Winter Health Stir Fry to Boost the Immune System

Wonderful healthy Tuna Stir Fry for us all to try this winter. 

Winter Health Tuna Stir Fry

Support your immune system with a nutritious packed meal to keep you fit and healthy for the winter months.

Serves 4
x2 200g Tuna Steaks
50g of finely chopped shitake mushrooms
50g Spinach leaves
A handful of chopped and trimmed asparagus
100g Broccoli roughly chopped
1 Red Pepper and 1 yellow finely chopped
4 Crushed cloves of garlic
½ a Horseradish root grated
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
½ a root of grated ginger
20g of chopped coriander
Juice half a lemon
30g Chia Seeds
2 tablespoons of Coconut oil
2 tablespoon of Manuka honey

1. In a bowl mix Manuka honey, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and the horseradish.
2. Slice the tuna steaks into thin strips and add to mix and leave to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours
3. With a piece of greaseproof paper rub the coconut oil across the base of the wok.
4. Heat the wok until hot and then add the tuna steaks, cook on each side for 3 mins and then place them to the side on a plate
5. Add the rest of the coconut oil and leave for a couple of minutes on a high heat
6. Add the vegetables, ginger, horseradish, chia seeds and garlic to the pan, heat until the vegetable have slightly softened but still have crunch and then add the tuna steaks. Mix all the ingredients together and heat for a further 3 minutes on a low heat.
7. Serve to the plates on the bed of spinach leaves and sprinkle with coriander

Survival Kit for 'Man Flu'

How to survive 'Man Flu'

The cooler months are setting in and coughs and colds are on the horizon but should women empathise with men when they claim to have the dreaded ‘man flu’? Are women the stronger sex?

Interestingly, research by Cambridge University has suggested that there may be some truth to their suffering.

The statistics have shown that females live longer than males and tend to produce less virus particles during a case of the flu or a common cold.

Whether ‘man flu’ is related to the battle of the sexes or a myth, the main key is for everyone to keep their immune system strong and healthy so it sends out its own defences when coughs and colds are on the prowl.

Top immune survival tips

1. Elderberry is one to keep in your emergency box to be used at the first signs of a sniffle. This powerful berry has been used for centuries in fighting the common cold and flu with good reason. Using elderberry has been shown to improve the rapid recovery of the flu. A recent study showed that 93% of the treated group improved over 2 days compared to 91% of people not treated, who improved over 6 days (1,2,3).

2. Vitamin C is a powerful guardsman to the immune system that is quick to scavenge any invaders. High doses (1-3g/day) of vitamin C (in buffered form so that it is sensitive on the tummy) orally has been shown to decrease the duration of cold symptoms by 1-1.5 days (4,5,6,7,8).

3. Zinc has been shown to step up the immune response and reduce the replication of the virus therefore shortening or possibly even preventing the signs of the virus. This is especially useful to be used alongside a flu jab to reduce possible symptoms. Dosages of 30mg elemental zinc should be taken, this can also be gargled with to soothe a sore throat (9,10,11,12,13). 

4. Horseradish, papaya and berries aid digestion when the appetite is low. The berries will help with rehydrating and repair damaged tissue. Whereas papaya and horseradish help with a stuffy nose and a congested head by breaking down the mucus.

References 

1. Fan‐kun Kong (2009) Pilot Clinical Study on a Proprietary Elderberry Extract: Efficacy in Addressing Influenza Symptoms, J Pharmacol Pharmacokin 5: 32‐43

2. Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections’. J Int Med Res. 2004 Mar-Apr;32(2):132-40

3. Inhibition of several strains of influenza virus in vitro and reduction of symptoms by an elderberry extract (Sambucus nigra L.) during an outbreak of influenza’ by B Panama.Zakay-Rones Z., Varsano N., Zlotnik M., Manor O., Regev L., Schlesinger M., Mumcuoglu M. - J Altern Complement Med. 1995 Winter;1(4):361-9

4. Pitt HA, Costrini AM. Vitamin C prophylaxis in marine recruits. JAMA 1979;241:908-11.

5. Anderson TW. Vitamin C and the common cold. J Med Soc N J 1979;76:765-6.

6. Hemila H. Does vitamin C alleviate the symptoms of the common cold?- a review of current evidence. Scand J Infect Dis 1994;26:1-6

7. Douglas RM, Chalker EB, Treacy B. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2000;(2):CD000980.

8. Gorton HC, Jarvis K. The effectiveness of vitamin C in preventing and relieving the symptoms of virus-induced respiratory infections. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999;22:530-3.

