About Me

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Birmingham, United Kingdom
Welcome to my blog, and thank you for stopping by. I hope you find it informative, and if there is anything I have missed or you would like me to talk about please drop me a line of suggestion. After seeing a nutritional therapist I decided from the improvement of my own health that I would like to be there in the same way for others, therefore, I studied two degrees; one in Nutritional Therapy and another in Bioscience Nutrition so that i could be equipped to support a number of health conditions. I now work for a supplement company on a clinical team supporting practitioners and keeping upto date with all new scientific information and provide private consultations too aswel as keeping my blog going :)

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Friday 25 May 2012

Coconut Health Benefits


The wonders of Coconut
The coconut tree ‘the tree of life’ has countless amounts of health benefits and therefore it is no surprise that as the Sri Lankans have this so readily available to them they choose to derive 80% of their fat intake from coconut. The benefits of this tropical fruit are used worldwide for aesthetic and health reasons and therefore today I am going to be focusing on the beautiful effects coconut oil and water and we can use it to ourselves looking and feeling fantastic.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is pretty versatile as it can be used in a whole host of ways such as topically or in cooking. It has a smoke point of 117C which makes it a perfect option for cooking at low temperatures  as the oil won’t denature and best of all it is flavorsome.  
The oil itself contain saturated acids but is predominately made up of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) 8% caprylic acid and 44.6% lauric acid; these are the fats that we are particularly interested in today.   
The fat myth
So many foods are now marketed as ‘low fat’ and people have now begun to follow low fat fad diets to support weightloss and prevent high cholesterol. The more this is researched the more this seems that a diet rich in carbohydrates and low in fats makes weightloss almost impossible and encourages endless amounts of health concerns such as diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and depression.  It is true that there are bad fats such as trans fats which are found in cakes and biscuits, these should be avoided as they can be damaging. However, good fats from plant and animal sources are needed in the diet to support a healthy mind, hormones, skin and hair integrity and encourage a healthy digestive system.  
Weight management
The fats within coconut are really effective at providing satiety, women that used coconut supplementation for 12 weeks experienced a reduction in Body Mass Index (BMI), abdominal obesity and altered their lipid profile for a more healthy balance of HDL to LDL[i]. The medium chain triglyceride capylic acid within coconut oil can also be useful for people that have weight gain not necessarily from increased adiposity but from bloating  if due to candidiasis as the supplement damages the pathogens that are producing gas byproducts.    
Loving your heart
Lauric acid is naturally present in human breast milk for a positive effect on the bodies lipid profile by increasing the level of good fat HDL, this may inversely have a relationship with a reduced risk of atheroschlerosis and high cholesterol. 
The natural antibiotic for flawless skin
Two of the short chain fatty acids within coconut oil are caprylic acid and lauric acid which have antibacterial roles against certain bacterial strains. One common bacterial strain that naturally occurs in every persons skin flora and nasal passage is Staphylococcus aureus.  If this strain over populates as a pathogen it then cause minor skin infections; impetigo, foliculitis, abscesses.  Recent research has shown lauric acid to be effective alternative treatment to antibiotics when treating acne vulgaris[ii].
Combating common infections
 Using coconut oil after a workout or swim at the gym may reduce your risk of athletes foot as the capylic acid acts as an antifungal against candida albicans.
Hair health
Dietary essential fatty acids help to lock moisture into your hair and applying them topically is also supportive.  By massaging coconut oil into the scalp you are stimulating circulation and protecting the hair follicles to encourage hair regrowth and prevent dandruff on the scalp. Don't just stop at the scalp, massaging the oil throughout the hair as you would with a conditioner will leave your locks with a bouncy shine. Coconut oil has endless benefits and can also be used on children's hair as it contains fatty acids such as lauric acid which acts as an antimicrobial against lice when massaged into the scalp.
Sports rehydration
 Let’s not just stop at the oil, the whole coconut has different benefits. The water from the coconut is classed as a popular rehydrating drink post workout in sports as it is rich in fundamental electrolytes; potassium magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and calcium.
The coconut water is so effective that it has been administered intravenously in an emergency as a hydrating solution in parts of the world where coconuts are inexpensive and medical solutions hard to come by.[iii] 



[i]Assunção ML, Ferreira HS, Santos AF, Cabral CR  and Florêncio TM (2009) Effects of Dietary Coconut Oil on the Biochemical and Anthropometric Profiles of Women Presenting Abdominal Obesity Lipids 7: 593-601 [Online] www.springerlink.com
[ii] Nakatsuji T, Kao MC, Fang JY, Zouboulis CC, Zhang L, Gallo RL, Huang CM (2009) Antimicrobial property of lauric acid against Propionibacterium acnes: its therapeutic potential for inflammatory acne vulgaris. J Invest Dermatol. 129:2480-8 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 
[iii]  Campbell-Falck D, Thomas T, Falck TM, Tutuo N, Clem KC (2000) The Intravenous Use of Coconut Water
 American Journal of Emergency medicine 18: 108-111  http://www.ajemjournal.com

