About me · 2014. 3. 9. · About me Angelique is a nutritional therapist, foodie and health enthusiast who has a passion for helping people regain abundant energy & vitality! I get

About meAngelique is a nutritional therapist,foodie and health enthusiast who hasa passion for helping people regain abundant energy & vitality!

I get it- It can be really hard to do everything; work, play, live and still eat well. But energy is the body's currency.Every bodily process needs energy - without it we cannot even love. Try these tips and suggestions and lets work together in creating an energy plan that works for YOU!

Angelique

Photo by Anastasia Sarris

Table of Contents

What is Energy?-----

Can you have your cake and eat it?

-----

Steps for energy enhancement-----

Food plan-----

What next?

What is energy?Simply put energy is our body’s currency – food in and energy out!

Everything runs on energy. At the mostbasic level, energy is needed to retain thevery basic functions that are vital for life,functions that we tend to forget aboutbecause they are generally carried out byour bodies seamlessly and withoutconscious effort.

Why do we need energy?• Source of usable power• Capacity for vigorous activity• Capacity to work• Exuberant physical and mental vigour• All of the above?

QuestionsSo you do all those things in a daily basis, right? Therefore your energy should be optimal, right? Well, let’s check with these few questions-

• Are you tired all the time? • Do you experience energy slumps? • Do you drink tea or coffee to wake up?• Do you wish the day away so that you can go to sleep?• Do you find yourself saying or thinking ‘I am tired’ a few

times a day?• Do you answer the question ‘how are you?’ with I am tired,

I have no energy, I am sleepy?

Unfortunately, many of us will answer yes to these questions. Some may even think that it’s normal. Well I am telling you now, it's not!

As you are sitting here reading this you are using energy for your heart to beat, your lungs tobreathe, for your digestive system to digest food and your immune system to keep youhealthy. Even for your eyes to see and your brain to make sense of the words on this page.But where is this energy coming from?

Angelique Panagos – Eat. Nourish. Energise. 4

http://angeliquepanagos.com/

What is energy? continuedLets use this analogy – the food we eat is likethe petrol in a car's petrol tank. Just as thepetrol fuels the car our body uses food to fuelus. See, we run on food!

That doesn’t mean we have to eat continuallythroughout the day because our amazing bodyhas the ability to store energy, like the reservepetrol tank. In prehistoric days, a constantsupply of food was never as accessible as it istoday and our bodies have therefore evolved tostore some of this fuel for times when foodand therefore energy is short.

Muscle stores fuel for times when it needs toexert extra muscular energy such as pickingup heavy objects. The liver also stores fuel forextra energy which is how we surviveovernight without food – despite not beingconsciously active when we are sleeping onesbody still has to maintain the basic functionsof life like a beating heart, breathing lungs toname a few. It’s important to mention here thatjust like the reserve tank you cannot store hugeamounts of energy in the body either.

Energy crisisEven though we have this amazing body thatcan store fuel and keep us healthy we are in anenergy crisis! It’s the sad truth; about 1 in 5 ofus feels unusually fatigued, while 1 in 10 haspersistent low energy that reduces quality oflife! That has to make you sit up and think‘what are we doing wrong?’

As Lipman and Doyle said “if you put ahuman being in a modern city and addcomputers, mobile phones, creditcards, neon lights and 24 hourshopping, what do you expect?”. I amgoing to add to that; include bad foodchoices, media and tycoon foodcompanies spreading the wrongmessage; really, what did we expect?

“...bad food choices, media and tycoon food companies spreading the wrong message, what did we expect?”



What is energy? continuedEnergy Airtime!I think energy needs more airtime sohere are a few more amazing energyfacts:

Energy allows us to move our bodiesaround without pain.

Thanks to energy produced by muscles,we can physically move our limbs towalk, run, climb, bend and lift objects.

Thanks to the energy provided to ournervous system, we have co-ordinationto move one foot in front of the other, tolift an object and to move our handsaway from pain.

Thanks to the energy to our brains, we havethe ability to think clearly, manage ourmoods and unconsciously regulate vitalbody systems such as heat regulation,hormone regulation and hydration etc.

Energy ensures healthy development,growth and repair of skin, blood cells, tissueand bone.

Even as adults, every part of our body isconstantly being repaired and regenerated.Blood cells are renewed about every 3months, skin every 3 weeks and the gutlining every 3-5 days!

