Nutritional Advice

What’s for breakfast?

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breakfast-blog-appleaday

Cereals have been around longer than you may think.  Back in the late 1800s they started life as healthy breakfast options, however by 1939 sugars and sweetening agents were added, and health took second place to what gradually became a hugely marketable industry.

By the 50s the likes of Mr Kellogg set the norm that cereals should be our first meal of the day.  Sundays may have been cereal-free zones for some, but in the main, the daily choices to ‘break your night’s fast’, had names like Cocoa Pops, Cheerios, Rice Crispies, Sugar pops and Shreddies, with most of them loaded with sugar and very few health-giving nutrients.

In the early 1900s the Swiss joined the American cereal craze and brought out muesli, a healthy mix of rolled oats, dried fruit and nuts which gained huge popularity in the 1960s, and currently sits at the top of preferred cereals in Europe.

So why are cereals so popular?

Initially, back in the late 1880s, they were a novelty but still an unknown territory, and the taste was pretty bland.  Once sugar and sweetening agents were added after 1939, that was it, the world was hooked because both gluten and sugar are highly addictive.  Plus they were, and remain, a quick food option.  Take the cereal out of the packet, add milk or juice, and voila, breakfast is served.

The trouble is, most commercial cereals are low in nutrients and fibre – don’t have much substance to them – and the brief spike of energy from the hidden, or blatantly added, sugars crashes your system about an hour later, and you’re hungry all over again.  Time for a second breakfast – and more sugary calories.

Then there’s the gluten component.  Grains just ain’t what they used to be.  We’ve pfaffed around with new varieties and changed old ones  too much for our own good, increasing the yield perhaps but also increasing the gluten component – making them more shelf-friendly, but often less gut friendly.

Another reason for cereal’s popularity is that we are living in a fast-paced western world.  Despite the apparent awareness (T.V., written articles, books, various movements) on the Worth of Real Food, and the Rise of Disease, owing to the current rubbish modern diet, the majority of the western world still yearns for something easy and packaged.  Fast options to match the fast-pace of life.  My cooking-from-scratch would be too old hat for most, and even though there’s a range of wonderful movements on the rise, eg. Cooking from Scratch, Mindful Eating, Slow Cooking… or just Slow, there’s still a huge part of the western world living in the fast, and even faster, lane.  There resides a whole other issue for chat another day 🙂

With gluten now in the limelight as a potential intolerance food,  part of my nutrition recommendations for patients with gut dysbiosis, will often include a gluten exclusion period of 1-2 weeks.  A short week or two of leaving out gluten in order to find out how the person feels.   Makes sense, but wow, the reaction to this suggestion can be spectacular.

‘But WHAT will I eat for breakfast!!!?’ Confused, devastated expression.

Yes, I do agree that the move from cereal, or toast, to no-cereal and no-toast is not easy.  But there really are some delicious options.

So here we go.  Some suggestions for anyone who says they don’t know what to eat for breakfast other than muesli, corn flakes, cheerios or toast.

If you’re a lover of eggs, how about  a poached or softly boiled egg on a bed of greens.  The greens replace the toast!  Try fresh rocket or shredded spinach or kale – cook them lightly in broth or coconut oil and add spices of your choice, if you prefer cooked to raw.
For added interest and taste, sprinkle a mix of lightly toasted seeds on top, or add some cubes of avocado.  If you haven’t overcooked your softly boiled or poached egg, the yolk will break and give you the ‘dressing’ on your bed of greens (then add some freshly ground pepper or turmeric).
This is a great protein breakfast with a wide selection of vitamins and minerals from all those greens.  Plus it’s tasty and easy.

Second suggestion:  Same as above but use half a large tomato instead of the greens.  The tomato replaces the toast!

Or how about a thick, nourishing juice?  This may be in the too-hard basket for many, but once you have your new mini blender or juicer, you won’t look back.  Instructions and recipes abound,  and there are loads of affordable ones on the market (my youngest at college just bought a blender for £15).  Adding ground flaxseeds or chia seeds – protein –  will bulk up the juice and satiate you.  And remember, keep vegetables as the main ingredient rather than fruit.

