Ingredients

150 grams oats

2 tbsp milled linseed

2 tbsp rape seed oil

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

2 -3 tbsp almond milk

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp gluten free flour

50 grams dark chocolate

Method

In a large bowl add the oats, sugar and linseed. Stir well. Add the oil and almond milk and then the peanut butter, this will make a wet paste. Add the flour to thicken, then mix well. Spoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in an oven for thirty minutes at 160 degrees. When baked, leave to cool, and then melt the dark choc and spoon onto the cookies when cooled. Yum!

What is not to like about tomatoes? They are not very liked when fresh according to people I know. Only when cooked are they liked more or even loved. Tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato soup, on a pizza, on a bruschetta, in a salad! They are so versatile and come in so many varieties.

They are also so good for us. Lycopene is the compound found it, it has some anti-cancerous properties and is classed as phytonutrient. It is also a carotenoid, found in red fruits and vegetables which also acts as an antioxidant. It also has anti-inflammatory benefits.

Great for cardiovascular improvement as well as improving metabolic diseases. Eyes can also get some help from the tomato, protecting it from oxidative stress.

Some great ways to cook tomatoes are slow roasted with garlic, olive oil and oregano. Season well and have with some sourdough bread, or once roasted whizz in a blender and heat up and there you have a soup. Or try sliced up with mozzarella and basil, a good drizzle of olive oil. Or just with a bit of salt and pepper and eat with some of your favourite cheese.

• Ingredients

• 300 grams carrots

• 50 grams radishes

• 1 tbsp Bouillon Stock

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 150 grams gram flour

• Seasoning

• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

• 2 tbsp flax seed

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 eggs

Method

First of all blitz the carrots in a food processor until shredded, add the radishes and the seeds, flax and season well. Then add the olive oil and the yeast and stock. Transfer to a large bowl and add the flour and eggs. Mix well. Season if needed.

Bake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees for about thirty five minutes. And enjoy with lashings of butter

Today I broke that stigma of HRT. I have been struggling with lack of sleep for too long now, during my life but the last few years during my menopause and peri-menopause it has not been good. If I can sleep I know that I can tackle life with few problems. I have been given a pump dispenser and will now use every day!

Those who know me, know that I have an unusual work life. I have different contracts and am running around everywhere, and although I enjoy my work when I am tired I find it hard to manage.

Life is stressful, and can be hard to manage let alone battle with little or now sleep.

I made an appointment with the GP two weeks ago, not knowing what to expect and the prescription was handed to me with no problems. I am healthy (luckily), and there are no issues with getting HRT. Yet with stress from little sleep one can see that illness is not far away.

Having a good night sleep is the main key to better health. As well as food and hydration, not drinking too much, or not smoking and of course movement and exercise. All these things I do, but not sleeping has been making me struggle.

I am also studying for a degree which at times I do think ‘why?’ But I have to keep going, and of course the basis of this course can be something I can work with for menopause. A good diet does help and if we eat too much sugar, it is not good for menopause and this is a key fact that really drive a woman to hard times (I’ve been there, and if people are not understanding!). The stress hormones make you crave processed food, one eats the processed food, we feel rubbish, we can crash and burn, and it happens over again.

If one can be in tune with a good and healthy diet we can then tick that off the list and start to feel better. Eat a rainbow of fruit and veg, get plenty of good protein and not just the stuff we are used to, get some nuts and seeds down you, drink lots of water, eat whole pieces of fruit and not drink juice, that way you get the goodness and the fibre. Fibre is one good key to keeping well. Swap white goods for wholemeal, our bodies are like car engines, they need to keep moving inside and out. Think about it, fibre is our friend, stagnation is not.

This keeps the menopause in check. Talk to your friends and family and get them talking about it. People need to know what women go through at this stage in their life.

So don’t hold back, if you are struggling with menopause then speak to the doctor and maybe the treatment is for you!

Bookings: Email me or call on 07968 785165 to discuss.

Therapies

I can help you with health needs in a more detailed way. Book yourself in for a session and we can talk about your nutrition needs and arrange cooking sessions, and learn to be creative to make nutritious dishes, and stay healthy. Learn about making choices with the right foods. To cook, eat and enjoy. There is so much ultra processed food out there that we should avoid most of the time. I can help you to follow recipes that will enable you to make great choices so that processed foods are limited and won’t harm your health.

