A bit of common sense

I love The Daily Mash but never expected its satirical articles to inspire my blog. Still today's roundup included a very amusing article about the perception a foreigner might form of the british people from reading the daily mail including this comment on the frequently published health scare stories:

"Then I notice how you are all in constant panic about whether or not to eat tomatoes. Some days they are best thing ever, other days they kill you. I am thinking 'this is not product of healthy brain'."

This is a bit extreme but what makes it so funny is how close it is to the truth. The media have encouraged a fear of food and wide-spread confusion over what is or isn't good for you.

It's true that there have been a number of deaths caused by individuals following extreme diets in the quest for health. However common sense should tell you that a diet of only carrot juice or drinking 5 litres of water a day is not a good idea.

Most people know which foods are healthy (fruit + veg, oily fish, nuts, seeds, white meat, wholegrains) and which are unhealthy (saturated fats, red meats, sugar, white carbohydrates, alcohol, caffeine, processed and junk foods), but may need to apply some common sense to their diets:

- Don't eat the same meals everyday

- Don't eat any particular food in very high quantities

- Don't exclude any of the main food groups from your diet (fats, carbohydrates, protein)

- If a new 'superfood' is discovered it may be worth adding to your diet, but not in huge quantities every day

And yes tomatoes are good for you, but that doesn't mean you should eat two kilos a day!

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/uk-to-cut-immigrant-numbers-by-teaching-them-to-read-the-daily-mail-201006092798/

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The sound of silence

Yes it's true I do have a soft spot for the music of Simon & Garfunkel, but that is not my topic for today, instead it's the power of silence for your health.

London is by nature a noisy place and the lack of peace and quiet often drives city folk out to the suburbs, however even for those in the sanctuary of surrey individuals rarely get any proper peace and quiet. Think about your typical day - how much time do you have that's genuinely quiet?

Why is silence important?
All stimulation to your senses (taste, smell, touch, sound, sight) are stimulating to the brain and can induce a stress response - hence the use of music and light in extreme interrogation techniques. Stress is obviously a baddy when it comes to health and is a possible contributing factor to pretty much every ailment out there.

So it's important to give all our senses a break as this gives our brain a break and helps us de stress. This is why meditation is so beneficial. However even if meditation is a step too far, consciously having some quiet time can be very beneficial. You might want to try the following:

- switch off your phone, the tv and radio whilst eating, this lack of distraction will help proper digestion

- enjoy 10 mins quiet relaxation when you get home from work - don't immediately turn on the tv. Relax, take some deep breaths and try and keep a still mind.

- turn off the tv or radio 30mins before you go to bed to help you wind down and enjoy some restful sleep


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The big sleep

A friend of mine was really tired a couple of weeks ago and decided to have a really early night. She ended up going to sleep at 8pm and getting 11 hours sleep! She felt so much better that she has decided to have another really early night this week.

It's not surprising my friend felt much better as sleep is vital for good health. Sleep is when your body rests and repairs: your liver detoxifies, your digestive system has a rest, your hair, skin and nails grow, muscle tissues are repaired and even your heart beat slows giving your heart a break. Insufficient sleep leads to low energy levels, poor immunity, increased appetite, increased stress hormone production and poor skin condition.

In an ideal world we'd all be asleep by 10pm every night and wake naturally 8-9 hour later, however with a city job and lifestyle that's pretty much impossible. This is where my friends idea of having a very early night each week comes into it's own as it's much more feasible to have one early night a week on a quiet night and get 9-10hours sleep, than to be in bed by 10pm every night.

It's been demonstrated that you can catch up on missed sleep and whilst it's not a one for one trade (it takes more than one hour to catch up for one hour lost) it's definitely worth doing. So next time you find yourself yawning in front of the telly at 9pm, switch off the box and have an early night.
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Skin deep

I was explaining to a friend recently how the condition of your skin and hair reflects the health of your organs. Often if someone has hair or skin problems they try and treat the symptoms rather than the true cause. However the condition of someone's skin and hair gives vital clues as to their inner health and how to restore it.

So what can you tell about someones health from their appearance?

Here are some of the more common conditions and some of the possible causes:

Bags/puffiness under the eyes - poor liver or kidney function, mineral imbalance, underactive thyroid.

Dark circles under the eyes - lack of sleep, exhausted adrenal glands, food intolerances, digestive problems.

Thinning hair/premature hair loss:
hormonal imbalance (high testosterone in men and women), stress/adrenal imbalance, anaemia (low-iron), poor digestion, underactive thyroid.

Spots/acne: hormonal imbalance, diet high in sugar and/or saturated fats, digestive problems, food intolerances, poor immunity.

Psoriasis, eczema - food intolerances (dairy intolerance is common), poor fat metabolism, heavy metal toxicity, compromised digestion, poor liver function, stress.

Brittle/thin nails - low mineral intake, poor digestion.

Cracked lips - B vitamin or vitamin E deficiency.

Pale skin - poor circulation, anaemia (low-iron).

Cold sores, verruccas and warts - all viral infections they may indicate compromised immunity and high stress levels.

Cracked heels, thinning skin or dandruff - low essential fats in diet or poor fat digestion/metabolism, underactive thyroid.

There is quite a range of causes for each condition, but with a little detective work it's usually possible to work out the cause of the condition and then treat the cause rather than just the symptoms.
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Beating the slump

Sadly I haven't found a way to save the UK economy ... I'm referring to the mid-afternoon energy slump that can leave you struggling to keep your eyes open and reaching for a cappuccino!

