Is it all just too confusing now to know what to eat?

When was the last time you ate something with total confidence?

You read so much from so many places and just when you think you might have cracked the code on the mystery that is 'healthy eating' you hear some new bit of research which tells you how wrong you have it.

I'm frustrated.  I'm being honest.


For me, things are a little different as I have both crohns disease and celiac so of course I need to take those things into account.  Yet as a nutritionist (the type without a degree - yet!) I find it's near on impossible to give the right advice to the entire audience.

A dietitian who I previously respected has published a rant about all the type of 'clean living' which is apparently a new fad.  The BBC published this show about the dirty secrets of clean living.  The blogger who hosted it was quite open about what she was trying and the advice she was getting from various fad diet gurus.  After watching it, I had to agree with a lot of what she said, there is a lot of bad advice out there.

Yet something that makes me really cross is how they portray us poor old 'nutritionists'.  
There seems to be a war between the quackary of being a nutritionist and a dietitian who is one to be obeyed.  
In fact, to set the record straight, we take the same degree qualification and the only difference is that Registered Nutritionists do not have to undertake hospital placements.  Generally,  once qualified and Registered with the Association for Nutrition, a Nutritionist will need to practice with as much credibility as a dietitian.  

I started out my degree to become a dietitian.  I changed my mind after 4 months as I realised that I would be tied to a 'one rule fits all'.  Sadly, I had a bad experience with a dietitian and I'm sure this was an isolated incident.  When I was first diagnosed with Crohns and fighting to keep my bowel in tact and not have it removed with surgery,  the dietitian I saw at my hospital knew nothing about adjusting my diet in accordance with inflammatory bowel disease, nor did my gasteroenterologist beleive I could make improvements in my health by changing my diet.

"you can't control your symptoms without medication or surgery, or both."  He said as I cried.
The dietitian advised me to eat from the Eatwell plate which I am sure would have left me in a state of needing the surgery.

I proved them wrong.

I won't go into my advice to you in this blog post. I simply want to  point out that if you believe one way works for you, then it's likely it will.  

However, while we have spent two years studying hardcore science and about to get into the minefield of research to complete our degrees at university, I can't help but wonder if I'm trying to enter an industry that seems to love a bit of politics.

That worries me.  

So guys, I just found this amazing tool for weight loss. Starting mid july, I am going on a health kick and pledge to lose 4% of my bodyweight in 4 weeks. Easy, about 6lb for me (different for everyone!)

Then you get back your pledge money plus a share of the pot! getting paid to lose weight sounds good to me. 

I am determined as whatnots to get my bikini body back before a big event in November and it starts in three weeks time!

I will post a youtube video about this but meanwhile, see the link below for more information.

Email me if you have any questions!

Who else wants to feel more confident this summer? See this link for more information!

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Why we need vitamin D at this time of year

Yesterday we saw the shortest day of the year here in the north.  Some celebrate the solstice.
Some chase around for last minute Christmas gifts.

All the while, your dear body is taking care of everything just the best it can.  Renewing cells,  fighting off infections and viruses and protecting you constantly.

What our bodies cannot do is the impossible.

During the months of October and March we simply do not have enough sunshine to help us out properly.

Sunshine?

Yes,  we need vitamin D in our bodies and the best way to get this is from the sun.  This might well not be a surprise to you.  You may know this already.  In the summer months we can get a little sunshine each day and naturally make the vitamin D we need.  So what do we do in the winter?

Often, the best way to ensure you don't suffer from a deficiency is to take a Vitamin D supplement*.  You know me, I do like all molecules going into the body to be the best they can be and I have found this little gem which is free from all the stuff I personally need to avoid.

After trying out this product and speaking to my friends at Epsilon life they have given me lots of information about their wonderful product.  If you click below you can see the reviews on Amazon which are pretty impressive I must say.  

As readers of my blog, you can enter LUSHERLIFE at the checkout for an extra cheeky discount code! Spread the word.

So what would taking Vitamin D supplements mean for you?

If you suffer from any of the following, it may be worth visiting your GP to get your vitamin D levels checked.  You might just need a simple supplement which is such a minimal investment in terms of finance and it could make the world of difference.

Fatigue and tiredness.
Muscle cramps and spasms.
Depression.
Erectile disfunction.
Osteoporosis.
Light headedness.
General aches and pains.

Yes the body is a miracle.  Every time I revisit information on the cell and biochemistry, I am blown away.  While nothing is a substitute for a well balanced diet and doing things 'au natural' we occasionally need some help.

Speaking with Epsilon they gave me this extra information:

• Epsilon.Life gives a portion of every sale to a Multiple Sclerosis charity
• We are the highest and best reviewed vitamin products on Amazon.co.uk Our vitamin D has a five star rating and close to 600 reviews.
• We are a small family run business and provide outstanding customer service to all of our customers
• All of our products are manufactured and sold exclusively in the UK
• We focus on selling only a small number of products, that way we can make sure that all of our products are of the best quality
• Any orders over £15 (with or without a discount) qualifies for free shipping

As I had mentioned, we are happy to offer all of your readers a voucher code giving them £5 off any order. They can use this code on our checkout page to get £5 off any order: LUSHERLIFE

New year is just around the corner (my birthday too!). I know we all like to make health a priority and if you order today, you will be ready to go on January 1st when you feel fresh and new and ready to make a difference to your health and your life.

Of course, I will be here to hold your hand every step of the way!

