Whilst there are incredible benefits of intermittent fasting on factors, such as reducing weight and improving insulin sensitivity, and therefore preventing diabetes, fasting can have a negative impact on the delicate web of hormones in women.

While researchers continue to explore various aspects of long COVID, one intriguing avenue of investigation is the role of the gut microbiome in shaping the trajectory of this condition. In this blog post, I delve into the fascinating interplay between the gut microbiome and long COVID, exploring how disruptions in this microbial community may contribute to symptoms and potential strategies for restoration.

Functional medicine is an approach to healthcare that focuses on addressing the underlying causes of illness rather than just treating the symptoms. When applied to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), functional medicine aims to understand the unique factors contributing to an individual's IBS and develop a personalised treatment plan.

The practice of intermittent fasting has long been in mainstream knowledge and one of the most common questions I get in my educational work is ‘does intermittent fasting really work?’…

My answer is, yes, it can be pretty miraculous actually in supporting healthy weight loss, improving blood sugar regulation, digestion, energy levels and brain health. However there are some caveats that I believe are important to highlight (see the end of this article).

The brain is an EXTREMELY energy hungry organ. Despite the fact that it weighs a mere 1.5kg (on average), it takes up at least 25% of the overall body’s energy requirements - that’s massive. It’s no surprise, therefore, that energy deficits in the brain drive the development of mental health conditions and cognitive health diseases.

IBS stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and encompasses a vast number of symptoms - bloating, cramping, diarrhoea, constipation, wind, pain, indigestion, acid reflux, nausea. Just like the number of symptoms, there are a large number of reasons why anyone can suffer with any of the above complaints, and this is where conventional medicine is lacking - its solutions are rarely tailored to any of the root cause of these symptoms, and instead mask them and often perpetuate them.

Methylation is an incredibly complex biochemical process that plays a ubiquitous role in the body’s maintenance. In very layman terms, it turns nutrients from the food that you eat into a type of fuel that your body uses to catalyse enzymes, which are involved in everything from mood regulation, fertility, detoxification of toxins and hormones, energy production, and vascular health.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) isn’t just a case of the winter blues (although the information shared here will definitely help in any case). It is a condition that affects up to 3% of the population and is 4 times higher in women than men. It can commonly lead to suicide ideation and severe depression, with feelings of hopelessness, increase or loss of appetite, over or under sleeping, as well as loss of interest in sex.

Whilst we’re constantly told that we should be aiming for 8 hours of solid kip a night, many of us can only dream of having consistent restful nights of sleep. With as many as 16 million UK adults having trouble either getting to sleep or staying asleep every single night, it’s safe to say that we are in a sleep deprivation epidemic

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of being interviewed and featured on Julie Bjelland’s podcast, where I got to introduce my work and why I’m so passionate about what I do with her community. Julie is a psychotherapist that specialises in supporting Highly Sensitive People. These are people who have a sensory processing sensitivity trait that 20% of the population have, and I have come to learn that I also have.

Omega 3 fatty acids, which are found readily available in oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel, have been heralded for many years for their therapeutic impact on the brain.

The Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) is effectively our brain’s own ‘policing system’, a physical barrier that separates our blood circulation from the central nervous system. The deterioration of this highly intelligent barrier has been linked to many neurological conditions, one of which is Alzheimer’s, the most common form of Dementia (1).

In particular, having a dysregulated CAR - meaning it is either too high or too low - can lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety, affective disorders, chronic fatigue and increase risk of autoimmunity. This is because CAR has a unique ability to regular inflammation, blood sugar, as well as memory and recall due to the fact that the hippocampus is so tied in with CAR. It also plays a role in infection regulation and so can have far-reaching effects on the body’s resilience to viruses and bacteria.

Nutrient therapy for schizophrenia, and other mental health disorders, is an area that is poorly understood. However, health practitioners adopting this strategy as a method to help improve symptoms associated to mental health disorders, as well as reducing side effects of medication, have had positive results. This type of strategy aims to target the underlying drivers of symptoms, such as poor methylation, severe oxidative stress and atypical immune-mediated responses.

Glutathione has been labelled as the mother of all antioxidants and the ultimate free radical quencher and detoxifier. We produce this molecule endogenously, primarily in the liver, using the precursor amino acids cysteine, glutamine and glycine, which come from the food that we eat. Research shows that as we increase in age our levels of glutathione gradually go down and deficiency of this antioxidant has been associated with Alzheimer’s and depression, as well as other chronic illnesses such as cancer.

A leading theory looks at serotonin production and how levels of this neurotransmitter in the body are significantly affected by the amount of available sunshine. Research shows that exposure to sunshine has an impact on the binding-capacity of serotonin to receptor sites in the brain, which essentially allows serotonin to work its magic, leading to feelings of contentment and happiness.

Whilst increasing vegetables and fruit intake is crucial for improving health due to their richness in micronutrients, fibre and antioxidants, when it comes to brain health there are some key nutrients that cannot be found easily in a vegan diet that must be taken into consideration, if we want to keep the brain healthy on a long term basis.

Abraham Hoffer and his team theorised that in order to reduce the production of adrenochromes, a methyl acceptor such as B3 would be needed. Methyl acceptor is the name for nutrients, mainly in the B vitamin family, which each play an important role in a biochemical process known as methylation. This process is needed for a variety of biochemical reactions, such as building and breaking down neurotransmitters, supporting liver detox pathways and DNA repair, to name a few.

The ketogenic diet was first introduced by physicians in the 1920s for the treatment of childhood epilepsy, after scientists discovered that during periods of fasting the body begins to use fat as a source of energy instead of glucose, which resulted in less seizures in patients. Two specific compounds were found to be produced in the body during fasts – acetone and beta‐hydroxybutyric acid – now known as ketones, which are a byproduct of fat breakdown in the liver and are used by the body as energy when there is no more glucose available.

Considering how thyroid activity influences the mitochondria - which play a fundamental role in the energy production of each and every cell in our body - it’s no wonder that when it is either over or under-working, people can experience a wide variety of symptoms that can closely relate to mental health conditions. For example, an overactive thyroid can cause symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety, irritability and heart palpitations. Whereas an underactive thyroid can cause symptoms at the other end of the spectrum, such as fatigue, depression, muscle aches, brain fog and sleep issues. These symptoms are commonly coupled with digestive complaints, low or high body temperature and rapid weight gain or weight loss.