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Dr Libby Weaver

Supportive sleep hygiene habits

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Is a restorative night’s sleep something that you could only dream of?

Yet good-quality sleep (and getting enough of it!) is so vitally important for our health. Restorative sleep can positively impact our cognition, memory, emotional regulation, mental health, digestion, hormone production and immune function. We cannot fight our biology, and research has shown that adults require seven to nine hours of sleep a night for optimal health.

So how do we set up our body (and mind) for great sleep?

The importance of melatonin

One key factor that needs to be considered is our body’s main sleep hormone – melatonin. This hormone is responsible for helping us fall asleep, as well as helping us to stay asleep. Melatonin production is significantly impacted by exposure to light, which unfortunately means that when our eyes are constantly exposed to light, we’re unlikely to produce the melatonin we need for good-quality sleep.

Regulating our circadian rhythm

Before the invention of electricity, we rose with the sun, and went to bed shortly after the sun set. This routine is very beneficial in regulating our circadian rhythm, the biological clock that tells our body when to sleep, wake and eat. When we are exposed to sunlight during the day, our production of melatonin falls away, and as nightfall sets in, melatonin increases to prepare our body for sleep.

Melatonin-boosting foods

Certain foods contain melatonin, however myriad factors influence how much melatonin is found in the food once it is ready to be eaten, such as the environment in which the plants are cultured, the temperature range in which they are grown, how much sunlight they have been exposed to during their growth, any ripening processes they have undergone, as well as their chemical exposure. Generally, mushrooms, pistachio nuts, walnuts, tomatoes, red and orange capsicum, flaxseeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek are consistent sources, with highly varied levels being found in different cultivars of cherries, grapes and strawberries. Sour cherries tend to have the highest level of melatonin of the cherries that have been studied.

Stress reduction

If you are someone who struggles to fall asleep because your mind won’t stop thinking about the worries of the day, it’s important to manage your stress levels to assist with restorative sleep. Keeping a journal or notepad and pen next to the bed to do a “brain dump” before you go to sleep can help to process some of those busy thoughts by writing them down on paper. Regularly incorporating stress management practices such as meditation, breathwork, journaling, restorative yoga stretches or breath-focused movement such as Tai Chi can also be really beneficial. A warm, soothing bath before bedtime can also help to support great sleep, if this appeals to you. Sometimes our mind is busy because we are actually worrying about what someone thinks of us – if we’ve upset them or if they think we’re not thoughtful, for example – so examining the role that these perceptions might be playing in our poor-quality sleep can also be useful. 

Blue light exposure

Light destroys melatonin, our main sleep hormone, which impacts the body’s rhythmic sleep cycle. Blue light, in particular, emitted consistently from backlit devices such as computers, phones, laptops and TV screens, is a major melatonin disruptor. Try to avoid using any backlit devices within 60-90 minutes of bedtime, and instead try reading a book, journaling, or doing a guided meditation to help you to wind down before you go to sleep.

Sleeping environment

Fostering the right environment for bedtime can be really impactful for the quality of your sleep. Creating a space that is just for sleep (not working on your laptop or watching Netflix), that has the lights dimmed, and is a comfortable, cool temperature, can really help to improve sleep quality. Avoid participating in habits that can hinder sleep such as watching the news, scrolling on social media, reading or watching violent or intense content, and instead try listening to relaxing music, sleep stories or binaural beats before bed to foster restorative sleep.

Food choices before bedtime

What we consume, not only right before bed, but also throughout the day, can have a big impact on sleep. Try to avoid caffeine after midday, as this can take up to eight hours to be cleared from the body (and may be even longer for certain people). You might also like to consider what and how much you are having for dinner. Aim for a light meal in the evening and be mindful of the serving size. Eat your dinner as early as is practically possible and try not to eat within 90 minutes of bedtime, as eating too close to sleep can impact your digestive system as well as your blood glucose levels, causing sleep disruptions. A chamomile tea before bed can be lovely and calming for the nervous system.

Start the day with gratitude

You can also support your body’s natural circadian rhythm by aiming to wake up at the same time each day, and gently (and safely) exposing your eyes to the morning light. Try sleeping with your blinds or curtains open and waking up naturally with the sun, or if this isn’t possible, try going outside when you wake up, to expose your eyes to the natural light. A lovely practice to embrace is thinking about something you are grateful for while recognising that the light of a new day has dawned.

If you would like to learn more about solving your sleep challenges, you might be interested in this online event.

Supporting your health post-menopause

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Post-menopause is a phase that makes up a significant portion of a woman’s life, yet it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves or requires. During this life stage, you may find yourself adjusting to a new ‘normal’ in a multitude of ways—aside from the hormonal shifts that occur as we enter this phase, there may be career changes or changes in family dynamics, with children growing up and moving away to study or work, for example. As you move into this next phase, more opportunities for you to focus on yourself may arise—to prioritise your own health and happiness—and it’s important you feel supported to do just that.

If you’re familiar with my work, you’ll know that I examine health using three pillars—the nutritional, biochemical and emotional. So, let’s explore post-menopause through these lenses.

Nutrition

Vitamins and minerals

Post-menopause, there are a few nutrients that we need in greater amounts than we did prior to this life stage. Most women are aware of the importance of adequate calcium intake, given that health messages for post-menopausal women are commonly focused on bone health—you can read my blog on bone health here for more information on this. But our requirements for some other nutrients change too—we require more vitamin D and vitamin B6, and less dietary iron, for example. Because we no longer lose some iron via menstrual bleeding, it’s especially important not to supplement this mineral unless you have confirmed that this is necessary via a blood test (the blood test to have your iron status assessed by your GP is called “iron studies”).

