wellbeing

  1. Weekly Tip - 16 inflammation fighting foods

    Our diet is one of the best ways to get chronic inflammation under control and boost our health and well being too! Trying adding some of the below foods to your diet each day.
     
    • Green leafy vegetables - rich in antioxidants that restore cellular health.
    • Bok choy - robust antioxidants that scavenge free radicals
    • Celery - anti inflammatory properties that help improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels. excellent source of potassium.
    • Broccoli - vitamins, flavonoids and carotenoids which work to lower oxidative stress.
    • Green tea - full of antioxidants in particular catechins which prevent oxidative stress.
    • Beetroot - fights and repairs damage caused by inflammation
    • Blueberries
    Read more »
  2. Weekly Tip - De-stress

    De-stress Stress is a normal reaction in our body, many things cause us to feel stressed. We all deal with problems differently and are all effected by it differently. We all also de-stress differently. De-stressing is so important for our wellbeing, if we hold onto the feeling of stress for too long it can have negative effects on our mental and physical health. tips for de-stressing - Get outside and go for a long walk to clear your mind. You will be amazed what some fresh air and exercise can do for helping you to feel more relaxed. - try a yoga class - yoga is an excellent form of exercise to get into the habit of doing regularly. All the different poses and breathing techniques work on relaxing the body and removing tension. - meditate - learning how to clear your mind, remove unwanted negative thoughts, focus on positivity is a skill and it takes a lot of practice to succeed at. But when you do it will be worth it. - avoid known stressors - if you know specific

    Read more »
  3. Chicken Bone Broth

    Chicken bone broth has so many health benefits when it comes to supporting your immune system in fighting colds and flu…including respiratory health (something we are all wanting to keep in top shape at the moment). I will go into a lot more detail in my next blog post of the benefits, but for now I would like to share my favourite chicken bone broth recipe, that you can start making today.

    Ingredients

    1 x chicken carcass (yes you can use the one leftover from your roast)

    1 x stem of celery

    2 x carrots

    1 x onion

    3 x tablespoons apple cider vinegar

    2 x cloves of garlic

    enough water to cover the carcass once in stockpot

    salt and pepper to taste

    Method

    1. Add all ingredients to a stock pot
    2. Bring to a boil
    3. Reduce heat to the lowest setting
    4. Partially cover and leave to simmer away for around 8hours.
    5. Once ready, strain t
    Read more »
  4. Amino Acids

    Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and make a large part of our muscles and tissue. There are 20 amino acids in total which can be broken down into two categories essential and non-essential. There are 9 essential amino acids which our body cannot make so it’s important that we are getting them through our diet. The other 11 amino acids are non-essential as they can be produced by our bodies. That being said, within the 11 non-essential amino acids there are 6 conditionally essential amino acids, meaning that in times of illness or stress we may need larger quantities of the amino acid which our bodies are unable to produce so we must get it through diet.

    Eating a wide variety of animal proteins is the best way to insure that you are getting all the different essential amino acids in your diet. But good news if you are vegetarian or vegan there are plant based proteins you can eat such as quinoa, buckwheat a

    Read more »
  5. Chia Seeds

    Chia seeds have really grown in popularity over the last 10years or so and there is not a health food store or even supermarket that won’t have them stocked. I shared my chia seed recipe last week so thought I would go a bit more in-depth with what makes this tiny little seed a superfood.

    Chia seeds are an excellent source of omega-3’s, fibre, antioxidants, protein and vitamins and minerals.

     

    Chia seeds are good for your digestive health

    Chia seeds contain about 10grams of fibre per 2 tablespoons which is nearly half your daily requirement of fibre! Because of the rich fibre content chia seeds do wonders for our digestive health. The fibre not only acts as a prebiotic feeding the good bacteria in our gut, but also helps promote

    regularity.

