Posts by admin

Slow Cookers

Posted on by admin

By London nutritionist Sylvia Hensher

Benefits of Slow Cookers

The advantage of the slow cooker is that it is able to do the cooking without any human intervention. The cooker takes the heat and indirectly applies it to the food so that the food cooked slowly and evenly. As the slow cooker uses low heat, the food is not burned without stirring. Furthermore, the slow cooker is an economical appliance to use for cooking. It uses as little electricity as a 75-watt light bulb and substantially less energy as compared to an electric oven.

The slow cooker means you can go to work all day and come back to enjoy home-cooked food without having to spend time in the cooking process. In the morning before leaving for work you can easily place all the food ingredients in the slow cooker and set it on low. By the time you  come back from work in the evening, a tasty, nutritious, home-cooked dish will be ready.

Tips For Using Slow Cookers

1. Keep it convenient- Make the slow cooker fit your schedule. Prepare a recipe in the morning and let the slow cooker work all day. Or, get everything ready the day before, cover and refrigerate overnight, and wait until morning to start slow cooking.

2. Use fresh ingredients- Avoid using frozen ingredients, especially meat and poultry, which take longer to cook and can disturb the overall timing of a recipe.

3. Stock the crock the right way-For best results, the slow cooker should be half to two-thirds full. When making soups and other dishes that need to simmer, leave a two-inch gap between the food and the top of the slow cooker. Place ingredients that take a long time to cook—root vegetables and large cuts of meat, for example—on the bottom of the slow cooker so they have maximum heat exposure. More delicate items, such as rice, pasta, dairy products, and certain vegetables, should be added during the last hour of cooking.

4. Keep the lid on, stir sparingly-In general, keep the lid securely on the slow cooker to avoid heat loss, which slows down cooking. However, it’s ok to occasionally lift the lid and stir. In fact, if your slow cooker has hot spots, stirring can be helpful.

5. Season later, not sooner- Slow cooking tends to mellow seasoning so be sure to taste your dish to see if you need to add additional salt and pepper at the end of cooking. Better yet, wait until cooking is nearly complete to season your dish. It’s also a good idea to add fresh herbs near the end, as they have a tendency to blacken when cooked for any length of time.

Slow Cooker Recipes

Continue reading “Slow Cookers” →

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Sylvia Salvendy

Food to boost your mood

Posted on by admin

by London Nutritionist Sylvia Hensher

Can you alter your mood through your food?

Many people are seeking to take control of their mental health using self-help, and to find approaches to help reduce the need for, or to use alongside prescribed medication. One self-help strategy is to make changes to what we eat, and there is a growing interest in how food and nutrition can affect emotional and mental health. We don’t have the whole story yet, but there are some interesting clues. Food appears to affect our mood by bringing about chemical and physiological changes in our brain structure.

A survey in the UK (1) of 200 people found that 88% of participants reported that dietary changes improved their mental health significantly: 26% said they had seen large improvements in mood swings, 26% in panic attacks, 24% in cravings, 24% in depression, 22% in irritable/aggressive feelings, 19% in concentration/memory difficulties. People also said that cutting down on food “stressors” and increasing the amount of “supporters” they eat had a beneficial effect on their mood. Stressors highlighted included sugar (80%), caffeine (79%), alcohol (55%), chocolate (53%), wheat-containing foods (48%), additives (47%) and dairy (44%). Mood supporters included water (80%), vegetables (78%), fruit (72%), oily fish (52%), nuts and seeds (51%), ‘brown’ (wholegrain) food (50%), fibre (48%) and protein (41%).

In addition, Mind, a charity which helps people take control of their mental health, has received numerous reports of improvements in a wide range of mental health problems by people making dietary changes, including: mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks, cravings or food ‘addictions’, depression (including postnatal depression), irritable or aggressive feelings, concentration, memory difficulties, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), obsessive-compulsive feelings, eating disorders, psychotic episodes, insomnia, fatigue, behavioural and learning disorders, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) (2).