Antioxidants

A nourishing way of eating that focuses on mostly whole foods—aiming for at least five serves of vegetables every day—is especially important, to help prevent the development of chronic diseases and to maintain an excellent quality of life, with great energy and vitality. Including plenty of colourful plant foods will provide your body with a plethora of antioxidants that help to reduce oxidative stress, preventing damage from free radicals which can accelerate ageing and degeneration from the inside out. As we continue to age, the body’s thirst signals can also become less pronounced, so setting up a habit of drinking plenty of water each day can be really beneficial, as is adding electrolytes to some of your glasses of water.

Your biochemistry

Hormone changes

After menopause, our levels of estrogen and progesterone are significantly lower. This is completely normal – it is supposed to be this way – and it’s your body’s wisdom deciding that high circulating estrogen levels are no longer right for you. However this shift in our hormonal pattern does alter our biochemistry, and we lose some of the gifts that the higher sex hormone levels provided us with during the menstruation years, such as the anti-anxiety effects of progesterone, the utilisation of cholesterol for the creation of sex hormones and estrogen’s positive effects on our cardiovascular system. We also obtain benefits from these lower levels of sex hormones, such as freedom from the ebbs and surges of estrogen that can have caused myriad challenges such as heavy blood loss and a low mood.

Some of the key body systems and organs that we want to take extra special care of post-menopause include the brain, heart (and vascular system), bones, liver and endocrine system—particularly the adrenals, thyroid and pancreas.

After the ovaries cease their production of estrogen and progesterone, one hormone whose levels are not significantly altered post-menopausally is testosterone (although it does gradually decline with age). The adrenal glands continue to produce testosterone (some studies postulate that the ovaries continue to make it too, but a consensus is yet to be reached) which the body can convert into estrogen. An enzyme called aromatase catalyses this conversion, however, we don’t want too much estrogen (or aromatase) post-menopausally, because of the risks of estrogen-receptor-positive reproductive cancers. One of the most important health steps we can take post-menopausally is to ensure we are not making excessive amounts of aromatase.  

Most of the aromatase inhibitors in nature are found in plant foods. The class of antioxidants known as flavonoids are particularly potent and are important inclusions in how we eat. One of the challenges we face however, is that plants primarily produce their flavonoids as a mechanism of defence in response to attack by pathogens. So, when plants are sprayed with herbicides, they don’t need to switch on their innate production of these protective substances (as much, or possibly at all). This means that we can end up with foods on our plate that are supposed to be rich in protective flavonoids, which are not. This is a major reason why choosing biodynamically or organically grown, or spray-free food is so important, as is ensuring we are eating our “7-a-day” (a minimum of five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit per day).

Body fat storage

When estrogen levels reduce significantly (which naturally occurs as we transition into the post-menopausal phase) this alters where the body stores fat and can contribute to a change in our body shape. During the menstruation years, higher levels of estrogen promote body fat storage around the hips and thighs, and when estrogen levels drop lower around menopause, our fat storage pattern shifts, and body fat tends to be stored around our middle instead. This increases the risk of what is known as metabolic syndrome – elevations in blood fats and cholesterol, as well as blood glucose and blood pressure. Body fat levels don’t have to increase across the menopause years, yet this has become quite common. The nine factors that influence whether the body gets the message to store fat or use it as fuel, such as stress hormones, thyroid function and insulin, become even more important to understand as time goes by. You can learn more about the nine factors here.

Insulin resistance

The reduction in estrogen and potential increase in abdominal body fat, along with other factors, can increase our susceptibility to insulin resistance. In an insulin resistant state, insulin production increases in an attempt to overcome the resistance—picture the body having to start to shout to make sure its message is heard, rather than simply expressing its message at a normal volume. Insulin is a vitally important hormone involved in blood glucose regulation, but it is also an energy (glucose and fat) storage hormone, and consistently elevated insulin levels can ultimately lead to deteriorating metabolic health and difficulties shifting excess body fat. Some key things to focus on to support insulin sensitivity include prioritising restorative sleep, implementing stress management practices and moving your body regularly. Focusing on a whole food way of eating and minimising (or omitting) highly processed foods and drinks is crucial, too.

Cholesterol

After menopause, the levels of fats (lipids) in our blood—such as cholesterol—also commonly tend to move in a direction that isn’t ideal. This is due to a variety of biochemical changes that occur post-menopause – one being that you no longer need to convert nearly as much cholesterol into estrogen. Blood lipid increases also tend occur at this stage, as over time, and as a result of too many poor-quality food choices, fat accumulation in the liver can start to disrupt some of the liver’s vital tasks, including those involved in estrogen clearance from the body and blood glucose regulation. Again, regular movement is helpful, as well as supporting the liver by focusing on choosing predominantly whole foods (particularly plenty of plant foods).

Movement and food choices

If you are feeling a little overwhelmed with where to start when it comes to supporting your health, remember that nothing in the body stands alone. So, one strategy or action you take is going to have a ripple effect and will support a number of different body systems simultaneously. A good example of this is regular movement—particularly resistance exercise such as weights or any type of movement where your own body weight is resisted, such as yoga, Pilates, farm work, gardening, etc. Not only is this helpful for maintaining our muscle mass and strength, it’s also great for our metabolic rate, bone health, mood…the list goes on. Similarly, choosing more whole foods and fewer highly processed foods is going to offer your body a long list of benefits.

Emotional health

Fill up your cup

So often the focus is on the more challenging aspects of menopause which can lead us to forget that this can be such a wonderful time. In cultures or circles where connection has been maintained or re-established with traditional values and practices, menopause is recognised as a time when the flow of wisdom is no longer disrupted, the way it tends to be across the menstruation years. It can also be a time where, after many years of prioritising the care of others, we may feel that it’s time to fill our own cup, with respect to our health and happiness.

