10 STEPS TO ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS IN 2022

It is that time of year when everyone is excited about setting goals for the new year. How can you ensure success with your health goals this year?

First, let’s explore why it is a good idea to set goals in the first place. Steven Kotter, author of “The Art of Impossible”, is a big fan of setting goals and shared a study on lumberjacks in the late 1960s where there was an increase in performance and productivity of up to 25 percent when goals were set. This was as simple as having quotas per week indicating a certain amount of wood for a good week of work and a certain amount of wood for a great week. The lumberjacks who were given these quotas gathered significantly more wood than the lumberjacks who were told to “work smart and fast, but no pressure, do your best” even when there was no reward for meeting the targets.

According to the goal-setting expert, Douglas Vermeeren, about 80% of people never set any goals for themselves and out of the 20% who do, about 70% fail to achieve the goals they have set themselves. Reasons for failure include failing to plan and having too many goals.

Here are my ten steps to help you set clear achievable goals so you can feed proud of yourself in twelve months for achieving your health goals:

• Step 1 - get clear on what is important to you so you know why you want to achieve your health goals. Come up with three reasons. Here are some examples:
  
  👪 to have the energy and strength to run around with your children or grandchildren

  ⚽ to perform well in sports

  👵 to live a long and healthy life and not be dependent on others as you age

  💊 to avoid having to take medications 

  💩 to resolve some particular health concerns or symptoms 

  💤 to sleep better each night for great energy and productivity

  🏆 to perform well at work 

• Step 2 - assess all areas of your life with the wheel of life or circle of life tool to understand which areas of your life you may need to focus on as well as health. Which are the three lowest areas for you?

• Step 3 - get a large piece of paper and set a timer for 15 - 30 minutes and brainstorm all the things you would like to achieve in 2022 - the circle of life tool will have given you some indications. Include thoughts on how to raise your score on your three lowest categories from that exercise. Try to come up with at least 25 items on your list.

• Step 4 - circle just five of these 25 items on your brainstorm - these are the five most important things that you want to achieve in 2022. I learnt about this great exercise from Asana expert, Amy Mitchell. You are actually only going to focus on these 5 and deprioritise the other 20 until you have completed these 5.

• Step 5 - set aside 30 minutes, use a timer and spend five minutes visualising each of these five goals and what it will feel like at the end of 2022 when you have achieved each goal. It can be tempting to miss out this step but it really is an important part of setting and achieving goals. One study showed a 35% increase in finger strength for a group of people who did no physical training but visualised their fingers going through precise exercises daily for 15 minutes for a period of time. 

• Step 6 - break down your goals into a few milestones for the year and into daily, weekly and monthly targets and write these down in a plan. I highly recommend using free tools like Asana or Trello to map these targets out.

• Step 7 - decide what your minimum daily or weekly target is - this will help you stay on target with momentum and avoid the “all or nothing” attitude. Having an agreement with yourself that it is ok to do only five minutes of exercise per day (eg 10 press ups) as a minimum can help you stay on track when life gets busy.

• Step 8 - set up the right environment to help you stay on track with your goals. This includes hanging out with people who have similar goals to you, reading books or materials that will inspire you on your goals and ensuring you have all the tools or clothes or equipment near to hand that you need to achieve your goals. For example, if you want to start meditating or exercising daily, set up a place in your home with all the necessary things in that area so that you look forward to that activity.

• Step 9 - track your progress with your goals regularly, ideally daily, and take time each day to visualise achieving your goal. There are some great apps for tracking goals like coach.me or you can track in a journal or a calendar where you mark an X on each day.

• Step 10 - review your goals weekly and reflect on what went well and what didn't go so well and tweak your plans accordingly.

So many of us have intentions to achieve great goals each year but we get distracted with all the exciting ways there are to spend our time. I hope these steps help you set some clear achievable health goals for 2022 and stick with them.  

If you would like some support to set some great health goals for 2022, please contact me for a free health coaching session. If you need some more health guidance on what goals to focus on, you can download my free Health Scorecard worksheet. Good luck with your goals this year!

10 WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY THIS WINTER

As the colder months draw in, it may be harder to keep up those healthy habits that we sustained over the summer when there was more daylight and warmth and outdoor activities. However, it is more important than ever during the winter to stay healthy as we are exposed to more bugs due to everyone being indoors. Also, our immune systems can become less robust due to lack of vitamin D from the sun and we may exercise less if we have less energy to stick to our normal routines when it is cold and dark.

According to the NHS, there are many more illnesses during winter. These include worsened asthma, worsened arthritis and many viruses like flu, norovirus and colds. So during this time, it is vital to look after our health to have the strength and energy to continue to perform well at work and enjoy our leisure time. 

Here are ten tips to keep you fighting fit this winter: 

1. Sleep 8-9 hours a night - sleep is vital to keep your immune system strong. Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day as this will help your energy during the winter. It is tempting to keep sleeping when it is dark and hit the snooze button or sleep in on weekends. This impacts our circadian rhythms and makes it harder to stick to a regular routine. If you struggle to wake up when you need to in the morning, consider investing in a light lamp to use every morning to train your body into a good waking cycle.
   
   
   

2. Daily movement - exercise is very important to keep our energy levels high. It keeps the lymph fluid moving round our body which gets rid of waste in our cells. Ideally try and get outside for a walk regularly and do some strength building every other day like pilates or yoga or good old press-ups and squats and lunges. Remember “energy begets energy” so if you are feeling low on energy, you probably need to move more.
   
   
   

3. Have your vitamin D levels tested - during the winter, without daily access to the sun, our vitamin D levels can plummet leaving us vulnerable to viruses and other health issues. A simple test can advise you if you need to supplement or get away for some winter sun. If you decide to supplement with vitamin D, it is important to supplement with magnesium for a couple of weeks before commencing to ensure you do not become deficient. Vitamin D supplementation requires magnesium for the conversion to an active form that the body can use. Also, try to find a vitamin D supplement that includes vitamin K2 to ensure calcium in your body is directed to your bones and not to soft tissue like the arteries.
   
   
   

4. Improve your gut health - according to Dr Mark Hyman, over 70% of our immune system is housed in the gut so it is sensible to boost numbers of our good bacteria with fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and yoghurt. Also, try to regularly feed your good bacteria with prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, leeks, apples and asparagus.
   
   
   

5. Reduce your toxin exposure - in order to reduce the burden of toxins on your immune system, regularly air your house (this combats outgassing of toxins by new furniture and carpets), address any mould in your house and only use paraben-free and fragrance-free beauty and household products. 
   
   
   

6. Manage stress - stress can be worse than a poor diet for suppressing your immune system. Your body cannot tell the difference between a predator chasing you and you running for your life and worries due to finances, work or a relationship. Take time daily to do things you enjoy and that relax you. Breathing deeply for a few minutes several times a day can keep stress at bay. 
   
   
   

7. Eat nutrient-rich foods - our immune systems require vitamin A (organic eggs, organ meat like liver), zinc (oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds), vitamin C (fresh colourful fruit and vegetables) and essential fatty acids from oily fish like salmon and sardines.
   
   
   

8. Avoid sugar and processed foods - sugar suppresses our immune system. Research indicates that drinking one litre of a sugar-containing drink or 100 grams of sugar can suppress our immune system for 4-5 hours. This can really set us back if we are in the midst of fighting a virus. Processed foods also impact our immune system if they contain artificial sweeteners, colourings and preservatives as our body will identify them as foreign invaders. Replace sugar with fresh fruit and eat protein, fibre and healthy fats at each mealtime to keep your blood sugar balanced. 
   
   
   

9. Good detoxification - in order to keep toxins flowing out of the body, ensure you have daily bowel movements through good fibre intake, eat a variety of proteins from both animals and plants, regularly eat cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts (ideally lightly cooked). And sweat regularly through exercise or time in a sauna or steam room. 
   
   
   

10. Time with friends and family - spending time with those you love significantly boosts your immune system. Loneliness has been shown to depress the immune system. Try to arrange to meet friends and family for walks, meals and fun activities even if your schedule is busy.
    
