BYE-BYE SMELLY TOOTS & POOPS

 Thrive Nutrition Practice: fighting the war on smelly toots & poops

The Christmas meal weekend approaches and the biggest fear in everyone's mind is:

How will I get through Christmas dinner without undoing my pant button & letting out a very smelly toot or blocking the guest toilet? 

Because inevitably, there's always someone in the gathering who anonymously releases their special scent into the room or leaves to go to the powder room for an unusually long time.  And the problem really is there's not always a baby or a dog to sit next to and blame.

Aren't Christmas holidays the best?  YES THEY ARE!!!  And lucky for you, this three-step plan is is going to help keep you smelling like roses throughout the holiday season.

STEP 1: DRINK LEMON WATER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING AND BEFORE YOUR MEALS

By the time we turn 40, our body produces less than half the stomach acid it did when we were teenagers.  That is not good news for digestion because less stomach acid means slower digestion.  Slower digestion means more chance of food putrefying in the gut, which leads to smelly toots and poops.  NOT GOOD.  Drinking a glass of water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon stimulates the production of stomach acid and the bitter from the lemon, helps your liver push out bile to emulsify the fats in the food and further improve digestion.

STEP 2: TAKE A DIGESTIVE ENZYME WITH YOUR RICH HOLIDAY MEALS  

If I know I'm going out for a big heavy lunch or dinner, I make sure to take a little digestive enzyme pill with me and pop it in during my meal.  As we age and our digestive fire decreases, we need a little help with extra rich foods.  Digestive enzymes supplement those your body naturally produces so that you can digest and absorb your food better and more efficiently.  

STEP 3:  TRADE THE COFFEE FOR A FRESH GINGER CINNAMON TEA

If ever you needed another reason to cut coffee out of your life - let me tell you, that coffee is a massive contributor of stinky toots & poops.  It halts digestions so that your food just festers in the gut.  Instead of coffee, why not offer your guests a beautifully scented ginger-cinnamon tea to aid digestion, reduce flatulence and lower inflammation in the body.

TOOT-FREE GINGER-CINNAMON TEA

• 1 knob of ginger about the length of your index finger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4-6 cups of freshly boiled water

Put the ginger and cinnamon in a teapot and pour over the freshly boiled water.  Cover with lid and let steep for 10-15 min.  Serve with some lemon wedges. 

These three steps together with a daily dose of fibre to help boost gut motility and keep you regular will help keep your festive home free of unwanted odours this Christmas.

This is Thrive's last post before Christmas and I'd like to take this chance to thank all of you for reading my blog, for liking mu posts, sharing them and giving me encouragement and feedback.  I love this little community and wish you all a wonderful Christmas.  See you again before New Year!

Cristina Tahoces is a holistic nutritionist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice.  

Please join her Facebook group "Thrive Nutrition Practice" for daily articles, recipes, promotions on professional grade supplements and upcoming workshops.

Copyright © 2016 THRIVE NUTRITION PRACTICE

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A GI MAP STOOL TEST

EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR THRIVE CLIENTS:

5% OFF GI MAP UNTIL 31 JANUARY 2017

Almost two years ago, I went to Vietnam and came back with the worst case of the runs I've ever had.  I waited a week and then when I didn't get any better, I went to the Adventist Hospital.  (For those of you reading outside of Hong Kong, the Adventist Hospital is one of the top private hospital here).

To cut a long story short, the Adventist ran 3 stool tests on me and caught nothing.  My doctor told me to do a colonoscopy and that I most likely had Irritable Bowel Syndrome ("IBS"). 

I knew in my gut (so to speak) that I didn't have IBS and I went to see Miles Price, Chief Functional Medicine Officer at Biorna Quantics.  At the time, he ran a Comprehensive Stool Analysis and lo and behold, we found 3 parasites, a whole host of bad bacteria and yeast issues.

Miles Prices helps us understand why that is.

Q:  Miles, thanks so much taking the time to help us understand our gut health better.  You helped me through that horrible gastro infection and I shudder to think what would have become of me if I had gone down the route of a colonoscopy and potential IBS misdiagnosis. Could you please explain to us in more detail why the stool test I did with you turned up the parasites, bacteria & yeast when the THREE stool tests I ran with the Adventist could not?

The standard tests you do at hospitals do not go in depth at analysing the gut microbiome. We now know that the gut microbiome houses hundreds of species of good and sometimes bad bacteria and to really appreciate accurately what is happening there it’s best to choose a specialised lab which conducts a Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis. (CDSA).

The standard hospital stool test usually identifies only 1 or 2 pathogenic species together with occult blood. This really doesn’t serve any use at all from a clinical perspective as we need to explore all aspects of potential pathogenic activity. A CDSA test does analyse nearly all potential pathogens together with good bacterial counts and levels of inflammation, immune activity and digestive function.

