Cherry Bakewell Protein Shake

I'm seeing a personal trainer at the moment so I've been getting back into having protein smoothies. My real passion is making healthy food both tasty and indulgent so I thought I'd do one with a bakewell tart theme. Sports nutrition is a complex subject and it wasn't covered on my diploma but I went on a one day workshop about it and it's so important to get nutrition right when exercising, whatever your goal is.

At the moment I'm just trying to lose some weight rather than build muscle but protein is always important for muscle recovery.  After my second personal training session my muscles were so stiff I could barely walk normally and it took 3 magnesium baths for me to feel normal again! However,...

Not just about protein!

Yes, protein is important but so are

other ingredients!

Some people might think just eating protein and no carbohydrate is the thing to do when trying to build muscle or lose weight, but it's actually counter-productive. Carbohydrates are necessary for exercise and when our body is starved of them, it uses the amino acids in our muscles as fuel before using our fat reserves.  This is why when rapid weight loss occurs with high protein diets, it is often muscle that is lost. When the person reverts to normal eating or ends up binge eating because of the carbohydrate deprivation the result is more fat being gained and difficulty losing the weight.
The answer is to eat a suitable combination of carbohydrates and protein depending on your body composition.  In general we need around 0.8g protein per kg of body weight, more if we are trying to increase muscle.

The correct amount of carbohydrate is crucial for exercise, I've ended up feeling dizzy and faint on occasions due to not eating enough before exercising. In general we should eat around 30-60g carbohydrate per hour of exercise, depending on the intensity of exercise and whether you're trying to lose weight. No point drinking a whole bottle of Lucozade if you're just going for a 10 minute jog!

Nutritional benefits of these ingredients

• Cherries are a great source of antioxidants, important to neutralise the free radicals generated by exercise.
• Bananas are a good source of carbohydrate for energy and potassium, essential for fluid balance.
• Almonds are a good source of magnesium, needed for the activity of the adrenal glands.
• Pea protein is a source of branched chain amino acids, needed for muscle repair
• Flax oil is a source of omega 3 fats, essential for reducing inflammation.  
• If you choose a calcium enriched milk alternative, this along with the exercise will help keep your bones strong 

Plenty of healthy boxes ticked!

ooh it almost matches
my hat!

Ingredients

100g Cherries (pitted or you could use frozen to save time)
1 medium banana
25g ground almonds
15g pea protein
250ml soya, almond or coconut milk
10ml flax or chia oil.

• Add the liquid ingredients first to the blender
• Chop the banana and add to the mixture
• Add the pea protein and ground almonds
• Add the cherries and then blend.
• Enjoy!

This is usually quite filling so I don't usually drink the whole thing in one go but if you're after something that will sustain you for a good few hours, these kinds of smoothies are great.

5 steps for winning the battle of the mind

This is what we have to do when we have
negative thoughts. Even if they are scary and
seem bigger than you, fight against them
and you can win!

Although I'm quite content at the moment I still have negative and paranoid thoughts (don't we all) about myself. It is just human nature and nothing unusual, but it's when these thoughts persist and have a lasting effect on our self-esteem, our lives and our relationships that it's a problem.

Don't be your own bully!

I have never physically self-harmed but I harm myself in an emotional way by the thoughts I have. I'm surrounded by good family and friends now and no one has said anything bad about me or my appearance for a long time,  When I put on weight I'll say to myself 'I'm so disgusting'.  I often say that I look masculine (I remember calling myself a transvestite sumo wrestler as a teenager!) and this is not something a single person has ever said to me, it's what I say to myself! Sometimes if I'm 5 minutes late for work or something the thought in my head is 'Oh I'm such an idiot'.  I don't think things like this all the time and sometimes I am able to just laugh at myself but it's really sad that we sometimes become our own bullies with our thoughts.

Be aware!

It's important to recognise when we're doing this to ourselves.  What can be dangerous is when you don't stop and question these thoughts and you just accept them as the truth. I've definitely been in that position before and when people have said positive things about me I've found it impossible to believe them.  If you think this way, it's possible you have depression and/or low self-esteem and there's nothing wrong with getting help for it.  See my blog: http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/5-things-to-do-when-black-dog-strikes.html about getting help for depression. Life can be so much more enriched when you're no longer a prisoner to your negative thoughts.

Fight the demons!

lol.  That paragraph was quite
emotional so I thought I'd
 lighten the mood. Sense of 
humour always helps!

I realise not everyone has seen the Lord of the Rings but the picture on the top right is of Gandalf the Grey wizard fighting against a creature called a balrog which looks like a demon or devil. What happens is Gandalf fights the creature on the bridge to protect the rest of the fellowship.  He breaks the bridge with his powers and the balrog falls down.  It appears Gandalf has won the fight but then the balrog drags Gandalf down with him.  But in the second film you find out that although Gandalf fell down the hole, he carried on fighting, eventually won and came back as Gandalf the White (a more powerful wizard). It was a physical fight but this concept can be applied to our minds.  

