Gluten-free banana bread

I’ve just tasted this wonderful banana bread that finished baking about 30 minutes ago. Absolutely beautiful – light, airy and really tasty. I used Agave syrup instead of sugar.

http://glutenfreeday.com/?p=447

The Benefits of Ginger

I have recently bought a new juicer. It’s amazing! I found that adding ginger to my juices gives them a lovely taste and a warming feel that’s perfect for these colder months.

But what you possibly didn’t know is that ginger has quite an impressive array of health benefits. One of the best known benefits is as an anti-emetic (helps control nausea), which was a godsend for me this morning after a large amount of wine last night! Ginger is great for pregnant women or those on drugs with side effects causing sickness, such as chemotherapy. Ginger can also help promote bile flow, which is important for good digestion and detoxification. I would recommend ginger to anyone with mild problems of the digestive tract, including IBS, bloating and flatulence.

Another major benefit of ginger is it’s anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties. Ginerols, which are found in ginger, inhibit some of the natural chemical substances (called prostaglandins) that cause pain and inflammation. In a 1992 study, ginger was given to people experiencing joint problems. Of those that had osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, a huge 75% said they had substantial relief.

Ginger may help prevent the buildup of platelets in the arteries, therefore may help to protect the heart, lower cholesterol and prevent strokes. A note here though, ginger can have blood thinning properties and although no interaction with blood thinning medication has been found, supervision from a healthcare specialist should be practised if taken in moderate to large amounts.

On top of all of this, ginger is also anti-viral, antiseptic and may help the symptoms of respiratory problems, including asthma, colds and flu.

Try adding chopped ginger to stir-frys, juicing or adding large chunks to hot water and steeping (lovely with lemon in the morning as digestive stimulation).

Laser therapy and pain/injury

This is slightly off topic for me but yesterday marked exactly a year since my accident where I shattered my ankle joint. Those of you who read my blog will know that my injury has been a traumatic journey as I’ve come to terms with pain that might always be present and a heavy limp.

As well as good nutrition; acupuncture, physiotherapy, certain exercise and dry needling have all done something to ease the pain and stiffness in my ankle joint over the past year but I was definitely hoping for something to come along and make an instant, noticable difference. Well, thank Friday (ok, it’s Wednesday, but you get the point) for laser therapy!

I wasn’t convinced leaving my first laser therapy appointment with Sam Blanchard at Sundial clinics in Brighton, but the next morning it felt amazing. The laser doesn’t make a noise, and you feel nothing but the results for me are wonderful. I seem to have reached a bit of a turning point and have been able to introduce different types of exercise to my ankle. Walking has become easier and I’ve even had the confidence to go out and buy a bike as cycling in the gym no longer causes an ache.

Wholeheartedly recommended for anyone with chronic pain!

The change in season and serotonin

Summer has come to an end. We’ve spent way too much money, exercise went out the window in favour of cider and as we come back down to earth with an almighty bump I thought this may be a good time to talk about mood.

Low levels of serotonin in the brain have been heavily linked to SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), low motivation and gloomy feelings related to the colder months. Most prescription anti-depressants are designed to work on serotonin.

Firstly, let’s get an understanding of what serotonin does. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter; neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that influence nerve responses in the body. There are different types of neurotransmitters and they have different roles. For example, melatonin influences sleep cycle, dopamine can have an effect on social confidence whereas serotonin is important for good mood and wellbeing. Every emotion that occurs in the body involves a nerve reaction so you can imagine how important these nerve messengers are for positive and happy feelings.

Neurotransmitters are made via a complex chemical pathway in our body and production relies on availability of certain substances called amino acids. Especially important in the production of serotonin are the amino acids tryptophan and 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan).

Serotonin isn’t available as a supplement as it is not able to pass our blood brain barrier and must be manufactured in the brain from tryptophan. Tryptophan is also not available as supplement as it has been banned, however, tryptophan is made from 5-HTP and 5-HTP is available as a supplement. A nutritional therapist or supplement dispenser can give you advice on how to take 5-HTP and dosage.

You can also increase your intake of tryptophan rich foods, which include fresh turkey (preferably organic), tuna, oats and fresh salmon.

