http://www.mindfulnutritionandhealth.co.uk/

Mindful Nutrition and Health, Brighton and Hove (2025)

08/01/2025

It’s the start of January, we’ve over indulged during the festive period and it's detox time! ...But this doesn’t need to mean extreme diets, restrictions and juicing only - It can be about supporting our body’s natural detoxification pathways - especially our liver, our detoxing powerhouse.

The liver is such an important organ. Not only does it break down excess stress and s*x hormones to help us feel balanced, but it also works hard filtering out and neutralising toxins such as:

⚠️ Alcohol, caffeine, ni****ne, drugs, pollutants, chemicals, pesticides and many other toxic substances that come into our body.

When the liver is overloaded with toxins however, it can struggle. The hormone balancing work takes a back seat and we don’t feel our best.

So what can we do? Reduce the amount of toxins coming in and load up on liver-loving foods, such as:

🥦 Cruciferous veggies: Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and radishes.
🧄 Allium veggies: Garlic, onions and leeks.
🌿 Asparagus: Great for detoxing alcohol.
🥬 Leafy greens: Kale, rocket and watercress.
🫐 Berries: Packed with antioxidants.
🫘 Lean proteins: Eggs, lean meats, beans and dairy.
🌾 Whole grains: Oats, quinoa, brown rice, spelt, buckwheat and bulgarwheat.

✨ The compounds within these foods help with different reactions within the liver detoxification process, helping to keep pathways balanced and everything working efficiently. ✨

So don’t delay, give your liver some love today! ♥️

(..and look out for more posts from me on how we can help our bodies detox - or get in touch, I'd love to hear from you!)

Happy New Year! 🎉

#2025

08/01/2025

The concept of impermanence can bring sadness but I believe it can also bring hope.

In Buddhist philosophy, impermanence teaches us that everything in life is always changing - from the natural world around us, to our emotions and thoughts, to the very cells in our bodies and life itself.

It was during a meditation class 10 years ago on this very subject, that I had a moment of realisation that brought me hope about my own fairly-inflamed body:

"Everything changes. Over time my body CAN change! - as long as I focus on giving it beneficial things."

This perspective gave me a new shift in focus. I started to focus on the inside of my body, rather than the outside and the way I looked. This helped me move away from quick-fix fad diets that claimed I could be lighter, happier, and healthier in just a few weeks. Instead, I focused on the idea that lasting change will take some time.

Over the next few years, I became kinder to myself and began making small, intentional changes to my food, lifestyle, and environment

Here are a few that I started with:

🥦 Added in more nourishing foods rather than taking any food away and restricting myself
🥬 Made regular green smoothies (an easy way to boost veggies and nutrients)
🍪 Avoided buying the foods I felt addicted to
🥜 Found healthier alternatives to my favourite snacks
🙅🏻‍♀️ Challenged myself to go without alcohol for periods of time
🍲 Made more home-cooked food
🚴🏻‍♀️ Moved my body regularly
🧘🏻‍♀️ Continued to meditate

Each small change added on to the next. My progress was steady, and very rewarding when I reached my goals. I knew it was sustainable too because changes had been implemented gradually.

Now, as a Nutritional Therapist, I talk about the importance of making small changes slowly with my clients.

I've also continued to make new changes for myself and my family at home. It’s not always easy and there’s always more I feel we could be doing, but I stick to my gradual approach that I know will be more beneficial over time.

Every day is a new day, another chance for change - and I’m here for it. ♥️

03/12/2024

Mindfulness - an overused term? A trend? Or something very important that we as a society struggle with and need to do more of. I say the latter.

To me, mindfulness means:
✨ Taking a pause
✨ Taking time to think
✨ Taking time to notice
✨ Being aware of whats happening around you, in front of you and within you
✨ Being fully present in the moment

Take buying products as an example.
In this fast paced modern day world, we’re distracted, we’re busy, time-poor, and drawn to quick fixes and big industries know it. Whether it’s food, skincare, or household products, they design attractive packaging with catchy words that resonate with us. And in the rush, we often skip the small print. We buy it, they profit... and at what cost? Oh, only our health, slowly.

Here’s where mindfulness comes in:

❕Take a pause.
Before buying something, stop and read the back of the product. Look at the ingredients.

