Ok, celery has always been known as the best diet food to eat as it takes more calories to eat it than it provides… Probably not true, but ask anyone over 35 and they will say the same!
However it now seems that celery is the next veggie to get some serious press.
Celery and mint morning smoothie:
- 3 *organic stems of celery washed
- Frozen spinach (two rounds)
- Coconut water 50ml
- Filter water 100ml
- Fresh mint rinsed (this helps the taste)
*choose organic as celery is one of the most chemically sprayed veggies along with cucumber and having so much regularly it would be a bit silly not to.
Blend until smooth, add in some ice and a paper straw to make it look even more beautiful!
What do you think, do this daily and see how you feel in a two weeks. Why not let me know if you notice a difference to your skin, pain or other symptoms like acid reflux.
A little bit about celery. It is mainly water a great source of fibre. Celery’s main nutrients are vitamin K, folate or vitamin B9 and potassium, magnesium, calcium and a small amount of vitamin C and vitamin B6.
Other healthy components listed below may be responsible for its healing properties:
- Limonene
- selinene
- caffeic acid
- p-coumaric acid
- ferulic acid
- pthalides
- apigenin
- luteolin
- tannin
- saponin
- kaempferol
Adding celery to pasta sauces, risotto’s and other recipes is great too (best to chop is really small) and using it as spoons for dips and nut butters, but for a real hit try this daily:
Important: When using food as medicine it needs to taken regularly and in larger than normal amounts, it is therefore important to make sure that your medications or health conditions will not be impacted by a sudden increase in one particular vegetable or fruit: For example large amounts of licorice tea can increase blood pressure, so be sure to check with your health professional for any potential risks when using food as medicine.
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Who wants to feel great and relaxed on Christmas day? Here’s a few tips to help:
Have a good breakfast on Christmas day morning – include protein such as:
- Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on sourdough toast
- Scrambled tofu with mushrooms and grilled tomatoes
- Greek yoghurt, ground flaxseeds, oats and berries
- Sourdough toast with avocado and bacon.
- Smoothie (I am going to make mine the night before to make sure I eat something…. I will be in charge of cooking so will find it really hard to sit down and eat breakfast. Mine will have berries, courgette, avocado, probiotic powder and flaxseeds…super healthy and will keep me going til lunch.
Food is to be enjoyed, remember it is only one day, be mindful of quantities and try to follow these simple suggestions below. If you can’t or don’t want to, that’s great too. Happy Christmas! I follow these tips because it helps keep my mood stable and prevents crazy arguments!
Have some raw nuts and a satsuma to nibble on before dinner is served, helps curb the need for chocolate whilst you wait, dinner is alway late right?
Dinner: Ensure you have 1/2 your plate made up of vegetables, 1/4 carbohydrate – sorry that’s the roast potatoes and 1/4 protein – either goose or turkey or nut roast (lobster). There is always lots of choice of vegetables on Christmas day in my house, from red cabbage, sweet potato, tenderstem broccoli, carrots and peas and Brussel sprouts. Eating too much of the carbohydrate, ie the roast potatoes can unbalance your blood sugar levels, leaving you craving for turkey sandwiches within an hour!! Or eating more chocolate money…
Dessert: Moderation is the key word here. If you are making or buying your pudding add some extra nuts for protein. If you are hosting Christmas day, use some smaller dessert bowls.
Raise a glass of bubbles and enjoy a nice long walk to the local pub or friends house to walk to get your digestion moving, rather than nodding off in front of the TV! Get some fresh air into your lungs and your circulation moving reading for some games later on.
Ever thought of making your own chocolate coated Brazil nuts, a Christmas favourite in my house. Melt some dark chocolate and add in your nuts and give it all a good stir(all nuts are good with chocolate). Once they are all coated, put them onto some parchment paper and cool. They are really tasty and rich. Because of the protein and fat they satisfy us and keep our energy going for a long time and keeps us from snacking! (low in sugar and carbohydrate). And they are just so yummy, why not add in some spices like cinnamon and star anise or nutmeg… lovely and Christmasy
Happy Holidays
Nutrition appointments available in Fulham, Richmond, South Molton Street and on Skype
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Special 20% discount starts today at 3pm! click here to order on their secure site!
