One of the most frequently asked questions I come across in my practice is ‘Can you please test me for food intolerances?’. Funnily enough, one of the tests I use the most infrequently is the food intolerance test. Let me explain why.
It is often the case that food intolerances are not the cause of the health problems the client come to see me for, but in fact the symptom. Food intolerances can often develop as a result of underlying digestive disturbances. Perhaps the easiest way to explain this is to look at the link between digestion and the immune system. The immune system is the ‘gate keeper’ that vets everything we ingest and determines what is safe to allow in the body. If your digestion is not working well, the immune system may not recognise the larger undigested food particles that it is now presented with and goes on the defensive. As a result, you may experience diarrhoea, bloating, stomach cramps, skin problems and a whole host of other symptoms.
In other words, the inability to properly digest any foods can cause your body to treat them as ‘foreign’ and you will start experiencing unpleasant symptoms every time you eat those foods. It is perhaps then no surprise that wheat gluten and dairy proteins, both of which are relatively hard work for the digestion, are the two foods most people report to be intolerant to.
So when I see clients with food intolerances, the most frequent test I suggest is not an intolerance test, but a comprehensive digestive stool analysis. This gives me a detailed view of the state of the digestive system. I find that many times, once the digestion is back into working optimally the food intolerance symptoms are also a thing of the past.
Find out more about food intolerance and contact us to make an appointment at one of our London nutrition clinics.
Sanna
Everyone it seems these days is on a quest to stay looking young and beautiful, and to defy the signs of ageing! There are now thousands of beauty products which we apply daily with the hope of banishing wrinkles. Cosmetic surgery is growing enormously in popularity with celebrities at the forefront, many of whom regularly get a botox fix. There are also hundreds of anti-ageing supplements now on the market which claim to help keep wrinkles and degenerative diseases at bay.
Like many people, I would prefer to grow old gracefully and don’t like the idea of going under the knife, not to mention spending huge amounts of money on surgery. Many of us are more interested in staying youthful and healthy the natural way through a healthy diet, lifestyle and supplements.
Yet, how do we know what is good for slowing down the ageing process? Hardly a day goes by without media coverage on what is good or bad for us. But much of this press coverage can be confusing – one day goji berries are the new anti-ageing superfood, the next it’s broccoli, one day red wine is good for longevity, the next it is bad. So who are we supposed to believe? And how can we stay looking youthful without spending a fortune on anti-ageing creams and cosmetic surgery?
The Nutrition Coach has developed an exciting and inspirational course – Eat Yourself Young. The aim of the Eat Yourself Young course is to teach the key principles to holding back the years through food to keep you looking and feeling young. It also covers the best anti-ageing supplements, skincare for youthful skin, and how your lifestyle can affect the rate at which you age.
Find out more about our Eat Yourself Young course and contact us to make an appointment at one of our London nutrition clinics.
Kim
Last week a report published in the Journal of Food Science indicated that extracts of both the leaves and shoots of asparagus could help protect the liver against toxicity. The study looked at the effects of alcohol and hydrogen peroxide on liver cells and found that toxicity was significantly alleviated by the asparagus extracts. Specific enzyme pathways in the liver were found to be up-regulated by the asparagus, causing faster clearance of the toxins.
This study shows that, as well as helping to alleviate hangovers, asparagus may offer protection to liver cells against toxic insult. The liver is the key organ for detoxification and any detox programme therefore focuses on ensuring that the liver is working as efficiently as possible. If you’re looking to clean-up your diet and detox your body then this study is a wonderful excuse to add asparagus to your shopping list and eat it until your liver’s content.
Find out more about our detox programmes and contact us to make an appointment at one of our London nutrition clinics.
Julia
The Nutrition Coach is featured in an article on the Aol Living channel focusing on insomnia and improving sleep quality through nutrition.
Stress, too much alcohol, low blood-sugar levels … there are several reasons why a good night’s sleep can escape us. While some people might reach for the sleeping pills, happily, there are simple and healthy alternatives sitting in your kitchen cupboard.
Fall into sweet dreams by nibbling on one of these ten high-carb calmers.
# Porridge with milk
“Try a snack of porridge oats and milk or natural yoghurt before going to bed. Oats contain a substance called gramine which has calming properties” says Julia Alderman of The Nutrition Coach “The calcium in the milk is important for nerve function and relaxation.”
Read the article here.
Find out more about how nutrition can help improve sleep quality and contact us to make an appointment for a consultation at one of our London nutrition clinics.
It should be that summer is a super healthy time – loads of fresh food, lots of fresh air and exercise – late summer evenings on the beach. No wonder we Brits just talk about the weather - this summer has probably washed out all our good intentions along the way.
Now it is time to start the new term – I always start my New Year from September.
Time for new plans, new intention and new energy – the summer “sun” should have recharged our batteries ready for the winter.
Top tips for the new term:
- Read our Newsletter out in September – dedicated to this topic – with some great tips
- Book in for a Free life coaching chat (subject to availability) – see my last blog
- Think about cleaning up the Diet – a great time to assess where you are draining out your energy – The Diet MOT is a fab way to do this.
- Mums – you have been at it full on and full-time – get some serious YOU time booked in your diary. I have recently discovered Hydro-Therm massages! Seriously wonderful
Go Well
Kate
Despite challenging times, corporate nutrition is on the up. We often get approached by companies eager to review their canteen offerings from a nutritional point of view. It is more and more accepted that what your staff eats can have a noticeable impact on their wellbeing as well as productivity.
We have found that despite the current economic environment companies are keen to review their strategy in the canteen. For very little money, a huge difference in energy, morale and productivity can be achieved by making small but significant changes to the menu offering.
We recently did a nutritional audit for a corporate canteen of a large bank in London. It’s great to see that companies are wanting to make the investment in their staff – especially now when employees are being stretched by many budget restraints.
The first thing we were asked to do was to review the breakfast choices in the canteen. We were really excited to undertake this because breakfast has a huge impact on the energy levels of the individual for the rest of the day. When we see clients in my one to one clinic, most tell us they have their breakfast at work. So it was such a great opportunity to create some real impact, and the company can now offer a five star nutritionally approved breakfast for their staff!
If you think your canteen could do with a nutritional audit, do contact our corporate nutrition consultancy team in London – we’d love to have a chat.
