“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
Irritable bowel syndrome IBS – patient’s perspective
1 year on since we commenced the Irritable bowel syndrome IBS Low FODMAP advice clinic we thought we would celebrate with some good news… This lovely lady attended clinic, miserable, frustrated and exhausted. Her Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms were severe, affecting her family, her work, going out… It had truly taken over and ruled their lives. She was worried that her symptoms meant something more sinister and really was in need of help and support. After Nutritional assessment and dietary analysis she commenced a personalised FODMAP elimination dietary programme designed by Gillian Killiner @ 121 Dietitian. Dear Gillian I am pleased to report all is going well from the IBS side of things. I appear to have it well under control from a diet point of view – I am eating well, sleeping well and bar the occasional flare up have stomach and bowels well under control. I had my scope back in June and the Consultant who did the procedure was happy that all was looking well. I wasn’t in any rush to see them as I was continuing to increase my intake of wheat and gluten without any difficulties. Gillian – I continue to steer completely clear of onions and garlic. I allow myself milk in tea and coffee but otherwise continue to enjoy the lacto free milk. Yes my diet is restricted but is healthy and varied and I am very happy with what I am eating. You have got me enjoying porridge – which is nothing short of a miracle. My Scottish father is delighted!!! Gillian I cannot thank you enough for all your advice – I continue to discuss the FODMAPS approach and your in-depth knowledge with other professional staff whenever I can…… A new beginning for this lady and for many more of our clients this year. If you suffer from IBS or know of someone who does give us a call so we can arrange to help you too. 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.
Men’s Health The Movember Movement – a great achievement
Men’s health – Movember already! Here at 121 Dietitian we can hardly believe how fast this Olympic year has raced by. The games are over but men now have something else to compete/chat about; moustaches! Pictures of sprouting moustaches are gracing the pages of social networking sites everywhere, a sure sign of a public health campaign gone right. It really is great to see a campaign which captures the imagination of so many, particularly since it is inspiring men to think about their health. On average men visit the GP half as often as women and there is a 4 year difference in life expectancy between men & women -with women living longer. This is why Movember aims to raise awareness of men’s health issues, in particular prostate and testicular cancers. Getting to know your body & looking after your health is important whether you are male or female and early detection of cancer can mean treatment is easier and more successful. More details on Movember can be found on their website uk.movember.com. Men’s health Regular exercise and a balanced diet are crucial for looking after your health. You probably already know you should include plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet along with plenty of whole grains and water. But do you know why?? Well every year increasing research shows a clear association to health benefits, Cancer protection being one. To assist you further, foods which are high in saturated fat, sugars and salt should be kept to a minimum. So now you know that including plenty of plant foods in our diet may help to lower cancer risk, did you know they also contain many vitamins and minerals which help to strengthen immunity and keep the body healthy from inflammation, heart disease, diabetes and gut health …. They are also a great source of phytochemicals which can help to protect cells in the body from damage that may later cause cancer. Plant foods are also often low in energy/kcals, choosing these over high kcal/energy foods & snacks can help you to maintain a healthy weight. This is important since there is strong evidence to suggest being overweight can increase our risk of getting certain cancers. If you are struggling with your energy check out this blog on energy boosting foods. Top tip for the men out there….. Tomatoes are a plant food which you may wish to consider including in their diet. Research has shown that frequent consumption of tomato products is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer. A compound called lycopenes which is found in tomatoes is thought to be the reason for this. Interestingly lycopenes are more available to us if we cook or process the tomatoes. Why not try a nice bowl of tomato soup if you fancy a lycopene rich dish? It’s a perfect for this colder weather too. If this Movember has inspired you to improve your diet 121 Dietitian is here to help. Please feel free to contact us for a consultation. 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.
