­­­­­­­­­­­­Which Fat?

Park that notion that fat is bad. It is not. In fact, most of us aren’t eating enough of it. 

Fat can help you lose weight, protect against heart disease, absorb vitamins and boost your immune system. Do you know which fats to eat and which to avoid?

Saturated fat

These are the fats that have the worst reputation, and they’re found in animal fats and coconut oil. 

Here’s the controversial bit because it goes entirely against what we have been told for decades (and we are still being told by government agencies) … these saturated fats that you eat – the dietary saturated fats – don’t raise cholesterol.

The fats that are ‘bad’ are the trans fats, which cause cell membranes to become stiff and hard, and they no longer function correctly. Trans fats are harmful to cardiovascular health (lower good cholesterol - increase level of bad cholesterol). Some trans fats are contained naturally in dairy products, but particularly in processed foods (i.e. hydrogenated oils, margarine). 

Monounsaturated fats

These are the kinds of fats associated with the Mediterranean diet – ­particularly olive oil -, and populations that eat a lot of these fats, like the people of Greece and Italy, have some of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world. 

Many cardiologists advocate the Mediterranean diet, as higher intakes of this kind of fat are linked to lower cholesterol (or, to be more accurate, a better ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol).

Polyunsaturated fats

You will probably know these as omega-3 and omega-6 – the essential fatty acids. ‘Essential’ relates to the fact that the body cannot make this kind of fat; you need to eat it as part of your diet – or take it as a supplement. 

They fulfil many roles in the body, and sufficient levels have implications for cell membranes, hormones (they regulate insulin function), managing inflammation and immunity, mood and memory.

As a rule, omega-6 fats are not as good for you as the omega-3 fats, which are all anti-inflammatory. It’s not that omega-6 fats are inherently bad, just that it’s less good when the balance between the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids gets disturbed. 

Historically, humans ate a good ratio of omega-6 to 3 – ranging between 1:1 and 4:1. The modern Western diet has changed things for the worse, and the ratio is frequently 20:1 thanks to processed foods, vegetable oils and conventionally raised (rather than grass-fed) meat. 

What happens is that you get more of this…

•   Increase in inflammatory conditions/ autoimmune disease
•   Obesity
•   Heart disease
•   Diabetes
•   High cholesterol
• Cancer

Here’s why fat is essential in the body…

• It’s a concentrated energy source. Gram for gram, fat is twice as efficient as carbohydrates in energy production. 
• Fat can be an energy store. Excess fat is stored for future energy production (excess calorific intake).
• Protection – internal (visceral) fat protects your internal organs, like the kidneys and spleen. 
• ‘Subcutaneous adipose tissue’ (that’s code for the fat that you can feel by pinching your skin) helps to maintain normal body temperature and provides padding.
• Fats regulate inflammation, mood and nerve function. 
• Every cell membrane in our body is made of fat – the brain is 60% fat.
• Many hormones are made from fat. These are known as steroid hormones, and they govern stress, sex, and immune function.   
• Fats are actually essential for survival (experiments on rats in the 1920s showed that, then fat was removed from the diet they died). 
• Fat is the preferred fuel for muscles and the heart. The brain can also burn fat for fuel. 
• Essential fatty acids are required for healthy skin, healthy cell membranes, healthy nerves, healthy joints and to help with absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

How did fat get such a bad name?

Fat has got a bad reputation. Over the last 70 years low-fat products have been marketed as the saviour of our health. And the message from governments and the media was – and largely still is – that, when eaten, fat gets stored as fat in the body and puts us at greater risk of heart disease. 

Part of the problem, of course, is that we use the same word for the fat we DON’T want (on the hips, around the middle and so on) and the fat we eat. 

The demonisation of fat began when an American scientist called Ancel Keys produced the first ‘evidence’ linking saturated fat to heart disease in 1953. He based his scientific opinion on observational data of heart disease, death rates and fat consumption in six countries (ignoring statistics from a further 16 countries because they contradicted his hypothesis) and assumed a correlation between heart disease and eating fat. (As an aside, when another scientist looked at the same research, this time considering ALL 22 countries’ data, no correlation was found). 

