Fast and healthy supper

This literally takes 10 minutes from start to finish, in fact, it’s taken longer to photograph, write up and post. It’s  delicious, a slow release of energy and packed full of fibre & nutrients. It can be recreated with any mixture of vegetables and beans:

Heat olive oil in a pan, add some cumin seeds, saute half a diced onion, add a sliced leek, and a chunk of diced or grated fresh ginger. Cook until soft and then add a handful of chopped spinach leaves and some cooked (or tinned) sweetcorn & black beans from a carton (any other beans or lentils will do). Add a little water and heat through. To season, pour a little of the water from the pan into a dish, mix in with a teaspoon of miso paste and put back in the pan to stir through. Serve.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic. For more information contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk.

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Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic offering bespoke nutrition programmes. For more information contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk.

Wash the curly kale, chop off the thick stalks and chop or rip up. Drizzle with olive oil and rub it in to make sure it covers all the leaves. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt (Himalayan is the best), some diced garlic and dried chilli. Pop in a pre-heated oven and cook for a few minutes; you want the kale to be crisp but not burnt. Serve as a side dish.

If you want to learn about how to improve your diet contact nutrition expert Angela Walker through the book appointment tab above.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. Whether you have a diagnosed condition, want to improve digestion problems, lose weight, slow the effects of aging or kick-start a new health regime, Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition can help. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk.

66 to 75% of colds are caused by 200 different viruses  which is why there is no effective anti viral for the common cold. For the Flu, a jab may be on offer, but the leading doctors only recommend those for people at high risk, given the potential for side effects and development of resistance.

What everyone can do though is boost his or her natural defences with some simple, good food and nutrition ideas:

• Drink plenty of fluids, especially warmer fluids. Central heating during the winter can make it more difficult to stay hydrated, so make sure you drink enough water. What’s enough? Take your body weight in kg, multiply by 31, that gives you the ml of water you should drink per day: Make soups and broths with fresh vegetables (batch cook and freeze), drink green tea, herbal teas, especially ginger and echinacea.
• Have a good protein source with each meal or snack. Amino acids in proteins are the building blocks of life, all our immune cells and detoxification systems need those aminos to function! Beans, pulse, seeds and nuts are good vegetable protein sources. ‘Clean’ & “lean’ are the key words for animal proteins, that means organic or wild wherever possible and cuts without excess fat.
• Season your food with garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric & cayenne pepper. All of which have antioxidant, detoxification and antimicrobial properties.
• Eat more vegetables & fruit. 5 a day is really the bare minimum, if you want to be optimally healthy then have 6 or 7 different coloured vegetables and 2 or 3 pieces of fruit. So that’s 3 veggies with each lunch and dinner, a piece of fruit as dessert or with breakfast or as a snack (with nuts & seeds). They are packed with vital vitamins, minerals & phytonutrients and your body will thank you for it!
• Cut out the refined carbohydrates and simple sugars. Research has shown that sugar can suppress the immune system for hours after eating, so sugary cakes and sweets are the worst thing if you are feeling sick. Replace refined ‘white’ carbohydrates with whole ‘brown’ ones that provide the important B vitamins and have a slower release of energy and sugars.
• Eat enough of the good oils. Fats are not all bad, we really need the essential fatty acids for optimal immune function; 3 portions of oily fish a week will do it. Plus add a handful of seeds and nuts to meals or snacks or in a dressing most days, the best choices are pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds & almonds.
• Get enough sleep. It’s when the body rests and repairs so vital for a good immune system. Get into a rhythm especially for these winter nights and aim for seven or eight hours a night. Use relaxation and breathing exercises to help unwind and to keep you stress free through the day.
• Take regular exercise. Regular exercise will keep you in optimal health, but if you are run down then excessive exercise will be an added stress on the system. So keep fit but don’t push yourself when you feel a cold coming on.

For more information on nutrition please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk

The commentary by Dr Bland might sound very complicated, but the basic message is simple: there is a dynamic interaction between our environment (what we eat, what we are exposed to) and our cells. It’s all interconnected and there are numerous ways to intervene to promote optimal health.

For more information on nutrition please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk

The detractors to the natural or nutritional approach claim that without RCT’s the evidence for nutritional interventions is weak. While the nutritionists know the evidence is there, it just isn’t always in the format and framework set for drugs and medications.

At the Food and Behaviour (FAB) recent conference Feeding Success:  Why Better Nutrition is Vital for Improving Mental Health and Performance one of the speakers, David Rex proposed a 5 step pyramid as a new gold standard for dietary evidence:

1. Is there evidence of marginal or excessive intakes of this nutrient at the population or individual level?
2. Are there plausible mechanisms through which the nutrient food or diet might help?
3. Is the food, nutrient, or diet broadly consistent with “healthy eating” messages?
4. Are there populations who consume this nutrient, food or diet and this level without obvious harmful effects?
5. Is there some evidence from clinical trials in favour of the proposed nutrient, food or diet?

Sounds like common sense doesn’t it? Wouldn’t it be great if we could accept that one size doesn’t fit all and apply this pyramid to assessing nutritional or dietary evidence?

And just to be controversial, what if we applied point 4 to medications? Are there any populations who have eaten statins for 1000’s of years without harmful effect?

