Microbiome

Guide to Pantry Essentials

Posted on 06/02/2021 Leave a Comment

Guide to Pantry Essentials

I am often asked what I consider to be pantry essentials, i.e. what basics do I have on hand to ensure we are able to eat quite well and follow a healthy diet. Here’s what I see as essentials to have in my pantry.

Dried beans/pulses like borlotti beans, chickpeas, black beans, lentils and moong dahl. Dried beans can be soaked overnight and cooked the next day. Beans/pulses are a great source of protein and fibre, which helps slow glucose absorption and keeps blood glucose levels stable. Dried beans/pulses can be used to make lots of delicious meals e.g. beans and rice, and dahl, or pulses can be added to a meat based casserole.

Rice – I have brown rice, black rice, white rice, red rice and wild rice, as well as gluten free grains quinoa and buckwheat. When I cook rice, I often add quinoa, buckwheat and chia seeds to add extra fibre. I use leftover cooked rice to make one of my favourite Thai dishes – Andaman fried rice – I add extra vegetables, to make sure we get our daily serves of vegetables, and top with nuts and a fried egg for protein.
Nuts and seeds are good sources of healthy fats, fibres, and a range of essential vitamins and minerals. Sometimes I’ll add nuts to vegetarian meals for extra crunch and additional protein.

Add Herbs and Spices

For me a good range of dried herbs and spices is essential for adding flavour to food. With the right herbs and spices you can make really tasty food from basic ingredients e.g. curries, Asian and Middle Eastern inspired food, add flavour to a salad. I’m a little hard core when it comes to curries etc, I like to mix my own herbs and spices together to make the spice mix. Having said that, a good quality curry powder is essential to my pantry.

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit can be used in sweet and savoury meals. Dates, prunes, apricots, raisins, cranberries and figs are not only sweet, they provide essential fibre and antioxidants. Don’t overdo the dried fruits, while delicious dried fruit is high in sugar and quickly adds calories to what you eat.

Canned and Frozen Foods

While I do have dried beans/pulses, I also have canned ones on hand for a quick addition to a meal.
Canned food is comparable to fresh or frozen food. Canned lentils can be used to make a delicious lentil salad, or added to soups and stews. One of my favourite super easy soups to make has one can of mixed beans, 2 cups of fresh or frozen mixed vegetables, and 1 litre of stock; plus fresh or dried herbs for flavour. Always drain canned beans/lentils and rinse well before use.

Canned tomatoes, canned salmon, and baked beans all make great additions to your pantry.

In the freezer I usually have some frozen vegetables and frozen berries. (I also have frozen meals I prepared and froze earlier for those busy days when I don’t have time to cook).

Good Oil

Good quality oil is essential for both cooking and making your own salad dressings. I always have extra virgin olive oil, good quality vegetable oil and a selection of different vinegars in my pantry.

Fresh is Best

Every week I buy a range of fresh vegetables and fruits to include in our weekly meals. Local Farmers Markets, and/or fresh food markets are great places to buy fresh produce. Add to small amounts of animal protein and you have the ideal plant based diet.

Fibre and Gut Health

Posted on 06/02/2021 Leave a Comment

Fibre and Gut Health

Over the past 5-10 years research into the human gut microbiome has increased exponentially. While we continue to learn more about our gut bugs, one thing experts agree on is that a diet high in a variety of plant fibre is essential to having a health gut microbiome, a healthy gut, and a healthy you.

What is Fibre?

Fibre is derived from structural parts of plants – fruit, vegetable, wholegrains, legumes. Fibre cannot be broken down by digestion and therefore contributes little to energy needs.
Soluble fibre dissolves in water and forms gels and are digested (fermented) by gut bugs in our gut, adding to energy. Soluble fibre is found in oats, barley, legumes and citrus; it helps to lower blood glucose and cholesterol.
Insoluble fibre is found in whole grains and vegetables, and adds bulk to faeces.

Sources of Fibre

You need to eat 6-9 cups of vegetables and fruits every day to get the amount of fibre your gut needs. Choose a range of different vegetables and fruits each day – preferablyseasonal vegetables and fruits. Variety is the key. For example: artichoke, asparagus, bok choy, bean sprouts, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, chives, celery, cucumber, endive, fresh herbs, garlic, ginger, green beans, Jerusalem artichoke, lettuce, leeks, leafy greens, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsley, radish, rocket, shallots, spinach, snowpeas, sprouts, turnip, watercress, zucchini, apples, apricots, berries, cherries, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, lemon/lime, mandarin, melon, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, rhubarb, rockmelon, strawberries.

