I was recently interviewed by The Telegraph to discuss the highly processed “shortcut foods” that many people consider healthy, but that often contain additives, stabilisers, emulsifiers, and hidden sugars. In the article, I explained how these ingredients can affect digestion, gut microbiota, blood sugar regulation, and inflammation pathways.
While convenience foods can save time, they may not always support metabolic health or physiological balance. A consistent diet built around whole, minimally processed foods is far more beneficial for long-term well-being.
Members can use the detailed Food Lists on the EBS platform to make informed, anti-inflammatory choices effortlessly, without needing to analyse every label.
Are you sleeping well? This is a question I ask my executive coaching clients, and the answer is frequently no! Modern life is full of things that disrupt sleep. Eating ultra-processed foods, scrolling social media, late-night Netflix, lack of exercise – it’s little wonder that people are struggling to sleep. And yet sleep is critical to health, especially if you are dealing with an inflammatory condition. So, how does sleep help with inflammation?
Sleep and Inflammation
Your body does a great deal of cellular repair work while you sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep, this healing work is compromised.
There are 4 stages of sleep in each sleep cycle, and we go through several cycles each night.
Stage 1 is the first stage of non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. It is a light sleep that lasts a few minutes as the body and brain start to relax and wind down.
Stage 2 is the next phase of non-REM sleep during which our core temperature drops, muscles relax, and heart rate and breathing slow down.
Stage 3 is deep non-REM sleep. This is the deep, restorative sleep that allows the body and mind to heal, repair, restore energy, and consolidate memories. This is the most important stage of sleep for optimum health and managing inflammation.
Stage 4 is REM sleep. Brain activity picks up and we may experience vivid dreams. REM sleep is thought to be essential for healthy brain function and processing information.
Studies show that sleep loss and disrupted sleep lead to raised levels of inflammatory mediators (Dzierzewski et al, 2020) which are linked to the development of chronic conditions and metabolic disorders like Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Mullington et al, 2010).
In turn, the pain and discomfort of chronic inflammatory disorders can interrupt healthy sleep patterns, leading to a negative spiral of poor sleep and further inflammation.
Chronic low-grade inflammation is an underlying factor in so many conditions. From obesity and weight gain to depression, fertility problems, and thyroid issues, tackling inflammation is the secret to optimum health and vitality.
Sleep and Gut Health
At Eat Burn Sleep, we recognise just how vital gut health is for overall health and wellbeing. Your gut microbiome influences almost every aspect of disease and constantly communicates with your brain and immune system.
Messenger molecules produced by gut microbes help to regulate your sleep-wake cycle, the internal 24-hour clock that determines when you are asleep or awake. If the balance of microbes in the gut is disturbed – we call this microbiome dysregulation – it can interfere with healthy sleep patterns and promote inflammation.
These microbes also produce some of the neurotransmitters that help you sleep. For example, over 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut, and it is serotonin that converts to melatonin, the sleep hormone.
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is another essential hormone. It has a calming effect on the central nervous system, helping you wind down and relax. If the microbiome is out of balance, it struggles to produce enough of these vital neurotransmitters.
Nutrition and Sleep: An Anti-Inflammatory Approach
The evidence is clear: an anti-inflammatory diet that supports a healthy and diverse gut microbiome is vital for managing sleep problems.
The EBS program is acclaimed by healthcare professionals worldwide. Each stage of the program includes recipes, meal plans, exercise and movement videos, guided meditations, and access to health Masterclasses. We are a supportive community, here to help you eat well, sleep well, move well, and be well!
This is what some of our members have to say:
“It is an amazing platform that I joined in 2020! Well substantiated with research, it links a lot of illnesses to inflammation and has helped thousands of people to educate themselves and change their lifestyle, lose weight, and heal from various conditions!I always go back to her recipes, medication advice, and personalized advice.Her food lists are a great way to keep healthy. I love Yalda and EBS!”
Joanna
“The EBS platform has been like a mentor, coach, and friend.Always by my side, whether it’s in my kitchen, on my exercise mat, during conversations with friends and family, or even during my walks. I smile every time I hear you say “Hello everyone” and know I’m in good hands.I have more energy and motivation, I’m less bloated, and I notice my emotions are less affected by my hormones.Your platform is easy to navigate and allows me to follow the lifestyle with relative ease.”
Kris
The EBS program is proven to relieve a huge range of health conditions and can help you enjoy the deep, restorative sleep you need.
Find out more about our membership options here. I recommend starting with the Six-Week Reset as the best way to begin your journey to better sleep, health, and vitality.
Enjoyed This Article? You Might Like:Using Sounds to Calm Your Mind – on the Anti-Inflammatory Pioneer’s Podcast
Worst Foods for Gut Health
Sweet dreams,
Yalda x
Hello Everyone. I hope that you are well. This post relates to why Eat Burn Sleep exists.
It was COVID-19 that shed more light on what I have been talking about for a long time.
Scientists quickly recognized which individuals would be vulnerable to catching COVID-19 during the pandemic.
The warning went out to people with pre-existing conditions like autoimmune diseases, diabetes, weight issues/obesity, heart and lung disease, and older age groups most likely to catch COVID-19.
Until the pattern started to deviate.
Why were supposedly healthy young people without any conditions suffering badly and dying from the contraction of COVID-19? Read on to find out.
What Factors Increase the Risk of Getting Viruses?
Many scientific studies were undertaken to see the common link between bodies with serious illness (including ‘healthy’ young people) and COVID-19.Finally! The scientists found that the factor in common that worsened the prognosis and increased complications of COVID-19 was underlying systemic inflammation.This makes sense because systemic inflammation is linked to obesity and most non-communicable diseases. People with underlying conditions have chronic (systemic) inflammation running through them.
How Do You Know If You Have Inflammation?
It’s imperative to know that inflammation is a dysregulation of the immune system.
We need adequate inflammation to respond to pathogens, viruses, and stimuli since it has always been a fundamental response to threats.
Read more about how the immune system works in my article: How to Boost Your Immunity to Fight Viruses, How to Recover from Virus Infections & Reduce Asthma With an Anti-inflammatory Diet.
Suppose the immune system doesn’t succeed in dealing with the pathogen/virus. In that case, it releases a ‘cytokine storm,’ a rapid release of different pro-inflammatory cytokines (protein-based cell signaling molecules). It is this inflammatory storm that many very sick people are vulnerable to, rather than the virus itself.
The issue begins when inflammation is consistently running and destroying healthy tissue.
Now, the ancients characterized inflammation based on visual observation:
Redness (rubor)
Swelling (tumor)
Heat (calor; applicable to body extremities)
Pain (dolor)
Loss of function (function laesa)
Certainly, systemic inflammation (chronic inflammation) presents itself to us with apparent signs and conditions like arthritis, colitis, lupus, alopecia, diabetes, obesity, and thyroid issues. Still, inflammation is much more complex than conditions you can ‘observe.’
From the acute to the chronic to the debilitating destruction – and oftentimes, hidden.
Inflammation can run through our vessels, growing into something more significant, without presenting signs and symptoms.
This links the otherwise ‘healthy’ people who suffered greatly and died during COVID-19.
The chronic inflammation was not showing visibly (and when it would, it would depend on many factors).
If there was systemic inflammation rising silently through the body, it made the immune system unable to produce an adequate attack to defend, thus making an otherwise ‘healthy’ person more susceptible to a virus like COVID-19.
There are, of course, genetic predispositions to inflammatory diseases, too, that come into play.
