Food intolerance

  • Food intolerance/ Health/ Healthy Food/ Immune system - healing/ Mediterranean diet/ Nutritional Medicine/ Wheat and Dairy Intolerance

    The Real Science behind the ‘Clean Eating’ Trend

    Clean Eating

     Recent UK Television programs have been attacking the ‘Healthy Eating’ movement in a rather frenzied and non factual way, more representative of sensationalist newspapers. So I would like to present a sample of their findings with a more comprehensive view of the real science behind Wheat/Gluten Intolerance and Clean Eating, ask some relevant questions and let you make your own mind up.

    Why the epidemic in Chronic ill-health?

    Disorders are too many to mention but include all Autoimmune diseases and some that are not classified as Autoimmune but the list is growing all the time – Rheumatoid Arthritis, Type 2 Diabetes, Autism, ADHD, Brain Fog, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, IBS, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Heart Disease, Dementia, Alzheimer’s etc.

    These are the diseases that are crippling our Health Service and ruining people’s lives. Research is usually confined to each speciality and often funded by Drug or food manufacturing companies. There are over 10,000 Scientific studies on food and gut related disorders that could possibly be causative factors. So far the research has definitely proved that our digestive tract, which is a major interface between us and our environment, appears to be suffering from our modern diet, toxins, antibiotics etc. affecting protective bacteria(microbiome) and permeability between gut and blood vessels triggering an immune response. 

    [Researchers find biological explanation for wheat sensitivity.

    by Dr. Richard Nahas

    One of the most common treatable factors that we see affecting our patients with chronic pain is non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).  These folks test negative for celiac disease, but they have health problems that go away when they are on a strict gluten-free diet … and return when they eat gluten, even in trace amounts.  While there has been very limited scientific research to explain this phenomenon, it is very obvious to every single provider who has used it with their patients that NCGS is very real and very important.  I have personally observed improvements in joint pains, muscle aches, fatigue, depression, anxiety, asthma, eczema, thyroid problems, obesity, diabetes, blood pressure, memory, sleep and many autoimmune diseases in patients who have gone gluten-free.

    This study provides evidence that people with NCGS have a leakier gut than those without it.  It comes as no surprise to me, but it should help keep the skeptics quiet for awhile.  I have long believed that true innovation in healthcare has and always will begin with forward-thinking doctors and patients who are willing to try new things and observe the results.  It is unfortunate that it has taken a global juggernaut and a multi-billion dollar industry to stimulate this kind of research.  There are dozens of other important ‘discoveries’ that are being used by integrative practitioners and these need to be validated by good science. Smart researchers should pay more attention to what these doctors are doing, because there are many breakthroughs that are waiting to be made.

    A nice article on the study is here: http://newsroom.cumc.columbia.edu/blog/2016/07/26/columbia-researchers-find-biological-explanation-wheat-sensitivity-2/

    How to heal a leaky gut?  There are many ways.  The short answer is to see an integrative practitioner.

    via Seekers Centre Researchers find a biological explanation]

    Then this is an article from the Scientist that was commissioned to research for a recent BBC Horizon program …….

    [“How clean eating became a dirty word as food gurus distance themselves from the trend that made them famous

    Obesity and other diet-related illnesses are easily the greatest public health problem of our time. But losing weight and keeping it off is incredibly difficult; it is not what we are evolved to do.

    Over the past 20 years, my research at the University of Cambridge’s MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit has focused on the genetics of why some people get fat and some don’t. Science is set up to get to the truth eventually. It does not provide quick answers.

    As a result, there are many desperate people looking for a way out, a silver bullet. Over recent years, a proliferation of, by and large, skinny and attractive food gurus armed with dietary advice that is not based on any serious scientific evidence.

    Much of this new advice goes far beyond healthy eating, and in some instances argues that food can actually make you well. Welcome to the world of “clean eating,” which I have spent the last few months investigating for a BBC documentary, to understand just how scientific these claims really are.

    It became clear that many hundreds of thousands of people are more likely to believe the advice of these food gurus — buying their books and following their social media feeds — than listen to scientists and other experts who are taking an evidence-based approach to nutrition.For healthy-eating devotees, Instagramming everything that passes their lips, the term #clean reigns supreme. Clean eating is not one way of eating, but encompasses many different dietary approaches. In the documentary, we focused on three of the big beasts: giving up gluten, an alkaline diet and a plant-based diet.  via How clean eating became a dirty word as food gurus distance themselves from the trend that made them famous“]

    So I question many of the statements made in this article and subsequent program.

    • “losing weight and keeping it off is incredibly difficult, it is not what we are evolved to do.” From a scientist that studies genetics and obesity I have to assume that he thinks as a race we should all be fat and unhealthy then.
    • “Much of this new advice goes far beyond healthy eating and in some instances argues that food can actually make you well.” Thomas Edison said “the doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.” This has been the premise that all Nutritional and Functional Medicine is based on – food can make you well.
    • He has studied Metabolic diseases for 20 years and claims that Science does not provide quick answers and that people would rather follow ‘Clean Eating’ gurus than listen to evidenced-based scientists and other experts.
    • He claims that what is being promoted is not based on any serious scientific evidence so maybe he hasn’t had time to read the 10,000 plus articles on PubMed, peer reviewed medical studies or research nutrition at all.

    What we are seeing now is a massive trend of people taking responsibility for their health and fitness. People realising that the advice to eat low fat and consume processed vegetable oils and fats from mainstream science, Government and most Doctors has been wrong and has actually lead to one of the worst epidemics of chronic disease worldwide.

    Twenty years ago we thought that there was a genetic reason of all chronic disease but now we have mapped our human genome we realise that what we eat can change how those genes react – not the other way round.

    The so called ‘trend’ towards healthier eating and understanding how important Nutrition is to our wellbeing started more than 30 Years ago. For me it started with a book ‘Nutritional Medicine’ by Dr Stephen Davies (Oxford) and Dr Alan Stewart (Guy’s Hospital London) who were members of the British Society for Nutritional Medicine. This book was published in 1987 and it changed my life. I was a nurse at Charing Cross Hospital but always more interested in preventative medicine than mainstream.

    Over the years I was influenced by ‘Gurus’……

    such as Dr. Jeffrey Bland and trained in Nutritional Medicine myself. Now the ‘Gurus’ at the forefront of modern Functional Medicine are able to influence and educate far more people by online Forums and Seminars.