How I work

I can work with you at home, work, my home, telephone or online.

Nutrition

Nutrition is vital for good health and wellbeing. The food we eat can determine so much in our lives. I can help you get into eating healthily and wisely for weight loss, for general good healthy eating, recipes and good nutritional advice. Food can be a minefield for some people and so getting to grips with a good basis of nutrition is key.
More about nutrition

Therapies

We sometimes neglect ourselves and need some time to regain ourselves.
My approach is to be kind to yourself and listen to your body.
More about therapies

Training & Teaching

I also offer one-to-one and group training and teaching for massage, cooking and nutrition.
More about training and teaching

Ingredients

150 grams ground almonds

2 tbsp chia seeds

100 grams dark chocolate

1 baking powder

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

2 tbsp date syrup

50 mls coconut milk

Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees.

In a large bowl add the oil, baking powder and syrup, mix well. In a small bowl mix water with the milled flax. Stir and leave.

Mix in the ground almonds and coconut milk to the original mix. Add that flax egg. Stir well. Transfer to a lined loaf tin. Bake in oven for forty five minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy with tea.

Dentistry requires huge amounts of concentration, and physical tension is a huge issue in many ‘sitting’ professions.

Clinicians are often required to sit for long periods of time doing complex treatments, so being able to relax before (and after) a procedure is vital. It also helps your patients, who will need to be able to keep their mouth open for some time; by being relaxed, you’ll help ease your patients’ fears, too.

This mental and physical pressure rests on the shoulders of dental professionals every day: staying focused, keeping grounded, and able to easily communicate with patients throughout treatment. One way to help alleviate the pain and tension in the shoulders is through massage, which will, as a result, ease the strain in your upper body and in your mind.

Release the tension

Massage is therapeutic on so many levels; a deep massage will change the way a tense body can be used – and so can a good diet and lots of hydration. Any profession that requires you to sit for long periods of time will change your body – massage can deliver more supple muscles, relieve tension, ease stress and make joints more flexible, all of which will make a difference in how you feel. The focus isn’t just on the shoulders, but the neck, head, arms and hands, too – they all need attention due to constant use. Holding your arms up in the same position for a long period of time, keeping your neck bent – all this will cause tension build-up. Your whole body needs attention, which a good sports or remedial massage can deliver. The more regular, the better. We can all regularly become misaligned – sometimes our muscles stop working properly and therefore require treatment. A strong core is key to keep the back strong and supple. Regular exercise is also recommended. This, along with regular bodywork treatments, will enable the clinician to work more freely, be more comfortable, and improve performance.

DIY stretching

Certain stretches will help the body whilst the dentist is performing a procedure. The following are a few examples of stretches you can do at home or work:

• Lifting the arms up and pressing the forearms behind the shoulders (on both sides) will help keep the whole rotator cuff system flexible

• A cross-body stretch will help ease the shoulders and keep the upper spine loose, as well as free up the shoulders. To do this, cross your arm over your body horizontally and press it towards your body. Do this on both sides

• Stretching the neck from side to side using gentle pressure from your hands will keep

A few examples of stretches that will help with flexibility and posture it flexible and loose

• Bending your head gently from front to back will keep the neck flexible. Mindful practice A good diet, which includes regular hydration, is key to keeping your body working well, along with relaxation, deep breathing exercises and some mindfulness techniques to create a sense of peace. Complete wellbeing can be achieved through all the above exercises, helping you to perform better at work. If you are able to practise this at the beginning and end of the day with the whole team, even better! Emotionally, massage can create a feeling of calm, restore balance and give you a sense of euphoria that is long-lasting. Physically, it will ease tightness and release any tension, and it can create a sense of focus for your mental wellbeing. Practising the above exercises in the short term can help with the everyday ‘grind’, but a regular remedial massage will enable better physical ability and relaxation.

To be edited: Diets don’t work – fact!