Q:  What's amazing is how fast the technology is advancing in this field as well.  That stool test I did with you almost two years ago is no longer the best in class. Can you tell us why Biorna's GI Microbial Assay Plus ("GI MAP") is the most advanced stool test available on the market today?

Biorna's GI-MAP test covers more pathogen identification than any other CDSA test out there. When evaluating the microbiome we need to cast the net as wide as possible to see what is causing the issues. GI -MAP evaluates viral infections which no other lab does and has advanced DNA screening techniques which are more reliable at giving true positive infections in the gut.

 Q:  Is it easy to do?  

Yes – it’s just a one day sample needed. That’s it. A set of clear instructions come in the box and we even provide a link to the video that describes how to use the kit.

Q: Who performs the analysis on the samples and how long does it take to get the results?

The analysis is done by a lab in the USA called Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory and the results take around 2 weeks to return.

Q: Doing a stool test when you have an acute problem, such as a potential parasite infection, is obviously a no-brainer.  But can you describe other instances in which you would recommend a stool test?

A Stool test can be valuable when someone has general gut issues, bloating, gas intermittent bowel movement, constipation or acid reflux. Gut problems can not only arise due to pathogens, a client may have gluten sensitivity, low pancreatic output, inflammation or low good bacteria and these markers are helpful to understand when putting together a complete picture of gut health.

As we will soon (by Jan 2017) be measuring leaky gut levels, a stool test is invaluable in supporting clients with auto-immune diseases (like Hashimotos thyroiditis) as it can help find the trigger (gut pathogen) and track progress of (zonulin marker) any gut healing protocol which is given to the client.

Q:  How does the knowledge gained from the GI MAP help practitioners & clients develop a digestive health plan that works?

It helps practitioners develop a systematic protocol in removing any pathogen/ antigen which is triggering the inflammation or gut dybiosis, then rebuilding the gut with good bacteria and specific nutrients to get the gut back to normal function. It also serves as a benchmark in assisting clients understand if progress in gut healing has been successful or not, by repeating the stool analysis 3-6 months after a gut healing protocol has been implemented and seeing any improvement in the gut biomarkers.

Q:  Miles, you've got over ten years of experience in helping people deal with digestive, autoimmune and many other health issues.  How do you as Biorna's Chief Functional Medical Officer support the doctors, practitioners, nutritionists and other clinicians who use the GI MAP?  

What we offer is support in GI-MAP interpretation with specific gut healing protocols according to the clients’ needs. If the practitioner or nutritionist is looking for specific supplementation we can help with that also with supplying pharmaceutical grade supplements which support all aspects of gut health. We want to ensure that the practitioner / nutritionist has utmost confidence in conducting and interpreting the test. This will help grow their practice and reputation as a great Functional Medicine practitioner.

***

Thanks so much Miles for sharing your expertise with us and I look forward to working with Biorna on making the GI MAP test and your other tests available to people who want a more functional and holistic approach to their health.

Let's start the new year with an optimal plan for digestive health.

Because, we're not just what we eat.  

We are what our body is able to absorb.  

If our gut isn't working optimally, we are exposing ourselves to physical and emotional upsets.  

In honour of POOP month, I am offering my clients an exclusive 5% discount on Biorna's GI MAP test.  

Don't miss this opportunity to get to the bottom of your digestive health issues.  On the back of the results, I will develop a full nutritional protocol, complete with gut healing recipes, dietary, supplementation and lifestyle recommendations.  

Pop me an email and give yourself the gift of health this Christmas.

Offer expires on 31 January 2017.  

Cristina Tahoces is a holistic nutritionist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice. Please join her Facebook group "Thrive Nutrition Practice" for daily articles, recipes, promotions on professional grade supplements and upcoming workshops.

Copyright © 2016 THRIVE NUTRITION PRACTICE

POOP Your Way to Happiness

                                     Thrive Nutrition Practice: Get Your Poop On

 

I am so excited it's POOP month!

Of the three pillars of Thrive's nutrition trifecta (SLEEPLOVEPOOP) -- POOP is definitely my favourite.  And it's even more special that POOP month has coincided with my favourite time of the year: Christmas!

Since moving to Hong Kong, I listen to Bing Crosby's White Christmas with misty eyes and think about how pretty my parent's cherry tree looks the morning after a snowfall.  But I have to say, Hong Kong does Christmas beautifully as well.  The city's decorations are gorgeous and with the temperature a balmy 15 degrees, it's even possible to look fashionable.  BUT, the one thing that seems to suffer - no matter where I'm spending Christmas - is my digestion.

All the rich food, mulled wine, mince pies, Lindt chocolate, gingerbread cookies, champagne, panettone, hot chocolate and Christmas log cakes make it so hard to keep the bloating down, the toots neutral and the morning ablutions regular.  And that's a problem because by the time the holiday season comes to an end, I've got a few angry pimples, a couple extra inches around the waist and an absolutely miserable temperament.