Although there might have been correlation (there was a relationship), it was not causal (didn’t actually cause the situation). 

A further study on rabbits compounded Ancel Keys’ hypothesis: The rabbits were fed cholesterol (which doesn’t normally form a part of their 100% veggie diet) and went on to develop fatty deposits in their arteries. And then, guess what happened? Poor bunnies!

Governments (and their health care agencies) across the world began advocating a low-fat diet.  They told us to fill up on bread, rice, cereals and pasta, and opt for low-fat or no-fat alternatives wherever we could. 

Soon, the food industry jumped on board to create products that better satisfied this new advice. They replaced saturated fats with ‘healthier’ vegetable oils, like margarine and shortening – ironically trans fats are now one of the few fats research shows ARE linked to heart disease. 

The biggest problem is that, when you remove the fat from foods, you need to replace it with something else to make those foods palatable – and this replacement is sugar. This was a REALLY bad move. 

My favourite fats

AVOCADOS They go with practically anything and are high in both vitamin E and in healthy monounsaturated fats. Slice it, mash it, love it!

COCONUT OIL There’s so much to like. Apart from helping reduce bad cholesterol and blood pressure, coconut oil is an anti-fungal (caprylic acid) when used both externally or internally. The ideal replacement for butter in baking and as your oil of choice when frying (though we think it works best if you’re cooking something with an Asian influence).

NUTS Packed with nutrients like magnesium and vitamin E, nuts bring plenty of essential fats to the table. They make the perfect snack – eat a handful (preferably raw) with a small piece of fruit or spread a little nut butter on an oatcake (peanut butter is just for starters – try almond for a change).

OILY FISH are chock full of omega 3 fatty acids, which are the building blocks of your sex hormones, so are essential for hormone balance. We love them all!

OLIVE OIL Use cold pressed organic oil as a dressing on salads rather than to cook with as the high temperatures reached when roasting or frying can turn the oil rancid. 

Cooking with fat

How the fat is used (through cooking and processing) is a big deciding factor whether it is healthy or unhealthy. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) become free radicals in the presence of light, oxygen and heat. 

That is because frying with oils like olive oil at high temperature leads to oxidation and the production of free radicals – highly inflammatory for the body and may increase the risk of heart disease or cancer.

Use these oils for cooking

Coconut oil, rapeseed (vegetable) oil, avocado oil, butter or ghee, or goose fat (clarified butter).

NOT olive oil or sunflower oil. Don’t use sunflower oil at all (although do eat the seeds) and save olive oil for dressings on salads. 

Eat to improve your heart health

Many people fear a heart attack. Think of it as the last straw. Heart disease is, in many cases, a lifestyle disease that is avoidable and, with the right focus, you can avoid it, too.

There are some pretty big risk factors (outside of smoking and drinking in excess), and these include being diabetic, having high cholesterol, and being overweight. 

What I want to talk to you about today is which dietary changes you might start to make from today, to protect your health and that of your loved ones. There’s fantastic news in this regard because a number of huge studies point to diet and lifestyle change being IT when it comes to prevention.

The INTERHEART study, published in the Lancet in 2004, followed 30,000 people in 52 countries. Researchers found that lifestyle changes could prevent at least 90 percent of all heart disease. 

This was another big one: the EPIC study in 2009 looked at how 23,000 people adhered to 4 simple behaviours: not smoking, exercising 3.5 hours a week, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining a healthy weight. Sticking to these four behaviours alone seemed to prevent 93% of cases of diabetes, 81% of cases of heart attacks, 50% of cases of strokes, and 36% of cases of all cancers. 

A SIMPLE STRATEGY FOR GOOD HEALTH

Of course, everyone is individual, and there is no official ‘single diet’ that all humans should eat. But if there were, this would be it because it handles what the essence of the problem is – being overweight and a highly inflammatory internal environment.

