Nutri Upgrade

10/11/2024

Hello, 38! 🌷🥳 I laugh now at my younger self, thinking 30 was old. 😅🫣 Being in your 30s—or even 40s—is such a vibrant, fun time, with the added edge of wisdom and emotional maturity that your 20s just can’t match. 😉😉😉

I know I’ve been quiet on here, caught up in studies, but I’m hoping to share more whenever I get some breaks. 🤞🏼

Reflecting on my life currently, the one thing I lack is balance of work, studies, being a mum and fun. Getting swamped by workload is easy but I do realise I can't run like this long term. Hoping this year I will figure out how to introduce some fun and play into my life. If you have any suggestions, books, podcasts, articles, personal advice, please please please comment or DM me! 🙏🏼 ❤️ This is one of of those biggest challenges I have that I can't crack on my own.

19/09/2024

Soaking up these few last days before I begin my part time postgraduate studies at the University of Aberdeen in the field of Clinical Nutrition. 🙌🏼☀️☕ Being a student again at the age of 37 with 2 small children (4 and 6) feels a bit surreal and is ambitious, but I am immensely excited about the courses that are starting on this upcoming Monday: Human Nutrition and Metabolism and Assessment of Nutritional Health. These are major interests of mine and I have been continuously researching these throughout the last 12 years on my own. Nutrition and metabolism is far beyond "calories in, calories out" and I saw it prove itself many times in practice when my clients burnt fat without being able to workout post surgery or in a very busy time of their life, we didn't even count the calories. I witnessed things like PMS dissappear, and insulin resistance reverse. So much that's I want to share here, but I'll save the rest for later 😄
Send your goods wishes to this working student mama! 🫶🏼 ❤️❤️❤️

06/09/2024

ARE YOU TAKING MAGNESIUM + B6?

📌 Here's what you need to know.
While Magnesium + B6 supplements are widely praised by bloggers, endorsed by influencers, and recommended by health practitioners for stress management and nervous system support, there are serious concerns about their effectiveness and significant health risks.

👉 THE FORM OF MAGNESIUM
First off, many supplements contain forms like oxide, lactate, or hydroxide with very low bioavailability. For example, magnesium oxide, absorbed at only about 4%, is cheap but ineffective against deficiency, leading many to discontinue its use, believing magnesium isn’t beneficial.

Moreover, magnesium oxide and hydroxide act as antacids, reducing stomach acid necessary for digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune function. Magnesium oxide can also increase bone fracture risk, and magnesium lactate may irritate kidneys.

👉 SYNTHETIC VITAMIN B6
Vitamin B6 is often in the form of pyridoxine hydrochloride (pyridoxine HCL), synthesized from formaldehyde (used in embalming) and petroleum ester. Conversion to the active form, pyridoxal-phosphate (PLP), requires zinc, often deficient in modern diets, rendering B6 supplementation ineffective.

👉 HEALTH RISKS
Studies show high doses of synthetic B6 (pyridoxine HCl) can inhibit natural vitamin B6 functions, causing deficiency symptoms despite supplementation.
Secondly, high doses of synthetic B6 are linked to neurotoxicity and neuropathy, unlike food-derived PLP.

🚨 Additionally, high doses of synthetic B6 may pose risks of neurotoxicity and neuropathy, raising safety concerns for long-term or high-dosage use.

👉 UNNECESSARY INGREDIENTS
Many magnesium + B6 supplements also contain undesirable ingredients like sugar, glucose maltodextrin (higher glucose-raising potential than sugar), maltitol (also raises blood glucose), corn starch, lactose, etc.

💡 So, What Should You Do?
Opt for supplements with healthier forms of magnesium like citrate or glycinate and natural forms of B6 like PLP or P5P. We can also obtain vitamin B6 from healthy foods and nutritional yeast.

🙏 Share this post with a friend who is taking Mg + B6 supplements!

29/08/2024

Stop Stress Eating with These 10 Proven Techniques! 🌱💪

Struggling with stress eating? You're not alone. Stress can sabotage our eating habits and overall health, but with the right techniques, you can combat its effects effectively and stop stress eating by addressing to underlying problem.