WHY is that?

Our gut is not just a hosepipe for our waste.  It's the centre of our immune & detox function.  Plus, 90% of our serotonin - our body's happy hormone - is made in our gut.

If our bowels aren't getting a daily cleaning, they're going to be too congested to help us make our happy hormone cocktail. And who wants to be the Grinch who stole Christmas? Or even worse - the miserable sod who shows up to work on January 2nd looking grey and pessimistic.

Over the course of this month, I'll be sharing with you my favourite tips and recipes to keep you regular over the holidays, so that you can end and start the year feeling like the Christmas Star you are.  But in this post, I just want to start off with the basics.

• DRINK 2.5-3L OF WATER DAILY.  The number 1 reason for constipation is lack of water consumption.  I'm just over 5ft tall and I need 2.5L of water a day for my body's biochemical processes and to stay regular.  So, I'm going to go crazy and say that most of you reading this, need 3L+.  Water cannot be substituted for anything. When out for Christmas cocktails, try to have 1-2 glasses of water for every drink to help keep your body & gut hydrated and things moving along.

• SNEAK IN SOME FIBRE.  During the holidays I like to incorporate a breakfast smoothie to the morning routine so that I can get an extra helping of fibre by adding chia seeds and flaxmeal.  If I know I'm going to be eating out or going to a cocktail, I make sure to have 1-2 tspn of psyllium hulls with a big glass water before I head out.  This gives me some comfort that my fibre intake is on track and that I'll be able to poop out any unwanted toxins the following day.

• DAILY PROBIOTICS.  Super important to make sure that the good bacteria keeps outnumbering the bad bacteria in the gut.  The increase in sugar and refined carbs during the holidays puts you at risk for a proliferation of yeast in the gut.  And no one wants a yeast infection for Christmas!

It is so easy to get sick during the holidays.  The weather gets colder.  Our sugar consumption increases, which is bad news for immunity because sugar uses the same transporters as Vitamin C to enter your cells.  But drinking water, sneaking in some extra fibre and taking a daily probiotic will help ensure you maintain your daily bathroom date. 

So this holiday season, get your POOP on!

Cristina Tahoces is a holistic nutritionist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice.  Please join her Facebook group "Thrive Nutrition Practice" for daily articles, recipes, promotions on professional grade supplements and upcoming workshops.

Copyright © 2016 THRIVE NUTRITION PRACTICE

Beyond Nutrition: How connection and a Coach can help nourish your soul & put and end to emotional eating

            Thrive Nutrition Practice loves the work of Brene Brown

This week, we close LOVE month with another interview to feature the holistic part of nutrition.  Sometimes we turn to food to feed our soul, when what we really need is connection. So this post is dedicated to all the women out there – post-natal or otherwise – who are emotional eaters and struggle with unhealthy cravings.

For many women, having children is a shock to the system.  Many of the post-natal mamas I talk to struggle with a whole host of emotions like feeling beautiful, mentally switched on, energetic and even relevant.   And whether the woman chooses to stay at home with the baby or return to work, their reality has forever changed.  The post-baby era demands a new version of us as a woman, a mother, a wife, a professional, a friend, a family member.  And this transition & redefinition is hard and leads to behaviours like emotional eating, stress-related illnesses and unhealthy cravings.

If you’re sorting out an emotional issue, striving to redefine yourself and your value, making a bold leap into a new career, struggling to adapt to a new home country or engaged in any change that exposes your vulnerabilities, it’s pretty common for that to have an effect on your food choices & your health. In these cases, it’s really useful to have a professional help through these transitions.

I myself turned to a coach – two in fact: Su Chern Teo from Intrinsic Consulting who helped me find my voice and give birth to Thrive.  And Rebecca Hopkins who is helping me be brave and dare greatly every day.  

So to end LOVE month, I am interviewing Rebecca Hopkins, an Accredited Life Coach and creator of Live Brave Workshops, which runs in-person self-development workshops for mums here in Hong Kong.  

She is going to give us her top tips on how we can let go of our fears and crutches and feel fierce & empowered.   

And why is that important within the context of nutrition?  Because mind and body are intimately connected.  The stronger we are in body, the stronger we feel and vice versa.  

Q: Rebecca, before we kick off, can you tell us a little bit about you and what lead you to coaching?

A: In my corporate career back in 2009 I was lucky enough to be given a Coach to work with. The impact on me was profound. I was more engaged at work, motivated in my life outside of work and it started me off on an internal journey of finding out what made me feel alive and how I could get more of that every day.

Q: You’re coaching me through Brené Brown’s “The Daring Way” programme, which I has been such a game-changer for me in the way I approach my business and my role as a parent.  I feel like I have so much more clarity of purpose now that I did before.  And one of the first exercises you had me do was to figure out my core values.  Can you explain why that’s such an important first step in your coaching process?

