Karen Brooks Nutrition And Wellbeing | Nutritional Therapist North Yorkshire | Nutritional therapist autoimmune | Nutritional therapy by skype

"Gut Microbiota Composition Reflects Disease Severity and Dysfunctional Immune Responses in Patients With COVID-19" Yeoh, Zuo, Lui et. al. BMJ January 2021 I read a lot about the microbiome, an awful lot, enough to have learnt that one of the keys to good health is balanced gut microbiota - and now I…

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The skin is not just a kind of exterior wrapping for the body, it is a complex living organ which can often reflect what is happening inside…

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Having just received the results of a gut microbiome test I submitted, this has made me particularly conscious of how readily microbiome composition can change depending on the foods it is exposed to. Mine is actually…

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Having a healthy, balanced, microbiome is the key to good health. It has an impact on many aspects…

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Selenium and the Immune system Selenium is a trace mineral (you only need a bit of it) which plays an essential role in supporting normal immune function. Studies have demonstrated an enhancement of immune responses by…

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Today is World Thyroid Day. It is estimated that about 70% of women are affected by menopausal symptoms. Weight gain, sleep problems, fatigue, low mood, dry skin, thinning hair, joint pain these all sound like symptoms of…

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Most of us will have come across Vitamin D due to its association with bone health. Without vitamin D our bodies cannot effectively absorb calcium, which is essential for good bone health. More recently, due to the current coronavirus pandemic, its vital role in immune system function has been highlighted…

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IBS is a widespread functional digestive disorder (functional means there are symptoms but no signs of actual disease). It affects approximately 10-15% of the world population! Symptoms are usually frequent, and people often suffer over long periods of time. IBS is divided into subtypes - IBS with constipation, IBS with diarrhoea or IBS with mixed constipation/diarrhoea. Other common symptoms include bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain, nausea, depression and fatigue. Treatments are usually based on the main symptoms, although…

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Having a healthy, well-functioning gut (gut refers to the whole digestive tract) is one of the keys to overall health. I think we all get…

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Parsnips are a great source of vitamin C, K and folate and other immune supporting nutrients such as zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6. Parsnips are also a rich source of antioxidants and dietary fibre - your gut bacteria will love this soup. Add in the anti-inflammatories ginger and turmeric and you are on to a…

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Wild garlic has been one of my recent discoveries. Now one of my highlights of spring is the appearance of this amazing plant in our local woodland. Not only does it look stunning during its short flowering period, it…

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The Environmental Working Group's 2019 "Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen" list of fruits and vegetables with the most/least pesticide residue was released earlier this month. The best way to avoid harmful pesticides that can act…

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Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), the two main forms being Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, affect more than 300,000 people in the UK. These conditions are a result of problems with the immune system which lead to inflammation in the…

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It has long been assumed that the gut and the brain communicate via a slow, hormonal pathway. Now a paper that has just been published in the renowned journal 'Science' shows that there is a faster means of communication between gut and brain. By researching a mouse model, they were able to show that the gut and the brain are connected via one single synapse (the space between nerve cells). A cell…

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Have you ever found that there are some nights when sleep doesn't come easily? Sleep is one of the pillars of good health. Poor sleep is associated with weight gain, poor concentration, increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, depression, impaired immune function and chronic inflammation. Whilst reading around the various strategies to improve sleep I came across the consumption of sour cherry juice as a sleep aid and that led me to discovering…

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Chewing your food well is advice I often give to clients. This may sound really obvious and somewhat parental yet chewing is an important, but sometimes under-appreciated, stage of digestion. It is not uncommon for people these days to be eating in a rush, at their desk, walking around, in front of a screen - in which case the body will most likely not be in what we refer to as a "rest and digest"…

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Just recently, I've been using a wider variety of spices in my cooking, as I am aware many of them have therapeutic value as well as being delicious additions. Each time I incorporate a new ingredient I learn…

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"The growing evidence for nutritional psychiatry suggests that GPs and mental health professionals should now seriously consider including dietary counselling for patients who are at risk of depression." Read the full article here; THECONVERSATION

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There is no doubt that a high sugar diet is detrimental to health. Sugar occurs naturally in many foods and is added to most…

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