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Healthy canteen food is better for the workers

Healthy canteen food is better for the workers

 

Eating a healthy lunch at work will not only improve a person’s well-being, it also makes them perform better.

It’s therefore in the interest of employers to try and dish up more choice in the good food category in the staff restaurant. The increased pace of working life has led to a higher consumption of ‘quick fix’ fast food and sugary snacks. This, combined with sitting for long periods, is helping to fuel the obesity crisis.

The Government’s Tackling Obesities: Future Choices project predicts that the costs to the NHS attributable to overweight and obesity could double to £10 billion a year by 2050. The knock-on effect to the economy would be £49.9 billion.

We all know that consuming too much sugar, salt and saturated fat and too little fruit, vegetable and oily fish is bad for you. But how easy is it to follow a healthy diet when you’re at work?

Responsible choices

The good news is that organisations are recognising the need to offer better food choices, including catering for those with special dietary requirements, such as gluten free and vegan options. Companies are embracing the key pledges in the Responsibility Deal on Public Health, for example, providing calorie information at the point of purchase and cutting the levels of salt and trans-fats.

Public Health England has produced A Toolkit for Serving Food to Adults. Aimed at those involved in the commissioning of food and catering service, it summarises the Government guidelines for achieving a healthy diet.

Five-a-day plus

We know that eating your five-a-day is a good target to aim for. Staff restaurants can help people to achieve this by offering a good variety vegetables and fruits (particularly low sugar types, such as melon, berries and papaya).

Other recommended actions are to offer:

  • Healthier choices in vending machines and by the canteen tills, instead of sweets and salty snacks
  • Good proteins instead of processed varieties
  • A good selection of salads
  • Boiled or mashed potatoes instead of fries
  • Complex carbohydrates, such as short grain brown rice, which have not been processed and help to stabilise blood sugar.

 

Eating from a wide choice of wholesome foods will keep you fuller for longer, improve your motivation and help stop the pounds piling on. Also providing a restaurant where people can get a decent meal shows that a company cares about its employees’ wellbeing.

Interestingly, a survey of 41 global companies in 2010 by Towers Watson found that organisations with high levels of employee engagement had a 4% higher operating margin, whereas those with low levels of engagement declined by 2%.

They say that ‘strength goes in at the mouth’ so helping employees to eat well and stay healthy can only help boost the bottom line.

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Eating for good mental health and minimising dangerous metal exposure

 

Mental health has been a hot topic in the news for some time. Every year approximately one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem. In England alone, one in six people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week.

Nutrition plays an important role in keeping the brain functioning properly. As well as eating the right foods, it’s important to avoid ingesting dangerous metals, like mercury, that can affect the brain and nervous system. Taking a preventative approach is good practice.

How people become exposed to mercury and heavy metals

Mercury is widely used in products such as batteries, paints and thermometers. But the inorganic salts it contains are corrosive and highly damaging to our bodies, including our brains. Fish, normally considered to be a healthy food choice is, unfortunately, a typical way of becoming exposed to mercury. Certain types, such as mackerel and swordfish can contain high levels and may be best avoided or purchased from an organic store. If you’re not taking any additional nutrients other than your food, it may be advisable to add in a few good supplements such as a clean omega 3.

Other ways of becoming exposed to mercury can be through a glass thermostat. Of course, children might put batteries in their mouths!

How Mercury affects the Body

Mercury kills brain neurons, the cells that conduct nervous impulses. Toxic heavy metals are present in the air we breathe, water, soil and food supply. Chronic low levels of exposure can lead to issues such as aggressive behaviour, depression, memory loss, irritability and many more. The brain is an incredibly vulnerable organ and taking steps to protect it is of utmost importance.

The key question is, what can we do to minimise the decline in health?

How to support the brain with a natural approach

The flow of blood to the brain delivers oxygen and nutrients to the brain cells, which is an important function and supports our learning, thinking and memory. Lack of oxygen to the brain leads to cerebral hypoxia, destroying brain tissue and characterising conditions such as Alzheimer’s and vascular disease.

