In a modern world where we are all concerned about having more energy and looking and feeling great, people have never felt more stressed. We are fast becoming a nation of workaholics with an “all work, no play” culture. However, we can all reduce our stress levels by getting back to basics, by improving our mental well-being which can lead to better health. We all need to take responsibility for our health by promoting the link between mind, body and spirit, and using natural health care that works in synergy with the body. As well as conventional medicine, I think people can revitalise their health by starting on the  inside  in order to look and feel great on the outside. It’s about stripping back to basics as emotional stress can affect our physical health. We have always thought we are born with our genes and there is nothing we can do to change ourselves, but we can. Telomeres are the bits on the end of our chromosomes that keep them intact, like the plastic caps that hold the ends of shoelaces together. As cells divide and replicate, telomeres eventually shorten; when they become too short, cells die. This leads overall to a shortening in the length of our lives. Lots of different factors affect the shortening of the telomeres and Nobel Prize winning research has shown that stress affects the shortening of our telomeres as much as smoking does. Therefore, stress is as bad for your health as smoking. However, the great news is that you can slow telomere shortening and rejuvenate your cells by making relatively simple health and lifestyle changes. #1 Appreciation We live in hectic times and are always striving for more. It’s helpful for some to keep a ‘gratitude journal’. Every morning write down three things you are grateful for and do the same before bed as you reflect on the day. It can be as simple as enjoying times with a good friend or being happy that the sun has been shining. Remembering the positive things about yourself and your lives has a positive effect on mental well-being and mood. #2 Creative Visualisation Scientific research has shown that visualising can make a difference to our health. Cancer sufferers who spent time visualising their cancer cells being destroyed had better results than those who didn’t. We often feel helpless in our situations and that can cause stress in our lives. It can be helpful to spend time visualising – or imagining – the life we want. Simply sit comfortably, close your eyes and ‘imagine’ the life you want and the person you want to be. This only takes five minutes a day and can have huge benefits to your health and mood. #3 Breathe We all breathe already so surely there can’t be a ‘correct’ way to breathe? Actually, there is. We often breathe unconsciously and without giving it a thought, but it is important to become aware of this. Studies have shown that breathing in a regular rhythm influences the heart and health in general. The best way to breathe is to make the out-breath slightly longer than the in-breath. Any pattern of this is good, but the ideal is four seconds in, and seven seconds out. Practice this for five minutes a day, before bed or during relaxation time. It is also good to use your stomach during breathing. A technique often practiced by Yoga followers is to move the stomach out when breathing in and to flatten it on the out-breath. It may feel a bit odd at first but with a little bit of practice this will soon become routine. #4 Exercise Walking for half an hour a day is as effective in treating mild to moderate depression as taking anti-depressants. Exercise releases endorphins, the ‘feel good’ chemicals in the brain and gives you a natural high. Any form of exercise is good, from walking, to tennis or yoga. #5 Eat right for stress Tea, coffee and energy drinks should be avoided when stressed. They may be refreshing for someone who’s tired, but they also contain neuro-stimulators like caffeine and theo-bromine, which are proven to heighten stress. Stress makes you anxious – further stimulation can heighten this anxiety and even cause insomnia. Junk food and takeaways are a far cry from a balanced and healthy diet. They contain high levels of protein, fats and carbohydrates that don’t contain vital minerals and vitamins, which can induce stress. Reducing stress is all about a balance of the correct vitamins and minerals, so it’s highly recommended to avoid all fast foods and takeaways. Soft drinks are packed full of calories that are useless and contain no vitamins or minerals. When stressed, a build-up of carbon dioxide and lactates in the body can result in a condition called ‘acidosis’, which is damaging to health. The high levels of carbon dioxide in drinks aggravate stress. Sugar should be avoided where possible – stress causes an increase in blood glucose levels, which can in turn lead to a higher risk of developing diabetes. Reduce stress by eating fresh fruit and vegetables, which provide stress-reducing vitamins and minerals. Vegetables also have a high fibre content, which is helpful in treating constipation – another long-term effect of stress. Fish such as mackerel contain Omega fatty acids, which are extremely good for the heart and can protect you from heart diseases. Fish also contains choline – a great memory booster, which can help you during stressful times. Yogurts provide minerals including calcium, essential to maintain well-functioning nerve impulses and calcium can also be found in leafy green vegetables and avocados. Herbal items such as dandelion, chamomile, and passion flower also relax both the body and mind. #6 Meditation and Mindfulness More than 100 scientific studies have shown the benefits of meditations, from lowering blood pressure to improving sleep to helping people to give up smoking. It is about trying to quieten our mind and the internal dialogue that goes on most of the time inside our heads. You can learn this at a yoga class or by buying 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 is to count as high as you can before your thoughts come in and distract you. Most people rarely get above three so don’t feel frustrated. It is normal to have thoughts coming in, it is important to just push these thoughts away and start again and not to get frustrated. When you next brush your teeth, instead of letting your mind wander, spend some time focusing on brushing your teeth, the sensations you feel and the sounds and how it makes you feel. This is called mindfulness. You can try this whenever you are doing anything routine, from washing up to having a shower. Becoming more aware can help distract us from our internal chatter and leave a clearer mind.

