Let’s talk about two nutritional superheroes that deserve the spotlight: Tahini and Cauliflower! Tahini, made from ground sesame seeds, is not just a tasty addition to your dishes, but it’s also packed with essential nutrients! Rich in healthy fats, tahini provides a good source of plant-based protein and is loaded with minerals like calcium, iron,…

This a great recipe to make a super tasty taco/burrito filling that is not just beans! Tomato sauce is a key ingredient in this dish – a great source of anti-inflammatory antioxidants including lycopene. Lycopene ability to protect cells from oxidative stress makes it valuable in maintaining the health of tissues and organs and this…

I love my job and have chosen to be a nutritional therapist as I love food too much! I follow a healthy diet without depriving myself of my favourite treats and not just eating steamed vegetables and salads on repeat! Many people who don’t know me well are surprised when they see me eating a…

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder that affects a significant number of women worldwide. Beyond its well-known impact on reproductive health, PCOS has been associated with various metabolic and hormonal imbalances. One such imbalance that has gained attention in recent research is the elevation of estrogen levels in individuals with PCOS and…

This is a great side dish, easy to make and absolutely flavourful. Miso, the heart of this dish, brings more than just its umami richness; Bursting with probiotics, essential B-vitamins, and vital minerals, miso contributes to gut health and energy metabolism. Aubergines are a great source of fibre and antioxidants, but be mindful if following…

This gorgeous dish is the ultimate winter comfort meal! Quick and easy to make it packs plenty of nutrients, is gluten free and high in protein. Tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds, is the star of this dish! Tahini is a notable source of minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and calcium. These…

Chickpeas in tomato sauce is a delectable harmony of hearty legumes and vibrant flavors. In this comforting dish, chickpeas, those versatile gems, intertwine with a rich, velvety tomato sauce. Cooking different legumes in tomato sauce as an alternative to tinned baked beans works! Conventional baked beans can have a very high sugar content and are…

Many clients tell me they don’t eat sugar but instead have a good squeeze of honey/agave or maple syrup in their morning porridge or in their tea…it is natural, healthier, and better right? The news is…chemically they are exactly the same! Let’s start from the beginning – what is table sugar? Table sugar is obtained…

This is a super quick and easy recipe to make your own low carb/ketogenic bread in less than 10 minutes! It can be a great option if you are trying to avoid gluten, as well as if you are on a low GI diet. This is a savoury option, but if instead of adding seeds…

Recently, there has been a lot of conversation around menopause, peri-menopause and how to navigate and support this transition with the help of nutrients and lifestyle habits. But what about men? Did you know that also men go through a similar transition? It is called andropause and refers to the hormonal changes in men, consisting…

The hero cake that most of us baked when kids or during lockdown! It is easy and quick and while as a nutritionist I won’t suggest to make it daily treat, I would say go for it for a special celebration or once in a while treat 🙂 INGREDIENTS 4 ripe bananas, mashed 1/3 cup…

Gazpacho is a versatile soup, perfect for the summer heat! Made with fresh vegetables and olive oil is an antioxidant and electrolyte powerhouse!⁠ ⁠Tomatoes are one of the richest sources of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which can protect the skin from UV damage; Peppers are rich in vitamin C and olive oil is a great…

As the scorching sun beats upon us during this heat wave, our bodies require more than just a cool breeze to cool down.Enter electrolytes – the unsung heroes that offer crucial support for our bodies during these warm days. In this article, I’ll explain what electrolytes are, their impact on our health and how to…

This is a hot topic – often not really understood and dismissed. I see many clients with symptoms such as brain fog, mood swings, low energy, altered gut health, trouble sleeping and managing weight. Despite all these changes that have a real impact on day-to-day life, many women just carry on, forgetting what it was…

INGREDIENTS 1 onions, diced 3 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, squashed 2 tbsp tomato puree 2 diced peppers 1 handful of kale 1 x 400g tins of tomatoes 750ml of veg stock 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained & rinsed 1 x 400g tin lentils, drained & rinsed sea salt & pepper a…

Easter is here, and so chocolate is everywhere! There is plenty of information in media saying chocolate is good for you and that it can be considered a superfood; this information can be in conflict with what you have always thought about (chocolate is highly calorific, too much can give you spots, is a “junk”…

