Herbs

Five top dietary tips to supercharge your health in 2024

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The start of a new year is always a great time to make healthy changes to your diet.  We generally have much more intention at the beginning of a new year when it comes to our wellbeing, especially if we’ve overindulged over the festive period.  Equally, if you’re feeling generally ‘under par’ then these changes are really going to help, and they’re easy to make too.

Clinical Nutritionist Suzie Sawyer shares her five top tips for getting your health on track in 2024.

Suzie HFMA V4

Support your gut health

Close up of woman's tummy with her hands making a heart shape in front

From a nutritional perspective, we refer to the gut as the ‘second brain’ such is its importance to overall health and wellness. Therefore, it makes sense to ensure your digestive tract and all the related organs are working well.

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One of the quickest wins in this respect is to replenish the good bacteria in the gut, called probiotics.  Many of these friendly strains of bacteria live in the gut all the time, and some just pass through whilst working their magic. However, all of them can be well fed by eating some probiotic foods. Top choices are natural live yoghurt, tempeh, miso, sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha.  These foods may not already be in your diet, but it’s easier than you think to add some in each day.  Both your body and brain will be thankful.

Supercharge your energy

A woman jumping with a sunset in the background

It’s quite common to feel less than energetic at this time of year. However, there is much that can be done to increase your get up and go. In addition to ditching the junk (more of which later), why not add a supplement of the herb Rhodiola?  It’s an amazingly well-researched herb, particularly for energy, stress reduction and revving up the brain.  As with many herbs, Rhodiola has been used for centuries to great effect.  Could this be the time to utilise the power of nature?

Feed your brain

A plate with a picture of a brain on to represent eating healthily to support a sharper brain

Whilst Rhodiola will certainly help to sharpen the brain, it still needs to be fed with specific nutrients to keep it in good working order. The brain contains around 60% fat, many of which are the omega-3 fatty acids.

A range of foods containing healthy Omega-3 fats

Omega-3 fats are found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and pilchards, as well as flaxseeds, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds.  However, since they’re not found that widely in foods, and because the body can’t make them, then it sometimes takes a little more effort to get them into the diet every day.  If none of these foods float your boat, then omega-3s can be taken in supplement form and there are vegan sources too.  Make 2024 the year you ramp up intake of these super-healthy fats.

Drink more water

CLose up of a woman holdnig a glass of water

It’s often the simplest of dietary changes can have the most dramatic effects on health.  And ensuring the body is correctly hydrated is right up there in terms of health benefits.  Ideally you need around 1.5-2 litres of water daily to fully support your brain, energy levels, digestion, hormone balance and the skin (plus much more besides).

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Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables every day should also be on your diet plan. They also counts towards water intake, but the body still needs plenty of plain water throughout the day.  You’ll be amazed just how much more energy you have, and your brain function will improve dramatically too.

Reduce you sugar intake

A pile of sugar with the words 'no sugar' in

There’s no getting away from it – sugar, in all its forms, has a detrimental effect on health, and especially on weight.  Most of us are probably not as aware of how much sugar we take in on a daily basis. Much of this is cleverly disguised by food manufacturers as ingredients like maltodextrin or corn syrup.

One of the simplest ways of reducing sugar intake is to try and cook as many meals from scratch as possible.  This way, you have absolute control of what goes into your food and your overall nutrient intake will increase too. Most pre-packaged foods contain some form of sugar, so do become a label detective.  The worst forms of sugar are artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.  Whilst they have zero calories, they still upset blood sugar balance, but they are not helpful for the brain, gut, or hormones either.

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You’ll be amazed now quickly you can re-train taste buds to eat foods that are less sweet.  If you’re taking sugar or sweeteners in drinks, or having fizzy drinks, then this is probably the first place to start in the clean-up routine.  Every little will help for sure.

The start of 2024 is the perfect time to make some small changes for big health results.

