Reut Sapir Naturopathy & Yoga

31/05/2025

May newsletter - how to eat your way to a happy gut

Welcome back to Monthly Letters, thank you for being here. As a Naturopath, I always ask clients about their digestive system as it's a good indicator of the state of their health and wellbeing. It's through the gut that we absorb nutrients, how food is broken down into nutrients and passed into the...

01/05/2025

April Newsletter - all about Magnesium and why you probably need it!

Welcome back to Monthly Letters, thank you for being here. April was packed with adventures and family time; wonderful and busy! We spent a weekend in Canton of Schwyz in central Switzerland near Lucerne. For Easter holidays we travelled on the Bernina Express and then drove down to Lugano in Canton...

27/03/2025

This month on my newsletter I'm sharing a topic close to my heart, postpartum depletion. When my second son was born, I became so depleted and exhausted it was a big wake up call. Society tells us that within 6 weeks, you're "back to normal" but the reality is, it takes more like a year or maybe five years. For me personally, it took a few years.

Postpartum depletion is characterised with nutrient depletion and a lot of the time, with the right nutrition and supplements, most of the symptoms improve just from this alone. You aren't crazy, your symptoms are very real and there are ways to support you.

My top five supplements for the postpartum period:

Omega 3 - A baby's brain grows rapidly in the third trimester of pregnancy, which heavily taxes a mother's store as maternal stores are used to enrich breastmilk if there's an insufficient intake of DHA. This can impact cognitive function, inflammation, stress regulation and reduced mental health postpartum. Quality is crucial when supplementing with Omega 3, opt for high quality oil from anchovies, salmon, sardines or cod liver oil.

Iron - 80% of women enter pregnancy with an iron deficiency. Low iron levels can lead to postpartum depression, fatigue, low milk supply and can weaken the immune system. Iron bisglyicnate or ferrous bisglycinate are the preferred forms of supplementation.

Choline - choline is required during pregnancy and during breastfeeding the need is at its highest. Mothers who are deficient in choline are shown to produce milk with low choline levels so supplementation is necessary. Preferred choice is choline bitartrate.

Magnesium glycinate - known as the mother mineral, it holds many benefits for mothers. Mg can deepen sleep, support mood and stress management, support bone density, promotes relaxation and can help relieve menstrual symptoms. Magnesium is a co factor for more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body.

Pre-natal - continue for 6-12 weeks post-birth or take consistently if you're breastfeeding.

If you'd like to hear more on how you can support your body and mind, book a free consult call via link in profile.

27/03/2025

GO BIG OR GO HOME? Not really.

It's not all or nothing. The all or nothing approach is holding a lot of us back, I see this is in my clinic working with mothers.

If I can't go to an exercise class, I'm not going to exercise at all.
If I can't cook all my meals from scratch, why bother?
I get woken up five times in the night, I might as well scroll for two hrs before?
I need my downtime (aka tv/phone time), I don't have time for self-care.
My kids need me, I'd rather just stay at home than do something for myself.

We've created these stories in our heads that are actually holding us back and aren't representative of our lives. Because if it isn't perfect, we may use it to not do anything at all. The stress of perfection quite often does more harm than a life of balance.

Start where you are. Life is messy and unexpected with kids, one that requires adjusting constantly. If you resist it, it'll persist.

Can't get to studio class? Only have 15 mins? Try at-home workouts. I love Melissa Wood Health app.

Some evenings are too busy to cook? Focus on what you can do. Takeaway pizza with a side of green broccoli salad? Maybe a quick oven-roasted fish for extra protein.

When you're constantly sleep deprived, your hormones are out of balance, you have sugar cravings, brain fog and irritability. So YES, focus on your sleep even when your baby wakes you up anyway! Go to bed EARLY, get off your phone and drink a herbal tea to calm down.

Downtime is important, but is it making you worse off long term? Instead of watching two hours of Netflix, could you spend 15 minutes preparing breakfast for the next day? Or do 20 minutes of yoga? Often, those little habits have the biggest impact on our health.

CHOOSE YOU. Don't give up on yourself. You deserve to feel amazing.

