ENJOY ‘HAPPY TUMMY’ FOODS

Did you know that up to 80% of your immunity to germs and disease is in your digestive system? The mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in the gut is part of the first line of immune defence so getting the right balance between beneficial or ‘good’ gut bacteria and the ‘bad’ or potentially pathogenic bacteria is key.

The gastrointestinal tract houses a diverse community —thousands of microorganisms, encompassing bacteria, fungi, viruses, and various microbes collectively known as the gut microbiome. Within this delicate ecosystem, certain microorganisms correlate with favourable health outcomes, while others are associated with less desirable effects.

Optimal gut health, characterized by a rich diversity of beneficial bacteria, is integral to the maintenance of a robust immune system. It assumes a key role in modulating immune responses, ensuring a correct reaction to injury or infection without compromising healthy tissue.

The intricate interplay between gut microbiome and immune system functions bidirectionally. Similar to how the immune system exerts influence on gut health, the gut microbiome significantly impacts immune responses, including specific types of inflammation.

Distinguishing between acute and chronic inflammation is imperative. Acute inflammation, such as our bodies’ reaction following physical injury, is a natural part of our body's self-care mechanism. Conversely, chronic inflammation represents a prolonged and detrimental immune response, associated with heightened risks of conditions such as obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Research shows us that the gut microbiome serves as a central conduit, linking chronic inflammation to these chronic conditions.

Turning attention to our nutrition, we know that an individual approach is essential, as no microbiome is the same! However, there are general principles which underpin a good, diverse microbiome – and thus allowing us to support good working of the body’s immune system.

Emphasizing plant-rich diets, particularly those rich in prebiotics found in foods like asparagus, onions, leeks, garlic, legumes, and whole grains, are a great place to start. Prebiotic foods help to feed the friendly bacteria in our guts.

In addition to this, incorporating probiotic-rich foods is another foundational step. Probiotics, living microorganisms found in fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, aged cheddar, and kombucha, play a role in enhancing gut microbiome diversity and fostering the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms. Being consistent in consuming these types of foods is key.

In summary, the symbiosis between gut health and the immune system is like a symphony, orchestrated by the gut microbiome. Understanding and nurturing this relationship, particularly through good diet choices, is foundational to a good immune system.

If you are having any gut issues and want to chat further, why not book in a call with me? Here’s the link.

One Pan Chicken Thighs, New Potatoes and Broccoli

Brassicas, such as broccoli, are excellent for supporting natural oestrogen detoxification. I always ask my midlife clients to include a portion of broccoli or cauliflower every day with their dinner!

And here’s an easy recipe. This is everything in one pan – super quick and not much washing up. An ideal midweek meal for a midlife woman!

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 600g chicken thighs (boneless and chopped)
• 400g broccoli, chopped into florets
• 300g small new potatoes, cut into quarters
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 4 spring onions, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Grease a good-sized baking dish.
2. Add the potatoes to the pan, sprinkle with the paprika, garlic and season to taste. Drizzle over the olive oil and toss until combined thoroughly. Roast for 30 minutes. 
3. Toss the chicken and broccoli in the residual juices and return to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
4. Garnish with the spring onions. Enjoy!

My Top 5 Tips for Managing the Menopause

I work with women in clinic every week to help them manage their symptoms and live how they want to. I use a combination of health questionnaires and testing to get to the bottom of what may be driving their specific symptoms. 

But despite how differently they are feeling, or the different hormonal imbalances they may have, there are 5 areas that I always work on:

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

One of the tragedies about menopause is the realisation that you really cannot get away with eating the same foods you used to. Your body has changed, and you need to learn to eat for this new way of being. Why?

The drop in oestrogen levels that occurs during menopause has a side effect of redistributing body fat and excess pounds start to settle around the waist. On top of that, the change that happens in relation to oestrogen and progesterone at this stage of life is also likely to make your body less sensitive to insulin, the fat storage hormone. This is produced in response to you eating carbohydrates.

When the body’s cells are less sensitive to insulin, more insulin is needed to do the same job, and more insulin produced means more fat stored. There are also lifestyle factors to consider. Muscle mass diminishes with age while fat increases.

