Inspired Wellbeing Nutrition

Hearty Camping breakfast!

When the weather gets a bit drizzly, there is nothing better than a bowl of hot porridge!

But not just plain porridge, this is full of protein and tastes delicous! Oats can be made so delicous, so many varieties of flavours can be added!

Here is my porridge!

Oats, chia seeds, h**p seeds, grated discovery apples, grated fresh ginger, sultanas, sunflower seeds, cashews, cacao and a spoon of Maca in mine!

Topped with peanut butter and bee pollen

Oats only work for me if i add more protein dense foods with them, otherwise i'm hungry very quickly and craving something sweet!

How do you like you oats?

If its hot, I mix mine with goats yoghurt!

Farmers Market Haul!

One of the pleasures of being in the UK, is the farmers markets... although the still have a way to go to level with the French markets we stopped at, it is great to see the summer haul that its possible to find!

Fresh eggs, salad bags, new potatoes, onion, kale, spring cabbage, radish sprouts, runner beans, raspberries, discovery apples, cooking apples, tomatoes, carrots and much more!!

Beautiful quality, freshly picked, full of nutrients, fibres and happiness!

Whats you favourite farmers market??

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Working on the Road!

Just leaving France, and heading over to the UK - Life on the road these last few months has been a great experience, we have met some amazing people and seen some beautiful places, with moments of stress in between! And sometimes the lack of Internet has been one of my biggest stresses!

I don't enjoy that we can access the internet everywhere, all the time and a few years ago, I would have relished the fact that there was 'no signal'!

I always wanted to be in one place, with a hard-wired connection - and I'm sure one day I will be!

Whether you believe or not that Wifi and electromagnetics could be damaging, we are in fact the guinea pigs to this! 3G, 4G and now 5g in some places - to have this banging around us all of time... and because you can't see it, or feel it (well most of us), we don't pay so much attention.

How is your energy, sleep or mood? For most of us, we just think we are a bit older, and it's normal!

But I wonder how much better our health would be without it.

Do you consider your exposure to wifi and electromagnetics - smartphones, smart TVs, smart meters...??

These last few days I enjoyed the view from my 'work desk' I enjoy the fact that I don't have good signal, but I also still love to work with my beautiful clients who are making changes and seeing improvements to their health!

Olives🫒 Love them or hate them - which is it for you?!

In all the French markets, and of course in Spain too - you always find great selection of Olives - but I know they aren't for everyone! Personally I love green olives, but aren't so keen on black!

Inediable from the tree as they are so bitter - but once cured, they can be a great addition to food, or used as a tasty 'tapa' with your drink!

Many hate Olives as they can also have no flavour. This is due to the being soaked in 'lye'!
This speeds up the processing time (only 7 days!) and removes the bitterness, but can leave them very rubbery! Apartently this is how 99% of black olives are processed!

Whereas with a traditionally cured Olive, they are soaked in a salt solution for a number of weeks or months.

You can also add herbs and spices afterwards , soaking the olives and herbs in oil, adding flavour!

Look for 'Traditionally Cured' Olives in supermarkets, or go to a specialised shop to find the best quality!

Olives are great in sauces and pizza adding a salty tang to the dish. But blitzed into tapanard and adding to freh sourdough bread and butter is another amazing way to gain all the benefits of Olives!

Rich in monosatuarated fats, Olives are healthy for your health - as they can help to lower LDL Cholesterol, but they are also rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients!

Great food for the brain -

Olives contain Vitamin E, and small amounts of B Vitamins too! They are also thought to be a low GI food - so they won't spike your blood sugar, as they have little sugar or carbs in them!

Dig in if you love them!

We are still on the move!

Passed through the Dordogne for a few days and now up above Limoges!

The french really do have beautiful countryside, amazing markets and they certain know how to set up good resting spots and campsites!

I love the way they break for lunch, have big picnics on the side of the road!

Family time is still important and you can see and feel it all ... i just wish i could remember some basic french!

In beautiful Northern Spain, I'm never sure why we haven't travelled more around this area, given it really isn't far away!

