Reduce the risk of prostate cancer with dietary changes
Reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In recent years, more and more research has been devoted to the link between diet and prostate cancer and reducing its likelihood with dietary changes. Every year in the UK, 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, resulting in one fatality every hour. What we do currently know about the condition is that men are more likely to get it if they are over the age of 60, have a family history of prostate cancer or are of African decent. Furthermore, Asian men are less likely than Western men to develop this cancer form but those who have migrated to Western countries are found to develop the same risk as those who have been there their entire lives. What this suggests is that there are in fact some fixed factors which increase the risk of prostate cancer, so much so that the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) is continuing research into the link between lifestyle factors and prostate cancer. However, until these finding have concluded and been published, based on the current consensus science, the following tips can play a role in protection against most types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Here, we take a look at the diet and lifestyle changes you can make in order to reduce the risk of prostate cancer Maintain a healthy weight through the principle of keeping active and eating a healthy, balanced diet. Moderately exercising for just 30 minutes a day is recommended. If your busy lifestyle doesn’t permit this, try shorter sessions throughout the day. Aim for a healthy BMI of between 18.5 and 25. Not sure what your BMI currently is? Check out this handy calculator on our website here. When it comes to your diet, one which is varied and balanced containing the right proportions from the five food groups is essential. Use the above plate as a guide on your daily food intake. As a good indicator, at each mealtime, fill half your plate with fruit and vegetables, a quarter with protein and a quarter with starchy carbohydrates. Up your water intake to the recommended 6 – 8 glasses of fluid per day, one of which can be a small serving of fruit juice. Limit sugar-laden drinks to special occasions only. Ensure your diet is rich in whole grain food options, aiming for the recommended 3 portions of 16g wholegrain products per day. As a guide, one portion = x2 heaped tbsp brown rice, or x1 medium slice wholemeal bread or x3 tbsp wholegrain rice, or 1/2 a wholemeal pita bread. Ensure your daily intake of fruit and veg is high, striving for 7 portions per day. This is the equivalent of 1 medium apple, 3 dates, half a grapefruit, 2 small tangerines, 1/3 aubergine, 3 heaped tbsp carrots or 1 heaped tbsp tomato puree or a handful of mangetout. Limit your trans fat intake, keeping within the recommended guidance for 70g of fat and keep processed saturated fat low. Small tips to help with this include, for example, trimming fat from meat, cooking with healthier fats such as olive oil and upping your intake of nuts, seeds and avocados as healthier fat options. Reduce your sugar intake but keep below the recommended 30g per day with simple steps such as cutting down on sugary treats including cakes, biscuits and snack foods, limit your intake of fruit juice and fizzy soda, replacing with water or low sugar squash varieties and halve the amount of sugar consumed in tea, coffee, cereal, cooking and baking where possible. These simple steps will go a long way in preserving your future health and you’ll be surprised at how quickly your palate gets used to it. Be aware of hidden salt and keep to 6g per day. Swap the addition of salt while cooking for herbs and spices. These are a fab alternative and there are so many tasty choices out there, so get experimental and creative when cooking. Ditch the processed meals which are high in salt, instead aiming to cook simple meals from raw ingredients. It’s amazing how quickly a healthy and tasty meal can be prepared. Check out, for example, our Incredible Hulk Cannelloni recipe here. Finally to r educe the risk of prostate cancer, get up to speed on food labelling systems in order to choose foods that are low in fats (<3p per 100g fat, <1.5 saturated fat per 100g), sugar (<5g per 100g) and salt (<0.3g per 100g). For more information on prostate problems. 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 reduce the risk of prostate cancer 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 and 1st January 2023.