That means it’s more important than ever to switch from whatever kind of diet you’re on now to a low GL (glycaemic load) diet that balances your blood sugar levels. This means you will be eating foods that do not trigger insulin secretion in response to what you eat.

A blood sugar balancing diet like this focuses on REAL food: meat, fish, eggs, tofu, lentils, beans and chickpeas, lots of veg, some fruit, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.

You won’t feel hungry – promise – but, if this is a long way from where you are now, I’d love to help you move to this way of eating. Work with me and it will feel easy rather than an uphill struggle or – worse still – devoid of all those little props you have used to get yourself through these trying times.

EAT FUNCTIONAL FOODS

On one level, the food you eat can help balance your blood sugar and energy levels. On another it keeps you feeling satiated and also nourishes you. The cherry on top is to use the very subtle yet magical powers of food to help support your body in times of need.

At this time of your life, that means phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are plant-based chemicals (the good kind), which are structurally similar to oestrogen and exert a weak oestrogenic effect. They include soy beans, lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, barley, rye, oats, alfalfa, apples, pears, carrots, fennel, onion, garlic, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, liquorice root.

MANAGE YOUR STRESS

Cortisol is one of the main stress hormones and it can cause weight gain, and feel both tired and miserable as well as using up stores of important vitamins.

You probably already know that dwindling oestrogen levels are one of the main factors behind your symptoms. However, the effects of stress can be just as debilitating.

DO THE RIGHT EXERCISE

As the weight creeps on, it’s very common for women to start getting into the types of exercise that are very punishing on the body, like running and high intensity interval training.

What do I mean by punishing? These very intense forms of exercise stress the body and, if your body is already stressed, it’s just too much. Yoga, Pilates, Zumba and other dance-based classes are good, and don’t knock a decent walking workout.

Resistance/ strength exercise (weights) is also good to help with the loss of muscle. Strength training also helps you shore up bone, maintain balance, and avoid injury—important for protecting your skeleton both now and when you’re older.

AVOID TOXIC CHEMICALS

Chemicals in your body care products – anything from shampoo and conditioner to body wash, body lotion and other moisturisers – contain chemicals like parabens, sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate, ureas and the like.

At this time in your life, you really don’t want to be overloading your body. These toxins place an additional stress on the body, can damage the cells in your body that produce insulin, disrupting its action (and not in a good way), can impair thyroid hormones and place extra burden on the detoxification system.

If you’d like to know more about how diet and lifestyle changes can help with your symptoms, or you’d like to explore testing, why not get in touch? You can book a free call here.

Tofu Bibimbap

Research shows that phytoestrogens, found in foods such as tofu, can be helpful in relieving menopause symptoms in some women, particularly Asian women. 

So, this is my (rough) take on a Korean staple, using delicious tofu. This is a firm family favourite here, and a quick midweek meal. 

Serves 4

• 425 grams tofu (extra-firm, pressed, and cubed)
• 2 tbsps tamari
• 2 tbsps avocado oil
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 2 cups cooked quinoa (about 2/3 cup dry)
• 400g shiitake mushrooms (stem removed, torn)
• 200g baby spinach
• 4 eggs, optional
• Seasoning to taste
• 2 tbsp Gochujang (or chilli paste/sauce)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar, if you don’t have any)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
2. Add the tofu cubes to a bowl and gently toss with ¾ of the tamari and ½ the oil. Then add the arrowroot powder and gently toss until the tofu cubes are well coated. Arrange the coated tofu cubes on the baking sheet so they are not touching. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, turning halfway through.
3. In a wok over medium heat, add the remaining oil. Once hot, pour in the mushrooms and cook until softened, about five minutes. Add in the spinach and toss until wilted. Season with salt and pepper and put to one side.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang, remaining tamari, and vinegar.
5. Divide the quinoa, tofu, and vegetables between four bowls. If you like, you can then add a fried egg to the top.
6. Drizzle the sauce or divide into bowls for dipping.
7. Enjoy!

Is it the Menopause?

Officially menopause is when you’ve gone for 12 months without a period at all which signifies the end of female reproductive capabilities.  However, most symptoms occur in the 2-10 years leading up this – which is known as perimenopause.

