Another few words about #Candida, I see many people with the often debilitating condition known as Candiasis and I know there are a lot of sufferers out there.  Generally the medical profession do not recognise it although I have come in contact with Doctors that do.

The symptoms are many and varied and may include #skin rashes, #sore tongue, #IBS, as well as depression and #digestive problems.

Be wary of total exclusion diets as I have seen people that have restricted their diets so much that they have become malnourished.  Trying to starve out Candida does not work unless you use a targeted approach and also prepare the body gently before using anti-fungals.

Just throwing probiotics and a collection of anti-fungals at your gut is not what I call a targeted approach.  But understandably people become desperate and spend time on the internet gathering all sorts of information which may or may not be based on science or fact.

Candida can live happily with our good gut flora as a yeast and not cause us any problems, however, with stress, antibiotics, long term medications, Diabetes, diets high in refined foods, Candida can change to a fungal form and cause all sorts of problems.

#Candiasis is the term for this fungal form that can penetrate the wall of the gut and get into your blood stream.  To clear yourself of this fungal intruder you need to have  the right diet as well as a good quality therapeutic supplement programme.

Often clients begin to feel much better by just changing their diet and relief can be found in weeks, although sadly I still see people who have put up with this health problem for years.

Avoid sugar of all sorts, avoid refined foods, honey, dried fruits, fruit juices and some fresh fruits.  What do you eat instead? Plenty of seasonal vegetables and salad with lean protein such as organic chicken and fresh fish.

#Aloe Vera juice can be very beneficial for the digestive tract and help to calm and tone the digestive system so a tablespoon in water before breakfast and one in the evening can be very soothing.

The right advice and support from a Nutritional Therapist can help to eradicate this nasty syndrome.  See my Candida page.

THE HUMBLE POTATO

Potatoes are a great staple food, there are so many ways to cook them… mashed, sautéed, steamed, boiled, chipped, the list is pretty long and I, like many people, love them. But I am very sorry to have to tell you that if you are trying to lose weight they are to be avoided.

Aha! you may say – they do contain vitamins Bs and C and some minerals – yes, but sadly they affect the body as a real sugar hit. This probably explains mashed potato being such a comfort food, it acts a quick sugar hit as you have even mashed them breaking down them down into a higher sugar hit. Potatoes raise your blood sugar and give you a temporary energy boost. However, they affect your blood sugar as if you are eating – well… sugar. When you eat potatoes and the starch enzymes in saliva begins to digest them, they are broken down into a form of sugar. Your body then treats them as a simple refined carbohydrate.

A Harvard study published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at foods that were responsible for weight gain and they found two culprits to be any type of potato and sugar-sweetened drinks.

So, I am sorry to say if you are trying to control your weight potatoes should be generally off your shopping list. I advise my clients to go for small, new potatoes in their skins – which release their sugars more slowly and when they are cold their GL count is even lower.

GL is the glycemic load of a food i.e. how quickly it releases as glucose in the body – sugar, white baked goods, and refined foods have a very high GL – they act very quickly to raise your blood sugar. Continually raising your blood sugar causes an overproduction of insulin which can stress your poor old pancreas which is also trying to produce digestive enzymes. High circulating insulin eventually brings about a condition called insulin resistance which certainly not desirable.

A big jacket potato has been sitting in the ground gaining size and starch – so it acts as a sugar when you eat it – although eating the skin and eating it with some additional fibre and protein, think Humus and a large salad, would slow the sugar surge down a bit. So that needs to be relegated for an occasional treat – not a staple food.

Well I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you need to think about swapping your potato fix for Sweet Potatoes which have a lower GL, as does Basmati rice, brown rice, or whole-wheat pasta.

