Rachel Davies Nutrition

❓ WHAT'S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD ❓ We all have a relationship with food. It is an incredibly emotive subject and it can often take some time to unpick our own narrative around how we eat, why we eat and what we eat. For this client, this was central to our work together and resulted in some real break throughs in their approach to food and themselves. Reviews like this are why I do what I do ❤️ #theceonutritionist #theceonutritionmethod #nutritionaltherapy #lifestylemedicine #healthcoach #lovewhatyoudo

❓WHAT DOES RESILIENCE MEAN TO YOU ❓ In the world of work, resilience is a word bandied around a lot. To be resilient is to be "able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions". A necessary part of professional success. Resilience however has many facets and is a very individual state, encompassing physical, psychological and biochemical factors. What I often find is missing in the conversation about resilience is the importance of good nutrition. Being in a state of constant stress due to the challenges of running a business is incredibly depleting on the body. Chronic stress can drain our body of key nutrients such as magnesium and zinc as well as Vitamin C and B vitamins too. Fundamental nutrients that support hundreds of functions in the body. Plus by not paying attention to our dietary intake and eating behaviours we may in fact be fuelling the fire and creating more stress in the body, therefore making it even less resilient. I would love us to be talking about the importance of nutrition more when it comes building resilient leaders. As a starting point, I would focus on these 4 key areas: 🥦 Prioritise real food. Ultra-processed foods have no place in a resilience-building diet. Whole-foods give us the key nutrients we need to build these nutritional reserves. ⏰ Regular meal times. No skipping meals. We need the raw materials going in if we are to remain resilient to physical and psychological challenges 🍽 Ensure you have protein with every meal - really important for supporting blood sugar regulation and maintaining energy levels 🍷 Avoid/reduce stimulants that will add to the stress load and deplete the body more e.g. excess caffeine and alcohol. Being resilient is a complex mix of factors but if we are not building nutritional resilience then surely we are really missing a huge opportunity for even greater success. Let me know what you think 👇 #nutrition #nutritionaltherapy #theceonutritionist #theceonutritionmethod #lifestylemedicine #healthcoach

❓ IS YOUR DIET & LIFESTYLE ADDING TO YOUR STRESS LOAD ❓ You may be familiar with the concept of 'the stress bucket'. We often think that 'stress' only comes in the form of psychological or mental stress such as from a high work load or relationship strains. But there are many ways that you can add to your stress bucket outside of these areas...adding physiological strain on your body so that your ability to perform at your best is obstructed. Do any of these areas ring true for you: - Poor sleep - Reliance on ultra processed foods - Poor gut health - Inflammation - Diet high in sugar and ultra processed foods - Excess caffeine and alcohol - Nutrient deficiencies - Dehydration - Infections - Over or Under exercising Imagine instead that by nourishing your body and mind with the nutrition and environment it needs, you unlock even greater potential in your ability to perform without the risk of burning out. This post is not meant to shame you into feeling that you have let things slip, to feel a failure or that this is just one more thing to add to the 'to do' list... but rather to empower you. To show you that when so often we feel that stress is happening to us, you have many levers within your power to support your resilience, strength and future success. That is what becoming the CEO of your health is all about! #nutrition #nutritionaltherapy #lifestylemedicine #theceonutritionist #theceonutritionmethod #healthcoach #betheceoofyourhealth

It’s a busy week at Rachel Davies Nutrition this week with 1:1 clients and 2 x corporate engagements: 1 talk on nutrition for mental health and a full day pop-up nutrition clinic. I now only have ONE space left to start with me this month on my signature 1:1 programme The CEO Nutrition Method. Will that spot be yours? Book in for a free intro call to discuss your goals here: https://lnkd.in/eKZZed-b #nutrition #nutritionaltherapy #theceonutritionist #theceonutritionmethod #lifestylemedicine #burnoutrecovery

