Many people who contract Covid-19 will recover in 2-3 weeks.  However, for some people, even those who have had mild Covid, symptoms can persist for months. This is called Long Covid and can include many symptoms that have originally been associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME.   What are some of the symptoms that are associated with Long Covid: Fatigue Shortness of breath Cough Joint pain Muscle pain and weakness Chest pain Brain fog Headaches Depression   Danny Altman, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London, has said that many features of Long Covid, when ..read more

With Covid-19 set to be firmly with us for 2021, this continues to be the time to focus on boosting immunity. Whilst research is still lacking on the effectiveness of nutritional interventions in Covid-19, we can certainly take what we know already on what impacts the immune system and our immunity. I plan to write  some blog posts over the next few weeks on different factors that impact immunity. The gut microbiome Much of the body’s immune response depends on the gut microbiome (the bugs that live in the gut). We know that supporting a balanced intestinal microbial community is essentia ..read more

For some people, bloating is experienced as slight discomfort during the day. For others, it can be all consuming – painful, gassy, distended, uncomfortable. It is definitely one of the most common symptoms that are presented during a consultation.  Generally, the reason for bloating is too much intestinal gas and can be caused by a number of things. Some of the associated conditions include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other functional bowel disorders. Some of the other contributing factors include food sensitivities, high FODMAPs foods, small inte ..read more

I’ve seen a couple clients in the past few weeks that have recovered from Covid-19 but are struggling with post viral fatigue. Some of the main symptoms of this include extreme fatigue, sensitivity to pain and light and sometimes depression. Other post viral fatigue symptoms can include headache, dizziness, poor concentration, impaired memory, irritability and sleep disturbance. Although we have no research on post viral fatigue associated with Covid-19, there are a number of areas it makes sense to focus on: Stress support – as Covid-19 can be extremely inflammatory in nature, this places a ..read more

Hi everyone, Wow, suffice to say – these are interesting and stressful times. So while you find your mojo, don’t forget to keep on top of your health too. Unfortunately, while Covid-19 is all most of us can think about, other health conditions have not gone away. Whether you have PCOS, endometriosis, an autoimmune condition or suffer from a mental health issue, remember to continue to support yourself optimally, this will ultimately pay off in immune support as we move through winter. As we move to Level 4 restrictions on Thursday, please note that I will continue to offer virtual consultation ..read more

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a major cause of infertility, menstrual irregularity, and reduced quality of life in reproductive age women. PCOS is one of the most common endocrine disorders of reproductive aged women affecting 6-10% of the population with this going as high as 18%.  The condition results from a cluster of hormonal abnormalities, namely elevated insulin, elevated androgens, reduced progesterone, which contribute to the signs and symptoms which may include: Weight gain Acne Infertility Mood swings Pelvic pain Anovulatory menstrual cycles Hair loss on the head Hirs ..read more

Endometriosis is a condition when the tissue that normally lines the inside of the womb (the endometrium) is found in other places in the body, for example in the ovaries or fallopian tubes. Sometimes endometrial tissue can be found in more distant locations such as the intestines, lungs or joints. During a normal menstrual cycle, hormonal changes cause the endometrial tissue to shed, and it exits the body through the vagina. In endometriosis, the misplaced endometrial tissue is also affected by these hormonal changes. It starts to break down and bleed, but there is no exit route for the old t ..read more

  Most of us have heard of ketogenic and paleo diets. Whilst they share some similarities, there are also differences in the foods they allow, their effects on the body, and key health effects. The ketogenic (keto) diet focuses on eating a particular balance of macronutrients. The goal is to enter a state of ketosis, where the body begins to burn fat for health or weight loss. The Paleolithic (paleo) diet focuses on eating foods that humans would have eaten in the Stone Age. The goal is to eliminate modern processed foods for health or weight loss. Ketogenic Diet The body typically uses c ..read more

  Fasting for 16 hours a day, leaving an eating window of 8 hours, is called the 16:8 method of Intermittent Fasting (IF). On this fast, people usually finish their evening meal by 8 p.m. and then skip breakfast the next day, not eating again until noon. During use of the IF diet, there are marked metabolic changes in the body. During fasting, when glucose is exhausted, the body begins to utilize ketones that arise as a result of fatty acid transformations. Fatty acids and ketones become the main source of energy for cells. This transition is called intermittent metabolic switching ..read more

  Intermittent energy restriction diets, such as the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet, clear fat from the blood quicker after eating meals than daily calorie restriction diets – reducing an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In a study by the University of Surrey, overweight participants were assigned to either the 5:2 diet or a daily calorie restriction diet and were required to lose 5% of their weight. Those on the 5:2 diet ate normally for five days and for their two fasting days consumed 600 calories whilst those on the daily diet were advised to eat 600 calories less per ..read more