Indeed, this is another reason to assess your lifestyle: lessening the likelihood of activating genetics through eating, living, breathing, moving, resting, stress-busting, sleeping, and thinking in an anti-inflammatory way.You don’t have to ‘feel’ unwell to consider reducing your inflammation.
Moreover, since chronic inflammation is so prevalent in our lives for an array of reasons, it is wise to combat inflammation before it presents itself into something bigger, sooner or later.
It is wise to prepare and fortify our body’s response to threats.
So, as you can imagine, ‘inflammation’ is now characterized as: ‘The reaction to injury of the living microcirculation and related tissues’ rather than the visual observation of olden times.
Some signs of inflammation may surprise you!
We can have chronic inflammation without knowing it. A silent disease, as such.
Is There a Test to Check for Inflammation?
Unfortunately, no highly effective tests assess whether chronic inflammation is running in your body.
There are several tests that the medical profession uses to measure inflammation, with cause to C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin and fibrinogen, and Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Still, they are generally not used for health assessments and are not always accurate.
They cannot detect acute inflammation over chronic inflammation (acute inflammation would be present if you have a slight cold, for instance). There’s a bit more to it than that.
Looking for signs of ‘silent’ inflammation without cause (no symptoms) is less helpful than having screening for diseases such as IBD, obesity, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, etc.Taking measures to keep inflammation at bay regularly, which you can control, is more helpful in your health journey for longevity.
I would advise discussing this with your health provider.
How Do You Get Rid of Chronic Inflammation in the Body?
Autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases are dramatically rising, which are all associated with dysregulated immune responses.
This was revealed to me during my studies and trials in my quest to ‘cure’ myself or at least put my autoimmune diseases into remission.
Inflammatory markers kept coming up in my tests (which were ‘treated’ with anti-inflammatory corticosteroids. Initially, I was so pleased with the results, but the relief was temporary. I soon found medication was just a mask, like a plaster covering the symptoms but not treating the cause).
So, while conducting my own ‘healing the source’ strategy, I questioned why the number of people with inflammatory diseases was rising.
Is it all down to genetics, environmental agents, or just living longer, so more chances of developing diseases as we age?
Were the causes of inflammation out of our control?
Well, incredibly, I found out that we do have control somewhat.
It all boils down to lifestyle and our unique microbiota.
So, to answer the question, yes – you can reduce inflammation significantly and put your condition into remission. Hence Eat Burn Sleep was born in 2017.
Eat Burn Sleep’s protocol is what I searched for and needed when going through one of the most challenging times in my life (to put it lightly!).You can reduce chronic inflammation and strengthen your immunity by improving microbiota in the gut.
Why Is Gut Microbiota Important?
This is a vast, fascinating topic, so I will summarise it for this article’s purpose.
Your gastrointestinal tract harbors a complex colony of trillions of different microbes and thousands of species of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites.
Suppose you can imagine this vast, industrial network of cell signaling and pathways with proteins, metabolites, peptides, etc., in the layers of the GI tract. In that case, you get a rough idea of the gut microbiome.
Most microbiota are symbiotic (microbiota and the body benefit), and some are pathogenic (disease-promoting).
These viruses and microbiota all co-exist quite happily in a healthy person.
A balanced microbiota stimulates the immune system and synthesizes amino acids and vitamins. It also assists in breaking down toxic compounds, providing protection from organisms that enter the body through contaminated food and drink.
Colonization is unique to us since it begins before birth, dynamically from our mother, whose first exposure was from her mother, and so on.
This links to an intriguing report about the existence of ancient microbes in our microbiome by Dr. Rook, University College, London. This was recently touched on in an article by Dr. Ravella, Columbia University Medical Center, for the Wall Street Journal.
These ancient microbes prevented the body from attacking its tissues and resembled that of the natural environment.
In the past, we lived under timber and close to dung and thatch. Nowadays, our homes are made with manufactured products, so we miss that connection to the past and do not have the microbiota to deal with these clean environments.
Unless we live on a farm in a natural environment or with pets! (Which makes me think of the powers of earthing and maximizing our exposure to nature and our connection to early antioxidants).
Exposure is key to protection!
So, the first exposure is entirely down to our mother’s/DNA species of microbiota but also depends on how we are delivered into the world. Vaginally delivered (and position), we have microbiota resembling our mother’s vagina microbiota. C-sections would harbor microbes from a mother’s skin.
The microbiota we were born with soon alters as we adapt to our surroundings. Like breast milk or formula, adult diet, and so on, corresponding to the changes. To ease digestion of an adult diet and allow for vitamin biosynthesis, for instance.
What Can Alter Gut Health?
To cultivate a diverse, anti-inflammatory microbiome, exposure to germs in the first few years of life is also necessary.
Exposure in infancy protects a child from developing weakened immune systems later in life that are sensitive to pollen, benign germs, and dust.
Plus, there are more risks of being susceptible to chronic inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases later in life without the correct quantity and quality of germs in childhood (Dr. Ravella).
Some studies (Fierer et al.) show that human fingertips can transfer microbe communities via keyboards, for instance. There are so many factors that can affect the microbiome. It is so fascinating!
So, everything we are exposed to as we grow, along with our diets, habits, and environment, shapes our microbiota communities. This community can change the body into a healthy state or one at greater risk of disease.
Our composition of microbiota has a crucial influence on our health.
Indeed, our microbiota is an intrinsic regulator of immune responses.
Gut microbiota plays a vital role in the development of immune homeostasis, including the development of gut-associated lymphoid tissues.
70% of immune cells (Gut-associated Lymphoid Tissue) reside in the gut. GALT is an essential component in protecting the body from pathogens.
Gut microbiota and gut-associated lymphoid tissue are essential players in the pathogenesis of various diseases.
An unbalanced microbiota results in dysbiosis with (but not limited to):
An unhealthy diet, including calorie-restrictive and extreme diets
A compromised immune system (you can be born with or acquire a weakened immune system)
Overstimulated bowel functions (malnutrition)
Older age (influenced by personal factors)
Lifestyle
Obesity
Medication (often to ‘treat’ disease causes more disease)
Antibiotics (wipe out a gut microbiota richness and diversity within four days)
Recurring bouts of acute inflammation (pneumonia, colds, flu)
Auto-inflammatory diseases
Stress
Illness (a vicious cycle)
Environment (toxins, cleaning products, plastics, solvents, pesticides, cigarette smoke, mercury, and so on)
Sleep deprivation
Certain exercises
Isolation (not socializing significantly alters gut microbiota).
Dysbiosis (when an altered interaction between immune cells and microbiota occurs) makes the body susceptible to disease.
Like Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Celiac Disease, cancer, obesity, cardiovascular, central nervous system disorders, and diabetes.
Does Being Healthy Make Your Immune System Stronger?
You usually have less chance of catching viruses if your immunity is good and strengthened and less likelihood of viruses taking a stronghold if they are caught.
Your body will have adequate inflammation to cope with the pathogens but less so if your immunity is not in tiptop form.
One must always be cautious with a bit of information, dashing out and buying prebiotic supplements or embarking on a restrictive diet when chronic inflammation is present – or not!
Doing so may exacerbate the symptoms or initiate an inflammatory response. It may reduce beneficial microbiota and increase pathogenic microbiota. Your immune and endocrine systems may be affected.
I recommend taking a 360-degree anti-inflammatory approach when it comes to reducing inflammation.
Your body needs to be understood to be taken care of. It will aid longevity if approached from a ‘health education and nourishing angle and learning what is suitable for your body.
