Candida is a fungus and a form of yeast. A very small amount of it lives in your mouth and intestines. Its job is to aid digestion and nutrient absorption. However, when overproduced it adds to leaky gut syndrome by breaking down the intestinal wall and moving into the bloodstream, releasing by-products into the body and leading to various health problems, ranging from digestive issues to depression to tiredness. CAUSES OF CANDIDA OVERGROWTH Sometimes your gut isn’t able to keep your candida levels in check and this causes overgrowth. The common causes for this are: • a diet high in refined sugar and carbohydrates, sugar feeds the yeast • living a high-stress lifestyle • taking a course of antibiotics for a medical problem that also kills off the friendly bacteria in the gut MY ADVICE Candida is diagnosed based on symptoms and there are tests available to detect this too. A good functional medicine doctor who practises medicine as I do or a good nutritionist or naturopath will be able to order and interpret these tests for you. Treating candida fully can take up to six months. It is also important to take a good probiotic as discussed yesterday . Changes in your diet are key to healing your gut. Sugar feeds yeast, so typically sufferers need a low carbohydrate diet and have to cut out sweets, chocolate, desserts, alcohol and flours. Cutting out refined sugar entirely and a reduction to just one serving a day of complex carbohydrates such as grains, beans, fruit, bread, pasta and potatoes will prevent candida from growing further and eventually cause it to die.

Why We Need Probiotics... Our guts are full of good ‘friendly’ bacteria, which work to reduce dangerous bacteria from our food. They aid digestion and the absorption of nutrients. They also help peristalsis, which is the process by which food and waste moves through the digestive system. They protect our mucous membranes by stimulating the production of mucins, which are the proteins in mucous that lubricate and protect the inner layer of our tissues. They improve the balance of friendly bacteria in the genital area and reduce the chances of urine and vaginal infections. In the bowel, these bacteria help to produce essential B vitamins needed for the effective running of our neurological system and help you feel energised. Our natural levels of these good bacteria can be reduced by a poor diet, stress, smoking, alcohol, hormone changes, surgery and medications. This is when a probiotic supplement could be needed. Research has shown that probiotics could have benefits for conditions, from type 1 diabetes to fibromyalgia. Scientists are trying to develop specific probiotics to prevent dental cavities, probiotic lozenges for sore throats, probiotic nasal sprays and probiotic deodorants. MY ADVICE Probiotic supplements come in many forms, but the ones most people know about are in the form of yoghurt or milk drinks that are widely available in supermarkets. These contain small amounts of ‘friendly’ bacteria but also contain sugar, dairy and flavouring. Probiotics also come in capsule form, which in general have higher levels and different strains than the drinks and yoghurts. If cost is an issue, taking a yoghurt or probiotic drink is still a good option. You can also make fermented foods such as sauerkraut to have a natural source of friendly bacteria.

Here are the main ways to treat adrenal fatigue... 1. EAT YOUR WAY BACK TO ENERGY Eating regular meals throughout the day will stop your blood sugars and hormones from fluctuating too much. When we have a big meal cortisol, the fat-storing hormone, is released so it’s better to have your big meal earlier in the day. Perhaps it’s no surprise that cutting back on sugary snacks will help heal adrenal fatigue. The body often craves sugary or salty foods in this state. Many people rely on caffeine to keep going, but overall this leads to a greater drop in energy. The best foods to support the adrenal glands with micronutrients are asparagus, avocado, garlic, cabbage and ginger. 2. TAKE SUPPLEMENTS Vitamins B and C and omega-3 fish oils all support the adrenal glands. You could take these in the form of supplements, or eat more foods rich in vitamins B and C, such as avocados, grapefruits, strawberries, bananas, oranges and blueberries, to name but a few. Omega-3 fish oils are found in oily fish like mackerel and salmon. In addition, herbs such as ginseng, rhodiola, ashwagandha, timo cordyceps mycelium extract and L-theanine can all be helpful. There are some herbal supplements that can help support the adrenal glands as well as a supplement with pituitary and adrenal concentrate from bovine source to aid the healthy functioning of the adrenal and pituitary glands, but this should be done under the supervision of a health-care professional. 3. EXERCISE, GENTLY When you have adrenal fatigue over-exercising, such as a strenuous gym session, will only put more strain on the adrenals. It’s more beneficial to do 15–30 minutes of gentle exercise a day. Walking, yoga and swimming are ideal forms of exercise. It’s also good to get some fresh air whenever possible so ensure to walk outdoors. 4. MAKE TIME TO RELAX Schedule some relaxation into your diary every day, even if it’s only 5–10 minutes. Walking, hot baths, massages, reading and meditation are all simple but effective. Go out and have fun too. We relax when we are doing things we enjoy. Whenever you are stressed, take a few deep breaths through your nose. This helps to slow the heart rate down. We’re all extraordinarily busy nowadays, but it pays to learn how to notice when we’re first getting stressed, acknowledge it and take time out to have a cup of herbal tea or gather our thoughts. MY ADVICE: Choose one of the above suggestions and incorporate it into your day and learn how to treat adrenal fatigue. Let me know how you find it!

