P.2: Picnic basket fillers P.5: BCNH graduate Sego Elliott talks Year 4 Clinical Practice P.7: Adrenal Testing by BCNH graduate Kate Osborne. P11: Food in Season - The Berry Delicious Strawberry! P12: Question Time with BCNH lecturer Ben Brown
BCNH OPEN DAYS coming soon! clicK here for more info
Dear readers, Welcome to the summer edition of the BCNH newsletter. With long (and hopefully) sunny days ahead, this issue focuses on fresh, vibrant summer foods to help maintain optimum health, whilst also tantalising the taste buds! It also features two BCNH graduates - one of whom talks about her experiences of Year 4 clinical practice and the other who has gone on to pursue a career in testing with Genova Diagnostics. Moving forward, I would love to hear other success stories from BCNH graduates. Furthermore, if any current BCNH students have any comments or suggestions, I would love to hear from you. Have a wonderful summer! Joanne
WELCOME
June 2017 Newsletter
ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS
SUMMER FOODS
Contains essential minerals such as iron, zinc, copper and magnesium which function as cofactors to enzymes for many cellular metabolic processes. Lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that have been linked to eye health . Vitamin C which supports the immune system.
A good source of calcium and vitamin K to maintain healthy bones. Contains phytonutrients such as isothiocyanates which are anti-inflammatory and inhibit the development of cancer. A good source of iron to help combat anaemia.
Rich in many essential minerals such as potassium which regulates blood pressure. A good source of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, essential for eye health. A good source of fibre to help excrete toxins from the body.
Summer is here and so is an abundance of fresh, colourful foods to tantalise the taste buds. Here are some of our top picks to put in your picnic basket, which are full of secret health benefits...
Contains the antioxidant lycopene, which is responsible for giving the fruit its pink colour as well as being associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer Magnesium to regulate blood pressure. Vitamin C, an antioxidant which helps protect the body against free radical attacks.
What our STUDENTS say about BCNH
Relatively short term supplementation with vitamin D can improve cognitive performance and memory in people with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease primarily affecting the brain and spinal cord. Low vitamin D has been strongly associated with risk for developing MS and vitamin D supplementation has been shown to have an important protective effect against disease development in people at risk. Few if any studies, however, have assessed the potential for vitamin D supplementation to improve MS symptoms. In a new study people with MS and vitamin D deficiency (<25 ng/ml) received 10,000 IU vitamin D3 daily for 3-months. Despite the short treatment time it was found that vitamin D supplementation increased to blood levels to a mean of 49.0ng/ml and improved memory test results. In addition, a higher blood level of vitamin D was predictive of better cognitive performance. “Vitamin D3 replacement could improve cognitive performance in MS patients and make a significant difference in the patient's quality of life,” concluded the investigators. A long-term study is underway. *Click here for article reference.
SCIENCE UPDATE
Elma Reka Year 2 Diploma Student
Vitamin D for Multiple Sclerosis By Benjamin Brown, ND - Naturopath, BCNH Lecturer, Science Writer and Speaker
9. Coffee does not inhibit iron absorption. a) True b) False
4. Swordfish and tuna fish are high mercury and should not be eaten on a regular basis. a) True b) False
Click here for answers
6. Suncreams block vitamin D synthesis in the skin. a) True b) False
7. When meat is cooked at high temperatures (e.g. grilled or barbequed meat), carcinogenic molecules are formed. a) True b) False
5. Dried fruits are low in sugar. a) True b) False
2. Saturated fats increase cholesterol synthesis in the body. a) True b) False
1. Oily fish are a good source of which of the following fats? a) Monounsaturated fatty acids b) Omega 3 fatty acids c) Omega 6 fatty acids er1\",\"_Hea�A���j
8. A Palaeolithic (Hunter-Gatherer) type diet may help to prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. a) True b) False
3. Which of the following foods can reduce cholesterol absorption and may help to lower blood levels of cholesterol? a) Beans b) Nuts & seeds c) Chicken tomad",".ad-texLAN ��
QUIZ
Recent BCNH graduate, Sego Elliott, talks about the challenges and rewards of Year 4 clinical practice.
