You're a Fraud.

“You're a fraud”

…..thats what someone in my inner circle said to me the other day.

The reason? I ate pizza and garlic bread and as a nutritionist I shouldn’t according to him.

I thought about this for a while, and for the first time in a long time I realised Im really ok with who I am.

There was a time you see that I thought I couldn't be a successful nutritionist because I wasn't a size 8 or even a size 10 I'm a size 12 and I thought I needed to be thinner, prettier and well anything but me to make the cut.

However what I've come to realise since Ive started to believe in myself is that my size has never been a problem for any of my clients in fact its not a problem for anyone other than me, well ok thats a small lie I got totally slated and called fat on twitter after I appeared on a tv show, but hey I realised then that I cant please everyone and not even one will like how I look and thats ok they don't have too like me but I really do need to like myself. 

I was also been told that I shouldn't post positive affirmations when I'm sad as its a false representative of who I am. However I post them exactly for that reason I often write the things I need to read for myself. It helps remind me that life for all its adversities is not truly a bad place. On the darkest days I sometime need to remind myself that the world really is a beautiful place.

I started this year without any resolutions, without any goals, for so long Ive had lists of things I want to do, a you tube channel, finish and publish a ebook, write down all my recipies and send that off, work out how to publish the 6 week online course Ive written and seriously finish my blinking book!! However in the end they made me feel like I was constantly stressed and never able to fully relax because of course these tasks were still pending.

This year I wanted to be different I wanted to listen to my heart and write out of pure passion. just after new year I found out I was pregnant - I was delighted, I cant tell you how happy I was of course I had moment of sheer panic but I was in seventh heaven! My partners face when I told him was that of pure delight he said it was the best day ever and he was over the moon. Ive need seen anyone look so happy. 

However weeks later I woke up and knew there was something wrong, I woke up and all of my pregnancy symptoms were gone every single one just like that over night, I tried to be logical I did another pregnancy test it was positive, I tried to think good thoughts and I managed to get on with life for three days however by the fourth day I was mildly hysterical I rang my GPs Surgery and said It think something is wrong they told me if I wasn't bleeding theirs nothing to worry about, I however just knew their was something wrong so an hour later I rang the surgery and told them I was bleeding they booked me in for a scan the next day.

The scan showed something was wrong the scan showed I was only 5 and a half week I should have been almost 8. I was told I had to wait a week to see if their was any growth, a week later it was confirmed I had had a silent miscarriage. 

Its so hard to say how I felt in that moment, because in all honest I felt so many things, crushed, disappointment, heart broken, I was angry and frustrated at my body, I felt like I had let everyone down later that day we saw my friend and her baby and both my mother and partner held her baby and I cannot tell you in that moment how much my heart broke into so many pieces. It was so hard dealing with my pain and knowing that everyone else was as hurt as me and it was my body that failed. I felt responsible. Logically I knew It wasn't my fault but it felt as if my body couldn't do its job properly. I was disappointed and took food to be my remedy in the wrong kind of way.

Food became the thing that cheered me up, I found solace in pizza, crisps actually anything.

As a consequence Ive gained weight.

However when I was called a fraud I had to dig deep and ask myself who I am. 

I realised Im not a fraud - I'm human - I'm flawed and Im ok with that - I reacted to a painful situation the way I help teach women not too because they seek my help and it helps them. 

One of the reasons I believe my clients connect with me because I see their struggle I remember how I used to feel and sometimes still feel. I was emotionally eating to ease my sadness. 

Im not perfect, I have never claimed to be, whilst I am a qualified nutritionist I sometimes eat really really crappy foods and after everything thats happened these past few weeks Ive developed some really unhealthy habits. However I believe they served a purpose for me. They helped me once again understand emotional eating and the food mood connection that I so often talk about. 

They also served as an emotional crutch thankfully I have been able to see the error in my ways and make the change I needed and Im now ready to once again stop using food to numb my pain, Im ready to feel my feelings and heal them and get my body back to full health and prepare it for pregnancy when the time is right.

A client yesterday left my house after giving me a big hug and told me “you’re amazing Kirsten you just know how I feel with out me even telling you, and that is a very special gift”. What a special moment that was, for both me and her.

If you've had a hard time lately or if you haven’t stuck to your new years resolutions don't beat yourself up, be kind to yourself, forgive yourself. You are not flawed as Brene Brown said once “You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” 

Bored of banana bread try this delicious apple loaf instead.

Apple Loaf
This morning I wanted to make some banana bread but I was all out of bananas - however I had heaps of apples!! So I got busy! 

You will need
3 large apples grated – I used Braeburn apples but you can add any apple.

2 teaspoons baking power

3 large organic free range eggs

1/4 cup Lucy Bees coconut oil melted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
 

Preheat your oven to 180 C. 356 F. Grate the apple, then in a bowl mix baking powder, eggs, oil, cinnamon. 
Lastly add the wholemeal spelt flour and mix through. 
Either oil a loaf tin or line it with baking paper at the base and the sides. 
The size I used was: 10 1/2 cm wide and 26 cm long.Spoon in mixture into the loaf tin. 
Cook for an hour or until skewer inserted comes out clean. Times may vary so check after 50 minutes and cover with foil if it looks too brown
I didn't add any sugar to this loaf because I think their is enough sweetness from the raw grated apple. The loaf has a slightly sweet taste!

Seven tips to boost your energy levels!

One of the biggest symptoms clients ask for my help with is lack of energy.

However time and time again when these same clients are asked to keep

food diaries the story is the same, erratic eating, over consumption of

caffeine, soft drinks and often alcohol and a heavy reliance on processed food

in the form of sandwiches, ready meals and quick food.