    Dr. David Perlmutter, Dr. Frank Lipman, Dr.Mark Hyman, Dr Josh Axe, Dr. Terry Wahls – who reversed her own MS and is now back teaching, plus all the hundreds of other Doctors and Nutritionists working tirelessly to further the fight against our epidemic of Chronic disease. Dr. Andreas Eenfeld needs special mention for his work in helping the world to understand and reverse Diabetes by going against mainstream views and proving what actually works. Also Dr. Alessio Fasano for his brilliant work as a scientist who is getting to the root of what is going wrong in our gut and microbiome – although they interviewed him on the program they managed to discredit the importance of his work by separating his research on gluten/gliadin and gut damage from how what we eat is fundamental. Two other books ‘Clean Gut’ and ‘Clean Eats’ by Alejundro Junger MD helped me navigate a good elimination diet and get to the bottom of several food intolerances and reverse Autoimmune problems in both me and my son.

    The lovely Ella from ‘Deliciously Ella’ was also on the program explaining how changing her diet had made her well again and sharing her passion for real, fresh food. There are many others doing the same – promoting the fact that fresh food is far healthier than anything produced in factories. Encouraging people to cook instead of buying packaged food or take-aways, surely this is a good thing? Surely this is what is fueling the massive success of people like Ella and Joe Wicks The Body Coach – by the fact that they can show results – evidence based nutrition. Why does anyone want to make programs to put us off doing this? But the program ended by visiting a place in the USA that treats a handful of ill people – who often have terminal cancer and who sometimes die. As with most bad reporting,they have to show an extreme example and pretend that it is linked to their main hypothesis.

    One of my favourite Gurus is Sarah Ballantyne PhD who developed The Autoimmune Protocol that has helped so many people with Autoimmune disease and furthered scientific discovery. Here is an a review showing some of the successes and breakthroughs that are changing the face of medicine.

    [If the stories compiled on our site and from the worldwide community are anything to show, the Autoimmune Protocol has helped a great many people with autoimmune disease live healthier, fuller lives. Many of us discovered this way of eating and jumped in as early adopters, before the research had time to catch up with us. I, for one thing, am happy I did, as I would not be healthy and happy today had I not made that leap! A lot of people get hung up on the fact that for the most part, the medical community does not acknowledge or support this intervention for managing autoimmune disease. Let’s be real though — times are changing (more on that in a minute!).

    Research is one of the missing links to this acceptance, because it starts the conversation about how and why these interventions might be working, and informs doctors on what to recommend to their patients. I am eternally grateful for the work of people like Sarah Ballantyne, PhD, who presented a refined version of the Autoimmune Protocol in her book The Paleo Approach, and Terry Wahls, M.D., who in addition to her book The Wahls Protocol has raised funding and conducted clinical trials using dietary and lifestyle interventions to manage multiple sclerosis. These contributions have begun to ground the Autoimmune Protocol in the scientific landscape, which is essential if we are to get anywhere in getting the medical system to make these important shifts in philosophy.

    A new study on the Autoimmune Protocol and rheumatoid arthritis

    Julianne Taylor, as a part of her Post Grad Dip Sci in Human Nutrition, conducted a qualitative study research project for Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand. I’ve been following Julianne and her writing since the beginning of my journey, as she was one of the first people I found online writing about her personal experience using ancestral principles and the elimination diet in order to manage autoimmune disease (her blog was one that helped me decide to personally take on the protocol!). In the study, she interviewed those who had experienced success with rheumatoid arthritis in order to find out more information about management with dietary interventions. For those who are interested in this research, I’m presenting a summary here.

    Aims of the study:

    1. To find out what motivated people to change their diet in the first place.
    2. To discover which challenges they encountered changing and maintaining the diet.
    3. To learn how they managed those challenges.
    4. To find out which foods they consumed and which presented symptoms on reintroduction.

    Julianne found 10 participants from ages 28-60, with a positive RA diagnosis who had been following the Autoimmune Protocol or similar elimination diet for 6 months to 5 years and had reduced their disease symptoms or clinical markers. She interviewed every participant on a variety of topics and presented a summary of her findings.

    Some of the findings I found interesting (although not surprising!):

    • Some of the study participants were encouraged to try the Autoimmune Protocol from alternative healthcare professionals (the system is changing, folks!).
    • Many participants found their conventional doctors to be unsupportive of their nutritional choices, and chose to work with a combination of both natural and conventional practitioners.
    • Those that participated in the study were convinced to try it because of a blend of science as well as anecdotal evidence.
    • One participant found relief on a strict Whole 30 Paleo-style diet and did not take out additional foods, while the rest of the participants did.
    • Both mental and physical preparation were key at making the dietary transition work for those who participated (what do I always say — set yourself up for success!).
    • Everyone who participated in the study shared that there was one important person who supported them in their transition, either emotionally or physically. Many helpers assisted by shopping for and cooking food (this is huge!).
    • 80% of the participants switched overnight, while 20% made gradual changes. Many chose dates to start that were clear from family celebrations or events that would create difficulties.
    • The two biggest challenges for participants were eating away from home and lack of support from friends and family.
    • Adherence to the the diet was very high, over 95% for all but one participant who was at 85% compliance, and avoidance of pain was the primary motivating factor.
    • The dietary changes were difficult to implement, but became easier as time progressed.
    • The main dietary challenges for participants were the time it took to prepare meals, lack of convenience foods, high cost of food, eating out, travel, and lack of understanding.
    • Every participant experienced health improvements besides a reduction in their rheumatoid arthritis symptoms — there was weight gain or loss, if the person needed it.

    I found these reintroduction findings particularly interesting:

    • Most participants used a unique reintroduction protocol — some focused on the one in The Paleo Approach, Reintroducing Foods on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, relied on advice from their healthcare providers, or blended that with their intuition to customize an approach.
    • Some participants had been on a standard Paleo diet before trying the elimination diet to successfully pinpoint additional sensitivities.
    • The most common sensitivities found in the group as a whole were wheat, dairy, eggs, and corn.
    • Other sensitivities found in some participants but not others, were rice, nightshade vegetables, rancid and heated seed oils, and soy.
    • Every participant had foods they reacted to in a way that was different from a rheumatoid arthritis flare.

    While this study was not randomized and controlled and leaves a lot of questions unanswered, it offers a fantastic starting place for other researchers developing interest, seeking funding, and conducting more in-depth studies on why these dietary and lifestyle interventions are working for people. We can only hope that as time progresses, there will be more research and discovery that will enable doctors to fine-tune dietary interventions to best manage autoimmune disease.

