Make your daily cuppa green

Green tea contains a little bit of caffeine and this stimulant activity can help burn more calories. It also contains flavenoid antioxidants which can help boost metabolism. You can find green tea supplements as well as normal tea bags in your local supermarket.

Spice up your diet

By eating spicy food, you can have a great taste minus the guilt. The capsaicin present in peppers and other hot spices revs up your body’s metabolic rate burning more calories. So try adding some Tabasco sauce to your dishes for a calorie burning kick.

Vitamin C rich foods

Foods rich in vitamin C such as limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruit and vegetables like, broccoli, cabbage, celery, watermelon can act as fat burners. Vitamin C dilutes fat in the body rendering it less effective and easier to be flushed out of the system.

Fibre makes you feel fuller

Fibre makes you feel fuller and will help you stop over eating. It also absorbs bad cholesterol in your body and helps to flush it out of your system. Try multicoloured fruits and vegetables with their skins and wholegrains like oats, rye and spelt.

More protein and a little less carb

Your body needs protein to support muscle muscle mass which helps you burn fat Stick with quality proteins like lean meats, fish, poultry and whey and stay away from fatty meats like pork and processed meat products.

5-6 mini meals a day

Don’t ever let yourself go hungry! Instead of 3 meals a day, go for 5-6 smaller meals to keep your metabolism geared up to burn fat and your blood sugar balanced. This will ensure your don’t get those uncontrollable cravings.

Extra tips

The focus should be on eating the right kind of foods in the right proportions and burning calories through movement and exercise. This combination will get you fat burning faster.

Swine flu fears have fuelled a demand for immunity boosting products in many countries, and it is likely we could see ingredients like various antioxidants, beta-glucans and botanicals such as elderberry marketed on this premise in 2010.

Even though companies cannot talk about the flu virus when talking about their ingredients or products, the current global fear over the swine flu pandemic will boost interest in all ingredients and products touting immune-support properties. But if you are into good old fashioned nutrition then just eat onions,  garlic and shitake mushrooms for their immunity supporting benefits.

Natural sweeteners – stevia, agave, maple syrup

Stevia from South America is a zero calorie natural sweetener not yet licensed in the UK but on trial in France. It can currently be used for medicinal use in the UK. European wide approval is on the horizon.

Stevia tastes up to 300 times sweeter than sugar without providing calories and as an alternative to sugar it could help with weight management. We will also see an increasing demand for other alternative sweeteners extracted from sources such as apple, agave and maple syrup. These natural, healthier sweeteners will become much more mainstream as sugar alternatives.

Food simplicity – “back to basics”

The downturn is making people nostalgic for simpler times, and simpler foods. In 2010 we will see more food simplicity driven by the demand for natural and clean-label foods.

Consumers are reaching out for cleaner foods free from chemicals and unnatural ingredients. They want to know what’s in their food and they want cleaner food labels:  no artificial food colorings (some of which have been linked to hyperactivity in children), no chemical additives (such as MSG) and no chemical preservatives (such as BHA).  If they can’t pronounce it, consumers won’t want it.

Eco nutrition and conscious nutrition

As we approach 2010 another big trend to watch out for is `eco nutrition’. Health conscious consumers will continue to grow in numbers but will increasingly question the link between food, diet and the environment and combine their passion for food and nutrition with conscious consumerism. They will not only regularly seek out nutritious food as part of their daily buying behaviours, but these products mustn’t exploit the environment or the communities from which they came.  

For example a consumer may be searching for high a quality organic dark chocolate because of the touted health benefits, however their purchasing decision will also be influenced by how and where the cocoa in the chocolate was sourced i.e. its provenance, how the workers were treated, whether those farming communities benefited if at all and how much C02 was produced.  The food industry will continue to step up in this respect by using more responsibly sourced ingredients from communities which are treated responsibly and by reducing carbon emissions etc. We will see conscious consumerism for healthy, sustainable food products becoming an increasingly mainstream behaviour.