Before I dive in with some of the answers, I want to say a little something about fat because chances are, if you’ve heard one thing about staving off a heart attack, it’s ‘cut back on fat’ (and especially the saturated kind). 

The success of some low-fat dietary models in weight loss is thought to be more likely due to the simultaneous reduction of sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed foods. 

Dietary fat actually turns off fat production in your liver. Unlike carbohydrates and protein, dietary fat does not trigger your pancreas to secrete insulin. 

There is one type of fat everyone should avoid, and it is trans fats, a kind of Frankenstein fat added to food to improve shelf life and mouthfeel of products. One study actually found that the risk of coronary heart disease doubled with each 2 percent increase in calories from trans fats. Another researcher even concluded: “On a per-calorie basis, trans fats appear to increase the risk of CHD more than any other micronutrient.” 

THE REAL VILLAINS…

The real villains in the piece are refined grains and sugar. During processing, refined grains are stripped of the bran and germ, two parts of the grain kernel that contain a wealth of nutrients. The final product is starch with next to no nutritional value, providing little more than carbohydrates and calories. Refined carbohydrates can be found in a wide variety of foods, including white bread, pasta and rice, muffins, cakes, cookies, crackers, and bagels. 

Unfortunately, these foods make up a pretty good chunk of the modern Western diet and may be linked to a higher risk of heart disease. One study from China found that a higher carbohydrate intake, mainly from refined grains, was associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease among 117,366 adults.

Sugar is one of the main culprits of heart disease. Added sugars from foods like sweets, desserts, juice and soft drinks can spike blood sugar levels, damaging the blood vessels, overloading the liver and increasing the risk of heart disease.

Interestingly, a study from Harvard School of Public Health actually found that participants who drank the highest number of sugar-sweetened beverages had a 20 percent higher relative risk of developing coronary heart disease than those who drank the lowest amount.

WHAT THIS MEANS IS …

A lower carbohydrate diet is recommended to balance blood sugar and therefore reduce insulin and blood glucose levels. Elevated insulin is a major risk factor for heart disease and promotes inflammation. 

You’re also likely will lose weight on a blood sugar balancing diet, and that in itself will reduce the risk for many chronic diseases, including heart disease and high blood pressure.

1. PROTEIN Eat a source of protein at every meal and snack. This can be any fish/ seafood, poultry, meat, nuts, seeds, tofu, eggs. Given you probably eat enough meat already and many people don’t eat nearly enough vegetable protein, see if you can bring in more fish and more vegetable sources of protein over the week. Ideally, eat two to three vegetable-based protein meals weekly. Replace animal-based protein meals with lentils, legumes, tofu, quinoa or nuts and seeds, for example. If you’re a fish eater, get in wild-caught fish, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, twice a week.
2. FRUIT & VEG Get plenty of fruit and veg but focus specifically on eating veg that grow above the ground and fruit that can be grown in this country. These foods naturally contain either less natural sugar or lower amounts of carbohydrates, which have an impact on hormones. At each meal, have this cover at least half of your plate. The aim is 7 a day and ideally 5 from veg. Over the course of a week, aim to eat all different colours - span the rainbow to enjoy a diverse intake of nutrients. Enjoy berries, citrus fruit, peppers and leafy greens.
3. FIBRE is a great addition, the soluble kind you’ll find in oats, lentils, split peas, flaxseed, citrus fruits and apples. All of those are heart-healthy choices. From the insoluble category, eat nuts and whole grains.
4. FAT Some fats are healthy, and let’s not forget that fat is actually essential for life. Get your fat from avocados, oily fish, nuts and seeds. 
5. CARBS Think carefully about the quality (what kind) and the quantity (how much) of starchy carbs like bread, pasta, cereals, potato, rice. Focus on wholemeal over white, sweet potato over regular white potato, basmati or brown rice over long grain. You can also try throwing in a few ‘faux carbs’ like cauliflower or broccoli rice, courgetti (courgette spiralised into noodle shapes), butternut squash waffles, and so on. 
6. PROCESSED MEAT In recent years, there have been numerous studies connecting processed meats, like hot dogs, salami and tinned meat, to a range of adverse effects on health. Not surprisingly, processed meats can also negatively affect heart health, so best to give them a wide berth.
7. VEGETABLE OILS can be very damaging for heart health. Recent studies show that oils like rapeseed are not helpful (even though the supermarkets are brimming with these options). In fact, the linoleic acid they contain has been linked to cardiovascular disease and cancer.
8. SUGAR Remove as much sugar as you can from your diet as this is the real villain in the tale. That means saving sugary treats for high days and holidays and, most of the time, ditching breakfast cereals, cakes, cookies, pastries, and so on, and checking the label of jarred sauces, where sugar often lurks.
9. FIZZY POP Avoid fizzy soft drinks. Eliminating soft drinks is one of the best things that everyone can do for their heart. Besides being laden with controversial chemicals and unhealthy ingredients, soft drinks are also brimming with added sugars.