    If you’d like to learn more about Julianne and read some of her writing, check out her blog Paleo Zone Nutrition. You can contact her directly to request to see the study. She is also publishing a series of blog posts on the topic.

    A clinical trial using the Autoimmune Protocol is underway

    Dr. Gauree Konijeti, M.D., M.P.H., director of the inflammatory bowel disease program division of gastroenterology at Scripps University in San Diego will be running a clinical study titled “Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol Diet for Inflammatory Bowel Disease” this fall. Dr. Konijeti will be using Angie Alt’s online program SAD to AIP in SIX to study outcomes in patients with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis using the Autoimmune Protocol to manage their autoimmune diseases. We couldn’t be more thrilled about this new study and hope that more collaborative efforts are on the horizon with the medical community!

    via Research Update: New Study on The Autoimmune Protocol and Rheumatoid Arthritis – Autoimmune Paleo]

    Conclusion

    For anyone who is still with me – congratulations – this is much longer than my normal posts!

    •  Far from being unscientific this movement is fuelled from information from highly qualified Doctors and Nutritionists, many of them with personal success stories and disease reversals of their own.
    • It is a movement that has been building for years and recent scientific research has taken it to a different level.
    • There is the added incentive that our healthcare system is not coping with the huge rise in chronic diseases and we know we need a more preventative strategy, incorporating diet and lifestyle.
    • We are in an era of great change, we need to embrace it and keep an open mind.
    •  No longer will we be fobbed off with ‘just eat a balanced diet’ or ‘well, it’s your age’!

    We also need to educate ourselves and be capable of seeing ‘alternative truths’ whenever we come across them. Most of them need ignoring but sometimes they need to be exposed for what they are. Some of our previously trusted sources may no longer be putting a balanced, educated view.

    Please feel free to comment – especially if nutrition and fresh, natural food has changed your health for the better:-)

     

     

     

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  • Autoimmune diseases/ Exclusion diet/ Food intolerance/ Glutamine/ Health/ Immune System/ Immune system - healing/ Inflammation/ Ketogenic diet/ Leaky Gut/ Mineral Depletion/ Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity/ Nutrition and Cancer/ Nutritional Medicine/ Paleo Diet/ Probiotics/ Sizzling Minerals/ Sugar Detox/ Wheat and Dairy Intolerance

    The Healing Diet – Special Offer!

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    There are so many ‘diets’ out there, so many weight loss supplements and we go through life trying them all. Often starting in our teens or early 20’s we follow the fads, low carb, high protein, low fat – we might try pills to curb our appetite,  block fat absorption, make us poop more but none of this has a lasting effect. I have never been really overweight, probably 14-20 lbs at certain times in my life and I have tried –

    The Mars Bar diet –

    The low fat yogurt and  black coffee diet

    The Cabbage Diet,

    The F Plan Diet – OMG! that was the start to many of my problems!

    The South Beach Diet……..

    It is possible to initially lose weight doing all of these but it is not sustainable and ultimately not healthy. As a Nutritionist I now know how damaging some of these dietary changes are with many of them slowing your metabolism and depriving your body of vital nutrients. The decades long Low Fat eating advice – even for those not over-weight, has been the most damaging and has resulted in an epidemic of chronic disease, insulin resistance and obesity. The move to convenience foods and fast food results in us eating highly processed foods that are actually nutrient deficient and if we are nutritionally deficient we get food cravings, hormone imbalance and lowered immunity. Many of these highly processed foods cause inflammation in the body. This might become evident by pains in joints, eczema, heartburn, IBS, fatigue, high Blood pressure, weight gain, Diabetes.

    Modern Lifestyle also adds to the problem with more stress, exposure to many toxins, drinking more alcohol, more snacking, less quality rest and sleep. Our immune systems suffer and we end up taking more antibiotics and all of these things can damage our digestive tract and cause even more long-term problems.

    If you have a chronic health problem and inflammation then by healing your gut and improving your immune system you will reduce inflammation, improve your digestion, gain energy and vitality and reverse chronic damage.

    All the information you need to get started on the road to healing and health. From the foods to eat and enjoy to the natural supplements that will help your recovery – 30 pages of up to date information and links to more resources that can help – all in one guide.

    We are the midst of an epidemic of Chronic disease. Autoimmune Diseases – of which there are more than a 100 confirmed and many more suspected; Cancer; Heart disease; Diabetes; Asthma, Arthritis; Chronic Fatigue; Anxiety and depression. It is Chronic disease that is crippling our Health Services and ruining our quality of life.

    Especially relevant is the fact that drugs do not cure most Chronic Diseases – therefore we need to address the problems in a different way and not just treat symptoms but core body functions. Consequently Functional Medicine is the only way forward, looking at how chronic disease is caused and addressing diet and lifestyle for a sustained recovery.

    Chronic disease often starts with inflammation and a poor immune system and it is totally possible to reverse this with lifestyle and good nutrition choices. Proven by Doctors and Nutritionists around the World.

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  • Exclusion diet/ Food intolerance/ Health/ Immune system - healing/ Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

    Food Intolerance in Your Children stats reveal all

    Food_Intolerance_and_your_Children

    Food intolerance and Autoimmunity are epidemic but are harder to spot in children and yet this younger generation are likely to be much more affected than their parents. So how do you deal with food intolerance in your children?

    10 Signs Your Child Has a Food Sensitivity and What to Do About It

    If your child has a food allergy, you are probably already aware if, for example, he gets hives after he eats strawberries, or he can’t breathe around peanuts. Because of this immediate immune response or IgE reaction, food allergies are typically very easy to determine.  Harder to pinpoint however are food sensitivities, which are IgG or delayed immune reactions.  These IgG reactions can be very difficult to recognize because of the vague and often wide range of symptoms that may take up to 72 hours to display themselves.

    Food sensitivities can develop over time, often because of over consumption of these foods and imbalances in the gut microbiome.  The top five food sensitivities I see in children are: gluten, dairy, corn, soy, and eggs.  The potential consequences of consuming these foods if your child has a sensitivity to one of them are inflammation which can lead to a leaky gut and chronic illnesses such as autoimmune diseases in the future.

    So what are the signs of food sensitivities in your child and how do you test for them?

    10 Signs Your Child Has a Food Sensitivity

    1. Stomach aches

    2. Constipation and diarrhea

    3. Fatigue, joint pain, and muscle pain

    4. Frequent infections, especially of the ears and throat

    5. Skin irritation and rashes

    6. Behavioral issues

    7. ADD/ADHD or other problems with concentration

    8. Unexplained weight gain or loss

    9. Frequent bed wetting

    10. Autism Spectrum Disorder

    via 10 Signs Your Child Has a Food Sensitivity and What to Do About It – Amy Myers MD

    If you are concerned then the way forward is to do an elimination diet for at least two weeks. During this time it is important to leave out all traces of the suspect foods – do not believe that you can get away with ‘just a little’ as this will trigger an immune response that can last quite awhile.