For more information on nutrition please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk

If you are concerned about mercury toxicity then the Nutritional Therapy process will be able to identify if it is a potential problem to an individual. Laboratory tests can identify levels and a detoxification programme can be introduce.

For more information please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk

• Soak tablespoon of seaweed (Hijike or Arame) in water for 10 minutes.

• Slice salmon (wild, sustainable please!) fillet into strips and sauté gently in juice of one lemon for a couple of minutes

• Chop vegetables into small sticks: 1 small carrot, ½ courgette, 3 small broccoli florets & stalk, ½ onion, 1 leek, 1 chunk of ginger (3 cm).

• Heat olive or sesame oil or coconut oil in a large pan and sauté the onions; add in the rest of the vegetables and 2 tablespoons of water.

• Cover and allow to cook for a couple of minutes.

• Drain the seaweed and add to the pan along with the salmon. Allow to cook gently; the salmon should be under done rather than over.

• Add in bunch of chopped coriander.

• Add more water if it looks too dry.

• Just before it is finished, spoon out a little of the juice and blend it with 1 tablespoon of white miso paste, put blended mix back into the pan and stir, take it off the heat.

• If you are trying to lose weight or improve body composition, then you want to reduce starchy carbohydrates, in which case serve this on its own or with some extra leafy green vegetables. Otherwise you can serve this with buckwheat noodles or brown rice.

This is a good example of a well-balanced meal, containing a good protein, good fats, fibre and a wide range of micronutrients and phytonutrients. Seaweeds contain high levels of minerals that can be lacking in land vegetables due to demineralisation of soils. They are also thought to bind and draw out toxins.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk.

For more information please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition on 07775 582 332 or ange@fabulousnutrition.co.uk.

“In 2009 after 15 years of following a moderate fitness regime I took up running after giving birth to my second child.  I really enjoyed the challenge and managed to run a 5k run without too much trouble.  After a few months, however, I found that the combination of trying to juggle work, small children and a fitness regime was taking its toll.  Rather than feeling fitter I found managing day to day life and keeping fit was making me feel tired and burnt out culminating in a viral infection that meant I couldn’t exercise for over 2 months.  I sought help with Angela at Fabulous Nutrition and can honestly say I haven’t felt this energised since my early teens.  She suggested I completed a comprehensive metabolic profile which showed a number of metabolic deficiencies that could be effecting my energy levels.

I embarked on a programme of simple diet changes and vitamin and mineral supplements including – antioxidants, Co Q10, high strength B vitamins, pro-biotics and carnitine.  I was surprised how quickly i regained my fitness levels, how mentally energised i felt and now plan to run a half marathon in the next few months.” Rebecca, 32, Richmond

This was an interesting case in that although she had a reasonably healthy diet and did lots of the right things, she was lacking in energy and had a really weakened immune system. Running the comprehensive metabolic profile (I used Designs for Health profile) enabled me to identify some underlying deficiencies in her cellular energy pathways (as well as some other factors), I could then design a really tailored programme that addressed these issues and importantly helped Rebecca to achieve the improvements in performance relatively quickly.

If you or someone you know would like to feel more energised please contact me, Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition on 07775 582 332 or ange@fabulousnutrition.co.uk.

Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk

This weeks story is Fiona who at 58 wanted to lose weight and feel more energised. She didn’t feel that she had any major health issues, but I did identify some metabolic imbalances which made it a bit more difficult of her to lose the weight she wanted to. We decided that she would follow my 21 day detox programme and I think Fiona’s own testimonial speaks for itself:

“I am truly amazed at what a transformation in only 3 weeks.

My grown up family had suggested (not too subtly) that I needed to lose weight and cut down on my alcohol intake.  As a widow, in my late fifties and working full time within the field marketing industry, I had got into the habit of coming home from work, heating up something quick and easy to eat and settling down most evenings to either a few gin and tonics or a bottle of  wine to help me unwind. Whilst I accepted that my weight was on the high side and I was now buying larger sizes of clothing I had convinced myself that this was all part of the aging process.

With a winter sunshine holiday on the horizon though, I really wanted to feel more energetic and look better so, encouraged by my family, I decided to follow the 21 day detox programme.  Not only have I lost half a stone in weight, lost 2 inches on my waist and hips and my waistline seems much lower down now, but most importantly I certainly do have more energy, vitality and focus and no longer find myself waking up on the sofa to find that I have missed the end of the programme that I had been watching.

I have never been one for faddy diets and this programme is certainly not one of those. However the discipline of following the programme has taught me that fresh, simple foods can be so delicious as well as far more nutritious. I cannot state that I followed the meal plan religiously – however I did not eat anything that wasn’t on the list, I never felt hungry and the biggest surprise of all for me was that I did not feel the need to have that gin and tonic!  I really loved the nutritional shakes and will probably continue having these on a regular basis as part of my new eating regime.

I now feel fabulous and can’t wait for my holiday.” Fiona, 58, Oxfordshire

For more information please contact Angela Walker at Fabulous Nutrition on 07775 582 332 or ange@fabulousnutrition.co.uk. Fabulous Nutrition is a London based Nutritional Therapy Clinic, addressing functional imbalance in the body with bespoke nutrition programmes. www.fabulousnutrition.co.uk