Inflammation and injury or illness go hand in hand. Acute inflammation is easy to identify, it expresses as redness, swelling, and heat. This is a healthy immune response designed to heal the wound or fight the infection.

Chronic inflammation often goes unnoticed as it spreads throughout the body with no visible signs, damaging organs and causing many diseases. It is usually when disease strikes that a person becomes aware something is wrong. Similar to acute inflammation, chronic inflammation is the result of an immune response. However, in chronic inflammation, the immune system is triggered persistently. This can continue for months and years. This inflammation does not just fight infection it begins to injury normal tissue including our joints.

When constant chronic inflammation is paired up with a pro-inflammatory diet, it can aggravate disease including conditions like osteoarthritis and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, endometriosis,  Systemic lupus erythematosus, and inflammatory bowel disease.

We eat for a healthy heart, heathy brain, healthy brain, and a healthy digestive system. Our muscles and joints are no different. We can eat for our musculoskeletal health. By addressing the key points listed below you can not only improve or prevent pain and degeneration, but you will also be reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Body Weight Management

It is important to lose weight if you are overweight. Too much body fat puts more pressure on the joints contributing to more pain. Further to this, the chronic inflammation that comes with obesity and/or insulin resistance contributes to joint deterioration. As mentioned earlier, any chronic inflammation can cause the immune system to start interfering with healthy body tissue.

Limit Sugar

Increased insulin levels will typically dramatically worsen pain. Limit all sugars including fruit juices, soft drinks, sweets, pastries, and refined products such as white bread.

Reduce Unhealthy Fats

Reduce your intake of omega 6 polyunsaturated fat and saturated fats: eating too many foods that contain these fats can increase pain and inflammation. Omega 6 fats are found in red meat, vegetable oils, margarine and nuts. Saturated fats are found in dairy products, biscuits, cakes, and other processed foods.

Eat Healthy Fats

Eat more omega 3 polyunsaturated fats which can lower inflammation. Omega 3s decrease inflammation, joint pain, swelling and stiffness and are natural pain reducers. Omega 3 fats can be found in fatty fish such as sardines, herring, fresh tuna, salmon and trout. Other healthy fats include olive oil, olives and avocado.

Eat Foods Rich in Antioxidants

Eat a colourful diet. Fruits with the highest antioxidant content include blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, acai, and goji berries. Vegetables with the highest antioxidant content include artichokes, spinach, kale, red cabbage, and beetroot.

Additional Anti Inflammatory Foods

Garlic has been demonstrated to work similarly to NSAID pain medications (like Ibuprofen) by downregulating pathways that lead to inflammation. Onions are another food which has an anti-inflammatory effect. They contain a compound called quercetin which helps stabilise the cells that release histamine, creating an anti-inflammatory effect

Try Avoiding Nightshade Vegetables

Nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant may trigger arthritis and pain conditions in some people. Keeping a food diary and tracking symptoms may be helpful.

Avoid Aspartame

 The artificial sweetener found in some diet soft drinks and many sugar-free foods is part of a chemical group called excitotoxins, which activate neurons that can increase your sensitivity to pain.

Avoid Additives

Food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) often cause trouble for pain for people. MSG is an excitatory neurotransmitter that may stimulate pain receptors

Address Nutritional Deficiencies

Cartilage loss in knees, a feature of osteoarthritis, is associated with vitamin D deficiency. If you are struggling with joint pain due to osteoarthritis, get your vitamin D levels tested.

Sulfur plays a very important role in joint and cartilage formation. Inadequate levels impair joint repair and degenerate faster. Sulfur-rich foods include cauliflower, kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, onions, and garlic.

Identify Food Sensitivities

Migraines and joint pain can be a symptom of food intolerances. The problem with food intolerances is that they may occur immediately or hours later, and in some cases a few days later. Therefore it can be difficult to notice a connection. It may be worth considering either a stool test or food intolerance test or under the guidance of a nutritionist a food elimination diet.