Here are 10 science-backed strategies to manage stress and curb stress eating:

🚶‍♂️ Movement: Engage in physical activities like squats, push-ups, or a brisk walk to lower cortisol levels. Regular exercise mitigates stress response too. Remember: The state of "fight or flight" was designed to be responded to with physical movement, so do anything to get active.

Shaking the limbs vigorously after you have experienced intense emotions is also a great quick fix.

🌿 Get Outside: Exposure to green spaces has been shown to reduce cortisol levels, enhance mood, and lower stress. Even a brief walk to work can make a difference. Getting away from the place where the stress originated is also a tactic that can relax your mind and lower the intensity of emotions.

🧘 Breathing Exercises: Techniques like the 4-7-8 method or square breathing can quickly calm your body. These exercises activate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, slowing your heart rate and lowering blood pressure, thus telling your body that all is ok and it stops producing more cortisol.

🥦 Don't Feed the Monster: By resisting the urge to indulge in high-sugar and ultra-processed foods, you help mitigate cortisol production. These foods can exacerbate cortisol release and leave you less equipped to handle stress, while healthy options provide essential nutrients that fortify your body's stress response and nervous system.

🚫 Avoid Alcohol and Stimulants: Alcohol and stimulants like coffee, tea, chocolate, ni****ne or coke can increase cortisol and exacerbate stress responses. Opt for water or herbal teas instead.

😴 Quality Sleep: Consistent, restorative sleep supports brain health and mood, lowers cortisol, and normalizes blood glucose levels, which helps reduce cravings. Prioritise sleep to recover and restore the nervous system and avoid exposure to blue light in the hours leading up to bedtime. Avoiding alcohol and minimising consumption of stimulants greatly help to improve sleep.

❤️ Oxytocin Boost: Interactions and hugs with loved ones, friends or pets can increase oxytocin, the "love" or "bonding" hormone which counters cortisol and enhances relaxation. Even small talk which is positive and enjoyable with a fellow mum at the school your kids go to or a friendly shop assistant will trigger oxytocin release. Call a friend and hug your kids!

😂 Laughter: A good laugh can significantly lower cortisol levels and relax the body, providing virtually immediate stress relief. Opt for a comedy show instead of a thriller at the end of a stressful day!

🎯 Healthy Dopamine Triggers: Engage in activities that naturally boost dopamine in a healthy way, such as achieving goals, ticking items from your to-do list, listening to music you enjoy, working out, getting exposure to sunlight, getting a massage, or enjoying hobbies. These actions bring your body back to pre-stress balance.

Remember, small daily actions can significantly impact managing stress and preventing stress eating.

🎧 For full unabridged conversation, more information, tips, science facts and examples of how to implement these techniques into your life even if you are very busy, tune in to my podcast episode (available on all popular podcast listening platforms):

👉🏽Show title: Nutri Upgrade
Episodes:
📌"Part 1 of 2: How to Stop Stress Eating with Effective Stress-Reduction Techniques"
📌 "Part 2 of 2: How to Stop Stress Eating with Effective Stress-Reduction Techniques"
📌 You might also be interested in this one "Why Stress Triggers Cravings and Increases Your Appetite"

You're welcome! xx

What's your favourite technique to beat stress? Share your thoughts in the comments or tag a friend who might find these tips helpful! 👇🏽

12/05/2024

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Sending you warm hug and a reminder that you're no less than superhumans 🥰🌷❤️
I often hear girls saying that they fear motherhood will worsen their health regiment, however in my personal experience it only made me more accountable and disciplined.
If you’re a mom reading to this, go on and share in the comments what motherhood made you do that improved your health? Maybelline you gave up ultra processed foods, stopped by informing sweets, gave up smoking or alcohol?
Let's share and cheer each other up! 👇🏼🔥

eating healthy

03/05/2024

4 Reasons To Start Your Meal With Vegetables:

1. They Supply Enzymes, Stimulate Bile and Digestive Enzymes

Vegetables, especially raw ones, contain natural enzymes, which are substances that help break down foods into smaller particles so that our bodies can utilise these nutrients.

Vegetables also stimulate the release of digestive enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the gallbladder, which are essential for breaking down the foods that follow.

