Brain Food and Nutrition Clinic

15/07/2025

Lipoedema doesn’t respond to diet in the same way as other body fat does. This can lead to developing a difficult and sometimes disordered relationship with food.

15/07/2025

A photo of a pet dog, but not a pet cat, produces benefits.

15/07/2025

We now offer the DUTCH Complete test.

The DUTCH Complete test is for you if:

- You're using HRT but still struggling with symptoms

- You're postmenopausal and dealing with fatigue, weight changes, mood issues, or low libido

- You want a functional, whole-picture view of your hormones to feel well and balanced again.

https://brainfoodnutrition.co.uk/product/dutch-complete/

12/07/2025

You Don’t Have to Live This Way

Your stomach dictates your schedule. You cancel plans, skip events, and turn down opportunities because you never know when your gut will rebel.
Everyone keeps telling you the same thing: try this diet, take that supplement, manage your stress better. Your doctor says it’s chronic and you’ll need to learn to live with it.

However, your symptoms aren’t random and they’re definitely not permanent.

Here’s what I’ve learned after 15 years:

Your digestive problems aren’t separate from your energy crashes. Your anxiety isn’t unrelated to your bloating. When your gut is inflamed, it sends stress signals throughout your entire body.

Clare came to me after three years of being dismissed by her GP. She was still planning her life around bathroom locations. Within eight weeks, she was hiking again and booking weekend trips without a second thought.

What changes when your gut actually heals:

You used to wake up naturally, without needing three cups of coffee just to think straight. You could eat a meal without calculating exit strategies. Making plans meant excitement instead of anxiety.
That version of you is still there.

Are you ready?

I’m here to help you understand your body and guide you through the healing process. This isn’t about quick fixes or another supplement protocol.

Book your consultation call now. Let’s figure out exactly what’s been keeping you stuck.

11/07/2025

Is there a link between anorexia and autism?

Up to half of people with anorexia nervosa also meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis. According to research conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry, the place where I began my career, the figure is placed at around 35%. The link between anorexia nervosa and autism has been largely overlooked until now.

For many of the people I speak to, understanding this helps them make sense of their experiences.

It explains the time spent struggling with rigid food rules, overwhelming sensory reactions and a deep need for routine. It also explains why standard treatment hasn’t helped or could have made things worse. It. becomes clear that the problem was never really about weight or shape in the way it is assumed to be.

Read more: 👇

10/07/2025

Disordered eating and lipoedema.

If you’ve ever followed a diet to the letter and seen barely any change in your legs, while others around you drop weight effortlessly, it’s not your imagination and it’s not your fault.

Living with lipoedema can make you feel like your body is working against you. The emotional and physical toll can leave you stuck in cycles of restriction, overeating, and guilt.

In this article, I talk about why disordered eating is so common in lipoedema and how insulin resistance, hormone imbalances, trauma and inflammation all play a role in your relationship with food, cravings and body image.

If this resonates with you, please give it a read.

And if you’d like nutritional support to help you break free from this cycle, I’d love to help.

https://brainfoodnutrition.co.uk/disordered-eating-and-lipoedema/

01/07/2025

What causes loose bowel movements first thing in the morning?

Waking up in the morning and urgently needing to get to the loo is not uncommon. Or maybe there’s a little less urgency but your first bowel movement is always loose and unformed, watery even. Many of my clients come to see me because morning diarrhoea is perplexing them. They can’t understand why this happens or prevent it.

If you wake with cramping, urgency or loose stools, read on to understand the different mechanisms and possible causes behind this.

Why do diarrhoea or loose stools occur in the morning?

Every body has a circadian rhythm, this is our natural internal clock and first thing in the morning, your body starts to get moving. Cortisol starts to rise, which gets your gut going too. This is part of a healthy process called the gastrocolic reflex. However, when your gut is inflamed or sensitive that reflex can become overenthusiastic. Instead of a normal bowel movement, it turns into cramping, urgency or full-blown diarrhoea.

There are several reasons this can happen and what’s causing morning diarrhoea in you might be different to someone else. But here are the most common things I see.

Read more, link below.

28/06/2025

Curious about your health? Here’s a look at the at‑home test kits you can order from our shop.

Bloodspot Home Tests

Omega‑3 Index – measures EPA & DHA levels via a finger‑prick. A higher index (≥ 8 %) supports brain, heart, vision & mood. 

Vitamin D (25‑OH D₃) – see where you stand on this key nutrient tied to immune function, bone health, and cognition. 

Functional Lab & Genetic Tests

Food Intolerance & Allergy Tests – to identify hidden dietary triggers sabotaging mood, focus or gut health.