Adrenal fatigue is a common source of tiredness yet not many people know a lot about it. The adrenals are two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys, each about the size of a walnut. Despite being small, they are very important for health and well-being. The adrenals affect virtually every system in our body. They aid our bodies in responding to stress, maintaining energy, regulating the immune system and our heart rate. They also maintain levels of minerals and keep blood sugar, fluid levels and blood pressure within a healthy range. They produce adrenaline and noradrenaline: the so-called ‘fight or flight’ hormones which help the body deal with acute stress. These are the hormones that give a person superhuman strength, such as to lift up a car when a child is trapped underneath or the energy to run away from an attacker. The adrenal glands manufacture over 30 different steroids including cortisol, DHEA and cortisone which help the body control fats, proteins, carbohydrates, regulate insulin levels, reduce inflammation and influence the immune system. When the adrenal glands are healthy, they secrete precise amounts of the steroid hormones. However, too much physical, emotional, environmental or psychological stress causes imbalances in their functioning. This can result in adrenal fatigue, when the adrenal glands are no longer coping with the strains put on them. The classic symptoms are tiredness, low energy, cravings, insomnia, irritability, anxiety and poor concentration. Many people with adrenal fatigue get into the habit of relying on stimulants like caffeine and sugar to keep them going as they feel so fatigued in the day, and then alcohol or other relaxants to wind down at the end of the day as they have trouble switching off at night. There can be many causes of adrenal fatigue, such as work pressures, emotional traumas, relationship strains, chronic illness, infections, surgery, pain, grief, financial difficulties, lack of sleep or depression and anxiety. MY ADVICE... Do you have adrenal fatigue? The quiz below will help you find out: Have you in the last week… 1. Felt stressed, restless, overwhelmed and/or exhausted? 2. Experienced anxiety, nervousness, irritability, phobias or panic attacks? 3. Kept yourself going on sugar, caffeine and/or snacks? 4. Experienced light-headedness on standing? 5. Felt more awake at night? 6. Craved salty food, sugar or liquorice? 7. Had dark circles under your eyes or feel your eyes sensitive to bright lights? 8. Spent the whole day rushing from one thing to another? 9. Suffered from interrupted sleep or insomnia? 10. Got absent-minded or felt that your short-term memory lets you down? If you’ve answered YES to 5 or more of these you may have adrenal fatigue. To learn how to combat this yourself, read my article on  How to treat Adrenal Fatigue.