Ancient grains – modern market rediscoveries make a comeback

We will see more ancient grains like amaranth, buckwheat, spelt, quinoa, chia, and rye in 2010. Whole grains have received so much attention in the nutrition world for their heart-healthy benefits and this popularity is opening up doors to lesser known ancient grains which have been around for much longer but people forgot them.

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The use of less processed ancient grains addresses the concern that today’s foods are over processed and consumers do want fresh, natural unprocessed foods. Ancient grains also provide a great alternative to the growing numbers of consumers who are wheat intolerant.

• Amaranth -  has a malty taste and can be popped like corn. The pre-Colombian Indians believed it had supernatural powers. Its certainly very nutritious.
• Chia – high in protein and fibre, the Aztecs called it “running food” and used it for nourishment on long trecks .  Mila, the best of chia will be launched into the UK in 2010          
• Buckwheat -  an excellent alternative to rice or porridge, and its flour has a mild flavour good for buckwheat pancakes
• Spelt – a nutty flavour and dates back before even wheat. It can be used in many of the same ways as wheat, it has a broader spectrum of nutrients and it is a great substitute
• Rye - a rich flavour and a favourite for making bread. Rich in manganese, fibre, selenium, tryptophan, phosphorus, magnesium and protein
• Quinoa – a Peruvian grain once considered the “gold of the Incas” because its high protein content which gave warriors stamina

Healthy indulgence – raw chocolate

Raw chocolate is one of the world’s fastest growing health foods and provides a concentrated source of antioxidants. We will see more raw chocolate products hitting the shelves in 2010 as consumers indulge themselves with cheap, healthy treats they can afford in order to keep their spirits high. Raw chocolate is a health food and a great alternative to cheap, mass produced, low cocoa content chocolate. It’s full of magnesium which is nature’s tranquiliser. 

Local butchers make a comeback

The re-emergence of the local butcher will be another major trend in 2010 for the high street as well as within supermarkets.  This is because shoppers are more conscious about where their meat comes from and are choosier about selecting the best, healthiest, leanest cuts and have it ground on demand.  The popularity of the local butcher is also fuelled by our desire to supporting local enterprises vs. supermarket giants.

Dora Walsh

Head Nutritionist

www.nutriheal.net

Chocolate sales have soared during the recession as we turn to cheap treats for comfort  throughout  the storm. Kraft is trying to buy Cadbury, some say for its wide product range and healthy profits margins.  Cadbury have successfully relaunched Wispa and nostalgia advertising lulls us  back  to  happier times – providing a sense of security and attachment to the past. Consumers are reaching  out for the familiar to enhance that  human need for security and stability whilst the recession bottoms out.

Our favourite, trusty chocolate bars might make us feel secure in troubled times, but its the biochemical kick  that chocolate gives which alters our mood and plays with our brain receptors and pleasure centres. In Portrait in Sepia, Isabelle Allende’s flamboyant character Paulina del Valle invests in sugar and dramatically enlarges her fortune by being savvy about the craving for sweetness during  hard times. Today confectioners rub their hands as robust chocolate sales boost their balance sheets.

Chocolate exploration

That deep desire for familiarity hasn’t killed the need for adventure or exploration into various continents to stimulate new chocolate innovation.  We are seeing the re-emergence of premium chocolate products from around the world, especially south America. And Like coffee, chocolate from each geographical region has different qualities - chocolate conosiers can tell them apart.

Japan is the  consistent front runner in chocolate innovation, creating some of  the most exciting inventions of our time.  Japanese chocolate not only tastes good, but  some of the products create additional biochemical changes in the body.  Japanese confectioner Esaki Glic developed an anti stress, mental balance chocolate  fortified with  inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma aminio butyric acid  and scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety.  Studies have shown chocolate to be a mood enhancing food, but with additional nutritional ingredients, the Japanese have created a double punch.

Is chocolate healthy?