I believe in putting healthy stuff on my skin as well as eating healthily too. One of the reasons why I am an ambassador for Neals Yard, I encourage my clients to clean up their skin care and home products as part of their journey of becoming well again, in most cases. No chemicals, no toxins (parabens, mineral oils) and mostly organic with essential oils. The products are gorgeous and smell lovely. My favourite is the Rose beauty balm and the Frankincense range and the beauty sleep elixir.
Here is an opportunity to use my site with Neals Yard for online orders Perfect Christmas present ideas too. Enjoy, any questions let me know.
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I encourage my clients to eat a colourful diet, full of fabulous seasonal vegetables. And now it is that time of year and the pumpkins/squash are in season. These are a great alternative to traditional carbohyrates like potato as they are more nutrition, slower releasing energy and packed with betacarotene. Betacarotene is an antioxidant, which fights free radicals. Betacarotene is converted to vitamin A, which is an essential fat soluble vitamin. We need this for healthy liver function, gut lining, healthy skin and eyes. Around 40% of our population can’t convert betacarotene into vitamin A. The best dietary sources are Liver, eggs and cod liver oil (supplement). If you don’t like the idea of eating liver, liver pate is also high in vitamin A. Having poor digestion caused by poor bile flow can inhibit the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, which are A, D, E and K. Improving bile flow can support detoxification and hormonal balance (I see this a lot with my clients with these issues and even mental health issues). I will post my favourite smoothie which is good for bile flow in another post, in the meantime you can eat lots of beetroot, rocket and dandelion root coffee.
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PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome is identified from a set of symptoms, which then allows your Doctor to diagnose you. It is thought to be triggered by stress (from emotional trauma, food intolerance, inflammation, genetics) that disrupts insulin levels, which increases testosterone resulting in a number of symptoms:
- Irregular or no periods
- Acne
- Hirsutism (lots of bodily hair and facial hair caused by too much testosterone)
- Mood disorders
- PMS and more
Because everyone is different, there is often a different cause or etiology creating these symptoms. Your Doctor will carry our blood tests that measure your sex hormones and insulin levels and will often refer you to a consultant who will check the size of your ovaries and see if there are any fluid-filled sacs (follicles) surrounding the eggs. Because of the presence of these sacs it can prevent the egg being released at ovulation and prevent a period.
If you are newly diagnosed or have been living with PCOS for a while and would like some help with natural alternatives get in touch. Julie can help bring the body back to balance using dietary, lifestyle changes and dietary supplements, often looking deeper into your physiological issues to really get to the root cause, allowing you to turn your health around. Acupuncture or reflexology can also help calm down the sympathetic nervous system reducing stress hormones which disrupt the sex hormones, a combination of nutrition and acupuncture can be really powerful in bringing balance back.
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When I write a blog, it is usually something that has focused my interest, either due to a personal interest or via my clients experiences. I have recently become aware of some male fertility issues, and thought I haven’t seen men in my clinic with concerns around fertility. I therefore thought it would be useful to research some recent science on male fertility for you, lets see how we can improve the chances of creating a mini me with the backing of some good science!
Here is a summary of a recent scientific study, which looked at the ageing male and fertility, miscarriage and birth defects, of course ageing isn’t the only reason, but interesting anyway:
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The age of the male partner has significant impact on reproduction. Older men tend to have older female partners, and increasing male age is associated with increased time to conception. This reflects the age-related increase in acquired medical conditions, decreases in semen quality, and increasing rates of DNA fragmentation seen in sperm.
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The risk of developing a medical condition or of being exposed to environmental toxins increases with age. For men, viral orchitis and sexually transmitted infections can lead to infertility due to germinal cell damage, ischemia, or the immune response to the infection.
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Declining testosterone may cause decline in libido, erectile dysfunction, and difficulty achieving ejaculation. The level of testosterone does appear to influence sexual function.
