Category: Nutrition

Beat the Bloat Part 4: The Gut Microbiome

Posted on By JoanF
bacteria icon

It’s been a while since the last instalment in my series on bloating, mainly due to COVID-19 coming into the world and turning all our lives upside down. So before I set that right, let’s recap on what I’ve covered so far.

  • In Part 1, we looked at the ways in which you eat your food can make a difference, and that slowing down and eating mindfully can make a difference
  • Part 2 was all about lifestyle factors such as sleep and exercise that can contribute to or reduce bloating
  • In Part 3 we finally got around to food, discussing particular foods that commonly trigger bloating in susceptible people, and foods that tend to be calming

Before going on, it’s important to reiterate that persistent bloating that is not typical for you can be a symptom of ovarian cancer.… Read the rest

Beat the Bloat Part 3: Food

Posted on By JoanF

So far in this series on bloating, we’ve talked about the ways in which how you eat and your lifestyle can affect whether or not you bloat. I deliberately dealt with these before getting to the subject of today’s post which is what foods may be causing you to bloat. This is because some foods which commonly cause bloating in susceptible people are otherwise very nutritious, and it’s never a good idea to remove healthy foods from your diet without good reason, so I do like to consider other factors first.… Read the rest

Beat the Bloat Part 1: How you Eat

Posted on By JoanF

Most of us have experienced bloating at some time in our lives. Some of us endure it most days. If this is you, you probably know the feeling all too well – you wake up in the morning feeling slim, but as the day goes on you feel more and more uncomfortable. It’s not uncommon for women to report thinking that they look 6 months pregnant by bedtime!… Read the rest

Stress – What’s Nutrition Got To Do With It?

Posted on By JoanF
Stress

What do you think of when you hear the word “stress”? I guess that many of us first think of how we might respond to the many demands and pressures of modern life. Our 21st century world often seems full of deadlines, targets, comparisons, pressure to be “on call” all the time and unrealistic expectations to be able to achieve in all areas of life.… Read the rest

An Insight into Functional Testing

Posted on By JoanF
testing

As part of my work, I often use testing to investigate the root causes of clients’ symptoms. Many people are surprised at the wide range of tests that nutritional therapists have access to, and are interested in how testing could benefit them, so in this article I explain why testing might be useful, some of the tests that are available, and why testing isn’t always necessary.… Read the rest

Why it Pays to Look After Your Liver

Posted on By JoanF

Your amazing liver

How often do you think about your liver? As with most hidden parts of our body, we often don’t think about it much until something goes wrong with it. Yet your liver is truly remarkable. Here are some facts about this amazing organ:

  • It is the heaviest organ in the body
  • The only organ larger is the skin
  • The liver uses 27% of the energy of the body at rest
  • It filters 1.4 litres of blood every minute
  • All nutrients that are absorbed in the digestive system are first transported in the blood to the liver, so that any toxins can be filtered out before the blood gets into general circulation

The liver is a very busy organ indeed – it is estimated that it carries out over 500 functions!… Read the rest

Hay Fever

Posted on By JoanF
hay fever

It’s almost Easter, and spring is on its way! While many of us welcome the longer, warmer days, there are some for whom spring and early summer just bring a new set of health problems. For those who suffer from hay fever, symptoms may start as early as February/March (tree pollen). The grass pollen season is at its height between May and July.… Read the rest

Detox: fad or necessity?

Posted on By JoanF
juice fast

At this time of year, the media is often full of articles urging us to embark on a detox to cleanse us of the excesses of the Christmas season. By contrast, a common response to this is to assert that the body has perfectly good systems of detoxification in place – the liver and the kidneys – and that we do not need to do anything to further promote detoxification.… Read the rest