Aim to stress less

Stress can stem from our responses to such a wide range of situations, it is rare for people today in Western countries to have much space without the stress response switched on, with adrenaline and/or excess cortisol coursing through their blood. Produced by the adrenal glands, stress hormone production is a top priority because to the body, stress equals danger. Post-menopause, the adrenal glands are also a key site for sex hormone production, so these tiny glands have some big tasks! There are numerous techniques that can be helpful for managing stress, including meditation, tai chi other breath-focused practises, however, we tend to benefit even more when we also consider what stress really is for us. Exploring your emotional landscape can be incredibly rewarding to your health, as it can help you start to turn the tap off on your stress response, rather than simply trying to manage it. 

A final note on menopausal symptoms

For some, entering the post-menopause phase brings welcome relief as any turmoil experienced during perimenopause has now eased. For others, symptoms relating to the menopausal transition such as hot flushes, night sweats or mood-related symptoms, persist into post-menopause, and they’re left wondering when things will improve for them. If this is you, know that support is available and there are things you can do to support your body and ease your suffering during this time. You might also like to check out this blog post for more ways that you can support yourself post-menopausally.  

Nutrients to boost brain health

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Did you know that our brain needs food, just like the rest of our body?

Our brain needs certain nutrients not only to grow initially as infants, but also to build and maintain structure throughout our life, to function optimally and to prevent premature ageing and neurological conditions. Let’s take a look at some of the most important micronutrients for brain health.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps to protect tissues in the nervous system from free radical damage and is important for cognitive function due to its role in the maintenance of the plasticity of the brain. Vitamin A is found in its retinol, retinal and retinoic acid forms in meat, fish and liver. Carrots, pumpkin, dark green leafy vegetables and apricots also contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant that the body can convert into vitamin A.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine)

Vitamin B1 is important for the brain as it facilitates the use of glucose – the brain’s preferred fuel – and is therefore vital for the production of energy. Vitamin B1 modulates cognitive performance and is particularly important for our ageing population. Vitamin B1 is found in pork, sunflower seeds, beans (particularly black beans), lentils, nuts (particularly macadamias), liver and nutritional yeast.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxin)

The concentration of vitamin B6 is a hundred times greater in the brain than in the blood. Vitamin B6 is important for memory, supportive for premenstrual syndrome (particularly low mood), and is also involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters. Vitamin B6 is found in liver, fish, chicken and bananas.

Vitamin B9 (folate)

Vitamin B9 preserves brain health not only in its development during pregnancy, but also in memory function in ageing populations. It is also needed for cellular repair. Folate is found in green leafy vegetables and other green vegetables, beans such as black beans, avocado, citrus fruits and eggs.

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)

Vitamin B12 is involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters and has been shown to delay the onset of dementia. Vitamin B12 deficiency can contribute to neurological disorders including memory loss, nerve injury, pain, depression, and cognitive decline. It has also been shown to improve cognition and language function in those with cognitive disorders. Vitamin B12 is found in foods of animal origin only, such as red meat, poultry, fish, dairy foods and eggs. Supplementation (or regular intake of B12-fortified foods) is important for those who follow a vegan lifestyle long-term, to prevent deficiency.

Vitamin C

In the whole of the human body, vitamin C is found in the highest concentrations in the nerve endings of the brain. It is an important antioxidant that can slow the ageing process and prevent degenerative diseases. It is also important for stress regulation, cognitive performance, IQ, and protection against free radicals. Foods high in vitamin C include berries, capsicums, citrus fruits, kale, kiwifruit, parsley and broccoli.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is important for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and is responsible for the transport of glucose to the brain. It is mostly obtained through the skin via safe sun exposure, but it can also be found in small amounts in oily fish (such as herring and sardines), eggs, cod-liver oil, organic grass-fed butter, and mushrooms that have been exposed to sunlight.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is involved in the protection of the nervous membranes in the brain and against ageing and is thought to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin E contains substances called tocopherols that scavenge free radicals and help to maintain the integrity of the cellular structures of the brain. Real food sources of vitamin E include eggs, wholegrains such as wild rice, nuts such as almonds and hazelnuts, and seeds such as sunflower seeds.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is involved in nervous system biochemistry and is thought to have a protective effect on the retina of the eye. Vitamin K is found in leafy green vegetables such as spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and olive oil.

Copper

Copper plays an important part in slowing brain ageing and preventing neurogenerative disorders, and copper deficiency has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Copper is found in organ meats such as liver, oysters, shiitake mushrooms, nuts, seeds, and leafy green vegetables.

Iodine

Iodine facilitates the energy metabolism of the cerebral cells and is essential for brain development and cognitive ability. It is vital to meet iodine requirements in pregnancy to prevent congenital disorders caused by iodine deficiency in children. Children born to iodine deficient mothers have lower IQs than those born to iodine sufficient mothers, and this reduction of IQ has been shown to persist as the children grow up. Iodine is found in iodised salt (some mineral salts such as Himalayan and Celtic sea salt contain iodine, but check the label to be sure) and seaweeds such as kelp, nori and kombu. 

Iron

Iron is essential for transporting oxygen to the brain, for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and myelin sheaths of the brain, and for determining the IQ and cognitive function of the development of a baby in utero. Food sources of iron include beef, lamb, eggs, mussels, sardines, lentils, dates and leafy green vegetables. Plant sources of iron are better absorbed in the presence of vitamin C, so ensure you consider this when having an iron-rich meal!

Magnesium

Magnesium is important for oxidation reduction and plays a role in stabilising the mitochondria (the energy centres of the cell). It is also crucial for healthy N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor function, which is important for healthy brain development, learning and memory. In this role, magnesium helps to prevent the overstimulation of nerve cells, which can kill them and lead to areas of the brain being damaged. Research is currently investigating if this process is involved in a number of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and chronic migraines. Food sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables, tahini, seeds, nuts, nut butter such as almond butter, seaweed and cacao (dark chocolate).

Selenium

Selenium is important for neurological development and is critical for the production of glutathione, an enzyme that is protective against free radical damage. Food selenium levels are reflective of the soils in the geographical location in which the food is grown. Brazil nuts are the richest source by far, and in Australia and New Zealand there is also a small amount in seafood, poultry and eggs. Just two to six Brazil nuts per day will give most people their daily requirement of selenium.