I had a conversation with a friend, which got me thinking about the authentic relationships in my life. I’m very lucky that I have a large circle of friends, and even luckier that some of those are authentic. To me, an authentic relationship is one built on honesty, it’s where you can truly be yourself with the other person – not your public face, not your polite mode, but actual you – in a mood wearing a onesie and no make up and stropping about nothing. It’s where you can tell the other person they’re being a total idiot and they may not agree with you, but they know what you say will always come from a place of love with no ulterior motive, and vice versa. My authentic friends have to put up a lot from me. I can be quite grumpy at times, but I’m also really fun to be around and to get the best of me you have to love the worst of me! Something I’ve had to learn is that people should only get the time from you that they earn. It takes time and trust to build authentic relationships and it cannot be forced. However there can be ‘authentic moments’ in every day. Those moments where you meet someone and just connect and have a really deep conversation and understand each other. Those can be on a beach in Croatia in the early hours talking about the universe, those moments where you talk a stranger in a coffee shop and feel like you already know them, they can be with someone at work connecting over a shared passion or frustration. The other important factor of course is to be an authentic person and live an authentic life. To me that means to be true to myself and living in accordance to my values and to be genuine. Modern life often means we have to stifle who we are, so it’s important to have outlets where we can be our true selves. So look for the authenticity in every day life, as these are the moments that make life unique, special and worth living.

Want to avoid the winter coughs and colds? Here are some top tips to cure cold’s and flu’s over winter… #1.   Vitamin C with zinc has been shown to reduce the severity of the symptoms of a cold if taken for five days.  Recommended dose is 1000mg of vitamin C and 10mg of zinc.  #2.   The last thing you will feel like doing when you have a cold is exercising, but a study has shown that going on a 45-minute walk when you don’t normally do much exercise boosts your immune system. The effect can last for up to three hours. #3.   Having beta glucans in your diet – found in baker’s yeast, oats, rye, barley, wheat and shiitake mushrooms – or in supplement form, on a daily basis, has been shown to reduce both bacterial infections and viruses. And, if taken when unwell, beta glucans can shorten the length of the illness. #4.   Get plenty of lysine, an essential amino acid that works to boost the immune system and helps stimulate the body’s own antibodies to fight illness. It’s found in plain yoghurt and skimmed milk, apricots, dried apples and mangos, and fish. #5.   Start taking probiotics. A recent study showed that people with colds recover more quickly and have less severe symptoms when they take them. #6.   To soothe your throat, make a hot water drink with honey, ginger and lemon.  #7.   Steam inhalation may sound old-fashioned, but it’s a powerful way to help clear mucus and soothe irritated airways. #8.   Drink plenty of fluids, as it’s easy to get dehydrated when you’re ill due to fluid loss caused by having a high temperature and increased nasal secretions. #9.   When you have a cold, sleep with an extra pillow, as this will help with the drainage of nasal passages. #10.  Try sleeping with a window open, as germs and viruses can breed more quickly in warm temperatures.  It’s a myth that cold weather causes a cold and keeping fresh air circulating will help create a healthier sleeping environment.  #11.  One final and important tip…get plenty of rest. Proper rest can boost your immune system to get you feeling better sooner.  Sleep helps your body better fight infections that cause you to get sick.

