​This humble grain which is actually a seed has a deceptive name; it’s related to rhubarb and has no association with wheat at all. It was originally widely used in China and found its way through Europe over the centuries.
​It is gentle, nutritious and is just as easy to use as wheat.
Click the button below to LEARN MORE

It is now apparent that when stopping the weight loss injections also known as GLP-1s the likeihood of bounceback weight gain is as much as 20% plus.  Individuals have found that their weight gain has been rapid and as well as returning to their original weight they have gained upto 50% more.  Whilst some people only notice between 10% and 20% on top of their original weight, the majority experience more.

Individuals have described the food noise returning but even louder and they find themselves eating uncontrollably.  

There is a greater likelihood of this bounce back weight gain if individuals do not have good eating habits and do not carry out strength exercises whilst they are using the weight loss injections. 

Correct guidance is essential to ensure bounce back weight gain does not happen or minimise this at least.
Professional advice is the best route so this huge investment is not wasted.

To book an appointment click the button below:

Calcium is another king mineral. We have spoken about magnesium in a previous article, and its interactions with the other three king minerals, potassium, calcium and sodium. Here we will explore the role of calcium.
What is calcium? Calcium is an essential macro mineral with many vital interactions for healthy bodily functions, including building and maintaining strong bones, contributing to muscle contractions, nerve stimulation, including the heart and facilitating blood clotting.  
Calcium is the most abundant inorganic mineral in the body, with 99% existing in bone and teeth and the remaining 1% in soft tissue and extracellular fluid.

There is a great deal of confusing advice ever increasing on social media.  This advice can be dangerous as it does not account for personal circumstances such as medications.
Supplement safely, read on click below to safe guard your calcium intake.
Seek advice from a Nutritionist, we are here in Faversham to help.

This lady summarised her weight loss journey so eloquently.  Highlighting the highs and lows, effects on her osteoarthritis and lifestyle.  She kindly typed up her journey with me, hoping it will inspire other people to achieve their goals and to realise that whilst change is hard, the benefits are worth it.  I dedicate this to my wonderful patients, and their journeys.

Getting Back Out There!   

In May 2014, I received my diagnosis of Diverticulosis, I accepted it pretty much in ignorance of its future impact on my life.  Little did I know explosive bowel urgency and weight gain would take its toll.

Life, in its many forms, carried on.......  Me, eating all the wrong foods, gaining more weight.  Extra weight I did not need to carry as I also had arthritis.  The blessed osteoarthritis - in hands and feet, which had made me give up the job I loved – Complementary Therapies. 
The final straw – a much looked-forward-to evening out with old friends – I had to cancel – my bowel/colon had decided to go into overdrive. ​

​I rang the hostess who said she would be back in touch after that evening with a promise to help me – she kept that promise.  She recommended a Nutritional Therapist to me – a partner and a circle of friends had benefited from seeing this lady for many different reasons and symptoms. 

I made that ‘phone call.  It brought me to Victoria Shorland.   
​
The day I saw my Nutritionist, I can truthfully say changed this stage of my life. A two-hour consultation was all it took. 
A fairly strict eating regime was handed to me.  No … regime is not a good word.  It represents “must do”.  Let’s change it to transition which represents “can do”. I will not deny it was hard at times.  Eating white meat –chicken or turkey – day in, day out, can get very, well, very ‘bland’.  I was allowed the occasional foray into the red meats, so I took the initiative to have red meats, coffee and quite a few other “no-nos” (let’s change that to “suggest-not”) purely on a reward system.  My reward for tackling the ironing, sorting out my paperwork, writing up treatment forms … housework!!   

I say reward because also during my initial two-hour consultation with Victoria, she and I discussed my life as it was up to that time.  Although I bore in mind she is not a counsellor, she assessed me mentally and physically and imbued in me such a sense of motivation and a cheerfulness I hadn’t had a for a while.  I was fair left reeling when I left – my emotions were indescribable.   

