Did you Know ?
Weight loss. Research shows that people with lower vitamin D levels are more likely to be obese than those with higher levels. Women taking calcium plus vitamin D are more likely to lose weight and maintain their weight. However, this benefit is mainly in women who did not consume enough calcium before they started taking supplements.

Study with CNM

I completed my training as a Nutritional Therapist with CNM, who are Irelands largest and longest established training provider for Nutrition Courses, Herbal Medicine Courses and Acupuncture Courses with colleges in Dublin, Cork and Galway.  CNM has additional colleges throughout the UK, South Africa and USA.

Their goal is to offer courses with a holistic naturopathic approach and focus on practical applications. CNM courses have been carefully designed to incorporate scientific understanding of the human body with traditional, natural methods of healthcare.

The courses focus on the application of the primary principles of naturopathic medicine:

• Vis Medicatrix Naturae – The healing power of nature. There is a ‘vital force’ or ‘life force’ which given the right conditions, will self-heal or self-correct.

• Prevention is preferable to cure.

• The root (underlying cause) of dysfunction is identified and treated, not symptoms.

• The whole person is treated – physically and emotionally.

• Health is much greater than just absence of infirmity – it should be abundant vitality.

• The person is treated, not the disease, and each individual is unique and responds in a different way.

To find out more click on this link to attend one of their open evenings. 

http://www.naturopathy.ie/open-days/

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Low Serotonin and Sugar Cravings

(Raise your serotonin levels naturally)

As a nutritional therapist I know that things are never as simple as they first seem.   People who struggle with their weight are so often told to just cut down on what they are eating and stop eating sugar.  That they should just exercise more.  We are all biological different and what may work for one person may not work for another person.

For many of my clients it is not just as simple as cutting back on foods or just avoiding sugar.   A lot of my clients have unbalanced blood sugar levels and when this is addressed the cravings will go, for others it is emotional eating and once this is addressed the cravings will start to diminish.

However, there are some people for whom when you do all of the above they will still have very severe sugar cravings.  It is almost impossible for them to say “no” they just cannot resist the sugary sweet or chocolate. The urge is almost overwhelming at night time and they will raid the house in search for that sugar fix.   Research is showing that this almost unbearable craving can be mostly due to low serotonin levels.

Serotonin can affect mood and social behaviour, appetite and digestion, sleep, memory and sexual desire and function.

Signs and symptoms of serotonin deficiency are low-self-esteem, insomnia, phobias, panic attacks, eating disorders, depression, anger, anxiety, shy, and obsessive behaviours as well as cravings for sweets and chocolates, cravings for sweets at night, and binge eating. Serotonin, is made from the amino acid L-tryptophan. Because few foods contain high amounts of tryptophan, it is one of the first nutrients that you can possibly lose when you start dieting.

The good news is that you can raise your serotonin levels naturally

1. See the Light. Serotonin production increases with light so go and get some sunshine on your face and body.

2. Eat a low GL eating plan to balance your blood sugars, 3 main meals and 2 snacks eating some protein with every meal.  Avoid Sweets and simple carbs, like white rice and white bread, quickly raise blood sugar, flood you with insulin, and then drop you in a hole. Eating wisely also means watching the caffeine, which suppresses serotonin

3. Eat tryptophan rich foods  Rich sources of tryptophan, chicken, turkey, oats, dairy, kidney beans, split peas, chick peas, mung beans, bananas, strawberries, avocado, eggs ,spirulina.

In the evening eat your tryptophan rich snacks such as banana with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter or 2 oat cakes topped with a slice turkey breast and some hummus or a few almonds or walnuts

3. Be mindful of stress levels. Prolonged periods of stress can deplete serotonin levels. Start practicing Yoga, Meditation and start practicing Deep breathing exercises.

4. Get Active. Exercise is a great way to boost your serotonin levels

Research has shown that exercise causes an increase in tryptophan.  The tryptophan persists well after exercising is finished, suggesting that mood elevation may be present for hours after the exercising has finished.

Why Detox?

Most of us are vertically ill – that is , we are upright but don’t feel great. At these times, the balance between our intake of toxins and our ability to detoxify is not at its best.  Some of us become horizontially ill, and keel over when our intake of toxins exceeds our bodys capacity to detoxify.

To see if you need a tune up answer the following questions:

If you answer yes to any of them you definitely need to pay attention to detoxification:

Do you feel that you are not as healthy and vibrant as other people your age?

Do you have low energy levels?

Do you often have difficulty thinking clearly?

Do you often feel blue or depressed?

Do you get more than one or two colds a year?

Do you suffer from premenstrual syndrome, fibrocystic breast disease, uterine fibroids?