Depression and negative thoughts can be like a scary monster who drags us down a dark hole but it's possible to fight against it and come back stronger. My doctor said something to me that really helped. 'Think of the negative thoughts as being outside of you'. Then you can imagine them as being something you forbid from taking over your mind. (& yes you can pretend to be Gandalf or Luke Skywalker if it helps!)

Now some sane person suggestions:

Atreyu, from the Neverending
story. I love films where the
hero does not have to be
someone with big muscles.
Small people can have power!

People have different strategies for battling against negativity. Prayer can be an extremely powerful one for some people but those who are not religious can find other ways such as positive affirmations, therapy, mindfulness, self-help books, films with a positive message (it's quite clear I'm a fantasy fan!), inspirational youtube videos like TED talks.  I'm enjoying listening to my cheesy confidence playlist on spotify at the moment! Anything that improves one's thoughts and feelings in a positive and long-term way is going to help.  When we are busy, feeling low and in desperate need of a boost we can resort to temporary fixes like getting drunk, taking drugs, having one night stands or having a make-over. Although it's understandable that people do this, it is important to try to reprogram our minds otherwise we will always just end up back at square one.

Stay level-headed but strong 

Those who think like me will be really uncomfortable saying positive things about themselves and afraid of becoming narcissistic or arrogant but it's all about balance.  It's possible to feel good about yourself and also remain humble.

See : http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/confidence-and-paranoia-who-should-you.html for more on this.

We might not be able to ever stop having ever negative thoughts but we can do what we can to stop them from holding us back from enjoying our lives.  I'm not suggesting that those who have had depression for years or taken their own lives have not tried hard enough to fight it but there's nothing to lose by keeping trying. It can be a long and tough fight but the battle can be won.  Whenever you find yourself having negative thoughts remember the following quote from Labyrinth: 

A letter to the depressed me from the sane me

(not my image, from a book
by Ellen Forney)
What a great idea!

 Right now I am feeling very confident and positive about my life and my future.  I've not been diagnosed with bipolar disorder but I've had periods of depression and hypomania (low level mania). The period where I come out of a depressive episode and start enjoying the things I used to do again is always great and I feel so good that I don't think the depression will ever come back again.  The upsetting thing is looking back through my life, I've seen it come back so many times and I don't think I've ever been 2 years without being depressed (that I can remember). Knowing that it's likely to come back is a depressing thought so I thought I'd write myself a letter (or blog, rather) to make sure I can be prepared for it as well as possible.

and it's ok!

The things that bother me the most about my depressive episodes are the fact that I put on weight and eat junk food including cakes, chips, chocolates and pizza and end up getting really annoyed with myself. The fact that I qualified as a nutritional therapist and know very well how bad it is for me just adds to the guilt. I also have the constant debilitating (and incorrect) thought that everyone else is superior to me. I might not be able to stop the depression from recurring but I can help myself manage it as best as I can by supporting myself through it.

Tips for myself!

• Don't be in denial! Having depression does not make you weak or inferior to other people. Get help for it as soon as possible.
• You might feel empty and like you don't care about anything or any of your principles any more but this is not because you have become a horrible person. It is because right now you don't have the energy to do anything but look after yourself and you deserve it.
• You are not stupid or incompetent! You still managed to get good marks in essays and do your job throughout depressive episodes, so what if it just takes a bit more time and effort? You don't know that much about politics and history because there are other things that interest you more, nothing wrong with this.
• So what if other people have achieved more at your age or younger? There's no knowing how long I will live but it's likely I have many years of life ahead of me and there is still time to achieve the things I want to.
• Even if you don't believe any of these things I'm saying right now, it is not your fault.  It is the depression talking.  This feeling of emptiness is temporary and some day you will feel like yourself again.

Chocolate, Cake, Cheese or Steak? What do you crave?

A lot of the time when I've said to someone how long I've been vegetarian they often say 'I could never do that, I wouldn't have the self-control!' 

I always find it funny because I think I probably have less self-control than most meat eaters.

Anyone who's been out with me to a restaurant will have witnessed my poor dining etiquette and that I don't join in the conversation once my food has arrived because I'm so fixated on munching down my meal.  On nights out out I also finish my drinks much faster than most people (I at least don't do it on an empty stomach!).  I do experience cravings sometimes and I'm no good at resisting them at all so most of the time I don't even try.

I've mentioned in some of my previous blogs that I've known about the horrors of animal farming (including the egg and dairy industry) and wanted to be vegan since age 16. I went vegetarian at age 20 and have never looked back but veganism I've been very back and forth with sticking to it. I've never really liked cheese or eggs but for me, cake is my achilles heel. I love making vegan cakes and I've had some really nice ones in cafes and when going to vegan meet ups. The problem is when depressed I get very specific and overwhelming cravings, I stop caring about any of my principles and I lack the motivation to do anything and that includes making a vegan cake or getting on a long bus journey to one of the very few places that sell vegan cakes.  The result is I end up eating non-vegan cakes (amongst other unhealthy foods), I put on weight and when I've recovered from the depression I get exasperated with myself.  Cravings can be extremely powerful and giving in to them can result in feelings of self-loathing and failure.  We're only human and it's not a sign of weakness, it's to do with our body chemistry.