    

I hope these tips help you stay resilient this winter and avoid all the bugs. Looking after your immune system will keep you healthy in old age as well as help prevent allergies and autoimmune diseases so it is time well spent. Please email me if you would like a copy of my free Boost Your Immune System Checklist or if you have any questions about supplementation. 

THE 10 FOUNDATIONS OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

We all know it is important to have a healthy lifestyle as it helps prevent disease and helps us live longer. However it is tricky to understand exactly what we need to do to live healthily as the media communicates conflicting messages about what is healthy and what is not healthy. The truth is that what may not be harmful to one person may be harmful to another. This is because we are all genetically very different to each other and also our immune system may be strong or not strong at certain times. Our toxic load can also cause us to be less resilient and fall ill compared to another person encountering the same virus or environmental factor like pollution or mould.

According to money.co.uk’s report on the healthiest countries, the UK does not rate highly. Their report states that “Britons are more likely to be obese due to a high food and alcohol consumption, as well as a lack of physical activity due to our culture”. Indeed, we may need to act differently from our friends and family if we wish to pursue a healthy lifestyle. Another obstacle in our path towards a healthy lifestyle! 

When looking to increase healthy habits in your life, ask yourself first why it is important to you to be healthy. It could be that you wish to have more energy to follow your passions or spend more time with your children or grandchildren. We must align the habits we want to have with our values in life so that we are more likely to follow through. If we are doing something out of obligation, we are less likely to be successful.

Here are some good reasons to follow a healthy lifestyle:

• More energy

• Longer lifespan and quality of life as you age

• Reduce your risk of developing diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, depression, stroke, osteoporosis, obesity and many more

• Look and feel great

• Improved memory, productivity, creativity and problem-solving

• Weight loss

So, assuming you are committed to pursuing energy and health, here are ten foundations of a healthy lifestyle to guide you:

1. Sleep 7-9 hours a night - it is easy to think we can forgo sleep and fit more into our lives, however sleep is probably the most important key to a healthy lifestyle. Sleep allows us to clean up toxins and damage in our body from everyday living and keeps our immune system strong. Try to avoid bright light two hours before bedtime to allow your melatonin, our sleep hormone, to gradually increase as it gets dark. Try relaxing activities in the last hour before you sleep so that you fall asleep easily, for example, a nice bath, reading fiction, stretching.
   
   

2. Move your body regularly and keep strong - exercise is another key foundation to health. According to the Active Lives Survey conducted between November 2019 and November 2020, 12.3 million people in England were doing less than 30 minutes of activity a week or nothing at all. According to the NHS exercise guidelines, try to be physically active every day, work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) twice a week and target 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. You do not need to be a member of a gym, you can just go for a walk and do strength exercises at home.
   
   

3. Eat protein, fibre and healthy fats at each meal - keeping our meals balanced with protein, vegetables and healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocado, coconut oil and oily fish ensures we are getting all the nutrients our body needs to thrive. Try to have 3-4 hours between meals for your digestion to work optimally. Read my blog for ten tips on how to eat healthier.
   
   

4. Look after your gut microbiome - our gut health determines how resilient we will be if we encounter a virus. Eating fermented foods daily like yoghurt, kimchi, kefir and sauerkraut increases the amount of good bacteria in our gut. Also, eating lots of colourful vegetables and legumes like black beans, pinto beans or lentils feed our good bacteria. An added benefit of adding beans to meals is that this can help you lose weight and help you reduce your risk of type two diabetes. A study of 17 men and women with type two diabetes found that adding black beans to rice led to lower blood sugar levels compared with rice alone.
   
   

5. Keep hydrated - our bodies are mostly made up of water and water is vital for proper functioning of all our organs, in particular our brain. Try to sip plain water regularly through the day and away from meals when it can interfere with digestion. Snacks of raw fruit and vegetables are also great sources of water. Signs of dehydration are cracked lips, dark yellow urine and headaches.
   
   

6. Reduce your exposure to toxins - our bodies are well designed to deal with toxins and excrete them from the body, however there is an ever increasing amount of toxins in our daily lives. These include chemicals in the air from cars and machinery, toxins in our beauty and household products like fragrance and preservatives, food additives and preservatives and colouring. Try to eat whole foods that have not been processed and eat organic where possible, especially for foods that have high fat content like dairy foods and meat. Check ingredients of your daily beauty products and check their toxicity rating on the Think Dirty app.
   

7. Ensure your body is great at detoxification - our bodies need a range of amino acids from proteins and antioxidants, vitamins and minerals from fruit and vegetables to be able to transform toxins into a form that can be excreted by the body. Also, we need to keep all our organs functioning well. Here are five ways to ensure good detoxification: ⁠⁠
   
   💩 Daily bowel movement⁠⁠
   💦 Sweat regularly⁠⁠
   🚴 Daily movement⁠⁠
   🍎 Good hydration
   🍗 Consume a balance of nutrients eg eggs, poultry, fish, broccoli, cabbage, whole grains⁠⁠
   

8. Reduce and manage your stress - we all deal with stress in different ways according to our toleration and our personality. Take regular breaks throughout the day and take time to do the things you love. Examples are spending time with friends and family, doing your favourite sport, having a nap, going for a walk, meditation, journalling, painting, drawing, playing a musical instrument, reading a book and watching films or box sets. 
   

9. Have a positive and focused mindset - our mindset determines our behaviours and our happiness. A negative mindset can cause disease through destructive emotions and it is key to focus your attention positively. Understand your values and align your life and goals to these. Be aware of your strengths and try to use them regularly at work or by pursuing hobbies. Observe your self-talk and consider if you would talk to a friend in the same way.  
   

10. Strong loving relationships - our relationships define us so it is important to surround ourselves with positive people who have the qualities we value and who bring out the best in us. Think about the people who you spend the most time with and consider if you need to make any changes to keep your energy high and positive. Consider what kinds of people you need in your network to support you emotionally and help you tap into your positive and capable mindset whether that is a friend, a coach, a mentor or some other supportive role. 

I hope you already have many of the above foundations in your life and are able to apply a few more of these aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Instinctively you will know what is right for your health despite what you read in the media. You can download my free worksheet on these ten foundations and please do contact me if you have any questions or would like support in applying these ten foundations. You can also follow me on Instagram for daily tips and inspiration.

10 WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY THIS SUMMER

With summer now fully here on our doorstep in the UK, it is important to take advantage of the warmer weather and longer hours of daylight to boost our health. Many people are keen to finally get away on well-deserved holidays which have been restricted for so many months. Relaxing on holiday and ideally every few months is key to our health with the amount of daily stress we all experience. 

Staying healthy requires a couple of key pieces. Firstly our immune system needs to be strong to be able to deal with viruses which are pretty hard to avoid these days! If it is not coronavirus, it may be the latest outbreak of norovirus. Keep washing those hands! Secondly, we also need to keep our body “functioning well” - this involves keeping our blood sugar stable so that we don’t have insulin problems in the long term which can lead to diabetes and also involves keeping all our hormones balanced. We also need to keep our liver working well to be able to deal with the toxins that we are exposed to through daily life. Staying healthy is not complex but it does require good lifestyle and dietary habits.  

Here are ten tips that will help you keep your immune system and body functioning strong during the summer months so that you can stay healthy all year round:

1. Get out in the sun daily and top up your vitamin D. Be careful not to get burnt, there is a careful balance between being in the sun between 11am and 3pm so that you can obtain vitamin D from the sun and not staying out too long without protection. Try to expose as much of your body to just 15 minutes of sunlight daily. Vitamin D is vital for a strong immune system and for good gut health (over 70% of the immune system is housed in the gut).   
   
   

2. Prioritise sleep - even though you will be tempted to stay up late due to the longer hours of light, target 7-9 hours of sleep every night and try to keep the same sleeping and waking times. Lack of sleep impacts our hormones and can also lead to us being tempted by carbohydrate-rich, high-sugar foods and stimulants like coffee and chocolate.
   
   

3. Eat protein, fat and fibre at each meal - this will help keep your blood sugar stable which avoids insulin spikes and therefore you can reduce your risk of diabetes. Great sources of fat are coconut, avocado, extra virgin olive oil and salmon.
   
