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Optimising Nutrition in Summer | The Arts Club London

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With summer approaching, host Blanche Parris sits down with two leading voices in functional medicine to explore how to support our health holistically, treating root causes rather than symptoms, and how to navigate the season's many temptations without losing our footing. A practical, expert-led conversation for anyone looking to feel their best.

Featuring Dr Nikita Glover, physician, member of the Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of GPs, and lecturer in Culinary Medicine at UCL Medical School, and Neetha Lobo, nutritional advisor, functional health coach, and founder of the Hampstead Nutrition Practice. Both practitioners at Lanserhof at The Arts Club.


Dr Nikita Glover

https://lhtac.com/team/dr-nikita-grover/


Neetha Lobo

https://lhtac.com/team/neetha-lobo/

Blanche Parris:

Hello and welcome to the Culture Counter, a podcast by the Arts Club. I'm Blanche Paris, your host and the Arts Club in London. Today we're talking about Functional medicine is having a We're increasingly approaching manner, treating root causes understanding our bodies as the ecosystems they are. Throughout today's episode, we looks like in practice. Now summer is just around the It's thirty five degrees today And with. It brings a glorious litany of more enticing opportunities curated health routines to exciting of seasons fully is our best bronze selves. I'm delighted to be joined today First doctor Nikita Grover, a of Physicians and the Royal Nikita has lectured in culinary and is a practicing physician at I'm also thrilled to be joined by Neetha Lobo, a nutrition advisor and functional health coach, founder of the Hampstead Nutrition Practice and fellow practitioner at Lanza at the Arts Club. And Neetha works at the intersection of clinical nutrition and functional medicine. Welcome to you both. Let's dive in. Thank you. Thank you. So I wanted to start first by talking about functional medicine and really to set the scene. What is functional medicine and what does it mean to each of you? Maybe, Nikita, if we start with Sure.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Um, so functional medicine is paradigm and the traditional the fact that you have symptoms. You then have some You're diagnosed with a disease, and then you're treated with a drug. A functional medicine works You present with symptoms and underlying root causes. And it works on the basis that propensity to heal itself. The, um, the way that we initiate it is really through a very detailed consultation process. So whereby in conventional medicine, you might see a GP for a fifteen minute appointment in functional medicine, you see a doctor for sixty to ninety minutes. And basically the discussion exposures that have landed on lifetime and be that infections relationship breakdowns, or the things that have happened to lifetime are implicated in why you're having now. So the part of your your health So we create a timeline and then we look at, um, how we investigate the systems that have, um, malfunctioned or aren't functioning to their best. So, uh, conventional medicine is So it's about the geography is the problem in your brain or is it in your heart or is it on your skin? Uh, or is it in your liver? Whereas functional medicine that bring health. It asks, uh, why is this So the systems would be things the, the system that helps your It also looks at your gut health and it looks at, um, your ability to produce energy effectively. Uh, it looks at the hormonal So we are looking at systems and than geographical locations. Um.

Blanche Parris:

Fascinating. How do you approach that? Because you are purchasing in your practice. Yes.

Neetha Lobo:

I mean, like, you know, um, what medicine is a personal story. And, um, it before that, I didn't know functional medicine existed. Uh, when my daughter was nine years old, uh, I had to take her to a regular optician appointment. And, um, I was told from the and E, I was pretty shocked as E with a very healthy child. What I thought was a healthy wear glasses and um, was sort of lot of books. Um, never missed a day of Uh, so, um, she, the optician able to give me anything other So, uh, we were at the Top eye Moorfields, uh, in London, in who did a lot of tests and then inches away from being blind. That completely shocked me. Uh, and as a parent, I wanted to know, how is this happened under my eyes? And, uh, so, um, I asked, like, What is attacking her eyes? You know, is it, is it the Is it the virus? And, uh, what he told was, um, fascinating because he said that which was attacking her eyes. Uh, And this was the first time I was, um, exposed to autoimmunity. Why was her immune system, which is supposed to protect her, attacking her? Um. So the answer I got was that it was idiopathic, which means that we still don't know what are the reasons, what are the underlying reasons? Uh, the care we got, uh, from the conventional medicine was exceptional. They really went out of their Uh, gave us the most advanced down and save her eyesight. So I'll always be grateful for But as a parent, I wanted to know, why has this happened and why is the inflammation still there? What is causing this And that is that was my first introduction to functional medicine, because the functional medicine looks at what are the systems that are associated with the immune system, for example, the gut health, you know, we have about seventy percent of our immune cells residing in our gut. And when we looked at through the testing as to how my daughter's gut was, it was dysbiotic. We had a lot of work we could do through nutrition, through lifestyle, through what was, you know, what exposure she had in terms of toxins, uh, and her genetics as well, you know, small changes, which meant that some of the nutrients she couldn't absorb in the forms they were. So the functional medicine put a her, a nutrition lifestyle and a for her unique biology. And by that, I mean, you know, cutting the long story short, she is thriving now instead of surviving. She has a twenty over twenty teenager who finds me annoying. I, I rather take that and, uh, and to me, um, that fundamentally changed how I look at health. It is not one or the other when it comes to medicine, but with functional medicine. Um, it takes, it sort of asks you as a whole person and treats Wonderful.

