Journal
Natural ways to reduce a hangover and headaches
We are all guilty of over indulging at certain times of year, over eating, drinking too much or consuming too much sugar.
However, as you get older you may find that it is taking longer to bounce back and you may become intolerant to certain types of foods and alcohol.
If you suffer from headaches and migraines you may be reaching for painkillers such as Ibuprofen which, although an effective anti-inflammatory, has long term side effects including increasing cardiovascular risks and damaging the protective lining of the gut. Ibuprofen is only effective for up to 6 hours, so you may need to take repeated doses!
Did you know that Turmeric with the correct range and strength of 7 curcuminoids, has multiple anti-inflammatory benefits, works just as well as Ibuprofen or aspirin and actually improves gut health.
Scientific research (ref see below) has demonstrated that curcuminoinds, the active compounds in turmeric, are effective at removing both the cause and symptoms of a hangover.
Curcuminoids are potent antioxidants. Alcohol consumption can cause oxidative stress that damages your cells, so an effective antioxidant is vital before, during and after a heavy night.
So the perfect natural solution for hangovers should be taken before you go out and again when you wake up:
Natruflex Turmeric: We recommend that you take Natruflex Turmeric 1-2 capsules BEFORE you go out and when required during the next day.
Gut Love: Containing, 21 probiotics and 2 organic prebiotics. take 1 capsule daily to settle the digestion and improve the excretion of toxins for a minimum of 14 days.
Marine Magnesium: Take 1 capsule at night to restore healthy nerve and muscle function for a minimum of 7 days.
Vitamin D3: Take 2 capsule daily for at least 30 days
How can Metabolic Gold help?
Metabolic Gold contains Bergamot fruit extract and Artichoke leaf extract. It is the perfect blend of naturally sourced, high strength ingredients that work together synergistically to help reduce sugar levels, improve insulin resistance, balance cholesterol, reduce fat around the waistline and reduce fatty liver.
In a recent trial of 60 patients who were overweight and had high cholesterol, subjects were treated with a combination of bergamot extract and artichoke leaf extract for 2 months and compared to a group that received a placebo for the same amount of time. The results showed a significant decrease in total and LDL cholesterol as well as a significant reduction in waist circumference.
When combined with lifestyle efforts focusing on diet, exercise, sleep and stress, the combination of bergamot fruit and artichoke leaf extracts can provide significant health benefits.
We recommend this supplement is taken for at least 3-4 months at a dose of one capsule twice a day with or after food.
PUBLISHED RESEARCH:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35070194/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35668500/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30395947/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36370961/
How to tame a mid-life belly
An increase in fat around the waistline during our 40's is common even if there has been no change in your diet or lifestyle and can lead you to feeling frustrated that your previously successful weight-loss tactics are no longer effective.
However the good news is that our bodies undergo changes in hormone levels, muscle mass, etc. that require us to rethink our relationship with our diet, lifestyle, exercise and levels of stress.
Why does this happen in women?
Oestrogen and Insulin
Why does this happen in men?
The impact of poor sleep
Research also shows that lack of sleep, will increase appetite and hunger hormones alter, making us more hungry and prone to cravings.
Loss of muscle mass
Here are our tips to help you tame unwanted weight gain:
- Blood-sugar control is key (check out our book recommendations below to help you). Aim to reduce the amount of carbs you consume, especially rice, pasta, bread, cakes, alcohol and sugary foods. These peak sugar and encourage a sugar roller coaster.
- Include protein with every meal and essential fatty acids (omega 3s).
- Fasting overnight (12-14 hours) be aware of underlying health conditions that may mean fasting is not a safe option for you.
- Regular and consistent exercise, especially resistance training to build muscle mass, resistance bands for example are portable and easy to use. Regular exercise snacks are better than weekly exercise bingeing!
- Be aware of your stress levels as this will effect how your body metabolises food and nutrients, daily de-stressing activities could be a 10 minute walk outside, 5 minutes of breathing, journalling, regular 2 minute cold showers.
Can Supplements help?
Saffrosun Calm has been proven to promote restful sleep, balance the stress response and enhance energy levels.
Saffrosun Energy - includes all the benefits of Saffron if your thyroid is sluggish, or are suffering from brain fog with added iodine, vitamin D3 and will provide you with balanced energy.
Metabolic Gold – can help in your weight loss journey by binding to bad fats in the gut and prevent them being used in the body. Studies show that it can substantially reduce belly fat when taken for 3 months.
Books you may wish to read to support your weight loss journey:
MenuPause by Dr Anna Cabeca – gives 5 unique menu plans to break through menopause weight loss resistance
Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspe – a great reference book on blood sugar control (check out @glucosegoddess on Instagram)
Metabolic Gold for liver health
"It's estimated that up to 1 in every 3 people in the UK has early stages of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease"
SOURCE: NHSINFORM
When our fat cells can’t cope anymore with storing fat – the liver takes the burden and becomes the “overflow” storage organ for fat. This sets the stage for a vicious cycle and metabolic dysfunction.
As the fats in blood increase, gene function in the liver is inhibited causing more fat to be dumped there. At the same time, levels of leptin are increased – causing a corresponding fall in the fat-burning hormone known as adiponectin. Low adiponectin levels lead to insulin resistance in the liver – which then causes blood sugar to rise – and this sugar is then converted to more fat.
Early symptoms of NAFLD (Non Fatty Liver Disease) may be mild:
- Extreme Fatigue
- Discomfort in upper right abdomen
- Difficulty losing weight
- Weakness
Losing weight can help to slowly unclog the liver, reduce the amount of stored fat, thereby speeding up the metabolism as well as to help to reduce blood sugar, harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Dietary suggestions to unclog the liver and support its optimal function:
- A Mediterranean diet (vegetables, fruits, antioxidant spices and herbs, whole grains, oily fish, nuts and olive oil) have been shown to benefit liver health.
