When stress walks in magnesium walks out!

Magnesium  is responsible for a wide range of functions in the body and many of us are either not getting enough or not absorbing enough of this vital nutrient.

The more stressed you are the more prone you are to a deficiency. Magnesium levels are decreased by excess alcohol, prolonged mental stress, profuse sweating and a number of other nutrient deficiencies.

If your stressed or training hard physically make sure that you include high quality magnesium rich foods in your diet such as whole grains, almonds, leafy greens and yummy dark chocolate!

For further information on this topic and any other nutritional issue, please contact me at aoifewalley@gmail.com to book in a consultation.

Regina Brown – Lily of the Valley

Today I took the time to meet with Regina Brown, a macrobiotic specialist and business owner in Tokyo.

Regina is a very spiritual person who has trained in various energy healing techniques. Regina also runs her own healing wholefoods academy classes. Theses classes are held bi-weekly on the half and full moon each month.  Her classes are always based on traditional healing foods/methods or energy based healing methods. Regina trained in macrobiotics in New York with Christi Turner and also studied under George Ohsawa at the Lema Macrobiotic school here in Tokyo. 

Regina was born was raised in America but came to Japan every year  as a child with her Japanese mother. Regina notes that she has also been very lucky to have traveled the world as an expat while working for Nikko hotels. She claims her love and passion of food and its healing benefits have come from the fact that she has been able to taste so many varieties of food while living abroad and seems to be able to recreate and cook food after just one tasting.

Regina returned to Tokyo six years ago. She notes from growing up in America she has always loved bagels but could not seem to find bagels in Tokyo that she enjoyed. This lead her to begin her own business of making bagels. She says that since she began baking her bagels her own body and health has become so much better.  

When Regina is not baking or running her healing workshops she can be found doing her other main passion - swimming with dolphins in Hawaii, where she visits numerous times a year. 

I visited Regina at her beautiful shop in Yoyogi-Uehara, called “ Lily of the Valley”. Immediately upon entering the shop I could feel the passion and the homely feel about the shop. With her son and herself baking while I watched on it truly felt like a family run business.

Via her training in macrobiotics, Regina understands the healing benefit and power of good ingredients in food. She told me that she came up with the concept of her bagels as a power food. She  noted that the shape of her bagels is that of the navel (or “heso” in Japanese) in the center with the umbilical cord wrapped around it. She notes that she hand rolls each bagel and believes that the personal touch increases its power. 

Regina notes that her bagels are based on three ingredients, yeast, flour and salt. They are then mixed together with different toppings such as nuts and dried fruits to differentiate each taste. She notes that the three main ingredients are sourced within Japan and are deliberately taken from different areas as the quality is of utmost importance to the finished product.   

The flour is 100% domestic flour from Hokkaido. She uses 100% sea salt and the natural yeast is sourced form a natural park in Northern Japan. The brand name of this natural yeast is Koami which in Japanese means “spirit”. She notes that she makes 10-14 different flavors of bagels to suit all tastes. After tasting 5 different types, I cannot decide which is nicer as they are honestly the nicest wholesome bagels I have ever tasted!

If you would like to purchase some of these delicious bagels pop along to her shop in Yoyogi-Uehara. Regina also has a stall at the Aoyama farmers market every Saturday.

6 Japanese super healthy foods to include in your diet

Daikon – Japanese Radish
Daikon is very beneficial in treating digestive problems due to its abundance of digestive enzymes.It’s rich in vitamin C and promotes the digestion of carbohydrates which makes it easy on the stomach and good for avoiding heartburn. Raw daikon juice may help dissolve mucus and phlegm and aid in the healthy function of the respiratory system. Its ability to combat bacterial and viral infections make it an effective combatant of respiratory disease such as bronchitis, asthma and flu. Daikon helps the kidneys discharge excess water. A natural diuretic, it may also be helpful in treating urinary disorders.

Shiitake Mushrooms
Shitake have anti-carcinogenic properties and are therefore a good food to include in the effort to prevent cancers. These mushrooms have long been used in Chinese medicine to help to cleanse the blood and are useful in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure.Shiitake are a very rich source of vitamins B and D. Dried Shiitake have greater exposure to the sun and this means their vitamin D content is even higher.  

Konnyaku – Devils Tongue Jelly
Konnyaku is a type of jelly usually made from the root or bulb of the devils tongue plant. Konnyaku contains almost no calories. It can be helpful in treating diabetes and constipation.This vegetarian jelly consists of 97% water and is rich in minerals such as calcium and potassium and is an excellent source of dietary fibre.

Natto – Fermented Soya Beans
Natto is made from soya beans and therefore has the same basic properties but rather like tofu, it is more easily digested and absorbed. The fermenting process the beans undergo increases their vitamin B2 content and this is fundamental to their role in helping avoid strokes, arteriosclerosis and myocardial infraction. The fermented beans are also thought to prevent degenerative brain disorders.

Miso – Fermented Soya Bean Paste
Miso is a very beneficial food made from soya beans and like natto is very easy for the system to digest. A particular feature of miso is the capacity to rid the body of some of the harmful toxins it is exposed to and these include both nicotine and alcohol. Miso has a high vitamin E content and when vitamins A and C are present it is very beneficial in both cleansing the body and in various cancer prevention. As Miso removes harmful elements from the body and helps to protect the liver it is good for those recovering from alcohol abuse. 