1. Tell us a little bit about your background, what motivated you to study Nutritional Therapy? I have experienced first hand the dramatic effect that dietary changes can have on overall health. In my twenties, I was organizing golf tournaments for the Asian PGA tour. Back then, I was travelling extensively from one event to the other and became very run down. My diet was terrible and my way to regulate my moods was to ingest a ludicrous amount of caffeine! Something had to change. That is when I discovered the world of nutritional therapy and I have been hooked ever since! 2. Why did you choose BCNH? I felt that BCNH encompassed all the criteria that I was looking for i.e. a school that had a science-based approach to health and nutrition backed up by up to date research and with a strong curriculum that prepared me well technically so that I would become a successful nutritional therapist upon graduation. BCNH also has a great reputation globally, which is important as I live in Cape Town/Dubai. 3. Having recently completed your Year 4 Clinical Training, what did you like most about Year 4? Year 4 allowed me to apply the technical knowledge learnt in the first 3 years into practical, personalised and professional recommendations. Witnessing my clients’ progress towards achieving their goals was extremely rewarding and made me realize how much I could help others in the future. 4. What was the most difficult part about your Year 4 Clinical Training? The first 3 case studies were definitely the most challenging ones. I was mainly struggling to translate the technical knowledge that I had learnt into a client friendly format. My “light bulb moment” happened thanks to one of my supervisors who was listening to the second consultation of my third case study. She very simply told me that I needed to tell my client a story to make it compelling for them. Good advice that I have followed since! 5.Without breaching client confidentiality, can you tell us a little bit about your case studies? For example, were there any clients who experienced major changes in their health as a result of your advice? I have really enjoyed finding root causes and connecting all the dots of my clients’ health puzzles. One example that springs to mind was a client who suffered from indigestion and tiredness. She was often experiencing cramps, diarrhea, feeling bloated after eating certain foods and her tiredness was so bad that most mornings, she would go back to sleep after dropping off her children at school. A comprehensive case history taking and various tests helped to identify and address the triggers and underlying causes of her health problems. At the 3rd stage, her symptoms had all gone and during her last consultation, she explained that being symptom free made her feel like she had been given a new lease of life.
CLINICAL PRACTICE at BCNH
6. What advice would you give other students about to start their Clinical Training with BCNH? Don’t give up! Year 4 is the hardest yet most rewarding year. You need to be prepared for a steep learning curve with no room for slack time. It is like hiking up the Drakensberg traverse… The most daunting part is most definitely the beginning where you face some vertical stairways and few handholds, making it very difficult to navigate. With this in mind, before you start you prepare for it. You know that an optimal fitness level, a highly focused mind, a no room for failure mental attitude, detailed itineraries and good communication will be a must if you want to reach the top. You also understand the importance of being prepared for the unexpected as mistakes will be made and needing to be corrected along the way. But the rewards are worth it, including an incredible sense of achievement! Also take the time to check with other students. This will help with your motivation levels if they are dipping. 7. Please tell us about your plans for the future. Since graduating in April, I have been busy with supervising the building of our new family house in Cape Town, another exciting and time consuming project. In my spare time I am offering my services to the local population from humble backgrounds who desperately need to be educated about healthy eating, and I have just agreed to partner with a friend who provides Corporate Wellness Programs to companies. This short break is also allowing me to look at other options that are presenting themselves to me and weigh out what would fit best with my family life and lifestyle. Amongst these options, I have been approached by an anti-ageing clinic in Dubai who is interested to hire me as a “visiting consultant”. I am also considering working with a global company who are putting together a health programme for their employees and have asked me if I would be interested to partner. All very exciting projects in the pipeline! To book a BCNH nutrition consultation with a Year 4 student practitioner contact admin@bcnh.co.uk A nutrition consultation will help you identify areas of strength and weakness in your diet and lifestyle and help you prepare a strategy for improvement. In this way, you will get the knowledge and skills to achieve maximum health benefits. Our Student Practitioner (SP) will spend time with you; listening to your history, analysing your diet and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health as well as complex, chronic disease. Our Student Practitioner consultations are based on Functional Medicine (FM), which is a holistic approach, addressing the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.