   

4. Eat the rainbow - eat at least 5-9 colourful fruits and vegetables each day to help your body be hydrated and obtain many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This also helps with your intake of fibre which helps keep your bowel movements regular and is vital for regular excretion of toxins.
   
   

5. See friends and family - now that lockdown is officially ending in the UK, it is time to get together with all those friends and family you have been neglecting over the last many months. Relationships are key to our health and happiness, and hanging out with the right people who make us laugh and feel appreciated can significantly reduce stress which negatively impacts our health.
   
   

6. Stay hydrated - hydration is always important as our bodies are mostly made up of water. However, during the summer, we are much more prone to dehydration due to the heat. Dehydration can cause headaches and fatigue and results in cracked lips. Regularly drink filtered water and eat 2 portions of fresh raw fruit daily. Coconut water is great to help us stay hydrated as it balances our electrolytes. 
   
   

7. Daily movement is important for our health to help our bodies move toxins efficiently out of the body via lymph fluid and if you can sweat while you are doing it, this releases even more toxins. Our bodies protect our organs from toxins by placing them in adipose tissue so better to try and get toxins out of the body to avoid excess body fat. Try to get those 10,000 daily steps in!
   
   

8. Work on your strength regularly - try to strengthen your muscles daily because we lose muscle mass as we age. According to Harvard Medical School, “after age 30, you begin to lose as much as 3% to 5% per decade”. The NHS advises that we should “do strengthening activities that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week”. Perhaps you can allocate each day of the week to a different muscle group to ensure you never forget any of them. Just 5 minutes a day is enough - you can try these quick pilates videos or Dr Chatterjee’s 5 minute kitchen workout. Strength is vital for staying mobile and pain-free as we age and so we are able to do things for ourselves when we are elderly. 

9. Reduce stress - there are so many ways to reduce stress in the summer which involve getting outside in nature, playing sports and doing fun activities with friends and family during the longer daylight hours. Each of us has our own way of relaxing so ensure you take time to do the things you enjoy and take regular time off from work and looking at screens. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “continued strain on your body from stress may contribute to serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other illnesses, including mental disorders such as depression or anxiety”. Read my blog post for 10 ways to manage stress.
   
   

10. Toxin avoidance - in order to help our bodies thrive, we need to reduce the amount of toxins we are exposed to daily. The body has to work hard to excrete toxins and the process of detoxification also uses up valuable vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Sunscreen has many chemicals in it so check the ingredients of the one you are using. EWG recommends avoiding sunscreen with oxybenzone and insect repellents and to try to use creams rather than sprays or powders. You can search for your sunscreen on the EWG website and check its safety rating. Deodorant is another way that we can reduce toxins. Try to switch to an aluminium free deodorant. People suffering with Alzheimers have been found to have higher than normal concentrations of aluminium in their brain. 

I hope these tips have inspired you to take action to maximise your health this summer. You can download my quiz on the 10 Foundations of Health with 50 questions to score your health and learn more tips to work on your health. Please do follow me on Instagram where I post daily health tips and inspiration and please contact me if you would like a free 15 minute health coaching consultation.

HOW TO HAVE A HEALTHY MICROBIOME

It may surprise you to hear that our bodies are made up of trillions of bacteria, in fact, the ratio of microbes in our body compared to human cells is 3:1. We have approximately 37.2 trillion human cells compared to 100 trillion bacterial cells. Therefore, it is important to ensure that we are doing all the right things to keep the good bacteria balancing the opportunistic bacteria. 

In the UK, there are many health issues which could be resolved by looking after our gut microbiome better. According to Dr Mark Hyman in his book “The Pegan Diet”, “an unhealthy microbiome can cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, autism, autoimmunity, dementia, allergies, asthma, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, and skin disorders like acne, eczema and psoriasis, not to mention all the digestive disorders, including irritable bowel, reflux, and colitis.” 

So what is the microbiome? According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, the microbiome can be defined as “the collective genomes of the microbes (composed of bacteria, bacteriophage, fungi, protozoa and viruses) that live inside and on the human body”. Although we need to keep different areas of the body healthy which require balanced bacteria, for example, the skin and mouth and other orifices, usually when we refer to the microbiome, we are referring to the bacteria in our intestines. 

Good bacteria in our intestines manufacture nutrients like vitamin K and B vitamins. Certain species increase absorption of particular minerals like calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and manganese. 90% of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which helps us feel contented and happy is made in the gut, a lack of which is a cause of depression.  

Our microbiome development starts the moment we are born and can be greatly improved by a natural birth, skin to skin contact with the mother and father immediately after birth and breastfeeding. It is commonly known that antibiotics disrupt our microbiome as they kill both the good and the bad bacteria. According to Dr Mark Hyman, the best way to look after our microbiome is the “weed, seed, and feed approach” where the bad bacteria (weeds) are removed or reduced, good bacteria (seeds) are increased and nutrients that feed the good bacteria are also increased. 

Here are ten tips to help you improve your gut microbiome:

1. Eat a varied diet - this will help increase the diversity of bacteria in your microbiome. Eat many varieties of fruit and vegetables, the more colourful the better and eat different proteins from plants, animals and fish. 

2. Eat fermented foods daily - many different cultures eat fermented foods, also known as probiotic foods (foods high in live bacteria) and there are many beneficial ones out there that significantly increase the good bacteria in our gut. You need to eat these regularly as these bacteria only hang around for about 12 days. Here are some examples: 

• Coconut kefir - you can have just a little bit each day so that a bottle lasts for 3 days

• Kimchi - you can get this delicious fermented cabbage with chilli at Korean restaurants 

• Sauerkraut - you can make your own and ideally have a big spoon a day

• Fermented vegetables - you can try carrots, cucumber, cauliflower, radishes following the same process for sauerkraut

• Miso - this is made from fermented soybeans and is good to add to sauces and dressings

• Cheese - cottage cheese has five times the amount of vitamin B12 compared to milk due to the fermentation process

• Yoghurt - choose bio yoghurt and try to avoid ones with added sugars or artificial sweeteners

• Tempeh - made from soybeans, I regularly order recipe boxes with tempeh from the Mindful Chef

• Natto - made from fermented soybeans

• Kombucha - a fermented drink from sweetened tea, I am dubious about this being healthy if it is full of sugar so check the ingredients. 
  

3. Exercise regularly - studies indicate better gut bacteria diversity in those that exercise regularly including cardio and strength-training. Exercise will also keep bowel movements regular which helps microbiome health.

4. Timings of meals - have a regular schedule for when you are eating and ensure you leave 3-4 hours between meals to allow cleansing of the stomach and the gut by the Migrating Motor Complex which prevents overgrowth of bacteria.

5. Reduce chronic stress - stress is damaging to our microbiome when it is continuous as it interrupts digestion and reduces the necessary secretions we need like bile and stomach acid. Read my blog post on how to manage stress.

6. Get dirty! - it is important to expose ourselves to dirt sometimes and not be too clean. If we are continuously using harsh soaps and strongly scented washing powders, we are killing off our good bacteria. If you are eating organic (so there are no pesticides on your fruit and vegetables), a little bit of soil on your vegetables is good. Try to avoid antibacterial soaps and cleaners. Wash off hand sanitiser as soon as you get in the house. 

7. Eat polyphenols and prebiotic foods  - polyphenols like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, colourful fruit, green tea, almonds, onions, dark chocolate help promote good bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and prevent opportunistic bacteria which can cause infections. Prebiotic foods feed the good bacteria and include asparagus, bananas, garlic, honey, leeks, legumes, onions, chicory and Jerusalem artichoke. 

8. Avoid foods that reduce good bacteria and feed opportunistic bacteria - reduce sugar, gluten and highly processed foods which have been shown to damage the microbiome. Avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose. 

9. Reduce your toxin exposure - try to avoid toxins like Bisphenol A, phthalates, heavy metals like mercury and lead, triclosan in soaps and body washes, and pesticides in chemical weedkillers. These all kill gut bacteria and reduce microbial diversity.