    I will not pretend that it is easy to do this with a child, especially if they are not with you all the time. Maybe starting during a school holiday could make it easier and being prepared before starting is very important. Plan meals and ideas, shop in advance and put all eliminated foods out of sight. The good news is that your child might start to feel and react better within just a few days and therefore they won’t necessarily want those foods.

    Children react better when they know why they are doing something therefore, depending on age, explain that you want them to feel better so you would like to try some different meals and maybe do some prep or cooking together. Try not to get into a situation where they want something and you haven’t got a good substitute on hand!

    If avoiding wheat and gluten then there are good pastas made from brown rice, gluten free breads, and gluten free cakes – but these can be high in sugar and it is cheaper and safer to make your own.

    If avoiding Dairy there are several milk alternatives – coconut, almond, rice milk, dairy free spreads, dairy free cheeses etc. There is dairy and soy free chocolate and there are recipes for easy desserts using these.

    Gelatin is a substance that helps heal the gut lining, so if your child likes jelly this is good addition to their diet.

    The symptoms listed above are all symptoms that the gut and maybe the brain’s natural barriers have become damaged and foreign proteins are getting into places they shouldn’t normally. This causes inflammation and poor communication between cells. One of the foods that can add to this reaction is sugar and processed flours and cereals. In adults I always advise cutting these out of the diet while doing an elimination but in children I would normally say just to cut it down as much as possible. One thing that helps stabilise the blood sugar is to eat fat and protein at the same time therefore to have a little something sweet with a meal is much better than having it between meals. My son doesn’t like eggs so for breakfast he would have a rice cereal with coconut milk and then a slice of ham.

    Healthy fats like olive oil, olives, coconut oil, avocado, nut butter (pref. not peanut initially), eggs, fatty meat and oily fish are very beneficial. If you have read some of my other articles you will see that we are moving more to a LCHF diet (Low Carbohydrate High Fat diet) and this is very beneficial for children. The brain is made of mainly fat and it burns fat very well for energy. Breast milk is 25% saturated fat and that is what a fast growing body needs. if a child has enough fat in their diet they will have much more sustained energy.

    After an elimination diet you may decide to leave some of the foods off permanently or some you may find you can reintroduce one at a time with no ill effect.

    Their Health, and yours, will definitely improve if you can maintain a more LCHF diet.

    Here are some more LCHF tips from a Mum of three who has made a success of it at home and through getting the message out across the world – so that the next generation will be healthier and happier.

     

    Low Carb Kids

    The importance of whole food nutrition in children’s health and development cannot be stressed enough. All children will benefit from lowering their sugar and carbohydrate intake, especially from processed and junk foods.

    For Low Carb Kids the emphasis should be on feeding them tasty nutrient dense meals. Children shouldn’t be relying on sugars, grains and high carb snacks. Low carb is all about going back to basics – meat, vegetables, low sugar fruit, seeds, nuts and healthy fats. Real food is simple food.

    Many critics think we advocate no carb, but we are low carb. The biggest sources of carbs should be vegetables, nuts, dairy and berries, rich with vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants.

    Children need to receive all the nutrients required for their growing bodies but can easily do without the sugars and carbs of the modern diet. By removing processed junk food from their diet, children become low carb almost by default.

    High carb vs. Low carb

    By reducing processed food and high carb foods from children’s meals you reduce their risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay and other diseases of metabolic dysfunction. You improve their nutrition, concentration, mood, immunity, energy, and develop their appreciation for real food over processed foods.One of the most valuable lessons we can teach children is the importance of real food, cooking, nutrition and health. What we feed our children will have an impact on their growing bodies now and will have an impact on their health in the future. Chronic diseases don’t happen overnight, but over a period of time with extended periods of exposure to high sugars, high carbs, unhealthy oils and inflammatory foods.

    Why lower the carbs? When children eat low carb nutritious meals they avoid the high/low blood sugar roller coaster, they avoid energy slumps and more importantly, they avoid all the inflammatory elements of our modern diet. Children do not need the volume of carbs they consume. Many parents are unaware of how much sugar is hidden in everyday foods. 77% of processed food has added sugar. Take a look at the 2 lunchboxes and compare their carb values.

    The rapidly absorbed carbs, which spike blood glucose, also crowd out nutrition. For example, the nutritious element in a chicken salad sandwich is the filling, the bread is just a bulking agent that adds almost nothing nutritionally to the meal. In fact any vitamins the packaging may claim have probably added during the manufacturing process. By removing bread/pasta/rice from a meal, your children will fill up on fresh vegetables, good quality protein and healthy fats instead.

    What about fat? – Healthy fats are essential for hormone production, healthy brain function, tissue development, appetite control and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). Children especially need Omega 3 fatty acids for healthy eye and brain development. Avoid the low fat products as they generally have added sugar to improve the flavour and texture. Choose healthy fats such as olive oil, butter, coconut oil, oily fish, nuts, seeds, eggs and meat. Stop using seed oils which are inflammatory and incredibly processed.

    Fruit and vegetables? These should be the biggest source of carbs for children. They are also a valuable source of fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals. Fruit and vegetables should not be seen as equal. Fruit is incredibly high in fructose so choose low sugar fruits such as berries and limit them to once or twice a day. Cut back on tropical fruit such as melons and pineapple and avoid dried fruit completely. Fruit juice can contain as much sugar as some sodas. A glass of juice is not the equivalent of eating 6 oranges, it is equivalent to the sugar in 6 oranges. Eating whole fruit is self-limiting due to the fibre, drinking juice is not. Many “fruit juices” are actually sugared water with fruit flavours.

    Why grain free? Don’t be fooled by the healthy wholegrain message. Modern wheat is not the same as what our ancestors ate. Wheat and grains are now found in almost all processed foods and so many people are now consuming grains at every meal and every snack, crowding out nutrition and increasing inflammation with high blood sugars. Grains are used to fatten animals before slaughter and force-fed to geese to produce fatty livers (foie gras). Eating more vegetables by far compensates for any loss of fibre and vitamins from a wholegrain roll. Grains are high carb and rapidly absorbed, leading to sugar and insulin spike.

