Eating Seasonally- Winter.

Eating seasonally helps our bodies align with the changes of the seasons. In our current season, winter- that is the avoidance of cold & flus. 

Some foods you should choose during the winter months:

Fruit: apple, avocado, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, pear, pineapple, rhubarb, custard apple, nashi pears.

Vegetables: Asian greens, beetroot, broccoli, beans, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, capsicum, eggplant, celery, kale, leeks, fennel, Jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms, onions, okra, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin, silverbeet, radish, spinach, swede, sweet potato, turnips, 

Herbs: ginger, parsley, rosemary, coriander, oregano, dill & mint. 

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1. Regular sleep and wake times. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at
   the same time every morning, even on days off and weekends as it trains your body
   to sleep well.
   
2. Sleep when you are tired or get up and try again. If you haven’t been able to get to
   sleep after 20 minutes, get up and relax by sitting on the lounge with the lights off
   and doing something boring until you feel sleepy and then head back to bed. Avoid
   doing anything interesting, the use of bright lights or your phone as the bright light
   will tell your brain to wake up and anything too stimulating or interesting will wake
   you up even more.
   
3. Eat right and exercise. Regular exercise helps with good sleep, especially a morning
   walk to keep your circadian rhythm in order. However, done exercise in the few
   hours before bed can make it difficult to fall asleep. A balanced healthy diet
   will help you to sleep well. Don’t go to bed on an empty stomach but don’t go to bed
   after a heavy meal either as this can cause discomfort and affect sleep. Ensure you
   eat an easily digestible dinner.
   
4. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes. For at least 4 hours before bed (even longer
   for caffeine). Caffeine and cigarettes are stimulants and interfere with falling asleep.
   People may find alcohol relaxing, but it interrupts the quality of sleep.
   
5. Eat regular meals throughout the day for healthy blood sugar levels.
   
6. Ensure adequate protein (roughly 1.2g/kg/body weight) and essential fatty acids at
   night time to enable relaxation to initiate and sustain sleep.
   
7. Remove any foods that are aggravating. Assess and remove any food allergies or
   intolerances.
   
8. Have a bath 1-2 hours before bed (with some lavender and/or Epsom bath balls).
   Having a bath will raise your body temperature, causing you to feel sleepy when
   your body temperature drops again.
   
9. The right space: your bedroom needs to be quiet and comfortable for sleeping. A
   A cooler room with enough blankets to stay warm is ideal. Make sure you have
   curtains or ensure your bedroom is dark enough in the morning to not be woken up
   by morning light and ensure you can block out noise that would otherwise wake you
   up.
   
10. Don’t clock watch. This can reinforce negative thoughts and make it harder to fall
    asleep.
    
11. Sleep rituals: To remind your body that it is time to sleep by doing some relaxing
    stretches or breathing exercises 15 minutes before bed or enjoy a relaxing caffeine-
    free tea.
    
12. Listen to vibrational meditation music as this may help you get into delta sleep. This
    occurs between 12 pm and 3 am and it washes out toxins at this time.

Coffee contains many polyphenols, which have strong antioxidant abilities. Moderate (3-4 cups of coffee per day) in humans is associated with a significant decrease in the risk of developing certain chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and liver disease. Evidence suggests that coffee consumption also reduces the risk of dementia, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease
Coffee has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. There is some evidence to suggest that decaffeinated coffee may have similar benefits as regular coffee, meaning that other compounds most likely contribute to the health benefits.
It has been long suggested that there is a link between coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease. However, studies have shown that there is no harmful effects and coffee consumption may actually be of benefit.

Everybody is individualised and therefore coffee is not a good option for everyone. As I am quite sympathetic nervous system dominated, anxiety can heighten with more than 1 cup of coffee. I’ve noticed clients as they age become sensitive to caffeine’s effects and can no longer drink it. Also if you have trouble sleeping, please ensure you are only drinking coffee in the morning, as it has a long half-life and you can still be feeling the effects when you go to bed at night.

