2015 - Page 9 of 13 - Sarah Wilson

Is melatonin a safe sleeping pill?

November 6, 2018May 13, 2015 by Sarah Wilson

I took melatonin regularly for a while, but started to have queries and doubts so have recently gone off it. If you have autoimmune issues and have turned to melatonin for sleep perhaps see if the below resonates.

The deal with melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that helps control your sleep and wake cycles. It’s taken in supplement form to adjust the body’s internal clock, especially for long flights, jet lag and adjusting sleep-wake cycles in people whose work schedule fluctuates regularly.

The thing is:

It’s a hormone. Hormone therapy is a complicated topic. Taking extra hormones when you don’t need them can cause dysfunctional communication between the hypothalamus and the pituitary, which is the master hormone regulation centre in the body. This will lead to further hormone imbalances.

The science is still out

Very little scientific research has been done on melatonin supplements as a sleep aid, especially for adults. Although some studies conclude it’s not dangerous in the short term, several conclude that melatonin

How to cook resistant starch for constipation

April 22, 2018May 12, 2015 by Sarah Wilson

As regular readers of my blog may know, I’m experimenting with resistant starch as a cure for constipation. Resistant starch is a type of food starch that remains whole through the stomach and small intestine, and, unlike most foods, reaches the large intestine intact. Thus, it “resists” digestion and begins to ferment…which, in turn, feeds good bacteria…which in turn produces a bunch of top health results, including great number two action.

There are several types of RS, but only two are actually accessible for consumption. I’ve shared how I chose to take my RS via a powdered form (Type 2 RS). I share how I went about it, and how it worked, here. But I always promised to give some tips on how to cleverly incorporate the other edible RS – retrograde resistant starch – into everyday eating. You should be aware, even if you’re taking the powdered Type 2 version, it’s recommended that you consume it with Type 3 RS as well. So here you go.

Bear in mind, aside from curing constipation, your body also treats resistant starches much like fibre, creating smaller glucose peaks than normal carbs and helps feed the good bacteria in your gut. You’ll also absorb fewer calories than you do when eating those same carbs in their usual (cooked and warm) state. This is because the carbs change composition when they’re cooled (and even more so when they’re reheated, read more below). These resistant starches are eventually excreted instead of being metabolized by our bodies.

How to incorporate resistant starch into your dinner

It’s as simple as eating starchy carbs that have been cooked, cooled and then reheated (in that order)…

1. Cook your carbs as you normally would. Including rice, pasta, potatoes, corn, polenta, baked beans, chickpeas, beans, lentils, peas, split peas, carrots, parsnips, sweet potato.

2. Allow the food to cool. To room temperature, if you’re using it for that meal. Otherwise store in the

Why you need to boost your stomach acid. Especially if you have autoimmune disease

May 7, 2015May 7, 2015 by Sarah Wilson

The gut is where the wellness movement is at right now. I’ve talked extensively about my gut health obsession here, here and here. So today, a gut health post with a focus on stomach acid. And why you need to boost it, especially if you suffer from autoimmune disease. This is the new direction in this realm, people. And I unofficially dedicate this post to my mate Rick.

A lot of us suffer from low stomach acid. (It’s almost a certainty if you have autoimmune disease.) Conventionally, if you suffer from heartburn or acid reflux these symptoms are usually treated with drugs that suppress production of stomach acid. But if your system is already depleted…well, you can see how things start to get tricky.

I’ve called on my e-mate Katie, high priestess of Wellness Mama, to share why you may actually need more stomach acid rather than less… and how to go about getting it (you can read her post in full on her blog).

Signs you have low stomach acid

Stomach acid or hydrochloric acid (HCL) is important for digestion and nutrient assimilation. Having too little stomach acid can cause just as many problems (if not more) than having too much.

Symptoms like constipation, diarrhoea, undigested food in stool, acid reflux, gas, bloating, indigestion, belching, skin problems or acne, and chronic nutrient deficiencies can be a sign of low

Why I like my unsettled life and have no hope of finding balance

November 6, 2018May 6, 2015 by Sarah Wilson

We keep seeking balance. But it’s a false goal. We have it wrong. For one thing, it’s just not possible. I’ve written about this before – how life balance is elusive.

But more than this, balance or settledness, doesn’t see us grow. We grow and become better, and have a better life, from the very act of tending to our imbalance and unsettledness.

Get this bit of quote into you:

“People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I’ll also quote poet David Whyte, who I’ve referred to a bit lately (catch up here and here). As a fun aside, David is in Australia next weekend and I was invited as a guest…so I managed to wrangle a few double passes for you guys here on this blog. Head to my Facebook page for details. Anyway. The erudite Whyte points out that

Some advice for anyone who’s recently left a relationship

October 23, 2018April 30, 2015 by Sarah Wilson

English poet and philosopher David Whyte was once called on to give a friend some advice. This friend was in the middle of leaving a relationship. I’ve been there – in the position of counsel. Mostly it takes me straight back, like riding down a razor blade, to the times I’ve had to leave love myself. I don’t know that anything is harder.

There’s this: We think we are not just losing that person, but the part of ourselves that loved.

And this: We share dreams with this other person and we pivot our very selves on those dreams. When we leave love, we have to now give these dreams up too. Is there anything left? Is there a stable pivot point anymore? The last time I was in this space, I know I honestly felt that the ground had fallen out from beneath me and that I was left with nothing but thin air to try and tread through. Like a nightmare.

