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Skipping office junk food or not eating anything are all too common difficulties of the average working person. As it turns out, packing nutritious snacks is very important, all the more if you are dealing with IBS.

Irritable bowel syndrome requires a special selection of your food, especially when you are planning on eating in the office. According to IBS nutritionists, it is possible to pack healthy snacks that will not cause symptoms to flare up. Here are a few things you can try out:

• Veggie chips – if you think only potatoes make a great food choice for chips, you are wrong. You can bake your own vegetables and create chips to make you feel full. A few great examples include kale, zucchini and carrots. All of them are great for making chips out of. They are delicious and healthy – rich in essential minerals and vitamins.
• Strawberry coconut granola – if you are looking for something to turn your day around, you need not to look farther than homemade granola. A jar of this goodness is highly-nutritious and can help you retain your energy all throughout the workday.
• A cold smoothie – often times you will feel like you need a coffee or a sugar-loaded pastry in the afternoon. A cold smoothie can replace that. Not only will it give you a boost of energy, but also spare your stomach the potential IBS flare up. You can easily prepare it in the morning, put in a thermos to keep cold and resort to it when the need arises.
• Stovetop popcorn – if you feel like your afternoon slump can use a little crunchy goodness, then you can try popcorn. However, you should not use microwave-ready popcorn, as that comes with many artificial flavours and contents that can provoke your IBS. Instead, aim to pop it on the stovetop. As you prepare it, put it straight in an airtight container to keep it crunchy and delicious.
• Low-FODMAP hummus – many believe hummus to be the king of all snacks. It is easy to see why: it is very rich in protein and goes exceptionally well with vegetables. There are many ways to prepare it all without the fear of garlic-induced states, which your IBS will not appreciate one bit.
• Salad of roasted vegetables – you may think that salad only goes well with meals, but that is wrong. Your favourite vegetables are great for an afternoon snack in the office. Sneaking in extra leafy greens is always a good thing, especially if you can also add a few roasted vegetables for the extra flavour.
• Turmeric roasted pumpkin seeds – turmeric is quite popular in the world of spices, and there is a good reason for this: not only does it aid in reducing inflammation and easing the pain, but it is also a valuable source of protein. A quarter cup of pumpkin seed kernels will supply you with half of your body’s magnesium requirements and 9 grams of protein. It is a wonderful food to snack on during work.
• Low-FODMAP wrap – if you are looking for something filling and equally delicious, then you can make yourself a wrap. You should pick a gluten-free wrap, get some cherry tomatoes, a handful of spinach, basil, olives, feta cheese and that is it. If you want, you can have it on lunch, or cut in small pieces to satisfy your afternoon cravings.

As you can see, there are quite a few options when it comes to eating food in the office that won’t spike your IBS symptoms. All you need is to learn how to make these delicious recipes that will make you feel great.

If you are looking for more guidelines on what to eat with IBS, consult with The Nutritional Therapy Clinic.

© The Nutritional Therapy Clinic

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) typically involves irregularities in regards to a woman’s periods or cessation of menstruation. Typically, women with this syndrome have a number of cysts in the ovaries – a result of androgen hormones, resulting from overproduction of androgens hormones.

One usual side effect of PCOS that women struggle with is being overweight/obese. If you fall in the same category, you need to consider dietary changes, because it is one thing that can better the condition.

Tests of women with PCOS often reveal higher than normal insulin levels. Insulin is the hormone that helps body cells in the body transform glucose into energy. Blood sugar levels are often high if your body doesn’t produce enough insulin. Such is the effect if you are insulin-resistant. In the latter case, your body will overproduce insulin in an effort to normalise blood sugar. This often causes the ovaries to produce more androgens, among which testosterone. Having a diet high in refined carbohydrates can cause insulin resistance and make PCOS way more difficult to control. As such, you should definitely tune your diet to suit the needs of your body in order to achieve good health. Following are a few practical recommendations.

Foods to include in your diet:

• High-fibre foods – these are the ideal tool to combat insulin resistance. They slow down digestion and reduce the negative impact that sugar has on the blood. This is of great help to women with PCOS. Some of the best examples of such foods include greens (including arugula and red leaf lettuce), lentils and beans, berries, pumpkin, red and green peppers, almonds, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower) and winter squash.
• Lean protein – there is a group of foods that don’t provide fibre as the previous category, but are as filling, if not more. These include chicken, tofu and fish. They make a suitable dietary option for women with PCOS.
• Anti-inflammatory foods – there is a large group of foods that can reduce inflammation. These are very beneficial, and you should definitely add them to your diet: kale, tomatoes, spinach, olive oil, fatty fish (sardines and salmon), blueberries and strawberries, walnuts and almonds.
• The foods you should avoid:

• Refined carbohydrates – foods high on those lead to insulin resistance, cause inflammation and are generally bad for your health. Exclude the following highly-processed foods out of your diet: white potatoes, sugary treats and desserts, white bread, pastries and foods made of white flour. There are different types of pasta. Some are made of durum flour, durum wheat or semolina, and should be avoided. Others are made of lentil or bean flour and are okay to include in your diet.
• Sugary drinks and snacks – reducing sugar intake should be an essential part of your diet. It comes in many forms and names, so be sure to read the label: fructose corn syrup, sucrose and dextrose are only a few of its names.
• Inflammation-causing foods – removing foods that cause inflammation is a great idea. These include margarine, French fries and processed meats.