Breath & Urine Tests – to identify SIBO assess or metabolic, gut‑microbiome or other functional health markers

Genetic Test – uncover inherited predispositions (e.g. methylation pathways, detox enzymes) to help you tailor lifestyle choices & supplements.

Why have we chosen these tests?

Convenience: Finger‑prick or breath/urine sample, no lab appointment needed.

Insightful: See where your body stands e.g. omega‑3, vitamin D, antioxidant capacity, blood sugar control and methylation function.

Actionable: Clear results empowering you to improve your health.

Impactful: Helps you to identify where to focus to improve your health and wellbeing.

Supportive: Book consultations with an experienced Practitioner to help you interpret these results in the context of your symptoms and guide you to better health.

Ready to move forward.

Explore our full range of tests at the link below. Gain clarity, confidence and a roadmap to better brain and body health.

www.brainfoodnutrition.co.uk/shop

Brain Food Nutrition Clinic functional lab tests

27/06/2025

When do I recommend the Organic Acid Test?

Often when someone presents with low mood, anxiety, OCD tendencies, behavioural issues, or unexplained fatigue and conventional tests haven’t offered any clear answers.

It’s also incredibly useful when we need to identify what’s really going on with B12, beyond what a blood test can show. The OAT includes methylmalonic acid (MMA), this is a functional marker that tells us whether your cells can actually use B12. This is essential if fatigue, low mood, or neurological symptoms are part of the picture.

And if oxalates are suspected (e.g. pain, joint issues, anxiety, urinary problems, or neurological symptoms), this test provides some of the clearest insight available.

The Organic Acid Test is a comprehensive functional urine test that reveals hidden imbalances across key systems:

- Neurotransmitter pathways: insights into dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline metabolism

- Mitochondrial function: how efficiently your body produces energy

- Detox pathways: glutathione status, phase II liver detox, oxidative stress

1 Gut dysbiosis: yeast, bacteria and clostridia toxins that often go unnoticed

- Functional nutrient markers: B-vitamins, amino acids, CoQ10, NAC, etc.

- Oxalate levels: often linked to chronic pain, fatigue, anxiety, and autism spectrum symptoms

It’s a test I regularly recommend for both adults and children when we need to dig deeper, particularly in cases of:

✔️ Mental health or behavioural concerns
✔️ Chronic fatigue or post-viral symptoms
✔️ Neurodivergent children with gut or mood issues
✔️ Suspected nutrient depletion despite supplementation
✔️ Histamine intolerance, sugar cravings, or detox overload

It’s an at-home urine test.

Results are interpreted with a clinical lens to build a highly personalised nutrition and lifestyle plan.

If you or your child have been searching for answers but keep hitting dead ends, this is often the missing piece.

Learn more or book the Organic Acid Test today.

The Organic Acids Test (OAT) offers a comprehensive metabolic snapshot of a patient’s overall health with over 70 markers. It provides an accurate evaluation of intestinal yeast and bacteria. Abnormally high levels of these microorganisms can cause or worsen behaviour disorders, hyperactivity, mov...

26/06/2025

Anxiety and mood swings could be caused by an inherited biochemical imbalance.

Kryptopyrrole disorder (also known as pyroluria) is a biochemical issue that can quietly deplete your body’s stores of zinc, vitamin B6, and other nutrients. This leaves people feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally reactive.

Common signs include:
- Social anxiety or poor stress tolerance
- Mood swings, irritability, or anger outbursts
- Low dream recall (or no dreaming at all)
- Poor memory or brain fog
- White spots on nails, frequent infections, or stretch marks not related to weight changes
- Light or sound sensitivity

It often shows up in people with ADHD, autism, depression or chronic anxiety, and symptoms tend to worsen during periods of stress or hormonal change.

25/06/2025

The connection between the food that we eat and the development of heart disease, obesity and diabetes is obvious to most people. The connection between the food we eat, lifestyle choices and the development or worsening of anxiety is less well-known.

Here are six key nutritional influences on anxiety:

Blood sugar balance

If you are struggling with blood sugar highs and lows, then your tendency to anxiety will increase dramatically. It is not unusual for panic attacks to occur when blood sugar levels drop. Crucially, imbalanced blood sugar is taxing to your body’s stress response, making it harder for you to be resilient in stressful times.

Many things can impact your blood sugar levels, including food intolerances, sugary or refined foods and a lack of key minerals. Increasing protein and healthy fats can support blood sugar levels, as can identifying food intolerances and addressing nutrient deficiencies.

Zinc/Copper

The ratio between zinc and copper is an important one for anxiety. Anything that depletes zinc has the ability to contribute to anxiety by tipping your zinc/copper ratio in favour of copper.

The contraceptive pill, stress, low stomach acid or stomach acid blockers, pregnancy, or a low-zinc diet can all affect this ratio. A similar mineral pattern has been observed in postnatal depression. Signs of zinc deficiency include poor wound healing, reduced taste or smell, low appetite and poor immunity.

