Have you ever wondered what is Celiac Disease? And what is the difference between this and gluten intolerance?  At the recent Really Good Health Show I was interviewed and recorded by Future Radio, as I discussed with a lady about her recent Celiac Diagnosis.  Click the link below to see the full interview:

Coeliac Disease Explained by Norwich Nutritional Therapist Catherine Jeans

If you are concerned about gluten intolerance or have a history of celiac disease in your family, you should always consult with your GP first.

Following this, a consultation with me will enable you to understand which foods contain gluten, what you need to eat to support gut integrity and how to ensure you have a healthy and balanced diet.  If you are not diagnosed with celiac disease, then you may wish to explore further whether you have a food intolerance to gluten, or discuss with me what other dietary and lifestyle factors may be compromising your digestive health.

To book an appointment, please call my reception team on 01603 631900.  Or you can contact me here.

I am running a new Norwich weight loss group  to help teach you how to lose weight long-term, supporting you on your weight loss journey and empowering you to feel optimally healthy! This is not your typical weight loss group.   First of all it will be run by me, a fully trained and professional nutritional therapist.  There will be a maximum of 10 people per group, there’ll be no lengthy weigh-ins, no points or calories to count.  Instead I will support you to help you change your life with simple, effective and research-based answers as to why you’ve struggled to lose weight, with practical advice on how to start getting your body back into balance, how to boost your energy levels, how to stay on track with your weight loss goals and how to achieve a healthy weight long-term.

When does this new weight loss group in Norwich start?

The first group will be on Thursday 21st March from 7pm – 8:30pm, based at The Orange Grove Clinic in Norwich, Maddermarket. Then the 3rd Thursday of every month after that.

Price per session: £15. It is advisable that you book several sessions in advance, as this group is likely to sell out quickly due to the limited number of spaces. If you book 5 sessions, you’ll be given a discounted price of £60.

This group will be a monthly support meeting, where you’ll learn all the principles of weight loss and be given the practical advice you need to support healthy and long-term weight loss.

I’ve been asked many times to run a weight loss group, and I’ve decided to do something very different. There will not be weekly meetings. This is about coming together once per month to gain the benefit from a group environment, which research shows can help to support long-term weight loss, but with the support of a professional who can provide you with a science and research based approach to losing weight and regaining your health, long-term. I want to help empower people to transform their lives, so that they understand what it means to feel truly healthy, full of energy and able to enjoy food again.

If you’re serious about getting in shape this year and want to improve your overall wellbeing, as well as losing weight, this weight loss group based at Norwich’s Orange Grove Clinic could be ideal for you. Book your place here, or call my clinic reception on 01603 631900.  Or speak to me direct info@catherinejeans.com or 07703 050504.  I look forward to meeting you soon.

Research shows that being vegan or vegetarian can have many benefits for your health, but this is dependant on eating the right foods and replacing any nutrients no longer in your diet. It’s important if you or a family member avoid meat, fish or dairy, that you learn how to be a healthy vegetarian or vegan and get the right kind of advice to protect your health. I see many unhealthy vegetarians or vegans in my clinic, simpy because they have not thought or carefully planned their diet, to ensure they are not missing out on vital nutrients – particularly protein, vitamin B12, iron -  deficiencies of which can cause many serious health problems.  Whatever diet you choose in life, it’s vital to get a healthy balance of nutrients.

This workshop is designed to show you how to be a healthy vegetarian or vegan, with practical advice, meal ideas, recipes and cooking tips. We’ll discuss:

• How to get enough protein
• What are essential fats and why you could be at risk of deficiency, even if you take flax seed oil or eat plenty of nuts and seeds
• How to food combine to maximise your protein intake
• Which nutrients you are at risk of becoming deficient in and where to get them
• Are there any essential supplements you should take?

If you would like to book your place on this workshop, please call my clinic, The Orange Grove on 01603 631900.  Or you can email me info@catherinejeans.com or go to my contact page.   The ticket price is £25 per person or £40 per couple, which includes notes, recipes, handouts and a £10 off voucher for a private nutritional therapy consultation with me.

4 week Nutrition Course starts Thursday 3 May.

