Nosh Detox Blog

This week we’re going to tackle another difficult subject – acne in grown ups. This is another one of those problems that either didn’t exist way back when, or we just didn’t discuss it much.  However its on the rise now, and has become such a problem it has its own name – Adult Onset Acne.

[Have you noticed that BTW?  When something gets a name it suddenly becomes all 'official'?  And then we can start fixing it??] I stumbled on this when I was trying to find something to help my poor spotty son feel like a human being again – instead of the surface of Mars!

And its a difficult topic so I’ve approached it with a bunch of natural solutions for you to look at and try.  And for those without this problem, these solutions are brilliant for helping your skin out anyway.

Have a wonderful week and I am praying for the sun to come out and stay out!  Remember to pack in large quantities of vitamin C and vitamin D this week.  It’ll boost your immunity and stop you feeling low.

No idea how to do that?  We are now on Amazon!! Yay! We’re very excited about it so click here for suggestions.

‘But I’m too old for spots!!’

Adult Onset Acne is….. 
a growing problem for adults these days.

What used to be the preserve of teenagers and youths has now started to become an issue for people in their 20′s, 30′s and 40′s.  What started as an issue just for women has now spread to becoming an issue for both men and women.

WHY post teenage years does acne show up:
1. Hormones - hormonal surges cause the body to produce excessive sebum which is a natural oil, but being produced at high levels.
2. Diet - Non-organic meats, high-fat dairy products and other foods high in saturated fat can also create acne.  With meat and chicken, its important to be aware that cheap cuts of meat are often treated with hormones for a variety of reasons.  With dairy you run into the same issues with how cows are treated.  When we then eat these animals, it affects our bodies and the chemicals get stuck in the liver.

WHERE does it show up?
Your face, neck, back, shoulders, chest.

SOLUTIONS
1. Check there’s no medical reason first. For example PCOS can cause a severe hormonal imbalance which can bring on acne.
2.  Always buy the best meat and dairy you can afford to buy.  I know, I know, but its just one of those things you’ve gotta do.  Just get on with it.

3. Don’t give up fat.  Just give up saturated fats – eg fast food.

4. Be aware you need to cleanse from time to time.  Now when I say cleansing what I mean is that you need to give your body a rest.  Do I want an argument about whether or not detoxes work?  Nope.  But do you think your body might benefit from a simple rest from eating and drinking junk and stress?  Yes!

You get to choose what form that cleanse takes.  For me, I always pick  the principle of ‘Purify and Nutrify’ – ie Juice Fasts plus an Infusion.

Decide what yours is and then do it.  Prevention is always better than cure.

If you want to chat to me email me and I’m happy to share my thoughts and experience with you.

Geeta

I wanted to dedicate one newsletter just to travel, since we all seem to spend more and more time on planes these days. And no matter how advanced airplane travel gets, no-one has yet come up with a way to make it a less painful experience for your body.

I have always, like many of you, got off a plane and just gone ahead and done what I need to do. I have showered, changed and hit my first meeting.

But I really have noticed more and more that its just hard work!. I find that I get off an airplane and my skin is dry, lines suddenly appear where there were none before and my digestion really suffers. In fact it just packs up!

So I have found ways and means to take care of myself and make sure that I can travel and stay heatlhy at the same time.

MY TOP TRAVEL TIPS FOR YOU:

1. Eat raw food on the journey. Your body retains more water and suffers less from dehydration if you pack it with live, raw nutrients. In the old days we would achieve that with Fresh Juice. These days I order raw food from the Nosh kitchens and take it on board with me. I usually take a snack and a meal for a 4 hour period and double it for longer journeys.

2. Top up with huge amounts of Vitamin C during the flight. It helps to regulate cortisol and prevent blood pressure from spiking in response to stressful situations helps to regulate cortisol and prevent blood pressure from spiking in response to stressful situations. [Flying/airports/customs rate high on the stress-o-meter]. Regularly elevated levels of cortisol in your body suppress normal functioning of the digestive system, reproductive system, and growth processes.

3. Drink water. Don’t gulp the water though; sipping water is better for rehydrating the body. So its better to spread your water over the course of a flight.

4. Avoid alcohol. If you need to drink to sleep, drink white wine, or vodka and no more than a glass or two. Stay off red wine and ‘coloured’ spirits. They make your already overloaded body have to work 5x harder.