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The importance of rest and relaxation

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With our 24/7, ‘always-on’ lives, getting sufficient and much-needed down-time can sometimes fall to the bottom of our to-do list. However, as part of the body’s daily functions, it’s very important to make time for adequate rest and relaxation. 

Stress, both long and short term, can have a negative impact on both mind and body so getting that all-important calm into our lives should be a priority.

Clinical Nutritionist Suzie Sawyer shares her three top tips for reducing stress and inducing calm.

 

Become a super-organiser

When there’s so much going on and daily chores and commitments can seem overwhelming, the best way forward to is be super-organised!  This doesn’t mean living to a fixed time schedule as such, but it does involve making lists and prioritising from there.

Close up of a woman's hand writing a to do list in a journal

The brain works hard for us, and we carry so many thoughts within its millions of brain cells.  These thoughts can often become muddled, which means we effectively run around in circles and are less efficient. Writing every job down, however small, that needs doing, can help reduce stress and anxiety. 

Everyone has a different way of processing this information; some people need to see a spreadsheet with headings, some prefer a written list.  Whatever works for you make sure it has a form of prioritisation, perhaps numbered jobs, so that you tackle them in a logical or priority order.

shutterstock_243120193 woman writing in note pad diary Feb17

It’s also really helpful to do a ‘brain dump’ at the end of each day.  Add to the list anything for tomorrow or for the future and this will help stop the night-time agonising of what jobs need to be done.

Make your bedroom your sanctuary

There is more and more research available on the absolute necessity for quality sleep.  It’s essential for our wellbeing, but also longevity.  However, getting quality sleep is a problem for many of us, so it does need to be prioritised for it to happen.

Close up of a woman asleep in bed

Any kind of blue light emitted from electronic devices is a complete ‘no-no’ if you want to get some shut eye.  Taking a laptop to bed with you is certainly not going to help.  Turn off all electronic devices two hours before bedtime and use that time for relaxation techniques.  This might include a warm bath, reading a book or meditation. 

Woman with legs crossed sitting on bed meditating

For those who struggle to meditate, then deep breathing is a great way of putting the body into the parasympathetic rather than sympathetic (also known as fight or flight) part of the nervous system.  Even deep breathing from the belly so the diaphragm expands, six seconds in and six seconds out, for a couple of minutes, can really make a difference.  If you used this technique a couple of times a day, the changes to how you feel within will be noticeable.

Lavender oil and fresh lavender on a pillow

Lastly, love your bedroom.  Rather than seeing the room as a functional space, try to make it a real sanctuary, where you feel relaxed and calm.  Even using some lavender spray in the room and on your pillow, will help. And love your bed too; an uncomfortable mattress might need changing.

Use the power of nature

Everything the body needs for wellness is provided by nature.  And this includes some amazingly calming and restorative herbs, together with colourful foods. When trying to get more relaxation and calm into your life, it’s important to feed the body with nutrient-dense foods, but you can also utilise various herbs to help too.

Healthy,Eating,Concept,,Assortment,Of,Rainbow,Fruits,And,Vegetables,,Berries,

A diet high in caffeinated drinks and sugar can contribute to feelings of anxiety, but also impair your quality of sleep.  Only you know how much you have in your diet but do make a conscious effort to reduce significantly or stop both completely.  Additionally, eating foods rich in colour, in a form as near to their natural state, will provide the nutrients the body needs to ensure its biochemistry functions correctly.

Close up of Passion Flower

When it comes to herbs, passionflower has long been used for relaxation and to help sleep.  And the good news is, it can work quickly, especially if you’re suffering from a nervous stomach, for example.  Likewise, valerian taken about an hour before bedtime can really help and won’t cause drowsiness the next day. The mineral magnesium can also help support your sleep.  Try them individually to start with and notice what works for you.

If you prioritise rest and relaxation, hopefully you’ll be rewarded with more energy and less anxiety in your life!