Can chocolate ever be healthy?  Nutritionists say yes when it’s consumed in its healthiest form. Chocolate can be one of the most highly nutritious foods with multiple health benefits. Research has even shown it has biochemical effects similar to aspirin in reducing platelet stickiness and it therefore plays a role in heart health. However, the term  ”healthy chocolate” remains a misnomer until confectioners decide to stop adding sugar, e numbers and artificial ingredients. Unlikely. Chocaholics become addicted to particular products and confectioners create  highly addictive formulations -  a heady mix of taste, sweetness  and fat  – yielding a consistency that keep’s us coming back for more.

Raw, sexy chocolate

Raw chocolate provides a healthy alternative to cheap, mass produced, low cocoa content chocolate , and is one of the world’s fastest growing health foods and provides unadultarated naked goodness.

The main ingredient in chocolate is cocoa (a fruit) and one of the healthiest fruits commonly eaten by us. Raw cocoa has the highest antioxidant value of all the natural foods in the world. Food scientists discovered that cacoa powder has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine, and up to three times the antioxidants found in green tea.  Recent research  has shown a link between cocoa and cardiovascular health, with reduced risk of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks.

Waking up to the benefits of chocolate

Today there’s an increasing demand from healthy savvy consumers for chocolate in its most natural, unrefined and non-processed state (raw) state. Consumers want health and you can’t get healthier than raw, unprocessed chocolate. Consequently, we are seeing a slew of new raw chocolate products and recipes hitting the market and this trend is set to get bigger and bigger.

Raw chocolate is the healthiest way to eat chocolate because its production preserves the intrinsic goodness of the cacao – which is highly nutritious and rich in essential vitamins and minerals including the mineral magnesium (known to nutritionists as nature’s tranquiliser). It’s thought that many chocaholics are actually deficient in magnesium, which is probably why they are craving chocolate.

Raw and unprocessed cacao beans or cacao powder made from raw beans which have not been heated or treated with alkalis are true “healthy chocolate”. This kind of chocolate contains the most flavanols and are the healthiest chocolate products. Chocolate consumed in this way can serve us well as a health food and has a whole host of benefits, especially for heart health, blood pressure, cholesterol lowering, mood enhancement etc.

So yes,when eaten in the right way ( i.e raw), chocolate can be healthy so enjoy it  in moderation.

Dora Walsh

Founder and Head Nutritionist

www.nutriheal.net

Before you go to bed, take a tub of plain, live sugar free yoghurt and mix it with orange juice to form a shake. Throw in handful of porridge oats, linseeds, a couple of chopped prunes, sunflower seeds and a couple of chopped apricots. Leave in the fridge to ferment overnight, and eat it in the morning on its own or with some fresh fruit or berries.

You can experiment with using other juices or water, seeds and nuts. The oats, linseeds and nuts will provide you with vitamin B essential for the nervous system and mood; omega 3 fats which are important of brain and hormonal function, as well as vitamin E and the mineral Zinc – two key antioxidants which work together.

Enjoy!

Dora Walsh

Head Nutritionist and Founder

www.nutriheal.net

Chocolate sales have soared during the recession as we turn to cheap treats for comfort  throughout  the storm. Kraft is trying to buy Cadbury, some say for its wide product range and healthy profits margins.  Cadbury have successfully relaunched Wispa and nostalgia advertising lulls us  back  to  happier times – providing a sense of security and attachment to the past. Consumers are reaching  out for the familiar to enhance that  human need for security and stability whilst the recession bottoms out.

Our favourite, trusty chocolate bars might make us feel secure in troubled times, but its the biochemical kick  that chocolate gives which alters our mood and plays with our brain receptors and pleasure centres. In Portrait in Sepia, Isabelle Allende’s flamboyant character Paulina del Valle invests in sugar and dramatically enlarges her fortune by being savvy about the craving for sweetness during  hard times. Today confectioners rub their hands as robust chocolate sales boost their balance sheets.

