10 tips för en hälsosam mage...

…och varför det är viktigt i förklimakteriet och klimakteriet.

Tarmfunktionen kan spela en stor roll för hormonregleringen och vi börjar förstå mer om exakt hur hormonförändringar under perimenopaus och klimakteriet kan påverka den känsliga balansen mellan våra mikrober i just tarmen.

Det råder verkligen ingen brist på bakterier i våra tarmar: Det har rapporterats att en genomsnittlig kvinna har omkring 10-100 biljoner mikroorganismer. När vår tarmflora är i balans arbetar den för att stödja en normal tarmfunktion. Den hjälper till att utföra ett antal viktiga uppgifter i kroppen, t.ex. att smälta maten, syntetisera vissa vitaminer (inklusive B-vitaminer och K-vitamin), skydda immunförsvaret och upprätthålla urogenital hälsa. Var och en av oss har ett helt unikt mikrobiom, ursprungligen format av genetik - och av hur du föddes, dvs. en vaginal födsel kontra kejsarsnitt. Detta påverkar vilka typer av mikroorganismer som koloniserar din tarm, men med tiden påverkar främst livsstilen (inklusive intag av läkemedel som antibiotika) också balansen mellan mikroorganismerna i tarmen.

Påverkar perimenopaus/menopaus din tarmhälsa?

Ja, det gör det, är det korta enkla svaret. Ny data tyder på att kvinnor har ett annat mikrobiom än män och under perimenopaus och klimakteriet blir detta känsliga ekosystem av mikroorganismer mindre varierat, vilket kan påverka din kropp och ditt sinne och är kopplat till:

• Östrogennivåer - Östrobolom är namnet på en undergrupp av bakterier i tarmen som hjälper till att metabolisera och reglera hormonet östrogen i kroppen. Att genomgå klimakteriet har kopplats till en förändrad östrobolom plus generellt lägre mångfald i tarmen. Att skapa en välmående bakterieflora i tarmen kan påverka hur väl du hanterar klimakteriebesvären.

• Aptit och ämnesomsättning - Dina tarmbakterier kan påverka hur effektivt du smälter olika livsmedel och även producera kemikalier som gör att du känner dig mätt längre efter maten. När östrogennivåerna minskar ökar nivåerna av fettvävnad i klimakteriet och risken för viktuppgång ökar.

• Psykiskt välbefinnande: Kopplingen mellan hjärnan, tarmarna och mikrobiomet (allmänt kallat tarm-hjärnaxeln) har varit i fokus för nyheter och medicinsk forskning under det senaste decenniet. En ny studie visade vikten av ett hälsosamt mikrobiom för att minimera ångest och depression (båda är kända för att påverka eller vara vanliga symptom som kvinnor upplever när de genomgår perimenopaus och menopaus).

• Sömn - Nya studier tyder också på att en mångfald av tarmmikrobiom främjar hälsosammare sömn. Detta är särskilt viktigt eftersom ny forskning visar att sömnproblem är ett av de vanligaste symptomen hos kvinnor i klimakteriet.

• Vaginal hälsa - Precis som tarmen är underlivet hem för miljarder olika bakterier - främst från Lactobacillus-familjen - och det vaginala mikrobiomet spelar en viktig roll för att upprätthålla vaginal hälsa. Detta är särskilt viktigt under perimenopaus och menopaus när hormonnivåerna, särskilt östrogen, minskar och kan orsaka vaginal torrhet och/eller atrofi, vilket kan göra sex obehagligt och öka risken för urinvägsinfektioner (UVI) som cystit. Antibiotika ordineras ofta för att behandla UVI, och dessa är kända för att döda de goda, såväl som de dåliga, bakterierna i tarmen. Därför rekommenderas ofta ett probiotiskt tillskott för att hjälpa till att återkolonisera de goda bakterierna i tarmen efter en antibiotikakur. Du kan överväga att ta levande kulturer från Lactobacillus-familjen antingen som yoghurt eller i kapselform.

10 tips för att stödja din tarm

Kort sagt definieras en frisk tarm som att den har en bra balans av mikrober, med fler goda bakterier än dåliga, och att den upprätthåller denna känsliga balans så att de skadliga inte tränger ut de goda. Det finns många faktorer som kan rubba balansen - och även om vissa av dessa är oundvikliga inslag i det dagliga livet som stress, magsjuka, sömnbrist, åldrande och behov av medicinering (som antibiotika) - finns det många saker du kan göra för att påverka och förbättra dess hälsa. Här följer några exempel:

1. Ge den bra mat.

Din kost är viktig för att forma ditt mikrobiom. Forskning tyder på att det som gör att olika mikrober trivs är:

• Ät ett varierat utbud av färska råvaror - Mycket tyder på att du bör sträva efter att äta 30 olika växtbaserade livsmedel per vecka, inklusive frukt, mycket grönsaker, baljväxter och spannmål, örter och kryddor. En mångsidig och varierad kost är bäst.