We all know the drill. Eat, drink and be merry over the festive season and then do a January detox. But what if you could have fun over Christmas without putting on half a stone, perhaps only a pound or two? Wouldn’t that make the cold and dreary January easier to cope with? Here are my top tips on how to stay healthy over Christmas: Tip #1 – If there’s something really yummy and Christmassy you want to eat, go for it. Mince pies, eggnog, Christmas pudding – go wild! But do you really need to dip in to the Quality Street at 8am or eat a platter of cheese at midnight?! (I’ve used these examples as they’ve both things I’ve done!!) Most of us end up just eating for the sake of it at Christmas and lose our self-restraint, for no good reason, then regret it in January. Another good rule to adapt is you can go for it on Christmas Day, but be sensible over the rest of the festive period. In general, anything you only have at Christmas, make the most of, anything else – save yourself an extra notch on your belt. Tip #2 – Try and keep some part of your normal routine going. If you always get up and go to the gym, why can’t you continue that most days over Christmas? And if you juice every morning, why can’t you keep doing that? At a bare minimum, try and start your day with a good breakfast which is full of protein, this will give your body a good start to the day, keep you fuller for longer and may help with cravings. It’ll be a weight off your mind (and waist!) to know you’ve done something healthy for yourself that day and you won’t feel bad when tucking in to the chocolate orange. Most people end up drinking every night and not getting any sleep for most of December due to all the socialising. Take 1 or 2 nights off a week and get an early night. This will stop your adrenal glands going in to overdrive, producing lots of cortisol and that in turn makes you crave sugary and salty foods more. Tip #3 – Take some supplements. When you are over-indulging in rich foods and drink, it’s a good idea to take some probiotics and digestive enzymes to help your gut cope with it all. All the late nights can leave your immune system a little weak, so it is good to take a supplement that supports your immune system, such as Bionutri Elderberry Complex or Nutri Advanced Immunoblast. A low vitamin D will affect your energy so take a supplement – which most people should take throughout winter as we don’t get enough sunlight to keep levels optimum. Tip #4 – Look at why you are over-eating and drinking.  If it’s genuinely enjoyable then go for it. But Christmas can be a difficult time of year for many people and if it’s to fill a void in your life or block out feelings then look at ways to start addressing these issues. Stress affects how our immune system works and puts us at risk of serious health problems, so make it a priority to address this in 2019. And lastly, have a great time! Spend time with people you love and enjoy the holidays!

Over the Christmas season we tend to eat and drink in excess then regret it after. Many of us will decide to go on a diet in the New Year. However, many of us will give up on the first day, and most blame stress and tiredness. Here are my top tips for making your New Year’s Resolution diet work! NEVER start on 1st January!! You are just setting yourself up for failure, especially if you over-indulged on New Year’s Eve and feel fragile. Pick a date in early January that works for you and work towards it. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get it all perfect at once. If you slip up and eat a biscuit it’s not the end of the world. If you eat a biscuit and then give up completely, then that is more of an issue. Make sure you have a friend or family member supporting you, or a support group. Having someone who understands what you are going through and someone you can talk too when you are struggling makes all the difference. Preparation is key, don’t go in to your resolution without first setting a date, clearing the cupboards of naughty treats and re-filling with good clean healthy foods. Get in to right frame of mind, remind yourself why you want to do this and if you must have a good-bye meal of all your favourites. Remember: Preparation is key, consistency is essential for success! Good Luck!