Blanche Parris:

And with that in mind, why do having such a cultural moment? What brought that shift along?

Dr. Nikita Grover:

I think it's interesting. I think people are beginning to consult with their their doctors the answers to their problems. And, um, I mean, certainly what was that people would, would problem, be given different and would be back in a couple of well, what can I do? And I think with the, uh, the and being exposed to so many yourself and the awareness of predominantly, I think people and say, okay, well, there seems How can I personalize that to And I think the other thing to say about functional medicine is it's, it's best use is really for chronic disease and for disease prevention. That's really where it has, it's, it's, it's, um, it's its function. And conventional medicine is Um, so if you've got an infection or you're having a heart attack or you've got a broken bone, conventional medicine is where you need to go. Um, but um, for preventive, long is, is where to go. And I think people are really beginning to realize they need another way.

Blanche Parris:

So if I'm a patient who's curious about functional medicine and I'm not sure where to start, what first steps do I take and what does my journey look like? Starting with you, I'm guessing. Nikita. And then with you, Nita.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Okay. So I mean, I think the to inform yourself. So look up what's available, look up the terms and see if there's anyone that seems to be offering that locally in your area. I would probably start with a Um, and, uh, see if they're, uh, they're saying that they can what, what you personally have. And I think you have to be of your health and participate to get better. Um, and again, this is where functional medicine differs from conventional medicine is the patients that come and see us really want to do something themselves to improve their health. Um, and, uh, and then I mean, usually, um, I consult with a nutritionist or we see each other in sequence and we have to realize that lifestyle is a big player in why certain symptoms have developed and why chronic disease develops. So looking at your diet is a, nutrition is the number one thing. Looking at your movement and Looking at your sleep again, really important, thinking about your stress levels and actually talking that through with your clinician. Very, very important because we all carry loads that we don't understand, that we're really shouldering. And sometimes hearing that for the first time can help you understand what your stresses are and then enable you to address them, uh, in a guided way. And, uh, We can then think about treatment plan for you. So the initial journey would be a consultation, sixty to ninety minutes. Um, we do a timeline. We look at where your, um, what are the reasons why you might be feeling unwell? And then we look at doing some So whether that's looking to see doing, whether it's looking to whether it's looking to see working efficiently, um, or stress levels are. And we can look at that by monitoring your HIV, for example, and not that sort of thing. And then we would, uh, pass you then look at your, um, intake, closely and see what are the And we take it from there.

Blanche Parris:

Great. So very integrative approach, And do I need to come to my appointment with certain tests already? Blood tests, scans, or do you

Dr. Nikita Grover:

So it can be helpful to have But but to be honest, you know, I usually start with a, with a blank sheet, which we fill in together. So it's a very collaborative are and very often we'll deal And it's very often um problems difficult to understand. So things like brain fog or fatigue or recurrent headaches or chronic pain or sleeplessness, um, it can be very seemingly vague symptoms that we can get to the bottom of. So, um, come with your symptoms. If you've had any tests done, Bring whatever you want to the appointment and we will address it and look at it and see how it fits. Even if you've got ideas about why you think you might be feeling unwell. Say them. You know, as I say, it's really It's your space. Um, and and then we work through what the levers might be to be need to explore.

Blanche Parris:

I love how personalized it is. It's such a departure, I feel.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

No, absolutely. And it has to be because I think public health medicine. It's really based on, on, uh, Uh, and most of the statistics are based on male health, not female health. Um, and we're trying to fit, you know, square plugs into round holes. And really, if, if we can know biology, which is very unique, then personalize it and we science is so good around the available to us. I mean, the fact that, um, you know, we can now look at genetics in a very different way. Both our own. Both of our microbiome. We can map these things out and is, is wild. Yeah, it is really amazing. And to be able to utilize that as believers, that's where the magic is. Absolutely. You know, our bodies are telling us and the cellular inflammation as well, which we can drill down to from our mitochondria, you know, all the immune system and can actually map out the immune system and look and see, you know, what? Viruses have been attacking us, you know, which we may be harboring that have been going on for, you know, some months or years. You know, I'm feeling chronic

Neetha Lobo:

I think before the human, um, project came for the genomes, we thought we were the most complicated species compared to the animal and the plant kingdom. And, and then we went about to Surely more than anybody else. But we were a bit disappointed that we only have twenty to twenty five thousand genes in us. Compare that to a wine grape has

Blanche Parris:

Wow.