A: I describe core values as our own individual personal beliefs that show what we care about more than anything else in the world. Mine are connection, curiosity and authenticity and they are my key to knowing who I am. They help me move away from being hung up on what people think and towards living a life where I can just be me. Most of us have a vague awareness of what we value, but getting really clear on my top 3 core values made the world make sense in a way that it never had before. For example: why I loved some jobs I did and hated others, why I connected deeply with some people, and not others. I believe that a clear articulation and integration of our core values into the choices we make every day is absolutely essential to building a strong sense of self-worth.

Q:  So true.  When we become mothers, I feel like we stop asking for what we need and a result, we lose our ability to verbalize it & communicate it.  We know we need help & support but we don’t know the form it should take or who to turn to for it.  As a result, it’s easy to get caught up in a vicious cycle of frustration.  How do you help your clients break that cycle and get clarity?

A: For me this wasn’t when I became a mother. I don’t think I ever knew how to ask for what I needed. It wasn’t how I was raised. I was raised (as I’m sure my own mother was) to “be nice” which for me translated into me putting my own needs last. It was actually when I became a mother that I had no choice but to put my own needs on the table because if I wasn’t okay, no one was okay. So the first thing I do with my client is talk about, “What are your specific needs that aren’t being met?”  And then the next question is, “What needs to happen for you to be ready to have a brave conversation about asking for what you need?”

Q: So one of my big takeaways from The Daring Way programme is the practice of self-compassion.  I’m not really good at self-compassion – as you know – because I’m constantly searching for my weaknesses and critiquing my work.  But I am not alone. You see that common thread in many of the women you work with and once I started to look out for it, I began to see it in many of my clients. Can you talk to us about why in your opinion self-compassion is so important and perhaps share with us your favourite way of practising this skill.

A: One of the key findings from Dr. Kristin Neff’s work (who is one of the world’s leading experts on self-compassion) is that we think self-compassion is weak, which is why we resist it. But the research shows that self-compassion is one of the biggest sources of strength and resilience that we have available to us.

The first lesson I ever learned on self-compassion was: talk to yourself like you talk to someone you love. When I was at the depths of my grief with our struggle with infertility I would speak to myself in a way that I would never speak to someone I love. “Pull yourself together moron. So you can’t have a baby? Suck it up, people are dying of cancer for f*cks sake.” “What are you crying for? It isn’t even a real baby. Get over it.” “You’re a failure.” I spoke to myself in a way I would never speak to anyone else. It was brutal and damaging and it didn’t need to be that way. I’ve since then learnt a beautiful way of using my internal voice. I speak to myself like I would speak to someone I love. I’m much kinder to myself and much more resilient because of it.

Q:  I want to talk a little about shame because this is such a big issue with post-natal mamas.   I myself lived in so much shame about my inability to have a vaginal birth, to breastfeed Sofia successfully, to lose weight, to go back to work, to even want to have sex again.  And that’s the short list! These shame stressors lead me down the path of emotional eating, which then fuelled my sugar beast and contributed to a decline in my health.  How do you help women tackle shame and when you are able to tackle it, how does it transform the person?

A: Yes. Shame is a beast of an emotion. The definition in my work is that shame is the fear of disconnection because we feel we are somehow flawed and not worthy of love, acceptance and belonging. Shame resilience is the ability to recognise shame when we are in it and are able to move through it in a constructive way that allows you to stay true to yourself and grow from the experience. My post natal shame was around how I felt about my body after having twins. Carrying twins was really hard and my body (and my pelvic floor!) didn’t bounce back like it did after my first child. I had an eating disorder from when I was 12 until I was 23 so body love is an area I am super passionate about. Body and appearance in Brené’s research is the biggest shame trigger for women (and now that also is showing up in the data for men too). I run two-day workshops for mums to start a journey to loving their post baby bodies as this learning to love our post baby bodies is really about critically assessing the shame messages we feel and building our critical awareness and resilience to it. Self-compassion is a big part of this!

Q: So, I’m going to say something which might be slightly controversial.  I have this feeling that the reason women tend to isolate themselves post-natally and not reach out to discuss their shame & vulnerability issues is because we don’t feel safe doing so.  And the reason we don’t feel safe is because we lack empathetic ears.  Do you think there’s some truth in that?

A: I definitely agree that we don’t feel safe sharing our shame. That is the power of it. It thrives in an environment of secrecy, silence and judgment. But when we are brave enough to share our shame and it is met with empathy, we feel seen, heard and connected. Empathy is the antidote to shame. There is nothing more beautiful than sharing shame and hearing a “me too, I hear you.” at the other end. I worked with the amazing Sofie Jacobs from Urban Hatch on my post-birth emotional decisions.  She supported me in making decisions that were right for me and my family.  And I don’t think we lack empathetic ears intentionally, I just don’t think most of us know how to practice empathy. Empathy is a skill that we can and should learn.