From eating more avocados to swapping your expensive eye cream for strawberries, and reverting to a teenager to keep a diary, here are my tips for becoming happier and healthier, today! #1 Do more puzzles To live a long and well life, keep your brain active by doing puzzles or learning a language. It keeps your mind active in to your old age. #2 Eat avocados Avocados are in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the healthiest food on earth. People worry they’re fattening, but they contain essential fatty acids, needed by the body to survive. #3 Make your diet mainly plant-based You don’t need to be vegetarian, but studies suggest people who eat meat two to three times a week live longer and healthier lives. #4 Ignore low-fat or sugar free foods Sweeteners such as aspartame have been linked to neurological problems, cancers and memory problems. #5 Get your Vitamin D We’re all lacking in it, because we don’t get enough sunlight in the UK. Vitamin D deficiency is linked with weak bones, fatigue and aching muscles. See your GP or health care practitioner for more advice. #6 Walk for half an hour a day It’s all you need to get your recommended amount of exercise. It could also be effective in treating mild to moderate depression. #7 Do something nice for someone Studies have shown doing nice things for others boosts the “natural happy chemicals” in the brain. And it’s easy. #8 Eat a banana a day Bananas can make you happier. They contain a mood-regulating substance called tryptophan which gets converted to serotonin, the happiness chemical, in the brain, thus elevating your mood. #9 Make your own fresh juice An easy way to get more than the recommended five a day. The nutrients get straight in to your cells without needing digestion and are a great energy boost. #10 Buy organic To avoid eating fruit and vegetables covered in pesticides and other chemicals. The foods with the highest pesticide levels are apples, strawberries, leafy greens, peppers and potatoes. #11 Reduce your weight by 10% If needed. It’s been shown to lower your blood pressure by 10 points on both figures. #12 Strawberries are the best eye cream They don’t just taste delicious, they also reduce under-eye puffiness, leave your hair looking glossy and conditioned, help clear up acne and smoothen the skin. #13 Turn off your mobile phone Your mobile phone and wi-fi may be stopping you having a good night’s sleep. They omit rays that can interfere with your natural sleep cycle. Turn them off at night to see if you’re sensitive. #14 Eat more Omega-3 The fatty acids found in supplements or oily fish like salmon or mackerel protect your heart and improve your memory. #15 Stop cooking It’s estimated 51% of your diet should be raw foods. #16 Drink 1½ litres of water a day will help you lose weight and improve your skin. #17 Exercise now If you don’t want to lose your mobility in old age, you don’t have to. It’s a case of “use it or lose it” – if you exercise now it will keep you mobile in later years. #18 See someone Don’t ignore those back pains. See an acupuncture specialist, chiropractor or an osteopath. #19 Take breaks The majority of back pain is caused by sitting too much and bad posture. Try to improve your posture and if you have a sedentary job, get up for little walking breaks or stretches. #20 Stretch We were not designed to sit in a chair all day. Stretch as much as possible whenever possible. It’s free and effective in improving your mobility and getting rid of muscular pains. #21 Be happy Happier and optimistic people have been scientifically proven to live longer than their unhappy and negative counterparts. Nobel Prize-winning research has shown stress is as bad for your health as smoking. #22 Write down your goals People who do have been proven to achieve them in comparison to people who don’t. So, visualise your success. #23 Breathe For reducing stress, the best rhythm is four seconds in, seven seconds out. Having a longer out-breath stabilises the heart rhythm and reduces risks of long-term illness. #24 Keep a journal A diary acts as an outlet for our emotions and allows us to voice our opinions and can help see the situation more clearly. Every morning write down three things you are grateful for and do the same before bed. Remembering the good in our lives and appreciating positives keeps our stress levels down.

Life is busy. That’s a fact. We’re all busy with work, with kids, with family….in the modern world it seems like there’s never enough time to get our ‘to do’ list done. So what do we prioritise? Often the things we do for ourselves go at the bottom of the pile. We don’t have time to go to the gym, meditate or cook for ourselves when the pull of work or the family often takes center stage. After all, would your boss be okay with you turning up to work half an hour late because you decided to go to a spin class? And how would the headmistress feel if you didn’t pick the kids up on time because you were busy making juice?! We have to put ourselves first in some times. It’s not selfish, it’s a priority. If you aren’t healthy and well, there really won’t be anyone to earn a living or fetch the kids from school. Here are my top tips for creating more time to put yourself and your health first: Start with 15 minutes  – we don’t have time. So start with just 15 minutes. Get up 15 minutes earlier to do your stretches or stay up 15 minutes later to do some food prep. When you’ve got that down, you can start extending the time. Use ‘the cracks of time’  – I use hidden cracks of time to get stuff done, which means I have more time to do what I need and want to actually do. So I write emails on the tube instead of watching funny James Corden Carpool karaoke (sometimes I do both!). I use car journeys to listen to podcasts to learn. Buy your supermarket shop online to save a long journey. Prioritise  – make a list of all the stuff you need to do. Practicalities like going to work, and then other things like gym etc. Look at your weekly schedule and fit in the top 3 things you want to do into your week. Pin it on your fridge to give it priority. Take back your time  – if you spend a lot of time doing household chores, speak to your partner to see if they can help to free up some gym time. If you need to leave early once a week to get to a class, ask your boss if you can work though your lunch hour or come in early one day. Make your schedule work for you. Drop what isn’t working  – you can’t drop your job (probably!) but you can drop that late night TV show, or the extra 20 minutes you spend doing your make up. Drop what isn’t important, so you can schedule in what is.

