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.

Insomnia

Tired at night but too wired to sleep? Battling with daily fatigue only to find yourself unable to sleep at night? 

Break the pattern and reclaim sleep!

• Get yourself into the habit of going to bed at the same time every night, aiming for six to eight hours sleep a night.
• Rise at the same time every morning, even on weekends.
• Avoid taking a nap during the day (that said, I just love how the Japanese can so easily full asleep, even in a major department store!!)
• Avoid using caffeine after dinner.
• Make your bedroom dark, quiet, a relaxing place to sleep.
• Avoid eating a meal late at night, eat your main meal during the day and have something lighter in the evening.
• Avoid watching TV and using your computer, iPhone, or engaging in late night calls which can all stimulate your brain and affect your ability to sleep.
• Get moving, exercise regularly. Around 30 minutes a day. Avoid exercising late in the evenings.
• Use techniques to help you relax before bed. Try and create a nightly ritual - deep breathing, meditation or restorative yoga are all good techniques which can help to switch off your busy brain and bring you into a peaceful state prior to bed.
• Write a list of everything you are grateful for in your life. Being in a happy state prior to falling asleep will help avoid negative thinking styles which can contribute to anxiety and insomnia.
• Consider drinking a cup of chamomile or lavender tea.
• Take Vitamin B12. Nutritional evidence shows that a patient with severe sleep disturbance and treated with vitamin B12 experienced progressive improvement in his sleep disturbance. He was able to advance the timing of his sleep period for the first time in nearly 10 years and to follow a normal 24 hour sleep-wake regimen.  

Kamgar-Parsi B et al: Successful treatment of human non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome. Sleep 6(3):257-64, 1983.