Headaches seem to have been a bit of theme for me over the last couple of weeks. I’ve seen quite a few clients complaining about thumping headaches that are becoming far too regular a feature in their lives.
We’ve all had the occasional headache, and often even know the cause of it. The heavy night out, working late to reach a deadline or general lack of sleep can all be triggers. Most can be treated with painkillers, but many don’t like taking them on a regular basis.
The problem with painkillers is also the fact that although they make the pain go away, the underlying reason why the headache started in the first place may still be there. As soon as you stop taking the painkillers, the headaches often return.
I recently saw a client who had suffered from recurring headaches for as long as he could remember. He had got to the stage when he almost didn’t notice the milder aches, and it was only when I asked that he realised that he had a headache even as we spoke.
His food intolerance test indicated a handful of problem foods, so I asked him to eliminate those from his diet for a trial two week period. I also gave him some extra magnesium and vitamin B3, both of which can make a big difference to the severity and frequency of headaches.
After the two week period he reported a gradual decrease in the number of headaches he was getting. We decided to continue with the same approach for another four weeks, and this time also eliminate caffeine and increase water intake.
After two months the headaches were no longer chronic, and only seemed to appear on a more occasional basis. He also confessed to me that those occasional bouts were mostly caused by a night out, or stress at work.
If you would like some help with recurring headaches, please get in touch and book yourself in!
Our New Year retreat is the perfect way to start 2010. Combining nutrition and life coaching, you’re guaranteed to start the year filled with health, happiness and a new perspective on life. It’s just over three months away now and at the amazingly affordable, all inclusive, price of 490 pounds per person. We know that it’s often easier to plan for holidays in advance, particularly as Christmas approaches, and therefore we’re offering you the option to make payments for the retreat in four monthly instalments of 125 pounds between now and the 21st January.
The retreat is set in glorious Dorset and runs from 21st to 24th January 2010.
Find out more about our New Year detox retreat, or contact our London nutrition clinic to book a place.
Julia Alderman
Believe it or not it is nearly October – where did the summer go? October can be a time when we feel a bit blue – summer has officially ended and the days are getting shorter. But while some of us may just feel a bit down in the dumps from time to time, for others depression can be a daily battle. World Mental Health Day, which this year is on October 10th (www.wfmh.com), was established in order to raise awareness of mental health issues.
It is now known that there is a huge link between diet and mood, and certain foods can really transform how we feel. For example, tryptophan, an amino acid found in fish, chicken, turkey, oats and eggs is converted by the body into serotonin, our ‘feel good hormone’. If you want to boost your mood include some of the tryptophan foods in your diet everyday. Keeping blood sugar levels stable and improving digestive health including eliminating any food intolerances can also be very important in improving mood.
As well as diet, our lifestyles can affect our frame of mind such as being in a job we don’t enjoy, high stress levels, or perhaps being in the wrong relationship. Our life coaching services can help you to move from where you are now in your life to where you want to be in the future.
If you’re in need of a mood boost, get in touch to make an appointment at one of our London nutrition clinics.
Kim
In clinic I often hear of the misery that women with fibroids suffer every month, with heavy bleeding, pain and abdominal swelling or bloating, and this was true of last week. As with many gynaecological problems, fibroids are an oestrogen sensitive condition, which means that they worsen and grow when there is excess oestrogen in the body.
Following a hormone balancing diet is a wonderful way to control excess levels of oestrogen that can otherwise encourage fibroids to grow. As part of the diet, it is also essential to look at the liver function, as optimal liver function is needed for hormone balance. This is because the liver is responsible for processing oestrogen and if it is not functioning efficiently then old hormones can accumulate. Substances that can compromise liver function therefore need to be eliminated as much as possible, and gentle detox principles including avoidance of alcohol and caffeine have a powerful effect. This can be difficult in a work hard and play hard culture, which is why we coach you through each step, making it achievable, practical and with plenty of alternatives.
Find out more about how diet can help fibroids, or contact us to make an appointment at one of our London nutrition clinics.
Julia Alderman
If you mention the word menopause, most women will automatically think of hot flushes, mood swings, weight gain, bloating and so on. The menopause is a natural stage of life for every single woman yet there is a tendency to view menopause as an illness in the western world. In other cultures, the menopause is regarded not as a time of loss (i.e. loss of periods and hormones) but as a time of great wisdom and a time of sharing your life experiences with those around you. A healthy diet during menopause, and a positive outlook on life could help you to experience the menopause with very few problems.
When Sarah first came to see us, she was experiencing menopausal hot flushes, night sweats, fatigue and mood swings. She was also suffering from bad bloating and bowel changes. Sarah had always had IBS but along with many other women she felt it had got a lot worse since hitting the menopause.
We set straight to work to try and alleviate Sarah’s menopause and IBS symptoms. A stool analysis revealed a parasite and an overgrowth of yeast which was likely to be contributing to the IBS and bloating and affecting Sarah’s absorption of nutrients. We provided Sarah with a supplement programme aimed at eradicating the nasties in her gut. Other changes included diet recommendations to boost Sarah’s nutrient intake and to stabilise her blood sugar levels. We also added in some herbs and some essential fats to support her female hormones.
A few months on, Sarah is feeling much better – the menopause symptoms have really improved, and the bloating and IBS is no longer a problem. As an added bonus Sarah has lost some excess weight and feels much more energetic.
Are the menopause and IBS causing problems for you? If so get in touch to make an appointment at one of our London nutrition clinics. Click here for more information on IBS and the menopause.
Kim
Last week The Nutrition Coach had the pleasure of delivering a corporate nutrition day at a top bank in the city, as part of a corporate wellness day. During the day a surprising number of people asked me about the link between detoxing and skin health, and in particular how detoxing helps to clear psoriasis.
Psoriasis is one of the most common skin complaints and whilst it can flare up for reasons such as stress, as with many skin problems, there is a significant link between gut health and toxin overload. Poor digestion can result in proteins being insufficiently broken down, which creates excessive toxicity in the gut. Any build-up of toxins also has a knock-on effect of burdening the liver, which usually filters out the toxins from the gut before they circulate round the body, but if it is overloaded it becomes less efficient at this.
A diet to help psoriasis therefore needs to support good digestive and liver health. This is why detox principles are perfect, as negative foods such as alcohol, sugar, common irritants (such as wheat and dairy) are avoided and pure whole-foods are emphasised.
Find out more about how a detox plan can help psoriasis and contact us to make an appointment for a consultation at one of our London nutrition clinics.
Julia Alderman
