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]
Make October The Month Of Your New Year Resolution
When it comes to diet and lifestyle changes, there is now better time than right NOW to put your well intended plans in place. If you still haven’t made progress with your New Year Resolution, you’re not alone. A client came to me for help with her New Year resolution IN AUGUST! She was disappointed she had not yet achieved her personal goal of “being as healthy as possible.” Despite her good intentions, she had made disappointing progress and it was 8 months into the “new year”! Her weight was going up, not down. Many of us can relate to this. We have expectations for great changes and we feel motivated at the start, but events and responsibilities seem to work against us. We are left feeling frustrated and sometimes discouraged that the changes we want to see will never be accomplished. With this client, and many others, I’ve found a few simple strategies help to make significant changes in order to promote health, fitness, and control without the stress. I advised this client that October would be the perfect time to make her changes. The kids are back in school, the home routine is in place, and it is a long time until the Christmas rush. My client is now focused for October – she is prepared to make the time and energy to commit to her new plan. The following are a few of the goals we decided to focus on: Step 1: Start small In the case of my client, instead of her usual pattern of becoming a slave to the gym with no rewards, she has already started with two 30-minute walks per week. Over the past three weeks, these have lengthened and she now looks forward to her evening walks most nights of the week. This simple change should add years to her life and assist her food focus. Step 2: Be ‘SMART’ Identify specific, measurable goals. They must be realistic and linked to a period of time so you can assess your achievements. These goals are “SMART” goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.) My client’s goals were, I think, what we would all like to achieve; ‘eat better and be more active’, but how do we measure success with a goal like this? As a starting point, we broke down her goals into some straightforward, but significant, changes: Below are 2 examples: 1) Begin to eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking, five out of seven days per week. 2) Keep records of your food intake and exercise for five days to promote self-awareness of your eating and activity patterns. Step 3: Get support Do ask for support from a friend, spouse or family member. In this case of this client, her husband has been a great supporter. He reminds her to sit down and eat breakfast with him instead of running around after the kids and he provides the motivation for her to be fit by walking with her in the evenings. He and the kids are enjoying the health changes too. They are eating better and their mum is happier and healthier. The walk also has the added benefit of keeping away from tempting snacks. In addition to her family support, my client has benefited from professional support. In working with a dietitian it has helped her make appropriate goals, identify obstacles and help overcome challenges. My client laughs now when she recalls her fears of attending to see me. She expected I would stop her eating normal foods and she would be miserable, but instead she admits she enjoys the one-to-one online consultations when she can’t get to my clinic and the programme she is following. She is already feeling much healthier and fitter (see our google reviews). Step 4: Get accurate information As a Dietitian, I spend a lot of time correcting people’s myths. Most of my clients come in expecting they will be told to only eat salads and slave away on a treadmill seven days a week. We know from countless studies, that healthy eating does not mean dieting. While there are specific dietary requirements for many conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and IBS, most people do not have to cut anything out – they just need assistance in finding the right balance. Obtaining professional guidance ensures you learn which strategies are appropriate for you. Accurate nutrition information is easier and more accessible than you may think… 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 this has been specially created for you. 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]
Obesity Statistics and Health Risks
While obesity stats might be shocking, the good news is that there is still time to do something about it. Here, we get clear on the obesity statistics and share how 121 Dietitian has been successfully helping patients to lose weight for good. A person with obesity (BMI – Body Mass Index of 30 and above) is: 6 times more likely to develop high blood pressure 4 times more likely to develop diabetes 2 times more likely to develop arthritis 6 times more likely to suffer gall bladder disease More likely to be infertile More likely to suffer from back and joint problems More likely to have problems with asthma exacerbated Increased risk of suffering depression More likely to suffer sleep problems such as sleep apnoea Increased risk of heart problems and stroke And have a shortened lifespan (1 in every 11 deaths in the UK is linked to obesity related problems) More likely to have nutritional deficiencies Reverse these obesity statistics This is not a scare tactic message, but rather, we feel, an important message to highlight the negative health implications associated with obesity that we treat every day. It may surprise you to know that many of the men and women who come to our clinics are unaware of the risks associated with obesity. When informed they are so grateful they could do something about it before their problems became irreversible. If you wish to reverse the risks as mentioned above, the good news is something can be done. Losing weight and lowering your BMI (body mass index) to normal or lower levels, or with a 5-10% reduction in weight as a starting point will significantly reduce your likelihood of developing these potentially serious medical conditions. Significant weight loss can resolve many pre-existing conditions associated with obesity. Of course there are also many, many psychological benefits in losing excess weight. People become more confident, feel less isolated, feel more attractive and feel more assertive as well as the obvious benefits associated with feeling healthy like a new wardrobe! HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT AND ENJOY DOING SO! Our team are highly skilled weight management Dietitians, providing a unique evidence based programme, tailored to each individual. Over the years, we have helped many people to successfully lose weight, when they have struggled in the past. You will learn how to enjoy foods and how to manage your diet, weight and health for life. No kcal counting, macros…. If you need to lose more weight, then you can safely do so, as you will know exactly how to do it safely for optimizing health for life. 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 this has been expertly created for you. 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 16th May 2018 rechecked Jan 2021.
