Pesky Cravings... just might be good for you!

Many consider that irresistible urge for chocolate or bread with butter slathered on to be the bane of anyone trying to maintain a healthy eating regime.  However, those sudden cravings for certain foods that have nothing to do with hunger could be your body trying to tell you something!

When I meet a patient for the first appointment, I ask them a LOT of questions.  Many of those questions are about what they LIKE to eat and what they don't like.  Also if there are foods they simply "can't live without", I put that in inverted commas as even though it may seem impossible for you to live without say... chocolate, I assure you it IS possible.  The reasoning behind these questions is simple, many foods that people think they can't live without and crave on a regular basis and will even go out of their way to eat is their bodies' way of telling them that there is something in that particular food that their bodies need and must have.  Usually this is down to a deficiency in certain nutrients.

For example:  Do you crave chocolate? (I know I do).  Well this common craving could be down to a lack of magnesium in some people.  Chocolate is rich in magnesium which is a mineral that is vital for skin and hair.  Women also crave chocolate as their magnesium levels tend to drop during the second half of the menstrual cycle, which also suggests a possible link with many of the usual symptoms of PMS.  There are other reasons for a lack of magnesium in the body, for example, drinking too much tea, coffee and carbonated drinks can lower magnesium levels.

The solution?  Well if the only thing that will do it for you is chocolate then stick to the dark stuff and preferable a minimum of 75% cocoa as this will have a higher magnesium content and less sugar.  However, nuts, particularly Brazil nuts are a richer source, leafy greens, brown rice, wholemeal bread and pumpkin seeds are also good.

If you suffer from PMS try taking a Vitamin B complex supplement with a magnesium supplement every day.

Is Ice a necessity for you?  Yes, believe it or not there are people out there that crave ice.  It is not know exactly why, but craving ice could be due to lack of iron in the body.  If you do crave ice and suffer from lack of energy you should see your doctor as you may be anaemic.  The amount of iron in our diets has decreased due to people eating less healthily and relying on processed foods.

The solution?  Red meat is an optimal source of iron as it is readily absorbed by the body.  Other sources are wholemeal bread, figs, apricots, spinach, broccoli and lentils.  However, if you are trying to increase your intake of iron through plant based foods, then you should also eat Kiwis, oranges and tomatoes as the vitamin C in them helps the body to absorb the iron.  So if you eat a spinach salad, make sure it has tomato in it too - for example.

If you would prefer and your doctor recommends it, you can take iron supplements - Solgar Gentle Iron is one that I prefer as it is less likely to cause constipation, but remember to take it with a kiwi or an orange for better absorption.

Do you go out of your way for a hunk of meat?  Craving meat can also be a sign of iron deficiency but it can also mean you are low on zinc.  Zinc is important to immune function, among other things, so when your levels are depleted you will be more susceptible to colds and flu.

The solution?  Red meat is a great source as well as lentils, shellfish, spinach, pumpkin seeds, cheese and wholemeal bread.  I always keep some zinc tablets at home and when I feel the typical first symptoms of a cold coming on I take them for a few days and they chase the cold away.

It has to be sweets?  I'm not a sweet eater... for me it has to be chocolate, but I did have a patient who suffered from anxiety and she ate sweets constantly.  Craving sweets could be a sign of chromium deficiency.  Chromium works with insulin to aid the uptake of glucose from the blood into the cells.  Reaching for sweets when you feel low on sugar can actually make the problem worse as it causes the body to produce insulin which leads to a sugar crash, making the cravings even worse.

The solution?  Eat plenty of liver, chicken, beef, kidney, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, whole grains and eggs.

Just can't get enough cheese?    Craving cheese can be a real tell tale sign of a lack of tryptophan.
 Tryptophan is one of the 20 essential amino acids that our bodies need but can not produce themselves.  We need to get these amino acids from our food.  Tryptophan is needed to help the body synthesize serotonin  or the happy hormone.  A lack of tryptophan can lead to low mood, anxiety and sleep problems.