My handsome colleague Danyal is convinced I’m taking medication.  He can’t believe a person can be so upbeat and energized whilst being so busy! I’m not on medication as it turns out, but there are certain things that I do that make me function on all cylinders. I’m by no means perfect, and I certainly have my bad and low moments, but I want to share with you what I do on a regular basis to stay on fabulous form: Get my ‘5 a day’  – normally in a juice. I love ‘fast’ food. A juice is an easy way to get my 5 a day all in one shot. I need good nutrition to energise myself and set me up for the day. It also helps take away my cravings for not so good food throughout the day. I normally go with something green, like spinach, apple, mango or pineapple, cucumber, avocado with added supergreen powders like wheatgrass and spirulina. Then if I do eat cake later in the day, at least I can feel less bad knowing I had a good nutrient shot in the morning! Prayer and gratitude  – The single biggest influence on my life and mood at the moment is prayer. Connecting to a higher source, asking for guidance and signs to be my best and give my best to others is very important to me. I understand not everyone is religious, so a daily gratitude ritual is also important. I am constantly feeling thankful for all I am blessed with. I make it a priority to write this down or recall 3 wonderful things every morning and every evening, and even at spare opportunities. I cry – I cry a lot . Sometimes in joy, often in sorrow. It’s very important to be in touch with your emotions. Repressed emotions can lead to stress, increased cortisol and increased risk of illness. Deal with your emotions by getting them out in the open. Connect with yourself. I’m not saying you have to cry on the tube to that lovely Heathrow Christmas Ad (sometimes I can be too in touch with my emotions!) but don’t suppress emotions.  For those of you not quite as comfortable with free flowing emotion, you might prefer to write down how you are feeling and why in an emotion journal to help you understand yourself. Know yourself  – I know myself better than anyone else does. I have good instincts, I trust my habits. For example, I know I’m not good in the mornings, so I have stopped telling myself I am going to wake up at 6am to go to the gym, only to feel frustrated myself that I stayed in bed! I make realistic goals for myself and work things into my routine. I always try and do more, I always want to push myself and sometimes I berate myself for not doing more, but at the end of the day, I do ok overall, so I need to stop trying to do more and instead fit things into my routine and what has worked for me time and time again. Supplements  – I don’t over-supplement, but I keep my immune system up with B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin D3 and keep my gut healthy with probiotics and digestive enzymes. I take a hair and skin supplement over winter, and if I am feeling run down I take an immune booster.  When I am stressed out I take some ashwaganda, an ayurvedic herb, that helps.  I assess how I am feeling and then supplement appropriately. Be kind to myself  – and to those I interact with. I try and be gentle with myself when I am stressed out or busy or eat a whole giant bar of dairy milk fruit and nut. One mad move doesn’t make me a bad person, and isn’t everything I am.  I try to be kind to people I meet, I don’t always succeed and I’m not perfect, but I try. It’s more important to be kind than to be right. You feel good, and you’ll leave others feeling good too. I love doing things for others. It is rewarding, and stops me being too egocentric. Routine  – I do better when I have a steady routine. I work better when I sleep and wake up at similar times. I work better when I schedule in regular exercise and prepare my juices. Life can get so busy and I have a slight self-destructive streak, but when it does, I come back to my routine.

