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Here's this week's food haul and where I've been f Here's this week's food haul and where I've been focusing, nutrient wise. 🍉 . . Has anyone else found themselves reducing their starch intake with the warmer weather? 🌷 . . Whether it’s the impact of starches feeding detrimental bacteria producing endotoxins or if the warmer weather has encouraged a higher intake of fruit, I no longer have a taste for cooked parsnip, carrot or sweet potato. 🍠 . . I still have some starch, in the form of homemade sprouted buckwheat soda breads and really well boiled potatoes, but usually just a few times a week. 🥔 . . With dinner, I’ll often add white rice, pre-soaked, simmered for 5 mins, drained and cooked with fresh water. A tip from the @strong.sistas to remove 70% of the arsenic content. 🍚 . . This week’s food haul is all about the fruits and consuming adequate levels of potassium. I've felt more hydrated with clearer thinking, eating this way. 💦 . . Plenty of mango, papaya and watermelon. I’ll stew apples, pears and plums, as I do much better with these cooked. 🍐 . . I’ve even added in dates and prunes. Sometimes I’ll have these with unpasteurised cheese, as a snack in the afternoon. 🧀 . . Great for keeping elimination regular too. 💩 . . I’m still enjoying a mix of nutrient dense meats, fish and seafood (prawns and oysters). Plus raw A2 milk as part of a morning smoothie. 🥛 . . I've also focused on vitamin A in the form of chicken and lambs liver, making sure to consume weekly. 🐏 . . My skin did flare up a month ago and I never quite found the cause. I did wonder about eggs and am doing much better with duck eggs. 🥚 . . I also cut out honey and other high salicylate foods, but I’m unsure if that’s my trigger. I added honey back in yesterday and so far, no reaction.🍯 . . I gave bee pollen a go too - just a few tiny beads, but my throat swelled so that was a no! It’s interesting that pollen is such a strong allergy for me. 🐝 . . The sun has helped massively. Getting full spectrum sunlight and plenty of natural vitamin D has really started to heal it. ☀️ . . Does anyone else feel completely relaxed, when laying out in the sun? To me at least, it really is like nature’s tranquilliser. 🏝 . . Happy Friday all 💚
Have you tried tapioca pearls? They make for a ric Have you tried tapioca pearls? They make for a rich and creamy breakfast or dessert. 🍧 . . To make, I soaked a cup of tapioca pearls for several hours, then rinsed well.🚰 . . Bring to the boil and do a high simmer (I chose to cover in A2 Jersey milk) until soft (10-30 mins depending on soaking time and size of the pearls). Stir continuosly otherwise they'll burn on the bottom of the pan.👩‍🍳 . . Add in 2 whisked eggs a few minutes before the end.🥚 . . Leave to cool in the fridge. . . For breakfast, I topped with goats yogurt, papaya and maple syrup. 🍁
This year's Easter eggs came in the form of freshl This year's Easter eggs came in the form of freshly laid duck eggs from my parent's farm. 🐣 . . I've actually been avoiding eggs for the last few weeks as my skin flared up again, but taking out the eggs made little difference. . . So I'm reintroducing eggs by switching to duck eggs. They are considered to be less allergenic than hen eggs and a lot of people with egg allergies do better with duck eggs due to the proteins in the egg whites. 🥚 . . This is lunch with well-boiled potatoes, sprouted buckwheat soda bread, Guernsey butter, lettuce, parmesan cheese and poached duck eggs. 🦆 . . I'll have a few poached pears and maple syrup for dessert. 🍐 . . My skin has shown a big improvement over the weekend, after soaking in the vitamin D rays. Vitamin D is great for regulating the immune system as well as improving the species of bacteria that live in the gut. I sometimes wonder if it has a sterilising effect on any less desirable strains of bacteria or fungus that live on the skin itself.☀️ . . Have you tried duck eggs?