Feeding the brain good nutrients

  • Magnesium is nature’s natural relaxant, helping arterial flow to the brain
  • Omega-3 essential fatty acids also play an important role in blood flow to the brain, and are a simple yet safe and effective way to support cognitive function.
  • Ginkgo biloba herb has been used to help and prevent cognitive decline.
  • Green tea is a great antioxidant that supports reducing oxidative damage. The neuroprotective effects of the theanine contained in green tea are also a focus of considerable attention.
  • Turmeric contains curcuminoids, a great antioxidant including an anti-inflammatory and cognitive memory enhancer. Curcumin has a broad cytokine suppressive anti-inflammatory action. Cytokines are cell-signalling molecules that aid cell to cell communication in immune responses towards sites of inflammation, infection or trauma.
  •  Folate and vitamin B12 are both required for the methylation of homocysteine (a common amino acid in the blood). A deficiency in these can cause neurological disturbances, such as depression and dementia, and the neurotoxic effect of homocysteine may play a role in these disturbances.
  •  Saffron also has the potential to enhance mental health through its antidepressant properties. In a six-week trial, at a dosage of 30 mg/ day, extracts of saffron stigma were as effective as fluoxetine (20 mg/day) for the treatment of mild-to moderate depression (see reference below).

Reference: Noorbala AA, Akhondzadeh S, Tahmacebi-Pour N, Jamshidi AH. 2005. Hydroalcoholic extract of Crocus sativus L. versus fluoxetine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a doubleblind, randomized pilot trial. J Ethnopharmacol 97: 281–284.

Food that nourishes the brain

The brain is a fatty organ and therefore requires good fats. Providing it with a well-balanced, essential fatty acid complex, is important. Good sources are clean fish, nuts, avocados and olive oil.

Try to avoid empty calories from refined foods, such as white breads, sugar and fizzy drinks.

Consume good lean proteins, as these are the building blocks of our existence. Good proteins are our lean meats.

Legumes are also high in fibre (lentils, bean and peas), fish, nuts and seeds.

Try cutting down on caffeine as this can cause anxiety and depression and disturbed sleep. Caffeine is in: coca cola, coffee, chocolate, and other manufactured energy drinks.

Feed the brain all the goodness it needs and you will certainly help your mental health.

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Eating to offset the effects of ageing

Eating to offset the effects of ageing

 

As we get older many of us find we can’t eat the same as we did when we were young. The body becomes more fragile with age and the chances of becoming ill are higher.

That’s why I always advise clients to look after themselves by making sure that they put back what age takes away. We become more deficient because our digestion works less effectively and the enzymes that breakdown food become depleted. So, it’s important to up our intake of the right nutrients.

The effects of a slower digestion

When you’re not digesting correctly, don’t have the necessary enzymes, or stomach acid to cope with food, your body becomes more acidic, which increases the risk of illness and causes other problems in the gut, like constipation. This leads to haemorrhoids, which can be quite painful, due to straining. Also, when the stool backs up it can develop small pockets in the lining of the colon called diverticulosis. When inflamed it can cause pain, abdominal tenderness and high temperature.

Gas will start to form because you’re not breaking down food correctly and things will start to ferment causing other issues such as a build-up of yeast (the formation of candida) which then causes bloating and alternating bowel motions (between diarrhoea and constipation).

Some may even get GERDS (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) The build-up of acid, when the food from your throat into your stomach comes back up causing pain and a burning sensation.

What can I do to make improvements?

One of the most important things you can do is to drink plenty of water, ideally 1.5 litres per day, this helps to:

  • Lubricate the intestines
  • Avoid constipation and clear out toxins.

There are simple changes you can make to your diet which would work well as a preventative approach, also minimising side-effects caused by medication. For example, by increasing fibre, this helps clear excess cholesterol. Apples and pears have good amounts of the water-soluble fibre pectin which is great for lowering high triglycerides and preventing colon cancer. Eat more colourful foods, such as berries, which are good sources of antioxidants. Add more red, purple and blue foods such as kidney beans, beetroot, cherries, plumbs, carrots and papaya which contain enzymes to help digestion.