Wishing you the very best in health

Louise xoxo

3 top tips to keep healthy this Christmas

3 Top tips to keep healthy this Christmas time

As you are fully aware, Christmas is upon us and it is typically a time we neglect our health and our bodies.  If you are feeling low, under the weather or just a bit grumpy, chances are you might need a little health boost.

Even though you may have heard these simple tips before,  I am here to remind you!

1. Drink water!

Yes, I know you know.  But are you drinking or not?  If not why not.  Want a hot drink?  Drink hot water.  

During the winter, the heating is typically on in the house which will have a dehydrating effect on the body.  Without water,  not only will your skin start to look a bit shrivelled but you can’t function the same either.  

Being that the body, and cells, are made up so much of water it makes total sense that we need to keep hydrated.

Drinking more alcohol will need a good flush.  Removing toxins needs a helping hand with water.  Toxins floating around in the body will help you play host to viruses like coughs and colds.

2.  Get some sleep

As we all chase our own tails at Christmas time,  it is easy to forget to get an early night.  Without that extra hour before midnight, it is easy to want to pull up the duvet for an extra 5 minutes. 

You will create dark circles under the eyes, you will stop thinking so sharply and often you will find you don’t function so efficiently.

3.  Eat some vitamin c

Not only will it help you fight off colds and flu (you knew that - right?) but citrus fruits this time of year are delightful.  Well, Satsumas specifically.  The supermarket will sell you a packet from £1-£2 and satsumas make an excellent snack.  Healthy.  Provides you with energy from the natural sugars.

When you pour your drink (alcohol or soft drink) why not add a splice of lemon.

Going for coffee?  Ask for a glass of lemon water.  Coffee will make your body become acidic.  The lemon water gets you back into the favourable alkaline state once again.

Keep healthy, happy and smile lots.

Q and A coming soon

As the title suggests, I will soon be organising a Q and A session which I will post over on youtube.

I have a few questions I regularly get asked but if you would like to add to the list please get in touch.  No matter how simple your questions seem, there might well be someone else thinking exactly the same thing!


We all know the season has arrived when we still would love to look amazing in the little black dress,    feel less bloated,  wish we had more energy to dance the night away...
We also know that January the 1st will see us full of promises to ourselves to make things different.  I am here to help.  Should you need it,  I will be focusing so much on my online membership site this coming few months.  Want to know more?  Click here.  

Plus, the first 10 to sign up will get a free 121 coaching session with me worth £60 (while stocks last!).

So get in touch with your questions via email and let me know what you would like to see me post next year.  That's right, I'm organising 2016 right now!

file:///Users/louiseusher/Downloads/pinterest-120ca-4.html

What foods cause histamine intolerance?

Recently, I have been looking more and more into the chemistry of foods!

C5H9N3 is histamine!

How about that?

Ok, lets get down to the stuff you really want to know about!

Could you have histamine intolerance and what is it?

Histamine is a chemical compound which occurs naturally in foods.  It is involved in a local immune response as well as regulating physiological function in the gut.  The body is super clever! It does all this because we need it to.  It also works as a neurotransmitter. Basically sending messages from one place to another.  So,  we need it.  What we don't need, is an intolerance to it!

If we have an intolerance to it, this won't stop us from eating it but there are ways to limit what we consume at once in order to prevent a reaction.  It's like filling a cup with water.  A little bit in the bottom won't make the cup overflow.  Keep filling it (like filling your body with histamine) and it will flow over the top (cause a reaction).

Diamine Oxidase is an enzyme we all have which breaks down any histamine we consume from food containing the chemical compound histamine.  However, some of us can have a low level of the enzyme.  This, coupled with eating too much histamine food, we can suffer a reaction.   These can be allergy type reactions which cause
* Rashes
* Itching
* Sneezing
* Diarrhoea
* Vomiting
* Headaches

These high histamine containing foods are:

• Champagne, wine, beer, cider and other fermented drinks and spirits
• Sauerkraut and other pickled foods
• Vinegar and foods containing it such as dressings, pickles, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard
• Tofu and soya sauce
• Parmesan cheese and other cheeses
• Sausages and other processed meats (ham, salami, gammon, bacon)
• Mushrooms and quorn
• Tinned and smoked fish (tuna, salmon, herring) and crustaceans
• Prepared salads
• Tinned vegetables
• Dried fruit, seeds, nuts
• Yeast extract, yeast
• Chocolate, cocoa, cola

Many foods which are not high in histamine can stimulate the release of histamine in our mast cells in our body.  These are a type of immune cell.  These foods include:

• Bananas
• Tomatoes
• Strawberries
• Nuts
• Peanuts
• Shellfish
• Egg white
• Chocolate
• Pumpkin
• Spinach
• Aubergines
• Avocado
• Papayas
• Kiwi
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Raspberry
• Tangerines
• Grapefruits
• Red prunes
• Pea
• Spices

Try skin prick testing?  No,  this will not show a reaction.  The IgE food allergy indicator  will not show as this is not what causes the reaction at all.  

The best way forward is to try a low histamine diet for a couple of weeks.  Track everything you eat and eliminate the foods above.  Then also track your symptoms, feelings, sleep patterns and any reactions.  

As with any elimination diet,  you need to be aware of nutrient deficiency.  Therefore re-introduction of the foods is paramount.  Take one item per 3 days and slowly reintroduce them to your diet.  Keep tracking! This is super important.  

I'd love to know how you get on with this if you are a sufferer.  

Wishing you the very best of health. 

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Recommended books for your Lusher Life: http://astore.amazon.co.uk/lusherlifefavouritebooks-21

Email: lifenutrition@virginmedia.com

I'd love to catch up with you. Come and say HI.......


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