Whereas following high street fashion is not generally bad for your health, following fashions in weight loss can be, so we do need to exercise some caution over which approach we choose.

Carbs, protein and fat are the main nutrients in our diet. They have different and important functions in the body and in truth we need them all.
A diet which excludes either fat or carbs will inevitably lead to serious nutrient deficiencies. From a weight loss perspective there’s no doubt that Keto diets can be very effective but it is an extreme approach. In my view Keto should only be carried out for short periods of time in order to avoid nutrient deficits and any unwanted symptoms which may result.

So, health apart, are carbs bad for weight loss?
We need carbs for energy but there is a tendency to eat more than we need to match our energy expenditure. Unused carbs will be converted to, and stored as, fat in the body so in this respect it could be argued that carbs are bad for weight loss but that doesn’t mean we should cut them out completely.
Generally, it’s best to keep carbs in the diet but to watch the quantity and the quality and to balance them carefully with other nutrients.

Following a few simple rules should allow you to keep carbs in the diet but still lose weight.

1. Always consume grains in their wholegrain form e.g., wholegrain rice or wholemeal  or  granary bread.
2. Keep starchy carbs e.g., potatoes or rice to around 40-50g per portion with a meal.
3.  Avoid processed foods. The more processed foods are the quicker the carbs will be converted to sugar in the body and therefore converted and stored as fat.
4. Although we do need carbs in the diet for energy, pure sugar is a form of carbs which is particularly detrimental to weight loss so avoid cakes, biscuits and sweets and don’t add sugar to foods and drinks.
5. Avoid endless snacking particularly on carb heavy foods.
6. Always eat carbs with protein as protein will help to slow the release on sugar into the blood stream.
7. Fill up on plenty of non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, spinach etc which should have very little impact on weight gain.

Festive Feel-Good Weight Loss
It’s not too late to lose weight before Christmas and a well balance weight approach doesn’t need to be difficult or leave you feeling hungry or deprived.
In my weight loss programmes I take time examining my clients present diet, explaining what is and isn’t working and redressing the balance in order to really make a difference.

In the run up to Christmas this year I’m introducing a lovely, ‘Festive Feel-Good,’ e-book to accompany my weight loss programmes. This tasty Pumpkin & Ginger Soup recipe below is a sample from my e-book for you to try.

If you’re interested in losing some weight before Christmas then please don’t hesitate to book in for a FREE 30 minute health assessment to discuss this with me.

The following tips are designed to gently support the body’s clearing processes and would work best alongside a detox diet which reduces toxins and includes foods which specifically support the liver.

Taking steps to ‘clean up’ your environment, whilst maximising your body’s ability to clear toxins can have a dramatic impact on our overall health.

1.Take a regular Epsom salt bath
The sulphates in Epsom salt help flush out toxins and heavy metals. The process is called reverse osmosis, and it literally pulls toxins out of your body. You can use Epsom salts alone, but I tend to include Apple Cider Vinegar and Bicarbonate of Soda, 1/3 of a cup of all three ingredients. Soak in your hot bath for at least 20 minutes for best effect.

2. Avoid plastic packaging & plastic
Studies have found that certain chemicals in plastic can leach out of the plastic and into the food and beverages we eat. These chemicals are endocrine disruptors and have been linked to health problems such as metabolic disorders (including obesity) and reduced fertility.

3.Avoid exercising next to busy roads.
We breath in more deeply when we are exercising so if we are near a main road the inhalation of car fumes will inevitably add to our toxic load.

4.Drink plenty of fresh filtered water daily between 1.5 – 2 litres
Water flushes toxins and waste from the body and transports nutrients to where they are needed. Unfortunately tap water can contain harmful chemicals, Northumbria water for example contains a lot of Chlorine so it does make sense to filter.

5. Add plants to your home & work environment to purify the air
In 1989, NASA discovered that houseplants can absorb harmful toxins from the air, especially in enclosed spaces with little air flow. This study has been the basis for newer studies about indoor plants and their air cleaning abilities. While plants have less horsepower than air purifiers, they’re more natural, cost effective, and therapeutic.

For more lifestyle detox tips join my Facebook group Unleash Your Younger self where I will be posting more lifestyle detox tips over the next 20 days.

]]> https://feelamazing.co.uk/how-to-be-healthy-as-a-vegan/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-be-healthy-as-a-vegan Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:27:58 +0000 https://feelamazing.co.uk/?p=3811 Eating a vegan diet can be a healthy way to eat when your meals are full of vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains. You need a well-planned vegan diet to make sure you get your essential nutrients and avoid eating only processed vegan foods. Here are 7 simple and essential tips for how to be healthy as a vegan by following a good diet. Even if you’re just trying to adopt a more plant-based diet for better health, these tips are a great way to get started.