Neetha Lobo:

So the wine we might be drinking complex than us. So. So that was quite But what we see in functional So they're about ninety nine humans are exactly the same. So we are all like ninety nine It's only zero point one are, how our hair color is different, and how inside our And with that, when the environment comes in, we can express those genes in different ways. And that is what we see in are the nutrients we can or What is, you know, avoiding us And those are all, as Nikita And when we action on those You know, the client would or the energy is sustained And it's amazing that the science and the evidence has brought us so far, and we can incorporate it.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Mhm. No, absolutely. And also, you know, with the gut microbiome, um, you know, again, the gut, the, the, the microbiome project, the gut project to actually elucidate the, the genomes of the microbes. So literally the microbiome and And we've realized that, you bacteria reside in our gut with that's in there that's actually that it needs to do. Absolutely. And that's, that's that's

Neetha Lobo:

And, you know, in functional nutrition, we do think the gut because we have like big things We have like, you know, seventy cells reside in our gut. So we can directly influence the Ninety percent of the serotonin So through the gut brain axis, impact on our mental health. And we have all these trillions of microbes who can literally contribute for our health or contribute for the inflammation, which is the underlying cause of almost all the chronic diseases we know. So by having the right foods on the plate and by sort of like, you know, having the right detoxifying tools, we can literally modulate all the systems and get to our symptoms Really fascinating.

Blanche Parris:

I myself have been practicing and buy some of your colleagues really changed my life. And, you know, to echo what you at those details every day of then seeing the effects change. It's really wonderful. So I can encourage anyone to

Dr. Nikita Grover:

I was going to say it's also think there are so many good that people think, oh, I need to based diet or whatever it But actually knowing whether the make are actually right for you It's so important.

Blanche Parris:

I took my husband's and his protocol could not be more different than mine, which obviously makes my life very complicated now in terms of cooking. But it's it was really interesting to see how different it was.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

What's healthy for you.

Blanche Parris:

Is important.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

For him. And, you know, his nature was know, zero point one percent And that's what determines our Yeah. You know, totally.

Blanche Parris:

And right. So I'm going to take us to talk So let's start before we even travel, before we get to the airport, what can we do to support our bodies in terms of supplements, treatments, protocols? How can we be really prepared Uh, that travel brings?

Neetha Lobo:

Yeah. I mean, like, you know, like get our bodies prepared to depends upon how long the travel Um, but to start with, um, I mean, I usually start about a week before with melatonin rich foods. Okay. They are things like pistachios, particularly the Montmorency Um, and if you sort of like, you a dark chocolate bar, uh, which to the flight. I would love to do.

Blanche Parris:

Yeah.

Neetha Lobo:

So all that you have to do is like, you know, melt the dark chocolate.

Blanche Parris:

Where can I get some cherries

Neetha Lobo:

Um, Amazon. Really? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. Dried. Dried. Dried. Yeah. You do get the juice as well. But of course that you cannot But you know in the evenings to have a, you know, juice without added sugar, which will, I mean, especially if the, you know, heat season, you can't sleep through the night and stuff like that. You can sort of add these fruits or these juice into your daily habits to get a better quality of sleep. Mhm. Um, that's one of the main I'll increase the food which has melatonin in it, to support your sleep. The second thing I would do is increase the fruits, which has things like zinc, selenium, and vitamin C, because they are antioxidants. You are going to increase the more than what it's used to. So to sort of bring that down, have extra antioxidants. So what.

Blanche Parris:

Are some of those foods with.

Neetha Lobo:

Things? So vitamin C, the highest is It also helps with digestion and That has hit me.

Blanche Parris:

With the.

Neetha Lobo:

Skin. Kiwi with the skin is Okay. If you if you can manage otherwise just Kiwis are also will do. Um then you have things like Uh red peppers have the most amount of vitamin C from what I have seen. Um oranges, limes, um, in terms things like pumpkin seeds, uh, beats, fishes, eggs, all Selenium is very tricky, our soil is completely depleted ninety nine percent of the So just two Brazil nuts will give you the amount of selenium you require. Uh, and, but make sure that you eat the Brazil nuts from Brazil because it's the soil in Brazil, which basically has the selenium. And that's what you want to, you

Blanche Parris:

Okay.

Neetha Lobo:

So that's another thing. And of course, hydrate because like, you know, we feel can add, um, an electrolyte to know, you are sweating. You are losing all those, uh, important electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium. So a bit of salt in the water, your hydration up. Great.

