World Microbiome Day

I have been largely following Dry January since a friend @frank_warren_official told me many years ago, how much better he felt at the end of it. All these years later I still agree.

In December & with the run up to Christmas albeit there were less parties this year (unless of course you were working @10downingstreet where the wildest parties were no doubt being held)..

Moving swiftly on, its all too easy at Christmas & New Year, to have extra alcohol, be it wine/mulled wine a cocktail or a beer.

Alcohol is a drug, the more we drink, the more we desire. Our livers, skin & sleep 😴 patterns all suffer and personally I notice the difference as the new year arrives.

What I want to suggest is considering trying out some of the many low alcohol alternatives when next in the pub or considering what to drink on a Friday, Saturday or any evening in January.

January (& October) has been adopted as the month as this makes obvious sense, but reducing your alcohol intake can be beneficial at any time.

My personal favourites are Becks alcohol free lager, Seedlips spirits & mocktails such as the elderflower, apple & mint mocktail - see our recent reel.

Let us know your favourites & how are you getting along with Dry January?

#drinks #dryjanuary #lowalcohol #lowalcoholbeer #lowalcoholwine #mocktails #mocktail #alcoholfree #dietitian #londondietitian ...

I am so pleased that many London theatres are open, despite a few having to temporarily close their doors because of illness among the performers.

We went to see The Lion King yesterday at The Lyceum. I was fortunate enough to have enjoyed this amazing show over 20 years ago, when our children were young. It was truly wonderful yesterday reliving that excitement through the eyes of the grandsons.

I had forgotten the vibrant sets, the exceptional costumes, the high energy levels of the actors and dancers.

Everyone knows and loves the music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice & I found myself dancing in my seat (embarrassing grandmother..🤣).

There have been some production tweaks, but these merely enhanced a great production.

Keep going guys, you brought such pleasure to so many children and adults yesterday.

The place was absolutely buzzing and I hope will continue to do so for another 20 years to come!

#lionking #disney #londontheatre #londonlife #grandsons #grandson #family #familytime #christmas ...

Hope you enjoy this Christmas quiz?

Happy Christmas from the ‘begoodtoyourgut’ team to all our followers and thank you for reading the posts/stories and watching our reels over the past 12 months & do hope you found some of the information contained in the content helpful?

A very special thanks to @nutritionnourishment for helping support our social media account throughout 2021 alongside your studies & now work. You are a star!

#christmas #christmas2021 #christmas2021🎄 #merrychristmas #havefun ...

I am certainly not an expert in the field of intuitive eating, but am very aware through working in the field, that many people have a complex and overly restrictive relationship with food.

Social media has added to that mix as influencers/nutritionists without formal training, often perpetuate myths particularly aimed at weight loss & restricting calorie/energy intake.

Intuitive eating is about being kinder to yourself, relearning to enjoy food & an appreciation that a perfect diet is neither attainable or relevant.

I am not referring to food restrictions in the short or longer term, if an allergy or intolerance is suspected such as a short period restricting fermentable foods to determine if these trigger digestive disturbances.

I am referring to thinking in terms of food as being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ & having an understanding that all food has a value & focussing on the positives.

Demonising foods groups such as carbs, gluten or dairy, can be deeply harmful & perpetuate food anxiety.

So if you recognise that you are stuck in a ‘dieting cycle’ as demonstrated in our infographic & want to do something about it, a good starting point is @laurathomasphd website or book ‘Just Eat It’.

Please leave us a comment below, if you found this overview helpful?

(The above post, is not referring to people with Eating disorders who need to receive help from a health team including a registered dietitian specialising in eating disorders).

#intuitiveeating #bodypositivity #bekindtoyourself #registereddietitian #registerednutritionist #dietitian #londondietitian #begoodtoyourgut.co.uk ...

In the 90s & early millennium, I worked as part of a Head & Neck cancer multidisciplinary team at Chase Farm hospital.

During that time, I saw many patients in both the early & advanced stages of their disease. It made an enormous impact on me as the treatments were often life saving, but at the same time brutal.

Some patients ended up with a laryngectomy &/or having a feeding tube placed to provide essential nourishment & hydration. Many unfortunately died.

What was often evident among this group of patients, some of which we followed up for years, was a history of alcohol abuse, often in association with smoking.

For some, this pattern continued throughout their treatment. I never knew anyone could or indeed would, administer alcohol down their feeding tube, but we recognised this was happening on all too many occasions.

The evidence that alcohol can cause head and neck & several other types of cancer is pretty indisputable.

