Claire Kimber Nutrition

31/12/2024

The sun has well and truly set on 2024 tonight……not quite the year we had hoped for.
Looking forward to 2025, my message is simply ……be better than before.
Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year xx

18/10/2024

One interesting fact I learnt this week is that I am predicted to live to 91 !

In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51, so women can therefore expect to live, on average, a third of their lives in postmenopausal years.
During these years, women are at an increased risk of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, dementia and cardiovascular disease given the protective effect of oestrogen has declined.

In recent years there has been a real sway towards encouraging women to take Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

I understand that it has been a bumper year for NHS HRT prescriptions which are up by 22% in a year with some 13 million prescriptions being written (source: BBC) and I am sure that this is reflected in the private sector too.
However, we also know from recent reports that HRT is not necessarily ‘the magic bullet’ we seek for a rest-bite from some troublesome menopausal symptoms or even increased longevity. Indeed for some women, with history of oestrogen based cancers, or suffer with oestrogen dominant conditions such as endometriosis, it is really not appropriate.

We are all genetically different and biochemically unique, so what might be an adequate level for one women, might be too low , or too high for another.

How did we ever survive before HRT, you may well ask yourself.
During menopause when our ovaries stop producing oestrodial, the most potent form of oestrogen, our bodies adapt to produce a weaker form called oestrone, to help protect us as we age. Of course it’s not all about oestrogen, our body is also able to produce progesterone from our adrenal glands, thereby keeping the delicate balance of our female hormones.
Hormones are chemical messengers which respond to their given environment, constantly ebbing and flowing, interacting with each other. So adding additional hormones, such as HRT, to an environment that is already imbalanced, perhaps through stress resulting in excess cortisol which will halt the production of progesterone, or poor blood sugar regulation, which creates high insulin, our fat-storing hormone with a knock-on of excess oestrogen (oestrogen dominance) will only exacerbate menopause symptoms, such as hot flushes, anxiety etc

Fuelling and nourishing our body through good nutrition, incorporate movement daily and introduce some stress-management techniques are good lifestyle practices to maintain balance whether you choose to take HRT or not.

At 58, I have apparently have another 33 years ahead of me and my simple approach to mitigate the risks of older age are:
· Eat 3 balanced meals daily - no dieting or depriving for me!
· Keep hydrated – helps supports detoxication which is key to maintain healthy hormone balance
· Exercise daily, even if it’s a gentle walk – no excuse when you have a dog!
· Do one thing that makes my heart sing daily – whether that’s coffee with the girls or messing around in the water.

Finding the balance is key!

Happy World Menopause Day!

16/08/2024

Time to relax ……and enjoy the quiet of the sunset.

08/03/2024

For all the amazing women in my life, who I play with, laugh with, work with; I’ve learnt from your strength, your courage, your kindness and above all, your love to be the woman I am today.

31/12/2023

18/10/2023

Happy World Menopause Day!
And with the theme of this year’s World Menopause Month being cardiovascular health, this is my focus today.
Heart disease in pre-menopause women is lower age for age than in men …. however, post-menopause things change and post-menopause heart disease rates increase and sometimes surpass that of men.

Oestrogen is cardio-protective. It keeps blood vessels elastic so our blood pressure remains low.

During the transition you may notice that you start to have higher blood pressure and your usually ‘normal’ cholesterol results start to go up.

With our oestrogen declining our arteries start to stiffen causing blood pressure to go up.
Oestrogen supports the liver to regulate our blood lipids (fats). A drop in oestrogen is associated with a rise in total cholesterol due to higher amounts of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), AKA the “bad” cholesterol and blood fats known as triglycerides.

During perimenopause we need to future prove ourselves in terms of heart health:
🧂Limit your salt intake - season with herbs and spices instead of reaching for the salt.
👀Check food labels as salt is a preservative in processed goods. 🌭Reduce processed meats as will be high in saturated fats as well as salt.
🥗Eating a Mediterranean diet - research points to the heart-health benefits of a mediterranean diet. Plenty of fish, fresh fruit and veggies, beans and pulses, nuts, seeds and olive oil, providing healthy fats and plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants too! 🍜🍜Start your day with porridge (hot or cold) - oats are a fantastic source of soluble fibre, specifically beta-glucans, which binds to cholesterol in the gut for excretion and thus helping to lower LDL cholesterol ❤️

06/10/2023

PMS symptoms
If you find yourself more tearful or irritable than normal leading up to your period then that might just be an indication that you are in perimenopause.
Our hormones are fluctuating wildly so it’s no real surprise!