So many of my clients have asked me to run a basic nutrition course…. so here it is!  Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment  – call my clinic on 01603 631900.  Or email me.

Have you ever wondered if you’re eating the right foods?  Are you a parent who wants to know how to give your family the best nutrition?  Are you confused by food labels?  Or unsure what is actually healthy, with so many stories in the press about different super foods and what we should and shouldn’t be eating?  Do you have a family history of heart disease, cancer or diabetes and want to improve your health and reduce your risk of becoming unwell?  Maybe you’re a therapist who wants to be able to give the right nutrition advice to your clients? 

Course Dates:  3^rd, 10^th, 17^th, 24^th May:  from 7pm – 9pm

Full course price:  £80 - includes notes, meal ideas, recipes and a voucher for £15 off an individual nutrition consultation with Course Leader Catherine Jeans DipION mBANT CNHC. 

This series of interactive evening workshops aims to arm you with the nutrition knowledge to help improve your own nutrition, health, wellbeing and energy levels… and the wellness of your entire family.  Topics covered will include:

• Eating for Energy:  which foods will help keep you going and which will drain you of energy?
• What foods should you be eating regularly… and which you really should avoid
• How to eat to get in shape and keep in shape long term
• The facts about fat – what are good fats and what are bad fats?
• Eating for longevity – how to slow the ageing process and keep your skin looking beautiful from the inside out
• Eating to help reduce your risk of illness such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis…
• What are the bugs living in your gut and why you need to feed them
• The importance of great digestion and how to improve your digestive health
• How and where to shop, how to read food labels and how to cook your food

The full 4 week course is just £80, which includes notes, recipes and meal ideas, plus you’ll receive a voucher for £15 off an individual one hour nutritional therapy consultation with Catherine Jeans, to discuss your specific health needs. 

Book now as places are limited.  Call 01603 631900 or email me info@catherinejeans.com

Here is the full article about how to get your child to eat more fruit. 

What Makes Fruit Apppeal to Kids?

So many parents struggle to get their children to eat more fruit.  Although the UK Department of Health keep telling us about the importance of five a day, when your child refuses to eat fruit this can feel like a continual battle.  So here are 10 tried and tested ways of tempting your children back to the fruit bowl and all the health benefits it provides:

1. Keep fruit within easy reach:  when a child is hungry they choose the first appealing thing they lay eyes on.  So keep the fruit bowl out, stocked with a variety of fresh fruit.  In the summer, you can put a mixed berry bowl on the table and remember to keep sugary treats away so they aren’t tempted in the wrong direction.
2. Hide the fruit:  sneak fruit into cooking and baking.  Grated apples, pears, mashed bananas, dried fruit or orange zest can easily be added to muffins, cakes and cookies.
3. Shopping for fruit:  Give your child a small shopping basket and allow them to choose the fruit they like.  This way they’re more likely to eat it when you get home.  Or in the summer go and pick your own and freeze some of the berries for the winter months.  
4. Create a reward chart:  young children from about 3 years of age respond really well to reward charts.  Use brightly coloured stickers of fruit and at the end of each day give them a reward such as a gold star or 20p for reaching their fruit target.
5. Give fruit as a dessert:  it’s easy to make fruity desserts without much sugar. Cut the sugar by a third in apple and berry crumbles, use yoghurt to make fruit trifles instead of sweet custard, fill pancakes with fruit, stew apples or pears and stir into rice pudding, or liquidise berries with a splash of honey to top ice-cream or yoghurt. 
6. Peel and chop: you’ll be surprised at how quickly kids will eat fruit that’s prepared for them.  Peeled and segmented orange, chopped banana or sliced apple go down really well. 
7. Fruity treats:  fruit can easily be made into a treat if you use your imagination.  Dip strawberries in dark chocolate, make fruit kebabs with a delicious sauce or mango drizzled with honey.
8. Fruit smoothies: most children love smoothies and any fruit will do.   Just add peeled fruit and water to a blender, maybe a splash of honey or a little yoghurt to thicken it up. 
9. Fruit ice-cream or sorbet:  blend up some berries with plain yoghurt and a drizzle of honey and freeze, or you can turn fruit juice into sorbet or ice lollies.  You can even make fresh orange juice ice cubes to add to drinks in the summer. 
10. Lead by example!  Finally, you can’t expect your children to prefer fruit if you’re eating sweet snacks and chocolate in front of them.  Children pick up their eating habits from parents so if you’re eating an apple, they’re more likely to do the same. 