When food is properly digested, it prevents digestive discomfort and enables the body to effectively absorb nutrients and repair tissues.

2. Help Increase Stomach Acid

Vegetables naturally help increase the production of stomach acid which is essential for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients like protein, iron, zinc, and B12.

Low stomach acid is much more common and is confused with high stomach acid and eating plenty of vegetables can significantly improve the issue over time.

*If you experience bloating, burping, belching, or have a heavy feeling after eating meat, or, contrary to what might be expected, indigestion and heartburn, there is a high chance that you may have low stomach acid. Chronic infections and low iron, as well as other nutrient deficiencies that don’t improve despite efforts, are also common indicators of low stomach acid.

3. They Help Maintain Normal Blood Glucose

By eating vegetables first, especially those high in fibre, the absorption of sugars from foods that follow is slowed down. This can lead to a more gradual increase in blood sugar levels, which is beneficial for metabolic health, weight loss and reversing PCOS, inflammation, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic liver disease (NALD), atherosclerosis, high LDL cholesterol, gout, and other conditions.

4. Ensuring Sufficient Vegetable Intake

Starting your meal with vegetables is a strategic method to guarantee their incorporation into your daily diet. If you start your meal with other foods on your plate other than veggies, like meat, fish, pasta, potatoes, rice, you won't be interested in vegetables that much anymore and are not likely to reach your adequate intake of vegetables.

This is very important, especially when you are just getting into a habit of eating healthier. In all of the food diaries of clients who come to their first consultation, I see this problem: people are not eating enough vegetables and are having too many carbohydrate, fat-rich, ultra-processed foods.

Vegetables are such a foundational component of healthy nutrition, we all need them regardless of our health goals.

Drop me a comment if you'd like me to write a short post about when reducing or even excluding vegetables from your diet can be a therapeutic protocol to help you with certain health problems. 👇

19/04/2024

🚨 Why Exercising Isn't the Ultimate Solution for Weight Loss 🚨

Hello, my Facebook friends! Today, I want to tackle a common misconception: that exercise is the key and often the only strategy for weight loss. Many of us hit the gym with this goal, but find ourselves struggling to shed pounds. Why is that?

📌 Exercise offers numerous benefits—it boosts cardiovascular health, enhances mental well-being, tones muscles, strengthens the immune system and more. However, when it comes to weight loss, it's just part of the puzzle. In my latest article, I delve deeper into why focusing solely on exercise might not lead to the results you expect.

🔗 Check it out here, it's only 5 min read, but it will completely change your weight loss game. https://tinyurl.com/5n7e8xp8

⚡️Here’s what you need to know:

📌 The Overrated Role of Exercise: Despite popular belief, physical activity contributes only a fraction to weight loss efforts. For most, the impact is far less significant than dietary and lifestyle changes.

📌 The Power of Diet and Lifestyle: It's not just about the calories burned; it’s about how our body responds hormonally and metabolically to food, sleep, and stress.

📌 Real-life Observations: From my professional experience, including those who can't physically exercise but manage to lose weight through tailored nutritional plans, the evidence is clear.

⚡️ Takeaway: To truly succeed in losing weight and maintaining health, a holistic approach is necessary - one that includes balanced nutrition that is targeted at improving hormonal balance, stress (cortisol) management, improving liver health, and adequate sleep.

👉🏼 Remember: "The mind is made in the gym, but the body is made in the kitchen." Let's discuss and debunk more fitness myths together!

🎧 For a deeper dive into this conversation, listen to my latest podcast episode - https://tinyurl.com/yzhn7627
Available on all listening platforms. 😉 🙌🏼

❤️ I'd love to hear from you! 😍
What’s your experience with exercise and weight loss? Have you found certain strategies more effective than others? Share your stories in the comments! 👇🏼

A nutritionist explains why exercising does not help weight loss and why focusing on diet, sleep, stress management and liver health is key.

