The Cookshelf

Nutrition Workshops 2013

As part of Eastbourne’s new and exciting cookery school The Cookshelf, we are running four week courses on nutrition. These are designed to be fun, informative and give you a chance to ask questions. Cookshelf’s founder Kate Guindi is passionate about great food that is locally sourced and free from additives. She has teamed up with Kate Arnold, Nutritionist and will be offering a chance for people to obtain expert nutritional advice on a range of subjects.

The four week course will consist of four one and a half sessions taking place one evening a week. Kate will talk for an hour and will leave half an hour for questions. The course will be £40 including hot and cold drinks and delicious home made snacks.

Week One
General Nutrition; The myths of a balanced diet

Week Two
Beat the Bloat; Probiotics, IBS and gut disorders

Week Three
Weight Loss; Why we get fat and How to shift weight for good

Week Four
Food Labelling and supplements; How to shop healthily
If you would like to come and join us please contact Kate Guindi at kate@thecookshelf.co.uk

Welcome to my May Newsletter

I haven’t devoted a whole newsletter to a particular food for some time. For those who have received my newsletter for the past few years, I have waxed lyrical about, lactose, gluten, and bread. But now my friends it is time for the egg! A whole newsletter on eggs – why? Well for many reasons. The humble egg is the most common food people are confused by, so confused that I’m going to a seminar in London next week at the Royal Society for Medicine entirely about eggs. So if you’re not sure if eggs are a healthy option, not sure how many you can eat per week, and what came first the chicken or the egg (I’m not going to answer that!) then read on.

Why have eggs had such a bad rap?

 

Firstly I’d like to take you back to the early 1950′s, 1953 to be exact when eggs came off rationing. During the war eggs were rationed at one egg per person per week. In 1957 Patricia Hayes and Tony Hancock’s advert (created by the writer Fay Weldon – see below) helped boost the demand for an egg at breakfast with the governments “Go to work on an egg” slogan. During the 1960′s eggs were extremely popular rising to five eggs per person per week. Then something happened in the 1970′s  and eggs became persona non grata and were wrongly linked to an increase in bad cholesterol.

Together with the rising low fat movement eggs were on the downhill path, culminating in the 1988 salmonella crisis when Edwina Currie announced that most eggs were affected. After this, sales dropped by a massive 65% overnight. During the 1980′s and 1990′s sales in breakfast cereals shot through the roof, as we were told that high fibre cereals were the way forward (no one of course mentioned the high sugar content people were consuming before work!). It wasn’t until 1998 that the Lion quality mark was reintroduced to show that British eggs were safer and being produced at a higher standard. What is extraordinary is that it wasn’t until as late as 2009, that’s thirty years after the Tony Hancock advert that new research lifted the limits on egg consumption and they were safe to eat once more. In 2012 there was a  4% rise in consumption. However, even after all this, (although the media can be a confusing place), I still get patients avoiding eggs or having one egg a week and still thinking that they raise cholesterol. I think it’s time to bust some myths.

“Go to work on an egg” Tony Hancock and Patricia Hayes in 1950s TV ad

The real facts about eggs

 

If you want to improve your nutritional status quickly, eating eggs is a most effective way to do it. Eggs are filling because their high-quality protein satisfies the appetite, providing all the essential amino acids. They provide us with every vitamin we need, apart from vitamin C, along with a healthy complement of minerals. Forget the old warning that we shouldn’t eat more than three or four eggs a week because they contain cholesterol – that particular gem of “healthy eating” advice has since been ditched. It’s now accepted that the cholesterol we eat has little or no effect on blood cholesterol levels, and that we actually need cholesterol to build cell membranes, digest fats and make hormones.

Eggs are an amazing source of Vitamin B and D, iodine and selenium. Eating one or two per day has no effect on cholesterol for most people. More great news: eggs are even better quality than they ever were – with 70% more vitamin D, 20%  less saturated fat and 30% fewer calories than thirty years ago. This is down to the improvements in animal welfare and feed. Eggs are high protein so give you a slow release if they are combined with wholemeal bread. I would always advocate free range over battery eggs and there are now eggs produced with higher levels of essential fatty acids. If you want to know if they are fresh, yes you still put them in a bowl of water and if they sink they are fresh and if they float they are stale – this is due to the fact that if as an egg ages, it develops air pockets.

