Jules Ritter

You can now find me on Natural Health Worldwide as a qualified BANT registered Nutritional Therapist.

Starting the day hiking up to see this beauty.

My kind of beach reading. Anyone read it?

Downward do***ng with this puppy is the best way to start the day. 😃❤️

I put my back out 8 weeks ago from over training and I am still recovering and having to go really slow with the weights in the gym. I miss my daily endorphine rush and am having to practice patience and gratitude whilst I wait for my body to heal.

Getting away from it all. It’s important to take a few days to escape from the every day. Heal the mind and soul ideally with a few family members.

Magical Chia Seeds. Transitioning into Spring/Summer with a lighter but still nutritionally dense breakfast.

There’s a reason the Aztecs used them as currency and ate them before going into battle for sustained energy. Full of protein, fibre and Omega 3.

Excellent for chronic constipation and can also help with weight loss due to their satiating capabilities stopping you from snacking.

This morning my chia pudding which I made last night and left in the fridge included:

1 scoop of collagen powder high in protein - skin, hair, nails
2tbsps chia seeds - protein, Omega 3
Oat milk to moisten
1 scoop AG1 green powder, vitamins and minerals
4 tbsp kefir - gut health probiotic, protein
1 tbsp Udo’s Choice Omega 3 plus - anti-inflammatory
2 tbsps of oat husks - lowers cholesterol, high fibre
Sprinkle of sunflower seeds - vitamin E
Sprinkle chopped cashew nuts - protein, fibre
Large handful blueberries - polyphenols

If you think that your cholesterol levels are responsible for atherosclerosis or narrowing of the arteries I recommend you read this book.

Cholesterol is good for us. It makes up our cell walls - phospholipid membranes - and our s*x hormones amongst other important functions.

Those with low cholesterol have lower life expectancy.

Research tells us that Statins only have a slight benefit for those who have already had a heart attack. Side effects of taking statins include fatigue and muscle aches as it blocks the CoQ10 pathway.

Do your research on Pubmed and become your own advocate or work with me.

Hiking. Find what you like to do and make that your exercise. This is mine (along with some resistance training and yoga for back flexibility).

Never fails to give me a natural dopamine high.

If you are curious about dopamine follow a neuroscientist (hint dopamine is a neurotransmitter) who explains what it is, why we need it and crucially how modern day life is robbing us of it.

Breaking my 16 hour overnight fast this morning with a protein rich breakfast of sourdough topped with a layer of chickpeas, homemade basil/broad bean pesto, a poached egg and a large handful of mixed sprouts
I discovered the sprout man at Nottinghill Farmers Market this weekend. Power packed with hormone balancing micronutrients and fibre. I also bought delicious tomatoes from the Isle of Wight as they were a) local and b) seasonally grown under glass on a sunny British Island.

I did get into trouble from my youngest for enquiring why he had sunflower oil in his passata sauce…downside of being a nutritional therapist in embarrassing family members as labels are forensically studied.

This was my protein filled lunch five hours after yesterday’s protein breakfast

Endive
Beetroot
Bluecheese
1 cup cottage cheese
Tuna

I struggled to finish and I wasn’t crazy hungry even though I had lifted weights for 30 minutes and hiked with the dogs for 90 mins.

I do believe that eating the bulk of your day’s calories for breakfast and lunch is best allowing time to burn them off and fuelling your day’s activities making work outs, mood and cognition optimal. Having enough calories also conserves vital muscle mass as discussed in yesterday’s post.

Tuning into my hunger cues at 6pm I was not surprised to find them on the low side so a small bowl of my homemade spicy bean chilli was all it took.

No snacking and 4-5 hours between meals inhibits the insulin rollercoaster caused by the highs and lows of constantly consuming food. Carbs eventually turn to sugar so avoid all refined carbs such a bread, rice, cereals and pasta but fill your plate with plenty of carbs from vegetables - the fibre in them slows the digestion and the blood sugar rush.

Breakfast. I often see clients who do not eat breakfast because they are not hungry or because they are fasting. If you are not hungry you are eating way too late and too much at night and as for fasting…here comes the soap box…BUT I too fell into the 16-8 intermittent fasting craze (see previous posts) 16 hours fasting with an 8 hour eating window. This is what I learnt.

If you are male and not subject to the daily hormonal swings of females, fit and healthy, you can benefit from 16-8 as long as you eat nutritiously dense meals to your calorie needs.

12 hours dinner to breakfast is what we should all be aiming for. There is even good research that proves 14 hours from dinner to breakfast over time will lead to weight reduction. Anything beyond 14 hours (16-8) is not in my opinion beneficial. When we go into calorie deficit cortisol - stress hormone - spikes dumping sugar from the liver as the body goes into panic mode. In rushes insulin to deal with the sudden sugar release and in so doing overreacts and we crash into a hypoglycaemic low blood sugar situation. The unsteady and light headed feeling is mistaken for the fasting « working » and burning fat but it is actually storing the sugar from the liver as fat. Remember insulin has many jobs and one is fat storing.

Fasting switches on autophagy where the body cleans up old cells and debris but let’s also acknowledge muscle breakdown when the body lacking fuel in the form of calories from food, starts breaking down muscle along with fat stores.

