More positive research on the effects of fish oils on mental health – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8490937.stm

I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears today when I saw an advert for a new probiotic drink:
GALAXY PROBIOTIC MILK CHOCOLATE DRINK.

I am dumbfounded at the absurdity of this product and can’t bring myself to say another word, except take a look at the ingredients of this, which is being marketed as a product to enhance your health, and see if you want to drink it:

Skimmed milk (65%), water, sugar, chocolate (3%)(sugar, cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, lactose, vegetable fat, whey powder, milk fat, Emulsifiers: Soya lecithin, E476, water, flavouring), cocoa powder, stabilisers: modified tapioca starch, E460, E466, E415, E407, whey powder, malt extract, glucose syrup, skimmed milk powder, emulsifier: E471, wheat flour. (Heat treated)

Please don’t even humour them by buying it.

Wednesday 28th October 6.30-8.30pm
Apex Hotel, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh
Making Babies Made Easy – The Natural Approach

Meet the practitioners from the Edinburgh Natural Fertility Clinic and learn more about the natural approach to improving fertility.

Find out more about how acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, conception coaching, counselling and hypnotherapy can improve your chances of conceiving naturally and having a healthy pregnancy and baby. Our expert practitioners will be available to advise you on which therapies might help you and to answer your fertility questions.

Tickets are £6 in advance from the Edinburgh Natural Fertility Website, and places are limited so book now!

There have been a couple of fertility-related stories in the news over the last week. Firstly, the IVF postcode lottery, and now women being urged to have a Fertility MOT at age 30 to assess their ability to conceive which starts to drop dramatically after age 35.

At the Edinburgh Natural Fertility Clinic we see a lot of couples in the 35-45 age range who are having difficulty conceiving and many believe, or have been told, that IVF if their only chance of having a baby. We believe that a combination of good nutrition, healthy lifestyle, acupuncture and fertility awareness can dramatically increase the chances of conceiving, even for couples in their mid-30’s and 40’s. We also treat male partners who have sup-optimal sperm count or quality as this can also decline with age. Our figures for 2008 show that 47% of  patients across all age ranges who attended the clinic, conceived.

For more information on how we can help, see our website:

www.edinburghfertilityclinic.co.uk

And finally, an article about my two friends and colleagues from the Edinburgh Natural Fertility Clinic, Dee and Rachael:

Me and my conception coach - Sunday Herald

On June 24th 2009 my partner and I will  set off to cycle from Paris to cycle to Barcelona. Our route will take us 1500 kilometers south from Paris, down the Loire into the centre of France, before heading south west towards the Pyrenees and meeting with the Tour de France as it crosses the mountains back into France from Spain.

Partly a long held ambition, partly inspired by the journeys of Mark Beaumont and James Baxter this trip will be a challenge for both of us. We are asking our friends, families and clients to sponsor us in aid of WaterAid. Access to safe, clean water is one of the most basic of human needs and it will be inspiring to think we will be contributing towards their work. It might also remind us to stay properly hydrated!

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor us: WaterAid gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor us now at our Justgiving page

I tried this food labelling quiz on the BBC website today – how many can you get right?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8036046.stm

Consumer organisation Which? have issued another worrying report on the sugar and salt content of popular breakfast cereals, many of which are marketed directly at children or as foods with ‘health benefits’. These products are so heavily marketed, we are constantly bombarded with messages that they are ‘good’ for us and provide a healthy start to the day.

Their top 10 for sugar content are (per 100g):

• Morrisons Choco Crackles (38.4g)
• Kellogg’s Coco Pops Moons & Stars (37g)
• Kellogg’s Frosties (37g)
• Kellogg’s Ricicles (37g)
• Sainsbury’s Choco Rice Pops (36g)
• Tesco Choco Snaps (36g)
• Nestle Cookie Crisp (35.3g)
• Nestle Cheerios Honey (35.1g)
• Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut (35g)
• Nestlé Nesquik (35g)

See http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/29/breakfast-cereal-survey-health-food for the full story.

One teaspoon of sugar is roughly 5g, so even in a 30g serving of any of these cereals you are getting a good 2 tsp of sugar and many people will add more to that – I know I used to add a good teaspoon of sugar to my cornflakes as a child (not any more though, and I certainly don’t eat cornflakes!).

The cereal manufacturers claim that the sugar and salt content are not an issue because the products provide so many vitamins, minerals and fibre that they MUST be healthy. Don’t believe the hype!

There are plenty of healthy alternatives available for example:

• Porridge – add cinnamon powder or fresh grated apple/pear to sweeten
• Mixed seeds with natural live yoghurt and a portion of chopped fruit
• Scrambled or poached eggs on 1 slice rye bread
• Sugar free muesli with nuts, seeds and dried fruit

With any food that’s bought in a packet, you need to read the labels and look for added sugar and salt. A lot of my clients think they’re eating really healthy breakfast cereals eg Dorsets and Jordans, but although these are marketed as such, many of their products are very sweet with a lot of added sugar.

My advice to clients is to ignore everything they’ve ever been told about food (especially by TV adverts) and try to buy foods as close to nature as possible. If it comes in a brightly coloured box with lots of claims on it, it’s trying too hard; if it contains more than 5 ingredients or you need a degree in chemistry to understand what the ingredients are then don’t buy it.

Keep it simple, eat real food, and live life…

Here’s an article by Claire Smith of The Scotsman newspaper, who came to see me  for Nutritional Therapy advice and went through a series of colonic hydrotherapy treatments with my Detox Clinic colleague, Dawn Leuchars:

Read the Article (11/4/09)

I just spotted this column on the BBC website discussing integrated healthcare:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7974880.stm

For more information about the Princes Foundation for Integrated Health click here.

I regularly receive referrals from GPs especially for health issues such as menopausal symptoms and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).  I have worked closely with NHS GPs, pharmacists and consultants where patients wish to use Herbal Medicine or Nutritional Therapy alongside NHS treatment, and I contact each client’s GP (given their permission) to let them know that they have come to me for treatment so that we are both aware of any drugs or supplements used to ensure the patient’s safety.

I’m in training for the Edinburgh Half Marathon in April and have been really appreciating the warmer weather, bird song and sunshine whilst I increase the length of my long runs. After each run, I have a tasty smoothie , packed full of nutrients to replace those I’ve used up when running.

Here’s the recipe:

1 Scoop Solgar Whey To Go Vanilla Protein Powder

Half a cup plain live goats yoghurt

1 cup of frozen berries

Half tsp of glutamine powder

100% apple juice (about half a pint)

1 level tsp Viridian Organic Green Food Blend Powder.

1 desertspoon Viridian Organic Hemp Seed Oil

Whizz that all up with a blender and enjoy!

• The berries provide antioxidants – vital after vigorous exercise to mop up damaging free radicals.

• The protein powder has no artificial flavourings or sweeteners and helps muscle repair and support the immune system.
• Glutamine also helps muscle repair and improves immune function.
  
• The green food powder is a concentrated source of nutrients including magnesium and B vitamins, both of which are used in the energy making processes of the body.
  
• Yoghurt provides some beneficial bacteria and more protein, and the apple juice some carbohydrate to restock my liver and muscle glycogen.
• Hemp oil is rich in omega 3 and 6 oils which help to reduce inflammation in the body.