Gut Health Archives - Page 4 of 7

Tips to Help You Lose Weight over 40

Written by trish on March 10, 2022. Posted in Gut Health, Hormone Health.

I get asked about diets and weight loss all the time.

My best advice is to eat real food, not too much and balance your hormones by eating plenty of fat and protein at every meal. This helps with appetite control and blood sugar balance.

I often get asked whether a Keto Diet is best for perimenopause and weight loss.

The ketogenic diet involves a combination of food that allows the body to produce ketones in the liver to be used as energy.

It is also referred to as a low carb diet.

Let’s learn about the Keto diet and see how it can be your answer to weight loss.

How exactly does the Keto Diet work?

Since the glucose in your body is being used as a primary energy, your fats are not needed and are therefore stored. Typically, on a normal, higher carbohydrate diet, the body will use glucose as the main form of energy. By lowering the intake of carbs, the body is induced into a state known as ketosis.

Ketosis is a natural process the body initiates to help us survive when food intake is low. During this state, we produce ketones, which are produced from the breakdown of fats in the liver.

The end goal of a properly maintained keto diet is to force your body into this metabolic state. We don’t do this through starvation of calories but starvation of carbohydrates.

Our bodies are incredibly adaptive to what you put into it – when you overload it with fats and take away carbohydrates, it will begin to burn ketones as the primary energy source. Optimal ketone levels offer many health, weight loss, physical and mental performance benefits.

Weight Loss on a Keto Diet?

Before you can use a ketogenic diet for weight loss, it’s a good idea to have an understanding of how it works. Here are some important points about the ketogenic diet:

A ketogenic diet is centered around bringing the body into a state of ketosis.

Ketosis is metabolic process in which the body burns fat for energy instead of its primary fuel, carbohydrates.

When you drastically cut down on the amount of carbohydrates or calories you’re eating, and there aren’t enough carbohydrates from food to burn for energy, the body switches to the state of ketosis.

Once in ketosis, the liver uses the body’s fatty acids to make molecules known as ketones to burn for fuel. Those on a ketogenic diet eat a low amount of carbs to do just this.

Benefits of a Keto Diet for Weight Loss

Increased Fat Burn: When you eat low-carb and your body starts burning fat as its primary source of fuel, you’re essentially in a fasting state where your body is using your fat stores directly for energy. Those experiencing stalls in their weight loss or having trouble getting rid of unwanted fat can benefit from a ketogenic diet for this reason.

Hormone Regulation: Ketosis can help sustain weight loss by regulating hormones that affect weight. After you eat, the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is released by your intestines. CCK is responsible for stimulating fat and protein digestion and inhibits the emptying of the stomach, which reduces appetite. This makes CCK a great regulator of food intake.

Eating a ketogenic diet can also help you avoid cravings for food after losing weight, reducing the chance of gaining the weight back.

Appetite Suppression: Yep, ketogenic low-carb diets may be helpful in reducing appetite by altering the concentrations of hormones and nutrients that affect hunger. It’s no wonder ketosis is used as a strategy for weight loss; it removes the need to eat more or respond to cravings for unhealthy foods. This means you can better listen to your body’s true hunger signals without worrying about counting calories or going hungry.

Blood Sugar Regulation: When you’re eating a ketogenic diet full of healthy fats and proteins plus an abundance of vegetables, you experience more stabilized blood sugar. This is much better than traditional diet foods that are usually high in refined sugars and other carbohydrates, leading to a spike in blood sugar that leaves you feeling hungry again soon after.

Finally, your answer to weight loss without starvation, but still being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Increase the chance of maintaining weight loss, reducing cravings, and eliminating the need to stress and obsess over every calorie or food portions.

If you are over 40 and struggling with your weight book a free call here https://p.bttr.to/2MZVUKN

How to Go Gluten Free When You Travel

Written by trish on January 25, 2022. Posted in Gut Health.

When you commit to a way of life, going back to how things used to be can be hard.

Maintaining a certain diet or avoiding certain ingredients can be especially difficult. Eating out and travelling has to be planned carefully.

Gluten is a particularly tough ingredient to avoid.

Gluten is found in wheat, which is typically a big part of our normal diet.