Muscle loss is debilitating and once lost hard to regain. A healthy skeletal structure is key to your health - diminishing falls, helping to regulate blood sugar balance by burning up excess sugar/calories and thereby regulating insulin levels. It is also a major indicator of longevity.

I eat a version of this high protein breakfast every day. chia pudding (1/4 cup 7g) mixed with 1 scoop protein powder from Garden of Life (20g) 1/2 small avocado (2g) there is also protein in the slice of wild caught salmon and the protein bread . Total 30+ grams of protein.

This fuels my work outs and and allows 4-5 hours before my next meal.

I’m a big fan of Doctor B and so should you be. Take a listen to his recent conversation with Steven Bartlett on Diary of a CEO. As he said it is transformative in the way you will view your health, your weight and how you feed your microbiome. Hint fibre contains prebiotics which feed the gut bacteria and allow then to produce shortchain fatty acids which protect the gut lining and our immune system but also decide what of the calories we consume we burn, what we store and what we excrete in our p**p.

Researchers found pairs of human twins in which one was obese and the other lean. They transferred gut bacteria from these twins into mice and watched what happened. The mice with bacteria from fat twins grew fat; those that got bacteria from lean twins stayed lean. See the study in my 2nd photo.

https://youtu.be/qqabbfk9wV8?si=ESvnuoVbDMKvWBcw

I’m a big fan of Dr. B and I urge you to listen to his conversation with Steven Barlet on Diary of a Ceo

The fat mice that got food high in fat and low in fruits and vegetables kept the gut bacteria from the fat twins and remained fat. The thin twins’ gut bacteria took over only when the mice got pellets that were rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat.

Happy 2024 to all my clients and followers of this insta feed!

I was 39 yrs young (considered old!) when I had my third child gorgeous . Many thought I was mad and said so to my face having a gap of 10 and 7 yrs between her brother and sister but I knew she would keep me young and challenge me which she does every day.

Don’t follow the crowd, live your own life on your terms. Dare to be you.

Work with me to live your best life.

This chart of Modifiable Risk Factors explained by BANT- British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine - sums up how I work as a Nutritional Therapist with my clients.

Sleep - do you get enough quality sleep? I will work on your sleep hygiene, routine, fatigued vs restored, day vs night, blood sugar balancing and hormonal balancing

Exercise - Do you exercise regularly? I will help you find what is the best exercise for you according to your work, lifestyle and lifestage. Cardio vs strengthening.

Stress - How stressful is your daily life? Are you constantly wired and tired? Anxious? I will support you to address and reduce these issues

Microbiome - big buzz word and rightly so. How beneficial are your bacteria? Effects digestive issues, nutrient absorption, immune function and mental health issues

Toxic Environment - How toxic is your environment? Chemicals and pollutants at home, at work, in food, air, personal products. We will work together to eliminate risks and improve your body’s detoxification systems.

Nutrition - How balanced is your diet? What, when, food variety, intolerances, hydration, nutrient density, balance of vitamins, antioxidants, fibre and adequate protein.

Getting into autumn vibes with this chestnut pasta. Gluten free, serve with olive oil and pepper or a home-made tomato sauce. High in protein.

As the ad slogan goes…just do it. Move your body but make it work for you especially in mid-life. Distance running is not for me but sprinting hard for 15 seconds multiple time is something I can do and enjoy. This was my local running track at 7am. Now back home ready for clinic day.

Very happy to see that apricot seeds (kernels) are now available. The grilled variety are perfectly safe. High in protein and fibre making an excellent snack. Nose to tail of the nut world.

Very happy to see grilled apricot seeds (kernels) are now available. High in fibre and protein with an almond/marzipan flavour.

Just 2 dqys to go until my 7 Day Health Reset/Challenge starting Sunday 27 August.

For a minimal fee of £25 you will, via a private whatsapp group, receive daily prompts, ideas and suggestions to easily incorporate healthy habits into your routine.

As a group we will tackle challenges together and find solutions guided by me a Nutritional Therapist and Health Coach.

Feeling lost when it comes to what “being healthy” actually means as all the information is so confusing? I’ll help you understand your current health status and discover what changes you need to make to set yourself on the right path to optimal health.

Announcing a 7 day How Healthy Are You? Challenge
Join an interactive whatsapp group with like minded ladies seeking to take their health to the next level. This is your chance to work with me. I will be using the fundamentals that I use with my clients setting a daily topic to educate and set you on the path to a healthier you. DM me if you want to join.
Starts Sunday 27 August ends Sunday 3 September.

In clinic this week. Thyroid issues. I have a client who is worried and confused about a Hashimoto’s diagnosis. What is the difference between the auto-immune low thyroid condition known as Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism? What are the signs? How can I best support her? Will giving up gluten and dairy make a difference and why? What does a low TSH mean and what is T4 and T3 and which one is the active form?

These are the types of conditions where we can really support our clients, educating them and taking the time to look at all available options together alongside, as always their health care provider.

Feeling tired? Gaining weight? Noticing hair loss and constipation? Always on the cold side especially feeling it in hands and feet? Can’t shift that sluggish feeling? A good time to check your thyroid levels.