The solution?  The best foods for their tryptophan content are eggs and cheese, so if you're feeling low a cheese omelette might be just the thing for you.  Other good sources of tryptophan are turkey, cashews, walnuts, and bananas.


I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com 

Just how sick does the Pharmaceutical Industry want you to be?

I worked for 11 years in the pharmaceutical industry and I spent 11 years bribing doctors to prescribe the company's medicines... yes I actually bribed them.  It wasn't blatant bribing as I worked in marketing, but the reps would call me and ask if my product's budget could pay for a "new computer for Dr. So and So" or "A new set of shelves for such and such a department in such and such hospital".  I never did buy any shelves, but that's what went on the invoice, computers I bought many.

In fact, in most of my 11 years at one of the top pharmaceutical companies I was stunned at what the company was willing to do in order to sell drugs.  In the end, I left.

However, it still shocks me to see how accepting the public is of taking medicine.  Most people are looking for a quick fix to stop them feeling ill and in many cases I admit, the medicine is necessary. And please don't get me wrong, doctors and modern medicine are great when needed, but a lot is in your hands to avoid that necessity.

However, a conversation with my father last weekend made me realize just how hooked on medicines people really are.

Take my father for instance.  He's 73 years old, obese with type 2 diabetes, beginning of heart problems, diverticulitis, and a whole host of other problems related to the diabetes.  For example he just had cataract surgery.  Not long ago, I put him on the F.I.T Method and he lost a staggering 6.5k in 2 months and his blood sugar level returned to normal and his cholesterol reduced.  In just 2 months!

However, having had his diabetes specialist jumping for joy, and feeling well pleased with himself, he did what most people do in that situation... fall "off the wagon", he stopped doing the F.I.T. Method and went back to his old habits.  What happened?  Well he turned up here for a visit last week looking fatter than I have ever seen him and unable to walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath, not to mention the problems he had doing simple tasks such as putting his shoes on.

Pharmaceutical companies don't make cures
they make customers

When I asked him about the weight gain he got defensive, this is understandable but his defense was that his blood sugar level was stable and so was his cholesterol thanks to the medication he was taking.  And here is my point... the pharmaceutical industry WANTS YOU TO STAY AS SICK AS POSSIBLE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE... THAT'S HOW THEY MAKE MONEY!

I said this to my father and he looked at me in horror, he'd never thought of it like that.  What's more the majority of doctors prescribe medicines BECAUSE IT IS THE EASY THING TO DO... not to mention that they are visited by every rep of every pharmaceutical company and told endlessly about the benefits of this or that drug.  It is much easier to put a bandaid on something than to educate and prevent it happening.

However, from all this came something positive.  My brother, who used to be obese but has now lost loads of weight sat at the dinner table and said to our father, "It's a LIFESTYLE change Dad!  You have to make the change and incorporate it into your way of living!"  I was delighted, there was one disciple who'd learned the lesson!!!!!  Yes!!!!!  I'm sure you'll understand that my family gets pretty fed up with me preaching about healthy diets and healthy living, the importance of exercise, etc... They are more difficult to convince than my patients!

Yale School of Medicine has just released a study on a nuclear receptor called PPARgamma which when switched off could prevent obesity and diabetes... of course, it's by way of a magic pill.  The majority of weight problems are lifestyle related.  I often hear how someone has put on lots of weight during a pregnancy only to continue piling on the pounds afterwards, or people literally not realizing (or not wanting to realize) just how big they were getting.  It usually means that something happens in their lives that is a trigger to make them lose weight; not being able to do their seat belt up on a plane, or not being able to fit into the roller coaster car at the theme park, or an unflattering photo at a wedding... there are many triggers.  However, if your lifestyle got you fat... then you can change your lifestyle and reverse the effect - it really is that simple!