10. Avoid antibiotics wherever possible, as well as antacids and proton pump inhibitors which reduce stomach acid which is key to preventing dangerous microbes from entering the intestines. If you cannot avoid antibiotics, consider using a probiotic supplement afterwards which includes Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria bifidum. 

I hope these tips help you improve the health of your microbiome which is a vital step towards longevity and preventing disease. It takes time to get some of these pieces in place but it is fully worth it to keep your bacteria thriving. If you are curious to understand the health of your gut if you already have all the above habits in place, it may be worth investing in a stool test which can show the diversity of your gut bacteria and whether you need to worry about parasites or any overgrowth of opportunistic bacteria. Please contact me for further information or if you have any questions.

HOW TO PREVENT PROSTATE PROBLEMS

According to The Urology Foundation, 3.2 million men in the UK have an enlarged prostate which is officially called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). This condition is common in men aged over 50. The prostate is a small walnut-sized gland which can become enlarged due to an increased number of cells. The label “benign” means non-cancerous but BPH needs to be diagnosed by a doctor to rule out prostate cancer. According to Dr John Lee, this condition can be caused by hormone imbalance, in particular, high levels of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and high levels of the hormone oestrogen which both stimulate proliferation of prostate cells.

Due to the prostate’s close location near the bladder and surrounding the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder), prostate enlargement can cause urinary issues. Symptoms of an enlarged prostate can include frequent urination, urinary tract infections due to incomplete emptying and urinary difficulties. Sufferers may also experience sleep deprivation due to regular night time toilet visits.

The good news is that there are many diet and lifestyle interventions which involve balancing hormones that you can implement to prevent this condition.

Here are ten tips to help you prevent prostate problems:

1. Regularly eat zinc-containing foods because zinc levels are very high in prostate tissue and zinc can help avoid testosterone converting to oestrogen. Enjoy shellfish like oysters, crab, clams and prawns, seeds like pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds and organic meat.

2. Drink organic green tea daily - studies show that green tea can reduce urinary symptoms for BPH sufferers and green tea contains epigallocatchin-3-gallate (EGCG) which reduces conversion of testosterone to oestrogen.

3. Ensure good detoxification of hormones - effective oestrogen clearance is highly important which is achieved through daily bowel movements, regular sweating and intake of the necessary nutrients for detoxification. These include antioxidants, amino acids which you can obtain through varied types of good quality animal and plant proteins, cruciferous vegetables and sulphur-containing foods like beans, garlic, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage.

4. Sleep well for 7-9 hours each night to ensure good hormone balance - try to wind down an hour before sleeping and avoid blue light from devices and television.

5. Keep blood sugar balanced - high insulin is a huge driving factor for hormone imbalances in men. Eat a low glycemic diet by eating good quality protein, healthy fats and colourful vegetables at every meal. Avoid high sugar foods and avoid excess alcohol.

6. Reduce your toxic exposure by eating organic and avoiding using chemical weed killers and pesticides which can disrupt your hormones. Air out your home regularly by opening the windows as modern furniture and carpets can off-gas toxins. 

7. Address oestrogen dominance - even if testosterone levels are adequate, a man can suffer from oestrogen dominance which can result in symptoms like weight gain, “man boobs”, gallbladder problems, anxiety and insomnia. Excess oestrogen has been shown to be a key cause of prostate enlargement.
   
   There are three ways to reduce oestrogen dominance:
   
   (a) Reduce intake of xenoestrogens which increase oestrogen by eating organic wherever possible and reducing toxins (as per bullet number 6 above)
   (b) Enable good clearance of hormones through effective detoxification (bullet point 3)
   (c) Avoid insulin resistance by eating low-glycemic meals and managing your stress levels (bullet point 5)
   

8. Reduce adipose fat which converts testosterone and androstenedione into oestrogens which stimulates prostate cells to grow - ensure regular strength training to build muscle.

9. Eat healthy fats - these include extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados and nuts. Also try to eat 3 portions of oily fish per week - think SMASH: salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring. Avoid damaging trans fatty acids found in pastries, baked goods and highly processed foods.

10. Reduce stress to ensure cortisol levels are kept low as consistently high cortisol impacts hormones and can cause inflammation in the body. Try a walk every day in nature and ensure you have time to relax and do things you enjoy.

I hope these tips have been helpful and can help you prevent prostate problems. I would also recommend getting your hormones tested so that you can spot any deficiencies or excesses and take action on these. I highly recommend the DUTCH test and you can contact me for more information on how to prepare yourself for the test and understand the results.

HOW TO PREVENT MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS

Menopause is rather a taboo subject and few people actually talk about it apart from to complain about menopause symptoms. Several years ago, I asked my grandmother what her experience of menopause was and she said that there was nothing special about it. That is ideally what we want to all be saying about it. Unfortunately, many women instead are suffering from hot flashes, night sweats, heavy periods, weight gain, mood swings, brain fog, aches and pains, sleep disturbances and fatigue.

Menopause is “official” when women have not had a menstrual period for a full year. In the UK, according to the NHS, menopause usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age and the average age is 51. Some women may be menopausal as early as age 42 or as late as age 57.  

From age 35-50, a woman’s oestrogen production from ovaries goes down by 35%. Progesterone decreases by 75% during that period. There is therefore a risk of oestrogen dominance which results in all the same symptoms as mentioned above that have been associated with the menopause. Once the ovaries no longer make any progesterone, progesterone is produced by the adrenal glands which makes it highly important to manage our stress levels.

Here are 10 tips to help you approach menopause without unpleasant symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings. We need to be doing these things 5-10 years before menopause to ensure a smooth transition into menopause:⁣

⁣

1. 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 7-9 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁⁣ - without restorative sleep every night, our hormones can become imbalanced due to high cortisol (stress hormones). Ensure you have a good wind down routine before sleep, for example, a nice bath, limited device time and reading a good book. 

2. 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀⁣ - as we switch to producing progesterone from our adrenal glands and no longer from our ovaries, it is vital that we manage our stress levels well. You can read my 10 tips to manage stress here. 

3. 𝗘𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗴𝗹𝘆𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘁 to help keep your blood sugar stable which is the secret to balanced hormones. Ensure you eat adequate protein, healthy fats and fibre at each meal. Avoid refined carbohydrates like white pasta and bread and choose sweet potato or fibre-rich grains like quinoa, buckwheat or wild rice.⁣

4. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 - ensure daily exercise to strengthen and stretch and ideally getting out in the sunshine and in nature every day. This will help stress levels and sleep.⁣

5. Reduce toxins - avoid xenoestrogens by using glass instead of plastic, eat organic to reduce pesticides which can disrupt hormones and check that your beauty products do not contain toxins using the Think Dirty app.

6. 𝗘𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - this will help you clear excess hormones in order to keep hormones balanced. Sweat regularly in the sauna or with exercise, ensure daily bowel movements and keep hydrated!⁣

7. Ensure you eat healthy fats - these provide the necessary ingredients for us to build hormones. Regularly eat whole organic eggs, extra virgin olive oil, avocados, coconut oil and oily fish.

8. Reduce body fat - excess body fat will provide excess oestrogen to the body which will cause oestrogen dominance. Focus on building muscle and strength building when you exercise and build in regular movement to your day.

9. Avoid aggressive cardiovascular exercise - aggressive exercise increases our cortisol (stress hormones) and can impair our precious melatonin which we produce every evening to have good restorative sleep.⁣

10. Ensure good gut health - keep your gut bacteria balanced through varied plant foods and regularly eating fermented foods. Also ensure you eat your meals and sleep according to a regular routine. Studies show that our gut bacteria can influence our oestrogen levels which we need to keep balanced with progesterone to avoid menopause symptoms.

I hope these ten tips help you prevent any menopause symptoms and that you look forward to a healthy happy symptom-free menopause. I am sure these tips all make good sense to you and I imagine you already have most of these habits in place. You can learn more about how to avoid any symptoms by downloading my free Guide to Oestrogen Dominance.

10 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

The subject of mental health has never been more important because of the pandemic and lockdown and the impact of restrictions and changes on our lifestyle. Some people have thrived due to being able to spend more time with family and pets at home, and other people have suffered due to a significant loss of in-person contact with people at work, and with family and friends who live in a separate household. 

