Fast food is bad for your liver!Sunday, November 20th, 2011 / General News
We know that eating fast, rubbishy food is bad for our heart, weight, cholesterol levels and so on but did you know that fast food can affect your liver! A study found that people who ate two fast-food meals a day, doubled their daily calories, and who didn’t take any exercise sedentary developed significantly higher (unhealthy) levels in liver function tests in comparison to a control group. It was thought likley that the liver changes were due to increased carbohydrate and sugar intake. So, for the sake of your liver, ditch the high sugar foods and try to eat two portions of fruit a day, four portions of vegetables a day, as well as whole grains, legumes (beans and lentils) and fish on a regular basis.
Vitamin D (or the lack of it)Tuesday, November 15th, 2011 / General News
We’ve known for a while that Vitamin D is critical for bone health, but, recently we’re also discovering it’s important to heart, immune and mental health as well. It’s difficult to get healthy levels of D from food (although oily fish a good source) and we get most of it from the action of the sun on our skin. But, in the northern hemisphere there is so little sun in winter that many of us are deficient in Vitamin D. So, I would advise taking a good quality D supplement now that winter is fast approaching. Brrrrr!
Taken antibiotics recently?Thursday, November 10th, 2011 / General News
Antibiotics, in the right place and the right time, can be life saving. But, if you’ve had a long course of antibiotics or have been taking them frequently, it is likely that, as well as wiping out the bad bacteria in your body, they have also wiped out the good bacteria in your bowel – these are essential for health. When your good bowel bacteria are low, the first signs are often digestive upsets, bloating and wind So, if you’ve had antibiotics, I strongly recommend that you take course of probiotics (good bacteria) to raise the levels of these health-giving bugs in your gut again. Drop me an e-mail and I’ll be happy to recommend a good probiotic to you.
Protein-packed smoothiesFriday, November 4th, 2011 / General News
Smoothies, as well as being delicious, are packed full of vital minerals and vitamins which support your immune system to protect you against infection, allergies and cancers. However, there’s lots of fruit sugars in a smooothie, so to help keep your blood sugar in balance, try adding a few tablespoons of protein powder to your drink (protein helps the sugars be absorbed more slowly into your blood stream). Try hemp, soya or whey powder that you can get from your local health food store. Enjoy!
Serotonin and Weight ManagementWednesday, August 10th, 2011 / General News
Exercise leads to longer livesSaturday, August 6th, 2011 / General News
We know that exercise prevents chronic disease and helps mental functioning as we get older. Now there is evidence that exercise not only helps us live healthier but also longer. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that physically fit people have lower risk of death, and they found this to be true even among overweight adults. Death rates among the most fit people was 75% lower than the rate among the least fit. Finding an exercise routine that works well for you is the first step toward getting fit. Brisk walking, dancing and gardening are some ways to get moderate physical activity, and running, cycling, and playing sports like football and tennis are usually vigorous. Breaking a sweat and increases in breathing rate and heart rate are good signs that you are exercising well.
Food and moodTuesday, August 2nd, 2011 / General News
I’m delighted to tell you that I’m developing a new course about mental health and nutrition (food and mood). I’ll be offering the course over ten weeks, for three hours each week at the Glasgow Cognitive Behaviour Centre. The course will start in October 2011. So, if you’re interested in learning about how nutrition impacts on brain development, thinking, feeling and concentration, and lots of other interesting facts, come along to the classes – I can guarantee you that you will learn lots about food and mood, and a lot about how your own personal eating habits affect you!
IBS and Vitamin B6Monday, June 20th, 2011 / General News
IBS and gastoenteritisSaturday, May 14th, 2011 / General News
We’ve long known that peppermint help settle the pain and discomfort of IBS but now we’re beginning to understand how it does it. Australian researchers have discovered that peppermint works through specific anti-pain channels to reduce the activity in pain-sensing fibres. The researchers also suggest that there is a link between IBS and a former bout of gastroenteritis, which leaves nerve-pain fibres in a “heightened” state, resulting in ongoing pain.
Cranberries for a healthy bladderMonday, May 9th, 2011 / General News
If you suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections there’s good news. The Cochrane Institute (a world- renowned authority for research) has recommended cranberry extract to help prevent the recurrence of urinary tract infections. Cranberry extract stops the bacteria “sticking” to the bladder wall, making it easier to wash them out when you wee. For convenience, you might want to try a new product on the market called “Cysticlean” (unfortunate name if you ask me) by taking one tablet a day for 3-6 months. It’s got excellent reviews!