Once the weight has been lost it can be hard to maintain unless you are extremely strict and focused. Many diets tell you to eat processed foods on the shelves of supermarkets and stores, rather than nutrient- dense foods that are better for you because they are unprocessed. This is the key as these foods can have a positive effect on our being. By eating processed foods we are increasing our sugar intake, contributing to weight gain, obesity and diabetes. Not exercising and a sedentary lifestyle are also huge factors to being unhealthy and obese. The yo-yo effects of sugar in our bloodstream play havoc with our mood throughout the day. We can start to recognise the effects of sugar and the hidden sugars contained in processed food, and their detrimental effects on our bodies. We gain weight for a start. Our white fat is activated (this ‘white fat’ is the fat that causes obesity). If we have more brown fat this is what is used to help us exercise and lose weight.2 Food on the go For around 10,000 years, grains have been eaten more regularly as farm techniques and the pressures of increased population and mouths to feed increased. These primitive needs were the precursor to what we now have in our supermarkets, in the form of quick and convenient processed foods. Despite this length of time, the human body, our metabolism and digestive system have still not adapted to these foods. In the 20th century, big food companies come along and created products packed full of chemical additives, produced in vast stainless steel industrial vats. Under the all- permeating umbrella of profitability, these chemicals can help to add to a longer shelf- life. But their knock-on effect is cumulative, seen in health problems in the population devouring them for the sake of low price and convenience. Rice has been a staple food in China for over 10,000 years, and its equivalent, corn, in the Americas for a similar period. Emmer or farrow wheat, which is more akin to what we would consider natural and is provided free of charge by nature, has been replaced by commercial, genetically bread-specific wheat; the type that we are all familiar with. This type of wheat has been altered hugely. In some parts of America wheat was not eaten until 300 years ago. This demonstrates that our bodies have had to adapt to grains and the very refined type has affected us. Spelt, eikhorn and farro are all old grains, which have a beneficial natural effect on us. Eating smaller amounts frequently, or ‘grazing’ if you will, is the perfect way to keep our metabolism operating in our favour. Snacking here and there on foods such as nuts and berries can kickstart our bodies into a much healthier way of living. Expressions such as, ‘Well, it filled a hole’ will not be needed when we can appreciate and savour 36 January 2017 ■ Vol 27, No 01 www.practice-management.org.ukall the excellent and variety of food we in the west have access to. Hidden sugars Hidden sugars hit our blood sugar levels hard. Our blood sugar falls on an empty stomach and we seek a quick fix in the form of something fast, easy, usually cheap and available, to eat. We are rewarded in the short term with a delicious energy-filled sugar rush, but the sugar is burnt up and we crash again. It’s the same with coffee and alcohol (in the latter case causing the dreaded hangover). Even seemingly healthy options, such as fruit juices, syrups, honey and smoothies can have this effect. Spiking sugar levels are followed by an inevitable rebound and crash effect. This cycle can lead to weight gain, as we are almost always not burning off the deluge of calories we are putting in. There is also the effect of fructose on our bodies where we put on the extra calories in the form of fat. This was fine during the hunter–gatherer epochs of our cavemen ancestors, but not so fine with central heating, nice clothes and a cushy sit-down office that many of us spend our lives in. Eating as much as we can in the way of fresh food can help prevent weight gain, as long as our portions are balanced and we are keeping our blood sugar levels normal. Foods with little nutritional value, such as white rice, pasta and bread, should be eaten minimally. A diet incorporating nutrition found in, among others, lean meats, fish, shellfish, eggs, nuts, vegetables and root vegetables, fruit, berries and mushrooms requires a little extra preparation, but can pay off in our sense of vitality and wellbeing. Recently in Italy, it occurred to me yet again that the Italian cuisine depends so much less on processed food being part of a meal. Food is something that is taken much more seriously and dinner is a time of sanctuary. Compared to the rest of Europe, Italy is proud of having proportionally fewer fast-food outlets and commercial coffee shops; the only Starbucks coffee shop there will be opened in Milan this year. It speaks volumes about the importance of cuisine and culture to its people, and the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. It’s OK to have the occasional fast-food takeaway or highly processed microwave meal – but if illnesses (minor or major) or mood swings are to be avoided, a balanced diet of fresh food could help do this for you.