9 Takkouche B, Regueira-Mendez C, Garcia-Closas R, et al. Intake of vitamin C and zinc and risk of common cold: a cohort study. Epidemiology 2002;13:38-44.

10 Turner RB. The treatment of rhinovirus infections: progress and potential. Antiviral Res 2001;49:1-14.

11 Turner RB, Cetnarowski WE. Effect of treatment with zinc gluconate or zinc acetate on experimental and natural colds.Clin Infect Dis 2000;31:1202-8.

12 (G A Eby, D R Davis, and W W Halcomb (1984) Reduction in duration of common colds by zinc gluconate lozenges in a double-blind study, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 25:20-24 [Abstract] http://aac.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/25/1/20 )  

13 Girodon F, Galan P, Monget AL, et al. Impact of trace elements and vitamin supplementation on immunity and infections in institutionalized elderly patients: a randomized, controlled trial. MIN. VIT. AOX. geriatric network. Arch Intern Med 1999;159:748-54.

Nutrition to prevent the blues

Feeling Blue

It is natural to feel blue from time to time, everyone does. This may be due to holiday blues or personal situations, and soon when autumn sets in you won’t produce as much of your happy hormones as it tends to be heavily manufactured by the sun.  However, there are so many positive natural changes that you can make to put the spring back in your step.

The sunshine hormone Have you noticed how happy people are when they are spending time in the sunshine? The reason for this is that in the sun we make a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is a powerful mood hormone that makes you feel happy.Naturally we produce about 70% of this hormone in the gut. Hence why your gut is called your second brain ,you have a whole network of brain chemical responses here.  Antidepressants During the winter some people suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) which is often treated with antidepressants that work on your serotonin and sometimes noradrenaline (motivation) levels.  The only concern is that these are powerful medications that have many side effects aswell as being highly addictive they may make people behave in an impulsive way. Natural antidepressants There are natural solutions that have been shown to be equally as effective to antidepressants for the blues. 5-HTP is and tryptophan are the building blocks of serotonin but they need catalysts  B vitamins, zinc and TMG to turn them into their neurotransmitters.  In addition essential fatty acids (omega 3 and 6) have been shown to work as natural antidepressants as they support the transmission of neurotransmitters and aid their synthesis. Tryptophan Tryptophan is naturally found in protein rich foods such as eggs, meat and fish.  Research has shown that when you starve someone of these foods, in a matter of hours there serotonin levels drop as do there moods. Therefore it is important to include protein rich foods with every meal and snack that you have.  5-HTP is slightly difficult to achieve through the diet.  5-HTP The richest form of 5-HTP comes from an African seed called Griffonia simplicifolia.  However you can use supplementation. Ideally it is recommended that you build your levels up gradually by starting at 50mg/day and then build this up to a maximum of 300mg/day.  If you have trouble sleeping aim to take 5HTP before bed as serotonin converts to your sleeping hormone melotonin in the dark. B Vitamins These are also synthesied in your gut and are in an array of foods such as your protein rich foods but are also destroyed very easily. B Vitamins are needed by the body to help manufacture serotonin and to nourish your adrenal gland (also known as the energy gland) which helps keep you upbeat and motivated . Essential Fatty Acids  found in fish, nuts, seeds and avocado. Fish oil is especially important as it contains EPA and DHA which is a component of the brain. Studies have shown that an intake of   at least 2-3 portions of oily fish per week over a period of 6 weeks has been connected with a variation in mood and personality Carbohydrate loading the temporary fix Often when people feel low they go on a carbohydrate load of bakery goods as it stimulates the release of our serotonin. However, this also releases too much glucose into the blood to give a temporary boost to your mood, but, as the saying goes, what goes up must come down,  after a couple of hours you can be left feeling lethargic, depressed  and moody.  That does not mean that you cut all carbohydrates as vegetables and fibre can be nutritionally dense providing us with energy, just pick wisely and try not to eat refined carbohydrates and combine them with protein or fats to have a happy healthy stabilised mood.    Other natural treatments to consider Massage A massage supports the release of many hormones such as oxytocin which encourages trust, devotion and a bond with the person you have physical contact with.  In addition it encourages the release of dopamine, your reward hormone making you feel content and relaxed. CBT (Cognitive behavioural therapy)   This is a type of counselling that doesn’t focus on your history but encourages you to think about situations in a more positive way. Take a walk with nature Getting outside and feeling the fresh breeze on your skin makes everyone feel lighter. Go for walks in the park or countryside rather than the city as nature has a positive effect on your aura and energy field.

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