Zinc

Zinc plays a role in cognitive development and is important for taste, vision and smell, as well as for hundreds of other processes in the brain and the rest of the body. Foods rich in zinc include oysters and red meats, and there is a small amount in eggs and seeds such as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

Choline

Choline is a crucial nutrient for brain health, playing a key role in the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential for mood, memory, and muscle control. It also contributes to the structural integrity of cell membranes. Adequate choline intake is particularly important during pregnancy, as it supports fetal brain development and may enhance cognitive function throughout life. Rich sources of choline include eggs, liver, fish, chicken, and legumes.

As you can see, the brain needs a wide variety of whole, real foods, to provide it with nourishment across all life stages – from development in utero (reliant on the food choices of the mother) all the way through to the prevention of age-related cognitive decline and neurological diseases.

How can you boost your intake of brain-loving nutrients today?

Hungry all the time, rarely satiated, a ‘broken’ metabolism?

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If you’ve noticed you frequently feel hungry, that your metabolism doesn’t seem to be working as well as it once did, or that you rarely feel satiated after eating, you might like to read on.

Consider this scenario:

  • A person makes a real effort with their food and movement choices and sees no change in how their clothes fit 😩.
  • Feeling frustrated, they wonder if there might be an issue with how their body manages the food they’re eating, so they get their blood glucose tested 💉.
  • Yet, their blood glucose level comes back within the normal range…. ✅.

What could be going on?

The short answer: it could be insulin resistance ❌. And it’s likely their body is having to make excess amounts of insulin to keep their glucose inside the normal range.

Here’s why this is a problem.

Insulin’s main job is to help store glucose (energy) for later use.

When we eat, the carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, protein can be converted into glucose if we don’t eat enough carbs, and fats aren’t broken down into any glucose.

With more glucose now in our blood (either from food we’ve eaten or the glucose stress hormones mobilise), insulin has to move it out of there. The first stop is to store it in our muscles and liver—two places where energy can be easily released when we need it. Yet these both have finite storage limits, and, once they are full, insulin takes the rest of the glucose to our fat cells— because our fat cells have an infinite capacity to expand and store this glucose.

When insulin levels get too high, another hormone called leptin is supposed to jump in and tell our body it’s satiated, and to speed up our metabolism. Yet—here’s the kicker—if you have excess insulin being produced, it blocks the brains ability to “hear” leptin! And so, we rarely feel satiated, our metabolism doesn’t hear the messages it needs, and we can feel the need to eat too much, too often.

This is what is known as insulin resistance.

If your body is in this biochemical state, you will not be able to access your fat stores to use them. Yet, we are led to believe that getting the body to burn fat is as “simple” as changing our food and movement patterns, whereas the reality is it’s often so much more than this!

In my Shake Off Sugar online course, I go into much more detail on insulin, including why insulin resistance happens and the steps you can take to bring your levels within the optimal range—because this is entirely reversible.

If you feel that excess sugar consumption may be contributing to certain symptoms in your body or are curious to experience just how good your body is designed to feel, then I would encourage you to join me for this next intake.

Places are limited as my team and I are committed to supporting each and every one of you through the course. You can find out more about the course and what’s included here.

Digging deep into nutrition

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For those of you who are familiar with my work, you’ll know that I am a fan of getting as many nutrients as we can from our food. Unfortunately, though, there are a variety of factors that can contribute to whether or not we obtain enough nutrients from our food, including the quality of the soil the food is grown in and what is used to “treat” it while it grows.

The use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and insecticides on food became widespread in the 1940s and has only accelerated since. They are therefore relatively new to the food chain when you consider that humans have been on the planet for about 150,000 years. Today, food grown without the use of these pesticides is referred to as ‘organic food’, which 80-odd years ago was simply called ‘food’.

In conventional farming practices, it is common practice for only three nutrients to be fertilised back into the soil: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. That means there can be 52 (or more) nutrients missing from the foods we eat. As soil becomes increasingly nutrient deficient, so too does our food. Despite all of our technological advances, we owe our existence to the quality of 30cm of topsoil and the fact that it rains. So, how do we ensure that our food contains the nutrients that we need for health?

Biodynamic and organically grown food

Eating biodynamically and organically grown food can play a major role in decreasing the synthetic chemical load taken into the body. Fruit and vegetables can only be called certified organic when grown without the use of synthetic chemicals including antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilisers, insecticides or growth hormones. Certified organic also means the produce has not been genetically modified. Biodynamic farming takes these principles further and utilises livestock manures to support the health of plants – which fosters nutrient recycling – as well as improvement of soil quality, including nutrient density and carbon content. A diversity of plant and animal life is encouraged via crop rotations, cover crops and green manures, to allow for optimum biological activity of the soil and enhance the biological cycles between plants, animals, the soil and the atmosphere. Biodynamics views everything as being interconnected.

These nutrient-supportive practices typically focus on:

  • Applying organic materials such as manure and compost to supply nutrients and maintain soil organic matter
  • Planting cover crops to retain nitrogen and carbon that might otherwise be lost, this helps to hold onto valuable nutrients, protect the soil from erosion and provide a source of fresh organic matter, which increases soil microbial activity
  • Crop rotations to enhance the microbial population and diversity within the soil
  • An intimate connection between nutrient management and environmental health

When to opt for Organic

If solely buying organic or biodynamic produce isn’t viable for you due to cost or accessibility, consider thinking about how you will eat the food you are choosing. For example, you peel a banana to eat it. How much of the insecticide residue gets through to the fruit you will eat? We don’t know.Yet, with an apple, you tend to eat the whole piece of fruit and because the sprays you want to avoid are fat-soluble, they don’t wash off in water. So, for example, you might select conventional bananas and organic apples.

