At a time when we are busy, stressed, exhausted and in the depths of winter bugs and flu, it is now more important than ever to support yourself and your loved ones with healthy foods, nutrients and lifestyle interventions.

If you are suffering with any of the following symptoms, then you may benefit from a few simple strategies to support your health and lifestyle:

• Fatigue and tiredness
• Poor sleep patterns
• Aching muscles and joints
• Dry skin, dull skin
• Hair thinning and lacklustre
• High blood pressure
• Depression and anxiety

So here are a few simple things to help:

1 – Drink 1.5 – 2 litres of water daily. Keeping yourself hydrated is essential and will help your body to detoxify those toxins – excess alcohol, excess sugars and excess hormones from added stress, all place extra pressure on the liver. The liver has many jobs to do, and water will help to flush out those extra toxins to relieve the load on the liver and the kidneys.

2 – Take an Omega 3 supplement to help reduce your inflammation. Inflammation is caused by stressors on the human body. Stressors can include foods, toxins, medications, lifestyle choices and will inevitably cause an increase in inflammatory markers. Omega 3 fats and oils found in foods such as avocado, nuts, seeds, oily fish and olive oil are highly anti-inflammatory. Omega 3’s also help to reduce cholesterol and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Taking a good quality Omega 3 fatty acid supplement can also help with cognitive function, memory and brain health. Recent research has shown the beneficial effects of omega 3 fatty acids on neurological diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons and dementia.
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Generally, we consume far too many omega 6 fatty acids in relation to omega 3 fats – processed foods, fast foods, trans fats, hydrogenated fats, all contain Omega 6. Too much omega 6 causes increased inflammation so getting the balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 is essential. Using a good quality, reliably sourced fish oil or vegan oil will enable the cells in our body to become more flexible and less rigid or inflamed.

Click here to see my favourite Omega 3 Supplement and an easy way to test your ratio and levels of Omega3:Omega 6.

3 – Vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin! This is seriously lacking for all of us who live in the northern hemisphere at this time of year. The most vital function of Vitamin D is to regulate the absorption of calcium and phosphorous, which is why it is essential for bone health. Vitamin D has also been shown to be an essential nutrient for heart health, immune function and can help to reduce your likelihood of developing the flu.

Another surprising benefit of Vitamin D is it can boost weight loss. In a study carried out on females, adequate Vitamin D levels were found to increase fat loss.

4 – Eat your greens! 1.5 lbs of greens per day will provide you with the nutrients your body needs on a daily basis! Vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes are all needed for your body to carry out all the different daily functions from producing hormones to detoxifying waste products.

A great way to get your greens is to drink them. I really recommend Wheatgrass juice as a fantastic way to get the many benefits that freshly harvested wheatgrass can provide.

A daily shot of wheatgrass juice can provide you with all the vitamins you require, minerals, essential amino acids and has all the B vitamins which are essential for stress and the nervous system.

Drinking a shot of wheatgrass juice with some apple or mango juice and a teaspoon of omega 3 oil – a drop of Vitamin D3 (with K2) can provide you with a great immune and health booster to support so many different functions of the body.

5 – My final tip for optimising your health is to look after your gut. The healthy bacteria in your gut are responsible for up to 70% of your immune health. So taking good care of digestive health is another part of total body maintenance. Ensuring your are digesting and assimilating will ensure your are absorbing all those essential nutrients that are needed by all of the organs and systems within the body.

Probiotics are a natural source of healthy bacteria that are designed to provide your gut with healthy flora, eradicating and overpowering the possible bad bacteria or yeasts that can proliferate and cause bloating and digestive discomfort. When we eat a diet high in sugars and carbohydrates, this can encourage the overgrowth of these bad bacteria or yeasts.

So, reducing your intake of sugars, supporting digestive function with fresh greens, foods full of fibre, omega 3 oils and foods high in probiotics like natural bio-live yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso soup and drinks like kefir and kombucha, will all aid your immune health, brain health and overall well-being

If you are interested in booking a consultation for 2020 click here to access a list of my services and packages. Please do pass on my details to anyone you think may benefit from help with their health and well-being and help them make 2020 a healthy, happy year!