Saying that, there’s nothing like a plate of exotic fruit when you’re on holidays.  Papaya is one of those remarkable fruits with high concentrations of excellent anti oxidants; high in vitamin C and B vits as well as minerals, plus the enzyme papain which has anti- inflammatory properties – great if you’re suffering allergies, or digestive problems – IF, however, you tolerate exotic fruits.
Do add nuts to your fruit platter so that you’re having protein with your meal and slowing down the sugar hit from the fructose/glucose in the fruit.

If, like me, you love chai lattes try the real deal rather than the powdered mix offered by many high street coffee shops – nothing tea-like about them, just a huge sugar hit and all sorts of strange things in the powder.  Mix all the whole chai spices (cardamom, ginger, allspice, cinnamon or just the ones you like) with a green tea – another immune booster – or a peppermint/green tea – even more interesting – and add the brew to some hot coconut or almond milk.

What other breakfast options are there?  The range is inexhaustible because who says that breakfast has to include fruit or eggs, tomatoes or for that matter, toast or cereal?!

This week I’ve been eating chicken/veg broth every morning for breakfast.  I have tailor-made my breakfast to suit what’s going on in my life, namely an infection which moved from drippy cold to heavy chest cough on the plane somewhere over Dubai.

Chicken-veg broth is nutrient-dense and easily digestible.  It’s proving to be a wonderfully nourishing start to my day…even my voice returns for a brief visit after the morning hot comforting bowl.
And what benefits am I reaping from my slow-cooked chicken broth?
Firstly, loads of minerals in a form that my body can easily absorb – minerals like magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and sulphur, which are needed for every system in my body to function well.  The broth also contains collagen, proline, glycine and glutamine – with glutamine and collagen being real gems as they have immune-boosting properties and soothe the digestive tract’s lining.  Broth has become a real benefit to clients with digestive disorders, whether we’re talking Crohn’s, IBS, UC or leaky gut.  And considering the link between auto immune diseases and gut dysbiosis, bone broth should be part of the menu for anyone with an auto immune condition.

There is nothing wrong in making up your own breakfast.  A bowl of soup, or some steamed vegetables, or brown rice and avocado with nuts perhaps?

Some useful tips, however, to ensure your breakfast will sustain you longer than an hour might be:

Add a protein source to your breakfast in order to fill you up, slow down any blood glucose hit,  and drip-feed your energy levels throughout the morning.  This protein could be eggs, chicken, goat’s cheese, plain yoghurt, nuts, seeds or cooked pulses.

Secondly, try to add some vegetables to your breakfast plate.  Our bodies just can’t be alkaline enough in this acid-food western world.

Finally,  eat to enjoy!  My soup has become a real comfort this week – definitely food for the soul.  Hope you make yours the same 🙂

Nuts and seeds: health-giving zinc in pumpkin seeds

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Nuts and seeds are health-giving bombshells.  They are not just sources of protein, fibre and healthy fats, but also vitamins, minerals and a host of phytonutrients which have some extraordinarily specific health benefits.     Provided the soils where nuts/seeds grow are not depleted, or overworked, they will also give you minerals such as manganese, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, phosphorous….all of which play vital roles in every single system in your body.

So many benefits to be found in such small packages.
Today’s blog is looking at just ONE mineral in ONE type of seed  –  so imagine how many health-giving goodies you will eat in a handful.

When I think of pumpkin seeds I think ‘zinc’ because even though this mineral is found in many nuts and seeds, it is particularly high in pumpkin seeds.  It’s a great anti oxidant mineral, and one which is often low in our body.  Nuts and seeds are an ideal healthy way of increasing these levels.

Zinc is involved in a huge number of enzymatic reactions in the body.  A bit like magnesium, this mineral seems to be required everywhere, all the time.  And because we can’t store it, we need to eat it on a daily basis.

