Whole30 - 30 days free from grains, sugar, dairy, legumes and preservatives

Pre-Whole 30

As a Nutritional Therapist, prior to Whole30 I was very aware of everything I put in my mouth, or so I thought. As I read through It Starts With Food by Dallas & Melissa Hartwig, the founders of Whole30, I started to realise that over the past 3 years or so, since I graduated as a Nutritional Therapist, some of my food choices had become disguised and dressed up in fancy outfits luring me in with their fancy labels claiming health and prosperity and general awesomeness.. hmm. not so it seemed as I read further into the the book.

My healthy brown rice had to go along with my new found passion for natural yogurt and my favourite thing of all  - fruit - was in a restricted zone. Now despite the slight slips and trips on my food choices, my overall diet was pretty good - I'd say up there in the 85% good, 15% category (not that Whole30 allows you to categorise food choices like this ever again!). My health is in the good to excellent category, healthy weight with healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and fat to muscle ratio in the superior category (apparently!). Putting exercise induced asthma aside and a 6 week dose of vestibular neuritis (vertigo) this summer I've not been sick for a long time. I tend not to pick up the colds and flus and sleep well most of the time. 
So why did I do this you probably ask? Well, apart from it being great research for my clients, I did think my energy could be better and my moods be more stable. I was also attracted to the possibility of being able to be free from negative psychological associations with food. I am one of these people that does reward myself after a hard day with chocolate, that is my weakness, mostly 70% organic dark chocolate but still, it's still chocolate and I still use it as a reward, and I wanted to see if I could break that association. I also love a challenge! So,a few deep breaths later and on completing the book I set about preparing myself for the Whole30 experience. 

Preparation is KEY to a successful Whole30. Don't even attempt one without doing all the reading and timetabling and shopping list writing that you are advised to do. It simply won't work. You'll feel rubbish that you started and failed at the first hurdle and that won't help anyone. I spent 5 days preparing, 5 whole days in the week after Christmas reading recipe books, writing shopping lists and preparing the first 10 days food timetable, including snacks as emergencies (Whole30 discourages snacking between meals but if you must then you should aim for a mini-meal - protein, healthy fats and vegetables).

The Meal planner is simple all meals must consist of PROTEIN + VEGETABLES + HEALTHY FATS + SEASONING. It's that simple - except it isn't as I go onto explain below!

Day 1 What's all the fuss about?!

Easy Peasy! I had prepared well and so Day 1 was a breeze, I was most likely still emptying my glycogen stores from the Christmas indulgence but Breakfast was egg scramble with berries and cashews and kept me going nicely till lunch which was tuna and avocado mix with squash and green salad. Energy was high and I felt really excited about the next 30 days! 

Day 2 - 5 Getting in the flow

I started on a Thursday and so Day 2 sees Friday night roll-around, I have to say at no point on the entire Whole30 did I miss booze so this was actually quite easy. I made scrummy meals of left overs in preparation for the Big Cook at the weekend. Big batch of meatballs and compliant mousakka made with big batch of roasted root veg. Felt really good on day 2 but the Carb Flu hit big time on Day 3 and 4. Lethargic, flu like symptoms saw me in bed for most of Day 3 and not really hungry at all. Headaches lasted for the best part of 10 days in total but the sugar cravings went within the first few days. It felt like a different sort of 'sick' to normal cold or flu. It felt cleansing, like I knew my body was detoxing from all the sugar and toxins that it had built up over the years. I supported my liver with lots of dark green leafy vegetables and coriander to support detoxification pathways through this phase. I kept at it, limiting fruit where I could and nuts too. Exercise was limited during this week as I let my body adjust to the new foods and convert from sugar burning to fat burning. 

Day 6-10 Tough Love 

As I previously said, headaches lasted until Day 10. This was a tough section of the Whole30 as I tried to get back to exercising and trying to work out how much protein/fat/carb I needed at each meal to keep me sustained until the next without feeling so full after each meal I couldn't move! Running club this week was interesting - felt very slow and nausea had been bothering me quite a bit which didn't' seem to resolve until after day 10 either. All part of the cleansing and adjusting phase I think. 