Do you have sore achy muscles for no particular reason?

Do you have bad breath or stinky stools.

Is improving detoxification really an effective solution to help all of these symptoms ? In most cases the answer is absolutely yes. Toxins can damage the body in an insidious and cumulative way. Once the body's detoxification system becomes over loaded, toxic metabolites accumulate, and we become progressively more sensitive to other chemicals, some of which are not normally toxic.

Give your body the kick start it needs; and give yourself the tools you require to kick start a healthy new you.

This event is online: 

• You will be emailed a week before with a pre detox to do list and shopping list. 
• The webinar will be available Tuesday night at 7pm from the 14th April. If you miss it don't worry as it will be recorded and emailed to you. 
• You will receive delicious, nutritious meals and plans.
• You will receive weekly motivational emails and support.
• Access to a closed facebook page.
• Most of all you will have given yourself the kick start you need to start eating well. 
• 
  
• http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-4-week-gentle-detox-programme-tickets-16075410987 

Food Intolerance and Nutritional Therapy Consultation Package

The cost of the Lorisian Food Intolerance 150 foods/drinks  including the Nutritional Therapy Consultation Package €290.

This is the Plan:

Based on your unique requirements, a protocol will be developed that suits your lifestyle and will allow you to achieve your health goals. This may include dietary changes, lifestyle adjustments and supplement recommendations. All adjustments will be discussed and agreed and you will receive a personal programme to take away with you.

Initial consultations last approx. 1-1.5 hours ( at which point I will complete the Lorisian Test) and the feedback approx. 30-45mins when the test results come in. During the initial session, I will discuss with you in more detail your health and medical history and family medical history, as well as exploring your lifestyle and eating habits and your current symptoms and concerns.

You will be asked to complete a Health Profile Questionnaire and 4 day food diary prior to the consultation. 

Please note this test can not be done on children under two years of age, pregnant or breastfeeding mums.

You can also just have the food intolerance done without a Nutritional Therapy Consultation and the prices are as follows:

Lorisian 100 100 foods tested €249

Lorisian 75    75 foods tested €199

Lorisian 50    50 foods tested €149

A Mindfulness Eating Exercise: Simple Instructions

If you’ve heard about mindful eating but aren’t sure where or how to start, here are instructions for a brief mindfulness eating exercise.

The following exercise is simple and will only take a few minutes.

Find a small piece of food, such as one raisin or nut, or a small cookie. You can use any food that you like. Eating with mindfulness is not about deprivation or rules.

Begin by exploring this little piece of food, using as many of your senses as possible.

First, look at the food. Notice its texture. Notice its colour.

Now, close your eyes, and explore the food with your sense of touch. What does this food feel like? Is it hard or soft? Grainy or sticky? Moist or dry?

Notice that you’re not being asked to think, but just to notice different aspects of your experience, using one sense at a time. This is what it means to eat mindfully.

Before you eat, explore this food with your sense of smell. What do you notice?

Now, begin eating. No matter how small the bite of food you have, take at least two bites to finish it.

Take your first bite. Please chew very slowly, noticing the actual sensory experience of chewing and tasting. Remember, you don’t need to think about your food to experience it. You might want to close your eyes for a moment to focus on the sensations of chewing and tasting, before continuing.

Notice the texture of the food; the way it feels in your mouth.

Notice if the intensity of its flavor changes, moment to moment.

Take about 20 more seconds to very slowly finish this first bite of food, being aware of the simple sensations of chewing and tasting.

It isn’t always necessary to eat slowly in order to eat with mindfulness. But it’s helpful at first to slow down, in order to be as mindful as you can.

Now, please take your second and last bite.

As before, chew very slowly, while paying close attention to the actual sensory experience of eating: the sensations and movements of chewing, the flavor of the food as it changes, and the sensations of swallowing.

Just pay attention, moment by moment.

Using a mindfulness eating exercise on a regular basis is only one part of a mindfulness approach to your diet. The liberating power of mindfulness takes deeper effect when you begin to pay mindful attention to your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations, all of which lead us to eat. Mindfulness (awareness) is the foundation that many people have been missing for overcoming food cravings, addictive eating, binge eating, emotional eating, and stress eating.

Article courtesy of www.MindfulnessDiet.com.

We could not function without water. 
It helps to detoxify the body effectively and is essential for all your body's vital organs to work well. 

Water is one of the secrets of having healthy skin. However the body does not always store water in the right place. If you suffer from unexplained puffiness or bloating especially on your arms, around your eyes on your abdomen or if your fingers or ankles swell you may be suffering from water retention. Other common signs are dry skin, dandruff, sudden fluctuations in weight. How can you have dry skin and yet have water retention? The answer lies in your bodys fats. Your body is made up of 2/3 water and your body cells have a membrane made of special essential fats that keeps the right amount of water in and outside of your cells. These essential fats help eliminate water in the wrong places as well as rehydrating your skin.