Zinc’s largest claim to fame is probably its role in immune health:  increasing production of white blood cells, helping fight infection and wound healing plus increasing killer cells which we need to fight disease….or the common cold (zinc supplementation will help reduce your cold’s severity and duration).

Skin health would be another biggie to think about.  Zinc is THE skin mineral, regulating sebaceous gland secretions, compensating for dry – or oily – skin conditions, hence it would be beneficial for both acne and something like dermatitis.

Do you know zinc is vital for your ability to taste and smell?  If you’ve lost either of these, don’t fear the worst.  Testing zinc levels would be an important first step, as it’s required to produce an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase, critical for the efficient functioning of your senses of taste and smell.

Another zinc benefit, crucial to male health, is the role it plays in sperm motility.  Anyone planning a family will ideally be taking at least three months to get their health in order, and good zinc levels, particularly for the future dad,  are vital.

All this is just a taster of zinc’s benefits, a mere page of information about one single mineral in one type of seed.
I’ve not touched upon pumpkin seed’s high magnesium, or tryptophan, or the wonderfully exotic cucurbitacin, let alone all the other seeds and nuts in these jars!

Another day…

Paleo, vegetarian, alkaline…what diet to choose?

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different-diets

What should you eat to improve poor health? Or, simply, what should you eat to stay healthy? There are so many different diets out there at the moment, I thought it would be a good exercise to compare some of the most current eating regimes.

Paleo is definitely the diet of the moment!  Loads of cookbooks and paleo restaurants are popping up, however it has actually been gathering momentum since the 90s (as a healthier cousin to the Atkins diet).  Loren Cordain put Paleo on the map back then and is subsequently considered its official founder (You can find lots of information about this diet on his website – thepaleodiet.com).

So, what is Paleo about?  Basically it’s eating what our caveman ancestors ate and eschewing foods which have ‘evolved’ since the agricultural revolution.  The belief is that our digestions – and nutrient requirements – haven’t changed all that much since those caveman days.  Hence Paleo is based on meat (including bone broths and organ meat), fish, vegetables, fruit and nuts.  No dairy, no legumes (pulses) and no grains.  And, like all the eating regimes I’ll be mentioning,  no processed foods (the fact that there is no healthy diet plan to support processed foods says it all).

Paleo proponents say this way of eating is more satiating and a good blood sugar balancer, providing sustained energy and well being.

There are research papers which support Paleo, showing that for many people it improves a.o. their healthy gut bacteria ratio. Considering 70%-80% of our immune system is in our gut it’s understandable why this is certainly one reason Paleo is suggested for some immune challenged health conditions.
However there are also numerous papers which criticize this diet.  One obvious reason is the saturated animal fat content which has always been considered pro-inflammatory (just think of arteries and cardio vascular disease).   Another criticism  is the lack of fibre in the form of grains and pulses.

So, Paleo and Vegetarian?  Never the twain shall meet…or is there a way?

What is a Vegetarian Diet exactly?  Does it have some ‘paleo’, ie. eggs or cheese… or no animal products at all?
I see many vegetarians in clinic who eat less vegetables than a paleo diet follower.  Cheesy pizzas or strange processed non-meat meals often figure in their  vegetarian food plan.  Not healthy, in fact processed anything is not going to be a healthy option for meals.

If you’re thinking about Going Veggie, consider the following.  Ideally a Vegetarian Diet is high in the one food that is in its very name: vegetables.  Also fruits, nuts, seeds, pulses.
And certainly if you’re a lacto-ovo vegetarian, then it includes dairy and eggs.  If you want no animal products in your meals, then you are eating Vegan, and if you’re new to a Vegan Diet, you may want to have some guided advice as to where to obtain your macro and micro nutrients, as some will be compromised (notably B12 and iron…also low protein in general).

The Low FODMAPS diet, created in 2005 at Monash uni, Australia, is less well known perhaps to the public, however it is an important one in the world of nutrition.