I made some delicious  meals during this time though and discovered plaintain!

Day 10 - 16 Feeling the magic....

It didn't happen suddenly or overnight, but very slowly the headaches went, energy went up and sustained throughout the day - my partner commented on how I was able to stay up past the ten o'clock news or watch a film all the way through with him without falling asleep! My moods stabilized also and life seemed very good. I was enjoying the food preparation and cooking and with a few shops done by my partner it took the load off me.  even managed a trip to Downing Street and politely avoided the drinks and nibbles on offer sticking to fizzy water with fresh lime (my new favourite drink!). 

Some of my favourite foods that I started to discover new ways with during this time were cauliflower - made into garlicky cauliflower mash tastes delicious and can be used just like normal mash potato; egg frittatas made in muffin cases, egg scramble - with any leftovers you can, coconut chips, addition of cinnamon to plantain for a tasty treat, the joy of a big handful of tasty filling olives, tuna and avocado mixed together (no need for mayo!), coconut oil for cooking, coconut aminos (whole30 approved soy sauce equivalent) coconut milk for just about everything, the joy of my local organic butcher - to name just a few delights and surprises!

Day 17 - 23 Continuing to feel the magic...

Days 17 through to 23 were generally very good. I felt full of energy, bouncing out of bed and keeping sustained energy up throughout the day. Moods were balanced and zero bloating, stomach pains or headaches. Skin was clear, nails strong, hair shiny and running performance was improving. I was really getting into the swing of the cooking and prepping and found I didn't need my trusted weekly timetable as I was able to trust myself to know what to buy and eat. Fridge was constantly stocked with eggs, avocados and sweet potatoes as stables and there was always coconut milk in the fridge. Vegetables were perked up with lots of herbs, spices and GARLIC and I often made kale crisps in the oven to add texture to my meals - just simple tear kale leaves up, place on baking tray and bake for 10 mins with salt. watch they don't burn. they are yummy!

Day 24 - 30 Feeling.. not so magic



I'd love to say that the magic feeling continued, but alas it didn't but this was not due to Whole 30 but rather a stressful week at work (which normally would have seen me heading for the chocolate every night or even in the afternoon) instead I had fruit and lots of it upping my portions to 3 a day with some dried fruit as well. (I had asked my partner to hide the dried fruit for me from week 2 but it made an appearance back again in week 4 - it was that or chocolate so I feel I made the right choice!). So despite a very stressful week at work I managed to stick with Whole 30 and kept the choices clean and right. Exercise was up to 4 times a week and although tired I was getting excited with the end in sight. Day 28 to 30 were better than the previous 4 as I realized I was so nearly there and nothing would knock me off track, I made some of my most delicious meals at this time and also found mackerel found it's way into my breakfast a lot! 
By the time Day 30 came around I really felt like I could keep this way of eating up. I felt calmer, cleaner and lighter. However, to keep the way of living up that supports this way of eating is another matter - it requires an enormous amount of time commitment and brain commitment. I was always thinking about what I needed to shop for, cook, prep, plan, wash-up - what was the next meal, snack, how did it fit in with work outs... ahh.. sometimes on top of a full time job, wedding and honeymoon planning and running my own start-up nutrition business it was all a bit much and so by the end of Day 30  - and after managing to avoid any drinks at a big work night out I smugly woke up on Day 31 feeling a huge sense of satisfaction, zero hangover and generally feeling huge sense of relief that I could choose to eat what I wanted, knowing how it would impact my body and therefore able to make an informed choice!

