In this episode of Alimentary! I cover the importance of prebiotics and probiotics, what they are individually and how they work together. I also explain the microbiome vs microbiota.

Maintaining a healthy gut is fundamental and crucial for our overall health and well-being. Incorporating both prebiotics and probiotics into your diet is a great way to support our digestive system. Together, prebiotics and probiotics create a balanced, thriving gut microbiome that supports everything from digestion and immunity to mental health.

The store cupboard staple is a prebiotic food - the good old reliable onion! We all use them but do you appreciate just how much they do for us? Listen in to find out...

References and Resources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7306068/#:~:text=The%20human%20microbiome%20comprises%20bacteria,of%20metabolic%20and%20immune%20functions.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-022-00974-4#:~:text=Gut%20microbiota%20is%20considered%20the%20most%20significant%20one%20in%20maintaining%20our%20health.&text=The%20gut%20bacteria%20serve%20several,immune%20response%2C%20and%20vitamin%20production.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8775962/#:~:text=The%20microbiome%20of%20the%20urinary,as%20promoting%20local%20immune%20function.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/25201-gut-microbiome

PodcastGut Brain Connection Episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Y9KgvrPMPEFnNKbaA8UJf?si=09241ff3c7964377

4 Hands Studio Producer of fermented food and drinks https://www.4handsfoodstudio.ie/

The Encylopaedia of Healing Foods by Dr Michael Murray, Dr Joseph Pizzorno with Lara Pizzorno MA, LMT

Music composed by cascreativearts, copyright Lyn Sharkey Nutrition www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie

In this episode of Alimentary! we delve into the topic of mental health with a trained professional. Brendan Larkin is a Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Hypnotherapist, who is passionate about helping people to live their best lives, by dealing with their issues so that they are free to live more happily. Brendan explains the difference between the three therapies that he practices and how you should work with a therapist that you have a connection with. He talks about how he came to become a therapist having gone through his own mental issues and the topics we cover range from addiction and grief to social media and anxiety. The store cupboard staple in this episode is the good old orange! Music composed by cascreativearts, copyright Lyn Sharkey Nutrition.www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie Resources & References Cavan Therapy Clinic – Counselling & Psychotherapy Services https://www.instagram.com/cavantherapy/ www.cavanonlineradio.weebly.com The 4-7 Zone: An easy and effective way to live a balanced life – and stay out of the therapist’s office: Amazon.co.uk: Colman Noctor: 9780717197323: Books https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9781844881406/parenting-is-childs-play-how-to-give-your-child-the/used?msclkid=766fb3ded18c1665edbed568a7f2d8fd www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie https://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/19211/ingredients/fruit/citrus/orange/ https://thecleaneatingcouple.com/healthy-orange-chicken/ The Encylopaedia of Healing Foods by Dr Michael Murray, Dr Joseph Pizzorno with Lara Pizzorno MA, LMT

We know that we should eat whole foods, get a good nights sleep, exercise and take some time to relax, right? So why don't we? Well there can be a myriad of reasons, but one of them may be that our cortisol is chronically high and we are in Fight or Flight, on high alert, most of the time. In this mode, we are just trying to survive the day, and so not thinking about investing in our future health. Regulating our cortisol, our stress response, is really important and manageable for all of us, with the simple habits in this episode. One of the many benefits is the knock on effect on other hormones too.

Music composed by cascreativearts, copyright Lyn Sharkey Nutrition.

www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie Other Resources and References https://youtu.be/-bKKCswu-tg - Interview with Willie Horton, Psychologist https://my.clevelandclinic.org/healht/articles/22187-cortisol https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-benefits-of-pumpkin-seeds https://www.beginwithinnutrition.com/recipes/cortisol-mocktail-recipe-for-stress-relief/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10706127/ The Encyclopaedia of Healing Foods by Dr Michael Murray and Dr Joseph Pizzorno with Lara Pizzorno, MA, LMT

In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting to Jenny Dillon, Yoga and Fitness Instructor, about the ancient practice of yoga. Jenny’s approach to her yoga classes, workshops and retreats aims to empower her clients. We chatted about ways in which yoga can have a transformative impact on other areas of our lives and the connection between the breath and the mind & body. This has the knock on effect of supporting digestion, so is of huge interest to me. Jenny’s enthusiasm and energy is contagious and I know that you will enjoy listening to her. The store cupboard staple for this episode is one of my favourites, cauliflower. This cruciferous powerhouse is widely available and is so easy to incorporate into meals. Some links to recipes below. Connect Jenny’s website www.mindbodyconnect.ie Facebook /zenwithjen Insta @find_your_zenwithjen Email jen.mindbodyconnect@gmail.com Lyn’s website www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie Recipes https://www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie/2021/10/05/cauliflower-rice-tabbouleh/ https://www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie/2021/10/01/cauliflower-chickpea-soup/ https://www.eatingwell.com/gallery/8075376/cauliflower-recipes-youll-make-forever/ References What is Yoga? • Yoga Basics Cauliflower: Nutrition & Health Benefits (webmd.com) The Encylopaedia of Healing Foods by Dr Michael Murray, Dr Joseph Pizzorno with Lara Pizzorno MA, LMT

