Nutrition

Diet can have a huge effect on the way your body functions, by eating correctly you can improve your energy levels, sporting performance, injury recovery, ability to fight disease and improve your sleep patterns.

As a qualified Weight Management Consultant Jason also offers advice for weight loss, weight gain, improvement in sports performance and for health benefits with disease such as diabetes, Arthritis, and Heart disease.

Jason offers a one-to-one consultation for nutritional and exercise advice for people who are struggling to lose weight, unsure about how much exercise or what type of exercise to start with. Jason can also recommend highly qualified Personal Trainers who may also help with problems or help encourage you during the initial stages of exercise, or just to check your doing the right thing and staying on track.

In addition to this Jason holds presentations on Nutrition, Exercise, Injuries and Rehabilitation at Greens Health and Fitness. See the Presentations page for more information.

Tips for Healthy Joints

Omega-3 fatty acids
The healthiest of fats for people with arthritis or other inflammatory disorders are omega-3 fatty acids, one of the polyunsaturated fats. While other foods increase levels of inflammation in the body. More than a dozen studies have demonstrated that omega-3 fish oils can reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Study participants reported greater strength, less fatigue, reduced joint swelling and tenderness, less joint stiffness and less pain. The best foods for omega-3 fatty acids: salmon (wild, fresh or canned), herring, mackerel (not king), sardines, anchovies, rainbow trout, Pacific oysters, omega-3-fortified eggs, flaxseed (ground and oil), and walnuts.



Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the nutrients most responsible for the health of collagen, a major component of cartilage. In addition, research suggests that people who eat a diet low in vitamin C may have a greater risk of developing some kinds of arthritis. For those reasons, it is important to make vitamin C-rich foods an important part of your daily diet. Some of the best foods containing vitamin C: guava, sweet peppers (yellow/red/green), oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, pineapple, kohlrabi, papayas, lemons, broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, kidney beans, kiwi, cantaloupe, cauliflower, red cabbage, mangos, white potato (with skin) and mustard greens.

Spices, ginger and turmeric
Like fruits and vegetables, spices come from plant sources and they can have powerful effects on health. Certain spices seem to have anti-inflammatory effects and therefore should be considered for arthritis treatment. Among the most promising are ginger and turmeric. Ginger contains chemicals that work similarly to some anti-inflammatory medications, so its effects on arthritis pain are not surprising. However, ginger can also act as a blood thinner, so anyone taking a blood-thinning medication should collaborate with their personal physician when adding foods and beverages seasoned with ginger. To incorporate more ginger into your diet, grate fresh ginger into stir-fries, enjoy ginger tea and bake low-fat ginger muffins. In addition, Turmeric, sometimes called curcumin, is a mustard-yellow spice from Asia and the main ingredient in yellow curry. Scientific studies have shown that turmeric

Antioxidants—vitamin C, selenium, carotenes, bioflavonoids
Inflammation produces free radicals, those cell-damaging molecules that are formed in response to toxins or natural body processes. The synovium (joint Capsule) is just as prone to this kind of damage as the skin, eyes, or any other body tissue. Antioxidants protect the body from the effects of free radicals, and are a critical part of an anti-inflammation diet. Research has demonstrated that certain antioxidants may help prevent arthritis, slow its progression and relieve pain.

For more information on Arthritis and Inflammation see News and Information