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Good nutrition becomes especially important as we age. As we get older, we need fewer calories but our nutrient needs increase. This generally means that the foods we choose to eat need to be high quality.

As we age, lean muscle mass and bone density decline, leaving us potentially at risk for sarcopaenia (loss of muscle mass and strength) and fractures. Digestive function can also be reduced, leading to reduced nutrient bioavailability. It’s important to eat a high-quality diet in preparation for ageing, to minimise these effects.

Eating a high-quality diet as we get older is important for:

• Protection against chronic diseases.
• Preservation of immune function, digestive health, functional ability, bone health, oral health and vision.
• Protecting cognitive function, mental health and well-being.
• Maintaining weight.
• Helping to recover from illness.

The RYH recipes for ageing has been designed to meet your nutritional requirements for healthy ageing. This includes foods and recipes containing lean protein, wholegrains ( like quinoa, millet, bulgur wheat), fruits and vegetables, dairy and healthy fats.

Some of the foods featured include:

• Oily fish
• lean meats, nuts, fruits and vegetables
• Healthy oils</strong> like olive oil
• Dairy products and eggs.

These are sources of calcium and Vitamin D which have a role in bone maintenance. Bone health often worsens as we age, and a deficiency in these important nutrients could lead to conditions like osteoporosis. Don’t worry if you don’t eat dairy, we also include non-dairy calcium food sources

Anxiety presents in many forms, including generalised anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia and panic disorder. Anxiety often goes hand in hand with depression.

Our RYH recipes for depression and anxiety include foods containing nutrients which may help to improve mood. These include:

• Low glycaemic index/low glycaemic load carbohydrates to help stabilise blood sugars.
• Beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and colourful fruit and vegetables such as dark leafy greens, avocado, peppers, and berries. These are sources of magnesium which could help fight symptoms of anxiety and depression.
• Wholegrains rich in B vitamins and folate.
• Oily fishand healthy fats and oils.
• Lean meats, chicken, and eggs which contain tryptophan which may help with depression.
• Greek yoghurt,kefir, artichokes, and leeks. These are pre and probiotic foods, good for gut health.

Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and swelling (inflammation) of the joints.

The two most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis affects the smooth cartilage lining of joints, making movement painful and stiff. This often appears as we get older and can affect the knees, hands, back or hips. Managing weight is important for protecting your cartilage.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune condition in which joints are targeted, resulting in inflammation, pain and swelling. This often occurs in the joints of hands or feet and is more common in women than men.

Some of the symptoms of arthritis could be reduced by altering your diet. Eating healthy can also help to support your joints, by maintaining bone and supporting muscle strength. The RYH recipes for arthritis is designed to incorporate healthy food choices to help you manage your condition. This includes:

• Colourful fruit and vegetables containing antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C and E. These may help to reduce inflammation.
• Oily fish, nuts and seeds. Foods which are good sources of omega 3 fats may be of benefit in arthritis.
• Calcium and Vitamin D. These are two of the most important nutrients for bone and joint health and may be at risk if you are using certain medications so we have included foods that are rich in these nutrients like yogurt, milk, eggs and cheese. Don’t worry if you don’t eat dairy, we also include non-dairy calcium food sources.

Celiac disease affects 1 in 100 people in the UK and is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues when you eat gluten. This damages the lining of your small intestine limiting your ability to absorb nutrients from food. Maintaining a healthy and balanced gluten-free diet is key.

What to eat and what to avoid

Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. Food and drinks containing gluten include bread, cereals, pasta, couscous, flour, pastry and beer. Many foods are naturally gluten free including:

• Meat and Fish
• Fruit and vegetables
• Rice, potato, quinoa and lentils

There are also many gluten free products available. Gluten free foods are often marked with a cross-grain.

A word of warning. Oats do not contain gluten, however, they are often contaminated with wheat, barley and rye making them unsafe to people with celiac disease. Therefore people with celiac disease should only buy ‘gluten free’ oats. It is worth noting that a small percentage of people with celiac disease may still be sensitive to uncontaminated oats as they contain a protein similar to gluten called avenin.

Constipation is a common, uncomfortable, and sometimes painful bowel complaint. There are many different causes of constipation including certain medications or medical conditions, changes in the way your bowel muscles work, reduced activity, stress, and anxiety.

Dietary factors such as irregular eating patterns and not having enough fibre or fluid can also trigger constipation. Symptoms of constipation can include:

• having fewer than three bowel movements a week
• straining when trying to pass a motion
• feeling that you haven’t completely finished emptying your bowels
• passing small, dry, hard or painful stools

Initial treatment for constipation includes regulating your eating pattern and slowly increasing the fibre in your diet. For this reason, RYH recipes include lots of fibre-rich foods such as:

• Wholegrains and soluble-fibre containing foods like oats and brown rice. These add moisture and bulk to stools which helps increase their consistency and frequency. As a result they become easier to pass.
• Fruits and vegetables. Prebiotic foods such as beetroot, onion, garlic, leeks, oats and flax seeds. Prebiotics are types of dietary fibre that help the friendly bacteria in your gut to flourish.
• Fermented foods such as kefir. These may increase intestinal transit time speeding up the time it takes to pass a stool, therefore relieving constipation. For this reason they have been included in the RYH recipes.

It’s also important to make sure that you are exercising and getting enough fluid, especially when increasing the fibre in your diet. It’s recommended that men drink around 2 L water and women 1.5 L water each day.

