Welcome our new nutritionist Pippa Mitchell to Team Octagon!

Hi Pippa! Welcome to Team Octagon. Tell us about your personal nutrition journey.

I first got interested in nutrition having backpacked around the world and picked up several interesting bugs!  It became apparent to me that what I ate had a big impact on my gut health and that in turn seemed to affect all sorts of other organs and processes in the body.  After returning home I looked into how to support my body through nutrition and dietary choices rather than going down a conventional medical route that involved lots of antibiotics and other medications.  I firmly believe that I was able to bring my body back into a good state of health (especially my gut) through nutrition.

What kinds of ailments do you help clients with?

I see clients with all kinds of health conditions from skin problems, cardiovascular health, hormonal imbalances, autoimmune conditions, weight loss, digestive problems including IBS and inflammatory bowel diseases – the list is endless.  Many clients come having seen their GP and want an additional approach to help them manage their condition – through diet, nutrition and lifestyle management.

Top 5 nutrition tips that everyone could benefit from.

½ of your plate should be greens – the remainder made up from smaller portions of protein (animal or vegetarian), beneficial fats, starchy vegetables and/or slow release carbohydrates.

Feed your gut with beneficial bacteria and prebiotics (the foods that help your bacteria flourish).  As Hippocrates said in the 7^th C – all disease begins in the gut!  There is new and exciting research being undertaken into gut microbiome and the huge impact it has on our overall health.

Cut as much refined, artificial and added sugars from your diet as you can.  We can get all the energy we need from eating a balanced diet without the need for extra sugars.  In fact we know that these are harmful to us in terms of obesity, heart disease, Type ll diabetes etc.

Don’t snack after your main evening meal.  Snacking in front of the TV adds unnecessary calories that contribute to weight gain. You should try to leave 12 hours between your evening meal and breakfast to allow the body to rest and regenerate.

Eat mindfully!  Do you really need that second helping?  Eating slowly and chewing food thoroughly not only helps digestion but signals to the body when it is full up.  Leave the table feeling as if you could eat more but resist the urge to keep on eating until you feel too full.

What are you up when you’re not helping people at the Octagon?

I enjoy exercising – weights, body conditioning and I do a couple of exercise classes that involve lots of running and jumping around!  I love walking so every weekend will find me out and about in the countryside.  Closer to home I spend as much time in my garden as I can; socialising with friends which usually involves eating so cooking and experimenting in the kitchen is always on the agenda.

More on Pippa here. Contact us here to book in a nutritional consultation with Pippa.