After a great thursday evening start at Green magic Asparagasm I am attending the Functional Medicine Advanced Practice Module entitled, G.I. Restoring Gastrointestinal Equilibrium: Practical Applications for Understanding, Assessing and Treating Gut Dysfunction – It sounds great – I am going to be delving further into the complexeties of IBS, SIBO Gerd and leaky gut and finding some more ways to help you my clients.
I will keep you posted.
I am looking forwards to the Asparagasm green magic evening of fine vegan and gluten free dining tonight in London…. I am offering goodie bags full of supplements and a free green smoothie to try when you arrive. if you’re interested in attending one of these magical evenings in future check out asparagasm.com for details.
The five course menu consists of the following…
Cream of Jerusalem Artichoke drizzled with Wild Mushroom Oil
Tomato, Black Bean & Corn Ceviche with Lime & Cucumber Jelly & Crispy Tortilla
Smoked Ratatouille Provençale served with roasted Red Pepper Polenta
and a salad of rainbow greens
Raspberry & Chilli Granita
Pineapple Fondant with Coconut Sorbet
Delicious
We have always been bought up to believe fruit is good for us – well it is - to a point but too much can be acidic to the teeth and is well reported by dentists to potentially strip away tooth enamel when eaten in excess but another more sinister link has been made. High fructose corn syrup a sweetener that is becoming more popular with manufacturer’s has been linked with fatty liver disease and now a study shows that it is linked to 180,000 deaths worldwide.
While the connection between excess sugar and chronic disease is well-known, the latest research is the first to quantify deaths correlated with sugared drinks worldwide.
Scientists analyzed data from the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases Study and recorded how much sugar-sweetened beverages people drank, dividing up the data by age and sex. Then, they figured out how the various amount corresponded to obesity rates.
Lastly, they calculated how much obesity affected diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers and determined the mortality rates from these diseases, ending up with the number of deaths that could be attributed to consuming sugary beverages by age and sex.”
Well the less the better really as it has so many far reaching effects - the study found it was linked to diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
In 2001 to 2004, the usual intake of added sugars for Americans was 22.2 teaspoons per day (355 calories per day). Between 1970 and 2005, average annual availability of sugars/added sugars increased by 19%, which added 76 calories to Americans’ average daily energy intake. Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugars in Americans’ diets. Excessive consumption of sugars has been linked with several metabolic abnormalities and adverse health conditions, as well as shortfalls of essential nutrients…
The American Heart Association recommends reductions in the intake of added sugars. A prudent upper limit of intake is half of the discretionary calorie allowance, which for most American women is no more than 100 calories per day and for most American men is no more than 150 calories per day from added sugars.”
Although these statistics are for Americans we also consume far too much of the white stuff in the UK. Have a look at this great chart below and you will probably find that the hedden sources you are consuming are quickly adding up. It may well be time for you to do something about it – and quick…
Tonights programme looked at the embarrassing problem of a fish body odour. There can be a couple of possible reasons for this that should be investigated.
If it sounds like you it is possible to get a Vaginosis test - details about the test can be found here.
If the problem isn’t just in the groin area and hasn’t been caused by bacterial vaginosis (BV) you may well feel puzzled about the cause. Many Doctors haven’t heard about TMAU but those that suffer know that it certainly isn’t in their heads. The condition Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) was first detected in 1970 by a group of doctors in Colorado who tested a child who was said at times to have a ‘fishy odor’.
The symptoms
In small quantities a build up of TMA can cause halitosis (bad breath) a fishy or garbage like odour but a greater build up of TMA can cause a smell of rotting fish as well as being sulphurous.
Symptoms can be present from birth, but most people seem to develop symptoms around puberty and through the teens however it TMAU can develop much later in life.
In women symptoms can be more severe just before and during menstruation, after taking oral contraceptives and around the time of menopause
Testing for TMAU
A simple urine test can detect if TMAU is the case of your body odour and if it is there are 2 known types – one is genetic and needs to be managed by diet alone, the other is due to bacteria in the gut and can usually be successfully treated with antibiotics and diet.
For more information about the test please use this link or If you ave any questions then please do get in touch. You can call us on 01273775480 or email emma@smartnutrition.co.uk
After years of dismissing the value of complimentary health and the science behind this and natural or pharmaceutical grade supplements Ben Goldacre, columnist from the Guardian appears to have had a bit of a think. Mr Goldacre has written a book called “Bad Pharma”. This book exposes the tricks and bad science that some pharmaceutical companies get up to to gain big profits. Some of the evidence he has flagged up was stated in Patrick Holford and Jerome Burnes book. “Better medicine than drugs” One of the authors of which he has put in his category of “Woo” merchants cynically flogging worthless complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments.
In the introduction to his new book Goldacre says: “Drugs are tested by the people who manufacture them, in poorly designed trials, on hopelessly small numbers of weird, unrepresentative patients, and analysed using techniques which are flawed by design, in such a way that they exaggerate the benefits of treatments.” He then goes into detail to explain that when trials produce results the industry doesn’t like, they suppress this data, distort evidence and make it near-impossible for people to properly evaluate their claims ( Quoted from the Guardian review). Articles relating to trials sponsored by drug companies are published in academic journals that are ghost-written by industry insiders. The guardian reviewed the book and state “:It’s more than just an attack on the pharmaceutical industry, but on the whole process by which scientific experimentation in medicine is reported and evaluated.” In the words of Jerome Burne. Welcome to the club Ben.
