Karina Paskin Clinical Nutrition

15/12/2020

24/05/2020

Online nutrition consults now available
https://karinapaskin.carrd.co/

Whether isolation over the past few months gave you the time to perfect your home workout regime, or it just gave you the opportunity to watch 'Tiger King' on Netflix more than once...

I know it's been difficult for us to juggle new working arrangements, distance education, social distancing all topped with the mental strain of a once in 100 year event. Honestly it's ok if you've not found the time and energy to start working on improving what you eat and focussing on your long term health and wellbeing. This year has been HARD.

I'm here to make at least one part of this year easier. Think of me as your nutrition concierge.

27/04/2020

Pre & Probiotics
Our microbiome, the collection of naturally occurring organisms that live on and in our body, functions as part of our immune system helping to protect our body from infection. Probiotics are a useful way to support your microbiome which also supports your gut health.�Foods rich in probiotics are often called ‘functional foods’ as the benefits go beyond the vitamins and minerals found in the food. These foods include, but are not limited to; sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, kombucha, yogurt, kefir, tempeh and miso.
Another great way to support your microbiome is to eat plenty of fibre. Fibre is not only great for keeping your bowels regular, fibre also provides food to your microbiome. Fibre rich foods are also referred to as prebiotic foods for this reason. These foods include, but are not limited to; dark leafy green vegetables, avocado, seeds such as chia or sunflower, seaweed, oats, buckwheat, lentils and beans.�.�One of my favourite recipes for a probiotic and prebiotic dish is Wakame Avocado Salad, this recipe has been getting a lot of use at my house as the dressing is always a crowd favourite with its blend of sweet and salty and works as a side salad for almost any meal.
Base of the salad;
½ avocado, sliced
3 cups roughly chopped lettuce of your choice
2 teaspoons wakame rehydrated in cold water
For the dressing, stir till smooth;
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp white miso paste
½ tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
To serve;
½ teaspoon ground roasted sesame
Arrange all base salad ingredients on a large plate, dress with miso dressing and top with ground sesame!
Serves 1

16/04/2020

VITAMIN D
As we all spend more time indoors due to social isolation or the coming of winter and the chill in the air it brings, our Vitamin D levels will begin to deplete. During periods of illness our vitamin D levels can deplete more rapidly as it is utilised by our immune system.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Vitamin D assists with calcium absorption, helping maintain healthy bones and provide enough calcium in our blood to help our blood vessels and muscles function properly.
Vitamin D also play a major role in immune cell development.
WHERE DO WE GET IT?
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning we can build up a store of vitamin D to use when we aren’t getting enough from our diet or able to produce our own through sun exposure. Around 15mins of direct sun exposure on average per day is usually enough for adequate levels of vitamin D to be maintained.
Dietary sources of Vitamin D (from highest to lowest) include:
Cod liver oil, trout, salmon, UV grown mushrooms, milk, sardines, fortified milk and cereal products, egg, beef liver, tuna, cheese, regular mushrooms, chicken breast, ground beef.
WHO IS AT RISK OF LOW VITAMIN D?
-Breastfeeding women and infants; the vitamin D stores of the mother have to be shared between her and the growing infant.
-Older adults; older skin is less able to make vitamin D, older people are more likely to spend time indoors
-People with limited sun exposure; those who spend a lot of time indoors, wear covering clothing often or those who avoid the sun
-People with darker skin; the increase in melanin (the cells that give skin it’s colour) can reduce the skins ability to make vitamin D
-People with fat absorption issues such as IBD or coeliac disease; as vitamin D is fat soluble, those with reduced fat absorption have a reduced ability to absorb dietary fat
-Australians; we have very strong sun-safe messaging due to the hole in the ozone layer above Australia that increases the UV radiation exposure.
-People with type 1 skin (light hair and eyes) as they burn in the sun very quickly due to the lack of melanin in their skin.
Vitamin D levels can be tested as part of a routine blood test.

09/04/2020

As the spread of COVID19 continues I am pleased to be able to offer COVID19 PCR testing. If you are concerned, but do not meet current testing requirements, this test is now available to you�.�.�Please message me if you have any questions or concerns�Online bookings now open for regular consults and COVID19 testing�.�.�Link to bookings in bio

29/03/2020

Why am I making fabric masks?
First of all to stop the use of disposable masks that need to be kept for our hospitals and front line healthcare workers.
Fabric masks is an accessible protection measure we can take to reduce our exposure to pathogens when we have to break isolation. Remember to still follow health advice in addition.
This design was developed by the to help assist with the lack of masks they are experiencing.