Post - Whole 30
So, was it worth it? This is the question everyone is asking me. In short and on balance.. YES it was worth it. I have learnt:

• The shocking truth about just how much crap is in ALL packaged foods
• Nothing is innocent - not even plain pre-cooked roast chicken - brown sugar is third on ingredients list.
• Vegetables are you vegepals - they are soo versatile, adaptable and flexible, whether hot, cold, raw, cooked, as a main, or as a side, with coconut milk or without, spicy or herby, cinnamon or garlicky  - you can do so many things with them and they are your best food friends both on whole 30 and beyond. I knew this anyway having grown up in a family where vegetables were the main part of our diet - but I have never had them in so many tasty ways until the whole 30. My favourite is kale and coconut milk with chillies. yum!
• Sugar is EVERYWHERE - there is no escaping it unless you eat clean. and the sugar dragon doesn't die easily. 
• Scales have too much power over all of us - we are worth so much more than defining our selves by a number on the scale. Eating Clean, Thinking Clean and Exercising Mean is a much better scale of self-worth than weight or measurements.
• Variety is the spice of life - eggs for breakfast every day is dull - keep it intersting and your brain and body keeps interested too.
• Think outside of the box- breakfast doesn't have to be brown squares of cardboard (aka cereal), you can have leftovers from dinner, vegetable smoothies, mini frittatas, eggs, curry, sausages, bacon - in fact the tradition english breakfast of eggs, sausages and bacon is a fantastic start - skip the beans, fried bread, black pudding and toast though!

In summary, I have learnt a huge amount about myself and food which I am looking forward to passing onto clients and friends and family through workshops and nutritional therapy consultations.

If you would like to hear more about my Whole30 experience or fancy it yourself and would like some support or would like to book a consultation then please contact me:
www.juliasimmsnutrition.co.uk
t: 07709449052
e: info@juliasimmsnutrition.co.uk
f: facebook.com/juliasimmsnutritionaltherapy 

Slaying the sugar dragon

Over the past 30 years sugar has increased in our diets dramatically.  The scary thing about this is that our bodies don’t actually need ‘free sugar’ to survive. Free sugar is not the same as glucose. Glucose is produced through the digestion of carbohydrates and is the fuel of life for all the cells in our body.

The World Health Organisations (WHO) defines ‘free sugar’ as "all monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods by the manufacturer, cook, or consumer, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices".

It is used to distinguish between the sugars that are naturally present in fully unrefined carbohydrates such as brown rice, wholewheat pasta, fruit, etc. and those sugars (or carbohydrates) that have been, to some extent, refined (normally by humans but sometimes by animals, such as the free sugars present in honey).

Confusion occurs when we use different names for sugar inter-changeably. Below are just some of the terms used for sugar or sweeteners in food:

Brown sugar, white sugar, Demerara, molasses, honey, fructose, sucrose, treacle, golden syrupy, maple syrup, corn syrup, cane syrup malt, fruit juice concentrate, agave syrup, stevia, brown rice syrup, manitol, maltose, maltodextrin, dextrose etc.

So it’s very important to become adept at reading food labels. Limit the amount of foods you buy with these listed as part of the ingredients and follow the tips below to limit ‘free sugars’ in your diet and your children’s:

• Avoid fizzy drinks, sweetened drinks, sports drinks and concentrated fruit juice (unless diluted 50% with water. Fruit juice has had all the fibre removed from the fruit and so is concentrated fructose. Drink plain water or water flavoured with mint, lime, lemon and fruit.
• Keep sweet treats like cakes, biscuits and sweets for special occasions only. Replace with whole fruit which contains fibre to slow down the release of sugar into the blood stream.
• Watch out for fruit smoothies, often they are just thicker fruit juices with limited fibre left in them. Make your own using whole fruit and vegetables as an alternative.
• Swap ‘white foods’ i.e. white pasta, white rice, white bread, cakes and pastries for wholegrains i.e. brown rice, brown pasta, wholegrain bread. Your children’s taste buds will adapt over time but to start with use half white half brown for a few weeks before moving over completely. This way they will hardly notice!
• Limit honey, syrups and dried fruit – use them for flavourings for food as a treat.
• Choose tinned fruit in water rather than syrup. Better still choose fresh fruit.
• Choose lower sugar fresh fruits such as apples, pears, plums and berries. As these grown in the UK they are naturally lower in sugar as they don’t get much sun exposure as tropical fruits like bananas, grapes and pineapple – keep these sweeter fruits for special occasions.