21/03/2025

March Newsletter | Postpartum Depletion

Welcome back to Monthly Letters, thank you for being here. Happy Spring! It is finally here. We've had snow, frost, sunshine and cloud all in a week, spring is definitely here. This change can make us feel more uplifted, energised and lighter. Personally for me, this is when the year really starts!....

07/02/2025

Nourish the New Mother / Do you remember what was your first meal after birth? What were you craving?

Deeply nourishing food is essential to promote healing, provide energy, replenish nutrients, support milk production and balance hormones.

Postpartum food should be warm, soft, hydrating and easily digestible. Think soups, stews and healing broths. It is advised to stay warm and stay away from cold foods as to not slow down digestion and circulation. Use warming spices such as ginger and cinnamon and eat cooked vegetables and fruit compotes.

I highly encourage you to not restrict yourself postpartum and count calories, but instead to follow your hunger cues and listen to your body's needs. Focus on quality macronutrients -

Protein: helps repair and rebuild tissue and muscle. Quality protein such as meat, chicken, fish, tofu, eggs and legumes.

Carbohydrates: energy rich and promotes milk supply. Complex carbs such as root vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

Fats: balance hormones, enrich breastmilk, provides satiety and stabilises blood sugar. Healthy fats such as butter, nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut oil, salmon.

Mothers needs the energy and strength to care for themselves while caring for their baby. Prioritising your nourishment in essential in the early days and planning ahead can help with this; meal train, stocking the freezer and preparing healthy snacks on hand. My work with mothers is supporting them on how to nourish themselves, so they can thrive in motherhood, not survive it. Motherhood is awesome! But you need to nourish yourself. If this resonates with you, my postpartum programme is now 20% off, you can book a free consult via link in bio.

04/02/2025

Pregnancy nutrition can be so overwhelming, so much so that it can be easier to just ignore it! But nourishing yourself during pregnancy will set you up for a healthy pregnancy, postpartum and of course your baby's health.

My goal is to empower you, to trust your body and your intuition. To focus on what to eat so you can best nourish you and your baby, less on what to restrict and not to eat (of course this is important, but shouldn't be the sole focus).

Here are guidelines I believe are sustainable and simple to implement:

1 - Eat whole foods - cook at home as much as possible and stay away from processed foods. Fresh foods contain an abundance of available nutrients and are full of life force.

2 - Eat the rainbow - eat vegetables and fruits of all colours and textures. These contain fiber, nutrients and antioxidants that will feed your gut, your immune system and reduce inflammation.

3 - Healthy fats - fats are incredibly beneficial for our health and the baby's health. In the third trimester there's an increased need for Vitamin D and K2, fat-soluble vitamins that require fats for optimal absorption. Fats are also essential for energy, satiety and hormone building. Think avocado, nuts, seeds, butter, salmon.

5 - Quality protein - THE macronutrient through pregnancy and beyond; it's the building block to your baby, it is satiating and reduces cravings, as well as containing amino acids and micronutrients (if you're choosing animal protein).

6 - Hydration - drinking 8-10 cups of water helps to build your increasing blood volume and create amniotic fluid. It's also great for energy, metabolism, focus and regulating blood pressure.

If you're pregnant or planning to be, I hope this helps in empowering you to nourish yourself. If you're experiencing pregnancy symptoms, don't know what to eat or where to start, I'd love to support you. I'm offering 20% off all my programmes for the next month. Book a free call via link in bio.

29/01/2025

January Newsletter | How to Break the Fast

Happy New Year! Welcome back to Monthly Letters, thank you for being here. As we settle into the new year, you might feel ready and have the capacity to focus on your own health. Perhaps you're craving more energy, you want to address chronic health challenges, or needing guidance on how to best nou...

15/01/2025

One of the three maternal toxins are OVERWHELM. If you're a mother and you feel too overwhelmed to take care of your health, it isn't only because you don't have time, it's most likely because you need to take care of yourself.

So many mothers feel overwhelmed from the endless to do list and simply exhausted from the mental load.

Due to this overwhelm, mothers often put themselves last, because it's yet another thing to think about. The irony is, that to reduce that overwhelm, we simply MUST take care of ourselves. Feeling overwhelmed is a symptom of high stress, of being in a chronic stress response.