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Ageing has a significant impact on male sexual function, sperm parameters, and fertility, which all contribute to decreased fecundability, increased time to conception, and increased miscarriage rates. There are clearly many unknowns that remain with regard to male aging and fertility. Further research will allow a better understanding of age and its impact on all areas of male fertility.
Specific nutrients, below, have successfully improved fertility in men. Supporting detoxification of heavy metals and pesticides from the body, improving vitamin and mineral status, ensuring adequate protein, iron and zinc in the diet are key, especially vegetarians and vegans who focus on grain based food and processed vegan protein sources. Grains, beans and pulses contain anti nutrients (lectins) which bind to iron and other minerals and can leave the body depleted, it is a protein and therefore can cause intolerances and gut issues in sensitive individuals.
Science backed research suggests that regular exercise, a Mediterranean diet rich in oily fish, olive oil and vegetables and wearing appropriate underwear (cotton lose fitting) can help.
There are also some supplements which can also support male fertility, I have included the references below:
Zinc Zinc is an essential nutrient and needed for many pathways including sugar metabolism and creation of stomach stomach, to name a few. Zinc in the seminal plasma of infertile males was significantly lower than that in normal males. Zinc supplementation could significantly increase the semen volume, sperm motility and percentage of normal sperm morphology of infertile males, suggesting that zinc supplementation might increase male reproductive function.
CoQ10 Fat soluble vitamin like substance that supports energy pathways in the body, it is present in all tissues particularly the heart and other muscles. It was found that the concentration of CoQ10 was correlated with key semen parameters such as sperm concentration, motility and morphology because the total antioxidant capacity improves. Thakur suggested that daily administration of 150 mg CoQ10 improved semen parameters in infertile men
Selenium An essential trace element in formation of sperm and testosterone biosynthesis.
N-acetyl-cysteine used together with Selenium this supplement supported further benefits to semen parameters.
Vitamin E Administration of supplementations like L-carnitine, selenium, vitamin C and vitamin E may lead to improving sperm concentration, motility and morphology, and sometimes DNA integrity
There are many fertility supplements out there, which may be fine, but if you are serious about improving your chances of a healthy baby, get in touch with me and I can support you both on a 6 month programme to reduce heavy metals, support gut health and improve your over all health and wellbeing and get your sperm and egg in the best condition ready for conception. I can recommend some great personal trainers too, who I have used myself to get fit and motivated to feel great and look great.
References:
Harris ID, Fronczak C, Roth L, Meacham RB. Fertility and the Aging Male. Reviews in Urology. 2011;13(4):e184-e190
Association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and semen quality parameters in male partners of couples attempting fertility Dimitrios Karayiannis Meropi D. Kontogianni Christina Mendorou Lygeri DoukaMinas Mastrominas Nikos Yiannakouris. Human Reproduction, Volume 32, Issue 1, 1 January 2017, Pages 215–222
Zhao J, Dong X, Hu X, et al. Zinc levels in seminal plasma and their correlation with male infertility: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports. 2016;6:22386. doi:10.1038/srep22386
Effect of Ubiquinol Therapy on Sperm Parameters and Serum Testosterone Levels in Oligoasthenozoospermic Infertile Men. Thakur AS, Littarru GP, Funahashi I, Painkara US, Dange NS, Chauhan P
J Clin Diagn Res. 2015 Sep; 9(9):BC01-3. Selenium in mammalian spermiogenesis.Flohé L Biol Chem. 2007 Oct; 388(10):987-95.
Coenzyme Q₁₀, α-tocopherol, and oxidative stress could be important metabolic biomarkers of male infertility. Gvozdjáková A, Kucharská J, Dubravicky J, Mojto V, Singh RB Dis Markers. 2015; 2015():827941.
Assessment of the level of trace element zinc in seminal plasma of males and evaluation of its role in male infertility. Khan MS, Zaman S, Sajjad M, Shoaib M, Gilani G Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2011 Jul; 1(2):93-6.
Selenium-vitamin E supplementation in infertile men: effects on semen parameters and pregnancy rate. Moslemi MK, Tavanbakhsh S Int J Gen Med. 2011 Jan 23; 4():99-104.