TESTING
The Adrenal Stress Profile has always been a very popular profile with our practitioners and has become increasingly so over the past few years. We know that adrenal dysfunction is not always well supported in general medical practice and it is an area where many CAM practitioners have seen good results using diet, lifestyle, and targeted supplement protocol. We measure salivary cortisol at four points over the day in order to assess the circadian rhythm. Salivary DHEA is also measured as part of the Adrenal Stress Profile, but is also offered as a stand-alone marker. Who might the Adrenal Stress Profile be particularly useful for and what patterns might you see? Adrenal Stress Profile can be helpful for patients with a range of disorders such as anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, insomnia and difficulty losing weight. It is not always easy to link a pattern of results to a particular condition as stress responses are so individual. For example, chronic fatigue patients may show lower levels of cortisol throughout the day, but this is not exclusively so. We fairly often see patterns of elevated morning cortisol with a huge drop in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th samples which we usually consider to be ‘Wired and Tired’. The patient can produce cortisol, but seemingly is unable to maintain it throughout the day. Elevated late evening cortisol may be connected with poor sleep and the patient may find it helpful to look at improving sleep hygiene and introducing relaxation techniques.
Adrenal Stress Profile
Kate Osborne DipBCNH, BSc, MSc received her Diploma in Nutritional Therapy from BCNH in 2006 and her MSc in Personalised Nutrition from CNELM, Wokingham in 2015. Kate has been running her own nutrition practice since 2009, focusing on hormonal health. She also joined the Medical Education team at Genova Diagnostics in May 2016 and is going to discuss the importance of adrenal testing.
What about more unusual patterns such as a low morning cortisol with a mid-afternoon peak and remaining elevated into the evening? When we see more unusual patterns we recommend checking with the patient for possible causes of elevated cortisol. These can include exercise, infections, pain and inflammation, sleeping in the afternoon, hypoglycemia or acute stress. We also encourage patients to complete the test on what they would consider a ‘typical day’ so that results are representative of their current state of health. If these have all been ruled out then we usually discuss starting with lifestyle changes, balancing blood sugar, making sure that there is optimal supply of nutrients that nourish the adrenal glands through diet and supplementation, and then considering adaptogenic herbs or adrenal glandulars as appropriate. What nutrients would you consider for adrenal support? Specific supplement protocols are not our area of particular expertise but a high-grade multi-vitamin or mineral can provide baseline nutrients, additional vitamin C, B5, B6, magnesium and zinc can be useful. For elevated cortisol, phosphatidyl serine may resensitise the hypothalamus and pituitary to cortisol negative feedback. Adaptogenic herbs can also be very helpful for both hyper and hypocortisol results. Are there any supplements or medications which can impact on the results? Any steroid-based medication, including nasal sprays, inhalers or eye drops will directly impact cortisol levels and we sometimes see results that are skewed very high. Nutritional supplements should not directly impact these test results. We cannot be certain of the impact that glandular support would have on these test results.
Vitamin D & Leaky Gut By Dr Nigel Abraham (Ph.D, MSc, London FIBMS), Group Scientific/Laboratory Director for Food Intolerance products and services at Cambridge Nutritional Sciences.
You’ve likely heard that vitamin D is important. We hear of its association with osteoporosis or loss of bone density, when it’s deficient. But did you know that there are vitamin D receptors (VDR) on many tissues in the body such as the heart, skin, brain, kidney, immune cells, breast and prostate? Vitamin D goes way beyond affecting bone health only. When deficient, it’s been linked to severe kidney disease, heart disease, cancer, inflammation and a leaky gut. It turns out that there are few areas of the body vitamin D doesn’t touch. What Does Vitamin D Do? Inflammation and vitamin D are intrinsically tied together, Vitamin D is a potent anti-inflammatory, it activates natural killer cells; the immune defence army that kills viruses, bacteria and cancer cells. Chronic inflammation is the initiator of most of the degenerative diseases we are trying to avoid including heart disease, cancer, autoimmune and diabetes. Deficiency of Vitamin D has also been associated with a leaky gut, a known link to autoimmune disease and other degenerative diseases. Vitamin D and intestinal barrier integrity
A leaky gut can be caused by gut irritants like drugs, chemicals, infections, and dysbiosis of the gut flora. An important tool against leaky gut is vitamin D as it is needed to ensure the integrity of the tight junctions between cells acting as the gatekeeper system of the small intestine, a deficiency in vitamin D can therefore result in leaky gut. When we appreciate how closely vitamin D is tied into the body’s immune system and its correct functioning, it’s perhaps not surprising that vitamin D would play a role in a healthy gut where 70-80% of the human immune system is located. Due to the role the gut plays in the absorption of vitamin D it should come as no surprise that it is frequently deficient in patients with coeliac disease, gluten sensitivity and other chronic digestive diseases. Vitamin D Encourages Healing of the Gut Lining In a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study, researchers evaluated changes in gut barrier function as well as disease markers in patients with Crohn’s disease in response to vitamin D supplementation. The study group was made up of 27 Crohn’s patients who were in remission. They were given 2000 IU/day of vitamin D or placebo for 3 months. The study found that patients treated with vitamin D were more likely to maintain their intestinal barrier integrity, whereas intestinal permeability increased in the placebo group. Increased intestinal permeability has been demonstrated to predict and precede clinical relapse in Crohn’s patients. Importantly, those patients with the highest blood levels of vitamin D showed signs of reduced inflammation, as measured by C-reactive protein and antimicrobial peptides. For all of the above reasons, it is very important to get tested in order to know what your vitamin D status is. There is no way to guess what your levels might be. Testing is particularly important due to the fact that vitamin D is fat soluble vitamin. Those people who are not deficient therefore run the risk of reaching toxic levels through unnecessary supplementation
*Click here for references.