1. Make vegetables the number 1 ingredient in your meals
   

   Veggies are packed full of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients and their fibre content is great for the gut and keeping you feeling full.

2. Eat a good variety of foods
   

   Variety in your diet will ensure that you’re getting all the nutrients you need for health. For example, you’ll get protein and fibre from beans and leafy greens are great sources of vitamins A, C and K. Many of the health benefits of fruit and vegetables come from the pigmentation in their various colours. Red tomatoes have heart-healthy lycopene, blue blueberries have brain-boosting anthocyanins and orange sweet potatoes have lots of vitamin A to help keep eyes healthy.

3. Choose whole grains
   

   Go for whole grains to ensure a good supply of B Vitamins and fibre which will have been stripped from the white processed versions such as white bread, rice and pasta.

4. Explore the many varieties of vegan protein
   

   It’s not as difficult as you might imagine getting a good variety of plant-based protein into the diet. Sources include tofu, tempeh, edamame (soybeans), lentils, chickpeas and beans. Nuts, like almonds and walnuts, and seeds, like sunflower and pumpkin seeds, also contain protein as well as essential fats.

5. Don’t assume vegan food products are a healthy option

   Mass-produced vegan products are often made with weird and wonderful chemicals to make them resemble their non-vegan version. Instead choose whole, nutritious foods that just happen to be vegan, such as carrots with hummus or oatcakes with guacamole. My health plans and programmes can help those on a vegan diet make better choices.

6. Pump up your iron
   

   Animal proteins like meat and chicken are the best sources of iron but vegans can still get this mineral from beans and leafy greens, but iron from plant sources (non-heme iron) isn’t as easily absorbed as it is from meat sources (heme iron). To get the most of plant-based iron, eat iron-rich foods with vitamin-C rich foods, which helps boost absorption, and not at the same time as calcium-rich foods, which can inhibit iron absorption.

7. Supplement the diet to insure against nutrient losses
   

   I would strongly advise supplementing with a Vegan based Omega Fatty Acid containing DHA and EPA, B12 and Vitamin D which are all difficult to obtain from a vegan diet.

If you’re thinking of going Vegan and are curious about how to be healthy as a vegan, but need expert advice and guidance please book a health assessment to discuss. 

Having struggled to get half of the items on my shopping list I looked on in horror as the lady in front of me piled the checkout with endless packets of biscuits, chocolate eclairs, crisps and huge tubs of ice-cream!
I saw this as a potential car crash in terms of completely sabotaging ones health!
There has never been a more IMPORTANT time to take some personal responsibility for our own health in order to give us the best chance possible to remain fit and healthy throughout this awful pandemic and do our bit to take some pressure off the NHS.

In order to help I’m setting up an online challenge to, ‘Supercharge Your Health,’ and support your immune function. This is completely FREE of charge and I’d love you to join me.

This will be a 14 day challenge starting after the Easter weekend on Tuesday 14th April delivered through my Facebook group, ‘Unleash Your Younger Self,’ and open to women and men alike.

My commitment to you will be to provide you with the information and the encouragement you need to really improve your health through your diet so you can become a healthier and more robust version of yourself.

I will provide you with a lovely 30-page e-book full of easy and delicious recipes which have all been designed with immune support in mind.
I will be supporting you with posts and little videos on various aspects of diet and immunity. I will be posting my own photographs of meals I’m making from the e-book and encouraging you to share and do the same.

Yes indeed you too can become one of those annoying people who take photographs of your food whilst watching it all go cold ha ha!

The ethos of my Facebook group has always been about mutual support, so the more you engage the better.

I will be releasing the recipe e-book in my Facebook group, along with posts about preparing for the challenge well in advance of Easter weekend so that you can get ahead on planning and shopping prior to 14^th April so the sooner you join the group the better!

As a reward on completing the challenge you will receive another e-book, ‘10 Steps To Super Health,’ full of tips and advice on how to support your immune system.

Please let your friends, colleagues and relatives know as I would like to reach and help as many people as possible.

Any questions email me helen@feelamazing.co.uk

Top 8 supplements to boost immune function along with suggested dosages:
1. Vitamin C: 3,000 milligrams (or more) daily, in divided doses
2. Vitamin D3: 2,000 International Units daily. (Start with 5,000 IU/day for two weeks, then reduce to 2,000)
3. Vitamin A: 6,000 International Units daily. (please note that high quantities are not advisable if pregnant or hoping to become pregnant)
4. Zinc: 20 mg daily.
5. Selenium: 100 mcg (micrograms) daily
6. Humic Acid (specifically sourced): 375 mg twice daily
7. Olive Leaf extract (18% minimum oleuropin): 500 mg twice daily
8. Saccharomyces. Boulardii: 3 Billion thrice daily

This protocol came from Nutrilink and I wholeheartedly agree with it. You can read the full article here where you will see that these recommendations have been soundly backed up by science.