If you have any questions about this topic, or children’s nutrition in general, I will be answering questions in a live Facebook chat this Friday for Ask Jeeves Family Friday.    Go to the Question of the Day and you’ll find the links.

Just like the TV programme, as a nutritional therapist this is exactly what I do, providing Norwich with its very own Food Hospital.  Based at The Orange Grove Clinic, Maddermarket Norwich, I have a busy practice where I help people resolve their health problems and come up with long term solutions, simply by using dietary changes and the use of nutritional supplements.

 Just as you see on Channel 4’s Food Hospital, I have a wide variety of people who come to me desperate for help to improve their health.  Very often they face a life on medication, or they just haven’t found any relief for their symptoms.

I am a fully qualified and certified nutritional therapist, and work with private clients, as well as providing nutritional support to the Spire Hospital patients following bariatric surgery.   The therapy I provide helps to address people’s individual needs and get to the root cause of why they are experiencing poor health.  I have so many people who seem to have lost their way with food and simply do not know what is the right food for them or how to eat healthily.

I also see a lot of couples who are struggling to conceive.  Particularly in the case of unexplained fertility, where there is no specific reason why a couple cannot conceive, dietary changes and nutritional support can be very effective.  I have one client in the early stages of pregnancy now who thought she’d never be able to have a baby.  It’s very exciting what can be achieved.

Using principles and recommendations based on sound scientific principles and research, I combine my nutritional knowledge with plenty of practical advice, food recommendations and meal suggestions.  This empowers my clients to put the advice I give into practice, so that they can improve their wellbeing and in some cases become symptom free.

If you would like to book an appointment to see me, please go to my contact page.  Or you can call my clinic reception on 01603 631900.

    I am pleased to announce that I have been registered by the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), the government backed UK regulatory body for complementary healthcare practitioners.  

This is a new organisation I am proud to be registered with and it places me at the forefront of a national drive to provide a benchmark for standards and safety for the public. Practitioners registered with the CNHC meet national occupational standards and abide by a rigorous code of conduct, performance and ethics. This is not only great news for me and my clients, but a vital step for nutritional therapy.

As a nutritional therapist I am committed to providing the best service I can and by achieving the CNHC standards, this provides my existing and future clients further confidence in the therapy I provide.  Alongside this, I regularly update my knowledge and keep at the cutting edge of nutrition research through world-leading seminars and lectures.   My areas of expertise are digestive health, women’s health, hormonal balance, fertility, pregnancy and children’s health.  For more information on how nutritional therapy might be able to help you, go to my nutrition pages.  

Nutritional therapy is one of only 12 disciplines now recognised by the CNHC.  By providing a verification of standards, the CNHC allows GPs, hospitals, private healthcare providers and insurance companies to refer patients, with confidence, to practitioners of nutritional therapy or to make the therapy more readily available in health centres, clinics, doctors’ surgeries and hospitals.

For further information, please get in touch with me using my contact page.  Or you can email or phone me to discuss your particular health needs and arrange an appointment.

If you were listening to Future Radio today (107.8FM), you’ll have heard my interview with Alison Turner about how to get in shape for summer.  Two of her producers took on my challenge and are going to see if they can drop a dress size in just 4 weeks, without going hungry, calorie counting or embarking on an unhealthy crash diet.  I’ll keep you posted about how they got on… and if you’d like to join in the challenge here’s how to do it, as well as plenty of tips and meal ideas to get you on your way.

Just remember, if you are planning to lose weight it’s important to do so in a healthy and nutritious way.  If you have any health conditions, it’s advisable to speak to your GP before making any major dietary changes.  And don’t forget, if you would like a tailor-made, individual programme created just for you then you can book an appointment with me (go to my contact page). 

Weight Loss Programme:  4 weeks to go

This programme is all about keeping your blood sugar levels balanced so that your body doesn’t store fat, especially around your tummy, and so that you don’t feel hungry and unable to resist the wrong foods.  Long-term it will also help to keep your metabolic rate as high as possible so that you don’t fall into the trap of yo-yo dieting. 

