It’s world breast feeding week so what better time to look at the evidence and scientific research behind nursing mothers’ teas for increasing milk supply.

Fenugreek:

Fenugreek tea given to breast feeding mums were found to produce significantly higher amounts of breast milk, have babies who lost the least birth weight, and experienced the shortest time to regain their birth weight as compared with mums given apple tea. 

And for all my statistic-loving readers significance achieved in each measurement (p < 0.05).

Do you know a nursing mother?  A gift of fenugreek tea might be very appreciated if she is struggling to produce enough milk.

Check out what Australian Breastfeeding Association say about Fenugreek here: https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/galactagogues-substances-claimed-increase-supply

---

Reference:

Turkyılmaz, C., Onal, E., Hirfanoglu, I. M., Turan, O., Koç, E., Ergenekon, E., & Atalay, Y. (2011). The effect of galactagogue herbal tea on breast milk production and short-term catch-up of birth weight in the first week of life. The journal of alternative and complementary medicine, 17(2), 139-142.

Keeping on track with my 2019 goals gets hard when I’m time poor!  What I need is a quick and healthy meal to help me stay alert, calm and full throughout my busy afternoon while lovin’ my liver.

Challenge accepted!

Carrot & Beetroot Salad (with thanks to Everyday Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1 carrot

2 beetroot (raw)

1/2 green apple

1/4 red onion

Method:

Blitz together in food processor / Thermomix 3 secs (speed 5 for Thermie lovers).

Dump into large bowl & take 1 serving for lunch. Cover tightly and enjoy the rest with dinner.  I don’t find I need a dressing with this salad as the beetroot, carrot, apple and onion all get very moist when you process them together.

This salad is paleo, AIP (autoimmune paleo protocol), thyroid friendly, Mediterranean diet friendly, low calorie, low fat… this salad could join the United Nations it crosses so many different diet boundaries! 

I add a tin of Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon to this meal to boost the protein, calcium, essential fatty acid content and most importantly for me personally balance my blood sugar levels so I stay energised and calm all afternoon!

I drain the tin into a sink and with a fork mush the bones into the salmon flesh so they become one with the salmon.

Making the salad and adding the salmon takes only a few moments so really most of my 5 minutes is spent cleaning up!  I rinse the food processor bowl and drain it on the sink and pop my leftovers in the fridge.  I also had time to spare to take a quick pic & upload to Instagram. 

Do you have a healthy ‘go-to’ lunch idea you can make in less than 5 mins? I’d love to hear it!

In health,

Sonia x

What’s a naturopath to do when she gags at the thought of salmon?

4 years of studying naturopathy indelibly imprinted the seemingly endless health virtues of the humble fish fillet on my brain.  The only problem was I had never been introduced to a piece of fish that was not battered and deep fried that didn’t make me gag.

I outed my loathing of all edible aquatic life forms in a class only to be scorned like cream-bun on the Biggest Loser.  How could a naturopath not love fish?

A fellow mature age student, Amanda, sidled up to me one day and furtively whispered the words that changed my life….. “my fussy five year old will eat salmon if I put it in baking paper, drown it in soy sauce, poke a garlic clove in it and then wrap it up like a birthday present.” 

Challenge accepted!

I dropped past Aldi on the way home and before you judge my economical shopping choice, after years of projectile vomiting from even the smell of cooking fish I was not prepared to invest serious $ into the wild caught variety for an experiment with so little chance of success.

My first ever attempt to eat salmon I cooked. So momentus the occasion I recorded it for posterity, well actually, for the paramedics if they needed to confirm my last meal.

I laid the fish on some baking paper, sprinkled the slippery sucker liberally with Tamari (wheat free soy sauce), crushed a garlic clove with the side of my knife as taught by my Nonna, poked small pieces of garlic along the length of the fillet and then wrapped the baking paper up like a parcel-the-parcel. No more than 2 minutes in preparation!

10 (no-fishy-smell-at-all) minutes later I opened the now browned paper, gingerly tasted a teeny-tiny morsel, and cue angels singing, it was d.e.l.i.o.u.s. 

Yep you got that right, not only was it edible, it was scrumptious….. ahhhhhh…..this must be what golfers’ experience with a hole-in-one.

Even better no preparation mess, no cooking dishes to clean -just throw the paper in the bin.

What is even more interesting is my former “if it is not from a cow or a pig it’s not food” husband and I have started to become more adventurous with fish discovering a genuine love for the delicate flavour. In fact on the stove now is a fish curry of sorts bubbling away ready for my dinner. 