Essential Nutrition for Recovery after Surgery (Part 2)
Essential Nutrition for Recovery after Surgery (Part 2) In this follow up to our essential Nutrition & Surgery focus part one, Director and Principal Dietitian Gillian Killiner, continues in this blog to discuss the key role that vitamins and minerals play in helping your body recover after surgery. Vitamin A – essential for recovery after surgery Vitamin A is commonly known as the anti-infective vitamin for surgery. It is central to normal functioning of your immune system. Vitamin A is also needed to maintain the integrity and function of your skin and mucosal cells. When you enter a hospital or clinic for surgery, many things will stress you. You will also be exposed to bacteria and viruses that your system is not used to. Infection will quickly use up your vitamin A stores. In this way, infection starts a vicious cycle, because not enough vitamin A is related to increased severity and likelihood of death from infectious disease. It is important to go into surgery with a good supply of vitamin A in your tissues. You will need to continue consuming enough vitamin A to keep those levels optimal. Vitamin A rich foods include: beef liver, carrots, sweet potato, kale, romaine lettuce, apricots, broccoli, butter, eggs, cantaloupe melon and red pepper. Vitamin E essential nutrition for recovery after surgery The main function of vitamin E in humans is as an antioxidant which are known to neutralizes toxic radicals in the cells. Vitamin E has been shown to improve immune system functions that decline as people age. It helps increase blood flow. It does this by preventing blood clots and relaxing blood vessel walls. These properties all shorten post surgery recovery time. Vitamin E rich foods include: sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, mango, avocado, butternut squash, broccoli, spinach, kiwi and tomatoes. Vitamin D – essential for recovery after surgery Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin needed for normal calcium metabolism. You make vitamin D in your skin when you are in the sun without clothing or sunscreen. Vitamin D regulates your immune system function during times of stress. Adequate vitamin D levels are important for decreasing the risk of high blood pressure. If you do not have enough vitamin D you can prolong your recovery time. With deficiency you will not absorb enough calcium. Then your body will steal calcium from your bones. This will increase complications and longer term your risk of osteoporosis and other health problems. Vitamin D deficiency causes muscle weakness and pain. Obesity increases the risk of vitamin D deficiency. Once vitamin D is made in the skin or ingested, it is deposited in body fat stores. Storage makes it less available especially to people with large amounts of body fat. Vitamin D rich foods include: halibut, mackerel, salmon, rainbow trout, cod liver oil, sardines, tuna and eggs. Iron – essential nutrient for recovery after surgery Iron is required for a number of vital functions, including growth, reproduction, healing, and immune function. You need the right amount of iron for hundreds of proteins and enzymes. Post-operative anaemia is associated with poorer surgical outcomes including infections, increased length of hospital stay, circulatory overload, and death. Iron rich foods include: spirulina, liver, beef, lentils, dark chocolate, spinach, sardines, black beans, pistachios and raisins. Copper – essential for recovery after surgery You must have enough copper in your system for normal iron metabolism and red blood cell formation. Anaemia is a sign of copper deficiency. Copper is required for you to be able to move iron to your bone marrow for red blood cell formation. Vitamin A deficiency will make iron deficiency anaemia worse. Taking a combination of vitamin A and iron will protect you from anaemia better than either iron or vitamin A alone. Copper rich foods include: beef liver, shitake mushrooms, cashews, chickpeas, kale, cocoa powder, sesame seeds, quinoa, almonds, lentils and chia seeds. Calcium essential nutrition for surgical recovery Calcium is the most common mineral in the human body. About 99 percent of the calcium in your body is found in your bones and teeth. The other one percent is found in your blood and soft tissue. The functions of calcium are so vital to survival that the body will steal calcium from your bones. It does this to keep blood calcium levels normal when your calcium intake is too low. Calcium plays many important roles. It is vital in controlling the constriction (closing) and relaxation (opening) of your blood vessels. It also aids proper nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and release of your hormones. Calcium is a key factor for good recovery from any surgery involving your bones. Only about 30 percent of the calcium in your food is actually absorbed in your digestive tract. You lose a certain amount of calcium in your urine every day. This depends on how much caffeine you drink. Too much or not enough protein in your diet will affect your calcium absorption and the strength of your bones. Calcium rich foods include: kale, sardines, yoghurt, broccoli, watercress, cheese, bok choy and almonds. Magnesium – essential nutrition for recovery after surgery Magnesium plays important roles in the structure and the function of the human body. Over 60 percent of all the magnesium in your body is found in your bones. About 27 percent is found in muscle, while six to seven percent is found in other cells. Magnesium is required by many other nutrients, like vitamin D and calcium, to function properly. Proper wound healing after surgery requires the right amounts of calcium and magnesium in the fluid around the cells involved in the injury. If you are having surgery that involves your bones, magnesium is very important for the best outcome. Magnesium rich foods include: spinach, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, almonds, black beans, avocado, yoghurt and banana. Zinc essential nutrition for surgical recovery Zinc is an essential trace element for all forms of life. Zinc deficiency has recently been recognized by a number of experts as an important public health issue.