The number one reason why diets fail is due to feeling hungry and the inevitable consequence of bingeing on all the wrong foods.  With this programme you will be given the tools to achieve long-term weight loss, allowing you to enjoy food and feel safe in the knowledge that you’re getting all the nutrients you body needs for optimum health.  If you’re ready to get into shape for summer, here’s how you could achieve it:    

• Cut out all sugar and refined carbohydrates – this means any white flour products (white bread, biscuits, cakes), white pasta and white rice.  Look out for hidden sugars, such as in baked beans, sauces and fruit yoghurts (even diet ones!).  Even yoghurts you might think of as healthy ones may contain up to 8 teaspoons of sugar!  It’s important to exclude these ‘fast-releasing’ carbohydrates from your diet because they can imbalance your blood sugar, promote fat storage and leave you craving even more sweet things.
• Protein with every meal – protein helps to keep blood sugar levels balanced and can help you feel fuller for longer.  Choose lean protein such as chicken or turkey breast, fish, poached eggs, cottage cheese, a tablespoon of nuts of seeds, chickpeas, lentils and beans.
• Get the right balance -   change the way your meals are balanced in terms of carbs, protein and fat.  For lunches and dinners, make sure that at least half your plate is made up of non-starchy veg (i.e. NOT potatoes, sweet potatoes or squash) or salad.  A quarter of your plate contains a portion of protein the size of a deck of cards.  Once you’ve reached your target weight you can also have a palm sized portion of carbohydrates – two to three new potatoes, 2 tablespoons of brown rice, a palmful of wholegrain pasta.  So sandwiches are no longer an option – swap to open sandwiches instead made with just one piece of bread. 
• Never skip breakfast!  Research shows that those who skip breakfast are less likely to lose weight long-term and it’s vital to start your day by balancing your blood sugar and eating within at least an hour of waking up.  So make sure breakfast contains some protein and plenty of fibre.  
• Eat little and often – reduce the size of your lunches and dinners by a quarter and then add two small snacks into your day – so you’re eating three small meals and 2 snacks in between.   This is vital to keep your blood sugar levels balanced and prevent you feeling hungry and craving all the wrong foods.  
• Chew your food and eat consciously -  most of us tend to eat on the go, which really doesn’t give us time to chew.  Chewing is the first part of digestion and allows our body to get as many nutrients from our foods as possible.  Also if you’re eating on the go, you’re less likely to notice how much you’re eating or notice whether you’re full or not.  
• Avoid starchy carbohydrates after 6pm - no rice, potatoes or pasta (not even the brown varieties) after 6pm as these can really cause you to hold fat around your tummy.  Once you’ve reached your target weight you can then add a small portion at this meal (a palm sized portion). 
• Muscle resistance exercise -  start adding some muscle resistance work to your exercise programme.  If you build some muscle mass, this can help to boost your metabolic rate so that you’re burning more calories, even when you’re sitting down.  Half an hour, two to three times per week, is ideal.  Try some pilates, weight training or working with a resistance band are ideal.

Meal Suggestions

• Breakfasts
• 2 poached/scrambled/boiled eggs on one piece of wholegrain toast.  Add chopped tomato, peppers and fresh herbs.
• 50g (cooked) of porridge (do not use instant porridge as it is too refined) made with half water, half milk.  Top with one tablespoon of ground seeds and a handful of berries.
• One small pot of live, plain yoghurt with chopped fruit and a handful of chopped nuts and seeds. 
• Small bowl of low-Gl muesli (try Lizi’s Granola) with skimmed milk
• No sugar baked beans on 1 piece of wholegrain toast

• Lunches
• Grilled chicken breast/piece of fish/smoked mackerel and plenty of fresh salad
• Vegetable soup with 2 tablespoons of beans and lentils and 2 oatcakes
• Chopped chicken breast, chopped tomato, cucumber and raw pepper with 2 tablespoons of cooked brown rice
• Baked salmon/trout with 3 different steamed vegetables (not including potatoes)
• Half a small jacket potato with tin of mashed tuna (mix with 1 tablespoon of natural yoghurt) and two handfuls of mixed green salad
• Mixed bean salad with tomatoes, green beans, onions
• Mashed sardines on 1 piece of rye bread, chopped tomatoes and cucumber
• 2 egg omelette made with green beans, tomatoes and fresh herbs. Serve with fresh salad.