To help remove the sprays from conventional produce, you might like to fill your sink with three parts water to one part vinegar, wash your fruits and vegetables, then rinse them in fresh water and pat them dry before storage.

You may also like to consider growing your own produce at home or connecting with a community garden. There are some wonderful vertical gardens available for those who are short on space.

Please don’t be overwhelmed with these considerations. Reflect on your values and do what is practical for you… and then gradually stretch a little further.

What is whole real food?

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What is whole real food? As a nutritional biochemist, the importance of choosing mostly whole real foods is a message I’m passionate about sharing, but this concept seems to be the source of a lot of food confusion these days. So, let’s delve deeper into what it really means and the types of foods it refers to.

I see four distinct categories of ‘foods’ that are available in our food supply:

Category 1

There are whole real foods, which are essentially foods that are close to their natural form and that haven’t undergone significant processing before they reach our plates. These include vegetables, fruit, meat, seafood, nuts, eggs and legumes/pulses. Whole real foods that have undergone very minimal processing for storage, such as vegetables being snap-frozen, for example, still sit within this category. Some food classification systems include wholegrains here, but for me personally, it makes sense to place them in category 2, as they need a little more intervention before we can consume them.

Category 2

There are foods that have undergone minimal processing that are made from whole real foods. These foods are often used as ingredients to make nourishing meals and include oils such as those made from olives (i.e. extra virgin olive oil) and macadamias (cold pressed macadamia oil), butter, ghee, apple cider vinegar and wholegrains such as rolled oats.

Category 3

There are processed foods which usually contain two to four ingredients (but unfortunately, some might also contain concerning substances such as preservatives; always read the label and do your best to avoid foods containing these). This group includes better quality breads, cheese and canned fruit.

Category 4

Then there are foods made from ingredients that we generally wouldn’t recognise as food. These ‘foods’ have become known as ultra-processed foods. They undergo a range of different processes – most of which you couldn’t do in your own kitchen – and they have names like hydrogenation and extrusion. Foods in this group typically have more than five ingredients, none of which are whole real foods (category 1). These ingredients include hydrogenated oils, emulsifiers, hydrolysed proteins, artificial colours, flavours, anti-caking agents, bulking agents and humectants. ‘Foods’ in this category include lollies, most chocolate, ice cream, margarine, bought cakes, biscuits, muffins, breakfast cereals, most muesli bars, protein bars, flavoured milk drinks, flavoured yoghurts, instant sauces, most ready-to-heat meals, nuggets, pre-prepared pizza, hot dogs and other reconstituted meat products, packaged desserts and soft drink. And this is nowhere near a complete list!

It is this latter group that we particularly want to make a concerted effort to minimise or even avoid. These are the ones that, over time and in excess, can be significant contributors to the development of all sorts of lifestyle diseases, including insulin resistance which is a factor in so many health challenges including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and obesity.

Recently it struck me that when I talk about eating primarily whole real food, there is likely an entire generation of people who don’t know what that looks like, because most of what they’ve eaten across their lives is from category 4 – ultra-processed. And they think this is regular food. And it’s not. For me, there’s no such thing as junk food. There’s just junk and there’s food. And as a species, up until the very, very, very, very recent past, all we’ve ever eaten is food – which we currently call ‘whole real food’ (category 1).

Please know this is not to elicit any judgement or guilt about past food choices for yourself or your family, but to shine a light on what you can focus on to truly nourish yourselves moving forward. Remember, too, that it’s what we do consistently that comprises our health, not what we do occasionally. So, please don’t feel guilty or stressed about the occasional ultra-processed food that you might choose to have. If you choose to, enjoy it mindfully and then revert back to your way of eating that is predominantly made up of whole real foods.  

It’s also important to mention that not all packaged foods are ultra-processed. Many are, but not all, so it’s about being selective about the types of packaged foods you choose to buy. The easiest way to spot the ‘foods’ (junk) that are ultra-processed is to read the food label—turn the product over so you’re not distracted or misguided by any marketing claims on the front and then check the ingredients list. Notice how long it is and what is included, and ask yourself if it’s likely that you’d find those ingredients in your kitchen at home. If not, leave these items on the shelf and create your own nourishing adventure by primarily choosing foods from categories 1 and 2, and enjoy the health benefits that this can bring.

Confused about your cholesterol levels?

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Are you confused about cholesterol? It’s not surprising, given the amount of bad press that it has had over the years. However, cholesterol is the building block of vitamin D and our sex hormones, including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. It’s also a critical component of cell membranes (the layer around the outside of each cell, that influence how well cells can communicate) and is highly concentrated in the brain. So, cholesterol is an extremely important substance for numerous biochemical pathways, and many aspects of our health.

Yet, it’s not a case of ‘the more the better’ and when our blood cholesterol levels are too high, this indicates that the body needs some support to effectively regulate this important substance. And, our daily choices play an enormous role in this.

Support your liver, support your cholesterol levels

The liver is responsible for about 80% of the cholesterol in our blood, while the other 20% comes from what we eat. So, I tend to see elevated cholesterol levels as an indicator that the liver needs support.  

To understand the liver’s role in managing your cholesterol levels, you might like to picture it like a bus depot. Essentially, the cholesterol needs to be transported to and from the liver – imagine they are transported by ‘buses’. The buses that carry cholesterol away from the liver to other parts of the body are called LDL, and the ‘buses’ that carry cholesterol back to the liver are called HDL. Once the cholesterol passengers have hopped off the HDL bus back at the liver, they may be sent off for excretion.

When the liver needs some support, commonly LDL-cholesterol will be elevated and HDL-cholesterol will be lower than ideal, disrupting the ratio in your blood. You can imagine the chaos that would ensue in a bus depot if there were too many passengers heading in one direction and not enough being transported back.

