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gut-mind connection

Alison Tehan Nutrition / gut-mind connection
cold water therapy

Benefits of Cold and Hot Water Therapy

Are you experiencing inflammation in your body, high blood sugar or carrying excess weight ? While this is not about nutrition, this is definitely something you want to read and understand as it is another tool in your kit for supporting your health that is simple and free and could change your life. When we expose our bodies to the stress of cold or heat, It's called "hometic stress," but it's actually a good thing. This type of stress, which includes activities like taking cold showers or enjoying heat exposure, works wonders for our health. Science calls this process "hormesis," and it's like a secret superpower that helps us thrive. I'm sure you've noticed the recent craze around ice baths and cold plunges. I've delved into the...

probiotics

Probiotics and what you need to know

Probiotics are something that I've noticed many people take without really knowing what they are taking and if they provide any benefit. It seems that there is still some confusion regarding the benefits and prescribing of probiotics, especially when they are purchased over the counter at the chemist or online. To help guide you in purchasing and taking probiotics for maximum benefit, i have provided some information below. Probiotics can be incredibly beneficial for our digestive health and overall well-being. However, not all probiotics are created equal, and understanding some key factors can help you make informed choices. There are many different kinds of probiotics, or species of beneficial bacteria, and each acts on the body in different ways Different strains of probiotics offer different benefits. It's essential to choose a...

anti-inflammatory food

Foods that fight inflammation

The more we learn about the role that inflammation plays in overall health, the more we see that some of the best way we can reduce chronic inflammation are simple things we do every day such as food we eat. Inflammation is an essential process for protecting our body. Your immune system becomes activated when your body recognizes anything that is foreign—such as an invading bug, plant pollen, or chemical. This often triggers a process called inflammation. Intermittent bouts of inflammation protect our health but when inflammation becomes chronic, it can cause long term health issues. Symptoms of chronic inflammation can vary, and present differently in everyone but in general, they can include weight gain, achy joints, puffiness, muscle soreness, anxiety and low mood, bloating and brain...

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What is causing my bloating?

There are so many causes of bloating and its not always about the food. This is an area that can confuse so many and I want you to know that its not always about the food as I outline below. Yes some food groups can cause our gut to bloat after eating them. This can be a normal physiological reaction. Normal bloating shouldn’t cause too much discomfort and it passes after a short period of time. I believe our bodies are designed to eat real, whole foods. Our bodies know what do to with them, they are designed to break them down and digest them. As we get older it becomes harder to digest foods such as dairy as we stop producing much of the enzyme to...

magnesium food sources

5 Ways Magnesium can help to balance your hormones

Magnesium is my favourite and a superstar mineral & involved in over 300 enzyme responses in our body. Many of these responses impact our natural hormone balance. If you have seen me in clinic you know I love magnesium, especially for women in their 40s. During this significant time of hormonal change our bodies can really benefit from a regular dose of magnesium to support the hormonal changes and create more balance. Stress, alcohol and gut issues are the main culprits that cause magenisum depletion. But also our soils are quite depleted which makes it much harder to obtain enough from plant foods. Rich food sources of magnesium include dark chocolate dark green leafy veg such as spinach Pepitas, flaxseed, almonds, cashews & bananas If you feel like your hormones are all over...

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Should I try Fasting

Fasting is one of the most ancient and a widespread healing traditions and has lately become popular and mainstream. There are so many benefits to fasting mainly focusing around weight loss. Other benefits that have come out of more recent research include improved insulin resistance, blood pressure, gut health, reduced inflammation and also allowing for cell recovery and tissue rejuvenation. The idea of fasting is to allow the insulin levels to go down far enough and for long enough that we start to burn our fat stores. After a week or so of trialing a fast you may start to notice a difference. Research shows that insulin sensitivity improves. That is, your cells are more sensitive to insulin immediately which means you should find your sugar levels...

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health

How to support your health during Christmas and New Year

Its 5 weeks until Christmas. Whats you plan for supporting your health through this time? Are you thinking its a write off already that will be full of indulgence that is out of your control but you will start a diet in the new year? Its such a common and easy pattern to fall into but it often leads to feelings of helplessness and constant dieting mentality. How about reframing that thought? How about thinking of what you can do and how you will look after yourself over this time.  We are out of our normal routines but every time we eat and drink its an opportunity to nourish ourselves and an opportunity to choose health. Remember this. Just because its a time of celebration it doesnt have to mean a sacrifice...

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Why do I feel so bloated?

Do you often feel bloated and tired? We’ve all experienced bloating at some point or maybe all the time. There are a number of reasons that can cause bloating and fatigue and I see it so often with clients for a range of different reasons. Its common but not normal to feel bloated. Its also important to consult a health professional to work out what is causing the problem rather than second guessing and eliminating foods that you think are causing the problem. So here are some common reasons for feeling this way, which are not always food related. Stress This probably doesnt seem that logical but it can happen especially when we spend the day running around and inhaling our food as we go. Properly chewing our...