About Me

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Birmingham, United Kingdom
Welcome to my blog, and thank you for stopping by. I hope you find it informative, and if there is anything I have missed or you would like me to talk about please drop me a line of suggestion. After seeing a nutritional therapist I decided from the improvement of my own health that I would like to be there in the same way for others, therefore, I studied two degrees; one in Nutritional Therapy and another in Bioscience Nutrition so that i could be equipped to support a number of health conditions. I now work for a supplement company on a clinical team supporting practitioners and keeping upto date with all new scientific information and provide private consultations too aswel as keeping my blog going :)

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Monday 6 December 2010

Reasons to take a probiotic containing lactobacillus salivarius

WHAT IS LACTOBACILLUS SALIVARIUS
Lactobacillus salivarius is a rod shaped, anaerobic, non-pathogenic bacteria of the lactobacilli species, which produce acids during fermentation and are unaffected by stomach acid. It is one of the many microorganisms that make up the beneficial bacterial ecology of both the oral cavity and the small and large intestines. These characteristics, amongst others, provide a range of benefits to the body, therefore making it a common and effective choice for use as a supplemental probiotic. However it is not a colonizing bacterium and therefore will need supplementing for as long as is necessary, dependent on the purpose for which it is being employed. 
FUNCTION IN THE BODY
Lb. salivarius acts in many beneficial ways, starting with the fermentation of disaccharides into monosaccharides, and the breakdown of proteins.  The fermentation process produces, as by-products, hydrogen peroxide, acetic and lactic acid. These aid in the maintenance of an uninhabitable environment for other pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and parasites, including Salmonella, Shigella and E. coli (Ito et al., 2003). This bacterium therefore serves as an immune system enhancer by providing antibiotic, antimicrobial and pH balancing by-products, stabilizing the small intestine pH between 6.0 and 6.7. This may not however be isolated to this region alone and may also prevent growth of pathogens in the vagina and stomach.
Many probiotic bacteria also produce Bacteriocins, heat stable, potent antimicrobial substances, and Lb. salivarius is no exception. The strain Lb. salivarius UCC118 for instance, has been shown in trials to be highly effective at killing Listeria monocytogenes (Corr et al.,2007) and inhibiting both growth of, and secondary inflammation due to, Helicobacter pylori (Corr et al., 2007) which has been linked to pathologies as varied as stomach ulcers and G.I.T cancers.
Some of the many benefits of Lb. salivarius supplementation include: 
Digestive imbalances:
Constipation: By aiding in the breakdown and digestion of foods, the reduction of intestinal wall inflammation, acid by-product production and Lb. salivarius can assist in healthy stool formation, gut motility and therefore normal transit time.
Diarrhea: By eliminating pathogens, or simply preventing their colonization
Bloating: By aiding in carbohydrate digestion, Lb. salivarius prevents increased pathogen related fermentation and its associated production of large quantities of carbon dioxide and subsequent flatulence.
Cancer: By neutralizing carcinogenic nitrates present in food and drink, and aiding in efficient protein breakdown preventing putrification and subsequent toxicity within the gut.
Nutritional Status: By increasing the endogenous synthesis of B-complex vitamins, aiding the body’s metabolism, and also increase the bioavailability of nutrients in general
Urinary Infections: By its acidic nature Lb. salivarius may stabilize the vaginal pH between 3.8 and 4.5, inhibiting the growth of Enterococcus, a bacterium commonly found in reoccurring urinary tract infections (Ocaña et al 1999).
Yeast and Fungal Infections: By making the oral cavity and vagina an inhospitable pH environment for yeast and fungi such as Candida albicans.
These benefits, and many others, make Lb. salivarius an invaluable tool in aiding a patient’s return to, and maintenance of, optimal health.