Prior to the pandemic, according to the Mental Health Foundation, for people living in the UK, “one in six adults experiences symptoms of a common mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, and one in five adults has considered taking their own life at some point”. These statistics are very likely to have worsened now due to many people losing loved ones, high rates of job losses and unemployment, and significant changes to the ways we work, exercise, shop, socialise and carry out our regular day-to-day activities. Most importantly, we must all take time to acknowledge the impact of all this to how we feel, as it is very normal to experience strong feelings because of all these changes.

Our mental and brain health is key for having optimal health as it affects our motivation and our energy. If our mental health declines, our immune system can shut down and other body functions can be impaired like hormones and digestion.

Here are ten ways things you can do to maximise your mental health and help keep your energy and productivity high:

1. Look after your gut health - serotonin is a neurotransmitter necessary for stabilising our mood, having feelings of well-being and feeling happy. 90% of our serotonin is made in the gut, therefore we need to ensure a good balance of gut bacteria. We can achieve this through eating fermented foods daily like coconut or water kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso. Avoiding sugar and keeping a regular schedule for meals and our sleep also helps. 
   

2. Ensure deep restorative sleep every night - sleep is vital for our mental health as it helps with emotional resilience and we all know we are not at our best mentally after a bad night’s sleep. Sleep enables our brain cells to repair, allows toxins to be cleaned away and also keeps our brain neurons healthy which we need for memory.  Ensure that the hour before you go to sleep, you take time to properly wind down with limited device time as the blue light interferes with melatonin which helps us sleep deeply. Try taking a relaxing bath or reading some fiction before you go to sleep. Avoid exercising late in the evening as this can disrupt sleep.
   

3. Eat protein, healthy fats and colourful vegetables at every meal - our brain needs these nutrients as well as good hydration to function well. Try to only eat real food and avoid processed foods. It is also worth considering if certain foods cause you to feel more anxious or drained - some foods that can have this effect are wheat (bread, pasta, baked goods) and dairy. Keep a log of how you feel after you eat certain foods and you may find some patterns. Be sure to eat these top 10 brain foods every day, as recommended by brain coach, Jim Kwik: avocado, blueberries, broccoli, coconut oil, eggs, green leafy vegetables, salmon, turmeric, walnuts and dark chocolate.
   

4. Reduce stress - stress can be a trigger to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. The quickest way to relieve stress is to breathe diaphragmatically for just 5 minutes. Also, try to spend time daily for at least 10 minutes doing something you enjoy. If you struggle to think of something, think about the activities and hobbies you used to enjoy as a child, for example, playing sports, doing a jigsaw, playing games or a musical instrument, or time with pets.
   

5. Reduce stimulants - try to avoid foods and drinks containing caffeine and artificial sweeteners and excessive carbohydrates as these can cause unnecessary anxiety. 
   

6. Reduce toxins - according to brain doctor, Dr Daniel Amen, environmental toxins like mould and heavy metals can cause many brain health issues like anxiety, depression and brain fog. Take his questionnaire to understand your brain’s current toxic load and risk of brain and mental health issues.
   

7. Daily exercise and movement - these help bring blood flow to the brain. Low blood flow to the brain has been linked to depression, schizophrenia, alzheimers and other brain disorders. Find ways of bringing in more daily movement, for example, take the stairs, go out for a walk, do a big clean of the house, choose far away parking spaces and dance to your favourite songs. 
   

8. Strong network of support - having supportive friends and family around us is vital to ensure good mental health. Think carefully about who wants the best for you and spend time with these positive people as much as possible. 
   

9. Positive thoughts - negative thoughts can be more destructive than eating a bad diet or not exercising. Challenge any negative thinking, defeating beliefs, and deeply-held negative emotions and journal about them or talk to supportive friends and family to truly understand what is causing these thoughts. 
   

10. Effective regular self-care - it is important to regularly make time for the kind of self-care that will help you the most, whether that is regular exercise or spiritual practices or slowing down and having a lovely treatment like a massage or reflexology or reiki or acupuncture, whatever helps you to feel grounded and calm and resilient. Consider whether some kind of therapy could be helpful for you if you have had any adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) like divorce, neglect, abuse or a loss of a loved one - it can be useful to calculate your ACE score with this questionnaire. According to Bessel van Der Folk, author of ‘The Body Keeps the Score’, many people may not be aware that they have suffered from trauma. He cites examples of people having car accidents and blotting these experiences from their memory and explains how people can respond to different types of therapy so it is worth giving some of these therapies a try: EMDR, Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping), hypnosis, sound therapy, theatre work etc.  

I hope these tips have given you ideas on how you can look after your own resilience using diet and lifestyle habits. For a quiz and more tips on mental health, you can download my free worksheet: how to prevent anxiety and depression. And please do follow me on Instagram for daily tips and inspiration!

HOW TO BE HEALTHY

Health is a very popular topic as always and it is a very controversial subject with many people arguing about what exactly health involves. The truth is, it can be very different for each person. As the saying goes, “one man's meat is another man's poison” and this can be very true from the types of food we eat, to the type of exercise we do and the kind of things we do to relax and have fun. This is because we all thrive on and enjoy different things. That is why it is so important to listen to your body when experimenting with new things and do what feels good for you and right for your unique body. 

How healthy are you? Find out by downloading my free Health Scorecard and rate your health.

There are many benefits to improving our health:

• Strong immune system to fight viruses

• Emotional resilience so we feel calm and in control

• Good brain function which helps us with mental sharpness as we age

• Perform optimally at work and in sport

• Lose weight and unwanted body fat

• Improve sleep so that we feel refreshed when we wake up

• Increase our energy so we feel motivated to pursue all our goals

Here are ten areas we can focus on to ensure our health is optimal:

1. Sleep - although we may be an early bird or a night owl, we must get enough quality deep sleep each night. Ideally we should be sleeping during the hours of darkness, as early as we can before midnight to maximise our deep sleep and we need 7 - 9 hours sleep each night. You will know you are getting enough sleep if you can wake up without an alarm and feel rested when you wake up. Sometimes this just requires correctly timing your wake up after 4 or 5 sleep cycles before you go into the next sleep cycle. Try using the app Sleep Cycle which can help you wake up at the best time after a sleep cycle ends.
   
   

2. Fitness - we all know we need to exercise! It is vital to have strength-based exercise as we grow older to ensure we have good muscle mass. Cardiovascular exercise as well as flexibility are also vitally important. Find the exercise you love to do which you will do regularly. Daily movement is key!
   
   

3. Nutrition - what we eat has a major impact on our body. There is a lot of confusion about what is healthy and not healthy. Ensure you include good quality protein daily as well as colourful fruit and vegetables and healthy fats. Most importantly listen to your body and track what foods feel good. Do not assume that because a food is deemed healthy that it is good for your body. Some people have trouble digesting nuts and certain vegetables. Read this blog post if you want to learn my 10 tips on How to Eat Healthier.
   
   
   

4. Gut Health / Healthy Microbiome - looking after our gut health is really important, especially since the ratio of microbes in our body compared to human cells is 3:1. We have approximately 37.2 trillion human cells compared to 100 trillion bacterial cells. Plant foods like onions, garlic and leeks feed our good gut bacteria as well as fermented foods like sauerkraut, bio-yoghurt, kefir and kimchi. Avoid artificial sweeteners and processed foods and try to follow a regular routine for eating and sleeping for a healthy microbiome.
   
   
   

5. Hydration - regular intake of clean filtered water is necessary for good health. All of our organs need high amounts of water including the brain, our blood and our muscles. If we are not drinking enough water, we can suffer from headaches, lack of focus and concentration, high blood pressure, dry skin and kidney problems. If you like a change from water, try eating some fresh fruit which is very hydrating or herbal teas.
   
   
   

6. Reducing Toxin Exposure - toxins create a great deal of damage in the body. It is important to look at the beauty products you use and limit parabens and fragrances which can disrupt your hormones. The app Think Dirty is fantastic to screen your products.  Try and eat organic foods where possible to limit pesticides in your body. Try and air out your house at least once a week as new furniture and carpets can release toxins which is called “off-gassing”.
   