By following this advice you will be naturally lowering your children’s sugar intake and over time will hopefully see more balanced energy levels and moods. By slaying the sugar dragon their taste buds will change over time and will no longer crave sugar as they did before.

No Sugar Recipes

Butternut Squash Casserole

(Adapted from Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People who love to it by Melissa Joulwan)

Serves 4

1 x Large Butternut Squash

2 tsp water

1 head of garlic

1 tsp coconut oil

2-3  tbsps tin of coconut milk (organic if possible)

½ tsp Ras-el-hanout spice

Pinch of salt

1 large egg

Handful of pecan halves

Method

1.       Pre-heat oven to 350F, 180C

2.       Cut the Butternut Squash in half lengthways, remove seeds and place on roasting tray skin side up. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of water. Wrap garlic in tin foil and place on tray along side squash. Bake in oven for 40-50 mins. Set aside to cool.

3.       Increase temperature to 400F, 200C

4.        When the squash is cool, use a spoon to scoop the flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Separate the garlic cloves and squeeze the roasted pulp into the bowl with the squash. Process the mixture to a smooth puree, then add the coconut oil, coconut milk, salt, and Ras el Hanout. Taste and adjust seasonings.

5.       Beat the egg in a small bowl. Scrape the purée into a large mixing bowl and stir in the beaten egg with a wooden spoon until combined.

6.       Grease the inside of a 3-cup casserole dish or individual ramekins with a little coconut oil, then add the squash purée. Top with chopped pecans and bake in the 400 F oven for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are a little bubbly and the top is golden brown.

Courgette wraps

Serves 2

1 Courgette

1 tsp Lemon

½ Avocado

Handful coriander

¼ Red onion

1 tbsp Pumpkin seeks

2 tbsp cooked quinoa

Method

1.       Peel courgette lengthways to create long strips. Create two separate ‘beds’ of layers of strips overlapping each other – one for each person

2.       Slice avocado, chop coriander and red onion and mix with the cooked quinoa, lemon and pumpkin seeds.

3.       Place half the mixture on one end of one of the courgette ‘beds’ and roll the courgette strips up. Repeat with the other bed of courgette strips.

4.       Serve and Enjoy.

CAM Conference - Female Health

Despite being absent from my blog pages for several months (ahem, over a year!) I am still practising as a Nutritional Therapist and also am now working in Corporate Employee Health and Wellbeing as well - which I find complement each other very well.

Recently I have attended several conferences to keep my CPD up to date and wanted to share a few fantastic tips that I have learnt from two in particular. I have pulled out the top 5 take-away points from each with the aim of providing you with a few practical tips that even busy people can achieve each week:

Healing Foods for healthy digestion and liver health - the two go hand in hand!

• Beetroot - it is thought that Betaine contained in beetroot may play an important role in our metabolism and support liver health. Try it raw grated in salads, make chocolate & Beetroot brownies (Hugh Fernley -Whittingstall does a great recipe!), beetroot and horseradish are best friends, try making as delicious soup.
• Cabbage - the humble cabbage is another important vegetable for our gut and liver health. It contains Glutamine, an amino acid that is known for its gut healing properties. Be inventive with your cabbage - steam lightly with chestnuts or mint and caraway seeds, make healthy coleslaws, oven bake red cabbage with apples and cinnamon. Juice cabbage with fennel, apple and mint.
• Apples - as apples are part of the Environmental Working Groups Dirty Dozen (the most heavily sprayed foods) it's recommended to buy organic where possible. Apples are high in fibre, vitamin C and pectin which can have positive effects for both constipation and diarrhoea. Making stewed apples with cinnamon is a great low-sugar, low-fat dessert, baked apples with flaked almonds or just eat two apples a day!
• Onions - we probably all eat these almost every day but do you know if they are good for you? Well yes of course they are contain a high flavanoid content but mostly in their highest layers so don't be tempted to over peel. They are thought to stabilise bile and so can help those with a tendency for gall stones. Add to soups or stir-fries. Bake with fish or stuff one with savory rice and bake in oven.
• Sweet Potato - amazingly sweet and brightly coloured these root veg are fast overtaking the humble white potato in their mission to get our nation healthy. Lower GI than white potatoes they can be kept low by steaming rather than roasting Either way you will enjoy the benefits of the carotene, B6 and Vit C to help fight off those bugs this winter. Try sweet potato roasted, steamed, in soups, baking in muffins, jacket sweet potato or even grate into coleslaws with cabbage, apple, beetroot and onions to enjoy all the benefits of my top 5 gut and liver healing foods.