It seems my journey-with-fish was how naturopaths describe introducing broccoli to a 3 year old – you’ve just gotta keep trying no matter how many times they throw it on the ceiling. 

I’ve gotta share with you, for the sake of total honesty, I still very rarely order fish when eat out because if it is not perfectly fresh I do vomit just a little in my mouth.

So what’s my recipe?  Well I challenge you to cook fish this week the way I first learnt it and hopefully everyone in your family will love it as much as mine.

Salmon En Papillote

Salmon En Papillote or ‘salmon cooked in paper’ for those of us who don’t speak french.

Per Person

Ingredients:
1 fish fillet (try a strong tasting fish like salmon to truly appreciate how good at masking flavour this recipe is),

A good dousing of tamari/soy sauce

1 garlic clove

1 knob ginger (optional)

1/2 lemon

splosh of extra virgin olive oil.

Recipe:

•          Lay a large piece of baking paper (I used Glad Bake here) on your kitchen bench (not alfoil, not a chicken roasting bag, it must be baking paper).

•          Place your salmon fillet in the middle.

•          Check there are no pesky bones poking out and if you find one pull that sucker out.  If you are a MasterChef fan of course you will have the kitchen-tweezers at the ready.

•          Slice small nicks and cuts along the meaty body of the salmon.

•          Take at least 1 garlic clove and squash it under the side of your knife, peal off the skin and throw the skin away and slice the smelly clove roughly.

•          (If you have ginger, take a thumb-sized nob of ginger and slice roughly.)

•          Stuff bits of ginger and garlic into those nicks you previously made.

•          Douse the fish roughly 2 tbspns in tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) or soy sauce (for those of you still blithely eating wheat – no judgement).

•          Hold up the 2 ends of the paper nestling little-fishy in the middle still on the bench.

•          Gradually fold/roll the two ends together down so you create a tightly wrapped parcel.

•          Fold/roll the sticky-out ends in towards the fish and then finish with the other side.

•          Pop your carefully rolled parcel in a warmed oven on approx 180C/medium for approx 10-12 minutes.

•          While that’s in the oven why not multi-task! Put a saucepan of water on to boil and chop up a sweet potato into small bits and place in salted boiling water.  On top of the boiling water add a steaming basket and cook your favourite green veggies.

•          When you take the fish out of the oven be careful opening the parcel as steam will flood out.  If you are serving this to bubbas pull out the bits of garlic and ginger.  Those pieces have really done their job in infusing flavour in to the flesh and can now be discarded that is thrown in the bin - do not eat them unless worried about vampires later that night.

•          Drain your veggies and mash your sweet potato.  I don’t cook with dairy ‘cause otherwise I snore like a rhinoceros so I add extra virgin olive oil to transform my mash to creamy goodness. You use whatever fat suits your body - oil, butter, ghee, cream.

•          Pop the fragrant morsel of fish on your mashed sweet potato and add your veggies on your plate. I always top my vegies with a teaspoon or so of raw extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.  Lemon on any food but especially vegetables helps make the iron content more absorbable – so important for women struggling with fatigue.

•          Or if you want to serve this the fancy-smancy french restaurant way keep the parcel closed and take it to the table on the plate. Diners do feel very compelled to utter exclamations of wonder when they open their own parcel – always good for the chef’s ego.

So why spend so much time talking about a recipe which I am sure for the average home cook sounds incredibly simple and basic?

Most people I see in my clinic don’t eat fish at all let alone regularly enough to get the endless inflammation lowering and mood boosting benefits of fish (that has not been deep fried). 

When I delve into why they don’t eat fish inevitably they either don’t know how to cook it or there is a family member who threatens to stage a full scale riot if a piece of smelly fish is cooked in the house.

For me it is very sad to hear a whole family is missing out of all the goodness of fish because of previous bad experiences.

Fish has strong evidence behind it as being not only good for your heart, but also in fighting mild to moderate depression, inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and the list goes on. All up this simple meal provides:

•          heart loving omega 3’s in the salmon and monounsaturated fats in the extra virgin olive oil

•          bowel loving and tummy filling fibre and nutrients in the veggies

•          dense in protein and healthy fats means it keeps you feeling full longer. 

In fact I dare and double-dare you to reach for a chocolate when you are on the couch critiquing the efforts of those handsome boys on My Kitchen Rules after this meal.

Now on to a more serious matter…talking about MKR I don’t think the blonde dude looks at all like his cousin Thor, do you?  Maybe if he took his shirt off?