The protocol has been translated into specific supplement recommendations and dosages for both adults and children and the supplements can be ordered direct from Nutrilink on 03335770404. You will also receive a 10% discount if you mention my name, Helen Buchan from Zing Nutrition. Alternatively, you can order these supplements through the Natural Dispensary and if you use my practitioner code Zing10 you will get a 10% discount.

Unfortunately, the quality supplement companies have had a bit of a run on products which relate to immunity so I can’t guarantee stocks.

I tried to order my favourite immune based supplement from the Natural Dispensary a few days ago and was told it was out of stock. For future reference this is Elberberry Complex by Bionutri. It would have been great as part of this protocol as it would cover you for Vitamin C, D3 and Zinc. It also contains Beta Glucans which are excellent for boosting immune function and I would add this to the of 8.
If you can’t get the specific supplements recommended in the Nutrilink protocol don’t be tempted to buy any old cheap and inferior supplements from supermarkets, chemists and the internet. You need to be choosing from supplement companies who put a lot of research into their products and use high quality ingredients. Ask Nutrilink or the Natural Dispensary for alternative recommendations if products are out of stock.

If you’re interested in my one to one 4-week programme,
Boost your immunity health programme or my one off 90 minute Skype consultation  Change your diet to reboot your immune function please do not hesitate to contact me by email helen@feelamazing.co.uk or by phone 07711497243 to discuss or book your FREE 20 minute phone consultation 
For programme details read my blog post post your immunity health programmes

In the light of this I have put together a one to one 4-week programme called
Boost your immunity health programme.
This is an intensive approach to reflect the need to act quickly as normally my programmes would span a 10 to 12 week period. The programme will be carried out through a series of weekly Skype calls at a time which is convenient for you.
The cost of the programme is £350 and we would work together to:

1. Assess your present diet and put changes in place to improve your health and boost immunity.
2. Determine which areas of your health need attention and how this can be supported through diet and lifestyle measures.
3. Put you on the right path towards reaching a health weight if this is jeopardizing your well-being.
4. Put together a bespoke nutritional supplement programme to support areas of weakness and boost immunity.
5. As an added bonus I will provide you with a flexible meal planner containing recipes all of which are designed to support your immune function.For those who do not wish to commit to a programme I’m offering a one off 90 minute Skype consultation called Change your diet to reboot your immune function at a cost of £120.
   In this consultation I will assess your present diet and suggest how this can be improved to boost your immune function.If you’d like to book a programme or a one off consultation you can email me helen@feelamzing.co.uk or ring me on 07711497243. If you’d  like more information or to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to book your FREE 20 minute phone consultation to discuss.

But then comes January, you wake up on New Year’s Day with a stonking hangover feeling fat, bloated and depressed. All that bonhomie has disappeared, even the Christmas decorations look sad and you wish you could hibernate along with the hedgehogs!

I know I’ve felt like this before, but it really doesn’t need to be this way. The secret is to keep some perspective and balance and to help you do this I’d like to share Top 10 tips for a healthier Christmas

1. Plan your food
   Make sure you have healthy food choices in the house as well as less healthy choices and balance the two. I find that applying an 80:20 rule works well.
2. Keep up the exercise regime
   Exercise is a great leveller! If your usual classes aren’t running, choose other options instead such as brisk walks, or you could choose from many of the exercise routines on YouTube.
3. Don’t skip meals
   Its very tempting to skip breakfast and/or lunch in the anticipation of a big party later in the day. This is a recipe for disaster, you’ll be running on empty all day, go to your party hungry and there will be nothing to absorb the alcohol making you feel so much worse the next day. Much better to have a moderate blood sugar balancing breakfast and lunch to keep you on a level and also stop the gluttony later in the day. Something like porridge or smoked salmon and eggs would be great for breakfast, with maybe a nourishing seasonal vegetable based soup for lunch. If you have been drinking the night before then it’s even more important to have breakfast the next day.
4. Control what you can control and don’t worry about what you can’t control
   Even when staying with friends or relatives you’ll probably have an element of control over breakfast or whether you have a pudding or cheese and biscuits after a meal. And remember that it’s very definitely your own decision if you stuff your face with chocolates all day. One thing you can always control wherever you are is portion sizes and whether you have seconds or not.
5. Don’t try to diet over the festive period
   Set a maintenance goal instead. This is more realistic and much more achievable. This will give you the freedom to enjoy yourself without the feelings of deprivation or the pressure to rebel!
6. Make good alcohol choices
   Avoid creamy or sweet drinks. Beer and cider aren’t great either (sorry!). Try to drink with food as this will reduce the impact of the sugars on your blood stream. Dry white wine, gin, dry champagne, dry cava are all low sugar options.
7. Have some alcohol-free nights
   I don’t want you to be a party pooper but if you do get a chance to have a few nights off over the festive season you’ll definitely feel better for this come January. I normally manage to have some nights off between Christmas and New Year which means I enjoy New Year’s Eve more and feel better afterwards.
8. Drink plenty of water
   This will encourage you not to over eat and will also improve how you feel the next day.
9. Watch your portion sizes
   Particularly in relation to fast release carbohydrates and fats.
10. Be kind to yourself
    If you do happen to overindulge don’t beat yourself up, just enjoy it and get back on track afterwards.