Do you notice a trend in my diet tips? What’s to focus on is real food. What you would benefit from decreasing is the processed stuff most people kid themselves is OK for them to eat. Truly, your body doesn't know what’s going on when you shovel in heavily processed or chemically altered foods. 

Eating this way - sometimes referred to as a low GL (glycaemic load) diet - will also help, providing your body with a steady supply of energy through the day, rather than a high-octane rollercoaster of energy spikes and troughs.

Putting the food work into your life alongside the commitment to regularly de-stress, move your body and prioritise sleep is not always easy to do on your own. It is always helpful to have someone – like me – in the wings helping you fit what you already know about eating well into your life and keeping you motivated to follow your plan for long enough that you really see a shift in your health. 

As a Registered Nutritional Therapist, I work a lot with clients with heart conditions or those who have a family history of heart disease. If you’d like to know more about the programmes and testing I can offer, why not get in touch? You can book a call here.

A SIDE NOTE ON SALT

Salt has long been considered a major contributor to high blood pressure, and the high salt content of processed foods and junk food has been given at least some of the blame for the high incidence of hypertension and heart disease. However, even this recommendation has recently come under scrutiny and may change in the future.

Recent research has cast doubt on the role of salt intake in hypertension. However, the WHO and most countries still recommend less than 2g sodium/day, equivalent to <5g/day salt in adults, which is equivalent to 1 teaspoon. Until this changes, we should stick to the guidelines yet recognise that other factors also contribute to high blood pressure (such as sugars). Salty snacks like potato chips, pretzels and microwave popcorn are full of added ingredients as well as salt, that can take a serious toll on heart health - they are best avoided. Where possible choose natural sea salt, which is rich in trace minerals. The healthiest forms of sea salt are the least refined with no added preservatives. 

Pink Himalayan salt is widely regarded as the ultimate mineral-rich seasoning and the purest of the natural salt family. Regarding health benefits, sea salt is plentiful in trace minerals due to its marine derivation, delivering many of the same nutritional compounds that make superfood seaweed so nutritious. 

The healthiest forms of sea salt are the least refined with no added preservatives (which can mean clumping in the fine variety).

Why am I always hungry in Winter?

When winter hunger strikes, here’s how to stay satisfied and energised.

Ever feel like your appetite goes into overdrive the moment the temperature drops? Winter has this sneaky way of making you ravenous, and with the grey, drizzly weather and post-holiday slump, it’s tempting to hibernate with a blanket and a tray of biscuits.

But here’s the thing: there are ways to manage your hunger and keep your energy levels steady through January (without feeling deprived or miserable). So, let’s get into why your body craves more in the winter and how to keep yourself satisfied and energised with warming, nourishing comfort food.

The real reason you’re always hungry in winter

It’s not just your imagination—winter really does make you hungrier. Cold weather triggers your body’s need to stay warm, and your primitive instincts kick in, urging you to eat more to maintain body temperature. 