• Dinners
• Salads:  mixed leaves, cucumber, tomato, sliced pepper, onion then add one of the following:
  Half an avocado and 1 tablespoon of mixed seeds
  Baked salmon and sliced pear
  Tuna, celery and chopped apple
  Grilled chicken breast
  Kidney beans and grated carrot
  2 tablespoons of cooked brown rice and a sliced boiled egg
• Stir fry vegetables with diced chicken breast/prawns
• Grilled fish with pesto and 3 vegetables (not potatoes)
• Bean chilli with 2 tablespoons of brown rice
• Turkey mince bolognaise with added grated vegetables and half a palm full of wholegrain pasta
• Baked or steamed halibut/salmon/mackerel with mange tout, broccoli, spinach. 
• Sliced lean beef with chinese corn, green leafy veg, ginger, chopped walnuts, with 2 tablespoons of cooked quinoa
• Vegetable and fish kebabs served with mixed salad

• Snacks
• Apple with small handful of nuts
• Mug of homemade soup with sprinkle of seeds
• Raw carrot, celery, pepper dipped in low-fat hummus or cottage cheese
• Small pot plain yoghurt with tablespoon of seeds
• 1 oatcake with cottage cheese/small slice of chicken breast
• 1 piece of wholegrain toast with mashed mackerel or sardines
• ½ avocado

Two Weeks to Go

If you’ve just got a couple of weeks to go before your big day or you’re going on holiday, then you may need to get a little bit stricter with your food.  As well as following all the advice above, also make these changes to your diet:

• Cut out all wheat:  wheat is the major source of carbohydrate in the British diet.  Unfortunately the wheat we eat nowadays is very refined and puts a lot of pressure on our digestive tract.  Many people find that when they cut out wheat the weight falls off effortlessly.  So reduce or cut out completely all wheat bread, pasta and wheat based cereals and replace with rye bread, oatcakes, wholegrain rice cakes or brown rice pasta
• Reduce your intake of cows milk:  again for many people, cows dairy is something that features far too heavily in our diet and can cause a number of unwanted symptoms and make it more difficult to shift those last few pounds.  Replace with goats milk, goats yoghurt, unsweetened nut milks, rice milk or oat milk.  However you can continue to have cottage cheese and live, natural goats yoghurt as many people find these easier to digest as they have been fermented. 
• How stressed are you?  Stress has contributed greatly to the ‘muffin-top’ that has become a feature of the British body shape in the last 50 years.  Although sugar and refined carbs can make you store extra tummy fat, stress is also a big contributor.  Evaluate your stress levels and try to find some relaxation time – whether it’s a massage, a swim, yoga or a gentle walk two or three times per week.  If you don’t manage your stress levels you’ll find it very tough to lose that tummy fat. 
• Increase your intake of essential fats:  essential fats can help to boost your metabolic rate and can help you lose weight.  Good sources are oily fish (salmon, trout, fresh tuna, fresh or tinned sardines or mackerel), nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables.  Aim to have oily fish 3 times per week and a tablespoon of chopped nuts or seeds every day. 
• Reduce caffeine (max 2 per day), alcohol (especially beer).  Cut out fizzy drinks and dilute fruit juice.  All of these drinks can imbalance your blood sugar levels, which can promote fat storage.  They also tend to be high in calories and sugar.  Replace as much as possible with green tea (which can help with weight loss), herbal teas, hot water and lemon or just plain water.

The week before your summer holiday….