Liver nourishing foods include : cruciferous veg (Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, broccoli, rocket (arugula), watercress)
Bitter foods: rocket, radicchio, dandelion greens
- Practising some intermittent fasting can also help un-clog the liver, even if you can only manage a 12 hour overnight fast, as it allows the body to rest and regenerate.
- Ensure you are eating enough protein. If you are not consuming enough protein this can impair your liver’s ability to carry out it’s detoxifying and metabolic functions.
- Drink plenty of pure water to help flush out excess toxins.
The great news is that we can support our hard working liver with specific nutrients which have been supported by scientific research:
- AGED GARLIC can help shift unwanted fat from being dumped in the liver.
- VITAMIN D deficiencies are linked to NAFLD (Non Alcohol Fatty Liver Disease) : Vitamin D deficiency leads to the release of pro-inflammatory agents that can contribute to fatty liver disease
- BERGAMOT & ARTICHOKE EXTRACTS - Bergamot fruit extract has been shown to lower blood sugar, reduce inflammation, improve blood vessel activity and artichoke boosts your production of bile.
Metabolic Gold for insulin resistance
Insulin resistance causes fat storage
Insulin is known as “the fat storer” hormone and is strongly influenced by carbohydrate intake and overconsumption of food, causing a detrimental increase in your blood sugar.
When insulin resistance occurs, sugar can’t get into your cells the way it normally would and the result is that this sugar gets stored as fat.
How can you reduce insulin resistance?
- Diet (Mediterranean diet, intermittent fasting)
- Increased physical activity such as HIT
- Supplement regularly with Metabolic Gold
How can Metabolic Gold help with insulin resistance?
Metabolic Gold is a unique, safe and effective natural supplement that contains the highest strength bergamot fruit extract and artichoke leaf extract to improve sugar metabolism, balance blood sugar and reduce insulin resistance.
Metabolic Gold
Poor metabolic health affects one in four UK adults in the UK and is the leading cause of an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
The risk factors for poor metabolic health are:
- high sugar levels
- Insulin resistance
- abnormal cholesterol levels
- excess fat around the waistline
- fatty liver
- elevated blood pressure
Symptoms
Most of the conditions associated with metabolic health don't have obvious signs or symptoms and require a blood test to determine (such as cholesterol levels). However, a large waist circumference is something that you would visibly notice and if your sugar levels are high, you might notice the signs and symptoms of diabetes — such as increased thirst and urination, fatigue, and blurred vision.
Preventing or reversing poor metabolic health
The risk factors listed above are all modifiable with adopting a healthy lifestyle which should include:
- Eating a healthy, balanced diet consisting of fruits and vegetables, whole grains (brown rice), proteins (pulses such as lentil) and avoiding over processed and refined foods such as microwave meals and sugary treats is key.
- Exercising regularly. Undertaking a minimum of 30 mins of physical activity a day 5 days a week.
- Cutting back on alcohol and smoking can be a really effective way to improve your metabolic health, boost your energy, lose weight and save money.
How can Metabolic Gold help?
Metabolic Gold contains Bergamot fruit extract and Artichoke leaf extract. It is the perfect blend of naturally sourced, high strength ingredients that work together synergistically to help reduce sugar levels, improve insulin resistance, balance cholesterol, reduce fat around the waistline and improve fatty liver.
In a recent trial of 60 patients who were overweight and had high cholesterol, subjects were treated with a combination of bergamot extract and artichoke leaf extract for 2 months and compared to a group that received a placebo for the same amount of time. The results showed a significant decrease in total and LDL cholesterol as well as a significant reduction in waist circumference.
When combined with lifestyle efforts focusing on diet, exercise, sleep and stress, the combination of bergamot fruit and artichoke leaf extracts can provide significant health benefits.
We recommend this supplement is taken for at least 3-4 months at a dose of one capsule twice a day after food
Metabolic Gold for managing weight and sugar naturally
Introducing our new formula containing pharmaceutical strength bergamot and artichoke extracts. Metabolic Gold has been over two years in research and developement.
Bergamot may sound familiar as the peel of this unique citrus fruit is used for teas, perfumes and essential oils.
However, we only utilise the fruit sourced from trees found in the coastal areas of Calabria, Southern Italy as it's unique combination of five polyphenol bioactives reduce the levels of unhealthy fats in a similar manner to statin medications, without the side effects.
Bergamot fruit polyphenols have been scientifically proven to improve levels of good cholesterol, reduce inflammation and improve blood vessel elasticity.
Bergamot fruit extract
Bergamot polyphenols improve the way fats are processed in the liver thereby balancing cholesterol and protecting cardiovascular health.
Artichoke leaf extract
It boosts your liver’s production of bile. Bile is a natural compound that digests and uses fats so they don’t accumulate in your liver or in your body.
How do you take Metabolic Gold?
A randomized placebo-controlled study with 60 overweight adults showed that supplementing with 600mg bergamot and 100mg artichoke leaf resulted in a reduction in LDL cholesterol, significant reduction in waist circumference and visceral adipose tissue in 2 months – even in participants who did not follow a low-calorie diet.
Concerned about side effects?
The natural formulation of Metabolic Gold means that you can take it alongside most medications, however we recommend that you take a few minutes to call us, or write to us and get some friendly pharmacist advice if you have any questions about your current regime.
Kevin Leivers,
Founder of The Naked Pharmacy
Chief Pharmacist and Formulator