• Livsmedel som bör ingå regelbundet i dina måltider, eftersom de har visat sig vara särskilt fördelaktiga för en god tarmhälsa, inkluderar livsmedel med hög halt av prebiotika. Specifika typer av fibrer som används som näringskälla av samma grupper av levande bakterier i tarmen finns ofta i kosttillskott. Livsmedel som bananer och havre samt vitlök, lök, purjolök, jordärtskockor och baljväxter innehåller mycket av dessa fibrer. Probiotika finns i naturlig levande yoghurt, kefir, miso, surdegsbröd och fermenterade livsmedel som surkål. Ät mer vitaminrika växtbaserade livsmedel - det kan vara bra att undvika att tänka på vad du inte kan äta och istället koncentrera sig på vad du kan äta mer av - som mikronäringsämnen, vatten- och fiberrika grönsaker och vissa frukter.

• Vatten- och fiberinnehållet bidrar till ett friskt mag-tarmkanal, bland annat genom att öka transittiden (så att vi håller oss regelbundna) och minska risken för uppblåsthet och en känsla av att vara packad.

• Få i dig mer fibrer - Enligt riktlinjer bör vi äta ca 30 g fibrer per dag, men den genomsnittliga vuxna får bara i sig ca 20 g per dag. Att äta tillräckligt är förknippat med en lägre risk för hjärtsjukdomar, stroke, diabetes typ 2 och tarmcancer. Det kan också förbättra din matsmältning och minska förstoppning. Fiberrika livsmedel som frukt och grönsaker, baljväxter, frön och nötter bidrar också till att ge näring åt dina levande kulturer i tarmen och hjälper dem att öka i antal.

2. Drick upp!

Mild uttorkning är också en av de vanligaste orsakerna till långsammare tarmrörelser. Det rekommenderas att en kvinna i genomsnitt får i sig 1,5-2 liter vatten per dag, men det kan bero på din storlek, klimatet, hur mycket du motionerar och vad du äter. Att äta mycket vattenrika livsmedel som vattenmelon, tomater, gurka, squash, selleri, yoghurt, ägg och pocherad fisk kan alla bidra till ditt dagliga vätskeintag. Det är ofta så att tecken på att du är törstig kan förväxlas med hunger, se till att du får i dig tillräckligt med vätska och se upp om du är någon som kan misstolka dessa signaler. Även mild uttorkning kan orsaka koncentrationssvårigheter och glömska. Många kvinnor upplever detta under klimakteriet - och därför är det viktigt att se till att du dricker mycket vatten.

3. Öka ditt intag av probiotika

Probiotika omfattar en mängd olika mikroorganismer, inklusive bakterier och jäst. De finns tillgängliga i olika mängder via kosttillskott och livsmedel. Probiotiska livsmedel inkluderar levande osötad yoghurt, kefir (en fermenterad mjölkdryck) och fermenterade livsmedel som surkål och kimchi, men om du inte får i dig så mycket probiotiska livsmedel via kosten kan ett tillskott hjälpa dig.

Levande kulturer finns i en rad vitaminer och mineraler. Som en allmän regel gäller att ju fler bakteriestammar ett tillskott innehåller, desto bättre är det för att skapa en hälsosam koloni av tarmbakterier, så länge stammarna garanterat är de som anges på tillskottet och har visat sig nå tarmen. Och kom ihåg att ta ditt tillskott med en kall dryck, eftersom en varm dryck faktiskt kan döda de levande bakterierna i den.

4. Rörelse

Rörelse hjälper till att stimulera tarmen och öka tarmaktiviteten så att maten rör sig längs matsmältningskanalen, vilket minskar risken för förstoppning. Det kan öka din mikrobiella mångfald, och studier har visat att träning har en positiv effekt på stammarna av nyttiga bakterier i mag-tarmkanalen. En studie som genomfördes på kvinnor visade att så lite som tre timmars lätt motion i veckan ledde till positiva förändringar i mikrobiomet jämfört med dem som var stillasittande. Dessutom är motion utomhus korrelerat med ökad mikrobiell mångfald. Motionera ute i naturen så ofta du kan. Det finns massor av träningsidéer som är bra för klimakteriet och perimenopaus, från lättare träning som promenader, simning och yoga till styrketräning och dans.

5. Hantera stress och ångest

Vi blir alla stressade, men när stressen är långvarig eller kronisk kan den ha en mycket negativ inverkan på din tarmhälsa och ditt humör. Vi vet till exempel att 95 % av serotoninet (det så kallade lyckohormonet) finns i mag- och tarmslemhinnan, och detta hormon fungerar både som en humörstabilisator och påverkar hälsosamma sömnmönster. Motion kan bidra till att minska stress och ångest genom att öka produktionen av endorfiner, vilket hjälper dig att sova bättre och generellt öka din energi och ditt välbefinnande. Yoga, meditation och andningsövningar är också användbara verktyg för att minska stressen. Andra saker som kan hjälpa är att begränsa intaget av socker, koffein och alkohol, få tillräckligt med sömn och eventuellt begränsa hur mycket sociala medier eller oroande nyhetsinslag du tittar på.

6. Lyssna på din kropp

Vi talar om "magkänsla" och "magreaktioner" - känslomässiga reaktioner som känns i magen, men din kropp kan också försöka kommunicera med dig på andra sätt. Om du till exempel ofta plågas av fysiska symtom som uppblåsthet, förstoppning och/eller diarré, gasbildning, matsmältningsbesvär, illamående och/eller magkramper kan detta vara ett rop på hjälp från din magkänsla. Varje person är unik, det viktiga är att det är normalt för dem, så när ditt tarmmikrobiom är balanserat bör du inte ha några större problem med att smälta maten eller eliminera avfall. Om du regelbundet upplever dessa problem bör detta vara varningssignaler för att kontakta din läkare eller sjukvårdspersonal.