High triglycerides also increase heart disease and strokes as well as making you gain weight.

Arthritis is another disease that plagues us as we age and eating less stodgy things will help, such as:

  • Cakes
  • Bread
  • Refined carbohydrates

 

Adding more fresh oily fish such as tuna and salmon are good anti-inflammatories, which helps lubricate our joints and prevents them from getting inflamed. Most people don’t eat a lot of fish and therefore it may make sense to substitute an omega3 capsule once or twice a day.

Caffeine and drinks such as coke are stimulants and better minimised. Try swapping caffeine for decaf. I know you may not like the idea but think of it as one less thing affecting your health, blood pressure and heart (e.g. arrhythmia).

If you like eating meat, opt for the white meat rather than red.  Red meat is far harder to digest and can take longer to break down. As we age, we want to love and take care of our digestion and not burden it.

Exercise is always a plus to keep your body healthy and maintain a healthy weight get mental clarity, and a great route to relaxation and peace of mind.

Walking or a little light exercise will keep the weight down taking pressure off the joints. Your knees and ankles will thank you for not making them carry all your body weight!

There is no reason why you can’t maintain good health once you reach 60 and over by making little changes in your lifestyle and diet to aid old age.

If you’d like more information please click here 

Are you an emotional eater?

 

Do you tend to eat the feel-good foods like chocolate, when you’re feeling under the weather, are you an emotional eater? Eating these foods, releases chemicals that signal the neurotransmitters to make you feel good. You may feel momentarily good, but will pay the price, when the blood sugar spikes and stresses your endocrine system.

Protecting the Brain

Protecting the brain from depression by not eating junk or processed foods. Supporting blood sugar dips, by eating healthier foods, such as vegetables and fruits. It is always advisable to choose fruits that are naturally low in fructose.

Having low levels of GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) a neurotransmitter that blocks impulses between nerve cells in the brain), particularly if feeling anxiety for no reason, or inner tension and worry.  GABA is the main neurotransmitter of the nervous system that has an inhibitory effect, it turns off your nervous system rather than being switched on.

Glucose and blood sugar

Glucose helps the body make GABA, focusing on blood sugar imbalances, such as hypoglycaemia or insulin resistance will limit the production of GABA.

There are things you can do to increase GABA receptors in the brain.  This will have positive results on moods, for example increasing beneficial bacteria in the gut, will help in minimising systemic infection, which can show up years later in the form of serious neurodegeneration, like diseases such as:

  • Alzheimer
  • dementia autoimmune disorders.

Fermented Foods

Eating fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kefir contain healthy bacteria, which help repopulate the gut with the good bacteria. Doing things to support your digestive system will have a direct impact on both your mental and physical health, including mood improvement. Did you know that 90% of serotonin in the body is in the gut? The remaining 10% is synthesised in the central nervous system.  Serotonin can modulate motility in the gut, causing constipation or diarrhoea, when levels are imbalanced.  It’s important to maintain gut health and balance the body which in time will help those who have gotten into a cycle of eating when they feel emotionally low.

If you’d like to discuss this further do contact me.

Using antibiotics correctly?

Antibiotic is the biggest breakthrough in medicine

Are people taking antibiotics correctly? I remember one of the questions I had in my exam was, in your opinion, what do you think the biggest breakthrough in medicine is? I had to say the discovery of the antibiotic by Alexander Fleming, although the discovery was found purely by chance, due to a contaminated Petri dish. The mold that had contaminated the dish turned out to contain powerful antibiotic called penicillin. This antibiotic will only get rid of harmful bacteria not a viral infection.

During winter our bodies are at their lowest,

During the winter months, many of us catch some sort of viral infection, be it ears, throat, chest. People always reach out for the quick fix, even if that fix is not appropriate. Antibiotics should be taken correctly,  when you have a bacterial infection not a viral infection. The only thing that the antibiotic will do is kill the good bacteria in the gut as well as the bad, eventually causing an imbalance in the gut, which then causes other health issues.