We all want to live longer, but only if we are healthy. My job is to get people healthy and feeling great. Here are my top tips on healthy ageing: #1   Know your blueprint We all have a unique blueprint that is our genes. We used to think that we just have our genes and there’s nothing you can do about it. We now know that this isn’t the case. I test for over 300 genes that can be modified to reduce your chances of getting a heart attack or stroke, preventing osteoporosis, improve your antioxidants, improve your detoxification and reduce inflammation in your body. Some of the genes will tell you the best diet for your unique gene type, the sort of exercise you need to do (sadly the answer is never no exercise!) and even how much alcohol you can drink. Knowing your ‘blueprint’ is empowering as you can make changes in your diet, personalise your supplements and modify your lifestyle accordingly to feel better today whilst also improving your health long term.  #2   Find out where you are on the map – use your GPS Knowing your blueprint is all very well, but what about finding out what’s going on right now? I often do telomere testing with patients which tell you how old your body really is. If you’re ageing on a cellular level, we can do something about it. I also check my patient’s vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, antioxidant levels and amino acids to create a total program for them based on what’s going on in their bodies right now.  This fits well with the gene testing. For example, if your genes show you need a high intake of B vitamins, we can check those vitamins to see if you’re getting enough right now or if this needs to be adjusted.  #3   Balance your hormones Do our hormones drop as we get older, or do we age because our hormones reduce? Keeping our hormones optimum, whether you’re a man or woman is key to feeling young, looking young and ageing well. Studies have shown in women, optimum hormone replacement at the time of menopause can reduce all causes of mortality compared to women who don’t take hormone replacement. Healthy levels of testosterone have been shown to prevent heart attack in healthy men. It’s important to see someone who has a lot of experience in balancing hormones, like myself, so they can personalise this to suit you and monitor treatment. #4   Lifestyle is key The most important factor is always lifestyle. Managing nutrition, getting good exercise, reducing stress, drinking lots of water and getting quality sleep is key to feeling good. I help my patients create realistic plans where they can stay healthy and have it fit in with their hectic schedules.

How we approach health is constantly evolving. Whilst the basics often remain the same, there are constant new and interesting trends always occurring. So here are some of my health prediction trends for 2018. #1   Basics but with a modern twist The foundations of health can’t ever change. The most important things are always good sleep, good nutrition, managing stress and moving your body. However, we can hack our health by using modern technology. For example, to improve sleep we can use devices like the Fitbit to monitor our patterns, use white noise machines like Marpac Dohm to help improve sleep quality by creating soothing background noise and mask outside sounds. There are podcasts like ‘Sleep with Me’ that can help you fall asleep, and a multitude of apps such as Headspace, Relax with Andrew Johnson and Calm which can help you to manage stress. Don’t fear using technology, use it to hack your health. #2   Personalised Health Care Plans There are multitudes of different diets out there that work for different people. Paleo, Mediterranean, low fat…. they can all be good, but which one is good for you? Now you can take the guess work out of it and find out what type of diet is best for your genetic make-up and what sort of exercise your body responds best to (spoiler alert: the answer is never no exercise!). Other genes that can be looked at are methylation genes, which if they aren’t working well can increase your risk of inflammation, certain cancers, heart disease, making low levels antioxidants and causing problems with mood, sleep and vitamin D levels. You can also see how your body deals with alcohol and smoking, and how your body processes certain medications. For people taking hormones, we can see how you process them and if there’s any increased cancer risk with taking HRT. This will lead to personalised health care plans of supplements, nutrition and exercise to keep you healthy. #3   Holistic Therapies There’s lots of research that shows that holistic treatments like acupuncture have benefits. Taking time out to have therapies you enjoy can give you time to relax and could potentially help your symptoms. Lots of my patients have treatments such as reflexology, massage, Bowen’s technique, see a life coach or an osteopath. #4   Meditation, but not as you know it Visualisation is where it’s at. Research shows that visualisation improves your immune system and health. Studies show that people who visualise themselves at being at their optimum weight do lose more weight than people who don’t. Other studies have shown that patients with breast cancer visualising their cancer cells being destroyed had better outcomes than patients who did not. So, incorporate some visualisation into your meditation time.