 

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Eat your way to calm: nutrition and herbal support for anxiety

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The word ‘anxiety’ seems to be omnipresent in many people’s vocabulary right now. There are, of course, many reasons for this and anxiety affects us all differently.

Feeling anxious can creep up on all of us at some point in our lives. It’s important, therefore, to have tools to deal with these feelings, and we can turn to nutrition for some answers.

Clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer shares her five top nutrients and herbs that can help to calm the nerves and manage stress.

Magnesium

Known as one of our calming minerals, magnesium can certainly help when life becomes overwhelming.  This is because, as part of its many functions, magnesium is important for a good working nervous system. It is also key in many biochemical reactions related to the production of brain neurotransmitters.

A range of foods containing magnesium

A large percentage of people are deficient in magnesium because it’s found in foods that many don’t eat in sufficient quantities, namely leafy greens, and whole grains.  Plus, magnesium is further depleted when we’re stressed.

Make sure your diet is full of magnesium-rich foods including avocados, nuts, legumes, seeds, whole grains, and leafy greens such as spinach and kale. It’s good to supplement with the magnesium glycinate form, especially before bedtime, if sleep is an issue for you.

Vitamin B6

Just like the family of B-vitamins, vitamin B6 works extremely hard for us in keeping hundreds of our biochemical reactions in good working order.

Vitamin B6 is essential for keeping us calm because it’s needed to produce our key neurotransmitters, namely serotonin and dopamine.  Serotonin is often referred to as our ‘happy hormone’ because it’s needed for mood and motivation. Dopamine is more about stimulating our reward mechanisms, allowing us to feel pleasure and satisfaction.  These feelings also lead to calm and reduced feelings of anxiety.

A range of foods containing Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 works alongside magnesium in keeping the nervous system in good working order.  Foods that are rich in vitamin B6 include liver, tuna, fortified cereals, chickpeas, poultry, and salmon.  Whilst organ meats aren’t for everyone, liver does provide some amazing nutritional benefits, also being rich in vitamin A, essential for the immune system.  It’s worth a try for sure!

Ashwagandha

An adaptogenic herb, ashwagandha is one that can really encourage those feelings of calm and discourage anxiety. Adaptogens aid the body through stressful times but can also help when energy and mental focus are issues.

shutterstock_1181447482 ashwagandha Feb19

Adaptogens such as ashwagandha have been used in Ayurvedic medicine for hundreds of years, a practice that is known to be gentle and healing.

Ashwagandha needs to be taken as a supplement and is readily available in the health food shops.

L-Theanine

L-Theanine is an amino acid which is found mainly in plants and especially in green tea.  It has also been isolated in supplement form in order that we can fully benefit from its great soothing properties.

shutterstock_391949488 green tea Nov16

L-theanine has been found to stimulate the relaxing neurotransmitter called GABA which is why it helps to instil calm in the body.  Interestingly, it also helps to mitigate some of the more stimulatory effects of caffeine, which can be problematic for some people.  This is why drinking green tea can help to calm the nerves.

Passionflower

Passionflower is a herb that also helps to increase levels of GABA in the brain. GABA appears to reduce activity of certain brain cells that might otherwise be ‘turned-on’, therefore contributing to those feelings of calm.

Close up of Passion Flower

It is, of course, important for us to function as well as possible throughout the day: poor sleep causes all kinds of issues, and also prevents us from enjoying our day as much as possible.  Importantly, passionflower can help support a good night’s sleep and of its many medicinal qualities, treating insomnia is certainly top of the list.

Passionflower can be used as a tea but is also available in supplement form for more noticeable results.

If you’re feeling anxious, then do try these nutrients and herbs.  Nature has provided us with some helpful solutions.

FOR MORE GREAT NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Sign up to receive our blog and get a weekly dose of the latest nutrition, health and wellness advice direct to your inbox.

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Follow and Chat with Suzie on Twitter @nutritionsuzie

For everything you need to know about vitamins, minerals and herbs visit our sister site Herbfacts

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