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Mindful Eating – Do you??

Mindful eating has become a well-used term over recent years. But do you really know what this entails? Gillian Killiner Specialist Dietitian explores this topic further, so you don’t have to. Did you know this concept of mindful eating has roots in Buddhist teachings? Mindful eating is not a diet, or about giving up anything at all. It’s about experiencing the pleasure of food giving more thought to what’s on your plate each time you sit down to eat. Yes…. Sitting down, an act often forgotten in this busy world we live in. Or did live in before COVID-19. Interestingly with this current pause, many parts of life have changed and so with this in mind it may be a good time to embrace the act of mindful eating as many of use are working from home and still eating mindlessly. So what do you need to do for mindful eating? We need to really assess first and foremost how we conduct our day and the priority we give to the act of eating. Do any of the following resonate with you? Are you each day: • Racing out the door first thing with a coffee when not in lockdown? • Running around the kitchen taking bites as you feed the children? • Are you someone who sits in a van, lorry or car all day and eats food from the passenger seat as you go? • Maybe you sit at your desk all day not having a lunch break but eat as you work. • Do you eat fast just so you can get onto the next part of your day? Interestingly if you are eating while under stress or distracted by something else, your body doesn’t know that it’s supposed to be digesting. Stress stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system.  As you dash out the door in the morning, coffee in hand, or eat lunch in front of a computer screen or in the car the message you are giving your body is “don’t digest.” If you continually do this you will struggle to absorb your nutrients fully and possibly also suffer from mechanical issues like burping, bloating and reflux. This knock-on effect can also lead to weight gain as you are not registering the foods you are consuming and likely overeating. To become mindful is to retrain the way you think about food. How to retrain yourself for mindful eating habits Developing a Mindful Eating Practice 1) Sit down to eat and drink in a comfortable environment 2) Ensure you are in a relaxed state 3) Prepare your food from good quality ingredients ( not a problem if it has been made the night before). It is important to use fresh wholesome ingredients to nourish the body. 4) Before eating take a look at the food – check it for colour, freshness, smell, crunch, zing, creaminess, saltiness, sweetness etc rate the food. 5) Chew slowly and acknowledge that you are eating a bite at a time and tasting eat bite. 6) If you are eating a wholesome diet this should not be an issue. I find many of my clients that come to me have not engaged in mindful eating before. When they do, they really are surprised at how their eating habits positively improve. What next for your mindful eating? If you are unsure of how to change your eating habits, or need help optimising the foods you eat please do contact us. We would love to help you or your family and friends with any nutrition related queries big or small. In the meantime do please check out our 121Dietitian Shop If you have enjoyed this blog we would love you to share this with your family and friends on your social media channels. Why not visit our YouTube Channel for more on keeping your health optimal. How can a Dietitian help Book a consultation via our Online Portal About Gillian Killiner  Check out our tailored dietary programmes Gillian x [instagram-feed]

