Nordic Balance Nutrition & Health Coaching

11/03/2025

How is your Gut Health linked to cholesterol levels?

Cholesterol is broken down into bile acids in the liver (yes, the liver has an important part to play too!) and released into the gut to help digest fats. Certain gut bacteria help to convert bile acids which regulates cholesterol absorption. Imbalanced gut bacteria (dysbiosis) can lead to poor bile metabolism, increasing cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.

Addressing gut imbalances is not only important for cholesterol levels but has an important part to play in nearly every system in the body, from hormone imbalances to the immune system, inflammation, metabolism, and mental health. Working on signs and symptoms or using Functional stool testing for a comprehensive analysis of your gut microbes can help address the root cause.

To keep your gut happy, below are some simple steps:

✅ Increase Prebiotic Fiber:
It supports beneficial gut bacteria and short chain fatty acid production.
◾ Eat flaxseeds, chia seeds, oats, onions, garlic, asparagus, and green bananas.

✅ Consume Fermented Foods & Probiotics:
It helps restore healthy gut flora.
◾ Eat sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, and take probiotic supplements (especially L. reuteri).

✅ Support Bile Acid Metabolism:
It helps in cholesterol elimination.
◾ Take digestive bitters, artichoke extract, and beetroot.

✅ Reduce Processed Foods & Sugar:
It may help to prevent inflammation and gut imbalances (dysbiosis).
◾ Avoid refined carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats.

✅ Manage Stress & Sleep:
It may help support gut integrity and cholesterol balance.
Practice breathwork, meditation, and get 7-9 hours of sleep.

Are you suffering from digestive- or skin issues, hormononal imbalances, high cholesterol or any other health challenges? Want to find out more? DM 🍏

Recent research in mice has uncovered an intricate host-microbiota partnership in regulating bile acid production, helping to prevent excessive accumulation and maintain metabolic balance.

25/02/2025

🍞PROTEIN & GLUTEN FREE BUNS 🍞.
I have been making these gluten free cottage cheese oat buns for a while and thought I would share the recipe. They are super easy and quick to make. Loved by both adults and children!
INGREDIENTS
180g Organic GF oats
250g Cottage Cheese
4 Organic eggs
1 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
1/2-1 tsp salt
40g whole flaxseeds
Poppy seeds

INSTRUCTIONS
▫️turn on the oven to 250c and prepare a baking tray with baking paper
▫️add oats to a food processor and grind until finer consistency.
▫️add the rest of the ingredients except the flax and poppy seeds. Mix until combined.
▫️transfer to a bowl and stir in the flaxseeds. Let sit for 10 minutes
▫️using a spoon divide into six even buns and form until round. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
▫️bake in the oven for 10min at 250c, then turn down the heat too 200c for 10min

Enjoy fresh or freeze after they have cooled.

Approx protein per bun 20g

19/11/2024

🧠 FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE CONFERENCE 2024 🧠.
Thought provoking and educational weekend listening to some great speakers on resilience, immune health, health span vs lifespan and getting to catch up with some great colleagues!!! ❤️

▫️Dr Michael Stone, exploring the root cause of Health and Disease.
▫️Dr Heather Moday, questioning Is immune resilience the key to Human Longevity.
▫️Rob Verk, looking at the science and clinical data on building physical and mental resilience.
▫️Dr Leo Pruimboom, Psychoneuroimmunity - an interaction between the neurological -, endocrine, immune and metabolic system.

26/09/2024

⭐️ ENCOURAGE THE YOUNG ⭐️

My eldest had the pleasure to meet at his gallery in Dublin City centre. He spent 45 minutes looking at her art she and giving her feedback and tips.

She was completely mesmerized and will treasure the experience for ever!

Kevin is an amazing man with a very interesting life story. His art is spectacular and we are proud owners of one of his earliest pieces.

24/09/2024

25/08/2024

☀️Are you looking for some inspiration of what to have at hand when kids come home from school? Try these flapjacks, they are are so quick and easy to make and the kids love them 😊


INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups oats
• 1/3 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp whole flaxseeds
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup/honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

METHOD
Preheat oven to 160c fan

Heat the maple syrup, peanut butter and coconut oil together in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the mixture is smoothly combined.

