Let’s zoom in on dietary fibre in the GI system by Jada-Virginia Surpin One of the key points highlighted by Dr Patel in our recent podcast along with other world class gastrointestinal specialists, is the importance of dietary fibre. The interview discussed the way fibre strengthens the walls of the bowel, which is one of the […]
The Energising Power Breakfast
by Jada-Virginia Surpin As a university student, I am aware that many of my peers struggle to make time for a good measure of food and sleep- two essential factors in our health which I rarely compromise. Growing up with a Nutritional Therapist mum and a wise Dad insistent that I not let school impact […]
The GI Files: Part 2 – Tackling fatty liver
by Jada-Virginia Surpin You may have heard in our recent podcast Dr Patel, a consultant gastroenterologist at St George’s Hospital, discussing the problem of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFL) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Despite continuing high rates of alcohol consumption, the data indicates that fatty liver disease (basically cirrhosis of the liver from eating the wrong diet) […]
The GI File
By Jada-Virginia Surpin Following my interview with Dr Patel, Consultant Gastroenterologist at St George’s Hospital, I have lined up a blog series about the causes and prevention of common gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary illnesses. Part 1: Causes and prevention of acid reflux I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “prevention is always better than the cure” which […]
Nutrition, the NHS and gut health
I’m very pleased to welcome Jada-Virginia back after a busy exam season. She’s been talking to NHS consultant gastroenterologist Dr Patel. It’s great to hear of the recognition of the importance of diet in preventative health. There are still gaps between the work of those who practise functional medicine and current nutrition dogma, however that […]
Broccoli ‘&’ Soup
When you’re short for time but need a warming, comforting simple meal soup does it every time! Taking inspiration from a Jasmine Hemsley recipe this broccoli based soup hits the spot every time. All you need is broccoli &….. whatever other veg you fancy or have in the fridge. I started with broccoli and asparagus […]
You can have your (chocolate) cake & eat it!
This is one of my favourite sweet treat recipes. It’s moist, light (crumbly) & totally delicious. The best bit is that if you don’t tell anyone that there is no flour or butter in the brownies they don’t know and they will certainly never guess it’s made with beans!! So not only is it dairy […]
Shortbread
Who doesn’t love a good shortbread? It’s one of those things that I’d given up on being both gluten- and dairy-free. So, I set about experimenting until I found a recipe that works and tastes delicious. These two recipes are the result. One is gluten-free made with butter (for those who can tolerate butter), the […]
Can a low-calorie diet be used to treat Type 2 diabetes?
Once again I’m turning The Health Gardener blog over to the lovely Jada-Virginia Surpin. She’s passionate about using nutrition to improve health. This week she’s been inspired to put pen to paper by news that the NHS will be offering very low calorie diets to tackle type 2 diabetes. But will this be the panacea […]
Navigating the isles, ingredients to avoid
by Jada-Virginia Surpin Choosing the right food in supermarkets is a tricky task these days, especially on a budget. However, knowing which foods to avoid will often help you make the distinction between healthy food with good quality ingredients and unhealthy food with poor quality ingredients. It is only natural that certain companies compromise the […]