Have you got a pooch?
Dogs need a balanced diet too. I see so much processed dog food in the shops from, dried food, tinned food, poor ingredient and can’t help thinking that we can do better for our pooches.
I got researching and found that they need 80% meat and 20% other veg/carb and fruit. This is due to their short colon. My pooch is now on a raw food diet, with extras like blueberries, cucumber, broccoli, carrots, sweet potato and egg shells, tinned sardines in water. I give them in different dishes, she then chooses which one to eat first. Apparently this helps with confidence and helps with trust. Win!
Of course I would be interested in their nutrition, so what about their guts. A diet that offers these elements will support gut health, but we can go further by introducing a probiotic.
I have been using this one by Good Health Naturally: Prescript Biotics 90’s – Probiotic suitable for us the our pooches
Friendly micro-organisms that help to support the gut and create a healthy balance in the microbiome, including humic and vulvic acid from soil. This is great choice for your pooch and easily opened and sprinkled onto food, perhaps use half a capsule per day.
Prescript Biotics 90s is available on the Natural Dispensary with you personal discount code shout if you have lost yours.
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I have 6 spaces available for my detox programme for February starting on 8th. Including two 30 mins consultations with me via Skype. 21 days supply of detox support powder and supplements. Offer also includes food ideas and recipes to support your detox.
It’s a snip at £175! limited space…
Of course our body is detoxing as you read this post, but we can help support the pathways and organs to ensure the detoxification process is more efficient. Some people feel the need to detox more than others, we are all different and that’s ok.
This is a great opportunity to focus on your goals and dreams, you can achieve anything you want right?
To book your space please call Julie on 07957 806 207 or email me nutritionaltherapylink@gmail.com
Subject to availability
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- Dopamine release: When you eat sugar, it triggers the brain’s reward system. It releases dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward. This can create a temporary feeling of happiness or euphoria. It is similar to an experience with addictive substances, though on a smaller scale. This feeling encourages you to eat sugar again, creating a cycle of craving and consumption.
- Blood sugar fluctuations: After eating sugar, blood sugar levels rise quickly, providing an immediate energy boost, including a cortisol and insulin spike. This is followed by a sharp drop of blood sugar, leading to feelings of fatigue, irritability, or even anxiety. These fluctuations can affect mood, causing you to feel “crash” symptoms after the rush. Over time, frequent sugar consumption can make it harder for your brain to sustain energy levels. Blood sugar fluctuations also increase insulin, which is considered inflammatory at high levels and encourages fat storage. Inflammation is considered a risk factor in depression.
- Serotonin production: Sugar impacts serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, and sleep. Giving temporary boost in serotonin, which can also disrupt long-term mood regulation. In the long run, high sugar intake is linked to an increased risk of depression and anxiety. As well as poor weight management.
- Cognitive function and decision-making: High sugar consumption can impair cognitive functions like memory, focus, and the ability to make decisions. Studies have shown that excessive sugar intake reduces brain plasticity. The brain’s ability to adapt and form new connections. This can negatively affect decision-making skills. Additionally, frequent sugar highs and crashes can make it harder to think clearly, impacting memory and making rational decisions.
- Addiction-like behavior: Because of its ability to stimulate dopamine, sugar can trigger other addictive behaviours. This can lead to over consumption of food, alcohol and drugs and may alter decision-making patterns. This may for some also create changes in food choices or consistently craving more sugar. Even when you really want to stop eating it. It is a negative loop, that brings us down and with temporary high.
Don’t get me started on how it impacts your gut, that’s another blog post.
Mineral supplements can often be supportive and often recommended along with some B vitamins to replace the depletions and allow the body to create energy at a cellular level in the mitochondria. This is where oxygen and nutrients make energy or ATP. Relying on sugar gives an artificial high, followed by a crash, de railing cortisol and insulin. Your body is constantly having to go through this stressful process to remove the sugar to keep you safe, and this results in the depletions and fat storage.
