Seasonal affective disorder is a depressive condition triggered by lack of sunlight. Your mood is hugely influenced by your diet and there are many things you can do nutritionally speaking to help boost it. The levels of serotonin in our body can drop for a number of reasons. One is a lack of sunlight, which is why many people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder. This can be made worse if your diet is lacking in pro-serotonin foods, such as protein and essential fatty acids. And again this can be made worse still if your consumption of anti-serotonin foods such as caffeinated drinks, coffee, diet drinks or foods is high as this which inhibit the natural production of this ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter. To help boost your mood ensure you keep your blood sugar levels even and eat little and often, combining both protein and carbohydrates and example of this could be fruit and yogurt, vegetables and hummus, oatcakes and cheese or a chicken salad. Oily fish and eggs provide both essential fatty acids and vitamin D research had shown that minor deficiencies in these nutrients can affect mood. Cutting out processed foods, coffee and sugar and increase fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, meats and lentils. When we support ourselves nutritionally and nourish our bodies with the right foods, we can literally eat ourselves happy.
Granola
Granola 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
2tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g large rolled oats
150g of mixed seeds i.e. pumpkin/sunflower/linseeds
100g mixed chopped nuts almonds/walnuts/cashew
50g coconuts flakes or desiccated coconut
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
Mix the oil, molasses, and vanilla in a large bowl. Tip in all the remaining ingredients, except the coconut, and mix well.
Tip the granola onto two baking sheets and spread evenly. Bake for 15 minutes, then mix in the coconut and bake for 10-15 minutes more. Remove and scrape onto a flat tray to cool. Serve with live yogurt and mixed berries.
The granola can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month.
caffeine and fertility
I have been trying to get pregnant for four months, but so far I’ve been unsuccessful, I drink about 5 cups of instant coffee a day and about 5 cups a tea, my doctor suggested that I cut down on this, but surely this cannot be interfering with my fertility?
There is growing evidence to show that caffeine, particularly in the form of coffee, decreases fertility. One study showed that drinking as little as one cup of coffee a day can halve your chances of conceiving.
Colas, coffee, chocolate and black teas, amongst other things also contain caffeine so should be limited too. Coffee can deprive the body of important nutrients which are important for fertility. Try weaning yourself off them gradually over the course of a week to ten days to minimize withdrawal symptoms, and replacing them with herbal teas, dandelion coffee (which is caffeine free) vegetable juices, and fruit juices. Fruit juices should be diluted at least 50% with water.
There are many other things you can do to ensure you are in the best health possible before you conceive. Ensure you eat a wide range of fresh organic natural foods, fruit, vegetables, lean meats, wild fish, nuts and seeds. Although your letter doesn’t say you age, it is recommended that women under 30 should generally try to get pregnant on their own for 1 year before seeking testing.
When to wean a baby?
The department of health changed its weaning advice from 4 months to 6 months in December 2003 to come in line with the world health organisation. It is my belief that children shouldn't been weaned until they are at least 6 months of age. Research has shown that babies’ digestive systems are very slow to develop and the enzymes that are required to digest food do not develop until the baby is 6 months old. Babies also have very thin gut lining and if a baby is weaned before the enzymes are present, undigested food could seep through the intestinal lining and enter the blood putting your baby at an increased risk of developing allergies, intolerance's and other such problems, such as a weaker immune system. After 6 months, babies make their own secretory IgA, which coats the intestine and stops the absorption of foreign substances through the intestinal mucous. At this age babies also develop the reflex of sucking and chewing simultaneous which will help them taste the food.
As published in South Wales Evening Post
I keep reading about the benefits of manuka honey, but then I read the other day that honey was just as bad as sugar, please could you tell me what manuka honey is and is it better or worse than normal honey?
Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) Manuka honey, is made when honeybees gather the nectar from the flowers of the Manuka bush (tea tree) in New Zealand. It is distinctively flavoured, richer in taste and darker than clover honey and has strong antibacterial and antifungal properties. To be therapeutic it should have an UMF of at least 10 but the higher the better! Manuka honey is renowned for its soothing and healing properties to the stomach and digestive tract. It has the same effect on the body as sugar, so use sparingly and have it with something that contains protein and fibre. An example of this would be to add ½ a teaspoon to porridge made with milk and ground almonds. As published in Swansea's Evening Post Kirsten3 ep