PCOS – Weight Loss – Fertility

PCOS – Weight Loss Management (and/or Fertility Programme) Who is this for? • Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) experiencing difficulty losing weight• Over or under-weight women experiencing a delay in achieving a pregnancy• Women who want to achieve weight and lifestyle improvement before trying for a baby• Men who have modifiable risk factors with diet and weight who need advice and support. What does the clinical evidence say for PCOS and Fertility? Many large studies across the world have shown that overweight women who were able to lose weight before getting pregnant significantly improved both their fertility treatments and pregnancy outcomes. This is why international guidelines have recommended that weight loss should be the first line treatment for obese women before undergoing fertility treatment or planning a family. How can a weight management programme help you? There is no one size fits all regimes for losing weight, nor there is one specific fertility diet. Furthermore, overweight women with conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome can find weight loss particularly difficult.All of the recent evidence has indicated that crash diet/exercise regimes tend not to work and can even cause harm, in other words, weight management does not mean starving yourself! The best approach is to have a sensible and achievable long-term plan to reduce weight and keep it off. The aims of the weight management and or fertility programme we offer are: • To achieve a realistic goal. We, therefore, focus on a 5-10% body weight loss over 4-6 months as this has been shown to improve fertility treatment outcomes.• To achieve sustainable weight loss – not just short-term gain• To provide a personalised dietary and exercise programme with appropriate psychological support – this has been shown to be the most effective way to achieve sustainable weight loss as well as improving quality of life – helping you to feel good about yourself• To empower you to help you feel more in control of everyday life so that you can avoid returning to unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. We Haven’t forgotten the men in your lives…. Men can contribute to infertility issues also. 30% of men are infertile due to multiple factors, medical and environmental. Alcohol, smoking, being overweight and poor diet are factors that can be modified. Our programmes allow for both or either partner to be treated for infertility. How does our PCOS and Fertility plan work? You will meet a specialist dietitian throughout a period of 6 months….Prior to an appointment, you will be asked to complete a 121 Dietitian – 7 Day Food Diary and Diet Plan Questionnaire. These will be assessed by Gillian Killiner RD, specialist Dietitian, and an appointment will be arranged to discuss the findings and begin the best nutritional programme bespoke to you. This can be online using our secure portal or at our Holywood clinic. Week 1 – At this initial appointment Gillian will include nutritional information, motivation and lifestyle changes. A nutritional programme, recipes and shopping list will be written up for you to follow with SMART goals. Nutritional optimisation is the goal and this will include assessment of gut health/mental health/bloods and corrected with diet and supplements as required. Week 4 – at this dietetic review Gillian will reassess the recommendations and assist you with setting further achievable goals. If you are wishing for a reduction in weight you will be aiming for 1kg/2lb weight loss as a steady and manageable reduction each week. Week 12 – Review with Gillian – you will be asked to forward a new food diary prior to this, the appointment is online/phone call &/or email. Week 22 – Final appointment with Gillian – reassessment of weight and medical and general health parameters in conjunction with your fertility team. Book today ask for “Partners together weight management fertility package”  or Either Partner “weight management fertility Individual programme”  For women with PCOS who wish to lose weight only, our programmes will be tailored specifically to your requirements. “PCOS weight management programme”  To book click the link below Empower yourself with valuable insights on managing PCOS through nutrition and lifestyle changes! Take charge of your health journey today by exploring our blog post on PCOS at 121dietitian.com. Click the link to discover practical tips and expert advice tailored to support women with PCOS. Your path to a healthier, happier life begins here!  

2020 with COVID 19 – How our family recovered…

2020 was a tough year for the world with the COVID 19 pandemic and 2021 continues to see no end to this virus. The vaccinations can hopefully help reduce hospital admissions however we still need to keep others safe. Reflecting over the past year we have had our ups and downs but over all I am one of the lucky ones and wake everyday thankful for what we have. We are fortunate that my husband has a secure job and really glad my kids are easy to manage as teens. We are fortunate we can sleep and eat in the safety and comfort of our warm home and we have a large park beside us to walk our dog. I am also very fortunate to be have my Dietetic nutritional consultancy business www.121dietitian.com online to continue to help and advise others. I am passionate about wholefood nutrition and this really matters with our current pandemic. Not being able to visit loved ones has been very difficult. I am especially sad about not seeing my parents. My mum has Multiple Sclerosis and dependent on hoists and wheelchair and loves company. She needs many to assist her daily needs. Sadly they are 120 miles or a 3 hour car drive away in a different country – not easy to visit, so in between the lockdowns we have hopped in the car driven and spent a few hours chatting in the window to them returning home relieved they are safe and coping. Summer 2020 was a tough time for my eldest 2 children: A-levels and GCSE’s were cancelled and they were hugely disappointed. They are now doing their best to continue focused for the future but it is damn hard. I am very proud of them. Fast forward December 20 everything was going well, life was in a routine with work and school and we were preparing for Christmas at home. We managed to enjoy Christmas day and then COVID struck (brought home from my husbands work). We began to fall ill first my husband and then me. We told no one as we were scared of what was ahead. We self isolated and were fortunate to have extra food in with Christmas. The kids also had varying symptoms. I can’t say for sure but as I write this we have got away lightly. Loss of taste and smell and fatigue being the most difficult for 2 weeks. We were dreading the worst as both myself and my husband are healthcare professionals and have seen first hand what COVID 19 is doing to people. The longer term damage of kidneys, heart, brain, stroke and lungs is all too real. I have over the past year of COVID been advising others on assisting their immunity and improving their overall health. Little did I think we would be saved by it too. I personally feel that having underlying good health, eating a varied diet, taking Vitamin D, getting restorative sleep and keeping a safe alcohol intake has been advantageous in our recovery. 2021 has been a slow start for us but when you have your health you have your wealth so it can only hopefully get better. From my experiencing with COVID 19 if you can do one thing in the next 12 months I would strongly urge you to please protect yourselves and your family from contracting COVID 19. Let 2021 be the year you make any changes you need. Optimise your diet. Have the best metabolic health you can. Take Vitamin D daily. Ensure you have the best sleep, activity, mood and gut possible. Stay well and stay safe. If you are unsure of how to change your eating habits, or need help optimising the foods you eat please do contact us. We would love to help you or your family and friends with any nutrition related queries big or small. In the meantime do please check out our 121Dietitian Shop If you have enjoyed this blog we would love you to share this with your family and friends on your social media channels. Why not visit our YouTube Channel for more on keeping your health optimal. How can a Dietitian help Book a consultation via our Online Portal About Gillian Killiner  Check out our tailored dietary programmes Gillian x [instagram-feed]