If you think you have blood sugar disregulation symptoms along with weight gain, poor energy, muscle weakness and poor immunity you could benefit from some personalised nutrition and support to get your body functioning optimally again, so you can live the life you deserve. There is so much information available on social media, its very overwhelming and often selling products with a quick fix. If you want to be well for the long term, book in your free discovery call here
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Prepare and plan, or plan to fail?
On Christmas morning; eat a blood sugar balancing breakfast: Scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, avocado, mushrooms a few chopped strawberries. Add 1 slice sourdough or wholemeal toast with olive oil. Any combo of these is a good start.
Make your breakfast count, it will keep your energy levels good and mood stable. Super helpful when there is pressure getting your Christmas meal organised.
You can still have the treats; this style of breakfast allows you cope better when the unexpected happens.
Plan Ahead!
Going to someones home for Xmas? Share your dietary requirements in advance. Bring something you know you can eat (this makes it easy for you AND for the host!). It’s no big deal, you look after you, they can look after themselves. No shame here!
If you find it tricky being around sweets and cakes? it is just a few days, this is a celebration of sorts. We all deserve to enjoy and join in.
If you struggle to stick to one sweet or a small dessert, skip them and have a savoury treat instead. Like cheese and biscuits and grapes.
Alcohol will be available of course, have a strategy if you need one. Keep water close by, drink alcohol with food, if you know it effects you quickly. Alcohol on an empty stomach will hit you fast.
Consider staying away from mixers like tonic, cola, ginger ale. Stick with wine or spirits with soda water with lots of ice.
Aim to have a glass of water between alcoholic drinks. Most importantly make it fun, enjoy.
Overindulged?
Take 1/2 a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in water. This can make a big difference, the digestive system needs bicarbonates, and this can ease acid reflux and stomach upsets.
Choices
On another note, do you really need to buy loads of chocolate and snacks? How about buying oat cakes, cheese, grapes and satsumas and apples and whole nuts as well. I remember my Dad and Granddad competing to see who would crack the walnuts open first without the nutcracker. Tins of biscuits and chocolates are celebratory; let the others indulge and keep yourself balanced with the cheese and biscuits.
You can do Xmas how you want it, it doesn’t affect anyone else! Have a great time. Enjoy the festivities and here’s to a happy and healthy and prosperous 2025.
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Last month my parents caught COVID for the first time. They both have underlying health conditions and are at a vulnerable age. I really wanted to stay virus free. I created this immune boosting drink, I wanted to share it with you:
The Recipe:
: 1 hand of ginger peeled. Ginger supports healthy blood sugar, improves gut health and the health of your cells. You can use ground powdered ginger.
: 6 lemons – juiced, using a hand juicer. High in vitamin C, needed for immunity, viral fighting vitamin.
: Organic ground turmeric, 1 large table spoon. Supports inflammation and pain.
: Ground black pepper (1/4 teaspoon). Improves absorption of the curcumin – the chemical from the turmeric known to reduce inflammation.
How to make it:
: You will need a Nutribullet or Vitamix – or a good blender.
: Add all the ingredients into your blender and wiz until smooth. Use a muslin cloth, if you don’t like bits in your drink.
: Add the golden liquid to your ice cube trays. Being careful to keep all the liquid away from you and your clothes, and freeze.
I use two cubes per drink, add hot water to your cup and enjoy. Add some honey to taste. (1/2 teaspoon is plenty.
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Nutrition; hormone balance and menopause
Perimenopause symptoms and menopause symptoms are often different for each of us. Hormone imbalance anytime in life has such negative impacts on how we function. We need to learn what the roots causes are for each of us to find some calm.
The root cause of the western hormone imbalance and menopause often starts with stress or trauma; stress impacts our sex hormones, gut health and liver function. We need to have good detoxification to support a balance in our estrogens and progesterone. Our relationship with food may have a major impact for some of us. Identifying the root cause of your symptoms is where the ‘aha’ moment happens as this makes change easier. This is what we do together. Get to the root cause.