Unfortunately, there's no specific blood test for perimenopause. And this is where a lot of confusion starts to arise. Many of my clients have odd symptoms which send them to the GP, only to realise a couple of years later that it was probably perimenopause…

I often use the DUTCH test, a dried urine test, which can be very useful in looking at a complete balance of sex and stress hormones during this turbulent time. While testing hormones during perimenopause and menopause is not often done in conventional medicine, understanding hormone levels and their metabolism (as well as assessing our stress levels) can help guide recommendations to support women during this stage in their life. Do get in touch with me if you’d like to discuss this further.

But what are the symptoms of perimenopause?  Because our hormones affect our whole bodies, not just our sexual characteristics, perimenopause can bring a whole heap of symptoms with it, such as:

• Increased allergies/intolerances
• Anxiety
• Bloating & other digestive problems
• Increased body odour
• Brain fog
• Chills
• Depression or low mood
• Fatigue
• Forgetfulness
• Gum problems
• Headaches
• Heart palpitations
• Hot flushes/flashes
• Irregular periods
• Increased irritability
• Itchy skin
• Joint aches & pains
• Low sex drive
• Osteoporosis
• Pain or bleeding during sex
• Panic attacks
• Pins & needles
• Night sweats
• Sleep disturbances/ insomnia
• Sore boobs
• Thinning/ dry hair
• Urinary incontinence
• More UTIs (like cystitis)
• Vaginal dryness
• Weight gain

(Please note: some of these symptoms may not be perimenopause – so if you’re worried, do check with your GP!).

When and how we suffer tends to be based on a combination of genes, our health, and our environment. If you can, it might be good to ask your mum when she had hers and how it affected her. But, overall, it’s one helluva time. No wonder it’s sometimes called second puberty.

Most of the symptoms we have are due to fluctuating oestrogen and intermittent progesterone, brought about by the natural retirement of our ovaries.

Why is oestrogen so important?

Well, we have receptors to oestrogen all over our bodies – they’re not just responsible for the reproductive cycle.  They are found in our brains, bones, guts – just about everywhere. 

Oestrogen helps us build muscle, regulates bone density, and promotes healthy skin. It helps maintain healthy brain function. It looks after our heart and cholesterol levels. And it even has a hand in our gut function. But probably most noticeably is abdominal weight gain or ‘menobelly’. This is where we start to gain weight around our middles that we possibly didn’t have before, and it’s now more difficult to get rid of too. 

So, how do you know if you’re in menopause?

As a rule of thumb, we can tell that it’s probably perimenopause if you’re having:

1. Irregular cycles with no other possible cause

or

2. If you’re still cycling but have any three of the following nine changes:

1. new-onset heavy and/or longer periods
2. shorter menstrual cycles ie 25 days or less
3. new sore, swollen or lumpy breasts
4. new waking during the night
5. increased menstrual pain
6. onset of night sweats, particularly in the lead up to your period
7. new or increased migraines
8. new or increased PMS
9. unexplained weight gain 

If you’re still not certain, check in with your GP or nurse, or book in a free call with me here at the clinic. 

Mushroom Miso Soup

Including fermented foods in your diet is a great way to improve gut health, digestion and all round wellbeing. This is something I work on with nearly every client and can have a positive effect on their health.

Miso is an easy fermented food to add in, as it doesn’t have such a particular flavour as some other fermented foods. Miso is a thick paste made from fermented soybeans and is a staple of Japanese cooking. Go for an unpasteurised version and try not to overheat, so you avoid killing off the beneficial bacteria.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1.5 litres water
• 500ml good quality broth
• 450 grams sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 pack tofu (drained and cut into 1.5cm cubes)
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 100g good quality miso paste
• 100g kale, destalked and roughly chopped
• 5 spring onions, sliced finely
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Method:

1. Add the water and broth to a medium sized saucepan, bringing them to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the mushrooms, cooking for 4 to 5 mins.
2. Add the tofu, ginger and to the simmering liquid, and cook for a further 2-3 mins.
3. Add the miso paste to a small bowl, ladle in some of the broth, and whisk to combine. Add this miso mixture to the pot and stir thoroughly. 
4. Add the kale leaves and allow to wilt of a minute or so.
5. Divide the miso soup into bowls and sprinkle with the spring onion and sesame seeds.
6. Enjoy!