Healthy Snacks For Kids and Teens going back to school…

The kids are back to school. Now the headaches is what to feed them each day. Having 3 kids I know how challenging feeding them Healthy Snacks can be! ?Your child is going to need nutrients for brain power and the additional exercise they may not have been availing of for the last few months. ? Don’t fall for the high-fat, nutrient-poor snacks that are lining our supermarket shelves. Here is a list of a few healthy snacks with a twist: Healthy Snacks for all the family ? Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed pecans and freeze? Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or cream cheese. Top with raisins. Stuff a whole-grain pita pocket with cream cheese and apple slices. Add a dash of cinnamon. Take 2 oat cakes top with Greek yoghurt add some raspberries and enjoy. Put cubes of cheddar cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks. Spread peanut or almond butter on apple slices.? Take semi skimmed milk, frozen strawberries or raspberries or blueberries add some oats and seeds blend for thirty seconds for a delicious smoothie. Use wholemeal thins to make tasty sandwiches fill with colourful salad and home cooked meats like gammon, chicken or prawns, egg, houmous…??? Sprinkle grated cheese over a wholemeal tortilla; fold in half and microwave for twenty seconds. Top with homemade avocado guacamole, cucumber, peppers, tomato salsa.?️ Heat homemade soup: mushroom, tomato or chicken, bean and vegetable soup and enjoy with oat cakes and pate. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and smoked paprika on hot popcorn. Banana pancakes – mash 1 ripe banana, add 1 egg and some wholemeal flour and mix – cook on pan in a little butter. No need to add anything as sweet enough. Spread mayo on a wholemeal tortilla. Top with a slice of turkey or ham, cheese, tomato and lettuce. Flavour with herbs and spices. Then roll it up ? Mini Pizza: Toast the bottom of an English muffin, add some passata on the top and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and vegetables and grill. Fruit kebabs. Make fruit exciting by threading melon, grapes and pineapple chunks on a wooden skewer. Dark chocolate- 2 squares place in a cup add boiling water and top with milk.☕ Snacks to say “no” to: Chocolate type biscuit bars are not filling and high in sugar and saturated fat. Soft drinks. Eight to 10 teaspoons of sugar are found in the average can of soft drink. All sugar and no nutrients is not healthy and can lead to health problems like diabetes and weight gain. Read more about Sugar in our recent blog here. Sweets. Even when disguised with the word “fruit” included- avoid. A healthy snack provides good quality nutrients and protein —- something that sweets do not provide. Snack pots eg: ham, cheese, and biscuits – these are all highly processed in plastic packaging. Make your own with home made ingredients – much fresher and again less waste using a Tupperware box. Crisps are high in salt and saturated fat. Keep to a minimum. Top Healthy Snack tips: ✔️Buy some Tupperware boxes to reuse in small and large sizes tocarry food to school (reduces single use plastic waste). ✔️Use refillable water bottles for water. Try the glass ones that don’t break. ✔️Having the food at home means you are eating out lesswhich will save you money too! These are just a few of our random Healthy Snack suggestions to get you thinking. If you have any Healthy Snacks please let us know. If you are unsure of how to change your eating habits, or need help optimising the foods you eat please do contact us. We would love to help you or your family and friends with any nutrition related queries big or small. In the meantime do please check out our 121Dietitian Shop If you have enjoyed this blog we would love you to share this with your family and friends on your social media channels. Why not visit our YouTube Channel for more on keeping your health optimal. How can a Dietitian help Book a consultation via our Online Portal About Gillian Killiner  Check out our tailored dietary programmes Gillian x [instagram-feed]