Gluten free diet

This is a follow on educational video from the previous one that I share about how to be gluten free or low gluten without breaking the bank account.  Dr Kylie Vincent and I also talked about the problems when we cannot break down gluten.

Gluten: differentiating between Coeliac disease and gluten intolerance

Coeliacs Awareness Week runs from 14-20 June 2000.  I often hear comments like Ïf you are not coeliac, then you can eat gluten".    Any practitioner that makes this comment certainly is not up to date with their scientific knowledge of what affects the gastrointestinal tract. 

In year 2000, the protein Zonulin was discovered by a gastroenterologist and scientist that affects the tight junctions in the gut and how it affects non-coeliacs. The result of having compromised gut integrity that creates permeability is an increase in body burden and inflammation.  This has many downstream repercussions in our state of health.  Enjoy this video and the next one which is my interview with Dr Kylie Vincent on Gluten free diets.

Easy Satay chicken on vegetables

If you love satay and would like to make a convenient satay chicken (or tofu or beef), know that the trick is in the marinate.  It does not need to be skewered for home made satay.

Ingredients for marinade:

3 large thumb piece of turmeric

1 large stalk of lemongrass

1 piece galangal

6 cloves ginger

1 large onion

2 chillies

pinch of salt

lemon juice to taste

Vegetables blanched:

Bean sprouts

French beans, sliced

Carrots, cut into strips

Fresh mint leaves

Prepare you protein source, which can be 500g of chicken/ beef/ tofu.  Slice protein source.

Method:  

1. Blend together all ingredients for marinade.  There will be enough marinate for at least 2 serves.  Save the extra serve in a small container in the freezer.

2.  Use the other half of the marinade in your prepared protein source.  Marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.

3.  Heat oil in pan and fry marinated meat/tofu until cooked.  Add an extra squeeze of lemon if preferred and some maple syrup to taste.

4.  Blanch all vegetables.

5.  Serve with cooked meat.  In this meal, I used chicken.

30 min dinner patties

On busy weekday nights after a long day at work, I want to feed the family quickly and have some relaxation time before bed.  I typically want to get dinner out in 30 minutes.  If you are like me and like quick, easy and nutritious meals, here is an idea.  From preparing to serving, these meat patties took less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

600g mince of your choice

1 bunch coriander chopped

1 large thumb piece ginger, grated or finely chopped

2 tsp tapioca flour (as binder and reduce moisture)

Braggs liquid aminos to taste

salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together.  Mould into patties on your palms.  Heat coconut oil in a pan and pan fry for 5-8 minutes on each side or until juice comes out clear.  The time is dependent on how thick you make the patties, the thicker it is, the longer the time.

What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism is a situation where there is too much thyroid hormones in the body.  Because the thyroid controls metabolism and temperature, when the thyroid is overactive, it means increased metabolic processes leading to weight loss without trying and increased body temperature, often resulting in more sweating. 

Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:

•       High blood pressure
•     Rapid heart rate
•        Anxiety or nervousness
•        Difficulty sleeping
•        Frequent bowel movements
•        Hair loss or brittle hair
•        Menstrual cycle irregularity
•        Muscular weakness

Hyperthyroidism is more common in women than it is in men.  The most common cause of hyperthyroidism is autoimmune thyroiditis causing inflammation in the thyroid.  Diagnosis is done through a blood test that measures the TSH, free T4, Free T3 and Thyroid antibodies.  

Autoimmune hyperthyroidism is called Graves disease.  Graves disease patients often have eyes that appear too big (called exophthalmos).

Severe hyperthyroidism can be life threatening, therefore if you have persistent symptoms above, consult a qualified healthcare practitioner and investigate.

Are you tired and overweight? You may be having an underactive thyroid

When the thyroid is underactive or subclinically underactive (I shall explain the subclinical term I used deliberately here), you may have the following symptoms:

•           Unexplained weight gain
  
•           Difficulty losing weight
•          Constipation despite good hydration and fibre intake
•           Low energy and libido
•           Feeling cold all the time, or feel the cold too easily
•           Dry flaky skin
•           Hair loss or brittle hair
•           Depressed, confused and difficulty concentrating
•           Fluid retention
•           Husky voice without a sore throat
•           Pre menstrual tension
•           Infertility /difficulty conceiving

The thyroid can be underactive (through blood tests) or subclinically underactive.  By subclinically I mean the blood test results are still within the range but you have all or some of the above symptoms.

For example, the most common test ordered for the thyroid is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) which is produced by your pituitary in the brain.  The higher the number for TSH, it means the more effort your pituitary has to put in for your thyroid to produce hormones.  Think about it as a mum asking her child to do his/her homework.  She asks in a nice calm tone initially.  And if the child does not respond, she speaks louder with her instructions, and if the child still refuses to respond, mum raises her voice (which mean TSH goes up).  The range is large to be considered “normal”, and often patients think that anything in the normal range means they are fine.  Not so with the thyroid numbers.  The same applies for thyroid hormones Free T4 and Free T3.

The other important marker to consider for the thyroid is thyroid antibodies.  The higher the antibodies, the harder your body is attacking against the thyroid.

Watch my Youtube video here on home help that you can implement to help an underactive thyroid.  If you have persistent symptoms, please seek the help from a qualified healthcare professional.  We offer functional tests here to measure all 7 markers of the thyroid.

Coronavirus COVID-19 - Be Prepared Emergency Kitset

We are going through uncertain times and things are changing on a daily basis.  It is good to be prepared, do not panic, and if you have not done your shopping, I would suggest you do it to prepare about 2 weeks’ worth of supplies  Be prepared, in case you need to self isolate.  This is what I would make sure there is adequate supply for 2 weeks.

•           Canned tuna/ salmon/ sardines
•       Cold smoked salmon that are vacumn packed can stay in the fridge for 2 weeks
•           Dried beans and lentils
•           Dried sea vegetables like wakame, kombu
•           Miso paste that you can store in the fridge
•           Frozen vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, beans, peas that you can store in the freezer
•           Garlic, ginger and onions
•           Brown rice/ buckwheat/ millet/ quinoa/ amaranth
•           Eggs
•           Olive oil or coconut oil
•           Dried herbs for flavouring – e.g. rosemary, basil, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, paprika, etc.  If you  are self sufficient and grow herbs in your kitchen or garden, that would be a substitute for dried herbs.
•           Salt, soya sauce or tamari, apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
•           Raw dried nuts and seeds
•           Some extra lean meat/ chicken that you can store in the freezer
•           Tissue paper and toilet paper (yes, have some toilet paper in case you run out!)
•           Toothpaste, mouth wash, body wash, shampoo
•           Sanitary pads or tampons (for menstruating women)  

When you are prepared, you will not panic.  There will be those of you who are on specific dietary interventions and need more of something and less of others, you will need to tailor this list to your specific needs.