7. Dra ner på alkoholen

Om vi dricker för mycket och regelbundet kan det försvaga tarmluddet genom att orsaka inflammation och minska antalet olika typer av bakterier i tarmen. Detta kan leda till sura uppstötningar och uppblåsthet (något som många kvinnor kämpar med redan under klimakteriet). Att dricka regelbundet ökar också ditt sockerintag vilket kan leda till ökad insulinresistens, vilket gör det lättare att lagra fett. Med tanke på att de sjunkande östrogennivåerna under klimakteriet kan leda till att fettet fördelas runt midjan, kommer vinet sannolikt bara att förvärra problemet. Dessutom rapporterar många kvinnor att de blir alltmer intoleranta mot alkoholens effekter under klimakteriet.

8. Minska ditt sockerintag

För mycket tillsatt eller "fritt" socker (t.ex. vitt bordssocker, honung, lönnsirap och sirap) kan leda till inflammation i kroppen och förändringar i tarmbakterierna - inklusive en minskning av den goda sorten. Försök att dra ner på allt tillsatt socker och undvik uppenbart söta livsmedel som kakor, kex, choklad och söta frukostflingor. Det är tyvärr ingen lösning att använda sötningsmedel i stället - sötningsmedel påverkar tarmbakterier och tarmmotilitet negativt (förmågan hos mat att passera genom tarmen) och förvärrar effekterna av befintliga tarmsjukdomar som IBS hos vissa människor.

9. Ät mer medvetet

När och hur vi äter kan ha lika stor inverkan på vår tarmhälsa som vad vi äter. Att äta för snabbt och i farten kan t.ex. leda till matsmältningsbesvär, uppblåsthet och sura uppstötningar, och med tiden kan det leda till sämre matsmältning. Snabbätande som detta kan också göra det svårare att känna att du är mätt - det sägs att det tar 20 minuter för magen att känna att den är mätt och dämpa hungerhormonet ghrelin. Intressant nog visar forskning också att det är mindre sannolikt att du vill ha snacks senare på dagen om du tuggar maten längre och äter en bra frukost (med källor av fett och protein).

10. Undvik processade livsmedel

Processade livsmedel som innehåller transfetter, vissa sötningsmedel och tillsatser kan hota hälsan och stabiliteten hos våra tarminvånare och orsaka inflammation i kroppen och öka nivåerna av destruktiva bakterier. Försök därför att laga mat från grunden så mycket du kan, så att du vet exakt vad du stoppar i dig.

Slutligen, ge din tarm en paus - bokstavligen. Undvik att äta för mycket innan du lägger dig. Att avsluta sista måltiden 3 timmar innan läggdags brukar vara en bra regel. Att sedan hålla en 12-14 timmars fasta har visats ha många hälso-fördelar.

Vill du veta mer och vill du ha personliga råd och stöd längs vägen till en harmonisk vardag? Boka ett kostnadsfritt intro samtal idag så får du veta mer! Varmt välkommen!

Dygnsrytmen och tarmen

Vår dygnsrytm är också kopplad till vår tarmhälsa, eftersom den översätter ljuskällor i omgivningen till tarmceller, formar tarmhälsan och ämnesomsättningen samt reglerar när vår kropp bäst kan smälta maten, när vi producerar hormoner och när den reparerar celler och bekämpar infektioner.

Faktum är att vi nu vet att alla följande matsmältningsprocesser är direkt cirkadianstyrda:

• Produktion och utsöndring av magsyra

• Produktion och utsöndring av galla, som ansvarar för fettspjälkningen

• Produktion och utsöndring av bukspottkörtelenzymer, som ansvarar för proteinspjälkningen

• Det "migrerande motorkomplexet" (MMC), som är nödvändigt för fullständig matsmältning

• Mikrobiomet, som förändras och interagerar med cellerna i din tarm

• "Tight junctions" i cellerna i tarmväggen som hanterar vätska och näringsämnen som kommer in i blodomloppet

• Känslighet för inflammation

• Rörelser i tjocktarmens muskler - så att avfallsprodukter kan lämna kroppen

Hur är det med D-vitamin?

Vår dygnsrytm är också kopplad till vårt mikrobiom via solljus och vitamin D. Man har upptäckt en axel mellan hud och tarm som kopplar exponering för solljus direkt till förändringar i vårt mikrobiom i tarmen. Det är för närvarande oklart om denna koppling är beroende av eller oberoende av D-vitamin, men D-vitamin är definitivt viktigt för tarmhälsan och IBS-patienter har visat sig lida av låga D-vitaminnivåer.

HuR kan vi stödja dygnsrytmen (och tarmhälsan) under de kortare dagarna:

Att tillbringa tid utomhus mellan kl. 11.00 och 15.00 kan bidra till att maximera exponeringen för UV-ljus.

För de av oss som arbetar hemifrån eller på kontoret, gå ut på lunchrasten - 30 minuter i dagsljus kan hjälpa oss att boosta oss både fysiskt och mentalt.