Which foods can negatively affect mood?

The foods and drinks that most often cause problems are those containing alcohol, sugar, caffeine, chocolate, wheat (such as bread, biscuits, and cakes), dairy products (such as cheese), certain artificial additives (or E numbers) and hydrogenated fats. Other commonly eaten foods, such as yeast, corn, eggs, oranges, soya and tomatoes may also cause symptoms for some people. A qualified nutritionist can help identify suspect culprits.

How can your food boost your mood?

1. Don’t avoid carbohydrates, but choose the right ones-The connection between carbohydrates and mood is all about tryptophan, a non-essential amino acid. As more tryptophan enters the brain, more serotonin is synthesised in the brain, and mood tends to improve (3). Serotonin, known as a mood regulator, is made naturally in the brain from tryptophan with some help from B vitamins. Foods thought to increase serotonin levels in the brain include fish and vitamin D.

There’s a catch though: while tryptophan is found in almost all protein-rich foods, other amino acids are better at passing from the bloodstream into the brain. Thus, by eating more carbohydrates you can help boost your tryptophan levels; carbohydrates seem to help eliminate the competition for tryptophan, so more of it can enter the brain and help boost your mood. However, it’s important to make good carbohydrate choices like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, which also support positive mood in other ways by helping to stabilise blood sugar levels and contributing important nutrients and fibre (4).

2. Eat More Omega-3 Fatty Acids-your brain is 60 % fat if you take out all the water. This fatty tissue needs replenishing, but you need to know which fats will nourish your brain the best. Essential fatty acids known as Omega-3 and Omega-6 are intimately involved in brain function and deficiencies or imbalances in brain fats are now known to be associated with numerous mental health problems.

In particular, researchers have noted that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (found in oily fish, flaxseed, and walnuts) may help protect against depression. This makes sense physiologically, since omega-3s appear to affect neurotransmitter pathways in the brain. Past studies have suggested there may be abnormal metabolism of omega-3 in depression, although some more recent studies have suggested this association may not be as strong as previously thought. Aim for two to three servings of fish per week, of which at least 1 should be oily (5).

Some common symptoms of omega-3 deficiency or omega-3: omega-6 imbalance include:

  • Excessive thirst
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Dry or rough skin
  • Dry hair, loss of hair or dandruff
  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or breast pain
  • Eczema, asthma or joint aches
  • Dyslexia or learning difficulties
  • Hyperactivity
  • Depression or manic depression
  • Schizophrenia

The best foods to feed your brain are:

  • Omega-3: flax seeds (linseeds), hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, eggs.
  • Omega-6: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds.

3. Eat a Balanced Breakfast- eating breakfast regularly can lead to improved mood, along with better memory, more energy throughout the day, and feelings of calmness (6). It seems sensible then to reason that skipping breakfast would do the opposite, leading to irritability, anxiety and fatigue.  So what should you be eating for a good breakfast? Lots of fibre from whole grains, nuts or seeds, as well as legumes (such as baked beans), some lean protein, omega-3 and/or omega-6 fats

4. Follow a Mediterranean Diet– the Mediterranean diet is a balanced, healthy eating pattern that includes plenty of fruits, nuts, vegetables, cereals, legumes, and fish — all of which are important sources of nutrients linked to preventing depression.

In particular, the low levels of the B vitamins folate and B12 status have been found in studies of depressive patients, and an association between depression and low levels of the two vitamins is found in studies of the general population (7). These B vitamins help to control “methylation”, a chemical process which goes on throughout the brain and body and helps to turn one neurotransmitter into another.  The brain uses these neurotransmitters to communicate, sending messages from one brain cell to another. Folate is found in Mediterranean diet staples like legumes, nuts, many fruits, and particularly dark green vegetables. B-12 can be found in all lean and low-fat animal products, such as fish and low-fat dairy products.