FODMAPS is the acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols – yes, it’s a mouthful of words.  What’s being talked about here are the different types of carbohydrates which are hard to digest and become fermented by gut bacteria, causing problems such as bloating, flatulence, pain and so on.
Little wonder this is an eating regime which often works for those suffering IBS-type or IBD symptoms.  This diet however is restrictive, and it’s not meant to be a ‘forever’ eating plan.  It’s based on excluding high FODMAPs foods for a set period, say, 2-6 weeks, and then reintroducing them one by one in order to ascertain which one(s) may be the culprit.

The claim is, if you lower your FODMAPs, you’ll lower digestive problems, and yes, this works a lot of the time.  However, keep in mind that this is indeed a restrictive diet, with some great vegetables, fruit, pulses and grains being excluded due to their high FODMAPS.  For that reason, this diet, like the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), is best done under the guidance of a nutritional therapist.

DASH is another acronym diet.  Similar to the Mediterranean Diet, it is the eating plan or regime which won the 2014 best diets award on U.S. Health news.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and is based on high vegetable and fruit intake, lean poultry and fish, whole grains, and low-to-no artery-clogging red meats and sugars.  A healthy middle-of-the-road way of eating which would benefit many (apologies but can’t resist all the dashes!)

Acid and alkaline are words which crop up in the nutritional world. The Acid Alkaline Diet resembles a Vegetarian Diet in that it supports alkaline-forming foods such as vegetables, fruits, sprouted grains, pulses, nuts and soy products.
Red meat, which is acid-forming, is a no-go (as are the obvious acid-forming fizzy drinks, for that matter!  However these would be off any of the mentioned healthy diet options by dint of their high sugar/sweetener/additive/colouring content).

The theory regarding pH levels, is that having a more alkaline diet will lower overall body  inflammation and increase longevity.   pH is the measure of acids and alkalines in the body (the range is between 0 and 14), with acid-forming foods being linked to increased potential for inflammation and disease.

The acidic range is 0-7 (eg. vinegar is 2), and alkaline falls between 7 and 14.  Since all protein foods are acid-forming (to a greater and lesser extent, with red meat being a high acid-forming food), but very necessary to good health, this diet is based on 60%-80% alkaline, with the remaining 20%-40% being ‘acid’.   In this way, the Acid/Alkaline diet is more do-able.

The Raw Food diet is self-explanatory.  Raw foodism has its roots in the late 1800s when Maximilian Bircher-Benner discovered the benefits of raw apples for curing jaundice.
The reasoning behind Going Raw continues in this vein, namely that the nutrient levels in uncooked food will be higher and will provide more anti oxidants, more minerals and vitamins to achieve better health.
Raw food is not processed, microwaved, irradiated or genetically engineered.  Also it’s not exposed to herbicides or pesticides (which may be the hardest part of it these days).
Typically, about 80% is plant-based  – and never heated above 46 degrees C – with some raw foodies eating raw animal products like unpasteurized milk or cheese made from it, or raw fish (eg. sashimi).  The latter comes with its own set of potential problems as raw meats/fish can contain toxins.  Grains and raw dried organic legumes are also accepted plus cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and raw coconut oil…

As healthy as it may be for some, going raw does not suit a lot of digestive systems (and for that reason, juicing could be an option if you wanted to increase the amount of ‘raw’ in your life).
Going raw is also not the easiest food plan to follow – think about eating out or at friends’.  It can be very limiting although admittedly there is currently a huge raw food movement, with fun equipment and ‘accessories’ on the market – like spirilators and dehydrators – which are enabling the range of interesting foods to expand.
This very equipment, however, can be costly plus the processes time-consuming, so for these reasons as well, it will not suit everyone.

The Mediterranean Diet has been a popular way of eating for many years.  It resembles the DASH and Mayo Clinic Diet and is based on low red meat, low sugar and low saturated fats.  There isn’t really just one Med Diet since Italians eat differently to the French or Greeks or Spaniards.  However there are some common denominators in that the Med Diet focuses on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, olive oil, cheese, fish… and occasional red meat and wine with meals.  All quite broad, and hence a very do-able diet.  Certainly a good starting point for those who have never changed dietary patterns but wish to make a healthy and easy start.