 

Top 3 things to know about hormonal balance/female health

• Balance blood sugar levels - our female hormones (oestrogen, progesterone) are made from the  cholesterol as long as the right balance of nutrients are available. If we have unbalanced blood sugar levels due to the British Average Diet (BAD) diet or stress our bodies may convert cholesterol to cortisol rather than our female hormones - resulting in an imbalance.
• Manage stress, eat protein or good fats at every meal, eliminate refined sugars, decrease caffeine and alcohol and try to get the majority of your 'starchy carbs' from root vegetables rather than grains - wholegrain are better than white, but better still are root veg (parsnips, beetroot, carrots, sweet pot, butternut squash).
• Support your gut health - ensure you have the right balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. An imbalance known as dysbiosis can increase the presence of Beta-glucuronidase which ultimately can prevent old oestrogen's from being excreted from body, allowing them to be re-circulated and thus contributing to an imbalance of hormones.
• A good probiotic will help restore balance in the gut. Prebiotics foods are also helpful - up your intake of garlic and onions to help.
• Support your liver and detoxification - the liver plays an important role in detoxifying old hormones. One of the main detoxification pathways for oestrogen is known as Methylation. 
• Two key co-factors to support this process are B6 and Magnesium - present in wholegrains and dark-green leafy vegetables you can't get enough of your cruciferous vegetables - broccoli, kale, cabbage, cavalo nero. Be sure not to overcook them - ligthly steam for 6-7 mins should be sufficient. 

I hope you find these tips helpful and not too much science!! 

Please contact me if you want to understand more about how nutritional therapy can help you reach your full health potential.

London to Brighton 100km Trek June 2012

Not strictly related to Nutritional Therapy but definitely a 'healthy and active' challenge to have taken part in and something I'm proud of and would like to share with past and future clients - proof that you can do anything if you put your mind to it!


Thank you so much for all your support and messages of good luck & congratulations!

Here's a brief synopsis of the event itself!

Although our alarm was set for 5.40am on Saturday morning, I was wide awake by 5am and my first thought is that I wouldn't be sleeping again for another 30 hours!
Taxi arrived at 6.30 to take us to Waterloo where we boarded the 7.12 to Kempton Park Race course, spotting a few other fellow competitors en route - all looking as apprehensive as we felt!

As our train didn't arrive till 8am we had missed the first safety briefing and mass start but you could still start up till 9 am so we quickly registered, picked up water, head torches, t-shirts and emergency numbers, had quick briefing - basically follow the day glow arrows, call us if you need ANYTHING and good luck. Then we were off in the gorgeous sunshine with 100km ahead of us.

The course was divided into 10 main check points approx. 12km apart from each other with the main stop at 63km which we had planned to be at by 11.30 according to my very organised spreadsheet! The guy at the start had said to us 'the weather is due to come in at 11 so try to make main stop by then'. with this in mind we were pleased to be always 30 mins ahead of plan for most of the checkpoints.

First checkpoint went well and by then we'd caught up with the mass start, and overtaken some even! checkpoint two was where we were due to have lunch and be met by our amazing support team - well person, Susan! Found getting to this checkpoint strangely hard given the sun was out and it was only 18 miles into the event - the walking poles were being used already as my right hip was playing up. But after a sock change (v important!) and refuel and hugs of encouragement from Susan we set off from there and onto the next checkpoint which was a morale boosting 5 miles away - much nearer then the first two!