Chocolate exploration

That deep desire for familiarity hasn’t killed the need for adventure or exploration into various continents to stimulate new chocolate innovation.  We are seeing the re-emergence of premium chocolate products from around the world, especially south America. Like coffee, chocolate from each geographical region has different qualities and chocolate conosiers can tell them apart.

Japan is the  consistent front runner in chocolate innovation, creating some of  the most exciting inventions of our time.  Japanese chocolate not only tastes good, but  some of the products create additional biochemical changes in the body.  Japanese confectioner Esaki Glic developed an anti stress, mental balance chocolate  fortified with  inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma aminio butyric acid  and scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety.  Studies have shown chocolate to be a mood enhancing food, but with additional nutritional ingredients, the Japanese have created a double punch. Sly….

Is chocolate healthy?

Can chocolate ever be healthy?  Nutritionists say yes when it’s consumed in its healthiest form. Chocolate can be one of the most highly nutritious foods with multiple health benefits. Research has even shown it has biochemical effects similar to aspirin in reducing platelet stickiness and it therefore plays a role in heart health. However, the term  ”healthy chocolate” remains a misnomer until confectioners decide to stop adding sugar, e numbers and artificial ingredients. Unlikely. Chocaholics become addicted to particular products and confectioners create  highly addictive formulations -  a heady mix of taste, sweetness  and fat  – yielding and consistency that keep’s us coming back for more.

Raw, sexy chocolate

Raw chocolate provides a healthy alternative to cheap, mass produced, low cocoa content chocolate , and is one of the world’s fastest growing health foods and provides unadultarated naked goodness.

The main ingredient in chocolate is cocoa (a fruit) and one of the healthiest fruits commonly eaten by us. Raw cocoa has the highest antioxidant value of all the natural foods in the world. Food scientists discovered that cacoa powder has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine, and up to three times the antioxidants found in green tea.  Recent research  has shown a link between cocoa and cardiovascular health, with reduced risk of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks.

Waking up to the benefits of chocolate

Today there’s an increasing demand from healthy savvy consumers for chocolate in its most natural, unrefined and non-processed state (raw) state. Consumers want health and you can’t get healthier than raw, unprocessed chocolate. Consequently, we are seeing a slew of new raw chocolate products and recipes hitting the market and this trend is set to get bigger and bigger.

Raw chocolate is the healthiest way to eat chocolate because its production preserves the intrinsic goodness of the cacao – which is highly nutritious and rich in essential vitamins and minerals including the mineral magnesium (known to nutritionists as nature’s tranquiliser). It’s thought that many chocaholics are actually deficient in magnesium, which is probably why they are craving chocolate.

Raw and unprocessed cacao beans or cacao powder made from raw beans which have not been heated or treated with alkalis are true “healthy chocolate”. This kind of chocolate contains the most flavanols and are the healthiest chocolate products. Chocolate consumed in this way can serve us well as a health food and has a whole host of benefits, especially for heart health, blood pressure, cholesterol lowering, mood enhancement etc.

So yes,when eaten in the right way ( i.e raw), chocolate can be healthy so enjoy it  in moderation.

www.nutriheal.net

Super normal foods 

The food I talked about is readily available  in the supermarket and we all know and  recognise it,  but what’s really interesting  is what  most people don’t know about it in terms of:

 1) Nutrient content and inherent health benefits

 2) How to incorporate it into delicious, healthy recipes

 3) Its  impact on the environment

Tiny fish - big benefits

Sardines, you may laugh, but I can’t get enough of them. They’re my favourite fish because they’re small, highly nutritious, cheap, cheerful and beauty and brain enhancing as well as being easy to prepare and surprisingly toxin free.

Whether you eat them fresh or canned, sardines are an exceptionally rich source of B vitamins which help us  balance our mood and stress response. Bony sardines also contain calcium and vitamin D, key nutrients essential for the health of our bones. You see, many people buy calcium supplements for bone health, but if only they ate bony sardines a few times a week, they would be increasing their calcium intake from natural foods sources which is way better.