Blanche Parris:

And how long before travel am I A week, two weeks a week before

Neetha Lobo:

Um, all these foods are good for make it as a regular habit and there is, you cannot overdose on So sooner you can implement the

Blanche Parris:

Wonderful. So I've prepared. I'm ready now. I'm on the plane. Um, there's a lot going on on Um, first of all, cabin air and Yeah. Just thinking about it makes me

Neetha Lobo:

So humidity is interesting because like, you know, in, in the cabin at the cruising, um, um, cruising, you know, cruising. Um. Cabin pressure is about ten ground we're used to forty to If you have to put that in humidity of twenty five percent. Wow. So in the aeroplane we are drier than the desert, so that can make us feel drier on skin, dry eyes. Um, you know, dehydrated Right. What, uh, that can also affect know, um, lots of people feel Uh, the constipation has direct Uh, so one of the best thing you yourself, especially with hydration on the cellular level. Um, what do you think, Niki?

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Yeah. No, absolutely. I mean, I think, I think the the precursor to being on the plane, you know, the hydration, um, getting your gut moving and cleared is very, very important to keep, keep moving, uh, and also sleeping well so that when you get onto the plane, you're exposed to the dehydrating effects of being on the plane, um, that you're slightly better prepared. And the other effects of also be to, to make the blood a And so people can be prone to It can also dehydrate the So very often people get on the plane. So the hydration really helps Um, I think those are probably

Neetha Lobo:

And.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

The headaches.

Neetha Lobo:

Headaches as well. If you get headaches, then dehydration could be the big one.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Yeah, exactly. So having the salt and hydration

Neetha Lobo:

Very important. And in terms of the air say cabin pressure, cabin So given that, you know, it has to be flying at an altitude of six thousand to eight thousand above the ground level, it sort of has an impact on the digestive system in the sense that the digestive gases expand, which means that if if you then put any food which is very high in sodium or preservatives, it can cause bloating, it can cause discomfort, and it could cause constipation. Um, so, and the interesting fact of the sweet and salt comes down So the food's in the flight is and we don't realize it. Wow. Um, and that has its own in mechanistic way to bring down, you know, to sort of make you more dehydrated. Uh, one of the things I do is that I try to eat before I board the flight to have a meal, which is like, you know, rich in protein and fiber, uh, which is not extremely heavy on your digestion and try to fast during the flight. But I appreciate that that might When you say fast on the flight, you're still drinking your water and electrolyte. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Drinking water and maybe having Of course, he forgot about the How could we? Don't go.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Anywhere.

Neetha Lobo:

Without that. And, uh, yeah, but, you know, meals in particular. And that has helped me with, uh, with sort of my jet lag and the way I feel when I get to my destination. Um, but if you're going to eat concentrate on meats or, you be careful about how much carbs that will also slow the you, um, the blood sugar you would start craving for more

Blanche Parris:

So, Neetha, what's your go to

Neetha Lobo:

Uh, my go to, uh, preflight meal white fish or a fatty fish. Uh, I would, I love fatty fish rich in omega three. It's sort of like, you know, gives you energy, which I need And mine are usually long flights, uh, and, uh, and sort of like, you know, pair that along with nice, uh, array of vegetables, which are green and colorful. Uh, and that sort of like, you I love any meats is fine. Um, as you know, I, I'm a bit like that, but I appreciate that in the airport. Wonderful. Nikita, do.

Blanche Parris:

You have a pre-flight go.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

To? I would I would echo that healthy meat or fish. Yeah. Um, and I probably put some something in there if I can. Slice of chopped up watermelon, cucumber just so I feel like I'm hydration as well. Maybe some black olives in there

Blanche Parris:

I'd love to have that pre

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Yeah, I know.

Blanche Parris:

That sounds perfect. Um, okay. And now I think the question which is on everyone's mind when we're on the plane, um is alcohol. Yes. Um, I'm partial to a bloody Mary know, champagne wine for a lot start the holiday. Yes. How do we feel?

Neetha Lobo:

Um, I'm like, you know, I, I am all for alcohol and champagne when it, when it, when it's the right moment. But on the flight, given that we the, the environment is drier important to hydrate, and to that in mechanics. Mechanics way because it Uh, so if you can, uh, I would Instead, opt for things which natural electrolytes, like the or sparkling water with a line. Um, what do you think?

Dr. Nikita Grover:

No, I, I, I would agree with Um, I think often what happens drink to calm their nerves when Um, but actually what happens it's dehydrating you, but it's quality quite considerably. And it's also having an effect So in the, in the immediate, in But later on down the line, you're setting yourself up for problems. So I think if you can avoid you're on a flight, you.

