Wisdom

The ‘microbiome’ is a term we hear a lot these days, but what exactly does it mean? Your body is quite literally teeming with bacteria. They live on your skin, in your mouth, nose, respiratory tract, urogenital tract and of course your gut - they are collectively known as your microbiome. You are in essence a walking, talking ecosystem.

Laying good nutritional foundations in our children is a complex business. Many factors affect a child’s health, such as genetics, the mother’s diet and health status before and during pregnancy and childhood environmental and physical factors, all of which will determine the different sensitivities children will have to foods and their environment, as well as their individual nutritional requirements.

Remember when all fats were considered the baddies of the food world? A time when ‘low fat’ meant healthy? After the Second World War studies suggested a link between saturated fats and heart disease.

There is so much focus on women’s health that men often seem to be overlooked! However, certain areas of well-being are particularly high on the agenda for men, including mental health, weight management, skin and hair health and fertility.

We can all suffer from digestive discomfort from time to time but if symptoms such as pain, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea are frequent it can really affect your quality of life.

Eating seasonally is when you choose fruits and vegetables that are naturally in abundance at a particular time of year.

Omega 3 fatty acids are known as essential fats, this means you need to get them through your diet as your body cannot produce them from other fats.

Are you one of the 1 in 4 people worldwide with high blood pressure? Because high blood pressure (hypertension) rarely causes any symptoms, it is estimated that some 5.5 million people in England alone have undiagnosed high blood pressure.

If you’ve been unwell it can take time to bounce back to your old self. You may be left with lack of energy, loss of appetite and low mood. Now is the time to prioritise your health by giving your body the optimum conditions to do so. Here are my tips to support you in your recovery.

Do you suffer from one or more of the following: • Poor sleep • Tiredness and fatigue • Restless legs • Eye twitches • PMT • Anxiety • Muscular cramps?

What is quercetin? Quercetin is a flavonoid found naturally in food. Flavonoids are a type of antioxidant that help mop up damage caused by those unstable atoms: free radicals. Antioxidants are a buzz word in the nutrition and beauty industry for good reason.

Described as one of the greatest public health concerns of our time, the number of people with diabetes in the UK has more than doubled over the past 20 years and the condition now affects over four and a half million people. 90% of all these cases are Type 2 diabetes.