Improving your diet by following these steps goes a long way to staying healthy, even if you have PCOS.

You can find out more diet recommendations for various conditions with The Nutritional Therapy Clinic by calling 020 3907 6848.

© The Nutritional Therapy Clinic

IBS is an annoying condition, which can significantly alter one’s eating habits and enjoyment they get from food. Among the treatments to improve the symptoms is adopting the right kind of diet after a consultation with an IBS nutritionist.

There are various causes for IBS and similar digestive problems. Truth is that some simple changes to how you manage stress and your nutrition can have a very positive impact on IBS and even resolve the issue. Here are some tips that you should adopt:

• Stress management – many stress-related symptoms, bloating and abdominal pain included, are more frequent and intense with people that suffer from IBS. Managing stress then becomes an essential part of limiting flare-ups. There are many stress management techniques you can adopt: yoga and deep breathing for instance. The latter focuses on using your diaphragm to breath, not so much the chest, to relax muscles. In doing so, you can benefit from regular bowel activity.
• Progressive relaxation – this is a relaxation technique, well-known to target the muscles of the body. The soother, known as Jacobson’s technique, can relax an upset stomach. It involves tensing and relaxing of different muscles groups, starting from the feet and moving upwards to reach the scalp and face. Focus on easing the tension of each body part in the process.
• Counseling – outside help, whether it comes from an IBS nutritionist or a psychiatrist can have a positive impact on your IBS. If anything, you will learn how to respond to life events that trigger unpleasant symptoms. You will also manage stress more efficiently, which, as it was already described, is a major cause for such a condition.

• Eat more fibre – stress management can help, but you should not undermine the importance of a proper diet. This may not only ease the symptoms of IBS but also prevent it from coming upon you in the first place. Incorporating more fibre into your meals is a vital step in that direction. It should be noted, however, that such a change in your diet holds some risks as well. It can help with some gastrointestinal symptoms (constipation for instance), but it can worsen others (cramping and gas). To minimise the potential risks, you should consult with a nutritionist and implement a gradual approach to eating more fibre.
• Avoid certain foods – some foods make IBS symptoms way worse. Some known examples include sweeteners with no sugar content, broccoli, beans, cabbage, chocolate, cauliflower. It should be pointed that you may be perfectly well with some of these foods, so it is important to monitor your symptoms and see which foods worsen them.
• Drink plenty of water – don’t think that all fluids alike help to ease stomach distress. Water and water alone is the only safe choice when it comes to IBS. Alcohol, coffee, carbonated drinks and even tea can often cause severe stomach problems.
• The goal of these tips is not to provide instant relief, but rather introduce some long-term solutions. Try different techniques for stress management and see what chan ges to diet relieve your IBS symptoms the best. Be sure to consult with a nutritionist.
• For more info, contact 0203 907 6848.

©The Nutritional Therapy Clinic

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IBS is an annoying condition, which can significantly alter one’s eating habits and enjoyment they get from food. Among the treatments to improve the symptoms is adopting the right kind of diet after a consultation with an IBS nutritionist.

There are various causes for IBS and similar digestive problems. Truth is that some simple changes to how you manage stress and your nutrition can have a very positive impact on IBS and even resolve the issue. Here are some tips that you should adopt:

Stress management – many stress-related symptoms, bloating and abdominal pain included, are more frequent and intense with people that suffer from IBS. Managing stress then becomes an essential part of limiting flare-ups. There are many stress management techniques you can adopt: yoga and deep breathing for instance. The latter focuses on using your diaphragm to breath, not so much the chest, to relax muscles. In doing so, you can benefit from regular bowel activity.

• Progressive relaxation – this is a relaxation technique, well-known to target the muscles of the body. The soother, known as Jacobson’s technique, can relax an upset stomach. It involves tensing and relaxing of different muscles groups, starting from the feet and moving upwards to reach the scalp and face. Focus on easing the tension of each body part in the process.

• Counseling – outside help, whether it comes from an IBS nutritionist or a psychiatrist can have a positive impact on your IBS. If anything, you will learn how to respond to life events that trigger unpleasant symptoms. You will also manage stress more efficiently, which, as it was already described, is a major cause for such a condition.

• Eat more fibre – stress management can help, but you should not undermine the importance of a proper diet. This may not only ease the symptoms of IBS but also prevent it from coming upon you in the first place. Incorporating more fibre into your meals is a vital step in that direction. It should be noted, however, that such a change in your diet holds some risks as well. It can help with some gastrointestinal symptoms (constipation for instance), but it can worsen others (cramping and gas). To minimise the potential risks, you should consult with a nutritionist and implement a gradual approach to eating more fibre.
• Avoid certain foods – some foods make IBS symptoms way worse. Some known examples include sweeteners with no sugar content, broccoli, beans, cabbage, chocolate, cauliflower. It should be pointed that you may be perfectly well with some of these foods, so it is important to monitor your symptoms and see which foods worsen them.

• Drink plenty of water – don’t think that all fluids alike help to ease stomach distress. Water and water alone is the only safe choice when it comes to IBS. Alcohol, coffee, carbonated drinks and even tea can often cause severe stomach problems.

The goal of these tips is not to provide instant relief, but rather introduce some long-term solutions. Try different techniques for stress management and see what changes to diet relieve your IBS symptoms the best. Be sure to consult with a nutritionist.

For more info, contact 0203 907 6848.

 ©The Nutritional Therapy Clinic