We are in the wine region of Rioja! 🍷

If i have a alcoholic drink (really not very often!), i would always opt for a glass of red wine!

We (David and I) actually stayed here 15 years ago in Najera, and had some great memories... a tranquil town, traditional Spanish foid and wine! But great history and amazing landscape too!

Rioja, is famous for its wine... and i did have a glass!

Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. This is because of certain antioxidants, namely Resveratrol!

Polyphenols (of which Resveratrol is one) may help protect the lining of blood vessels in the heart.

Resveratrol might also help prevent damage to blood vessels, and reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and prevent blood clots.

Resveratrol comes from the skin of grapes used to make wine. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol!

A little bit of red wine with a meal is a real treat! The effects of alcohol in large quantities for me are unpleasant and not worth it... but a glass of red wine while in Rioja couldn't be missed!

Following up on my last post... So what should you be avoiding then? - as there are always the foods that are on the other end of the scale!

Ease up on the Carbs! Foods such as rice and other grains are harder to digest and can make you feel warmer in the process.

Be careful around meats and heavy meals too late - as these will have a similar effect, being harder on digestion and will create too much heat!

Alcohol - goes without saying, causes dehydration!

So keep your meals simple and fresh is definitely the key, incorporate lots of greens and red's into your veggies and fruits as these pigments are great for skin health and will support your immune function too!

Whether you are experiencing a hot summer heatwave, or you are away on holiday - the temperatures are rising! I thought I would share with you some top tips for staying well and avoiding sunstroke or dehydration!

Of course, there are the obvious things such as staying out of the sun between 12pm - 4pm when it is at its hottest. Stay in the shade or wear light clothes to protect yourself from the sun, or add some healthy nontoxic sunscreen, of which there are plenty available these days... but what about through your food?

1st things first! Drinking enough water! If on a standard day you drink about 1 and 1/2 litres of fluids, you might need another litre on top of that when exposed to high temperatures. But you can add a little pinch of pink or gray salt to your water to help add back some more minerals.

I often add some electrolyte drops, as I mentioned in a previous post when travelling long haul. But these are great in the sun too.

But what about food?? Have a scroll through the slides for some of my little tips and tricks!

Oranges or Limes??

Did you know that sometimes if you leave limes on the trees, they go orange?!! We confused these with mandarin trees as these are also in season here in Paraguay!

We know limes to be green and they will go yellow when we leave them... as the chlorophyll fades away and you see the yellow pigment underneath!

But with Rangpur lime trees, you have orange limes when they are left and no, they are not oranges; they are definitely limes!

Rangpur limes turn orange when they ripe. So if the lime you have is a Rangpur lime when they are left - the skin and flesh turn orange and they are super juicy!

It is actually a hybrid of a mandarin and a lime!

Limes are rich in Vitamin C and other antioxidants, great for your immune system!
But also these nutrients also help to support your skin too!

Why not add some lime to your water, to help with hydration and keep your skin glowing?

Limes are often forgotten - as everyone goes for lemons!
But remember to have diversity in your diet and swap your lemons for limes!

Its our last day in Uruguay...

So we have spent it in the Capital of Montevideo!

Independance Square, Statue of Jose Artigas, beautiful buildings in the old town.... so much too see, but in true South American style, its noisy with so much traffic!

More than my little head can take!!

But some beautiful sunsets!

Saturated Fat vs. Trans Fat!!!

So we have established that saturated fats in their whole and natural form aren't the devil they have been made out to be!

But what about Trans-Fats... there is no argument, these should be avoided by all, but are not regulated by anyone!

As much as trans-fats can occur naturally in a small number of foods, the man-made versions are produced through a process called hydrogenation, where the food manufacturers add hydrogen molecules to liquid vegetable oils to extend shelf life, enhance flavour and create a more solid texture in foods

Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat. But, our bodies cannot properly break down the structure of trans fats during digestion, unlike saturated fats.

