Lower Oesophageal Sphincter Impairment
If you scored high in the ‘Lower Oesophageal Sphincter Impairment’ section of the health quiz, then please read this article as it contains some useful resources to help you.
If you scored high in the ‘Lower Oesophageal Sphincter Impairment’ section of the health quiz, then please read this article as it contains some useful resources to help you.
In this article, I am going to highlight some of the challenges with grilling and barbequing food. How there may be some health implications with the foods you choose to cook and how you cook them. Equally I want to...
Let’s kick things off by being completely blunt and honest. Nobody knows if specific foods, nutrients or supplements will have a positive or negative impact on COVID-19, there have not been any specific tests as yet to look at this.
Thankfully the initial madness that surrounded coronavirus food shopping habits and the access to food seems to have now finally calmed down. I have had a number of requests for meal ideas that can be batch cooked at home and...
As someone who has suffered with anxiety and panic attacks intermittently for the last 10-15 years, I definitely have a level of empathy towards those with anxiety surrounding this outbreak of COVID-19.
Our energy levels can be affected by so many things, but one of the fundamental areas to consider is that of impaired oxygen delivery or what might be more commonly associated with anaemia.
Vitamins & minerals are collectively known as micronutrients. They are exceptionally important for maintaining and optimising health. Even though they are required in relatively small quantities, many functions within the body are dependent on sufficient amounts of these micronutrients –...
There is a striking resemblance between the amount of water on this earth and the amount of water in the human body. With around 60-65% of the human body being water and 75-85% of the brain being made up of...
With an ever-growing body of research underscoring the importance of dietary fats in our meals, discerning the most beneficial fats for cooking has never been more paramount. This article delves into the structure of fats, highlighting why preserving their integrity...
In this article I am going to discuss some basic tips to help you maintain a healthy digestive system through the food that you eat.
In this article I provide you with a full and accurate breakdown of the calorie and macronutrient levels of common foods and use other methods to help you make more informed decisions about portion sizes.
In this exercise developed with the help of my colleague and Dietician Lara Rickard, we are going to look at a short mindfulness practice to help you understand your hunger.
Have you ever had a sudden urge to eat something or following a meal had a significant desire to eat more, especially something sweet? Why is it that this seems to happen at the same time of day each day...
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).
Want to recover faster from an injury? Nutrition can play a pivotal role in speeding up the recovery process.
In this article we are going to look at why some people get “hangry” after not eating for a while or between meals.
In this article we take 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 we then looks at nutrition and lifestyle considerations, potential use...
So you’ve had a stool test and it looks like you have a Giardia infection. Giardia is a parasitic infection that can bring about a host of disruptive symptoms, affecting both digestive and overall health, yet it is rarely discussed...
We all have gas, some of us more than others, but on average we all pass wind 10-15 times per day. For some excessive gas can be embarrassing, and for others a tool for child-like humour, what should be understood...
In todays article I want to discuss a few considerations with regards to going gluten free. I want to discuss my stance on the subject and also present some literature that was presented to me by Dr Tom O’Bryan recently...
Did you know that your mood can be significantly affected by levels of serotonin in the body? We suggest 7 natural methods for boosting this important neurotransmitter.
Mucosal surfaces cover a large part of our body. The digestive tract, nose, mouth and throat are prime examples where this mucosal layer plays a critical role in supporting our health.
As a nutritionist it can be easy to get carried away with the more complex side of our job, the laboratory testing and supplement prescription. All too often nutritionists and other health practitioners forget or even disregard the basics that...
In this article we are going to review the importance of the three main macronutrients: Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates.
So it’s that time of year again, almost everyone I know is going to start his or her January detox. In the process they are going to post untold amounts of pictures of their nasty tasting green juices and plates...
In recent months I have been asked my opinion on the role that nutrition and natural medicine can have on cancer treatment. As nutritionists we often find ourselves in a position of trying to help prevent disease, but on occasions...
Confirmed low levels of vitamin D may require supplementation, yet before supplementing with vitamins you should consider the following nutrient relationships:
Minerals are inorganic substances that provide physical structure to the body in the bones and also combine with other chemical regulators such as enzymes to shape biochemical processes. They divide in to two groups – the major and the trace...
Salicylates are chemicals that are naturally found in plants. They act like natural pesticides to help protect the plant against insects and disease. In some individuals, salicylate sensitivity is possible, and the symptoms are pretty obscure such as headaches, IBS,...
For such a common method of cooking there has been a surprisingly sparse amount of research completed on the positives or negatives of microwave cooking on our food and our health. Most of the articles / blogs online are either...
There is an increasing awareness with regards to organic foods vs non-organic foods, with many people choosing to buy organic for a variety of reasons, with the most popular reasons given are that of reducing toxin exposure, being better for...
There is not a week that goes by without a contradictory article telling us exactly how many vegetables we must eat to stay healthy. But is there an amount that’s right for everyone? Should we be aiming for a certain...
Unfortunately we have many exposures to mercury these days and some level of management is required to help prevent the poisonous effects of mercury exposure.
As I was explaining in my article titled ‘What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?’, one of the major causes of IBS is the presence of something in the digestive system that should not be there, such as unwanted invaders or overgrowths...
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...
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...
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.
One of the first areas of nutrition everyone should focus on and is easy for us to change is that of water intake.
Jet lag has the potential to wreck your performance, whether a competitive athlete or a travelling businessman / woman you need to be aware of tactics you can use to overcome jet lag as quickly as possible.
Sleep is one of the most important areas of health that is often forgotten about. Poor sleep can lead to lower libido, increased risk of many chronic diseases, impairs attention and alertness, increases the risk of depression, can mess up...
Embarking on an elimination diet can seem like a daunting endeavour. However, when guided by the principles of functional medicine, this process transforms into a powerful tool for uncovering the hidden causes of discomfort and disease. In this article, we...
There is a reason why I don’t rely on the mainstream media to educate myself on nutrition and lifestyle practices. Day in day out we are being told contradictory information regarding what we should or should not be putting in...
The human body contains around 1.5-2.5grams of zinc, of which most is found in the bones and muscles. Because there are no reserves of zinc in the body that are readily mobilised, it is crucial to keep a steady intake...
Type 2 Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic disease around, especially in developed countries. Truth be told it is a disease of lifestyle. Some people are more prone to the development of the disease, but if the right...
Working as a nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner, I am able to work with my clients on a number of different levels. I work on every single aspect of their lifestyle to elicit the most optimal change in their health,...
I am going to touch on a very controversial subject. For years the notion of calories in calories has been the fundamental principle many health experts, doctors, dieticians etc have stuck to as an explanation as to why we as...
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...
In this blog I am going to look at some of the natural approaches to helping prevent colon cancer but also some interesting natural methods of supporting the body if you have already been diagnosed with colon cancer.
Image taken from: www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/multimedia/pdfs/nutrientinstitution.pdf Here in the UK we have a major challenge with obesity. Every evening there is a programme on TV about obesity and weight loss, most of which concludes that the best approach is to staple around...
I am going to start this blog with some interesting and potentially surprising facts and then a personal story about how digestive health can affect symptoms that would seemingly appear unrelated. 2 million people were diagnosed with a digestive disorder...
In the UK we have the third highest obesity rate in the world, with 22.4% of the population obese. Between 50-60% of the population are also overweight and these statistics are rising each year. Alongside the obesity rates diabetes prevalence...