Eating, living, breathing, moving, resting, stress-busting, sleeping, and thinking in an anti-inflammatory way will positively influence the composition and operations of your microbiota and the innate and adaptive immune system. This will lower hidden inflammation in the long term.
Plus, when you are ‘gut’ healthier, you are more energized, productive, and happier (brain/gut connection, ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter production).
When you are happier, you are more likely to socialize.
When you socialize, you are improving your immunity further.
Improving your immunity increases your chances of having more autonomy over your health.
I wish you a very healthy and happy day!
Eating a variety of nutritious, healthy foods is crucial for overall health. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and beans provides essential nutrients high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals like calcium, contributing to well-being. Choosing sources of healthy fats, such as those found in fish, supports heart health and reduces the risk of heart disease. Limiting the intake of sugars, salt, and processed foods is vital to maintaining a balanced diet. Learning about nutrition and dietary guidelines from sources like the NIH can aid in making informed food choices. For both children and adults, a daily intake of nutritious, low-calorie foods not only provides energy but also helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Prioritizing healthy eating habits can significantly impact one’s health, particularly for women, creating a foundation for a healthier lifestyle.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. It consists of 27 different institutes and centers, each focusing on specific areas of health and disease. NIH’s mission is to conduct and support research to advance scientific knowledge, improve public health, and develop innovative approaches to various health challenges.
Numerous foods offer both health benefits and delicious flavors. Incorporating a selection of fruits, vegetables, high-quality protein, and whole foods into your plate results in vibrant, adaptable, and beneficial meals.
Below are 5 nutritious healthy food and delightful options to add to your diet.
Fruits and Berries
Fruits and berries are popular choices for maintaining health.
They offer sweetness, nutritional value, and ease of inclusion in your diet due to minimal preparation requirements.
Apples contain fiber, vitamin C, and a multitude of antioxidants. They serve as a filling snack, ideal for staving off hunger between meals.
Avocados – Distinguished from most fruits due to their healthy fat content, are not only creamy and flavorful but also rich in fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. Consider swapping mayonnaise for avocado as a salad dressing or spreading it on toast for breakfast.
Bananas – Rich in potassium and vitamin B6, bananas are convenient and easily portable.
Blueberries – Delicious and abundant in antioxidants, blueberries make a delightful addition to your diet.
Oranges – Recognized for their vitamin C content, oranges also offer high fiber and antioxidant properties.
Strawberries are highly nutritious while being low in both carbohydrates and calories; strawberries provide vitamin C and manganese, making them a delicious dessert option.
Other Healthy Fruits Additional healthful fruits and berries encompass cherries, grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, lemons, mangoes, melons, olives, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, and raspberries.
Eggs are an incredibly nutritious, healthy food.
Formerly criticized for their cholesterol content, experts now regard them as a valuable protein source with potential diverse benefits.
Meats
Incorporating lean, unprocessed meats into a balanced diet is beneficial.
Lean Beef When consumed in moderation, lean beef is an exceptional protein source and offers highly bioavailable iron.
Chicken Breasts Low in fat and calories but rich in protein, chicken breast is a fantastic source of numerous essential nutrients.
Lamb and Mutton Sheep, often grass-fed, produce meat that typically contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids compared to omega-6.
Nuts and Seeds
Despite their higher unsaturated fat content and calorie density, nuts and seeds have been linked to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other health concerns. They serve as a satisfying snack and may assist individuals in managing their weight.
They require minimal preparation, making them easy to incorporate into daily routines, and can enhance the texture of salads and various dishes. However, individuals with nut allergies should avoid them.
Almonds, a popular nut, are rich in vitamin E, antioxidants, magnesium, and fiber. A 2021 review highlighted their potential contributions to weight loss, gut microbiota support, cognitive improvement, stress-related heart rate management, and skin aging prevention.
Chia Seeds Nutrient-dense chia seeds offer a notable 11 grams of fiber per ounce (28 grams), along with substantial amounts of magnesium, manganese, calcium, and various other essential nutrients.
Coconuts provide fiber and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a type of fatty acid.
Macadamia Nuts Delicious macadamias are higher in monounsaturated fats and lower in omega-6 fatty acids than most other nuts.
Walnuts Highly nutritious walnuts are packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Pairing them with feta cheese makes for an excellent salad dressing.
Brazil Nuts Nutrient-rich with a creamy texture, they contain selenium, a mineral that supports thyroid function.
Vegetables, in terms of nutrients per calorie, stand among the most concentrated sources of nutritious healthy foods.
Incorporating a variety of vegetables into your diet ensures a broad spectrum of nutrients.
Asparagus Low in both carbohydrates and calories, asparagus is a popular vegetable rich in vitamin K.
Bell Peppers Available in various colors, bell peppers are crunchy, sweet, and rich in antioxidants and vitamin C.
Broccoli A versatile cruciferous vegetable, broccoli is rich in fiber, vitamins C and K, and contains a considerable amount of protein compared to other vegetables. It’s delicious, both raw and cooked.
Carrots Sweet and crunchy, carrots are a popular root vegetable packed with nutrients like vitamin K and carotene antioxidants. Ideal for snacking or paired with guacamole and other dips.
Cauliflower Highly versatile, cauliflower, a cruciferous vegetable, can be added to various dishes, whether curries, roasted with olive oil, or used raw in salads or for dipping.
Cucumber Refreshing and low in both carbs and calories, cucumbers mainly consist of water, offering small amounts of vitamin K and other nutrients.
Garlic A healthy and flavorful addition to salads and savory dishes, garlic contains allicin, recognized for its antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, potentially reducing the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Kale Rich in fiber, vitamins C and K, and other nutrients, kale adds a satisfying crunch to salads and various dishes. It can also be included in stir-fries or baked to create crunchy kale chips.
Onions With a robust flavor featured in many recipes, onions contain several bioactive compounds believed to offer health benefits.
Tomatoes While technically a fruit, tomatoes offer tastiness along with nutrients like potassium and vitamin C. Try growing them on your windowsill for added flavor.
Here’s a summary for building a healthy and balanced diet based on the guidelines:
Prioritize Vegetables and Fruits:
Make half of your meal consist of a variety of vegetables and fruits. Aim for different colors and types. Note that potatoes don’t count as vegetables due to their impact on blood sugar.
Choose Good CarbohydratesGrains:
Fill about a quarter of your plate with good carbs that support steady energy and blood sugar levels. This includes foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips and quinoa.
Focus on Protein Sources:
Reserve another quarter of your plate for protein sources like fish, poultry, beans, and nuts. Limit red meat and avoid processed meats such as bacon and sausage.
Moderate Healthy Plant Oils:
Use healthy vegetable oils like olive, canola, soy, etc., and avoid partially hydrogenated oils that contain unhealthy trans fats. Remember that “low-fat” doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy.”
Hydration Choices:
Opt for water, coffee, or tea. Avoid sugary drinks and limit juice intake to a small glass a day.
Stay Active:
Regular physical activity is crucial for weight control and overall health. Incorporate exercise and movement into your daily routine to complement a balanced diet.
The overall focus is on a varied and colorful diet rich in vegetables and fruits, with balanced portions of whole grains and quality protein sources. Complementing this with healthy oils and appropriate hydration choices while staying physically active will contribute to a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle.
If you require any assistance or advice, please reach out to Eat Burn Sleep; we’d be delighted to support you and provide additional recipes.
