About Me

My photo
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 :)

ttps://twitter.com/Samanthaeprior

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Little Black Dress Diet



We can’t quite believe that there are just less than five weeks to go until Christmas. The men will be dusting off their best suit and polishing up their shoes – easy! But for women the most important thing is finding that perfect little black dress to see us through the party season. 
This can be somewhat difficult though, especially if you have been enjoying ‘comfort’ food to see you through the shorter, darker autumn days but in return gained a few unwanted pounds. 
So we have a few tips below that may help you get into shape so you feel and look fantastic in your little party number. 


Forget the tedious calorie counting challenge
The first bit of advice, don’t be fooled by low fat and low calorie foods!  Let us forget about calorie counting, it can mean that you choose the wrong foods that contribute to fat gain rather than weight loss. 

Nature knows best is a good rule of thumb Your body knows how to breakdown, digest and utilise natural foods to use for energy. 
Diet foods on the market tend to contain chemicals such as the sweetener aspartame which although are low in calories can still cause you to gain weight as they end up being stored in fat cells as toxins.
Ignore ‘low fat’ labels   always check the label, low fat tends to mean that lots of sugars and dubious ingredients are added instead to make up for the lack of fat added making the food palatable.   These foods can end up being harder for the body to breakdown and therefore require more energy expenditure to burn them off.
Think about a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates and you are on your way to having a far easier time with your diet. A diet rich in protein causes less water retention and makes you feel fuller for longer   
Low Calorie diets that follow a diet of 1,800kcal high in protein and low in carbohydrates lost more weight than those following a diet of 1,200kcal that was low in fat and rich in carbohydrates.  This suggests that the calories are not the factor but food choices are[i].  

 Metabolism and improved muscle to fat ratio
Garcinia Cambogia  is an Indonesian fruit that contains Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA). HCA is a natural ingredient used to support weightloss as it helps to suppress the appetite and encourage fat and carbohydrate metabolism[i],[ii]
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is an amino acid found naturally in poultry, pork, yogurt, ricotta and cottage cheese, egg yolks, red peppers, garlic, onions, broccoli, Brussels sprouts.  NAC is involved in metabolism and supporting blood sugar levels to support weightloss from fat and building muscle tissue. This is also a powerful antioxidant that protects the body from toxins which then allow fat cells to breakdown[iii].
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) dietary sources include red meat, organ meats, spinach, broccoli, potatoes, yams, carrots, beets, and yeast. ALA increases metabolism; encouraging carbohydrates to be used as fuel rather than storing the food source in fat cells[iv].
Whey protein improves body mass index (BMI) in individuals participating in exercise programs[ii], affects satiety, attenuates fat gain, accelerates fat metabolism, and affects nutrient partitioning between fat tissue and muscle [iii].
Coconut Oil contains CLA which has been found to reduce fat deposition, possibly through decreased fat uptake in adipose tissue [vi].
lady exercising

Exercise

Plenty of weight bearing exercise is the key here.  Running for hours alone on a treadmill is not going to be as effective.  The more muscle groups that you work on at one time the better the results as it will encourage more energy output. Using weights as part of your exercise program encourages a higher muscle to fat to increase your metabolism and will make you look trimmer.  If you are a gym member, it can be motivating and helpful to have a personal trainer put together a program that is tailored to you. 
Flat tums:
Celery seed extract acts as a diuretic, which can be useful to remove bloating caused by water retention during pre-menstrual tension, or poor potassium and sodium balancing.  In addition the celery seed cleanses the system of bad fats and toxins which allow other fat cells to breakdown[v].
Magnesium has an involvement in water retention by modulating the water hormone; aldosterone activity. Therefore having a healthy level of magnesium during menstrual bloating can be really effective in helping to keep a flat stomach
body of a ladyDigestive enzymes help breakdown food groups so that they do not cause bloating. Before each meal have either a table spoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to encourage stomach acid. In addition have a salad each day as raw foods naturally contain digestive enzymes to help breakdown a lot of problematic foods.


Supporting satiety
Fibre Although a high protein diet is effective at balancing blood sugar levels for satiety so are complex carbohydrates. Fibre can interact with appetite signals in the gut to tell them that you are full.   Therefore make sure you include vegetables and one or two complex carbohydrates (brown rice, quinoa) a day.




Reeferences
[i] Gary D. Foster, Ph.D., Holly R. Wyatt, M.D., James O. Hill, Ph.D., Brian G. McGuckin, Ed.M., Carrie Brill, B.S., B. Selma Mohammed, M.D., Ph.D., Philippe O. Szapary, M.D., Daniel J. Rader, M.D., Joel S. Edman, D.Sc., and Samuel Klein, M.D (2003)  N Engl J Med 348:2082-2090
[i] Onakpoya I, Hung SK, Perry R, Wider B, Ernst E. (2010) The Use of Garcinia Extract (Hydroxycitric Acid) as a Weight loss Supplement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Clinical Trials.
J Obes. 509038.
[ii] Heymsfield SB, Allison DB, Vasselli JR, Pietrobelli A, Greenfield D, Nunez C. Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesitynagent. JAMA 1998; 280: 1596–600.
[iii] Oner G, Muderris II (2011). Clinical, endocrine and metabolic effects of metformin vs N-acetyl-cysteine in women with polycystic ovary syndrome,  Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 159(1):127-31..
[iv] Br J Dermatol 2003;149:841-9.
[v] [v] Mansi K, Abushoffa AM, Disi A, Aburjai T. Hypolipidemic Effects of Seed Extract of Celery (Apium graveolens ) in Rats. Phcog Mag 2009;5:301-5
[vi].Am J Physiol.  1999;276 (4 part 2): R1172–9.