Taking Action

It can be overwhelming knowing where to start. Some medications interfere with nutrient absorption and they can interact with supplements. A number of people self prescribe supplements but are essentially throwing money away taking nutrients in the incorrect dosages and forms for any benefits. A clinical nutritionist can take a look at your diet and lifestyle to help people with arthritis and pain conditions. A nutritionist makes the most of people’s diets so they feel better, which in turn can help them move more. Minimising further deterioration and prevention of diseases is an area that nutritionist have expertise in.

In the meantime, the best eating advice is to follow a balanced diet that includes lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, whilst getting in some daily movement.

For tailored nutrition plans please get in touch for a consultation. Elizabeth also works in clinics alongside experienced physiotherapists and chiropractors enabling better outcomes for her patients. 

It is a misconception that by doing sit-ups you’ll get yourself a flat stomach. It helps to do core work but just like most things, belly fat is more complicated than doing a few planks at the end of a workout.

Let’s talk about fat first. There are two types: subcutaneous and visceral. Subcutaneous fat is the fat you can grab, it is found just beneath the skin. Visceral fat is located deep within the abdominal wall and surrounds the organs. This is the dangerous type of fat as it is linked to diseases. The visceral fat is a result of poor lifestyle choices, processed foods, sugar, drugs, alcohol and other unhealthy habits. The good news is that visceral fat can be reduced and often easier than the superficial layer.

Tips to Reduce the Belly Fat

Blood sugar regulation.

A sign of a person who is becoming insulin resistant is excess fat around the stomach. In order to stabilise insulin and balance your blood sugar levels food choice is paramount.

Consume low glycemic load (GL) meals. Choose real food. Fill up on your green vegetables and choose lower GI fruits such as berries. You can lower the GL of meals by adding avocado, raw nuts and seeds to meals. Spices such as turmeric, cinnamon and cacao work too. And so does a bit of apple cider vinegar or lemon. Include a good quality protein in each meal. Poor sleep also makes your cells more resistant to insulin which will increase belly fat.

Balance stress levels.

When you are stressed your cortisol is high. Constantly high cortisol levels can lead to belly fat accumulation.

Stress can come in many forms such as emotional stress but also physical pain, eating foods you are sensitive too, sleep deprivation and too much exercise.

Find ways to balance out your stress. Cut back on your exercise if you need to. Exercising smart three times a week is enough, training every day is too much. Strength training is essential to losing belly fat. Exercises such as chin ups, deadlifts, squats, lunges and pushups are a must. Try walking more, stretching and other activities that calm you. Grab a book and sit outside in the fresh air.

Consider nutrient support.

A multi, Vit D, probiotics, essential fatty acids, and magnesium are my top 5 for fat loss and general health.

Identify food intolerances and sensitivities.

Sensitives can cause belly fat, inflammation, bloating, moodiness and water retention. A lot of people don’t know what it feels like to feel good so this can be hard. Having a bloated stomach can be the norm. But it doesn’t have to be. Start to pay attention to how you feel after a meal. Rotate your foods as well. Have food x for breakfast one week and then food b the next. By comparing you may be able to tell what it is. Common food sensitives are corn, soy, sugar, artificial sweeteners, dairy, wheat and gluten. Check out my food intolerance service if you’d like to be tested.

Practice patience.

It is what you do most of the time that counts. Simple changes will be noticeable right away and you’ll notice less bloating and puffiness. But you need to be patient for long-lasting change. It does happen and you’re body will thank you for it!

If you’d like more information on how to address your hormonal fat loss problems bookings can be made here or please check out the 4-week online detox program.

I’m seeing countless people waste their time and energy looking for the best approach to lose weight, half starting and then complaining when nothing is happening. We seem to spend a lifetime looking for what quick fix. Unfortunately, healthy weight loss does take time. I can tell you how to lose weight fast, but if you want to keep it off and be healthy, be patient. Had you just stuck it out the first time around you’d be so much better off now, that’s the frustrating part. 