In a large bowl add all the remaining ingredients.
Then add in the peanut butter mixture. Mix really well.

Pour mixture into a prepared dish. Press the mixture firmly into the tin so it’s tightly packed together.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Let cool completely before slicing.

Are flapjack a good to in your house?

02/05/2024

🧐Protein powder v's Collagen powder - what is the difference? 🧐

📍Do you ever wonder what is the difference between protein powder and collagen powder?

📍The main difference is that collagen is an incomplete protein. It doesn’t have all of the essential amino acids but all protein powders are complete proteins.

📍So what does this mean?
Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body and need to come from your diet. Protein is needed for the repair, growth and maintenance of the cells. The best food sources are animal proteins such as meat, eggs, and poultry. However, some plant foods, such as the soy products edamame and tofu, contain all nine essential amino acids. This means they are “complete” protein sources.

Protein powders can have a positive effect on metabolism, help promote gaining lean muscle mass, support post-workout recovery, help blood sugar balance and satiety.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. In comparison, collagen powders contain specific amino acids like glycine and proline. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. Its fibre-like structure is used to make connective tissue and is a major component of bone, skin, muscles, tendons, and cartilage. We naturally produce our own collagen but as we age our ability to make it starts to decline. You can view collagen as the glue that holds the body together and protein is the building block.

Personally, I aim to consume food sources of protein first but supplement with protein powder when needed and use collagen powder daily. Brands I like are:

24/04/2024

⏰EAT THE RAINBOW - SCHOOL TALK⏰

⭐It is not every day I have an audience of 8-9-year-old boys and girls!
But yesterday I was invited to talk to my eldest daughter's class about why our bodies need food, why it is important to choose the right food to feel happy, have energy and be able to concentrate and keep focused in school.

🥦We set the class a challenge for a week to try to eat the rainbow every day!!

🧐Did you know that a baby has 30,000 taste buds compared to an adult that has 10,000, so the intensity of flavours they can experience is very different to us! The kids loved this fact and hopefully, it will encourage them to try foods over and over again to see how their taste preferences may change!

🍓To show them how simple it is to make homemade delicious snacks we taste-tested strawberry milk and chocolate energy balls, both a win-win for the majority of the kids!

🍫Chocolate Energy Balls (Nut-free & Gluten-Free)

2 cups dates (soak in hot water for 5 min)
1 cup oats (gluten-free if needed)
1/2 cup desiccated coconut flakes*
3 - 4 tbsp raw cacao
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
1/4 cup collagen peptides (optional)

1. Blend all dry ingredients until flour consistency
2. Drain the dates and add to dry ingredients, blend until well combined and the mixture forms into a dough (if needed add some of the date water to the mixture).
3. Form into balls and roll in more coconut flakes.
4. Store in a closed container in the fridge.
Enjoy!!

*if you are not a lover of coconut, swap them out with more oats

29/02/2024

🌟 Nutrient boosting tip! 🌟

Garlic is a common ingredient in many cuisines. It tastes and smells amazing. But did you know that garlic benefits your health in several ways?

That’s right! This simple ingredient is full of antioxidants, selenium, manganese, and other nutrients to support your health. Garlic is safe to eat raw or cooked, and its benefits influence both your day-to-day and long-term health.

🧄Garlic contains organosulfur compounds like allicin and diallyl disulfide, which are primarily responsible for its health benefits.

🧄Did you know by cutting or crushing garlic 10-15 minutes before cooking it releases allicin the most active ingredient in garlic, that becomes almost entirely deactivated when heat is applied if not cut or crushed in advance.

🧄Garlic has shown several therapeutic effects, such as cardiovascular protection, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-asthmatic, immune regulator, blood pressure and cholesterol lowering to name a few.

🧄Add it to your stir-fries, stews, soups, marinades.....or try the below immune supporting tonic!