Trans-fats are found in all your processed foods - biscuits, cookies, cakes, crackers, pastries, doughnuts, fried foods, priest, takeaways, and types of margarine

🥯🍰🍪🍩🍥🥯🍰🍪🍩🍥🥯🍰🍪🍩🍥🥯🍰

Studies show that eating trans fats can skyrocket the risk of heart disease.

One large study published in the New England Journal of Medicine even found that the risk of coronary heart disease nearly doubled for each 2 per cent increase in calories consumed from trans fats.

There is also some evidence that artificial trans fats may induce inflammation, which may also contribute to cardiovascular disease.

The key here is to limit your processed food intake, make time to create cakes and biscuits in the kitchen as healthier alternatives, and try inviting friends for a 'pot-luck' dinner instead of going for that takeaway option on the weekends!

DM me if you would like more info about the difference in fats that we eat!

Saturated Fat vs. Trans Fat!!!

So we have established that saturated fats in their whole and natural form aren't the devil they have been made out to be!

But what about Trans-Fats... there is no argument, these should be avoided by all, but are not regulated by anyone!

As much as trans-fats can occur naturally in a small number of foods, the man-made versions are produced through a process called hydrogenation, where the food manufacturers add hydrogen molecules to liquid vegetable oils to extend shelf life, enhance flavour and create a more solid texture in foods

Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat. But, our bodies cannot properly break down the structure of trans fats during digestion, unlike saturated fats.

Trans-fats are found in all your processed foods - biscuits, cookies, cakes, crackers, pastries, doughnuts, fried foods, priest, takeaways, and types of margarine

🥯🍰🍪🍩🍥🥯🍰🍪🍩🍥🥯🍰🍪🍩🍥🥯🍰

Studies show that eating trans fats can skyrocket the risk of heart disease.

One large study published in the New England Journal of Medicine even found that the risk of coronary heart disease nearly doubled for each 2 per cent increase in calories consumed from trans fats.

There is also some evidence that artificial trans fats may induce inflammation, which may also contribute to cardiovascular disease.

The key here - is to limit your processed food intake, make time to create cakes and biscuits in the kitchen as healthier alternatives, and try inviting friends for a 'pot-luck' dinner instead of going for that takeaway option on the weekends!

DM me if you would like more info about the difference in fats that we eat!

Look at the ways saturated fats help your health!

Brain Health – The majority of your brain is fat and cholesterol and the vast majority of that fat is saturated fat. If you are trusting in a low-saturated fat diet, you are missing out on an essential raw material your brain needs to grow, regenerate, and stay healthy.

Cardiovascular Health – Saturated fats provide so many wonderful benefits for your heart and circulatory system. For example, lauric and stearic acids found in saturated fats can actually help regulate cholesterol levels. In addition, dietary saturated fats can reduce levels of lipoprotein(a), a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Bone Health – Saturated fat is needed for calcium to be effectively incorporated into bone. Without it, you can have poor bone density and increased risk of degeneration and injury.

Immune Health – Without sufficient saturated fats in white blood cells, their ability to recognize and destroy foreign invaders like viruses, bacteria, and fungi is impaired.

Nervous System Health – Think of saturated fat as the “insulation” coating for your nervous system (aka your internal wiring). When you lack this insulation you become more susceptible to external and internal stress. A low saturated fat diet can cause poor communication between the cells of your body and result in several catastrophic problems..

Good quality sources: grass-fed meats, poultry and dairy produce, eggs, avocado, coconut oil, ghee, dark chocolate!

Before I studied nutrition, I went through so many diets! Low-fat, vegan, pescatarian, high-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free... the list can go on! But then over the years & after studying, I decided that I would eat some animal products - as long as they were reared to their best of health... because actually, they made me feel better in my health, with energy & mood.

This means, grass-fed or pastured-fed, free-ranging meat! It means wild fish, not farmed. All of this adds up to the animal having the best nutrients available for us, this is how they would eat naturally.

This way, they have the correct balance of Omega 3:6, to pass on...

I want to explain the difference between factory-farmed meat and grass-fed!

The balance of fats changes when a cow (for example) is fed grain as a staple part of its diet. Cows have 5 stomachs and were designed to eat grass!