When I spend time in the sun, I often reach for a When I spend time in the sun, I often reach for a lycopene rich fruit to protect my skin from free radical damage. ⚡️ . . Lycopene also offers some protection against the sun’s UV rays and works best in combination with carotenoids. Papaya contains both of these. Watermelon and carrot is another good choice, along with a source of protein. 🍉 . . There have been quite a few studies looking at lycopene and it’s ability to reduce severe skin reactions from sun exposure. 8-16 mg a day is considered beneficial. ☀️ . . Foods rich in lycopene: ✨ . Tomatoes Guava Watermelon Papaya Pink grapefruit . . Foods rich in carotenoids: ✨ . Cantaloupe melons Mangoes Papaya Carrots Sweet potatoes . . I’d much rather enjoy the morning sun with a food source of lycopene, then cover up later on, than use chemical laden sunscreens, all of which end up being absorbed through our skin and processed by our livers. 👎 . . These natural options won’t suddenly give you SPF 30 level protection, but you might see some improvements if you’re sensitive. Additional benefits can be seen alongside a low PUFA diet (brown skin spots are often associated with lipid peroxidation from diets rich in PUFAs from processed oils). . . Do you use any form of natural sun protection? ☀️ . . Lycopene sources for further reading: 🍅 . PMID: 20854436 PMID: 26664697 PMID: 20637178 PMID: 16465309
This is one of my favourite zinc and selenium rich This is one of my favourite zinc and selenium rich soups ✨ . . It's quick to prepare and made with leftover chicken breast, frozen prawns, rice (already prepped), spring onions and RO water (or any good filtered water). Heat in a pan and top with herbs. 🌿 . . It's great to have some good protein and carb sources in the fridge, ready to put together for busy days. . . I'll often have a bowl of steamed rice in the fridge - as long as it's cooled within the hour, it'll last for days. I'll usually prep some potatoes too or make a big batch of mash, ready to reheat or add into soups. 🥘 . . I like try to either have leftover meat from the evening before or have meat balls, cooked chicken breast or thighs to hand, plus seafood, ready to enjoy a balanced meal of protein and carbs. ⚖️ . . For myself, not having those staples in the fridge is where it all goes wrong. There's nothing worse than getting hungry and snacking on a few bits that leave you hungry an hour later. . . For dessert or breakfast, I like to have some stewed fruit on hand or a ripe mango or papaya. 🥭 . . What are your favourite go to items in the fridge?
With so many in the pro-metabolic community taking With so many in the pro-metabolic community taking vitamin E, I wanted to share a side that isn’t getting talked about… . . A 2011 cancer prevention study featuring 35,000 men, found that supplementing with 400 IU per day, significantly increased prostate cancer risk. (PMID: 21990298) . . A 2005 study, looking to prevent the reoccurrence of head and neck cancers (after treatment with chemotherapy) found that 400 IU/d of vitamin E increased cancer risk. The reoccurrence of cancers decreased, once supplementation was discontinued. (PMID: 15812073) . . A 2005 study featuring 40,000 women taking vitamin E (600 IU of natural-source vitamin E taken on alternate days) found no benefits against cancer prevention or cardiovascular disease. (PMID: 15998891) . . When it comes to fertility, a 2020 study found vitamin E supplementation to be detrimental, when compared to the placebo. The author attributed this to the pro-oxidative effect of a-tocopherol. 