Eating a balanced and healthy diet composed of nutritious healthy food, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, can significantly help in maintaining overall health. Opting for lower-fat options, reducing your intake of added sugars and salt, and learning about dietary choices are crucial for a good nutritional balance. Choosing healthier fats over saturated fats, moderating sodium intake, and understanding these dietary elements can provide energy and support well-being, which is especially important for women’s health. Selecting lower-fat or non-dairy sources of calcium can further contribute to a well-rounded, healthy diet.
I get asked a lot by people who do not have health issues whether my anti-inflammatory ‘diet’ would benefit them somehow.
People often call it a ‘diet,’ but Eat Burn Sleep is much more than that, it’s a holistic anti-inflammatory lifestyle that extends far beyond what we eat.
Diets are generally unsustainable and very restrictive.
Diets can make you feel guilty if you have an ‘off’ day. Strict diets are generally not good for the body in the long run, and some are dangerous.
I am all about what is best for your mental and physical health, now and in the future.
What Lifestyle Choice Is Best For Good Health?
The best long-term lifestyle for overall health supports mental, physical, and emotional well-being — improving gut flora, detoxifying the liver, and keeping inflammation at bay.
A sustainable lifestyle choice.
A good lifestyle choice does not activate the weak genes (hereditary chronic inflammation-related disease) in your DNA.
How Can You Change Your Lifestyle?
It can be rather daunting to decide to change your lifestyle; barriers are often formed before you even start.
You can think about commitment issues, patience, giving up things that you love, how realistic it is, the challenges involved, and whether it works for everyone around you.
The key to success is not perfection but progress. Unrealistic goals create guilt and frustration, which make any plan unsustainable.”
That means that you are in a perpetual cycle of never feeling satisfied.
This will have you crumbling at the first hurdle and feeling guilty if you don’t stick to the new lifestyle plan rigidly.
This is not good for sustainability or your mental health. Life is to be enjoyed.Rigid plans are not enjoyable, and you can easily break them.
Striving for perfection means that we are so taken with achieving perfection that we miss out on life: being in the moment, living mindfully, breathing…enjoying what is around us.Look at the whole picture and set realistic goals.
Forming new sustainable and enjoyable habits is critical. Being supported with proper exercise and nutrition advice is essential.
Learning to make good choices when you are out to dinner or switching off without worrying when on holiday is essential.
Having the tools to know what is good for your body, mind, and emotions, enjoying the process, and feeling the results is paramount to success.
Eat steak, drink wine, and coffee on the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle. In moderation!If you enjoy coffee, steak, or a glass of wine, to state at the beginning of a lifestyle choice that you can’t have them makes you feel miserable. Let’s be honest.
When you are in charge, based on learning about what is best for you, and feeling and seeing the changes – and everyone around can see and feel it, too – this is empowerment – and you know that it isn’t going to be a lifestyle that you will be changing anytime soon!
How Does Eat Burn Sleep Help With Optimum Health?
Eat Burn Sleep is a unique health education platform that is ultimately empowering, guiding people for long-term optimum health, making second-nature choices (when away from the plan), and having more autonomy over their health choices.
Following the 80/20 method, it is all about moderation, having treats, and enjoying life more.
Through the right anti-inflammatory diet for you, movement, neuroplasticity methods, and forming long-term science-backed habits while reducing inflammation, it can be physically noticed quite soon.
So many people who follow the Eat Burn Sleep anti-inflammatory lifestyle say they look the best they have ever looked. The reason for this is that they are feeling better.
When we lower chronic inflammation, even if we don’t have any health issues, the first thing that it does is increase our energy levels. Our energy levels are very low if our diet has gut flora imbalance and our lifestyle is stressful.
What Is Optimal Health?
Optimal health is not a standard. It is very subjective to your circumstances: how you feel, your age, your genetics, and the microbiome you were born with (and have developed over time).
Optimal health depends on where you live, your lifestyle demands, etc.
Why Do We Need Strong Gut Flora?
Regarding diet, it is essential to give our body the proper nutrients to have robust gut flora. This impacts your immunity and neurotransmitters like serotonin, GABA, dopamine, and melatonin.
It impacts sleep and hormones (whether you are a man or a woman) and, as a result, your energy levels.
It also impacts your endocrine response. For example, if you have unstable sugar levels, that will affect your cortisol, adrenaline, and energy levels.
So, following a low-inflammation diet and lifestyle, from a food standpoint, can significantly impact your energy levels.
Low-inflammation lifestyles have a significant impact on your mental well-being.
How Can You Fix Your Mental Health Naturally?
Focusing on your gut health and reducing inflammation through diet and lifestyle is essential when you want to improve your moods, reduce anxiety and depression, and, generally, have good mental health.
It is all linked because by improving gut flora, you are producing certain mood-modulating hormones, as mentioned above.
The way that you think changes gut health, and gut health changes the way that you think.
60% of neurotransmitters are allocated in the gut. 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut, responsible for well-being and happiness, as well as reducing anxiety and mood swings.
It is a precursor for melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep.
Eat Burn Sleep improves your mental wellness scientifically.
The body, mind, and skin are improved on EBS.
How Do I Improve My Body Composition?
Many people see an improvement in body composition with this anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
The reason is that you are eating foods that support the healing of soft tissues, bones, muscles, and skin.
Also, because the exercise on the platform is not inflammatory, the shift in better body composition is healthier and doesn’t ‘invite’ conditions in the long run.
Many people say they get the ‘Eat Burn Sleep Glow.’ It is all linked.
Your body will become stronger because of what you are feeding your body and the correct exercise you do daily.
Doing the proper anti-inflammatory movement will significantly influence your energy levels and liver detoxification pathways.
The anti-inflammatory program also influences your mental wellness, encouraging you to go for a fresh air walk and get vitamin D, along with guided meditations and lifestyle tips.
Have you seen the videos to support optimum health and happiness?
The optimum health guidance will influence how you feel and look.
What Is The Ideal Healthy Lifestyle?
You don’t need a health condition to feel the incredible benefits of a low-inflammation lifestyle. Many people do not realize that they have inflammation running in their bodies until they are diagnosed with a condition.
So, opting for a low inflammation lifestyle is damage limitation, reducing the risk.
A low-inflammation lifestyle can make you feel better. You will have significant energy levels, a better mood, and body composition, sleep better, have better skin, and feel like you are the best version of yourself.
This is achieved relatively quickly when you reduce chronic inflammation in your body (although I am not into quick fixes).
It is the long run that matters.
One super important piece of information to know, which I speak about all the time, is:
Chronic inflammation switches on your poor, weaker genes.
So, if there is a family history of diseases like heart attacks, autoimmune disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, hormone issues, cancer, and so on, they all are linked to chronic inflammation.
For any disease you cannot transmit, the expression of those genes will depend on the levels of chronic inflammation in your body.
Such a lifestyle plays a huge role in preventing the development of hereditary conditions.
An anti-inflammatory lifestyle helps people prevent potential health issues.
For example, because I have autoimmunity in my family, this is my weak gene.
When I had inflammation running through my body, I developed one autoimmune disease, and then I developed another autoimmune disease.
I have realized that once you have one autoimmune disease, you can have multiple autoimmune diseases. You can develop so many.
You can have Hashimoto’s and multiple sclerosis or cancer and colitis because they are forms of autoimmunity.
How Do You Fix Autoimmune Disease Naturally?
How I went about fixing my autoimmune diseases (putting them into remission) naturally began with thinking about what I needed to do to stop the hemorrhage, stopping the bleeding.