Hashimoto’s and me – part 2…
For me I could not imagine how I would be coping if I had not been able to recover my health after my Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism diagnosis. Well sorry for the very long pause, things always happen when you least expect them. My mother who is disabled with MS was in a car accident and badly broke her leg in June. This meant all my extra time outside of work and family was directed at her care and attention and to keep her mentally strong. It is an ongoing slow process but she is getting there. To get to the level I am at now did take a big decision as I was, pre 2010, not an ‘elimination of foods’ Dietitian! My motto was to increase food choice and enhance variety in all my patients diets (obviously not those with allergies and specific ill health but the people who required help with healthy eating). The big leap was that I removed gluten from my diet, and I can only say I am happy I did. My symptoms like constipation and skin irritation did not change greatly but I knew it was scientifically worth the change – even if removal was to prove it was the wrong path, I could save my patients from possibly making the decision. It is 2 years since I made the change and I am continuing with this. I feel the scientific evidence is there and unfolding at present there is not enough research written up and so I will continue this route while I await further results to unfold. 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 16th May 2018.
Hashimoto’s and me……. Part 1
I have been planning to write about Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism for quite some time, but somehow I haven’t been able to pick the right moment or feel the time was right. This year has seen big changes for me and I have consciously been trying to rebalance my life. The last few weeks has really pushed me into feeling the time is right to write. In my youth, I thought I was invincible, I tried to be everything to everyone, I empathised and sympathized with others on their poor health or misfortunes and tried to rebuild or improve them, but never in a million years thought that ill health could happen to me. My lack of truly listening to my body over many years caught me out, and with a family history of auto-immune disorders I regret now this stubborn inner me. However, as I live with a chronic auto-immune condition I feel that if anything positive has come out of it, is that it has really allowed me to understand my patients at a level deeper than ever imaginable before. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, for those unfamiliar with this condition, is in which the body’s own immune cells attack and destroy the thyroid gland. There can be up to 300 different symptoms and so there can be many of these symptoms that cross over into other illnesses. It can be slow progressing for some and so blood test may not detect it in the early stages making lives unpleasant with symptoms and no answers. Hypothyroidism is the most common outcome for a Hashimoto’s sufferer and medication is used to help treat this condition end of story. That is what I was taught when learning about the Thyroid at Uni and during my hospital career. Take a tablet and all will be fine, next…. NOW I KNOW THAT SADLY THIS IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE…. My Story is a common classic: I had not been to the GP in years, I had no time and no reason to see him, I had strangely and uncharacteristically booked to get my Vitamin D checked mainly due my Dietetic curiosity with the media hype. Don’t get me wrong I had felt rubbish for years but put that down to long hours running my business, caring for 3 small kids, getting older and was involved weekly in caring for my disabled mother. My husband, a fabulous man, was hardly around with his job. I was a “no time for me person” to whom I used to say if I met someone like this: If you don’t look after your health you will have “plenty of time in the future”, as you won’t be able to work! A total Hypocrite I know. I just did not see it for myself or maybe I chose to ignore it. I remember when my blood panel came back I was shocked and if honest relieved. I was not surprised that something showed up and that all my symptoms that I tried to ignore or had secretly stressed about were valid. In addition to a Hashimoto’s diagnosis I had a very low Vitamin D level and suboptimal levels of B12. My diagnosis was in Dec 2012 and I thought that was it, all fixed. I was commenced on Levothyroxine and I slowly built up the dose as guided by my GP and I sat back and waited to get better. Did I feel better? Psychologically maybe a little as I started to take more interest in myself and others around me had to also consider my health. However this feeling did not last long; 4 weeks later and I was worse and so the GP increased the tablets and so the story went on until my bloods were in NORMAL range but I was feeling worse than ever. My GP made an urgent appointment for me with an Endocrinologist who assessed me and said “go take a holiday”. OMG I didn’t see that coming. I was hoping to be taken seriously but clearly I was not ill on the small panel of thyroid blood tests taken and so it had to be in my head….any of you who have been there will know the score. From that moment onwards, as best I could, I did my research. I was so unwell I did not see how I could make it to my next birthday: I was 1 month away. Some major symptoms: severe headache like a vice, walking in concrete, mixing up words, brain fog, exhaustion not able to get out of the car to lift my kids or shop, back pain, chest pain, lots of sighing, brittle nails and hair, skin on chin irritated, sensitive teeth and gums, low moods, insomnia, tearful, constipation, freezing cold, heart palpitations….my adrenal glands were struggling too. I bought a medical thyroid book book which was a great starting point and I commenced the recommendations. I know you would think that as a Dietitian I would be an expert in nutrition, which I am! but the subject of auto-immune and supplements was lacking in my knowledge and so all news was new and I ate it all up. (With these new skills I now successfully treat patients today) Anyway; I took a summer holiday with my family but sadly as a shadow of my former self in vitality, stamina and energy. Sitting at 40c I was cold and wrapped up, but the headaches were gone and that was one step in the right direction. I came home from my holiday and began to fix myself further. I joined the Health Unlocked forum which again has been instrumental in my recovery. I requested further blood tests and from this I commenced a medication which had a combination of T4 and active T3. This along with the daily regimen of supplements made a noticeable difference and some of the significant symptoms began to settle. At the same time I made a difficult but important decision that I
“Healthy working Lives” NI 2015 – how are we shaping up??
