Dietary and lifestyle advice for women young and old

Dietary Advice for women young and old

Supplements are just that. They do not replace a highly nutritious plant-based diet. We highly recommend the Mediterranean diet as it is a great base for healthy dietary advice for women, young and old, and all the men and boys in our lives.

Give your digestion, liver and metabolism a boost every day with:

1. Enjoy a big colourful salads or steamed vegetables every day. Include, organic if possible, fresh dark leafy greens with tasty herbs from your garden (Dandelion leaf, rocket, mizuna, mesclun, spinach, nasturtium) with raw grated beetroot, carrot, sprouts, celery, avocado, cucumber. A small handful of fresh nuts and seeds (not rancid) make for a lovely nutty flavour.
2. Throw in some powdered kelp as it is full of Iodine and is truly a super sea food
3. Unless you are an athlete or labourer, 3 small pieces of fruit are all you need.

Liver supportive foods include dandelion leaves ( high in minerals), broccoli sprouts, cruciferous vegetables, turmeric, fresh beetroot, fresh ginger, barley grass, chlorella and lemon juice. Effective liver detoxification and digestive clearance of down-graded hormones help keep our hormone levels balanced.

Phyto-oestrogens in plants such as the legume family (soy, alfalfa, peas) possess a structural similarity to the oestrogen molecule. This means they can bind to oestrogen receptors. Compared with the hormone oestradiol, phyto-estrogens have a very weak effect on our bodies that do not result in the same stimulation of breast and uterine tissue affected by oestrogen.

Phyto-oestrogenic foods are considered beneficial because they block the effect of stronger oestrogenic substances. In countries like Japan, they may be responsible for the much lower incidence of reproductive cancers.  Research shows phyto-oestrogenic foods have a positive effect on hot flushes and vaginal dryness.

Try adding 100g of tofu and 1 tbsp of ground linseed to your diet each day to get some of these phyto-oestrogens:

Keep your bowel healthy

Rice bran or oat bran, slippery elm, psyllium, as well as fruit and vegetables, provide soluble and insoluble fibre, all helpful for effective elimination of toxins from the bowel. Lignans in legumes also provide protein, carbohydrate, and fibre. Probiotics, the good bacteria also help digestion, immunity, and detoxification.

Foods to Reduce or Avoid:

The following foods put stress on the brain, endocrine glands, liver, and digestive system. This may cause nutrient deficiencies, swings of blood sugar and imbalances of reproductive hormones.

• Excess caffeine from coffee and black tea and energy drinks. It also appears that it is when you have your coffee hit that matters and especially in those prone to hypertension. Enjoy organic herbal teas and dandelion root coffee.
• Chemical food additives colourings, flavourings, preservatives.
• For a good look at fats and problems with us eating them check out this link. Excess saturated and hydrogenated fats found in margarine, takeaways, fatty meats, dairy. When wanting to fry food, cook really slowly, you will need less fats and do not burn your fats.
• Refined carbohydrates such as sugar, white flour found in cakes, biscuits, sweets. These foods are not full or nutrients for healthy bodies. Fill up on lovely colourful vegetables and smaller amounts of fruits.
• Excessive amounts of fermented foods and probiotics.

Environmental factors

Our world waterways and food supplies are full of concerning Xeno-oestrogens. These foreign chemicals from the environment behave like oestrogen in our bodies.  Xeno-oestrogens include:

• Pesticides that get into the environment and food chain
• Plasticisers like bisphenol used in plastic production are present not only in the environment and food chain but also some of the containers used to store foods. Examples include plastics trays, wraps and drinking containers or all sorts.
• Pharmaceutical drugs given to livestock to increase their productivity and which we subsequently eat and acquire in our own tissues. Chicken is full of anti-biotic residues in NZ.
• Beauty products and toiletries for women, men and children that contain synthetic ingredients.

Find exercise you enjoy. Exercise can strengthen, rejuvenate, and relax your body.

Find Joy in Exercise

Here are the amazing benefits of exercise to reduce stress and manage weight gain:

• deeply oxygenates the whole body and promotes brain health
• Muscles are strengthened and stretched which maintains flexibility and balance
• Exercise supports a healthy heart, blood pressure, blood vessels and skin tone
• Immune function, digestion, and elimination all function better
• Endurance and energy levels increase while burning fat deposits
• Promotes wide range of mental processes
• Reduces tension and anxiety
• Improves outlook and self-esteem
• Creates a healthy body with sexual function