23/03/2020

WHO NEEDS VITAMIN C?
We all require Vitamin C at every stage of life, it’s not just for sailors who need to ward off scurvy!
HOW DOES IT HELP MY IMMUNITY?
• Is required for defence against oxidative stress
• Most abundant antioxidant in the body
• Protects immune cells from oxidative stress
• High doses can be used to increase immune cell function
WHAT FOODS HAVE VITAMIN C?
• Citrus fruit such as oranges and lemons
• Blackcurrants, guava, paw paw, strawberries
• Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage
• Parsely, sweet potato, tomatoes
Heat destroys Vitamin C, so it’s important to eat some uncooked sources of Vitamin C to ensure maximum levels of Vitamin C.
HOW MUCH VITAMIN C DO I NEED?
The National Health and Research Council per day recommends:
Infants: 400 mg
Children: 650-1200 mg
Adults:1800 mg
Pregnancy/Lactation: 1800 mg

22/03/2020

“It works” - Dr Jen Gunter

Dr Gunter practiced social distancing for 18 months when her triplets were born prematurely, here are her tips:
• Stay at home as much as possible
• If you leave the house, keep a distance of 1.8m between you and other people
• Strict hand hygiene, anyone entering the house has to immediately go to the bathroom to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds
• No child visits her immunocompromised children
• No shaking hands, just smiles and nods
• Remember: even young and healthy people can die from this virus

You can read more about Dr Jen Gunter here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/parenting/social-distancing-coronavirus.html

My tips
• Wear a fabric mask. They may not be as effective as a N95 or medical mask (90-95% reduction), but they do offer a level of protection (50% reduction). Making and wearing fabric masks when you must leave the house also ensures supply of disposable masks for doctors and nurses who need them to save lives.
• Plan for how you would care for a sick family member; which room could they be isolated in? Which bathroom will they use? How can you ensure they don’t share belongings with other family members?
• Refrain from large family gatherings. If you and your extended family become ill all at the same time, this reduces their and your ability to care for yourself and others. Create ‘cells’ of family members where possible to limit exposure risks.
• Remember: this virus has asymptomatic transmission and can be passed along by someone who feels perfectly healthy

21/03/2020

Making my favorite pickle recipe to keep my fresh veg around just a bit longer!
You can use pretty much any veg for this recipe but I’ve stuck with Daikon, Carrot, Cauliflower, Cucumber and Red Radish.
I love having pickles around as they make for a great quick and easy vegie option for dinner, tasty topper for salads or even just a quick snack. Thanks to for Goong Goongs pickles! (In Five days when they reached peak deliciousness)

19/03/2020

WHO NEEDS ZINC?
We all require zinc at varying levels throughout our lifespan. Diet, lifestyle and individual factors all influence the amount of zinc we need. It is estimated that 47% of the population is zinc deficient.

HOW DOES IT HELP MY IMMUNITY?
• Is required for defence against oxidative stress
• Regulates gene expression
• Improves Natural Killer cell function
• Increases T cell numbers
In a nutshell zinc is needed for your body to produce enough immune cells and for those immune cells to function effectively.

WHAT FOODS HAVE ZINC?
Zinc is more abundant in animal sources such as oysters, seafood, meat, organ meat, eggs and milk. Zinc is found in smaller amounts in plant sources and are harder for the body to absorb. If you are following a plant based diet or have existing health issues your zinc requirements maybe higher.

HOW MUCH ZINC DO I NEED?
The National Health and Research Council recommends:
Infants: 3-6 mg
Children: 4.5-18 mg
Adults:12-16 mg
Pregnancy/Lactation: 16-22 mg

These Recommended Daily Intake values are based on a mixed diet of plants and animals.

DOI 10.3390/nu12010236
ISBN 978-1-875239-54-2

18/03/2020

I’ll me making a series of posts over the next few days/weeks on evidence based diet and lifestyle approaches to boosting your natural immunity.
My goal is to give you practical and easily implemented advice.
currently has no vaccine, we need to all do our part to whilst being