Nutrition

The Effects of Eating Organic Food

Key Message: There are many benefits from eating organic foods

Action Point: Eat organic foods or grow your own to improve your health and physical wellbeing
More and more grocery stores are beginning to stock organic produce. Whereas once these items made up a small selection of available products, they now make up a sizeable proportion of any large store’s stock. From meat, to veg, to fruit – organic is everywhere.

If you’ve seen organic food in your local grocery store, you’ll have noticed it costs a little more than the same item in non-organic form. There’s a reason for this. Organic foods are made without the use of hormones and artificial growth enhancers. This means such products can’t be produced on mass. That’s a good thing though, especially when it comes to your health.

Organic food provides a range of benefits. Here are some of the most important.
More Nutrients
Sometimes, food tastes so good, we actually forget what our reason for eating it is: To stay healthy.

When it comes to comparing the nutrient profiles of organic and non-organic food, there’s only one clear winner. The European Union was one of the main bodies to confirm this, having conducted a multi-million dollar study into the effectiveness of organic produce.

Not only are organic products grown in a higher class of soil, they’re allowed to develop as nature intended them to – which can only mean they’re packed full of goodness. You can reduce vitamin and mineral deficiencies simply by changing your diet.
Better Taste
Organic foods taste better. Sure, there are probably studies that confirm this, but why bother listening to them when you have your own set of tastebuds?

Chicken, tomatoes, green vegetables, and eggs are all foods that taste far […]

By |October 11th, 2015|Gut health, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research, Weight Loss|0 Comments
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    Did you know WHEN you eat is more important than WHAT you eat?

Did you know WHEN you eat is more important than WHAT you eat?

Key message: Confining kilojoule consumption to an eight-to-12 hour period – as past generations did – might stave off high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.

Action point: If you want to lose weight in a healthy way, join me for my next Community Cleanse, kicking off August 23rd.. Time-restricted feeding is included in Level 2 of Cleanse and I will give you not only menu plans but also an eBook with easy step-by-step instructions. http://www.emmascommunitycleanse.com.au/
 

Do you believe that the only reliable way to lose weight is to make sure calories ‘out’ are greater than calories ‘in’?

Well, think again. Recent research by The Salk Institute for Biological Studies suggests that how many calories you eat is not as important as when you eat them.
Time-restricted feeding
Back in 2012, researchers found that most of the health problems mice get from eating a high-fat diet could be eliminated if they only ate during an eight-hour period. Mice given all-day access to the same food consumed the same number of calories but were much fatter and in poorer health 1.

Now researchers from the same lab have found that restricting the time of day when you eat has the potential to offer additional and substantial health benefits. When you eat can even reverse obesity and diabetes, at least in mice.

To further explore the possible therapeutic potential of time-restricted feeding (TRF), recent Salk research applied a number of time-restricted feeding/fasting regimes, including a totally free feeding regime, to a number of different situations. This included where the subject mice suffered pre-existing obesity, where the diets were varied – eg high fat, high fructose and high fat plus high fructose – and where the duration of feeding time was varied 2.

The researchers confirmed the […]

By |July 25th, 2015|Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research, Weight Loss|0 Comments
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The hidden way that junk food is making you fat

Key message: Junk food can destroy the good gut microbes in your body that help you keep thin.

Action point: Restrict your intake of fast foods and include foods in your diet that encourage the growth of good gut bacteria. These include yogurts, root vegetables, nuts, olives and high-fibre foods.
 
Want another reason to not eat junk food? New research shows fast food kills off the bugs that make you thin.
Leading academic and author of the new book The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat, Professor Tim Spector believes he has uncovered a vital piece of the puzzle that could help explain our rising obesity epidemic.

Spector, who is professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, researches the link between microbes, food and health.

During his research, he experimented with several unusual diets and recorded their effects on gut microbes. In one experiment, he enlisted the help of his son, Tom who agreed to a diet of fast food, including sweetened carbonated beverages, for 10 consecutive days. The researchers then tracked the microbes by collecting stool samples before, during and after Tom’s diet, and sent them to three different labs to check consistency.

Apart from the intensive diet making him feel temporarily ill, the results all told the same story: Tom’s community of gut microbes had been devastated.

The clearest marker of an unhealthy gut is losing species diversity and after just a few days Tom had lost an estimated 1,400 species – nearly 40 per cent of his total. The changes persisted and even two weeks after the diet his microbes had not recovered.

This is bad news, according to Spector, who said this loss of good microbes could affect the body’s metabolism and immune system. […]

By |July 18th, 2015|Gut health, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research, Weight Loss|0 Comments
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Emma’s Book Boosters: For the Healthy Home Cook

 

At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen
Amy Chaplin is one talented lady and her vast experience as a chef is clear. What I love the most about her stunning book is the way she guides you, step by step, to easy food preparation. With over 150 vegetarian recipes, Amy focuses on the healing aspects of whole foods. This is a beautiful way to cook and her recipes are truly delicious.