References
Corr S, Li Y, Riedel C, O’Toole P, Hill C, Gahan C (2007) Bacteriocin production as a mechanism for the antiinfective activity of Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118, Proceedings Academy of  Natural Sciences 18:7617-7621
Ito A, Sato Y, Kudo S, Sato S, Nakajima H and Toba T (2003) The Screening of Hydrogen Peroxide-Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Application to Inactivating Psychrotrophic Food-Borne Pathogens”, Current Microbiology 47: 231–236
Ocaña V, Pesce de Ruiz Holgado A, Nader-Macías M (1999), Characterization of a Bacteriocin-Like Substance Produced by a Vaginal Lactobacillus salivarius Strain, American Society for Microbiology 65: 5631–5635

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Dealing with insomnia nutritionally

If you find that you tend to wake between the hours of 1am-3am it may be that your liver is under stress. Waking between 3am-5am tends to be a sign of adrenal stress.

Here are 5 top tips that aim at promoting sleep
1.       Eat a small snack that includes a carbohydrate (pasta, rice, bread, oatcakes, potato) an hour before you plan to sleep. The carbohydrates encourage the release of a chemical called serotonin that relaxes you, by reducing any feelings of anxiety.
2.       Bananas, chicken, avocado, fish, cottage cheese all contain a protein called tryptophan, a precursor of serotonin.
3.       Valerian supplementation combined with chamomile or passionflower tea aims at relaxing the body. However, only take under supervision by a nutritional therapist.
4.       Reduce the amount of caffeine drinks that you have each day by one (reducing too quickly may cause withdrawal symptoms). Replace with drinks such as herb teas and dandelion coffee/tea. Dandelion is a great cleanser for the liver, this may benefit you if your insomnia is due to a congested liver.
5.       Eat lightly for a few days to allow your liver to detoxify itself, this includes cutting out alcohol and any fats other than those from fish, nuts and seeds.

Useful supplements
LIV-D
5-HTP
Mood Food
NT Intensive

Relaxing tea
Purity Tea


Monday 11 October 2010

Tips to beat the hangover!

Weekend has come and gone, you’re walking into the office feeling like a camel has been licking your face and an elephant has been stomping on your head! The thought that is going through your head is ‘I’m never drinking again!’

I would love to say ‘don’t drink’; instead I will suggest drink in moderation and follow the 10 tips below.

Tips
1.       Milk thistle before and after going out strengthens and rejuvenates the liver to detoxify toxins.
2.       Primrose oil supplemented in the morning may prevent any withdrawal symptoms of depression by stimulating the positive brain chemical; prostaglandin E.
3.       Vegetable juice containing beetroot/celery or make a meal with broccoli, cauliflower and onions.  These foods are liver friendly and encourage the removal of toxins from the cells.
4.       Dandelion tea or coffee would be preferable as they are not dehydrating and cleanse the liver! Do not have coffee to sober up; this will only dehydrate the body causing the alcohol to be more concentrated in the system. 
5.       A good quality red wine is your best option when it comes to health benefits. Red wine contains antioxidant substances polyphenols which are lost in white wine.   
6.       Water (1 liter), sip to rehydrate in the morning to increase toxic elimination.
7.       Chromium supplementation and fruit juice; or fresh fruit with bio-yogurt, muesli and seeds. This will help to re-balance your blood sugar levels.  Lethargy and hangovers are symptoms of low blood sugar.
8.       Vitamin C supplementation to encourage the removal of toxins from the cells.
9.        Run or walk first thing in the morning, it may sound painful, but it will increase your circulation and detoxification process.  
10.   Magnesium supplements is beneficial at reducing headaches by relaxing the muscles for increased blood circulation. 

Note: Consult a health professional before taking any supplements if you are on any forms of medication!

Thursday 7 October 2010

Get your vitamin D status checked

With winter upon us and days becoming shorter, have you noticed that your health suffers? The recent debate has been that vitamin D deficiency may be the cause. Vitamin D is manufactured in the skin cells by sunlight; there are food sources such as salmon and mushrooms that also provide vitamin D, but to a much lesser degree. Vitamin D has become a great topic of debate amongst health professionals since recent studies have related cognitive health (ie Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)) and immunity (ie flu) being affected by the winter months. The NHS have recently suggested vitamin D blood tests to be offered to the public.

If you are a sufferer of winter illnesses it would be advised to visit your GP for testing. The NHS can prescribe vitamin D; however, quite often the vitamins can be of a low standard causing them to be less bioavailable. If the results of a test reveal significantly low levels of vitamin D it would be advised to contact a nutritional therapist orcdietitian for further support..