A few checkpoints later, we were doing well, no blisters or injuries, walking poles were amazing and we were boosted by the support and snacks available at every checkpoint - really no need to bring our own food after them saying we had to! we figured it must have been the volunteers bringing it all for us!

So by the time we saw susan again at checkpoint 5 we had passed the half way mark  50km done and were feeling surprisingly good - not sure if that was the pro-plus & nurofen combination but after a quick stop, sock change again a bit of attention to the feet from a paramedic (only cause I stupdily but my bare foot onto gravel and got it dirty!) we were off again equipped with extra layers and head gear for the night section. We were to be on our own from now on so said good bye and huge thanks to susan!

The next few miles were again fine, the last 5 miles before the main stop darkness set in and head torches came out and the rain started...little did we know it wasn't to stop for another 8 hours (11pm - 7am continously!). But we arrived at meal stop in good spirits at 11pm - ahead of target. we had a blissful hour here refuelling on jacket potatoes and bbq (although not amazing really) and cups of tea. We got ourselves geared up for the weather - gaiters on etc. and headed out just after midnight with another group of girls not far behind - only identifiable by the line of head torches behind us.

I have to say the next 6 hours were the toughest out of the lot. The rain set in and then the wind and the mud - trying to avoid muddy puddles every 2 metres is not fun as your pace is interrupted and you have to squeeze up against the bank to get past - it's also hard to see them with head torches until it's almost too late and you want to do everything you can to keep feet dry - despite gortex boots and gaiters they were still getting damp.

We kept our spirits up by listening to music - 1 ear phone only so we could hear each other call out if needed, now and then I gave a walking pole to matt for his sore feet and we just kept going - left, right, left right until we got to the next checkpoint - number 7 - after 2 hrs. we weren't best pleased with this checkpoint - a tiny tent, with only 3 tiny stools already occupied by tired hypothermic people, but the marshalls gave us bananas and water and after 20 mins of standing shivering and taking it in turns to sit on stools we decided to crack on - and anyway, they said it as only 5 miles and nice and flat!

Well - it wasn't 5 miles and yes it was flat but no it wasn' t nice. it was hell! We tool 2hrs 40 mins to do what was apparently 5 miles, it took us off the lovely straight Downs Link path and across a marshy field with a river running through it with a sign that said cheerfully - follow the river! Well we did, after a bit of debate with some other groups as to which way it was. Within minutes the wind had picked up in this very exposed marsh land, the grass was up to our knees and my feet were sopping wet within minutes - so much for gortex! so wet feet, wind, rain howling in from the right hand side, muddy, grassing tracks which you can't use your poles on and no idea how long it was to the next check point as it just kept going and going.. and then it was day light suddenly and the extent of where we are struck home - what looked like miles and miles ahead of us of the same terrain. A few girls made calls to the marshalls as we were undecided of which way to go, one wrong turn and then we were back on track but by this time it was 5am, our sense of humour had drained.

Somehow, somehow we made it out of the field and as we did I spotted a white tent on a road the other side of the field - check point 8! At last!! it was 5.40am when we arrived and found another small tent, no where to sit - 4 girls who had quit and were waiting to be picked up and couldn't move. The checkpoint tent kept being blown about by the wind and dumping buckets of rain water on us. This wasn't fun - we had 13 miles to go, were ahead of schedule and were about to set off when one of the event organisers arrived and said they were re-routing the others behind us so they didn't have to do the exposed bit we just did! then a group of guys arrived looking like they'd seen a ghost - and saying they couldn't believe they hadn't shut the whole event yet and surely they couldn't let anyone go on from here. After a long discussion, by which point matt and I were freezing - they eventually phoned the search and rescue team who were at checkpoint 9 (on top of a big exposed hill in front of us) and asked them to clear everyone off the hill - they were shutting the course between 8 & 9.