For more heart healthy recipes check out these babies on the Heart Foundation’s site.  They even provide videos for step by step instruction.  http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/recipes/pages/videos.aspx

I’d love to swap a heart healthy recipe with you if you have a fail-safe fish dish? 

In health,

Sonia x

Women with PCOS have been found to have worse symptoms if their vitamin D* levels were low.  That is worse obesity, lower pregnancy success, excess facial hair as well as a long list of other problems. 1;2.

Unfortunately an alarming 67–85% of PCOS women have been found to have extremely low levels of vitamin D in their bodies. 2.

So it’s time to talk about a thorny issue for all Australians … sunshine exposure.

I’m sure most Aussies have known someone who has been diagnosed with a sun cancer of some type and we’ve certainly taken the message to stay out of the sun to heart.  I regularly see clients with extremely low vitamin D levels who look at me in horror when I suggest their skin feels the warm rays of the sun on a daily basis without sunscreen**.

But here’s the thing…  Whilst your body gets most of the vitamins and minerals it needs from the foods you eat only a few foods naturally contain any vitamin D so it’s almost impossible to get what your body needs just from unprocessed food 3. 

I certainly don’t mean baking yourself like a rotisserie chicken! In fact your skin can make Vitamin D quickly, particularly in the summer. You don’t need to tan or burn your skin to get vitamin D.  You only need to expose your unprotected skin for around half the time it takes for your skin to turn pink and begin to burn. Whilst how much vitamin D you make from the sun depends on the time of day, where you live in the world, your age and the colour of your skin the more skin you expose the more vitamin D is produced. 3.

Strange though it might sound some of us struggle to make Vitamin D from the sun.  For this reason I encourage you to get your own Vitamin D level checked via a simple blood test your doctor can prescribe or your naturopath can order for you.

*Vitamin D is made in the body after it has been exposed to the sun, eaten in foods and can be consumed in a supplement.

**Please be sun safe and use your common sense. Never let yourself burn. If you have been given medical advice to protect yourself from the sun you must follow that advice as it has been personalised to your own body and circumstances.  

In health,

Sonia x

References:

1. Kotsa, K., Yavropoulou, M. P., Anastasiou, O., & Yovos, J. G. (2009). Role of vitamin D treatment in glucose metabolism in polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertility and Sterility, 92(3), 1053-1058.

2. Thomson, R. L., Spedding, S., & Buckley, J. D. (2012). Vitamin D in the aetiology and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. Clinical Endocrinology, 77(3), 343-350.

3. Vitamin D Council (n.d.). How do I get the vitamin D my body needs? Retrieved from: https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/how-do-i-get-the-vitamin-d-my-body-needs/

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is on the increase causing rising rates of devastating infertility. But sadly that’s not all.  It’s also found with insulin resistance which means for PCOS gals they experience debilitating fatigue, easy weight gain / difficulty losing weight and a higher chance of diabetes. 

The buzz around a supplement called myo-inositol has been so strong that a high quality review was performed on all of the scientific trials undertaken around the world.  This factual report concluded myo-inositol taken by  PCOS gals may:

•          cause ovulation

•          raise progesterone levels

•          lower testosterone levels

•          lower insulin levels after eating sugar (glucose)

•          and cause weight loss!

Remarkably, in all the studies analysed, no side effects were reported at the doses of both 2 and 4 g/day.  It is worthwhile sharing the 4 g/day did cause a more complete and effective treatment in those with PCOS.

Let’s hear from the scientists of this report:

“MYO (myo-inositol) mechanism of action appears to be mainly based on improving insulin sensitivity of target tissues, resulting in a positive effect on the reproductive axis (MYO restores ovulation and improves oocyte quality) and hormonal functions (MYO reduces clinical and biochemical hyperandrogenism and dyslipidemia) through the reduction of insulin plasma levels.”

There is also some VERY exciting research on inositol and slow thyroid function! 

In Health,
Sonia x

---

Reference: 

Unfer, V., Carlomagno, G., Dante, G., & Facchinetti, F. (2012). Effects of myo-inositol in women with PCOS: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Gynecological Endocrinology, 28(7), 509-515. DOI: 10.3109/09513590.2011.650660

So you’ve been told your thyroid is normal but you are still exhausted, forgetful & gaining weight?

You’ve been told your thyroid is normal but you suspect it isn’t. Did you know your immune system could be causing these symptoms 7 years before they show up on your ‘thyroid test’?