More than 100 scientific studies have shown the benefits of meditation, from lowering blood pressure to restoring energy to improving sleep to helping people give up smoking. It’s all about trying to quieten the internal dialogue that goes on inside our heads most of the time. You can learn this at a yoga class or by listening to a meditation CD or you can give it a go yourself by sitting comfortably with your eyes closed and trying to quieten your mind. A good way to try this is to count as high as you can before your thoughts distract you. Most people rarely get above three so try not to feel frustrated. It’s normal to have thoughts floating in. Just allow them to come in and out, pushing them away if necessary and start again. Tonight when you brush your teeth, instead of letting your mind wander, spend some time focusing on the brushing, the sensations you feel and the sounds around you. This is a technique called mindfulness. It is simply being present in the moment and engaging the senses. You can try this whenever you are doing anything routine, from washing up to having a shower. MY ADVICE Energising Meditation... Here is an example of an energising meditation that you can try right now to boost your energy. It can sometimes take a couple of weeks of regular practice to feel the full benefits of this meditation. In this meditation, you use a combination of relaxation and mindfulness to lift your mood and energy levels. 1. Adopt an upright position. 2. Ensure that your back is relatively straight and your chest is open with shoulders back. Having a particularly open, erect, dignified posture can really help to energise you. 3. Take three deep in-and out-breaths. Really feel those breaths moving in and out of your body. 4. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly. On your next in-breath, ensure that you breathe into your belly. The hand on your chest needs to remain relatively still, if possible. Breathe out slowly from your mouth. 5. Feel the physical sensation as you do so. 6. Imagine yourself being energised as you breathe in. If you’re a visual person, imagine light entering into your body, nourishing all your cells with soothing, uplifting energy. If this isn’t working for you, choose whatever image does work –there is no right or wrong. 7. Keep a light smile on your face throughout this energising breath meditation, even if you don’t really feel that happy, Doing so can help to boost your energy. Guide your attention back each time your mind wanders. Do so with kindness and gentleness and try not to get angry or frustrated with yourself. 8. Bring the meditation to a close after ten minutes or so. Slowly open your eyes.

How Practising Gratitude Can Affect Your Energy... What we think and how we feel emotionally can affect our energy as much as supplements and foods. We live in hectic times and, as we’re always striving for more, we tend to miss out on what we already have. We’re bombarded by messages in the media that tell us we should be slimmer, prettier, have a bigger house, a faster car or a better boyfriend so it’s easy to feel unfulfilled. I know I do on occasion. Beyoncé Knowles and I are the same age and I went through a phase of looking at her and feeling highly unsatisfied with my life and thinking I was completely inadequate! Worries and fears drain our energy and stop us from using our precious resources for more important things. The solution is gratitude. Being grateful for what you have is a great antidote to stress and dissatisfaction, and serves as a reminder of the good things in our lives. Practising gratitude and remembering the positive aspects of yourself and your life will have a positive effect on your mental well-being and mood. MY ADVICE... Start a gratitude journal. This can be a notebook, in the notes on your phone or on your laptop – whatever works for you. Tonight write down at least 3 things you’re grateful for and why. It can be people, a place, experiences or just having a roof over your head and food and clothing. Make it a ritual you keep to yourself. You don’t have to write these things down, but the reason I find recording my gratitude useful myself is because when I have a ‘down’ day, it’s lovely to read over all the memories, events and happy occasions that have happened over time and remember things aren’t that bad really, even if I don’t have Beyoncé’s life!

One of the key ways to increase energy and beat tiredness is to cut out chemicals. This means avoiding processed foods as much as possible. Why Eating Clean Equals Increased Energy... An easy rule is to think about how much human interference a food has had. For example, an apple is a wholefood, but an apple pie is flour, sugar, butter, etc., fashioned into food. Another example is that if a food has a long list of ingredients, a lot of which you don’t recognise because they’re additives, preservatives and other chemicals, it’s best to avoid it. Whenever presented with a choice, try to pick the food that has been interfered with the least. This is what I try and apply to myself when I’m out and have to grab food on the go. If you do this you’re on to a winner. I also try and keep snacks on me like dried fruit, seeds, nuts or healthy snack bars in my handbag so I don’t feel starving and reach for a muffin. I call this eating clean. MY ADVICE Think about how you can choose eating clean in your life. For example, where do you know near your work place that sells ‘clean food’? Do you need to carry clean food like nuts or fruit with you? These small changes, if done consistently, can give you huge results.