Energy controls our moods, our hormones,our vitality, and helps to retain clear skin.

Energy aids development and growth inchildren, thereby enabling them to grow intohealthy adults.

Energy ensures our immune system isfunctioning optimally, protecting us frominfection and enabling the body to repairdamage from cuts, bruises & broken bones.

Without energy we would not beable to love!



Can you have your cake and eat it?Food. If we think about it, our need for it is primal, but our relationship with it is complex and ever-changing.

For many in the developed world, eatinghas become a pleasure pursuit, andcooking a hobby. But our bodies are stillhard-wired for a tougher world wherefood as nature intended it is needed foroptimal functioning and energy.

I want to emphasise the impact food hason the quality of your day to day life i.e.energy, mood, emotion, memory,concentration….

So, for example, do you experience quitepronounced changes in energy levelsthrough the day? What about erraticchanges in mood - can you go frombeing happy and elated one minute tobeing irritable, angry or tearful the next?

Have you ever considered that perhapsthese changes could be associated withyour eating pattern?? Could things youare eating or drinking actually be robbingyou of your energy?

My aim is not only to showyou why these things happen,but I am also hoping that thiswill cause a paradigm shift inthe way that you think aboutfood!

A balanced dietIn order for you to understand what foodswe should be eating to maintain energy, youfirst need to have a basic grasp of what thefood groups are and what their function is.

Protein: The basic building blocks for thegrowth and repair of ones body and essentialfor day-to-day functions like digestion,immune function and detoxification.Animal based: Meats, poultry, organ meat,game meat, fish, eggs, dairy. Plant based tofu, soya, pulses, legumes,seeds, nuts, beans, rice, quinoa.

Carbohydrates: Provides a source of energyto your body. This energy source is especiallyimportant for your brain. E.g. Fruit,vegetables, seeds, nuts, beans, lentils, rice,cereal grains (oats, wheat, couscous, millet,teff etc), flour, bread, pasta, pastry, sugar,sweets, chocolate, cakes.

Fats: A good source of energy but moreimportantly the right fats are a component ofeach and every cell in your body. Many ofyour hormones are composed of fat (hencewhy your periods may stop if your body fat %is too low). A whopping 60% of your brain ismade of fat. Fats are needed to help yourbody absorb fat soluble nutrients e.g. oilyfish, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts,seeds, butter, cheese, dairy.



Can you have your cake and eat it? continuedEnergy metabolism is a highly complexprocess involving a symphony ofinterlinked cascades that provide andmodulate the delivery of the fuel we needto perform our daily functions. We reallyonly have time to focus on one aspect ofthis complex process, perhaps thestarting point for all energyenhancement, and that is to balance ourblood sugar.

What is blood sugar?Simply put it’s the amount of glucose(sugar) in your blood. Glucose is thepreferred fuel of the body and brain andit needs to be kept within a certain range.This sugar is used as fuel by your body(rather like petrol in a car). It isresponsible for giving you sustainedlevels of energy. This is not just about theenergy you feel – it is also aboutpowering every cell, organ, muscle andlimb in your body and especially yourbrain.

As you eat and drink, your blood sugargoes up. It is crucial to maintainconsistent blood sugar levels, in order forthis to happen your body has veryefficient self-regulating mechanisms, themain one being insulin which is secretedby the pancreas. This hormone acts as amessenger, allowing the circulatingsugar to enter the cells of the bodywhere it is used as fuel and therebyallowing blood sugar to return to itsnormal level. Viola, your body keepseverything balanced! Piece of pie, no?

What happens when blood sugar regulation goes wrong?

Problems start to occur in diets that arebased on sugary and unrefined foods suchas sugar, sweets, cakes, pastries, whitebread, pasta and white rice. These foodsrelease sugar into the bloodstream veryrapidly, resulting in sharp peaks to bloodsugar levels.

Regular peaks and troughs eventually takesits toll sending your body's mechanisms forcontrolling blood sugar into disarray.Reaching for a quick ‘pick me up’ in the formof a sugary snack, coffee or energy drinkcompounds matters further. Your body maybecome so sensitive to changes in bloodsugar that excess insulin is released whichcauses blood sugar levels to crash belownormal.