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I always get my clients to eat as many different colours of vegetables and fruit as possible! “Eating a rainbow” is a lovely way of improving your diet, it looks good, tastes good and does you good. If someone delivers you a plat of food and its beige, do you feel excited, and more importantly does it taste nice?
I find it is not well understood why we are told to eat our vegetables, I thought this might help encourage you to eat more of them!
There are so many nutrients in vegetables and fruit and these can help reduce cholesterol, keep blood pressure levels steady, protect our DNA from damage (damaged DNA leads to disease) support our immune systems and help keep us at a healthy weight, because they provide fibre which keeps you full for longer and supports a healthy gut bacteria. They all have their own unique vitamins, minerals and phytonutrient content too unlike carbohydrate rich foods like rice and pasta.
Eating a salad of cucumber, red peppers, sweet potato, rocket, endive and red onion would be super colourful, and super healthy
too. Try it yourselves and let me know how you get on!
Here is a great info-graphic to help you choose vegetables and fruits of different colours, and it shows you the benefits of each!
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During the freezing weather in London, the beast from the east I wanted a healthy option that was also warm and hearty! It needed to keep me going until lunch time.
Buckwheat and quinoa porridge with grated apple and dark brown sugar and milled flaxseeds!
I know, it was a real treat. I used a brand called clear spring pictured below. I used Mylk, which is a plant based milk made with coconut cream and cashew nuts, super delicious. This is a high fibre, slow energy releasing breakfast, great for improving gut health! Next time you need a warm hearty and healthy breakfast, try this!
Keep watching as I am posting more of my breakfasts soon! What do you have on a cold morning?
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Great question, surely what I eat for my breakfast is good enough for you?
I thought I would share a few of my regular breakfasts and then later on in another post will share the not so regular breakfasts, to give you some ideas.
Yesterday I had my current favourite, Mango, ginger and turmeric smoothie with cooked broccoli.
200-300ml of water, 1 cup of mango, 1 cup of cooked broccoli, teaspoon of turmeric and 1 inch of peeled ginger root with almond milk and dessert spoon of milled flaxseeds. Blend until smooth.
Today I am doing my intermittent fasting so wanted some extra protein. This smoothie has 1 scoop of pea protein, 1/8 of banana, 1/2 cup sour cherries and 1/2 courgette, milled flaxseeds and almond milk.
So why smoothies, well to be honest I am not the kind of girl who has ever sat down on a week day to have breakfast. For me there is too much going on and I just can’t sit down and eat. So this is my perfect solution. It is a great way of getting extra fibre, vegetables and nutrients into me without having to sit and eat it. I either drink it whilst working or take it with me on my journey to the clinic. What do you do for breakfast? Do you know why breakfast is the most important meal of the day?
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Schedule your free 10min chat to discuss suitability
6 week *online reset package starts on 1st of every month. Places are limited, only available online so hurry.
Cost is only £275 – 1 hour face to face consultation in clinic is approximately £120-150
What’s included?
‘6’ confidential 40 minute phone or Skype consultations over 6-8 week period, including coaching, meal ideas and recipes. You will take notes and agree the goals and timelines with Julie. Any suggested dietary supplements will be emailed to you with instructions. Julie offers her clients a 15% discount of most supplement orders.
Who is this for?
Someone who prefers one on one support and wants regular contact and accountability. You need help with how to improve your wellbeing, you need to manage a busy work life, and conflicting information in the media is creating havoc with food choices and eating habits.
Ideal for addressing weight issues, improving your energy levels, starting a detox, addressing your gut issues like bloating and rushed toilet trips, skin conditions, hormonal conditions such as PCOS and even menopause symptoms. This is for anyone wanting expert advice, coaching and information on how to be a healthier version of themselves with weekly accountability which gets you the results you are looking for.
Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners work in preventive medicine, the optimisation of physical and mental health, and in the treatment of chronic diseases, often with complex multiple causes. Nutritional Therapy encompasses personalised dietary therapy and nutraceutical prescription, and life style advice within a functional medicine framework.
Nutritional Therapy Link 