Nutritional Therapy Link

I see many ladies in hormonal chaos and menopause and often they experience gut issues as well as all the other symptoms associated with hormone imbalances. I have been asked many times, can menopause cause constipation? Because during the peri years, we experiencing a slow drop in hormones, they fluctuate up and down and slowly decline.

Estrogen receptors are present in the mucous membrane of the stomach and small intestines. Fluctuations in progesterone and estrogens could be to blame for constipation as the hormones can inhibit the muscular movement in various sites of the digestive tract.

Helpful habits to counter these symptoms are:

Activity and getting up in time for the signals to start – waking cortisol helps with the first bowel movement, sitting around in bed will blunt the effects
Drinking plenty of fluids – not just water, soups, herbal teas, ginger tea
Eat a fibre rich diet; flaxseeds, chia seeds, wholegrain, nuts, pulses and fruit like figs, blueberries and apples
Improve your pelvic floor muscles – Pilates is brilliant
Find a pre and probiotic that supports you
Epsom salt baths
Chew your food really well
Eat 3 regular meals per day
Abdominal massage with lavender before bed – massage right to left (your right and left)

We have linked constipation with worse night sweats, hot flushes, sleep disturbances, cravings and mood swings, so keeping the gut healthy, moving and in balance, with the ground work above is the basis of getting this improved. There can be other causes of gut issues, if you have already incorporated these habits and you are still struggling book your free discovery call and we can discuss options for working together. It is also important to discuss any changes in bowel habits with your Doctor.

Many of us have been actively supporting our immune systems to protect agains COVID 19 infections, by eating a healthy diet full of a variation of proteins and vegetables, using resistant starch and fermented foods for gut health. Keeping hydrated and getting out in the sunshine for vitamin D and supplementing with Zinc and other vitamins. However it has been noted that Zinc is being over used, primarily as a way to boost immunity and avoid COVID infection.

So what are the real dangers of supplementation with minerals. Iron for example is lost through sweat and skin sloughing as well as bleeding. So a constant supply is helpful, too much iron is not helpful as the body has no way to remove unwanted or too much iron and it then lands in tissues, not our cells. We need copper to ensure proper absorption of iron into our cells. Vitamin A and C are also required for proper iron absorption. I do tend to give a mineral complex rather than individual minerals and I hope that I make it clear how long it is needed to be taken for. Long term Zinc supplementation is not recommended.

Zinc is important for healthy skin, immune function and blood sugar, neurotransmitters and fertility. Too much zinc is unhelpful as in large amounts and for long periods of time and can dangerously lower our copper levels.

We need copper to ensure we can use iron appropriately, by that I mean we can’t get iron into our cells without copper. Which could create an issue of low cell iron, but high tissue iron, which is not desirable and can be dangerous.

I would therefore suggest that if you have been taking zinc of 8mg or more per day for more than 3 months without copper, that you stop and begin eating more of the following foods, or use a copper water bottle.

Copper is found in the following foods:

Shitake mushrooms
Swiss chard
Spirulina
Sesame seeds
Cashew nuts
Dark Chocolate
Beef liver
Lobster
Oysters – but these are also high in zinc and could challenge copper absorption

Should you wish to get some personalised support please book in for a free confidential discovery

Winter is a time to slow down and conserve energy, but who actually does? We are given all the signs, like shorter days, darkness, colder and wetter weather. But due to busy lifestyles and work we keep going. This can have a negative impact on our health and our kidney energy, as this is time slow down.   

Supporting our kidneys with foods such as nettles, dandelion, root vegetables like carrots, beetroot and swede, are thought to be supportive according to Chinese medicine. They are also good for our gut health too as they provide fibre and hydration.

Finding ways to slow down and taking time out, by having 30mins spent on your own, or having a relaxing bath before bed or before your day starts, saying no to commitments or work, setting boundaries. What could you do to create a little calm and space for yourself, in realistic terms?

Food to support you during winter
A generally rule of thumb is to include mostly warm and cooked foods, and limit cold and raw foods. Use warming spices like garlic, ginger, nutmeg and cardamom. 

Mostly we are drawn to these foods as the colder darker days draw in, and I certainly crave them for comfort. Stews, soups, risottos and toasted sandwiches are staples in my house.

If your kidney energy is out of balance you may experience symptoms like headaches, ear issues,  lower back issues, inner knee issues, bladder problems or foot problems.  The kidney meridian follows a line from the top of your head, ears, neck down to the kidney, bladder inner thigh, knee all the way down to the big toes.  Perhaps gout is more a kidney issue than anything else?  But any of these areas can be linked to poor kidney energy.  In functional medicine or nutrition, which is what I practice, we would consider these symptoms as adrenal dysregulation and we could be working on improving symptoms like tinnitus, vertigo, headaches and injuries by supporting the adrenal glands, which coincidentally sit onto of the kidneys. Focusing on a diet to support kidney energy is not dissimilar to supporting adrenal health using functional medicine. Its all about finding balance and calm.

Book a free discovery call

Here’s how we support the adrenals/kidney energy

Managing stress is key. Stress will imbalance minerals like sodium and potassium, which we need for hydration (kidneys)

Mineral rich diet using seafood, root vegetables and warming spices and herbs, all good at improving mineral balance and hydration

Sleep, improving a restful sleep by keeping blood sugar levels more even during the day, protein is key for keeping our bodies balanced.

Bedtime snack: Oatcake with almond butter and homemade cherry chia jam, with a small shot of bedtime tea with valerian.

Planning ahead can help us manage our energy and mood on this special day, I hope you find my tips helpful? Now things are little bit different here in UK for some, this may be evermore important to keep us all a bit more stable.

1: Plan to have a good breakfast on Christmas day morning, plan this into the day.  Keeping your energy up will help with mood and keep you focused and soak up any early alcohol consumption.

Planning tip:  Buy eggs, ham, bacon, smoked salmon (kippers), mushrooms, plain Greek yogurt, fresh berries, granola, toasted nuts, sourdough and potato scones.  Items like these can be presented easily on a large table and turned into a buffet style breakfast.  Lay the breakfast table before you go to bed on Christmas eve.  If you want cereal, why not have this as well?

2: Plan to have a few easy snacks to hand, in case your Christmas meal is running late. Tins of chocolates and other sweets are great, you can have these too, just make sure these lovely, easy to prepare snacks are eaten too, you will thank me for this.  Keep the equilibrium.  

Sharing snacks:

1. Raw nuts in their shells with some satsuma’s (nut crackers required) or sliced pear
2. Smoked salmon squeeze of lemon juice on warmed or toast pumpernickel rye bread – cut into mini squares
3. Mushroom pate on toasted sourdough – cut into mini squares
4. Plate of olives and cheese to share
5. Chopped apples with cheese or salami to share
6. Mini sandwiches – humus and roasted peppers, ham and pickle, lambs lettuce tomato and left over bacon from breakfast. I can visualise a big sharing plate and some napkins, reducing the work load of washing up!

3: This is really important, Christmas day is a feast, it is only one day, let us give ourselves permission to enjoy it.  No calorie counting, no restricting. Whether we are on our own, with some family or friends, it is to be enjoyed.

Managing our mood with a sustaining breakfast and nourishing snacks, may keep our blood sugar and mood more evenly balanced, making Christmas day a lot more fun.