The addition of grains to a cow's diet changes the balance of the naturally occurring Omega 3 & 6 fats present. Grains give the cow a higher amount of Omega 6, known as Aracadonic Acid!

Omega 6 from Animal sources is INFLAMMATORY! So it's not necessarily the meat that is problematic, it's the way it has been fed by man!

I choose to eat meat a few times a week - but the source of my meat is so importance - for quality of life, for nutrients & for the land! Because animals on the land help with regeneration too!

Anyone who is interested in knowing more should look into the foundation, to understand more about natural foods. This doesn't mean I choose a carnivore lifestyle, as my family and I still eat a lot of vegetables & other plant foods, which give micronutrients and different fibres to feed our gut flora.

We're in Uruguay, South America, a big carnivore part of the world! Here all the cows, pigs, sheep & goats are on the land.... it's winter, it's a bit cold but they're still out grazing the lush grass!

They also eat from nose to tail, skin & bones - nothing is wasted! You often see kidney & liver on the menu.

Enjoy high-quality meat, in fact, enjoy high-quality food of all kinds - become interested in where your food comes from & how it is raised and grown.

As a child I never even knew that you could eat seaweed!

My son loves it... We add the flakes to salads, use nori sheets for wraps instead of bread (and occasionally sushi!), I add it to some soups and the tiny sprinkles you can buy I will use instead of salt sometimes!

Seaweed comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes! It is incredibly salty, so it's not something that you are going to eat lots of but it does have some great health benefits.

Not only is seaweed rich in fibre, it also has amino acids, vitamins A, B, C and E!

It’s the best source of you can eat, which is actually required by every cell in the body, but in particular the ,ovaires and breast tissues too!

There are all different types you can buy in the shops, always try to research your brands, to make sure they are cleanly sourced.

💚nori
💚kelp
💚wakame
💚kombu
💚dulse
💚blue-green algae, such as spirulina and chlorella

Fiber-rich foods may help with diabetes. This is because high amounts of fiber help regulate blood sugar levels and insulin levels.
Adding seaweed to the diet may help boost a person’s fibre intake without a large increase in calories

Algae may be an ideal food for the gut. Authors of a study in the Journal of Applied Phycology report that algae tend to contain high amounts of fiber, which may make up 23–64% of the algae’s dry weight.

Building your smoothie in the right way can not only give you a tasty meal, but it can set up your blood sugar to stop the peaks and troughs that can be felt!

It is often my breakfast meal at sometime in the morning!

But I see so often people making smoothies that are so sugar-rich, it really isn't a healthy meal at all! So thinking about it, I thought I would offer some extra support for you!

Adding a liquid of your choice for the base - it can be cold tea, coconut water, milk or just plain ole' water.

For your fruit option, I often will just use berries, fresh or frozen, keeping the glycemic load low, but enough sweetness to give flavour

Veggies, any type you like! I often use spinach and cooked (but cold) cauliflower rice, but you can also add courgette, kale, cucumber, or celery, the choice is yours!

Protein - don't skimp on this part, it's really important for blood sugar to have enough! Nut butter, protein powders (without sweeteners where possible!), collagen powder, oats, or yogurt are all good choices.

Flax Seeds, are a good whole form of healthy fat, that once broken down in your smoothie your body can access the ALA fats and Lignans too! Superfoods for hormones! You can also add chia seeds as an alternative!

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Food for All Day Blood Sugar Balance 🍌

Starting your day with protein, will always set you up well!! Whether its a protein packed smoothie, scrambled eggs or tofu with some extra veggies or nutty seedy porridge!

Follow this up with lunch, again containing a good portion of protein, along with some healthy fats and plenty of fibre

If you need a snack peanut butter and banana on toast can work well, but so can hummus and carrot sticks!

And round your day off with a balanced dinner that also has some complex carbohydrates along with some protein and LOADS of veggies!!

Learning how to build a smoothie or understanding how a balanced plate should look is the key to better blood sugar control

Next post coming up soon is about building the perfect smoothie.... stay tuned!

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Fasting isn't for everyone, of course as we are all different...

