This goes against the current dogma of the medical profession that supplements are unnecessary and that you can get everything you need from a balanced diet. If this scheme goes ahead it will be interesting to see what the health statistics for kids health in Cardiff look like in a few years time!

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.

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

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

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…

Read the Article (11/4/09)

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.

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.

]]> http://www.heleng.co.uk/2009/03/keep-on-running/feed/ 0 http://www.heleng.co.uk/2009/01/herbal-medicine-for-menopausal-symptoms/ http://www.heleng.co.uk/2009/01/herbal-medicine-for-menopausal-symptoms/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:18:15 +0000 admin http://www.heleng.co.uk/?p=193 Since I started my practice as a Medical Herbalist, I’ve treated hundreds of women who are experiencing menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, mood swings, depression, weight gain and vaginal dryness, most of whom have experienced some if not a vast improvement in their symptoms.

I started working as a herbalist in 2002 as the first big trial of HRT was stopped when it was found that there was an increased risk of side effects (including breast cancer and heart disease) in women using certain types of HRT long term. As a result most of my clients were women who had stopped or didn’t wish to use HRT, so I learned a lot very quickly about what herbs are effective for the different symptoms but also for the different ‘types’ of people.

A story in the news today (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7824864.stm) has highlighted one of the difficulties for herbal medicine in modern times – a lack of clinical studies to ‘prove’ it’s effectiveness. There is also a huge difference between using ‘over-the-counter’ herbal medicines (self-medicating) and using a formula created by a qualified herbalist after taking a full case history – the latter will likely be different for each person, and the herbalist will monitor their condition to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the treatment. As I have often found, a certain prescription may work for 6 months and then need to be changed as the underlying hormone levels, stress levels etc continue to change.

The National Institute of Medical Herbalists was able to fund a small clinical trial on the effectiveness of complex herbal prescriptions (using several herbs rather than just a single one) in menopause and the preliminary findings can be found here – http://www.nimh.org.uk/about-the-nimh/the-menopause-project-/nimh-outcome-study.

If you’d like any more information on the herbal or nutritional approach to peri-menopause and menopausal symptoms, please don’t hesistate to get in touch or book an appointment at one of my clinics.