If you only have a week to go before your holiday or your big day, the last thing you want to do is go on a crash diet.  As soon as you get on holiday you’ll pile the pounds back on when you start eating normally and you may negatively affect your metabolic rate, long-term.  What you can do, however, is follow all the advice given above.  Alongside this, just for one week you can:

• Limit your carbohydrate intake to just one portion of starchy carbohydrates per day (potatoes, grains (including oats, quinoa, brown rice), bread) 
• Completely cut out all alcohol and caffeine (even decaffeinated coffee or tea) and make sure you are drinking plenty of water – 6 to 8 glasses of water per day.  
• Cut out sweet fruits such as bananas, grapes and dried fruit – as these can imbalance your blood sugar level due to their sweetness and therefore promote fat storage.   
• For this week only, replace your breakfast with a protein packed breakfast smoothie to help you shift a little extra weight this week.  Use the following recipe:

Breakfast Smoothie

2 handfuls of berries (fresh or frozen)
150ml of rice, oat or soya milk (unsweetened)
150ml of water
1 heaped tablespoon of ground almonds and seeds
1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil

Put into a blender with a few ice cubes.  Whiz up and drink straight away.

So you’ve reached the big day or your summer holiday.  Hopefully you’ve achieved your weight loss target and feel more confident baring a bit of extra skin for the summer.  And if things haven’t gone to plan, don’t be disheartened.  It’s never too late to start a healthy eating regime.  Don’t forget, long-term no one can eat perfectly all the time and if you have a little slip, don’t panic.  Just get back on track as soon as you can.  Aim for the 80-20 rule of nutrition and eat well 80% of the time – then you won’t feel guilty if you have the odd slip up and you’ll find it easier to get back on track.  And most of all, enjoy your summer and your holidays!

If you’d like to talk to  me about your weight loss goals and arrange an individual consulation, then please contact me.

Are You Ready To Regain Your Pre-Baby Body?

The Family Nutrition Expert is running a specialised postnatal weight loss group for Mums who would like help to get back into shape, and STAY in shape.

The 6 week programme begins on Friday 3rd September at 10:30am at The Complementary Health Care Clinic in Norwich.  If you would like some help to lose pregnancy weight, feel full of confidence, health and vitality, this group programme is ideal for you.  For more information, please contact me on 07703 050504, email info@catherinejeans.com or go to my contact page. 

Why Is Postnatal Weight Loss Often So Difficult?  

Most women put on weight during pregnancy because our bodies naturally store more fat to ensure we have all the calories we need for the baby to grow and postpartum to breastfeed.   Although you use up more calories while you are breastfeeding, your body still naturally holds onto more weight to ensure you have all the calories you need to feed your little one.

It can also be extremely difficult to eat healthily once your baby has arrived.  As you struggle with sleepless nights, perhaps another child, and running around taking care of your baby, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of snacking on biscuits, chocolate and convenience food.  I know that after a busy day the last thing you want to do is cook a healthy meal.  

Many Mums also don’t recognise the need to drink plenty of water postnatally, and mistake feelings of dehydration for hunger.   Plus for most new Mums their hormones are still in a period of fluctuation, which can cause mood swings, cravings and make it more difficult to lose weight. 

The Answers to Post Natal Weight Loss

Once you’ve had your baby, there’s no reason why you can’t gradually get back your pre-baby body and have the figure you want.  But it should be a gradual process and for most Mums it takes at least 9 months.  Don’t be disheartened by the celebrities you see on the beach 6 weeks after giving birth in a tiny bikini.  Many of them have a team of nutritionists, fitness experts, surgeons and nannies on hand to help them achieve this!  And don’t forget the power of airbrushing!  Here are my five top tips to help you start your journey to postnatal weight loss the healthy and natural way: 

Tip One:  The first step is to ensure you don’t continue putting on weight after your pregnancy, especially if you plan on having another baby.  It’s vital you get back into shape first in order to reduce the risk of pregnancy complications from being overweight. 

Tip Two:  Gradually get your body back into balance through healthy regular eating, with three meals per day and a snack in between each.  Reach for a handful of nuts and a piece of fruit instead of the biscuit tin, or some vegetable sticks with hummus.  This will help to keep your blood sugar levels balanced, which is vital for hormone balance, weight loss and stress management.

Tip Three:  Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day, to flush away any toxins or excess hormones and to help your body to regain balance and prevent water retention.

Baby yoga is great for relaxation and postnatal toning

Tip Four:  Try to find some relaxation time.  Now I know this is extremely difficult when you have a new baby, but stress can actually make it even more difficult to lose weight and promotes extra fat storage.  It can also imbalance your hormones and make you more susceptible to postnatal depression.  Go for a gentle stroll with your baby once a day, join a postnatal pilates or yoga group, or when you can get a babysitter have a massage, ideal for relaxation and postnatal healing.