Blanche Parris:

Said I could have chocolate. So yeah. So that's okay. And you can.

Neetha Lobo:

Have your Bloody Mary once you.

Blanche Parris:

Land.

Neetha Lobo:

At the right time.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

But there's something about So tomato juice with, with thing to have.

Blanche Parris:

And.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Spicy and spicy. So, you know, maybe have a With pleasure.

Blanche Parris:

Um, talking of the guts, we we chatted a bit earlier about jet lag, and you said something very interesting. You said that we can get gut jet Yes. So I'd love to talk a bit more And now a new form of jet lag I

Neetha Lobo:

Yes. I mean, like, you know, our brains have this master clock or the master regulator called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. And that usually regulates all, all the periphery clocks, because all our cells have different clocks. And when we are not um, traveling across time zones, we are all synchronized and hence every. Everything goes according to the master clock with the light. So that's why exposing yourself to the sunlight in the morning is the best thing you can do to get a very good night's sleep later on. So that's how our bodies are So when we are crossing many desynchronized along with all So one of the best way to reset brain and food for the gut, clock, which runs along with the And now we have found out even the microbes have their own circadian rhythm.

Blanche Parris:

So the different circadian

Neetha Lobo:

That's right. So like, you know, they all are aligned when we have not traveled and when we travel, because the food comes at various time. When our brain thinks it's coming in and the gut is not And the microbes who help us to digest a lot of food, which we can't digest are not ready for it either. So they digest food and then they produce metabolites, which actually helps us with the motility. And so we feel bunged up constipated because everybody is misaligned. So one of the best thing you can do depending upon where you're traveling, because if you're going the eastward travel, it's harsher on the body because you need to sleep early and you need to get up early while if you're going westward, it's a little bit easier on the body because you're sleeping late and waking up late. So depending upon where you're going, one of the things you can do is with eastwards traveling, traveling. Expose yourself to the morning the local time. Rich in protein and fiber that and your and your brain clock. And the only thing you need to remember is depending upon how many time zones you traveled, your brain clock can reset roughly about one to two hours per day. So it takes a few days before rhythm as it was in the in the Well, if you're going to the evening sunlight and to sort of meal to the destination time midnight for you. But after your last meal at the local time is when you then wouldn't expose to any other light like the blue lights to confuse your sleepy hormone melatonin, which is quite important for you to get that night's sleep.

Blanche Parris:

Understood. Thank you. So anything on this?

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Well, just to say that sometimes help you reset. So you mentioned melatonin need a bit of evidence now that randomized controlled trials acting melatonin, so maybe zero taken at bedtime at your And the other thing I'd say about the, the flights, um, is also, you know, we watch films, we look at our phones or computer screens and there's a lot of artificial light there, which is also affecting our circadian rhythms because it's activating that suprachiasmatic nucleus. So we also need to think about times that are going to help us Um, that's probably the only

Neetha Lobo:

But and the same with the

Blanche Parris:

Yeah.

Neetha Lobo:

Because, you know, I'm all for Uh, but try to sort of one of the best things you can do is set your clock to the destination time before even you start. So you know, what is the time know, in the flight as well. So if the, if the destination best to avoid coffee. Otherwise, your sleep pressure will not build the way you want it. And your, your sleep longer to come back to rhythm.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Yeah. That's right. The adrenaline and cortisol goes up about sixty to sixty to ninety minutes after you've had your coffee. So yeah, it's, uh, it will

Blanche Parris:

Any flight I take, I always take Yeah. I just love to put that on and And it's, I find it really Oh, that's.

Neetha Lobo:

The best thing you.

Blanche Parris:

Can do. Block out the.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Ears as well. Oh. Were you listening to a

Blanche Parris:

Yes, yes. Whatever you need to put in your But I find because it.

Neetha Lobo:

Is quite stressful for us, all know, even even the, you know, many people in a crowded itself for the immune system. So again, like, you know, having strategies in place.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

I mean, there are some probiotics you could take as well, actually just to help with the sleep. So there's one called Saccharomyces boulardii, uh, which can be helpful to maybe take on the plane if you, if you need to.

Blanche Parris:

And you keep on taking them on Yes. And I didn't know probiotics It lives up to the gut. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. It all comes back to the gut. Does, um, does sleep come back Because I know, I mean, at the moment we're all having trouble sleeping. It's really hot. Um, then we're going to start We're going to have jet lag. And we've talked about jet lag How, how best can we really look after our sleep during that time? We've got the melatonin. We talked about that support.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

The gut is linked with melatonin because the gut also produces melatonin. It's not just the pineal gland. So yes, I mean, I think the gut Um.