Often the GP will

GP’s often take a swab or a urine test to find out if you have any harmful bacteria. By minimising antibiotics your immune system will response much better to infection. People often ask my opinion about taking these, and my response to them is these should be taken when needed. Our immune systems are very proactive and efficient in getting rid of viruses. When you feel run down make sure you get enough rest, eat well and try to limit anything in excess!

Viruses are also caught from others;

Viruses are caught from many sources, on the tube, from a handshake, make sure you always wash your hands. You have to stop viruses from being able to reproduce and release new viruses into your body, or stop them from being able to get inside your cells in the first place. To find out more click here

How losing weight can help with menopause

 

Did you know that when you are pre-menopausal that the loss of oestrogen may have an effect on your weight? According to the women’s health research institute, about 30% of women aged 50-59 are not just overweight but obese.

As we approach post-menopause, the body loses oestrogen which helps regulate blood sugar and also makes weight gain very challenging, in particular around the abdomen, hips and thighs. In some animal studies oestrogen appears to help regulate body weight and with lower oestrogen lab animals were eating more. With lower oestrogen this may also contribute to a lower metabolic rate. In this blog post I will share how losing weight can not only help you achieve a trim waist line but also how you can overcome some of those horrible symptoms.

Keeping your blood sugar under control

As your hormones change, so may your eating habits and food cravings.  It is very important to makes sure your blood sugar is stable and this won’t happen if you take in high levels of bread, pasta, and desserts. This is because all these are either refined carbohydrates or stimulants that convert into sugar. When sugar quickly spikes the body releases high levels of insulin to regulate blood sugar and an influx of insulin will cause changes in moods, fatigue or even depression. Not looking after your blood sugar may cause you to become insulin sensitive or resistant. Did you know that without insulin working properly to regulate sugar, it turns into fat?

So don’t let your glucose (sugar) levels get out of control. When women reach perimenopause, the body stores fat to ensure that it has what it needs. All the hormonal changes going on in the body, along with the sugar, is a recipe for cravings. This is why it so important to add in your protein.  Protein is your hero, it rescues and stabilises your blood sugar levels.

Other considerations that can help you through menopause

  • Opt for the healthier option when you go to a restaurant. Consider replacing potatoes with vegetables like broccoli or kale, as potatoes release a spike of glucose into the blood stream. Choose white meat over red meat, which is lighter and easier to digest and less fatty.
  • Balancing your hormones is important and one of the great foods that will do this for you is fish. My recommendation for my clients is that you should have fish twice a week.
  • Too much salt or the wrong type of salt in the diet can make you retain water. Opt for light pink Himalayan salt, which is unrefined and contains all its mineral properties, unlike table salt which only contains one mineral, sodium chloride, and undergoes a bleaching process.
  • Drinking too much alcohol or coffee can make your menopause symptoms worse by triggering cortisol which leads to hot flushes.

Beneficial foods and supplements that help with menopause

  • Fibre: Helps keep the cholesterol at bay, so make sure that you include a good amount of fibre in your diet. Lentils are not only a good source of fibre, but are also high in iron. Apples and pears contain a good amount of fibre and are good source of phytoestrogen (a plant-based oestrogen), which makes them great for lowering hot flushes, and relieving vaginal dryness.
  • Low glycaemic diet: Great for metabolising fat more efficiently and keeping your blood sugar levels steady. Eating clean--choosing veggies and whole grains to remove unhealthy fats--also helps. Also include vegetables, fruit (preferably those low in sugar), nuts and seeds which are a good source of essential fats including seeds, and pulses for their fibre.
  • Vitamin B12: This vitamin has been shown to reduce some of the negative symptoms of menopause, such as irritability, bloating and headaches. Foods that contain this include lean meats, oily fish and eggs.
  • Vitamin B complex: This will help relieve stress and supports your moods. It is also good for energy production.
  • Dried Seaweed: Great in a stir-fry, this is a good source of iodine. You can also use this instead of salt. Iodine helps support the thyroid gland, which regulate your metabolism.
  • This is a Peruvian root that helps to alleviate hormonal-type symptoms naturally by stimulating the pituitary gland into producing hormone precursors that help raise both oestrogen and progesterone. Macca also helps balance the adrenal gland, thyroid and pancreas.