I recommend taking a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D is actually a hormone synthesised by the body from sunlight, and is essential for keeping bones and muscles strong and healthy. Even a mild lack of vitamin D can cause muscle aches, tiredness and general pains. However, there’s very little vitamin D in our food, only a small amount in egg yolks, oily fish, liver and wild mushrooms. We need sunlight to make vitamin D, and it’s thought that 15 minutes a day of sun exposure to the arms and legs in Caucasian skin is enough to get the recommended amount. People with darker skin may require 30 minutes a day. In both cases, avoid wearing sunscreen, at least for the allocated time, in order to absorb the vitamin D effectively. In the UK especially, we simply don’t get enough sunlight to synthesise sufficient vitamin-D levels. Therefore we’re all at risk of being deficient. Supplements need to be in the form of D3 to be best absorbed. It is recommended that we take between 600–800 IU (international units) a day but I recommend taking a minimum of 1000 IU. I routinely measure all my patients levels of vitamin D3 and some of them have to take 5000 IU a day in proven vitamin D deficiency. This is so mood and energy can improve, as well as other health benefits. Vitamin D deficiency is a topic especially close to my heart. A couple of years ago I felt very flat. My mood and energy were extremely low and I tried lots of ways to get out of it and couldn’t shift it. Eventually my colleague forced me to have some blood tests and it revealed I was extremely deficient in vitamin D. I took a high dose supplement and within the month I was back to my usual sparkly self! MY ADVICE... Get a good quality vitamin D3 supplement and start taking it consistently.

I know sleep is a big problem for many people. You may feel you are sleeping a lot of hours but not being refreshed. In that case it could be that the quality of your sleep is poor. These tips will help in either case. As this a big topic, I’m splitting it in to things you can eat/take to help sleep (tomorrow!) but first and most importantly is how to improve your sleep routine: 1. Turn off your TV/computer/smartphone an hour before you go to bed. Electrical appliances stimulate the brain and won’t aid sleep. Reading is also too stimulating. Who hasn’t decided to read just one last chapter of their book before bed and found themselves still engrossed at 2 a.m. 2. Try and get into a bedtime routine, like when you were a child. Take at least 30 minutes to wind down. You can listen to relaxing music and use the time to take stock of your day. Don’t use the time to do chores or watch TV dramas. 3. Take a hot bath. A night’s sleep is normally preceded by a drop in body temperature. When you have a comfortably hot bath, artificially raising your body temperature, when you go back into your cooler bedroom it helps the body be more receptive to adjusting its body temperature. 4. Psychologically, if you spend all night wide awake and tossing and turning in your bed, you can think negatively of your bed. So for 20 minutes try to get to sleep and if you can’t, get up, and read something relaxing or do something sedentary until you can. In the same way, the bedroom should only be used for bedroom activities, and not for watching TV or eating, to create a more relaxed sleep-inducing atmosphere. 5. If you have a digital clock in your room, I’m afraid you’re going to have to turn it off, as well as your phone. Both release electromagnetic waves into the room that can interrupt sleep. Consider turning your Wi-Fi off too for the same reason. Along a similar vein, make sure your room is as dark and quiet as possible. Invest in an eye mask and earplugs if needed. 6. Try to sleep the same amount of hours every night and go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time, even at weekends, if possible. This allows your body to know when to secrete your hormones and make repairs, and doesn’t confuse it with too many late nights. By going to bed at 11 p.m. one night and 3 a.m. the next, it can induce a mini ‘jet lag’ where our body becomes out of sync. This means we cannot get into Stage Four deep sleep, and this can affect our energy, mental performance and judgement the next day. It may sound boring, but getting into a routine with your sleep is a great way to regain your vitality. MY ADVICE Get clear on what your current sleep routine is. Is there a way of improving it? Which of the above tips can you easily integrate into your life?

Benefits of Green Smoothies Everyone who knows me knows what a big advocate I am of juicing and smoothies. Buying a juicer is one of the best investments I’ve ever made as I love juicing. I only have a basic juicer but it’s made a huge difference to my nutrition. There has been some bad press about juices and smoothies as they’re full of sugar, but I’d like to point out these studies have been done on shop-bought smoothies and juices that have been pasteurised and have lost their nutritional content, not freshly made green juices with plenty of benefits. Pasteurised juices have been heated up and all the nutrients have been killed, so in essence you are drinking a glass of sugar. In some parts of the country you can buy fresh juice or cold-pressed juice, or order it from companies online. Sometimes I make my juices in advance and freeze them. There’s a lot of conflicting information about whether this depletes the nutritional value, and of course the best option is to make your juice fresh and drink it immediately, but if this isn’t possible then I think that if you have to make your juices in advance or freeze them, this is still a better option than eating something unhealthy. It’s about making the best decision with the time and resources you have. Smoothies are also great, and you blend the fruit whole so you can get extra fibre and nutrients from it. A lot of people are using nutri-bullets to make their smoothies these days, but a good old fashioned blender will also do the trick! In my opinion, this a quick and easy way to get your 5 a day, reduce inflammation in your body and feed your body nutrients to boost your energy. MY ADVICE: RECIPE The recipe below is for one of my favourite green smoothies. Serves 1: 1 medium apple, sliced but unpeeled 2 slices fresh pineapple, peeled 2 large handfuls of spinach or kale ½ avocado, peeled and stone removed ⅓ cucumber, unpeeled 2 sticks of celery 1/2 lemon, peeled Wash the apple, spinach or kale, cucumber and celery. Blend the ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Add some water or coconut water to thin out based on your preference.