Q: Can you please describe empathy and give us some tools to practice it so that we can become better listeners to our children, spouse, friends, family and even colleagues or clients?

A: Empathy is feeling with someone, rather than feeling for them and in my work, it has four components: 1. Staying out of judgement 2. Taking the other person’s perspective 3. Recognising emotion 4. Communicating that emotion to the other person. I think most of us think our job is to fix the other person, when really, more often than not, we just want someone to listen without judgement. There was never more judgement on me as a mother with my decision to not breastfeed our twins. Here is what empathy doesn’t sound like… “Wow, you aren’t even going to try? I breastfed my twins for a year. You really should have given it a go. It is the best thing for your baby.” Empathy might have sounded like “That must have been a tough decision for you. How are you feeling about it now?”

Q: What is your top piece of advice to the moms out there who’ve just had a baby and are trying to redefine or re-invent themselves?

A: Be kind to yourself. Depending on how old your baby is, you could still have a shed load bunch of crazy hormones in your system so take it easy and be kind to yourself. And work out what you need to stay connected. Having a baby can be isolating, it was for me. So a good question to ponder is who are the 1 or 2 people you can really trust to share what’s going on for you. Sharing our stories with the people who have earned the right to hear them, who will respond with an empathetic ear is crucial. We all need a good bestie who isn’t going to judge us for not having our stuff together as mums. Oh and always keep a cold bottle of wine in the fridge (it’s fruit right Cristina, totally nutritious ;)

****

Thanks so much for your time Rebecca and for generously sharing your experience with us.  I love the time we spend together and gain so much inspiration and strength from it.  

And to all you mamas reading – here’s a recipe for connecting with your fierce feminine identity and putting you squarely in control of your eating decisions.  This dish is based on the Ayuverdic principle that meals should contain all six tastes to help nourish us completely, thereby banishing cravings and emotional eating.   These six tastes are: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent.  

SALMON MISO SOUP WITH BROWN RICE & CHOI SUM

Ingredients

• 2 cups of water
• 6-8 pieces of choi sum (depends on how big and hungry you are)
• Small palm size portion of salmon (cut into thin slices)

For the goma miso balls:

• 1 tspn sesame seeds
• ¼ tspn ginger powder
• 1 tbsp FOODCRAFT goma miso paste

For the soup base:

• 1 small clove of garlic chopped
• ¼ piece onion chopped
• ½ tomato peeled and chopped

Scallions, fresh coriander & a small dollop of kimchi to garnish

Serve with a cup of green tea.

Method

Make the brown rice separately by cooking 1 part rice to 2 parts stock or water.  Cooking it in stock add nutrients and flavour to the rice.  And if you soak the rice overnight, you make the rice easier to digest.  You can also use leftover brown rice.

Slice your salmon into thin slices and set aside.

Make a ball with the miso paste, sesame seeds and ginger powder.

In a deep sauce pan, sautee the chopped onion, garlic & tomato until it’s nice and soft and has made a bit of a paste.  Add the water and heat until it’s nice and steamy (BUT NOT BOILING). Reduce heat. Add your FOODCRAFT goma miso ball.  It’s really important not to put it in boiling water because miso paste is full of enzymes which will die in the boiling water. At this point, I like to breakup the miso ball and then mix the soup base with a hand blender just to get it a bit thicker.  

Add the salmon to the steamy pot and turn off the heat.  Cover for a few minutes until salmon is cooked through.  

I like to sautee the choi sum in garlic & coconut oil to add a bit more flavour to the veggies I’m using.

Put your serving of brown rice at the bottom of your bowl.  (I usually go with 2 tbspn).  Add the choi sum.  Pour the salmon soup over the rice and choi sum.  Top with fresh chopped scallions and coriander.

This kind of meal tells your body that you commit to caring for her so that in turn, she can support your mind and heart in its every challenge.  

Sometimes, making healthy choices is so much more than the food we eat.  

It’s about connection.  

It’s about self compassion, empathy, vulnerability and whole lotta LOVE.  

To find out more about Rebecca’s work and upcoming workshops, please click here.

If you have never heard of Brené  Brown or seen her TED Talks, please discover them asap. They are life changing.

Cristina Tahoces is a holistic nutritionist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice.  Please join her Facebook group "Thrive Nutrition Practice" for daily articles, recipes, promotions on professional grade supplements and upcoming workshops.

Copyright © 2016 THRIVE NUTRITION PRACTICE LTD.

Research Paper on Post Natal Nutrition

Thrive Nutrition Practice: Post Natal Nutrition 

TO MAMAS WHO HAVE HAD A BABY IN THE LAST 24 MONTHS

I’m doing a research paper on post-natal nutrition and am looking to interview as many women as I can on this topic.

I’m exploring the areas of:

• nutrition
• supplementation
• emotional & physical hurdles; &
• stress.