Food intolerances

Reactions to foods that are regular features in your diet can also contribute to anxiety through its impact on blood sugar balance and adrenal function. When you eat a food that you are intolerant to, your body reacts by releasing adrenaline. This can lead to a temporary feeling of well-being. The problem is that a slump will follow, and this is when anxiety can hit.

Over time, this reaction is taxing for the body, exhausting our resources. Our bodies try to adapt, but sooner or later it is harder for them to maintain proper function. Signs of food intolerances are not just confined to digestive issues, although bloating, stomach ache and wind are possible signs. Other signs include excess mucus production, and skin conditions like eczema and headaches.

Poor digestion

With poor digestion, we cannot absorb all the nutrients we need but we also cannot break down protein to amino acids which help build our neurotransmitters. This leaves us susceptible to anxiety, low mood and sometimes poor motivation and addictive behaviours. This is one of the reasons why IBS and anxiety often co-exist.

Having adequate stomach acid secretions and good digestion is vital to maintaining mental well-being through protein breakdown. If you feel sleepy after eating or struggle with bloating and/or reflux, then you might benefit from working with a nutritionist on digestion.

You could try also GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter that blocks impulses between nerve cells in the brain, which has been shown to be effective against anxiety.

Gut flora

As we understand more about the gut-brain axis, it is becoming clear that gut bacteria have significant influence over our mental health. Some strains of Bifidobacteria were found to be more effective than medications in treating anxiety and depressive behaviour in animal studies. The gut bacteria interact with the brain and exert a powerful influence on mental well-being. Some nutrition programmes focus heavily on supporting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria to achieve mental well-being.

Magnesium

Magnesium has long been viewed as an anti-anxiety mineral. Animal studies highlight how magnesium deficiency can manifest as anxiety, and have also shown that additional magnesium wasting occurs when the stress is high, creating an increased need for the mineral.

This catch-22 situation can lead to more extreme deficiencies and more heightened levels of anxiety. Disrupted sleep is common in people with anxiety, and this can have a wider impact on stress hormone release and general resilience. Magnesium supplementation can help support deep sleep and relaxation.

24/06/2025

Lipoedema and MTHFR.

Lipoedema is a poorly understood condition that mainly affects women. It’s marked by the disproportionate build-up of fat in the legs, hips and sometimes the arms. This is usually accompanied by pain and easy bruising. It can go undiagnosed and be dismissed as obesity but lipoedema fat does not respond to weight loss in the same way as ordinary fat.

The presence of chronic inflammation along with resistance to diet and exercise can leave people feeling confused and deflated. Clients report trying multiple diets without success. Over time, this cycle of frustration can pave the way for disordered eating pattern. Restricting food in an attempt to control the condition and then rebounding when nothing seems to help. It's not uncommon for people with lipoedema to lose touch with hunger and fullness cues or to mistrust their body's signals altogether.
Individuals with lipoedema may be more likely to have a common genetic variation on the MTHFR gene. MTHFR is a gene involved in folate metabolism and methylation which is important for detoxification, hormone balance, and energy production. Variants in this gene, such as C677T or A1298C, can slow the system down and make it harder for your body to process folate efficiently. This matters for people with lipoedema, because methylation is important for hormone clearance, detoxification and inflammation.

Poor methylation can slow down how your body breaks down and clears oestrogen. Lipoedema symptoms tend to flare or first appear at times when oestrogen is fluctuating and can often go hand in hand with oestrogen dominance. The inability to clear oestrogen properly leads to higher levels of circulating oestrogen. In people with lipoedema, excess oestrogen will worsen fat deposition, promote vascular fragility and contribute to tissue inflammation. It can also suppress thyroid function, which is another common comorbidity in people with lipoedema. This metabolic sluggishness adds to the complexity of the condition.

If you have an MTHFR variant, you may have higher levels of homocysteine, which leads to a higher levels of inflammation and blood vessel damage. This can contribute to the microvascular issues that often show up in lipoedema, like bruising and tenderness. Also, if your detox pathways aren’t working well, waste products and environmental toxins can build up. This could irritate tissues and add to inflammation.

If your methylation is underperforming, your body may be running low on the nutrients that support healthy methylation. It is worth having your B12 and folate levels checked with your GP to ensure that they are optimal.

If you’re dealing with lipoedema and have symptoms like fatigue, brain fog or signs of hormone imbalance you can check for MTHFR variants. Testing is simple and can be done via a cheek swab or blood test. However, you can also work with a specialist practitioner who can assess your symptoms, family history and blood levels of B12 and folate and make an educated guess as to whether your methylation needs a little support.