 

Super Legumes ~ Eat Your Way to Great Health
In the current Paleo craziness it’s refreshing to see a book focusing solely on legumes. When prepared properly, they are environmentally sustainable and protein-packed whole foods. My favourite recipe was the piri piri chicken with smashed chickpeas. I loved how this book invigorated the way I think about legumes and how versatile they really are.

 

 

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By |July 8th, 2015|Book Reviews, Nutrition|0 Comments
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Nurture your baby: Nurture your microbiome

Key message: Gut health is an important factor in the wellbeing of mothers and their babies. Researchers have discovered that gut health starts as early as in the womb, and can be influenced by factors including diet during pregnancy, medicines given in the first few years of life, and birth and feeding choices.

Action point: Watch the documentary Microbirth, a fascinating documentary on how the events at birth shape our future.

Nurturing the health of our little ones also means taking care of another tiny creature – our microbiome
We all want our babies to have the best possible start in life. Most of us know the choices we make during pregnancy and the first few years of our babies’ lives affect their long-term health. Now science is discovering that baby’s health may well start in an often-overlooked area of the body – the gut.

In the past decade there has been growing awareness of the important role of the human microbiome – all the bacteria, viruses and fungi that live on and in our bodies. Imbalances in this population, which lives in many of our tissues but is particularly concentrated in the gut, have been linked to diseases from diabetes to dementia.

Researchers are now finding that gut health starts as early as in the womb, and can be influenced by factors including diet during pregnancy, medicines given in the first few years of life, and birth and feeding choices.

 

Check out these three research facts about infant and mother gut health:

 
Research fact one:  A mother’s diet may have a significant role to play in their unborn baby’s immunity.
Until recently it was generally thought that babies are born with a sterile gut and they pick up microbes on their journey through their mother’s vagina […]

By |July 4th, 2015|Gut health, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Preconception & Pregnancy, Research|0 Comments
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    Emma’s Empirical Evidence (part 3) – Weight loss: part A

Emma’s Empirical Evidence (part 3) – Weight loss: part A

In this 6-part series, I look into some recent science in the field of health and wellness. As a clinical naturopath I read so much research and want to share with you some highlights. Happy Reading!
A healthy gut may hold the key to weight loss
In a recent study, researchers found that a person’s gut microbiome affects their metabolism and contributes to obesity.
Researchers from the UK studied 416 twin pairs and sequenced the genome of microbes found in more than 1000 fecal samples. They report that identical twins have gut microbiomes that are more similar than those of fraternal twins.
The investigators identified a relatively unknown family of organisms called Christensenellaceae, which is more common in the guts of individuals with low body weight. Moreover, when the investigators transplanted the specific microbes into mice, they found that these “skinny microbes” protected against weight gain. Read more
Reference: Goodrich, Julia K. et al. (2014) Human Genetics Shape the Gut Microbiome. Cell, Volume 159, Issue 4, 789 – 799.

Foods for gut health
Believe it or not, cheeses can balance out your gut flora. Researchers have found that that cottage cheeses and soft fermented cheeses like gouda, some cheddars, and parmesan are all often packed with probiotics, similar to Greek yogurt. So go out of your comfort zone and experiment with European cheese. Your gut flora may thank you. Read more
Reference: Zheng H et al (2015) “Metabolomics Investigation To Shed Light on Cheese as a Possible Piece in the French Paradox Puzzle”. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 63 (10), pp 2830–2839 .

Vitamin D could help you lose weight
Researchers at the University of Milan recruited 400 obese or overweight adults who were split into three groups – those who took […]

By |July 3rd, 2015|Nutrition, Research, Weight Loss|0 Comments
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Vitamin C Rich Winter Pesto

Last week both Sophia and I went down hard with a shocking cold. I was so congested that I was literally a ball of mucous! Sophia bounced back in three days while I soldiered on for six. To go back to my roots of Food as Medicine I made this delicious pesto, brimming with Vitamin C.
Did you know that Vitamin C helps to increase our white blood cell activity?
Our vegetable garden was overflowing with parlsey, which gram for gram, is one of the richest sources of Vitamin C. Add this pesto to the top of a slow cooked beef casserole, mix a teaspoon into your cup of bone broth or simply have with eggs for a tasty breakfast.
Ingredients
2 bunches parsley
3 cloves garlic
50gr pine nuts
1/2cup EVOO
Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
Instructions
Dry roast pine nuts and put aside. Add parsley, garlic, lemon juice and zest, then pine nuts to a high-powered blender. Pour EVOO over the top. Blend until well mixed and a paste like consistency. Store in an airtight glass jar then cover in a fine layer of EVOO to avoid mould developing.

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By |June 26th, 2015|Children, Detox, Health & Wellbeing, Immune Health, Naturopathy, Nutrition, Recipes|0 Comments
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Could taking vitamin D help you lose weight?

 
Key message: Taking vitamin D supplements can aid weight loss in obese and overweight people who are deficient in the vitamin.