So instead of feeling energised withnoticeable improvements in mental capacityand emotional wellbeing, and feelingsatisfied for hours after eating you are leftfeeling hyper, agitated, angry or irritable, lowor depressed and tired. Sound familiar?What about feeling hungry again eventhough you are still physically full or cravingfor something sweet after eating your meal?



Can you have your cake and eat it? continuedHow do you know when blood sugar regulation is going wrong?

As I have said before thebody is amazing! It tells uswhat we need to know, theproblem is most of the timewe don’t listen. Until now.

Carbohydrate foods, certainbeverages and stress……these are by far the biggestinfluences on blood sugar!

Well we have probably learntto live with these symptoms(on the right) so no real harmthen?

Unfortunately there is!

Signs of poor blood sugar regulation:

• Cravings, particularly for sweet food • Low energy & fatigue• Light headedness• Regular yawning• ‘Foggy’ head (like you have cotton wool

between your ears)• Headaches• Mood swings & irritability• Anxiety & depression• Tearfulness• Poor concentration and memory • Weight gain especially around the middle

Constantly elevated insulin, if left unchecked, causes insulin resistance; preventing sugar fromentering cells and potentially leading to development of adult onset diabetes and othermetabolic disorders. In fact, the long-term detrimental effects of sugar and fluctuating bloodsugar levels is so far reaching that it can exert its influences on just about every system in thebody: appetite control, hormone regulation, mental health, poor immunity through tocardiovascular health and reduced energy! Plus if that wasn't bad enough, insulin promotesfat storage! If you want to maintain weight loss, balancing your blood sugar is key.

Did I say carbohydrates are by far the biggest influence on energy?

What you need to understand is that not all carbohydrate foods are created equally! Theyhave what we call different glycaemic loads. What's that you ask? The glycaemic load simplyrefers to how quickly carbohydrate foods get broken down when you eat them releasingsugar into your bloodstream.



Can you have your cake and eat it? continuedHigh glycaemic carbohydrates are madeof very simple sugars which breakdownvery quickly, also known as simplecarbohydrates. Low glycaemiccarbohydrates have a more complexstructure so breakdown slowly, alsoknown as complex carbohydrates.

Whilst you do need to be eatingcarbohydrates, there are certaincarbohydrates you absolutely do notneed unless you are taking part inendurance exercise.

Are you with me so far?

So, let’s take a bag of sugar as anexample. If we go by your dieting rules,we can, of course, label the bag of sugar“fat-free”! Once this sugar is in yoursystem (and trust me, this is very highglycaemic!), it will send your blood sugarsky high. What do you think happensnext? Your pancreas, releases insulin in abid to try and control the increasingblood sugar - so you don’t die!

Your definition of what sugaris needs to be expanded – itis not just about this whitecrystallized stuff!

It's sugar, confectionery, cakes, pastries,refined breads, crackers, pasta, cereals, flour,processed breakfast cereals, fruit juices,bread, pastry, pasta, fluffy processed high GLcarbs – these are all converted into sugarwithin minutes of being eaten which sendsus into the high blood sugar. This high bloodsugar causes an energy spike and what goesup must come down and boy does it comedown with a crash! This is where weexperience quite pronounced changes inenergy levels through the day and erraticmoods.

Sugar facts: Fact – white sugar, white flour – these are allextracted foods that can be classed in thesame category as cocaine. Yes you read thatright! They are addictive compoundsbecause they provide a natural opiate hit inthe brain. This might sound good to some,but in reality, just like drugs, you need moreand more and more to get the same effect.

Be warned though, sugar is hard to avoidbecause it is sneaked into so manyprocessed foods. Don’t be taken in by thehealthy claims on food labels. You have toread and understand the ingredients foryourself. If the food is made with refinedgrains, multiple types of sugars/ syrups thenit is going to be a really bad choice for yourblood sugar and energy.



Can you have your cake and eat it? continued

Trust me, when that stuff hits your body,it turns to sugar very quickly! So, thinkabout it, if food manufacturers can hooka customer, then they have a customerfor life!

If that’s not bad enough – SUGAR ISTHE WRINKLE MONSTER!! It binds toskins collagen causing its fibres to sticktogether and become rigid; creatingwinkles, sags and bags. It also inhibitsvitamin C which is crucial for theproduction of collagen!

Just quickly - as well as carbohydratefoods, there are other things that alsoinfluence blood sugar levels that areworthy of a mention!