💭 Take time to think.
Ask yourself:
“Does this sound good for my body?”
“Is it filled with chemicals, additives, and unpronounceable ingredients?”
If you can’t pronounce it, it's highly likely it's not good for you.

💡 Become more aware.
Google the ingredients and find out for sure. Search for safer, more natural alternatives that benefit you and those around you.

✨ Be fully present.
When you find that healthier alternative, enjoy it! Take your time with it. Feel good knowing you’ve made a choice that supports your health and well-being.

This is a practice that we can bring into all aspects of our life. We’re often too rushed, too stressed, and too distracted to notice what’s happening around us and within us.

Challenge yourself: Slow down when you can, tune in, be present - Your body and mind will thank you for it.

29/11/2024

Aristotle knew where it was at.

His words have been interpreted in countless ways - around personal growth, leadership, self-reflection, and more.

Today, I’m interpreting it in a different way: understanding your body from the inside out.

Functional tests are the key to uncovering your body’s unique needs. Yes, they’re an investment - something worth saving for or asking for help with - but the results can be life-changing.

When you uncover what’s happening within you, you can make truly informed decisions about the foods you eat, the supplements you take and the steps you need for better health.

The benefits? A happier, healthier, more energetic you!

You deserve this.

When you truly know yourself, you unlock the wisdom to thrive.

29/11/2024

Why is genetic health testing a good idea?

It can be empowering to know what genes you have for health, how your body works and what it needs to thrive.

You will discover:

🌿 Exactly which nutrients, vitamins and minerals will support your body best;
🌿 Which genes, body functions and processes might need extra support;
🌿 What lifestyle habits and environment suits your body best;
🌿 Some health conditions you may be more susceptible to.

You will gain:

✨ Knowledge to make informed decisions about your food, exercise, supplements, lifestyle and environment choices;
✨ True personalised health care - because one size does not fit all;
✨ Reassurance that you know exactly what your body really needs;
✨ An increased chance of preventing future health issues.

💡A key point to remember:
Finding a genetic predisposition doesn’t mean you’re destined to face that condition. With the right nutrients, environment and lifestyle changes, you can greatly lower your risk and support your body effectively.

If you are interested in finding out more about genetic health testing and would like a chat, please get in touch: sarah@mindfulnutritionandhealth.co.uk

This post has been influenced by the work of Nordic Laboratories & Lifecode Gx - the leading experts in nutrigenomics testing & education.

29/11/2024

I first learned about epigenetics during my studies and the subject really caught my attention and gave me an excited feeling of wanting to learn more.

I had always thought that the genes we’d been given were set in stone and that there was nothing we could do about it.

However, the study of epigenetics looks at the relationship between genes and the environment, and how it can activate or deactivate (turn up or dial down) genes, via influencing the chemical modifications found on top of our DNA, resulting in altered cell functions. This is all achieved without changing the underlying DNA sequence we inherited from our parents.

So another way of explaining it is - we can’t change what we have inherited but we can change how those genes work, because our environment, diet and lifestyle influence them.

Our genes and our DNA provide the instructions and proteins required for all our processes and functions within our body.

Any genetic differences can impact how our body functions and our diet, lifestyle and environment can mean that the functions are either running optimally or struggling and need support.

I love the fact that this means we all have hope. Because of epigenetics it means that diet, lifestyle and environment factors gives us the power to influence our health outcomes through the choices we make every day.

And how we do this, is completely individual for every individual.

29/11/2024

When clients say lovely things...

“Sarah offered a thorough assessment of my over all health and lifestyle. The recommendations have made a significant difference in my absorption of nutrients which has improved my hair, skin, nails and gut health significantly. Thank you Sarah, truly life changing :)”

I absolutely love helping people feel better and hearing about all the positive changes they experience after working with me, it's such a rewarding feeling.

Thank you Jeni for this fab review xx💚

29/11/2024

SIX FEET of DNA in each of our 37 trillion cells is a lot of genetic material to make up who we are! And a lot of material that can be influenced by our actions.