What with it being nearly 6am and having had no sleep matt and I were not really in any fit state to argue this decision, as much as we wanted to complete the entire course we could see that logically it was ridiculous to even attempt it and so we made the decision to take a lift to checkpoint 9 and walk the final 6 miles to the end from there (the alternative was a lift to the end which just seemed like giving up). By this point I was nearly hypothermic but a trip in a warm van for 15 mins helped and then we were dropped off at shoreham on sea and told to walk straight along seafront until we saw brighton pier and then follow the signs up to the finish.

Those first few minutes out of the van I have to say were the worst, fighting back the tears and the pain and the cold, matt and I trailed behind the other 3 girls who had taken the lift with us. Matt thought i was going to give up but I couldn't do that to him or me.. something somewhere inside of me made me speed up to get warm and in no time we had overtaken the others and were at Brighton pier within 90 mins - amazing feeling! rubbish weather! Quick photo by the pier then onto the end up a big big hill and then we were inside by 8am and it was all over!!

A little bit of an anti-climax having not been able to do the full 100km but we finished proud of ourselves having done 90km and knew we'd done our absolute best and we would have done the other section had we been allowed to so by no means defeated! A massive achievement and one that has made us both realise we could pretty much weather any storm (!) together, quite literally and that the mind is so much more powerful than the body - you can get through anything if you think positive and have a bit of fat boy slim in your ears at 4am in the morning!

Thank you again all so much for your support - we have smashed our fundraising target and currently have raised over £1100 for British Heart Foundation so are very proud.

If anyone fancies doing it next year it's going to be run as part of the new London Adventure Trilogy taking in the London to Brighton bike ride, an off-road bike ride and the trek - all done on different weekends in the summer.  we were guinea pigs this year as were were kindly told at the end and despite the fantastic organisation effort there are a few things we shall feedback on and hopefully it'll be even better next year - not that i'll be doing it!!

Xmas Countdown - top tips to get you looking hot in that Little Black Dress

Normally I am very resistant to thinking about Christmas until at least 1st December, and I am the kind of person who does all the shopping in the last 10 days before Christmas! Therefore, this year I am determined to do better and start early, not only on the shopping but also on making sure I'm preparing my body in the best way possible to cope with the excesses that Christmas brings. So here are my Xmas countdown top tips - not only will they help you to ward off the winter bugs, keep energy up for those parties but also have you looking fab in that LBD in no time...

• Keep your liver happy by eating plenty of dark green leafy vegetables rich in indol-3-carbinole to help you cope with those mulled winds - try kale, pak choy, savoy cabbage, red cabbage and broccoli
• Keep your energy levels going by balancing your blood sugar throughout the day with handfuls of nuts and seeds instead of that sneaky chocolate bar or packet of crisps. The protein will help balance your blood sugar and the essential fatty acids found in nuts like cashews, walnuts and Brazil's will help balance those hormones also.
• Keep your skin looking bright and fresh when you bare those arms by whizzing up frozen mixed berries with natural low fat yogurt and some seeds to make a delicious smoothie. Alternatively make a brightly coloured soup from butternut squash, sweet potato and carrot - packed full of skin friendly nutrients
• Keep that waist-line trim and half the meat content of your shepherds pies, spag bols and lasagnas both replacing half the meat with a tin of green lentils (no added sugar or salt). Not only does the fibre help keep you fuller for longer, it's also kinder on the pocket too!
• And my old favourite - drink hot water with lemon and add some ginger and honey for a warming winter drink

I hope these tips help you enjoy the countdown to Christmas even more than usual.

I would love to know if there are any other specific topics/top tips you would like to hear about, please comment on this blog or via my Facebook page

Top tips for fresh summer skin

With summer officially just around the corner it's that time of year again when we all start to bear a little more of our skin. After month's of hiding our skin under layers of woolly jumpers and snoods, it's not surprising that our skin may need a little help in looking it's best at those summer weddings and on the beach.

Follow these simple tips to help bring your skin out of hibernation and feeling fresh again, in no time you'll be bearing shoulders in halter necks and the micro shorts will be out in force! Bring on the summer...!

