Nutrinika, Eastbourne (2025)

17/11/2025

Warm bowl for the nerves
When my system runs hot, I make this one bowl, and the evening stops shouting. For two servings, I soften a small onion in a teaspoon of olive oil, add one carrot and one celery stick diced, 200 g of squash in small cubes, a grated teaspoon of fresh ginger and a small garlic clove. I pour in 600 ml of good stock, simmer 12 minutes until the veg are tender, then fold in 200 g cooked chickpeas and a squeeze of lemon. I season lightly with sea salt and black pepper, finish with a tablespoon of chopped parsley and a teaspoon of pumpkin seeds per bowl. If you want it sturdier, add 100 g cooked barley or buckwheat. It is warm, protein-forward, fibre-rich and low in quick sugars, which means calmer chemistry and an easier night. I usually sip lemon balm or linden on the side and keep the lights low after 20. Consistency beats cleverness here.

13/11/2025

World Diabetes Day (tomorrow) is a good excuse to do something that actually helps. This week, I’m sending a short newsletter with a 7-day swap plan: one small change per day that lowers evening spikes, supports sleep and keeps cravings quieter by Sunday. Inside, you’ll find the practical list, an Evening Checklist with simple herbal options and timing, and a quick recipe that is protein-forward and low on quick sugars.
If you want the guide, go to nutrinika.co.uk and subscribe.

12/11/2025

Sugar swaps that don’t taste like punishment?
Start by changing the signal, not the sermon. If you want something sweet, use whole fruit where the fibre slows the hit and you get flavour for free. Greek yoghurt with mashed ripe banana or blitzed berries beats “diet” dessert because your brain recognises real food. Spices do half the work: cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla make things taste sweeter without adding sugar. Cocoa powder plus a splash of milk reads as chocolate to your senses even when the sugar is missing. For drinks, go tart before sweet. A squeeze of lemon or a slice of orange in fizzy water resets your palate faster than another “zero” can. If you bake, try half-and-half swaps first, cut sugar by a third, add grated apple or pear for moisture and aroma, and let salt and acidity do their job to sharpen flavour. If you need a proper sweetener, stevia or monk fruit in tiny amounts are fine for many people, xylitol can work in baking, but keep it away from dogs, and “natural syrups” are still sugar with better PR. The goal is not a perfect halo. It is fewer spikes, better sleep and a calmer snack drive tomorrow afternoon.

12/11/2025

I test things so you don’t have to sit through the woo.
Sound therapy with bowls and gongs turned out to be less incense and more physiology. You lie down, close your eyes and let low vibrations travel through the body. The nervous system gets the memo to stand down, breath slows, muscles unclench, and the brain shifts toward calmer waves. A good session lasts 45 to 60 minutes, you drink water before and after, and you leave feeling like someone ironed your thoughts.
I use it for stress spikes and busy-brain evenings, and it often helps me fall asleep that night. It is not magic, and it does not replace medical care, but for anxiety, mild low mood, tension headaches, or the “I forgot how to exhale” problem, it is surprisingly practical.
If you try it, look for a certified practitioner, clear any health concerns with your clinician and treat it like training for the parasympathetic system, not a miracle.

11/11/2025

Here is my Remembrance Day post, rooted in honest food and real history. British soldiers ate what kept them going rather than what sounded poetic. In the trenches and later in field kitchens the staples were tinned corned beef known as bully beef, hard army biscuits or bread when supply allowed, strong tea with condensed milk and sugar, jam (often plum or apple), cheese, porridge oats, bacon or stew when fresh meat appeared, and later the composite rations with tins of meat and veg stew, biscuits, margarine, jam, cocoa, sweets and a little salt. Fresh potatoes and root veg showed up when logistics were kind, and there was the small rum ration that most people now remember more than the biscuits.
I am marking today with a quiet plate that nods to that history without the excess sugar. A simple beef and root vegetable stew with barley, cabbage and carrots, a slice of bread, and a strong tea with milk. Food as medicine is also food as memory, and tonight I will eat with gratitude for those who served and for the civilians who held home together.

10/11/2025

Immunity notices what happens after meals. Big sugar at night means a quick rise in arousal chemistry, delayed sleep signals and slower first responders. Try this for two evenings: move sweets to lunch, keep dinner savoury and early, pair carbs with protein and fibre, no sweet drinks after 15:00. Next day, check three things quietly: mid-morning energy, late-afternoon snack drive, any scratchy throat after busy places. If those improve, you’ve lowered spikes and made your defences more reliable. If you want a straightforward preventive plan tailored to you, message me to book a starter consultation this week.

07/11/2025

WITNESS STATEMENT!
Two weeks ago, on 25 October, I slipped getting off a sauna bench and my knee ballooned. A friend remembered her mother-in-law grows comfrey and uses it. First, I got a comfrey liniment to rub in, then the whole fresh root. She grated it, wrapped the paste in cling foil, and I wore the poultice overnight. In the morning, the swelling was clearly down. Twelve days later, the hospital doctor was surprised by how fast it had settled.
Reality check: comfrey will not repair a partially torn ligament, but it does help with swelling, minor sprains, bruises, muscle aches and irritated soft tissue, and it can take the edge off pain. Poultices and topicals like creams or ointments also help with overuse soreness, mild tendon or joint irritation and post-exercise stiffness. Use it sensibly: apply only to intact skin, for short periods, for up to 1 to 2 weeks.
Do not take it by mouth. Avoid if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, if you have liver disease, if you drink heavily, or if you are using it on children. Stop if the skin reacts. Used when needed and not all the time, it’s a solid old remedy that can make a dramatic difference to a grumpy knee.