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Combating stress with nutrition



As it's Mental Health Awareness week, we want to talk about one aspect of mental health in particular, Stress.  Everyone experiences stress from time to time but according to research 1 in 4 of us experience mental health problems within our lifetime. The main problem is that people often do not recognize the warning signs.  Although avoiding stressful situations is not always possible, you can use some natural methods to help keep you mentally focused and calm.


A little bit of chocolate gives a little bit of happiness
It's often said having a little bit of something you like does you good. Therefore, treat yourself to a few cubes of dark chocolate from time to time when you are feeling stressed. Chocolate contains ingredients that have a happy effect on people giving it the reputation for being the ‘love molecule’. When choosing chocolate aim to go for one that contains Xylitol rather than sugars or sweeteners as Xylitol does not have the negative effect on your mood like sugar does.

Probiotics; your voice of reasoning
It may be worthwhile taking a probiotic daily. There is a strong association between a healthy gut which has good levels of friendly bacteria and a healthy mind. The gut is classed as your second brain and with good reason. The friendly bacteria strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus helps reduce stress levels by encouraging the release of calming brain chemicals.
Phosphatidyl Serine; is your mind thinking?
Stress can disrupt hormonal levels causing insomnia, a feeling of being wired but also exhausted. Phosphatidyl serine is a friendly component of the brain that supports memory, concentration and helps the body and mind relax at the end of the day.
Remember to treat yourself to some therapies
It's so easy to neglect yourself because you are busy. Everyone needs some pampering to help them unwind. Most treatments take no longer than an hour and there are a few different therapies that you can use to help with stress. Some find that acupuncture or an aromatherapy massage does the trick to relax them. If you find that you are constantly in a vicious cycle of stress then cognitive behavioural therapy may help you think and act in a positive way to manage and deal with stress levels.

Sip your way to happiness
Instead of drinking caffeine which is one of the main culprits of stress, have herbal teas to support your adrenal glands. Some teas that would be particularly supportive are liquorice, ginseng and ones with apple extract.

Have a healthy week

Totally Nourish team












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Patrick Holford Chill Food contains vitamins, amino acids and herbs, Chill Food is designed to help support you when under pressure.


BioCare Phosphatidyl Serine contains Phosphatidyl Serine which is involved in adrenal function and nerve cell function. Phosphatidyl serine is the major phospholipid in the brain.

BioCare Mindlinx is a probiotic supplement designed for children to support the healthy function of the gastrointestinal tract and support overall wellbeing.

Xylitol Chocolate is extremely delicious and made with natural sweetener Xylitol. Low-GL and actually good for your teeth! We all deserve to treat ourselves!

BioCare AD206. The adrenal glands are the body’s ‘shock absorbers’ at times of stress. BioCare’s innovative AD 206 contains specific nutrients and plant extracts to help support adrenal function during stressful periods.


Monday 14 May 2012

Beating Hayfever with Nutrition



Not to be sneezed at...


May sees the arrival of National Walking Month, the time of year when those of us who travel mostly by car are encouraged to take a little walk and feel the fresh air.  With a relatively changeable weather system at the minute it's a pretty good reason not to go outside for fear of being drenched. Walking outside is also something that hay fever sufferers really struggle with at this time of year so this week we're going to focus on managing hay fever symptoms.

Roughly 10 million people in the UK suffer from hay fever, that’s 1 in 6 people. This is unsurprising as there seems to be a higher pollen count in the UK compared to other European countries.

When is the pollen count high?
It is a good idea to check the pollen count.  There are lots of ways to do that, from the weather updates on the television and radio, a pollen count phone app or on the internet. The pollen count was suspected to peak during the first week of April due to tree and grass pollination, however, we seem to have bought ourselves some time with the April showers. Let’s take advantage of this and get ourselves prepared with a survival kit to help reduce those irritating symptoms of itchiness, sneezing and mind fog.

Who is mainly affected by hay fever?
Interestingly it seems that people within the city are more affected by the pollen count. There also appears to be an increase in the amount of people that suffer from hay fever year on year. Possibly due to inner city pollution agitating mucous membrane lining, causing inflammation. This inflammation is further antagonized during spring by pollen acting as a foreign invader to the body.