In my quest for wellness, I decided to do an adrenal stress test to see if stress is making me ill. For those of you who don’t know, an adrenal stress test measures your cortisol levels. It is done by spitting in a tube four times in a day to track your cortisol and see if they are elevated at any point. Why is this important? So I’m always banging on about how elevated cortisol levels cause inflammation in the body, and inflammation causes increasing weight, an increase in gut symptoms, fatigue, insulin resistance and even it regular functioning of cells which can contribute to most diseases and weakening of your immune system. So I did my spit tests, on a normal busy working day, after a month of considerable stress. It was fairly easy to do, the only thing I was concerned about was contaminating the samples by getting some of my pink lipstick in them! Then I froze them all and posted them off. The results were interesting to say the least.   So my cortisol is elevated first thing in the morning and last thing at night, but in the middle of the day I’m almost flat lined! I guess my work isn’t that stressful as I love it and love my patients, which is great, but what about the other times of the day? So what have I done about this? Well, I’ve decided to do the following to reduce my inflammation: #1 I’ve stopped watching intense TV shows like The Walking Dead just before bed! Yes I know I’m always banging on about not watching TV just before bed, as it affects your melatonin, but I also think it’s what I’m watching that is having an effect. My body doesn’t know the difference between a stress from watching something on TV all being chased down an alley way, it responds in the same way. So I need to reduce the amount of stress I have in the evening. So I still watch the walking dead, just at a different time of day! #2 Taking ashwagandha in the morning. Ashwagandha is a plant based supplement that is used in Ayurveda a lot. It is an adaptogen, which means it helps your body to adapt to whatever is going internally on a cellular level, and therefore can help me to reduce my elevated cortisol. #3 Lifestyle changes I’m also always banging on about the importance of lifestyle! So I’m trying to get my 7-8 hours sleep, eat clean and exercising regularly. A lot of my stress can’t be modified, which means I need to learn to manage it better. So I’m taking up spiritual practices to help me with this. #4 Heart Rate Variability There have been many studies done to show that managing your heart rate variability can reduce stress and improve health.  Heart Rate Variability (HRV) biofeedback is a relatively new technique for training people to change the variability and dominant rhythms of their heart activity. The use of HRV biofeedback began in Russia in the early 1980s where it was applied to the treatment of asthma and numerous other conditions. Research is now going on to apply HRV biofeedback techniques to a variety of medical and psychiatric conditions, including: anger, anxiety disorders, asthma, cardiovascular conditions, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), depression, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue, and chronic pain. Because it engages the parasympathetic nervous system – it is also thought to reduce stress and elevated cortisol. I have an app and a little monitor that measures mine, and then I can follow breathing exercises to regulate it. The logic is that the more you practice something the easier it becomes, and hopefully eventually it will become second nature! The best thing about it is I can do it on my phone (whilst watching The Walking Dead!) so it’s easy to do anywhere and it’s convenient.

I’m fasting at the moment and it’s long 18 and a half hour days, so it’s even more important for me to be healthy during this month. In the old days we would eat loads of fried foods and sweet things as it ‘can’t count’ if you’ve been fasting all day! That’s old school mentality and nowadays it’s more important to eat well and eat right, especially on hot days during 18 hour fasts. Many people fast for other reasons, such as cellular regeneration, mental strength and anti-ageing purposes. There’s good evidence that fasting for 16 hours helps with weight loss, reduces insulin resistance and helps lipid metabolism. My favourite Chris Martin fasts once a week too… Here’s my top tips for fasting in a healthy way: #1  Drink plenty of water after breaking fast, I’d recommend 1.5-2 litres to stay hydrated and avoid headaches and lethargy. #2  Make sure you have plenty of protein to stop muscle break down. #3  Eat a some good carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes or rice, your body needs some after not eating for so long. #4  It’s natural to want something sweet. Most Muslims break fasting with dates, which are rich in natural sugars, fibre, magnesium and potassium. Full disclosure – I sometimes have chocolate cake! But it isn’t ideal as it can cause blood sugar spikes effecting energy. Plus I felt pretty bloated after the cake. A Pulsin bar full of natural sugars and raw cacao and is also gluten and dairy free is a better option. #5  I like to have a soup made with bone broth when breaking fasting – it’s good for your immune system, digestive system and rich in nutrients. #6  It’s very important I get my nutrients even when fasting so I have a shake every morning (2.30am!) made with Nutri Advanced Superfoods Plus powder, rich in antioxidants and far more than my ‘5 a day’. I also have some protein like eggs or some gluten free bread with peanut butter to get me ready for my fast and the day ahead. I don’t want to overload my body with supplements but I do have my probiotics in the morning. #7  Sleep is so important, I try and get 7-8 hours, even if it is broken. When you’re tired your hunger hormones like leptin kick in to make you feel it more. #8  Ramadan isn’t just about food, it’s about being spiritually connected. I try and use my free time to strengthen this connection. This makes the whole process much easier!