Sardines are also full of Zinc and Selenium, two antioxidant minerals which  are vitally important for the immune system and keeping those nasties away – especially important now with the swine flu outbreak.

Healthy, toxin free, sustainable fish choices

You may ask why I’m touting fish to be  the next big thing in health and nutrition, and it’s true that  most of us already consider  fish to be healthy option. Nothing  new there.  However, within that category most people don’t truly know that much about the healthiest fish choices or even consider the wider impact their choice of  fish has on the environment.

There’s a whole new fish revolution in the US called the Sardinista movement and it’s all about promoting sardines as a sustainable and healthier fish choice to rival others. Sardines don’t accumulate such high levels of mercury or toxins in the same way larger carnivorous fish such as tuna, swordfish or salmon do. They appear  low down the food chain, are not overfished,  feed primarily on vegetation and are therefore less exposed to toxins. So just remember, the smaller the fish, the better it is and in this instance small fry is definitely a good thing

All of these factors, i.e. good levels of nutrients, high levels of protein and omega-3s, and relatively low toxin levels make sardines an excellent choice for  heath aware consumers and the increasingly eco conscious.

Satiate the senses and satisfy your inner activist

I talked about the sardine movement in the US and that trend will translate onto our shores with high-end chefs rediscovering the pleasure of fresh sardines and increasingly including them on their menus. Those who prefer home cooked food can serve them with ginger, garlic and ponzu sauce or pan-roast them with fennel for a delicious treat.

Whilst on a budget at university I devised my own dish nick named sardine bolognese. Despite such culinary naivety,  I quickly realised that  tinned sardines in tomato made a rich sauce with  fried onions, garlic, and basil,  and added to fresh tagliatele ,  they made a tantalising treat. Suffice to say, I became very popular and realised that  men do adore a girl who can cook…

Today I’m a Harley Street nutritionist, food analyst and bona fide foodie, but I’m still passionate about these cheap treats  and I recommend them to taste seekers, the  health conscious, eco guilty and budget aware . They will feed your desire for taste and health, satisfy your senses and satiate your inner activist. Go sardine.

Dora Walsh

www.nutriheal.net

You may find the word ‘fat’ politically incorrect, but most of us know why we got fat. Yes, I’m a Nutritional Therapist and I’m using the word “fat” because it’s not cool and it’s not healthy, yet we continue to get fatter.

But what if your weight gain isn’t down to a greedy streak, laziness or lack of exercise?  Then it’s time to discover what’s holding you back. You might have the best diet in the world or your own personal nutritionist, but many people follow healthy diets and continue to be overweight. It’s not a good feeling when healthy eating works for everyone else, but not for you.

There are 10 unknown factors making you fat

The most effective and overlooked path to success is to go back to basics and ask yourself why you got fat in the first place? If it’s not obvious then you will never be slim. The old adage of calories in vs. calories out holds true, but if this isn’t working you need to rule out the 10 most common contributing factors.

1)     You are programming yourself to be fat

Do you really believe you can lose weight and keep it off? If you don’t believe in yourself, then it’s unlikely you will ever have the determination and resolve to lose that fat forever.

The body and mind are so closely connected that placebo pills work because we believe them to be real. If you took a placebo fat loss pill, it’s likely you would lose weight by believing in it. So why not make your life easy? Start believing in yourself and your ability to make changes.

By really putting your mind to something, you can change the outcome and steer yourself to success, and where the mind goes, the body will follow.

2.     Stress is a fat maker too

Do you have a muffin top?  It’s because stress makes your body store fat around the middle. During difficult times stress hormones stimulate your appetite to replace the fuel your body has burned.  Eating sugary foods prompts more cortisol production, making your store more fat than needed, usually in the abdominal area. If stress is constant, then the cycle goes on indefinitely.