I was thinking about all the medication I was on and what it was doing to my body. It was like a building with cracks all over it, and having medication was putting plasters on the cracks.
It wasn’t fixing the foundations, so more cracks were appearing.
I needed to fix the foundations so that more cracks didn’t appear.
Autoimmunity expresses itself pretty early in people’s lives, generally. Other issues, like cancer and heart attacks, typically express themselves later in life.
It can almost be too late because they are so inflamed. After all, they have been inflamed for a long time.
Some people are lucky and have quickly reversed their disease with this anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
The long journey is key, though, not the quick fix.
So, you can’t just go on a low-inflammation diet, and it will sort it out quickly. It isn’t just diet, remember. Your whole lifestyle comes into play. It may take some time to see results, or it may not. The prevention side is enormous.
There is so much misinformation when it comes to health out there.
How Do You Take Care of Your Body When You’re Sick?
Frankly, if I had found an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle when I was sick, it would have saved quite a few years of pain.
That is why I created the Eat Burn Sleep anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
It isn’t just for when you are sick, though. This is the best diet and lifestyle to keep sickness at bay, keeping your body and mind free from inflammation.
I am on a mission to ensure that everyone is living at their optimum health, physically and mentally, for now and for the future.
Please explore the platform. If you have any questions, reach out to me on Instagram and my team here.
You can hear the podcast about the benefits of a low-inflammation lifestyle here.
In the meantime, keep healthy, keep happy, and keep the inflammation down.
I hope that you have a wonderful day!
Join us on Tuesday 9th September 2025 at 8pm UK time (9pm CET, 3pm EST, 12pm PST) for an exclusive Children’s Nutrition Workshop with Eat Burn Sleep.
This live online event is designed to help parents and carers take the stress out of mealtimes while building healthy habits for the whole family.
You’ll learn practical strategies to:
Build balanced, kid-friendly meals
Encourage healthy eating without pressure
Manage sugar consumption and snacking
Reduce food-related stress at home
Help children enjoy a variety of cuisines
Implement a long-term healthy approach to nutrition
This 90-minute workshop includes a Q&A session, giving you the chance to get your questions answered.
Tickets: £50
Premium members enter code FAMILY20 for 20% off.
When you book, you’ll also have the option to purchase our Kids’ Recipes eBook for just £15 (discount code will be sent in your confirmation email).
Can’t make the live session? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to watch the replay for 7 days afterwards.
You can also still buy the Recipe eBook separately for £25. Click here to order.
Spaces are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Save your spot today and make healthy eating more straightforward and more enjoyable for your family.
Book your ticket here
The holiday season is a time to gather, celebrate, and indulge in delicious meals. However, traditional festive foods can sometimes leave us feeling heavy or inflamed due to excess sugar, refined carbs, and saturated fats. This can affect not just our overall wellness but also our gut health.
A happy gut is key to reducing inflammation, improving digestion, and boosting energy—so why not make it a focus this festive season?
Not only are these dishes nourishing, but they’re also bursting with festive flavors to keep everyone at your table satisfied and glowing from the inside out.
Additionally, incorporating gut-friendly ingredients—such as low-sugar, grain-free, and dairy-free options—can make holiday recipes more inclusive for those with specific dietary needs. By prioritizing gut health during the festive season, these recipes not only accommodate various preferences but also promote overall well-being, ensuring that holiday meals are both enjoyable and nourishing.
Festive Gut Friendly Recipes- Nourish, Celebrate, Thrive!
In this article, I will share some delicious and nutritious recipes that will satisfy your taste buds and support a healthy gut.
During the holiday season, our digestive system often faces challenges due to the consumption of alcohol and rich foods, leading to frequent indigestion. This year, consider incorporating gut-friendly ingredients such as miso, sauerkraut, and coconut yogurt into your diet. These foods are rich in beneficial bacteria and probiotics, supporting the optimal functioning of your gut and digestive system.
Adding these recipes to your festive menu will not only delight your guests but also support your overall well-being.
So, go ahead and try them out! Enjoy the festive season with a happy and healthy gut.
This simple and easy-to-make hot chocolate is a perfect alternative to shop-bought ones and is not only comforting and nourishing but anti-inflammatory, too. Indulge in the rich and creamy goodness of this delightful treat.
My Moroccan spiced coffee is fantastic as it contains cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove. These warming spices have incredible anti-inflammatory properties that help stabilize your blood sugar levels and offset some of the adverse effects of caffeine. See how easy it is and perfect for the season. I cannot wait for you to try it.
Devilled eggs are a classic festive dish that never fails to impress. With their creamy, tangy filling and beautiful presentation, they are sure to be a hit at any festive gathering.
These little bites of goodness are a crowd-pleaser and a great way to kick off any meal or gathering. These crackers are perfectly gut-friendly healthy snacks with a wonderfully satisfying crunch.
This would work perfectly with the salmon spread for festive, gut-friendly nibbles. You can also serve it on its own with crudites. This guacamole contains no raw onions, which can be hard to digest sometimes, so I hope you all enjoy it!
This salad would work great as a starter or served with crackers. Packed with omega-3 rich salmon and crab, this vibrant salad supports digestive health while offering a burst of flavor and color to impress your guests.
Christmas Chicken with bacon, a delectable twist on the traditional turkey! This mouthwatering dish will inspire you to create a memorable holiday feast. Succulent chicken, perfectly seasoned and roasted to perfection, wrapped in crispy, smoky bacon. The combination of flavors is simply irresistible.
Carrots are incredibly nutritious and are a fantastic prebiotic for your microbiota, reducing inflammation and taking care of your immune system. They are excellent for skin, hair, nails, and eyes and are anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. Paired with parsnips, this dish makes a warming side dish to your traditional roast dinner. Especially with the fantastic rich, earthy, warm, and citrus of cumin, the anti-inflammatory spice!
This is a wonderful way of preparing this superfood – that will support and protect your gut. This is all you need to do to enjoy sweet potato’s nutrition and taste. Make it in advance and reheat it on the day of serving.
Packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, this dish gentle on the digestive system and helps support a healthy gut microbiome. Make it in advance and reheat it on the day of serving.
You have to try this cranberry sauce recipe! It’s caramelized, tangy, woody, and slightly tart, with a deep berry flavor and a slight spice of heady cinnamon.
If you are looking for a cookie recipe to make during the Christmas holidays and enjoy with the kids, this is for you! They are grain-free, dairy-free & gluten-free, and they taste delicious! They are perfectly seasoned with a combination of spices. All spices used possess anti-inflammatory properties and offer excellent nutritional benefits!
This anti-inflammatory pie tastes like a delicious traditional dessert, but it is refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, and GUILT-free! It will leave you feeling satisfied without the symptoms of bloating or overindulgence.
What better way to celebrate the season than with the delightful aroma of cinnamon oranges filling the air? Cinnamon oranges are a classic holiday treat that brings a touch of magic to any gathering. The sweet citrus scent combined with the comforting spice of cinnamon creates a symphony of flavors that instantly transports us to a place of happiness and nostalgia.
A spectacular speculoos biscuit recipe: the healthy version of the traditional recipe, which means that your gut microbiota will love them, too! The warming, sweet, aromatic, creamy, citrus, peppery, and spicy flavors make these biscuits incredible.
This chocolate mousse is easy to make, delicious, and simple. You can use nice glasses for individual portions and garnish them with nuts, berries, or cacao nibs.
