Wholesomeness

13/01/2023

Image: Monochrome photographs showing the branching structures of a human lung mirroring the branches of a leafless tree.

"This is a lung.
This is a tree.

"We breathe in what trees breathe out, and they breathe in what we breathe out.
We are nature."

Credit: @ AnimaMundiHerbals

13/01/2023

Brave turtle evades shark attack and then attacks back, resulting in the shark's full retreat 👏

Never give up there’s always something you can do

08/12/2022

Order through the website by Sunday for delivery Wednesday, please mention your preferences in the notes section.

06/12/2022

🧑‍🎄 yes please

10/11/2022

💛

27/10/2022

Things I wish I knew about before I was in my 30s

Who knew?! 😉 🤔

25/10/2022

Low FODMAP meals today just keep them coming … delicious, nutritious and gut friendly

24/10/2022

💕

28/08/2022

Perfectly imperfect

Credit: wonders of nature

20/07/2022

Seven Top Foods For Brain Health

Chronic mental illness and diseases like Alzheimer's and Dementia, as well as general cognitive decline, anxiety and depression are sadly on the increase. Many of these conditions have a hereditary component and a lifestyle component.

But there is a growing body of evidence that nutrition can offer support and may even help prevent mental illness.

Certainly, even when conditions have genetic and hereditary components, (as do many diseases), these genetic predispositions are far less likely to show up, if we take proper nutritional care of our bodies - and brains!

Today's article provides you with a list of some of the top brain-health foods you can eat. These are important because your gut actually (and surprisingly to many people) manufactures an estimated 90% of the key "happy" brain neutrotransmitter seratonin - that's right, it's made in the digestive tract!

The foods mentioned below can help provide your brain with the right nutrients it needs to thrive and provide you with improved cognitive function and mental health; protect from harmful inflammation, and nurture your gut to assist in developing and maintaining a healthy brain!

1. "Fatty" fish, such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines, are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids(1), which comprises about 30% of your brain!(2) Omega 3's may slow age-related mental decline (helping to prevent, or slow the onset of Alzheimer's(3)) and not getting enough Omgea-3's can be linked to learning impairments and depression.(4)

Wild-caught salmon is especially valuable, as it also contains Vitamin B12, selenium, antioxidants, and potassium(5). However, when consuming fish, do your best to avoid sources that have higher levels of mercury which is a heavy-metal toxin.

2. Blueberries. These nutritional-stars contain powerful antioxidants called flavonoids which have been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and age-related brain degeneration(6). Other evidence suggests that eating blueberries can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, which is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease(7) and other research has shown that even though they taste nice and sweet, they actually have a positive effect on blood sugar control.

3. Turmeric. The active ingredient is curcumin, which is a potent antioxidant and has been shown to pass the "blood-brain barrier", and may help benefit memory, ease depression, and help new brain cells grow(8)(9)(10).

Turmeric can best be used as a spice in your cooking, and is typically absorbed better when heated and consumed with black pepper and a little healthy fat, such as olive or coconut oil. It should be noted most of the studies relating to this powerful nutrient involve supplementation in doses ranging from 500 - 2,000mg per day which is much more than you could typically consume as a spice (turmeric only contains around 3-6% curcumin)(11)

4. Leafy green and cruciferous vegetables. These are amongst the most nutrient-rich foods on earth, abundant in bio-available minerals and vitamins, as well as fibre and other phytonutrients. Notable are cabbage, kale, and broccoli, which help to protect intestinal health by reducing inflammation in the bowel lining. A healthy gut supports a healthy brain. Cruciferous vegetables, examples of which are broccoli, Bok Choy, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and brussels sprouts, are also thought to be helpful in reducing your risk of developing cancers, as they are rich in several "carotenoids" and "glucosinolates", the latter which break down into various bio-active compounds which have been found to inhibit cancers in some studies.

I recommend a specific supplement called "Curcumin Bio" which provides curcumin in a bio-available form. (Please get in touch for more information)

5. Avocado. The cafe fave of "Smashed avo on toast" may be helpful for your brain health too! (Especially if you choose a grainy seeded sourdough). Avo's contain folate, which is necessary for making neurotransmitters, assisting cellular detoxification, and helping with proper nervous system development (12). They also contain lutein, another dietary carotenoid, which is associated with improved levels of cognition(13), and also they are rich in monounsaturated fats, which research has shown to increase healthy blood flow throughout the body and to the brain(14).

6. Nuts and seeds. Generally, nuts are excellent brain-nutrients, containing brain-healthy fat and protein. Nuts have been shown to assist in protecting again against age-related cognitive decline(15). Notable in the Nut family for brain health would be walnuts (high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, alpha-linolenic and linoleic acids), and brazil nuts (beneficial because of selenium, magnesium, Vitamin E, and other brain-friendly micro-nutrients). Be sure to avoid cheap nut-mixes which contain a majority of the non-nut "peanut" (they are actually a legume), and may be cooked in cheap and nasty oils! In the seeds department, it’s hard to go past Sunflower seeds, otherwise known as pepitas. These contain great antioxidants that help protect the brain from free-radical damage(16) and are a fantastic source of magnesium, iron, zinc and copper, each of which is important for brain health.