Springtime is almost here and with it allergic reactions due to hay fever. Can nutrition help manage how much you are affected by it? Definitely! While nutrition and supplements can’t cure allergy, and I recommend following medical advice for severe allergic reactions, some dietary changes can help you balance your immune system and possibly dim…

This soup is unbelievably easy and quick to make and is also super tasty! Rich in protein and fibre this soup is made with seasonal ingredients, make it also a convenient option in these times of imported vegetables shortages. I always advocate using in season produce as those are likely to be grown locally and…

When seeing my clients, I always ask them to describe or show me their nails – and I know I am not the only therapist doing that. Ever wondered why? The reason is that nails (shape, colour, quality) can give indications and clues about general health status, providing an extra tool to spot possible unbalances…

INGREDIENTS 3 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 3 celery sticks, finely chopped 500g bag dried red lentils, soaked overnight in cold water 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 3 bay leaves 1 tea spoon of sugar Salt ½ l vegetable stock METHOD 1. Heat the oil in a…

This great nut roast recipe is a total people’s pleaser – plant-based dieters and not have always loved this roast when I have served it for a Sunday lunch! The star of the show in this roast is pumpkin – one of my favourite vegetables! Pumpkins are a great source of fibre, antioxidant beta-carotene as…

There is so much advice about the best diet to manage type2 diabetes, spacing from low carbohydrate, ketogenic and low glycaemic diet…but which one is the best? First of all, let’s understand what those diets are: Low carbohydrate diet: there are no set rules for what a “low carb” diet is, but most professionals agree…

We are surrounded by sweets and sugary treats – it is very hard to resist! Whilst I believe enjoying the occasional treat during the festive season is healthy and won’t hinder your diet, continuous sugar cravings and intake of sweets will. Tired of being in a never ending roller-coaster of sugar highs and sugar lows,…

When diagnosed with diabetes one of the first dietary interventions suggested is to limit foods high in simple sugars – biscuits, soft drinks, sweets… This could represent a drastic change of diet, and patients can be tempted by the “sugar-free” version of those same foods..no sugar, no harm, right? Is not that simple. There is…

Romanesco cauliflower is definitely an interesting looking vegetable! First documented in Italy in the 16th century is characterised by a “spiky” look and bright green or live yellow colour. Similar to cauliflower in nutritional value, it has a nuttier but more delicate flavour. Cauliflowers are part of the cruciferous family, which includes broccoli, kale, chards,…

Diabetes is a complex condition involving multiple body systems, including the gut and the gut barrier function. Helping diabetic patients with a personalised nutrition plan shouldn’t focus exclusively on foods’ glycaemic index, but also on gut health and specifically on the gut barrier’s health. Recent studies have found a strong correlation between diabetes (both type1…

I am a firm believer in introducing more and more plant-based foods into diets. This won’t only be beneficial for the planet but also for our health. As a nutritional therapist, my role is not to “convince” clients to go vegan or vegetarian but to balance their diet and suggest changes to achieve health goals….

This is one of the best dessert recipes ever – it tastes delicious and is packed with antioxidants and healthy fats! Is also very easy and quick to make. Avocado is a great source of healthy fats and vitamin E, whilst cocoa powder is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols that will keep their properties as…

Who doesn’t love granola?!? The problem with supermarket bought ones is the quantity of sugar and inflammatory oils, as well as the lack of nuts. Health store granolas are much better, but they are cheap. Good news – making your own granola is very easy and cheap, and will allow you to costumise it your…

Is September and we are all looking for a health kick and plenty of energy for the return to school or work. The first thought would be to head to health store and start piling on vitamins, supplements and superfoods – but what will be the costs of it?!? Supplementation without a real need, such…

Risotto holds a special place in my heart as is the typical dish from my hometown – Milan. The ultimate comfort food, ideal for autumn and winter evening when fancying a nourishing dish. Rice is a gluten free grain, so risotto is ideal to celiac and gluten sensitive people. This recipe is vegetarian, but can…