Konbu – Seaweed
Kelp is incredibly rich in vitamins and minerals and therefore has many health related properties. It contains a lot of iodine which is very effective in increasing your energy. Kelp contains a lot of potassium, which is effective in lowering blood pressure. Konbu is also used to treat liver complaints swelling and anemia.

The dreaded middle age spread or pot belly!!

Many of my clients come to me with the same problem. They hit their late 30’s / early 40’s and suddenly they cannot shift those extra pounds. Especially around their middle which used to easily disappear after a bit of dieting and exercise.
 

Only in the last number of years have researchers been able to explain what causes a pot belly. This protrusion is technically called visceral fat (which means that it relates to the internal organs) and it is very difficult to shift due to the fact that it has the ability to protect itself from destruction. 

Scientists now say that this visceral fat can actually take on a life of its own. This type of fat can produce many substances especially deadly small proteins that can cause inflammation and can be blamed for a number of problems from heart disease to arthritis.

The main causes of this visceral fat are down to the consumption of sugar, stress and their effect on the hormonal and metabolic changes that take place within the body.

So how do I get rid of this pot belly - diet changes….you had to know that there was no way around this one!! Also, exercise – high intensity exercise, gets rid of visceral fat more quickly that any other body fat. 

For more a more detailed plan on how to tackle your pot belly issues, please get in touch with me to set up a consultation.

Relax for good digestion….. it can do wonders for your health!

It sounds so simple, so obvious, yet how many of us really do take enough time to sit and relax when we eat?

Eating at your desk or on the go, stuffing your face to get out the door in the morning..does this sound like you? 

This anarchy type of eating can take its toll on the body. Your digestion needs a certain amount of time to properly digest food. When you are eating in a state of irritation you may be preventing good digestion even if you are eating so called healthy food. 

So sit down and eat in a relaxed state and help your body make best use of the food you eat.

Interview with Naoko Kasahara – Manager of Hillside Pantry, Daikanyama, Tokyo

This week I took time out to catch up with the very friendly Naoko Kashara. Naoko is the manager of the popular organic food shop - HillsidePantry in Daikanyama, Tokyo.

Naoko started with the company 20 years ago and has been manager of the shop for many years.

The owner of the Hillside Pantry is Mr. Kengo Asakura, who built the premises (that Hillside Pantry sits insides) 20 years ago. He loved international food especially American foods that were organic and wanted to set up a shop here in Tokyo that offered similar organic products. The building in Daikanyama is a modern concrete simple structure based on designs from Tribeca in New York.

Naoko is in charge of buying of all the food products. One of the first organic brands sold in the shop was Alishan. The shop now sells international organic products from a wide range of countries including Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, USA, Sri Lanka, Australia, Mexico, UK, Thailand and New Zealand.

To date the best selling products are herbal teas and dried fruit, whilst the best selling kid’s health products are raisins. The shop bakes it own bread daily, one of which is a whole wheat pitta bread which is baked with natural yeast.

In addition to the baked bread, the shop also offers freshly made sandwiches, hummus, plenty of fresh vegetables dishes, chicken and fish dishes. Also a wide selection of organic teas and coffee are available daily. You can choose sit in the store and soak up the friendly atmosphere or you can take away.

As for the customers, Naoko says that it is mainly Daikanyama locals with a number of customers coming in from both the Danish and Finish Embassy which are located close by. On the weekdays the customers are mainly foreigners but on the weekend it’s about 50:50 Japanese and foreign customers.

Naoko’s love for her job and organic food is obvious. Naoko says the best part of her job is meeting interesting people whilst also being able to work in an environment that promotes healthy living*.

The Hillside Pantry is located at B1 Hillside terrace, 18-12 Sarugaku-cho, Shibuya-ku. Tokyo

*Please note that I am available to provide Nutrition consulting at the Hillside Pantry. Please email me at aoifewalley@gmail.com for more details.

Tips to reduce sugar addiction

Are you a sugar addict? Do you suffer from nagging headaches and mood changes?

 

Sugar hides in many foods. It is in low fat foods, packaged foods, some tinned foods as well as many so called health foods. The problem for many people is that it is not just sugar that you need to worry about it is also refined carbohydrates such as white bread and flour products which produce the same reaction as sugar in your body. 

The good news is that you can do something to break this habit, increase energy, concentration levels, reduce weight and you may also find that your mood improves too.

Why is sugar so bad for you?

High consumption of sugar leads to obesity, diabetes and dental cavities. Researchers have also linked high sugar consumption to poor immune health, poor skin health, headaches, brain-fog, PMS, blood sugar conditions, fatigue, irritability and often hyperactive behavior in children.

What happens when you consume sugar?

When you consume sugar or refined carbohydrates your blood sugar level will spike. Your body will produce insulin in an effort to stabilize your blood sugar levels which bring blood sugar levels down, when you feel low you then crave more sugar which sends you on another high and so begins the cycle of fluctuating blood sugar levels.

Combat the sugar cravings by -

Protein: - Eat protein at every meal. Vegetarians need to particularly be careful to ensure they are eating adequate levels of protein by increasing their intake of eggs, cheese and dairy.

Carbohydrates - A major part of your daily carbohydrates should come from fruits and vegetables. Other carbohydrates consumed should be unprocessed whole grains, which are released slowly into the blood stream and hence curb your sugar cravings.

 

Drinks - Limit caffeinated drinks, as caffeine can cause dehydration and blood sugar swings too.

Keep hydrated, aim for at least eight glasses of fresh water daily.