The past six months have been quite an eye opener. I stopped blaming others for everything and something.  You know, things like weight-gain.  I gained it because I would not walk far “’cos my feet hurt”, it's too cold, too hot, it's too, it's too, oh, the list was endless.  I gained weight because the biscuits and cakes were in the cupboard, because the bowl of fruit was purely for decoration. 
I had blamed others for the fact that I was eating wheat and gluten and a hundred and one other things which aggravated my colon and blamed others for the fact that I had to run to the loo x-amount of times a day as a result.   

With the food transition for the care of my sensitive and vulnerable colon, anything with wheat and gluten in it was a ‘suggest-not’.  Cakes, bread, biscuits – things like that.  Please note, I used that word ‘ suggest-not again.  NOT BAN.  The suggestion led me to a foray into the local supermarket. There are foods for sale, completely free of wheat and gluten!!   Yes, bread and biscuits!!   And a hundred and one other things!!

Now here’s one wonderful discovery – because it was suggested I avoid cakes, biscuits, bread, dairy products, sugars, reduce the intake of potatoes basically, and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, there is one very obvious by-product – weight-loss!  Yippee – 3 ½ stone to date.  But I bore in mind that having to keep going to the toilet also can make you lose weight, but that is not a healthy way to lose one’s weight.   

Also on my food-transition, was oily fish and supplements – oh and nuts which then produced another by-product – my muscles and joints improved and enabled me to restart my Reflexology Business.   

I can almost hear you saying “You’ve made it all sound so easy”.  No, it hasn’t been easy.  It has been hard.  There have been times when my halo could have slipped to  bite into that big, sticky bun or fumble through that packet of custard creams just for the sheer hell of it.  But when you have folk telling you how much better you look with both the weight-loss and skin condition due to drinking more water, comment on the new outfit, finding you have more energy by not carrying that extra weight around and not having your gut ‘bunged up’ with something not quite agreeing with it, who or what was I going to blame then?

Motivation is another by-product.  There’s another word for that – proactive.  Because I now had no one to blame anymore and found myself with energy to burn, I found myself starting to have another look at my world.  

My  world?  The garden could do with sprucing up (gardening, I read, burns up those extra calories!)  Wardrobe – needs some colour injection and updating.  Skirts are on my shopping list – I must look at my dictionary to remind myself what a skirt means!  Hair – could do with shortening to lengthen my neck! Sorting out paperwork – why do we accumulate so much?   

WEIGHT-LOSS, A HEALTHIER COLON,  CLEARER SKIN = VANITY OF THE BEST KIND   

Oh, this list could go on … but I’ll close now.  Not because I have to rush to the loo like  I had to last year (this year, its perhaps once or twice a day, barring just three blips- sorry to be graphic) but there’s somewhere I need to go, there’s something I need to do,  somewhere I need to be and it’s not the loo! …..   

I AM WORTHY OF CHANGE – PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY

Osteopenia diagnosis could be seen as an opportunity to implement changes to lifestyle, diet and possibly medications to prevent development of osteoporosis and danger of fractures.  It is a precursor to a much more serious disease.
​
Osteomalacia could be simply described as soft bones in adults and that is primarily from a vitamin D deficiency when this occurs in children, we call that Ricketts.
​
The purpose of bone is to give structure, so there is a frame for muscle and ligaments to attach too, and a ‘safe zone’ for our vital organs. 

Our bones are also a reserve for minerals (a savings account) so if you need more calcium or phosphorus, bone is that reserve where withdrawals and deposits can be made. 

Phosphorus - Many people just focus on the calcium aspect of bone.  85% of phosphorus is stored in our bone, yet it is often forgotten.  
Problems with your bone health can occur if you have too little phosphorus or too much.  
Excess phosphorus can cause bone loss – for example if you drink a lot of sodas/fizzy drinks, or products with phosphoric acid or junk foods; these can cause bone loss.
Deficiency can cause muscle weakness, bone pain and confusion, numbness, anxiety, fragile bones; potentially leading to a fall.
Phosphorus is in a large variety of foods so supplementation is generally not necessary unless the diet or lifestyle contributes to its depletion or unacceptable rise.