Action point: Check your vitamin D levels with your health practitioner and then use this trusty app to track your vitamin D levels! http://dminder.ontometrics.com/

 

If you’re trying to lose weight, getting a healthy dose of vitamin D could help.

Vitamin D – also known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’ – is vital to strong bones and teeth and a healthy immune system.  It is also especially important for menopausal women. As women get older, their bodies lose the capacity to activate vitamin D, which can increase the risk of osteoporosis.

Now researchers have linked low levels of vitamin D to obesity.
A new study warns that people who have low levels of vitamin D are more likely to be obese or overweight 1.

Researchers at the University of Milan recruited 400 obese or overweight adults who were split into three groups – those who took no supplements, those who took 25,000 vitamin D units a month, and those who took 100,000.

All participants were put on the same balanced, low-calorie diet.

A significantly greater weight decrease and reduction in waist circumference was observed in both groups that took the supplements.

Those who took 25,000 units lost an average of 3.8kg, while the figure was 5.4kg for the 100,000 unit group and 1.2kg amongst those who took no supplements.

The study authors said:
“The present data indicate that in obese and overweight people with vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D supplementation aids weight loss and enhances the beneficial effects of a reduced-calorie diet.

“All people affected by obesity should have their levels of vitamin D tested to see if they are deficient, and if so, begin taking supplements.”
As most […]

By |June 20th, 2015|Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research, Weight Loss|0 Comments
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Thyroid Health: Part 2

Emma’s Top Tips for Thyroid Health
As we discussed in Thyroid Health: Part 1, taking care of your thyroid health is essential to gaining optimal health.  There are steps we can take to help foster healthy, balanced thyroid function.

Here are my top tips for thyroid health:
Top up on selenium
Studies have shown that selenium is beneficial to thyroid function. For example, researchers have found that selenium supplementation during and after pregnancy significantly reduces thyroid inflammation and the incidence of hypothyroidism 1.

According to a 2014 Australian Health Survey, three per cent of males and six per cent of females aged two years and over did not meet their requirements for selenium intake. Amongst those 71 years and over, approximately one in 10 had inadequate selenium intakes (12 per cent of males and 10 per cent of females) 2.

The main food sources of selenium in Australia are meat, poultry and game products; cereal products, fish and seafood 3. Brazil nuts are also a good source of selenium. Eating just three a day is enough to boost your selenium levels.
Supplement with a wholefood iodine source

Iodine is an essential nutrient required for the production of thyroid hormones, which is important for normal growth and development— especially the brain. Researchers have found that increased iodine intake during pregnancy in iodine deficient mothers results in improved infant weight and length.  Iodine during pregnancy is essential for the production of the maternal thyroid hormones, which are essential to support normal development of the baby 4.

Foods high in iodine include seafood, seaweed and good quality salt.
Include thyroid-friendly foods in your diet
Thyroid-friendly foods include apricots, dates, egg yolk, parsley, potatoes, prunes, raw seeds, whole grain, fish, chicken, raw milk and cheeses, asparagus, sunflower seeds, olive oil, whole […]

By |June 6th, 2015|Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research|0 Comments
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Emma’s Empirical Evidence (part 2): Gut health

In this 6-part series, I look into some recent science in the field of health and wellness. As a clinical naturopath I read so much research and want to share with you some highlights. Happy Reading!
Zonulin and Leaky Gut
The small intestine is protected by a protective barrier that keeps toxins and nasty bacteria/parasites out of the body. The permeability of this barrier is regulated by a protein called zonulin.
Researchers have found that a high concentration of zonulin leads to a “leaky gut”, something that I treat every day in clinic. The BIG news is that after they followed a gluten-free diet, antibody levels of patients went back to normal. This study reveals how restoring the zonulin-dependent intestinal barrier function can heal and protect against immune, inflammatory and neoplastic disorders. Read more

Zonulin is Related to Insulin Resistance
Speaking of zonulin, this study found that people with higher zonulin levels had higher inflammation levels, a higher BMI, higher fasting insulin and higher cholesterol! This suggests that there is a close relationship between intestinal permeability and obesity-associated metabolic disturbances in humans. In other words, insulin resistance caused by obesity may lead to a leaky gut! Read more

Probiotics and Prebiotics May Reduce Inflammatory Symptoms
This study provides a thorough investigation into intestinal microbiota, immunity, gut dysbiosis and inflammation. It concluded that using probiotics and prebiotics can alleviate the symptoms of inflammatory diseases. Specifically, encouraging the population of good bacteria in the gut can help push out the bad guys. This is why I recommend drinking kombucha and eating fermented foods on a daily basis, especially if you have food intolerances.

Fermented Foods are Beneficial for Human Health
If you need more convincing, here’s a study that found that the probiotic qualities of […]

By |June 5th, 2015|Gut health, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Research|0 Comments
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How to Heal Your Adrenals Naturally

How to Heal Your Adrenals Naturally

Adrenal fatigue is one of the most under diagnosed illnesses in western society. Download a copy of my free ebook to learn about the symptoms and how to heal your Adrenals naturally.

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