Neetha Lobo:

And also also to stop eating you are planning to sleep. Yeah. Because that will help in terms I mean, first of all, with the Secondly, your energies are not digestion is quite an expensive sort of rest properly. You don't want digestion to get So if you sort of like, you know, start, finish your dinner by seven or eight p m at the latest and then you have three hours and leading to that no blue light. So that you sort of like, you melatonin, which the body is rich in serotonin, which is seeds, uh, because it's a Serotonin is the precursor to melatonin and ninety percent of serotonin is produced in our gut. Uh, so gut is definitely linked And, uh, and we want a good night's sleep with all its architecture. We want the light sleep, the REM all of these different parts of ways, like, you know, the deep physical, uh, recovery and with And while the REM sleep helps us our emotional stability. So all these different You know, different parts of sleeps are as important. And so it's, it's important to dinner on time. Having that, you know, time to And once you are in the room to you know, the melatonin, the And then in the morning when you the sunlight, uh, within one At least for twenty minutes. And that is one of the best and circadian rhythm back to normal.

Blanche Parris:

I really struggle with when I'm traveling, mainly addict, and I find it hard to keep to the same routines and How would you advise that we well while we're traveling?

Dr. Nikita Grover:

I would say do something. Do something. Anything. It doesn't matter what you do. Do something. Get up off the seat if you can. Even if it's going to the toilet several times, try and walk in the plane. Yeah. Um, it's interesting because some of the airlines are actually recognizing that movement on the planes are really important. So I think I think Qantas seven, um, for their long haul or Sydney to London have wellness zones where you can around, they've got these bars stretches and some, you know, a move your feet. Uh, so make sure that you're your, of your feet going so that and that sort of thing. Um, and I think that, um, you know, even if you're doing some sort of sitting yoga, I mean, maybe the people next to you might feel it's a little bit strange, but, you know, it's all helpful. Stretch, bend, you know, do some And also when you get to your woken up in the morning, you've hopefully where you are and breakfast, go out for a walk. You don't need to do any crazy exercise, but some gentle movement at your point of destination will really help reset.

Blanche Parris:

Keeping to those step goals

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Yeah, yeah. And don't forget, I mean, you know, being on a plane doing a long distance flight travel in and of itself because of the cabin pressure issues, because of the dehydration, because of the gut issues, because of the sleep issues. It's a massive stress. Mhm. Um, and so what you don't want to do is then load it up with some very intense exercise when you arrive. And sometimes, you know, we feel done, I haven't done my routine I must do something when I get but I think actually less is But nothing you need to do more

Blanche Parris:

When I take a break from exercising on holiday and I come back and get back to my routine, I often times feel stronger and fitter just by having taken that break. Do you find that any. So I do.

Neetha Lobo:

Actually, because like I think the body needs that rest sometimes to recuperate and build it. You know, as far as not a long

Blanche Parris:

Yeah, sadly not in my case.

Neetha Lobo:

I mean, what also helps with the holiday for me is sort of like, you know, having like exercise, snacking. So just to sort of like, you know, climb the steps in the hotel, even if I don't need to or sort of like, you know, walk while talking to my kids or, you know, with.

Blanche Parris:

three kids, that's exercise in Looking after yourself.

Neetha Lobo:

Yeah, I tell myself that, but, you know, I think I sort of overindulge sometimes in the holiday. And you know, I need to do But I guess the the something naturally to do things would be the best way to sort of go sightseeing and, you know, swimming in the sea if you're next to the sea and, uh, literally sort of not put it as an exercise, but more like a pleasure because, you know, it's a new thing which you can for us. Yeah. Wonderful.

Blanche Parris:

Well, talking about swimming in probably going to be jetting off I know that's what I'm doing in Um, disappearing to a small And, um, we've seen a lot, I think in the past few years about the Mediterranean and how healthy the Mediterranean diet is. It's really become a buzzword. How would you link that to functional medicine and what are really some key things we can take from the Mediterranean lifestyle and Mediterranean diet and incorporated both whilst we're away, but also when we come home.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

So let's just be clear about what we mean by Mediterranean diet. And Mediterranean diet is not

Blanche Parris:

Are you sure?

Dr. Nikita Grover:

I just needed to fact check My kids my kids, on the other My kids. Understand about the. Mediterranean. That's also what So if we're talking about, you lots of lovely vegetables with going to be much better at Um, and, you know, lots of nuts and seeds and great olive oil and olives. You know that that's absolutely And there's lots of, you know, medical world, which have shown diet on cardiovascular disease, inflammation, you know, it So I think the Mediterranean diet is now recognized as being one of the healthiest diets that we can have for, for all of those reasons. I'm going to hand over to to Neetha because I think you can intensify.