Progesterone is the first of our female hormones to decline as we age, far quicker than oestrogen, so oestrogen is dominant (oestrogen-dominance). Oestrogen has quite a stimulating affect and as I highlighted in one of progesterone’s roles is to be responsible for producing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which has a calming effect on our brain. So oestrogen dominance will increase your PMS symptoms of tearfulness, irritability or anxiousness.
Unstable blood glucose, when blood-glucose levels peak and trough outside the optimal range, your body releases the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline interferes with the production of progesterone, disrupting your progesterone/oestrogen balance further. High blood glucose increases cortisol. Cortisol generate powerful cravings for sugary foods, or caffeine as a quick fix whilst is is signalling to your liver to realise stored glucose back into your bloodstream to get your blood glucose back into balance…. no wonder we crave chocolate or cake just before our period!!
🍗🐟🥬🍆🥙 🥗🥕🥦🫒🥑⚖️Balance your blood sugar levels is key - every meal should contain a palm-size portion of protein + a fistful of complex (slow-burning) carbohydrates + plenty of veg and salad (aim for half your plate full of different varieties of colour too) + a portion of healthy fats (e.g. half an avocado, or portion of nuts and seeds which is a palmful)

05/10/2023

itchy skin is another symptom of the perimenopause. This is due to our oestrogen levels dropping and affects our skin in a number of ways. Lower oestrogen levels reduces the production of oil by the sebaceous glands and reduces the body’s ability to retain moisture. Oestrogen also stimulates the production of collagen which is the building block for healthy skin.
💧Water to help keep your skin hydrated
🐟Healthy fats, specifically containing Omega 3 fatty acids will help keep skin cells soft and supple so allowing key skin nutrients to enter the cells and retain moisture.
🎃Vitamin A & beta-carotene is needed for skin repair
🫐Vitamin C is needed for collagen production
🥑Vitamin E helps keep the skin hydrated
🦪Zinc helps reduce inflammation of the skin

04/10/2023

Fog
In my early 40's I began to feel that my life was slowly unravelling in front of me. I was struggling with my daily commute, juggling a corporate career with a young family and felt constantly overwhelmed. My memory and focus felt like they were steadily dissolving and I seriously wondered if I was ‘loosing it’!
We have oestrogen receptors all over our body, actually from our head to our toes!
Oestrogen stimulates the brain, keeps the neurons firing, and supports the growth of new cells and connections. When oestrogen levels fall, the oestrogen receptors in the brain are deprived of circulating oestrogen and impacts our ability to absorb, process and retain information….including forgetting where you parked the car!!
Good cognitive function requires a lot of nutrients for it to perform well. It needs lots of energy to be produced, which require B vitamins, iron and a host of other co-factors. It needs good levels of protein and essential fats, and anti-oxidants to protect it against damage. If our diet is low or lacking in these essential nutrients, our brain cells can essentially slow down and contribute to brain fog.
In fact our brain is one of our heaviest organs, demanding oxygen, water and glucose, and uses about 20% of our body’s glucose to function.
Our Western diet, high in refined sugars and simple carbohydrates can be detrimental to our gut as well as our brain.
Sugar feeds ‘bad’ bacteria and yeast in our gut which can lead to symptoms including brain fog.
💧Hydration – your brain is made up of 80% water. Drinking recommended 1.5 - 2 litres of water daily is vital.
🥑Fat – your brain membranes are made up of fat and determines how efficiently messages get from one cell to another. Healthy fats include avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds. Eating oily fish, which are rich in Omega 3 have been linked to healthy brain function, including concentration.
🍗Protein – needed for our neurotransmitters. Include organic grass fed meat, free range poultry, fish, organic dairy, tofu, beans and pulses.
🌈Eat a Rainbow -Every meal should contain an abundance of fresh veg, fruit and salads – the more colourful the better!