Also, between the months of October and April it’s not possible to get vitamin D from the sun at the UK’s latitude. And low vitamin D levels can cause an increase in appetite because vitamin D helps regulate the hormone leptin, which signals feelings of fullness to the brain. This is thought to be an evolutionary method to get us to fill up on food to prepare for winter when food would be scarce.

But it’s not just physical. Shorter days and gloomy weather also play with your mind. Your serotonin levels (the feel-good hormone) can dip, leaving you craving comfort foods, especially those rich in carbs and sugar for a quick mood boost.

How to boost your energy with simple, satisfying swaps

The key to surviving winter hunger isn’t about willpower; it’s about making smart swaps that actually satisfy you and keep your energy levels up. 

Here’s how to do it:

1. Power up your breakfast:
   Ditch the plain toast or sugary cereal, which will leave you crashing by 10 AM. Instead, opt for a warming savoury breakfast of scrambled eggs, roasted veggies, and maybe some smoked salmon. This protein-rich and warming breakfast will set you up for the day.

2. Add healthy fats to every meal:
   Healthy fats help stabilise blood sugar and keep you satisfied longer. Think: a drizzle of olive oil on your roasted veggies, half an avocado with your lunch, or a handful of walnuts as a snack. These small tweaks can stop you from raiding the biscuit tin mid-afternoon.

3. Choose complex carbs:
   When you need that carb comfort, go for whole, complex options like sweet potatoes, lentils, or hearty root vegetables. They provide long-lasting energy and don’t lead to that post-carb slump you’d get from white bread or pasta.

Warm comfort food that feels like a hug (but won’t wreck your waistline)

When you’re craving something warm and hearty, you don’t have to default to cheesy pasta bakes or greasy takeaways. 

Here’s how to make comfort food that’s both delicious and nourishing:

• Soups and stews: They’re a winter staple for good reason. Load them with seasonal veggies, lean protein like chicken or lentils, and warming spices like turmeric or smoked paprika.
• One-pan roasts: Throw your favourite root vegetables, some leafy greens, and your protein of choice (think chicken, salmon or chickpeas) onto a tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season generously, and roast. Easy, satisfying, and minimal washing up.
• Cauliflower mash: If you love mashed potatoes but want a lighter, lower-carb option, try mashed cauliflower. It’s creamy, comforting, and pairs beautifully with winter veggies.

Top tip: Embrace warming herbs and spices! Ginger, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon not only add heaps of flavour but also support digestion and boost circulation (keeping you toasty from the inside out).

Why hydration still matters in winter

It’s easy to forget about hydration when it’s cold, but staying hydrated is crucial for energy and overall wellbeing. Warm up with herbal teas or try hot water with a slice of lemon and fresh ginger for a cosy, hydrating alternative to plain water.

Remember: Dehydration can sometimes masquerade as hunger, so keep sipping throughout the day, even if you’re not feeling parched.

So, there you have it: the secrets to tackling that winter hunger while boosting your energy with simple, satisfying swaps and healthy comfort food. Which of these ideas are you most excited to try?

Message me and let me know! Or, if you’re feeling overwhelmed and need some personalised support to get through winter feeling your best, reach out—I’d love to help you. Just click the link here to book a free call.

What is Functional Testing?

Today I want to talk to you about something I am very passionate about - functional testing – because it may hold the key to solving your health problems and to staying healthier for longer. So, if your New Year’s resolution is to look after your health, read on!

Remember how detectives use clues to solve mysteries? Well, as your nutritional therapist, I'm like a health detective, and functional testing is my secret weapon for uncovering the root causes of your health concerns. No more wondering "why". These tests can help us unlock the "what" and build a personalised plan to help you feel better. There’s something very empowering, too, about having answers in black and white. And the tests I use are evidence-based and are performed by world-leading laboratories.

If you’re wondering, what exactly is functional testing, let me explain. Simply put, it's a way to go beyond traditional diagnostics and peek deeper into your body's inner workings. 

We can assess things like:

Nutrient deficiencies: Are you missing out on essential vitamins and minerals?

Digestive health: What's behind your bloating or other digestive woes?