   

7. Detoxification - although everyone talks about “doing a detox”, many people are not doing what is really required for healthy detoxification. This involves daily bowel movements, drinking plenty of water, sweating regularly and ensuring good intake of all the necessary nutrients for the detoxification process. These nutrients include a variety of amino acids from both animal and plant protein as well as vitamins and minerals from colourful fruits and vegetables, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli.
   
   
   

8. Stress Management - stress is one of those hidden causes of disease which tends to be overlooked. We can eat the best diet in the world and exercise regularly but if we suffer from stress, this can wreak havoc in the body. This is because stress shuts down many functions in the body like the immune system and the nervous system which are so vital for maintaining health. Also digestive secretions like stomach acid are massively reduced by stress and our hormones are limited as we don’t need to have all these things working well if we are running for our lives from a predator. Daily relaxation is absolutely vital for health which can include meditation or mindfulness or just spending 10 minutes a day doing something you love like playing a musical instrument, spending time with friends or family or laughing. Read my blog post on How to Manage Stress for more tips.
   
   
   

9. Mindset - the way we think is key to our health. We can manifest disease through negative emotions and beliefs. It is important to watch the thoughts we have and challenge any negative or disempowering ways of thinking. Practising gratitude daily is a wonderful way to improve our mindset by really tapping into the positive feelings relating to the wonderful gifts we have in our life. I know many of us are going through a tough time with the pandemic and it is important to really take time to appreciate even the tough things that teach us life lessons. The way you start your morning can also massively impact your mindset for the day. Swap the morning news with reading a couple of pages of an inspiring book.
   
   
   

10. Relationships - we thrive if we have supportive, nurturing relationships in our life as these help us feel happy and loved. This reduces stress and boosts our immune system as well as positive hormones like oxytocin. I know sometimes it's tricky with family as we don't feel like we get to choose our family. Ensure that you surround yourself with people who respect you and see the best in you. And if you haven't got those people currently in your life, it might be time to build some new relationships! According to motivational speaker Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Consider carefully if you want to be thinking and behaving like the five people you spend the most time with and choose your people well! 

I hope these ten tips have given you food for thought on how you can boost your health. It is an ongoing project to keep eating healthily and exercising and taking time to relax. However it is time very well spent if we want to have a high quality life as we age. You can download my free Health Scorecard and see how healthy are in the above 10 areas.

HOW TO MANAGE STRESS

Everyone these days talks about how stressed they are or if they do not use that word, they will talk about how busy they are with their never-ending list of things to do.

A study in 2018 found that 74% of adults in the UK felt so stressed that they felt unable to cope. It would be very interesting to run the study again now as some people may feel a great deal less stressed with the many changes due to the pandemic, for example, furlough, less time commuting, more time to exercise, more time with a pet.  On the other hand, many people may feel significantly more stressed due to overworking, homeschooling, not able to have grandparents helping with childcare, social isolation etc.  

No matter what is going on in our lives, we all need to constantly manage our stress levels so that our bodies can heal and repair daily and be resilient and strong. Our stress response is part of our survival mechanism and unfortunately is being switched on too readily by things that are not life-threatening, for example, the amount of things we need to do or a stressful relationship. Our bodies respond in the same manner whether a predator is chasing us and we are running for our lives, or if we are stressed by our work, finances, family, health or relationships. This can take a toll on our immune system and all of our body functions.

Here are ten tips to help you manage stress:

1. Breathing deeply - our bodies are constantly taking cues from our thoughts and our behaviours about how safe our environment is. Breathing is the easiest way to calm down our nervous system. You can try box breathing: simply inhale for 7, hold your breath for 7 and exhale for 7, pausing before the next inhalation. Our bodies know we are safe when we breathe like this as we would not hold our breath if we were running from a tiger!
   
   

2. Do not over-exercise - we all need to move regularly to keep fit and keep our heart healthy, however excessive running and other exercise will be giving your body the message that it is in a dangerous environment. Intersperse your exercise from time to time with more gentle exercise like yoga, tai chi, stretching and walking in nature.
   
   

3. Sleep 7-8 hours - getting a good night’s sleep and feeling rested and refreshed when you wake up are vital components of feeling in control and being emotionally resilient. Our stress levels will be much higher after a bad night’s sleep or less than 7-8 hours’ sleep.
   
   

4. Keep your blood sugar stable - avoid eating refined carbohydrates and sugar that will cause your blood sugar to rise significantly and then drop significantly causing anxiety and oxidative stress in the body. Ensure you have protein and healthy fats at each meal that will keep your blood sugar stable for 3-4 hours after eating.
   
   

5. Avoid changes to your circadian rhythms - try and keep a steady routine to maintain calm and safety for the nervous system. Our bodies follow a circadian rhythm which responds to light and our nervous system is calmed by routines like going to sleep and waking at the same times each day and eating our meals at the same regular times. Try to also avoid blue light in the evening by turning devices off one hour before sleep and try to get daylight into your eyes within thirty minutes of waking up in the morning. 
   
   

6. Pay attention to your thoughts - having ruminating thoughts is not good for stress! Neuroscientist, Daniel Amen, believes that our Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) are at the root of our stress. Here are some great questions to help you challenge these thoughts and see how valid they are. Our self-talk can be quite destructive if not managed.
   
   

7. Track your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) - a great measure of our stress is HRV. You can track it with apps and devices and learn which activities reduce your stress the most. My favourite device is the Firstbeat Lifestyle tracker - it involves a 3-day assessment and you receive a very detailed graph on how restorative your sleep, exercise and other activities are (or are not!). The OURA ring and Heartmath also have excellent reviews.
   
   

8. Mindfulness and Meditation - these 2 practices are extremely beneficial to helping reduce and manage stress. It is just a matter of finding a method that appeals to you and that you will do ideally daily. I personally love ziva meditation which requires no apps or headphones and I have also used holosync and lifeflow meditations with great success. I also love Calm’s daily 10 minute guided meditation with a nice tracker that gives you a sense of achievement! There are also many free guided meditations and mindfulness sessions on YouTube. 
   
   

9. Gratitude journaling - taking just 5-10 minutes a day either at the end of the day or first thing in the morning to write out three things that you are grateful for as well as taking time to really evoke the emotions can be a powerful practice. Don’t just list the items, really remember and feel into it and write about 25 words about how you felt and why it felt good, for example, if someone did something kind for you, write out all the full details.
   
   

10. Regularly take time to relax and do things you enjoy - laughter and having fun are great ways to manage stress as well as being enjoyable! Watch your favourite TV show or a film that makes you laugh or hang out with the friends that make you feel great (I know it is more limited on zoom!). Or if you prefer peace and quiet, find some great fiction books to escape into or other hobbies eg playing a musical instrument. Think about what things you loved to do as a child.

I hope these tips have given you lots of ideas to try out to manage your stress on a regular basis. The most important thing when it comes to stress is to listen to your body and rest when needed.

HOW TO EAT HEALTHIER

There are so many conflicting messages in the media about what is healthy and what is not healthy. One day we are told that we should avoid alcohol and the next that red wine contains healthy antioxidants. It is no wonder that we are all very confused! However, I am sure that really you know what things are healthy for you and make you feel good. You might just want be looking for permission to eat those things you know you are better to avoid!

Download my free guide with a quiz and 10 tips on how to prevent indigestion.

Here are 10 tips to help focus you to eat healthier and help reduce any confusion about nutrition:

1. Protein – it is important to eat good quality protein at every meal. According to Dr Mark Hyman in his book “What the heck should I eat?”, we should aim to eat 115-170g protein per meal. Remember, also, to vary the proteins we eat so that we are sure to get the full spectrum of amino acids that our bodies need. We need protein for good bone health and to help our liver work efficiently to move toxins and excess hormones out of the body.
   
   

2. Eat the rainbow – we need to eat different coloured plant foods with 50-75% of each meal consisting of coloured vegetables. According to Deanna Minich, we should try to eat the following colours daily: red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown, white (eg raspberries, carrots, lemon, broccoli, blueberries, mushrooms, onion).
   