    So instead, let’s crowd out the junk. Encourage your children to eat more vegetables, meat, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats. Encourage and teach your children to cook. Encourage them to choose new things from the vegetable aisle. Praise them each time they try something new. Help them develop a taste for real food and enjoyment of cooking. Cook and prepare food together. Have fun.

    With encouragement and guidance you too can help your children eat real food.

    Top Tips

    1. One meal at a time – if you have a fussy eater, your household will not be a happy one if you go straight in and change everything overnight. Change or remove only one element at a time. Remove (or reduce) the most obvious place sugar lurks such as sweets, cakes and ice cream, then cut back on bread, pasta and other high carb foods. Be proud of any changes you make, and strive for improvement not perfection.
    2. Be organized – plan your meals and have plenty of fresh food at hand. Have some boiled eggs in the fridge, leftovers in the freezer, fresh vegetable pre cut in containers, tins of tuna in the pantry. Prepare extra vegetables each night, ready for the next day’s snacks or lunch box.
    3. Make double dinners – leftovers are king and are such an easy way to prepare for school lunches. Cooked sausages, roast meat, quiche, meatballs or eggs any way are always popular options. Fill your freezer with leftovers. Learn to love your freezer!
    4. Reduce the bread – try bread free lunches once or twice a week, increasing until you are bread free. Try thin wraps or open sandwiches to cut back for really reluctant children.
    5. Involve your children – give them a limited choice of healthy foods to choose from so they feel they have some control.
    6. Choices – allow them to leave one vegetable on their plate. This is the trick that really turned my 8 year old around. He felt he had the final control of his dinner, unbeknownst to him I give him more of everything to begin with.
    7. Plan meals – allow them go through LCHF recipe websites and cookbooks to choose meals and recipes. Let them collate their own special cookbook.
    8. Picky eaters – all children love picking at food and eating small platters. I often put out a selection of vegetables, cold meats and cheeses for their afternoon tea. Buy a lunchbox with small compartments and serve them a buffet.
    9. Healthy fats – at meal times encourage your children to eat their vegetables by putting healthy fats on the dinner table such as butter, grated/shredded cheese, salad dressings and healthy oils. Not only will the flavour be enhanced, it helps them absorb the fat-soluble vitamins from their meal. Pack dips, salsa and sauces to dip their vegetables in at school.
    10. Drinks – start serving water only. Stop allowing them to drink juice or soda. These can be the biggest contributor of sugar in their meal.
    11. Beware – read the labels of foods traditionally given to children such as raisins, muesli bars, fruit yoghurt and cereals. These are often the worst culprits. Find or make your own low sugar alternatives. You will know exactly what goes in them.
    12. Feed them a rainbow – a colourful meal is so more attractive packed with a variety of colour and nutrients.
    13. Stop buying kids meals – most kid’s meals are highly processed junk food packed with inflammatory seed oils, grains and carbs. Pizza, nuggets, pasta, toast and spaghetti with sauce. Start ordering half an adult meal, or split and adult meal between siblings.
    14. Try and try again – moving children onto real food can really be a challenge. It won’t happen overnight but it will happen. Continue to introduce new foods and remove others.

    Don’t be daunted at the start. You can do this. It’s getting back to basics and ditching the processed junk. Here is a month of my children’s school lunches for inspiration (insert link). Have fun preparing meals together and discovering new recipes. So many families have commented that they are cooking for the first time, learning to appreciate real food and excited at the prospect of a healthier lifestyle.

    Don’t think you are depriving your child of junk food, you are teaching them how to eat healthy and remain healthy. You are feeding them the healthy fats and good sources of protein their bodies truly need.

    • Roll ups – use slices of cold meat, nori sheets or lettuce as a wrap and fill with cheese, salad or dips
    • Vegetables – cut in different shapes with a variety of dips
    • Low carb baking – make your old favorites but using sugar and grain free recipes
    • Nut butters
    • Smoothies – with plenty of healthy fats and flavours, it’s amazing what you can hide in a smoothie
    • Tins of tuna
    • Boiled eggs
    • Mini quiches – add their favourite vegetables and meats
    • A variety of nuts
    • Cheese sticks/cubes/slices
    • Billtong/beef jerky
    • Avocados

    We are all busy parents and we do the best we can with what we have. Don’t think this is an impossible task. We are simply feeding our children real nutritious foods. Meals don’t have to be complicated, fussy or difficult, to the contrary, they are generally simple, colourful and fresh.

    Action plan

    1. Stop buying sugary sweets, drinks and baked goods
    2. Start buying real unprocessed whole foods. Shop the perimeter of the supermarket for the fresh produce
    3. Avoid all seed oils and trans fats
    4. Eat nutrient dense foods
    5. Increase your omega 3 from oily fish, avocado, grass fed meat and nuts
    6. Cook at home, eat together

    Remember – we are LOW carb, not NO carb. The emphasis is on the real whole food approach, healthy fats, fresh vegetables and good quality proteins.

    via Low Carb Kids – How to Raise Children on Real Low-Carb Food – Diet Doctor

     

    Read More →

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  • Autoimmune diseases/ Celiac/ Coeliac/ Food intolerance/ Healthy Food/ Ketogenic diet/ Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity/ Wheat and Dairy Intolerance

    Healthy Food while travelling – with Food Intolerance

    healthy food while travelling - with food intolerance

    Finding Healthy Food while travelling – with Food Intolerance problems is not easy. I am lucky enough to have just had two wonderful, mainly sunny, weeks exploring the Canadian Rockies. As my son and I are both Gluten and Dairy free, travelling and eating out generally can cause problems. Canada had many more Gluten free restaurant options than we get in the UK and restaurant staff everywhere were much more aware and helpful than here. They also seem to serve low carb main meals and do not offer fries with everything. As with the special meal pictured above – the potato was minimal, which is how we like to eat. Even when high in the Rockies, Salads and fresh fruit salads were plentiful. We also found that they have quite a few Gluten free beers. As elsewhere, we found Italian Restaurants usually had Gluten free pasta and Pizza options.

    Preparation is everything

    I started by investigating the airline food available but there was literally nothing we could eat and although most airlines can substitute Gluten free or Dairy free they seem incapable of doing both. The risk is too great and nobody wants to be ill on a 9 hour flight or at the start of their trip. I bought some Paleo Protein Bars and made some chocolate crisp protein bars to fill in for when breakfast or lunch was not possible. We took dates, dairy free chocolate and mixed nuts (which we couldn’t eat because someone on the flight had a severe nut allergy.) We have a basic standby of fruit, ham or turkey, gluten free crackers and crisps which saw us through most of the difficult days actually travelling. Each place we visited we Googled ‘Gluten free Cafes and Restaurants’ and were quite overwhelmed by how much information was out there.