Healthy working lives. Well, that was a morning I wasn’t expecting, all in a good way that is. I was invited to speak at a Business in the Community event for improving employee health and wellbeing in the workplace on Tuesday. I had my hat on as nutrition specialist as part of the Support 2 Perform team human performance specialists. My plan was to dip in and present the exciting and important need to using wearable technology for staff health, and then head away to attend to my business demands and what comes with that, however I was drawn in to stay by the programme line-up and the venue, and I am glad I did! I must congratulate the Business in the Community team who arranged an excellent set of speakers all of whom were informative and had fresh ideas and information. I hope I can include myself in this line-up! Minister Wells MLA set the scene with Dr Carolyn Harper providing informative stats. It was then the break out session and my turn under the spot light. Thanks to Dr Jonathan Bloomfield’s information the presentation I felt was extremely well placed, allowing the audience of HR from the public and private sectors to understand and realise the opportunities for their staff with a real return of investment – long term. The next sessions were close to my heart with the 12 week weight loss programmes presented by Tanya Kennedy and Dr Declan Bradley. A great idea and an excellent starting point for business to test the water with staff health and weight loss. Progression then to the niche and real long term effective programmes like Counterweight weight management, stress, mental health and nutrition, firstbeat, garmin would then be understood and appreciated for adding value when costing long-term staff health benefits. It was great to see some of the companies that 121 Dietitian have worked with at the event, chatting to these key influencers their feedback made it clear how valuable the advice Dietitian’s provide the quote “best received” “most talked about by staff ” and looking to rebook soon again. The final speaker of the event was Susan Hayes Cullerton, an economist from Cork (a place of my family origins) had passion, drive and great humour and she stole the show. She spoke in real terms of her feelings, experiences and future plans on health and wellbeing for herself, her workforce and her future. As a non-health professional she was a breath of fresh air, she had researched intensively and presented the hard core details effortlessly with a real magnetic charm. I will even forgive her for not promoting those hard working companies who pick up from the free services she mentioned! As a specialist dietitian I too am passionate, driven and determined and share Susan’s transparency. I don’t shy away from looking in the mirror regularly. Susan pushed home the importance of needing to look at ones self before being able to advise others. She discussed 5 key areas that she found important to ask herself and she challenged the audience to answer them too. To rise to this challenge and be transparent, confirming the deep commitment I have to helping and treating people, here are my questions and answers: 1) Is my health good? Yes; I monitor it closely: I eat healthy, exercise, drink water, take supplements based on my bloods. I am unfortunate to have an auto-immune disease, but the positive I draw from living with this is having been a patient I know how difficult and lonely it can be……Do I eat ‘bad’ foods – yes sometimes. It is important to have balance. I am a scientist, cook, business owner, food experimentalist, mother of 3, wife, work long hours but I also LOVE Food. I have thus spent the past 20 years creating very clever tasty fast meals, recipes and snacks to allow all the flavours, tastes and enjoyment and variety of food to be had using the healthiest combinations possible. I educate to eat clever: nutrient focus not kcals focus. I find people judge me as a Dietitian’s assuming that I do not know what it feels like to be faced with unhealthy eating dilemma’s, or they feel that I maybe judgemental towards them because I am slim. If only they could realise that all I ever hope for is that they are inspired to make a change. Dietitian’s can’t win: If we are thin we are not accepted if we are overweight we are not credible! But for the majority of people interested in us it is thankfully often as simple as wanting to know what is in MY fridge and My cupboards!!! 2) The changes I have made to improve my overall health and well being for 2015 is to unsubscribe from unnecessary websites, take up ice-skating with my kids, switch off from work at 10:30pm/11pm at the latest and not the 12pm+ as in previous years. ( I work now 9am-3pm in the office and clinic, pick up the kids 3pm answer emails and calls while homework’s and sporting activities and food cooking takes place and then return to the office/clinic 8pm – 11pm, then its back to unpack the dishwasher, sandwiches and sleep….. 3) I go to bed extremely satisfied and wake up raring for the day ahead. 4) My commitment long term, so as not regret anything when I am 80; is that I have helped many people in my job, raised my kids to do their best and be humble. I also have for many years now look after (with great time and energy) my mother who is my inspiration to keeping focused and happy. Incapacitated with MS for 40 years she never complains and always has a smile on her face despite her pain and suffering. I can switch off like Susan when I take the 3 hour trip to visit my parents and although it is a full time job, those memories I have stored
