Welcome to the BNF Healthy Eating Week

Jane Arlow • June 13, 2022

Did you know that eating well helps you and the planet?

This week (13 - 17 June 2022), I'm celebrating the British Nutrition Foundation's Healthy Eating Week here and on my FB page

Their theme this year is eating well for you and for the planet and each day of the week, there's a separate mini-theme. As I write predominantly for women, I'm going to be highlighting the reasons why you might want to follow these particular suggestions.

Focus on Fibre

What is dietary fibre and why is it particularly important for women/

Put simply, fibre is the parts of a plant that are more difficult to digest. It's usually classified as either water solubale, which dissolves in water; and insoluble which doesn't.

Why is it important?

Did you know that dietary fibre has a role to play in pelvic floor health? If you're regularly constipated, you're more likely to be straining when you go to the toilet. This puts more downward pressure on your pelvic floor.

Now I'm not saying that an occasional dose of constipation is going to cause a pelvic floor prolapse. But, regularly bearing down, if your pelvic floor is already compromised in any way, is putting you at greater risk.

The other reason why dietary fibre is so important is for your mental wellbeing.

The gut microbiome is known as your second brain for its role in synthesizing the neurotransmitters that determine your mood. And eating more fibre means that you'll have a greater variety of microbes in your gut, meaning better neurotransmitter creation.

As we go through peri-menopause and out the other side, we can do with all the help we can get with managing mood!

Get at least five a day

Orrrrr, how about trying for aiming for around 40 different fruit and veg each week?

When I usually think about veggies, in my mind's eye, I'm imagining green veg, which include cruciferous vegetables (all the veg in the cabbage family) and leafy veg like spinach..

But of course, "veggies" also includes:

- Rainbow coloured veggies which are super rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and anti-oxidants.

- Fruit

- Wholegrains such as whole meal bread, pasta, brown rice that have had very little removed from them during processing

-Beans and pulses including lentils, chickpeas and other types of beans and peas. These are not only full of fibre, but full of protein too.

Why should we, particularly, eat more veggies? Because they're so full of vitamins and minerals.

For example:

B5 found in lentils, beans and pulses calms and nourishes the adrenals, calming your nervous system;

Vitamin C found in cruciferous veg, tomatoes and bell peppers has a role in rebalancing cortisol (the stress hormone);

Magnesium found in whole greans and dark leafy veg is essential for good sleep, good mental health and muscle and bone health.

Vary your protein - be more creative

(First, I just looked again at this picture. Is it beans? Is it prawns? Or is it some type of insect/ bug? That's varied protein for sure!)

I am not a vegetarian (I LOVE a steak so big you need a separate plate for your chips), but over the last year, I've been trying to make our meals much less dependent on meat.

And there are other options:

- Fish especially oily fish such as salmon and mackeral that is rich in Omega 3 (for healthy brain function)

- Lentils are an excellent source of protein and can very easily be substituted partially or fully for minced meat. Much cheaper too.

- Other beans and pulses are an excellent way to bulk out a meal and add fibre filled protein to your meal.

- Nuts and seeds added (a small handful!) added to the top of meal are another great source of protein.

Why might we want to move away from traditional meat sources of protein?

Firstly, eating a couple of portions of oily fish every week is essential for your long term cognitive health.

And secondly, by using vegetable-based proteins, we're also getting fibre and other nutrients.

I'm not suggesting going vegetarian or vegan, but a couple of meat free days per week is good for you and for the planet.

Stay hydrated - fill up from the tap

How much water have you had today?

We should be aiming for around 6-8 glasses (or about 1.5 - 2 litres), or more in hot weather.

Here's the thing, thirst isn't always a reliable indicator of dehydration - by the time you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

And, often when we're thirsty, we often mistake it for hunger so eat something instead.

Of course, you are still getting liquid if you're drinking teas and coffees, but water is more effective at replacing lost fluids.

Why should peri and menopausal women make sure that we're keeping adequately hydrated?

Firstly, dehydration is correlated with headaches, dizziness, short term memory loss, mood impairment, feeling tired and weak. Our reduced levels of oestrogen are already triggering these things - let's avoid making it worse.

Secondly, water helps hydrate your spinal discs and prevents tendons, ligaments and muscles from becoming tight and stiff. Dropping oestrogen levels are already impacting collagen production in joints and making us more likely to feel aches and pains. Again, dehydration will make this worse.

