Health News
5 minutes with...
Marta Anhelush, nutritional therapist and Clinical Nutrition Manager at BioCare
What is your philosophy on health and wellbeing?
Having now been in the industry for a few years, I’ve already seen a few shifts in our nutritional recommendations. Nutrition and health are a huge area of research and new studies are coming out every day, sometimes challenging the way we think. That’s why I am very open minded and don’t favour one diet over another. Instead, I try to help people make the changes that would fit their lifestyle and genetic profile.
What is your top tip for natural health?
I believe that the most detrimental factors in disease are stress and lack of movement, and even the best of diets is not going to be enough if you have a sedentary lifestyle and are constantly stressed. You don’t have to go to the gym or meditate every day. Find something you enjoy that will be easy for you to integrate into your daily life. That way those changes are more likely to last. This could be anything from finding a new hobby, or even doing something you enjoyed in childhood but you don’t do anymore, to participating in group sport, listening to music or going on a country walk. Being able to enjoy the simple things in life, that don’t come with a price tag, is a forgotten skill in our society, but something we should all be trying to do for the sake of our general health and mental wellbeing.
If you had to choose one healthy food, what would it be and why? This is a tricky question as there are so many nutrient-dense foods that I love and would recommend to everyone, so I feel like saying, “Feed your bugs” instead! The trillions of microorganisms that reside in the gut love fibre and the more types the better. Having a healthy balance of bacteria can have multiple health benefits, from supporting digestion to improving mood, aiding weight loss and supporting cardiovascular health. The best sources of fibre include onions, leeks, green leafy vegetables, chicory, artichokes and pulses. You can also add prebiotic powders to your diet; look out for those with good combinations that include fructooligosaccharides (FOS), pectin, arabinogalactans or resistant starch.
For more information, visit www.biocare.co.uk
New findings about fat cells Researchers have discovered that fat cells in the human body work different ‘shifts’ throughout the day. The researchers from the University of Surrey found that fat cells have their own ‘internal clocks’ and circadian rhythms, which affect critical metabolic functions. Misalignment of ‘human clocks’ with each other and the environment is believed to be a major contributor to obesity and poor health. Fat cells play an important role in our body, acting as energy stores and controlling metabolism and appetite via hormone secretion. The findings of the study showed that the body’s fat cells naturally complete their functions at different times during the day, meaning that this could have an impact on metabolic processes. Lead author, Dr Jonathan Johnston, said: “This provides us with more information about how human metabolism changes across the day and possibly why the body processes foods differently during day and night.” The research was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Brain training apps could help alleviate symptoms of depression A new study has revealed that brain-training apps could help alleviate symptoms of depression. The report, which was conducted at Queens College of the City University of New York, indicates that computerised cognitive training is linked to significant improvements in mood, cognition and everyday functioning. The study involved 46 young adults who showed mild to moderate depressive symptoms, including depressed mood, loss of interest, concentration and energy and difficulty sleeping. These participants trained using the Peak brain training app on their mobile devices five days per week over an eight-week period, with their depressive severity, everyday functioning and cognition evaluated pre and post-training. By the end of the study, the group showed significant improvements in both self and clinician-rated depressive severity, everyday functioning and cognition. The results were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
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www.yourhealthyliving.co.uk March 2019
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25/02/2019 19:08
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