• Caffeinated beverages • Alcoholic drinks • Stress• Skipping meals

Effectively, anything that causesadrenalin to kick in will also have theeffect of raising your blood sugar levels.

If you take all this on board, you will veryquickly see positive changes with yourconcentration, energy, mood, emotions,weight and your number 1 asset your health.

“Sugar is the wrinkle monster. Itbinds to skins collagen causingits fibres to stick together andbecome rigid; creating winkles,sags and bags.”



Steps for energy enhancementIt's hard work staying healthy in the modern age.Here are some practical steps to steer you in the right direction...

Step 1 Never skip meals

Aim to eat breakfast within an hour of rising. Eat small and frequent meals and snacks.Ensure that you eat at least every 3- 4 / 4 -5 hours, taking healthy snacks as necessary. Smallregular meals help to maintain energy levels and mood, while decreasing tiredness, irritabilityand fat storage.

Step 2 Protein

Include quality protein, such as lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts and seedswith each meal or snack. Protein and fats help to slow the release of sugar from carbohydratefoods into the blood stream.

Step 3 Carbohydrates

Opt for low to medium glycaemic, unrefined complex carbohydrates such as wholegrain flourbreads and pastas, brown rice, oats, nuts, seeds, pulses, lentils, domestic fruits & berries andvegetables.



Steps for energy enhancement continued

Step 4 Sneaky Sugar

Be aware of the foods you are eating and learn to understand food labels. Avoid highly refinedwhite sweet and fluffy foods such as white flours/ bread/ pasta/ rice and pastries; sugarysweets, desserts, biscuits, cakes and milk chocolate; soft drinks and cordials or anything withadded sugars. Hidden sugars are also included in many cereals, breads, tinned produce, andprocessed/ packaged foods.

Step 5 Avoid Sugar

Avoid all forms of concentrated sugars and sugar derivatives such as white or brown sugar,corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, treacle, golden syrup, brown rice syrup, dextrose,maltose, maltodextrin, dextrin. Additionally avoid synthetic sweeteners, such as aspartame,saccharin and sucralose. They are chemicals , not food, and can still perpetuate a sweettooth. Choose wisely when it comes to selecting what to sweeten your foods with. Anyconcentrated sweet taste will prime your body to want more and can affect your body’s abilityto regulate blood sugar levels.

Step 6 Avoid Stimulants

Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, alcohol, chocolate, cigarettes, and fizzy and energydrinks that contain caffeine. These may provide a temporary energy boost, however these notonly deplete many essential nutrients, but always reduce energy levels in the long run. Aim todrink at least 1½ - 2 litres of filtered/ bottled water throughout the day, this can include herbalteas.



Steps for energy enhancement continued

Step 7 Exercise

Exercise! It improves your energy, insulin balance and your self esteem!! Gentle exercises suchas yoga, pilates, swimming and brisk walking are all excellent alternatives to high cardio andare often energising in themselves.

Step 8 Sleep

Good quality sleep is of utmost importance for long-term health and energy. Few people cancope with less than 7 or 8 hours of sleep per night, and those who regularly undersleep arealmost always less efficient - not more. To promote proper sleep, keep regular sleepingpatterns and ensure the bedroom is dark enough with adequate ventilation. Sweet dreams!

The 80:20 ruleAs I said in the beginning I get it, life does not always go to plan and even the bestintentions can be intercepted! That's why I am a firm believer in living life accordingto the 80:20 rule. 80% of the time and where it is in your control you stick to energyenhancing way of eating and 20% of the time especially where its not in your controlyou may let your hair down. Here is an example of a weeks meal plan, in an idealworld! Mix and match the meals to fit in with your life.



BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNERDESSERTS

SNACKS

MONDAY

Cinnamon & gingeroat porridge

Sweetened with grated applesprinkled with ground flax

seeds

Spinach & herbfrittata

Eaten with a rocket saladCold leftovers from Sundays

breakfast

Turkey burgers

with home-made tomatosauce, butternut squash fries

and green leafy salad

Seasonal fruit salad

Hot or coldWith cashew or oat cream

TUESDAY

Poached eggs ontoasted ryesourdough

With grilled tomatoes &mushrooms

Chicken wraps withtomato & garlic

salsa

Using the buckwheat pancakes& leftover poached chicken

Poached salmonwith ratatouille styleseasonal vegetables

On a bed of sweet potatomash

Hazelnut butter filledcelery sticks

WEDNESDAY

Smoothie

Add what you like: avocado,green leafy vegetables, berries,

oats, flaxseeds……

Flaked salmon & dillopen sandwich on

rye

Eaten with a watercress salad& using leftover salmon

Bean chilli

With basmati brown rice &Chilli & garlic gram bread

Natural yoghurt

With baked coconut flakes

THURSDAYQuinoa porridge

With berries and ground seeds

Baked chicken withroasted vegetables

and salad

Pan fried mackerelfillet with caraway &fennel seed quinoa/

brown rice

with steamed seasonalvegetables

Organic hummusand crudités

FRIDAY

Gluten-freepancakes (see

website)

With stewed appleMake enough to freeze some

Mackerel & quinoasalad

Leftovers. Add lightly cookedvegetables of your choice: red

onion, peas, leeks…….

Prawn stir fry

With brown rice noodles

Oatcakes or brownrice cakes with feta

or goats cheese

SATURDAY

Tinned sardines,rocket & slicedtomato on rye

Try pepping it up with somehorseradish

Vegetable crudités,houmous &

chickpea falafel

Spaghetti Bolognese

With brown rice or quinoapasta

Try using buffalo / turkeymince as a leaner alternative to

beef

Pear, almonds

SUNDAY

Spinach & herbfrittata

With grilled tomatoes

Poached chickenwith red pepper &

basil sauce

With sweet potato mash &steamed seasonal vegetables

Chicken soup

Made from the poached

chicken

Warm tomato &Mozzarella salad

Baked figs

With natural yoghurt

What next?Test it out for yourself!You have all the tools you need, set a goal oftrying out my tips and recommendations forat least 2 weeks and see the results foryourself. Then pop over to my Facebook orTwitter page, say hello and tell me what youthink, it really makes my day.

Here are some recipes to get you started.

If you would like a more individualised planthen please get in touch:http://angeliquepanagos.com/

Nourishing Wishes

Angelique


http://angeliquepanagos.com/category/recipes/

https://twitter.com/apnutrition

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angelique-Panagos-Nutrition/282656858458558

About the AuthorAngelique is a leading nutritionaltherapist with an immense passion forthe healing power of food.

“The food we eat affects every cellin the body, making the differencebetween feeling 'all right' andfeeling 'great'!” As a devoted foodieand health enthusiast Angelique willinspire you to make the changesneeded for you own health andvitality!

Angelique Panagos Dip ION, FdSc, mBant, CNHC

With a special interest in Female Health, Hormonal Balance, Energy Enhancement, StressManagement, Weight Management and Digestive Wellness, Angelique's approach is personal,supportive and tailored to your specific needs. Investigating the underlying causes andconcentrating on the complete health of the client Angelique will work together with you todesign an individual realistic programme that can help you reach your health goals.

Angeliques work is focussed on the unique nutritional needs of an individual. “I am passionateabout transforming my client’s relationship to food and their health. The degree of biologicalvariation between individuals is too vast to guarantee that the same treatment will have thesame effect for everyone, therefore I don’t have a one size fits all approach.” Angelique ispassionate about helping you achieve your health goals, she understands what it's like; sheneeded to work through her own personal health issues to get to where she is today - full ofenergy and ready to help!

Angelique completed her training as a Nutritional Therapist at the renowned Institute forOptimum Nutrition (ION) in London UK where she trained in the principles of FunctionalMedicine, a science-based method that assesses & treats the underlying causes ofsymptoms. Angelique is registered and regulated by the British Association for AppliedNutritional Therapy (BANT) and is a member of The Complimentary and Natural HealthcareCouncil (CNHC). Based in London Angelique has extensive experience in both face to faceclinical and corporate environments or if you are further afield via skype/ telephone.

The information provided in this book is for informational purposes only and in no way intended as medical advice, as a substitute for medical counselling or as treatment or cure for any disease or condition. Please understand that you assume all risks for use, non use or misuse of this information. Consult your doctor or health care practitioner for any health problems, before embarking on any new health regimes, using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications or food programmes. Except for personal use, no part of this book may be reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. It is sold on the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or circulated without the publisher's consent. © Copyright 2014 by Angelique Panagos



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About me · 2014. 3. 9. · About me Angelique is a nutritional therapist, foodie and health enthusiast who has a passion for helping people regain abundant energy & vitality! I get