I prefer my patients to try the methods I’ve outlined below before we look at prescribing sleep supplements such as melatonin to improve their sleep. Cleaning up your lifestyle and your eating habits will definitely make a difference to your sleep. 1. A banana before bed can aid sleep. They release natural chemicals to relax the body and help you fall asleep due to their calcium content. They contain tryptophan, which can be converted into serotonin by the body which can help you to feel sleepy. 2. Almonds are rich in magnesium, which is essential for a good night’s sleep. If magnesium levels are low, it is hard to stay asleep. You can also take a magnesium supplement to help you get to sleep. 3. Foods rich in B6 are fish like tuna, halibut and salmon, as well as raw garlic and pistachio nuts. 4. Certain foods that can raise the glycaemic index can induce sleep. This is because after eating them you have a natural spike in your blood sugar and insulin levels, and after this spike you can feel tired. Normally you want steady blood sugars in the day to avoid mood and energy swings, but if you are looking to get rest, this could help. Foods like white rice can help this process. 5. Chamomile tea really can help sleep. It contains glycine, which relaxes nerves and muscles and can act as a mild sedative and also help reduce any anxiety. A little bit of honey in your chamomile tea can help too as it raises insulin and tryptophan. 6. Avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol. Caffeine and sugar shouldn’t be consumed late in the day as they have been proven to cause restless sleep. Consider making 2 p.m. your cut-off time for caffeinated drinks if you’re having trouble sleeping. Some people believe alcohol helps them sleep, but it actually leads to a less regenerative slumber, so the body doesn’t rest well and you feel tired the next day. This is because alcohol disturbs chemicals in the brain that help with the deeper patterns of sleep. What actually happens is that brain waves increase from small ones in Stage One to deep slow waves in Stage Four. Stage Four is the deepest level of sleep that makes us refreshed the next day. But as alcohol starts to wear off during the night, we experience more Stage Five sleep –known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) –than Stage Four. During this period, there is a high level of brain activity. Although this stage is associated with dreaming, it is a lighter type of sleep which is not as refreshing as Stage Four –and can affect our mental performance and mood during the next day. 7. A few drops of lavender oil on the pillow are relaxing, but more than that is stimulating so use with caution. MY ADVICE... Decide on 2 things from above to try and see if it helps improve your sleep.

Why Sugar Makes You Tired... Consuming large amounts of processed  sugar  causes spikes in your body’s blood sugar. This causes a temporary surge in energy, but then causes a massive crash that leads us to feel more tired than we did to begin with. These constant highs and lows cause the body to stop being able to regulate our own energy. The bottom line: a diet rich in sugar is going to worsen any tiredness you already feel. And this is why sugar makes you tired. In Britain, the average person consumes 237 teaspoons of sugar a week! This is often from hidden sugar in processed foods, soft drinks, even in bread. Of course, there is also sugar in fruit. So does this mean we have to stop eating fruit too? Not necessarily, as it would take much higher quantities of fruit to get the same amount of sugar that you could get in a chocolate bar, so if you are having a couple of pieces of fruit a day, that wouldn’t normally be enough to affect your insulin functioning. MY ADVICE... Keep a food diary for a few days and seeing how much sugar you really consume. Once you are aware of it you can try and cut down slowly. If you crave sugar and normally have a bar of chocolate every night, try and only have half instead. Replace sweet treats with healthier options like fruit with yoghurt. It is also important to consume lots of proteins like lean meat, fish, hummus and eggs and fats like coconut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds to help balance blood sugars in the body and curb cravings.