The benefits of this approach are improvements in energy, sleep, joint pain, mood and gut symptoms, all of which support less hot flashes and brain fog (and many other symptoms which there are many). You will have a clearer understanding of how to eat to support your own health now and in the future. You gain lots of knowledge about you!
We work together to understand your unique hormone picture using a dried urine test which shows us your cortisol levels and your sex hormone levels. This test is carried out at home before your first appointment with me. It’s super easy.
Once we have these results back I can share with you how to amend your diet and lifestyle and add in dietary supplementation if warranted, as the test will direct a lot of what we need to do. Together with with your symptoms and goals. I see clients for approximately 4 x 90mins appointments, over a period of 4 to 8 months to get the diet nailed and your lifestyle and stress responses back on track, with regular phonecalls and email support where coaching supports your new diet and lifestyle. To sign up for VIP package. I take no more than 2 new VIP’s a month. VIP’s have priority access to my diary and when things are changing early on we are in close contact to ensure accountability and get to new habits in place.
Want to feel better and get your energy and zing back? book a free discovery with Julie to find out more and to establish if this would be an appropriate route for you. (note that all tests and dietary supplements are sold separately and at the retail price)
This advice does not attempt to treat, cure or diagnose disease, you are advised to speak to your Doctor when making dietary and lifestyle changes as these may affect your current prescribed medications.
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Gout, ouch? A very painful joint condition…
Men are more than 6 times more likely to get gout than women. Risk factors include eating a high purine diet, especially if it’s accompanied with high alcohol consumption and insufficient water intake, obesity and genetics. Gout is also considered a pre-diabetic condition!
Uric acid is the final breakdown product from high purine foods. It is thought that in most gout sufferers a high uric acid level is a result of under-excretion rather than over production. In 98% of patients the management within the organs has become defected, this causes the high levels of uric acid which lead to the formation of crystals in the joints, which leads to inflammation, pain and discomfort.
Blood tests that show rising uric acid (or now commonly seen as urate levels) suggestions metabolic dysfunction.
According a systematic review of literature on risk factors associated with gout, by The National Institute for Health, the risk factors are as follows:
- Alcohol consumption increased the risk of incident gout, especially higher intake of beer and spirits
- Several dietary factors including higher intake of meat intake, seafood, sugar sweetened soft drinks, and foods high in fructose increased the risk of incident gout.
- Dairy/milk and cheese intake, folate intake and coffee consumption were each associated with lower risk of incident gout and in some cases lower rate of gout flares.
- Among medications, consistent evidence exists for thiazide and loop diuretics to be associated with higher risk of incident gout and higher rate of gout flares.
- Hypertension, renal insufficiency, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, hyperuricemia, diabetes, obesity and early menopause were each associated with higher risk of incident gout and/or gout flares.
WATER
Water will help move uric acid out of your body, so make sure that your water intake remains high, to flush accumulated uric acid from the body. Drinking water also helps you stop the fizzy pop and keeps you feeling energised, dehydration will make all symptoms worse!
LOW PURINE FOODS
0-50mg purine per 100g
Fruit, cherries in particular (Cherry Active tablets can help) watch out not to eat more than 3 portions a day
Vegetables: green including beans, green string beans, French beans, mange-tout, celery
Whole grains in moderation
Dairy in moderation due to fat content but don’t remove it if you currently eat it
Raw unsalted nuts (not peanut or cashew)
Olives
Jam
MODERATE
50mg – 150mg per 100g
Poultry: turkey, chicken, duck and goose
Red meat: veal, beef, lamb, pork, bacon
Whole grain bread and pasta
Oatmeal, brown rice, tahini
Lentils, soya beans, soya flour, bean curd, tofu, tempeh, miso, hummus
Peanuts, peanut butter, cashew nuts
Cauliflower, broccoli, calabrese, kale, Brussels sprout
Spinach, asparagus, avocado and mushrooms
HIGH
150-1000mg purine per 100g
Wild or farmed game: pheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit/hare, venison
Organ meats: kidney, heart, sweetbreads, liver, pate, liver sausage foie gras
Meat extracts Bovril, oxo, marmite, vegemite
Fish roe
Scallops, herring, mackerel, trout
Crayfish, lobster
Small fish eaten whole or processed: anchovies, sardine, sprats, whitebait, anchovy paste, gentleman’s relish, Thai fish sauce
BONUS Recipe!