Workplace Nutrition
Answer the following to identify your workplace nutrition: Do you buy your food at work? Do you struggle to eat healthy choices at work? Do you find there is a lack of healthy options provided? Do you find healthier choices to be more expensive? Do you fail to drink enough fluids? Do you eat at your desk? If you answer yes to more than 3 of these questions then you need to read on to improve your workplace nutrition………. With over 29 million people working in the U.K and spending up to 60% of their waking hours in work it seems obvious that the eating decisions and habits we form at work could have a significant impact on our health. In 2006, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommend that workplaces have policies which encourage healthy eating and promote healthy choices. If you have answered mainly yes to the questions above you are not alone, despite the guidelines many people still feel it is difficult to make healthy choices in the workplace. The verdict by the Royal College of Physicians in 2011 that little action has been taken to promote healthy eating would come as no surprise then. Well 2 years on, has there been any improvement? A study on motivations and barriers to healthy eating in public sector workplaces was recently published in the Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics. It identified some important views from public sector workers. The article ‘A qualitative study to investigate the drivers and barriers to healthy eating in two public sector workplaces’ A Pridgeon & K Whitehead (2013) JHum Nutr Diet, 26, 85-95 can be accessed online using this link http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-277X.2012.01281.x/full . So should employers be doing more to improve workplace nutrition? Or should it be our own responsibility to tackle the obstacles in the way of making healthy choices in the workplace? Certainly here at 121 Dietitian we are of the opinion that employers should be doing more to promote healthy workplace nutrition choices, if they aren’t already. As a specialist nutritional team we are passionate about providing staff nutritional assessments and menu improvement, workshops etc. Our workplace nutrition programmes reduce absenteeism, improve moral and improve company finances. We also encourage staff to take responsibility, driving new ideas forward and to remain healthy outside the workplace. If you struggle to make healthy choices at work, find there is a lack of healthy options available at your work or feel that healthy options are too expensive, then preparation is the key. Boring you may yell, No, is our reply as with 121 Dietitian = Clever, quick and tasty. Just to wet your appetite!! Here are just a few popular tips on Workplace Nutrition to get you started…. If you’re always short on time why not cook an extra portion of dinner in the evening? The leftovers can be eaten for the next day’s lunch. Alternatively use the time while you’re in the kitchen anyway to prepare a tasty meal for the next evening. Stock up on lots of healthy ingredients such as salad vegetables and fruit, cooked fish, lean cooked unprocessed meats, wholegrain breads & pastas and dips. Having plenty of options will prevent you getting bored and help you resist the temptation of the canteen or vending machine. Fruit, vegetable sticks, yogurts, seeds & nuts are nutritious and great for snacking; keep these handy at your desk for when you are feeling peckish to tide you over until the next meal. If you are on a budget fresh fruit can be bought cheaper in bulk. You could buy a bag of fruit especially to keep in the workplace for snacking, remember to wash it well. How to improve Workplace Nutrition at your desk It is good to get away from the desk during your breaks for your body to relax, if you are eating at your desk; are you working through your break? This is not good for long term health or productive for your job. Bringing your own lunch can save you time rather than queuing in the canteen so push away when you can. It is important you maintain your energy to keep focused on your work. healthy snacks at your desk are recommended. Exercise is as important as eating right when wishing to maintain our health. We should be trying to get around 30 minutes exercise most days, so break the bad habits and start with manageable targets. 121 Dietitian’s are experts in diet and health and are leading the way in making positive changes in companies across Northern Ireland and saving their hard earned cash along the way. Why not find out how we can help you by getting in touch. We have a range of programmes to suit all requirements and budgets. Usage of KPI’s allowing success to be charted. 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 16th May 2018.