Christmas is a time of celebration and indulgence, but that doesn’t mean we have to compromise our health. All recipes on the Eat Burn Sleep platform are designed to satisfy your taste buds while keeping your gut happy.
Delight your friends, family, and loved ones with flavorful recipes that are easy on your digestive system so you can enjoy your holiday feast comfortably and confidently.
Hi Everyone!
Detox is a general buzzword at this time of the year for kickstarting weight loss.
I am often asked “Do I need to detox?”, “Which detox should I do?” and “Is detoxing safe?”
This article will answer these questions and help you decide whether a detox is right for you.
How Does Detoxification Work?
Your body detoxifies toxins and waste products 24/7 through your lungs, liver, and kidneys. These organs never rest and if something goes wrong with any of them, you can become seriously ill.
Liver detoxification processes turn fat-soluble toxins into water-soluble compounds to be eliminated by the kidneys in urine or through bile that goes to the bowel. There are 3 phases to liver detoxification: Phases I, II, and III.
Phase I, II, and III of detoxificationPhase I: Toxins arrive in the liver ready to be handled by enzymes belonging to the P450 cytochrome family. These enzymes carry out chemical processes like oxidation, reduction, and deamination to prepare the toxins for Phase II.
Phase II: Once the toxins are converted into water-soluble metabolites, the liver conjugates them (i.e. binds them to another substance) so they can be excreted via Phase III.
Phase III: Toxins travel to the kidney for excretion in urine, or the gallbladder for excretion in bile. Good hydration is essential for Phase III to work properly.
Your liver works hard all day, every day, but it has to work even harder to handle things like alcohol, ultra-processed foods, cigarette smoking, pollution, and environmental toxins.
Is It Necessary to Detox?
If the body is detoxifying 24/7, why do we need to do a “liver detox”?
From a naturopathic perspective, a detox is about cutting back on the things that can impair our detoxification pathways such as alcohol, smoking, and junk food, and giving ourselves more of the nutrients that support healthy, efficient detoxification. These include B vitamins and antioxidants like vitamins C and E, zinc, and glutathione.
You might want to detox after an indulgent celebration like Christmas, or a vacation. Or you could follow the seasons and detox in Spring and Autumn – the traditional times of year for change and renewal.
Signs that it could be time for a liver detox include:
Digestive issues like poor fat metabolism
Dark urine
Body aches and pains
Headaches
Skin rashes and itches
Nausea
Fatigue
Intolerance to smells
Mood swings
What Are the Benefits of a Liver Detox?
Following a safe, nourishing detox plan can give you:
Better energy levels
Better concentration and mental clarity
Comfortable digestion
Clearer skin
Better sleep
Sustainable weight loss
The Eat Burn Sleep Six-Week Reset is the perfect detox plan. Many members notice benefits within a couple of weeks, like Dina for example who says:
“After just one week of the Six-week Reset I have lost 3.5kg. I am thrilled with the result and I look forward to losing some more!”
Are Extreme Detoxes Good for Weight Loss?
The answer to that is no!
Extreme detoxes cause harm and lead to more weight gain in the long run. Your body needs a wide range of nutrients every day to maintain your organs and create energy for living. Restrictive extreme detox diets don’t provide enough nutrition and cause incredible stress to your digestion, liver, and hormones, leaving you worse off than before.
What Are the Side Effects of a Liver Detox?
When you start eating better foods mindfully and cutting out inflammatory junk food your body can be shocked. Depending on your toxic overload, it happens around the third day of the Six Week Reset in the Eat Burn Sleep program.
This is known as the healing crisis and is a sign that your body is in withdrawal from refined sugar and opioid compounds found in wheat and dairy.
You might experience headaches, brain fog, and fatigue for a few days. Your gut microbiome, which will have grown the wrong kind of bacteria, will scream at you to have some sugar or other inflammatory food.
The wonderful thing is that this is just part of the healing process of a liver detoxification program and won’t last for too long.
What is the Ultimate Liver Detox Program?
The best liver detox program is filled with delicious foods and drinks, mindful movement, and gentle relaxation practices. You will feel amazing when you have nurtured yourself through it.
My Six-Week Reset program eases you through this process and lists science-backed activities to support your liver detoxification for long-term results.
It’s a glorious feeling when you are through to the other side and are reminded that you are stronger with higher energy levels – just like EBS member Brooke:
“I love your “soothing workouts” and all your advice. I also wanted to let you know when I rejoined last year and had my physical my weight was 172 lbs. My physical last month was 142 lbs. Thank you so much.”
Ready to discover the ultimate liver detox? Find out more about our membership options now.
Our premium membership includes the Liver Detox Plan, which you can also purchase separately.
You might also enjoy:Why Am I Always Hungry?Low-Calorie Foods for Weight Loss
Podcast on Spotify: Mindset Tips for Long-Term Health
Podcast on Apple: Mindset Tips for Long-Term Health
Have a fantastic day,
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Hello Everyone,
I hope you are keeping well. In this article, I will discuss a hot topic: How to lower your cholesterol.
Let’s dive in…
What Is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance produced in the liver. We also get a small amount (roughly 20%) of cholesterol from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Cholesterol is an essential substance in the body with several different roles:
Forms the basic building block for hormones like cortisol, progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.
Reacts with sunlight on the skin to create vitamin D.
Provides structure to every single cell membrane in the body.
Used to repair damaged tissues in the body.
Helps create bile in the liver to aid fat digestion.
There are 2 main types of cholesterol: HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein).
The HDL form is often called “good” cholesterol and the LDL “bad” but this is too simplistic. The truth is we need the right levels of both types of cholesterol.
What Causes High Cholesterol?
When a doctor says you have high cholesterol, it is important to clarify exactly what they mean.
You might have high levels of HDL and normal levels of LDL, high levels of both, or high levels of LDL and low HDL. The ratio between the two types is important – you need to know what you are dealing with.
High cholesterol can be caused by:
Familial hypercholesterolemia: This is an inherited condition that causes elevated cholesterol.
Chronic inflammation: Inflammation causes internal damage to cells and tissues. Your body has to produce more cholesterol to help deal with this.
Stress: Cortisol, your main stress hormone, is manufactured from cholesterol. The more stressed you are, the more cortisol you have to make so the higher your cholesterol.
Underactive thyroid: Low thyroid function can slow cholesterol clearance through the liver and bowel.
Menopause: Hormonal changes during menopause lead to an overall increase in cholesterol in menopausal women (Currie & Williams, 2008).
There are no symptoms of high cholesterol, so prevention is critical.
Is High Cholesterol Dangerous?
High cholesterol does not usually occur on its own. It is a symptom of an underlying cause, like chronic inflammation, underactive thyroid, or diabetes. It is important to explore what else is happening in the body so you can deal with all the issues, not just high cholesterol.
Your doctor will most likely check your cholesterol alongside triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are how your body stores fats. If you have high LDL, low HDL, and high triglycerides, you are at risk of cardiovascular problems like heart disease, atherosclerosis, and stroke. And what is the common thread amongst all these conditions? Chronic inflammation!
In this study by Tsoupras et al. (2018), the authors note that:
‘The cause of chronic diseases is chronic and unresolved inflammation… Instead of cholesterol, targeting and treatment of inflammation will lower the side effects of chronic disorders.’
Can Anti-Inflammatory Foods Reduce Cholesterol?
Research shows that soluble fiber from foods such as oats, vegetables, and certain fruits can lower cholesterol (Ghavami et al, 2023). But these are not the only foods that are helpful; many more foods have anti-inflammatory properties and nutrients to support cholesterol balance.