Crohn’s and Colitis are Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) which cause inflammation of the digestive tract.

Your diet may vary, depending on how active your Crohn’s or Colitis is. During a flare-up you may need to follow a low residue diet and to avoid foods which trigger symptoms. You should do this with the support of your health professional.

During remission, it’s important to maintain a healthy diet whilst taking care of “at risk” nutrients such as Calcium, Iron, Vitamins D & B12.

With your bowel health in mind,  RYH recipes include:

• Anti-inflammatory foods such as oily fish, highly coloured fruit & vegetables.
• Enough protein to reduce any losses due to your condition or medication.
• Foods which include Folic acid, Zinc, B12 and Iron.
• Calcium and Vitamin D containing foods.
• Greek yoghurt,  kefir and prebiotic foods such as leeks to support gut health.

Endometriosis is a condition in which the cells which line the womb (uterus) start to grow in other places in the body (e.g the ovaries and fallopian tubes). Endometriosis can be really hard to deal with because it causes symptoms of heavy, painful periods, bleeding between periods, mood swings and abdominal pain. It can also cause women who suffer from it to feel depressed, isolated and lacking in energy.

Although there is no definitive dietary treatment for endometriosis, there are some diet and exercise interventions that may prevent the condition and/or manage individual symptoms. You should:

• exercise regularly (at least 4 hours a week)
• avoid diets high in red meat and trans fats
• replace trans and some saturated fats with unsaturated (such as omega 3 fats)
• reduce your caffeine intake
• include plant based protein sources
• eat a diet rich in colourful fruits and vegetables (antioxidant Vitamins A, C and E are important)
• include wholegrains rich in Vitamin B (like quinoa, buckwheat and millet)
• make sure to include 3 serves of dairy each day (Don’t worry if you don’t eat dairy, we can also include non-dairy calcium food sources.)

RYH recipes for endometriosis include foods and recipes that have the right nutrients to help relieve symptoms.

• Foods rich in iron</strong> (green leafy vegetables and red meat) have been included because heavy bleeding can result in low iron levels and anaemia which cause tiredness and fatigue.
• Anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats, found in nuts, seeds and oily fish.
• Soy products (tofu and edamame beans) are actually really beneficial for female hormones, despite some myths surrounding them which suggest otherwise. This is particularly the case for women with endometriosis, because they are rich in phytoestrogens which can reduce the risk of developing the condition.

At Reset Your Health we acknowledge that the link between health conditions and nutrition can not always be black and white. This is certainly true for IBS/IBD which are often thought of as very personalised conditions. Based on advice from nutritionists we have decided to remove onions and garlic from the recipes alongside usual removal of other inflammatory foods like dairy and refined carbohydrates.

However, many online sources will tell you that IBS/IBD sufferers should also remove different foods and these sources are often contradictory. If you find that you are still suffering after the first week of making the RYH recipes we can discuss what else to remove from your diet – any advice on what works for you is always appreciated.

Below is a list of ingredients that certain online sources say maybe an inflammatory trigger and thus should be used with caution – this is not to scare you but to give you further advice on what can be cut out if necessary!

• Fatty, spicy and processed foods. NHS.UK
• More than 3 portions of fresh fruit. VeryWellHealth.com
• High Fodmap Fruit and Veg – Apples, Pears, Asparagus, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Beans like chickpeas and kidney. Medical News Today
• Lentils, Sauerkraut, Cabbage, Broccoli. Healthline.com
• Chocolate

Iron is a mineral with important roles in the body. It is particularly important for making haemoglobin: a protein contained in red blood cells that transports oxygen around the body. Iron also plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy immune system.

Low iron levels can cause iron-deficiency anaemia and associated fatigue, headaches, dizziness or shortness of breath. RYH recipes include easily absorbed iron-rich foods such as red meat (beef, lamb and pork) as well as fish and plant-based sources such as pulses and legumes (such as beans, peas, and lentils), dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, cabbage, and broccoli), tofu, low oxalate nuts and seeds.

• Orange vegetables because they are good sources of vitamin A which may help with the visual disturbances that are related to migraines
• High fibre and slow energy releasing foods to reduce blood sugar “dips”.
• Green leafy vegetables, wholegrains and animal sources that are rich in vitamin B2, (Riboflavin), which is a vitamin that is important in the production of energy cells. If the production of energy cells is damaged then migraines could be triggered.

We have also excluded any foods that are commonly known to trigger migraine attacks including cheese, chocolate and caffeine.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal condition which affects 1 in 5 women of child bearing age.

In PCOS two hormones, insulin and androgens, are produced in higher levels, which results in problems such as:

• periods less regular (more or less often)
• emotional problems (anxiety or depression)
• hair growth on face, stomach, back
• acne or pimples
• easy weight gain
• delays getting pregnant
• metabolic syndrome – cardiovascular disease and diabetes
• depression and low self esteem

Not all women with PCOS will have all of these symptoms as PCOS can vary between women and changes with age.

Some women with PCOS suffer from insulin resistance. This is why RYH has included foods that help balance blood sugar levels. It is advised that women with PCOS avoid sugary and high GI foods.

A good dietary choice for women with PCOS is the Mediterranean diet. This includes:

• quality lean protein sources (lean meat, fish, pulses, eggs, poultry)
• healthy fats and oils (olive oil, oily fish, avocado, nuts and seeds)
• colourful fruit and vegetables
• wholegrains (slow release and containing B vitamins)

These have been included in RYH’s recipes