In order to feel energetic you have to ensure that you are fuelling up on

nutrient rich unprocessed foods.

1. Eating regularly 5 times a day, in an ideal world you would eat breakfast,

snack, lunch, snack then dinner.

Eating every three hours can help keep

blood sugar levels even and this in turn can help keep energy levels even too.

2.Ensure you drink 8 glasses of filtered water every day; dehydration can often

impair the ability to concentrate.

3. Eat plenty and fill up on non-starchy vegetables, these are high in vital

vitamins, minerals and fiber.

4. Eat oily fish 3 times a week, salmon, mackerel, sardines, fresh tuna as well as

containing essential fatty acids they are also a good sources of protein.

Eat 25g of nuts a day and 25g of ground seeds; these again are full of the

good fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

5.Limit your tea and coffee to one per day and ideally have two days free from

them a week.

6.Avoid alcohol or restrict your intake to 2 units a week

7.Don’t eat sugar or add it to your foods, opt instead for low glycemic load fruit

such as pears, strawberries, raspberries and fresh apricots

A sample day could be.

- Porridge made with almond milk topped with ground linseeds and fresh berries

- 2 oatcakes and almond butter

- 2 egg omelette filled with feta and vegetables of choice and a green side salad 

- hummus and chopped vegetables 

- Roast chicken breast, new potatoes and large green salad with rocket,

spinach and watercress

Rhubarb - The Vegetable that thinks its a fruit.

RHUBARB

Rhubarb is the deliciously coloured vegetables that thinks its a fruit! Forced grown in the dark has yellowish leaves usually appears in January. The field-grown variety replaces it around April and is less tender but often more flavourful.

Its packed to the brim with minerals, vitamins, organic compounds, and other nutrients that make it ideal for keeping our bodies healthy. 

Some of these precious components are dietary fiber, protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, B complex vitamins, calcium, potassium, manganese, and magnesium. Rhubarb makes a nourishing and comforting puddings, it also tastes nice in salads with goats cheese and it sharpness also works well with meat dishes too making it very versatile.

Weight

Rhubarb is high in fiber which could help encourages a healthy weight. Fiber can be a weight loss weapon, because it gives you a feeling of fullness that helps stave off hunger.

Blood pressure

Another benefit that come from eating fiber is may help lower blood pressure. In another small study, researchers put 233 volunteers on a high-fiber diet They found that after 12 weeks, participants had a drop in blood pressure and pulse pressure.

Alzheimer’s Diseases 

Vitamin K often does get very much attention as some other vitamins, however vitamin K is one of the most prominent vitamins in Rhubarb and it plays a significant role in brain and neuronal health. It is believed it helps prevent the oxidation of brain cells and helps stimulate cognitive activity, thereby helping to delay or possibly even prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.  

Blood Circulation

Rhubarb contains trace amounts of copper and iron which stimulate the production of new red blood cells, increasing the total red blood count in the body which in turn increases oxygenation of essential areas of the body, helping improve the function and boosting the overall metabolism of the body

PREPARING

Wash and trim both ends of the stalks, and discard the poisonous leaves.

Under active thyroid - why raw kale may not be for you.

Kale

January seems to be the time everyone vows that its a new year so they will become a new person, make positive changes to their diet and over hauling their health. Detox diets have become increasingly popular these days along with a whole host of other diet trends. However I think January is a time to go gentle on yourself. A time to remove all the indulgent treats you may have consumed over the festivities and go back to basics. Eat whole foods and get back in touch with local seasonal ingredients.

Kale is a very nourishing ingredient for seasonal eaters as it is one of the few green vegetables that is abundant during January in the UK. I use as substituted for cabbage or spinach, it makes a decadent side dish when blanched and sautéed with a little oil and garlic, served with a splash of tamari (a wheat free soya sauce) and a sprinkling of chopped, roasted almonds. Kale helps your body detox naturally - so you don't need to buy expensive powdered supplements.

Liver health

Kale plays an important role in liver health. Kale increases the amount of glucosinolate in the body which helps add enzyme production in the liver. These natural enzymes help flush toxins out of the body. Kale and other leafy greens are one of our most powerful allies in cleansing the liver, leafy greens can be eaten raw, cooked, or juiced. Kale is also extremely high in plant chlorophylls,which help suck up environmental toxins from the blood stream. Its argued that they can neutralise heavy metals in the body as well as chemicals and pesticides. 

Calcium

When many people go on detox diets they often cut out dairy and worry about having low levels of minerals such as calcium. Thanks to the Dairy Council milk is renowned for its levels of calcium however gram for gram kale has more calcium than cow’s milk. Although it is important to know that Kale does losing a substantial amount of calcium when it’s cooked, so if you’re eating it for its calcium content it’s best to eat it raw in salads or added to smoothies for the most benefit of calcium.

Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

Kale is considered to be an anti-inflammatory food, Research has also shown that kale contains 45 different flavonoids with a variety of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects! On top of that Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fibre and carotenoids.

Air of caution for those with a sluggish or undertake thyroid.

Kale is a dietary goitrogen. Goitrogens are substances (whether in drugs, chemicals, or foods) that disrupt the production of thyroid hormones by interfering with iodine uptake in the thyroid gland. So basically Kale when raw everyday may make you more vulnerable to developing an underactive thyroid. (Eaten cooked it wont have this effect.) As with everything variety and moderation is the name of the game. Have in smoothies once or twice a week, eat cooked and add to stews to ensure you get the best out of this nutrient rich green.