One unit of stress in postpartum has a bigger effect on the nervous system, BUT one unit of relaxation has MORE effect. As mothers, we must learn how to tune into a relaxed state, how to become more resilient and have the tools to bounce back from stress.

For our bodies to be able to bounce back into a para-sympathetic it needs sufficient nutrients, balanced hormones, supportive relationships and quality sleep.

When working with mothers, these are the essential nutrients that we need:

OMEGA 3 - fish, chia, h**p, walnuts, supplements I love Bare Biology or Nordic Naturals

MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE - THE mineral for every mother, to improve sleep and reduce stress and anxiety.

B VITAMINS (including folate, b12 and choline) - essential for cognitive function and energy. Found in whole grains, legumes, leafy greens, salmon, eggs, organ meats

IRON - most mothers are deficient in iron and supplementation is often needed. Found in red meat, spinach, quinoa, legumes, organ meats.

If you're feeling all this, I feel you so deeply. As a mother to two boys, I've felt so overwhelmed, especially after my second son was born. Motherhood is stressful, but it's also joyful, and we can find a way to be more relaxed than stressed. Start with these nutrients, through food and supplements, and see how you feel. I'm now offering 20% off on my bespoke postpartum programme, book your free call via link in profile for a personalised plan.

21/12/2024

December Newsletter | How to feel GOOD this Christmas and starting the year strong! Share with those you love.

Happy December! Welcome back to Monthly Letters, thank you for being here. Everyone is deep in holiday mode by now with parties and dinners and managing our kids' social events! It's fun and brings a nice change to the regular evening bedtimes. It can also feel overwhelming and stressful, especially...

29/11/2024

Sleep deprivation is a real struggle for mothers, losing 700 hours of sleep during the first year. SEVEN HUNDRED. That's 29 days! And let's be honest, it carries on beyond the first year, and then you have another baby, and it starts all over again...

We can complain all we want and say how horrible it is (go ahead, complain away), but let's look at what we CAN do to support ourselves during it. So we don't get sick every month or lose our s**t with our kids and partner.

SUN EXPOSURE - To rebalance the circadian rhythm, expose yourself to direct sunlight upon waking and at sunset. This signals your brain to stimulate hormones that will support your sleep and energy levels. AVOID AT ALL COSTS scrolling before bed and in the morning.

COFFEE AFTER BREAKFAST - ideally, I would avoid stimulants all together but I realise this can be worse than sleep deprivation for some (haha). If you do choose coffee, always after a protein and fats rich breakfast like eggs with avocado on toast or high fat yogurt with seeds and nuts. Try switching to matcha, contains les caffeine and more soothing on the nervous system.

EARLY BEDTIME - known as the reverse lay in. GO TO BED EARLY. Hours of sleep before midnight are more restorative.

HERBAL MEDICINE - consult with a practitioner and use herbal medicine to reduce stress and promote sleep such as herbal teas (lemon balm, passion flower, chamomile) and adaptogens (shatavari, ashwaganda and maca).

NUTRIENT DENSE FOODS - sleep is when the body repairs and restores and it needs the building blocks to achieve restful sleep. B Vitamins, essential fatty acids like DHA and EPA, minerals and protein are crucial.

BALANCED MEALS - keeping blood sugar stable and avoiding sugar crashes will greatly improve energy levels and quality of sleep. Achieve that by building your plate with quality protein (like eggs and fish), healthy fats (like avocado and nuts) and complex carbohydrates (like root veg and whole grains).

MOVEMENT - keeping active and spending time outdoors is key for your mental health, sun exposure, energy and overall wellbeing. This can be a 30 mins walk, a 15mins yoga or pilates class or a dance session with your kids. Whatever you can get in, it's better than nothing at all.

26/11/2024

November Newsletter | Holiday Gift Guide

Hello and welcome back to Monthly Letters, thank you for being here. We're approaching holiday season and there's lots of excitement (and maybe stress and overwhelm), shopping, chocolate and parties! This month I'm sharing my holiday gift guide focused on wellbeing and health. I'm offering a special...