This is why I created Eat Burn Sleep. I have done all the research and meal planning for you so you can step straight into your anti-inflammatory lifestyle and enjoy your best health.
There are many wonderful foods to choose from in our program! We have hundreds of recipes for breakfasts, lunches, evening meals, snacks, and drinks. Each meal includes key nutrients that tackle inflammation and support energy, immunity, gut health, heart health, hormone balance, and more.
If you are taking medication for high cholesterol, I recommend you speak to your doctor before making any diet and lifestyle changes. A combination of treatments can be more effective than a single one, and you might need to take a lower dose of medication. We frequently hear from members at Eat Burn Sleep that medical professionals want to know what lifestyle they are following because of their remission success!
If you want to optimize your cholesterol levels, I suggest you start with the 6-week reset. There are meal plans and food lists to guide you through the diet, alongside movement videos and guided relaxation sessions to support your physical and mental well-being.
What do our Members say?
We get amazing feedback and reviews from our Members every day. This is what EBS Member Jill says about her experience:
“Following Yalda’s low inflammation lifestyle has changed everything for me. My CBCs come back showing no cholesterol issues, I don’t have active arthritis anymore, I rarely have eczema flare-ups and I’ve lost almost 40lbs over the past 2 years of following Eat Burn Sleep.”
And Mona:
“I started the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle in March 2020, and in June, I went for a blood test.
My cholesterol last year in June 2019 was 247, this year it went down to 233. I was so excited and more motivated.
This is the first time in years my cholesterol went down.
Usually, my cholesterol will increase every year and I refuse to take medication. I also have a very high family history of stroke, diabetes, and heart attack. I got so tired of other diets and decided to change my lifestyle, nothing worked for me in the past.
This lifestyle worked. I feel better and more energetic. Thank you Yalda!”
Are you inspired to make changes to your cholesterol? Find out more about our membership options now.You might also enjoy:Why Am I Always Hungry?Best Exercise to Lose Belly FatDoes Cortisol Cause Weight Gain?
Yours, in health,
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Hello Everyone,
It doesn’t matter who you are, your age, or your resilience, we all cry and need to cry.
It’s an essential release for grief, sadness, stress, anger, happiness, sentimentality, and tiredness.
Sometimes though, we can cry for no obvious reason and wonder what is going on with ourselves!
So many people tell me they feel like crying and don’t know why. They say they have a good life, many great friends, a wonderful family, and good health. They are flummoxed because they have lots to look forward to and cannot understand why they burst out crying at any moment.
In this post, I am going to explain one of the biggest reasons why people often feel like crying for no obvious reason.
Firstly, if you often feel like crying and don’t know why, you are not alone. It is a common problem for many people, along with poor gut health and inflammation. You may have heard me talk about the two-way link between the brain and the gut. This link is a “super-highway” of nerves connecting your brain and gut, and they constantly transmit information.
Do you recognize the need to nip to the bathroom before a public speaking event? Or get ‘butterflies’ in your stomach before meeting someone? That’s your brain-gut connection at work!
And if your gut-brain connection is out of balance, it may be the reason why you feel like crying.
How Does Gut Health Affect Mood?
Your gut microbiome contains over 100 trillion microorganisms. One of their many tasks is to produce chemical messengers called neurotransmitters for mental health.
These include:
Serotonin – the happy hormone
Dopamine – pleasure and motivation hormone
GABA – for calming the mind
Melatonin – the sleep hormone
If your gut can’t produce the right amounts of these hormones because of inflammation or an overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria, your emotions can be affected.
What Affects Gut Health?
Gut health can be affected by:
Stress: This is the most common cause of gut problems. Chronic stress disrupts every stage of the digestive process, leading to an imbalance in gut bacteria, aka gut dysbiosis.
Antibiotics: These powerful drugs don’t discriminate between good and bad bacteria. If you’re taking antibiotics or have a history of using them, it is wise to do everything possible to support gut health.
Poor sleep
Over-exercising
Alcohol
Poor dietary choices: Gut bacteria are sensitive to sugar, artificial sweeteners, additives, emulsifiers, and other ingredients in Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs).
So, the next time you feel like crying and can’t explain why, consider your gut. Is it time for a microbiome reset?
Gut Health, Sleep, and Mood
As well as being the “happy hormone”, serotonin is also a precursor for melatonin, the sleep hormone. This is why poor gut health can affect both mood and the quality of your sleep.
You might find yourself in a vicious circle with poor gut health and lack of sleep because each affects the other. And both of them can make you feel like crying for no reason! The best thing to do is improve your gut health while upgrading your sleep habits. Working on both aspects creates a positive spiral that will, in a short time, help you feel more emotionally stable.
What Is the Best Diet for Mood Balance?
I always advocate for a lifestyle change rather than just a diet because how you move and think affects your gut health as much as food does.
I recommend an anti-inflammatory lifestyle based around:
Foods that support blood sugar regulation and a healthy gut microbiome.
Anti-inflammatory foods.
Foods that supply brain nutrients like omega-3, B vitamins, and antioxidants.
Gentle daily movement.
A positive mindset.
Daily relaxation and stress management.
A balanced microbiota in the gut lowers chronic inflammation and promotes mental well-being.
It may seem obvious now, but many people are surprised to learn why they feel like crying when all is good in their world. But in the same way that your gut bacteria can make you happy, an imbalance in the microbiome can impact your emotions in a less-than-positive way.
It is why gastrointestinal disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, and Crohn’s Disease often cause depression and anxiety.
Improving gut health improves brain health.
It’s science!
Want to read more about this topic? You might enjoy:
Why Are You Moody & Irritable?How Does Sleep Help With Inflammation?Podcast – Why Women Feel More Pain
Are you ready to feel happy once again? Start living the anti-inflammatory way – find out more about our membership options now.
With love,
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Hello Everyone,
It can be challenging to flatten your tummy when you have hormonal and inflammatory conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
In this article, I’m going to explain why it’s hard to lose belly fat when you have PCOS and share some of my best tips for dealing with this issue.
What Is PCOS?
Many women have polycystic ovaries without having PCOS, but every woman with PCOS has polycystic ovaries. Let me explain… Each month, in the first half of the menstrual cycle, the ovaries develop follicles that contain eggs. One of these eggs will be released at ovulation and the remaining follicles will degenerate.
However, some women carry undeveloped follicles on the ovaries that look like bunches of grapes – these are polycystic ovaries. It is possible to have polycystic ovaries and not experience any symptoms but with PCOS, these cysts lead to hormonal imbalances and symptoms such as:
Excessive hair growth on the face, back, and chest (hirsutism)
Thinning hair on the head
Tests may reveal elevated levels of luteinizing hormone and testosterone and low progesterone. There may also be problems with estrogen metabolism.
If not treated, PCOS can increase the risk of other conditions like obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, depression, infertility, and an accumulation of fatty tissue, particularly around the tummy area.
How to Deal With PCOS Belly Fat
PCOS belly fat accumulates as a result of insulin resistance and hormonal imbalance. It can be hard to shift, but it is worth tackling because this is the sort of fat that produces inflammatory chemicals which can make your PCOS symptoms even worse.
I recommend you follow a 4-step approach to deal with PCOS belly fat;
Support your gut microbiome.
Do the right kind of exercise and movement.
Get good quality sleep.
Learn how to manage stress.
Let’s look at each of these steps in turn.