In short, I’d like to understand the relationship between nutrition and the emotional and physical challenges we experience post-natally in order to assess how to be more resilient.

If you are interested in being a part of this project, please email me.

If you know of anyone who has had a baby in the last 24 months, please pass on this message.

First 20 ladies to reply get Thrive’s Post-Natal Makeover Recipe Booklet of 20+ nourishing recipes to help with milk supply, rebuilding iron and mineral levels, hormone rebalancing, sleep & sex drive.

Cristina Tahoces is a holistic nutritionist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice.  Please join her Facebook group “Thrive Nutrition Practice” for daily articles, recipes, promotions on professional grade supplements and upcoming workshops.

Copyright © 2016 THRIVE NUTRITION PRACTICE

FOLATE vs FOLIC ACID: For Pregnancy & Beyond

                                          Thrive Nutrition Practice: Folate vs Folic acid

This month on Thrive we are focusing on helping women and mothers with the LOVE pillar of the nutrition trifecta: SLEEPLOVEPOOP.    Essentially, we’re going to be looking into how to use nutrition to show our body the love & respect it deserves.   So, today I’d like to focus on a topic that is super important for all women, especially those who are in their child bearing years.

I’d like to talk about the importance of dietary FOLATE.  I wish I had known this information when I was pregnant.   It might have helped spare me from a miscarriage, the anxiety and baby blues I experienced after the birth of my girls.

To help us understand the science behind this issue, I’ve called on Dr. Benita Perch, an extremely well-respected Naturopathic Physician from the Integrated Medicine Institute (IMI) in Hong Kong.  Dr. Perch has studied under Dr. Ben Lynch, a doctor who has been at the forefront of the research on folate vs folic acid within the context of a much bigger study on genetics & epigenetics.  

Dr. Perch, thanks so much for your time and helping this community learn more about why folate is so important for all women – especially those looking to get pregnant.  Let’s start with the basics.

Q: Can you tell us what is folate and how is it different from folic acid?

A:  Basically folic acid is a synthetic version of the folate we find in food – predominantly raw, dark, leafy greens.  As women, we are told about folic acid when are thinking of having children because to date, it has been the supplement of choice to prevent neural tube defects in children.  However, in order for the body to use folic acid for the purpose of preventing neural tube defects and for all of its other multiple purposes which we will discuss later on, folic acid must undergo a number of transformations in the body in order to become the active form of folate we know as “L-5-MTHF”.  These transformations require a number of factors, for example functioning enzymes, as well as available receptors and transporters. To add to this complexity, if one has a specific gene mutation called “MTHFR”  then, one could run into a situation where folic acid is unusable by the body.  As a result, the have a reduced ability to convert folic acid to the active form of folate L-5-MTHF.  

Q: Just for the benefit of the readers, MTHFR stands for “methylene-tetrahydro-folate reductase”.  The MTHFR gene produces the enzyme that is necessary for properly using folate or folic acid through a process called methylation.  I just recently did some genetic testing that shows I have the MTHFR mutation.  How common is this MTHFR genetic mutation?

A: As the research stands today it seems that about 70% of the women have the MTHFR mutation — and this percentage varies by culture and geographical area.  

Q:  That’s 2 out of 3 women.  So, to me it seems like a sensible idea to err on the side of caution and recommend folate over folic acid to every woman who is looking to get pregnant or already so.  Is that where the scientific data is leading us to?

A:  Yes, absolutely.  If we lived in a very clean environment with no stress, then the genetic mutation that makes us less efficient at converting folic acid into usable active folate wouldn’t matter so much.  But when one is trying to get pregnant, living in a polluted city like Hong Kong and trying to manage quite a bit of stress – then our ability to convert folic acid to folate efficiently gets compromised — even in someone who has no MTHFR mutation.  

Moreover, taking folic acid can carry some negative effects.  Folic acid competes with activate folate which means that your body may not be able to bind the folate, resulting in less active folate being readily available.  It can decrease natural killer cell activity so that immunity is suppressed. And it can mask a B12 deficiency (whereas folate does not).  

So really – given that folate also serves to prevent neural birth defects, it makes much more sense to supplement a woman with folate.  

Q: Can you tell us how taking the active form of folate (“methylfolate”) can help women prevent miscarriages?

A:  Folate is extremely important for the creation of new cells because it’s needed to make DNA.  Babies are 100% new cells. So within the first couple of weeks of pregnancy when the nervous system is being developed, the pregnant body uses a large amount of folate.  If there isn’t enough folate available because you’re not eating enough folate-rich foods or you are not converting folic acid efficiently enough — then you don’t have enough folate for the  baby’s development.  As a result, the fetus is not viable and miscarriage ensues.

Q:  Gosh. So really, for women who suffer from recurring miscarriages, part of the answer might lie in taking active folate instead of folic acid.  