06/11/2025

Lemon balm, passionflower, linden: clear dosing, real results
We’re aiming for calm, not sedation. Use dried herb, weigh it, steep it, keep the routine simple.
Lemon balm leaf (Melissa officinalis): 1.5–3 g per 250 ml, covered for 10 minutes.
Passionflower aerial parts (Passiflora incarnata): 2–4 g per 250 ml, 10 minutes.
Linden blossoms with bracts (Tilia spp.): 1–2 g per 250 ml, 10 minutes.
Start with one cup after dinner. If needed, add one more cup about an hour before bed. That’s plenty. More tea doesn’t equal more sleep.
Professional but friendly safety note: don’t stack strong herbal sedatives with sleeping pills or heavy alcohol; avoid in pregnancy or breastfeeding unless your clinician agrees; be cautious with thyroid medication around lemon balm. If you feel groggy in the morning, move the last cup earlier or reduce the dose.
Full routine and context: https://nutrinika.co.uk/insomnia-relief-with-herbs-and-a-simple-evening-routine/

04/11/2025

A sugar hit is chemistry, not character. Glucose rises fast, noradrenaline and cortisol follow, heart and breathing speed up, and the brain reads “stay alert.” Melatonin production gets pushed later that night, so sleep quality drops, and the next day cravings climb.
On the immune side, the “first responders” slow down, neutrophils move and engulf pathogens less efficiently, macrophages tidy up more slowly, and the system wastes time. High glucose also competes with vitamin C for entry into cells, which means less antioxidant support exactly where it is needed. Add one more piece, glycation, sugar attaching to proteins, including antibodies and receptors, and the result is stickier blood, more inflammation and less precision.
None of this needs drama. Keep dinner earlier and lighter, skip sweet drinks after the afternoon, pair carbs with protein and fibre, dim lights, phone out of the bedroom, warm herbal mug in hand. Make spikes rare and your sleep, mood, and immunity become reliably boring in the best way.

02/11/2025

When emotions keep you awake, your brain is running on stress chemistry. Cortisol stays high, melatonin stays low, and the body picks vigilance over rest. You do not need perfect rituals. You need repeatable ones that nudge GABA, the main calming pathway.
Try a warm mug with lemon balm and linden. Lemon balm can ease busy thoughts and stomach tension. Linden supports gentle relaxation and steadier heart rate. Add passion flower for extra GABA support.
If you want something less known in the UK, consider magnolia bark in low dose in the evening. It contains honokiol and magnolol that interact with GABA receptors. Another traditional option is ziziphus seed from Asian medicine, used for light sleep and early waking. Skullcap is a Western herb that reduces mental overdrive without fog.
Practical setup tonight. Lighter dinner without sugar (!). Lights low after 20. Phone sleeps outside the bedroom. Slow breathing 4-7-8 for two to three rounds. If you wake in the night, do not scroll. Sit up, sip your herb, breathe, lie back down. Consistency rewires the signal that it is safe to sleep.

31/10/2025

Halloween month wrap. Remedy Kitchen in 3 lessons and 3 recipes.

Top lessons
1. Plants are pharmacy, not garnish. Fibre and polyphenols first. Hit 25–35 g protein per meal so the whole plate works.
2. Timing beats perfection. Coffee before noon. Dinner = protein plus slow carbs for steadier sleep. Electrolytes from food help on sweaty days.
3. Local first. Day-boat fish marked “caught locally,” farm shops for greens and live yoghurt. Fresher food, fewer miles, stronger community.

Recipes you asked for most
• Creamy garlic-leek soup with the 10-minute garlic rest for allicin.
• Autumn tray bake: cod with pumpkin and red lentils, lemon and herbs.
• Three anti-inflammatory spreads: salmon lemon-dill, curried egg with turmeric, white bean with rosemary.

What next?
Newsletter starts next week. One email, one protocol, one shopping list.
Free 15-minute consult if symptoms are running the show. We pick one change and make it doable.

DM me “NEWSLETTER” for the sign-up link or “CALL” for the consult slot. If you want the “3 Healing Soups” PDF, say “SOUPS” in a message.

29/10/2025

Feed The Birds Day. Seeds help us, too.
Birds get it. Good fats live in seeds. Here’s how humans can use them without turning breakfast into a parrot feeder.
Flaxseed
• What it brings: ALA omega-3, fibre, lignans.
• How to use: grind fresh. Whole seeds pass straight through.
• Daily target: 1 tbsp ground flax. Stir into yoghurt or kefir, sprinkle on soup after serving, add to buckwheat pancakes.
• Why it helps: feeds gut microbes, supports regularity, and has gentle phytoestrogens for midlife.
Sunflower seeds
• What they bring: vitamin E, magnesium, plant protein. Mostly omega-6.
• How to use: 1–2 tbsp on salads or roast veg, parsley-sunflower pesto with lemon, quick trail mix with pumpkin seeds.
• Tip: toast lightly in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes. Store in a jar, cool and dark.
Balance and safety
Keep portions small, pair sunflower seeds with omega-3 foods like tinned mackerel. If you have nut or seed allergies, skip. Freshness matters; rancid seeds are not medicine.
If you want a one-page seed cheat sheet with gram amounts and three mini recipes, message me.

Nutrinika

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