1 cup of frozen sour cherries or normal cherries
1 whole raw washed beetroot chopped
1 dessert spoon of milled flaxseeds
1 courgette washed and chopped
Couple of fresh mint leaves
2ooml Coconut water or almond milk (add in more or less – your preference)
Blend until smooth! You can also add in some raw cacoa powder, which tastes amazing.
This also supports the quality of bile, allowing you to detox better and breakdown fats in your diet. Delicious!
Perhaps you need to review your lifestyle and eating habits? Get in touch and we can arrange a quick confidential chat to see how we can work together on improving your health and wellbeing for good.
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Each Christmas I like to inspire you with some food delights. Food plays such an important on Christmas, so lets enjoy some yummy veggies to go with your favourite main. If you find it hard to get enough vegetables into your meals, maybe some one these recipes might help.
Remember the vegetables are full of nutrients that help the body to function well. Fibre is important for our gut health, improving the bacteria and movement through the gut. Vitamins and minerals support our energy levels and hormones. The more colourful the vegetable is the more anti-oxidants are present. Each vegetables provides different kinds of anti-oxidants which can all be used differently by the body, variety is key.
With every VIP package you will recipe your own recipe book like this one! The recipes are chosen for your needs, its such a treat to have something so personal. If you are interested in working with me, maybe for the first time or maybe again?
Here’s a link to my diary to book a free discover call
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Book a call with me to review your dietary supplements.
This is a great opportunity to review and discuss your dietary supplement needs with a fully qualified and experienced nutritional therapist. There are so many new products out there, its very overwhelming isn’t.
Not all supplements are made equally, some are expensive and some are low quality and some are both. I would love you to be making the most of what you are taking and perhaps even reduce the cost.
You will get the 15% discount on the supplements, so anything we agree on will be discounted. This is only available to clients who have seen in the last 2 years. Book here for just £28
Should you want to reduce the amount of capsules you take, swaps to powders or understand if there is something better on the market, this could be for you. Keeping within a budget is key at the moment, so perhaps even reducing what you are taking and replacing with an alternative. Get in touch, be great to help!
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Most of us eat with our eyes, if we see food we may well suddenly want it. At home over Christmas it is helpful to have healthy food on show and the chocolates and treats in the cupboards. Give it a try before Christmas day, it doesn’t mean you can’t have the chocolates, it means you have both = Balance.
My fruit bowl has apples, pears, tomatoes and carrots ready to eat (celery is reserved for my morning smoothie). I leave a bowl of pistachios or brazil nuts out too. They always get eaten.
Managing the potential stress
If you are chef for the day, get ahead. I will be preparing my red cabbage, stuffing and my gravy in advance and it will be frozen ready for the big day, I am also going to prepare all the vegetables the day before too. Also great if you find yourself self isolating!
On the big day, start the day with a good breakfast, to help keep you going; as lunch is always later than we plan; I love to have a savoury breakfast like fried mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs and veggie hash browns all in one pan, or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with some cayenne pepper. It keeps your mood more balanced and helps prevent you from getting hangry! It totally helps keep your blood sugar and stress levels under control.
Getting out for walks between courses to help get your metabolism and digestion moving, if you have been stressed it can really help get rid of the stress hormones too.
Finding balance. Happy festive eating!
Nutritional Therapy Link 