Fat or sugar? Lean protein is beneficial, but not too much. Eat fruit in its natural form and avoid drinking fruit juice as this causes a sugar hit. Good grains like quinoa, millet, brown rice and barley, which are slow release, and small quantities of fats like cheese and butter are fine in sensible quantities. As long as small quantities of fat are eaten we will lower our risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Sadly, as a nation people are getting bigger because of processed food that is laced with sugar. The more one eats the more one wants. Sugar hits the reward centre of the brain and after eating it the brain craves more. Have you noticed this? After something sweet or something processed, we want more of it. Have you ever eaten a whole bar of chocolate intending to eat only couple of squares? The fashionable incorporation of mindfulness in what we do, in this case eating, works. We can taste, take time over and savour each and every small mouthful; no guzzling down or filling a hole, appreciating the sensations of the food and the gentle energy giving properties they give us.

I am always a bit perturbed by this and think ‘wow does it really bother others that I don’t have children?’ It doesn’t bother me. I feel I have been put on this planet to do the things I am doing. And I am really quite happy.

Having a family now is very different to say, twenty years ago. I feel the internet, mobile phones, social media and other modern ways have changed the way children are growing up. I also feel that moving house to get a good place in a school seems to be a real battle. Perhaps I am just selfish now, I don’t mind admitting that as I know I can clear off and do what I want. I guess I have evolved in this way. Don’t get me wrong, I love children and I don’t always get them but I enjoy their company and as my nieces know I spend a good deal of time with them. But there are times when I see people who don’t appear very happy having kids.

Is it fair that someone can make some comment about me not having had children? If I know them and it is in context it is generally okay and I am happy to discuss, debate and dissect. I don’t feel sad about it and I look after myself enough to feel I hopefully won’t get too frail to early. But when someone I don’t know very well says it in a very throwaway manner I feel it.

A friend of a friend once asked me at a kid’s birthday party; ‘where are your kids?’ I was a bit flabbergasted because that was the biggest assumption of all. He may as well have asked me; ‘where is your Ferrari?’ I just laughed with some discomfort and said, ‘I don’t have any.’ And quickly moved away.

I guess I am saying that my womb has a different view from some people and that is all…..

Working in drug and alcohol treatment services I have come across all types of addictions to substance misuse and alcohol. It can move over to sugar however when an individual manages to stop the use of their drug of choice or alcohol. Either sweet food can take precedent or the form of drinks like cola or coffee filled with sugar but at times energy drinks are the one. And in this day and age energy drinks are so out there and highly available and become very addictive.

I recently treated a woman at my place of work in Oxford; she had been reducing off methadone. She came to me for several sessions and the usual chat about methadone reduction was standard and was doing quite well, slowly coming down 0.4 mg per two weeks; a subtle yet effective amount with low impact. The thing that got me one particular day was the can of energy drink that was in her hand. I was eyeing it up curiously.

She said she bought it from the cash and carry and it was very cheap. I asked her how much? Thirty five pence each. I was amazed. I then asked her how many she would drink per day? She said, “twelve per day”!!!! I nearly fell over. I picked up the can and looked at the nutritional information. It had so many grams of sugar per can. The equivalent of twelve teaspoons per can; which astonished me, and a similar amount to a can of Coke. Or other similar sweetened drinks.

I was shocked! What was she doing to her body? Where was all that sugar going? I asked her was she aware of how much sugar she was putting into her system via the drinks alone? She wasn’t clear on this at all. I said, “twelve teaspoons of sugar are in each can, meaning twelve times twelve is one hundred and forty four.” So she was putting one hundred and forty four teaspoons sugar into her system, per day. The recommended amount per day is six teaspoons. She then seemed to get the picture. I then multiplied that by seven; per week she was having one thousand and eight teaspoons equivalent. So in one month she had roughly four thousand teaspoons of sugar. This would seriously be damaging her health. Not to mention the rest of the food she may be having with sugar in. I immediately said to her she must reduce her intake immediately if possible. So she said she would try to halve it. And low and behold a couple weeks later she had halved her consumption. So when she came back to me she was on two thousand teaspoons of sugar per month. What an improvement! I am sure the addiction of sugar resonates after a substance addiction. Energy drinks can be the next consumer product to cause problems with a dependency swopping to sugar.

