Good quality sleep is something that is an absolute necessity for good long term health. There are many factors that determine the quality of our sleep but for many, the ability to switch off our monkey mind is a big deal. A lot of people I have worked with in the past have found that…

The carotenoids are a group of phytochemicals that give strong pigments in plants. They give rise to vivid orange, yellow and some parts of the red spectrum in our every day foods. Think of the likes of sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, and the like. The most well known of this phytochemical group is beta carotene,…

Research around gut flora, the bacterial tribe that dwell in our gut, is one of the hottest areas in nutritional research at this time. Kings College London, The University of Cork, UCLA, and Harvard are all blazing trails in this area right now. There are a few areas of research that have yielded some rather…

Over the last couple of weeks I have been asked many questions about the use of nutritional supplements and whether I am in favour of them or just about food. Some of the interactions were even fairly confrontational which showed that there are clearly some strong opinions here. The thing that started all of this…

Several years ago I was asked to write a piece for the Telegraph on the subject of the 5:2 diet and intermittent fasting in general. Back then I will admit that I was not exactly an avid fan back then. Roll on 4-5 years and things have changed somewhat and intermittent fasting is something I…

We have all heard the message for years that we need to up our intake of dietary fibre, but why? What is so special about it that means we need to get more of it in. Well, there is one benefit that I am sure we are all familiar with that I wont particularly labour…

I don’t know about you, but this heat is feeling pretty relentless now. Im all for a bit of sun worship, but when you have to go about normal day to day life, it gets a bit stifling. The hot weather does bring its own unique set of challenges to our physiology and there are…

Theres no escaping the fact that sugar has become the nutritional bogey man of the moment. Everywhere you look there is some mention of its many evils. Whilst some of this may well be hyperbole, it is pretty clear that reducing intake of refined sugar and excessive simple carbohydrates can benefit our health in several…

Gut health and gut microbiome have become massive talking points in recent years. Microbiome is another word for the bacterial colony that live in the gut synergistically with us. We provide them a safe and fertile environment in which to flourish, they provide us with a list of health benefits now becoming as long as…

I dont know about you, but, as the years go by, I sometimes find myself getting a little absent minded. Searching for car keys, going upstairs and completely forgetting why I went up there in the first place. These little memory lapses are one of those silly little annoyances that are harmless and no sign…

Any of you that follow my work will know that I am just a wee bit obsessed with phytochemicals. These are chemicals in plants that aren’t nutrients as such, in that they aren’t essential to life and we can get deficiencies of them, but they can interact with our physiology. They have been the basis…

Ah turmeric, you cannot move without seeing it popping up somewhere. Get on to instagram and you will see everything from turmeric pancakes to turmeric porridge, and one of the biggest trends of the moment, turmeric latte’s (rather than than a charcoal one – yes they are a thing). Its fair to say that it…

Zinc is one of the more common deficient nutrients in the developed world. The reasons for this vary. Everything from poor soil quality, through to restricted diets or diets heavily reliant on processed foods have been blamed for this. Whatever the reason, it is important that you are aware of how vital this nutrient is…

Gut health certainly does seem to be the health topic of the day. Sure, its important, but I think some of the massive focus placed on it as being the single link to good health is veering towards hyperbole. But sure, there are aspects of gut health that can have huge impacts on short and…

One of the areas of nutrition that I seem to be asked about almost on a daily basis, is carbohydrates. “Should I eat them”? “Should I cut them out”? “Should I increase them”? “what are good ones”? Etc etc. They are a part of our diet that have been hammered in the press over the…

Vitamin D is certainly one of the nutritional darlings of the moment. One that everyone is talking about and one that seems to dominate the popular pres. Bearing in mind the discoveries of recent years, this isnt surprising. Lets take a look at what it is and then we will get on to ways to…

One thing that may surprise you is that some of the seasonal ingredients associated with Christmas, have some really potent health benefits. Who knew?! Its pretty hard to allude to any health benefits from buckets of chocolate and Christmas Cake, but many of the ingredients associated with a traditional Christmas dinner can have some amazing…

Calories. Ahhhhh those little nuggets. We have all heard this word a billion times in our lives. Many of us talk about them frequently. We sit there and chat away about this has this many calories, thats high in them, thats lower in them and all that jazz. But how many of you actually know…

There is no escaping the fact that what we eat affects the way we feel inside. Why is this so often neglected. Our brain and nervous system is a physiological system and as such has a very specific nutritional requirement. If this is not met, things can begin to go awry. Likewise, nutrition can form…

I know from bitter experience how distressing it can be to suffer from skin problems. Thats how I am here in this industry. Im not a believer that our diet causes skin problems at all, those many stories linking X or Y food with acne or eczema, well the evidence just doesnt really stand up…

The food you eat can help you take the edge off of it. Ok, so a piece of broccoli is not going to magically make all of your problems melt away, but diet can be a very powerful tool in the management of stress. Remember, stress can have a huge impact on our physiology, and…

These simple dietary steps can make the World of difference. Bloating is one of the biggest digestive complaints presented to doctors, dietitians, and nutritional practitioners. When I say primary bloating, I am referring to bloating that is not a symptom of any other condition such as inflammatory bowel disease. Your first port of call is…

Cardiovascular health is something that is massively influenced by our diet and lifestyle. Many areas of this are hotly debated, and research is certainly evolving. As research unfolds and develops, a few culinary heroes have come to the surface:   Porridge oats Ah the humble oat. Seemingly drab and dull, but oats have actually been…

The ageing process – no avoiding that one. Whether we like it or not it is going to sneak up on us and bite us firmly on the bottom. That being said, our environment can influence this to a certain degree. By environment I mean our internal biochemical terrain. Something that can be greatly influenced…

If there is one question that comes up again and again for me, whether it is at a live event or online, it always appears. What cooking oil should I use? My answer if always the same – for 98% of all cooking I advise using Olive Oil, for the remaining 2% that would be…

Modern life can burn us out if we dont keep our eye on things and actively look after ourselves. Our body and our physiology is still right there in the days of living off the land in a cave somewhere. Our brains grew at an alarming rate and created a world that has put demands…

Fats are one of the most feared and misunderstood elements of our diet. For decades we were taught that fat will make us fat and destroy the health of our heart and circulatory system. Times have moved on thankfully and our understanding of the vital importance of fats has grown.  Particularly the fatty acids they…

There is no getting away from it….autumn is here! With this comes an increased susceptibility to all manner of colds and weird infections. More time indoors, artificial ventilation, reduced sunlight all play their part. Nutrition isn’t going to be an all encompassing guarantee to be free of all bugs all winter long, but it can…

In all my clinical practice, there has to be one area of health that presented more than any other. Maladies of the digestive system. Whilst these issues are often as diverse and unique as the person presenting with them, there are certainly a few things that we can do to help our digestive system function…

Simple tips and tricks to get your kids eating better. One question that I am faced with again and again with my clients is ‘how do I get my kids to eat healthier’? This can sometimes be a bit of a minefield as each individual case is different and often tactics have to be tailored…

These simple hacks will keep you on track. Employing these simple strategies will stop you slipping back in to old habits. Eating well really doesn’t need to be difficult at all, but sometimes we can find ourselves slipping back into old habits. A little bit of organisation and you can stay on track.   Plan…