The good news is, simple lifestyle steps can make an enormous difference in setting up an efficient bus depot. Supporting your liver can be done by focusing on eating mostly whole foods and including plenty of vegetables. The liver especially loves bitter foods (for example, green leafy vegetables, and Brassica family vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and brussel sprouts). In addition to this, antioxidant-rich foods (think colourful plant foods like red cabbage, beetroot, berries, kale and spinach) support liver detoxification and are wonderful for quenching harmful free radicals that can oxidise cholesterol, causing damage—so, the more colourful plants on your plate, the better!

Substances like alcohol, synthetic substances and highly processed and refined foods add to the liver’s task load, so you want to be sure to minimise or eliminate these.

Moving your body regularly also helps to support healthy cholesterol levels—specifically by helping to promote optimal levels of HDL-cholesterol (think buses transporting the cholesterol back to the liver, so that it can be sent off for excretion or used for other tasks where it is needed).

Let’s talk about fat

Improving the quality of the fats you consume plays an important role in helping the liver to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, too. When people experience high cholesterol, one of the first things they often want to do is reduce their fat intake, yet this isn’t necessarily the best approach—which may feel very opposing to the messages that have been conveyed to us previously.

As a rule of thumb, good quality fats include those found in whole, real foods, while poor quality fats are typically found in highly processed foods and takeaways.

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that have an anti-inflammatory action, and they can also be beneficial for improving the profile of fats in your blood (known as your blood lipid profile). Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids include oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring, as well as flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts. Monounsaturated fats, which are found in nuts, seeds, avocado, olives and extra virgin olive oil are also nourishing options.

Saturated fat is a controversial topic. Part of the challenge with this is that we can’t necessarily view all foods containing saturated fats in the same way, when it comes to their effect on our health. Different types of saturated fatty acids, as well as what nutrients the saturated fatty acids are combined with in the food, can alter how our body responds. So, comparing whole, real foods that contain some saturated fat, to highly processed foods that might be rich in saturated fat, isn’t comparing ‘like’ with ‘like’. That said,  if you are trying to reduce your blood cholesterol levels, eating large amounts of saturated fat (including from more nutritious sources) isn’t recommended. There isn’t a set amount that is right for everyone as it will, of course, depend on the individual – the efficiency of their liver detoxification pathways, for example – as well as other aspects of their health, such as how much inflammation is already occurring. In general though, a really large amount of any one type of fat or food isn’t ideal, as our body tends to thrive on variety.

The fats you do want to avoid are called trans fats—these are formed when liquid vegetable oils undergo a process called hydrogenation during food processing. They are essentially  damaged fats that adversely affect our blood lipid profile (including cholesterol levels) and liver health, and are typically found in commercially baked products like biscuits, cakes and pastries.

The role of the gut

When old cholesterol is no longer needed, the liver sends it to the gut to be excreted. So, we want this elimination pathway to be working efficiently. Recall, the passengers who got off the HDL bus at the depot—they need to be removed from the body. The best way to support a healthy gut and bowel regularity is with plenty of whole real foods, including plenty of plants. The plants provide your body with a variety of different types of fibres, some of which specifically help to carry old cholesterol out of the body. Foods like oats, beans, barley and psyllium are particularly high in this type of fibre. However, other fibre-rich whole foods are still incredibly beneficial, as some of our gut bacteria use this fibre to produce other substances that can help with keeping blood cholesterol in a health-supportive range.

Other factors that could be at play

Improving the quality of our food intake in a way that supports the liver and gut, plays a vital role in promoting healthy blood cholesterol levels. However, I always like to consider the ‘road in’ to any health challenge, as we need to understand this in order to know what the best ‘road out’ will be – understand what caused something and address that to correct it.

For example, improvements in cholesterol levels can sometimes happen if our body is better able to convert cholesterol into the other hormones that we require, such as our sex hormones. Zinc is a particularly important nutrient for this conversion, and we want to make sure we are getting enough of this critical nutrient so that the body can optimally utilise our cholesterol. Zinc is found in oysters, red meat (choose biodynamic or grass fed and finished red meats), seeds (especially pumpkin seeds/pepitas) and eggs. Many people today aren’t consuming optimal amounts of zinc which is why supplementation of this mineral is often beneficial.

Elevated cholesterol levels can also occur when the thyroid is underactive, so if this is occurring for an individual, thyroid health may be what they need to focus on to improve their cholesterol levels. Even a thyroid gland that isn’t working optimally—not yet a thyroid disease—may potentially have some effect on cholesterol levels (other thyroid-related symptoms are usually present if this is the case).  

Very often though, if your blood cholesterol levels are elevated, it can be a sign that your liver needs some additional support and that you could do with a big increase in the amount of plant foods you are eating. And remember, it’s what you do every day that impacts your health, not what you do occasionally – so make sure that your every day choices help to look after that liver of yours!

How do you hold up your foundation of health?

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What is health? Is it simply the absence of illness and disease? An equilibrium between yourself and your environment? I like to think it’s both of these, and more. When I think of health, I like to focus on how you FEEL—your energy, vitality, clarity of mind, freedom of movement and resilience, just to name a few.

If we’ve never known illness or injury, and always felt “fine”, we often take our health for granted, not paying it much attention or investing in it. However, as soon as we don’t have our health, we desperately want it back. So, what exactly makes up our health? And furthermore, how can we build and maintain an excellent foundation of health?  

Our health really comes down to the teeny, tiny little structures that make up our bodies – cells. The key to maintaining great overall health, fantastic energy levels, a functional body, and physical and emotional wellbeing, actually stems from how well we care for our cellular health.

Just like humans, our cells need nutrients to thrive, and they also eliminate waste products. Within almost every cell lives energy centres called mitochondria. It’s these mitochondria that function as the power plant of the cell. In the same way that a power station produces electricity for a city, mitochondria are responsible for producing your energy by using glucose and fatty acids to make a substance called adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

ATP is the cellular form of energy utilised throughout the body, providing the energy to pump your heart, power neurones in your brain, contract muscles, exchange gases in your lungs, extract nutrients from food, and regulate body temperature, just to name a few processes. Essentially, it allows your body to function properly, and without the sufficient generation of ATP, life would cease to exist.