    Eating Out 

    We actually found some great places!  We had a delicious, really healthy lunch of Meatballs on zucchini noodles with mushroom sauce in The Kofta Meatball Kitchen in Cambie Street, Downtown Vancouver. We had a good burger with a very acceptable Gluten free Bun in Milestones, Kelowna plus salad.

    The best meal of the entire holiday was the steak wrapped in smokey bacon with a black pepper demi-glace and lovely fresh vegetables which is the feature image above. The chef at The Marmot Lodge, Jasper, then excelled himself by producing a gluten and dairy free Hazelnut chocolate tart with a berry coulee! It was incredible – thank you, you are a star!

    hazelnut chocolate torte

    Then when in Victoria on Vancouver Island we found an amazing place called Sante Gluten Free Cafe (check out their Facebook Page) where we had a fantastic chicken risotto and we also bought pizzas, lemon coconut slice plus a Cinnamon bun for our long journey home. We also had a lovely meal in the Milestone’s on Victoria Harbour.

    We survived the whole holiday without getting ‘glutened’ and have some lovely memories – so thank you Canada! It certainly isn’t easy finding healthy food while travelling – with food intolerances but with a little planning it is possible to eat and even be a little indulgent 😉

    Let’s hope awareness keeps improving.

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  • Exclusion diet/ Food intolerance/ Health/ Healthy Food/ Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity/ Paleo Diet/ Wheat and Dairy Intolerance

    Healthy Eating Out – Food Choices

    Healthy Eating Out

    If you have food intolerance’s or you are trying to eat for good health then Eating Out can be a bit of a nightmare. Healthy Eating Out is becoming slightly easier and nutritional knowledge improving but we need it to get a lot better. One thing we could all do to improve the situation is when we have had a great experience eating out – take time to thank the chefs and the staff and maybe a comment on Social media to spread the word. Having been Gluten and Dairy free for sometime we really appreciate it when we have healthy choices.

    I had this amazing Smoked Mackerel and Rainbow Salad with a Honey Mustard dressing in a Pub on Sunday. The Pub was The Brushmakers Arms in Upham, Hampshire, UK. I was hungry and so had a side order of chips but they weren’t necessary because the salad was so filling. So a massive ‘Thank you’ to them 🙂

    Increasingly more Restaurants and Bars are catering for Gluten free but it would be so helpful if a system of symbols could be put alongside each dish on the menu. If marked Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free – it would save time in a busy establishment and save the customer embarrassment.  Gluten and Dairy free Gravy would be a wonderful addition to a Sunday Roast. We have found the occasional place where a gravy made from the meat juices and a splash of wine has ended up being far superior to the ‘normal gravy’!

    A holiday in Edinburgh was a great success when we discovered that Gluten free awareness was nearly everywhere and we even had a Pizza and Pasta restaurant opposite our hotel that did both gluten free Pizza and Pasta plus Gluten free Beer!

    Some Restaurants fail miserably and obviously have no comprehension about the necessity of choice or the prevalence of food intolerance. This is not dependant on the type of venue or price. I have had great food in a humble but health aware cafe and no choice at all in an expensive Restaurant. Many times we have had no option but Ham, egg and chips or been forced to ask for a burger without the bun only to find it is served minus the onion and salad as well! Other Restaurants have cheese or cream added to literally every dish!

    Why would you choose to eat out when given these options?

    So I am pleading to chefs everywhere, please be aware of the reality of food intolerance and healthy options (for both adults and children). Eating out should be a celebration of food and a socially engaging experience not an isolating one.

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  • Food intolerance/ Health/ Mineral Depletion/ Nutritional Medicine/ Sizzling Minerals/ Supplements/ Toxin free products

    Dietary Supplements – Effective?

    Effective Dietary Supplements

    Can Dietary Supplements be effective? Are they even necessary?

    Over the years I have must have spent thousands on Dietary Supplements in a quest to ‘feel better’; ‘have more energy’; ‘prevent disease’ or sometimes just to try out before recommending to my clients because whenever you read what certain nutrients can do for you it appears that you really need it – and of course, you do! BUT and it really is a big but, do you need a pill or supplement or might you already be getting enough in your food? My qualification is in Nutritional Medicine – using food and supplements to improve medical conditions. I read research papers all the time and follow developments in the field of nutrition, the microbiome and epigenetics ( the way food influences our genes) and it appears that even with a healthy, varied diet we are highly unlikely to achieve optimum nutrition. The World Health Organisation, UNICEF, The Soil Association and Government Research constantly confirms this. Most of us are not in a position to grow all our own organic fruit and vegetables and buy only organic meat, fish and eggs and with mineral depleted soil and increasing amounts of processed food in our diets we fall far short of what our bodies require to cope with our children’s healthy development or our modern lifestyles. Even if we can buy a huge variety of fruits and vegetables from around the World most will have been picked before they are ripe, sprayed, irradiated or travelled for weeks before getting to us – loosing their nutrients along the way. Read More →

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  • Exclusion diet/ Food intolerance/ Immune system - healing/ Inflammation/ Leaky Gut/ Mineral Depletion/ Nutritional Medicine/ Wheat and Dairy Intolerance

    Turn Your Health Around

    Paleo Diet Help

    If you want to remain healthy or turn your health around you have to look after your gut health and your microbiome.  The microbiome is the collection of over 500 species of gut bacteria that support your immune system, contribute to weight, disease and health.

    So much research and information has been shared in the last 5 years on the importance of the microbiome and correcting chronic health problems from IBS to Cancer, Anxiety to Autoimmune Diseases. This is the one strong message that dominates – lifestyle diseases require lifestyle changes to heal – and your gut health is the most important to take action on to improve your health. Drugs just disguise the symptoms and cause more problems in the long run – they are not the cure.

    The gut wall is just one cell thick and these are some of the fastest healing cells in the body. If given the right nutrients and conditions they can heal in 3-7 days. Then strengthen your microbiome with good diet and supplements.