Antibodies from the immune system have been found attacking the thyroid up to 7 years before it was severe enough to cause the need for medication (Caturegli, et al., 2013).

That’s 7 long years of weight gain, fatigue, illness, joint pain & moodiness.  Having lived through this myself it was 7 years too long!

The good news is it is possible to determine your antibody levels with a simple blood test – it’s almost like looking into a crystal ball and seeing your thyroid future .

If you are experiencing any of the following it might be worthwhile checking your immune system’s treatment of your thyroid to get a head start on healing:

•    feeling more tired than you think you should be considering how much you are sleeping

•    gaining or losing weight even though you have not changed how you are eating or exercising

•    are feeling anxious or depressed

•    Someone in your biological family has an autoimmune disease.

Whilst you may not be able to access these tests via medicare without a confirmed abnormal TSH test you can order them easily via your naturopath if you opt to pay for them yourself. 

The tests for the assessment of your immune system’s impact on your thyroid when low thyroid function is suspected: 

Thyroperoxidase antibody test (anti-TPO)

Antibodies to thyroglobulin test (TgAb).

If you suspect something is wrong make sure you know your risks, get the right tests & have an effective solution tailored to your body.

In health,

Sonia x

---

Reference:

Caturegli, P., De Remigis, A., Chuang, K., Dembele, M., Iwama, A., & Iwama, S. (2013). Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: celebrating the centennial through the lens of the Johns Hopkins hospital surgical pathology records. Thyroid, 23(2), 142-150.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.autrev.2014.01.007

Even as the scientific knowledge on causes of excess weight increases our own weight is not decreasing.  Look around any work site, office or supermarket and you can see the proof behind the statistics telling us we have been getting fatter.

Scarily this trend is reflected with our kids.  Recent population studies have found that between 21% – 27% of school-aged children in Australia are overweight or obese.  One quarter of our youth with an uncertain future marred by escalating health problems (1, 2, 8)!

Whilst the evidence on excess weight tells us categorically weight loss is not as simple as the old ‘calories-in versus calories-out’ debate it is certainly one piece of the jigsaw puzzle on obesity (5).  So how do we lower calories without having the burden of weighing, measuring, recording and calculating everything we eat and drink?

I was pondering this problem recently while unpacking my Nonna’s old dinner set and I was struck by how much smaller the dinner plates, bowls and cups were from what I use every day. Even more remarkable was the comparison with my Great Grandma’s afternoon tea dishes which I vividly remember being used to serve delicious home-made treats.  If I hadn’t the clear memory of their use I would have sworn it was a child’s play set they were so small!

The size difference was so marked I started thinking about the link between the ever increasing size in our dinnerware, my own family’s weight timeline from my tiny Great Grandma through to me now and if anyone had researched the correlation between plate size and weight size. 

I jumped on the ‘net to check out the science. Our plates have increased approximately 44% in size from only the 1980s to early 2000s (3) and a correlation has been found between the increased size of plates, portions and calories and the rise in obesity rates in Western society (9).

So this morning for breakfast I decided to use my Nonna’s plates.  For the past 12 months I have been eating a specific sized piece of protein (meat or fish) because I want to take advantage of protein’s ability to make me feel full for longer and reduce hideous 3.30pm sugar cravings.

This morning was one of the first times in 12 months I couldn’t finish my breakfast.  Seeing how piled-up the food was on my Nonna’s plate instantly made me feel like I was over-stuffing myself, and, remarkably I simply just stopped eating when I felt full.

Straight back to the research!  Now I wanted to find out if there was research on smaller plate sizes leading to less calories consumed. Some studies have indeed found increasing plate sizes led to an increase in the portion size of foods and calories eaten (4, 6). 

However these findings need to be balanced against the conclusion of a controlled environment study on differing sized plates on food where no change in food and calorie intake was linked to changing plate sizes (7).

Interestingly the study that found plate size was not linked to calories consumed had excluded participants if they were overweight / obese or had a disordered attitude to food. What if the conclusion of the study is linked to the categories of people it excluded? 

From my experience clients who easily maintain a balanced and healthy weight typically have the ability to regulate their food intake regardless of where and when they are dining. Potentially this might mean these effortlessly slim folk automatically eat the calories they need without regard to what plate it is presented on.

I have found people who struggle to keep their weight down tend to have a higher chance of a disordered relationship with food. Potentially these people may be influenced by the appearance of food on their plate.

Any recommendations for people wanting to lose weight?  Using smaller plates, bowls and mugs might provide instant and daily portion control with no effort.

