Igennus Healthcare Nutrition

Exclusive offer on Echiomega

*** FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY! ***   It’s pretty common knowledge that consuming fish or fish oils is beneficial when considering general heart health.   However, whilst the omega-3s from marine sources are attributed to a reduced risk of developing heart disease, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the main omega- Starting now, we are offering a Super Sale Offer on Echiomega! So now is the time to stock up for autumn - and the winter as well! THIS OFFER ENDS ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2011, AT MIDNIGHT. Offer:  From today you can purchase Echiomega for less than half price. This means that on top of the half price offer, you’ll save an extra 5% on your order*.   You pay as little as £5.67 for one box of 60 capsules*.   This is the perfect opportunity to save money and purchase high quality supplements that are suitable for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.  Boost your omega-3 levels now to help avoid those autumn blues and improve your immune system before the start of the cold and flu season.   This is strictly a time-limited offer which expires at midnight on 24^th September. Remember: there are 9 days remaining before this amazing offer closes, so make sure you benefit from these great savings.   All you need to do is quote the promo code FBECH555 while talking to a member of our friendly team or use it when placing an online order at http://shop.igennus.com or http://www.vegetarian-omega3.com/shop.   Share it with your friends, so they can also benefit from this exclusive time-limited offer.   * Postage costs apply, as specified on our websites: http://shop.igennus.com/Shipping.html http://www.vegetarian-omega3.com/shipping.html         more... :

Article on Echium Seed Oil by Dr Bailey in VegFamily Magazine

Omega fatty acidsacids refer to a class of fat that we need to include in our diets to avoid becoming deficient. While our bodies can manufacture certain types of fat, we do not have the ability to make them all. However, the term 'omega fats' should really be clarified; they are the name of a family of fat or 'fatty acids' of which there are many types, each with specific functions, but some having quite different and more important functions than others. There are two main types of omega fatty acids, both plant oiloil derived polyunsaturated fats: LA (the parent omega-6 fatty acidfatty acid) and ALA (the parent omega-3 fatty acid). Humans are able to convert LA and ALA to more physiologically active fatty acids through a series of reactions - DGLA and AA from the omega-6 series, and EPA and DHADHA, from the omega-3 series. The full article can be found here: Healthy Omega-3 from Echium Seed Oil   more... :

The most interesting Q&A from our Free Expert Advice on Nutrition and Diet session

In December last year we offered free expert advice on Nutrition and Diet from our in-house nutrition scientist. We’d like to share the most interesting questions and answers from Dr Nina’s phone session. In the future we will offer more services, so check our blog updates regularly. Questions this time include Do probiotics really work? and I'm in my early 50s and have been suffering recently from hot flushes. I'm not totally convinced I'm ready for HRT and would like some advice on natural alternatives.    more... :

Saving the ££s to save on the lbs

It is thought that the average person puts on around 5lb (2kg) over the four-week Christmas period.  This isn’t surprising given the onslaught of calorie abuse that our bodies are exposed to over this period.  To put on 1lb of body fat you need to eat an extra 3,500 calories, which isn’t that hard to achieve on Christmas day alone:  Champagne breakfast, sweets and snacks through the morning, Christmas dinner (full works), Christmas pudding, trifle, turkey sandwiches and so on.  Then there are the drinks - eggnog, sherry, wine - and as the list goes on, it is easy to see how the calories can creep up.  In fact, it is often the parties that we find ourselves drawn to over Christmas and New Year that can be the real calorie hotspots - just one mince pie and a few extra glasses of wine can easily add an extra 500+ calories to your daily intake! Generally, this may not be an issue for many of us, but there will undoubtedly be those feeling the consequences of the festive season as they step hesitantly onto the scales in January in an attempt to assess ‘the damage’.  This is usually followed by a scurry around to find the best gym membership, along with New Year Resolutions encompassing self promises of new ways and new diets as the last few uneaten ‘coffee creams’ are emptied into the bin. We are predicable as human beings, as each year the cycle of overeating is routinely followed by months of frustration as we attempt to shed those last irritating few pounds.  However, by following a few simple rules, it’s possible to enjoy the party season, and still be able to squeeze into the same clothes once  January arrives. Firstly, and probably the most importantly, whilst the cost of Christmas can be high enough at the best of times, for many people, resisting the temptation to buy too much food for the Christmas period may save more than just monetary pounds.  It’s only too familiar that each year we seem to forget that the supermarkets shut for just one day, and as such, we find ourselves hoarding food like there is a serious risk of running out of things to eat! Realistically though, how many of us find that we are still munching through nuts, gourmet cheeses, and a variety of cakes and treats, well into the New Year? By buying only what you need for the festive weekend and no more, you’ll not only save cash, but will also save running the risk of feeling you have to eat all these extras that have ‘appeared’ in the cupboard so as not to waste them, but which unfortunately add to your waistline in the process! If you do have ‘extras,’ whether the habitual tin of Quality Street or sack of mixed nuts, resist the temptation to have everything out on display at once!    Dividing out into portions using smaller bowls means you still have access but will be more aware of just how much you’ve had! Limit your alcohol!  Not only is alcohol considered to be ‘empty calories,’ as it offers no nutritional benefits, starting early in the day may also actually increase appetite, which then leads to more snacking.  Given the usual increased availability of ‘nibbles’ over the Christmas period, it’s all too easy to eat much more than you realise.   A handful of crisps or nuts, or the odd chocolate soon adds up, and can become equal in calories to a full blown meal! Choose your booze wisely; sticking to wine spritzers, or spirits mixed with low calorie tonic are less calorific than beer or wine.  Drinking a pint of water between drinks is also a good idea, not just for keeping an eye on calories, but also ensuring you remain hydrated, thus avoiding that heavy head the next day. Finally, weight gain is simply about consuming more calories than your body burns.  If you want that extra slice of Christmas cake, have it, but then, instead of settling down in front of the mandatory James Bond film, go for a walk.  It is estimated that a brisk 60-minute walk covering around 4 miles can burn off as much as 500 calories!  Realistically, most of us are unlikely to maintain a speed of 4 miles per hour after consuming a typical Christmas dinner, but it’s worth noting that the benefits of exercise can help reduce the risk of weight gain and can help to speed up metabolism. There’s a lot of pressure to try everything at Christmas time, be it Auntie’s cake or just the random bowls of crudités and snacks that adorn most people’s tables.  But enjoying Christmas treats in moderation, avoiding ‘seconds’, and eating because you’re hungry rather than purely for pleasure can all help towards avoiding weight gain.   The winter holiday is also an ideal time to get a gulp of fresh air and, wrapping up warm, taking pleasure in family time and the joys of the crispness of the weather as you all walk off your meal.   more... :