Monday 12 November 2012

Managing Stress


Time to stress less
Halloween and Bonfire night have come and gone which means just one thing – Christmas is coming and fast! We have all been chatting in the office about how many weeks we have to get all our shopping, what we will buy, where we need to be and when over the festive season.

With so much to plan and get done on top of our everyday lives we can imagine that a few of us will feel the strain and start to feel a little stressed. So this week, we want to share a few secrets with you about stress and ways to help you manage those manic moments.


RelaxingManaging Stress
There are many factors that can cause stress such as the pressures from work and social family demands that can all become overbearing from time to time. People have many different ways of coping when they are under pressure, commonly they do not take their foot off the gas which can cause them to eventually burn out and be enveloped in a whirlwind of emotions.

Fight or flight response
Modern day life - running around all day and juggling many different deadlines leave many of us still living off of a ‘fight or flight’ response. This response is something that we would have used to flee from life threatening situations such as running from a sabre-toothed tiger. The response causes us to live off our energy glands (adrenals) which are mainly there to help us exert energy. Constantly being in this state can have a negative impact on hormones, weight management, insomnia, immune system and our mood.

Although it is not easy to tell someone to reduce the stress in their lives, we can look at ways to reduce the amount of pressure that they are feeling and aim at supporting their health. Therefore we have put some tips together below.

Managing weight and energyWomen meditating
Following a low Glycaemic Load (GL) diet, which consists of small meals/snacks every 3-4 hours that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates, help support constant energy levels and also reduce the chances of storing fat.

Relaxing the mind
There are many foods that contain amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan, that encourage the release of happy hormones. These are mainly protein foods such as chicken, turkey, tuna and beef and non-protein foods such as banana.

Insomnia
Stress can keep you awake due to you still being in a ‘fight or flight’ mode late in the evening. Having protein rich foods late in the evening that contain magnesium and taurine such as seeds and eggs can have a calming effect on the system by relaxing the muscles and calming the mind. In addition to this, aim to have teas which contain lemon balm, chamomile and passionflower.

Supporting the Immune System
Aim to have a diet rich in fruit and vegetables of all different colours as each colour represents different phytochemicals that help provide support to the immune system. In addition to a healthy diet, now that we are heading into winter, make sure that for adults you are having at least 1000 iu of Vitamin D daily to boost the immune system and at least 1g per day of Vitamin C.

Thursday 1 November 2012

Movember - supporting prostate health





This month is all for the boys. The first day of Movember is today and therefore I thought to support this it would be a good idea to provide some information, starting with prostate health. 

Prostate health
The prostate is located just above a man’s bladder and is roughly the size and shape of a walnut.  One of its primary functions is to help with seminal fluid quality.  In the UK 50% of men 50 – 60 years have prostate problems such as prostatitis or benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), by the age of 85year the risk rises to 90%. Due to the locality of the prostate, its enlargement can also cause lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). 

Problems with the prostate can be multifactorial, therefore the approach I have gone with today supports hormonal levels, blood sugar and the anti-inflammatory pathway. These suggestions are suitable for all men of all ages whether they are dealing with prostate problems or in good health.

The Testosterone Link
The prostates characteristics are governed by sex hormones such as testosterone which is converted to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by 5α-reductase. DHT is an androgen that is 5 times stronger than testosterone and is responsible for stimulating growth factors that may affect prostate enlargement.  As men get older their testosterone levels tend to decline yet DHT remains high in prostates that become inflamed/enlarged.  Due to this relationship the medicinal route would be to inhibit the testosterone conversion there are also to natural remedies that are commonly used for the same purpose

Zinc
The richest amount of zinc found in a man is in the prostate and a deficiency has been linked to the enlargement or inflammation of the prostate. There is a far greater requirement for this mineral by men than women as it is needed for the formation of semen and modulation of DHT production. Therefore, rich sources on a day to day basis would be oysters, pumpkin seeds, nuts.
A high libido would be a good reason for including plentiful amount of zinc rich foods. The loss of too much zinc through seminal fluid may result in inflammatory conditions such as prostatitis. 

Saw Palmetto
Has been long used as a natural way to support prostate health. It is believed to reduce the size of the prostate gland by inhibiting the production DHT. By reducing the size of the prostate the saw palmetto has also had a positive effect on any urinary symptoms.

Exercise
At least a couple of times a week, it would be a really good idea to go to the gym to do some weight bearing exercise. Not only does exercise reduce stress levels but it also encourages the release of testosterone which is especially beneficial in later years.


Support the immune system

Vitamin D – good excuse for a summer holiday
A study involving health professional at Harvard recently found that those that had low serum levels of Vitamin D were more inclined to have prostate problems. This may be due to vitamin D supporting the immune system. There were similar results when men that spent time in the sun were compared to those who didn’t.  The ones that didn’t were also lower in vitamin D and more susceptible to prostate problems.

Lycopene
Ever wondered what makes tomatoes their colour- its the natural carotenoid lycopene.  There has been a lot of research supporting its use for prostate health as it has been shown to support the integrity of prostate cells.  Try including tomatoes daily, mind you, make sure you cook them and add a fat such as olive oil is what helps make the lycopene more bioavailable.  

The alkalising effect

Celery Seed
This can be a bit of a god send if men do also get urinary infections as the celery seed can have an alkalising effect therefore taking the sting out of passing urine.  

Keep healthy