Autumn can be such an amazing, inspiring season if you’re feeling positive, let serotonin be your friend.

GABA and alcohol

GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are substances that relay messages in the body across nerves affecting our moods (amongst many other things). GABA, as far as mood goes, deals with messages of relaxation and anti-anxiety.

It has been found that GABA levels rise one hour after drinking alcohol and this may be the reason why we feel more socially acceptable and relaxed after drinking alcohol. GABA receptors (cells that receive messages from GABA) are responsible for the intoxicating effects of alcohol and chronic alcohol use can modify the behaviour of these receptors, causing an addiction. Therefore, supplementation of GABA may help with alcoholism.

I have never taken a GABA supplement. Does anyone have any experience of it? I’ll be intrigued to know if supplementation can bring on feelings of social acceptance.

Thyroid and depression

I’m going to come back and elaborate on this a little more later but I found the following extremely interesting:

‘Our results suggest that nearly 75% of patients with bi-polar disorder have a thyroid profile that may be sub optimal for antidepressant results’ – Cole et al, 2002.

‘We found thyroid auto antibodies in 70% of severely depressed patients’ – Konig et al, 1999.

Tahini salad dressing

Summer’s here! Couldn’t be a better time to post a delicious salad dressing.

1 large tbsp of light tahini
1 clove of garlic, crushed
dash of good quality oil (linseed oil is best, kept in the fridge)
dash of soy sauce or tamari

mix all of these together and then add lemon juice until you achieve your desired consistency. Simple!

Particularly nice with falafel and toasted seeds.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Antioxidants ‘neutralise’ free radicals in our body. Free radicals are potentially harmful chemicals as they are unstable, meaning they need to ‘steal’ a molecule from our bodies healthy cells to become stable, leaving the previously healthy cells potentially harmful too. Antioxidants are cells that freely give up the molecules to free radicals, therefore making them stable. Our bodies come into contact with free radicals everyday, especially in this day in age.

Alpha Lipoic Acid is a particularly good antioxidant as it is active in both water and fat environments, whereas most other antioxidants are only active in one or the other. Lipoic Acid also ‘recycles’ other antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Glutathione.

Alpha Lipoic Acid can be taken as a supplement and can also be found in the following foods:

Broccoli

Spinach

Liver

Kidney

Red Meat

Steak

Brewer’s Yeast

Potatoes

How to live to 101

I’m having an ongoing saga with my leg (see past blog posts) and sometimes it’s hard to not feel negative about it when the bad news keeps-a-coming. I had a bit of a low point a few weeks ago when I saw my x-rays and had them explained to me by someone who wasn’t afraid to give me the cold, hard facts.

However, I had a bit of a change of attitude when I saw this program. How To Live To 101 is an inspiring look at some of the longest living communities around the world. In Okinawa, Japan, centenarians can be seen dancing around, enjoying a spot of gardening and having a go at karaoke! These remarkable people have a healthy amount of positive thinking and live by the ‘use it or lose it’ theory. Their sense of community is also very prevalent.

I couldn’t help but notice that the people in Okinawa had a diet high in soy and rich in antioxidants. They also live by a theory that you should eat until you’re only half full. I found this very interesting. Our western culture gets greedier and greedier and portions get larger. I feel we have a lot to learn from these different cultures and their simplistic and humble way of living.

I wholeheartedly recommend watching the programme, it is available on youtube in parts. Information about the program is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/broadband/tx/101/

Pine bark extract for arthritis?

A randomised, double blind, placebo controlled study was carried out on the effects of pine bark extract on arthritis. The study, published in the journal Nutrition Reserch, indicated an improvement of 52% in knee osteoarthritis.

The extract from pine bark believed to have this positive effect on arthritis is Pycnogenol. Pycnogenol is available in a supplement from many manufacturers, widely available is the Solgar brand.

There are a few contraindications with Pycnogenol – advice should be sought if you have diabetes or low blood sugar, take medications for high cholesterol, have a history of bleeding or blood clotting disorders, take anti coagulant or blood pressure medications, take medications to suppress the immune system or have known allergies to plants.