5. Probiotics are vital! Flying makes you bloated because you are seated for so long. That creates pressure in your abdomen, interferes with digestion and slows everything down. Taking Probiotics, which consist of helpful bacteria or yeasts, helps your digestion to work again. Take one the day before you fly, the day of the flight and a couple of days after.

I hope you find these really helpful. I invented a pack which we now make at Nosh just to take with me on my flights. But do feel free to make your own. Whatever you do, do make sure you do something to make it easier on your body and see the difference it makes.

Our Mile High Packs are listed below with their ingredients.

Bon voyage.

“I had a McMuffin from McDonald’s this morning. That’s healthy!” A Caller who shall remain anonymous - He rang to complain that The Raw Smoothie wasn’t sweet enough.

Its always a giggle running a health business on so many levels. Some of it is a really funny – like when the caller above rang in to complain. We decided not to publish his name because it was really about the sentiment, not the person. 

But we did really find it hugely entertaining that he really believed what he said. And we didn’t. Perhaps you agree with him? 

It’s a good time to point out that we are really happy to chat to you, as we were to him, whenever the office is open. Which is Sunday through Friday. 

Once you’re on our database, we treat you as someone who cares about their health, their looks and their future and we really welcome you in a totally unqualified manner.

What does that mean? It means that we are happy to welcome enquiries and phone calls from you at any time, to discuss any aspect of your health and wellbeing. 

I and all the members of the Nosh team are qualified by only one characteristic – we really, really care about health, food, nutrition, balance, good music, festivals, sound healing, exercise, raw food……

Well you get the idea don’t you?

ONE qualification to that – we are very opinionated about what WE believe. That means we each have a view of what and how we think we and you can achieve optimum health. Do you have to agree with us? No. 

Heck, sometimes we don’t agree with each other [and they certainly don't always agree with me!] 

But we do have a view point, we do spend time (ALL of us) studying what interests us, we do spend time trying out different diets and forming opinions on what we think. And that means we have STRONG views on WHAT we think and WHY we think it. 

For example Liz Nartey and Naomi Mead have recently been on the 5:2 diet and are discussing that in this weeks edition of Living Raw Radio. [See link below] 

I am trying out Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook, which I think sounds amazing and really doable. And Tatu Bearcroft our resident Raw Food Chef has been tasting and testing Raw Food dishes to make us all healthy and alkaline for the summer. 

So what worries you? What do you not ‘get’ about the lastest diet myth? Want an opinion on the latest ‘Food Fad’? Give us a call and we’re more than happy to chat.

Today’s newsletter is about something really close and dear to my heart – how your thoughts affect your health.

My private client work is with people who have really strong emotional blocks and no matter what they do, they just can’t shift.

Within that area I count people with problems with Obsessive Compulsive behaviours, unexplained Infertility, Fatigue Category illnesses etc. etc. This approach is based on years of learning in Homeopathy and other natural treatments.

Dr. Hering, the father of American Homeopathy, discovered “The Laws of Cure” in the 1830′s. He discovered that there was an order in which symptoms should go away from a body in a case of true healing.

[Clearly this law works not only for homeopathic treatment but also for all other natural treatment options.]

The laws say that healing should go in this order:

• Herings First Law is “From within outwards” which means that healing migrates from inside you, such as the emotions to the outermost areas, such as the muscles or skin. Which means that if you treat someone’s emotional issues and they then get an old eczema flare up, you are succeeding in helping them.
• Hering’s Second Law is that “Symptoms appear and disappear in the reverse order of first appearance.”
• Hering’s Third Law is that symptoms show up ”From above downwards” on the body. So if you successfully treat a headache, you can end up with a wrist-ache. And so you move down the body treating each issue as it arises.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU…..

If you look back to what you’ve done when you get ill, do you address the root cause of why you got unbalanced? Or do you address a Neurofen tablet?

A successful healing is actually removing an illness from its emotional cause. Suppressing an illness is not healing. Its just moving it about your body to a problem for another time.

How often do you suppress an illness so you can deal with it another time?

I am often asked ’Why’ do I do what I do? And for those of you that are new, that’s even more relevant. I’ve had a very traditional life and was defined by the fact that I was a Corporate lawyer. My son fell ill as a young baby and spending the next 260 odd days out of the next 365 in hospital totally changed my life/thoughts/behaviour.