Back from holiday and already in need of another break? In order to produce energy our body needs essential nutrients from its main fuel – the food we eat! B vitamins are involved in energy production, helping nutrients being converted into energy at a cellular level. B vitamins are water soluble, meaning our body has…

Let’s talk about intermittent fasting, not the newest diet craze but one still going strong. With intermitted fasting is meant voluntary restriction of the eating window time, which most of the times translates in delaying or skipping breakfast. When reading about it on media or internet various sources say it could be beneficial to improve…

This simple recipe is packed with nutrients: peas are full of protein, fibre, iron and potassium – a key mineral for cardiovascular health. Like all legumes, peas are very satiating and provide a “second meal effect” as they help stabilising blood sugar level after eating them, and until the meal after. Extra virgin olive oil…

This recipe is one of my favourites of all time…aubergines, tomato sauce, legumes – what’s not to like? A vegetarian (can also be make vegan) variation of meat stuffed aubergines, a typical Balearic dish specifically from Menorca where, supposedly, the best aubergines in the world are from. Easy and very cheap to make this dish…

Many would have heard about the gut-brain axis, meaning how the gut microbiota can impact our neurotransmitters production and mental health. This is not the only existing axis, there is also the gut-skin axis, meaning how our gut microbiota can impact our skin health. In my practice I work with many eczema patients and find many times that…

Who doesn’t love a burger? This is a very easy recipe to prepare your own vegan burgers, saving money and avoiding the ultra-processed vegan burgers that are now populating supermarket shelves. That was my main concern: I used to find bean-based burgers quite easily in supermarket, while nowadays most are make of ultra-processed soy and…

When talking about nutrition, budget is a significant barrier – many people think a healthy diet must be expensive, but this is very far from the truth! While you might think that to lead a healthy lifestyle, you should shop only at Wholefoods, but actually this is not true. Below are the top tips I…

This is a very easy and quick recipe, ideal for the hot weather when we need to up our fluid intake also via foods. Cucumber are rich in water and minerals, which are essential to keep us hydrated in this heat. ⁠ ⁠ Electrolyte minerals such as calcium, potassium, sodium are key to proper hydration,…

Summertime is here and so many lovely produce associated with the Mediterranean diet are in season. With Mediterranean diet is mean the traditional way of eating typical of Southern European regions such as Greece, Spain, Italy, the Balkans and Northern Africa. The traditional Mediterranean diet pyramid image we see in different media dates back from…

13th – 19th June is diabetes awareness week! One of the first questions diabetic patients ask is “which kind of food should a diabetic avoid?”. In my practice I’d like more to think about the foods you should include or should swap, without proposing a rigid dietary regime full of “don’t”. The main foods I…

I get asked so many times: what do you eat as a nutritionist? Good question! What I always say is that a way of eating that works for me, won’t necessarily be the best for somebody else – we are all unique individuals and so has to be our diet. It took me time to…

This vegan delicious dessert is packed with antioxidants carotenoids from the sweet potatoes, and quercetin from cacao powder and nibs. Antioxidants are essential to fight free radical and consequently lower inflammation. Studies pointed that cinnamon can help lower blood glucose levels, something useful if trying to modulate them but still wanting to have a dessert….

You might have heard before of low FODMAP diet, but you might not be sure what exactly it is. FODMAP is short for fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharide and polyols, which are short chain carbohydrates that can excessively ferment in the small intestine. Those compounds can be found in certain vegetables, fruits, fresh dairy, legumes…

An exciting new area of research is beginning to uncover the fascinating link between our brain and gut and the impact diet can have on our mental health and mood. Welcome to the concept of gut-brain axis. The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication system, linking emotional and cognitive centres of the brain with our…

The start of a new year often equals new goals to reach, and in 2019 losing weight was one for 44% of the UK population, the second most common new year resolution after increase exercise (47%). How to successfully reach and maintain a healthy weight for your body type and height? There is no unique…

January is love your liver month, an initiative organised by the British Liver Trust. The liver is the biggest organ in our body, using up to 27% of our resting metabolism and filtering 1.4 liters of blood per minute. The liver  is involved in hundreds of essential body functions the most important being: – Fighting…

