Relief from Hot Flashes

You get that sudden intense feeling of heath, flushed or red face and sweating. Sound familiar? Although some women sail through menopause, research shows that almost many as 75% of women experience hot flashes during perimenopause and menopause. For many women hot flashes can be a real bother and can last for several years (North American Menopause Society).

Why do so many women experience these?  

Hot flashes result from hormonal changes in the body and when heading to menopause our oestrogen levels  decline which can trigger these. You may also experience other symptoms such as insomnia, mood swings, low libido, vaginal dryness and weight issues. Obesity, alcohol and poor diet could increase your risk of hot flashes.

Natural reliefs:

1.    Reduce caffeine. Study found that excess caffeine intake exacerbates menopausal vasomotor symptoms (Menopause, 2015 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25051286)

2.    Stop smoking. Smokers were found to experience more severe and twice as more hot flashes than women who don’t smoke. (Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 2014 https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2014/february/penn-medicine-study-reveals-ge).

3.    Take vitamin E. 2018 study found that 400IU of vitamin E can reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17664882

4.   Eat more phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens such as isoflavones found in soybeans and lignans in flaxseeds, fruits, vegetables, legumes and wholegrains have a weak oestrogen-like properties. Phytoestrogens bind to oestrogen receptors and help modulate oestrogen activity and appear to have anti-estrogenic activity ( Journal of Steroid Biochemical Molecular Biology, 2015).

New Year - How to Make Healthier Changes

How many times have you set a New Year resolution – “lose 10 kilos” or “start jogging regularly”, only to forget all about it (with perhaps with a tinge of guilt) by February? With the festive season indulgence now behind us, you may be thinking it’s a great time to put your health-kick into action. Now while 45% of us ushered in 2014 with a New Year’s resolution, a meager 8% of these were actually achieved. And the number one thing we were trying to achieve? You guessed it – weight loss.

So why are so many of us failing our New Year’s resolutions? Changing a habit for good takes time. You’re not just losing weight, you’re looking to change your whole lifestyle so this requires patience and hard work. Those kilos didn’t appear overnight so they’re not likely to suddenly disappear in a few weeks. Setting your sights for one tangible goal will help you to succeed.

Top tips on how to create healthier habits: 

• Start simple - change your breakfast routine. Store bought cereal (even muesli) often contains high levels of sugar and fat. Replace these with oatmeal and berries or a tasty smoothie.

• Take a piece of fruit with you or snack on nuts. Walk around the block to get extra exercise.

• Clean out & stock up. Throw away sugary snacks and processed foods from cupboards and stock up with healthier choices. This way you are less likely to give in to temptations at home and will help you consider what you buy from the supermarket.

• Prepare. Make a meal-plan for the week and stick to it. Make extra food and freeze leftovers if you’re partial to unhealthy take-out meals or snacks.

• Get enough sleep. Poor sleep has been linked to increased hunger and cravings.

• Focus on positives. Celebrate and reward yourself on achieving small goals. Not with food -but with other things. Have a day out with family or friends, see a movie, go shopping or just relax. This will increase your chances of wanting more.

Christmas Health Tips

It can be tricky not to overindulge during the party season. Christmas parties, catching up with friends and family can lead to excessive eating & drinking which can contribute to gaining extra kilos, expanding waistlines and feeling overall uncomfortable.

Here are my strategies how to enjoy the festive season in healthier ways:

• Hydrate before drinking alcohol. Drink water throughout the day before heading out for drinks. Also drink water before heading to bed.

• Going to a party with a buffet? Load half of your plate of veggies (not all potatoes!) with a portion of protein – turkey, chicken or fish. Avoid deep-fried foods.

• Keep snacking to a minimum. Start your day with a good breakfast (e.g. scrambled eggs + spinach) which helps to balance your blood sugar and control appetite. If you are truly hungry between meals, then have a snack.

• Eat mindfully – chew well, put down your fork between mouthfuls and take your time. These will encourage you to slow down and enjoy your food more as well as help your digestive processes!

Party Season - How to Avoid Hangovers

It’s that time again when pre-Xmas parties are starting. Although it’s lots of fun to catch up with friends and colleagues, it’s also the season of excess; we tend to eat more, drink more and stay up longer.

