This article provides tips to optimise insulin sensitivity. The tips will also assist to: help manage blood glucose levels, prevent and/or reverse type 2 diabetes and reduce cardiovascular risk factors, PCOS and other insulin resistant associated conditions.
Insulin plays an essential role in the body, from facilitating the movement of sugar (glucose) into the cells, to promoting muscle synthesis, to stimulating the growth of new cells. However, like most things in life, we want just the right amount.
Whilst there is a definite relationship between insulin resistance and weight gain, which one comes first remains unclear. Both insulin resistance and weight gain are risk factors for type 2 diabetes and many other chronic diseases. Let’s examine their relationship.
During stress, we adapt our physiology and behaviour so that we are able to survive. This is known as the stress response. Under normal conditions, the stress response is vital and healthy. However, when activated repeatedly, it can have negative effects on our health. An over activated stress response is associated with weight gain and many chronic diseases. This article highlights ways in which stress can influence weight gain.
In this article we look at interpreting your thyroid hormone blood test results. To do this I break down each individual marker, what it is and why it is tested. Throughout the article we discuss the potential imbalances or patterns that you may see.
In this article I want to introduce you to the role of the thyroid in health and disease prevention. I will overview common symptoms and imbalances that can occur as well as possible testing.
In this article I’d like to educate you about how nutrition can act as a natural treatment and provide relief from the symptoms of Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS).
In this article one of the Steve Grant Health trusted practitioners and specialists in the area of female health Lara discusses PCOS diagnosis, causes and approaches to treatment.
In this article one of our trusted professionals a fellow Nutrition & Functional Medicine Practitioner Katie takes a look at the traditional symptoms associated with endometriosis, how it can develop, risk factors and the conventional approach to treatment. Following on from that she then looks at nutrition and lifestyle considerations, potential use of supplementation and finish with a summary of your key considerations.
In this comprehensive article I want to outline how a thorough Comprehensive Blood Chemistry (CBC) can be one of the main starting and ongoing assessments used to get an overview of your current state of health and to guide decisions about your health, nutrition and lifestyle habits.
In this article we take a quick look at how thyroid function might be affecting weight loss and how you might be able to determine if you potentially have an underlying thyroid issue.
Athlete populations seem to be more prone to zinc deficiency, so those that train on a regular basis would fit into that same population. Red blood cell zinc is a much more effective measurement than serum zinc levels and test should be carried out before any high dose supplementation as high dose zinc can cause copper insufficiency, stomach upset and even stress liver and kidney function.
There are vitamin D receptors located on sperm cells and vitamin D also appears to play a direct role in the production of steroid hormones. Similar to Zinc and Magnesium those found with low levels, and given supplementation to increase their status, also experienced increases in testosterone levels.
Low magnesium levels are associated with lowered testosterone, thus magnesium supplementation has been shown to increase testosterone to normal ranges.
Estrogen and Testosterone have been coined female and male hormones. Whilst this is not strictly true, imbalances can see masculisation of females or feminisation of males.
Blood sugar regulation is the cornerstone of any good nutrition plan, and unbeknown to many, poor blood sugar regulation and thus insulin control can have a significant effect on male sex testosterone production.
Consumption of cruciferous vegetables – a family of vegetables that includes spinach, watercress, radish, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale – has long been associated with good health. A highly significant study from the University of Ulster was published that adds to the growing body of evidence linking the consumption of these vegetables to a reduced risk of developing cancer. (1)