So, let’s take a step back and talk a little bit more about this process through which folic acid is converted to folate: methylation.  Would you please explain – what is methylation and what role does it play in our body?  Because methylation is not just an important process for pregnant women – it’s crucial for everyone. Is that right?

A: Absolutely.  Methylation is a process that happens in everyone about a million times a second. From a biochemistry point of view — methylation is just the addition of a single carbon group with 3 hydrogens onto a compound.  The end product of methylation cycle is to make SAM-e, which gives its single carbon group to over 250 enzymes in the body. Why is that important?  Well, it turns on and off certain genes, i.e gene regulation. It processes the chemicals we produce inside & those we ingest or are exposed to externally.  It builds neurotransmitters and metabolizes them.  It processes hormones.  It builds immune cells.  It’s incredibly important for DNA synthesis and energy production.  It’s responsible for making myelin sheath (the protective coating on nerves); it builds & maintains cell membranes. It also converts homocysteine into methionine, which the body needs for proper metabolism and muscle growth and detoxification. So, those with an MTHFR mutation may have trouble effectively eliminating toxins, such as excess cholesterol & heavy metals from the body.

Q:  What health risks are associated with this mutation?

A:  There are many health risks associate with this mutation and miscarriage is but one.  In my practice and according to the research done to date, mothers with methylation issues are more like to have children with an increased risk of autism, ADHD & even Down Syndrome. This mutation is also associated with toxin accumulation because of an impaired ability to detox.  As a result, one has a greater risk to accumulate heavy metals & estrogens from the body.  There is an increased risk of cancer because of an impaired ability to repair DNA properly & detox.  One could also have issues with energy creation at the mitochondrial level; an increased risk of cardiovascular disease because of an impaired ability to convert homocysteine to methionine.   The list of possible health risks is almost endless unfortunately.

Q:  Is there a link between poor methylation and depression or mood disorders?

A:  Very much yes because methylation is important for creating and breaking down neurotransmitters. There is a gene called “COMT” that is responsible for breaking down dopamine and norepinephrine.  If you have a COMT mutation that impairs this break down and you are highly stressed, then you could end up with raised dopamine levels, which essentially means you will become even more stressed out because your stress hormones don’t get broken down.  In this instance, folate, magnesium and B6 are probably the most important nutrients with which to supplement.

Q: So, even regardless of this gene mutation, having a diet rich in these nutrients could be a good way to nutritionally support a new mother who is suffering from anxiety or baby blues because having a more efficient methylation process can help us create and break down the neurotransmitters we need to deal with stress.  

How about fatigue.  That’s a major issue, especially after having kids.   We are so sleep deprived and we’re under so much stress juggling a million different things, including incredibly demanding careers.  Can you talk to us a little about how stress & burnout can affect methylation?

A:  Of course.  Methylation is important to help to create and breakdown neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine & norepinephrine.  So if you have any issues with MTHFR – you’re more likely to have an imbalance of these neurotransmitters, which affect mood — especially when you’re stressed.  Because when you’re stressed, you need to methylate more.  And if you have problems methylating, then those people often have problems falling asleep when they’re stressed, because they don’t have enough methyl groups to convert serotonin into melatonin.

Q:  So Dr. Perch – I have to admit, when I first found out that I had the MTHFR mutation, I got really scared.  I poured over the literature to understand if I was indeed doomed by my genes.  But given my own journey with whole foods and nutrition, I was so relieved to read plenty of literature written by Dr Ben Lynch and others that nutrition can play a vital role in how our genes are actually expressed.  In other words, the food we eat (and don’t eat) can help us overcome the limitations of our genetic mutations.

Below, I’m sharing my favourite recipe to boost methylation.  What is your favourite way of boosting methylation?

A:  Methylation becomes a problem when we put pressure on our body to have to methylate.  So the best way is to look at the person overall and balance and remove the stressors as much as possible.  It’s important to address any issues of toxicity in the body, such as removing heavy metals.  In Hong Kong, investing in a good air purifier is always good. Also, eating as much clean, organic food as possible; and reducing inflammatory foods such as gluten or any foods to which you are intolerant. From a supplementation perspective – homeopathy and adrenal supplementation support can really help.  Ensuring that your B-complex or multivitamin has the active forms of B12 and B9 is also important (i.e. methylcobalamin and methylfolate, respectively).  From a lifestyle perspective: yin exercises  such as yoga, tai chi & meditation.  And really – doing things that bring you joy.  

THANK YOU so much Dr. Perch, for sharing your insights.  

For all the women & mothers out there who need a folate boost to help them make a baby from scratch, sleep soundly, reduce anxiety, create energy, repair DNA, detoxify and boost their metabolism, here’s my favourite recipe!