5. Balance your blood sugar levels- The most common underlying imbalance in many types of mood disorders is fluctuating blood sugar levels. The negative effects of imbalanced blood sugar levels include irritability, poor concentration, fatigue, depression and food cravings- especially for sweet foods or stimulants such as tea, coffee and cigarettes, all of which in turn send your blood sugar levels on a roller coaster. Here are the most common symptoms of blood sugar imbalances:

  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Heart palpitations
  • Fainting, dizziness or trembling
  • Excessive sweating or night sweats
  • Excessive thirst
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Frequent mood swings
  • Forgetfulness or confusion
  • Tendency to depression
  • Anxiety and irritability
  • Feeling weak
  • Aggressive outbursts or crying spells
  • Cravings for sweets or stimulants
  • Drowsiness after meals

A few simple steps you can take to help balance your blood sugar: Continue reading “Food to boost your mood” →

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Sylvia Salvendy

Mood and Performance

Posted on by admin

A Corporate Nutrition article by London Nutritionist Sylvia Hensher

The power of mood on staff motivation

Research has shown that the mood people bring with them to the workplace at the start of each day, “waking up on the right or wrong side of the bed” influences worker mood throughout the day more powerfully and consistently than any other variable (1). This is not surprising since the boundary between our work and non-work roles is permeable (2). Our mood at the beginning of the day may come from challenges and opportunities we are presented with, positive or negative family experiences before leaving for work, or even the commute into work.

Employees are rarely able to check their emotions at the door, nor are they emotional islands while at work. Whereas start-of-day mood might lead to greater “stickiness” in work mood later in the day, ongoing work interactions can be an important source of positive or negative fluctuations in work mood throughout the day (3). In short, our interactions with others might influence our work mood during the day through the emotional state and mood of others (4).

Consequently, staff with low mood could potentially de-motivate their colleagues by their attitude and lead to underperformance. Conversely, staff with positive mood could help optimise work performance among co-workers.  Thus, the emotions we experience at the start of the day and the emotional state of those we interact with at work can consequently have a profound effect on how we feel and ultimately perform at work.

The effect of mood on work performance-why it matters

Research has found that negative mood can reduce performance outcome; for example, in customer service work settings, it has been shown to reduce the turnover of calls per hour (5).  Workers in a negative mood also need to expend effort to conceal their mood to co-workers and customers (6) which uses up valuable mental and physical resources (7) and could lead to underperformance at work.

On the other hand, positive mood can help employees obtain favourable outcomes at work (8). In particular, research has Continue reading “Mood and Performance” →

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Sylvia Salvendy

Fatigue & Performance

Posted on by admin

A Corporate Nutrition article by London Nutritionist Sylvia Hensher

Prevalence of fatigue among the workforce

Fatigue is an everyday experience common among the general working population, with UK prevalence estimates as high as 22% 1 and US prevalence rates ranging as high as 45% 2. Broadly defined as “a feeling of weariness, tiredness or lack of energy,” 3.  Fatigue is best viewed on a continuum with behavioural, emotional and cognitive components 4.

Causes of hazardous fatigue

Fatigue is caused by prolonged periods of physical and/or mental exertion without enough time to rest and recover. By the end of the day, some fatigue is normal but hazardous levels of fatigue can be due to one or more of the following:

  • Feeling stressed for extended periods
  • Excessive workloads
  • Long shifts
  • Working long hours in total over the week or longer periods
  • Working nights
  • Inadequate sleep, particularly over extended periods
    • Iron deficiency anaemia
    • Chronic pain
    • Infections, such as flu
    • Depression
    • Anxiety
    • Cancer
    • Thyroid dysfunction
    • Diabetes
    • Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
    • Lifestyle factors: obesity, insufficient physical activity 5, environmental stressors (eg, personal relationships)
      • Psychosocial work characteristics: job demand, decision latitude, social support, and job strain6