Food sensitivities: Is that afternoon fatigue or headache linked to hidden intolerances?

Inflammation levels: Is chronic inflammation silently impacting your wellbeing?

Hormonal imbalances: Are hormonal fluctuations causing unwanted symptoms?

Genetic testing: how are your genes affecting how you feel?

By understanding these deeper factors, we can create a roadmap to address them, not just manage symptoms. There’s so much information available to us as practitioners these days, all of which enables me to provide a bespoke programme for my clients because I truly understand their health.

Sadly, many of the tests I run are not available on the NHS, which means that to access the information, you have to pay. Since you are reading this, I know how much you care about your health and it might be worth thinking about. 

So, let’s talk about why are functional tests a good investment in your health?

Here are 5 compelling reasons:

• Personalised approach: Nutrition coaching is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Tests uncover your unique needs, leading to targeted nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement plans for optimal results.
• Identify the root cause: Stop chasing symptoms and uncover the origin of the problem so you can address the underlying imbalances for long-term solutions.
• Empowerment & knowledge: There are few things more empowering than gaining valuable insights into your body and taking full control of your health journey.
• Preventative action: Functional testing can detect imbalances before they manifest as symptoms, empowering you to take proactive steps towards maintaining optimal health – and preventing future health concerns.
• Improved wellbeing: How do you know you are getting all the essential nutrients your body needs? Testing can assess your nutrient status, and addressing imbalances can lead to increased energy, reduced symptoms, and overall better health. For some tests, we don’t just test once. Repeat testing can see how well you are progressing.

I specialise in gut and hormone health, so there are three tests that I regularly use with clients:

Comprehensive stool tests:

A Comprehensive Stool Test can help to uncover underlying causes of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic diarrhoea, or constipation by assessing gut bacteria, inflammation, and digestive function. 

It can also provide crucial insights for clients experiencing symptoms like bloating, fatigue, skin issues, or food intolerances, enabling me to put together a tailored plan to address these concerns effectively.

DUTCH test for hormones:

A DUTCH (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) test provides a detailed analysis of hormone levels and their metabolites, offering insights into conditions such as hormonal imbalances, adrenal fatigue, perimenopausal symptoms, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). 

It is particularly beneficial for clients experiencing symptoms like irregular periods, mood swings, low energy, poor sleep, or unexplained weight changes, allowing us to put together personalised strategies to restore hormonal harmony.

Nutrigenomic testing:

Nutrigenomic testing with LifeCode GX reveals how your genes influence critical areas like food tolerances, detoxification, vitamin needs, and metabolic health, empowering personalised nutrition and lifestyle choices. With a simple cheek swab and expert guidance, this test provides actionable insights to optimise well-being and prevent potential health challenges.

Ready to unlock your health potential? Let's talk! I'm here to answer any questions and guide you through the process of functional testing. Just click here to book a free call.

WHAT DOES A NUTRITIONIST DO EXACTLY?

Most people get – on a conceptual level at least – that they should probably eat a bit better than they do, they should probably move more and take the time for more ‘me time’ to live a long and happy life. 

‘Life’ seems to get in the way of achieving that. Many of us are juggling jobs and the complexities of modern relationships, leaving little time to dedicate to the business of ‘being healthy’. Convenience often wins. It’s not that that’s wrong per se, but here’s the thing: all the time we are not eating or moving or living as well as we know to do, we are silently getting sicker. That may actually be going-to-hospital sick or it may just mean having health niggles that bother us greatly but that we have learned to cope with. I’m talking here about things like IBS or other tummy troubles, PCOS, perimenopause, PMT, arthritis, stress or anxiety, haywire hormones, or possibly weight that has crept on over the years and you can’t seem to shift it, no matter what you try. 

What I want to share with you today is that the food you eat matters more than you can possibly imagine. And that, in many cases, simply by making changes to your diet, the symptoms of some of these conditions can be improved so markedly that there is a really profound shift in how you experience life.  

WHAT IS NUTRITIONAL THERAPY?