So if you regularly find yourself glazing over mid-afternoon and your boss hasn't warmed to your suggestion of daily siestas what can you do?

Stay hydrated - fatigue is often due to dehydration so drink a large glass of water 15-20 mins before you have your lunch and another one an hour after you're lunch.

Skip the wheat - wheat has a sophoric effect on alot of people, so even if you're not gluten or wheat intolerant it's worth avoiding wheat at lunchtime if you get post-lunch snooziness. Instead have new potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, pulses, oat cakes, rye bread or spelt pasta which is an older variety of wheat grain that is less problematic. EAT does a good wheat-free bread to go with it's soups and has a different wheat-free sandwich each day.

Skip the sugar - avoid sugary sauces or condiments (vinaigrette, ketchup, salad cream) on your lunch as well as puddings, fruit yoghurts or chocolate bars. These, along with refined carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, chips white pasta) and caffeine, may give you a temporary energy boost but this is usually followed by an energy crash. If you usually have a pudding or espresso after lunch switch it for a herbal tea, natural yoghurt, some fresh berries or even a square of dark chocolate.

Don't eat too much - if you eat a large meal blood flow will increase to your gut to help digestion leaving less blood, and therefore oxygen, for your brain bringing on fatigue. Aim for equal portions of vegetables/salad, protein and low GI carbs, each the volume of your fist. The low GI carbs will keep your metabolism fired up whilst the protein will encourage a slow release of energy avoiding the chance of a post-lunch crash.

Move! - If you sit still at your desk all day your metabolism will gradually slow down making you feel more fatigued so make sure you move at lunchtime. If you can go to the gym that's great but even a 20 minute walk outside will be beneficial. Also get up from your chair every hour and have a wander round the office.

Have a rest. Even if your boss doesn't approve of cat napping at the desk make sure you take a ten minute mental break. Staying focused and alert at work is pretty draining but you can counter this by giving your brain a rest. Either at your desk or in a breakout area stop working or reading and let your mind wander. Take some deep breaths and look out the window. If you can't do this at your desk pop outside for ten minutes and chill in the fresh air.
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Cure your cravings

In the most part healthy eating is about making sensible choices: brown bread instead of white, salad instead of chips, one biscuit instead of a whole packet!

However if you get a real craving for a food it's very difficult to apply rational thought and talk yourself out of indulging. So if you crave certain foods what can you do about it?

Tea and coffee - as caffeine is a drug, cravings are inevitable especially if you're trying to cut down. The best approach is to gradually reduce your intake, rather than going cold turkey. Drink half a cup and then bin the rest, or work down to lower caffeine drinks so from coffee to tea to green tea to white tea. Eating low glycemic carbs and staying hydrated will keep energy levels up - and if you feel you really need the caffeine to stay awake drink a large glass of water, wait 15 minutes and see if you still need it.

Wheat - It is fairly common to crave the foods you are intolerant to and i think a lot of people have wheat or gluten intolerances without realising it. Unfortunately the cure for this craving is to avoid the food altogether, but you can make it easier on yourself by substituting with a wheat-free alternative such as gluten free bread or gluten free pasta. Also pay attention to cravings for other foods which you might also have an intolerance too.

Salty snacks - if you find all food tastes bland without salt then you've probably been adding to much and your taste buds have gotten used to it so you need to cut down. If however you have random cravings for salty foods then you may have overworked adrenal glands, which need sodium to help your body cope with stress. Avoid the crisps and instead go for lightly salted nuts or a rice cake spread with a small amount of marmite. Evaluate what causes stress in your life and how you can reduce these stressors and schedule in some regular relaxation.

Sugar - often craved when you're tired or if you have irregular blood sugar levels. Chromium drops and cinnamon are great for countering sugar cravings and when you do get them satisfy your sweet tooth with some fruit. Also remember to get plenty of sleep and eat regular meals and snacks.

Chocolate - one of the most craved foods and not just for the sugar content. Craving chocolate may be a sign of low magnesium levels so when you have a chocolate craving try a magnesium rich snack such as nuts and seeds. And remember a couple of squares of dark chocolate is much better for you than any amount of dairy milk!

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Some healthy perspective

I was reading an interview with Liz Hurley recently in which she demonstrated some healthy perspective when it came to weight gain. Liz still has an enviable body at 46 but is 10lbs heavier and a dress size larger than before she had her son.

Weight gain during pregnancy is very common and the extreme measures some celebrities follow to lose the extra pounds are often unhealthy. Weight should be lost slowly and steadily and a certain amount of weight gain as we age should be accepted as normal.

As we age our hormone levels change - oestrogen levels drop for women and testosterone levels drop for men. The body can produce a small amount of these important hormones from body fat and so compensates for the natural decline in hormone production by increasing fat stores, particularly around the torso.

Instead of resorting to the 1000 calorie a day diet and watercress soup regimen she used to use to stay slim, Liz has instead accepted her heavier natural weight, cleared out her closet of her size 8 clothes ('it's not good to make yourself feel heavy') and adopted a much healthier diet which I'd happily recommend to most clients.

I think this kind of healthy perspective often comes from having children, but we should all take a leaf out of Liz's book and instead of dieting to try to squeeze into our jeans from ten years ago, clear out our closets and focus on eating for health rather than trying to stay super slim.

For anyone interested the interview and food plan can be found in this months Zest magazine.
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