Simple techniques that can help lower stress

Not everyone gets that lucky streak of sailing through the menopause without symptoms. If you are one of the unlucky ones beset with those dreadful symptoms, doing the following may also be of great help to lower stress levels.

  • Relaxation techniques. Doing some breathing techniques can also help alleviate stress or stressful situations that may cause cortisol or insulin levels to raise, two hormones that influence weight gain. Most people breathe incorrectly. When you take a deep breath, you diaphragm should be filling up with air like a balloon, rather than the top of your chest. Correct breathing is very important to relieve stress and is great to prepare you for bed.
  • Physical activity. While research has shown regular exercise doesn’t to reduce menopausal symptoms, it can help relieve stress. Also, women who keep themselves active release endorphins that help with better focus, and are less likely to suffer from low moods.

Menopause doesn’t have to be life-changing

Menopause doesn’t have to be a life-changing experience. Through diet and other techniques, you can manage the worst of the symptoms and lose weight.

If you find the tips helpful please share them with others on your social media, or with someone you know who is going through menopause.

The foods you eat could be giving you back pain

Is Your Diet Affecting Your Back Pain?

Are you one of the 53 million people in the UK who suffer from chronic back pain?  And not all back pain is chronic as 60% of people suffer from some form of back pain at one time or another, according to the NHS. While chronic back pain sufferers are aware of the usual suspects like slipped discs or trapped nerves, many aren’t aware that diet and nutrition are contributing factors to back pain.

How does my diet affect my back pain?

Diet and nutrition can influence your back pain by exacerbating inflammation or by reducing it. Reducing inflammation in cartilage and muscles is the key, particularly in and around the spinal column, to control back pain and stiffness.

Diet also plays a role in supporting good blood circulation, which is a factor because it helps get nutrients and oxygen to the muscles and joints that contribute to back pain, helping in the healing process.

Finally, the production of collagen, a protein in the human body that holds the whole body together, is key to keeping our joints healthy and supple. Collagen is also found in skin, muscle and tendons and if we don’t have enough it can make our bones brittle.

What foods do I need to eat?

Any food that is anti-inflammatory, improves your blood circulation, or promotes and protects collagen is good for back pain. These include:

  • Oily fish. These contain good essential fatty acids and are a great source of anti-inflammatory agents. This includes salmon, tuna steaks, and trout.
  • Herbs like cayenne pepper, ginger, rosemary and turmeric. These herbs are high in anti-inflammatory agents, as well as help with circulation that aids healing. A word of caution, taking a high dose of turmeric can cause nausea due to its spicy nature, so limit your intake to 4 grams a day.
  • Collagen-friendly foods. Orange produce like carrots and sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A, which restores collagen in your body that has been damaged. Garlic provides lipoic acid that helps rebuild collagen fibres. Egg whites and bone broth also restore collagen.
  • Dark, leafy green vegetables. The greener the better. The green part of kale, spinach and broccoli contain anti-oxidants that help prevent the breakdown of collagen.
  • Tea. Green oolong and white tea both have anti-inflammatory properties.

Are there foods that hurt your back pain?

The following foods can either exacerbate the inflammation associated with your back pain, or inhibit other functions that help alleviate the pain:

  • Caffeine. This reduces our ability to make endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain-killing chemical. The body releases these chemicals when it is under stress or pain as a natural painkiller. Therefore, limit your intake of coffee to 1-2 cups a day (or drink decaffeinated coffee).
  • Sugar and processed food. Promotes inflammation everywhere in the body, including the back.
  • Alcohol. High in sugar (see above).
  • Bread. Highly acidic, which fuels inflammation.
  • Poly-unsaturated fats and oils. Again, can cause inflammation and inhibit circulation in the long run. Use poly – or monounsaturated oils like sunflower or olive oil instead.