Do you suffer from recurrent kidney stones or have unexplained mineral deficiencies? Phytates & Oxalates are in many of our plant foods and can bind to minerals, thus contributing to mineral deficiencies. However, it is worth understanding what they are, and when and if you need to be wary of them, rather than fearfully avoiding them altogether. These plants have amazing health benefits and actually phytates have some pretty important positives too. Listen in to this short episode to find out more. The store cupboard staple is a nut which is nutrient dense and contains BOTH phytates and oxalates!!

I mentioned Healthtea in the episode and this is the link to Iron Brew https://healthtea.ie/product/iron-brew/

Music composed by cascreativearts, copyright Lyn Sharkey Nutrition.

Other Resources

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/phytate#:~:text=Phytate%20or%20phytic%20acid%20is,bioavailability%20in%20the%20gastrointestinal%20tract.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10140425/

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-phytates-phytic-acid

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25174657/#:~:text=Phytic%20acid%2C%20also%20known%20as,improve%20insulin%20sensitivity%20in%20rodents.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/25173-inositol

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/oxalic-acid#health-risks

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24393738/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/oxalic-acid#how-to-avoid-it

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyperoxaluria/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352258#:~:text=Drinking%20lots%20of%20fluids.,keep%20kidney%20stones%20from%20forming.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-stones/symptoms-causes/syc-20355755

https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/vegetarianism-and-plant-foods/living-with-phytic-acid/#gsc.tab=0

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1051227621000935#:~:text=Oat%2C%20macadamia%2C%20rice%2C%20and,potassium%2C%20sodium%2C%20and%20oxalate.

The Encyclopaedia of Healing Foods by Dr Michael Murray and Dr Joseph Pizzorno with Lara Pizzorno, MA, LMT

So much alliteration in that title - I did myself proud!!

Did you know that we share 50% of our DNA with mushrooms? Mycotherapy is the fascinating study of medicinal mushrooms. In this episode I was delighted to talk to Sophie Barrett, Medical Herbalist and Naturopath about fabulous fungi and their therapeutic values.

Sophie Barrett has a thriving clinic in London, formulating bespoke botanicals under the “Sharing Plant Wisdom” namesake tailored to individuals needs. Her clients visit her with a myriad of health challenges and imbalances, ranging from digestive to cognitive, emotional and auto-immune.

She has been featured in the The Times, Telegraph, British Vogue, Sheerluxe, True Health and many other titles. Sophie also writes for a wealth of magazines and journals on health and wellbeing and is set to co-host retreats to recalibrate the senses this year.

Follow Sophie on the following platforms:Instagram @sharingplantwisdom @hifasdaterrauk

Twitter: @sophiabarretti

Website: www.sharingplantwisdom.com / www.hifasdaterra.co.uk

LinkedIn: Sophie Barrett - Sophie Barrett - Consultant - Hifas da Terra S.L. | LinkedIn

Connect with me at www.lynsharkeynutrition.ie where you will find links to socials and youtube

Our lymphatic system is super important for our immunity and happily, there are some simple daily habits which can enable us to optimize its function. In this episode of Alimentary! I chat with Michelle Hutton (Body Aura Therapies) about the lymphatic system, what it is exactly, why it is important to our overall health and how we can support it. Michelle is a therapist with many qualifications such as reflexology, massage, sports rehabilitation, cupping, acupressure and lymphatic drainage to name but a few! She demonstrates how to dry brush and facial massage so this is a short video where you can see the actions involved.

Garlic is one of the foods that our lymph loves, so that is our store cupboard staple for this episode.

Resources

Home - Body Aura Therapies

Homepage - Lyn Sharkey Nutrition

https://www.thepostpartummethod.com/blog/immune-stimulation-exercises Benefits of Garlic https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7402177/

White Wine Vinegar Salad Dressing - Lyn Sharkey Nutrition Balsamic Salad Dressing - Lyn Sharkey Nutrition The dos and don'ts of how to cook with garlic - Chatelaine - Chatelaine

31 Garlic Recipes Every Garlic Lover Needs to Make (tasteofhome.com)