Personally like many others, I enjoy a glass or two of wine at the weekend. I also know that alcohol even in small quantities has negligible health benefits & sadly moderate/excess drinking can have a devastating effect on our risk of developing head and neck cancers.

Do have a read of our infographic to learn more & let us know what you think? Let’s all be a little more ‘drink aware’ as we approach the festive season & that certainly includes me!

(Please note this post focussed on the risk of cancer particularly head & neck, but there are many other health risks associated with alcohol excess).

#cancer #cancerawareness #headandneckcancer #alcoholawareness #macmillancancersupport #dietitian #londondietitian ...

Its long overdue, but our latest blog on the ‘Management of Diverticular disease’ is now up on the website.

Diverticular disease is very common as we get older & often causes absolutely no problems at all.

We discuss in the blog & infographic, how to reduce the risk of developing both the condition & also diverticulitis (when the diverticula become inflamed). A high fibre diet with adequate fluid is cornerstone to this.

The @ryvitauk app is an effective & simple way of checking how much fibre you are having during the day. We are aiming for 30 grams daily.

We also clear up the confusion regarding why your GP may prescribe a very different type of diet (fluid/low fibre), for a few days to allow your gut to rest during an attack of diverticulitis.

Diverticulitis is a medical condition that needs to be discussed with your GP, Gastroenterologist or Colorectal Surgeon.

So if you have diverticular disease & develop any of the symptoms of more severe infection as detailed in the blog, please contact your medical practitioner.

The information contained in this infographic post or on our website, are not intended to replace medical advice & an accurate diagnosis is always essential.

#diverticulardisease #diverticulitis #highfibre #highfibrediet #dietitian #londondietitian #digestivehealth #digestivesystem ...

It’s almost the end of National Cholesterol month, but it’s never too late to think about whether we should be arranging to have our cholesterol level checked, particularly if you have any risk factors.

These include increasing age, obesity, lack of exercise, alcohol, smoking & a poor diet. I get mine measured annually because of being 60+.

We need cholesterol to stay healthy. We need it for digestion, to make Vit D & to produce hormones. Its only when it gets too high, that it can sometimes lead to health problems.

Excess cholesterol can clog up our arteries without any clear sign that it is happening. This will eventually put a strain on the heart, causing it not too work as effectively. It can potentially lead to a heart attack or stroke if left unchecked.

Sometimes our genes cause us to develop a high cholesterol, this is called Familial Hypercholesterolaemua (FH) & it occurs irrespective of diet & lifestyle.

For the majority of people, we can actively reduce our cholesterol level, by exercising more, drinking less alcohol, giving up smoking & eating less red & processed meats, full fat dairy products, butter/ghee, goose fat, coconut oil & creams.

Please have a look at our infographic to learn more about the composition of cholesterol (the good & bad parts) & learn more how adopting some simple lifestyle measures can help a great deal in keeping our cholesterol level under control.

Have a great weekend.

@the_bhf @heartukcharity @charityheartuk #healthydiet #healthylifestyle #plantbased #plantbaseddiet #activelifestyle ...

The days are getting shorter & although I love autumn - leaves turning golden, misty mornings, pumpkins & Strictly on TV.

There is however increasingly less daylight, which means we could well be experiencing a level of Vitamin D deficiency.

We may not even notice it, unless it becomes very severe, but it can lead to muscle weakness, fatigue, mood changes & very importantly our bones maynot be as strong as we need them to be.

As our recent post highlighted World Osteoporosis Day & autumn is now well & truly upon us, we have taken the opportunity to review how much Vit D we need at different life stages, how this is effected by the seasons & where we actually get it from.

Disclosure, it’s not found in many foods!

We need Vit D & a diet with adequate calcium to build & maintain strong bones without which fractures can occur more readily.

Do have a read of our infographic & let us know if you are taking a Vit D supplement at present or whether you are considering doing so after reading the facts tonight?

Happy Sunday & have a great week ahead.

#vitamind #vitaminddeficiency #vitamind3 #osteoporosis #osteoporosisprevention #calcium #dietitian #londondietitian #begoodtoyourgut .co.uk ...

Our genes play an important role in whether we develop osteoporosis during our lifetime.

Lifestyle factors such as our diet, exercise & alcohol consumption can all influence the rate of bone loss as we age.

A diet rich in calcium, protein & Vit D & avoiding severe weight loss diets can all play a part in the prevention of the disease.

It is recommended that adults consume a minimum of 700mg of calcium rich foods daily & 1000mgs if you have osteoporosis.

This is usually possible with a varied diet, but where it is not, a calcium supplement may be appropriate.