So, after this little tour around some so-called healthy diets, do you have an answer to your digestive issues (IF you have issues?!)

If not, perhaps before you even think about which diet may help improve how you feel, you should first ensure that your digestive system is in good working order.  No amount of ‘healthy’ eating will work if there’s an unresolved digestive infection or an allergy or intolerance which is preventing proper digestion, absorption and regular elimination.
If this is ringing true in your mind then consider talking to a nutritional therapist like myself, or speak to your doctor for guidance.

There are so many other diets out there to share with you, from  the Macrobiotic diet to the Glycaemic-index diet to the Gluten-free…and more.
The bottom line is there is no right or wrong diet.
There will be a way of eating which will suit you and your health picture.  Possibly a mixture of some of the above.
In the end, it’s about finding the nutritious foods which you enjoy and which don’t cause discomfort.  Foods which will help you feel well and thrive.

Environmental toxins: plastic

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Not all plastic is created equal. We should be choosing plastic which is free of Bisphenol A, better known as BPA.

This is a chemical used to harden plastics, hence is found in a wide range of products such as coatings of food and drink cans, water bottles, baby bottles, dental fillings, dental and medical devices, DVDs, CDs, household electronics and sports equipment.

Worryingly, it’s also found in epoxy resins which are used as coatings inside food and drinks cans.

BPA was common in baby bottles, in sippy cups, baby formula cans and other products for babies and young children.

Thankfully, much controversy only a few years ago changed that. Now the six major companies in USA which make baby bottles and cups for infants have stopped using BPA in the products they sell there. Many manufacturers of infant formula have stopped using BPA in their cans as well. According to the U.S. Department of Health, toys generally don’t contain BPA.

BPA can behave in a similar way to oestrogen and other hormones in our bodies so it can act as an endocrine (=hormone) disruptor, namely a substance which can interfere with the production, secretion, transport, action, function and elimination of any and all of our natural hormones.

It can imitate our body’s own hormones in a way that can be very hazardous to our health.

Although public authorities set BPA safety levels, many experts think these levels should be reviewed, certainly after a number of recent studies were published in the States (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in USA) which found 95% of adult human urine samples and 93% of samples in children had bisphenol A (yikes!)

So what ARE the possible health effects of BPA ?

Obviously in view of the hormonal aspect, reproductive disorders figure high on the list. BPA exposure can affect egg maturation and be implicated in male impotence as well as changes in sex hormones in men.

Higher levels of urinary BPA are being linked to Type 2 Diabetes, CV disease and liver-enzyme abnormalities as well as to increased asthma rates, to brain fog and memory/learning problems.

Take a look at this link:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-379624/The-poison-lurking-plastic-water-bottle.html

Then this helpful link:   http://www.care2.com/greenliving/which-plastics-are-safe.html

…and then throw out those old soft plastic containers from the take-away.  Think twice about cling film (IF, then keep it away from the food in the bowl or dish) – and stock up on BPA free containers.

Salt – we love it but it hates us!

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First of all, some relevant facts:  Salt contains sodium which is an essential nutrient that maintains our water balance as well as our blood pressure.  Salt also helps regulate muscle and nerve activity, so, yes…. we need it, but not as much as we’re consuming.  The recommended limit is about 6g (1 tsp daily) – less for children – but the UK is currently estimated to be consuming around 8.5g salt daily.You say you’re not adding that teaspoon to meals?