Recent studies have suggested that gluten can have many disadvantages for a wide range of people.

Celiac disease is the most common disease caused by gluten.

Other disorders caused by gluten are gut inflammation, intestinal permeability, and damage to the gut biome.

If you are strictly avoiding gluten, eating out or traveling to a new place with different food options can be challenging, but it is not impossible.

Here are some ways to maintain your gluten-free diet while eating out.

The internet is a blessing; you can use it to easily find out find out if nearby restaurants can accommodate gluten-free meals. You can also search restaurants ahead of time so you know where you find gluten-free meals.
If you are planning a trip, ask the hotel you stay in if they have refrigerators you can use to store simple snacks.
Packing dry nutritious items like energy bars and nuts is a good idea to fill up on in case there is not a gluten-free option readily available.
You can search for groups nearby you that support gluten-free diets and ask them for suggestions or you can simply ask restaurant owners if they serve gluten-free food.
In motorway services and cafes look for yogurt, salad, grilled chicken, plain hamburgers and other gluten-free standbys.
If you are traveling abroad (hopefully soon) print out your gluten-free needs in the language of the foreign country that you are traveling to. This will help convey to them the kinds of food you need and help them better cater to your needs.
There are many restaurants that may not have gluten-free options on their menu but can provide something if asked.
Avoid most condiments, especially soy sauce.

For people with Celiac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis, the effects of straying from a gluten-free diet might not be instant but they have delayed effects that can have long-term consequences.

Slacking on your diet should not be an option, so preparing gluten-free biscuits, hummus or sandwiches for a shorter trip is a great way to stay consistent with your diet.

Away from home, internet and research will be your best friend. Stick to the basics of your gluten-free diet—fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats, unprocessed products—and you will be able to enjoy your travels to the fullest.

If you would like to learn more about my food sensitivity and comprehensive gut tests email me here trish@trishtuckermay.com

Yours in health and wellness,

Trish

6 ways to know if your hormones are out of whack

Written by trish on November 30, 2021. Posted in Gut Health, Hormone Health, Uncategorized.

If you regularly feel like something is just not right with your body, that you are just not yourself, you may be suffering from a hormone imbalance. Here are a few signs and symptoms to help you determine if your hormones may be out of whack:

You feel tired all the time.

Consistent fatigue may be the cause of an imbalance in our stress hormones that are produced when your body releases cortisol. Your body tends to release excessive cortisol in response to a bad or unhealthy diet, especially one with excessive daily consumption of sugar. This fatigue may even make you feel a little depressed and lethargic and cause brain fog or brain fatigue, a temporary condition in which your brain is simply exhausted and cannot perform the simplest task.

You are unable to lose weight.

The stress hormone cortisol not only makes you feel tired but can also hinder your body’s ability to maintain or lose weight. Your hormones control your metabolism. An imbalance in your hormones can result in a slowed or inefficient metabolism. Furthermore, hormonal imbalances promote fat storage that can lead to weight gain.

You suffer from insatiable cravings.

An increase in cortisol can cause you to have crazy and insatiable cravings for sugary foods. You may feel ravenous and get abnormally cranky if you are unable to satisfy those cravings.

You feel as if you are on an emotional roller coaster.

When your hormones are out of whack, you may feel as if you are on an emotional roller coaster. One minute you are happy and having the time of your life and in the next, you may feel incredibly depressed. Hormonal imbalances can cause you to experience extreme, inexplicable highs and lows in your emotions.

You have digestive problems.

Hormonal imbalances can also contribute to digestive problems like abdominal spasms, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, excessive flatulence and burping, nausea and discomfort.

You sweat excessively.

Your hormones can cause you to sweat excessively when they are out of whack. This is due to a swing of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, which are caused by hormonal imbalances in your body.

What to do if you are struggling with these symptoms?

The key to supporting your hormones is to focus on these key areas:

Nourish – eating unprocessed wholefoods and avoiding too much sugar, alcohol and stimulants will help to reduce stress and calm your hormones
Cleanse – think about all parts f your life. What you eat, absorb through your skin in personal care products and inhale in your environment.
Restore balance by resting and getting excellent quality sleep
Realign your body and mind with gentle exercise. Strengthening and stretching daily can help you digest better and bring harmony to the hormones.