What have I personally implemented on my weight-loss adventure? Well rather than throwing away the cracked and incomplete dinner set from my Nonna I have decided to use it for everyday meals.

And I ended up eating my left-over brekkie for lunch and at 4pm I’m still travelling strong with no sugar cravings!

No weight loss even though you have reduced calories

Portion control or ‘calories-in versus calories-out' is only one part of the jigsaw puzzle of shedding fat.  If you are struggling to lose weight despite reducing your food intake and or increasing your exercise it is time to explore the hormonal drivers of weight. 

There are many hormonal reasons why weight loss is difficult including but not limited to:

Insulin - the way your body responds to sugars

Thyroid - how much energy your body actually burns

Leptin - the foods you crave and how full you feel

Cortisol - how your body responds to your stress levels and if you lose weight or gain weight when stressed

Oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone - your female / male hormone levels may influence the way your body burns your food intake and calories.

So if reducing portion size does not change your weight don’t give up there may be a hormone hijacking your efforts!

In health,

Sonia x

---

References:

1. Booth, M.L., et al., NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey, (2004), Summary Report. 2006. Sydney: NSW Department of Health.

2. Hands, B., et al., Physical Activity and Nutrition Levels in Western Australian Children and Adolescents: Report. 2004. Perth:  Western Australian Government.

3. Klara, R. (2004). Table the issue. Restaurant Business, 103, 14–15.

4. Ledikwe, J.H., Ello-Martin, J.A. & Rolls, B.J. (2005). Portion sizes and the obesity epidemic.  The Journal of Nutrition, 134(4), 905-909.

5. Redman, L.M. & Ravussin, E. (2011). Caloric restriction in humans: Impact on physiological, psychological and behavioural outcomes.  Antioxidant Redox Signal, 14(2), 275-287. doi: 10.1089/ars.2010.3253

6. Rolls, B.J., Morris, E.L. & Roe, L.S. (2002). Portion size of food affects energy intake in normal-weight and overweight men and women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76(6), 1207-1213.

7. Rolls, B. J., Roe, L. S., Halverson, K. H., & Meengs, J. S. (2007). Using a smaller plate did not reduce energy intake at meals. Appetite, 49(3), 652-660.

8. Wake, M., Hardy, P., Canteford, L. Sawyer, M. & Carlin, J.B. (2006). Overweight, obesity and girth of Australian preschoolers: prevalence and socio-economic correlates. International Journal of Obesity (London), 31(7):1044-1051.

9. Young, L.R. & Nestle, M. (2002). The contribution of expanding portion sizes to the US obesity epidemic. American Journal of Public Health, 92(2), 246–249.

I wish more than anything in the world I had found a thyroid-literate naturopath & doctor before I suffered through miscarriages & spent thousands and thousands of dollars on IVF. It’s one of the reasons why I went back to college for 4 years of full time study to become a naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist myself & why I am so passionate about supporting women with thyroid issues.

Hypothyroidism is the 2nd most common condition affecting women of reproductive age. The terrible tragedy is the pregnant woman with hypothyroidism has an increased risk miscarriage and other major gestational problems, that’s why. If you know someone trying to fall pregnant who suspects they may be hypothyroid or is experiencing repeated miscarriages give them the gift of a lifetime by encouraging them to seek a thyroid literate medical professional and naturopath to support their journey to bring a new life into this world.

In Health,

Sonia x

---

References:

Benhadi, N., Wiersinga, W. M., Reitsma, J. B., Vrijkotte, T. G. M., & Bonsel, G. J. (2009). Higher maternal TSH levels in pregnancy are associated with increased risk for miscarriage, fetal or neonatal death. European Journal of Endocrinology, 160(6), 985-991. 

Poppe, K., Velkeniers, B., & Glinoer, D. (2008). The role of thyroid autoimmunity in fertility and pregnancy. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 4(7), 394.

Do you find you are looking for something to pep you up to get through the day?  Is the diet coke / coffee and chocolate afternoon snack more than the occasional go-to food?

I was talking fatigue and craving-busting strategies with my gorgeous friend Leah who is a mum to 2 active boys (3yo & 18months), a professional singer with a busy performing schedule and a part-time student.  Leah was asking me for snack ideas that were portable, affordable, healthy and most important of all helped her juggle all her daily balls…. challenge accepted. 

Super Fast Grab ‘n Go

Here are my favourite grab ‘n go fatigue busting snacks.  I call them grab ‘n go because there is no cooking and very little preparation so if you are like my friend Leah and need to pack a whole lot of activity into your day before you race out the front door throw some of these in your bag and go:

• Banana & 10 walnut halves. Natures snack food, perfectly portable.