Nutritional therapy used to be referred to dismissively as ‘alternative medicine’, but what we really use is Functional Medicine. It’s only now that the science of what to eat is getting the recognition it deserves and is being actively promoted by a small number of well-known and recently enlightened medical doctors, like Dr Rangan Chatterjee and Dr Michael Mosely. 

Essentially, we nutritional therapists apply the latest hypotheses and research in nutrition and health sciences to you and your symptoms, testing where necessary, and we come up with a diet, lifestyle and (sometimes) supplement plan to support those needs. We might also bring in some coaching to help you put the ideas into practice in a meaningful way or break through whatever barriers have held you back in the past. 

PERSONAL SERVICE

It’s a very personal approach. You might hear practitioners talk about people being ‘biochemically unique’. That means that there isn’t a single way of eating that is right for everyone. Sandra might have PMS and you want to lose weight, for example. Sandra might have a history of antibiotic use, while you had your appendix out when you were 14. Sandra might have an intolerance to dairy, while you hate strawberries. I could go on, but you can imagine the thousands of different permutations here. And the fact is that your DNA, previous medical history, and any current symptoms as well as what you like and don’t like, not to mention your personal circumstances are all important when a nutritionist creates a plan for you. 

It is personalised just for you. That takes both time and skill. You could download something from the internet – if you knew what you were looking for – but it is not the same. 

A nutrition practitioner may also work with supplements targeted to a specific condition or your own health goal. This can be a minefield – potentially dangerous and inevitably costly – if you don’t know what you’re doing.  

WHY DOESN'T EVERYONE SEE A NUTRITIONIST IF THE RESULTS ARE SO GOOD?

It’s unfortunate that so many people don’t understand what a huge effect a personalised food and lifestyle programme can have on the symptoms they have or how they experience their life. 

Newspapers are full of soundbites about the latest foods, but they don’t really join the dots, and it’s difficult to see what might be possible for you. The vast majority of doctors – even those being trained today – have next to no current knowledge or practical experience of what their patients should be eating or how they might integrate the theory into their lives. They live in a world, by and large, where the solution presented during your 10-minute session lies in a prescription. 

Some – like Chatterjee – are taking on training in something much bigger called Functional Medicine. This is a framework for considering that the symptoms you are experiencing are a result of imbalances in your body and, rather than treat the specific symptoms themselves, nutrition professionals try to understand the root cause of the problem and base their programme around that. 

WHAT HAPPENS IN A NUTRITION CONSULTATION?

Your first consultation will last up to 90 minutes. You will have been asked to complete and send back a nutritional therapy questionnaire before you visit. During the session, we’ll go into your medical history, your health goals and any other challenges you’re facing, what you generally eat, what you like to eat, what you hate to eat and how you have to eat (on the bus, in a rush at your desk, and so on). There’s no judgement and anything you share with me is kept in confidence. 

My nutritional therapy sessions are provided in programmes that run over 12 weeks. This is because it is rarely helpful for anyone to leave without the knowledge that they have several more sessions in place to help them implement the programme, make changes at a pace that suits them, and to deal with any challenges or questions that come up along the way.  

WHAT IF I ALREADY KNOW WHAT TO DO?

Knowing what you should be doing is only part of the problem if you are unhappy with an aspect of your health. Staying motivated is the hardest part of any plan. The single best way to stay in the zone is to have a buddy or coach who can give you a nudge or call you out if you start to go off piste. I’d say this is the single biggest thing that makes the difference between reaching your goal and actually staying there. That’s where health coaching comes in. It keeps you accountable will ensure all that good work doesn’t go to waste. 

If you'd like to find out more, why don't you book in a free 30-minute health review. We can talk about what's going on for you, what you've tried before, and I can give you some simple tips to get you feeling better right away. Simply click here to book.

8 Foods Nutritionists Never Eat

There is an argument that all foods are OK in moderation, and this is largely based on not having ‘being healthy’ become something that feels a chore or that has you missing out on some of the things you really enjoy. 