However, nowadays, most people look for the minimum effort quick fix... gastric band surgery, bariatric surgery, diet pills, liposuction, expensive treatments, fad diets... and so the list goes on.  Very few actually try the healthy eating and exercise route, people want instant results and instant gratification.  All of these "quick fixes" have dangerous side effects that are not worth the risk.  For me

the answer is clear; a healthy diet and regular exercise routine will not only help you find your perfect weight, but you will maintain it and prevent illness.

So, the choice is yours... do you overhaul your diet and lifestyle and live better for longer, or do you trust in magic pills that will keep you just alive so you can make lots of profits for the pharmaceutical industry?  The choice is yours, for you and your family.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com 

The NO sugar fad

Yes... I have spoken many times about the dangers of sugar in the diet, and they are true.  Sugar causes obesity and a whole host of other problems such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cancer, to name but a few.  There is a huge anti sugar movement going on with the United Nations warning that sugar is the "new tobacco" and lots of people are radically cutting all forms of sugar from their diets.

I would like to stress that the no sugar focus should be on REFINED SUGAR and ADDED SUGAR.  Naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereals are a necessity for the body.  After all the brain needs glucose to function properly and the body needs a certain amount for energy.

The problem with sugar is that over the past couple of decades it has been silently added to so many products you'd probably be very surprised.  Mass produced foods such as bread, bacon, hot dogs, potato chips, salad dressings, juices, etc all have added sugar, even low fat processed foods have added sugar as sugar does not CONTAIN fat.  When fat is removed from a food to make it low or no fat a lot of taste is also removed so the manufacturers add sugar and salt to make it more palatable.  Sugar also extends the shelf life of lots of processed foods.  And then of course there are the sweets, chocolate, biscuits, desserts, etc., which we all know are packed full of sugar.

This is the sugar you need to eliminate from your diet.  I challenge you to go to your kitchen and check the foods you have stored there and see just how many contain sugar.  You should also remember when reading an ingredient list on a food package that the ingredients are listed in order of quantity starting with the most and continuing down the list as the amount decreases.  So, if sugar is listed as one of the top 3 ingredients this means there's a lot of sugar in it.

Mother nature has a way of supplying all our bodily needs.  As I have said many times before eating natural whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, etc., and healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and even organic butter are what the body needs.  We are omnivores (don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking vegetarians or vegans) and should have a diet that is as varied as possible.  Our diets should be primarily plant based with just a little animal protein - we really don't need as much animal protein as we are accustomed to eating.  In fact, if you read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II, MD you will discover that we only need our diet to contain 5% protein from animal sources.  Now plant protein, that's a different matter!

As I have often said before, our digestive systems have not changed in 10,000 years yet our eating habits have changed beyond recognition.  10,000 years ago our ancestors the hunter-gatherers ate what they could gather - fruit, vegetables, nuts mostly, and every now and again they would be able to catch an animal for meat.  They would then pretty much have to gorge on meat for a day or two as there was no way of preserving it, before returning to their diet of fruits, vegetables and nuts.

I don't believe in exclusion diets unless there is a medical issue.  I would never recommend a gluten free diet to a person unless, of course, the were diagnosed with Celiac Disease or had been tested positive for intolerances to gluten.  I, therefore, do not recommend a completely sugar free diet... just make sure that your sugar intake is in the form of fruit, vegetables, nuts and whole grains.

Nothing refined or processed should ever form a part of a healthy diet.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com 

Dr. Fruit

We all know that fruit is healthy and should be part of a healthy diet.  But fruit actually goes one step further and can help improve some illnesses, for example:

1.  Apples:

This is a very complete fruit.  It is packed full of antioxidants that neutralize free radicals, so it is recommended for prevention diets for cardiovascular risk, degenerative diseases and cancer.  It is very diuretic because of its moderate content in potassium, and is recommended for the dietetic treatment of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension or for water retention.