The main reasons for water retention are
Lack of essential fats
Too much sugar in the body
Too much salt in the body
Allergic reactions to food

Adrenal & Liver Support

The adrenal and thyroid glands function as part of the hypothalamus pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis also. The adrenal glands control our respond to stress , while the thyroid gland regulates our metabolic rate.

Hormones balance each other to create homeostasis. Thus if the output of one hormone is disrupted, then the whole ‘symphony’ becomes imbalanced.

If you have a lot of stress or lead a fairly hectic lifestyle it is vital that you support adrenal function.

Why?  Because when your body is stressed the adrenal glands secrete cortisol.  Cortisol triggers physiological changes that enable the body  to better deal with the immediate stressor, while dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)  helps to counteract some of the negative side effects of excess cortisol.

Chronically raised cortisol affects the body in many ways.

·         Affects the availability of thyroid hormone

·         Suppresses the immune system

·         Contributes to digestive problems

·         Has been implicated in the development of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes and depression.

What to eat and drink :

Eat foods with a low glycaemic load (GL). When your blood sugar balance is low the adrenal glands ae triggered to release adrenalin and then cortisol to help deal with the stress of starvation. The cortisol :

Magnesium- Eat spinach, kelp, squash, pumpkin seeds, steamed broccoli, halibut.

Iodine-Eat sea fish, shellfish and seaweeds.

Iron- The most bioavailable iron is haem iron from lean red meat, especially liver and the darker meat from game, poultry and oily fish as well as eggs. Vegetarian iron, which is less bioavailable is found in beans, pulses, dark green leafy vegetables and dried fruit.  It is better absorbed when eaten with Vitamin C rich foods, such as fruit or lightly cooked vegetables.

Zinc- Eat lean cuts of beef, pork, venison and lamb, crab, poultry, calf’s liver, seeds, sea vegetables and whole grains.

Selenium- Eat brazil nuts, poultry, fish and whole grains.

Choose foods high in B vitamins as these are cofactors in adrenal and thyroid hormone production.

Consume a good balance of essential fatty acids (EFA’s) such as oily fish, nuts, seeds and cold pressed oils. You can add cold pressed oils to salad or even hot food.

Include maca (lepidium peruvianum) in your diet. This is a Peruvian root that can be purchased from your local health store and has long been used to support the body in time of stress and it can be easily added to smoothies, etc.

Include foods such as artichoke (contains compound called caffeolyquinic acid which stimulates the flow of bile from the liver) , Beetroot (liver tonic, detoxifier and good for improving fat digestion), Rocket (stimulates bile flow), berries, green tea, turmeric, ginger, onions, garlic, coriander, dill, parsley, rosemary, mint, citrus zest

Avoid adrenal stimulants such as sugars, refined carbohydrates, alcohol and excessive levels of caffeinated drinks such as tea, coffee, cola and chocolate.

Cut out processed foods, especially those with added sugar and trans hydrogenated or oxidised fats.

Lifestyle changes :

·         Appropriate exercise.

·         Getting enough sleep.  Lack of sleep is associated with high cortisol levels.

·         Be part of a good social network.

·         Be mindful that chronic stress makes us more open o using addictive substances such as alcohol, sugar, cigarettes and drugs to help us manage stress in the short term. 

During the Cork Zest4life Classes this week we looked at emotional eating.
Most people experience some level of compulsive eating those who don’t are the exceptions Food is not the problem we use it to calm ourselves down as a coping mechanism, a distraction a temporary patch. We need to separate the two 1)nourishment 2) coping strategy 
Start becoming your own detective .
Start using the three A's Strategy.
Awarness = Becoming aware of why you eat, how, what you eat your beliefs and fantasies.
Acceptance = recognise the behaviour, stress, anger boredom , understand it
Action = break the habit , is there another way to deal with this situation differently?

Liver Support

When we overeat or eat processed or fried foods, and, anytime we are exposed to environmental pollutants or stress, the liver becomes overworked and overloaded. When the liver is taxed, it can’t process toxins and fat in an efficient way. There are many foods that can help cleanse the liver naturally by stimulating its natural ability to clean toxic waste from the body.

Include foods such as artichoke (contains compound called caffeolyquinic acid which stimulates the flow of bile from the liver) , Beetroot (liver tonic, detoxifier and good for improving fat digestion), Rocket (stimulates bile flow), berries, green tea, turmeric, ginger, onions, garlic, coriander, dill, parsley, rosemary, mint, citrus zest.