What's behind these cravings?  

As I've mentioned in my previous blog http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/you-can-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-under.html stress and depression mean low serotonin (a feel-good body chemical) levels and eating high carbohydrate foods helps to increase it temporarily, providing feelings of comfort.  Eating cakes, sweets and chocolates when stressed or depressed is really our body's attempt at homeostasis (maintaining balance) gone slightly wrong.  It is completely understandable, but giving in to this over long periods of time can result in ill health and obesity.  The solution is to find longer term, healthier ways of increasing serotonin levels.  If you have actually been diagnosed with depression, medication and/or therapy might be necessary but there are many other healthy mood lifting things we can do.  See point 3. on my previous blog for some ideas.

http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/5-things-to-do-when-black-dog-strikes.html

The individual foods we crave and provide comfort also depend on our life experiences.  Food preferences start from in the womb, depending on what our mothers eat during pregnancy.  Most show a preference for sweet tastes in early life but as the years go by, we develop positive associations with some foods and aversions to others (I still can't stand peas, eugh!)

Why specifically cake for me? When I was a child my family really didn't have much money and I didn't have a nice experience at school.  A couple of times per week my mum would take us to the cake shop and buy us an iced bun and that would be the highlight of my day. I don't remember much from my childhood but memories that stick out include eating a whole cake (intended for the family) at age 4 and feelings of euphoria when having a slice of birthday cake as a child.  It's no wonder that it's a food I revert to at times when I'm feeling in need of comfort.

This book is brilliant! I got it
free because it was withdrawn
from the library, yey!

What is behind meat or cheese cravings?  There may be many different reasons. It may be positive associations developed in childhood eg. families bonding together over a roast dinner at Christmas or a summer barbecue, it could be the body lacking in some nutrient or other. Dr Mike Dow's book mentions about how savoury but fatty foods including meat and cheese help increase levels of another feel-good body chemical (dopamine), which is associated with motivation, excitement and drive. Levels of this neurotransmitter are also low in people who are stressed or depressed and attachments and addictions can easily form.

I used to like chicken when I was younger and some things like sausage rolls but once I learned about how it was produced and gave it up at age 20 I never looked back.  I never was much of a dairy eater either so for me giving it up is not too much of a challenge for the most part. There's nothing more annoying than someone saying they find something easy that you find difficult so here's some links to blogs of people who have given up meat and cheese, despite really liking them. https://www.vegansociety.com/whats-new/blog/10-tips-going-vegetarian-vegan
http://www.theflamingvegan.com/view-post/The-Meat-Lover-s-Guide-to-Surviving-Veganism
http://inourishgently.com/vegan-dairy-cravings/ for those who are trying to reduce or eliminate these foods.

People can form strong attachments to certain foods and this is why a lot of people get upset with vegans even if they're not self-righteous about it.  I love baked goods and on my nutrition course I would often get upset with gluten and sweet foods being constantly demonised so I can understand the feeling in a way. Using food as a source of comfort and enjoyment just makes us human, it's when we eat certain foods excessively or to numb pain that it's a problem. The positive thing is,  whether you want to remove a food from your diet for ethical or health reasons, addictions and attachments can be overcome with hard work and determination. Removing something from your diet doesn't have to mean deprivation which is why I love to make healthier vegan versions of baked goods.

Chocolate cookie recipe
http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/make-cookies-not-war-slightly-healthier.html

Ginger snap recipe
http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/iron-like-lion-in-zion.html

Don't beat yourself up if you find it difficult, it can take time and some people are more predisposed to addictions than others. :) Seek support from those around you and don't stop trying!!!

The girl in the mirror 2. All about that body confidence

make up free selfie first
thing in the morning today

Body image and self-esteem are areas that I find really interesting. I can remember one day watching a programme about a pair of conjoined twins who appeared really happy and carefree and thinking 'why do I care so much if I have big thighs or messy hair?, how trivial!' I've had issues with this for as long as I can remember and my recent experience of therapy got me thinking about it again.  I have become a lot more confident over the years compared to how I was as a teenager (which isn't saying much!) but I'm still far from being as comfortable with myself than I'd like to be.

I'd suffered another depressive episode recently and had put on a lot of weight over the winter due to comfort eating and stress. After leaving my job and having therapy my mood was lifted dramatically and my energy and motivation to look after myself, exercise and eat well was back.  Nonetheless I found myself feeling disgusted with the weight I'd put on and the way that most of my clothes were tight on me.  But I chose to take my own advice and rather than doing what the depressed me does (moaning that I'm fat and waiting for that reassuring 'no you're not, you look fine!')

this is usually how I feel after indulging over winter!

I started to get back into exercising and watching what I eat, making it enjoyable in the process.  I've been ice skating and roller-skating a few times, been for walks in parks and around London (weather permitting!) and have started seeing a personal trainer at the gym.  Having done the nutrition diploma I have a lot of knowledge about how to lose weight healthily and without deprivation and I've been enjoying experimenting with healthy recipes. But how do I feel about myself now?

The 2016 Samantha! 