Gluten and Dairy free chocolate cake recipe-low FODMAP
Gluten and Dairy free chocolate cake recipe – low FODMAP Well today my eldest daughter sat the 1st of her 3 transfer exams to senior school. She came out happy in the knowledge that we had a fun day ahead planned! So all was good. It started with concocting some yummy home-made; tuna, chilli, spring onion greens, pepper, caper, cheese on corn tortilla pizza’s for lunch followed by a trip in the winter sunshine to the park for some monkeying around. We returned with a hunger for chocolate cake so we experimented with this simple recipe and I thought it was so good I should share it with you, especially as it is made with a healthy fat choice; olive oil, and it is also low FODMAP and gluten free, dairy free too…. 80g cocoa 130ml boiling water 150g ground almonds 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda pinch of salt 200g brown/caster sugar 150ml olive oil Eggs x 3 whisked Blend thoroughly together the sugar, olive oil and 3 whisked eggs to create a creamy ‘mayo’ Mix the boiling water with the cocoa to a paste Weigh the almonds, bicarb of soda, and salt in a bowl, add the cocoa paste and the dry ingredients to the ‘mayo’ mix and blend. Pour into a cake tin. Depending on the size of the tin cook for 30 – 45 minutes till the cake is soft and squidgy on the top. dust with icing sugar. Voila. We got a photo of the last slice!! Enjoy! How we can help you…. Need help optimising the foods you eat or unsure of how to change your eating habits? We are experts in making “bad food” into healthy delicious tasty everyday alternatives. If this is what you need, 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 for specially selected choices 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. We are on Instgram and Facebook. 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 2024.
World Heart Day
This Saturday 29th September 2012 is World Heart Day. World Heart Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the world’s biggest killer, Cardio Vascular Diseases (CVD). CVD is a name given to disorders of the heart & blood vessels which include Heart Disease, Stroke & hypertension. In Northern Ireland 2010 there were 4476 deaths caused by CVD, a high figure given that 80% of CVD is behaviour related. Behavioural risks include smoking, increased blood pressure & being overweight and something we can do something about. Exercising regularly. Maintaining a healthy weight. Eating a healthy balanced diet. Not smoking. Eating for Heart Health Aim for 2 portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily e.g. salmon, trout & mackerel. Oily fish is a great source of omega 3, a fatty acid which helps to protect your heart. Eat whole grains & high fibre foods. Foods such as wholegrain bread, breakfast cereals, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, beans, oats, & lentils contain soluble fibre which can help to lower cholesterol. Limit your salt intake aim for no more than 6g salt per day. Remember most of the salt we eat is already in the foods we buy so check the labels. High intake of salt is linked to high blood pressure. Don’t drink alcohol excessively. This has been linked to increased formation of blood clots & increased blood pressure. Limit your total fat intake in particular saturated fats & trans fats. This will help to keep blood cholesterol down. Shopping tips for Heart Health Use traffic light labels to help you identify foods which are moderate (amber) & high (red) in salt, saturated fats & total fats. These foods should be eaten in moderate amounts. Aim for foods with more green lights. Go for wholegrain varieties of breakfast cereals, bread & past. Choose brown rice instead of white. Remember your 2 portions of fish. Include lots of fruit and vegetables in your shopping. These are a great source of fibre as well as vitamins and minerals. Never go shopping on an empty stomach or you are likely to be drawn to high fat/calorie foods. If it is an area you want to learn more about or need assistance in making those permanent changes then please get in touch, follow us on facebook and twitter. 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.
Belfast dietitian – A New Week..
Work, shop and clean seems to be the routine I tackle daily, cooking however is creative, uplifting and relaxing, only if all afore mentioned tasks are in place! Today, no matter how hard I tried not to, I had to tackle the house mess from the weekend. 3 mad ‘arts and crafts’ nuts live in my house and the mess seems to pile up as quickly as I am throwing it out for recycling! Not alone this mess, the amount of crumbs trailed around was enough to beat the loaves and fishes story, you know the one! Now all are in bed filled with tryptophan rich foods for a long and peaceful nights sleep! Lucky, my friends say, when I report my kids eat anything, and yes this is true, but it did take time, energy and frustration from the beginning to create those well tuned palates they all possess today. Tonight we had a lovely homemade fish pie, to make it more healthy and tasty instead off adding fats like butters and cheese, I added 2 tablespoons of pesto to the sauce, try it, it is yum! For dessert yoghurt in any shape or form is welcome, freeze it, mix flavours and plain, its so versatile! Now off to think off what to get for packed lunches tomorrow. I just don’t want any more mess to clean! 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.