Should things go a tad pear shaped over the festive period help is at hand with my Zing Nutrition 21 day New Year Kickstarter Programme which starts on 20th January.
Sign up before 31st December to receive my FREE e-book 10 guilt free chocolate treats.
For more on my programme read on ……

This made me think about how black and white we are about things we love or hate and how much easier it is sometimes to focus on the negative and not least when it comes to self-love, when in reality there are many shades of grey in-between. I know in myself I have a tendency to be very self-critical and disparaging and I see this in many of my clients too, particularly weight loss clients.

In a recent Sunday Times article Nigella Lawson wrote about being sent a motivational quote from a friend. The quote was more of a question and it was this,

If you really loved yourself, what would you do?

She explores the pros and cons of using this as the main criteria in responding to the many demands and decisions we must make in life. The obvious cons being that nobody likes a bighead or a narcissist or someone who gets their own way all the time regardless of the needs of others!
She concludes that it is nevertheless a question which is always worth asking, but maybe more as a ‘kind inquiry’ which one might not act upon, but which is ‘as enlightening as it is validating.’ Thought provoking stuff indeed!

My view is that the same question asked in the context of diet, health and lifestyle takes on a totally different dimension with almost universal application and validation.
If you constantly focus on what you don’t like about yourself it limits your  belief in what you’re capable of and it can lead to self-sabotaging behaviour. More importantly it makes it so much harder to be loving and support of others.

I read a post from a lady in a Facebook group recently which read something like this,

‘I looked in the mirror last night and I didn’t like what I saw, I look old and I’m fat so I sat on the sofa, drank a whole bottle of Prosecco, a family sized bar of milk chocolate and I cried.

Well maybe she didn’t like what she saw but had she taken a deep breath and asked the question,

If you really loved yourself, what would you do?

Would she have reacted in this way? I suspect not. And, you know what, you don’t even have to love yourself; love and hate are two ends of a spectrum with lots of shades of grey in between. You could just settle for quite liking yourself, along with the Marmite!

In my Facebook group Unleash your younger self throughout the month of December I will be posting every day to encourage a more loving, positive and nurturing attitude to ourselves., so don’t miss out, request to join my group today.

More energy
Improved concentration and feeling more alert
Lower insulin and blood sugar levels (including reversing type 2 diabetes)
Lowered cholesterol
Reduction in inflammation
Better stress management
Better digestion
Faster recovery after exercise
Better immunity
Lower risk of cancer
Slower ageing
Improved brain function
Lower risk of dementia 

Now I’m a pretty disciplined around food and capable of a tremendous amount of willpower when I choose, but I absolutely hate the thought of fasting despite the promise of such  tremendous health benefits. Simply going without breakfast fills me with absolute horror! Why else would you get up in the morning?

So, I was very excited when I was introduced to ProLon, the first and only 5 day fasting Mimicking diet and I couldn’t wait to try it out.

So how did I get on?

You need to plan to do ProLon when you know you have a clear 5 days with very little going on in the dairy socially.
I started my first 5 day fast on a Sunday which worked well as I was all done and dusted by the following Friday and able to enjoy a perfectly normal weekend.
I found the first day easy, you do get slightly more to eat on the first day, subsequent day became more restricted but nevertheless it was all massively manageable.
The food for the 5 days comes in a big box with 5 individual boxes inside, one for each day of the fast with instructions as to what to eat and when, it really could be easier.

Breakfast each day was a nut & seed-based bar sweetened with honey, which was delicious, I tended to have half for breakfast with a black decaffeinated coffee, saving the other half for a mid morning snack with a mug of herbal tea. Lunch and dinner was always a vegetable based soup sometimes with kale crackers. Other snacks included olives and a delicious nutty chocolate bar.