The effects of fatigue on work performance

Employees with fatigue experience more concomitant physical health problems, bodily pain, poorer general health, vitality, and social functioning than workers without fatigue 7. Fatigue has been associated with accidents, injuries 8, and ill-health 9, 10, all of which indirectly impair work performance. Fatigue can also restrict an individual’s ability to compensate physically or mentally for functional impairment from other concurrent health conditions 11. Continue reading “Fatigue & Performance” →

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Sylvia Salvendy

Energise Your Diet

Posted on by admin

by London Nutritionist Sylvia Hensher

One of the most common causes of visiting a healthcare practitioner is the complaint of fatigue. There are different kinds of fatigue. It may be constant, beginning in the morning after a full night’s sleep or it may build up throughout the day. Your nutritional status can and does play a major role in the prevention and treatment of fatigue.  Here are some factors to consider when trying maximising your energy levels throughout the day.

Nutritional causes of low energy

  • Eating refined carbohydrates and sugars: these are found in white bread, rice and pasta, cakes, honey, jam, soda drinks, sweets. These foods are digested quickly and therefore rapidly release sugar (glucose), the main source of fuel for our cells, into the bloodstream. This provokes the release of excess insulin, a hormone which controls blood sugar levels by stimulating cells to take up glucose, as excess glucose is toxic to tissues. Excessive amounts of insulin remove excessive amounts of sugar from the blood, which results in low blood sugar; this can reduce the glucose supply to cells which depend on glucose for energy and therefore reduce our energy levels.
  • Food sensitivities: allergenic foods can act as a stressor on the body and lead to low blood sugar so that cells lack enough sugar (glucose) for optimal functioning, making you feel tired.
  • Nutrient deficiencies such as B and C vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc and copper which are needed for energy production can lead to low energy
  • Stimulants such as coffee, chocolate and nicotine increase levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline (1) which sharply spike up blood sugar levels. This causes the release of large amounts of insulin to remove the excess sugar which is not used by the body and subsequently leads to an energy slump.
  • Dehydration– every cell in your body needs water for a myriad of chemical reactions, including the burning of glucose and the breakdown of fat for energy production.

Other causes of low energy

  • Stress leads to a sugar imbalance because it triggers the release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol which increase blood sugar levels. This stimulates the release large amounts of the hormone insulin, which removes the excess glucose from the blood, leading to low blood sugar and insufficient energy supply to our cells
  • Anaemia–this refers to a condition in which the blood is deficient in red blood cells or the haemoglobin (iron-containing) portion of red blood cells. The function of red blood cells is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body and help turn fats, carbohydrates and proteins into energy. Thus a lack of red blood cells reduces the amount of oxygen being delivered to tissues and thus energy levels. Iron, vitamins B12 and folic acid are needed to make properly functioning red blood cells, and anaemia may be caused by a shortage of these nutrients.  These nutrient deficiencies may be due to a poor diet, heavy menstrual bleeding, pregnancy or poor nutrient absorption as found in coeliac disease and Crohn’s disease.
  • Poor adrenal functioning-the adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and The adrenal glands are situated on top of the kidneys and one of their main jobs is to release hormones which help the body maintain a state of alertness as well as help raise  blood sugar levels when they are low. If the adrenal glands are overworked due to constant uninterrupted stress and poor nutrition, their ability to produce hormones which help maintain steady blood sugar levels can become compromised.
  • Poor thyroid functioning– The thyroid controls energy production, so an underactive thyroid can result in reduced energy production, making us feel tired..

Optimising your energy levels through nutrition and lifestyle Continue reading “Energise Your Diet” →

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Sylvia Salvendy

Managing stress through nutrition

Posted on by admin

by London Nutritionist Sylvia Hensher

Good nutrition and nutritional supplementation cannot remove the stressors from people’s lives, but it can help to increase tolerance to stress, reduce the adverse effects of stress and thereby boost your health and performance at work and at home.

Here are some drinks and foods to avoid when trying to manage your stress levels:

Caffeine: Some people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than others due to slower caffeine elimination from the body. Those prone to feeling stress and anxiety tend to be especially sensitive to caffeine.