02/04/2024

Dietary changes should come from a place of self-love and self-care. If you make any restrictions based on the idea that you need to ‘punish’ yourself for all the unhealthy junk you’ve eaten, for all the synthetic sodas or alcoholic drinks you've had, that’s not going to be a sustainable long-term strategy, and you will eventually face massive resistance and relapse. It will feel heavy and you'll feel more miserable. Instead, if you remove the unhealthy junk or even the healthy foods that worsen your symptoms for the benefit of feeling better in your body and in your own skin, for the sake of being full of energy, light and full of life, allowing your body to heal, burn fat, and generate happiness hormones naturally, that is a mindset that is healthy and that you can cultivate and benefit from in the long run. You won't have to deal with resistance or FOMO, and you won't have to rely on motivation that is here today or gone tomorrow.

26/03/2024

Let's normalise eating healthy, whole, unprocessed foods, going sugar-free and saying 'no' to unhealthy fats, eating unprocessed proteins and healthy fats, taking care of our physical and mental health from the place of self care and self love. 🙌🏼❤️

24/03/2024

Chosing to eat healthy foods that nourish your body, give you energy for the day, and mental strength for the tougher days, and avoiding the foods that lead to inflammation, hormone disruption and unpleasant symptoms like acne, bloating, fatigue, water retention and weight gain is not a luxury. It’s a primarily act of self love and self care that you owe to yourself.

Photo credit Алёна Головченко

18/03/2024

8 reasons why I don't recommend protein powders or protein bars to anyone.👇

1. Protein powders are highly refined products, comparable to other refined products like grains, and other carbohydrates. This means your body might struggle to recognise them as "food" or digest them. Your liver in particular will take a massive hit as processed protein can irritate and stress the liver and even cause damage. Consuming something created in a lab doesn't necessarily mean your body can process it efficiently. And keeping our liver healthy is crucial: it performs around 500 functions in the body, including the activation of fat-burning hormones, which is vital for weight loss.

2. The most common protein powders, such as soy protein isolate (a GMO product sprayed heavily with glyphosate, an endocrine disruptor) and whey protein, can disrupt your hormonal balance. If as a woman you've ever experienced endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, PCOS, cysts on the ovaries or in the breast tissue, or have irregular, painful, or missing periods, heavy menstruation, PMS, anovulation or for, if you are a man, erectile dysfunction, enlarged breast tissue, infertility - it's essential for you to avoid these protein powders. They can also lead to severe acne cases or, in the best-case scenario, increased sebum production on your skin and larger pore size.

3. Some protein powders may contain harmful substances due to contamination during the manufacturing process, including heavy metals (like lead, arsenic, mercury), bisphenol-A (BPA), or other contaminants.

4. Protein powders may irritate the gut lining, and cause digestive problems like gas, stomach cramps, IBS, potentially worsening symptoms of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the autoimmune inflammatory conditions affecting the gut.

5. They can negatively alter your gut microbiome.

6. Protein powders may trigger an immune response, leading to inflammation and flare-ups.

7. Some research has suggested a link between high consumption of casein, a dairy protein, and an increased risk of breast and prostate cancers. Casein raises the hormone IGF-1 which has been shown to cause cancer in some studies.

8. Finally, many protein powders contain added sugars, sweeteners, or substances not yet classified as sweeteners but that spike your blood sugar like pure glucose, like maltodextrin. This can significantly hinder your fat-burning and set you up for metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, insulin resistance and hormonal problems.

If you are not vegan, you can safely get your protein from whole natural foods, such as organic eggs, organic / grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish from non-contaminated waters, organic poultry.

Nutrition goes way beyond just macros, your sources of nutrients are very important too! Protein powders, shakes and bars are a huge business and may not prioritise your health as much as you'd like.

Please Like this post if you found it helpful and share with a friend who is a fan of protein shakes and bars! 🙏🏼

17/03/2024

One of the best things about healthy nutrition is that you can absolutely turn any comfort food into healthy by swapping the ingredients yet get a great vibrant taste. ✌️😋

These little pals I made this morning are made of banana, small apple, oats, eggs, ceylon cinammon, baking soda, and virgin coconut oil to cook with. You can also add some water or plant based milk without sugar for a less thick consistency. 😊 Please don't soak your pancakes in syrups, honey or jams if you don't want to get into a sugar coma. 😘

Which comfort food you'd like to turn into a healthy option?😍 Let me know in the comments 👇🏼 🔥 I will try to post a recipe for that!! 😍