Antibiotics and your health

With the topic of antibiotics once again brought to our attention Here, Director and Principal Dietitian, Gillian Killiner shares her advice on improving your health and therefore ultimately the need for antibiotics. The media has repeated the call for people to act to avoid antibiotic resistance, and this got me thinking. Antibiotics are required for ill health, so if we can all avoid getting ill then no antibiotics are required! Obviously, I am not that green, and this is never going to happen, but I do feel that a high percentage of antibiotics used in the past have been requested by people unnecessarily and the knock on effect have resulted in a negative impact on health. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) website has the following advice: Everyone can take some simple actions. Do not use antibiotics to treat viral infections, such as influenza, the common cold, a runny nose or a sore throat. Ask your doctor for other ways to feel better. Use antibiotics only when a doctor prescribes them. When you are prescribed antibiotics, take the full prescription even if you are feeling better. Ensure that members of your family do the same. Never share antibiotics with others or use leftover prescriptions. Remember, each time you take an antibiotic when it is not necessary, the effectiveness of the antibiotic decreases and it might not work the next time you really need it. As a Dietitian I treat people each day to assist their health and well-being. I ensure they are optimal with their diet and lifestyle to boost their immune system and avoid ill health. Avoid taking health risks eg: eating a diet of processed foods, excess alcohol, smoking, poor sleep hygiene is vital to avoid unnecessary antibiotic use. Eating a variety of nutrient rich foods everyday makes a real difference. In addition, getting good sleep, drinking sufficient fluids and enjoying some exercise layers up the protection to illness. There will always be a time when we may need an antibiotic this could be for a wound infection or surgical procedure. Save yourself for unexpected events like this and do your very best to avoid antibiotic resistance. 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]  

The facts on fermented foods – what can they do for you…

With a rise in popularity for fermented foods in recent years comes a look at their impact on health. Here, Gillian gets clear on what fermented foods are and if they actually have a positive effect on health. What are fermented foods? Fermented foods and drinks have become very popular over recent years even though they have been consumed worldwide for over 13,000 years! Fermentation is the bacterial (or yeast) conversion of sugar and starch to acids and other by-products, including ethanol. The acidity not only prevents growth of bacteria in food that can spoil food and drink but also creates foods with an interesting sour, tangy flavour. Fermented local products include yogurt, beer and bread. Across the world fermented products include: Sauerkraut (‘sour cabbage’) from Germany, kimchi from Korea, kombucha from China and kefir from the Caucasian mountains. Any benefits from fermented foods? You can’t escape the supposed benefits of fermented foods as they have been touted all over the media. The main area of focus: probiotic content and gut health. A probiotic is defined as live microorganisms that can establish within the gut and provide a benefit to the host. With this interest has come an increased recognition for the importance of looking after our gut microbiota, both for gut and non-gut health outcomes. Finally emerging evidence from studies for fermented foods and health in humans has found to be positive re gut bacteria. Research has uncovered so many variables that could be at play so the outcomes are not always clear-cut. Some other interesting areas of research ongoing include: the possibility that fermentation can increase the iron bioavailability from cereals by reducing phytic acid content, which can stop your body absorbing iron. Certain bacteria can also synthesise nutritive compounds, including particular B vitamins all very interesting. Overall Fermented foods can be included as part of a balanced, healthy diet, although it should be recognised that some shop bought have a high salt content such as sauerkraut and kimchi. Fermentation is popular at home and if you do wish to commence this ensure you follow safe food hygiene practices and that you use the correct ingredients, conditions and storage for that particular ferment. Although the evidence for specific health benefits is still emerging, the taste, saving on food waste are all positive! We have loved making water kefir (we used these) the last few years and delighted that it tastes amazing while boosting gut health. Just remember if buying fermented foods in the supermarket that are processed by heat, baked or filtrated (e.g. pasteurised sauerkraut, sourdough) these are inactivate as this processing removes the microbes and will not contain live cultures. 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] Updated December 2022