Caffeine also stimulates the release of the stress hormone adrenaline into your system, giving you a temporary boost, but can make you feel tired and “low” later. It can also increase the body’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn can lead to other health consequences ranging from weight gain and moodiness to heart disease and diabetes.

Finally, caffeine can affect your sleep by keeping you awake longer, thereby giving you less time in the restorative stages of sleep; insufficient sleep can take its toll on your level of alertness the next day and can also make you feel more agitated, leading to stress.

Alcohol: alcohol stimulates the hormonal stress response and interferes with normal sleep cycles.

Refined carbohydrates: sugar and white flour can affect your ability to maintain steady blood sugar levels. The resulting rapid blood sugar fluctuations stress the body because they stimulate release of stress hormones (which puts your body into “stress mode”) in an effort to regain blood sugar stability.

Dehydration: The link between water and stress reduction is well documented. All of our organs, including our brains, need water to function properly. If you’re dehydrated, your body can’t function properly and that can lead to stress. Studies have shown Continue reading “Managing stress through nutrition” →

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Sylvia Salvendy

Stress and Work Performance

Posted on by admin

A Corporate Nutrition article by London Nutritionist Sylvia Hensher

Stress: Friend or Foe?

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger – whether it’s real or imagined – the body’s defences kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress response.

The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life – giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.

The concept of job stress is often confused with challenge, but these concepts are not the same1. Challenge energises us psychologically and physically, and it motivates us to learn new skills and master our jobs. When a challenge is met, we feel relaxed and satisfied. Thus, challenge is an important ingredient for healthy and productive work.

However, beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life. Continue reading “Stress and Work Performance” →

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Sylvia Salvendy

Antioxidants and Safe Suntanning

Posted on by admin

by London Nutritionist Sylvia Hensher

How Antioxidants and Vitamins Can Help Prevent Sunburn

The amount of antioxidants that you have in your skin plays a major role in your development of sunburn. The more antioxidants you consume, the lower your risk of sunburn. Studies on UVA and UVB sunlight have taught us that our cells essentially “shut down” when the damage caused by sunlight becomes too great. When certain kinds of skin cells (called keratinocytes) are overexposed to UVA and/or UVB sunlight, they experience one particular type of stress called oxidative stress which can overload our antioxidant levels. Damage to our DNA is also part of what happens in sunburn cell formation. Foods containing effective antioxidants to boost your “internal sunscreen” include:

  • Goji berries (not the juice)
  • Raspberries
  • Blackberries
  • Blueberries
  • Green tea
  • foods rich in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin ,including dark green leafy vegetables, kale, spinach, broccoli, corn, peas, Brussels sprouts, and romaine lettuce
  • vitamin C rich foods such as bell peppers, broccoli, papaya, Brussels sprouts, and strawberries
  • selenium rich foods such as mushrooms and different types of fish, including cod, pawns, tuna, snapper, halibut, and salmon
  • vitamin E rich foods such as sunflower seeds, almonds, olives, and dark green leafy vegetables

Safe Tanning Guidelines

If your skin is unused to the sun, it is important to build up your tolerance regularly and gradually. To start with, limit your exposure to 10 minutes a day, then progressively increase your time in the sun so that you can have normal sun exposure with little risk of skin cancer.

Time of Day – Early morning is the best time to sunbathe if you have not already built up a base tan, because you’re less likely to burn in the mild morning sun than later in the day.

Regular Intervals – Regular sunbathing is extremely important; you can’t cram all of your sun exposure into a two or three week vacation period and expect to experience the benefits. Intermittent overexposure can increase the danger of skin cancer. Thus, frequent, short periods of exposure are best.

Skin Exposure– For optimal benefit, strive to have at least 40 percent of your skin uncovered.