    What damages these cells and causes problems such as inflammation and leaky gut? Read More →

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  • Food intolerance/ Health/ Healthy Food/ Inflammation/ Integrated Medicine/ Nutritional Medicine/ Wheat and Dairy Intolerance

    10 Food ‘Facts’ that are wrong

    Food 'Facts' that are wrong

    10 Food ‘Facts’ that are wrong –

    popular misconceptions about Food and your Health that need correcting

    1. “You need Carbs for energy”  – No, you need FOOD for energy. Protein contains similar energy per gramme as Carbohydrates and Fats have around double the energy content but both with keep you from feeling hungry for far longer as they take longer to metabolise. You have all the enzymes needed to inter-convert encoded for you in your genes. If you switch from eating predominantly carbs to eating more protein or fat it takes a few hours for the body to adjust but your energy will probably increase.
    2. “The Brain needs glucose to function therefore we must eat sugar and other carbs” – No, the Brain actually runs better on ketone bodies from burning fats.
    3. “Natural Sugar is OK” – No, it is still sugar whatever form it is in and if not taken in moderation with other food that includes fat and protein it will cause insulin spikes and this is bad. Processed sugar is totally empty calories as it contains no other nutrients whereas whole fruit or vegetables like sweet potato contain other nutrients. Honey, Black-strap Molasses and coconut sugar also contain some healthy nutrients although they are still sugar and should be used in small amounts and they are preferable to artificial sweeteners.
    4. “A Calorie is a Calorie, it doesn’t matter how your energy is made up only that you have the right amount of energy” – No, we can go on ridiculous diets (and I have tried some of them!) like eating nothing but yogurt and drinking black coffee or eating cabbage soup all day but any diet that cuts out nutrients will cause deficiency and then cravings for other foods and overeating.
    5. “Because fat contains twice the energy of Carbs you are more likely to gain weight on a high fat diet” – No, fat is very satiating, you will not overeat on fat fat if you keep your carb intake as low as possible. You will also get the benefit of sufficient fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E and if you choose healthy fats you will also balance your Omega 3 oils to give you a more anti-inflammatory diet.
    6. “Animal fats cause Heart Disease” – No evidence supports this whatsoever, only a consensus of opinion driven by anything but science.
    7. “Cholesterol causes heart disease and should be lowered (Total) while HDL should be higher than LDL for heart health.”  –  No, Cholesterol does not cause heart disease. There is no evidence to support this. Atherosclerosis (hardening and thickening of the arteries) is an inflammatory/immune dysfunction, not a lipid (fat) dysfunction. If you have high cholesterol go on an anti-inflammatory diet and analyse the type of oils and fats that you are consuming that may have lead to inflammation, like high Omega 6 or Trans fats.
    8. “The best thing to do is take a ‘Balanced Diet’ ” – or “You don’t need to take Supplements if you eat a ‘Balanced Diet” – No, The best thing to do for your health is to take a nutritionally complete diet from which, we as a species has evolved.
    9.  ” Wheat and other wholegrains are an important (even vital) part of the human diet” – No, they are unnecessary carbs and it has been proved that many of us cannot tolerate them without immediate dysfunction. A high grain/cereal intake, even in people who think they can tolerate them, can lead to long-term inflammation, Autoimmune diseases, diabetes, fatness/obesity, heart disease, vascular disease and Alzheimer’s.
    10. ” Medical or dietetic qualifications provide a good grounding in the science of nutrition” – No, so much of the science of nutrition has been disproved by more scientific methods and studies of other cultures and also by learning from our mistakes of being guided by government or Food producers over the last half century when we have seen chronic disease escalate. Functional medicine is now looking at Nutrition and the body as a whole to prevent and reverse Chronic disease caused by all these misconceptions.

    My thanks to Bart Kay Lecturer in Clinical Physiology at HE Birmingham University Sector UK for having compiled this list on a discussion topic on LinkedIn. I have modified it slightly for the form of this website but have included all his important misconceptions about food and health that need to be taken seriously if we are to improve our health and our medical treatment.

    Please feel free to comment, I would love to hear from you, or explore other Posts to gain insight into particular chronic health problems and beneficial changes you can make.

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  • Autoimmune diseases/ bodykind supplements/ Energy/ Food intolerance/ Hashimotos Disease/ Health/ Hypothyroidism/ Nutritional Medicine

    Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Adults & Children

    B Vitamins

    Vitamin B12 deficiency in Adults & Children can become serious and debilitating if not diagnosed. Many of the signs and symptoms can be similar to other health problems and sometimes health professionals may be looking for diseases rather than nutrient deficiencies.

    Vitamin B12 is also called cobalamin and  cyanocobalamin. It is water soluble and found mainly in foods from animals. It is an essential vitamin and sometimes known as a ‘feel good’ vitamin as, along with other B vitamins it ensures a healthy nervous and energy system. It forms and regenerates red blood cells and is essential for growth and development being necessary to utilize fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It improves concentration, memory and balance and also helps detoxify cyanide from foods and airborne toxins like tobacco smoke.

    SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS

    • weight loss
    • weakness or fatigue
    • muscular soreness
    • sore, red tongue
    • headaches
    • shortness of breath
    • abdominal bloating
    • Palpitations
    • Anaemia
    • Depression and other Psychological symptoms
    • Problems with memory, understanding and judgement leading to Dementia
    • Neurological symptoms such as ‘pins and needles’ in extremities, Peripheral Neuropathy
    • unexplained Vision or taste impairment

    CAUSES

    1. Nutritional – people following a vegan, vegetarian or low protein diet. Low dietary intake over a prolonged time are at risk of deficiency. All of these people should take a Vitamin B Complex supplement that includes B12.
    2. Malabsorption – Lack of a protein produced in the stomach called the ‘Intrinsic Factor’ can mean that B12 cannot be absorbed. This is called Pernicious Anaemia and the treatment is high dose B12 injection. Anyone who has had to have part or all of their stomach removed would be in a similar position.
    3. Digestive – antacid medications interfere with the absorption as stomach acid is necessary for proper absorption so anyone on antacids or PPI drugs, especially during pregnancy should supplement B12. Inflammation and damage to the intestines can cause inability to absorb B12, as in Coeliac disease, Crohn’s etc. Also some other medications, like anticonvulsants,inhibit absorption. People over the age of 60 with other health problems, poor diet and diminished stomach enzymes and acid may also be at risk. B12 deficiency can also occur due to SIBO when there is slower movement of food through the intestines allowing an overgrowth of the wrong bacteria and these bacteria steal the B12 for their own use. Intestinal parasites can also be a cause.
    4. Autoimmune Disease – Pernicious Anaemia is an Autoimmune disorder but other Autoimmune conditions can also be present that will possibly be accompanied by lack of Vitamin B12 – Graves Disease, Hashimoto’s disease, Vitiligo, MS and Addison’s Disease (Adrenocortical Insufficiency) for example.