03/10/2023

This early perimenopause symptom, follows on nicely from yesterday’s , as there is a strong connection between our mood and our digestive health.
We often refer to the gut as the second  brain because there’s a network of neurons (nerve cells)  in the lining of the gut . Your gut and brain are connected by the vagus nerve. This nerve is able to send messages to your brain and vice versa. It explains  why stress can take a toll on your digestion, but also why  digestive problems can make you unhappy. When you are stressed you produce less stomach acid and digestive enzymes, which results in the food we’ve eaten is not broken down properly and ferments causing bloating.
Your gut is home to trillions of bacterial cells which make up a unique ecosystem called the gut microbiome. As well as allowing nutrients to enter the body and keeping opportunistic pathogens locked out, their activities also influence your brain.
To support your health your gut microbiome needs to be diverse and diversity helps keep it balanced. However, if it is not balanced – something called dysbiosis – opportunistic microbes can take advantage, proliferate and produce gas, resulting in symptoms such as bloating.
Research suggests the gut microbiome plays an important role in regulating oestrogen levels, as certain species of gut bacteria secrete a specialised molecule responsible for converting oestrogen into its active form. It has been suggested that reduced gut microbiome diversity (dysbiosis) may reduce levels of circulating oestrogen, potentially contributing to your low oestrogen levels and ultimately perimenopause symptoms.
Fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone may influence regulation of body fluids and sodium content so increasing water retention and bloating.
The changes in oestrogen levels also impairs bile production, resulting in constipation and bloating.
Dietary hints:
🥦Gradually increase your fibre - fruit , veg, seeds,nuts,whole grains and legumes. 💧It is important to increase your water intake when increasing fibre. 🥛Introduce Probiotic foods
🍎Adding prebiotic foods will encourage healthy bacteria to flourish.

02/10/2023

To kick of my daily symptom focus, I’ve chosen Anxiety over the classic and well-known menopause symptoms as this one tends to creep up on us in our early perimenopause years (in some women can be as early as late thirties but for most perimenopause starts early to mid-forties and may last up to ten years!).

During the perimenopause, our progesterone production significantly reduces first, followed by oestrogen.
One of progesterone’s very important roles is to be responsible for producing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which has a calming effect on our brain. Therefore, it is the low levels of progesterone in early perimenopause that can affect our nervous system and can cause symptoms such as increased worrying, feeling stressed or anxious.

When we feel worried, stressed or anxious, we sometimes reach for sweet sugary foods for comfort or even skip meals. Both will result in low blood sugar and will call upon your body to release stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which will only add to feelings of anxiety.

Here are just Diet & Lifestyle Tips:
🥦Eating a diet free of processed and refined carbohydrates and high in healthy fats, protein, and non-starchy vegetables may support an optimal glutamate-GABA balance.
🍩Inflammatory foods like white pasta and bread and refined sugar, paired with a lack of plant-based foods, can contribute to neurotransmitter imbalances. 🕐Eating a regular balanced meal (that contains protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrate/brown grains and veggies) will balance your blood sugar levels.
🥚Ensure protein at every meal and as a basis of a snack - protein is made up of amino acids which are needed to make our brain’s neurotransmitters.
🥬Eat GABA-rich or GABA boosting foods - brown rice, soy and adzuki beans, chestnuts, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, sprouted grains and sweet potatoes etc
☕️Reduce, or better still, avoid caffeine and alcohol - caffeine, like alcohol is a stimulant and can make you feel jittery and anxious.

08/03/2023

How fragile we are……but collectively so strong❤️

I say this from recent personal experience
I thought I thought I was invincible.
I thought I was a strong woman, both physically and mentally and believed I had navigated through my 56 years pretty well with not too many hiccups along the way.
An accidental sudden change in my physicality, breaking my shoulder, has surprisingly really impacted me.
Overnight I became a different person…… a very fragile one, not just physically but mentally.

I’m indebted to my husband and daughter who have showered nothing but love and been at my beck and call for the last three weeks. But it’s the faces, the voices, the actions, the coffees and of course the flowers and little gifts and gestures of my lovely female friends, women warriors and network that have pulled me through some of my darker days.
Together we are strong ❤️