Irritable Bowel Syndrome

I.B.S.

This distressing and complex problem affects all ages, more woman than men. It is idiopathic but often caused by stress or/and food intolerances. Too little fibre in the diet causes constipation type (the most common), aim for 20g per day. Relax at meal times, eat slowly and enjoy your food. Keep a food diary and list symptoms connected with I.B.S. e.g. wind, bloating, and abdominal pain. Does a pattern emerge? If yes you may have intolerance or food sensitivity. Food intolerances do not usually show themselves immediately therefore what you ate yesterday may give symptoms today. Don’t give up foods without good reason, what you consume provides your protein, fats, carbohydrate, vitamin and mineral needs.

The way to reduce symptoms is to eat fruit or vegetables at every meal, drink 1.5 litres of water per day and exercise daily. For constipation type - do some exercise that uses the whole body i.e. jogging, skipping, swimming, and yoga. When you exercise your internal organs are massaged, including the bowel, and this increases bowel function. Wind may be released as you exercise but don’t let this put you off – open a window or exercise outdoors. Some people suffer from slow peristalsis and this causes irritable bowel syndromes. An artichoke supplement can relieve this. If you suffer from loose motions a supplement of turmeric can help. Wind and bloating may be relieved by ginger capsules, or suck fresh ginger daily if you don’t mind the taste. Herbs are excellent for settling the stomach so include in your dish or sprinkle on top, especially oregano, dill and mint. I don’t think yogurts and shake drinks with added ‘friendly’ bacteria, officially called probiotics, help but feel free to try them (they are quite expensive). For more information and a free fact sheet please go to www.stswithins.plus.com/nutrition. I hope your health improves soon.

Healthy Eating for the wannabe fit

Tips and recipes for those on a fitness regime.

If you’re like me and trying to get fit remember to eat healthy foods too. So, what is healthy eating? In the main it is a diet high in complex carbohydrates i.e. starchy items and fruit and veg. and low in saturated fat and sugar. You will also be eating lean protein foods; try to have a balanced meal i.e. your plate should contain protein, carbohydrates, essential fat, vitamins and minerals. The best of the carbs is slow release ones to give you sustained energy for your workout, these are also called low glycemic index carbs., have a large portion of your chosen one.

Think about timing of meals – it is important to have 3 proper meals a day plus a snack (usually taken in the afternoon as the gap between lunch and dinner is long). If you are going to exercise in the afternoon have your main meal at lunchtime then you can burn up the stored energy throughout the afternoon. Unfortunately too many of us have a big evening meal then sit in front of the TV where we burn up few calories but store too much fat. Remember to drink 1.5 litres of water daily. Coffee and tea do not give energy but raise cortisol levels; it’s best to cut down on these. Refer back to my website for further information.

Examples of low glycemic index carbs – basmati brown rice, wholegrain bread, rye bread, noodles, spaghetti, other pastas, baked beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, all beans and lentils + all fruits except dates, watermelon and pineapple + all vegetables except parsnip, swede, chips and baked white potatoes (try sweet potato).

Examples of lean protein – chicken, turkey, salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, herring, all white fish, beans, pulses and eggs.

Examples of essential fats – fat from oily fish, seeds, nuts, avocado, polyunsaturated oil e.g. sunflower, flaxseed. (You can use olive oil if you prefer).

MAIN MEAL RECIPES. (for 2 people)

Roast lemon chicken – serve with green beans, peas and roast sweet potato.

Take 2 chicken breasts, loosen the skin and tuck under some crushed garlic, lemon zest and tarragon. Place in a roasting dish and drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 190C/gas 5.

Chicken and bacon with penne pasta – serve with a green salad.

Dice 1 large chicken breast and simmer it for 10 minutes in milk, remove and set aside. Re-use the milk to make a béchamel sauce, add nutmeg and chopped chives. Grill 3 rashers of bacon, defrost 2 handfuls of sweetcorn, boil the pasta. Place the chicken, bacon, pasta and sweetcorn in an ovenproof dish, top with cheese and breadcrumbs and grill for a few minutes for a crunchy topping. (For added fibre use weetabix crumbs instead of breadcrumbs).

Sausage ratatouille bake.

Need – 4 good quality sausages (look for low fat ones), 4 peppers (sliced), 2 red onions (sliced), 2 courgettes (sliced), 1 x 397g tin chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 2 garlic cloves crushed, 2 tsp dried mix herbs, black pepper.

Place the vegetables in a roasting tin, add the tomato puree, garlic, herbs and pepper, mix well then place the sausages on top.
Place in a pre-heated oven for about 1 hour at 180C/gas 4. This is quite filling and a slice of whole-wheat bread should be the only accompaniment you need.

Chestnut and Butterbean soup. Serve with granary bread.

Need – 200g tin chestnuts, 397g tin butterbeans, 1 onion (chopped), 1 carrot (peel and chop), thyme or other herb you have handy, 1 ltr vegetable bouillon, pepper.

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan, simmer with lid on for 35 minutes. Puree until smooth.

Mixed Fish Paella (make your own recipe with my ideas as a guide).

Heat a little oil and cook some diced salmon and haddock. Remove this and add some more oil then fry sliced onion and rice, add some herbs and saffron. Add some prawns, sweetcorn, peas and chopped tin tomatoes, add the cooked fish. Pour over vegetable stock and leave to simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with a wedge of lemon - a complete meal.

FOR A SWEET SNACK/BREAKFAST - APPLE MUFFINS

You need - 300ml milk, 120g oat bran, 2 eggs, 75g low-fat spread, 45g sugar, drops of vanilla extract, 60g wholemeal flour, 120g flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 eating apple, (chopped) 2 tblsp raisins soaked in rum or orange juice.

You do - Grease muffin tin (12), preheat oven to 190C. Soak the oat bran in the milk for a short time. Beat together the eggs and spread (soften), add sugar and vanilla. In another bowl mix the flours, baking powder, apple, salt if like, stir all together. Mix the oat bran with the egg mixture, stir in the raisins, combine with flour etc. Put a heaped dessertspoonful into each muffin tin, top with pecan nuts (or other nuts) and bake for 25-30 minutes until well risen and golden brown.

Menopausal

The menopause.

Supplements and nutritious foods to help you through this difficult time advised by a nutritional therapist.

At this time of your life the body is struggling with too little oestrogen. In plant foods there are substances which mimic oestrogen, these are called phyto-oestrogens and include lignan, flavonoids and isoflavones. In your diet increase soya foods, flaxseeds/oil, all seeds (particularly pomegranate) and all berries to gain these phyto-oestrogens. Isoflavones are particularly prevalent in millet and pulses so change your diet to increase consumption. If you find you do not like soya foods or milk you can purchase a supplement called Isovon but try some tempah and tofu first.

Try and maintain a healthy diet i.e. one rich in complex carbohydrates, wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and lean protein and low in saturated fat and sugars. As one ages the metabolism slows leaving us prone to overweight and subsequent health problems. Guard against this by curbing your sweet tooth and exercise daily. A chromium supplement may be useful if you lack energy, this mineral converts insulin to glucose and boosts vitality. Although chromium is in meat, nuts and wholegrains it is not well absorbed due to other dietary factors. To purchase a quality supplement email me.

When your symptoms are bad a detox diet would be a good idea, there is no need to buy anything special, call me for details. From your health store try the herb red clover or, if no good effect after 3 weeks, black cohosh, these are natural HRT’s. For further advice contact me via my website.