Neetha Lobo:

Yeah. I mean, when I look at Mediterranean Sea, one of the lots of these people have been their meals with bitter foods. Uh, it sort of like, you know, bitter salads like endive, rocket, uh, or a show, uh, with, of course, a healthy dose of olive oil or antipasti like olives, capers, artichokes or digestive, uh, drink or aperitifs. Uh, which basically is a genius sort of start with bitter foods, ready to digest. So it sort of produces more So our proteins are digested It also stimulates our which means our fats are And it then goes and stimulates the pancreas to give the digestive enzymes to digest all the foods. So the digestion is taken care of by starting with the bitter foods. And the second thing which the Bitter Foods does is the bitter taste receptors on our tongue are very similar to the receptors on the L cells in the intestine. So what happens is when the cells, they release this hormone And as we know now, the GLP one is the exact hormone which is targeted by blockbuster medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro. So these hormones will help us And they also make us insulin So the Mediterranean people knew we are just about catching up. So just starting your meal with things you can do. And the second thing they do is I think, um, they sort of eat as a community, just the joy, the happiness and, you know, uh, and the community aspect does help us to live a much healthier life. And this has already been

Blanche Parris:

Well, that's what I wanted to get into because obviously there's a Mediterranean diet, but when you know, the blue zones, which we're all reading about, I also feel the Mediterranean slow way of living. Yeah. You know, and of living into intergenerational households, of taking a nap, of getting up earlier. These are all big parts of, of make that region so interesting.

Neetha Lobo:

Absolutely. And there was, I the pilots and the astronauts, what is the length of the nap, best in terms of the alertness. And, you know, in terms of the stuff like that. And they sort of arrived at twenty six minutes, uh, in the perfect to sort of recuperate of the day.

Blanche Parris:

The physical movement. I mean, I was in Naples a few weeks ago, and it's quite a hilly city. And, um, I saw some people, you know, really, really elderly people who were climbing up those hills. Like there was no tomorrow, um, in the evenings, in the mornings. And I feel here in the UK, we life, especially as we age. And when you go to these any age, you know, climbing up It's it's fantastic.

Neetha Lobo:

I think it's also the purpose get their own foods. They grow their own foods, which which are very diverse. They have to then sort of like, vegetables, everything fresh and And. And so there's a purpose. Uh, in UK, we just have to go to the nearest supermarket and get the foods from anywhere in the world. Well, growing your own food has colour which the plant produces, And the reason why it produces from the environmental toxins, So when we eat those polyphenols, which are these colourful plants which are very diverse, that benefit is transferred to us by our microbes because we can't digest those. Our microbes can. And when they digest it, they produce metabolites, which then helps us against the toxins and the diseases. So what again, coming back to Mediterranean, one of the best things you can do is to eat local. Fresh. seasonal, diverse, which is what I think we all do when we travel. And and you know, that in itself

Blanche Parris:

Absolutely. I mean, that sounds like such a Um, I'm sadly going to take us back from holiday. Um, what do I do if I'm If I've overindulged, how can I Now I'm home and have to go back

Dr. Nikita Grover:

I think, um, really getting into a routine again, do exactly the same as you did when you got off that flight. So wake up in the morning at the outside, have a walk, get that for ten or fifteen minutes, have breakfast with protein first and And and and, and, and move. Don't overstretch yourself. Uh, hydrate and then give Make sure you go to bed at a Um, and I think it's, it's really about just trying to get back into your usual rhythm, uh, and, and not overstressing yourself.

Blanche Parris:

We've talked a lot about this Sunlight. What form could that take? Do I need to be sitting and meditating and looking out my window? Could it be my walk to work? Um. Could it be my jog in the How do I best implement it?

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Sure. Doesn't it? Absolutely doesn't matter. It could be the walk, it could be just sitting outside with the sun, but not at the sun. And so you're literally And about fifteen to twenty need in whichever form you you

Blanche Parris:

Sun protection on my skin.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Um, not necessarily, I would say because we need the vitamin D And we block out so much vitamin Um, you know, with sun Um, so I think it's good to get that vitamin D in the morning as well.

Blanche Parris:

Great. Any tips for our return from Uh, I.