The hashtag #highcortisol has had an incredible 392 million views on TikTok and #howtoreducecortisol has shot up to 10.4m views owing to recent trends of influencers describing how they've reduced their #cortisol levels. Similarly, Google trends has shown a significant up tick in the search term 'how to reduce cortisol levels' this year. The symptoms of chronically elevated cortisol, one of our key stress hormones, are something I see every week in my nutrition clinic: ❎ Digestive issues such as IBS ❎ Poor sleep ❎ Fatigue ❎ Headaches ❎ Hormonal issues and so much more! Now whilst I'm delighted that people are tuning in to the impact of chronic stress and high cortisol on the body, we must of course approach this with nuance. Cortisol plays many essential roles in the body. It gets us up in the morning, helps to regulate our blood sugar levels and in times of stress helps the body to survive- which in a dangerous situation is vital. Understanding how to maintain cortisol in a healthy range and to mitigate the impact of chronically high levels of cortisol on the body takes time and a personalised roadmap. There is no one-size-fits-all. The starting point is becoming aware of how chronic stress and #highcortisol might be a factor in your health and wellbeing... How do you think #highcortisol is affecting you? Let me know in the comments 👇

Introducing... 🌟 The CEO Nutrition Method 🌟 My brand New Signature 1:1 Programme for High Performers ✔ No more exhaustion ✔ No more overwhelm Take back control and become the CEO of your health. This is for you if you are ready to up level your health so you can achieve personal and professional success without the burnout. Fusing nutritional therapy, health coaching and state-of-the-art functional testing you can expect: 💫 Better Energy 💫 Mental Resilience 💫 Easy Digestion 💫 Clear Focus 💫 Restorative Sleep The knowledge and understanding on how to fuel your body for success. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/er8Xsy4C #nutritionaltherapy #nutritionist #healthcoach #theceonutritionist #theceonutritionmethod

❓ IS THE FOOD YOU EAT MAKING YOU HAPPY OR CONTRIBUTING TO YOUR LOW MOOD ❓ In 2013, the SMILES trial was the first clinical trial to demonstrate the significant positive impact that dietary changes can have on mood disorders. I see this in action every week in my clinic - clients making positive changes to their diet to nourish their brain and body, and reaping the benefits with a more balanced, positive mood. Today is International Day of Happiness and one of the key drivers for me in the work that I do is supporting people to become happier in their lives. We often underestimate the power of a well balanced, whole-food diet in underpinning our mental health and our resilience to life's stressors. Now I am not suggesting that as long as you eat broccoli every day, your mental health will never suffer. Mental health is complex, there are many different factors impacting our happiness in life, but surely we are missing a trick by not getting these dietary foundations right? Here are my key recommendations: 🥦 Prioritise whole-foods: foods in their most natural form, i.e. not from a packet. The prevalence of ultra processed foods is a significant contributor to our mental health epidemic as detailed in a recent BMJ review. Food quality is everything. 🍎 Eat the Rainbow: eating varied, colourful plant foods in abundance floods our body with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that it needs to support healthy neurotransmitter (brain chemical) production and balance. 🍰 Be careful with refined carbohydrates and sugars - the blood sugar rollercoaster can wreak havoc with a balanced mood so swap out those refined carbohydrates for wholegrain alternatives. 🍽 Ensure you eat enough protein with each meal - protein provides the building blocks of our neurotransmitters such as serotonin that support balanced mood. Ensuring you have enough with each meal maintains healthy brain chemistry. 🥑 Healthy fats are really important. Oily fish, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds. Our brain is nearly 60% fat so having enough in the diet is essential for proper brain function and mood balance. Now of course there will be unique dietary strategies for each individual dependent on their specific needs but this is a really good starting point to work from. Is the food you eat making you happy? Supporting mental health with nutrition, lifestyle and mindset strategies is a key part of my upcoming signature programme - The CEO Nutrition Method - a bespoke 4 month programme supporting high performing individuals to achieve their personal and professional success. Drop me a line for more information - rachel@racheldaviesnutrition.com