• Whole carrot stick (chopped in half or quarters if you are feeling fancy) used to scoop out your preferred nut butter.

• Slice up an apple and smear a little of that left-over nut butter on your slices – yum!

• Tin of sustainably fished salmon or tuna emptied into a crisp lettuce leaf and throw in a chopped tomato if you have time and a knife. Choose Cos or Iceberg lettuce for the best result.  Wrap the fish and tomato up like a parcel in a couple of leaves and munch away.  Best served with many napkins to catch runaway dribbles.

• Celery boats. Take a celery stick and get into the groove pressing as much soft cheese as it will hold when tightly packed. Try salty goats cheese or creamy cottage cheese and sprinkle with a touch of paprika for smokiness or turmeric for Indian flavour.

When You Are Set Up For Success

If I know I have a busy week I make a couple of different meals at the same time either the night before or on the weekend:

• Oven-roasted chicken drumstick eaten cold dipped in tomato salsa (I’ll usually roast a whole chicken and then use it throughout the week in a number of meals more on this money saving idea in a later post).

• Leftover chicken meat shredded and stuffed into ½ an avocado.

• Hard-boiled eggs are fantastic, portable, power-packs of protein and  followed with a whole cucumber eaten like an apple raw and crunchy.

• And my personal go-to-snack that I always have a container of in my fridge… turkey meatballs.  I pair a turkey meatball with a crisp lettuce leaf and a generous dollop of avocado for savory goodness or with a slice of strawberry or a blueberry for tart sweetness.

Turkey MeatBalls

•          500 grams (1 pound) of turkey mince

•          1/2 teaspoon ground/minced/grated ginger

•          1 teaspoon ground sage

•          Season with salt and pepper to taste I use 1/2 teaspoon salt & 1/4 pepper

•          Coconut oil to cook with

In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey, ginger, salt, sage and black pepper until well blended – I use my hands. Form the minced meat into balls or flat patties.  Should make 10 small serves or 5 very large serves.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add coconut oil. Add patties and brown on both sides turning until cooked through.  Break open one and check it is no longer pink in the middle because no one needs to be spending their time off work being sick. Based on a receipe originally found on Brenda Watson Allergy Free Site.

If you want to check to see if your snacks measure up here’s what needs to go into them:

•          Ingredient #1 = Protein  

Protein improves appetite control so you don’t keep going back for more snacks until dinner-time rolls around.  Protein also seems to modulate food hedonics, that is, cravings knocked-on-the-head (1).

•          Ingredient #2 = Carbohydrate

Complex carbohydrates that give you sustained energy are the best choice to pair with your protein base.

Emergency Help For Chocoholics

If you find that you just cannot stop eating chocolate or sweets once you start have you tried short-circuiting the urge with the herb Gymnema sylvestre (say gym – neema)?

Its unusual name is derived from a Hindu word “Gurmar” meaning “destroyer of sugar” and it is typically used with overweight/obese people to prevent sugar cravings and in traditional cultures with the symptoms of diabetes (2).

What I love about Gymnema is when you put a drop of it on your tongue whatever you eat afterwards does not taste sweet and it becomes pretty unpalatable and easy to stop. It is thought the peptide molecule gurmarin blocks the ability to taste sweet flavours and reduces sweet cravings (2).  Gymnema is useful in an emergency when your willpower is failing and somehow you have found your hand lodged in the sweets jar or your mouth overflowing with chocolate.

Before I sign-off and munch on a carrot stick with almond butter I want to share with you that in a 2014 study on overweight/obese teenage girls they found that those who had a protein rich breakfast had far less food cravings for the rest of the day (1).  If you are grabbing for a regular afternoon snack it may be related to what you ate for breakfast.  Something to think about and explore.

I’d love to hear your favourite energy-boosting, craving-busting snack! 

In health,

Sonia x

---

References:

1. Hoertel, H. A., Will, M. J., & Leidy, H. J. (2014). A randomized crossover, pilot study examining the effects of a normal protein vs. high protein breakfast on food cravings and reward signals in overweight/obese “breakfast skipping”, late-adolescent girls. Nutrition Journal, 13(1), 80.

2. Saneja, A., Sharma, C., Aneja, K. R., & Pahwa, R. (2010). Gymnema sylvestre (Gurmar): A review. Der Pharmacia Lettre, 2(1), 275-284.