List of All Articles with Tag 'if'

Some healthy eating principles apply to just about everyone – drinking enough water and consuming plenty of fresh fruit and veg, for example. But when it comes to hormones, a lot of diet advice neglects to mention the vast difference between women’s and men’s health. “Women are very under-represented in research, mainly because we have a menstrual cycle,” says functional nutritionist and author Pauline Cox. “My passion and mission is to empower women with the information and knowledge that can radically change their immediate health and their long-term health.” Cox, 43, who started her career as a physiotherapist before becoming a nutritionist, now mainly works with groups of women online and has just released her second book, Hungry Woman: Eating for Good Health, Happiness and Hormones. “I felt there was a lot of information that could be shared with women to help them understand their hormones, and understand that we don’t have to get frustrated with ourselves and fight our female physiology.” At the heart of the issue is the balance (or lack thereof) between oestrogen and progesterone levels. “When our progesterone levels are low, our oestrogen can become dominant, and that’s when we start to see things like PMS, heavy periods, painful periods, flooding at the beginning of our periods,” says Cox, who lives in Somerset. “A lot o women accept that as part of their monthly cycle, but when we bring our progesterone levels back up, it helps to balance the effect of oestrogen.” Here, she explains five ways women can tailor their diets to keep their hormones in check… 1. Look after your liver “Oestrogen is a driving-growth hormone,” Cox explains, using the analogy of grass growing on a lawn to explain how the two hormones interact. “Progesterone is like the lawnmower. It comes along and it keeps the grass in check. When we lose progesterone, oestrogen gets out of control.” That’s why it’s important that our bodies are able to clear oestrogen efficiently through the liver, gut and bowels. “How much oestrogen we clear can be influenced by what we eat and how we live,” says Cox. “There’s a lot of cruciferous in the book – cauliflower, broccoli, these are really great vegetables to support liver detoxification.” 2. Add fermented foods To deliver beneficial bacteria to your gut, try including fermented foods like pickled vegetables, kefir, kombucha or natural yoghurt as part of your daily diet. “Our gut diversity declines as we age and microbiome diversity has been linked with longevity and good health,” says Cox, who suggests just a tablespoon of sauerkraut a day can make a difference. “These are easy wins…to maximise our longevity and optimise our gut-brain axis, which is incredibly important.” 3. Avoid ultra-processed foods There’s been a lot of talk recently about how detrimental ultra-processed foods are, and that includes the effect on hormone levels. “When we’re eating high sugar, processed foods, our inflammatory levels go up and our cortisol level goes up, which robs us of progesterone,” Cox says. Plus, filling up with these empty calories – as delicious as they often are – means we have less room for nutritious foods. “They can often be devoid of nutrients, so you’re not getting the nutrients you need for building hormones and supporting hormonal health like magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, and omega three fatty acids.” 4. Create an eating window It’s not just what you eat, it’s when. Cox recommends having an ‘eating window’ during the day that ends around 6pm, so that there’s a gap of a few hours before you go to bed. “When your blood sugars go up at night, your kidneys have to kick in to try and remove this excess blood sugar, which then means you’re up in the night urinating,” she says. “A lot of women associate this with drinking a lot before bed, but actually eating late at night can also be for that reason.” Choosing meals that are nutritious and satisfying is the next step. “Within that window, start becoming a bit more conscious of your carbs and upping your protein,” she continues. “So you’re feeling full, your body’s getting all the amino acids it needs, and you’re maybe not having so much of the grab-and-go food like the sandwiches, the pasta, the crisps.” 5. Monitor your magnesium “Most women are sub-clinically deficient in magnesium,” Cox explains, which can cause insomnia, and the risk increases with age. “As we get to about the age of 40, we absorb less magnesium than we would have in our 20s.” Diet also plays a role: “If we have high blood sugars and levels of inflammation when we’re stressed, we lose magnesium.” She recommends taking a magnesium glycinate or bisglycinate supplement before bed to increase your chance of getting a good night’s sleep. “The glycine part of that helps to reduce your core body temperature, which is what the body wants when it’s going to bed,” she says. “That compound also helps get you into what’s called REM sleep, which is the sleep where you’re consolidating memories and learning.” Hungry Woman by Pauline Cox is published by Ebury Press, priced £27. Photography by Luke Albert. Available Now. 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An overview of the media in Solomon Islands, including links to its broadcasters and newspapers.

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A robot dubbed the 'world's most-advanced humanoid' has left tech-lovers shocked for her ability to complete request-based tasks. The public are already familiar with Ameca, after she previously went viral for her ability to speak multiple languages. However, in the new video by Engineered Arts, Ameca is given a pen and told to drawer a 'cute-looking cat'. "Whether it's a cuddle when we're feeling down or a playful scratch behind the ears when we need a pick-me-up, they are always there for us", she says, as she gets to work. Within a minute, the robot has sketched a super-accurate looking cat drawing on the canvas. Read More Be loud, be proud: My life after leaving countries dangerous for the LGBT+ community Aspartame: What effects do carcinogens have on your body? Sprawling nature art installation takes over London’s ‘super sewer’ 50m below ground

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Provides an overview of Solomon Islands, including key facts about this Pacific island nation.

Margot Robbie has started the press tour for highly anticipated upcoming movie Barbie in suitable fashion. The film – slated for release on July 21, is directed by Greta Gerwig, and Robbie’s co-stars include Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, Ncuti Gatwa and more. Robbie’s stylist, Andrew Mukamal, has posted the latest Barbie-inspired outfit she’s worn to promote the movie on Instagram. The Wolf Of Wall Street star dipped into the archives for this look, wearing a metallic pink mini skirt and pale pink cropped rollneck jumper from the Versace autumn/winter 1994 collection. Supermodels Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer appeared in the original advertising campaign for this collection, and the pink look Robbie has chosen was worn by Christy Turlington. Her Barbie-inspired looks haven’t just been about all-pink outfits, however. On Thursday, the 32-year-old was promoting the movie on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach, and her outfit paid tribute to the first-ever Barbie doll, which was released in 1959. The first doll wore a black and white striped swimsuit, which Robbie mirrored with a monochromatic striped mini dress with a distinctly retro feel. Later that day, she changed into another Fifties-inspired mini dress – this time by Moschino, with a graphic strawberry print and worn with statement white sunglasses. Proving her dedication to the theme, Robbie hasn’t just been channelling Barbie on the red carpet and for photo calls. She was even seen walking through Sydney airport in an ensemble worthy of the famous doll: a pale pink tweed blazer and grey trousers from Chanel’s spring/summer 1996 collection, while wheeling vintage-inspired pink luggage. Her bags were from Steamline luggage: The Entrepreneur Pink Hatbox Small retails at £251, and The Entrepreneur Pink Carryon costs £468. For a Los Angeles photo call, Robbie again took direct inspiration from a Barbie doll. This time she wore a pink polka dot mini dress by Valentino with a yellow handbag, echoing the outfit worn by a 2015 doll from the Pink and Fabulous collection. Setting the tone for the whole press tour, Robbie kicked off her themed fashion looks earlier this week while posing next to Barbie’s car – which she matched in a custom pink two-piece by Bottega Veneta. With the film not out for a few weeks yet and plenty of premieres in the diary, chances are we’ll be seeing a lot more Barbie-inspired fashion from Robbie to come. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Being lonely ‘may increase risk of heart disease in diabetes patients’ 7 ways to save money on your hair Sarcoma Awareness Month: What you need to know about these cancers

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At Bloomberg Pursuits, we love to travel. And we always want to make sure we’re doing it right.