For weight loss to happen, you need to take in fewer calories than you burn. Weight loss is about 20% fewer calories under your maintenance calories. 

Below are some habits that are common with lean people. 

1. Eat until 80% full. 
2. Eat protein and a small amount of fat at every meal. Both these nutrients maintain satiety. You’ll eat less in the long run. Less snacking is ultimately better for your health.
3. Eat vegetables at every meal. A body needs nutrients to function optimally. Vegetables also add bulk to a meal creating fullness. A nutrient-starved body craves more sugar and the not so good food.
4. Eat at least 80% of your food from nonprocessed natural whole foods. These foods are your vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, legumes, and whole grains. Minimally processed foods use up more energy to digest in the body than fake foods.
5. When eating the 10-20% foods, keep portion sizes in check. Often we only need a taste. You’ll be just as satisfied eating 2 squares of chocolate as opposed to a whole block.
6. Weight train consistently. It is better to do two sessions per week than 5 one week and then none the next month. Weight training improves your metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
7. Walk every day. Calories in vs calories out. You cannot escape it. Your one meal out per week is a lot more calories than you think. Without moving, weight creep does happen. Getting older does not need to mean weight gain. That is a story you have told yourself. A common mistake people make is thinking that because they went to the gym they do not need to walk. No, you do. There are 24 hours in a day. Your workout was probably only an hour of that. 
8. Attitude is everything. Medical conditions can be reasons why you have gained weight. But it shouldn’t be an excuse. Take action. Everyone has stuff going on.

To just eat healthily isn’t good enough for weight loss. You can’t get home from work after sitting at a desk, then sit again watching tv.  You can’t go out frequently for dinner and tell yourself the not so healthy food and wine is okay. If you have the time to be on your phone scrolling social media, if you are spending your night online shopping, if you are sleeping in past 5 am, then you do have time to exercise and eat well. Healthy eating is not expensive either. If you can get your nails done, if you have wifi, if you can upgrade your phone, well then you have money to look after your health too. 

The habits I have listed aren’t innovative. They are habits we all see in people with a good healthy outlook on life. Weight loss does require extra work. To maintain weight is easier. However, I find those people are still mindful day to day of what they eat. When they do put on a little extra weight they do something right away. Prevention and getting on top of things earlier is always better. You can keep on doing what you’re doing and be unhappy. What do you want for yourself?

If you’d like a consult to lose weight please get in touch. Remember weight loss isn’t a one consult fix, it takes time and effort. 

Habits which are done most of the time is what creates lasting change.

Party vibes are in the air. With this comes too much food, too much alcohol, and usually little exercise. Minimise potential unhealthy effects of too much partying with these tips:

1. Drink slowly.

Your liver needs about an hour to process one alcohol drink, a standard serve. Stick to one an hour at most. Alternate between one alcohol and one water. Or, try a soda water with freshly squeezed lime. It will look alcoholic and you won’t feel like the odd one out.

2. Avoid dehydration.

Alcohol will dehydrate you and give you those hangover feelings. It also has a flow-on effect to the rest of your body. Drink plenty of water. Having some coconut water before bed can help as it is high in electrolytes. 

3. Limit pigging out.

Christmas is one day. One day is not going to cause weight gain. But continuous days of overeating will. 

4. Be selective.

If you don’t love it, don’t have it. You don’t have to have everything on offer to you. Sometimes we are presented only with ‘bad’ foods. Make the best choice out of the selection. Remember often you only need a taste, you don’t need the entire cake to feel satisfied. 

5. Balance.

If you overdo it at lunch, keep your dinner light. People who stay lean year round understand this concept. Those that don’t end up with a creeping waistline each year. 

Too much alcohol and food doesn’t feel good. It might at the moment, but the long-term effects are not worth it. If you say no to drinking, in a few days will it matter to anyone? 

In January I’m running my online 4-week detox program. Regardless of whether you overdo it, it may be a nice little something to cleanse your body and reset your mind for the new year. Sign Up HERE.