Ät en hälsosam "solfylld" grönsaksrik kost - eftersom växter växer i ljuset hjälper de oss att knyta an till naturen, samtidigt som de tillför prebiotiska fibrer, vitaminer, mineraler och andra hälsofrämjande näringsämnen som inte kan hittas i andra livsmedel.

Ät fermenterade livsmedel som innehåller levande bakterier, t.ex. naturell yoghurt och surkål.

Ta kosttillskott om du känner att du behöver lite extra stöd under de mörkare dagarna.

Varmt välkommen att boka ett kostnadsfritt lära-känna-samtal för att ta reda på hur jag kan hjälpa dig med din mage-tarm hälsa

COULD PRACTISING GRATITUDE BE THE ANSWER TO YOUR HEALTH PROBLEMS?→

Feeling grateful is more than a nice feeling. The more you feel grateful, the luckier you feel and the happier you are. You’re less stressed and your outlook, more positive. And healthier, too.  Who would not want that? Let me explain how gratitude works and how you can tap into it.

First, let’s be clear what gratitude is. It comes from the Latin word gratus, which means "thankful, pleasing." Gratitude is a complex emotion that involves a combination of cognitive, emotional, and behavioural processes. At its core, it involves recognising and acknowledging the good things in your life and feeling a sense of appreciation and thankfulness for them.

“The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness; a warm feeling of goodwill towards a benefactor.” OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY

“What you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.” OPRAH WINFREY

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ECKHART TOLLE

Here’s proof it works:

There is growing evidence that practicing gratitude can have a positive impact on physical health. Here are just a few handfuls of way.

·      Better Sleep. A study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that individuals who wrote down things they were grateful for before bed reported better sleep quality and felt more refreshed in the morning.

·      Improved heart health. In a study published in the journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice, researchers found that gratitude was associated with better heart health. The study found that people who expressed gratitude had lower levels of inflammation and improved heart rate variability, which is a marker of better cardiac health.

·      Reduced pain. In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, researchers found that practicing gratitude helped reduce chronic pain. Those who kept a daily gratitude journal reported lower levels of pain and were more likely to engage in healthy habits like exercise and stretching, which further benefited their health.

·      Improved sleep. The Journal of Psychosomatic Research found people slept better and deeper when they practised gratitude – so count your blessings and not sheep!

·      Better relationships. When you practise gratitude, you are a better person to be around, and this has an impact on how others relate to you.

·      Lower blood pressure. In a study published in the Journal of Health Psychology, researchers found people who practiced gratitude had lower blood pressure levels than those who did not. The study found those who expressed gratitude had lower levels of stress and anxiety, which are known to contribute to high blood pressure.

·      Lowers HbA1c (a blood sugar marker). If you’re a woman, being grateful can also lower your HbA1c markers, which is one indicator of diabetes. Specifically, studies show being grateful to God, but we can take a guess it doesn’t really matter what you are grateful for. The same reduction was not noted in men, but it has also been seen in adolescent type 1 diabetics.

·      Helps you reframe situations. Want to reframe negative experiences in a more positive light? By focusing on things you're thankful for, you can shift your perspective and find a sense of meaning or purpose in difficult situations.

·      Gratitude generates positive emotions like joy, contentment, and happiness. These emotions can have a range of benefits, including improved mood, increased resilience, and reduced stress.

·      Improves social connections. Gratitude strengthens social connections and builds positive relationships with others. When you give love and appreciation, you’re more likely to receive it back.

So, now you know that gratitude is a good thing, I know you’ll want to try it for yourself. Here’s how.

·      Keep a gratitude journal. Set aside a few minutes each day to write down three things you're grateful for. This could be anything from the people in your life to the simple pleasures of daily life. By focusing on the good things in your life, you can start to build a more positive outlook.

·      Express gratitude to others. Take the time to thank the people in your life who have made a positive impact on you. This could be a friend who has been there for you during a tough time, a co-worker who helped you out on a project, or a family member who has supported you in some way. By expressing your gratitude, you can strengthen your relationships and build a sense of connection with others.

·      Practice mindfulness. Gratitude and mindfulness go hand in hand. Take a few minutes each day to simply focus on the present moment and appreciate the world around you. This could be as simple as taking a walk outside and noticing the beauty of nature or savouring a cup of tea and enjoying the taste and aroma.

·      Create a gratitude jar. Get a jar or container and write down things you're grateful for on small pieces of paper. Whenever you're feeling down or need a reminder of the good things in your life, you can reach into the jar and read through the notes.

·      Start a gratitude challenge with friends or family. Invite others to join you in practicing gratitude. You can set a goal of writing down three things you're grateful for each day for a certain period of time, and then come together to share your experiences and reflections.

·      Practicing gratitude is a habit that takes time and effort to cultivate but the benefits are enormous. Start small and be consistent, and over time you may find that it becomes easier to focus on the positive things in your life.

Should you avoid gluten?

Gluten is in a lot of things we eat, from bread and pasta, to cookies, pastries and even drinks like beer. It’s been a staple for thousands of years but, along with turning vegan, going gluten free has been one of the biggest health trends in the last decade and is almost as divisive. Some claim gluten is damaging their health. Others argue that we are at risk of nutritional deficiencies if we don’t eat it. So what’s the truth?