And finally, if we think we're hungry when we're actually thirsty, we're more likely to consume additional calories that we don't actually require.

Reduce food waste - know your portions

Did you know that households are responsible for up to 70% of UK food waste?

There are loads of ways of reducing our food waste:

- Planning our menus in advance and buying exactly what we need for the week.

- Avoiding doing the shopping when we're hungry

- Measuring out portions using scales or hands

- Meal prep in advance and freeze for later

- Using frozen foods where you can take out a portion at a time

As I think about our busy lives, actually all of these tips not only help the planet but help us to live better.

Whether that's less stress from having our meals pre-planned; sticking to better portion sizes; or meal prep for busy days, all ways to just make things easier for ourselves. Who doesn't love that?

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October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and if you haven't done it recently, please let this be the nudge you need to give them a good feel up. Here 's a link to the NHS website below showing how to perform your check and what to look for. If you're one of my gentlemen readers, please don't think this doesn't apply to you. It does. Men can still get breast cancer. And if you find something that doesn't seem right, please contact your GP as soon as possible. 80-90% of lumps are likely to be benign, but for the small percentage of those that aren't, early detection and treatment are your best chances of having successful treatment and being around to annoy friends and family for a long time. Don't skip your mammogram I know having mammograms is really uncomfortable. But this is one of the best ways to check for cancers that aren't otherwise easily spotted. So if you get invited, please go. (And don't skip your smear test either!!!) Know your risk factors 1 in 7 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Here are some of the risk factors: - Age : older women are more likely to get breast cancer than younger women and age is the highest risk factor. - Genetics : Breast cancer risk is higher if you have first-degree relatives who've had it (although 85% of women with a relative with breast cancer WON'T get it). - Breast density (relates to the percentage of non-fatty tissue): the risk is highest for those with the most dense tissue. You can ask your radiographer to tell you whether you have dense tissue at your mammogram. - Lifestyle factors: These include having overweight or obesity, alcohol consumption, tobacco use and insufficient physical activity. - Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals: These "forever" chemicals, such as pthalates and parabens, show up in makeup and toiletries. Risk doesn't normally come from one exposure to one chemical, but from prolonged exposure to many different chemicals over a long period of time. You can read more about the risks here It's worth noting that even if you get a diagnosis, it's unlikely you'll ever know if there was "one thing" that caused it. What happens if you get a diagnosis of breast cancer? I am in no way competent to comment on the treatment plan your medical team recommend for you. Everyone I know who's had breast cancer has had a different treatment plan, depending on: the stage of cancer; whether it had spread further; whether it was hormone-receptive; whether it was due to genetic mutation; and the age of the woman. I do know that for all of us, it was a really scary time. You should be given access to resources outside of the surgical and oncology team, often via a Macmillan nurse, who can answer questions on topics from your treatment and reactions, to claiming for extra benefits. They're also great if you're not sure what questions to ask. While you're in the heat of the panic, it can be difficult to think clearly about what you need to know. Using "what should I be asking that I'm not?" is super helpful. Keep moving after your diagnosis, during and after treatment The one thing I can advise you on with all confidence, is to keep moving. Exercise is safe, possible and helpful for individuals with breast cancer, throughout the treatment cycle. In fact, international guidelines say you should try to get back to your normal activities as soon as possible. Exercise can help reduce the risk of cancer coming back; and may stop stage 1 cancers from growing further; and can also reduce treatment side effects like tiredness, cognitive impairment or lympoedema. Yes, you may need to dial back your usual activities if treatment leaves you feeling exhausted. But whenever you can, please aim for 150 minutes of exercise in every week. Many forms of treatment also lead to a higher osteoporosis risk, so please also do resistance-based and/or some impact-based exercise every week. I'd also recommend paying attention to shoulder mobility. Scar tissue and "guarding" of surgery sites can reduce your range of movement a lot. Check in with your medical team to confirm if there's any specific movements you should avoid during your treatment plan, and when you'll be signed off to go back to them. One last piece of advice someone else gave me... When you tell people you have cancer, a lot of them will have an opinion on your treatment plan. Especially if they're of the "my friend cured their cancer by just eating this one thing.." type. Unless this person is an oncologist, you can safely ignore them! So, what are you still doing reading this? Go off and give yourself a fondle!