Neetha Lobo:

Think, uh, I mean, like, you guts, I think because our gut have that protein rich food. And the reason we keep stressing on protein is because every cell is made made up of about seventy percent water, about eighteen percent protein, and seven to eight percent fats, and about one to two percent of DNA, and only about one to two percent of polysaccharides, which is the carbohydrates. So we sort of like nourish our, eating a protein rich meal. And that's why I think we stress

Blanche Parris:

Should I be eating foods that watermelon, just to get my

Neetha Lobo:

Yeah. In summer months, that is one of the best things you can do. Yeah. You know a watermelon, celery and foods like that, as well as drinking water whenever you remember. Yeah, would be the best way

Blanche Parris:

Brilliant. So, Nikita, I'm I'm ready to go. What supplements should I be And should they be different to my normal supplementation routine? Do I take supplements on the Do I take them when I get there? And how long after returning do

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Okay. Great question. So I mean, I think it is useful you for when you're going away. And the things I would probably So magnesium is great for sleep So magnesium glycinate in of it also helps to reduce your when you're on the plane. And that helps you get to sleep Um, there's also a type of magnesium called magnesium three and eight, which can be also very helpful for sleep because it crosses the blood brain barrier. So I probably have either one of And I would also think about, Inositol is a type of sugar and it's great for helping anxiety when you're sleeping, uh, on the plane. And very often people get a little bit anxious going on a plane. So it sets you to sleep very

Blanche Parris:

Can I take another toll when I'm not traveling if I haven't taken it?

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Yeah, absolutely. You can take it when you're not It also has metabolic benefits. So some people use it for, uh, polycystic ovary syndrome, for example. So it can be useful for So inositol is a great little addition that can be helpful for sleep. Obviously melatonin. Um, and I would use the fast which will, uh, sort of start Um, so that's kind of like the Um, the other thing to say is that when we go to a warm destination, uh, we're more exposed to the effects of the sun. The sun damaging effects. So there's quite a nice little supplement that's based on ferns and the sort of it's called fern block. But the, the actual plant itself And that will provide anti-inflammatory antioxidant protection, uh, and UV protection. So it's an oral supplement that protect you against, against So that's quite a useful little

Blanche Parris:

Great kit to have.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

Great kit to have. And, and I think probably the other thing would be, um, a probiotic, so maybe some Saccharomyces boulardii that we mentioned before, that would be quite helpful just to keep your bowels regular and also help you to sleep. Um, some people might need to take a bit of magnesium citrate with them if they get constipated when they get to the other end, and that in powder form can be quite useful to to add in. I think that would probably be would think about taking.

Blanche Parris:

So to wrap this up and to send you off to your various Mediterranean islands, I'd love to have a quick lightning round of what it is that you take to your island. Three items or maybe two. So I'll start with mine. I am going to take my journal. I love to journal sometimes quickly or for longer periods of time. In the evenings it goes It calms me. It makes me reflect and be I'm going to take my cacao. I'm quite addicted to drinking I drink it in evening, sometimes It comes everywhere with me. And then lastly, I would take I just love a sweet smelling It makes my skin feel smooth and Glow on the beach in the summer. Nita, shall we start with you? What are you taking to your

Neetha Lobo:

Do I take to my island? Actually, mine is all to do with I take a dry hibiscus. Uh, flowers. Delicious. Yeah. So basically, I drop all of this if possible, of water. So I put the hibiscus flowers, I I sort of like, you know, source mint or coriander, uh, locally. And then I sort of like put that really nice red colored ruby water sitting in front of me, which means that not only me, but my kids, all of us fight to drink that water because it looks nice. The goji berries gives you not only the vitamin C, which is antioxidant. It's sort of like, you know, stress by exposing yourself to that sweeter taste. So you have the hibiscus tart, um, taste going along with the sweet taste. Um, a word of caution. If in case you have low blood of like, you know, overdo on the brings your blood pressure down. And that's one of the reasons I, Right? So how long.

Blanche Parris:

Do I infuse it all in the water?

Neetha Lobo:

You can leave it for as long as you want because it literally flowers. And then after, after some time, doesn't do anything more. So you can either take it out or leave it for just beauty in there. That's what I do. Sort of like, you know, just keep pouring more water into it and having it as almost like a, like a exotic drink sounds dreamy. That, that is, uh, that is my take, I guess.

Blanche Parris:

Beautiful.

Dr. Nikita Grover:

I'm afraid mine's. Much more boring. I take my English breakfast tea. I understand because I can't get a decent cup of tea whenever I go away. I'm afraid that's what it is. English breakfast. And that makes you happy. And that's what you take. Okay.

Blanche Parris:

Brilliant. Well, thank you so much, ladies. It's been such a pleasure to I feel like I've learned, and I and take notes and put all of And I hope that we can all go into the summer season feeling happy and healthy and functional. Um, before we wrap up, can you

Dr. Nikita Grover:

So I'm at, at the arts club. Um.

Neetha Lobo:

I'm, I'm also at the centre for Hampstead Nutrition Practice.

Blanche Parris:

Fantastic. So we'll link all of those details in the show notes, and we look forward to seeing you all soon. Thank you. Thank you for listening to the the Arts Club. You can explore more wherever you listen to podcasts.