Top health tips for 2019 by Gillian Killiner

At 121 Dietitian, we firmly believe that small steps can always be taken to greatly improve our health. Looking at the key areas of mental health, kids’ health and weight loss, here we share our top health tips for 2019…. Mental health tips If you want instant improvements a few simple suggestions include: Stay well hydrated: fluids, notably water and not caffeinated drinks allow the brain and body to function. If dehydrated you will become sluggish and metabolism slows down adding to a depressed state. Avoid processed meals and snacks: Artificial, chemical laden foods will cause your body to build insulin resistance over time. High fructose syrups and sugars affect metabolism and cause low level inflammation, affecting Vitamin A and D levels, magnesium, copper and iron to name a few. This downward spiral negatively affects mental health and causes additional chronic illness. Get adequate sleep: This is essential for brain health. Poor sleep is linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Sleep allows the brain to shrink and eliminate toxins that can build up and lead to Alzheimer’s. It also allows to repair and consolidation of memories. Kids’ health Nutrition and lifestyles are ever changing as kids grow. Peer pressure, advertising and increasing independence all contribute to choices made. To optimise growth, development and good mental stability, we recommend the following: Encourage your kids to eat all together and most importantly with an adult – the more the merrier! A meal with family and friends allows a relaxed, enjoyable experience. It encourages children to eat more variety and not scoff! Each week or month try a new healthy food, especially with vegetables and fruits. Make it fun, research the food chosen and rate different recipes. When eating, turn the gadgets, phones and TV off. This will reduce the risk of mindless eating and thus obesity. If your kids are eating many unhealthy snacks, try to reduce these over time. Use tasty protein/fat alternatives like nut butters, avocados, cheeses, eggs, seeds, greek yoghurt topped with a little natural sugars such as dark chocolate or berries, plenty of vegetables including peppers, celery, carrots, cucumber and make flaxseed wraps or oat buns. Weight loss health tips Do not get caught up in kcal counting! The quality of your food is vital for providing satiety and happiness, better than any sugarless, fatless, processed biscuit. Make sure you are not battling with a hormonal or nutritional imbalance. These can thwart your best efforts and really damage your confidence. Always chew your food well and take time to enjoy what you eat. Getting the enzymes in your mouth involved will assist metabolism and send the correct signals from the gut to the brain to indicate fullness. Avoid low fat/sugar processed foods where possible. Eat a rainbow at each meal for nutrient density. Alcohol provides liquid energy so be careful of how much you consume. It can negatively affect your weight loss goals. 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] Information checked & correct on 12th December 2018.

Metabolic syndrome – are you at risk?

Metabolic syndrome – It’s estimated that 25% of the world’s population has “Syndrome X.” Sounds like a spy code and sadly it can be as deadly if not dealt with. Syndrome X is the underlying factor for a whole host of common health problems we treat every day at our clinic. In a nutshell, Metabolic syndrome “Syndrome X” is a cluster of simple abnormalities leading to hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and glucose intolerance followed by reduced insulin sensitivity, further leading to hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and T2 Diabetes. What’s going on in Metabolic Syndrome? Insulin resistance is a condition where your body produces insulin but doesn’t use it properly. Insulin (a hormone secreted by the pancreas) helps your body use glucose for energy. When you’re healthy, your digestive system breaks your food down into glucose. This is absorbed into the bloodstream and travels throughout your body. As your blood glucose level rises after eating, the pancreas releases insulin to help your cells take in and use the glucose. This is a normal process and all settles pretty quickly until the next time. But when someone is insulin resistant, the cells in their muscle, fat, and liver don’t respond like they should to insulin. They “lock the door” and won’t let the glucose in. As a result, their body needs MORE insulin to help glucose enter their cells. This increases stress on the pancreas which is trying to keep up with this increased demand for insulin, but eventually the pancreas fails. The excess glucose then builds up in your bloodstream, and you are on route to Type II diabetes. The hidden dangers of Syndrome X (insulin resistance) People with metabolic syndrome are at a greater risk for developing these medical problems as well: * High blood pressure * Elevated triglycerides * Coronary artery disease * Heart attack * Obesity How Metabolic Syndrome happens Insulin resistance is largely due to eating a daily diet of refined carbohydrates (sugars, white flour, white rice, pasta, bread, cake, biscuits and all products made with them. There are thousands of them you would never realise). This over time takes its toll on your body. Also important and needs more research is the role of genetics as well as a deficiency in Omega-3 essential fatty acids. We now know about eating too many refined carbohydrates, but do you know about Omega -3? Omega-3 Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) are found at every level of your body. They’re a major part of your cell membranes where they help control cell signalling, immune responses, inflammation and other metabolic functions. Including the production and release of insulin. EPA and DHA are important building blocks of nearly every organ and organ system and play a crucial role in your health. Your body depends on having the appropriate balance of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids. Having an imbalance leads to inflammation, sickness and disease. An estimated 6 out of 10 in western societies have far too much Omega-6. They are also seriously low in Omega-3. This is because our typical diet of convenient processed foods and lots of processed meat is heavy in Omega-6 fatty acids. The studies prove it Many studies have been performed that show when animals are fed a diet high in Omega-6 oils, they become insulin resistant and obese. But when the animals were given Omega-3 their metabolism became normal. Even when they continued to eat lots of Omega-6 fats. Prevent metabolic syndrome – What you can do To avoid being a Syndrome X statistic, it’s essential to ensure that you follow a suitable dietary intake for your health, take exercise, lose weight if required. Ensure where possible you are not elevating your blood sugars and creating insulin resistance. It is important your body has essential Omega-3 fatty acids and consciously avoid foods high in omega 6. You may require several supplements initially. This will ensure you are nutritionally optimal to allow your body to heal itself. Picking the correct supplement to your needs is crucial to get right. It can be a minefield and so if you have any concerns with: blood pressure, cholesterol and lipid levels, weight gain, excess weight around your abdomen, blood sugar control issues… we can help you so do get in touch. 121 Dietitian are the experts assisting you in turning the clock back on inflammatory health concerns. Nutritional programmes are completely created to suit you. They take into account your food likes and dislikes, your activity levels, your abilities to cook, if you have a family to include, if you travel with your job, your health parameters, your blood tests, body composition and much more….   The most worrying fact about metabolic syndrome: Even if you don’t have any of the associated health issues as mentioned at present in your body, it can still be showing normal while you have problems starting 10-15 years in advance. The body can store up problems and this is a certainty if you are eating incorrectly and slowly gaining weight. Don’t get to the stage where your body and bloods are showing ill health. 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]

