Claire has help me improve my health, from the inside 
After years of yo-yo diets and trying to ignore my health concerns, this January I bit the bullet and sought guidance from Claire Bradbury, the nutritionist at Newland Chiropractic & Neurology Centre.
My main concerns were that I never felt fully ‘well’, lacked energy and despite being on medication for high blood pressure, it was still on the higher end of ok. The weight had crept back on over the last few years and I was feeling every extra pound in my joints. I’m in my early 50’s and I want to embrace life, be fit enough to walk up hills and down dales for many years to come.
Claire listened to my concerns, asked me to do a food diary and then we had a good chat about ways I could improve my diet. There wasn’t anything massively wrong, maybe even not eating enough at times, but mainly I wasn’t incorporating enough of the essential food groups into each meal. It is all about balance, not cutting out or deprivation!
I received a written report making suggestions of what to incorporate into my meals, what to avoid and suggested supplements to help achieve good gut health. Just knowing that I had Claire there for support and guidance made such a difference. I’d joined slimming clubs before and although I had lost weight, I found it was more about the pressure of public weigh-ins rather than the quality of what you put into your system. The focus of these clubs, I personally found were delivered around getting you to buy their own branded snacks and ready meals, which are not I feel based on quality of food or making you think about what you are actually consuming, rather how many calories or ‘sins’ they contain. Claire’s approach is for you to recognise what the food you eat does to your body, how your gut reacts to the food and processes it. Once you understand this it makes it so much easier to plan and eat a balanced meal.
Rather than use scales to measure my success I recorded my inch loss and monitored my blood pressure and general wellness. I am pleased to say that after four months I have lost 4” off my waist and now fit back into clothes that I couldn’t wear last year. The most rewarding part is my blood pressure has now consistently been on the perfect scale and I have now reduced my mg of blood pressure tablets after discussing with my doctor.
I know Claire is there still should I need help, have any questions and to support me. We have a monthly chat and she tweaks my supplements to suit where I am now and I really feel seeing a trained knowledgeable professional has helped my take control of my own health.
Cathrine ( a very satisfied client!)
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Ways to boost your immune system so it can help protect you
Ditch the processed foods!
These foods are inflammatory and full of empty calories. They may contain trans-fats and sugar. Avoid anything in a packet that didn’t come out of the ground!
Out with the Sugar!
When you eat sugar your body releases the hormone insulin, which is pro inflammatory and a fat storage hormone. You also release dopamine and serotonin, which makes you feel good. This is short lived and when our blood sugars crash we get hungry, have cravings and are driven by the need to eat and have this continual process.
Sugar is very addictive.
Too much sugar imbalances the microbes in your gut allowing more of the ‘bad bacteria to flourish which can lead to problems further down the road.
Sleep it off!
Studies show that people who sleep less than 6 hours of sleep a night are x4 more likely to catch a cold than those who sleep longer.
The average adult needs around 8 hours a night and it’s good to have a routine. If you struggle to get to sleep or wake in the night one thing to do is stop clock watching. Your brain tends to recollect the time and will build it into the sleep (or not sleep) pattern… so don’t look at your phone or watch. Set an alarm for the time you need to wake up then there is absolutely no reason to clock watch.
Let’s talk about Gut Goodness!
Look after your microbiome. There are millions of bacteria, viruses and fungi living in your gut responsible for so much more than you might think, from a healthy immune system to proper nutrient absorption, the state of your gut can even influence your state of mind.
Your gut is also called the ‘second brain’ so needs some TLC to function properly.
Help boost your immune system by adding antioxidants to your daily diet.
Antioxidants are found in abundance in fruits and vegetables, eat a rainbow of these every day to keep your immune system in optimal condition.
Find Vit C in citrus fruits, red and yellow bell peppers, parsley. Vit D comes from sunlight, oily fish and eggs. Get your Zinc from pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, lentils, spinach.
Most of us don’t move enough, including active physical movement into your daily routine is extremely important in strengthening your immune system.
Whether it’s a dance in your kitchen while you make a brew, walk at a slightly faster pace than you usually do, climb your stairs more times a day than you need to……..move it or lose it!
There are lots of videos on Youtube to suit all abilities and styles of exercise as well as apps such as Couch to 5k that can help you to achievable goals.
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