Most of the time appearance nowadays isn't that much of an issue for me.  When I went to Portugal in 2012 and went to the beach I felt quite relaxed and was thinking 'Yes I don't have the perfect 'bikini body' (whatever that means), but who cares, I'm here to enjoy myself!' A lot of the time I'm happy to walk down the street with no make-up and without really making a great effort to look attractive but certain situations trigger feelings of insecurity.  When going on a night out in a bar where people are dressed up I often feel insecure,end up comparing myself to other more attractive, slimmer women and it prevents me from enjoying the night.  I absolutely refuse to leave the house wearing my glasses (much to my optician's disapproval!) because it makes me incredibly self-conscious, I still don't particularly like looking in the mirror and I often get depressed about my weight and appearance when I go clothes shopping. I'm sure these feelings are not all that uncommon or unusual and I'm still far from being comfortable with myself. But I've come a long way and it's a work in progress!

Teenage Samantha!

sadly true

How did I used to feel about myself? Like many people, unfortunately I was bullied in primary and secondary school and quite a few people said to me that I was ugly and/or fat.  A person (or several people) saying something doesn't make it true.  There are probably more people who have paid me compliments about my appearance but those with depression tend to have a negative bias towards things that are said (noticing the negative and ignoring the positive).

The result is that certain thoughts or ideas about oneself can become ingrained and extremely hard to undo.  When I was a teenager, my family really didn't have much money, my clothes were unfashionable, my hair was Einstein-like and I was seen by many to be a geek (I believe the popular word at the time was 'boff!) and not really not the kind of girl that boys would be interested in. I felt quite awkward about myself but when I got a job at 16 I could afford to buy myself new clothes and hair products to tame my frizzy hair.  This helped a little bit but when I got attention from men I just felt really confused. It took me about 5 years to grasp the concept that someone could find me attractive and I didn't have my first boyfriend until 23.  I can remember at the time of doing my 'A' levels I missed lots of school and was off sick a lot. I used to cover up my mirrors with towels to avoid seeing my reflection and I wrote a list of all the things I hate about my appearance (28 things I hated about my hair, 27 things I hated about my face and 40 things I hated about my body!).  I was very tired all the time and doctors didn't know what was wrong with me, now it's quite blindingly obvious that it was depression. I've definitely become more confident since then, although it's taken a very long time.

So why did it affect me for so long and why does it affect some people more than others? We're all exposed to experiences that can potentially make us insecure about ourselves. Being confident about oneself is not to do with physical attractiveness, I mean, look at James Brown and Barry White(RIP)!

Me aged 23 on a night out. I
look confident but that's
because I'm drunk!

My research project for my Psychology degree was on this subject.  It's established that there's a relationship between self-esteem and body image but I wanted to look deeper into it. I researched the impact that situations with the potential to make one insecure have on negative emotions and how they correlate with self esteem.  I found that, as expected, the lower a person's self-esteem, the greater the extent of negative emotions were in these imagined situations.  So, for example, if a person with low self-esteem goes to a family wedding and a tactless relative makes a derogatory comment about that person's weight, it will have a greater impact on them than someone with high self-esteem. It sounds like a no-brainer but it goes to show that one of the most important ways to a healthy body image is to work on one's self esteem, rather than changing your appearance.

Everyone has different ways of helping themselves but here's what's helped me:

Samantha's body confidence tips!

very well said!

• Having quality rather than quantity with friends and spending time with supportive family members
• Removing or ignoring things (TV shows, magazines) and people in your life who are making you feel bad about yourself
• Being well groomed, taking care of oneself by exercising and eating well
• If you dislike something about your appearance that is easily changeable, it's ok to make changes but don't think you have to postpone your life until you've made that change.
• Make confidence playlists with songs that make you feel good! My selection might be a bit cheesy for some people's taste, but here it is:
• https://open.spotify.com/user/samanthapottinger/playlist/168HjnKQ35zYti2drQHfa6
• There are lots of good books you can read to improve your self-esteem and body image. Katie Piper (an ex-model who was tragically scarred by an acid attack) is very inspirational. 
• Remembering that there's more to life than appearance! Enjoy yourself!

Iron, like a Lion in Zion!

Must go to Jamaica soon and
connect with my heritage!

Thought I'd actually write a blog about nutrition which I haven't done for a while! I was feeling quite tired and sleeping excessively about a month ago after leaving my job so I went to my doctor to check my iron and vitamin B12 levels to rule out anaemia.

Turned out I was not anaemic, my red blood cell count was normal, my sleep patterns had just been disrupted by having no regular routine. My B12 levels were quite high (because I supplement it) and my iron (ferritin) levels were within the normal range but a little on the low side of average. Given that I'd been eating quite appallingly and neglecting my diet over the winter due to stress and comfort-eating, this was hardly surprising.  Since leaving my job I've had much more time and motivation to pay attention to my diet and I'm aware of ways to alleviate this, (just need to actually do them!) I'm going to try a bit harder with my diet and hopefully soon I will be iron, like a lion in zion (whatever that means!).