Wimbledon's looming again, which can only mean one thing- it is almost berry season with strawberries reigning as the champion. The soft and juicy berry is not only bursting with vitamin C, potassium, manganese and folic acid, but it is also jam-packed with disease-fighting polyphenols such as anthocyanins, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (Prymont-Przyminska et al, 2014) and are responsible for making strawberries bright red. Furthermore, they are a good dose of fibre, which helps to regulate blood glucose levels by slowing the rate of digestion. So, why not enjoy tennis season whilst tucking into the sweet berry and reap the health benefits...
Strawberry Limon Frozen Popsicles
FOOD IN FOCUS - The berry delicious STRAWBERRy
Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Strawberries in Elderflower Jelly
Creamy Banana Strawberry Split Smoothie
Benjamin Brown, ND Ben is a naturopath, nutritionist, science writer and speaker. He is author of The Digestive Health Solution and contributes regularly to industry magazines and scientific journals. Ben is Contributing Editor of Integrative Healthcare and Applied Nutrition, Technical Director at Viridian Nutrition, and is on the Advisory Board of the BCNH College of Nutrition and Health where he is also a lecturer. He is an in-demand speaker and regularly features at public speaking events and international conferences
1. How did your involvement with BCNH come about? I was introduced to the founder and principal of BCNH, Breda, several years ago by one of the founders of the Nutritional Therapy Council, and am very thankful for it. For me lecturing and supporting education is about supporting the future of Nutritional Therapy. I feel this is vitally important and am proud to have been working with BCNH all this time, they are a bench mark for quality education and have produced outstanding graduates. 2. What does your normal working week consist of? I have a lot of commitments including managing projects such as product development, editorial work, writing and speaking, which means my week is varied and can involve travel. At the moment, I am in LA at the IFM annual conference getting inspired! 3. What do you most enjoy about lecturing? It’s not only students that learn, it’s the lecturers. I spend time updating and refreshing every lecture, so lecturing keeps me very up to date. Also, students are challenging which is wonderful, and helps me dive deep into the topics in ways that you cannot in any other setting. I also lecture to the public, qualified nutritional therapists and other health professionals but there is something special about the dynamic with students. I love it. "Educate, motivate and inspire." One of the key driving forces for me throughout my career is a desire to learn, I have it now as much as I did when I was a student and it is key to being able to communicate a subject. I always say you should know 90% more than the material you are covering, that way you are grounded in a good knowledge of the topic and can start to have fun with it. -what do you always strive to do during a lecture to engage, motivate and inspire students? Whether its lecturing to students, the public or health professionals, I have three guiding principles; educate, motivate, and inspire. I think if that’s your genuine motivation it naturally shines through in different ways. Something I consciously do is use language that empowers people because I am often just synthesizing and communicating messages, ultimately it’s the people in antecedence that need to put it into practice.
watch a clip from one of ben's lectures here:
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QUESTION TIME
Every issue we will be talking to a BCNH lecturer about what makes them tick. This month it's Ben Brown's turn who will be talking about his love of lecturing and inspiring others to learn.