Inflammation and oxidation are the main reasons for ocular conditions. Our eyes are constantly exposed to environmental irritants and overtime this damages our eyes as seen in the ageing eye where ocular conditions are quite common. Human tears contain a wide spectrum of cytokines and chemokines that maintain homeostasis of the ocular surface and inflammation of these are commonly associated with ocular damage. Therefore, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds have potential for the treatment of eye disorders.

Omega 3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA and antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, beta-carotene, zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin provide benefit only to eye health but overall general health. Nutrients act synergistically therefore food choices rich in these nutrients would be beneficial.

Vitamin C can be obtained from citrus fruit, berries, tomato and broccoli, vitamin E from vegetable oils, wheat germ, nuts and legumes, beta-carotene from carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes and pumpkins, zinc from oysters, beef and other meats, nuts and legumes, lutein and zeaxanthin are highest in kale and spinach and fish oils are the primary source of omega 3 fatty acids.

As someone suffering with mast cell activation, I thought I’d share some information with you all.

My symptoms began with my face stinging, sensitive to anything I applied to it. Then came the itchy skin, the hives and the burning sensation.

Hives are quite common in people. I hope you find this useful

*Remember to speak to your healthcare practitioner*

One of my first thoughts when someone comes to see me with hormonal imbalance is ‘let’s get the liver working optimally’.

The liver maintains hormonal balance and homeostasis of many hormones such as sex, cortisol, thyroid and other adrenal hormones.

A dysfunctional liver OR hormonal imbalance can have a significant impact on each other.

If your liver is not functioning optimally, it may not be able to effectively remove oestrogen from the body, therefore getting reabsorbed and causing symptoms of hormonal imbalance.

Some signs of hormonal imbalance include: mood changes, poor energy, sleep issues, sweating, unexplained weight gain/loss, skin issues, blood pressure or heart rate changes, digestive issues, poor libido, weak/brittle bones.

Our liver is so important 🤍

I usually recommend people consuming lemon squeezed into water around 15 minutes before a meal, ideally firstly in the morning before any consumption of food and continued throughout the day before each meal if desired.

Lemon assists with the digestion of foods due to it’s acidity which stimulates the secretion of digestive juices.

Lemon is a good source of vitamin C and is considered a low FODMAP food.

Warm lemon water is indicated also for people suffering with cold symptoms, sore throats, tonsillitis or bronchitis.
It is also considered a tonic for the gallbladder.

Lemon water is also a great recommendation for people who dislike the taste of water and who struggle to hit recommended water intake targets.

This is a nutrient that I constantly hear practitioners say they cannot function without!

Which is not surprising as it plays a key role in more than 300 enzyme reactions and is therefore extremely important!

Green leafy vegetables have the highest magnesium content than any other food and are said to protect the lungs! Because it is a vital nutrient, it is required for protein synthesis, energy production, cell metabolism and division, creates antioxidants, regulates blood glucose and for vitamin D to work efficiently. It is used in the treatment of hypertension, lowering the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, headaches, osteoporosis, premenstrual syndrome, cramps, type 2 diabetes, ADHD and for multiple sclerosis.

There are different forms of magnesium used for different conditions and there are many factors that increase the demand for magnesium. Signs and symptoms that you may be magnesium deficient include, muscle spasms, cramping, hair loss, numbness, tingling, burning and dry skin, prediabetes, insulin resistance and nausea and vomiting.Deficiency increases the risk of inflammatory bowel disease, ageing and renal disease.

Bone broth is a highly nutritious stock made by animal bones and connective tissue. You can also add in apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to extract the nutrients.

It is great to have when you are unwell as it helps reach recommended fluid intake (we need more fluids when unwell), helps reduce inflammation and thins mucous.

Mixing bone broth with hot water and consumed as a drink may further assist in helping to drain mucous