Causes of deficiency – Hyperparathyroidism, kidney problems, alcoholism, antacids, diuretics, steroids, malnutrition can all effect Phosphorus levels.

Collagen
35% of bone is protein comprising mostly in the form of Collagen.  This protein has the function of creating red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets so is essential for the immune system.  When working with Osteoporosis, it is not just about looking at a loss of calcium, diets low in protein leading to low collagen can contribute to poor bone health.

Vegans, vegetarians, certain gastric/bowel conditions can lead to low protein intake or absorption.  Weight Loss injections are a worrying influence on protein levels due to micro portions of users.
 
Vitamins K2, D3, A and E

• These are fat soluble vitamins (hence supplements being in oil capsules to allow absorption).
• Vitamin D3 acts as a ‘bricklayer’ gathering up calcium and ensuring it is available in our blood stream for transportation to our bones.  It also regulates phosphate levels.  It increases calcium absorption by 20%.
• Vitamin K2 is the architect ensuring the calcium is placed correctly into the boney structure. It is also critical for blood clotting, and produced by health gut bacteria.
• Vitamin A is a labourer, assisting in the whole process of the journey of calcium.
• Vitamin E promotes osteoblast activity, which is essential for bone formation.  It is believed to magnify gene expression connected to osteoblasts leading to the production of bone building. Vitamin E is also a powerful antioxidant so helps reduce oxidative stress which can be detrimental to bone health.
• DO NOT SUPPLEMENT K2 IF YOU ARE TAKING BLOOD THINNERS.

Sources
Vitamin D3 – Sunlight, oily fish, fortified foods, mushrooms, cheese, egg yolk, cod liver oil, orange juice.
Vitamin K2 – Blue cheese, liver, fermented foods such as Natto, egg yolks, butter, oily fish, sauerkraut,
Vitamin A – Retinol is found in animal based foods; liver, fish, egg yolk and dairy products and is the best source, however carotenoids found in plant based foods can be used eg. Orange and yellow foods, leafy greens, cantaloupe and mango.

Low fat diets or certain medications can block Vitamin K2 such as statins, or a blood thinner, antidepressants, antacids, medications for high blood pressure or even medications for erectile dysfunction.

Vitamin E – Avocados, butternut squash, broccoli, olive oil, almonds, spinach, trout, bell peppers, oil fish are some examples.

Gallbladder
Effectiveness is essential, along with a healthy liver.  The gallbladder produces the bile to absorb fat soluble vitamins.  Therefore, individuals with gallbladder removal or gallstones may have difficulty processing the above vitamins. A fatty liver can also inhibit absorption.

Some medications will affect the absorption of fat soluble vitamins.  In particular, proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, esomeprazole. These medications block certain enzymatic functions (proton pump) lowering the amount of acid the stomach produces, this in turn will lower the effectiveness of vitamin and mineral absorption.

Magnesium helps activate vitamin D – A separate audio has been produced with regards to magnesium as it is such a large topic.
Potassium is important, magnesium and potassium can both be sourced from leafy greens.

Trace minerals - Zinc, copper and boron are the top trace minerals.  (there are others but we will focus on these for this article).

• Zinc assists in bone formation, remodelling and mineralization.  It plays a vital role in stimulating osteoblasts (bone building) and polices/suppresses osteoclasts (bone resorbing).  It also regulates the role of Vitamin D on calcium metabolism. Studies have demonstrated a connection with lower serum zinc levels and fractures.
• Copper is critical for bone health.  Low copper levels is connected to a drop in bone density, particularly in the total femur and femoral neck. 
• Boron aids the absorption of calcium and magnesium and vitamin D.  Boron also assists in the metabolism of hormones such as oestrogen.