I have a minor obsession at the moment with Jerusalem Artichokes, they have a smokey, chestnutty flavour and and are good for your digestive system. They are rich in Inulin a nutrient which acts as a ‘prebiotic’ promoting good gut flora. They also contain phosphorus, potassium, iron and vitamin C. I found a great recipe on Delia Smiths website for Carrot and J. Artichoke soup and also use them in my old standby – mashing them with potatoes, organic cream and butter (healthy quantities of course). I also made a ‘boulangere’ with them – in a shallow oven proof dish layering thinly sliced waxy potatoes, thinly sliced J. artichokes and dots of butter and garlic slices then not quite covered with chicken stock and baked for around an hour (can cover with foil if browning too quickly). So if you havent yet tried them they are still in season this month.

Jerusalem artichokes contain vitamin C, phosphorus and potassium and are a very good source of iron.

What are we doing to our health?

• In Britain we spend 90 per cent of our food budget on processed foods.
• We’re eating less home-cooked food and more convenience food.
• We’re eating more takeaways than ever before
*We skip meals or grab a sandwich on the run
Just because we all do it does not make it right! This way of eating is sadly storing up health problems for our future. Processed and convenience foods are deficient in vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients. Grabbing nutrient deficient foods and eating on the run also stresses our digestive system.
So the good news……
Think ahead and have a banana and an apple with some nuts ready for your snack or light lunch.
BANANAS – a ready wrapped meal! – and an excellent source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C, dietary fibre, manganese and potassium.
APPLES – easy to buy and carry about – many studies have shown that eating apples can help prevent many different kinds of cancer, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and weight gain!
NUTS – are a great source of essential fats, minerals and fibre and protein to slow down blood sugar surges.
These foods are tasty, healthy and cheap. I think these must be ‘convenience foods’ at their best!

It’s that festive time of year again! With all the fun and excitement of it, seeing friends and spending time with your family, eating and drinking can take it’s toll on your body. I’d like to take the opportunity this week to give you some tips on how to minimize the effect of drinking and the dreaded hangover.

Of course the best thing for your body is not to drink in excess at all. Research has shown that one glass of red wine with a meal is actually good for you… however we all know at a party it’s unlikely that we’re just going to stick to the one glass. So read on:

1. Line your stomach: eating before drinking will slow down the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. Try slow-releasing carbs or foods with natural oils. In some cultures people take a table spoon of olive oil before drinking for the same result!

2. Give your metabolism and bloodstream a break: make every other drink a soft one.

3. Dilute the bloodstream before bed: when you get home try to drink 2-3 pints of water. Don’t drink right up to the point of getting into bed.

4. Re-hydrate: drink plenty of water the next morning, and herbal teas like ginger and lemon, mint or green tea. Avoid fruit juices as the sugars they contain are proceed by the liver and actually enhance the unpleasant feeling of a hangover.

5. Have fun: if you are putting your body under stress it might as well be for a good cause, so enjoy yourself and have fun!

A Very Merry Christmas to all my clients and readers, and a Happy New Year.

Love,

Jane x

A great mid-meal snack, or a pre-exercise energy booster, the banana is a staple fruit for many of us. Containing three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

But bananas can also give us so much more! Read on to find out about the range of illnesses and ailments that bananas can fight against:

Depression

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS

Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia

High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure

This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power

200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation

High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey.. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn

Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness

Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites

Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves

Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Ulcers

The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control

Many other cultures see bananas as a ‘cooling’ fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. InThailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood Enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use

Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress

Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes

According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts

Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

We are repeatedly told that we should eat plenty of oily fish to boost our bodies intake of omega oils.

I thought I might post a few recipes in the coming weeks, tried and tested by my family. First up, an easy introduction to oily fish is salmon. This recipe pairs the omega rich protein that fish provides with the lycopene rich and delicious roasted tomatoes. An easy mid week supper. Enjoy!

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/616700

Candida is thought to be part of our commensal gut bacteria. However, when your immune system is low or compromised, Candida can change from a yeast form to a fungal form. This can become pretty invasive and bring many of symptoms of ill health with it. I have seen many Candida sufferers over the years and with a test to identify it and an anti-Candida programme you can over come this health problem. The old days of extreme anti-Candida diets have gone and although you will need to adapt your diet it is not difficult. Look at my Candida page.