So how do we promote great mitochondrial health? Our muscles contain the highest mitochondrial content of any tissue in the body in order to provide large amounts of ATP necessary for pumping the blood through your body and of course for movement. And, muscle-building exercise is the most effective way to make new mitochondria. More mitochondria means more ATP production, which means better energy levels!

Building or – at minimum – maintaining, muscle mass with regular movement, such as resistance training (which can involve lifting weights, exercise that uses your body weight as the resistance such as yoga and Pilates, or gardening and farm work) is so important for mitochondrial health and great energy. Our muscle mass gradually declines after the age of 30 unless we do something to counteract it, so it’s incredibly important for maintaining our strength as well as our metabolic rate.

As mitochondria are so intricately involved in many different biochemical reactions, they generate by-products called free radicals as a result—you may have heard me mention we create free radicals just by breathing, and this is one of the many reasons why. This is a natural process, however the overproduction of free radicals inside us, which may be generated by exposure to environmental pollution, as well as problematic substances we might ingest in what we eat, drink and those we absorb through our skin, can lead to oxidative stress which can damage our cells and tissues. This is a key factor that accelerates the ageing process—from the inside out.

Fortunately, we have a secret weapon to counteract the potential damage caused by free radicals in the form of antioxidants. These are the superstar substances that are found in colourful plant foods, and we want to ensure we are eating a rainbow of these plant foods – think turmeric, pomegranate, beetroot, berries, spinach, kale and sweet potato, just to name a few.

We also have in-built antioxidants that are made inside us and they help to protect mitochondria. One of these is Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and, unfortunately, factors such as exposure to pollutants can greatly increase our requirements for this amazing antioxidant. It may also become depleted as we age and with a poor-quality way of eating, as well as with the use of some medications. CoQ10 is essential for our health, as it helps our body to yield energy, as well as quenching free radicals to reduce oxidative stress.

CoQ10 can be found in small amounts in meat, seafood, and the oils in grapeseed and olives. It can also be consumed as a supplement, typically in the form called ubiquinol. However, as our body is capable of producing this antioxidant, we also want to make sure it has what it needs to do this effectively—and this means nutrients. A range of B vitamins are needed for the body to synthesize CoQ10, so nourishing your body with a variety of whole foods is going to help you gain the nutrients that are needed for numerous biochemical processes, including CoQ10 production.

By eating a variety of nutrient-rich whole foods, including plenty of colourful plant foods full of antioxidants, reducing our exposure to problematic substances often found in ultra-processed foods, drinks and household cleaning products, as well as moving our bodies regularly to maintain muscle mass, we can invest in our wellbeing by beginning with the tiniest inner foundation of health – our cells.

Building great bone health

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Many of us are aware that as we get older, we need to take even greater care of our bone health to maintain our bone density and prevent osteoporosis. So, let’s take a look at why our bone health is so important to our overall wellbeing and quality of life, what nutrients are essential for maintaining bone density, and some simple ways that we can optimise the health of our bones.

Our bones are quite literally the structural pillars of our health. Not only do they provide structure, they protect some of our internal organs from injury, allow us to have the freedom of movement to go about our daily life, and store essential minerals that can be released when other body systems need them.

Bone density gradually decreases with age, however, there are things we can do to improve our bone health and slow this decline down.

We have processes going on inside us all the time that build bone, and ones that break down bone, and the activity and the balance of these two opposing processes shifts over the course of our lives. During adolescence and early adulthood, the building processes outweigh the breaking down processes, and so we accrue more bone mass during this time, reaching our peak bone mass around the age of 30. From this point, the balance of the building and breaking down processes starts to even out, and we maintain our bone mass (assuming our lifestyle and health is conducive to this, which unfortunately for too many people, it isn’t). Eventually, the balance starts to tip in the other direction, leading to a gradual loss of bone density.

There is a lot that you can do to support your bone health at any age, as there are many factors that affect bone density—with nutrition and movement being particularly important.

Nutrients for great bone health

Calcium

Calcium is well known for its role as a component of our bones, as well as many other important processes in our bodies – even detoxification needs calcium. Calcium-rich foods include green leafy vegetables (such as broccoli and kale), nuts such as almonds, seeds (particularly chia and sesame seeds), tahini, sardines, salmon with edible bones, and firm tofu set in calcium salt. If you are able to digest them well, dairy foods such as kefir, cheese and yoghurt are also sources of calcium. Fermented dairy options (such as kefir and unsweetened yoghurt) can be better choices if bone health is your focus, as the fermented options contain some vitamin K2 (more on this soon) in addition to the calcium.

While getting enough calcium is essential, it isn’t necessarily as simple as just increasing our calcium intake to improve our bone health—we also need to consider how our body absorbs and uses the calcium. For example, too much alcohol can interfere with calcium absorption, while caffeine and excessive amounts of protein can increase the amount of calcium that is excreted via the urine.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is also critical for us to be able to effectively absorb and use the calcium we consume. Eating some (of the very few) food sources of vitamin D and particularly getting regular safe sun exposure will help to absorb the calcium that you are eating. Food sources of vitamin D include eggs, oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring or sardines, cod-liver oil, organic butter and mushrooms that have been exposed to sunlight. However, the majority of our vitamin D is obtained through our skin. Depending on where you live in the world, vitamin D supplementation may be recommended at certain times of the year and a simple blood test can confirm if this is necessary or not.

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is another important nutrient for bone health, as it plays a role in how our body uses calcium by helping to direct it into our bones (rather than our arteries, where we don’t want it to accumulate). Vitamin K2 is naturally produced by bacteria in our gut, however, this is variable and we want to ensure we are getting some through our food too. It is found in fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and fermented dairy, and there is also some vitamin K2 in eggs, chicken and beef.