 Tip Five:  Group encouragement:  research shows that people who join a weight loss group tend to have more success with losing weight.  That’s because of the group environment, as long as it’s supportive and informative. 

That’s why I have decided to run a specialised postnatal weight loss group.  The 6 week programme costs £60, which includes phone and email support with me in between sessions, menu plans, recipes, food ideas and a practical and effective programme tailor-made for postnatal weight loss.  It starts on Friday 3 September at 10:30am at The Complementary Health Care Clinic and babies are welcome. 

I think it’s important that postnatally Mums have the right kind of support and information to get back into shape.  Other weight loss groups simply do not have the understanding of the specific needs of postnatal women.  If you would like more information on the postnatal weight loss group or to book an individual appointment with me please contact me today.

Are you finding  postnatal weight loss difficult?  Leave a comment and I will be happy to share more tips and information.  Or is there anything that’s really helped you lose your pregnancy weight?  Share your tips with other Mums by leaving a comment below. 

Did you know that what your children eat, right from their first few months of life, will actually determine the state of their health and the way they eat as adults? 

What a responsibility!  Now we all know that parenting is a tough job, but suprisingly feeding your family a good diet doesn’t have to be overly time-consuming or expensive.  In fact, healthy fresh food is often cheaper than junk or processed food.  All you need is an ounce of dedication, a heap of determination and some basic ideas on getting the right foods. 

So here are my five top tips to help ensure you give your children the nutrition they need:

1.  Children only develop a sweet tooth if you give them sugary food.

Now I’m not saying that we need to deny our kids any kind of sweet treats.  But sugary foods should be exactly that, an occasional treat rather than an everyday habit.  The more sugar they eat, the more they’ll crave it and become addicted to it.  Yes, believe it or not sugar is highly addictive and can have an effect on behaviour, learning, immune strength, as well as increasing the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.  

If your kids have already developed a sweet tooth, don’t try to take sugar out all at once.  Gradually replace sugary drinks with diluted fruit juice and fizzy water.  Encourage them to snack on fruit instead of sweets and chocolate (berries are always popular) and if they must have a piece of chocolate, trying switching to the dark variety or dip a few strawberries in melted dark chocolate as a treat.  

2.  Eat at least five fresh fruit and vegetables per day

Now I know many parents say their kids won’t eat fresh fruit and vegetables, so you have to get clever and learn to hide them!  Grate some carrots and courgettes into spaghetti bolognaise sauce or other dishes, or make mash with a quarter potato, a quarter mashed carrot and half sweet potato.  Or you can have fun and make your own pizzas, adding plenty of chopped veg such as mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and onions.  You can also make fresh smoothies with added carrot, celery and cucumber.  Just add in some sweet fruit for taste. 

Whatever opportunity you get give them some extra fresh fruit and veegtables, which are vital for good health, development and learning. 

3.  Drink at least 4 glasses of water per day

Most children don’t drink enough water, so it’s best to get them in the habit from a young age.  Don’t introduce your baby to squash or fruit juice, water is just fine.  Get them used to having water with a meal as it’s absolutely vital for good health, flushing out toxins from the body and providing energy and nutrient transport.

4.  Set a Good Example

When it comes to children’s nutrition, there’s no point asking your little ones to eat healthily if you’re eating a delicious icecream or piece of pizza in front of them!  You need to lead by example. 

By changing your whole family’s nutrition for the long term, you’ll all experience better health.

5.  The 80/20 rule

Food should be enjoyed and it is my firm belief that you can’t be strict all the time.  Let your children experiment with different foods and don’t make anything a sin, or they’ll just eat it in secret.  If you establish healthy eating patterns, where 80% of the time you’re eating healthy nutritious food, they’re more likely to eat better as adults and enjoy good health. 

Don’t forget that what your child is eating on a daily basis is strongly linked to their health, behaviour, development and learning.  If you’re worried about your child’s health and would like nutritional support then please get in touch with me.

Are there any specific battles you have with your kids on healthy eating?  Let me know by adding a comment below and I’ll give you some advice!  Or perhaps you have some top tips for other parents?