When considering removing meat from the diet, iron is commonly thought of as an area of concern.  Although I agree it's always good to be conscious of the necessity of replacing nutrients when cutting something out of the diet, iron is not, in my opinion the biggest concern with a plant based diet.

Red meat and liver (ugh) often spring to mind as some of the main sources of iron but it is also found in high amounts in a very wide range of plant foods.  

For a long time prior to doing my course I'd read a lot of books and evidence-based information about nutrition and so I was shocked to see how biased most of the lecturers we had were with regard to vegetarians and vegans and anaemia.  

Studies have shown that iron deficiency anaemia affects meat eaters and vegans equally and that it is just a generally common problem, particularly for pre-menopausal women.

Although red meat is a source of well-absorbed iron, its high levels of animal hormone residues can contribute to hormonal disturbances associated with heavy periods (the primary cause of anaemia in women). This is one of many potential reasons why there is more to maintaining healthy iron levels than simply eating red meat.

What do we need iron for?

Iron is a trace mineral, meaning it's needed in very small quantities but getting the right amount (not too little or too much) is crucial for health.  It's primarily stored in haemoglobin in our red blood cells and helps to transport oxygen around the body (yep, pretty important!). It is also needed for normal immune function, cognitive processes and cellular activities in the body requiring enzymes. Requirements vary depending on age and gender (women who are pregnant or of child-bearing age need more).

Signs of low iron status:

hope that's not too gross
the inside of your eyelid should be
red and not pale

• Tiredness/Exhaustion
• Getting breathless easily
• High heart rate (with insufficient red blood cells the heart has to work harder to transport oxygen around the body)
• Paleness (as opposed to redness under the eyelid)
• Poor immunity
• Brain fog, slowed mental processes
• Hair falling out
• Brittle, weak nails

Good plant sources of iron: Lentils, beans, chickpeas, nuts, seeds, particularly pumpkin seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, green superfoods (spirulina, chlorella) seaweeds (Wakame is nice with miso soup or in stir fries) dark chocolate (yey!) wholegrains, molasses (nice with porridge and baked goods like gingerbread), dried fruit (apricots, figs,prunes)

'But plant based iron is not well absorbed!'

Whilst is true that meat and offal contains haem iron which is more readily absorbed than that from plant sources, if we were to obtain the recommended daily allowance of iron solely from meat, this would entail eating several portions of red meat daily. I'm sure even most of the vegetarian-hating health professionals would agree this would be undesirable health and money-wise. So what's the solution then? To obtain all or the majority of one's iron from plant sources and adopt measures to ensure it's absorbed as well as possible.

Sprouted bread found in health food shops contains iron

in a better absorbed form

Currently 'paleo' diets based on the diet of our ancestors which exclude grains and legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans) are popular. Whilst I don't disbelieve those who say this diet works for them I don't think it's necessary to eliminate grains order to have healthy iron levels.

It is said that grains and legumes are high in a substance called phytic acid which reduces mineral absorption (including that of iron). When I first heard about this in one of my nutrition lectures I was freaking out, thinking 'What am I going to do? literally everything I eat is high in phytic acid!'. Then I realised I didn't have any symptoms of all of these mineral deficiencies I should supposedly have according to my phytic acid-laden diet. Why is this? Because provided that we eat a nutritious diet overall and have a a well-functioning digestive system our bodies are able to neutralise its effects with our beneficial gut bacteria and digestive enzymes. (It's a different situation for those with digestive disorders such as coeliac disease or IBS). Sprouting and/or soaking grains and legumes helps to reduce intake of phytic acid and sourdough and sprouted bread contain more absorbable iron. What is often not said is that phytic acid is actually a beneficial antioxidant and its ability to bind to minerals is a blessing as well as a curse, as it facilitates the excretion of heavy metals from the body.

For more information on this see: https://selfhacked.com/2013/10/11/phytic-acid-the-ultimate-anti-aging-compound/#11_Phytic_Acid_Can_ProtectThe_GutFrom_Toxins

 But anyway..... Phytic acid schmitic acid!

Tips for having healthy iron levels

M&S do some nice
non-bitter dark
chocolates!

• Vitamin C is a well-known enhancer of iron absorption. Ensure a good intake by including a variety of fresh raw or lightly cooked fruit and vegetables daily and always try to have some with iron-containing meals.  If you are very stressed or exercise heavily you might need more than you are able to obtain from food (the adrenal glands that produce the stress hormones use a lot of vitamin C) and supplementation may help.
• Use a cast iron pan for cooking to increase the iron levels in your food. They are not cheap but you can buy them at large supermarkets and they are a good investment.
• Could you have low stomach acid levels?  If you find yourself feeling uncomfortably full a lot of the time and food takes a long time to digest, it's possible your stomach is lacking in acid which is crucial for efficient absorption of minerals.  This was the case with me and when I addressed it, the difference in my energy levels was amazing.  (See my old blog: http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/my-journey-with-nutritional-therapy.html), If you suspect this may be the case with you, a nutritional therapist can help you address this.
• Reduce tea, coffee and fizzy drink consumption as these all impair iron absorption.  Always drink these away from meal times.
• If you take calcium or zinc supplements, take them away from iron rich meals
• If you're someone cutting down on meat or going vegetarian, bear in mind that dairy products contain little to no iron and interfere with iron absorption so try to make meals centred around beans, lentils, nuts and vegetables rather than cheese. See my previous blog for more tips on how to incorporate these into your diet 
• http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/thyme-for-rice-peas-how-why-of.html
• Cooking using garlic and onions (yippee!! the basis of almost 100% of my meals!) may help to increase the absorption of plant-based iron.
• Before resorting to iron supplementation, do get your levels tested by your GP.  As I've mentioned, iron deficiency or anaemia is just one of endless possible reasons for being tired and it's not a good idea to supplement it if not necessary. Iron supplements might worsen any existing bacterial or yeast infections and an excess of iron is also associated with health issues such as diabetes and heart disease. (I've never taken iron supplements that I can remember). If you have a digestive disorder it's crucial to take steps to heal the gut first.