If you would like to get your hormones tested book a call here and be sure to check out the programs on my website

Healthy Low Carb Breakfast - Nutrition Gut Specialist - Gloucestershire

How to Make a Healthy Low Carb Breakfast

Written by trish on November 17, 2021. Posted in Gut Health.

Keeping up with fitness and clean, healthy eating can be a challenge. Striving to limit carbs and calories and boredom with limited options can cause people to get tired of the same old foods and lead them back to unhealthy habits. It is important to incorporate variety and change in our diets to make sure we don’t become stagnant. Our bodies may prefer healthy eating, but they also crave variety and flavor. Replacing ingredients with healthier options is an easy, simple way to do this.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The kind of breakfast you consume will have a significant impact on your activities throughout the day. To function at your best, your breakfast should be healthy and rich in protein.

Healthy breakfast choices do a lot to keep the cravings for carbs and extra calories at bay. Here are some easy healthy breakfast choices:

Eggs and vegetables cooked in coconut oil is a great breakfast and it will keep you full for a long time. Fry the eggs to your desired consistency, toss the vegetables in to sauté for just a minute, add some seasoning, and enjoy.
Baked eggs with spinach and yogurt is a great, easy-to-make breakfast that is full of nutrients to kick-start your day. Baking is a fantastic way to cook meals because you do not introduce any additional oils or fats. Pre-heat the oven to 300°F. Combine yogurt, garlic and a pinch of salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt a little coconut oil in a skillet over low heat. Add spinach, leek, scallion, lemon juice, and salt and sauté occasionally stirring. Remove skillet from the heat and crack several eggs into the veggie mixture, keeping yolks intact as much as possible. Bake for 10-15 minutes and top with yogurt mixture before serving.
Who doesn’t love a creamy shake or smoothie? But who really loves all those carbs and calories? This avocado green tea smoothie is your perfect solution. It is rich and creamy and very easy to make. Whisk together 1 teaspoon of matcha powder and 1 tablespoon of hot water and set to the side. In a blender, combine half of an avocado, a ½ cup of Greek yogurt, 1 ¼ cups of almond milk, protein powder and a sweetener like honey, agave, or stevia. Blend together, add the tea mixture and serve! I have a great new organic vegan protein powder in stock and on sale here
We get fed up with eating eggs every time we are on a diet, these low-carbs pancakes will be your new go-to favorite breakfast. All you need is 2 oz cream cheese, 2 eggs, 1 tsp granulated sugar substitute and ½ tsp cinnamon, blend this all together, let the mixture rest for the air bubbles to escape, cook the mixture on a pan on medium heat for 2 minutes each side and you are done. Tasty and healthy pancakes every time.
Chia pudding is another easy to make breakfast. In a bowl or mason jar, combine ¼ cup chia seeds, 1 cup non-dairy milk, and ½ tablespoon of honey. Mix well and refrigerate overnight, until the seeds have become jelly-like in texture and the pudding has thickened. Top with your choice of fruit.

If you would like to learn more about my 8-week gut healing program just click here.

Yours in health and wellness,

Trish Tucker-May

Nutrition Gut Specialist

What causes bloating? IBS, Acid Reflex?

Written by trish on November 11, 2021. Posted in Gut Health.

Bloating, IBS, acid reflux are all common symptoms but would you like to know what causes them?

State of the art tests to get to the root cause of your digestive symptoms.

The ultimate gut health and microbiome stool test using state of the art technology to provide a comprehensive analysis of the your unique digestive ecosystem and chronic disease-related markers which include bacteria, yeast, parasites.

Science meets nutrition to ensure you gain data that is personalised and accurate.

This is a simple and easy home testing kit to help get to root cause of your digestive symptoms.

Included in the results are:
– 7 x health markers to assess inflammation, immune function, digestion, gut barrier health, and occult blood
– 63 x microbial markers including markers related to IBD, mucin degradation and gut barrier impairment, SCFA production, SIBO, H. pylori, dysbiosis, inflammation.

Samples are collected from one stool test and results are available after 15 days.

Get in touch and book a free call here if you would like to book a comprehensive GI mapping test.