Christmas Diet Dilemmas
The Christmas Diet Dilemmas. Many of us will gain unwanted extra weight this Christmas. Whether it is due to decreased exercise, attending more social occasions or an increased craving for comfort foods during the long, cold nights, weight gain is not inevitable. Here at 121 Dietitian we would like to share with you some tips for the festive season and hopefully save you making “must lose weight” resolutions as we enter the New Year. Christmas diet – Why do we gain weight during the festive period? Christmas is a time of celebration which can span from the 2 -3 weeks prior to the big day with Christmas parties followed by New Year celebrations and then continue into January with finishing the leftovers. This amounts to nearly a month of celebrating and for some of us who might normally resist temptation telling ourselves ‘it’s alright it’s a special occasion.’ These special occasions can easily mount up. Even something you consider to be a little treat can have a larger effect than you would realise. If you consume over 200 – 300 kcal ( mince pie or some buffet sausages, large glass of wine) or more each day over the course of 1 month you can expect to gain 4-8lb minimum if you are not actively exercising over and above your normal activity or having days where you keep control. Weight gain over the festive period is easy but it is not inevitable. You can be very clever with your food/kcal intake and still have fun. The right state of mind is often the major hurdle to compliance. A pre-party tip People live busy lives and are on the go the whole time. However take a little extra time to have a pre party planning stage for what you are going to wear, how you will travel and what you will eat during the day, and then at the party. This will see you through with a big smile and smaller bum, tum or hips!! Some good advice If going to a buffet eat well during the day. High fibre regular meals are good. Have a snack before you go out e.g. banana and wholemeal toast if in a rush, or some lean meat /fish and pasta/potato and vegetables. At the buffet try and fill most of your plate with raw vegetable sticks and fruit. What not to do instead of what not to eat! Avoidance is never the best long term plan. Usually it makes you want something more! It is better to teach ourselves to moderate rather than avoid. Often avoided foods will creep back into the diet and if you can’t control this then a yo-yo weight gain can occur. When out celebrating here are some don’ts. Don’t go hungry. Don’t stand near the food table as you will be tempted. Don’t get too tipsy early as this will reduce your willpower and the results could be bad! Watch the dips, go for the salad options, then you can add a few of the other items like goujons and crisps, enough variety to see you through. The worst high fat offenders are the sausage roll, vol au vents and depending on the quality deep fried chicken in breadcrumbs can be processed and fatty. Christmas diet – Being clever can save you calories! Your choice at the buffet table can mean you can make a difference of a clever 350 kcal intake for the night (not including alcohol) instead of 1200 kcal, almost a full extra days intake of junk and saturated fat. One last more sobering thought: Think ahead: how you are going to feel come January with a substantial food and drinks bill, clothes that are too tight and potential blood pressure, cholesterol, health problems. Do these treats seem so appealing? Enjoy, but have pride in resisting some temptation too! Happy Healthy Christmas, we look forward to hearing your success stories…. 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 16th May 2018.