using a cast iron pan may help to increase the
 iron content of your meals

• If you have tried everything for years and still have low iron levels, it's worth investigating whether you have a condition such as coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, in rare cases bowel cancer, a bacterial infection or any other underlying cause. 
• If you're a female who has anaemia caused by heavy periods, addressing the hormone imbalances (oestrogen dominance) may help to alleviate this although it's not an overnight process. See: http://mg.pim2.co.uk/womens-health-issues/heavy-periods/ for more info.

Now for the fun part! I've come up with a recipe for gingerbread cookies using iron-rich ingredients! Even healthier baked goods should not form the basis of one's diet but they'd make a great healthier treat for those PMS cravings!

Iron-rich gingerbread snaps! 

6oz oats (ground in a food processor)
2oz flour (whatever flour floats your boat)
2oz brown sugar (I used coconut sugar which is a low GI alternative)
2oz chopped dates
1 tablespoon molasses (also called black treacle)
1tsp ginger
1tsp cinnamon
4oz coconut oil

• Soften the coconut oil and mix in the brown sugar, dates and molasses
• Mix in the oats and 1 oz of the flour
• Press into a dough with your hands
• Sprinkle the remainder of the flour onto a clean surface
• Roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter or your hands to shape the cookies
• Bake in the oven at Gas mark 4 for 15-20 minutes

They are free from dairy, eggs, hydrogenated fat and nuts and can easily be made gluten free by using gluten free oats and flour.  The oats provide fibre, the molasses and dates provide some iron and other minerals, coconut oil is a healthy fat suitable for baking, ginger is an anti-inflammatory and cinnamon helps to stabilise blood sugar.

To be enjoyed without guilt!

War & Peace. Settling battles between humour and offence

I was inspired to write this blog after a brief, minor internet argument I had the other day. I'm a peaceful person and I feel strongly about being civil to those who have different beliefs and behaviour as I've mentioned in my blog.

http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/

2014/07/cant-we-just-all-get-along-little-about.html .

Many angry heated arguments (both on the internet and in person) often spur from disagreements about issues and the way people interpret or misinterpret statements and supposed jokes. 

This is how it usually goes on facebook: 

• Joke is posted followed by x number of 'likes' and positive reactions. 
• Somebody is offended, feels the joke is targeted at them and becomes upset and retaliates
• The perpetrator of the joke accuses the offended of overreacting and having no sense of humour
• Heated argument and hostile comment thread that usually involves trying to find spelling mistakes in the other person's argument, accusing the other person of having too much spare time and other childish put-downs.

Perhaps the perpetrator genuinely didn't feel they said anything wrong or offensive (maybe they didn't) and feels no remorse for what they said. Or perhaps underneath they feel bad for upsetting someone or that their joke was deemed unfunny and wish to pass the all responsibility onto the victim, thus calling them a crybaby or accusing them of having no sense of humour.

How does the offended person feel?  They might be upset by what was said and more upset for being labelled a 'crybaby' and being told to just 'get over it'. Or maybe they don't actually really care that much. It can be hard to really tell on the internet even with emoticons!



Who's right and who's wrong? (& the number of 'likes' each comment gets does not determine this!) Does it really matter too much who has 'won' the argument?

I've been in both positions before and it can be hard to draw the lines sometimes. If we tried to speak and express ourselves without ever offending anyone no one would ever say anything.  I don't like political correctness taken to extremes and feeling like we're never allowed to use certain words or express ourselves.  At the same time there are some things that simply are not acceptable to say or joke about.  I don't think people should just think they can say whatever the hell they want without ever worrying about the impact it might have on someone. The 'sticks and stones' saying is not true, words can hurt.

As a vegan I still found the idea of
 a guy eating the pet dog of a girl he 
was trying to impress hilarious!
LOVE PEEP SHOW!

Although I'm a highly sensitive person or 'empath', I do love to laugh, I'm extremely sarcastic and I have quite a vulgar/weird sense of humour. I like to watch Peep show, the Inbetweeners and the Simpsons (which can be extremely politically incorrect sometimes!). I love to watch bad X factor auditions and laugh at other people making a complete fool of themselves, others might consider that cruel. I'm sure some people might find me offensive, I can become opinionated and sometimes come out with some strange things after a few drinks.