Here are few tips on how to avoid hangovers and feel fresher the next day:

- Don’t forget to drink water whilst drinking. If you don’t drink enough water, you can become quickly dehydrated which could cause headache the next day. So drink a glass of water after every alcoholic drink.

- Avoid drinks which are full of sugar such as sweet cocktails and anything mixed with coca-cola or other sugary drinks. Did you know that rum & coke contains a whopping 27g of sugar!

- Choose cleaner alcohols: organic red wine or vodka with fresh lime juice and mint. These contain less sugar, additives and some antioxidants (red wine).

- Drink less. It’s important to remember that alcohol is a toxin that disrupts our blood sugar and in excess can damage our liver and brain. Be mindful of how much you drink.

3 Foods to Reduce Painful Periods

It is estimated that 90% of women experience some menstrual cramping and about 20% suffer from dysmenorrhea, painful periods (University of Birmingham, 2012 https://www.aafp.org/afp/2012/0215/p386.html). Painful cramps can be debilitating and interfere with daily activities.

What can cause painful periods?  

Naturally your womb contracts & relaxes on a regular basis throughout your cycle. During your periods, these contractions may become stronger because your uterus is expelling its lining.

Painful periods have been associated with excess production of prostaglandins, a hormone-like substances that our bodies produce. Too many prostaglandins can increase pain and inflammation. Women with painful periods have higher levels of prostaglandins. (ACOG https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Dysmenorrhea-Painful-Periods?IsMobileSet=false)  Menstrual cycle is natural but suffering from extreme period pain isn’t.  

Other conditions that can cause period pain are fibroids and endometriosis.

 3 Foods to Alleviate Period Pain

 1.    Eat more omega-3 rich foods; salmon, ground linseed, pumpkin seeds, green leafy vegetables. Study (Experimental Biology, 2004) showed that Omega-3 in fish may significantly diminish the production of prostaglandins and reduces inflammation https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060404085719.htm

2.    Magnesium has been associated to relax and reduce pain through lowering prostaglandins in blood (British Medical Journal, 2006). Eat dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, little dark chocolate. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1459624/

 3.    Zinc. A study showed that taking extra zinc could reduce or even prevent painful periods. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17289285. Eat zinc-rich foods; chicken, pumpkin seeds, seafood.

 Top tip: High caffeine intake, saturated fats (dairy, red meat) and sugar can increase period cramps & inflammation.

Sperm Health

Last week in the UK it was Fertility Week.  According to the BBC, it is estimated that as many as 3.5 million people, that’s 1 in 6 couples, have fertility problems.

However, sperm doesn’t get much media attention. Male fertility is declining worldwide. A 2017 study found that average sperm counts have dropped by 52% over nearly 40-period (Journal of Human Reproduction https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/23/6/646/4035689).

Why is this?

Sperm is very vulnerable. Obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol increase the risk the damage to sperm’s DNA (Journal of Human Reproduction, 2008). Environmental exposure to pesticides and phthalates (found in plastic) can disrupt male endocrine hormone production such as testosterone (Envir. Research 2008)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935108001862?via%3ihub

Diet also plays a big role in sperm health. A 2009 study found that diet of vegetables, fish, fruit and wholegrains was positively associated with increased sperm motility (Human Reproduction, 2009). And typical Western diet of ready meals, fast food, processed and red meat, sugary drinks and refined carbohydrates was associated with lower semen quality (Nutrientshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6165100/)

Sperm health is not only crucial for fertility. Research found that health status of your sperm impacts your overall health – circulatory, hormone and skin (Fertility and Sterility 2014),https://www.reuters.com/article/us-semen-health/semen-quality-linked-to-overall-health-idUSKBN0JP01C20141211

How to improve your sperm health?

- Quit smoking. Study found that smoking reduces sperm count and motility (World J Mens Health, 2015 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4709430/

- Drink less alcohol. Study showed that excess alcohol disrupts testosterone production and reduces sperm count (Reproductive medicine Research, 2014https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/9/e005462)

- Exercise at least 3 times per week. A study found that exercising can improve sperm quality in sedentary men (Journal of Reproduction 2016https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-12/bl-jsm120216.php)

- Stress less. Psychological stress has been shown to be harmful to semen quality and to sperm (Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 2014). Walk in the nature, listen to music or exercise rather than drink alcohol to relax.

- Reduce intake of processed & red meat and refined sugar. Swap to fish, seafood, chicken and eat plenty vegetables.