7. Other food sources beneficial to your mental health may include:

fermented foods, such as kimchi, kefir, and sauerkraut which are rich in probiotic bacteria - which may assist with clearer thinking and improved mood(18)
prebiotic foods, such as chicory root, garlic and onions, although the latter two may be better avoided if you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome - in which case you should consider Low FODMAP meals.
dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70% or greater, which again present the benefits of the antioxidant plant compounds "flavonoids" to your brain! Unfortunately, supermarket milk chocolate bars don't have quite the same effect - sorry!
Green tea can improve alertness, performance, memory and focus(19) and as well contains L-theanine, an amino acid that can cross the blood-brain barrier and increase the activity of the mood-regulating neurotransmitter GABA, which can help reduce anxiety and increase relaxation.(20)

The above of course, is not an exhaustive list, but should help you on your way to powering up your brain and mental health!

Source contributions and references:

1. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/omega3/introduction.htm

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26795198

3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31477191/

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26809263

5. https://scienceofprevention.com/

6. Subash, S., Essa, M. M., Al-Adawi, S., Memon, M. A., Manivasagam, T., & Akbar, M. Neuroprotective effects of berry fruits on neurodegenerative diseases. Neural regeneration research. 2014; 9(16), 1557–1566

7. Muraki Isao, Imamura Fumiaki, Manson JoAnn E, Hu Frank B, Willett Walter C, van Dam Rob M et al. Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies BMJ 2013; 347 :f5001

8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29332042/

9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31423805/

10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31279955/

11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28417091/

12. McGarel, C., Pentieva, K., Strain, J., & McNulty, H. (2015). Emerging roles for folate and related B-vitamins in brain health across the lifecycle. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 74(1), 46-55.

13. Johnson, Elizabeth, et al. Avocado consumption increases neural lutein and improves cognitive function. The FASEB Journal (2015): 32-8.

14. Mark L. Dreher & Adrienne J. Davenport. Hass Avocado Composition and Potential Health Effects, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2013; 53:7, 738-750,

15. Shibu M. Poulose, Marshall G. Miller, Barbara Shukitt-Hale, Role of Walnuts in Maintaining Brain Health with Age, The Journal of Nutrition. 2014; 144:4 561S–566S,

16. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19476337.2020.1778092

17. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170556/nutrients

18. Selhub, E. M., Logan, A. C., & Bested, A. C. Fermented foods, microbiota, and mental health: ancient practice meets nutritional psychiatry. Journal of physiological anthropology. 2014; 33(1), 2.

19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28056735

20. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31758301/

Author: Lisa Cutforth B. Sc. Nutrition with Psychology.



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14/07/2022

"How Do You Know If You Are Healthy?"

"Health is a large word. It embraces not the body only, but the mind and spirit as well;... and not today's pain or pleasure alone, but the whole being and outlook of a person"
James H. West

Aside from the obvious systems of feeling unwell, many people are putting up with subtle symptoms that suggest their health is under par.

How do you know you are well?
Usually people who feel well report feeling like they sleep well, they have good energy levels, they have a daily bowel movement, their skin, nails and hair looks healthy, they don’t generally have aches and pains and they look forward to getting out and about and living their lives.

They regulate their body temperature well, and have healthy immune systems, and they don’t seem to pick up every cold and flu or bug going around, and if they get sick they report they bounce back quickly.

However many people report feeling generally “tired all the time”, or like they struggle with good energy levels. Some report brittle nails or hair, skin irritations or break outs. Some have persistent bowel issues, seem to get many dental caries, headaches, stiffness, aches and pains, sick all the time, don’t sleep well and some report severe mood fluctuations, challenges regulating their moods.

Are there markers to check that might give you clues of where to start with making improvements?
How many are your health statistics about yourself do you know? Do you know what clues they give about your health and what they say about your body?

Here are some measures and markers that can generally give clues about how healthy you are or will feel, and can be easily ordered through your GP, naturopath or nutritionist:

Waist to hip ratio: Not all excess weight has the same impact on your health. Your waist to hip ratio is a good predictor to see whether your weight is potentially putting your health at risk (relating to abdominal obesity). A healthy waist to hip ratio is considered 0.85 or less for women and 0.9 or less for men.

Blood lipids: Blood lipids are fats in the blood and include cholesterol and triglycerides. Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the liver and carried by the blood to supply material for cell walls and hormones. Dyslipidaemia refers to abnormal blood lipids. Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) often means your blood has too many lipids (fats) in it. These can add up and lead to blockages in your blood vessels. But sometimes hyperlipidemia can show up even in very low fat intake diets. For example patients with anorexia nervosa usually reveal increased concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol.