Snapshot of ADHD in practice – how nutrition can help

Here, Director and Principal Dietitian, Gillian Killiner discusses why children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk of being deficient of multiple nutrients and why the link between hyperactivity and food sensitivity is strong. Overall nutritional status in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) shows that this patient population is at risk of multiple nutrients deficiency. Why is this? There are many hypothesis from insufficient chemical balancing to early exposure to antibiotics and gut flora and fauna being disrupted negatively affecting nutrient absorption. One area that has been studied is low trace mineral status. Most notably, minerals that may play a crucial role in the production of dopamine, norepinephrine, and melatonin, which regulates sleep. Nutrient deficiency in ADHD Investigators at the University of British Columbia and the Children’s and Women’s Health Centre in Vancouver, Canada, 2010 showed among 44 children aged 6 to 12 years with ADHD. Nutrient deficiencies were averaging around 40%. The data suggested children with ADHD are nutritionally different from the rest of the population in that they eat less meat, fish, and poultry and have low levels of related micronutrients that are essential cofactors for the body’s manufacture of dopamine norephinephrine, and melatonin. Researchers have also theorised that ADHD children may be deficient in essential fats. Not just because their dietary intake from foods such as seeds and nuts is inadequate (though this is not uncommon). But also because their need is higher, their absorption is poor, or they are unable to convert these fats well into EPA and DHA, and from DHA into prostaglandins. All which are important for brain function. Hyperactivity and food sensitivity Of all the avenues so far explored, the link between hyperactivity and food sensitivity is the most established. Food allergies can be of two types: Type 1 in the classical, severe and immediate allergy most commonly associated with peanuts and shellfish. This allergy involves an antibody called IgE and most people discover if they have this type of allergy early in life since the reaction is so immediate and severe. The second type, Type 2 involves the IgG antibody which works in quite a different way. Symptoms of these allergies can be many and varied and may take many hours to appear. These allergies often go undetected for this reason. A study by Dr Joseph Bellanti of Georgetown University in Washington DC found that hyperactive children are seven times more likely to have food allergies than other children. Creating a dietary programme for ADHD sufferers As a Dietitian for over 25 years, I have treated hundreds of children with health issues including ADHD. I find that there are often not one but multiple issues that need to be addressed when creating a programme of care for optimising health in the ADHD individual. The focus in practice requires the following approach: Assessment: A full dietary and fluid assessment A lifestyle assessment Bloods GI and bowel assessment Sleep Plan: No one size fits all when it comes to making changes. Each programme has to be personal and specific to each child based on: Their age Their understanding Their weight If they are growing Their taste – are they fussy/faddy eaters? Their behaviour around food Allergy potential Sleep patterns Mood Resistance to change Supplementation School involvement Their family’s ability to facilitate and provide all of the changes Activity levels Fluid intake Siblings I have excellent success with children as when they are switched on they are keen to please and try. Once you get the correct balance of all the above and focus on the positive things the family can relax and enjoy their lives together again. The programmes created at 121 Dietitian are enjoyable, achievable and fun, which they have to be as they are for life. The results are rewarding. If you wish to book for a dietary ADHD assessment, get in touch today! 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]