Encourage Good Bacteria to Grow in Your Tummy
Many studies show increased levels of harmful bacteria and differences in the composition of the gut microbiome in women with PCOS. These shifts in microbial balance can be related to hormone metabolism and inflammation. The wrong types of bacteria can promote inflammation and “recycle” estrogen, leading to further estrogen imbalance.
You can support the healthy balance and diversity of your gut microbiome by eating gut-healthy food like this wonderful Flax & Chia Light Banana Bread or Slow-cooker Indian Vegetable Curry.
The Eat Burn Sleep food lists and meal plans are designed to encourage the growth of beneficial gut bacteria which in turn help with hormone metabolism and lowering inflammation. We have hundreds of recipes on the platform, all designed with your gut bugs in mind!
Move Every Day in The Right Way
Core strength exercises that improve your abdominal tone are great for dealing with belly fat. They really work! You can read more about these sorts of exercises in Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat Quickly.
Daily movement and exercise are important when you have PCOS, but it’s important to steer clear of workout plans that are too demanding and stressful. I see people doing intense workouts and not eating properly before or afterward, and this is a surefire way to worsen PCOS symptoms.
Workouts that are too intense increase your stress hormones and inflammation. They have the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve.
The EBS membership includes access to our library of hundreds of movement videos that build muscle strength and help lower inflammation. I do these exercises myself daily, and I guarantee you will see the difference in your health.
Each routine takes half an hour or less – combine them with the food plan and you will see amazing changes, just like EBS Member Leila:
“I am on my 4th week of the 6-week reset, and I have PCOS.Already I’ve seen amazing results and am feeling much better and lighter in my body (and mind)!Really impressed with the quality of your work and what you’ve put into this amazing platform.”
Get Good Quality Sleep
Sleep significantly affects your hormonal health and shouldn’t be underestimated. Do you sleep easily for 7-9 hours every night? If not, this is a key area to focus on if you want to be free from PCOS belly fat.
Lack of sleep affects your appetite and satiety hormones. When they are out of rhythm, you are likely to crave sugary foods and simple carbohydrates – things like sodas, pastries, candy, and other junk foods. Eating these sorts of foods when you have PCOS-related insulin resistance leads to more belly fat and more inflammation. We explore this further in What Happens If You Don’t Sleep Enough?
For insomniacs, shift workers, and people who have had a lifetime of waking up in the middle of the night we have Expert Advice for Insomnia as part of the EBS membership. It’s a game-changer!
Reduce Stress
Stress plays a massive role in hormonal imbalance and inflammation. Stress hormones alter the balance of your gut bacteria, increase belly fat (high levels of cortisol lead to more fat storage around the belly area), and affect mental well-being. Chronic stress can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression, which can make it harder to cope with PCOS.
So, please don’t despair if you have PCOS and a larger tummy than you would like because you can change it. You are not stuck with it for life.
We have many EBS members who have turned their PCOS around by following the EBS lifestyle. This is what Remi says about the program:
“After 3 years of sticking (mostly) to your food guide, I have healed my PCOS!I just went in for hormone testing, and everything was completely normal for the first time in my life.”
We even have leading Endocrinologists who have benefited from the program, like Dr Mehreen Kahn:
“The lifestyle has helped me so much. I have PCOS and IBS/reflux. An added benefit for me is my cystic acne from PCOS just vanished. My 13-year-old acne is clearing up.The bloat is gone, no more popping TUMS, and Gas-X and Omeprazole all the time. My tummy is flat for the first time since babies! I feel better at 40 (my birthday is tomorrow) than at 30. My hair is shinier, my nails are breaking less.”
So, are you ready to deal with PCOS belly fat? Check out our membership options now.
Yours, in health,
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Hi Everyone,
This article is about safe ways to detox your liver for weight loss. There are so many unsafe supplements online and crazy detox hacks on social media that are not good for your health at all.
Most liver detox and weight loss supplements have not been tested in clinical trials, and some products don’t even contain what they claim!
So, this post is about the signs that your liver needs attention, why some liver detoxes are dangerous, how to help your liver, and how to lose weight safely.
What Does The Liver Do?
The liver is the second largest organ in the body and it sits under the right-hand side of your ribs. It has over 500 essential functions that help support metabolism and weight balance, immune health, digestion, detoxification, and vitamin storage.
How Does The Liver Become Overburdened?
Your liver is very efficient at detoxification, but certain things make it work even harder, such as:
Taking several different medications.
Some supplements.
Recreational drugs.
Alcohol.
Caffeine.
Gut dysbiosis causes more toxins and harmful metabolites to flow to the liver.
Chemical exposure. They are everywhere! In toiletries, make-up, air fresheners, candles, detergents, furniture, and furnishings.
Signs of an Overloaded Liver
We each respond differently to a sluggish liver. Here are some of the common signs you might notice when it’s time for a gentle liver detox:
Fatigue.
Poor fat digestion due to low bile production.
Weight gain.
Nausea.
Hot flashes. The liver is responsible for detoxifying our hormones. Sluggish liver function may contribute to hormonal symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Irregular periods.
Dark urine.
Swellings in the legs.
Yellow in the whites of the eyes.
Skin rashes and itching. Toxins can build up and cause inflammation. Itching could also indicate liver disease, so check in with your doctor.
Acne.
Do Liver Detox Supplements Work?
When it comes to supplements, you must look past the clever marketing slogans and investigate the ingredients. Check out the brand’s website and look for research that backs up any claims they make for their products. This is important because poor-quality supplements can be harmful and may even cause liver injury.
Many people do not discuss the vitamin or herbal supplements they take with their doctor and presume that natural products will be fine. However, many herbs and nutrients interact with medications and may not be safe in combination.
Does Rapid Weight Loss Happen With a Liver Detox?
Many of our Eat Burn Sleep members have lost weight quickly when following the Six-Week Reset plan. This is a gentle and nourishing way to detox your liver and kickstart sustainable weight loss. There are many nutritious foods (and treats) and no calorie counting or hunger pains.
Rapid weight loss liver detox diets composed of very few calories will cause malnutrition and ultimately, weight gain in the long term. They slow your metabolism and do not contain enough nutrients for your body to function healthily.
This is what EBS member Nicky has to say:
“After doing all the prep for the start of my Six-Week Reset, I was really fired up about getting my health and weight back on track.Both my partner and I lost 3kgs in the first week!The cost of the membership is cheaper than a gym membership, and you get the monthly Masterclasses as well as an extensive library of movement videos, and weekly recipes.I would definitely recommend this investment in your health, as the education is invaluable in helping you understand your food choices.”
Eating less does not speed up metabolism. Your body adjusts to the low calories and preserves the calories it gets. When you eat properly again (because let’s face it, calorie-counting diets are unsustainable and downright dull), the weight piles back on.
However, if you live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle that supports healthy liver detoxification, your liver will be healthier going forward. You will be full of vitality and not put your health at risk.
What is a Safe Liver Detox for Weight Loss?
The Eat Burn Sleep program starts with a beautiful, safe reset for the body that detoxifies and unburdens the liver so it can do its job. Our thousands of members have tried and tested the powerful protocol to kickstart excellent health. By week 2, you will feel incredible. By week 6, you feel ready to take on the world!
There are 300+ globally inspired recipes to choose from, plus meal plans, food lists, movement videos, and guided meditations to support healthy relaxation and restorative sleep.
Want to know more? Find out more about our membership options here. Our premium membership includes the Liver Detox Plan, which you can also purchase separately here.
You might also enjoy:
Yours in good health,
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Reboot & Revive