Being overweight or underweight doesn’t necessarily predict cholesterol status. Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides: A person is thought to have dyslipidaemia if they have one or more of the following: total cholesterol ≥ 5.5 mmol/L, LDL cholesterol ≥ 3.5 mmol/L, HDL cholesterol < 1.0 mmol/L for men, and < 1.3 mmol/L for women and triglycerides ≥ 2.0 mmol/L

Blood sugar levels: A blood sugar level less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) is normal. A reading of more than 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) after two hours indicates diabetes. A reading between 140 and 199 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L and 11.0 mmol/L) indicates prediabetes. A reading above 300 mg/dL can be dangerous.
B12:

Iron studies: Iron is needed to form red blood cells, which carry oxygen (and nutrients) around the body. Iron studies are blood tests that look at how much iron is in your blood and in other cells. Having either too little or too much iron can cause serious problems.
Normal ranges include: serum ferritin (15-300ug/l), transferrin saturation (15-30%), serum iron (10-30ug/l)

Liver function: The liver performs many important functions in the body: detoxing, fat metabolism, bile production and excretion, enzyme activation, storage of glycogen (and vitamins and minerals), making plasma proteins (e.g. albumin) and clotting factors.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is important for healthy bones, and controls the absorption of minerals like calcium, phosphate and magnesium from the intestine. It also plays a role in preventing diseases such as cancer. Many vitamin D researchers advocate maintaining levels at >75 nmol/L; others advocate even higher upper limits of 'normal' (eg. 80 ng/ml or 200 nmol/L). Levels less than 25nmol/L indicate deficiency.

Homocysteine:
Homocysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid produced as part of the body's methylation process. It forms part of many important pathways to make chemicals your body needs and can be recycled to build other proteins. B vitamins (B6, B12 and B9) and an enzyme MTHFR are catalysts in many of the pathways to break it down or recycle it so that it doesn’t accumulate. Elevated levels can have a negative effect on the body, but it can also indicate deficiencies in key nutrients. Healthy ranges are around 5-10 mcmol/L. Excess levels eg. above 20 mcmol/L can be associated with disease risk.

Other general tests often ordered through GPs include (FBC) full blood count, ESR or CRP tests (inflammatory or injury markers).

https://wholesomeness.com.au/

Author: Lisa Cutforth
B.Sc Nutrition with Psychology (Dual Degree)

14/07/2022

Understanding the Low FODMAPs Diet
What are FODMAPs?

FODMAPs are a group of short-chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols found naturally in foods and additives. FODMAPs include fructose, fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides, lactose and polyols.

FODMAP is an acronym that stands for – Fermentable, Oligosaccharides,Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols.

The low FODMAP diet was created to help control IBS symptoms. It can also be used if you have been diagnosed with FODMAP intolerance. IBS is a common gut condition characterised by symptoms that fluctuate over time. These symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and excessive wind.

Usually involving two phases, the low FODMAP diet starts by restricting high FODMAP foods for 4-6 weeks. The second phase involves the slow re-introduction of these foods.

The end result is a diet that can be used long-term that is low in the individual's problematic FODMAPs.

What can you eat on a low FODMAP diet?

The types of foods that are restricted on a low FODMAP diet depends on the individual and that is why it is important to see a nutritionist, dietitian or naturopath to help you through the process.

High FODMAP foods include:
Garlic
Onions
All fruits contain the FODMAP fructose, however some contain more than others. High fructose fruits include apples, apricots, cherries, figs, mangoes, nectarines, peaches
Some vegetables like asparagus, cauliflower, leeks, mushrooms, snow peas
Legumes and pulses
Some Sweeteners
Other grains like wheat, amaranth, barley and rye
Some dairy products like cream cheese, cottage cheese, milk, yoghurt
Some beverages like chai tea, chamomile tea, coconut water, rum, dessert wine
You can eat a healthy balanced low FODMAP diet, if you are able to eat a varied range of foods, including a balance of and adequate macro and micronutrients and fibre

Low FODMAP foods include:
Some fruits like oranges, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi, unripe bananas
Some vegetables like eggplant, kale, tomato, zucchini, spinach, carrot
Small amounts of nuts like macadamia or almonds
Tofu
Eggs
Some grains – brown rice, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, polenta, tapioca
Some dairy like cheddar, parmesan and feta cheese, cream, lactose-free milk
Some beverages like coffee, black tea, peppermint tea, water, vodka, gin
Our low FODMAP meals are free from high FODMAP containing foods:
gluten, dairy, onion, garlic (though we use garlic infused oil for flavour), free from most nuts other low FODMAP limited amounts of walnuts, almonds and macadamia, no beans and legumes other than green beans and rinsed canned lentils and chickpeas which are typically tolerated. We select well tolerated vegetables and fruit and freeze meals to keep histamines as low as possible.

https://wholesomeness.com.au/

Author: Lisa Cutforth B. Sc. Nutrition with Psychology.