Caroline Rees PhD - Nutritional Therapy And Lifestyle Medicine

12/07/2021

Yes. My sleep is definitely bad if I have any alcohol.

The simple truth is that alcohol is likely not “good” for anyone. All of the benefits of red wine, such as resveratrol, can be found in other foods and supplements.⁣
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Women are even more impacted by the deleterious effects of alcohol than men. There are studies linking alcohol consumption to breast cancer. It depletes nutrients and harms your gut, your liver, and your brain. ⁣
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I’ve been wearing an Oura ring, which tracks my sleep every night. If I drink alcohol, I notice that it takes me twice as long to fall asleep, my heart rate stays elevated into the night, and I don’t feel great the next day. ⁣
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While it might make you feel more relaxed to have a glass of wine at night, I think you’d be sur- prised to see what alcohol does to your body while sleeping. Sleep is when we detoxify and repair; we don’t need to make it harder by adding alcohol, a toxin, to the mix.⁣
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I treat alcohol like I treat sugar: An occasional glass is fine, but daily can be problematic. Stick to one serving three or four times a week at most.⁣
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A serving is 1 ounce of hard liquor, 5 ounces of wine, or 10 ounces of beer. If you don’t feel great drinking alcohol, skip it altogether. ⁣
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There is no shame in telling people that you don’t drink. If someone peer pressures you, be firm about saying no, and tell them that you’ve been feeling really good while not drinking. No one can argue with that. ⁣

08/07/2021

Cooking is your way out of sickness, and your path to freedom from processed food and towards vibrant health and a happier life. ⁣
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When we cook, we not only nourish our bodies and souls, but we also rebuild our communities, strengthen the bonds within our families and it’s fun! ⁣
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What will you be cooking tonight?⁣

06/07/2021

A study of thousands of older people finds two blood test markers predict increased dementia risk: having a high homocysteine level (a consequence of low B vitamins) and a LOW cholesterol level. This makes sense because cholesterol is vital for brain function.

In this study, having a cholesterol level of around 4mmol/l, and an LDL cholesterol around 2 mmol/l, was strongly associated with an increased risk of dementia.

My big worry is that too many people without raised cholesterol, which is anything above 6 mmol/L, are put on statins which block cholesterol production. But to sell more statins the ‘normal’ cholesterol level got pushed down from 6 to 5 mmol/l.

People have been misled into thinking the following 3 statements:
1. That eating fat and cholesterol rich foods raises cholesterol
2. That raised blood cholesterol leads to arterial blockage
3. That blocking cholesterol production with statins reduces heart disease.

Every one of these statements are wrong.

Excessive total and ‘LDL’ cholesterol (the so-called bad guy) can occur from eating too many carbs, not fat. The more important marker for cholesterol here is triglycerides – blood fats made from sugar (and alcohol).

You want your triglycerides low, your HDL cholesterol high and making up one third of your TOTAL cholesterol.

Find out more about this research here -http://ow.ly/KL8Q50FpXZA

18/06/2021

We’re up against powerful biochemical mechanisms created by food addiction. Willpower becomes useless when industrial junk food and sugar are in charge of your brain chemistry.⁣⁣
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Fake foods we’ve been introduced to in the 20th century – many of which contain high-fructose corn syrup and other added sugars – have hijacked our brains, our hormones, and our metabolism. These Frankenfoods have literally created a vicious cycle of hunger and cravings.⁣⁣

There is no such thing as junk food. There’s just junk, and there’s food.⁣⁣
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I have a simple yet radical proposal: Let’s send the trillion-dollar junk food industry a message and eat real food. That means foods nature created, which don’t come with barcodes, fake ingredients, or an ingredient list at all. ⁣⁣
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To do that, we need to rewire our brains. A researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) told me the real regulator of our weight and metabolism isn’t our stomach, but our brain chemistry. The right foods send a message to your brain to shut down hunger and cravings so you burn fat and feel great. Sugary, processed foods send the opposite message.⁣⁣
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We can start to do this by eating whole, real foods. Make sure that every meal consists of 75% plant foods, healthy fats, and sustainable protein. And try to avoid anything high in sugar, high in starches, and processed foods. ⁣

27/01/2021

The very first line of defence against infection is our body's barriers. Find out how to keep them in tip top condition:

‎Show The Gutology Podcast, Ep S2EP3 - Barriers of the body - 20 Jan 2021

24/01/2021

23/01/2021

Our wonderful Gutologist Caroline, has just published a useful article about sleep. There’s some really simple tips that you can include in your daily routine and dietary advice on what foods promote a good nights rest.
https://gutology.co.uk/blogs/immune/optimise-your-sleep

23/01/2021

Are you a brussels sprouts hater? Here's why you should try to like bitter foods!

Do you like brussels sprouts, chicory, endive, very dark chocolate, olives? If you don’t here’s why it is worth persevering…and why you should aim to consume bitter foods regularly. Good for the gut As you might expect, as this site is dedicated to gut health, bitter foods benefit your gut. Wh...

14/01/2021

Feeling stressed at the moment. Listen to this Gutology podcast explaining how stress affects our bodies...and what you can do to take the pressure off.

‎Show The Gutology Podcast, Ep Season 2, Episode 2 - Stress on the body - 12 Jan 2021

09/01/2021

Does your diet support your immune system?