Focus on World Diabetes Day

The annual campaign held by the International Diabetes Federation is held each year on November 14th. The current 5-year programme, launched this time last year, is focused on addressing the need for education and prevention initiatives to support the global diabetes community. World Diabetes Day 2010 is therefore calling on all those responsible for diabetes care to ‘take control of diabetes now’.  For people at high risk of diabetes and the general public, the campaign aim is to raise awareness and to give advice that highlights prevention. For those people who have diabetes, the focus is to improve knowledge of the disease, thereby enabling improved management for the prevention of complications. A diagnosis of diabetes has immediate impact, imposing many life-long dietary and lifestyle changes.  These changes do not only affect the individual; living with diabetes also impacts on immediate family and friends, and highlights the overwhelming need for education about the condition.   Diabetics have to monitor their blood glucose regularly and in some cases they will need to use medication. The importance of taking regular exercise coupled with significant changes to their eating habits needs to be emphasised and may see dramatic changes in the life of the sufferer. Managing diabetes successfully is certainly paramount to preventing the myriad associated complications.  Indeed, diabetics have two to four times greater risk of developing heart disease or stroke than the general population, as well as being highly susceptible to conditions such as nephropathy (damage to the kidneys) and peripheral neuropathy (diabetic nerve damage). The prognosis also gets worse with time; sufferers who have chronic diabetes are about 50% more likely to experience some kind of nerve damage. Not surprisingly, educating diabetes sufferers on how to influence and manage their condition, and use lifestyle, diet and exercise to minimise the associated risks is a major focus that is addressed annually on this day. There are many simple dietary changes that can be adopted to help manage diabetes.  Using the glycaemic index (GI), which ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on blood glucose levels, is a good method to maintain stable blood glucose levels and is one of the most documented dietary changes recognized as directly beneficial. White sugar and other refined (simple) carbohydrates, such as those found in processed white bread and white pasta, white rice and most convenience foods, rank high on the GI, resulting in constant peaks and troughs in glucose levels.  Avoiding refined foods and sugar, as well as consuming foods with a low GI value, will help to keep blood sugar levels even.  Foods with a low GI, such as high fibre cereals, whole grain products, beans, pulses, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, vegetables and some fruit, consist of complex carbohydrates and are broken down into sugars more slowly, avoiding rapid increases in blood sugar. Probably less well known is the role of fat, and the contribution of individual fatty acids, such as the omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), in the regulation of insulin sensitivity and therefore in diabetes management.  Potential mechanisms for effects of this fatty acid on insulin sensitivity include: altered structural properties of cell membranes, direct regulatory effects on gene expression, and direct effects on insulin-sensitive tissues.   Given that diabetic individuals have an impaired ability to make omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, increasing fish consumption or supplementing directly with EPA offers many other benefits for people with diabetes.   For example, EPA plays a vital role in the compaction, stabilization, and maintenance of myelin sheaths; supplementation can therefore be of significant benefit in the relief of symptoms associated with neuropathy.  Furthermore, EPA offers cardiovascular benefits that include lowering of blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol, high levels of which are a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, another major complication of diabetes. The key to maintaining a healthy diabetic diet is simply that of a healthy diet, and one that all of us should adopt.  Indeed, proper dietary management of diabetes includes eating regular meals based on wholegrain varieties of breads, cereals and pasta.  Including plenty of ‘good fats’ in the form of oily fish can help prevent and treat neuropathies and cardiovascular risk factors.   Living with diabetes can be difficult, but managing diabetes doesn’t have to be hard.   more... :