Like so many things these days, when there is a lot of information and opinion, the waters can become muddied and it’s not always easy to separate fact from fiction. I thought I’d explore the topic so you can decide whether going gluten free is best for you.

What is gluten is and where you’ll find it

Gluten is a collective noun that refers to a number of different proteins found in grains like wheat, barley, rye and anything made from them.

The main proteins found in wheat are glutenin and gliadin, which are very elastic and give bread its stretchy quality. Some products naturally contain gluten, but gluten is also added in extra quantities to foods to add protein and texture, and to bind processed foods together.

You’ll find gluten in the following products (not an exhaustive list!)

Wheat flour

Durham wheat

Kamut

Semolina

Bread and breaded or battered foods 

Pasta 

Noodles

Soy sauce (Tamari soy sauce is gluten free)

Worcestershire Sauce

Many flavoured crisps

Barley squashes

Beer, lager, stout, ales

Cous cous

Bulgar wheat

Pies and pastries

Pizza

Cakes and biscuits

Dumplings and Yorkshire puddings

Breakfast cereals

Muesli

Many packet sauces (powders and liquid sachets)

OTHER INGREDIENTS

Malt extract

Malt vinegar

Barley malt flavouring

Brewer’s yeast

Edible starch

What’s the problem with eating gluten?

The gluten proteins are very hard for your body to break down and, when they don’t break down completely, they cause inflammation in the digestive tract or leak through the wall of your small intestine into your bloodstream, creating an immune response.

Coeliac Disease is the most well-known gluten-related problems. It’s an autoimmune disease triggered by gluten and it causes your body to attack the small intestine, resulting in damage to the lining of the intestine.

Symptoms range from digestive distress like diarrhoea, cramping and nausea (among others) to anaemia, neurological disorders and skin diseases like psoriasis and dermatitis.

Testing for coeliac disease is by intestinal biopsy, usually when the condition is very advanced. There are a few specialist tests not available on the NHS [amend to suit your location] that I can offer clients and that can spot problems before you become very poorly. Email to ask me about this.

Wheat allergy is an abnormal immune response to one or more proteins found in wheat. Like other true allergies, the body makes a specific inflammatory response and symptoms can be mild or severe, including anaphylaxis, which can cause breathing difficulties and death. Allergies are usually detected using blood or finger-prick testing for IgE antibodies.

Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity is a ‘catch-all’ phrase that covers everything else! Advanced testing for gluten-related disorders (I mentioned this above) can pick up if your body is making an unfavourable response to gluten. Or, quite simply, you might know that gluten causes you issues, which can mean anything from milder intestinal symptoms, headaches, joint pain and fatigue, as well as neurological symptoms. While not life threatening, these can still have a profound effect on your health and how you feel and should not be ignored.

Neurological symptoms, really? Yes. What we’ve come to understand about gluten is that it can cross the blood brain barrier in the same way the proteins slip through the normally tight junctions in the gut. If you’ve ever heard people talking about Leaky Brain, this is what they are referring to. Research has shown that gluten can cause central and peripheral nervous system and psychiatric disorders

As some of you know, I have coeliac. After suffering from asthma, hay fever and severe eczema for many years, I was finally diagnosed after having lost 8kg in a short time and suffering diarrhea several times per day. At that point my brain fog was bad and led me to having finish work earlier and I spent most of my weekends sleeping as I was so exhausted. As you can imagine, it took many years to recover.

I see a lot of autoimmune clients in my nutrition clinic, including coeliac, Hashimotos and psoriasis and one of the first things I ask them to do is cut out gluten due to the inflammation gluten creates in the body.

Why is this a problem NOW?

But - I hear you cry - bread and gluten-containing products have been around for thousands of years so why is this only a problem now?

Gluten-containing grains now form the backbone of the modern diet thanks to an over-reliance on convenience and snack foods, and bread and pasta making multiple daily appearances on family menus. It’s not uncommon for me to find clients grabbing cereal or toast in the morning for breakfast, a sandwich or soup and roll at lunch and a pasta dish or pie in the evening.

We’re just eating way too much.

Add to that, the wheat we eat today is also markedly different from the historic versions that used to be grown thanks to industrial milling that brought us the almost entirely barren white flour and other highly processed foods that see today’s wheat stripped of many of its vital nutrients. Add to that, wheat is now grown very differently with fertilizers and pesticides to increase yields.

Dr William Davis, author of Wheat Belly, had this to say: “This thing being sold to us called wheat – it ain’t wheat. It’s this stocky high-yield plan, a distant relative of the wheat our mothers used to make muffins – light years removed from the wheat of just 40 years ago.”

Is giving up gluten bad for me?

You might have seen articles proclaiming that unless you are coeliac, you MUST eat gluten-containing products or all kinds of bad things that will happen, including nutrient deficiencies.

This is not the case. Articles citing the supposed nutrient deficiencies when you remove gluten containing foods that have been fortified with B vitamins (ie they have had extra B vitamins added). You could just ensure you eat foods that naturally contain vitamins instead!

As long as you focus on eating real food rather than relying on processed ‘gluten free alternatives’, there is really nothing to worry about.