Drink water!

Back pain can be a result of dehydration. Not drinking enough water can put your kidneys under a tremendous amount of stress, which is another possible cause for pain around the lower part of the back. I have seen people admitted into hospital and being put on a drip because of dehydration. Dehydration can also be a contributing factor for urinary tract infections which can also cause lower back pain or discomfort.

What supplements can you take?

Sometimes even the best foods are not enough to fill the nutritional deficiencies in your diet. Supplements can fill the nutrition deficiency gaps. The best ones for back pain include:

  • Vitamin C is one of the best vitamin supplements to take because it helps with blood circulation.
  • MSM with glucosamine is one of the best minerals you can take to help restore the gelatinous areas of fluid and tissue around the joints and spine. You can get this from any good health food store.
  • Magnesium and calcium work well to reduce muscle spasm. So, when you feel your muscles twitching you’ll know that it’s time to take these minerals. Calcium also helps strengthen the bones of the spine.
  • Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium.

What natural remedies can you take for back pain?

Having a warm Epsom salts bath can do you wonders, as Epsom salts is a form of magnesium and can help draw out toxins from the body which will help reduce inflammation in your back, which is the source of most of the pain you feel.

You can also use arnica which is a natural anti-inflammatory. Arnica comes in three different types of remedies: 1) a gel, which is easily absorbed by the skin; 2) a cream, which is a little denser but does the same job; and 3) a homeopathic type of arnica that comes as a small pill. For faster relief, you can take arnica internally and externally at the same time and it will reduce pain and inflammation.

Boswellia serrata is a plant native to India, which is very beneficial and efficient at reducing inflammation. You can get this in a tincture from a good health food store or from a holistic online site.

You may need to be adjusted by an osteopath

It may also be worth seeing an osteopath or chiropractor if your pain persists. Along with this, you may try exercises and stretches for back pain. Activities like walking, swimming, yoga and Pilates may also be helpful, but it is always good to consult with your GP or osteopath/chiropractor before doing anything to exert yourself, or if you experience other symptoms in addition to back pain.

Other ways to minimize back pain

Ideally, you should be standing up and moving or stretching every hour or so. If you remain inactive for long periods of time, this can sometimes lock up your joints; that’s why when you have a good stretch you will sometimes hear the bones cracking.

Have you had your eyes checked lately? Poor eyesight can cause you to adjust your body to compensate, like leaning in to see what is on your computer monitor. Also, if you tend to work from the sofa with a laptop on your lap, you should not be looking downwards for a long period of time. Easier said than done, I know, if you have a work deadline or working and watching television while you type.

Eliminating the pain

As chronic sufferers know, back pain can grow into a debilitating condition that affects all aspects of your life. However, most of us feel back pain at one point or another. Taking care of what we eat can help. If you start to feel like your pain persists without getting better, then seek advice from an osteopath or GP.

If you like the blog or find the information helpful, please share it with others on social media, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Happy working environment happy you!

Healthy weight healthy cholesterol

Have you been trying to lose weight, but also wondered about your cholesterol? You don’t have to be overweight to have high cholesterol, but overweight people are more at risk of high cholesterol and the dangers it presents. Lowering your cholesterol levels can help you lower your weight.

How can lower cholesterol help weight loss?

Most people know cholesterol is a waxy substance that is found in our blood and can lead to the clogging of our arteries. However, cholesterol is also found in all our fatty organs–liver, heart, brain and reproductive system–areas of the body that cholesterol testing normally does not include. Our cells need cholesterol for the integrity of our cell membranes, that is, to build structure to the cell. It is also important for producing hormones such as oestrogen, testosterone, adrenalin, and helps the metabolism to work more efficiently.

There are two types of cholesterol. One is called HDL (high density lipoprotein) and the LDL (low density lipoprotein).

