you overburden your system and rubbish will pour out of the skin. I have a fantastic probiotic that would help support that inner beauty, the E500 probiotic it will support the small intestine as well as the large.

The role stress plays on the skin

Currently, we all seem to be working hard with very little relaxation, and stress affects the health of your skin.  Try supporting stress through some breathing exercises and our food state B complex is fantastic and will support stress.   I have had great feedback from clients on the food state B complex, who have suffered from stressful situation and lifestyles. Eating fast will also put a strain/stress on your digestive system, so please bare this in mind if you want that beautiful skin.

Getting enough sleep

Getting enough sleep? If you don’t rest your body/mind enough, those tired signs will start showing on the skin, by means of dark circles under the eyes, spots and not to say, I will also affect your moods, memory and weaken your immune system, and age your skin, due to the depletion of nutrients.  Ideally, we should be getting 7 blissful hours of sleep per night.

The role sugar plays on the skin

Sugar taste great but no friend to your skin. Having excess sugar, or foods that are high in sugar can make your skin brittle.  This includes wrinkles, cellulite which is the breakdown of connective tissue that lies beneath the skin. We see evidence of what sugar can do to teeth, so imagine what it does to skin.  If you have cravings consider taking a chromium, our food state chromium is well absorbed by the body and offers support to anyone with a sweet tooth!

Other natural products

In one of my other posts, I mentioned, how important good beneficial bacteria is for the support of a good functional gut, supporting this will create glowing skin. When steroid creams are used, they do suppress the immune system, controlling acne.  The tips offered here in this blog are simply an alternative solution to support healthy skin, and in no way are they a replacement for medical advice.  Kefir has also been mentioned in previous posts, for example, consider giving yourself a facial with kefir, which is fermented dairy, supplying the skin with topical good bacteria.  It is advisable to cleanse the skin before applying the kefir facial. I would recommend doing this when you’re taking some time out for yourself the longer you leave it on, the better, consider leaving it overnight for better results.  Make sure you cover your pillowcase.

Healing oils may also be used on your skin, for example, you can pop a vitamin E capsule and place a small amount on the affected area, and this will help the skin to heal faster, as the skin absorbs it.

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory, try adding turmeric extract to our homemade masks and see if it helps alleviate any acne.  If you decide to use the powder, please make sure to mix it with other ingredients so it does not leave a yellow stain over time.

Feel free to share this blog with friends and family