Avoid stress, excessive alcohol, cigarette smoking, and caffeine because they all increase your cortisol levels, thus starting the stress fat cycle. High cortisol levels will also disturb you sleep and mood which will cause further weight gain.

3.    Food intolerance and allergies will keep you fat

Have you ever binged yet felt hungrier than before? Do you crave a particular food not feeling satisfied until you get it? Then you may be suffering from food intolerances

Allergenic foods can act like drugs and nine times out of ten the foods you crave are making you fat by inflaming your tissues and causing you swell.  The top offenders include: milk, eggs, wheat, yeast, tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts), fish (such as bass, cod, flounder) and shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp).

Compulsive eaters crave and continue to eat the foods to which they are addicted day after day with no idea that these cravings are based on a need to stop withdrawal symptoms caused by food addiction.  Just removing an offending food often results in a rapid water loss of five to ten pounds within a week.

4.     Are you waterlogged?

Do you gain weight from morning till night or wake in the morning with lines all over your arms and legs from the sheets touching them?  Maybe your shoes feel tight towards the end of the day or your fingers are so swollen that rings no longer fit. Can poke your skin and find it dents easily?  Guess what? Fat doesn’t dent so easily, so what is it?

Water retention can be caused by excessive salt in the diet, nutritional deficiencies, intolerances, hot weather, burns/sunburn, pre-menstrual syndrome, the contraceptive pill, pregnancy, menopause and drug side effects.  Sometimes fluid retention may be caused by a serious underlying medical condition and you should always speak to your doctor if it’s an ongoing problem.

Fresh parsley is a natural diuretic and most salad vegetables also exert a gentle diuretic action, celery in particular. Follow a low salt diet, drink eight glasses of water daily, cut out junk, excessive alcohol, caffeine and eat a balanced diet of healthy complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and multicoloured fruits and vegetables. And get checked for food intolerances.

5.     Sleepless nights will cause weight gain

A sleepless night is often followed by uncontrollable hunger pangs because lack of sleep affects the hormones responsible for hunger and satiety (fullness).

The hormone leptin is produced in the fat cells and is involved in regulating your body weight by telling your brain you are full. Ghrelin is the hormone that stimulates your appetite. But, sleeplessness causes Ghrelin to rise and Leptin to drop making you feel hungrier and unsatisfied after eating. If these hormones are out of balance you could find yourself overeating and gaining weight.

 By getting sufficient sleep you may not feel as hungry, and once you have caught up on your sleep you won’t crave sweet foods and high carbohydrate snacks just to keep you going.

6.     Constipation makes you heavier

You should pass between 1- 3 well formed bowel movements a day. But, if you don’t experience a daily bowel movement then you are probably constipated which can make you gain weight and cause bloating.

In fact, more of your body weight could be caused by compacted faecal matter than you think. Compacted faecal matter could make up anywhere from five to twenty pounds depending on your age and diet.

Keep your colon clean by drinking plenty of water and eating lots of raw fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  Drinking hot water and lemon in the morning will also to help get your system going.

 7.     Blood sugar imbalances and uncontrollable eating

Do you find it hard to control your cravings and find yourself binging uncontrollably?  When blood sugar levels are balanced you will be more successful in controlling your weight and  stop cravings.

Sugar is everywhere! And you need to know where so you can learn to avoid it. Start by limiting your sugar intake, and not just the sugar from cakes, biscuits and chocolate!

Refined carbohydrates including white bread, rice and pasta are high in fast releasing sugars  which cause a rush of energy followed by a steep fall and uncontrollable cravings. Alcohol has the same effect. Replace refined carbohydrates with slow releasing whole grains like rolled oats, rye, brown rice and wholegrain bread.

Combine lean protein and complex carbohydrates in your main meals to make you feel fuller for longer.  This combination slows down digestion and the release of sugars into your blood stream

Fiber also balances blood sugar so increase your intake from healthy cereals,  flaxseed and fenugreek seed and cinnamon, garlic, onion, bitter melon are good to reduce blood glucose levels further

Exercise also plays a very important role and you should try to exercise three times weekly.