If we carry on drinking such drinks without any idea of what they are doing to our system the body will become inherently used to it and crave more. We can develop withdrawal symptoms, as some of you may have read my sugar detox blog some time ago it is hard to stop taking in such powerful drinks without feeling it. The energy drinks market is huge and they are extremely popular particularly with the young. If we have the sugar tax it may help us to make choices about what we chose to drink a little more but the sheer amount of sugar that twelve cans per day is doing is astounding.

We begin an exercise plan with great intentions; to feel better, feel fitter, to improve our lives by eating better diet and making sure we do right by ourselves. A bout of inspiration usually does it, after a conversation with someone or watching TV or perhaps the feeling that we need to do something right. But then the excuses start to seep in. As many excuses come as there are reasons to start being healthier; 1) the results will take a long time to come so what’s the point? 2) I cannot commit to this regime. 3) I had good intentions but I am not ready. 3) My friends and family think I am mad. 4) I can’t afford gym membership. 5) I just can’t be bothered.

So once all the above have kicked in then it is back to square one. And do we start it all over again or do we strive and try to move forward in making these changes? Once we get passed that difficult stage, usually about four to six weeks then we notice the results and really enjoy them. It isn’t that long to get results and to start feeling better. It will be noticed in every part of your life. You will sleep better, you will be in a better mood, you will function better on a day to day basis, and most of all you will look better. Isn’t that the real reason we go to the gym? There is an element of vanity about us and being body conscious is something we are all accustomed to.

The same goes for diet. We aim to eat a better diet and to be great in the kitchen. Carry on with it and then all of a sudden we falter if something tempting is presented to us in the way of a takeaway, burger, chocolate bar and so on. Is it us being weak and our willpower failing or are we just kidding ourselves?

Yes we are! We need to be strong, like with anything we do or take on.

We all know we need to exercise and we all know we need to eat well at least eighty percent of the time but sometimes we cannot help ourselves! When we eat something unhealthy we justify it so much. As a sedentary nation we should move regularly for at least half hour per day so we can reduce our risk of heart disease, stroke and other related illnesses. It also helps our mental health too. Good healthy food is also a must to avoid cancer, heart disease, diabetes and becoming obese.

At what point to do we get to that we stop and think ‘Can I be bothered?’

I find this rather fascinating the way people have great enthusiasm and then suddenly it stops. January is always busy in the gym with the public really enthused to get their weight down and to be a fitter person. But then weeks pass and the numbers dwindle and less people are going. They are still paying for membership but don’t go as often or don’t go at all. Is this denial? Is this the way we roll? Commitment may not be an easy thing to stick to but if we keep going and keep eating well then the results will be there for sure in half a year or less!

Is it because there is something better going on? Is it our lives are too busy?

I believe that we are susceptible to giving up on things that are proving to be too hard because we are fearful of massive change. It is easier to stay where we are than to change things. A bit like staying in a relationship that is going nowhere. It makes more sense to stay where we are and keep doing the things that are familiar to us. Ask anyone this question and we all know that familiarity is good and change is not. I know only too well of my many years working in mental health and addictions. Change is scary!

We strive to do the best for ourselves and our intentions are generally always positive but once the real work needs to begin we tend to shy away and think of an excuse to not do it. Change is massive but it can also be very positive. It needs to be gradual for us to cope with it. Small changes and tiny steps are the best ways to avoid unnecessary stress. Stress can be caused by thinking we are failures and that we can’t do it; that we are not good enough and therefore we put pressure on ourselves. We also need to focus on ourselves and our own limits. If we feel pressured by other peers this can be a hindrance. Follow your own path. Be methodical and be mindful about how you exercise and eat. In order for us to make the most of it we need to incorporate it into our lives making those changes and embracing them. We are in it for the long hall.

Ingredients

2 cod loins

30 grams kale

1 red onion chopped

4 cloves garlic chopped

1 small glass white wine (optional)

1 tbsp Boullion stock

Juice one lemon

1 sweet potato chopped

Half turnip chopped

Seasoning

Method in slow cooker

If making it in slow cooker then put all the ingredients in except the cod and a little water and put on to cook. At least for four hours on low setting. About two hours in place the cod in there. Stir and flavour if needed and serve.