   

3. Healthy fats - aim for 3-5 servings of healthy fats daily (nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut, olives, extra virgin olive oil). These are vital for healthy cells.
   
   

4. Low-glycemic - Eat a low-glycemic diet to keep your blood sugar stable. This helps keep your insulin down and reduce your risk of Diabetes Type 2 as well as keep your mood stable and help you avoid over-eating. Including protein and vegetables at each meal helps with this.
   
   

5. Timing of meals - eat every 3-4 hours to keep blood sugar stable and to avoid cortisol kicking in. Also, it is important that you allow the full cycle of digestion to complete before you start eating again.
   
   

6. Chew, chew, chew! – make sure you chew your food thoroughly and never eat when stressed. This enables optimal digestion and absorption of all the great nutrients from the foods you are eating.
   
   

7. Varied diet – it is important to eat different kinds of foods and not stick to the same old foods. The good bacteria in our gut thrive on many different types of foods and there is a risk that the diversity of bacteria will be low unless we eat a varied diet.
   
   

8. Avoid inflammatory foods - avoid foods which cause you digestive issues. Gluten and dairy are known to irritate the gut for certain people and it is wise to avoid eating these at every single meal.
   
   

9. Whole grains - eat small amounts of whole grains like brown rice, wild rice, quinoa,
   and buckwheat for fibre and B vitamins.
   
   

10. Real whole foods - avoid processed foods with artificial ingredients and sweeteners that you cannot pronounce. Try and eat things that our ancestors would have eaten, for example, meat, eggs, fish, fruit and vegetables.
    
    

I hope I've given you some ideas to eat healthier and help you choose those foods which make you feel great. Final takeaway (of the non-sugar fatty salty variety!!) – make sure you always listen to your body as just because something is healthy does not mean that your body enjoys it or can digest it well. Avoid foods that make you feel uncomfortable and enjoy the ones that make you feel good. And if you do want to enjoy something that is not the healthiest, make sure you sit down and savour it properly.

HOW TO PREVENT INSOMNIA

Insomnia is defined as regularly having problems falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early in the morning and not able to go back to sleep again. All of these scenarios cause us to not feel refreshed from sleep the following morning and can lead to headaches, irritability and blood sugar issues. In the longer term, lack of deep rejuvenating sleep can cause more serious problems as our body does not get the chance to do all the healing and detoxification it is meant to do while we sleep. 

A study conducted in Southampton during 2018 - 2020 indicated that, prior to the first lockdown in March 2020, one in six people experienced insomnia which rose to one in four people following the lockdown. Causes of insomnia seem to focus mainly on anxiety and worry but there are many other reasons for poor quality sleep including hormone imbalances, blood sugar imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, neurotransmitter imbalances and impacts of foods and stimulants and medications.

Sleep is a vital pillar for good health and you may suffer from many kinds of symptoms if you do not get sufficient deep sleep each night. It is important to note that you will never experience deep sleep if you are highly stressed. You may fall asleep but sleep very lightly if very stressed. This is because your body assumes that something life-threatening is close at hand, for example, a predator and that you may need to run away at a moment’s notice. It is such an important key to sleep that we reduce our daily stress so that our body knows that it can allow us to sleep deeply and that we are not constantly in survival mode. A simple habit like regularly breathing deeply for five minutes is enough to significantly calm our stress.  

Here are ten tips to help you prevent insomnia:

1. Create a sleep sanctuary in your bedroom - our bedroom needs to be fully dark, you can invest in some blackout blinds and cover up all lights from electronics. Ensure you are comfortable and that the bedroom is slightly cool. Using an essential oil like lavender is great for helping you wind down at bedtime. Sprinkle a few drops on a tissue and put inside your pillowcase. 
   
   

2. Align with your natural circadian rhythm - within thirty minutes of waking up, expose your eyes for 10-30 minutes to direct natural daylight or a light lamp if it is still dark. This resets your circadian rhythm and according to one study can also help you lose weight! It is also important to go to wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day.
   
   

3. Avoid blue light at night - avoid using electronics with blue light within 2 hours of bedtime. Blue light reduces melatonin which your body starts making from about 9pm onwards. Melatonin is vital for good quality sleep. You can use filters to reduce blue light or blue light blocking glasses but it is better to reduce usage of electronics and relax.
   
   

4. Exercise at the right time - it has been shown that regular exercise can help sleep if done consistently over several weeks. Early morning cardiovascular exercise is best and ideally outside. Avoid intense exercise 2-3 hours before bedtime as this will reduce your sleep quality. 
   
   

5. Eat dinner early - ideally finish your evening meal 3 hours before bedtime so that your digestion is complete before you go to sleep. 
   
   

6. Keep your blood sugar stable - eat low glycemic meals during the day to keep blood sugar stable at all times. You may wake up around 2am or 3am if your blood sugar drops significantly during the night and your body creates cortisol as it fears for your survival! If this is something you think is happening for you, try eating an apple and a few nuts before going to sleep to keep blood sugar stable through the night. 
   
   

7. Avoid caffeine after midday - it is commonly known that caffeine can help you stay awake when you need to but were you aware that it can take 10 hours for it to completely clear your system? Similarly chocolate contains a stimulant called theobromine which can impact your sleep.
   
   

8. Reduce stress - your body needs to have rest and relaxation through the day so that you avoid waking up at night thinking about things that you have not had time to think about during the day. See this great video to understand this concept! A great way to achieve this is meditation - there are so many apps like headspace and calm. My favourite is the ziva meditation technique. Take time to regularly do activities you enjoy, for example, gardening, sport, spending time relaxing with friends and family, journaling or reading a good book. This will also help keep your hormones balanced. Also, ensure you have a calming bedtime routine for the last hour before sleep.
   
   

9. Breathe through your nose - there are many benefits including improving your oxygen intake, keeping your mouth moisturised with less bacteria and it helps you reduce stress and snoring. Practice breathing through your nose more during the day to reduce mouth-breathing at night. Listen to this podcast with Patrick McKeown for more info.
   
   

10. Eat foods high in melatonin - these include nuts (in particular, pistachios), seeds, mushrooms, eggs and fish. Also, ensure you are eating a healthy diverse diet rich in plant foods as a lot of melatonin is made in the gut and is dependent on good gut bacteria.

I hope these tips help you improve your sleep. If you do just one thing to help your sleep, the best daily habit is to expose your eyes to direct natural daylight as much as possible. This helps reset your circadian rhythms and should not fail to improve the quality of your sleep.

Download my free sleep questionnaire to help you further understand how to improve your sleep. 

HOW TO PREVENT CANCER

Cancer is a scary diagnosis and according to Cancer Research UK, someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer every two minutes. However, there is hope as the World Health Organisation states that many cancer deaths are preventable.

They refer to five diet and lifestyle risks:

• high body mass index

• low fruit and vegetable intake

• physical inactivity

• tobacco use

• alcohol use

GET MY FREE GUIDE WITH A QUIZ AND TEN TIPS TO PREVENT CANCER

It is important to note that there are always cancer cells present in the human body. Cancer only becomes a disease when those cells replicate out of control. Our greatest opportunities to prevent cancer are to maximise nutrition, boost immune function and ensure we have strong detoxification.

Here are my top three tips to reduce your risk of cancer:

• Robust immune system - ensure your immune system is running at its best. You need to have a calm vigilant immune system which tolerates what is normal, for example, certain foods and temperatures. You do not want your body busy healing inflammation in your body or fighting viruses. You require the following nutrients for a healthy immune system: zinc, vitamin D, vitamin A, omega 3 fats. Eat (do an image with foods for these nutrients and a pin, oysters, beef (zinc), salmon, chestnut mushrooms, sunshine, liver, carrots, mackerel, SMASH)

• Detox well - ensure your body’s detoxification pathways are all working optimally. You can achieve this through daily bowel movements, drinking enough water and sweating regularly. Try and limit your toxin exposure so your body has less toxins to process by eating organic foods and checking food and beauty product labels.