Magnesium

Magnesium is essential for strong bones, and it is also needed for over 300 biochemical processes in our body that can help us to experience better energy, more efficient elimination of wastes, balanced electrolytes and improved muscle function. Magnesium is found in leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds (and butters/spreads made from these), seaweeds (such as kelp) and cacao.

These bone-building nutrients are found in whole, real foods, so if you ever feel confused about what to eat, remember that by focusing on including a variety of nutrient-rich whole foods and reducing your intake of alcohol and caffeine, you will be taking a wonderful step towards greater health and vitality, as well as stronger bones.

Moving to optimise bone health

As well as focusing on nutrient intake, we also want to make sure to do regular weight-bearing exercise, as this helps to improve and maintain bone density. Weight-bearing exercise also activates our osteoblasts—the cells that form new bone.

Walking is a great weight-bearing way to move that can help with maintaining bone health. Walking also helps to support healthy joint function and may have a protective effect in some inflammatory joint conditions. Plus, walking outdoors is an excellent way to spend some more time in nature and boost our vitamin D stores, which as we know, also helps with calcium absorption—so the benefits of walking are numerous!

Resistance training is another weight-bearing way to exercise and not only is it really important for improving bone density, it also helps improve co-ordination and functional movement. Forms of movement such as weights, Pilates, yoga—or anything that uses your own body weight for resistance, are fantastic for helping to maintain muscle mass, improving metabolic rate, and increasing bone density. Some other weight-bearing activities that are highly beneficial for bone density include sports like tennis, netball and basketball, skipping (jump rope) and dancing.

It’s always recommended to consult with your qualified healthcare practitioner before starting a new exercise program.

How to care for your liver

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Of all the extraordinary organs in our bodies, the liver deserves a prize for being such a hard worker. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the liver is doing its critical detoxification work, among a long list of other tasks, to keep us alive. Yet, how much work our liver has to do—and how efficiently it does this work—can be influenced by our lifestyle choices.

You can think of the liver like the traffic cop of the body—it stores and regulates the levels of some of the nutrients we consume. It also alters the structure of potentially problematic substances we consume, as well as some the body makes, and then directs and guides them around and out of the body—with the primary objective of maintaining homeostasis and keeping us well. This is why you’ll often hear me say that the liver plays such an important role in how we look, think and feel.

Some indicators that your liver may need support include regularly overheating or hot flushes (especially at night, which may disrupt sleep), sex hormone imbalances, headaches, congested skin, poor energy, sugar cravings and elevated cholesterol. You may also notice that your body fat deposits shift. A key sign of this can be what is referred to as a ‘liver roll’ (a roll of body fat just under the bra line for women, or just beneath the pectoral muscles for men), which may develop, irrespective of overall body shape and size.

Our liver has to detoxify substances that we ingest, breathe and absorb through our skin, as well as substances that our body makes itself. So, our food and drink choices, as well as what we put on our skin, can really add to the liver’s ‘workload’. Certain substances, including alcohol, refined sugars and trans fats (found in processed foods and takeaways) often add a significant burden. If we have a high intake of these, it’s also likely there aren’t enough liver-supporting nutrients going in either. Without enough nutrients, our biochemical pathways—including detoxification—simply cannot function efficiently.

Ways to support your liver

When it comes to supporting the liver and the body’s detoxification pathways, it is important to remember that it is what we do every day, not what we do for a three, seven or 30-day period, that will have the greatest impact. And the good news is, there are plenty of ways we can do this.

What you eat

Eating mostly whole, real foods helps to provide the nutrients that our liver detoxification pathways need to function efficiently. The liver especially loves colourful vegetables and vegetables from the Brassica family, such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale. Broccoli sprouts are a particularly wonderful liver-loving food. Herbs such as St Mary’s thistle, turmeric, dandelion and globe artichoke are also very supportive for the liver.

What you don’t eat

What you don’t eat, is just as important as what you do eat. Minimising your intake of ‘liver loaders’, such as alcohol, refined sugars, trans fats and artificial ingredients, can support the liver and reduce its workload. Eating organic or spray-free produce where possible will also cut down exposure to synthetic pesticides and insecticides.

What you use

Remember that the liver has to deal with many substances that our body ingests. Swapping to natural, eco-friendly cleaning and dish-washing products helps to reduce the load on the liver by reducing your exposure to synthetic chemicals. You might also like to consider what you are putting on your skin, as the ingredients in our skincare and cosmetic products can be absorbed into our bloodstream. Synthetic and potentially harmful substances, such as endocrine (hormone) disruptors, are found in some conventional products, and using natural skincare, cleaning and cosmetic products helps to reduce the ‘load’ on your liver. A great way to transition to a more liver-friendly lifestyle is to replace conventional products with natural options as they run out, so there isn’t a significant expense or a feeling of overwhelm caused by trying to replace everything at once.

How you live

Environmental exposures are another consideration for our liver function. We are only just beginning to understand the effects that plastics have on both the environment and our inner ecosystem. We know that plastics can take hundreds of years to degrade and we are yet to truly understand the long-term effects of having plastic-originated substances inside our bodies. However, we do know that some substances in many plastics have been shown to have endocrine-disrupting effects. Try reducing your use of plastics by swapping to glass or stainless steel containers, or beeswax wraps rather than plastic wraps. If you do use plastic, avoid heating any plastics in the microwave or dishwasher to decrease the likelihood of any leaching of problematic substances.

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed about where to start when it comes to supporting your precious liver, know that it doesn’t have to be ‘all or nothing’. You might like to pick one of the above areas to focus on first, and then continue to make small, incremental changes.These can add up over time to have a significant impact on your health. Remember, you only have one liver, and each little step you take towards taking better care of it will help you to experience better energy, a more even mood, balanced sex hormones and improved digestion and elimination—just to name a few!

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