In a normal pan

In a normal pan cook the onions and garlic to start with, the stock and add the sweet potato and turnip, season. Add the wine, the lemon juice, the kale and then leave to cook for thirty minutes.

Then add the cod, cook for a further then minutes and season again if needed. And serve.

moderation

mɒdəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/

noun

noun: moderation

1 1. the avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one’s behaviour or political opinions. “He urged the police to show moderation”

Why are we not able to live moderately as human beings?

Why do certain aspects in our lives have to be extreme?

If as a race, we lived a more moderate lifestyle, we could be so much happier. We would have fewer expectations and the pressure wouldn’t be on us. Doesn’t that sound like bliss?

Moderation is a word that is mentioned when during a conversation, such as one has drank or eaten too much or if we have been using our mobile phones too much: however the context fits.

‘Everything in moderation’, we can hear it being said. Some of us nod in agreement and others roll their eyes. When someone says it we also justify it by saying: ‘oh but I don’t have any other vices!’ It can become so tiring.

But why can’t we enjoy that one glass of wine. Or that one bit of cake or chocolate? No! We have to finish the whole packet of biscuits and finish that bottle of wine. We know we will feel rubbish after but we still do it followed by beating ourselves up and making a promise to ourselves that we will not do it again. Is it down to excessive consumerism that we can’t seem to get away from it all?

Food companies probably don’t help, as with tobacco companies, breweries and so on. Yet when we have some sort of mild addiction we justify it to ourselves and to others. Gaming is another example to justify an addiction that we cannot seem to get enough of. There have been many cases of children playing video games so excessively that it creates a monumental issue mentally with powerful withdrawals. I have seen a child have a melt down because he could not play on his Wii. It was shocking to see.

The truth is certain products are destructive to us, if we don’t stop having them in excess. Whether it’s refined carbs, junk food, drugs, tobacco, alcohol or technology we have become addicted and we cannot get enough.

The reward centre of our brain is the reason we are doing this to ourselves as many of us have little control here.

If we spend some time being mindful and develop an awareness of what we are eating or doing then we can manage it. By removing the taste of sugar from of our mouths and to try to quit smoking we can really manage such addictions and be happy with moderation being a regular thing.

But what is wrong with being moderate? Many of you are probably laughing.

Some of us are lucky and some not.

I got accused many times of being addicted to exercise. It’s fair enough but others were more bothered by it. Are they right to be concerned or is it none of their business? I am fairly aware of my obsession to exercising regularly and when others comment I just let them get on with it. It makes me happy but it isn’t alcohol or an addiction to drugs or food. And the reason being is to work out strenuously and to really sweat out toxins and let the endorphins be released. But I don’t spend hours there when there is no need to. Maybe exercise is better for us but at the end of the day you are not able to stop someone doing something, if it brings happiness. That change has to come from them.

Do we live excessively because we can? Is it because we can get away with it?

Life is for living; we all know that. If we have suffered with a disease or condition that has set us back then we tend to make the most of it. But does that mean we have to drink lots of alcohol? Eat all the time? Take drugs and gamble all our savings away? ‘Making the most of it’ is about doing the things we enjoy and make us happy. Taking those days off and doing something that is not part of our every day lives. Like visiting a place that is a once in a lifetime opportunity or attending an event we will only do once. It is also about appreciating life and spending our time in a meaningful way. And doing something that is out of the blue.

How many times have you scoffed down a meal and it has barely touched the sides? In far Eastern places meal times are so sacred and almost ritualistic. My main ritual of the day is to drink my only coffee made the way I enjoy it and to sit on sofa for fifteen minutes and enjoy that moment. I used to drink way too much coffee every day. I rarely enjoy coffee at any other time of the day now.

So moderation is merely a word that some of us are a bit terrified of. Having a good time doesn’t mean you have to drink yourself stupid or smoke twenty cigarettes or even drive a car at high speed. Moderation makes so much sense as we can appreciate what we are doing. And a thing we can do without being stupid for the fear of missing out.

Try it one day; you may even like it!