My blog is coming up for its tenth anniversary this year. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all my faithful readers for staying with me all these years. Without you, this blog would not have survived.
I have taken some time out recently to decide in which direction or directions I would like to take my blog going forward. I know we all still love fashion and long may that continue. In my opinion looking elegant and stylish has no age limit. Each season I will do the research and experiment with new trends in order to make sure that we are at least “in the know”.
It seems like yesterday that I published my first post. How time flies. As I mentioned in a previous post I am beginning to feel the need for a change and would like to introduce other subjects to my blog. Topics that we can begin to discuss in this space that will help to enrich our lives.
The first subject that I feel is important at any age but is particularly so as we get older and that is maintaining a nutritious and healthy diet.
You may remember that I wrote about my stay in a French hospital back in 2016. I was admitted as an emergency case and was diagnosed with Pericarditis. The cure involved very heavy doses of aspirin as well as anti-viral medication. These medications had a very detrimental effect on my stomach and last April I developed gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining). I tried conventional medication which not only did not seem to work but appeared to make my symptoms worse.
I finally contacted my niece Emma Marshall who is a Registered Nutritional Therapist and Functional Medicine Practitioner. She created a personalised nutritional plan for me plus recommended special supplements. I have been following her advice for the last nine months and am happy to report that not only do I no longer have any symptoms but I have much more energy and my mood is greatly improved. Nothing short of a miracle.
I feel very strongly that good nutrition and a well-planned diet is essential if we want to stay healthy well into old age. Emma has kindly agreed to share her wisdom on how to eat well and continue to live an active life.
Let me introduce you to Emma
Emma initially became interested in food in her 20’s. She trained and worked as a chef at Café Boheme, Soho, London before moving to Buckinghamshire where she ran a successful catering business for 15 years. She regularly teaches and demonstrates at her home where she shares her love of healthy cooking
She now combines her love for food with a growing interest in its healing properties and retrained for 3 years as a registered nutritional therapist at The College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She then became interested in the biochemistry of nutrition and subsequently trained with the Institute of Functional Medicine and became a Functional Medicine Practitioner in 2018.
Her approach is to educate and empower her clients to take charge of their health. She believes that Nutritional therapy works especially when its applied with understanding, a commitment to change and a belief that optimum health is ours for the taking.
Emma continues to expand her knowledge and is currently training with the renowned cancer specialist Dr Xandria Williams on her Advanced Cancer care course.
If you have any particular area of nutrition and health you are interested in we will see if we can cover these over the coming months. Email me at chicatanyage(at)icloud.com.
You can contact Emma at Emma Marshall Nutrition. She works globally via Skype. She offers a free 15-minute consultation (the UK by phone, globally via Skype) details here. You can also follow her on Instagram where she shares some of her delicious recipes.
Pop back on Friday when I will be sharing one of Emma’s delicious soup recipes designed to help boost our immune systems.
What a great idea! Nutrition is at the heart of looking and feeling good. We are never to old to learn. I look forward to Friday!
Great Idea Josephine. I look forward to the recipes on Friday as I love cooking. Don’t give up the advice for smart dressing though especially your capsule wardrobe ideas.
Hi Joy
Rest assured that I will definitely still be writing about style and capsule wardrobes plus my visits to the French markets.
WONDERFUL NEWS!
SORRY to hear you had that scare.I’m seeing a Homeopath now and she has me OFF most Foods!I am feeling better……..I guess soon we will introduce food groups to see if I have a reaction!
I’m Following YOUR NEICE on IG!!
So glad to hear how well the nutritional advice worked for you, Josephine, and I do think that good nutrition lies at the base of the good health that we can create for ourselves. For me, thought, I look to style blogs very much for style and would look elsewhere if I wanted nutritional advice; I am probably fortunate that I do not have significant health problems at the moment but if I did, I’d chose a specialist site exactly as I do for my style musings. We are bombarded with cookery and health programmes on TV (most of which I do not watch, especially reality cookery, ugh!) but very little on style and that is one reason why style blogs are a lovely treat.
Hope that doesn’t sound too negative, and I will probably be in a minority, but I do like the chic element of the blog! More shoes, less food!
Hi Sara
The style blogs will definitely continue and will make up the majority of the posts I publish. I don’t consider myself as a specialist in nutrition and can only write about how effective it has been in assisting me in solving the recent health issues I have had. There will certainly be plenty of shoes and stylish outfits as usual with the occasional dip into other subjects.
This is so timely. Thank you! A very similar health issue is happening to me as a result of heavy anti-inflammatory drugs regime prescribed for back pain. I have an upcoming endoscopy and then, pending results, I might well be in touch with Emma for a nutrition plan. I am convinced I have to heal myself. After weeks of PPI and antacid prescriptions I don’t think drugs are the answer here…great post.
Hi Patricia
I definitely did not find antacid medication helpful in fact I think they made my symptoms worse. However, everybody reacts differently and it is always good to seek professional medical advice regarding any illness.
Dear Josephine,
I love the idea hearing from your nutritionist niece as well as your very helpful research on fashion etc. I am on some medication which is upsetting my stomach somewhat terribly. Also I seem to have developped some food intolerances because of the medication. Can;t wait to hear what Emma has to say!
Hi Brigitte
Thank you for your comment. Emma is only able to give general advice in her posts. If you have a medical condition I would advise getting personall assistance from a professional practitioner.
Well, welcome, Emma. Must confess at my age I am pretty committed to my regime. As my husband is diabetic we eat well and healthily. I am also a vitamin fan and have been for many. many years. What I would like to see are healthy, easy recipes using basic ingredients .I look forward to soup recipes as my soup maker takes away all the drudgery of soup-making.
So glad you are well again, Josephine. There’s nothing like an unexpected illness to make one appreciate good health!
Thank you for your good wishes, Mary. There will certainly be soup recipes. I too have a soup maker in London and find it so easy and quick to use. Soups are so nourishing and you are right it takes the drudgery out of making them.
I really look forward to the nutritional blog, I think it’s good to try new things in all aspects of life, very easy to get stuck in the fashion, make up, cooking rut.
Looking forward to Friday’s recipes. Sometimes we get into a rut and repeat the same familiar ones. Glad you will be keeping up the fashion blogs, I do so enjoy them.
I think the nutrition posts will be a great addition to your blog and will sit nicely with your other posts on style, France etc.
I would love to hear about nutritional ways of coping with severe osteoarthritis. So glad you will continue with the style aspects of your blog. It seems to me that after the New Year, many bloggers concentrate on exercise and nutrition so it gets to be a bit much.
This is a great idea. I suffer from diverticulitis and a high fibre diet is essential to me. Trying to explain what that means to others is so difficult, so I am pleased you are doing your it!
I look forward to what Emma will share with us!
Elaine @ Following Augustine
Looking forward to Emma’s general advice especially the recipes. Relieved that the style advice will continue as usual and your adventures in France.
Thank you for starting on nutrition in your blog. It has come at a perfect time for me. Would you ask Emma if there is a book she recommends for those of us who want to start learning about nutrition and health?
Hi Mary
I think Emma should write one herself at some stage. I will ask her but there are so many around
Best wishes for adding nutrition to your blog. Nutrition goes hand in hand with health – if you feed your body with the nutrients it needs (plant-based foods rather than processed foods) it will allow you to feel better and make your daily life more manageable and pleasant…..best wishes to you and your niece Emma