I had a lovely morning yesterday talking about healthy eating with a group of ladies with secondary breast cancer. I am always amazed and humbled by the strength and positivity of those affected by cancer. And it reminded me that there is now so much science and research about how food and the correct nutrition can support your body when going through this horrible illness. Please do get in touch if you are part of a group who would welcome a talk or would like to have a private consultation.
Are you interested in the health of your heart?
Then don’t forget to get a ticket for my talk at Well Natural in Salisbury on 14th May 6pm – 7pm. Tickets are just £10 and you will entered into a draw to get a voucher for Well Natural or towards a consultation with me. Tickets available here or in store.
The talk is aimed at those wanting to prevent heart disease and those looking to improve heart disease symptoms.
Handouts will be provided to take away to get you started on the road to a healthier heart.
Well Natural and the Nutrition Team at Body Fabulous have teamed up to launch ‘The Salisbury Vegan Challenge’. Have you been struggling with your weight, health issues or fatigue? Would you like to detox your system and try ‘plant based’ vegan eating? Maybe you are looking to make a longer term change and permanently adopt a vegan lifestyle?
Well Natural and Body Fabulous are hosting a ‘Go Vegan’ evening on Thursday 18th October 6-8pm where you will have the opportunity to listen to Amie Richmond and Andrea Burton from the Body Fabulous nutrition team, explain the health benefits of plant based eating for your health as well as help you avoid any nutritional deficiencies when swapping to plant based eating.
Following the talks all attendees will be able to shop in store receiving a 5% discount off EVERYTHING purchased on the night. Whether you want to slim down after the summer holidays or just explore another way of eating for your health then this fun informative evening will have you feeling fabulous in no time!
Tickets are £20 – available here. Talks are 6.15pm-7.30pm then store is open till 8pm for in store purchases.
I think it’s time we talked about chocolate – because chocolate always makes us feel better, right?
We all know that refined sugar is not good for us, especially for those that suffer with anxiety, and that we must do everything we can to help balance our blood glucose levels. So people often ask what they can do to get a sweet treat and this is where I explain that chocolate is not as bad as people make it out be – it just depends on the type of chocolate. Very dark organic chocolate and raw chocolate have some excellent nutrient properties. Cacao (not cocoa) is the raw and unprocessed form of chocolate and the cacao bean is one of the most nutrient dense foods out there – with over 1500 active phytochemicals!! A couple in particular (anandamide and phenylethylamine if you are interested) are fantastic for elevating mood, clear creative thinking, provoking euphoria and enhancing focus and clarity. Lavender and Rose are also good for enhancing mood especially during times of anxiety. So……. I found a great recipe for lavender and rose chocolate from the fabulous Dale Pinnock – but remember – just a couple a day.
Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl over a gently simmering pan of water. Allow the chocolate to melt. Add the lavender flowers and the two essential oils, mix well and transfer to the moulds of your choice, an ice-cube tray would be ideal, pop in the fridge or leave to set. And enjoy!
Today’s ramblings are all about the antioxidant nutrients Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E to help with anxiety.
One particular research study found that people with generalised anxiety disorder have significantly lower levels of Vitamin A (beta-carotene), Vitamin C and Vitamin E, all of which have antioxidant properties. And after six weeks of supplementing with these vitamins, researchers observed a significant increase in the blood levels of these nutrients, and the anxious patients experienced a significant reduction in their anxiety. Researchers have also found that taking both Vitamin C and Vitamin E together reduces anxiety whilst several other studies have shown that high dose Vitamin C can decrease anxiety.
In addition to getting Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables, you can take a good food-grade Vitamin C supplement but stop as soon as you get to bowel tolerance and reduce your dose until normal stools resume!! Please speak with a qualified nutritionist for advice.
Good food sources of Vitamin E include almonds, spinach, sweet potatoes, avocados, olive oil, sunflower seeds and butternut squash. And for Vitamin A, you should get enough from food, such as grass-fed beef liver, pastured egg yolks, grass-fed butter/ghee, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach and broccoli.
Antioxidants have plenty of benefits for the body but when specifically linked to anxiety they can also help to reduce your body’s main stress hormone – which can only be a good thing if you are a stressed individual (and who isn’t in these modern times).
So, I’m off to ‘eat the rainbow’ from a few portions of fruit and vegetables – which is easy to do with a lovely salad on a hot day.
This Thursday I’m speaking at a Cancer Coaching support evening at Well Natural in Salisbury from 6.00pm to 7.30pm. Tickets are just £10 and proceeds go to the World Health Heroes and can be bought at: https://www.wellnatural.co.uk/Seminar/77/Cancer-Support-Talk. This is for anyone who has been affected either directly or indirectly and would like some holistic person centred support. Please share far and wide as you never know who is in need.
The #WorldHealthHeroes is a community of reputable wellbeing experts both locally and nationally that are working to educate, treat and support as many people as they can across the world. Making complementary health, alternative medicine and spiritual guidance affordable and accessible to all people.
Today I want to talk about blood sugar and why it’s important to keep your levels balanced throughout the day to help with anxiety and many other things.
So here’s the technical bit: A dip in blood sugar can create a physiological stress on the body. The body responds by producing cortisol, the stress hormone, which in turn increases anxiety and can also cause issues with sleeping.
What most people tend to do when stressed is eat something sugary. This is because your body is telling you that it needs a quick source of energy (sugar) to run away from the perceived threat that is causing the stress. Our bodies haven’t yet caught up with the concept of 21st century stress – that it does not mean running away from a tiger, it means sitting at a desk because of a looming deadline. Eating something sugary on an empty stomach during a stressful day will spike your blood sugar quickly. And, as we all know, what goes up must come down (pinching one of Amie’s favourite sayings J). When your levels drop, your body goes into a stress response again and produces more cortisol which makes you more anxious and you reach for the sugary foods again. It’s a vicious cycle…..
So what can you do?
Make sure you eat regularly (every 3 to 3 ½ hours is ideal) and aim for both protein and carbohydrate at every meal or snack (and include essential fats at the main meals). Avoid high sugary treats if anxiety or insomnia is an issue for you. Eat plenty of fibre such as legumes, beans, flax seeds, chia seeds, oats, hemp seeds and nuts. Fibre will help promote satiety, slow digestion and help you crave less sugar. And a final tip: Eat low glycaemic foods which release sugar at a slower rate because they take longer to break down in the intestine. Examples include sweet potatoes, green apples, berries, beans and oats.
Happy balancing x
