Belfast Lifestyle Medicine

04/12/2023

Are you an expert in and ? Interested in a freelance short-term project? If so, please get in touch to hear about our exciting digital venture.
An interest in is a bonus!

31/03/2023

Spare a minute and have a quick read below.....👇
If you think you fit the bill please get in touch for more info!

05/10/2021

Are you interested?

22/03/2021

Do you have problems with your gut? Have you been told you have (or think you might have) irritable bowel syndrome? We would be really grateful if you could take our short research survey. It will take less than two minutes and will hopefully help shape future services. Thank you!

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

17/03/2021

20/01/2021

It finally arrived...I’m legit!

31/12/2020

Congratulations to us! 🥳🥳
We have now both got our qualification in Lifestyle Medicine, having attained certification from the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine 2020 🤓
Some good things have come from this year....

18/06/2020

Finally.....Vit d getting the recognition it deserves 🌞

Emerging evidence studied to see if ‘sunshine nutrient’ could lower Covid-19 risk

01/05/2020

Throwback Friday

Here are my girls before lockdown preparing rainbow coloured fruits and vegetables which are great for the immune system.

🦠When our body is faced with an intruder such as a virus we want a harmonised immune system response which is prompt and effective but does not go into overdrive.

🥗Why are plant foods good for the immune system?

🥙Fruits and vegetables contain fibre which feeds our good gut bacteria. These bacteria help modulate our immune system to respond in an appropriate way.
The greater our variety of plant foods, the more diverse our gut bacteria and this is key to overall good health.

🍇Plant foods contain phytonutrients (plant chemicals), some of which also help modulate our immune system to respond in the correct way. These include quercetin (apples and onions), resveratrol (grapes) and curcumin (turmeric).

🥦Fruit and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals which are critical for a healthy functioning immune system such as vitamin C (peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits); zinc (nuts, legumes), selenium (brazil nuts, spinach).

🥕Vit C, along with Vit E (nuts, avocados) and beta carotene (carrots, sweet potato) also act as antioxidants which help protect cells from damage.

Take home facts:

🌈Add rainbow coloured plant foods to your diet– aim for at least 8 servings a day!! YES 8!!
🧄Use herbs and spices such as turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, oregano and garlic
🍠Eat foods which improve good bacteria such as keffir, sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables
🍭Avoid sugar, processed foods and foods high in saturated fats

20/04/2020

Wonderful Sleep 😴👊💪❤️

This week we are considering how we can optimise our immune systems, using evidence based lifestyle measures.
The wonder of sleep is often overlooked, and now more than ever we should be raising its profile.

Long term poor sleep is proven to have many negative associations:
👉reduced daytime activity
👉mood disturbance and irritability
👉memory impairment and slowed thinking
👉headaches
👉anxiety

It affects metabolism:
👉increases leptin levels (appetite control hormone) which increases food seeking behaviours
👉increases our core body temperature
👉increases insulin resistance, leading to associations with type 2 diabetes
👉increases nighttime cortisol levels

*But did you know poor sleep also leads to immune system suppression??*

😷Pathways associated with the immune response become slowed after sleep deprivation.
😷This association is played out in studies that have looked at our response to being vaccinated - the level of antibodies created to a vaccine are improved in people with healthy sleep and reduced in those with poor sleep!
😷Chronic short sleep has been shown to be associated with increased susceptibility to the common cold.
💪💪💪Healthy sleep improves the ability of some immune cells to attach to their targets

How much sleep do we need? 🕢

No test exists to look at how much each individual needs, but 7-8 hours is thought to be optimal.

So...what can we do to get better sleep?

If you feel you have significant problems with sleep, a detailed assessment and individual management plan would provide the best results.

But there are several things that we can all do to improve our sleep quality, our ability to get to sleep and our sleep duration;

👉Establish a routine, have a regular sleep time and wake time and try not to deviate from this by any more than one hour
👉Try to reduce stress levels at nightime - gentle music, meditation, mindfulness.
👉Don’t look at blue light (screens!!) at least one hour before bed.
👉Caffeinated drinks - limit to 2-3 during day and eliminate completely in the evening. Try herbal teas
👉Warm your extremities at nighttime - healthy sleep needs a cooler core temperature and cosy peripheral temperature
👉Ensure adequate fluid intake, especially late afternoon, as this helps with blood flow to your extremities
👉Increase daytime exposure to sunlight, especially late afternoon and evening ☀️☀️☀️
👉Increase physical activity
👉Try not to drink alcohol at least 3 hours before bed

As I am writing this, I am all too aware how difficult many of these things are in the midst of this pandemic 🤓
Of course, most of us are taking in more stressful news than normal, looking more frequently at phones and gadgets, getting out less and drinking more alcohol than normal!!

But if we know the things that help at least we can make adjustments in the right direction as best we can. 🙏💪👊

So for now, stay safe, social distance, follow public health guidance, keep our NHS going!
And try and get yourself a good nights sleep 😴😴😴😴.
Your immune system will thank you ❤️😷

18/04/2020

So folks, it has been over a month since our last post!
Like a lot of medics we have been busy getting to grips with COVID 19 in our NHS practice.
We are so proud of everyone in Northern Ireland for their adherence to the Public Health measures.
These are ultimately the most important factors in reducing the spread of the virus, protecting the NHS and saving lives!
We are overwhelmed with gratitude in your support of the NHS and the kindness we have seen every day within our community.
Over the next week we want to concentrate on evidence-based lifestyle measures to optimise your immune system.
We will look at the role of:
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Exercise
- Stress
And nutrients and supplements such as:
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C
- Zinc
- Curcumin
- Quercetin

Hope you can join us!