My new book Super Nutrition is something of a life’s work; it outlines all the ways in which I’ve used nutrition and my passion for food to heal the body and mind, improving both my physical and my emotional wellbeing. Here are some of the helpful tips and tricks I’ve learned and developed over the years, which can bring about terrific health benefits.
Terry McIlroy
Skin Deep
All my life, I have been plagued with severe acne and constant mouth ulcers. The obvious protocol was to go to the doctor, and I did so, many, many times. I was prescribed all sorts of drugs - Roaccutane for acne, steroids for the ulcers in my mouth, to name but a few – but typically I found that the side effects were even worse than the problem they were meant to be treating! By taking harsh medical treatments I found I developed nose bleeds, flaking skin, puffiness in my face, and so on. Referrals to many different specialists bore no success in alleviating my issues. Later in life, it became clear to me that pharmaceuticals were not working for me personally, and this is when I started to investigate what was causing my health problems. My thought process shifted to ‘cause and effect’ and I wondered if maybe, just maybe, what if what I was eating - or more importantly not eating – was the cause, and the presenting symptoms were the effect?
I’ve always been a chef, but as I got older I became more interested in health and nutrition; I bought a juicer and a smoothie machine and started consuming more fruits and vegetables. I also went to see a nutritionist, who suggested reducing or eliminating dairy products from my diet might benefit me. Low and behold, just by making these small dietary adjustments, cutting out fizzy drinks and drinking lots of water, my presenting symptoms all but disappeared within 3-4 weeks, I had no mouth ulcers or acne for the first time in my life. It was transformational!
I learned from personal experience just how vital proper nutrition is for premium health. I enrolled on a three year, part-time diploma in nutrition with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in Belfast. Going back to school was daunting, however, I was hungry for the knowledge, and it was at the mid point of the course, when I decided that I wanted to combine my skills as a chef with my newfound passion for nutrition and start creating my own recipe book.
As a Nutritional Therapist, I’ve seen how the lives of my clients have been transformed by modifications to their diets having followed my bespoke Nutritional, Supplemental and Lifestyle Protocols and recommendations.
Super Nutrition echoes the approach we take as nutritionists in clinic, and ultimately this book is exactly the tool that we need to motivate people, and to support them so that they can easily make better food choices. My recipes and lifestyle tips are fueled by the application of the correct nutritional protocols; they can result in a significant improvement in our health and wellbeing, and more importantly how we feel. Better mood, better sleep and being better able to cope with the stress that life often throws at us are three areas that can see profound improvement through nutritional support.
Magnesium & B Vitamins
Increasing foods high in Magnesium content is very therapeutic for the nervous system. Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body, thus it is a fundamentally important mineral, of which most people are deficient. This is mainly due to poor diet, however it is also because the soils that we grow much of our food in are intensively farmed, resulting in the depletion of essential minerals. Magnesium is the anti-stress mineral. I found that by incorporating magnesium rich foods in my diet such as spinach, whole grains, nuts and avocados, greatly helped me, especially in terms of sleeping, which is when we repair, recover and recharge. Life is so much more difficult with poor sleep; paradoxically, any challenge in life is easier to deal with, with adequate sleep.
B vitamins are vitally important to our energy. They are also our anti-stress vitamins. Luckily B vitamins are easy to attain from a variety of foods; for example organic chicken contains all of the B vitamins. I also increased B vitamin rich foods in my diet to help with my energy levels and again keep stress levels down.
Healthy Fats
Including Essential Fatty Acids in my daily meals was also very effective in restoring my health, especially omega 3 rich foods. Our brains require omega 3 to perform properly. Foods such as salmon belly meat, organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, walnuts and flaxseeds, were my go to staples for optimal grey matter function
Lemon
Discovering how lemon can detoxify the liver was a game-changer for me. The liver can store toxins and stuck emotional energy which can destabilize homeostasis – the feeling of balance - in the whole body. A sluggish liver can lead to tiredness, brain fog and even depression. Having suffered with persistent facial and chest acne for many years, I started to take warm water with fresh lemon and ginger everyday, and noticed clarifying results within three to four days. Potent phytochemicals and vitamin c in the lemon help to flush out toxins from the liver allowing the elimination process to function more efficiently, preventing these issues purging from the liver’s blood circulation system, out through the skin. Fresh Lemon is now a fundamental part of my diet.
Vitamin C
Personally I believe that this particular vitamin is completely essential to take as a supplement every day of our lives. As human beings we evolved not to produce vitamin c internally, therefore we must have been getting plenty of it from the vegetables and fruits we evolved with in our diets. Nowadays however, vitamin c levels in our fresh produce is only a fraction of what it used to be, again due to intensive farming and lack of organic farming methods. I have found that by supplementing with this vitamin (above the recommended daily intake) I can really keep my immune system strong, helping to keep colds, flus and sore throats at bay. Vitamin c also promotes collagen production in the body, which is essential for tissue repair, healthy skin, nails and hair, and contributes to energy production.
Serotonin
Hydroxytryptophan (HTP) is the precursor to Serotonin, and when consumed in the diet, has a sedating and mood enhancing effect on the brain. HTP is found in foods such as potatoes, cashew nuts, turkey meat and bananas. After experiencing my second divorce, I was left feeling very low, my confidence was on the floor! To help me through this difficult period I knew I had to enhance my diet with HTP rich foods in order to better cope with the stress and pressure. I have come to believe that “a handful of Cashew nuts is better than Prozac”; while I have never taken Prozac, I can vouch for the mood enhancing effect of cashew nuts in the diet. So if you’re going through a break-up, reach for the humble cashew nut!
Micro-biome
The gut and the brain are connected via the gut-brain-axis, and research is continuing to show how important this connection is. We have what is called a micro-biome in our guts - a diverse population of essential bacteria. Often the balance can be overcome by the wrong type of bacteria, such as candida, and when this happens, we can experience all manner of health issues. Over 70% of our Serotonin resides in our micro-biome. To ensure balance in my gut, I included a spectrum of high fiber, pre-biotic raw foods in my diet. I also turned to fermented foods like sauerkraut and kefir to restore homeostasis, which had tremendous effect very quickly.
Incorporating a broad spectrum of nutrients in my diet and following the lifestyle protocols myself has helped me to ensure I am not deficient in any one particular nutrient or mineral. Whilst my diet is not perfect – we all over-indulge now and again - I know that I can turn to my nutritional knowledge and experience to support my health and wellbeing. I created Super Nutrition because I really want to help empower and support others in supercharging what they eat, so that we can all enjoy maximum health and wellbeing . My book isn’t about weight loss, it’s about nourishing the body and the mind, for life.
Super Nutrition by Terry McIlroy is out now and published by Clink Street, 17.99 paperback, 5.99 ebook.