Sources
Zinc – Seafood, nuts, seeds, dairy products, chicken, turkey, beef, pork, lamb, eggs.
Copper – Organ meats such as liver, shellfish (oysters), nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes, sweet potato, avocado, shiitake mushroom, firm tofu.
Boron – Apple, grapes, raisins, potato, broccoli, dark leafy greens, legumes, peanuts.

Cholesterol
Bile salts are made out of cholesterol and you need cholesterol to make bile salts to help you absorb these fat soluble nutrients and you also need cholesterol to help build hormones including sex hormones. 

Oestrogen
Reduction during peri-menopause and loss after menopause can influence a lowering in bone density, so managing cholesterol by increasing it during this life cycle could help support bone health as cholesterol has an important role in bone health.
As discussed earlier, acid reflux treatments and also cholesterol lowering medications can be detrimental to bone health so lifestyle changes may be better.

SUPPLEMENTS:
There are several high street brands which offer an 'osteo' formula including Lamberts, Biocare and Solgar.  By using a 'multi' formula you are ensuring the supplementation is balanced.  
Higher doses must be prescribed by a health practitioner or Nutritionist/Dietician to ensure safety and no contra-indications with medications.  Please see contact details if you would like to book for a review.

References:
https://wellnessextract.com/blogs/wellness/surprising-use-of-vitamin-e-for-bone-health
Zinc as a Therapeutic Agent in Bone Regeneration - PMC
Is Copper Beneficial For Your Bones?
Serum copper levels are associated with bone mineral density and total fracture - PMC

#osteoporosis #bonehealth #killerbonedisease #nutritionist #faversham #diet #allergytesting #vega #cholesterolloweringdrugs #boronbonebuilder #copperbuildsbones #mybrittlebones #osteopeniahelp #society #ROS #dietician #bonedisease #acidrefluxdangers #omeprazoledangers #acidrefluxisdangerous #howdoiimprovemybones #fractures #menopauseandbonehealth #oestrogenandbonehealth #hormone 

Magnesium is a vital macro mineral, one of four Kings amongst the mineral world. It can be a friend or foe, so consume with caution.
Click on the  buttons below for the audio version.
​

Hair Loss is being experienced by some GLP-1 users and it can be very distressing. 
Questions are being asked such as ‘will the hair grow back’, ‘can it be prevented’, ‘why is it so rapid’.

In lowering nutrition there is a possibility of protein deficiency which can lead to hair loss.  It can be difficult to keep protein levels up as portions are so limited, so finding ways to eat a balanced diet is vital, rather than supplementing one specific food group.
​
I have put together a podcast to guide you as to why this hair loss happens associated with weight loss injections and can it be avoided.

The links below will also give robust information:
Why Is My Hair Thinning on GLP-1 Weight Loss Medications — And What Can I Do? - Ample Health & Wellness
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist medications and hair loss: A retrospective cohort study - Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
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Below is a link for smoothies.
Consultant Nutritionist and Food Intolerance Testing, Faversham Kent, IBS Specialist Clinic - NUTRITION, IBS, INTOLERANCES, BLOOD TESTING

#nutritionist #dietician #whysmyhairfallingout #hairloss #weightlossinjections #GLP-1 #proteindeficiencysymptoms #bald #intolerances #ibs #myths #bloodwork #hormonalchanges #salon #hairdresser #dietandhair #growth #dermatologist #b12 #thyroid #
 

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This podcost highlights how to ensure you have good whole nutrition despite having a spinal fracture, poor or low appetite, organ crowding and more.  I talk about how to plan easy meals to help with recovery and keep nutrition optimal.
​
I hope this inspires and motivates you in the right direction.
​CLICK on the button below or use the YOUTUBE format.