Hmmm, you don’t need to.  According to research papers [He and MacGregor, 2009, Journal of Human Hypertension; & SACN, 2003 ‘Salt and Health’] about 70-80% of our daily salt intake is already in our foods.  Breads, cereals, ready meals , canned food products and snacks are all the obvious culprits.And this is why salt is a very real health problem.   We’re consuming it daily without even realizing it.Not only is salt intake a major risk factor in high blood pressure & cardiovascular disease (the latter still being the leading cause of death worldwide), it’s high intake is also linked to stomach cancer (irritates the gut lining a.o.), oedema and kidney disease.  It can also cause osteoporosis because high salt leads to high urinary loss of calcium which in turn leads to our body compensating for this loss by drawing calcium from our bones.

Look at this salty list on the NHS ‘Choices’ website:  ham, cheese, bacon, olives, pickles, prawns, anchovies, salami, soy sauce, stock cubes, yeast extract, smoked fish, smoked meat, gravy granules… and of course salted nuts and crisps.  A lot of these foods may not be obvious salt sources to everyone.  And even sweet snack foods are on the list because the food industry knows that taste buds love sweet ‘n salty!

The following too can also be high in salt:  tomato ketchup, takeaways, pasta sauces, bread products (like ciabattas or bagels), pizzas, ready meals and soups.

The word ‘salt’ is invariably not listed on labels, however ‘sodium’ may be.  But sodium isn’t salt, it’s just part of it.  In fact 1 g sodium is 2.5g salt…which is a lot more salt intake in a given food than we may have realized.

Is there any good news about all this?

Firstly eating less of any processed snack will be a great start.  Unsalted nuts and seeds or a piece of fruit because really it does seem as though most snack foods contain salt (apart from, for example, salt-free crisps – but those are deep fried and full of trans fats which is another topic for another time).
And if we cook more from scratch we will be in charge of how much salt goes in the pot.
Checking labels is another obvious step.  Choose the canned or packaged goods with the lowest salt or sodium content.

The really good news however is that as our salt intake drops, our salt taste receptors in the mouth adapt.  After 1-2 months we won’t miss it at all!

Environmental toxins – reducing exposure

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Eat organic where possible – especially when it comes to meats, eggs, dairy produce and grains.  Whatever you do, wash all food well before eating or cooking.
Check out the appleaday facebook post from a couple of days ago, regarding the Environmental Working Group’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ ;  or google ‘Dirty Dozen’ and find out which foods you should really buy organic due to their very high toxic load.

Avoid processed foods, especially those with added colourings, sweeteners and flavourings… I realize most of you are well aware of this however it’s a useful reminder for all to check labels of any canned or bottled foods in the house.  And in this context of ‘clean living’, it simply must be mentioned J

Be aware of the water you’re drinking.  Possible contaminants include small amounts of pharmaceuticals, hormones, nitrates, lead….  Filter your water.  Take a look at multi-stage carbon filters or reverse osmosis filters

Reduce intake of soft-plastic-container bottled water.  Chemicals from the plastics often leach into the water – try glass bottles, or fill up a hard plastic drinking container with your home filtered water.

Avoid sipping your takeaway hot drink through the plastic lid.  And avoid using plastics in the microwave – ensure that any plastic containers you use for storage are free from bisphenol A (‘plastic’ blog will soon appear…)

Replace any Teflon cook and bake ware with uncoated glass, clay, stone or enamel versions

Minimise the use of cling wraps and aluminium foil.  A quick solution for storing left overs, but keep hard plastic storage boxes, and if you do use cling film try to avoid contact with the food it is covering in the bowl.  Best choice is to use glass or hard bisphenol A-free containers.
When baking use an oven container with a lid, or wrap the fish or chicken in baking paper or parchment paper instead of aluminium foil – works a treat.  Some origami in the kitchen, making a slightly loose parcel (ends however firmly closed to ensure no leakage)  and then using a wooden ‘skewer’ to keep it packed.

Avoid eating larger oily fish eg swordfish, tuna, marlin and shark, due to their higher levels of mercury and chemical pollutants compared to smaller fish.  The larger and older the fish, the more toxins they will have accumulated over the years.
Think ‘small fish with big eyes’, a teacher once told me as they live at greater depths (where one hopes the toxins will be more dispersed); being smaller, they will have less heavy metals, plastics etc stored in their bodies.  Wild salmon is a great choice, so keep an eye on offers at supermarkets or your fish supplier – and stock up.

