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Free 5 Day Curb the Cravings Challenge

Andrea Burton
Yes Please – Count me in!

Have you had enough of sugary food and are you fed up of afternoon energy slumps? Now imagine having consistent energy throughout the day, no brain-fog or perhaps even losing some weight. How would that feel? Great, huh? Better still, what if you could do it without spending hours in the kitchen.

Join me for a free 5-day challenge to reduce your sugar intake whilst enjoying effortless, tasty meals. You’ll get simple, easy to make recipes, a 5-day meal plan including breakfast, lunch dinner and snacks, a shopping list – and I’ll be here to help you every step of the way. We will get together every day via a FaceBook live and discuss a particular topic such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, healthy plates and more.

The 5-day meal plan is the foundation of the challenge. You are going to be eating 3 nourishing and balanced meals and 1 or 2 snacks every day to help you to eliminate those sugar cravings. You will be sent all the details 7 days before the challenge but if you sign up now, you will get today:

  • 7 days of low sugar meat dinners and 7 days of low sugar vegetarian dinners NOW. Just to keep you going until the challenge starts.
  • PLUS you get a full shopping list. Check the notes in the recipes for alternative suggestions if you can’t get / don’t like all the ingredients.
  • AND just because we now find ourselves back in lockdown, I have included 3 bonus low sugar snack recipes.

So what have you got to lose – click the link, sign up and give it a go and see how tasty the recipes are and how easy it is to eat low sugar meals. And remember to tag me in your creations – @andreaburtonnutrition on FaceBook and Instagram.

Andrea x

Yes Please – Count me in!
Sleep

The Importance of Sleep

Andrea Burton

Understanding sleep

Understanding sleep, the power of it and how to get as much high-quality sleep as possible is one of the healthiest things we can do. Sleep is a naturally recurring state characterized by reduced or absent consciousness, and the inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles. Sleep timing is controlled by the circadian clock, and in humans, to some extent by willed behaviour. Sleep is restorative, and without it we are not able to work, learn, create and communicate at our highest level. With time, lack of sleep can lead to mental and physical breakdown. Sleep has also been shown to be linked to the immune system. Sleep loss can impair our immune function. When we sleep, our metabolic rates reduce and free radical production is decreased, allowing restorative processes to take over. Sleep supports higher-level cognition functions such as decision-making, reasoning and memory.

Effects of sleep depravation

Everyone experiences trouble sleeping from time to time but problems may occur when regular disturbances happen frequently and these can begin to affect your daily life. Disturbed sleep can lead to some of the following:

How much sleep do we need?

There is no protocol to how many hours of sleep we should get; the best way to evaluate it is to monitor how we feel throughout the day. If energy is low, memory is poor and we don’t feel alert, then chances are we need more sleep. But….. it appears that somewhere between 7.5 – 9 hours sleep per night for an adult is about right.

So, how to sleep better? Here are my top three tips

  1. Improve nutrition and exercise. Good nutrition habits can drastically improve sleep quality, particularly in the last hours before bed. Consider the following:
    • Avoid eating large meals before bed
    • Avoid drinking too much liquid before bed
    • Avoid caffeine in the latter part of the day
    • Avoid alcohol before bed
    • Exercise daily – even a 15 minute walk in the fresh air will help
    • Get out in the morning sunshine for 15 minutes (if there is any!)
  2. Reduce stress and relax. Managing stressors and using pre-bed relaxation techniques can be effective in aiding a better nights sleep. Try these techniques:
    • Write down any problems or issues on paper – perhaps try journaling.
    • Conduct some deep breathing techniques such as 3-4-5, 4-7-8 or 4-4-4-4.
    • Use mediation and relaxation techniques
    • Avoid stressing tasks or thoughts before bed
    • Turn off all electronic devices at least an hour before bed and if this is impossible, try blue light glasses
    • Keep the bedroom clean and tidy
    • Have a hot shower or bath
    • Do something relaxing that you enjoy before bed such as reading, listening to relaxing music
  3. Keep the bedroom for sleep. Ensuring the bedroom is optimized for relaxing, unwinding and sleeping is essential. Get your bedroom ready:
    • Eliminate noises that may disturb your sleep
    • Keep bedroom at the right temperature (18-22C)
    • Remove all electronic devices – buy an old fashioned alarm clock
    • Ensure the room is dark enough
    • Ensure your bed is comfortable enough

Email me (andreaburtonnutrition@gmail.com) if you would like more information on any of the above.

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What the heck are Glycaemic Index (GI) and Glycaemic Load (GL)?

Andrea Burton

Following on the carbohydrate theme of my last few posts, today is an explanation about GI (glycaemic index) and GL (glycaemic load). Many of my clients struggle with carbohydrates and don’t always recognise which are the best ones to eat so I often recommend that the low GL carbs are the ones to go for. Please remember to always check with a practitioner before making dramatic changes to your diet.

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What are carbohydrates?

Andrea Burton

Carbohydrates are a major macronutrient and the primary source of energy for the body and brain. In terms of structure, there are two types of carbohydrates: SIMPLE & COMPLEX.

They are called carbohydrates because, at the chemical level, they contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Unlike essential amino acids and fatty acids, there are no essential carbohydrates. This means we can obtain everything we need nutritionally from other food sources, so carbs are not necessary to maintain life.

SIMPLE CARBOHYDRTAES are the smallest and simplest types of carbohydrates, known as mono- and di-saccharides, meaning that they contain only one or two sub-units of sugar. These types of carbs are quickly absorbed in the body, resulting in a spike in blood sugar and a boost of energy. These need to be minimised in your diet to help balance your blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Common Sources of Simple Carbohydrates

COMPLEX CARBOHYDRTAES are called polysaccharides since they have more than two sub-units of sugar linked together. These types of carbs take longer to be broken down in the body. The slower digestion means that there is no rapid spike in blood sugar, the energy release is prolonged, and they can help to balance your blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Common Sources of Complex Carbohydrates
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Andrea was one of the amazing facilitators on the nutrition course…..

Andrea Burton

It is always lovely to receive updates from my clients on how they are progressing on their nutrition and lifestyle journeys. The power of good nutrition never ceases to amaze me. This email started my week off extremely well!

“Andrea was one of the amazing facilitators on the nutrition course I took part in during lock-down for the clients of Wessex Cancer Trust. When the course finished I booked in privately to have a session with Andrea so I could have more tailored advice for my health. 

Having been diagnosed with breast cancer in December and then shielding from March, I was in the habit of eating the wrong foods for my body, along with bingeing on sweet foods. 

Andrea has helped to change my life for the better. I now eat a varied and interesting diet. I am enjoying eating new foods and trying new recipes. My dad and several friends have commented on how healthy I am looking. I am no longer bingeing on sweet foods – however I do still enjoy an occasional slice of cake or chocolate! 

I have more energy and have a lot of tools and knowledge to balance my meals. I highly recommend the service Andrea provides.”