(https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2666334120300775) . . Maternal intake of vitamin E during pregnancy was analysed, amongst 8000 women. The group with the highest intake was associated with an increased risk of congenital heart disease. (PMID: 24740457) . . I see so many people comment on posts about vitamin E, asking if it’s safe to take during pregnancy. The responder normally always says yes, oblivious to the risks. 🤯 . . I would encourage anyone who takes vitamin E or is considering it, to do their own research. 🤓 . . Perhaps there is a place for it, when eating out at a restaurant and consuming PUFA rich food (see my previous posts to understand the mechanism and why pairing it with vitamin C may be beneficial), but supplementing daily is an entirely different scenario. 🤔 . . Further Reading: . Linus Pauling Institute Vitamin E and Prostate Cancer Cancer Therapy Advisor - Vitamin E and Cancer Maternal Vitamin E and Birth Defects
Did you know that vitamin E is capable of producin Did you know that vitamin E is capable of producing its own radical? ⚛️ . . The tocopheroxyl radical. ⚡️ . . Radicals contain at least one unpaired electron and are highly reactive. We often hear of free radicals being responsible for accelerated ageing and a host of chronic diseases. 🎢 . . When we consume PUFAs, vitamin E comes to the rescue by donating a hydrogen ion, preventing the chain reaction which would otherwise result in cell or DNA damage (see previous post). This leads to vitamin E becoming oxidised. . . The body has a clever recycling system, in which vitamin C is used to neutralise the tocopheroxyl radical. 🍊 . . The following can also be used to deactivate and recycle vitamin E: ♻️ . Beta-carotene Vitamin C Flavonoids Coenzyme Q10 Glutathione . . If it isn’t deactivated into its storage form, the tocopheroxyl radical is able to become a pro-oxidant, creating its own cascade of destruction. 🔨 . . Perhaps this is why so many studies have found vitamin E supplementation to be detrimental. I’ll share more on this in my next post. 💚 . . In the book, The Eczema Diet, Karen Fischer states that vitamin E should always be taken with vitamin C and alpha-lipoic-acid, so that it can be reused. For this reason she cautions against high doses (400 IU daily has been associated with an increase in all cause mortality), suggesting in the range of 120-150 IU. 💊 . . A 2012 study found that a combination of beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E was able to reduce oxidative stress, when taken taken together. (PMID: 22710805) . . EDIT: Another 2012 study showed that high supplementation of beta carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E actually induced oxidative stress. The ratio used was 2:1 ascorbic acid to alpha tocopherol, with a miniscule amount of beta carotene. The author commented that the oxidative affect was dose dependent, so less is more in the case of vitamin E. (PMID: 22884740)
Have you ever wondered what vitamin E’s role is Have you ever wondered what vitamin E’s role is and why it appears in foods containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)? 🤔 Here’s a quick intro… . . When we consume PUFAs, lipid peroxidation occurs, creating a highly reactive single oxygen molecule. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and provides hydrogen ions which stabilise the unpaired electrons and neutralise the peroxyl radical (from the oxidised PUFAs). Without the tocopheroxyl radical (from vitamin E), DNA mutations can occur, as the peroxyl radical creates a chain reaction of destruction, until it is neutralised. 🤓 . . So essentially, the compounds within vitamin E, protect our DNA, cell membranes and plasma lipoproteins from damage. 🧬 . . The amount of vitamin E required is thought to depend on PUFA intake. A suggested figure is 0.4 mg α-tocopherol per gram of PUFA ingested. 🍽 . . Let’s take a look in nature… 🌳 . 1 tbsp of Salmon roe contains: PUFA - 0.4 g Vitamin E - 0.3 mg . 30g Brazil nuts: PUFA - 7.3 g Vitamin E - 1.7 mg . None of those figures exactly match the suggested ratio (the amounts are from Cronometer) but where PUFA exist, so does vitamin E, as a protective package. 🎁 . . The problem comes when PUFA containing foods are processed, as vitamin E is easily destroyed by light, heat and oxygen exposure. 🌡 . . Raw and cold pressed methods are best, if you consume foods rich in PUFAs in order to minimise damage from lipid peroxidation. 🍣 . . So is the solution as simple as adding in extra vitamin E in the form of supplements? 💊 . . And what else is needed in order for vitamin E to be recycled and not turn into a pro-oxidant (causing cell damage)? ♻️ . . I’ll cover these topics in a future post… . . Do you supplement with vitamin E? . . Sources: . Gropper, Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, 2018. Haas, Staying Healthy with Nutrition, 2006. Gibney, Introduction to Human Nutrition, 2009.
Spending time in the forest 🌲✨ So tranquil an Spending time in the forest 🌲✨ So tranquil and revitalising 💚 . . I feel lucky to have this less than an hour away. It's so easy to feel trapped, just seeing the same views each day. 👣 . . I'm glad we made the effort. Get out amongst nature of you can and recharge. 💫
Watermelon and raw milk smoothie 🍉 with collage Watermelon and raw milk smoothie 🍉 with collagen and sea salt. ✨ . . This has become my go-to mid morning hydrating drink, rich in electrolytes such as potassium. 💦 . . Have a good weekend all 💚
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