❌ THESE 4 THINGS ARE KILLING YOUR PRODUCTIVITY❌ 🥦 LOW NUTRIENT INTAKE. Our brain is a highly sophisticated organ, and it needs key nutrients in order to function at its best. Our body does it's very best at maximising output when we are feeding it rubbish. So what if we actually start nourishing our brain with a nutrient-dense diet? What becomes possible in terms of productivity and cognition? 🍰 THE BLOOD SUGAR ROLLERCOASTER. We've all been there haven't we, when work is stressful and you've had a rough night with the kids. You feel like you need sugar and caffeine to be able to get through the day. But poor blood sugar balance can hugely impact our ability to concentrate and to think clearly. Making balanced meal choices ensures we are fuelling our brain efficiently rather than leaving it running on empty. 😴 LACK OF QUALITY SLEEP. So this might seem obvious, but in order to operate at optimal capacity the brain needs QUALITY sleep. Now I am a parent of two young children so I know that often with sleep so much is out of our control! But are you making the most of your opportunity to maximise quality sleep? Or heading down the slippery slope of that extra episode on Netflix or another 30 minutes doomscrolling on your phone? What if instead we make sleep a priority and become more productive in the process? Less burnout, more success. 💻 NEVER SWITCHING OFF. We are all aware of just how overstimulating and overwhelming modern working life can be. Our bodies have not evolved to deal with this level of constant stimulation and online connection. Unless we take it into our own hands, this way of life can be incredibly mentally fatiguing. Taking down time, disconnecting and being present- whatever that looks like for you- is fundamental for supporting long term productivity levels and wellbeing. Productivity and mental clarity are key areas I focus on in my upcoming Signature Programme - The CEO Nutrition Method - launching Friday 19th April. What if rather than running your health into the ground, you leveraged this greatest asset, and were able to achieve even bigger goals? If you're keen to know more, drop me an email at rachel@racheldaviesnutrition.com and I can send you the details. #nutrition #nutritionist #healthcoach #lifestylemedicine #theceonutritionist #theceonutritionmethod

📚 FUNCTIONAL TESTING 📚 I am very lucky to have an array of incredible testing options at my fingertips to help me and my clients better understand the intricacies of their body and the root cause(s) of their symptoms.   Here are some the tests I use the most:   ⭐ Comprehensive blood testing- we can tell so much from looking at the blood and pick up patterns that help us to understand which way the body might be 'trending'. ⭐ Comprehensive digestive stool analysis - very useful for understanding the make-up of the gut microbiome, pick up parasites and overgrowth of pathogenic ('bad') microbes that may be causing digestive issues, immune issues, mental health concerns and much more. Also helps us to understand digestive function and levels of inflammation. ⭐ OAT (Organic Acid Testing) - a urine test that evaluates the by products of many important bodily processes (from detoxification to energy production) A great way to identify where there is a need for additional support. ⭐ Comprehensive Hormone Panels - urine or salvia testing. This is a great way to better understand reproductive and adrenal (stress) hormones. This can be so useful for unpicking hormone imbalances and helping to correct them. ⭐ Adrenal Stress Test- this simple saliva test helps us to understand how your stress response is working (or is overly fatigued!). ⭐ CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitors) - this is a small device that you wear on your arm for 14 days and scan every day with an app to understand how your blood sugar is being regulated and affected by different diet and lifestyle behaviours. ⭐ Genetic testing - a growing field in nutritional science. This simple saliva test helps us to better understand our genes and therefore where we may be predisposed to need more support. Fascinating stuff!   Functional testing gives us an additional layer of interpretation and I often find that clients like to see the data! I would always rather test than guess and testing validates the hypotheses that I have about why a client is experiencing ill health.   All that being said, a big part of my work is supporting my clients to become better connected to and in tune with their bodies. So whilst testing is invaluable, no one knows your body better than you. Sometimes you just need a bit of help to understand what it is trying to tell you!   It is also important to remember that any test (other than genetic testing) is a snapshot in time. The body is always in a state of flux and adjustment so we have to interpret our findings in the context of what the individual is experiencing - this is personalised nutrition!   I'm really excited to be incorporating some of these tests into my brand new Signature Programme - The CEO Nutrition Method - launching after Easter! #nutrition #nutritionaltherapy #lifestylemedicine #healthcoach #functionalmedicine #theceonutritionist #theceonutritionmethod