nutritionist #dietician #weightlossinjections #mounjaro #ozem #ibs #bloating #anxiety #diabetes #GLP-1 #herbalist #vegatesting #bloodtesting #phlebotomy #faversham #kent #canterbury #maidstone #bluecrest #b12 #hormoneimbalance #TLSObackbrace #spinal #fracture #compression #wegovy #sideeffects #massage #hotstone #botox #allergytesting #intolerance #cholesterol #healthcheck #folkestone #hythe #dover #deal #chatham 

Tofu Vegan Smoothie 

• 1/2 cup of soft tofu
• 1 cup vanilla soy milk or almond milk (no sugar version)
• 1 frozen banana (optional)
• 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 tablespoons of mixed seeds

INSTRUCTIONS
Place everything in a blender and mix until smooth, about one minute. Enjoy!


​Vanilla Vegan shake
½ small banana
25g almonds or cashew nuts
2/3 cup (180ml) soya milk or a plant-based milk of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tbsp avocado
Blend until smooth (using hand-whisk/blender)
​
Fruit Smoothie
1 ripe banana, handful of frozen berries or blueberries
1 scoop of ice cream or 3 tbsp Greek yogurt or dairy free alternative
1 teaspoon of sugar or honey
200ml fortified milk/ tinned coconut milk/ soya milk. Blend until smooth (using hand-whisk/blender)

Energy Smoothies
4 tbsp of rolled oats
1/2 pint cloudy apple juice
1/4 banana
Handful of sunflower seeds
Small floret of broccolli
Blend until smooth. Consistency can be quite thick so vary ingredients to suit your needs.

1/2 pint almond milk
1/2 avocado
Handful of Blueberries
3 tbsp plain greek yoghurt
1 carrot
Blend until smooth.  Add other ingredients and experiment.

​Smoothies are not meal replacements and whole food meals should also be eaten.
Small portions and soft foods may be easier to chew, swallow and manage without feelng overwhelmed.

The link below leads to drinks which can be available on prescription.  There are other varieties but always check their nutritional value.
​

No one case is the same and individual circumstances need to be considered when looking at advice.
Victoria has first hand exeperience of spinal fracture recovery and gives an honest and open description and some practical advice.

The TLSO back brace is part of this journey and an essential part of recovery.  Accepting and wearing it is a huge leap and it can add to discomfort already experienced.  However it offers support whilst the spine is healing.

This Podcast will offer guidance and reassurance.
Click the button below to hear about what to expect and what you can do to help yourself.

#watersafety #hydration #bloodtesting #phlebotomy #diabetes #b12 #anaemia #goitre #thyroidtesting #thriva #yorktesting #nutritionist #dietician #faversham #canterbury #dover #kent #chatham #whitstable #soulsolutions #massage #gelnails #beutician #botox #hairremoval #weightlossinjections #weightloss #belly #fat #bloating #ibs #diverticulitis #colitis #crohns #coeliac #gluten #free #flour # bluecrestwellness #maidstone #fertility #gelnails #massage #leakygut

Stop scrolling and losing hours trawling for ansers about glycaemic load and blood sugars.

​Are you wondering about the signs of diabetes ? Is the information on the internet confusing.  I'm not surprised as there is so much out there, it can be overwhelmng.  Blood sugar management is vital to vibrant health and energy and the article below explains why and how we can manage our blood sugars more effectively.
Also if we manage our carbohydrates we can shift stubborn weight.  It is important to clarify what carbohydrates are and what their role is with our blood sugars.
​

#nutritionist #dietician #weightlossinjections #sideeffects #omzempic #aminoacids #thyroid #hypothyroidism #hyperthyroid #TSH #T3 #T4 #bloodtesting #fatigue #hairloss #femalehealth phlebotomist #bloodtesting #weightlossclinic #menopausesupport #womens health #botox #massage #hotstones #IBS #crohns #coeliac #diverticulitis #inflammation #gutbiome #bacteria #liverdisease #copd #diabetes #gallbladder #removed #arthritis #yorktest #bluecrest #mournjaro #gastricsleevediet #zoe #losebellyfat #