• Effective stress management - ensure you take time daily to relax, take breaks from work and do things you love and that bring you joy. Think about the things you used to do as a child to have fun. Perhaps you like to do sport or read or do puzzles or just hang out with friends.

Download my free guide with a quiz and the full 10 diet and lifestyle tips to help you prevent cancer.

Please let me know how you get on with these tips. Which is the hardest one for you to do daily?

HOW TO PREVENT DIABETES TYPE 2

It is estimated that there will be 5.3 million people with diabetes by the year 2025. Current estimates, according to Diabetes UK, are that there are 3.9 million people in the UK who have been diagnosed with diabetes as well as another million who are not aware that they have diabetes. 90% of those will have diabetes type 2. 

Download my free guide including a quiz and the full 10 tips to help prevent diabetes type 2.

In diabetes type 1 (about 10% of cases), the body does not produce sufficient insulin in the pancreas beta islet cells. This usually has some component of genetic origin and is an autoimmune disease. With insufficient insulin, blood sugar rises. 

With diabetes type 2 (about 90% of cases), the cells of the body become “resistant to insulin”. To help you understand insulin’s role, Dr Jason Fung describes insulin like Japanese subway pushers who assist the passengers (glucose) onto the packed train (cell). When the cells are packed full or if there is not enough insulin, the glucose remains in the blood and then in order to protect our organs, it is stored as fat. This condition is called insulin resistance.

Symptoms of insulin resistance can range from lack of energy, weight gain especially fat in the abdomen area, slow healing, waking up around two or three in the morning due to low blood sugar and feeling hungry all the time. Insulin resistance may be ongoing for many years before prediabetes or diabetes type 2 is diagnosed. The best indicator of insulin resistance is to get your fasting insulin checked by your doctor or privately. Levels higher than 7 mIU/L can indicate insulin resistance. The more readily available test is called the HbA1c test which measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months and the optimal functional levels are around 5.0% or 3.1 mmol/mol. HbA1c results can be skewed by other factors like low iron levels and are not reliable viewed in isolation.

Source of data: School of Applied Functional Medicine & Chris Kresser

Here are three tips to help you reduce insulin resistance and your risk of developing prediabetes and diabetes type 2:

• Reduce the refined and artificial sugar you eat and check food labels.  
  

• Daily exercise - increase how much your body uses glucose by increasing your muscle mass through exercise. Studies show that walking just 30 minutes per day has been shown to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes by as much as 50%.
  

• Reduce your stress by taking time daily to relax, breathe deeply and do things that bring you joy. You can eat very healthily but still have an increased risk of diabetes if you have high stress levels. 

I hope you feel inspired by the above straightforward tips. Making these kinds of daily changes will make a significant difference to your long-term health and help you avoid other diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer. If you want to learn more, you can download my full 10 diet and lifestyle tips to help prevent diabetes as well as a quiz. You can also follow me on Instagram for health tips and inspiration.

HOW TO HAVE A HEALTHY THYROID

It is estimated that 2% of the UK population has been diagnosed as having an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). According to the British Medical Bulletin, 8% of women (rising to 10% who are over 55) are suffering with underactive thyroid but have not been diagnosed.

Download my free guide with 10 diet and lifestyle tips on how to have a healthy thyroid.

An underactive thyroid is the result of the body not producing enough thyroid hormone for the body’s needs and can be a result of many things, for example, nutrient deficiencies, impact of medications, hormone imbalance, stress, toxicity etc. With an underactive thyroid, everything in the body slows down and symptoms can include constipation, weight gain, hair loss, thinning eyebrows, fatigue, dry skin and premenstrual syndrome.

Unfortunately, in the UK, typically only one thyroid hormone is tested which is called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and you will need to privately order a test called a full thyroid panel. This comprehensive test will also check levels of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). TSH is produced by the brain and instructs the thyroid gland to produce T4. Our cells need T3 and therefore a conversion from T4 to T3 is required which takes place in the liver and needs particular nutrients like selenium, zinc, vitamin A and iodine. One of my clients who has been suffering from significant weight gain and hair loss took this test. Her TSH was normal and within the range as well as her T4, however her available thyroid hormone (T3) was low indicating that her body was not converting T4 to T3 well. Poor conversion can be caused by nutrient insufficiencies, poor liver health, inflammation in the body and heavy metal toxicity. If you have low levels of T4, this can be caused by nutrient deficiencies like selenium, iodine or protein.

Here are my top tips for managing an underactive thyroid:

• Varied Diet - ensure you eat a range of foods high in protein and in particular high in selenium, zinc, vitamin A and iodine. Good sources include brazil nuts, eggs, liver and seaweed.

• Avoid Toxins - avoid chemicals like fluorine and chlorine which compete with iodine. Filter your water and use fluoride-free toothpaste.

• Look after your liver! - reduce the load on your liver by eating plenty of nourishing fruits and vegetables, avoiding processed foods, ensuring you sweat regularly and by drinking plenty of clean water.

I hope you feel inspired on what to do to look after your thyroid. For further information, you can download my free guide with a further 7 tips on how to have a healthy thyroid.

HOW TO PREVENT ANXIETY

According to Mind, “1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England” and “1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England”. Certainly right now, in the midst of a pandemic, those figures must have increased significantly due to the amount of fear caused by frightening daily statistics relating to infection and death rates shared by the media. Also, many people do not have their regular routines of work at the office and time with friends and family for that necessary support which is vital for our mental health. 

Let’s look at some of the causes of anxiety. These can range from emotional trauma and unrealistically high expectations of self and others to not taking care of ourselves in the areas of sleep, nutrition, fitness and not surrounding ourselves with loved ones who make us feel great. 

Here are some of the types of anxiety that exist:

• Social phobia - embarrassment or humiliation in social situations

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - excessive, repetitive thoughts and behaviours

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder - constant worry and physical symptoms

• Panic Disorder - frequent, spontaneous attacks and avoidance

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - thoughts and experiences of horrible events

The symptoms of anxiety can include dizziness, hypertension, insomnia, heart palpitations, nausea and diarrhea and can result in longer term disease if the body is subjected to constant stress.

It is important to understand the root cause of your anxiety so that you can take steps to deal with it. In parallel, it is important to introduce stress management techniques so that you can help your body regularly access the parasympathetic state rather than the flight or fight state (sympathetic state). 

I recently interviewed 11 people about their anxiety for market research. All of them indicated that it was their sense of a lack of control and not knowing the next logical step to take relating to their situation that left them feeling helpless and not taking action. Nearly all of the people I interviewed were able to take action on their situation after taking a break from their work or their regular routines and getting a change in perspective. This was sometimes enforced by the doctor who they went to see or a realisation that they needed a break from their situation.

One of the most important things to do when feeling anxious is to breathe diaphragmatically. Studies indicate just 5 minutes a day of diaphragmatic breathing reduces anxiety. Also, it is important to find activities that make you feel safe and relaxed. This will be different for each person depending on their likes and dislikes and experiences in life. Examples include yoga, tai chi, mediation, spending time with loved ones, getting good sleep or having a nap, eating a nourishing meal or asking for help from a mentor or a friend. 

A great solution for helping you with your anxiety could be the routine laid out in the book “Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. It is called SAVERS and stands for Silence, Affirmations, Visualisation, Exercise, Reading, Scribe. Here is an example of a 30-60 minute routine that you could do first thing each morning and significantly reduce anxiety:

• Silence (5-10 mins) – praying, meditating, focusing on the breath

• Reading (5-10 mins) – read a few pages of an inspiring book (spiritual, self-help)

• Affirmations (5-10 mins) – write out what you want, who you are committed to being, what you are committed to doing to change your life

• Visualisation (5-10 mins) - create a vision board and spend time looking at each image and feel what it would be like to manifest each thing in your life 

• Scribe - Journaling (5-10 mins) – write in a blank journal what you are grateful for

• Exercise (5-10 mins) – push-ups, sit ups, yoga, pilates, a fitness youtube video

I hope these suggestions help you reduce your anxiety. Please let me know if you have any questions and don’t forget to download my free guide with a quiz to assess your lifestyle and 10 tips to help you prevent anxiety and depression.