Resistant Starch – gold for your gut bugs

Resistant starch is a type of insoluble fibre that behaves more like a soluble fibre – it feeds your gut bugs.
By feeding your beneficial gut bugs, resistance starch supresses potential pathogens and is important for metabolic and heart health.

Sources of Resistant Starch

Foods high in resistant starch included legumes (e.g. red kidney beans, butter beans, adzuki beans, lentils, black eyed beans, chickpeas); whole grain cereals e.g. brown rice; cooked and chilled white rice, potatoes, sweet potato and pasta (cooking and chilling causes modest rises in resistant starch); cashews, green peas, green banana flour, unripe bananas. Regularly include foods high in resistant starch in your daily diet – your gut bugs will thank you.

If you need help increasing fibre in your diet two of my favourite healthy eating books are The CSIRO Healthy Gut Diet and the Women’s Weekly The Good Gut Diet. Both books include recipes for breakfast, small meals and large meals (main meals), with some snacks and sweet treats. There are vegetarian options, gluten free options, soups, salads, food you can prepare and keep in the fridge for taking to work, or a quick reheat. I like the science in the CSIRO book – it helps you understand why you need to eat certain foods. Once you understand what foods are best for you, you can make better food choices on a regular basis.

Endometriosis

Posted on 06/02/2021 Leave a Comment

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an insidious female reproductive disease. Statistics indicate that around 10% of women in Australia will suffer from endometriosis at some time in their life. It can take 7-12 years to diagnose; the delay in diagnosis leading to years of pain and discomfort.

Why some women develop endometriosis is not fully understood. One theory is that it may relate back to embryonic development. Another theory is that it is related to retrograde menstrual flow.

While endometriosis is characterised by endometrial tissue outside the uterus, mostly within the pelvic region, endometrial tissue can often be found in distant organs and tissue. Symptoms can occur across a range of body systems. The reproductive, genitourinary and digestive systems are common areas for inflammation and pain; along with nausea, vomiting and headaches. The chronic pain associated with this disease often leads to anxiety and depression.

Microbiome

Back in 2018 there was emerging evidence that many women who suffer from endometriosis have sub-clinical pelvic infections .Now research has shown that there is a difference between the microbiome of the ‘normal’ uterus and the uterus of women who have endometriosis Bacterial lipopolysaccharides produced by microbes in the uterus promote an inflammatory response worsening pelvic inflammation and pain.

Targeted herbs and supplements may be used to correct dysbiosis in the reproductive tract (and gut).

Diagnosis

Currently diagnosis is through laparoscopy. While an ultrasound can detect endometriomas on the ovaries, it is not a definitive diagnostic tool.

Good news is there is currently a diagnostic blood test in development, which may be ready for release and general use within 2-5 years.

Pain and endometriosis – it’s complicated

There are 4 major components of pain associated with endometriosis:

Pain from pelvic organs
Musculoskeletal response to pain
Sensitisation of pain pathways
The psychological sequelae of chronic pain conditions

To further complicate matters, the pain is often variable and unpredictable. Keeping a pain diary may help your naturopath and health practitioner to understand your pain better, and will help in the development of a suitable pain management plan. Talk to your naturopath, physiotherapist, or health care professional about developing a pain management plan. There are herbal and nutritional supplements which can provide an alternative to pharmaceutical pain medicines.

Role of the Naturopath

Endometriosis is a complex condition that needs a complex solution. There is no one-size-fits all answer. I work with patients to develop an individual treatment plan that suits each patient’s needs. I will work with you to manage the many symptoms associated with endometriosis.

Diet and Lifestyle

Diet and lifestyle have a significant role in managing endometriosis.

A low inflammatory diet forms an essential part of any treatment plan to manage endometriosis. Avoiding the following foods is a step in the right direction:

processed foods, saturated fats, trans fats, gluten, dairy, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, alcohol, and foods in the nightshade family (tomatoes, capsicum, potatoes, capsicum, chilli, cayenne, paprika, goji berries).