Often mineral support and lifestyle changes will suffice sometimes without medication and sometimes alongside medication.

Think of the thyroid gland as the accelerator pedal in the car (your body). You don’t want to breakdown on the motorway of life.

I advocate for a low to zero alcohol intake and one of the first things I do with my clients is find out how much they are drinking (really drinking not what they write on the form) and then educate them as to the destructive role of alcohol in their lives.

My peri and menopausal ladies find they can once again sleep through the night (most of the time) my weight loss clients lose weight and the stressed and anxious calm down.

This graph shows you the effect of alcohol on your neurotransmitters - happy and feel good hormones.

I can’t think of anything that isn’t improved by drastically reducing alcohol or taking a break from it for 30/60/90 days.

It’s hard to contemplate but the rewards are incredible and I can coach you through the transition so contact me today to join my group programme which will inspire you and make you accountable to your goals or 1-2-1 coaching.

Hashtags

I advocate for a low to zero alcohol intake and one of the first things I do with my clients is find out how much they are drinking (really drinking not what they write on the form) and then educate them as to the destructive role of alcohol in their lives.

My peri and menopausal ladies find they can once again sleep through the night (most of the time) my weight loss clients lose weight and the stressed and anxious calm down.

This graph shows you the effect of alcohol on your neurotransmitters - happy and feel good hormones.

I can’t think of anything that isn’t improved by drastically reducing alcohol or taking a break from it for 30/60/90 days.

It’s hard to contemplate but the rewards are incredible and I can coach you through the transition so contact me today to join my group programme which will inspire you and make you accountable to your goals or 1-2-1 coaching.

Hashtags

Are you or a loved one taking any of these medications and unaware of the effects on your vitamin B12 levels?

What does vitamin B12 do and why should you be worried about your levels?

Most people associate B12 with energy levels but it does so much more such as protecting against nerve damage and maintaining healthy red blood cells - often the cause of anaemia in vegetarians and vegans because it is found mainly in animal foods.

I have been working with a wonderful elderly gentleman recently for fatigue and pulmonary fibrosis. At the end of our time together he remembered that he was taking a PPI - stomach acid blocker - which compromises his synthesis and assimilation of B12.

I am excited to work on finding out his levels and supplementing or even afor him to have B12 injections (common at his age) at his doctor’s surgery to see how this will greatly aid in solving his fatigue issues

In clinic this week: recovery from alcohol addiction.

Alcoholics need specialised treatment centres when giving up alcohol but if you are a middle lane drinker and want to drastically reduce or give up alcohol I can help you.

In 2020 I gave up alcohol for 150 days. I then ran an online group of 12 women coaching them on how to go from regular drinking to rarely if at all. Today I do long stints of alcohol free periods and times when I have the occasional glass of wine or champagne. I cannot extoll the benefits enough from skin to hair to mood to energy to sleep everything improves as you can see in this photo.

Contact me today if you want to work on putting alcohol in its rightful place in your life whilst still getting all the benefits of sobriety.

Wellness is also about being happy in your space. My ideal space is one devoid of clutter and containing only the things I love and use. This is 10 years of old ski gear that no longer serves its purpose for my family ready to be donated.

I’ve always felt that a good tidy up and sort removes any stuck chi and lets the energy flow once again. I also feel this when I rearrange furniture - which ai do often!

I’ve always been a big fan of The Minimalists and and have followed them since their road trip spreading the anti-consumerism word back around 2010. Their first documentary is now out on youtube.com Minimalism. Go get inspired and feel the difference when you embrace the mindshift.

Love people and use things because the opposite never works

Thinking a great deal about processed and ultra processed foods this summer and how they insidiously make their way into our lives. My client this week has a diet 80% UPFs, he is overweight and feels he is less sharp and able to concentrate.

I started with a thorough explanation of what UPFs do to our microbiome, how their very consistency prevents Leptin the « feeling satisfied » hormone switching on because they absorb too quickly - studies show over-eating by 500 calories daily.

I also encouraged him to download the App Yuka. Yuka scans food & personal care products to decipher their ingredients and evaluate their impact on your health. Perfect for my client to take on his next shopping trip.

I am constantly thinking about how to best help my clients.

I was taught to look past the disease/symptom/illness to who is this person with this disease/symptom/illness and why has it manifested? This is how we naturopathic nutritionists are taught to think.

Take this cherry it has its own distinguishing marks, shape, colour but when viewed amongst a bowl of other cherries it is indistinguishable.

Standard medicine lumps us all together prescribing the same standard treatment. We see our clients as individuals because one diabetic client is not the same as another diabetic client. This is where the personalised protocols come into effect, we too work with test results but question thoroughly on lifestyle and family history and devise plans and protocols for that individual leading to more successful outcomes.

This week in clinic: chronic fatigue for a mum 10 months post partum and an elderly gentleman with lung fibrosis.

Best summer read so far. A doctor travels through the body addressing each organ and system with anecdotes and real-lived experience working in India, the Arctic, Antarctica and the US. Brilliant for us nutritional therapy nerds.