This fruit can also help you when you are either constipated or suffering from diarrhea.  Raw apples with their skin are laxative, however if you peel them, grate them and let them turn a bit brown they become astringent.  They also contain tannins that have anti-inflammatory and astringent properties that dry out and reduce swelling of the intestinal mucosa, which makes it ideal for cases of diarrhea.  The tannins appear when the pulp of the apple turns brown after peeling and grating.

2.  Watermelon:

Love this in the summer!  It contains loads of water which makes it a great way to hydrate in hot weather.  It is also very diuretic which means it is great for people with kidney stones, uric acid, hypertension and diseases that cause water retention.

3.  Kiwi:

These are very high in vitamin C and are a great antioxidant which means they lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, degenerative diseases and cancer.  The vitamin C increases the absorption of iron found naturally in foods, which is why Kiwis are recommended in cases of anemia.

Kiwis also have lots of fibre which means they have laxative properties, to prevent constipation, they also help reduce cholesterol and help to maintain good glycemic control in diabetics.

4. Melon:

High in water, this fruit is a great way to stay hydrated in the summer and it is very low in calories.  It also contains beta-carotene or provitamin A which helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, degenerative diseases and cancer.  Some people do not tolerate citrus fruits well and melon is ideal for these people.  It is rich in potassium, and therefore is very diuretic for people with hypertension, heart problems and water retention.

5. Peaches:

Peaches are indicated in cases of anemia and loss of appetite as they are high in iron.  They are considered a great restorative and if eaten before a meal they will stimulate the appetite and act as a tonic and are purifying.

6. Cherries:

They are full of ellagic acid which has antioxidant properties and is also antiseptic, which helps combat infections.  They also improve intestinal function and constipation, block free radicals that modify the "bad" cholesterol (LDL) which also helps reduce cardiovascular risk.  Cherries also have a beneficial effect in cases of hyperuricemia, gout and hypertension.

Now, my advice is that fruit should always be eaten first thing in the morning or 1 hour before a meal or 2 to 3 hours after a meal - NEVER AS DESSERT!  Also the whole fruit should always be eaten NEVER AS JUICE.  Fruit is very high in fibre which counteracts the amount of sugar it has.  When made into juice the fibre is removed and only the sugar is left.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com 

Fermented pharmacy

As promised, here is the follow on from last week.

Many specialists refer to the digestive system as the second brain.  In fact, it is the only other organ that produces the neurotransmitter serotonin or the "happy hormone" - it actually produces MORE than your brain does.

So, brain and digestive health go hand in hand.  Your gut is also home to a countless number of bacteria - both good and bad.  These bacteria outnumber your body's cells by 10 to 1 - at least.  It is very important to maintain the ideal balance of good and bad bacteria as this balance forms the foundation for good health - physical, mental and emotional.

It is believed that most disease originates in your digestive system - this includes both physical and mental disease.  Some examples are:

• Lupus
• Crohn's Disease
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Kidney problems
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Urinary conditions
• Allergic and atopic conditions
• Fibromyalgia
• Inflammatory bowel diseases

To name but a few.

In order to have a healthy gut, it is recommended to incorporate fermented foods into the diet.  Fermented foods are some of the best chelators available - a chelator is a substance that removes other toxic substances from the body.  The beneficial bacteria in fermented foods are very potent detoxifiers, capable of drawing out a wide range of toxins and heavy metals.

So, here are seven of the top fermented foods for you to incorporate into your diet:

1. Kombucha: I've spoken of this before.  This is a fermented black tea that gives you a really great bacterial kick as it contains a great variety of microorganisms.  Just keep and eye on the sugar!
2. Sauerkraut: Fermented cabbage has a powerful impact on brain health, including depression and anxiety.
3. Pickles: This common food isn't often though of as a healthy food.  However, they provide a healthy dose of probiotics.
4. Coconut Yogurt:  You all know my love of all things coconut, so I could hardly leave it out of this post!  This is a dairy free way of getting the probiotic potential of yogurt - there are many easy recipes available on the Internet.
5. Miso:  Miso paste is made from fermented soybeans and grains and is packed full of essential minerals such as potassium, and consists of millions of microorganisms.
6. Tempeh or fermented soybeans is a complete protein that contains all the essential amino acids.  You can add this to a salad or as a sandwich filler.
7. Kimchi: This is a Korean dish typically made from fermented cabbage, it can help enhance digestion and nutrient assimilation - it can also improve your skin.