• First things first WATER. Aim to drink at least 1 litre of water every day, whether you prefer it 'neat', filtered or in herbal teas or natural diluted fruit juices is up to you, just ensure that your body has a constant source of this hydrating super liquid. Added bonus: staying hydrated will improve concentration levels as well as helping to keep skin clear
• Reduce liquids which dehydrate such as CAFFEINE in coffee and tea and ALCOHOL. Try an alcohol free mojito (sparkling water, fresh lime juice crushed mint leaves and plenty of ice..delicious). Added bonus: reducing these stimulants will assist in detoxing your liver, which also contributes to healthier looking skin.
• Plump up your skin with ESSENTIAL FATS. Make sure you are getting some omega 3 and 6 in your diet every day from olive oils, pumpkin, sesame or sunflower seeds as well as avocados and oily fish. Added bonus: Essential fats also help keep hair healthy too.
• Brighten your skin with antioxidant rich FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, this time of year is perfect for bright colourful salads and berry rich smoothies. Try blending a punnet of blueberries, an apple, half a banana, some natural low fat yoghurt and a few seeds for a nutritious delicious skin boosting treat. Added bonus: Increasing fruits and vegetables will also increase your fibre intake, great for digestive health.
• Eat plenty of ZINC rich foods such as Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds and oysters (!), zinc is a vital mineral for healthy skin. Added bonus: Zinc is an important immune mineral, to help fight off those summer colds
• Want your arms to look fantastic in that slinky summer top. Try dry brushing your skin and massaging in plenty of natural moisturising cream rich in vitamin E for smooth arms in no time. Added bonus: looking great!
• Finally be kind to your skin and limit SUN EXPOSURE cover up in the sun during the hottest part of the day, wear a high sun cream factor and fake bake as a healthy alternative to sunbeds!

If you would like more information on keeping skin healthy or on specific skin conditions please contact me on info@juliasimmsnutrition.co.uk or visit my website www.juliasimmsnutrition.co.uk 

New Year, New You

It's that time of year again when we are all making new years resolutions (some of which you may have broken already!). One of my new years resolutions is to write on this blog more often and to offer helpful nutritional hints to keep you all happy and healthy in 2011.

So what better way to start than providing some tips on how to shake off the post-Christmas blues and start a fresh for the new year.

Here are 5 tips on how to start the new year in a healthy and nutritious way:

1) Drink hot water and lemon in the morning - I find this to be better than the most expensive cleanser! This drink will kick start your liver and help with detoxing those Christmas excesses
2) Eat your 5 a day (at least!) - aim for more vegetables than fruit where you can. Fruit is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals but often comes with the addition of sugar. Stick to lower sugar fruits such as apples, pears and berries. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, rocket, savoy cabbage, leeks (the list is endless) and root vegetables such as Jerusalem artichokes and sweet potatoes, will provide your body with not only the necessary vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy but also fibre to help cleanse you from the inside out.
3) Oil up - essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and 6 are essential not only for healthy skin and hair but also healthy brain function. Experiment with salmon, mackerel and fresh tuna as well as nuts and seeds - almond, walnut, cashew, Brazil, sesame, pumpkin and sunflower. Keep the portion sizes to a small handful of nuts and seeds once a day and you won't pile on the pounds
4) Go wholegrain - white, refined foods such as white bread, rice and pasta break down to pure sugar faster in your body, potentially leading to weight gain. Swap to wholegrain pasta, bread and brown rice for a slower releasing energy fix to keep you going through the cold days.
5) Keep caffeine and alcohol for special occasions only - boring I know, but it's an excellent way to give your liver a break after Christmas. Top tips to reduce alcohol include alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks. Swap coffee and tea for non-caffeinated herbal or fruit teas. Green tea does contain caffeine but the antioxidant properties it contains out way the caffeine in the healthy states, so try one of the many flavour varieties now on offer - green tea with jasmine is my favourite!

I hope you find these tips helpful. If this has sparked your interest and you would like to learn more please get in touch with me at info@juliasimmsnutrition.co.uk. My new website will be launching very soon so watch this space!

Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2011.

Julia