I went from someone who couldn’t cook to someone who understood clearly and utterly that:
“If you let me choose what goes in your mouth – I can help you choose what you think.” So when it came to deciding what I would do with the rest of my life, I chose what I knew- health creation.

What do I believe? Good health is a choice I make each and every day.
How do we achieve it? In as few steps as possible.  My sole aim is to make it fast, effective, efficient at every step.
When did I last see a Doctor? Hmm, I was thinking about this the other day and at last count, it was about 4 years ago.
Am I really annoying and superfreak Healthy? Umm, don’t tell anyone but (no). I totally LOVE cake/chocolate/crisps.
Is illness inevitable? Yes, for some people because of the choices they make. And no, not for some people, because of the choices they make.

Its really a question of Time. What choices have you made time and time again?

Where does it all start? In your head, with what you think, feel and expect out of life.
Do the exercise below and see what comes up for you?

Looking Back and Forward in Time

Try a little exercise to see how where you ‘place’ your happiness. Test after test has shown that people have perceptions about where they ‘see’ happiness in their lives and where they ‘see’ sadness.

Try this as an exercise.

Take yourself 12 years back and remember an image – anything. On a scale of 1-5 (1=low and 5 high) where is your energy? Then wait a bit………………

Take yourself 12 years forward and think of an image. Again give it a number. Now, where did the sadder image occur? In your past, or in the future? And where did the happier image take place? In your past, or in the future?

For the majority of us it works like this:

Positive = Future                                 Negative = Past

Why does it matter?

Because when you are in the present moment, you still have these strings going to what you are trying to accomplish in the future because of what you have experienced in the past. It touches everything you think and do whether you are consious of it or not. Look how easily you called up those images? You will be using them to qualify and filter your reactions to everything you do today and in the future.

SO WHAT? So, to move forward faster, smoother, easier – let go of the past. It happened. You already lived it. So you have no need to repeat it.
Now let it go. Forever.

Does it give you a fair grasp of how we can help you?  Any confusing parts?  [And all our existing wonderful clients are SO welcome to comment too.]  This weeks’ newsletter came about because I had eye surgery at the wonderful London Vision Clinic last April. When I wentback for a check up recently the Doctor told me I had to plan to be back in about 5 years.

Why??? Says I. He said our eyesight drops really quickly from the age of 35 onwards as our levels of collagen drop and the eyeis nearly 80% collagen.  Did you know that? I really didn’t. But it sent me off on a quest of thinking about what it is thathelps with ageing well generally.

I don’t really like the term anti-ageing, just slow-ageing maybe  So this week we are going to talk about HGH aka Human Growth Hormone. Now this is a huge topic so I am just going to skim over a few bits……….

In essence, its one of the products created by the body when you are young, and not created when you get older. It affects your collagen, your skin, your eyes, your hair, your bones, your sex drive…………..you get the idea?

So in order to reverese the effects of this, some people (primarily US based to date) take it in the form of an injection.Just for fun put in 69 Year old Man and HGH and see what Imean!  Freaky!
Now, whilst I agree with injecting many things [see www.theinfusionclinic.co.uk] I really don’t agree with injecting hormones.

Fitness Hormone DNA – Sprint 8
So I found an alternative which allows your HGH to grow by 53% after just 6 weeks in tests. That’s a whopping great amount.Unfortunately its exercise driven – and fortunately there’s very little time involved.  Its basically High-Intensity Interval Training.  And below are two different ways to do it.

The theory behind this is simple. Do the following only 3 or 4 times a week at most. No more.
1. Run/Elliptical for 3 mins to warm up.
2. Run/Elliptical at full tilt for 30 seconds so you can’t barely breathe by the end.
3. Cool down for 75 to 90 seconds.
4. Rinse, Repeat for a total of 8 times.
5. Cool down and you is all done.

In studies its been shown to TRANSFORM LIVES in just a few weeks in overweight, unmotivated, non-exercisers. Read all about it CLICK HERE

Its amazing how it makes you feel!  You get younger each time you do it!