And also this: It all seems so arduous to start up again with our own dreams. Doesn’t it? Where to start from when your platform is a nightmare-like abyss of thin air?

Whyte wrote a poem for his mate that sums some of this up. I find it funny that previously my Poem of Comfort

I Quit Sugar is hiring!

April 29, 2015 by Sarah Wilson

It’s a pretty exciting time at I Quit Sugar. We’re expanding! We’re on the hunt for a bunch of new people to join our incredible team. If you’re keen to bust into the world of online health and wellness, one of these roles might be calling your name.

Have a read of what’s on offer below and, if anything appeals, head over to I Quit Sugar for details on how to apply.

Marketing Executive: You’ll support the Head of Sales and Marketing in conceptualising and delivering campaigns across multiple platforms and formats. You’ll have a great understanding of the social media landscape with a solid background in managing communities on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. Read more.

Books and Apps Coordinator: Is your iPad stuffed with the latest digital books and apps? Love a bit of whizz-bang gadgetry? You’ll be responsible for project managing the delivery of our tastebud-tingling array of digital cookbooks and work with the team to deliver a jaw-dropping app. Read more.

Junior Writer: Keen to prove your penmanship in the world of online health blogging? You’ll gain

7 ayurvedic spices for sugar cravings

April 29, 2015April 28, 2015 by Sarah Wilson

I covered off the ayurvedic reason you might be craving sugar recently. You should check it out. Today I’ve asked Nadia Marshall of The Mudita Institute, a training and education organisation and health clinic in Byron Bay, Australia, to share how to use regular kitchen spices in your regular cooking to, ah, regulate your blood sugar. Fun stuff…

What’s the Ayurvedic perspective on “blood sugar issues”?

When people talk about “blood sugar issues” they’re often referring to hypoglycaemia-type symptoms where blood-sugar levels bottom out. This can lead to sudden hunger, light-headedness, dizziness, the shakes, confusion, headaches and moodiness. From an Ayurvedic perspective, these symptoms are a sign of Vata (air/ether) indigestion or variable agni (agni is Sanskrit for digestive fire). These symptoms often go hand-in-hand with gas, bloating or pain after eating, constipation or a general feeling of agitation or nervousness. But blood-sugar is a complex thing and can also be caused by an imbalance in the other doshas, Kapha (water/earth) and/or Pitta (fire/water).

To learn about your dosha, read here.

Luckily, there are some special Ayurvedic kitchen spices that are appropriate for people of any constitution or imbalance that, in small amounts as part of your daily diet, will not only help to regulate blood-sugar levels

I’m glad I’ll be old when I find love

October 23, 2018April 23, 2015 by Sarah Wilson

I’ve come to a lot of peace lately (the last year or two) with my singledom. There are a number of themes that have emerged and informed this stable, quiet, happy place. I’ve explored a few before here and here.

rsz_76094a4add6d846d86bf3395461ec8c4 — Image by Merve Ozaslan

But recently I’ve realised this, with hindsight: I haven’t trusted myself to love another in the way I’d like to love A Special One and so, thankfully, subliminally, I’ve kept myself away from the field until I’ve had the emotional muscle to do it well.

As is so often the case when I explore a theme, a ripper quote then appeared from the interwebs (bless this mess!) to remind me I’m on the right track:

“To love without knowing how to love wounds the person we love.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Not knowing how to love…what is this? I think it comes in many flavours. It’s loving the idea of someone or loving the potential of someone. I’ve done both. Of course, when the “idea” that you originally envisaged

My Healthy Family Meals Cookbook is out on e-shelves now!

April 21, 2015 by Sarah Wilson

The I Quit Sugar team’s latest cookbook Healthy Family Meals is my kind of book. In 40 recipes it encapsulates all the stuff I’m passionate about. It’s the way I eat. Simple, sustainable, economical, fuss-free with less pots and no fancy bits…and with a side (or three) of greens.

Here’s some things the team and I feel you might like to know:

1. Every meal is sustainable. We use chicken thighs, not breasts. You can read why here.We blitz leftover cooked veggies with cooked potato and a bit of butter to make an extra nutritious side dish. We make our fish cakes with offcuts and buy full fat mince meat. Fat equals flavour and fills you up. The most insanely great bit about sustainable eating is that it’s also the most economical way to eat.

If you just want to get straight to the cookbook (!), it’s available in the I Quit Sugar store.

Have you married yourself yet?

July 31, 2018April 16, 2015 by Sarah Wilson

I’ve just been introduced to the poet and philosopher, David Whyte. In his book The Three Marriages, he says we need to navigate, yep, three marriages in life: one to others (“particularly and very personally, to one other living, breathing person”), another to work and another to one’s self, “through an understanding of what it means to be themselves, discrete individuals alive and seemingly separate from everyone and everything else.”

rsz_surreal-photography-oleg-oprisco-8 — Image by oleg oprisco

Whyte believes they all involve vows made either consciously or unconsciously and that we should work on all three marriages, not as separate entities that have to be pitted against each other (in order to find that elusive “balance”), but as a “conversation” where all three are equally important.

But, he flags, the toughest hook-up is with our selves. It’s also the most critical, because without it the other two are but desperate, wobbly, outward-looking clamberings.

“Neglecting this internal marriage, we can easily make ourselves a hostage to the externals of work and the demands of relationship. We find ourselves unable to move in these outer marriages because we have no inner foundation from which to step out with a firm persuasion. It is as if, absent a loving relationship