  • HDL is known as “good cholesterol” because it works with the liver to eliminate excess cholesterol from your body.
  • LDL is called “bad cholesterol” because it takes cholesterol to your arteries, leading to the clogging of our arteries as mentioned before.

What are the usual suspects when it comes to cholesterol and weight gain?

When lowering cholesterol most people don’t know quite where to start in terms of what sort of things to eat. The obvious culprits are those that are high in saturated fats. Lard, full fat cheese, and meats that contain a high level of fat all fall into this category. Meat products to watch for include sausages, meats that you eat with the skin, or processed meats.

Other foods you should be avoiding are if you want to lose weight and keep a healthy cholesterol are:

  • Cakes and sugary treats. Raise your LDL and will lower your HDL.
  • Crisps (potato chips). These are high on the processed food list.
  • Refined Grains products. These are high on the glycaemic (sugar) index and will raise your LDL.
  • Milk and cheese products. Milk fat can have negative effects on your cholesterol due to some of the fatty acids it contains.

What foods should I include in my diet to lower cholesterol and lose weight?

If you want to be healthy and maintain a good weight, including beneficial and healthy foods that also contribute to lowering cholesterol levels, such as:

  • Fresh vegetables: Cabbage, artichokes and broccoli are foods that protect your arteries from a build-up of plaque.
  • Salmon: This fish promotes good cholesterol because of the essential fatty acid it contains.
  • Nuts: Almonds are good for weight loss, due to their antioxidant properties and as a protein they also help fight weight gain and promote a feeling fullness.
  • Beans and legumes: These are high in fibre and we need fibre to get rid of excess cholesterol.
  • Olive oil: This is a good fat, and we need good fats to break down bad fats.
  • Avocado: These contain good levels of soluble fibre and a source of good fat.
  • Garlic: Apart from tasting great, it has so many positive health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol, and reduces blood pressure, which sometimes goes hand in hand with high cholesterol.

Not enough has been said about how fibre can lower cholesterol. It helps rid the body of excess cholesterol by binding with the cholesterol. Because fibre is not digested, the cholesterol bound to it passes through digestive system along with the fibre without being absorbed by the body.

The importance of adding fibre into your diet for lowering cholesterol

Soluble fibre is something that is often found lacking in the western diet. This may be because eating things like potatoes, which are easy to make, are low in fibre but easily accompany most other foods groups in a meal.  However, adding more fibre into our diets is not as difficult as it sounds with a little planning.

  • Oat bran. Typically people will have porridge oats for breakfast, but did you know that by adding things like 2 tablespoons of soluble fibre like oat bran into foods like soups, casseroles, smoothies and salads, is an easy way to increasing your intake of fibre?
  • Lentils, beans and peas. Increase your variety of foods to make lentil casseroles, add some beans and peas into your rice dishes to add that additional fibre.
  • Salads and vegetables. You can also add fibre into salads, dips include some roasted vegetables as a side dish with your protein, when you have your
  • Fresh fruit for dessert. Choose a healthier option that contains fibre, like a good fresh fruit salad containing, apples, strawberries, prunes, pears…all this mixture of fruit adds fibre into our diet.

 

The importance of drinking water to support weight loss

It is important to stay hydrated to help shift toxins out of the body. Water also helps to deal with cravings for food. Sometimes people eat more when they are dehydrated, because they confuse it with hunger when in fact they need hydration. Drinking in between meals will stop your hunger.

Completing your meal before 9pm

You should aim to complete your last meal of the day by 9 pm. Otherwise you will be going to bed on a full stomach, giving your digestion and liver an extra workload that it doesn’t need.  Optimum “liver time” is between 1 AM – 3 AM, when it filters the toxins from the blood in preparation for the next day. Eating after 9 PM disrupts this flow of digestion and interferes for the liver to fully recuperate while you sleep.

 

Everything is linked in the body

In this blog I have addressed how cholesterol levels can be linked to weight management. When you lose weight you can also use the opportunity to lower your cholesterol, if necessary.

 

If you like the blog please do share it in your social media. And do leave any comments and I will make sure I respond to you.

 

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.

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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.