Always discuss any supplementation with your GP or a healthcare professional & take no more than 1500mgs of calcium daily (& no more than 500mg of elemental calcium at one go).

Hope you find the content of our infographic acknowledging World Osteoporosis Day helpful.

#osteoporosis #osteoporosisprevention #bonehealth #healthybones #calcium #vitamind #dietitian #londondietitian #begoodtoyourgut.co.uk ...

Very proud to have had a second article published very recently on Symprove for Professionals website - @symproveyourlife.

On this occasion we had a good look at the evidence for probiotic use in both the prevention & treatment of eczema in adults & children.

There is some very interesting research out there. This includes a systematic review, that suggests that probiotics taken during pregnancy, may help protect your baby against developing eczema by up to 50%.

This is particularly important for expectant Mums, where there is a family history of eczema.

There is also a lot of work going on in other areas of skin disease and diet, including the management of acne and rosacea.

For further details on probiotics & eczema, have a read of our infographic & let us know your thoughts?

If you are a health professional, head over to the Symprove for Professionals website to access the full article.

#eczema #eczemadiet #eczemaawareness #ad #symprove #symproveyourlife #probiotics #probioticskincare #guthealth #gut #dietitian #londondietitian #begoodtoyourgut.co.uk ...

Gut hormones and appetite. A little explanation we felt needed.. dietetic/nutrition students may wish to 💕

Many of us have heard of the phrases “trust your gut” and “gut feeling”. Well, more and more research supports the fact that our brain and gut talk to each other, via something call “the gut-brain axis”.

This ‘two way’ relationship influences our physical and psychological health… and importantly also our appetite!

Our gut is the largest endocrine organ in our body. By endocrine we mean anything which secretes hormones and other products directly into our blood, i.e. the gut produces a lot of hormones! Some of these hormones have been related to our appetite control, food digestion and absorption.

One way our gut hormones can influence our appetite is through impacting on appetite centres in our brains. Our gut can release hormones which increase our feeling of fullness. For example leptin, PYY, GLP-1 and CCK (don’t worry too much about the names). On the other hand, it can also release hormones which increase our feelings of hunger (ghrelin and neuropeptide).

So, does our gut microbiome actually have a role here?

Well yes, we have cells which line our gut and these cells release hormones. These cells are fine tuned by the make up of our gut microbiome Furthermore, our gut microbiome also releases molecules, called short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which play a role in increasing the release of our ‘satiety’ hormones, which help reduce our appetite.

We have lots of posts on how to improve our gut microbiome such as optimising on your fibre intake, including probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods & eating a varied diet. Do check some out & consider saving for reference later on.

It’s a complex picture, but boils down to a healthy gut microbiome helps support appetite control, digestion & nutrient absorption.

Happy Wednesday & hope it’s sunny where you are?


#trustyourgut #guthormonesandappetitie #appetitecontrol #thegut-brainaxis #dietitian #londondietitian #digestivehealth #guthealth #begoodtoyourgut ...

Protecting & developing a more sustainable planet is I suspect on most of our agendas. The politicians hopefully likewise, but we won’t go there!

We all know there is a massive & growing problem.

Food production is contributing to 15-30% of total greenhouse gases. We only have to watch the news & see the fires in California, Canada & Greece & the floods in Europe this summer, to know we have a problem that we cannot ignore.

Food production particularly red meat & dairy, is a leading reason for soil & water pollution, loss of forest areas & as such biodiversity.

Overfishing & extraordinary fishing practices have impacted negatively on fishing stocks across the globe.

There is not a quick fix, but what we eat & aiming to consume a more sustainable diet, will help our planet & at the same time support better health.

Our infographic this week, gives us all some easy environmental swaps to consider.

Diet is only one aspect of attempting to reduce greenhouse gas production, but nevertheless its an important one.

There are lots of papers that go into this area in far more detail if you want to read more including:

1. Eat-Lancet Planetary Health Diet. https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet-commission/the-planetary-health-diet-and-you/

2. One Blue Dot report by @bda_dietitians

We would love also to hear from you what we can do to improve our carbon footprint?

#sustainability #sustainableseafood #sustainablefood #sustainablefoodsystems #planetarydiet #environmentalprotection ...

When a meal box advertisement for @hellofreshuk was thrust into my hands at Finsbury Park station quite a few years ago, I was not convinced they would actually take off!

How wrong was I, fast forward a few years and a world wide pandemic and they have proven extremely popular particularly for ‘time poor’ workers, where cost outweighs convenience. Alternatively these boxes are great for someone who simply wants some recipe updates or maintain better portion control.