 8.     Hormonal imbalances pack on the pounds

Overeating and lack of activity are not the only culprits for weight gain. You may have an underactive thyroid gland or adrenal burn out.

Insufficient thyroid hormones can cause weight gain, apathy, tiredness, depression, poor concentration, dry skin and constipation. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland fails to produce sufficient amounts of the thyroid hormones which help regulate the body’s metabolism.

Both nutritional and mainstream approaches can help to support your thyroid gland and normalise weight. A nutritionist will recommend zinc, B vitamins, omega 3 and 6, iodine and the amino acid tyrosine – the essential nutrients required by the body to manufacture thyroid hormones. A doctor will prescribe thyroid hormones. Both approaches work, but one approach provides the natural ingredients your body needs to manufacture its own hormones, whilst the other approach simply gives the body the hormones it’s lacking.

9.    Why poor digestion could be making you fatter

Improper digestion is the cause of many weight problems, and it’s difficult to lose weight if you have poor digestive capabilities. You are not what you eat, you are what you can digest and absorb. So with poor nutrient absorption your body screams for simple sugars just to get its glucose levels up.

The simplest way to support digestion is by chewing your food properly and eating less to enable your digestive juices to work more effectively. Eat when you are hungry and your digestive capacity will improve since your stomach is physically ready to receive food. And only drink liquids within 20 minutes of food to avoid diluting your digestive secretions further.

Digestive bitters are popular in Austria and Germany because they stimulate digestion. Yet our obsession with sweet foods means we have largely ignored the bitter taste in recent years and forgotten its benefits. Try adding bitter foods 20-30 minutes prior your main meal, a rocket salad, radicchio, chicory or some dandelion leaves.          

Taking sufficient fibre from fruits, vegetables and whole grains improves transit time throughout the digestive tract and you should also nurture your gut flora with unsweetened probiotic yogurt.

10.   Is your medication making you fat?

It’s a bitter pill to swallow but there are fifty or so medications on the market which could be making you fat. Luckily in almost every case your doctor will be able to switch you to another medication which will not cause weight gain.

Various prescription drugs used to treat mood, seizures, migraines, diabetes and high blood pressure can cause weight gain. Some steroids, hormone replacement therapy, and oral contraceptives can also cause unwanted pounds to creep up. However sometimes weight gain can’t be attributed to the drug itself and in various cases when an antidepressant makes people feel better, they restore their appetite and eat more.

Stopping prescribed medication on your own can have very serious consequences and must be done very carefully alongside your medical practitioner.

Source: http://www.virginmedia.com/homefamily/health/why-did-i-get-fat.php

So your office is stuffy and hot, and your daily commute bombards you with germs, plus there’s the swine flu scare to think about, so no wonder you may be looking and feeling less than beautiful and a little apprehensive when your fellow passengers start coughing.

The natural solution offers a tasty solution to beef up your immunity, helping you protect yourself from any incoming predators whilst revitalising your skin, hair and nails so you feel and look good from the inside out.

This immunity boosting beauty diet will provide you with the nutrients to replenish and build your immunity whilst also fighting ageing. It involves loading your diet with the most potent super foods to support your bodily systems.

The foods listed in the diet will dramatically improve your appearance providing an immunity boosting beauty fest to get you through the crisis. Healthy food has never looked or felt so good.

Immunity boosters and beauty enhancers

Vitamin A and beta carotene

Sources: watercress, apricot, papaya, pumpkin and pumpkin seeds, sweet potatoes, carrots, yams, cantaloupes, green leafy vegetables.

A deficiency of vitamin A can cause dry skin and hair as well as frequent colds. It’s a key antioxidant vitamin  involved in protecting cells against disease and a well known wrinkle eliminator added to many beauty preparations  and applied topically in the form of tretinoin (the active ingedient in Retin-A and Renova). 