Our genes provide the instructions for everything our body requires including the important processes that take place within our cells (metabolism, methylation, detoxification and inflammatory responses to name a few). These processes also require micronutrients (specific vitamins, minerals and biochemical compounds) to take place. We get these nutrients from our food, whole food and sometimes, if necessary, high-quality natural supplementation.

Our genes may also have variants on them, again affecting how our internal processes take place, so we may require more of a specific nutrient(s) or specific supplementation to ensure their smooth running.

We can’t change our genes but we can influence their expression and how they carry out processes, via many different factors with nutrition being one. So providing micronutrients to our body rather than starving it of the nutrition, is a helpful and beneficial health choice to make.

I would also say that having a DNA health test to find out if specific nutrient support is required, could just be the key to your body functions working their best.

29/11/2024

This fun fact was one of the first ones in biomedicine that got me hooked on learning about my own body. Before then I’d never really considered that all my bones, muscles and organs were numerous cells all tightly packed together, or how much work each of these microscopic cells were doing to keep me balanced and alive!

All 37 trillion of them contain a number of organelles that have individual and highly specialised functions - they are absolute powerhouses. They also have a life cycle and amazingly have the potential to rejuvenate once damaged or worn out (until we have aged).

Unfortunately our cells can get damaged, a lot, by many different factors, leading to numerous malfunctions and disruptions - thus making it super important they are provided with what they need to be strong and carry out their jobs properly and thrive throughout this cycle.

We can’t control all the damaging factors but it can be very helpful if we take hold of what we can control ie. what we eat, drink and our lifestyles - it can sometimes make all the difference.

Image by 3drenderings from Getty Images on CanvaPro.

29/11/2024

This well known saying ‘you are what you eat’ first made an impact on me back in 2004, when I found a book with this title on it in an Australian hostel. It really made me think about who I was from what I’d be eating 🤔. Roll on almost 20 years and a qualification in Nutrition under my belt, I now know it’s a little more complex than this.

Because we are all unique biochemical living organisms, we all differ in the way we digest our food, how we absorb it, how it's transported through our different systems and how it's metabolised to be used, stored and eliminated.

On top of this, there are so many different factors that can impact the effectiveness of how all of this works: How and where we eat, medical conditions, medications, previous medical intervention, our own DNA, our stomach acid levels, our age, diet, lifestyle, stress levels, our individual microbiomes, external environment, chemical toxins.. to name a few!

It's complicated, but it's fascinating 🤓💚

29/11/2024

There are SO many diets out there being marketed to the masses as a quick solution to achieve weight and energy goals, or improving overall health.

The truth is, these ‘one size fits all’ diets are not sustainable for everyone. What works for one person does not mean it's going to work for another, because we are all unique.

We all process foods differently and we all have our own preferences when it comes to food. We all have unique genes, environments (both internal and external) and biochemical processes taking place within us, working differently for everyone.

As a Nutritional Therapist, my job is to investigate your environments and assess how your body is functioning, so I can create a personalised plan based on the information I gather, and one that is aligned with your own health goals and preferences.

We can also go that one step further and look at functional tests that provide scientific and factual information about what really makes you unique - bacterial diversity, vitamin and mineral status, neurotransmitter functions, energy processes, hormone functions, potential food intolerances, inherited genes for health and much more.

29/11/2024

Happy new year! 🎉

I'm back from a social media hiatus and hoping to share some useful information this year as well as some quotes that have had an impact on me, that I hope are helpful to you too.

I'm kicking off 2023 with a well known quote from Greek physician and the 'Father of Medicine' Hippocrates (from over 2,600 years ago!)

"Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be food'

Times have changed immensely since this quote was recorded and times will continue to change, however I believe this quote will always ring true, with the right type of food.

Here are just a few ways food can start to be this medicine and help improve our health:

🔸Including more whole foods into our meal choices;
🔸Bringing variety into our diet;
🔸Incorporating medicinal plants and herbs; and
🔸Remembering to eat slowly to help the digestion process

Food can be medicine, it’s information for our body and it can be powerful.

Mindful Nutrition and Health

08/01/2025

08/01/2025

03/12/2024

29/11/2024

29/11/2024

29/11/2024

29/11/2024

29/11/2024

29/11/2024

29/11/2024

29/11/2024

29/11/2024

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category