     

    Chia seeds are rich in antioxidants

    Chia seeds are a great way to get more antioxidants into your diet. Antioxidants are important in protecting our cells from fre

    Read more »
  6. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail

    This quote is very true and can be applied to most aspects of life. But I often use with clients when they are starting a new nutrition plan. Being prepared is key to staying on track and see results when starting a new healthy eating regime. If you have the correct healthy food prepared and readily available there isn't really any reason to go wrong. Preparing can even save you time during the week… If you spend a couple of hours on a Sunday making sure you have the correct food prepared in fridge for the week ahead, you will be taking a lot of pressure off yourself and setting yourself up for the best chance of success.

     

    Next time you set yourself a goal, take the time to make the preparations needed in assisting you in achieving whatever that goal may be.

    Read more »
  7. Watermelon

    With summer here I thought I would share five of the top benefits of making watermelon a summer time staple for the whole family.

     

    1. Watermelon has a high water content (over 90%) It contains potassium and magnesium which are importing in aiding detoxification and reducing water retention.

     

    1. Watermelon contain a good amount of lycopene and vitamin C which helps the immune system fight off disease causing free radicals.

     

    1. Watermelon contain vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Studies show that getting enough vitamin A in your diet can keep your eyes healthy and help in the prevention against age related macular degeneration.

     

    1. The vitamin A and C found in watermelon act as antioxidants protecting our cells from damage caused by free radicals which can lead our skin to age faster. Vitamin C also helps boost collagen production
    Read more »
  8. Weekly Tip - Warm fresh lemon and ginger in the morning

    Before reaching for the coffee, try something different - Fresh lemon and ginger in mug of warm water. The benefits include :

    • The lemon helps maintain a healthy pH balance and helps stimulate the digestive system which helps regulate natural bowl movement.
    • The lemon has antibacterial properties that can help fight infections. It also contains vitamin C.
    • Ginger helps with nausea - natural remedy for morning and motion sickness. It calms the stomach and aids digestion.
    • Ginger reduces level of pain and studies have shown it to be as effective as taking NSAIDS.
    • Ginger contains powerful anti fungal properties.
    • Ginger helps your respiratory system and soothes any throat pain. It also boosts the immune system.
    • Believe it or not even the warm water has it’s health benefits! The warm water helps flush the digestive system and hydrate the body.
    Read more »
  9. Love

    Showing your loved ones you love them on Valentines day is always special. But showing love to yourself this Valentines is even more so. Practicing self love is vital to our mental health and wellbeing and it’s forms the foundations for all the other relationships in our lives. Learning to love and accept yourself is not always as easy, but this Valentines, try taking the the time for yourself. Enjoy a massage, box of chocolates or some much needed alone time. Treat yourself with the love and respect you would show that special someone and you will be on track to finding happiness. Self love can be shown in any many ways, from looking after your health to not being so hard on yourself. It can be challenging to change the way we think about ourselves, but if we can change our attitude and see all the things we have to be grateful for, we will realise how special and unique we all are. Happy Valentines!

    Read more »
  10. Omega-9 Fatty Acid

    Most people won’t have heard much mention of Omega-9, it’s the less talked about fatty acid of the three. But i’m here to shed some light on the lesser known Omega-9 fatty acid.

    Omega-9 fatty acids are unsaturated fats which are found in vegetable and animal fats. They are both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Where they really differentiate from omega 3 and 6 is that our bodies are able to produce them. That being said, it’s still important to eat foods every now and then that contain omega-9 - but not on the level of omega 3 and 6 which are essential fatty acids.

    Some Omega-9 fatty acids include :

    • Oleic Acid - which is a monounsaturated fat that is found in olive oil, poultry fat and lard. See the benefits of oleic acid below.
    • Mead Acid - polyunsaturated fat that is found in cartilage and some studies have shown it may have anti-inflammatory effects.
    • Erucic Acid - which is a monounsaturated fat found in the Brassica family of plan
    Read more »
Posts loader