The Rudolf red nose effect
A runny nose and congestion are common symptoms of hay fever. Here are a couple of suggestions to reduce the formation and increase the breakdown of mucus.

Dairy the Culprit
A possible culprit for mucus production is dairy, so much so that actors often aim to avoid it just before a performance to help their vocals clear. Therefore removing dairy from the diet could be an option if excess mucus production is a problem. In situations where it is difficult to avoid diary, a digestive enzyme can help to break down the molecules in dairy, making it less problematic.

Pineapple and Papaya
Natural digestive enzymes that can also help to breakdown mucus are papain and bromelain found in pineapple and papaya. The added benefit is that these enzymes also help you breakdown food which can help support your digestive system which can be a little sluggish when you are not well.

A natural anti-histamine to reduce sneezing, itchy eyes, mouth and throat
These symptoms tend to be due to a high histamine response in the nasal passage and skin triggering a sensory response to pollen.

Horseradish
Start adding fresh horseradish to a salad as it breaks down the mucus preventing a breeding ground for bacteria and most of all stops you feeling foggy and congested.

Berries
Berries such as bilberries, blueberries and blackberries are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids which support the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and support a healthy immune response.  One flavonoid that is commonly related to a healthy histamine response for hay fever is quercetin, which helps to regulate inflammation in the respiratory tract and relaxes the airways. 












Manuka Honey and lemon Having honey and lemon on a daily basis may help bring down the sensitivity of the immune system to pollen when the pollen count is high.
Have a healthy week



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BioCare Histazyme Plus provides nutrients to support respiratory health during seasonal changes when pollens and environmental factors place extra pressures on the body’s nutritional requirements.


BioCare
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Comvita Manuka Honey has with multiple uses; Comvita Manuka Honey is a great addition to any household. Antiseptic, antiviral and antibiotic. Recommended for the relief of digestive disorders.


Comvita Propolis Lemon and Honey Lozenges act as a soothing natural anaesthetic that lubricates the throat and provides unique antibacterial and antioxidant action.

BioCare Muccolyte Plus
When mucus is produced in excessive amounts, it generally indicates an underlying problem. The correct diet, improvements in the environment and the addition of specific nutrients in the diet may help support mucus production.

Thursday 3 May 2012

Nutritional remedies to relieve insomnia naturally


Are you getting your sleep?
You go to bed, it’s a reasonable hour you’ve planned the perfect sleep to feel your best tomorrow. However, this isn’t how it pans out, hours later you are lying there wide awake, mind is in overdrive and you are so frustrated that even the ticking of your bedside clock sounds like a gong to your eardrums. You finally drift off and with barely a shut of an eyelid the alarm goes off and your day begins! 

This is a reoccurring scenario affecting around a third of the UK population, let’s bring that statistic down with some nutritional support today. 

Soothing teas
Aim to have a nice hot bath with bath salts at the end of the evening accompanied with a hot drink of lemon balm with chamomile or hops tea. The combination will relax stressed muscles and have a gentle sedative effect to help you unwind from a busy day.

Does a cup of warm milk really work?
A cup of warm milk before bed really does do the trick as it contains one of the richest sources of amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is a natural precursor to the sleeping hormone melatonin. However, tryptophan is only the beginning of the journey to aid melatonin synthesis and most people are not keen on food before bed. A preference for many is taking 5-HTP supplementation half an hour before planning to go to drift into the night's sleep. 

A good nights' sleep
Often a deficiency of magnesium is related to poor sleeping patterns and irritability and therefore magnesium can be useful for correcting this. By adding taurate tomagnesium there may be better effect as the magnesium reduces the physical tension and taurate calms the chemical responses of the nervous system. 

Stop your caffeinated drinks early in the day
Don’t think of sleep as something that you need to tackle just before bed. You can begin preparing hours before by changing habits in your daily routine. If you drink plentiful amounts of caffeine make your last cup at 3pm the latest to allow your body to get the caffeine out of your system. A heavy intake of caffeine will not only make your wired but also have negative effect on magnesium levels which is also going to disrupt sleep. Whilst reducing caffeine intake swap your caffeinated drinks for herbal teas and your last caffeinated drink of the day could be green tea. Green tea naturally contains the amino acid theanine which is a nutrient that crosses the blood brain barrier to stimulate relaxing neurotransmitters; dopamine and GABA. 
 
Relaxation techniques
Aim to stop watching TV an hour before bed to prevent your mind from being over stimulated from high levels of adrenaline. Instead aim to read a light hearted book or learn meditation techniques. 


A lack of sleep can really make the difference between a good and bad day. If you persistently struggle to sleep we would recommend you seek medical advice.