Tabata – 4 Minute Exercises

For me, Tabata is also an alternative to Sprint 8, when I can’t make a gym.
Rebekah “Bex” Borucki, founder of BEXLIFE™ and the BLISSED IN™
wellness movement, is a mother-of-four, TV host, fitness and yoga instructor, popular YouTuber, and backyard farmer raising backyard chickens and growing her own organic garden.

She also travels extensively, sharing her love for fitness, yoga, and meditation at exclusive workshops and public events. This stuff is amazing and really, really works and kicks in your HGH too – check out the series called ’You only have 4 Minutes.’  For more information and exercises go to http://www.bexlife.com.

Q. Dear Naomi, I am under a great deal of stress at work at the moment, and I feel that my health is really suffering as a result. I work very long days, and often get to about 3pm before even eating a proper meal. Before this time I rely on coffee and biscuits to get me through. I know that my diet needs an overhaul, but don’t really know where to start. What would you suggest? Belinda 

A. Dear Belinda, Stress can have a very powerful effect on both our mental and physical health. It’s really important that you have identified this, as left untreated stress can lead to a whole host of health issues. Our body’s response to stress is regulated by our adrenal glands which are located just on top of the kidneys. These glands release what are known as our “stress hormones” which help our body to deal with the external stresses we encounter on a daily basis. When we are under chronic stress, such as that you are currently experiencing, these glands can become overworked. Some of the long-term consequences of this may include: 

• Weight gain – especially around the middle
• Low immunity – making us more susceptible to illnesses
• High blood pressure – putting us at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke
• Reduced serotonin levels – that can impact on both mood and sleep
• Nutritional deficiencies – such as vitamin C, B vitamin and magnesium deficiency

Stress is not something to be ignored. 

So, to support our body through times of stress the best thing we can do is support our adrenal glands. How can we do this? 

1) Regular eating – skipping meals and going for long periods of time without eating puts intense pressure on the adrenal glands. Caffeine puts a further strain on the adrenals by causing them to become over- stimulated. So, missed meal + coffee = the worst possible combination for your adrenals. 

2) Breakfast – to support your adrenals you need to ensure that you are having breakfast every day, ideally within an hour of getting up. Something really quick and easy to do is a breakfast smoothie (make the night before if more convenient) – combine berries, banana, oats, almond milk and ground flaxseeds in a blender. 

3) Ensure a good source of protein (found in lean meat, fish, nuts, eggs, beans, and seeds) is included with every meal and snack. Protein helps to stabilise your blood sugar levels. And stable blood sugar = happy adrenals. For this same reason: 

4) Avoid highly refined and sugary foods – such as white bread/ pasta/ rice, biscuits, chocolate and anything with added sugar. Swap your 4pm biscuit for a handful of raw nuts! 

5) Nourish your adrenals with vitamin C. 80% of the vitamin C used in your body is used by your adrenal glands Excessive stress depletes your vitamin C stores and can lead to allergies, poor wound healing, and increased susceptibility to colds and illness. Take a vitamin C supplement, and get it through food by eating plenty of green leafy vegetables, berries, citrus fruits and parsley. 

6) Swap your coffee for green tea- it still has some caffeine in it, but it also contains the amino acid theanine which has calming and relaxing properties. Liquorice tea is also fantastic for adrenal support. 

I will expand upon these tips tomorrow when I look at how we can support our body through times of stress in much more detail.

Shattered? Fuzzy headed? Memory not what it used to be? Perhaps you need some B12…. As many as 1:20 young and middle-aged adults, and 1:5 of the elderly may have vitamin B12 deficiency.  

Why do we care?  More and more, a B12 deficiency is being linked to cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disease. 

Recent studies have shown:

• A relationship between low vitamin B12 levels and accelerated cognitive decline. 
  
• A link between vitamin B12 deficiency and cognitive impairment, and
• That some types of dementia may actually be reversible with vitamin B12 therapy.

The symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency vary.  Classically they include: fatigue, memory problems, brain fog, nervousness, depression, pins and needles in feet and a red/sore tongue. [Sounds like me on a Friday night!] 

The Good News: If picked up early, the effects can be reversed with supplementation. 

The Bad News: Left untreated vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to lasting damage to the nervous system.

What causes a Vitamin B12 deficiency?

Are you a meat eater? Good news for you finally!B12 is found in animal products such as lean meat, fish and eggs. 