So, the big question – Do eggs raise your cholesterol levels and clog up your arteries?

 

The British Egg Information Service (BEIS) – an organisation set up by the major egg producers in the UK  says we are being given out of date advice about eggs and cholesterol. Evidence presented at a recent food and health forum at the Royal School of Medicine showed that dietary cholesterol is not a major cause of high blood cholesterol levels. In the past we were told to cut down on eggs because of their cholesterol content. One egg yolk contains 448mg of cholesterol, well above the average daily amount of 290mg for women. People believed that high amounts of cholesterol in your diet led to high cholesterol levels in your bloodstream, contributing to furred arteries and the risk of a heart attack. But studies now show that it is the level of saturated fat in your diet, rather than the cholesterol, that has a greater impact on raising your blood cholesterol levels. Eggs are actually very low in saturated fat. A study by the University of Washington found that giving people with high blood cholesterol levels two eggs a day, combined with a low-fat diet, raised their cholesterol level only slightly. But half the rise was in HDL cholesterol – the ‘good’ type – that can help keep your arteries clean rather than clog them up. The British Nutrition Foundation says this means that if you have a normal cholesterol level and are eating a balanced diet, you can safely eat one egg a day without adversely affecting your blood cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association has now changed its advice to allow one egg per day, but similar groups in the UK have not done the same. The British Heart Foundation still says you should only have between two and four eggs every week. What do I think: Well I constantly suggest eggs for breakfast – about three times a week. That’s six eggs in total. In seventeen years I am not aware of anyone’s cholesterol being raised with this amount.

 

Can eggs can help prevent blindness?

 

This sounds a little like a Daily Mail headline,however there is a small but significant link. Eggs contain certain nutrients that protect your eyes against age related blindness. The condition, called age related macula degeneration (ARMD), accounts for 50 per cent of all blindness and sight problems in the UK.

The condition happens when light-sensitive cells of the macula – part of the retina at the back of your eye – become damaged and you lose the ability to see colours or objects properly. Doctors do not know exactly why macula start to fail but they believe it could be triggered by free-radicals, harmful chemicals that your body picks up from sunlight, the atmosphere and cigarette smoke. A recent study by the Florida International University found that eyes containing higher amounts of a nutrient called lutein were up to 80 per cent less likely to be suffering from ARMD. Lutein protects the eye by forming pigments in the macula. The more pigments your eye contains, the less likely it is to fall prey to ARMD. Lutein is not generated naturally by the body but is found in egg yolks and by including them in your diet, losing your vision need not be an inevitable part of old age.

