Month: November 2022

Today’s article is inspired by the recently published results of a 15-year long study out of The Journal Of Investigative Dermatology which found that in men and women aged 45+ a diet higher in antioxidants reduced skin photo-aging by ~10% as compared to individuals in that demographic with diet’s low in total antioxidant content.

Translation: Eating more antioxidant rich foods has the potential to significantly slow the skin aging process.

I’ll be the first to admit that the word “antioxidant” does get thrown around quite a bit and perhaps is misused or misunderstood in some circles, but even so the fact of the matter is that the antioxidant content of someone’s diet is considered a pretty reasonable indicator of diet quality and correlates well with other scales that measure this type of thing.

The goal of today’s article is to introduce you to a few foods that have an above

The popularity of plant-based diets is growing exponentially year on year, with half a million Brits signing up to Veganuary in 2021. There is also an increase in the ‘flexitarian diet’ which involves eating mainly plant-based foods but still includes meat/fish occasionally. It’s thought those following a vegan and vegetarian diet will make up a ¼ of the British population by 2025! I’m excited to know how many of you joined Veganuary this year?!

A well planned plant-based diet is associated with improved health outcomes, helping to optimise cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of some non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, certain cancers and type 2 diabetes.

So, how can you add more plant-based foods into your daily diet?

Cook a vegetarian meal one night a week – Start with something simple, a meal that takes less than 30 minutes to cook, with few ingredients that

As some of you may already know, having worked in the NHS and privately, I specialise in weight management, so I often get many questions at this time of year asking for support with sustainable weight loss to support health, after having been on various unsuccessful diets. If this resonates, then this post is for you!

Remember, you do not *need* to lose weight to improve your health, however, if you want to make a change, then it’s important to choose the right approach that works for you.

Below are 5 common factors that may be hindering weight loss! Remember that our bodies work differently sometimes.

1️⃣ Irregular snacking i.e. Grazing! – It’s easy to unconsciously eat more than we realise, however – a food diary can help to encourage mindful eating. Write down what, where & why you ate and how you felt before/after. Try to eat without distractions

Have you ever been worried about the prospect of deciding what to eat? Anxious and eaten more/less than usual? Or have you ever been nervous and choose foods that you know will make you feel better?

You aren’t alone if you answered yes to any of these questions. Food can be a coping strategy for many of us (and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing!).

Stress is an unavoidable aspect of our lives. When we’re stressed, our bodies produce cortisol, which is an important hormone for our ‘fight or flight’ reaction. In the short-term, stress can also help to focus our memory, however, it’s chronic stress that can negatively impact our lives.

Chronic stress can have a detrimental impact on our mental health and increase the risk of gastrointestinal (gut) disorders, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and also suppress our immune function. Stress can also disturb your sleep, which

Did you know that almost 60% of our bodies are made of water?

As a result, staying hydrated is one of the easiest and most beneficial things you can do for your body. Drinking enough water boosts your energy, keeps your skin in good condition and may help to prevent headaches, constipation, and UTIs (cystitis).

Drinking enough fluid can also help to keep hunger at bay if you find yourself grazing between meals. Often, the body can confuse hunger and thirst signals. So, the next time you’re hungry, try a glass of water first to be sure you don’t just need to drink more!

Aim for at least 6-8 200ml glasses or 1.4-1.6 litres of fluids every day. However, these are only estimations and you will need to drink more if you are exercising/ it’s hot outside, i.e. if you sweat more.

I must confess that I’m not a great