When cooking avoid high temperatures – you don’t want food to be ‘smoking’ and certainly don’t want to eat burnt foods.  Bar-b-qs sadly are not on the healthy list – avoid whilst on a clean-eating, detox week – and otherwise enjoy in moderation – and eat less of those crispy charred bits…

Polyunsaturated fats should not be heated as they are more volatile than heated saturated or monounsaturated fats and therefore more prone to molecular structure changes which are now considered potentially carcinogenic.

Cooking with a monounsaturated oil is usually the advice given – although this is still a hotly discussed topic, as a lot of the beneficial nutrients in, say, virgin olive oil, a monounsaturated oil, will be cooked away (my suggestion: cook with it, and add a slurp of uncooked with your salad!  Difficult for many given the cost, so again, check out offers – there’s usually a virgin olive oil on sale at our local supermarket.  Stock up!)
Coconut oil is a saturated plant fat which, when heated, will not change its molecular structure to the detriment of your health.  There are loads of testimonials about the fantastic health benefits, and I personally love the taste of anything cooked in it;  claimed to be safer than heating animal-based saturated fats like butter however, again, there are opposing opinions on this.  Some CV doctors/nurses say all saturated fats aredetrimental to arteries and heart health – then there are in vitro studies showing massive overall health benefits including improved cholesterol.  Eat in moderation is my current recommendation.

I would  welcome hearing of results of large-scale research studies, preferably in vivo, on coconut oil so do please share any information on this 🙂

Environmental considerations:

Avoid pesticides or herbicides in your home or garden

Avoid aluminium-containing antiperspirants and antacids – huge links to breast cancer.

Have second-thoughts about water proofing or flame proofing furniture coverings and clothes – you can have severe reactions.

Check out natural carpets or hardwoods instead of the standard carpeting which is treated with chemicals

Hair products and skin care:  look for those without added alcohol, sodium lauryl sulphate, phthalates, parabens or other petrochemicals – look at www.essential-care.co.uk or numerous other natural beauty product sites

Use paints labelled low or no VOC. Various finishes and paints release low-level toxic emissions into the air even years after application – these VOCs (volatile organic compounds) may have short and long-term adverse health effects

Control the dust, mould and bacteria in your home.  Wet wipe, check out home air filters or ionisers…and adopt some indoor plants!

Go natural with cleaning products – make your own (I’ll post some tips about this later as a facebook blog and sometime next week on another website blog) Green People and Ecover are very good but there are now lots of fab choices to be made.www.naturalcollection.com is good to look around

Avoid heavy traffic for long periods of time – yes of course this is NOT always easy to control, however if you can pick your time to travel, avoid work/school traffic times…and if you go for a walk,  stride across fields, parks or small lanes, rather than walking on busier roads and breathing in car fumes. Another addition to your toxic load.

Avoid smoking and smokers….apologies if this sounds trite!  Such a huge subject in a mere sentence however it is too well known to labour the point.  We all know the facts, we’ve seen the packaging change from outdoorsie Malboro man to health warning signs and plain labelling. Smoking is a highly addictive habit and hence difficult for many to just drop.  There are lots of books to google, tapes to buy.  Hypnotherapy and psychotherapy can both be fabulous.
But in the end, it’s up to the smoker ….and those in the vicinity, inhaling a smoker’s puffs!

Electromagnetic fields are shown now to affect more and more people, not just very sensitive allergic individuals.
Restrict mobile phone use (turn off inbetween – it also limits how many ‘quick’ texts you send which can actually wait until later).   Turn off other electrical equipment when not in use and certainly limit the amount of electrical equipment in the bedroom.  T.V.s may be great company but apart from the electrical aspect of sleeping in a room full of equipment (computer, phones, electric alarms…what else?), all those little red and green lights can disturb sleepzzzzzzz.