    SUPPLEMENTS AND DIET

    Supplements can be in the form of tablets or capsules of Vitamin B12 plus a Vitamin B Complex or sometimes if deficiency is due to insufficient stomach acid then a sub-lingual powder can be just dropped under the tongue and will absorb through the mucous membrane of the mouth.  Supplements of between 50mcg and 2,000mcgs have been reported safe. The outlook once diagnosed and treated is excellent. Probiotics may improve digestion and absorption.

    Dietary sources of Vitamin B12  Read More →

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  • Food intolerance/ Health/ Nutritional Medicine/ Wheat and Dairy Intolerance

    First foods – baby is ready for solids

    First foods - baby is ready for solids

    First foods – this baby is certainly ready for solids!

    I really sympathise with Mums who are not sure what they should be giving their babies to eat when they are ready for solids. The world of nutrition is a nightmare of constantly changing and conflicting information for all of us, so I hope to bring some of the best current medical opinion and some common sense for you. The choices you make now are important and can set them up for life.

    Mothers know when their babies are ready for more than milk. They will often be needing more milk during the day, waking up earlier in the morning or not settling in the evening until they have had some extra. It is tiring for Mum, especially if she is breastfeeding and she needs more nutrition in her own diet to cope. If we go by the book the recommendation is to stick with just milk until at least 6 months but in reality every baby is different and other factors need to be taken into consideration.

    Weaning needs to be a gradual process that takes into account their immature digestive and immune system. They have to learn to chew and swallow and they have to develop the digestive enzymes needed to process the food and absorb the nutrients. If they eat food that they can’t digest they will get excessive wind, pain and diarrhoea or constipation and it will be misery for everyone.

    The function of the digestive system is to break down food into small enough particles that the nutrients can be absorbed into the blood stream and the waste should be eliminated easily. We can help this process by cooking, softening and mashing most food and introducing soft finger food initially. Even if your baby has no teeth their gums are strong enough to start to breakdown softer foods.

    Good first foods for 5 -7 months:-

    • puréed or well mashed cooked vegetables – potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, parsnip, carrot, courgette, broccoli, green beans, peas and cabbage.
    • fruit purée from cooked fruit like apple or pear and mashed raw fruit such as avocado or banana
    • protein in the form of cooked egg yolk; puréed organic liver, chicken, and lamb and a little white fish or salmon.
    • Homemade bone broth (links below contain the best way to make this)
    • Homemade jelly made with well diluted pure fruit juice and gelatine
    •  olive oil, coconut oil, butter or ghee in preparing and softening foods

    If food is not broken down enough in the stomach and passes into the intestines it will cause problems. It can start to ferment or increase peristalsis (the muscular movement that pushes food through the gut) and both will cause tummy ache. Look at what comes out the other end to get a good idea of what is happening. If you can see identifiable food in the poo then they are not digesting it properly. Certain foods will go through without being broken up – tomato seeds, sweetcorn and peas and other higher fibre foods not puréed.

    When they are coping well with those foods you can start to introduce more variety and more texture, like cooked rice, yogurt, fromage frais and let them try plenty of finger food and chop up some of what you are eating if it is suitable and let them feed themselves with fingers or spoon. If they have had to have antibiotics or they have excess wind you can give them an infant formula probiotic.

    Do not give them:

    • normal table salt (a little Celtic sea salt is OK for the good minerals)
    • Low fat or fat free foods
    • margarine or trans fats
    • processed vegetable oils
    • dry breakfast cereals
    • sugar
    • artificial sweeteners
    • refined sugar or undiluted pure fruit juice (well diluted with meals only)
    • flour products
    • Honey (because of the slight risk of Botulism poisoning) under 1 year old
    • certain fish that is known to have a higher risk of mercury -like tuna and swordfish.
    • soft mould ripened cheeses like Brie or Camembert

    At this stage I would say that if you have known allergies within the family, problems with Asthma, Eczema or behavioural problems then be especially careful about what else you add to the diet before they are a year old. The most common allergy foods are:- Wheat, Gluten, soy, peanuts and nuts, Cows milk, eggs (usually the white), seafood, and oranges. These can cause an acute reaction with itchy skin rash, swelling in the mouth or lips, wheezing, coughing, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea where you need urgent medical help or chronic symptoms like runny nose, eczema, asthma, itchy skin, especially dry skin, anaemia and behavioural problems like hyperactivity. If you are concerned about introducing  gluten then start with sour-dough bread and see how it is tolerated. Fermented foods have already had the indigestible parts broken down in the process of being fermented. For more information on this have a look at www.westonaprice.org  This organisation support getting back to a more basic diet of natural foods and eating plenty of animal fats, bone broth and natural, raw dairy and we have certainly come a long way away from this in the last 50 years. The Mediterranean Diet is always mentioned as a healthy way to eat and it is not just about the olive oil and red wine it is because they have very little pre-prepared food and they eat all parts of the animal as was usual in most countries before Supermarkets chased out local butchers shops, fishmongers and bakers. Another great source of information is  www.Kidshealth.org for health in all ages of children.

    If you already have major health problems like Autoimmune disease and you eat a Paleo based diet, then you will find lots of good information on Cave Babies and starting a grain free way.

    Following on from first foods, 7-12 months, try to let them experience as many different flavours and textures as possible. Most babies like quite strong flavours – I personally remember being horrified when a friend gave my first, 9 month old a Chinese spare rib of pork to munch on but he has loved them ever since! We are lucky to have so many choices of food and so let them have a go and give them what you are eating as much as possible.

    If you buy convenience baby foods and ready made snacks taste them yourself – and then come up with some good, cheaper alternatives where you know what all the ingredients are!

    Playing with food and getting involved with growing it (plus getting dirty in the soil) and then helping to prepare it is the key to a good relationship with food.

    A healthy diet does not depend on how much you spend on it but how much you put into preparing it at home from basic, natural ingredients.

    With modern equipment it doesn’t have to take long. A good slow cooker pot of meat on the bone and vegetables, put on when they have a morning nap, will also be an instant meal for your baby and ready for the rest of the family when they need it.  Freeze some in individual containers for when you need them. A stir fry with meat and vegetables is quicker than take-away. Learn plenty of tips to save time and stress.

    This article is a guide for near perfect child feeding and nobody is perfect so the most important thing is not to worry or feel guilty that you do not achieve this 100% – it is a guide.  It is what is advised now with our knowledge of modern food production and science. Above all else remember that food should be enjoyable and tasty and

    make you feel good!

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