THRIVE’S NURTURE OVER NATURE SALAD

• ½ cup arugula
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• ½ cup leftover roasted broccoli
• Handful of GO RAW pumpkin seeds
• Palm-sized portion of grass-feed beef strips, roasted chicken or ¾ cup cooked chickpeas
• A few cherry tomatoes, ½ yellow bell peppers, ½ small avocado

Dressing:  Soak 1 cup of cashews for an hour in warm water.  Add 1 tspn chickpea miso (or regular miso of your choice); and the juice of ½ lemon.  Mix and add water 1 tbsp at a time until you’ve reached your desired level of thickness for the sauce.  

Why does this salad kick my MTHFR mutation in the butt?

• Dark green leafy veggies like arugula and spinach are rich natural folate easily absorbed by the body
• This salad also contains all the co-factors which support methylation:
  • Broccoli is rich in cysteine;
  • Avocado is rich in magnesium
  • Beef and chicken are rich in zinc, B2 and B6
  • Pumpkin seeds are also rich in zinc
• The rainbow coloured veggies give you a great hit of bioflavonoids and antioxidants for detox support
• The cashew dressing is rich in zinc, magnesium and B6 (methylation cofactors).  Plus it’s got a hit of fermented food to help keep your gut healthy; and it’s rich in healthy fats.

Nutrition plays a vital role in determining our gene expression.  We all carry health risks but a nutrient-rich diet can be the cheapest, safest & most sustainable way of mitigating these risks.  

Don’t waste your bites! 

Cristina Tahoces is a holistic nutritionist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice.  Please join her Facebook group “Thrive Nutrition Practice” for daily articles, recipes, promotions on professional grade supplements and upcoming workshops.

Copyright © 2016 THRIVE NUTRITION PRACTICE LTD.

A Meal Plan = Affirmative Action in the Politics of Nutrition

              Thrive Nutrition Practice: Meal Planning Tool

Let me explain…

The Meal Plan is the fastest way for you to make positive changes to your diet in a sustainable way because it addresses the single biggest challenge for healthy eating:

BEING TIME POOR.  

I don’t have time to pack my lunch.  I don’t have time to make dinner from scratch because I get home late.  I don’t have time to have breakfast at home.

These are the battle cries of the nutritionally disenfranchised.   It’s hard to push back on the “lack of time” argument because we can all relate.

However, just like little girls have to see women leaders to believe they can be one, so do aspiring healthy eaters have to see their healthy food choices in order to make them a reality.  So really – a meal plan is like affirmative action for nutrition.

Before I started to meal plan, I would:

• go to the supermarket 2-4x per week because I never had the ingredients I wanted in the fridge;
• spend WAY TOO MUCH MONEY at the supermarket because I’d shop hungry or didn’t plan ahead so that I could buy online more cheaply;
• skip breakfast because I could never figure out in time what I FELT LIKE eating;
• have a kind of disgusting combination of my kids’ leftover plus whatever else I could scramble in 10min for dinner;
• feel bummed and bored with food because I felt like had the same foods ALL THE TIME. 

If this sounds like you, you need get jiggy with a meal plan.  One 10-minute session a week can help you eat better, promote variety in your diet, save you money and get you excited about food again!  Plus – all the time you get back from countless trips to the supermarket, you can re-invest in making some of your meals from scratch.

Here are my top two app-based meal planners, which help you keep recipes, meal plan and build a shopping list from the plan:  www.plantoeat.com and www.pepperplate.com.  Pepperplate is free and Plantoeat is just under US$5 a month.

If you can spend the time to populate these apps with healthy recipes and are super organized, these can work really well for you because they help generate a shopping list for you too, which is super useful.

However, there is no meal planning app that I know of that helps you create nutritionally-rich meal plans.  I mean –  you can have the best meal plan template but if populate it with CocoPuffs, peanut butter & jam sandwiches and mac&cheese — you’re not exactly affirming positive action in the nutrition department.

So, I’ve created a template for building nutritionally-rich meals, which I’d like to share with you today.

THE THRIVE MEAL PLAN TEMPLATE:

• is founded on maximising the inclusion of Thrive’s SLEEPLOVEPOOP foods:  high quality protein, fresh fruits&veggies, healthy fats & fibre-rich foods;
• works to help you build healthy meals and make healthy food choices if you’re going out;
• helps you commit to achievable weekly goals so that you feel really good about what you’ve eaten by the end of the week.  This is really important because the biggest enemy of nutrition is perfection.

It is also FREE  but you will have to email me for it.  I’ve already filled out a week for you, so you can see how to use it.  I’ve also included healthy lunch ideas for children. 

My little gift for you during LOVE month because healthy eating is not rocket science.

It’s just about having a plan.

Cristina Tahoces is a holistic nutritionist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice.  Please join her Facebook group “Thrive Nutrition Practice” for daily articles, recipes, promotions on professional grade supplements and upcoming workshops.

Copyright © 2016 THRIVE NUTRITION PRACTICE LTD.