Biohack for Bulletproof Coffee to support your brain and your hormones

Written by trish on November 2, 2021. Posted in Brain Health, Gut Health, Hormone Health.

Do you love coffee?

I encourage you to limit caffeine intake as it can be dehydrating plus it can put a strain on the adrenals and the hormones. if you’re like me and you love your one coffee a day or encourage you to try this recipe.

What is Biohacking?

Biohacking is the process of making changes to your lifestyle in order to “hack” your body’s biology and feel your best. Biohacking is improving the health of your body using external tools, and the term is gaining popularity as part of an increasing move toward improving health and wellness.

Here are a few simple biohacks I recommend to my perimenopausal and menopausal clients

Do not use alarms to wake yourself up with a sudden jolt; start waking yourself up naturally and gradually
Incorporate smart supplementation into your diet to support the adrenals and your gut health. Vitamins A, C, D, magnesium and zinc are all fundamental to gut health and hormone balancing.
Incorporate some good fat into your daily diet. Coconut oil, avocado, hemp oil and cashews are all good fats that help hormone harmony.
Try breathing deeply throughout the day. Diaphragmatic breathing is a great way to control stress and support the digestive system
Love dark chocolate? Try eating sugar-free dark chocolate.
Track your sleep length and quality; start trying to get at least 8 hours every night. The earlier you go to bed the better it is for happy hormones.
Try bulletproof coffee

What is Bulletproof Coffee?

Bulletproof coffee is a type of coffee used to enhance cognitive abilities. Concentration, attention, focus, and intelligence are all cognitive abilities that affect the performance of our social and professional lives. Bulletproof coffee is one way to enhance that performance and stay alert in all situations.

Bulletproof coffee is becoming increasingly popular among athletes and business people to improve their cognitive abilities and attain higher levels of energy.

The magic ingredient in bulletproof coffee is unsalted grass-fed butter. Yes, this coffee has butter in it, but it also has the highest performance and lowest toxin level. It has all the benefits of healthy fats without the casein proteins found in milk.

How to Make Bulletproof Coffee

Here is a simple recipe for bulletproof coffee for improved cognitive abilities and energy.

Ingredients:

Organic coffee beans ground fresh

Unsalted grass-fed butter

MCT Coconut oil

Recipe:

Using filtered water, brew 1 cup of coffee just off the boil along with 2½ tablespoons of coffee beans that have been freshly ground. Gradually add about 1 tablespoon of MCT oil to the hot coffee. Follow with 1–2 tablespoons of grass-fed, unsalted butter. If you do not have unsalted grass-fed butter, you can use grass-fed ghee. Blend until it is frothy for 20-30 seconds.

The benefits of Sauerkraut and how to prepare it

Written by trish on October 5, 2021. Posted in Gut Health.

While you can certainly make sauerkraut from red or white cabbage. Red cabbage has a strong concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols and 6 x more vitamin C.

This recipe has huge health benefits including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities as well as being a powerful tonic for your gut.

Red Cabbage also more iron and vitamin A than white cabbage.

I love the combination. The colour is gorgeous.

It is especially beneficial in the treatment of ulcers and bloating.

A little bit every day is a great accompaniment to any meal.

Ingredients

1 head white cabbage

1 head red cabbage

– organic is better but if you can’t find it the fermentation process does help kill off any pesticides.

2 1/2 tablespoons grey Celtic salt or the best salt you can find. Use 1 Tablespoon salt for each 1 kg of cabbage

1 1/2 tablespoons juniper berries

1 tablespoon caraway seeds. These are optional. I have also used fennel seeds in the past.

Instructions

Prepare your fermentation vessel or glass jar. Make sure it is clean and sterile and the lid fits well. This will make enough for 4- 5 medium size glass jars. If you have a tray to sit your glass jars on once full, this will prevent the juices overflowing and staining your shelf.

Clean the cabbage – Begin by removing the outer leaves of the cabbage if a bit old. Wash to remove potential contaminants.

Slice the cabbage into fat ribbons about 1 cm wide. The end result seems to work better when cutting with a sharp knife rather than grating or using the food processor.

Keep the dense end of the cabbage -it makes a handy lid for the ferment to help keep the contents submerged under the juice.