QUESTION TIME WITH...
4. What skills do you think you need to be a great lecturer? One of the key driving forces for me throughout my career is a desire to learn, I have it now as much as I did when I was a student and it is key to being able to communicate a subject. I always say you should know 90% more than the material you are covering, that way you are grounded in a good knowledge of the topic and can start to have fun with it. 5. What do you always strive to do during a lecture to engage, motivate and inspire students? Whether its lecturing to students, the public or health professionals, I have three guiding principles; educate, motivate, and inspire. I think if that’s your genuine motivation it naturally shines through in different ways. Something I consciously do is use language that empowers people because I am often just synthesizing and communicating messages, ultimately it’s the people in attendance that need to put it into practice. 6. What is one of your favourite lectures and why? I have enjoyed delivering the lecture on phytochemicals for a few reasons. Firstly, this is an area typically neglected in the past. In nutrition you tend to spend a lot of time focusing on about 40 or so macronutrients and micronutrients, but the 10,000 plus phytonutrients in our food have been historically ignored. But it turns out the these phytochemicals have profound health effects we have only recently began to appreciate. Secondly, the science of phytochemicals is grounded in everything I love about nutrition; it can help us transform people’s health, its grounded in using “food first” in nutritional therapy, and speaks to the vital importance of holism rather than reductionist science. 7. With a busy schedule, what will you most be looking forward to this summer? Down time is important and I tend to make time to relax in summer, slowing down my work schedule a bit and taking some quality time “off the grid” to recharge and refresh.
Interested in our Science Foundation Course? If you wish to study Nutritional Therapy with BCNH and do not have an A-level (or equivalent) in Chemistry, you will be required to complete a Science Foundation Course first. The tailor-made course covers a range of topics from cell structure and respiration to free radicals and amino acids , which will equip you with a basic science background to follow the modules on the Diploma or BSc (Hons) Nutritional Therapy programmes. Enrol now for our next SFC, starting October 2017 For more information or to apply, contact us at admin@bcnh.co.uk
CONSIDERING A CAREER CHANGE?
GET INVOLVED
We hope you enjoyed the new edition of the BCNH newsletter. We would love to hear your comments, suggestion and questions, which we aim to incorporate in future editions. Simply get in touch: joannej@bcnh.co.uk We look forward to hearing from you all! Breda & Joanne
OPEN DAYS
SUMMER OPEN DAYS Saturday 8th July Saturday 5th August Central London The best way to get a feel for what BCNH is all about is to come and visit us on our Open Days. This will give you the chance to find out more about the academic and clinical work you will experience at BCNH, in addition to the career options that will be open to you as a graduate of our college. At the Open Days you will have the opportunity to learn more about the courses we offer, experience the UCL campus and facilities (where BCNH lectures and seminars take place) and also ask questions of staff members How to register your interest in attending the Open Days? Please email admin@bcnh.co.uk in order to confirm your attendance and receive further information about the event. Please note that places are on a first come, first served basis. If you cannot attend the Open Days, you can always book an interview / friendly chat with a member of our team via Skype or in person at our offices in NW3.
1.b) Omega 3 Fatty Acids 2. a) True 3. a) Beans b) Nuts & seeds 4. a) True 5. b) False 6. a) True 7. a) True 8. a) True 9. b) False
QUIZ ANSWERS
Science Update Darwish, H., Haddad, R., Osman, S., Ghassan, S., Yamout, B., Tamim, H., Khoury, S. (2017). Effect of Vitamin D Replacement on Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis Patients. Scientific Reports. 7:45926. Testing: Vitamin D & Leaky Gut Kong, J., Zhang, Z., Musch, MW., Ning, G., Sun,J., Hart, J., Bissonnette, M., Li, YC. (2008). Novel role of the vitamin D receptor in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier. American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 294(1):G208-16. Sun, J. (2010). Vitamin D and mucosal immune function. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology. 26(6): 591–595. Food in Season Prymont-Przyminska, A., Zwolinska, A., Sarniak, A., Wlodarczyk, A., Krol, M., Nowak, M., … Nowak, D. (2014). Consumption of strawberries on a daily basis increases the non-urate 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of fasting plasma in healthy subjects. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition. 55(1), 48–55.
REFERENCES