Nutrition helping you keep healthy during your summer travels

Travelling abroad The excitement of a holiday, new clothes, sunshine and exploring on day trips is sometimes almost enough for you to forget about your travel health.  Most of us don’t think about it until we get there, but we’ve got a few suggestions to help you plan a little in advance so you don’t have to worry when you should be enjoying your summer break. Reducing the risk of the travellers tummy bug: Most tummy infections from micro-organisms and parasites are from contaminated foods, water and infected animals.  However, tap water in some countries is to an equivalent or even better standard than bottled water so it is worth checking if you can drink it before you go. Bear in mind that tap water can be suitable for a local’s immune system but still affect you. If it’s not suitable for you make sure that you brush your teeth and drink mineral bottled water only. Be careful not to be caught out with ice made from tap water in restaurants and also make sure fruit is pealed and vegetables are boiled to reduce the chance of ingesting food borne contaminants.

Tasty food can look after your tummy: When choosing a meal at a restaurant look for dishes containing garlic, coriander, cloves, coconut, cinnamon and oregano as they not only make our food taste delicious they also all act as natural antibiotics making the digestive tract less habitable for pathogens. Had one too many to drink? The drinks were flowing and the evening was jolly but then you wake up the next morning it’s a slightly different story. The aftermath of alcohol can leave you feeling a little low, lethargic and under the weather due to four main reasons; the toxic load on the liver, disruption to blood sugar levels, dehydration and depletion of your B vitamin levels which like to keep you happy and energized. Reduce hangover symptoms by:  - Having liver supportive foods such as beetroot, artichoke, eggs and cruciferous vegetables before and after drinking can help to detoxify alcohol effectively through the liver.   - Eating berries and a banana the following morning can help rehydrate you and combine this with some nuts and seeds to aim at rebalancing your blood sugar levels.

Keep that flat tummy The trick to keeping your stomach flat is ensuring that you  are adequately digesting your food. We have put some tips below to help:

- Chew your food to a pulp so that your body can digest it - Limit refined carbohydrates in the diet such as pasta and bread.  They cause water retention and your body doesn’t really know what to do with it - Eat salads - raw foods contain digestive enzymes to aid food digestion

The desired summer glow The sun can give your skin a nice glow but can also cause damage. A couple of tips below should help: - Wear a sun cream of SPF-15 to protect your skin from the suns UV rays - Use aftercare containing vitamin E and aloe vera to help soothe and rejuvenate your skin - Use a skin regime containing antioxidants to protect and repair skin such as zinc, vitamin A and CoQ10

We hope that you enjoy your up and coming travels!

Keep your skin nourished in the summer sun

Let the sun shine... The time of year has arrived when we book it, pack it and get on our way for a holiday of hopefully sun, sea and summer fun (even if the UK isn’t being too generous with sunshine this year!). Sunny days make us feel good and have some health benefits too so if you are jetting off somewhere hot or the UK finally decides to shine on us, here are some tips on how to look after your skin safely in the sun. The summer sun The most common ray that we get directly from the sun is Utra Violet – B (UV-B) this is the ray that makes you burn. Ultra Violet –A (UV-A) is another ray that we get which is more associated with the aging process. We are exposed to UV-A all year round as it can penetrate through the clouds, therefore it’s a good idea to wear sun cream or make-up providing a protective layer of SPF-15 in all weather conditions.

Is the sunbed really bad for you? Tans became fashionable in the 1920’s when Coco Chanel accidently sun burnt herself at the French Rivera, her fans were taken by her look and her lead in fashion inspired a new trend that is still being continued today. If you like the idea of having a winter tan, buy a flawless self tanner to give you that glow. As healthy as a tan may look, a tan from a sunbed can do more damage than good as it admits UV-A rays damaging vitamin D and penetrates deeper in the skin layers causing damage to the tissue that is not immediately visible. We would always advise that you're careful when using a sunbed.

Picking a sun cream SPF 15 is an ideal factor to choose; above SPF-20 creams tend to include chemicals to keep its protective barrier but can also leach into the skin causing premature aging of the skin.  When picking a sun cream, choose one that is not overwhelmed with a lengthy list of ingredients and instead choose natural ingredients such as zinc oxide (sun reflective, supports collagen) or titanium dioxide.