Different types of eggs   British farmers produce around 9 billion eggs a year and we import a further billion from Europe. That’s 10 billion a year or 28,000,000 a day! About half of those eggs are sold in the stores with the other half being used in the catering industry. Now when we go into a supermarket and buy our eggs, we’re greeted with quite a range of names: Farm Fresh Eggs, Free Range Eggs, Barn Eggs etc. But what do those names really mean? Farm Fresh Eggs So, you think of hens happily scratching around the farmyard as a ruddy faced, rustic farmer’s wife collects some eggs from a ramshackle hen house? Think again. A farm, in this context, means a huge pre-fabricated shed. An industrial unit. Fresh means less than 21 days old. Farm Fresh Eggs are produced by battery caged hens. It’s just a very clever marketing term. Over 60% off all eggs consumed in the UK still come from battery units. Often you eat battery eggs without knowing it, for example most mayonnaise is made using battery eggs. The misshaped eggs that won’t meet grading standards for retail sale end up in the catering industry – often being pasteurised and processed to increase storage life. The caged hens live their entire short and wretched lives on a wire mesh floor in racks with space per hen roughly equivalent to a piece of A4 paper. Technically 550 cm2 per bird in cages installed prior to 2003 but since then enriched cages are provided. These provide a minimum of 750 cm2 per bird, along with a nest, perching space at 15cm/bird and a scratching area.   Barn Eggs Are you thinking of those barns of yesteryear with some hens wandering around, safe from the weather and fox? The reality is very different – Barn eggs are yet another industrial unit housing thousands but the hens do have the benefit of different levels, perching space and nesting boxes. 1 nest box per 7 hens who are crammed in at 9 per square metre. One and three quarters of a sheet of A4 paper per hen. Still not exactly luxurious accommodation.  Free Range Eggs Once again we’re talking about an industrial unit house but this time with access to a fenced off area outside. Although the stocking density is limited to 2,500 birds per hectare (that’s about 64 sheets of A4 paper per hen) most birds will hang around the shed if they do go out. Hens are flocking birds, they tend to stick together as you’ll have seen if you watch backyard hens in a garden. This means the area around the shed becomes stripped of vegetation and a dustbowl. Free range hens have the benefit in principle but the sheer numbers and their nature mean they really can’t take much advantage of their undoubtedly better conditions.  Organic Eggs Organic eggs are simple those from hens kept in a free range system but fed only on organic food, ranging on organic land and they must not be fed growth-promoting antibiotics.It’s really rather simple, organic eggs are best, free range second followed by barn eggs. Please, vote with your purse and don’t buy eggs from caged birds. However, if you want eggs from hens kept as you would like them to be, you have two real options. Keep your own hens – this way you know their conditions. Buy from small suppliers at the farm gate who are happy to show you their hens.   Turkey eggs Turkey eggs haven’t traditionally made it onto the supermarket shelves. Turkeys lay fewer eggs than hens and most of them are used for breeding our favourite Christmas birds.Turkey eggs are about one and half times the size of a large hen’s egg and are strongly recommended for baking, giving cakes a light and fluffy texture. These are quite difficult to source but Waitrose occasionally stock them.   Quail eggs Quails eggs are far more popular in this country than twenty years ago. They are considered a delicacy in many countries, including western Europe and North America. In some other countries, quail eggs are considered less exotic. In Colombia and Venezuela, a single hard-boiled quail egg is a common topping on hot dogs and hamburgers, often fixed into place with a toothpick. In the Philippines, kwek-kwek is a popular street food delicacy, which consists of soft-boiled quail eggs dipped in orange-colored batter before being skewered and deep-fried. In Vietnam, bags of boiled quail eggs are sold on street stalls as inexpensive beer snacks. In South Korea, large, inexpensive bags of boiled quail eggs are sold in grocery stores. In Indonesia, small packages of hardboiled quail eggs are often found to be sold by street vendors as snacks. Quail eggs are often believed to be high in cholesterol, but evidence shows their cholesterol levels are that of chicken eggs.   Pheasant eggs While many of us will have enjoyed pheasant in a casserole, far fewer of us will have tried their eggs. With their olive green shells, pheasant eggs almost look too pretty to eat, but you’ll be glad you do once you’ve cracked into one. The deep yellow yolks are larger than a quails but about half the size of a regular hen’s egg. These eggs are delicious hard boiled with a sprinkling of celery salt. Or you could soft boil them for 3 mins and serve them with some fresh salad and hollandaise sauce.

If you would like a consultation

Had a very pleasant day the The Royal Society of Medicine seminar on Eggs. Last month my newsletter was on this very subject so if you think eggs raise cholesterol and are not too sure about how many to eat, read on…