About ‘gluten free foods’

Don’t make the mistake of thinking gluten free foods are necessarily healthy. When you buy any processed foods like breads, pastries, cakes and biscuits, you are in for a long list of ingredients, some of which you may not have heard of before. The same is true of gluten free processed food.

Gluten free breads are a case in point. Because the gluten in regular flour gives bread it’s unique texture, it’s hard to recreate gluten free, which is why gluten free bread often contains corn starch, rice flour, tapioca starch and potato flour, which are more likely to spike your blood sugar levels, be lower in fibre and cost more than regular bread.

How to go gluten free

If you suspect you have a problem with gluten, the answer is to eat no gluten at all. Don’t reduce it, don’t save it for treats. Because gluten intolerance provokes an immune response, there’s no halfway house. That means don’t eat any gluten-containing foods and try to minimise cross contamination with gluten products. The food industry has come a long way in the last few years, developing products and menus that contain no gluten, but you do need to be vigilant.

To start, you might find going zero gluten a struggle, but label checking and spotting cross contamination hazards will soon become second nature. Here are my biggest tips for following a zero gluten diet.

1. Become an avid reader of food labels. Get to know which food types and which brands contain gluten and, therefore, need to be avoided.

2. Don’t afraid to say you need to avoid gluten. Real friends will try to accommodate you, and restaurants have an obligation to point out any potential allergens (and remember you are paying for the meal!)

3. Carry an emergency snack (nuts, seeds, a protein bar) in case there really is nothing else to eat.

Hidden gluten

Hidden gluten is found in many processed foods, including sausages and beefburgers, sauces and gravies. Some products, while they contain no gluten-based ingredients, may have been produced in a factory that handles gluten. This means cross contamination is possible (imagine gluten free food surrounded by puffs of normal flour). These are also ideally avoided. This is why oats can be bought as gluten free or regular. Oats themselves contain no gluten but they are often packaged in an environment where other cereals like barley and wheat are processed.

Eating out

Most restaurants now offer a gluten free (GF) menu and, if not, can often advise on GF options on a standard menu. If something is not listed as being ‘gluten free’, always ask the waiting staff. If they don’t know, ask them to check with the chef. Sauces are one of the things you always need to check. Check chips are not fried in the same oil used for breaded products.

It’s a good idea to call ahead to find out what the GF options are. You’ll soon build up a bank of favourite destinations you know can cater for you. Svenska Celiakiförbundet have a lot of information and can also support with little cards to show staff in several languages. Handy when you travel!

Cross contamination

This can happen very easily in any kitchen – including your own. Grills, pans, chopping boards and utensils may still have traces of gluten on them so wash them diligently. Take care if using normal flour as residues can remain in the air for up to 24 hours and settle on counters. Crumbs are another hazard – you’ll want a separate butter or spread you can designate GF. You’ll also want a new toaster or use toast bags to prevent the transfer of crumbs.   

Is histamine intolerance causing your symptoms?

What you eat and your health are a fantastically complicated puzzle. For so many reasons linked to modern living, some foods can disagree with you. You may already experience this directly. People with digestive problems can often point to specific foods causing upsets and, if you think you have a food intolerance, you might already suspect wheat, dairy, yeast, eggs or any number of foods to be the culprit lurking behind your symptoms.

There’s one often-overlooked component found in some foods that you might not know about yet that I want to talk about today. Could it be this that’s causing you problems?

Histamine…too much of it for your body

If you have an allergy, you might already know about histamine since you probably take antihistamines to try to neutralise the effect is has on the body.

Histamine is a signalling molecule that has a lot of roles in the body like making stomach acid and keeping you alert. It is also involved in the immune response and protects you from foreign invaders.

When your immune system spots a potential invader, one type of immune cell (your B cells) to make IgE antibodies and these are a bit like warning signals to other immune cells to tell them to be on alert. When they meet the ‘invader’, other immune cells (this time your mast cells and basophils) throw out histamine and other inflammatory chemicals to neutralise the attack.

This works really well for some types of invader - like parasites, as an example – but not so much when the system overreacts to harmless substances like peanuts, pollen, animal hair. Welcome to the common allergy. It’s a histamine thing. And, if you have an allergy you might be well used to antihistamines that can block or dampen the effect of this kind of allergic response.

If you’re reading this thinking, this doesn’t concern me as I don’t have an allergy, here’s why you should be interested.

Histamine can be a problem for many other people – especially women since there is a big link between oestrogen and the cells that release histamine. Histamine symptoms tend to track with your menstrual cycle, peaking when oestrogen is at it highest and then again before your period. If you experience any of these symptoms, histamine could be the culprit:

Headaches

Brainfog

Bloating and digestive discomfort like pain or diarrhoea

Insomnia

Runny nose or congestion

Itchy eyes

Hives

Flushing

Dizziness

This is because oestrogen stimulates the mast cells to make histamine while at the same time downregulating an enzyme called that breaks down histamine, diamine oxidase (DAO). As a triple whammy, histamine triggers the ovaries to make more oestrogen. This can result in oestrogen dominance, where oestrogen is present in the wrong ratio to other hormones.

Histamine problems can also be a feature of perimenopause due to erratic release of oestrogen. Although oestrogen levels are dropping rapidly, progesterone falls faster, leaving oestrogen unopposed. 