Optimal Exposure Time – A light-skinned person fairly far from the equator (such as in the UK or the northern U.S.) needs at least three 20 minute sessions per week, in bright midday sunlight and with few clothes. Longer will be needed if sunbathing occurs at off-peak times for ultraviolet light (before 12 PM or after 3 PM) or at the beginning or end of the summer (April or September).  A dark-skinned person, of course, should be outside significantly longer.

Call us now on 0207 724 4445 /07812 163 324 or email us at info@yournutritionalhealth.co.uk to find out more about you can use antioxidants to optimise your long-term health!

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Sylvia Salvendy

The Vitamin D Epidemic

Posted on by admin

By London Nutritionist Sylvia Hensher

How Vitamin D Deficient Is The UK?

A recent survey in the UK showed that more than half of the adult population in the UK has insufficient levels of vitamin D. In the winter and spring about 1 in 6 people has a severe deficiency. It is estimated that about 9 in 10 adults of South Asian origin may be vitamin D-deficient. Most affected people either don’t have any symptoms, or have vague aches and pains, and are unaware of the problem.

Why Do Your Vitamin D Levels Matter?

In addition to the well-known osteoporosis connection, deficiency of this fat-soluble vitamin can be linked to a wide range of health problems, from cancer and cardiovascular disease to cognitive impairment and problems with auto-immunity such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes. Huge increased research interest in this field is constantly bringing to light new evidence which underscores the enormous importance of vitamin D to human health.

Sources of Vitamin D

What many people don’t realise is that very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Fortified milk, egg yolks and oily fish are the best sources, but we can’t rely on food to provide with optimal amounts of vitamin D on a daily basis. In fact, the major source (80 – 100%) of vitamin D is actually sunshine. Ultraviolet B (UVB) sunlight rays convert cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D.

That’s right, although cholesterol is often a much maligned substance, our bodies literally could not survive without it! The sunlight has to fall directly on to bare skin (through a window is not enough). To add to the complexity of this issue, age, skin colour, geographic latitude, seasonal variations in sunlight availability and sunscreen use can impact on your body’s ability to produce all the vitamin D it needs. For example, darker skins need more sun to get the same amount of vitamin D as a fair-skinned person and because of geographic location, people in the United Kingdom cannot synthesise vitamin D from November to the end of March.

Why the Vitamin D Epidemic? Continue reading “The Vitamin D Epidemic” →

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Sylvia Salvendy

The Thyroid, Adrenals And Weight Gain

Posted on by admin

by London Nutritionist Sylvia Hensher

There is a connection between our adrenal glands, thyroid glands and weight gain. When these two glands are not kept in a healthy state, the result can often be weight gain. The good news is that on the other hand, if these two glands are supported through proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, it can lead to a natural weight loss.

What our adrenal glands do

The adrenal and thyroid glands are very closely connected in how they enable the body to function properly. The adrenals are small triangular shaped glands that sit on top of both kidneys. They are responsible for releasing the hormones adrenaline and cortisol which among other functions, help control body fluid balance, blood pressure, blood sugar and are designed to help the body deal with physical and psychological stress. In addition, the adrenal glands produce small amounts of oestrogen when women enter into menopause and the ovaries reduce their oestrogen output. This is why it’s so important to maintain adrenal function in the menopause years.

Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal Fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms, known as a “syndrome” that results when the adrenal glands function below the necessary level.  This happens most often when you are exposed to constant , uninterrupted stress so that your body (and adrenal glands) cannot fully recover, or during or after acute or chronic infections. Consequently, the adrenal glands become fatigued and are unable to continue responding adequately to further stress.

You may look and act relatively normal with adrenal fatigue and may not even have any obvious signs of physical illness, yet you live with a general sense of feeling unwell, tiredness or “grey” feelings. People suffering from Adrenal Fatigue often have to use coffee, tea and other stimulants to get going in the morning and to prop themselves up during the day.

Some Manifestations Of Adrenal Fatigue: Continue reading “The Thyroid, Adrenals And Weight Gain” →

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Sylvia Salvendy