Welcome to my February Newsletter

I’ve been asked again to cover mental health and nutrition in my monthly newsletter – as this is a huge topic, I will be continuing next month focusing on the gut/brain connection. This month I’ll take you through the basics of how what we eat can affect our mental health. I know this is a subject very close to peoples hearts as so many of us have either suffered from mental health issues or know someone who is suffering. An astonishing one in four of us are likely to suffer with some sort of mental health problem in our life time. In real terms this will account for around 300 people out of 1,000 experiencing mental health problems; 230 of these will visit a GP, 102 of these will be diagnosed as having a mental health problem, 24 of these will be referred to a specialist psychiatric service and 6 will become inpatients in psychiatric hospitals. A few years ago Mind embraced the wonderful work Amanda Geary did with her Food and Mood project (www.mind.org.uk for more info), highlighting how what we eat can change our mood and behaviour patterns. Most of this research and information is not new but has been buried and lost somewhere in the passage of time. For those of you who would like more help with food and behaviour ie for dyspraxia, dyslexia, adhd, and autistic spectrum disorders you may be interested in www.fabresearch.org. For the first time I’ve enclosed a brief case history of a sectioned patient of mine, which I hope helps you envisage a little better what can be done to help.

Characteristics of the modern diet

Todays modern diet has changed beyond recognition. Whilst some people may be more informed as to what is good to eat, it is difficult ploughing through the marketing and hype and getting to the truth about our food. Producing cheap food has been catastrophic for not only peoples health but for the quality of the food produced. This has left us with a diet that is hardly recognisable from that of our grandparents.

Todays diets contain:

A high concentration of long chain saturated fats

A high glyceamic load due to the presence of refined sugars and grain products

A low nutrient density with regards to vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre, phytochemcials, amino acids, and unsaturated fatty acids

An omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acid ratio thats differs from our ancestors

Low amounts of pre and probiotics

A high salt content A high level of environmental contaminants such a mercury dioxins, PCB’s phthalates etc

In short modern diets have all the required characteristics to impair both brain function as well as general health. That’s quite a statement I’m making!

How can nutrition help with mental health issues?

In my mind modern diets are a recipe for madness. If, on the most basic level are brains are made of 70% water and 30% essential fat, is it any wonder with our fast and furious way of living in the 21st century that our mental health is not supported with diets that quiet frankly leave much to be desired. Nutrition can certainly play a supportive role alongside medication from doctors and psychiatrists. One of the most common conditions I see in my clinic is depression, which can range from mild anxiety to bi -polar disorder. It is easy to over generalise and say that all people with mental health problems have bad diets. That is not the case. However a good three quarters of people with mental health issues may well have, poor blood sugar control, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and food allergies. It’s also not the case that eating five portions of fruit and vegetables per day and taking a few supplements is going to “cure” your mental health issue. Obviously people who have lived through trauma/loss/grief etc will have a cause for their illness, or indeed low levels of serotonin, but these people can still be supported through their process by good nutrition. This is really the time to say that what you eat can change your mood greatly. A fantastic out of print book called Not All In the Mind by Richard Mackarness highlighted this back in the 1970′s. As you can imagine with the growth of processed food, and millions of nutrient deficient people, mental illness appears to be on the increase. Of course our hurried stressed lifestyles do not help, together with the throw away celebrity culture that has ingrained itself into our every days lives, being happy and contented is sometimes hard in the 21st century.

So how does food affect my mood?

Your feelings are generated by tiny brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. These include dopamine, serotonin and adrenaline, glutamate, GABA and acetylchoine. Neurotransmitters are responsible for dictating your mood and are greatly affected by what you eat. Serotonin is associated with a reduction in stress and tension and feelings of happiness, whereas dopamine and adrenaline have different mood effects by boosting concentration and alertness. The influence of food is extremely relevant when neurotransmitter production is considered. Amino acids found in proteins provide the raw materials needed to make neurotransmitters and a low protein diet is often at the route of neurotransmitter imbalance. You may be interested in the fact that over the last 17 years, in all the thousands of food diaries I have seen, barely any are high in protein, but nearly 70% are high in sugar and caffeine. Some foods directly stimulate a neurotransmitter response e.g. carbohydrates influence serotonin production and caffeine stimulates adrenaline synthesis. There are many other specific vitamins and minerals that have a powerful effect on your mood. Without proper neurotransmitter balance brain function and mood can be seriously affected. Feelings of anxiety and stress are commonplace in today’s society. The body’s stress response has not yet evolved to deal efficiently with modern life, meaning the slightest emotional stress still causes a powerful release of chemicals. Two minerals, calcium and magnesium play an important role in regulating your nervous system. By making sure you have adequate dietary intake of these two nutrients you can help yourself combat feelings associated with stress and induce calmness and relaxation. Serotonin has received much publicity as a key factor in boosting mood and getting rid of the blues. This neurotransmitter is important to maintain feelings of happiness and positivity. There is now a huge amount of research which links reduced serotonin levels with lowered feelings of self-esteem and poor accomplishments. Serotonin is formed from the amino acid tryptophan, with the help of the ‘good’ omega-3 oil and vitamin B6. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid which means it can’t be made by the body and therefore has to be sourced from food, making the link between food and mood very relevant for this neurotransmitter.

