Turmeric: As Effective as Anti-Cancer Drugs? By Suzanne Laurie, Academic Director

December 5, 2011 | In Health, News

It’s no longer a well kept secret that turmeric has some great health giving properties, with news of its powers leaking slowly into the press over a number of years now. However with number of high profile individuals, including Steve Jobs, sadly succumbing to cancer this year, the amazing research on turmeric’s cancer fighting properties has catapulted the results from over 200 published studies into the press; and boy are the results impressive. So much so that we are left asking…..is turmeric actually a life saver? Continue reading Turmeric: As Effective as Anti-Cancer Drugs? By Suzanne Laurie, Academic Director…

Aubergine Caponata served on Broccoli Polenta

December 2, 2011 | In Health, Recipe

Aubergine is a very good source of dietary fibre, potassium, manganese, copper and vitamin B1. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, folate, magnesium and niacin. They also contain potent phytonutrients with very specific health giving properties. Continue reading Aubergine Caponata served on Broccoli Polenta…

Kick Your Cough into Touch by Suzanne Laurie, Academic Director

November 28, 2011 | In Health

I’ll be honest – I am curled up in front of the fire writing this blog feeling decidedly below average (yes, Nutritional Therapists get ill too, especially at this time of year). I have a cold – and when I get a cold, it goes straight to the chest and throat. On the positive side I sound very sassy and it has given me great inspiration for this article. So between the horrible hacking cough…..here’s how to get rid of yours. Continue reading Kick Your Cough into Touch by Suzanne Laurie, Academic Director…

Maximising Your Melatonin

November 21, 2011 | In Health

In our last article we discussed the health benefits of this hugely important nocturnal hormone, including immune modulation, weight maintenance and hormone regulation. If anyone missed this article then you can find it under an earlier post called ‘Melatonin – more than just a sleep hormone’. Right now though lets look at the potential far reaching consequences of imbalanced melatonin how we can help keep this vital hormone at peak levels. Continue reading Maximising Your Melatonin…

Melatonin – More Than Just a Sleep Hormone

November 16, 2011 | In Health

Everybody knows that sleep is good for you, and we can start to feel decidedly ropey if we don’t get enough. However many of us still scrimp on our shut-eye due to work commitments, stress/worry or late nights out on the town. Whilst this can make us feel noticeably run down after a while we don’t tend to give much thought to long term health consequences of sleep deprivation, which it now seems can be very significant. Continue reading Melatonin – More Than Just a Sleep Hormone…

Probiotics help as 80% of Immune System in your GI Tract

April 7, 2011 | In Health

Over the past 30 years, science has come to a better understanding of bacteria, the effects on the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, and immune systems. As a result, the use of probiotics has become more widely accepted and practiced than ever before. About 80% of your immune system lives in your gastrointestinal tract and probiotics can help. Approximately 500 different species of bacteria live inside you. The weight of these bacteria is about two to three pounds. Some of these bacteria are referred to as “good”, but others do not provide any benefit. The ideal balance between them is 85% good, 15% “other”. Continue reading Probiotics help as 80% of Immune System in your GI Tract…

Celery Juice Prevents High Blood Pressure

March 10, 2011 | In Health

Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood pushing against the walls of one’s arteries. If the pressure rises significantly and remains there for an extended period of time, it can cause damage to the body. Lucky for us, one of the most common vegetables we use today - celery - with its stringy stems and crisp texture provides a natural way to lower blood pressure. It decreases a potentially dangerous situation without the risk of possible side effects that might accompany prescribed medication. Continue reading Celery Juice Prevents High Blood Pressure…

GABA can help reduce symptoms of stress

March 3, 2011 | In Health

GABA is the abbreviation for the compound Gamma Amino Butyric Acid. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter discovered in 1950. It is related to the amino acid, glutamic acid, a nutrient known to improve sleep. GABA reduces stress and helps the brain prepare for better sleep by activating brain receptors and calming nerves. Continue reading GABA can help reduce symptoms of stress…

Natural compound in marine sponges could halt cancer metastasis

March 3, 2011 | In Health

A research team at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research has discovered a natural compound found in marine sponges that reduces the movement of cancer cells. This could be an important breakthrough in stopping the often deadly spread of cancer throughout the body — a process known as metastasis. What’s more, the compound (dubbed sceptrin) is virtually non-toxic. Continue reading Natural compound in marine sponges could halt cancer metastasis…

Did the discovery of cooking make us human?

March 3, 2011 | In Health

Cooking is something we all take for granted but a new theory suggests that if we had not learned to cook food, not only would we still look like chimps but, like them, we would also be compelled to spend most of the day chewing. Without cooking, an average person would have to eat around five kilos of raw food to get enough calories to survive. The daily mountain of fruit and vegetables would mean a six-hour chewing marathon. It is already accepted that the introduction of meat into our ancestors’ diet caused their brains to grow and their intelligence to increase. Meat - a more concentrated form of energy - not only meant bigger brains for our ancestors, but also an end to the need to devote nearly all their time to foraging to maintain energy levels. As a consequence, more time was available for social structure to develop. Continue reading Did the discovery of cooking make us human?…