So if you don't what to juice fast - there are still many benefits of adding a juice to your daily intake or even just doing it 3 or 4 times a week!

Look at it as extra liquid nutrition easy to digest, a way to use up veggies before they go off... but the internal benefits can be amazing too, when you become more consistent at adding this to your life!

An extra dose of plant-based nutrition. Like I said earlier, use this juice to amp up your greens and vegetable intake. Juicing allows to condense several servings of vegetables in one single drink that's easy-to-consume and packed with vitamins like Vitamin K and Vitamin C, minerals, including a bit of iron.

More energy all day. After just a few days of drinking green juice first thing in the morning, you can feel more energetic throughout the day and for some it can help stop that afternoon cup of coffee!

Helps to curb cravings. This is again from my personal experience, I found myself more satisfied throughout the day and less interested in snacking. I still enjoy a healthy snack, like a handful of nuts or a little avocado with a sprinkle of za'atar, no problem.

Enhance detoxification. Homemade juice (and fresh shop bought too) with greens and vegetables supports a healthy liver and can be a good way to kick-start the day and reset my system.

Why not give it a go??

And if you would like to speak to me about working together please check out my link in bio and book a call!

Photo taken while on juice detox retreat with Lelly & Amanda

🍏There is so much negative information available on the 'net' about how juicing or juice fasting is kind of bad for you... but unless you have tried it, with supervision, in the right environment - you shouldn’t pass judgement!

🥒 It can be a reset for your life, your food, your understand of your needs and also helps you delve into areas of your history where food has become more than the nourishment it should be... but a tool or prop for stress, emotional support and also control.

On the juice Retreats that I've worked on, we provide a range of veggie juices, which are organic and where possible locally produced.

There is variety and little additions of turmeric and ginger shots, or apple cider vinegar elixiers to help reduce inflammation and balance blood sugar!

Here is a simple recipe you can try out at home...

1 apple
Half a long cucumber 15cm
1/4 lemon with skin
3-6 sticks celery
5cm piece ginger

Photos from recent retreat with & at 🙏🏻

Nutritional therapy is so broad, there isn't really an area that it cannot touch upon!

Last week i had the pleasure of talking about how to use food to help reduce pain and inflammation, with a lovely group of Reflexologists

This topic covers so many areas of our modern disease picture, from arthritis to asthma, from ibs to autoimmune conditions!

We discussed pro inflammatory and anti inflammatory foods and how its not always about removal, but focusing on crowding out the 'bad' stuff with the good!! Sometimes there is too much focus on removal of whole food groups... and this can feel challenging and disappointing for many, putting them off even starting!

But by adding more colours from fresh veggies and improving our choices around protein and especially fats, we can start to see some good improvements in health!

For some people, baby steps are needed and from here you can see the change! And it can be quite dramatic..

Once you know how easy it can be, the rest will come

If you need someone to hold your hand while you take those steps, then please get in touch!

Have you ever found yourself struggling with brain fog, poor concentration, depression or anxiety?

These are not normal symptoms, but seem to be on the increase, particularly in women. These symptoms are signs that there are other imbalances within the body, including our hormones…..we Just have to learn how to read them.

Now is always a great time to look at lifestyle and what we can do to support our long term health. If you feel that your brain is suffering read the slides for some simple changes/additions to your lifestyle

Check my link in bio to book a call or send me a DM!!!

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How to Work with Me…

I am a qualified Nutritional Therapist registered with IFM (institute of Functional Medicine) helping people reach their health goals through reducing inflammation and balancing blood sugar!

Read the slides... 🙏
Check my link in bio to book a call or send me a DM!!!

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How many different diets have you tried to try and meet your goals of weight loss, better mood, less anxiety or improved hormonal balance??

Did you know these ‘ailments’ all have a common factor that can help you see results and feel better more quickly than you think??

Blood Sugar…

If you can bring balance to your metabolic health, then many of the above symptoms can improve.

Remember, everything is connected – fix one area, and others will improve too

Looking for simple support… sign up for my next Blood Sugar Challenge! LINK IN BIO! OR DM ME!
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