The Brains Neurotransmitters

These are made from protein and if your diet is deficient in the building blocks then you will not be able to make these and mental and neurological problems may result. Serotonin When balanced you sleep well, enjoy food and think rationally. When out of balance, there can be sleep problems, depression, PMS and hormonal imbalances. Sources in foods: eggs, turkey, bananas, yoghurt, milk, cottage cheese and dates. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) – Natural valium! Controls the brain’s rhythm so you function at a steady rate. When out of balance you can get headaches, palpitations, seizures and heart problems. Sources: flour and potatoes. Dopamine Controls metabolism. Used for, energy excitement, new ideas and motivation. Out of balance can lead to addictive disorders, obesity, severe fatigue and in the long run Parkinsons disease. Sources: in beets, soybeans, almonds eggs, meat and grains. Acetylcholine- A brain lubricant that keeps the internal structures moist so that energy and information can pass easily around the system. When balanced you are creative and feel good about yourself. Out of balance you can get memory loss and language disorders. Sources: eggs, liver and soybeans.

Diet and good mental health

There is common ground in most mental health issues that will aid in the person’s recovery. Below I’ve set out a few ideas on how to change your diet for the better. For more details about food and mood go to www.mind.org.uk and click the mind guide to food and mood for more information. Eat every three hours combining protein with carbohydrate to ensure stable blood sugar levels throughout the day. If possible get some exercise – at least half an hour daily – this is particularly important with depression. Avoid E numbers, colourings, preservatives, msg and sugar substitutes. Keep well hydrated – drink about 1 ½ litres of water daily. Always eat breakfast. Eat enough complex carbohydrates – the body uses them to make serotonin and they keep blood sugars stable. Avoid saturated fat i.e. chips, fried food, too much cheese and red meat. Check yourself for food allergies – there is a strong case for certain foods creating certain moods. If in doubt, get a blood test done or do your own food and mood diary, writing down everything you eat and drink and everything you feel mentally and physically. Eat whole grains: wholemeal bread, brown, rice and brown pasta. Eat a high amount (at least five portions) of fruit and vegetables per day. Eat oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel at least three time a week. Eat adequate amounts of protein at every meal, this is important for building neurotransmitters. Keep up with your vitamin and mineral intake – in particular zinc, magnesium, vitamin B and essential fatty acids. These are all important in the production of serotonin. A good multivitamin (with at least 10mg zinc), Omega 3, and a calcium and magnesium supplement would be useful. Get your Vitamin B12, folate and thyroid checked with your GP. Many people with mental health disorders have low levels of B12, B1, B2, B5, B6, magnesium, calcium and zinc. These can all be tested and deficiencies alleviated. Do not self prescribe vitamins and minerals without professional help (particularly if taking medication).

The role of nutrition in mental health isn’t some quack idea. There is overwhelming evidence to the contrary and trials to back up the claims. For those interested, there is a government paper – The Links Between Diet and Behaviour – The influence of nutrition on mental health – a report of an inquiry held by the Associate Parliamentary Food and Health forum in January 2008. Go to www.fhf.org.uk/inquiry to download the document.

If you would like to talk through your mental health issue in confidence and how nutrition may help please call on 01323 737814.