Olives contain heart helping monounsaturated fats. They are also a quick and easy snack that is very morish. Look out for ones stuffed with whole garlic cloves and almonds for extra liver boosting power. Eat about a handful or about 8 olives as a snack.

Grapefruit is High in Vitamin C and glutathione, grapefruit increases the natural cleansing processes of the liver. More specifically, one grapefruit contains over 70 mg of glutathione, a protein that boosts the production of liver detox enzymes. In addition, grapefruit contains a special kind of pectin that appears to lower cholesterol – a notorious liver sieve clogging fat. *Make sure to check the insert on any medications you take because grapefruit interferes with certain drugs.

Turmeric has been shown to contain a powerful antioxidant that may help support normal, healthy liver detoxification.

Avocados help the body produce the antioxidant glutathione, an extremely valuable compound needed for the liver to filter out harmful materials. Glutathione is the primary antioxidant your liver needs during both phases of detoxification. Avocados are also a good source of monounsaturated fats and have been shown to lower liver-clogging cholesterol levels when eaten regularly

Avoid adrenal stimulants such as sugars, refined carbohydrates, alcohol and excessive levels of caffeinated drinks such as tea, coffee, cola and chocolate.

Cut out processed foods, especially those with added sugar and trans hydrogenated or oxidised fats.

Abstain from Alcohol The more alcohol you consume the more antioxidants you need. This is because alcohol is detoxified by the liver using a liver enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase, but when you consume more alcohol than this enzyme can handle the liver will instead metabolise the alcohol to chloral hydrate, also known as Mickey Finn drops, which knocks you out. Normally alcohol is metabolised to acetaldehyde by an enzyme called acetyldehyde oxidase and from here to harmless chemicals that can be excreted from the body.  However if this enzyme is overloaded or underfunctioning you end up with too much circulating acetaldehyde. This is very acidic and toxic substance leads to ketoacidosis – which leads to headache, nausea, mental and physical tiredness and aching muscles.  The liver enzyme responsible for detoxifing alcohol depends on a good supply of antioxidant nutrients, especially vitamin C.

Every Day

·         Drink at least 1.5 Litres of water daily. Add ½ lemon squeezed into a mug of hot water twice a day.

·         Have a garlic clove every day. Garlic has the ability to activate liver enzymes that help your body flush out toxins. Garlic also holds high amounts of allicin and selenium, two natural compounds that aid in liver cleansing.

·         Eat at least 2 portions of cruciferous vegetables daily Eating broccoli and cauliflower will increase the amount of glucosinolate in your system, adding to enzyme production in the liver. These natural enzymes help flush out carcinogens, and other toxins, out of our body which may significantly lower risks associated with cancer. Cruciferous Veg-broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale.

·         Eat 5-6 Walnuts daily Holding high amounts of the amino acid arginine, walnuts aid the liver in detoxifying ammonia. Walnuts are also high in glutathione and omega-3 fatty acids, which support normal liver cleansing actions. Make sure you chew the nuts well (until they are liquefied) before swallowing.

·         Eat at least 1 portion of Sulphur Daily – onions, spring onions, garlic, shallots are excellent food sources of sulphur containing amino acids.  Sulphur drives a critical liver detox pathway called sulphation. The amino acids in these foods also give the body the raw materials to make glutathionine which drives another critical detox pathway.  Red onions are especially good because they are high in quercetin, which is a natural anti inflammatory.

·         Aim to eat red meat no more than, twice a week, fish at least twice a week and vegetarian twice a week. 

·         Drink this daily  Lemon Water Detox 6 Cups of filtered water,  1 tbsp grated ginger, 1 cucumber sliced, 1 lemon sliced,  1/3 cup mint leaves.

Let the mixture infuse overnight and drink it all the next day. 

To see if you need a tune up answer the following questions:
If you answer yes to any of them you definitely need to pay attention to detoxification:
Do you feel that you are not as healthy and vibrant as other people your age?
Do you have low energy levels?
Do you often have difficulty thinking clearly?
Do you often feel blue or depressed?
Do you get more than one or two colds a year?
Do you suffer from premenstrual syndrome, fibrocystic breast disease, uterine fibroids?
Do you have sore achy muscles for no particular reason?
Do you have bad breath or stinky stools.

Is improving detoxification really an effective solution to help all of these symptoms ? In most cases the answer is absolutely yes. Toxins can damage the body in an insidious and cumulative way. Once the body's detoxification system becomes over loaded, toxic metabolites accumulate, and we become progressively more sensitive to other chemicals, some of which are not normally toxic.