During Covid, I suspect many people who wanted to avoid the supermarket visit, may have also dipped their toes into purchasing a food box.

In fact, there has been an explosion in companies producing similar products such as @mindfulchefuk @goustocooking @balanceboxuk etc.

Some of the companies cater for people who wish to follow a particular diet. Most are aimed at those wishing to consume a ‘healthy’ diet and/or are aiming to lose weight. Some offer allergen free menus eg gluten/dairy free.

Our post today reviews some of the ‘pros and cons’ of such boxes for the individual.

The list is not endless and we would love to hear of your experiences with meal recipe boxes.

Are the portions too small/too big? Did the contents meet up to your expectation? Do you buy these boxes regularly or just occasionally?

Let us know?

#hellofresh #mindfulchef #recipebox #gousto #dietitian #londondietitian #foodboxes #foodbox #begoodtoyourgut.co.uk ...

The FODMAP diet is not the answer for all patients with IBS symptoms. We know it works for between 50-86% of patients, which means it certainly does not work for all.

Many patients who consult with me, have other diet & lifestyle related challenges such as irregular/missed meals, diets low in fruit & veg, high stress or low activity levels etc. I always suggest we look at these & simpler dietary strategies first before considering a low FODMAP exclusion diet.

For others, I may suggest avoiding wheat or milk & dairy products for a fortnight consecutively. This can sometimes be all that is required to improve IBS symptoms. If this is the case, we then rechallenge to determine individual tolerance.

There are however a group of people who need & respond well to the LOW FODMAP diet for a 5-8 week period. The improvement seen quite frankly is often impressive.

Is the diet good for the gut microbiota?

No it is not & can actually result in an unfavourable gut microbiota and this is why maintaining the diet is not in any way desirable beyond a max 8 week period.

It is a complex diet, particularly for vegans as pulses are very restricted. I would strongly discourage anyone with a history of disordered eating to embark on it.

My guidance is always discuss your symptoms first with your GP (you may well need some tests initially to ensure you have IBS) & then arrange to see a Registered Dietitian or Registered Nutritionist with recognised FODMAP training qualifications such as The Kings College or @bda_dietitians courses.

Do have a look at our infographic to give you a comprehensive overview of the diet & DM me directly if you are struggling with IBS symptoms & would like to arrange a consultation.

Happy September Sunday!

PS Apologies, blueberries are definitely not kiwi - page 8!!

#fodmap #fodmapdiet #fodmapfriendly #digestivehealth #digestivesupport #irritablebowelsyndrome #ibs #begoodtoyourgut.co.uk #dietitian #londondietitian ...

When was the last time you added a new food to your diet?

So many diet fads promote taking foods out. We all have heard of the low carb diet, sometimes called ‘the Keto’ diet, the Paleo diet, the ‘raw food’ diet and I could go on.

Many people need to exclude foods because of life threatening food allergies and significant food intolerances. However, many fad diets promote restricting or avoiding certain foods entirely.

Most of these diets are underlying aimed at weight loss, are often unsustainable and can result in a poor nutrient balance.

So today’s infographic is encouraging you to not unnecessarily exclude food groups. Quite the contrary we propose you add foods.

So the next time, you are in the supermarket or local market, think about adding an unfamiliar vegetable - blackeye, edamame beans, an artichoke? Or a fruit you have not tried before or for a long time - blackberries, gooseberries?

Have you tried kefir, it’s on most supermarket shelves, reasonably priced and tastes great? Likewise miso.

Adding foods can improve the fibre, the vitamin, mineral & phytochemical content of your diet and will respectively support better gut health.

I don’t think anyone needs further convincing this is important for many aspects of digestive & general health.

#faddiets #guthealth #balanceddiet #probiotics #dietitian #londondietitian Begoodtoyourgut #begoodtoyourgut.co.uk #phytochemicals #diet ...

How come I only found about The Seapot in Ventnor yesterday.. it’s exceptional location and food was deservedly reflected in the queues waiting to be served.

I have visited @thehutcolwell in the past & plan to do so again but actually think The Seapot food & ambience is very equitable.

My dear friend has a seafood allergy, so we strictly avoided this, opting for the vegan sharing platter. Delicious in every sense!

Will return to sample the mussels and other seafood at another time when walking Bonchurch to Steephill Cove where we normally lunch.

Great views, service & food & will book next time.

#seapot #ventnor #seafood #seafoodlover #veganfood platter #dietitian #londondietitian #isleofwight #begoodtoyourgut #begoodtoyourgut.co.uk ...