Why do some people suffer and others don’t?

1 Genetics. Some people do not make enough of the histamine-clearing enzymes.

2 SIBO – this impairs DAO activity.

3 Any conditions of oestrogen excess like fibroids and endometriosis or progesterone deficiency

4 The birth control pill – this can cause both oestrogen excess and progesterone deficiency

5 Vitamin B6 deficiency – this vitamin is needed to make DAO

6 Certain medications - antibiotics, antidepressants, medication given for high blood pressure and heart rhythm problems, among many other common drugs like ibuprofen, asprin and diclofenac. 

Dealing with histamine problems

One of the things you can do to manage histamine problems is reducing foods that either contain histamine or are ‘histamine liberators’.

Which foods contain histamine?

Red wine and champagne

Aged cheeses

Pickled and fermented foods, including ketchup, soy sauce and vinegar

Processed deli meats like ham, salami, bacon

Smoked or canned fish

Shellfish

Aubergine

Avocado

Spinach

Dried fruit

Bananas

Bone broth and fish stock

Left overs!

These foods, while they don’t contain histamine, trigger the release of histamine

Citrus fruit

Chocolate and cocoa

Tomatoes

Egg whites

Fish

Peanuts

And alcohol and black or green tea interfere with the enzymes needed to break down histamine.

Improving your gut health is always worth doing since do much of your health relies on a healthy gut. If you’ve been ignoring symptoms, especially if you think you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), we should talk. Getting your digestive system back into balance pays dividends for all aspects of your health.

Inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy, sugar and processed foods make the situation worse, encouraging the body to release inflammatory cytokines and histamine.

At the same time, increase anti-inflammatory foods. An easy way to do this is to add herbs and spices into your cooking. Particularly helpful ingredients include ginger, thyme, oregano, basil, chamomile and turmeric.

Support oestrogen detoxification by eating plenty of cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts.

If you experience any of the symptoms I’ve talked about here, please do get it touch. It’s very easy to read things like this or take advice from Dr Google and end up following a very restrictive diet when this is not always necessary. Working one-to-one with a nutrition professional means that you can take advantage of their years of study to find a programme that helps support your health without overly restricting what you eat. It’s a minefield out there!

Are you suffering from festive FOMO?

Hey, would you like to come to this place, spend the evening at that place, have a mince pie, sausage roll, egg nog, mulled wine, taste my world-beating Christmas cake…?

And you’ll go because you can’t resist. You’ll feast like you’ll never see another meal, and you’ll consume frightening amounts of festive tipples because otherwise you’ll be missing out on all the fun, right?

FOMO – shorthand for ‘fear of missing out’ – is the acute and often unjustified belief that everyone is having way more fun than you. And it reaches its annual high any day now.

Small wonder. Apparently, the British cram 44% more social occasions into December than any other month.

But FOMO really is not your friend this month (or indeed any month) – especially if you want to maintain your weight over the holidays.

Let’s take a look at how that festive FOMO usually pans out…

You’re committed to healthy eating at Christmas, and you go to one buffet parties or events. The food looks delicious, but you are watching your weight, so your deprived mouth can only water. There’s a very subtle fear that you are never going to be able to have any of these delicious treats ever again. The fear of missing out activates your survival instinct to consume everything and anything. And so you go on a binge, and your healthy eating plans are obliterated. The self-recriminations start.  

Here’s the thing you need to know about FOMO: We are culturally programmed to over-value losses and under-value gains, so it’s really not your fault. So we put more importance on the food we may be missing out on, and less on our goals and wellbeing.

The big question, of course, is what are you are you really missing out on? Nothing. OK, maybe some sweet or high-carb treats, some booze filled evenings and such. But eating and drinking these have a flipside: blood sugar imbalance and energy crashes, poor sleep, almost certain weight gain (if you consume in excess) – and that’s without mentioning the negative self-talk for having over-indulged.

There’s another thing about this festive FOMO and it’s that it has you giving up taking responsibility for your actions around food and alcohol (You would have been able to resist, right, but it was the party season?).

FIX YOUR FOMO AROUND FOOD

There are several things going on when it comes to food. Your fear of ‘missing out’ on that delicious desert is the first.

But also refusing food (though it should be a basic human right) is mired in emotional meaning both for you and for the host.

The answer is not to find more and more creative ways to say no. If you have to own up to eating healthily around this time or being gluten or dairy free, this seems to compound the original offence of not wanting to eat.

Can you get that it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t want to stuff yourself to the gunnels with sausage rolls and mince pies? It doesn’t mean anything about your relationship with food, or how you feel about the host. You just don’t want the sausage rolls!

Your action plan is this:

1.    HAVE A PLAN Before you go to bed each night, plan out your food for the next day. This is never more true than at Christmas, when parties, chocolates, cookies and “treats” are just about everywhere.

2.    DON’T TRY TO DIET JUST NOW Set a maintenance goal instead. This is much more realistic and it is achievable, even at this time of year. It will also give you the freedom to enjoy yourself without feeling deprived, or that you’ve failed, which in turn means you’re more likely to rebel (and this is code for heading straight for the box of chocolates without a second glance).

3.    WATCH YOUR PORTION SIZES  - especially when it comes to fast-release carbs like white potatoes, pastry, breaded items, cakes, biscuits and other sweet things.

