You may have heard that fermented foods are good for you. But what are they, why are they helpful and how can you include them in your diet?  Read on for more   What are fermented foods? Fermentation was originally used as a way of preserving food.  Food is broken down by yeast or bacteria, which then remain in the food.  So these foods are a great source of beneficial bacteria, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.   Why are they important? We are just starting to understand the huge role that our gut and especially the bacteria in our gut play in our overall health.&nbs ..read more

Healthy eating can be confusing.  We all have different requirements and food preferences, not to mention time, money and interest!  However, there is one step that can help most of us eat more healthily. Balance your plate.       It’s all about balance….. Two of the main keys to long term healthy eating are balance and simplicity and this tip combines both – eat a healthy, balanced plate. Of course, a balanced diet is going to vary from person to person (you can find out if you are lacking any essential nutrients in your diet with our Functional Medicine Tests), but ..read more

It’s National Workplace Wellbeing Day this Friday 28th April and Heather will be on Virgin Media bright and early sharing her tips on eating healthily at work, whether your workplace is at home, in the office or a mixture of both. Lack of time is a common problem Many of us will eat at least one, if not two meals during work several days per week, a good chunk of our overall food intake. Post-Covid, many of us have adapted hybrid working practices and might be working from home more.  In theory this makes things easier, and studies show it can allow more time for exercise and cooking.&nbs ..read more

  Most of us know that what we eat can have a significant impact on the environment. While we might all want to do our bit, it often seems like the healthier choices are more expensive.  Read on for tips on eating green without breaking the bank. Does our food really make a difference to the environment? Yes!  Food is a significant contributor to climate change, with food waste estimated to generate almost 10% of greenhouse gas emissions.  Globally, more than one quarter of all food produced is wasted. In Ireland that equates to 800,000 tonnes per year or more than €700 per ..read more

Fertility issues are on the increase and one in every five or six Irish couples now struggle to conceive. This is down to many different factors, but the good news is that nutrition can have a positive impact on both male and female fertility, whether trying to conceive naturally or via IVF.  Read on or watch Heather explain more on Virgin Media Weekend AM. Can nutrition really help? There are lots of reasons for fertility issues, from the fact that we are leaving it later to conceive, to environmental and many other factors.  Nutrition can’t help with everything. For example, if a m ..read more

  Are your healthy eating resolutions already running out of steam? Forget the ‘New Year, New You’ approach.  Instead, Nutritional Therapist Heather Leeson shares her tips for a more balanced approach to healthy eating this year.  Or watch Heather explain more on Virgin Media weekend AM. Why most healthy eating resolutions fail Many of us make New Year’s resolutions related to healthy eating. And almost 95% of us might start well, but typically run out of steam before the end of January.  So why, when we want to make healthier choices, do so many of us struggle to maintain ..read more

At this time of year, soups are a great and cost effective option for a quick and healthy lunch and an easy way to increase your veg intake.  Our top soup tips: always include protein, like lentils, chickpeas of other pulses. Tinned are fine, although red lentils cook in 15 minutes try to include a variety of different colours of veg – eat a rainbow! make a big batch and store in the freezer in portion-sized containers you can defrost overnight in your fridge Some of our favourites at the moment are this very quick and easy carrot and lentil soup, a warming sweet potato soup  or sp ..read more

Vitamin D is one of the nutrients we get asked about the most. But how important is it for our health?  How do we know if we have enough or need to boost our levels?  And can we do that with food? Find out more below. What does vitamin D do for us? Lots!  Vitamin D rose to prominence during the pandemic due to the huge amount of evidence on it’s role in immune health and Covid recovery, severity and even prevention, although more research is needed.  But we have known for a long time that having enough is vital to maintain healthy bones. This is a challenge for the 50% of u ..read more

What you eat when trying to conceive and when pregnant plays an important role in your baby’s health at birth and in some cases for the rest of their lives.  So, it’s a great time to build healthy eating habits that you can pass on to your baby. What to avoid There are a number of foods and drinks that should be avoided in pregnancy, mainly due to the fact that they carry bacteria like Salmonella, E coli and Listeria. Immune changes during pregnancy mean that pregnant women are at greater risk and some of these can also be harmful for the developing baby.  foods with raw fish and sh ..read more

 It is very important that raw cacao is not confused with cocoa, its roasted, processed and nutrient-poor distant relative.  Cacao is busting with nutrition and an excellent source of magnesium in particular but also other minerals such as iron, zinc, copper and calcium, in addition to fatty acids. It is also full of polyphenols which makes it a great fertiliser for your microbiome. It’s no coincidence that (due to its tryptophan content) cacao may actually boost the body’s production of serotonin, the feel-good hormone. Another messenger molecule called anandamide is also present in ..read more