Place in a large bowl and add salt and spices, juniper berries and caraway seeds. Toss, bash, pound and massage the sliced cabbage with the salt and let sit for 30 minutes or until it starts to sweat. The cabbage will be ready once you can squeeze juice and you begin to see a purple liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

Begin the process of filling your fermentation vessel or glass jar. Push down hard and compress out any air as you go.

Fill the jar but allow a small gap at the top as the contents will bubble when fermenting. Include any liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

Compress down hard using a pounder, rolling pin or your fist. You can place a weight on top of the cabbage to effectively submerge the contents of the jar. The dense end of the cabbage is very handy for this. Your goal is to have the liquid cover the cabbage completely to provide an anaerobic environment within which the fermentation can take place.

After several hours you may be able to press the contents down further. If the cabbage looks a little dry add some filtered water to the top and stir in gently. Make sure a nice seal is made around the edge to keep oxygen and other potential contaminants out.

After 3 days you will need to burp your ferment. Open the jar carefully and submerge any cabbage that has come to the top. If you need to add a little more liquid or a weight to keep the cabbage submerged this will help keep oxygen out and allow the anaerobic process to occur.

Wait impatiently – Let it sit for a minimum of 2-3 weeks. You can easily leave it for 6 weeks or even months if desired. It will simply become sharper and sourer over time. Once you have reached your desire level of taste you can keep it in the fridge or on your shelf for many months to come.

I recommend a small amount of sauerkraut each day. It goes well with salad, broth and veggies for breakfast or a bowl of rice and steamed veg.

Play around with the flavour you like. Be brave in experimenting with flavour. Fermenting is a combination of agitation and alchemy. Create magic in the kitchen and enjoy the benefits of this wonderful prebiotic for your gut.

The 7 simplest ways to improve your gut health and support your hormones

Written by trish on September 21, 2021. Posted in Gut Health.

How are you going with your September health goals?

I hosted a retreat day last Saturday. 10 ladies had fun juicing, fermenting, sprouting, eating delicious food, and learning about gut health and hormones.

The next retreat is scheduled for the 27^th November in Wales.

After that I will be doing a mini series of talks in my kitchen here in Minchinhampton.

Keep up to date with announcements in the Thriving Gut health FB group here

At the end of the day, we all committed to doing three things to support our goals. Here is a summary of those new commitments.

This may seem like a simple list but if you did all of these, I guarantee you will feel less bloated. You will sleep better; have more energy and you will feel less stressed.

What can you add?

Drink plenty of water?
Take little breaks during the day?
Deep breaths before your meal?
Chew food well?
Veggies for breakfast?
Diversity of vegetables on the plate?
Change shopping habits to include a bigger range of veg, herbs, seeds, fruit.

When you shop you are better off picking 2-3 of every type of veg rather than sticking with the basics you normally buy.

What can you add to your shopping list this week?

Buy at least:

Four green fruit and vegetables.
Two red fruit and vegetables.
Two yellow fruit and vegetables.
One orange fruit and vegetables.
One Purple fruit and vegetables.

One spice and one herb you have never tried. Choose a variety. Choose one of every veg and fruit. Think about all the colours of the rainbow. This is great preparation for the recipes that follow. Add in two types of nuts, preferably organic or in the shell. Add a new cold pressed virgin oil you have never used before.

Here is a list of foods that will support your gut health and hormones:

Protein

Chicken
Turkey
Game
Fresh fish
Eggs
Organic soy -if tolerated (milk, tofu, edamame beans, miso,tempeh, natto)
Grass fed Beef
Lamb
Pork
Venison
Veal
Liver

Oils

For dressing:

Avocado
Flaxseed
Hemp
Walnut
Extra virgin olive
Sesame

For cooking:

Avocado
Coconut
Extra virgin olive (up to 180° only)
Goose/duck fat/lard
Butter

Dairy alternatives

Almond milk (unsweetened)
Hazelnut milk (unsweetened)
Cashew milk (unsweetened)
Coconut milk (full fat)
Oat, hemp, rice milks (unsweetened)
Coconut oil (for butter)
Coconut yoghurt
Nutritional yeast flakes

(for cheese)

Organic soy milk and yoghurt

Nuts & Seeds

Coconut
Almonds
Brazils
Hazelnuts
Cashews
Macademias
Walnuts
Pecans
Pine nuts
Nut butter (not peanut)
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Hemp seeds
Chia seeds
Flaxseeds (or linseeds)

Fruits

All fruits, including:

Avocado
Apples
Apricots
Bananas
Berries
Cherries
Citrus
Cranberries
Kiwi
Nectarine
Orange
Peach
Pears
Pomegranate

Avoid dried fruits, fruit juice and other fruit products. Look for sulphur free dried fruits.