You also don't need to go crazy either, you only need between a quarter to half a cup of fermented vegetables or cultured foods such as yogurt per day.

So get cracking!  You can find loads of recipes on the Internet!

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com 

How what you eat NOW can affect your future children

Yes, I have ranted and raged about processed foods, too much sugar, and too much salt for years.  However, until relatively recently the clinical studies that were published were biased, for example:

"The Importance of Breakfast Cereals" sponsored by Kelloggs or

"The need for milk produce on a daily basis." sponsored by Danone

Yes, I made these up to make a point.  Clinical trials and studies cost money and until relatively recently the people with the money were the big companies such as Danone, Kelloggs, Coca Cola, etc..

However, over the last few years, we are getting more and more unbiased information from studies carried out at universities with public funding, studies that have not succumbed to the pressure of the lobbyists for the big food companies.

One such study shocked me this week; Dr. Ian Myles from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is the lead author on a study published in Nutrition Journal, which looked at the effect the Western diet and lifestyle has on people's immune function.

Unsurprisingly, it found that processed and junk food were to blame for the whole host of problems such as; increased inflammation, reduced control of infection, increased risks of cancer, and increased risk for allergies and auto-inflammatory disease.

Now, as if this wasn't scary enough, the study authors go on to explain that poor dietary choices get

"encoded" into both DNA scaffolding and into the gut microbiome (environment).  This means that food and lifestyle choices can create permanent changes in the balance of bacteria in our bodies which can cause the immune system to weaken.  This also means that those changes can be passed onto our children during pregnancy.

Dr. Myles says he was surprised by how heavily gut bacteria determined a child's health:

"Our bodies are a kind of mini-ecosystem, and anything that disturbs our bacteria can alter our health in profound ways," he says.

Dr. Mercola has written extensively on the importance of gut health and the flora contained within, and how any disruption can lead to many health problems in the future, here is a brief summary of what he has to say:

"Research shows that your gut flora can affect numerous processes in your body, including your metabolism, energy production, nutrition, and genetic expression.

"Your intestinal microflora is unique, although your will likely have one of three general "communities" of bacteria.  This microbial balance is exceptionally sensitive to environmental conditions, beginning at birth.  Children who are born with severely damaged gut flora are not only more susceptible to disease; they are also more susceptible to vaccine damage.

"Choice of foods can alter your microflora in a matter of days, for better or worse.  The ideal way to optimize your gut flora is to include fermented foods in your daily diet.  While most probiotic supplements contain no more than 10 billion colony-forming units, one serving of fermented vegetables can contain 10 TRILLION colony-forming units of bacteria.  Fermented foods also give you a wide variety of beneficial bacteria, so all in all, it's your most cost effective alternative."

Next week, I'll talk about fermented foods.  Also, one thing we should all remember on a daily basis:

If it has an ingredient label, you really shouldn't be eating it!

  I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com 

Cut the sugar

It seems to me that we live in a society where success - be it at work or socially - is measured by how you look.  Are you thin enough?  Is your hair beautifully luscious?  Are you wearing the right designer label?  Do you drive the right car?

We are constantly confronted with top models airbrushed to perfection and headlines screaming out the next best diet that promises miracles in half an hour with no suffering.  Women strive to be a size 0, while teenagers;  boys and girls alike are struggling with Anorexia and Bulimia just to be accepted.