Nonetheless, I still personally find this 'if you're offended it's your problem' attitude extremely arrogant.  Both parties need to take some responsibility and have a think about what they've said and the other person's feelings.

If you're someone who tends to offend people frequently, rather than assuming the person you offended is just a 'crybaby' or accusing them of having no sense of humour, it's good to open your mind as to why that person feels the way they feel.  There might have been an experience in their life that made them particularly sensitive about certain things, they could have depression or another mental disorder. They could belong to a minority group that is constantly ridiculed (like vegans!) and/or oppressed and could be seriously tired of hearing it, even if it is deemed a joke.  

If you're a person who finds yourself frequently feeling offended and comments make a lasting impact on you remember that people are not usually trying to attack you personally. This doesn't mean you don't have to tolerate anyone saying something that's seriously offensive to you about your race, age, gender, religion, size, sexual orientation or anything else and you have the right to stick up for yourself. It doesn't make you a 'cry baby' or mean you have no sense of humour.

This is a slightly exaggerated version of me! 

On the other hand, if you do have issues with depression or low self-esteem that make you feel offended by the most minor things, it might be a good idea to get help. 

Sometimes when people have said to me I've lost weight when I haven't I find myself thinking 'Oh so you're saying I was really fat before?' I realise this is to do with how I feel about myself and is not really about what the person said. Let's face it, it's unlikely that 'you look like you've lost weight' was intended to be an insult! Like I said in my previous blog, it's great and liberating when you take steps to improve your self-confidence. You can learn to laugh at yourself and embrace your imperfections.



There's nothing wrong with a civil debate and differences of opinion but it's possible for this to occur without hostility, blame-shifting and resentment.

When we have a busy life we don't always take the time to stop and consider our own and other people's thoughts and feelings and how they impact on our relationships and interactions with people.  But I believe doing so might make for a more contented and peaceful existence. :)

More guilty nutritional therapy graduate confessions & how to let go of guilt

(within reason!)

Therapy has made me realise a lot of things about myself. I'm someone with a strong tendency to feel guilty about anything and everything from trivial things like making a cake that didn't turn out so well to feeling like I'm not doing enough to make a difference in the world. (Street charity fundraisers or 'chuggers' love people like me!). As I've mentioned a tendency to feel guilty is a feature of depression and can be a real barrier to achieving happiness and life satisfaction. 

My blog post:
http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/5-things-to-do-when-black-dog-strikes.html mentions letting go of guilt as a means of alleviating depression but this can be easier said than done. With time and a bit more self-awareness, steps can be taken towards allowing guilt to take over one's life.

So here are my steps to letting go of guilt and how I've managed to apply them to my life

Think about where the guilt is coming from.

Perhaps it's your parents, maybe it's seeing what other people are doing in your facebook newsfeed, or what you think society expects of you. When you've worked out where it's come from, question whether it's a valid reason for feeling guilty.

Often I end up feeling bad about myself due to supposed life obligations that (in my case) have no strong basis. Fortunately my parents have never really pressured me or tried to coerce me into choosing any particular career or life choice but I have a tendency to constantly compare myself with others and put myself down as a result, wrongly assuming everyone is ahead of or superior to me.  TV series and magazines can have much more of an influence than you'd expect.  Without being conscious of it I'll find myself looking at immaculate actresses with perfect hair, make-up and figures and thinking 'I don't look like that!' or looking at a fictional character in a TV series and thinking 'They are younger than me and they have their own flat and don't live with their parents!' Not really good reasons to feel bad about oneself.

If the source of your guilt is nonsensical, it's always good to be aware of this and change what and who you are exposed to in life (certain TV programmes, fashion or lifestyle magazines) if necessary.

If there was something you genuinely are doing or did do wrong in the past try not to dwell on it too much, just think about what you could do better next time and move on.

Sometimes when doing something we don't really enjoy such as work or studying we can get stuck in a procrastination/guilt cycle and sabotage our chances of doing the best we can.  It can be difficult to get out of bad habits (I'm sitting here writing this blog because I know I should really be job hunting, haha!) but try to establish what your real barriers are to doing what you should be doing and how you can overcome them. It always feels so much better when you've gotten something you dread out of the way and makes guilt-free enjoyment easier.

If it's something serious you feel guilty about and you've hurt someone or done something immoral, talking to someone you trust, a therapist or helpline about how you feel may help.  As long as you are taking steps to better yourself you deserve to forgive yourself and move on.

Think about what is right for you

 ....rather than following the crowd or being coerced into doing something because it's the societal norm. 

Obviously acting recklessly or being totally inconsiderate of those you care about is not a good idea but if you have a strong desire to do something (or not to do something!) it's important to choose what makes you happiest. 

I delayed becoming vegetarian and vegan for a very long time, partly for this very reason and it's a real shame. It can be difficult feeling different or like the odd one out but once you learn to stand by your own choices without guilt it can feel really good. If you are, for example, the sole single person in your social circle and your friends are all settled down and/or with children but this is not what you personally want, it's fine not to do this and any worthwhile friends will respect this.  Meeting more like-minded people through networking and meet-ups can really help to make it easier to be yourself.