Mental health case history

I don’t usually include case histories in my newsletter but wanted you see an example of how food and mood works in the real world! Tom was 26 yrs old and when I saw him, he was sectioned in a psychiatric hospital north of London. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia – he heard music, not voices, had self harmed, and been in and out of hospital for six years. His mother was very concerned at his overall health – she felt he had got worse in hospital and he was now sedated much of the day. He had been violent and aggressive towards her so when I visited Tom I had to wear a bleep and have the door open during my visit. I was shocked to see how ill a 26 yr old can look like, when they have not been diagnosed with any physical health problem. He was very pale, very black under the eyes with a face covered in acne, and underweight. Most of his teeth were missing. He looked worn out with a system that was not working for him. It took me three visits to engage with him and to get him to trust me. He was keen to do anything to get better and agreed to some testing. His diet consisted of black coffee, ten cigarettes a day, no water, chips and five Dr Pepper fizzy drinks which seemed to be the only drink on offer. The vending machine in the hallway sold only fizzy drinks and chocolate bars. With the help of his psychiatrist who was skeptical but helpful we found the following: Tom had scurvy. Tom was positive to tissue transglutaminase antibodies ie he had coeliac disease. His B12 levels were extremely low. He had very low levels of zinc. His blood sugar was very low at various points of the day. I’m not sure what the psychiatrist actually thought of the results or me (!) but he was immediately on board to correct what we had found. He did not think vitamin B12 injections or zinc would make a difference. But… they did. Tom followed a gluten free diet, cut out coffee, we balanced his blood sugar as much as we could within the confines of hospital food and he drank water instead of Dr Pepper. He was given Vitamin C, B12 injections and high levels of zinc. And little by little.. he got better to the extent that he is now out of the hospital and working part time. He still smokes and he still has bad days but is now off every medication except a low level anti depressant. There have been no violence or aggressive outbursts, and no bouts of self harming for two years. Tom recently visited India and has become vegetarian and meditates for an hour a day. He feels this has pushed him further on the path to recovery. Clearly, this won’t happen with everyone. Mental issues are complex and multifactorial however in this incidence it was the stepping stone for Tom making a near full recovery.

As nutritionists we are often criticised for doling out supplements like sweets. I don’t. However if you are going to take supplements when they are needed eg low levels of Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D for example you need to buy brands that have had excellent medical research. I now have twelve tried tested and trusted vitamins on my site which you can purchase through Kate Arnold Nutrition.  If you feel like you need an MOT of what you are taking, then I also have a half hour supplement advice service. For more details please call 01323 737814.

Hello nutrition fans and blog readers!

I’ve been trying to get my Facebook articles and clips onto my blog with limited success so will try the other way round so am back blogging!

This year has been great  for nutrition and Kate Arnold Nutrition is going from strength to strength. This year there have been more GP referrals than ever before which is wonderful news! Also the Channel 4 series The Food Hospital has highlighted the ever increasing need for nutrition to be put right out front in the fight against disease – many of these diseases preventable in the first place. There is also a greater understanding of joining up symptoms rather than seeing them all as individual problems and that is a huge break through.

I have some large projects in 2013 and will keep you informed of what’s going on as soon as I can. In the meantime this month I have a new supplement service. Too many people are prescribing supplements for themselves at great cost. It’s time for an overhaul and some expert advice as to what you might need and what you most definitely do  not! This will be up and running in the next few days so look out for it on my homepage.

I have also have a buy one get one free offer for January 2013. If you come for a first consultation, a friend or family member can have their first consultation free. If you would like to discuss this then please call me on 01323 737814.

Also at this time of year it can be tricky to think of presents to give to loved ones. So if you would like to give something a little different – a nutritional consultation might be the answer. If you have anything in particular then please do contact me – vouchers are available!

The christmas newsletter will be out next week if you would to sign up for my bi monthly newsletter please go to my homepage and following the instructions.

For my comments on the articles below and other news items, please go to my facebook page Kate Arnold Nutrition!

Eat NINE meals a day to cut your cholesterol (and help you lose weight)

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experts have largely agreed.