Are you suffering from sleep and weight issues? Are you wondering if the two are linked? A number of studies have shown an association between sleep duration and quality with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease risk. Sleep loss is one of the risk factors for obesity. The problem is that sleep loss leads to weight gain, but being overweight also causes sleep issues thus leading to a vicious cycle. Sleep loss affects a number of our hormones and causes imbalance in their levels. Leptin and ghrelin are the hormones that regulate our appetite, and poor sleep alters their production leading ...

In our previous blog, we learned the crucial role the health of our gut plays on our mental health. By ensuring a diverse microbiome, we ensure a healthy connection between our gut and our brain, thus keeping symptoms such as headaches, migraines, poor sleep, etc. at bay. In this second blog, we are going to explore a few simple ways to reduce your symptoms naturally. Ways to reduce headaches First, check for food allergies: it could be that your headaches are caused by an allergy to some foods. A nutritionist or healthcare provider can advise you on where and how ...

Many people suffer from headaches these days and there are many reasons why this is happening. Causes of headaches Minor headaches can be caused by a cold or flu, dehydration, stress, or eyestrain. More serious headaches and migraines have been linked to other causes, ranging from simple to very serious.  More studies are pointing towards the link between gut health and headaches. We are made of individual organs but none of these functions individually: they are all interconnected through a complex and wonderful network within our body. This indicates that when we are experiencing a problem in one place, we ...

The dangers of sugar Many people revert to sweet foods to improve their mood as they temporarily lift negative feelings and induce more positive ones. However, studies suggest that a high intake of sugary foods is more likely to have the opposite effect on mental health in the long-term. In addition to providing excess energy, high intake of sugar results in a pro-inflammatory state, the cause of many diseases and chronic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, mental health disorders... High intake of sugar reduces levels of beneficial bacteria and increases those of pathogenic bacteria in the ...

Why do we need sleep? Sleep is essential for healing and repair. As a result, not having enough sleep both in terms of time and quality can have important impacts on mental and physical health as well as our quality of life. Chronic sleep issues can lead to many health problems and can alter how we think, work, learn, react, deal with what life throws at us, and our interactions with others. It also affects our attention span, our ability to make or take decisions and our emotions. Studies have shown a link between sleep deficiency, anxiety, depression, suicide and ...

Are you feeling bloated? Does this drain your energies and make your feel irritable? You are not alone. A surprising number of people reports suffering from bloating on a regular basis. Bloating causes your belly to feel full and tight, and is often accompanied with gas. What causes bloating and thus affects your health? There are many causes to this but if your bloating is chronic, you could be suffering from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or chronic constipation, and should seek medical advice. A common cause of bloating is mild constipation. Not having regular bowel movements causes more bacteria to ...

Are you feeling sluggish and struggling to do things? Are you tiring easily and wishing you could do more? Do you want to have more energy? There are solutions. Our body produces energy in the form of ATP (Adenosine 5'-triphosphate), the principal molecule that stores and transfers energy into our cells. As such, it is often called the “energy currency” of our cells. ATP is generated in bean-shaped structures within our cells called mitochondria. Mitochondrial support sustains energy production and reduces symptoms of fatigue. Low energy and fatigue are often correlated with other health issues such as muscular pain, sleep & ...

Do you struggle with anxiety, depression, low mood or brain fog? Do you feel bloated and tired? Are you struggling with your weight? Are you wondering what is going on & not knowing what to do? The answer could all be in your gut! Hippocrates, the father of medicine, stated that “all disease begins in the gut” and increasing scientific evidence is showing a clear connection between our brain and our gut. Looking after our gut and taking care of our gut bacteria (our microbiome) could THEREFORE be the key to improving not only our mental health but many other ...

In Part 1, we discussed the differences and respective benefits of juices and smoothies, and provided a few juicing tips and recipes. In this section, we will discuss smoothies. What are the best ingredients for smoothies? The best fruits to use for smoothies are softer fruits – pears are okay if they are ripe, but apples tend to give a bit too much ‘crunch’. Bananas Apricots Raspberries Strawberries Blackcurrants Blackberries Blueberries Cherries Mango Kiwi Passion fruit Plums Pears – ripe Peaches You can buy bags of frozen mixed berries in most supermarkets - using them from frozen makes the smoothie ...

Juicing or making smoothies is a good way of getting high levels of good nutrients into your body thus fuelling our body both physically and mentally and giving us more energy. Fruit and vegetables contain high levels of antioxidants, helping cellular repair, boosting our immunity and slowing the ageing process. Juicing means you remove the fibrous part which fills you up, so that the nutrients are easily digested and quickly assimilated for optimal results. Smoothies still have the fibre in them so are good for gut function & immunity. Aim for more vegetables (80%) than fruits (20%) as fruits contain ...