🧄Try this immune supporting garlic ginger lemon honey mixture is great natural homemade immune supporting recipe:

🧄INGREDIENTS:
2 small fresh lemons (~1/2 cup) - (with the skin or not, cut into large chunks)
1/2 cup fresh ginger - (peeled, cut into chunks)
1/2 cup fresh garlic cloves - (peeled)
1/2 cup raw honey - organic

🧄HOW TO:
Add all ingredients roughly chopped in a blender, pulsing for a few seconds until everything turns into a paste.
*makes about 48 tsp

🧄NOTES:
🔸Use as a preventive measure - take one or two teaspoons per day.
🔸If you are in the middle of fighting a cold or an acute infection take 1 teaspoon every couple of hours.
🔸The mixture contains not only the juice but also the fibers from the whole fruit/vegetable which makes it even more beneficial for your gut microbiome.
🔸Store in the fridge in a glass container or freeze in ice cube trays

16/11/2023

🍫FUDGY BROWNIES🍫

🍫These gluten free fudgy brownies are the perfect sweet treat but with a hidden ingredient of collagen powder. Collagen is a type of protein that plays an important role in building and supporting many tissues, from bones and cartilage to skin, hair, eyes, and the digestive system. But as you age, collagen production slows, and it’s harder for your body to produce more.

🍫Make sure to use raw cacao to get the many health benefits, such as aiding in heart, brain, and mental health (boosting serotonin) and reducing inflammation within the body due to its antioxidant properties.

🔶You will need:
1 cup sunflower seeds
4 tbsp raw cacao powder
4 tbsp collagen powder ()
4 tbsp coconut sugar
1/3 cup 70% dark chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp raw virgin coconut oil
2 organic eggs
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

🔶How to:
Blend the sunflower seeds in a food processor until it resembles a fine flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until the mixture comes together (the mixture will be very thick).

Pour into a lined baking dish (20cm x 14cm). Sprinkle with some extra chopped chocolate on top.

Bake at 180c for 20 mins or until the top and sides are just set but still seem a bit wobbly.

Wait until they have cooled down completely to cut. Leave in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight to make them even more fudgy.

Note:
Don't bake for too long as they won’t get as fudgy on the inside. It’s better to slightly undercook them then to overcook them.

Enjoy!

Note:
Make sure to choose a good brand of collagen as quality matters. I use Collagen Peptides by NaturesPlus. Make sure to choose a brand that has hydrolysed collagen as it's more bioavailable. This means that your body can access the benefits of collagen more easily.

14/11/2023

🍲TURKEY & VEGETABLE CHILI🍲

I love a good chili, especially when the weather is getting colder. This one is made from turkey mince keeping it low in fat & is a nice alternative to beef. Turkey is rich in amino acid L-tryptophan, which produces sleep-promoting serotonin and melatonin to support good sleep!

Serves 5-6

🔶For the chili:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
450g ground turkey
2 tbsp. chili powder
freshly ground black pepper
400g can pinto beans (including liquid from can)
400g can diced tomatoes
360ml low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (or water)

🔶For serving:
1 avocado, coarsely chopped,
4 tbsp. cheddar cheese, shredded
4 tbsp. sour cream

Heat the olive oil in a big pot on medium-high heat until it starts to sizzle. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, bell pepper and zucchini. Sauté the mixture, occasionally stirring, for 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.

Add the ground turkey to the pot, stir to break down the turkey, and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes until the turkey is no longer pink.

Add the chili powder, black pepper, pinto beans (along with the liquid from the can), diced tomatoes and the broth.

Allow the mixture to simmer uncovered over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens and the vegetables become tender.

Serve the chili with the avocado, shredded cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

10/11/2023

⭐️Spicy Cajun Style Salmon Bites⭐️

Spice up your week day meals with this delicious, quick and easy Spicy Cajun style Salmon Bites.

4x 130g skinless salmon filets, diced in 1-inch chunks
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil spray
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sweet paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
⅛ tsp black pepper
2 lemon wedges, for serving
2 tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish

HOW TO:
Place the salmon in a bowl and lightly spritz it with oil.

In a small bowl, combine the salt and all the spices. Mix them together thoroughly and rub this spice mixture all over the salmon.

Spray the Air Fryer basket with oil to prevent sticking and place the salmon inside. If cooking in the oven line a baking tray and place the salmon pieces on the tray.

Set the Air Fryer or oven to 400°F (200°C) and cook the salmon for 5-7 minutes, making sure to shake the basket or turn the pieces if using the oven halfway through the cooking process.

Serve the cooked salmon with sautéed greens and cooked wholegrain rice or for a low carb option courgette noodles. Garnish with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Enjoy!