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What is Nutritional Therapy?

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Phew! What a day. Second but one day at work... 2 hour new business meeting, gym class which turned into a PT session, trialling out making my own wraps for fajitas, making new motivational quote pics for my new office annnnd now catching up with bake off! I was pleasantly surprised with these wraps! A bit more like a pancake but with the ingredients only being linseeds, gf flour, cumin, salt and water, it was a beaut option instead of 'normal' wraps with their tonne of preservatives etc! Anyway. I'm done. It's been a crazy old week (already!) and I can't quite believe it's my last day at work tomorrow before I'm an entrepreneur. Arghhhhh exciting!

So here are 5 foods that can help to increase your mood and the science behind it all: Fish- omega 3 can be found in fish (but also nuts, seeds and eggs) and it is thought that a low intake of this fatty acid may predispose some people to depression and anxiety. Although the data is currently mixed, some studies suggest that these healthy fats (supplemented through a fish oil) may ease symptoms of depression. Nuts and seeds- Along with also providing omega 3 fatty acids, nuts and seeds are also great sources of vitamin E, zinc and magnesium which are all linked to boosting mood. In particular, magnesium is vital for GABA production, a neurotransmitter that helps to ‘slow the brain down’ and produce “happy hormones” like serotonin. This calming effect that magnesium seems to have has also been found to help with sleep issues and insomnia. Eggs- Eggs are an amazingly protein rich food which contain the essential amino acid ‘tryptophan’. Tryptophan can naturally regulate the mood as it helps to balance hormones and boost feelings of safety, connection and wellbeing through increasing serotonin production. Green leafy vegetables- When it comes to mood, green leafy veg contain a lot of the goodness discussed above but they also contain B Vitamins which are needed within the body in order for you to deal with stress. In particular B6 and B7 which can be found in green leafy vegetable have been linked to positive mindset, energy and increased concentration. Dark chocolate- YES! I hear you say…NOW your talking. Well it can’t be denied, dark chocolate has in many cases been found to increase mood and although it is not exactly clear on why this effect is, I believe it is just our brain being bloody thankful for something so amazing  It is good to mention here though, that dark chocolate is often a much better option than milk chocolate due to it having much less sugar. The higher cocoa level percent you can get is also better as this is where all of the amazing goodness comes from.

Nourishing and warming the body today with this roasted pepper and tomato soup. Every time I make soup it reminds me how no shop bought version could ever compete! This bowl of beautifulness (yes it deserves its own word) was made by: Cutting 2 long sweet peppers in half, removing the seeds, drizzling with olive oil and putting in the oven for around 20mins or until roasted. Meanwhile slice and fry 1 white onion with 2 garlic cloves. Cook until onions are golden. Add some stock (in my case I added a portion of frozen chicken bone broth and totally don't know the measurements). I'd say your guesstimate (maybe around 100ml) will be perfect. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a heaped tablespoon of smoked paprika (or more if you looove it like me), some salt, pepper and a handful of fresh basil leaves. Leave to simmer for around 15 mins. Once the roasted peppers are also done, add all the ingredients into a food processor and mix until smooth. Serve up with pine nuts and pumpkin seeds for some crunchy toppings and basil leaves to try and make it look fancy 😜

Lazy Sunday mornings of recipe hunting and watching the rain fall ☔ I'm currently on my period and all I want to do is stay snuggly with a water bottle and eat comforting food! There is some research to suggest that serotonin levels are lower during your period which along with changes to your hormones, may be the reason why you can feel sluggish. As carbohydrates can boost seretonin levels, it's not surprising we crazy these types of foods that time of the month! So for my late breakfast, and because I couldn't decide, I'm having two types of toast 😊✌️ as football has also been called off due to the wet weather I might go and do a gentle gym workout as low intensity activity can help with cramps and low energy levels 😊 Do any other of my fellow females have food cravings during their period??

Super smug that I have this beautiful lunch ready prepped for later on today. This is why I love Buddha bowls! So many possibilities! This coconut dhal was made previously and defrosted but its basically lentils, coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, turmeric, cumin seeds and coriander and kale chucked together. The aubergine was roasted for 10 mins with sesame oil then mixed with miso paste (1tbsp) and maple syrup (1tbsp) and a bit more sesame oil (1tbsp). Then roasted for another 10 mins. The cashews were covered in tamari (gluten free soy sauce) and were roasted for 10 minutes. Sweede was leftovers from another meal and were just roasted with some garlic. And the avocado was simply peeled, chopped and chucked in!! Sounds faffy but actually it was mostly just chuck in the oven and tadaaa! The differences in flavours are totally amazing and I can't wait until lunch! 🤤🤤

Sometimes all of us need to be reminded that actually we are bloody awesome and that the World wouldn't quite be the same without us. I think that #worldmentalhealthday is a great opportunity for people to talk about mental health and to open up and see that they are never alone with their struggles. It's likely that everyone will struggle with their mental health at some point in their lives and for me it's sometimes really powerful to read simple reminders to make us appreciate our worth. So if you are reading this message today, this message is made for you and I believe you are awesome ❤️

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