I did feel a little hungry and lightheaded on the third day but nothing too serious and by the time I got to day 4 I was very much in the swing of it, the end was in sight and I was able to look forward to the weekend. I felt a tremendous sense of achievement on completion of the 5 days.
I roped my daughter in to doing this with me which was a big help as we were able to compare notes and keep each other motivated.
You learn a lot about you’re eating habits through doing this, for example just how often you go in search of a snack which you probably don’t really need.

So what did I gain from my experience? 

I wasn’t doing this fast in order to lose weight as I don’t really need to. Nevertheless, my body statistics did improve. My Tanita body monitoring machine is able to monitor fat mass, muscle mass, fat around the middle etc. I lost 3 lbs but more importantly it very definitely was fat (not muscle or water) and what is more, it was from that very stubborn area of fat around the middle which is very difficult to shift. I didn’t lose any muscle at all which goes to backing up one of  ProLon’s great claims. In terms of long-term weight management, it is very important to maintain muscle mass. Crash diets tend to reduce muscle mass big style which is why they don’t work, they ruin your metabolism and programme your body to gain weight going forward.
If you do have weight to lose you would lose more than I did, ProLon report between 5 and 7 lbs and I have had clients who’ve lost 9 Ibs which in just 5 days this is pretty remarkable!

The main benefits I got from doing ProLon were clarity of mind, improved mood, greater focus and improved energy levels, better looking skin and the results were long lasting.

At Zing Nutrition I can offer you a 20% Discount on ProLon Products

If you order through this link the 20% discount should be automatic at checkout or alternatively if you go on the ProLon UK website you can use the discount code HELEN at checkout and you should receive you 20% discount. The discount will also apply on top of any discounts that ProLon themselves are offering as well as on subscriptions with the exception of Black Friday deals.

When I was first introduced to ProLon I did three rounds with a month or so in between which is the recommendation for best results. Since then I’ve done it once or twice a year and I can’t begin to tell you how good it makes me feel.

Its great for use pre or post holidays, in the run up to a big event and post-Christmas for weight loss and detox purposes. It really is the ultimate detox as it’s a detox which happened at a cellular level.

ProLon have recently brough out a few new products too. There is a, ‘Reset 1-day kit,’ designed to be used once a week, very much in line with warrior fasting. They have also introduce a, ‘Nutrition Bar,’ a delicious breakfast bar designed to keep you in a fasted state so prolonging the length of your overnight fast. This is perfect for those who practice Time Restricted Eating either daily of a few days a week.

If you’re unsure about ProLon or would like more information I’d be very happy to have a chat about it, just email me at helen@feelamazing.co.uk and we can arrange a call.

When chocolate is more often associated with indulgence why would I do this?
Firstly it happens to be National Chocolate Week and I don’t need much encouragement or excuse to indulge in the wonderful stuff!
Secondly chocolate really is seriously good for heart health and it massively lifts your mood.

Just to be absolutely clear, I’m not talking about that horrible waxy over sweetened milk chocolate that truckers supposedly eat, I’m talking about good quality 70% cocoa solids or more! And I’m not talking about eating it in large quantities, I’m talking about 25g to 50g a day.

So how does chocolate improve your heart health?
Well, its all to do with Flavonoids in cocoa which have been shown to reduced levels of ”bad” cholesterol (LDL) and raised levels of ”good” cholesterol, potentially lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. How good is that!
What is more these flavonoids have vasodilatory, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties which promote the dilation and flexibility of blood vessels whilst preventing white blood cells from sticking to the walls of blood vessels – both common causes of artery clogging.

And then there is that instant feelgood factor to be had through eating chocolate, it really can help to improve your mood, making you feel calmer and more content. There are three mechanisms involved here.

1. Flavonoids in dark chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that create that, ‘feel good factor!’

2. Dark chocolate contains serotonin another neurotransmitter which acts as an antidepressant.

3. Another neurotransmitter released by chocolate is phenylethylamine, so called “chocolate amphetamine” which leads to feelings of excitement and alertness. It works like amphetamines to increase mood and decrease depression, but without the side effects, without being addictive and what is more its legal!

So what are you waiting for, don’t deny yourself, get out there and indulge in some seriously good chocolate!
My mouth meltingly favourite chocolate at the moment is Moser Roth 85% cocoa solids from Aldi, it’s really delicious and seriously low in sugar at Keto friendly levels. (more on Keto diets in future posts)

I will be posting some fabulous healthy chocolate recipes in my Facebook group Unleash your younger self this week so don’t miss out, sign up today.