But plants are not capable of making vitamin B12. The only B12 content plants have comes from the soil. So vegans can be at risk of deficiency unless they take vitamin B12 supplementation.

And pregnant or breastfeeding women following a vegan diet should almost certainly be taking vitamin B12 supplements.  Clearly your baby needs it to develop it’s brain and nervous system. 

Some Bad News for Meat Eaters - your ability to absorb B12 relies heavily on the health of your stomach. Any sort of irritation or inflammation of the stomach[pernicious anaemia anyone?] makes it unable to absorb B12 from the digestive tract. 

Other stomach problems that can affect B12 absorption:

• Gastritis, 
  
• Helicobacter pylori,
• Crohn’s disease and
• Low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria), and 
  
• Overuse of over-the-counter antacids, and prescriptions medicines used to control stomach acid.

Can I test for low Vit B12??

Well, yes and no.  [Irritating isn't it?  Don't shoot the messenger!]

The problem is that there’s a growing body of opinion that thinks that the current RDA is set too low. It’s still being debated and I’ll keep you posted. 

Good News - if you need it, you can get a Vitamin B12 injection, as this gets around its need to be absorbed from the gut. 

So, if you suspect a deficiency, you should go and get your levels tested. And if the test comes back normal, but you‘re not convinced, you can buy some Vitamin B12 from your local pharmacy and see if it helps ease your symptoms. Even better, you can support your digestive system – as that may be the most important answer to increasing your B12 levels long term. [That way you'll even remember everyones name, no matter how old you get!] 

Do seek advice if you are concerned, as B12 deficiency is certainly not something that should be ignored.

Q. I’m really fed up of feeling bloated all the time. My abdomen becomes properly distended (I look like I’m pregnant!), and can stay like this for hours. It often stops me wanting to go out, as clothes just feel uncomfortable. I’ve tried giving up bread on a friend’s advice and although this has helped a little, I’m still getting bloating most days. Can you offer any advice? Rhian

A. Dear Rhian
Bloating is probably the most common complaint I get amongst clients, so it’s good to have the opportunity to discuss it. I imagine most women reading this have suffered from bloating at one time or another, and can relate to how you are feeling. 

Bloating usually occurs as a result of bacteria in our digestive tract feeding on undigested food, and producing intestinal gas. Now, a small amount of gas is one of the normal bi-products of a healthy digestive process. However when it is produced in excessive amounts that leads to bloating, it’s a sign that there may be one or several digestive factors out of balance. 

So what could be going on? Without knowing more about your diet and lifestyle it’s hard to give you a definitive answer, as there are many potential causes. What I’d like to do is briefly outline some of these, and give you some advice on dietary changes you can make.

Dysbiosis- your digestive tract is colonised by both “good” probiotic bacteria, but also by potentially harmful “bad” bacteria. A healthy digestive tract contains high levels of these “good” bacteria, but if levels of these fall, problems such as bloating can occur. Poor diet, illness and stress can all lead to this imbalance. To help replenish your levels of “good” bacteria my number one piece of advice would be to take a good probiotic supplement. You should include probiotic natural yoghurt in your diet daily (unsweetened), and cut down your intake of sugar rich foods which feed the “bad” bacteria. 

Low stomach acid- if your bloating occurs almost immediately after eating, and is accompanied by flatulence, burping and a feeling of extreme fullness, you may have low stomach acid. Low stomach acid means that protein in your food is not being broken down properly, meaning that it can ferment in the digestive tract and cause bloating. To help support this you should eat in a calm, relaxed environment away from your desk (stress can reduce stomach acid production), eat slowly, and make sure you chew your food very well. Red meat, and very high protein meals should be avoided.

Food choices- a common cause of bloating is an intolerance to lactose (the sugar found in all dairy products). If you suspect this could be a problem for you, I would recommend cutting lactose out of your diet for 2-3 weeks, and seeing if you notice any improvement in your symptoms. Another common problem food is fruit when eaten straight after a meal, as it can ferment and lead to bloating. Always eat fruit either before a meal, or not for at least 2-3 hours after. 

To help ease bloating when it does occur, I would highly recommend both fresh ginger and fennel tea to have after your meals.

I will be discussing this topic further tomorrow, when I will look at some of the other potential reasons behind bloating and what we can do through diet to address this.