4.    DON’T GO TO A PARTY HUNGRY If you do, you will be fighting a loosing battle. Have a low GI snack before you go – just a little something that includes protein and slow release carbs (cottage cheese or unsweetened nut butter on an oatcake, for example).

5.    KEEP FAMILY CHOCOLATES OUT OF SIGHT so you’re not tempted to tuck in just because they’re there. Ever heard of the ‘see food and eat it’ diet?

FIX YOUR FOMO AROUND ALCOHOL

Often party-goers who are cautious about their alcohol consumption are viewed with suspicion.

If you want to have a few glasses of wine, have a few glasses of wine. But make that decision inside of what you know to be your social schedule over the entire Christmas period.

How does the amount of socialising stack up against your health goals?

To be clear, you absolutely can honour all your social commitments but, in order not to find yourself tempted by the usual crash diet in January, hear this: it IS possible to go out, have fun, eat well and be ‘healthy’. You just choose it.

If you cut back on the amount you are drinking at social gatherings – even choosing not to drink at some events at all – you can feel the improvements almost immediately. On those nights that you don’t drink at all, you’ll sleep better, wake feeling more refreshed, you’ll have much more energy, and your mood will be better. The impact on your waistline will be positive, too – alcohol is a big contributor to belly fat and is brimming with unnecessary calories.

Here are a few suggestions for cutting down – if that’s what you choose to do.

·      Decide how much you are going to drink (maximum) before you go out.

·      Consider telling someone else who will be there (friend or partner, perhaps) to help keep you accountable.

·      Don’t feel pressurised by others. It’s your life and you are the one who makes the decisions.

·      Have an excuse ready when you want to give it a miss (remember ‘no, thanks, I’d rather have …’ is perfectly OK.)

6 expert ways to beat stress at Christmas and feel calm today

It’s meant to be ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ but the pressure of the holidays can often mean a stress overload. Here’s what to do about it.

 Though you look forward to it all year, when Christmas arrives the experience can be pretty overwhelming. Trying to get everything ready in time can be incredibly stressful, especially for women – a third of whom feel more stressed in December than any other month, according to research. And small wonder.  Money worries, family tensions, pressure to socialise, and over-excited children on a sugar high is hardly a recipe for success. And, if you struggle to stay at your happy weight or often turn to food as a way of coping or rewarding yourself, being surrounded by treats and snacks over the holidays rarely has a happy ending.

Managing stress levels is important for your health in the long term because stress is implicated in so many different chronic diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems and asthma.

If you’re thinking you don’t fall into the ‘I’m stressed enough to be making myself ill’ category, don’t be fooled. The drip-drip-drip of everyday stress can be as damaging as major life incident-related stress (such as death and divorce), so don’t wait to take action. It’s also worth considering that stress makes it very hard to lose weight, and you’re much more likely to store it around the middle. This is because the human body hasn’t evolved much since caveman times, when the extra energy was stored where it was most easily accessed, so it could be used to run away from the sabre-toothed tiger.

Here are my top 6 ways to keep stress under control in the run up to the holidays:

1.    The 10-minute mind trick: Set aside 10 minutes a day for meditation. Simply sit down in a quiet room with your back supported and eyes closed. Try to clear your mind of all worries. Don’t worry if thoughts bubble to the surface, as this is completely normal! The more you resist the more it will persist. Simply bring your attention back to your breath and continue until the time is up. If you’re new to meditation or need more support, find a guided meditation app or CD to lead you through the process.

2.    Eat regularly: Erratic eating times and skipping meals can lead to a dip in blood sugar levels, which leads to the release of the stress hormone cortisol. It’s difficult when routines go out the window, but try to stick to three meals (with two optional snacks) a day and your digestion will thank you for it. Base all your meals and snacks on protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, beans and seeds), fruit and vegetables and smaller amounts of complex carbs (brown rice, wholemeal bread or pasta).

3.    Cut back on alcohol and caffeine: I know it’s hard, especially at Christmas when socialising revolves around drinking, but try ditching (or significantly reducing) your alcohol and caffeine intake. Caffeine causes a release of stress hormones from the adrenal glands - the last thing you want if you are already stressed! At first, alcohol might help to relax you when you’re stressed out (by promoting the release of GABA, the calming neurotransmitter), but it is quickly metabolised to sugar that can lead to a restless sleep, which leads me onto my next tip.

4.    Prioritise sleep: Get into a sleep routine that includes relaxing practices such as taking a warm bath with Epsom salts, light reading or stretching. Introduce a digital detox at least an hour before bed (that means no phones, no TV, no laptops or tablets), so as not to disrupt melatonin production (the sleepy hormone). A light snack such as an oatcake with almond butter or a banana may help to support undisturbed sleep.

5.    Eat magnesium-rich meals: Magnesium relaxes the nervous system and muscles so eating foods rich in this mineral, such as leafy greens, avocados, sesame seeds and spinach can help reduce stress.  

6.     Get to the cause: Look at the root cause to any stress in your life, and think about how you respond to it. If the effect of stress or just general busyness gets in the way of your efforts to stay healthy and you’d like to do something about it, I warmly invite you to book a FREE 30-minute consultation to help understanding the root cause and work with you to overcome it. Book here