As the new year starts many people decide to embark in a new with the goal of losing weight. The first idea that springs to mind is to limit calories and start doing calorie counting – there are flaws in this approach to diet, mainly because the calorie system is flawed. A calorie is a…

Who doesn’t love a Saturday Chinese take-away?!? I love a cheeky take-away, but I don’t like MSG, greasy pieces of meat and a very salt heavy meal. This sweet and sour chicken is sticky and incredibly tasty, and because one of the main ingredients is turmeric is also protective for your cardiovascular system, anti-inflammatory and…

Beetroots are part of the same family of spinach and chards, and can come in a variety of colours: red, white, yellow. Also leaves are edible and taste almost like spinach– in younger plants can be eaten raw, while more mature ones are better cooked. Nutritional value Beetroots consist mainly of water (87%) and are…

Technically a carbohydrate, fibre is the part of food derived from plants resistant to human digestion and absorption. Fibre is needed to maintain a healthy digestive system supporting regular bowel movements, decreasing the time of intestinal transit, lowering cholesterol and glyceemic levels, trapping substances that can be dangerous for the human organism (mutagenic and carcinogenic…

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes you might be familiar with the concept of GI (glycaemic index). GI ranks foods on how fast are digested into sugars and how quickly it impacts blood glucose levels, but it does not reflect the portion size. The GL (Glycaemic load) combines both the quantity and…

Red cabbage is part of the brassica family, same as broccoli, kale and sprouts. Brassica vegetables are rich in antioxidants, can support liver detoxification, hormonal balance and add fibre to diet. Is important to notice that raw brassica can be goitrogens, meaning they can interfere with thyroid hormone production by slowing iodine uptake by the…

One of the root causes of clogged and problematic skin is an excess of toxins which can overwhelm two of our primary detoxification organs: the liver and kidneys. If this is the case, extra toxins will be eliminated via our largest detoxification organ, the skin. The skin can easily become overwhelmed, resulting in eczema, impurities,…

Today is national cheese toastie day! 🙂 A yummy treat to have occasionally, but not a nutritionally complete one as it lacks fiber, many vitamins and is high in saturated fat. How to improve its nutritional value? *Try to use whole grain instead of white bread for extra fiber. Fiber is essential for gut health…

This luscious curry screams holiday in the sun and will transport you to Sri Lanka in less than the 30 minutes that takes to cook it. Chickpeas, like most legumes, are rich in proteins and essential in vegan and vegetarian diets. The high fiber content is not only beneficial for gut health, but alongside the…

  What is caffeine? Caffeine is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in plant constituents such as coffee and cocoa beans, tea leaves, guarana berries, and the kola nut, and has a long history of human consumption for its famously stimulating effects. Today, 80% of the world’s population consumes a caffeinated product each day, and…

Spinach originated in Persia to then be traded with China and finally came to Europe in the 13th century. Is part of the amaranth family, so is related to beets and quinoa. There are three main categories of spinach: the savoy which has wrinkled leaves, the sami-savoy (not as wrinkly) and the flat leaf spinach…

Extra virgin olive oil is a staple in the Mediterranean diet and is recommended as part of a healthy diet, but do you know why? Despite being pure fat, it is mainly composed of monounsaturated fat (MUFAs) oleic acid which helps reducing blood levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol whilst maintaining levels of “good” HDL one….

Technically a fruit, butternut squash like many colourful vegetables/fruits is rich in antioxidants and vitamins.  Native to the Americas, like pumpkins and courgettes,  is a member of the cucurbitaceae family. Nutritional value A 100gr can provide 228% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A in form of carotenoids (beta and alpha carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin)…

This is the perfect dinner for when you are stressed and running out of time: nutritious, tasty and full of sources of magnesium, melatonin, B6 and tryptophan – all compounds that can help relaxation and good sleep. The high content of antioxidants will also help the body repair itself when going through extreme stress. Black…

Part of the nightshade family, tomatoes are a fruit even though they are usually considered and consumed like a vegetable. Believe it or not, there are around a staggering 10.000 varieties of tomatoes, varying in colour (red, green, purple, yellow) shape, size, and geographical distribution. Some of the best known and well-loved are cherry tomatoes,…