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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Wednesday 29 August 2012

Breakfast ideas for 'National Breakfast Month'

Who can believe that we will be heading into September this weekend? The year is certainly flying by and with September comes a hope of a late summer.  As the days start getting shorter the first sightings of autumn slowly creep in, September also brings with it National Breakfast Month.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because whilst you are hopefully getting your 8 hours sleep, your body is in a fasting state which lowers your blood sugar levels. Therefore when you wake up it is time to refuel so that you are ready to focus on the day ahead.

Here are some delicious nutritious ingredients to use in your breakfast so you and your family get the best start to the day.



Bilberry is rich in colour,  the deep colour is a good indication of how many health benefits they contain. The deep colours are from flavonoids which support the immune system and general well-being of the body’s health.  Bilberry is mainly used to support collagen, support eye health and mucous membranes. 

Cinnamon
can be a really good addition to shakes and to breakfast cereal to support blood sugar levels thus aiding weight management and reduce any possible inflammation linked to joint problems.  Cinnamon can also be effective in aiding the digestion of your food and reducing any digestive issues such as bloating and indigestion.

Jumbo rolled oats are high in fibre and are also a great source of carbohydrate to provide you with energy but also keeping you full until lunch time as the bulk of the fibre activates the hormones that regulate appetite in the gut.

Chia Bia is the food of the Aztecs. The Aztecs ate this as it aids endurance. This nutrient rich food is packed with omega 3, protein and antioxidants and provides a nice crunchy texture to the family breakfast.

Nuts and seeds are good sources of protein that help your blood sugar levels stay stable and essential fatty acids to support brain function during the day.   A good idea would be to grind a mixture of nuts and seeds and keep them in your fridge to sprinkle on your cereal in the morning.

Some people can’t stomach eating at breakfast time so they could try drinking a shake or smoothie. Get Up and Go is a delicious low GL breakfast shake powder formulated by nutritionist Patrick Holford that contains a range of vitamins and minerals, one third of your daily protein requirement, essential fatty acids and is made from the best quality whole foods, ground into a powder. You can either make a shake or add berries and make a delicious breakfast smoothie

Kick start your day the right way.

Stay healthy

The Totally Nourish team

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Back to school nutrition

The school holidays are more often than not a very busy time with little relaxation when you're planning the day's entertainment. As the holidays come to an end and you start to get uniforms, books, routines ready and planned, it's also a good time to think about their nutritional needs too.



Here are a few essentials for your child:
Concentration and memory
So much information is expected to be absorbed and processed in just one day. To help your child absorb the most information possible give B vitamins to help them remain focussed during their lessons. Most B vitamins are either produced by friendly bacteria in the gut or ingested through the diet in protein rich foods. B vitamins are essential in supporting concentration as they help with neurotransmitter synthesis and insulating nerve cells to send messages and store information.

Gut instinct by name and by nature
The digestive tract is packed with neuron activity and therefore is classed as your second brain. A lot goes on here, as mentioned earlier your good gut bacteria synthesise your B vitamins here, aid digestion of food and support energy and concentration. Therefore encourage probiotics and prebiotics into your child’s diet on a daily basis.

Don’t let them be as forgetful as a goldfish
The brain is made up mainly of fatty acids and for this reason it is important to include these in your child’s diet. Good dietary choices are small oily fish such as mackerel and anchovies, which are packed with essential fatty acids that support brain structure and mind function but if your child won’t eat fish, a supplement rich in omegas 3, 6 and 9 will be a good place to start.


Keep their immune system troopers on guard
Once the kids are back at school they need to beat off the colds and sniffles.  Ensure that they get plenty of vitamin C on a daily basis from a wide range of colourful fruit and vegetables to support a healthy immune system. At the first sign of a sniffle or a sore throat elderberry has been known to be effective in reducing the time that the virus sticks around. In addition taking zinc can be effective in repairing any damage to the respiratory tract. 

Don’t let the lack of sunshine get them down
Vitamin D has been getting so much press recently and with good reason. The government recommend 400iu of Vitamin D a day for children due to the lack of sunlight in the UK.  Vitamin D has endless amounts of beneficial research coming through to support multiple areas of people’s health including mind function, behaviour and the immune system.

Hope the summer holidays have been fun filled with lots of great memories.

Thursday 2 August 2012

Eat your way to a flat stomach!

You’ve known for weeks that your summer holiday is coming but it’s so easy to put off the healthy eating and exercise plan till tomorrow, especially with all the dull, wet weather the UK has had this year. Well tomorrow is here and we need to get the bikini’s out, so if you have been putting off getting the bikini body you want for your summer holiday, here are a few tips to eat your way to a flat stomach.



Beat the bloat
Bloating can be caused by poor digestion of your food due to poor levels of stomach acid and natural digestive enzymes. A lot of people think they have high levels of stomach acid as they suffer from acid reflux; however, this is normally due to producing stomach acid at the wrong times such as when we are stressed or consuming alcohol or caffeine.

Natural ways to support your digestion and get a flat tummy is to encourage raw foods into the diet such as salads and vegetable juices. They contain natural digestive enzymes. Have lemon juice or apple cider vinegar before meals to act similar to your natural stomach acid.

Follow a low GL Palaeolithic diet
A low Glycaemic Load Palaeolithic diet, that is high in protein and low in refined carbohydrates, can be really supportive for weight management and help maintain a flat stomach. Refined carbohydrates are very ‘water hungry’ in comparison to protein, therefore pasta dishes or a sandwich can leave you feeling quite bloated.          

When you are on holiday, aim to have an array of vegetables with meat or fish to reduce water retention and maintain a confident glowing beach body.

Antioxidants
Antioxidants are important in weight management and to help keep you looking and feeling healthy as they protect the body from environmental toxins. Toxins that we ingest through a modern diet tend to be stored in fat cells. People that are low in antioxidants from vegetables and fruits can find it difficult to lose weight as the body doesn’t want to put the body in a health crisis.  Having plentiful portions of fruit and vegetables a day that are all different colours can make all the difference in aiding fat cell breakdown.         

So now you have no excuse not to feel confident in that bikini, add some daily exercise to the above tips and you should feel fabulous on the beach.
Happy holidays!

The Totally Nourish Team