Climate Change – Do You Think About Food shopping?

Climate Change – Over the past 60 years, globalisation of the food industry has dramatically changed the way we produce, buy and eat our food, which ultimately, will impact future generations. Here, we delve into this topic and share some simple and effective ideas worth considering about the way we shop, consume and store foods. Industrialisation of agriculture has encouraged farming to become capital and chemically intensive, having an impact on climate change. As consumers we have all benefited enormously by this revolution. Every type of food imaginable is waiting to be bought 24 hours a day, around each corner in one huge superstore. Amazing… or is it? However, with this so called positive never ending supply, negative concerns have arisen; local shops have been replaced by large supermarkets. We now have generic tasting foods everywhere.  This type of shopping, although convenient and enjoyable, has affected the environment, the local producer and other countries involved in the retail process. It has also had a detrimental effect on our health. Fair trade has been a topic of heated debate for clothing sweat shops in recent years and we are all very much aware. Food sustainability has been highlighted more and more, and it is clear we can no longer focus solely on food shopping for taste. We now have to consider a whole host of different health and ethical issues. It seems you almost need a degree to go to the shops if you are going to remain in the know! Climate change is making food less nutritious Do you know or check all the artificial ingredients mentioned in the food products labelling? Are you savvy on the amount of fat, sugar and salt you need each day to work out the traffic light system? And then as an extra bonus, you also need to be considerate about; where the product has travelled from. how much did it impact on the environment and if you can afford it! It is easy to see how running around the stores these concerns never feature. It’s hard to believe that your individual choices will do anything to change the system and it may appear selfish. But it is clear many of us enjoy the lifestyles we now subscribe to and clearly not taking any responsibility for the future.   What about our children? What about the world around and our long term health? Do you care enough to make some simple changes? It is ironic that we are becoming increasingly unhealthy. Now eating more processed foods with huge superstores stocked with the freshest, prettiest, largest variety of fabulous foods from all over the world. Transported for us every couple of hours. Recent television programmes and media have highlighted the fears that our children will die before us with illnesses related to obesity and unhealthy lifestyles. We are learning each day how chemicals in our food that we eat daily have hidden dangers and are contributing to our declining health. We are more than informed of the health changes we need to make: eat more natural unprocessed foods, more fruit and vegetables, fish etc But what can we do further? The following are some ideas that are simple and effective and a good place to start as we learn more about the impact we are having on the climate change now and for the future. Staying loyal and buying local produce is probably the easiest most logical and sensible option. Seek out farm grown produce and local butchers in your neighbourhood or at a local market. Eat what is produced locally when it is in season i.e.; Comber Potatoes, Armagh Apples. Take pity and buy the ugly fruit and vegetable (Class II). This promotes greater bio-diversity in production rather than the monoculture found in tunnel-cultivated produce. Eat less processed food and reduce carbonated drinks, which is beneficial both for your health and the environment, by reducing packaging, transportation, saturated fats, chemicals… Learn to cook meals from scratch and freeze leftovers. Healthy eating is often considered to be expensive. On the contrary, fresh basic ingredients cooked correctly have been shown to be cheaper and healthier than weekly intakes of ready-made meals. Waste has a detrimental effect around the world and is an easy one for individuals to tackle. When buying from markets and shops bring your own bags and recycle as much as you can. Drive less, fly less, walk and cycle more, use public transport, share cars, teleconference, or webcast. Consider over time to use less energy; turn off appliances, it’s environmentally worthwhile and puts more money in your pocket. Rant over! 😉 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]