And, of course, there is the other side of the coin... obese and over weight people are turning to dangerous operations such as gastric bands and gastric bypasses to lose weight quickly.  Childhood obesity is on the rise and children are being bullied about their weight.  Obese people have admitted to being socially outcast and I have even spoken to people who have suffered mobbing in their workplace because their boss didn't like "fat" people.

We judge people on their appearance.  We think we can form an opinion of someone just by what they look like.  Well you can’t.  For example, there are many reasons behind obesity, it isn’t just someone eating too much.  Some people have serious psychological problems, others have illnesses which lead them to put on weight such as hypothyroidism, others have to take medication that makes them gain weight…

Stats:

• 1/3 of adults worldwide are now overweight.  The number has QUADRUPLED since 1980 in the developing world.
• In the UK alone 64% of adults are classed as obese.
• A global explosion means that 1.46 billion adults across the globe are obese or over weight (this means they have a Body Mass Index of over 25).
• Obesity = greater risk of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, diabetes and other health related issues.
• At 70% North America has the highest percentage of overweight adults, but regions such as Australasia and Southern Latin America are catching up with 63%.
• North Africa, the Middle East and Latin America saw overweight and obesity rates increase to a level similar to Europe, around 53%.

So why is this happening?

I think a lot of the problem is down to lifestyle choices.  A poor diet and lack of exercise can lead to a whole host of health problems including weight gain, obesity,  and as I said before, heart attacks, cancer, strokes, diabetes, etc..

Then add on that we are constantly bombarded with publicity from fast food companies and soft drink companies who are just dying to sell as much of their product as they can, and promise to make our lives so much easier as we can just pick up the phone and magically a pizza will appear on our doorstep, or Chinese food, or Indian, or… and the list goes on.

ALL fast food, processed food, soft drinks, basically anything with an ingredient label is packed full of vast amounts of sugar and salt.  Both of which contribute vastly to weight gain.

This week, I was reading the press from the UK, on any given day there are various articles about diet, sugar, fat, etc., in fact this week on one day I saw these three headlines:

1. "The hell of giving up sugar (and why it's worth all the agony in the end)..."
2. "Rising obesity levels force NHS to spend extra 5.5 million pounds on adapting hospitals and buying specialist equipment to cope with overweight patients."
3. "Slap a 20% 'health tax' on fizzy drinks.  Experts call for action to slash UK sugar intake."

For years the government “health” bodies have been telling us that fat is the killer.  We have a vast range of low fat and no fat products on the market all meant to magically make us thin - but they don’t.  Ever since Senator George McGovern created the first ever dietary guidelines way back in 1977 we have had a health problem.  At the time saturated fat consumption from animal sources was at an all time high in the States and so were heart attacks.  It was therefore decided that heart attacks were being caused by the consumption of saturated fat.  So the US Government decided that we should all be using vegetable oils and margarines to lower the consumption of saturated animal fat (e.g: butter).  However health problems continued to increase - including heart attacks in a time when saturated fat consumption was at an all time low. 

As it turns out, vegetable margarines which were marketed as the healthy substitute for animal fat, are packed full of trans fats and far more dangerous to your health than eating butter.  One of my first ever posts on this blog was about trans fats… you can read it here.

However we are still on a low fat health kick.  All you have to do is walk around a supermarket and see just how many low fat products there are.  However, what you have to stop and think is that if you remove the fat from something you have to replace it with something else - otherwise it tastes pretty nasty!  So what do they replace it with?  SUGAR AND SALT.

We now know that the real killer is not fat at all and in fact our bodies need fat (in moderation), there are certain vitamins (A, D, E, and K) that are only soluble in the presence of fat.  But still our governments publish food pyramids and food plates that tell us to eat carbs and just a little bit of animal protein - because of the fat content.  Sugar and refined carbs are the real killer - so yes tax that sugar, make people healthier!

Refined sugar has no nutritional value, refined flour has no nutritional value, white rice has no nutritional value…  Sugar and salt do you NO good at all.  Stay natural and stay healthy.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com