But as a nutrition professional, there are a few things that I NEVER eat. 

1 Reduced fat foods / diet foods

These foods are, by definition, very highly processed. Where fat is taken out of a food, what nearly always goes in instead is either sugar or artificial sweeteners. The idea that fat is bad or leads to weight gain has now been acknowledged as being entirely wrong. We now know that sugars (and excess starchy carbs) are what mostly leads to weight gain and keep you craving sweet things. Many artificial sweeteners aren’t great for gut health either. I’d far rather stick to the natural, full fat version. 

2 Margarine and butter substitutes

Margarine and vegetable spreads are the nutritionally poorer relations of real butter, coconut oil and other healthy fats like olive oil. Again, they are heavily processed. Often what draws people to them is the thought that they are somehow healthier because of their lower levels of saturated fats. Given that saturated fat is not the enemy to your health – while artificially hardened vegetable oils (think trans-fats) are -, it’s far better to stick to unadulterated fats, using ghee (clarified butter) and coconut oil, or olive oil for cooking at lower temperatures. 

3 Sugar free fizzy drinks, diet drinks and energy drinks

Sometimes I see clients ‘filling up’ on diet drinks, which (although they contain no actual calories) are doing your body no favours. They’re still conditioning your body to expect more sweet stuff, and the jury is still out on whether artificial sweeteners are not great or seriously detrimental to health. Energy drinks often provide a dual hit of very large amounts of caffeine accompanied by either a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners. When I’m working with clients who are propping themselves up with these drinks, I like to get to the cause of their fatigue, because what’s in the tin of Red Bull (or similar) will not be helping. 

 

4 Hotdogs and processed meat

It is quite shocking how little actual meat goes into hotdogs, and processed deli-style meats are often pumped with water, sugar (even if it’s not actually called sugar, look out for anything ending in ‘-ose’ – like dextrose) and preservatives. Some of the additives in processed meats have been linked to increased risk of colon cancer. If my family demand ham, it’s pretty easy to pick up a small ham joint and cook it myself.

 

5 Shop-bought cereals

Most supermarket cereals are filled with sugar and very high in starchy carbs, which will have your energy levels crashing come mid-morning. Better options include home-made granola (like the cinnamon pecan granola from Deliciously Ella), which are easy weekend jobs and last a good while, porridge or overnight oats, omelettes or poached eggs (in fact, any kind of eggs) on wholemeal toast.

6 Rice cakes

These are often a go-to food for anyone counting calories. Unfortunately, they will skyrocket your blood sugar levels. A better choice would be a couple of oat cakes topped with unsweetened nut butter or a little hummus. 

7 Agave nectar / syrup

Agave syrup comes from a cactus, and the syrup is made from the pulp of the leaf. It’s very highly processed and is mainly fructose, which needs to be processed by the liver, causing more stress for an already over-worked organ. Fructose is actually worse for you than glucose (which is effectively what we are talking about when discussing ‘blood sugar’). Agave syrup (or nectar) is very similar to the (deservedly) much-demonised high fructose corn syrup, that has contributed greatly to the obesity epidemic in the US. My advice? Do not use it!

8 Mycoprotein like Quorn

Quorn is a very processed food that comes from a fungus Fusarium venenatum and is fermented.  It has a lot of other ingredients added – like flavourings, yeast, starches and colourings, gluten to give it the texture and flavour of meat. Lentils, pulses, tofu and tempeh are a much healthier alternative if you’re after vegetarian choices.

9 Fruit Juice

The easiest way to get lots of sugar into your system in a short space of time is by drinking it. And since it comes in as liquid, the body doesn’t register it as “eaten”, so it cunningly slips past any detectors that might otherwise signal satiety or ‘satisfaction’. Fruit juice – particularly when freshly squeezed – certainly contains lots of lovely vitamins and minerals, but it contains just as much sugar as that can of Coke. So, don’t kid yourself: fruit juice is not healthy. If you want fruit, eat fruit. Don’t drink it.

Did any of these surprise you?