Learn to laugh at yourself, embrace your mistakes and imperfections. 

This is something I've definitely become a lot better at as I've gotten older but it's taken time. Ageing does have its perks! Once you learn to do this it can be so liberating.

that's the spirit!

When I was a teenager I used to go ice skating sometimes with a friend who learned to skate by herself almost immediately whilst I felt sick with fear and clung to the side, terrified to let go. When I think about what I was afraid of, it was not falling over and injuring myself (which would have been quite a valid fear!). It was more fear that I would make a fool of myself and be laughed at. Given that I'm a sensitive person and sadly like a lot of people, I was teased and made fun of in both primary and secondary school, it's not surprising I would feel this way and it really prevented me from enjoying it. I did eventually learn to skate by myself and in my early twenties I decided to get lessons to improve my confidence.  The first thing we were taught was the correct way to fall over! The coaches stressed that falling over is part of learning to skate and what's important is to do it in the way that causes the least injury and that anyone afraid to fall over will never learn! I really enjoyed the lessons, I improved on a regular basis and it did wonders for my confidence. I didn't exactly reach Olympic standard but got to the stage where I could do the basic jumps and spins (albeit, badly!) which is an achievement for someone who used to cling to the side in fear.  It's quite rare that I fall over but now if I do I'm more worried about the pain than anything else! When you're no longer afraid to laugh at yourself you can make so much progression.

My experience of letting go of guilt!

If I were to write a list of the things I feel guilty about, this blog would never end but I'm going to apply these steps to the thing I felt most guilty about: not starting up a nutritional therapy practice after finishing my qualification.

Where has this guilt come from?

For such a long time I was so unclear about what I wanted to do with my life and some people would say to me that I should be doing something more challenging than being a library assistant and I agreed, I just wasn't sure what that something was.  When I chose to train as a nutritional therapist I was very excited about the fact that I finally knew what I wanted to do and I thought that was just 'it'. I really thought it was all or nothing and if I didn't pursue it there was nothing else I could do. Because I hit the big 3-0 at the end of the course I felt like I really should have decided. I would look at people in their twenties who were nurses or teachers and think 'what the hell is wrong with me!' But this idea that everyone knows what they are doing and that there is a deadline for it is completely false and causes a lot of unnecessary unhappiness.

Think about what is right for me

I went into the nutrition course being so sure I wanted to do it but it turned out to be a bit of a love/hate relationship. I'm sure no one feels permanently passionate about something and everyone has difficult days and stressful times when doing something worthwhile. Nonetheless, I felt that the extent to which the stress of the course made me feel depressed, anxious and overwhelmed sometimes was not good for me. One of the things the course taught me was that stress is usually one of the main factors in disease and it's so important to look after yourself. I do still believe that any worthwhile life change involves getting out of one's comfort zone but the if the feeling of stress is more dominant than the feeling of satisfaction it might not be the right route to go down. 

Learn to laugh at yourself, embrace your mistakes and imperfections:
My blog: http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-good-look-at-girl-in-mirror-little.html where I've listed all my unhealthy habits was great for this! A lot of the time the course made me feel guilty about the way I eat so I felt like being a bit rebellious!

what people think a nutrition
professional's fridge
looks like

Although on my course I realised that nutrition professionals are just normal everyday people who enjoy treats I still really felt like I don't fit the mould and maybe I don't and that's ok. 

I struggle to eat enough fresh vegetables (despite liking them and knowing how important they are for health) because I can't always be bothered to chop and wash them every day, especially when studying or busy doing something else.

Sometimes I might get really motivated and feel like cooking but I can never really make large quantities of food at a time because there's no space to store it in the fridge/freezer I share with 3 other adults who eat a different diet to me. Other times I can't get to the kitchen because someone else is using it and it's so small that wherever you stand you're getting in someone's way.  (With the way the housing situation is in London I'm sure many other people are living in similar circumstances!)

my section of my parents fridge!

I'm not full of endless healthy recipe ideas and I'm not an expert cook. I don't own and can't afford a vitamix juicer, I just have a smoothie maker worth about £25 that I got as a Christmas present.  When I look at some nutritionist's recipe blogs or cookbooks I feel completely intimidated.

I don't resent those who have a larger kitchen to themselves and are able to experiment more with recipes, I hope that will be me one day. I am still very interested in health and nutrition, I just felt like I couldn't quite live up to the expectations people may have of a nutrition professional.  And it's ok!

I believe having high standards and striving to be the best person you can be is a positive, but if it's to the extent that it's hindering your chance of being happy, it's something that needs to change.

We're all human and are going to make mistakes, make wrong choices and go through periods of uncertainty sometimes.

It's ok to be who you are and we all deserve a chance at happiness and to prevent guilt from holding us back from living the life we want to live.

'NO AMOUNT OF GUILT CAN CHANGE THE PAST AND NO AMOUNT OF WORRYING CAN CHANGE THE FUTURE'

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