Getting vitamin A from foods will improve your skin and can actively prevent some skin disorders such as acne. This wonder vitamin is a free radical scavenger and its antioxidant action will improve your immunity due to its important role in maintaining the integrity of the inner and outer skin and the way it enhances natural killer (NK) cell activity, those cells that play an important role in controlling infection.

Vitamin C  

Sources: parsley, black currents, broccoli, cabbage, kiwi fruits, mango, sweet peppers, asparagus, avocado, green vegetables, apples.

vitamin C is one of the most well known immunity boosters, but many are ignorant of its importance in skin health and collagen production.

Deficiency signs include low resistance to infection, poor skin healing, easy bruising and tooth loss. Vitamin C is water soluble so it’s important to include vitamin C rich food in your diet every day because most of the vitamin C consumed in our diets is lost in urine.
Vitamin E

Sources: sardines, sunflower seeds, avocado, oats, brown rice, dark green leafy vegetables, sesame seeds.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant vitamin necessary for skin repair and healing. Its healing action can reduce acne scarring and nourish the hair, it can retard ageing and may prevent age spots. Thus far vitamin E has been shown to protect against approximately eighty diseases, so its role in immunity is extremely important as well as it role as a beautifier for your skin.
Zinc

Sources: peas, turnips, legumes, kelp, lean red meat, fish, poultry, and lamb (once a week ok).

A deficiency of zinc can cause the fingernails to become thin, peel and develop white spots. This essential mineral is important in preventing acne and regulating the activity of oil glands. It’s required for collagen production and promotes a healthy immune system and wound healing.

Beauty, immunity and the stress connection

Stress has a huge impact on the immune system and your looks, so be sure to include stress busting techniques to help relax your body and ensure you get enough restorative sleep.

The stress busting foods below will provide you with the nutrients to support your nervous system whilst beautifying your skin and boosting immunity from within.

Vitamin B complex

Sources: whole grains i.e. brown rice, oats cakes, rye bread, spelt bread, red meat (1-2 times week), eggs, lentils, asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, and green vegetables.

A deficiency of B complex vitamins can lead to greasy skin, dandruff, scaly lips, poor hair growth, grey hair, lack of energy and nervousness. The B vitamins help to maintain healthy skin tone and are helpful in relieving anxiety and stress.

Since the immune system is highly sensitive to stress, consuming foods rich in the B vitamins will support both immunity and the nervous system and provide you with the energy to face life’s challenges and the serenity to have a deep and restorative beauty sleep.

The vitamin B complex comprises the essential B vitamins – vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folic acid, B12, plus the vitamins Biotin, Choline and Inositol.
Magnesium

Sources: raw almonds, seeds, all green vegetables, lentils, kidney beans, whole grains such as oats and rye and spelt.

Have you ever wondered why Dead Sea products are so popular in skin preparations? It’s because their main ingredient is magnesium an essential mineral to all living cells.

When areas particularly around the eyes and face are treated with magnesium, studies show that many people see a significant reduction in fine lines and wrinkles. The presence of this element enhances the natural hydration of the skin and encourages the production of collagen already present in your skin cells, and many can also see a significant reduction in the depth of wrinkling.

Various bodily functions require magnesium to work properly. Bone strength, nerve integrity, muscle contraction, heart function, and peak immunity are all dependent on magnesium.
Health and beauty go together

All the nutrients mentioned in this diet work together synergistically and therefore it’s entirely important to consume a varied and multi coloured diet. Consider your food choices to be an investment in your looks and long term health.

By following the diet for just one month you will begin to see a difference in your skin, and an uplift in your energy levels. Your resistance to infection will improve and you will sail through the following months looking hydrated, rejuvenated and hopefully with a distinct lack of sniffles, so here’s to health and beauty because they both go together.

Dora Walsh, Founder and Head Nutritionist, www.nutriheal.net