Well, I think they do and often tell people with constipation to eat them.
A panel of European ‘experts’, who have the job of telling European citizens what they can be told about the health benefits of food, have agreed that there was insufficient evidence provided to establish a cause and effect relationship between prunes and normal bowel function. I am talking about EFSA’s Panel on Dietetic Foods, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) Perhaps they should sample some prunes for breakfast and see if they would like to change their minds.
If you are curious to know how Mother Nature ensures healthy bowels through the humble prune, read on. Prunes are a great source of fibre, but they also contain something called dihydrophenylisatin whihc is a laxative. This enables a more healthy and regular rhythm of contraction (peristalsis), which helps to ensure regular movements.
Prunes also contain different sugars, especially sorbitol. Sorbitol in particular is like a magnet for fluids, helping to draw fluid into the intestines keeping the waste soft and speeding its passage out of the body. It’s thought that the dihydrophenylisatin and the sorbitol are enough on their own to yield the desired benefit Which explains why prune juice which does not contain any fibre also manages to work.
Jamie Oliver is at the forefront of changing the way people think about their food, what it contains and where it comes from and the huge impact it has on people health. Jamie recently chatted to health about his involment ”Food is personal. What we choose to eat or feed our families every day is the most personal choice we can make. Next to the mortgage, the food bill is going to be a large investment. When I started looking at school dinners I was disgusted by what I saw: Turkey Twizzlers, no real food or cooking, just processed crap and reheating. And the more people I talked to — teachers, school cooks, students — I realized how much they wanted to change the system and return to cooking and eating real food. I also saw many studies that showed the correlation between the rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes with the increase in processed food. So I wanted to try and figure it all out, and the best way I know how to do that is film it and give people watching TV more knowledge so they can make different choices. It’s sort of grown from England to America and around the world”
An independent report by the Scientific Advisory Committee reviewed the links between meat consumption and bowel cancer. It suggested those who eat at least 90g of red or processed meat a day faced higher levels of the disease. This is significant as bowel cancer kills around 16,500 people in the UK every year.
The DoH has now recommended that consumers cut their consumption to eat 2.5 oz (70g) of red or processed meat a day – the equivalent of three rashers of bacon. The weekly recommended limit is likely to be 1.1 lb (500g), the same as eating a large pack of minced beef, two 8oz steaks or four 4oz pork chops.
With the British classic ‘meat and 2 veg’ dinner plate it can be easy to forget that there is a whole variety of protein sources to choose from to obtain a balanced diet, limiting reliance on red meat.
Lean White meat
Chicken, turkey and game are great sources of protein. When you can opt for organic meat to reduce your exposure to pesticides and to help keep your intake of saturated fat low don’t eat the skin and remove this before cooking. Eating more turkey is also good for the waist line as it is so low in fat plus it can boost mood as it contains the amino acid tryptophan which is needed by the body to make serotonin which hep to lift mood.
Organ meat
These include liver, kidney and heart. As well as a protein source liver also contains iron, copper, B vitamins, Vitamin A & C. Pregnant women should avoid too much Vitamin A and therefore should avoid Liver unless advised to eat this by their GP.
Eggs
A great source of very digestible and absorbable protein along with being a great source of Iron and B vitamins. Eggs make great breakfasts, scrambled or poached, easy snacks when boiled and great lunches when added to quiche or as a simple quick and nutritious dinner stuffed with veggies of your choice an omelette is a winner.
Beans & Pulses
Beans and pulses are good sources of vegetable protein as well as providing plenty of fibre and being rich in the minerals calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and folic acid. Add any of the following to soups, stews, curries or salads – lentils, chickpeas, aduki beans, pinto beans, haricot beans, butter beans, kidney beans, mung beans, cannellini beans, soya beans and split peas.
Quinoa
Although this is classed as a grain Quinoa is also a good complete protein source. You can sue quinoa grain like couscous or rice or quinoa flakes make a great porridge of savoury crumble topping.
Tofu
Tofu (Soya bean curd) also contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin K as well as being a complete protein. It works well if you marinade it with strong flavours and add it to stews, curries, soups and personally I like it grilled until a little bit crispy and then and added to salad.
As its International Womens day I wanted to urge all of the women out there with health concerns to stop for a moment and think about how they can take better care of themselves.
One of the ways you can do this is to eat well.
A Womans hormone cycle needs certain nutrients to function well. Magnesium found in dark green leafy vegetables and wholegrains such as brown rice and wholegrain / wholemeal bread along with vitamin B6 found in wholegrains and natural yeast are known to balance the menstrual cycle whilst the herb agnus castus is best at regulating the menstrual cycle by acting on the pituitary gland which is responsible for releasing the hormones that regulate ovarian function.
If you are menopausal try a Soya yoghurt every day as the phtoestrogens it contains help to balance your hormones, add some ground linseeds as the lignans in these also help hormone balance.
The best vegetables women should opt for are the cruciferous vegetables; cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and Brussel Sprouts, these help hormone balance and also support the liver in removing excess hormones from the body.
Of course making time for yourself away from the mayhem is the number 1 no brainer – you deserve it, go on give yourself a break.
Switch to poultry and fish for protein sources instead of red meat to reduce your risk of cancer. Gov’t says only 1 portion a wk of red meat
© Smart Nutrition 2013, Nutritional Therapist in London and Brighton
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