Natalie Gillan, Nutritional Therapist

15/09/2024

Anti-inflammatories on a plate…. 🌶️🥵
We’re growing ‘Basket of Fire’, jalepeno and curry chillies on our windowsill and boy they’re both beautiful plants and definitely pack a punch. Fabulous for improving blood circulation too.
I add them to all sorts, including oil bottles, home-made jam and cooked veg dishes. Would recommend growing at home!

26/06/2022

Cultivated vs wild variety blueberries. Can you guess which is which…… 🫐🍃

21/12/2021

Wrapped up my last London clinic of 2021 last week with a full heart. Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas break and look forward to seeing you in person (and virtually) in the New Year! 🎄🍾

Was really touched by this Christmas hamper by . Each product has a tangible impact on people and the planet. For example ‘Sea Change’ the environmentally responsible wine that directly supports ocean conservation.

29/11/2021

Fresh air + striking glacial-carved escarpments of the Black Mountain range = feeling good ⛰🌬

09/10/2021

Our final seaweed feature: the humble nori collected from the South Wales coastline. 🌊
Nori is also known as Laver and is what makes the traditional Welsh delicacy of Laverbread (laver spread).
Renowned for its highly concentrated nutrient content, anti-cancer and anti-microbial properties, nori is a superfood and an intriguing addition to your next dish.

12/09/2021

Sea vegetables offer the broadest range of minerals of any food, containing virtually all of the minerals found in the ocean. 🌊

5 health benefits:

🌱 Rich in iodine - important part of the thyroid function an essential precursor for thyroid hormones (hormones that affect every cell in our bodies).

🌱 High in fucan - reduces inflammation in the body.

🌱 Therapeutic levels of folic acid and magnesium - excellent protection for the heart and cardiovascular system.

🌱 High in B vitamins - particularly helpful to those with high levels of life stress and anxiety.

🌱 Finally, foraging is wonderful for the mind and soul and can make for a healthy break from other pass times!

09/05/2021

Baby lettuce thriving!

A little history - The ancient Greeks and Romans hailed lettuce as a medicinal plant, and Augustus Caesar went so far as to erect a statue in honour of lettuce based on his belief that it has aided his recovery from illness. 🥬

In general, the darker the lettuce, the greater the nutrient content. All lettuce is a good source of chlorophyll and vitamin K. Iceberg lettuce is a surprisingly good source of choline - a vitamin important for brain health and generally scarce in the vegan diet.

Remember, lettuce and salad leaves are relatively low in fibre so make sure to compliment with high fibre veg like beans, asparagus, chickpeas and broccoli. Other great additions to a summer salad include shredded beetroot, carrot and cabbage.

18/04/2021

A brand new launch from one of my talented MSc students - an indulgent and sin-free chocolate that is sugar free, contains pre biotic fibre and is made with super high-grade ingredients. A chocolate made by a qualified nutritional therapist with a focus on your health, without compromising on flavour.

Why sugar free? As neatly summarised on the NOMOSU website, overconsumption of sugar aka sucrose is damaging for our health, beyond the well discussed weight gain aspect. So, largely avoiding it in the diet is advisable.

Chocolate on the other hand (namely cocoa) contains a host of wonderful health attributes. One particularly interesting is PEA (Phenylethylamine) - a trace amine that is believed to be responsible for the mood elevating effect of chocolate (and incidentally the ‘’runner’s high’’). In chocolate, it is understood to work by making the brain release β-endorphin, an opioid peptide which is the driving force behind its pleasurable effects. I will go into this more on my next posts.

So, check out to get your hands on a bar.

11/04/2021

A sea of wild garlic 🍃 This special section of ancient woodland has been documented since Roman times for its incredible wild garlic slopes and its unmistakable aroma and fluid appearance.

07/03/2021

Wood Ear Mushroom or Judas’s Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae), is a species of fungus found worldwide and particularly popular in Asian cuisine. These ones were picked during a recent woodland walk - they are one of the only fungi that are foragable in the U.K. during the colder months.

They have a mild woody flavour and wonderful texture that brilliantly complements soya sauce stir fries soba noodles.

And they are remarkably good for you! Packed with: B complex vitamins (boosting your heart health), β-glucans (beneficial for your immune system), prebiotic fibre and dietary fibre (digestive heath) and antioxidants (fighting degenerative conditions including dementia).

Available to buy dried and as supplements. Check them out!

28/02/2021

Crocus sativus 💜
Also known as the saffron crocus, is a common sight in British gardens this time of year and is also where the precious spice of saffron is harvested from.

Did you know that saffron is also used as a herbal antidepressive substance due to its bioactive compounds and potential serotonergic properties?

Crocuses are some of the first flowers to appear in spring and are particularly loved by our pollinators 🐝💜

N.B. Saffron spice is floral and pleasantly bitter to taste, but be careful to not add too much in cooking as the dish can turn very bitter...

07/02/2021

🌞 VITAMIN D 🌞 The hot topic of winter 20-21

And for good reason. Vitamin D plays a number of critical roles in your body. The primary source of the vitamin for humans is through sunlight exposure (near impossible to get the RDI through diet!). During the winter months it is also impossible in the UK to get the recommended amount of sunlight exposure and therefore vit D. Hence the need for informed supplementing.

Vitamin D is necessary for the optimal functioning of your immune system, and with the cold inclement weather and continued threat from respiratory infections, it is crucial that you look after your defence system.

Vitamin D supplements can be purchased at all good food supplement outlets. Have any questions? Get in contact with me.

N.B. First in a series of supplementing info shares! Next up, Zinc...

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