Grains & Pulses

Amaranth
Buckwheat
Millet
Gluten free oats
Quinoa
Rice (brown or wild)
Chickpeas, beans, or lentils
Hummus or other bean dips
Gluten free pasta (brown rice, chickpea)
Gluten free noodles (rice, soba/buckwheat, zero noodles)

Flours:

Almond
Coconut
Rice
Tapioca
Buckwheat.

It is easy to get stuck in habits of buying the same food.

What can you try this week?

In the 8-week gut healing hormone balancing program we cover this and so much more.

If you are struggling with your symptoms and want to get to the root cause – book a call here

Love Trish

Easy Ways To Improve Your Appearance During Menopause

Written by trish on September 16, 2021. Posted in Gut Health, Hormone Health.

Ladies, we want to look our best during the Menopause. After all, it can boost your self-esteem and make you feel better about yourself. Dieting and exercising are important in the transition to menopause but so is your gut health.

As effective as these are, they aren’t the only ways to improve your appearance. You also wouldn’t need to do something as drastic as cosmetic surgery. Instead, you could implement a few changes into your daily routine to help balance your hormones and improve your digestion.

As minor as these may seem, they can have a much larger impact on your appearance than you’d think. Combining them together will maximize this impact.

I know you are here to improve digestion, beat belly bloat and perhaps lose some weight.

Here are my top 7 tips to get you started. Sometimes it is the simple things that will make a massive difference.

Do you do these already?

 Drinking plenty of water?

 Taking little breaks during the day?

 Deep breathing before your meal?

 Chewing well?

 Veggies for breakfast?

 Diversity on your plate?

How To Look Better During Menopause

Take Care Of Your Mouth and Oral Microbiome

Your smile is one of the first things that many people notice when they see you. While it mightn’t be something they focus on, it can drastically affect how you look. You’ll need to look after it. The easiest way of doing so is by brushing regularly.

You might need to have certain things done, however. These can range from teeth whitening to a root canal treatment. It’s recommended that you get these done as early as possible. Alongside helping to improve your smile, most treatments focus on preventing future issues.

Oil pulling is a gentle technique for improving the microbiome in the mouth. It can be done with olive sesame or coconut oil. Put one dessert spoon of oil in the mouth and swish around for two minutes. Add either two drops of peppermint or two drops of tea tree oil to help improve the texture and the coating on the tongue. Followed by tongue scraping this technique helps remove bacteria from the mouth. You can watch some techniques here.

Take Care Of Your Personal Hygiene

While personal hygiene is an obvious thing to focus on, it may be something that many people overlook. There are quite a few aspects involved in this, with brushing your teeth being notable.

Showering or bathing several times a week is also mandatory. Getting a skincare routine by adding in extra nutrients in your diet will help you navigate a smooth menopause.

Make Sure To Stay Hydrated

Few people think of how hydration can affect how they look. If you’re dehydrated, you’ll look so. The more dehydrated you are, the more it will affect your appearance. Typically, it’ll make you look worn out and tired, which you should want to avoid.

There are other ways that dehydration can affect your body. These will go farther beyond how you look, as it can affect energy levels, how well your body operates, and much more. Keeping well-hydrated will be essential for avoiding all of this.

The fact that it can help you improve your appearance is a nice benefit on top of this.

Wrapping Up

As much as each of the above can improve your appearance during menopause, they’re no replacement for looking after yourself physically and mentally. Proper dieting and exercising are recommende. Adding some other methods on top of this will help support hormones and improve diegstion.

Make time to exercise regularly. These tips can be helpful in maintaining an attractive appearance during your transition to menopause. If you would like further support for your menopause journey book a free half hour call here to see how I can help.