How long should I be in the sun? 20 minutes of daylight exposure excluding the midday sun can be supportive to synthesize vitamin D.  After 20 minutes the sunlight begins to damage the vitamin D produced.  Another reason for not having longer exposure than your recommended daily amount is that the rays can penetrate into the skin damaging collagen, potentially causing premature aging and free radical damage. Uneven skin pigmentation Our skins produce a colour pigmentation called melanin in the sun. An example of melanin in one area of the skin is freckles which are more frequently seen on pale skin.   People that are exposed to the sun a lot may develop more obvious skin patches make the skin tone look more uneven. Using skin creams or foods that contain Vitamin A, E and l-cysteine may help to as they reduce the tanning pigmentation melanin in the skin whilst also protecting collagen.

Reducing sun damage to the skin Be sensible, don’t over expose your skin and make sure that you include plenty of antioxidants in your diet from fruit and vegetables to help your skin. Antioxidants provide additional support to sun cream by minimizing the risk of the UV rays penetrating through the skins layers. Bringing down sunburn and saving your tan Ideally, try not to burn your skin as this can cause aging, but if you are caught out apply vitamin A and aloe vera to soothe and repair the skin from any redness.

Keeping your glow Make sure you keep your skin well hydrated in the sun, drink plenty of water and eat healthy fats such as oily fish and coconut to help keep your skin glowing and moisturized to maintain your tan. We might only get a handful of sunny days at the moment, but it's definitely worth making the most of them. If you're able to get away this year to somewhere with much more sunshine, practise safe sun with a balance of getting enough Vitamin D and using a good sun cream. Enjoy your week.

Nutrition for before, during and after pregnancy

As we wave goodbye to one of the team as she goes on maternity leave, we thought it appropriate to focus on before, during and after pregnancy care for you, your partner and your baby. Preconception health and pregnancy It is recommended that you start a good nutritional health routine around three months prior to conception in order to improve sperm and egg quality. And once you’re pregnant you need to maintain a high quality diet to support your health and to give your baby the best possible start.

Support for both you and your partner   Zinc Zinc is an important mineral for healthy sperm formation and also helping with implantation of a fertilised egg in the womb. Essential Fatty Acids Omega 3 and 6 help with hormonal balancing. For men, omega 3 ensures healthy sperm formation and motility. For women, omega 3 is equally important for egg membrane flexibility to allow sperm to penetrate through.

Antioxidants Insufficient vitamin E has been linked to poor fertility levels in both men and women. Foods such as nuts, seeds and avocados are nutritious options to help support optimum levels. Selenium and vitamin C are both protective antioxidants against free radical damage and vitamin C reduces the chances of sperm clumping together. Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 A necessity for women during preconception health and pregnancy to prevent any deficiencies that have been linked with birth defects such as spina bifida. Neonatal Nutrition Congratulations on the new buddle of joy in your life. Having a newborn baby is very rewarding but can also be a demanding time for you, so some nutritional tips should help to keep you both in the best of health. The benefits of breastfeeding Breastfeeding stimulates the release of a hormone called oxytocin which makes you and your baby feel close. This hormone also helps you to feel relaxed and go back to sleep after night feeding. For newborns that are breastfed their digestive tract contains 80-90% of a probiotic called Bifidobacterium Lactis. The bacteria support the immune system to fight off infections and help to provide a healthy environment for good bacteria to grow. Babies with colic especially find probiotics supportive as the probiotic encourages a healthy bowel movement. A probiotic can always be used to give additional support, but is especially important if a baby is born through C-section, is not being breastfed or taking antibiotics.

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Essential fatty acids When breastfeeding make sure you have a healthy intake of essential fatty acids from fish, avocados and coconut oil as they provide nutrition to the baby through the breast milk. Essential fatty acids are so important for a whole range of reasons. The brain is predominantly made up of fats so they are crucial in supporting brain development as well as helping to provide some other benefits such as soft, smooth, healthy skin and good eyesight. Multivitamins and minerals Baby’s nutritional demands are high as they grow and develop; therefore all round support from all minerals and vitamins is needed. If you are breastfeeding make sure that you have an array of different coloured vegetables and fruits. The more natural plant food colours on your plate, the more nutrients you and your baby are benefiting from. To aid breast milk production Many women find producing milk can be difficult at times. Making sure that you are hydrated is crucial in being able to produce milk. Other aids to support milk production are phyto- plankton and teas containing fenugreek seed and fennel tea.

Beating Colic A common cause of colic is an intolerance to lactose in milk which can be helped by the mother reducing or eliminating ‘dairy’ in the diet whilst breastfeeding, and adding the digestive enzyme; lactase. Lactase can also be added to formula feeds to aid digestion. Also, try massaging the baby’s abdomen with rosemary oil to soothe any bloating.

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] 

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[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

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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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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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.