Sinead Bradbury is an expert in her field of nutrition with over 16 years of experience, specialising in Performance Nutrition. Having started initially with a career in Business and Marketing, Sinead branched out into the world of nutrition, and from there established her own consultancy business, Sinead Bradbury Nutrition & Health Consulting.

Along with being a busy Mum of three, Sinead works with clients on a one-to-one basis, as well as in larger group settings such as with sporting teams and corporations to aid them in reaching their nutritional goals.

To mark Nutrition & Hydration week 2024 (March 11th-17th), Sinead has kindly afforded us with some of her very own Top Tips to share with you all. Lets get into it:

Mind your Muscle Mass – if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Along with strength training, aim to include quality protein with your meals and snacks. Aim for 1.5g
per kg of body weight. Protein is not just important for muscle building, but also for creating enzymes
and hormones, developing bone & cartilage, supporting skin, hair & nails.

Eat what is “gut’ for you!

Gut Health is a buzz topic right now in the health & wellness world – and
for good reason. Our gut microbiome is the foundation of our health. Good gut health occurs when
you have a balance between the good (helpful) and bad (potentially harmful) bacteria in your
digestive system. 80% of Serotonin is produced in the gut (feel good hormone) so a healthy
microbiome is associated with our mental health and wellbeing as well as our immune function,
weight management and general well-being. To support our gut health choose lots of colourful
vegetables. Fibre gets converted to short chain fatty acids in our gut, which helps fight inflammation.
Fermented foods like yoghurt, sourdough, kombucha can also be helpful.

The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is hailed as on of the healthiest on the plant – largely due to the abundant
healthy fats and vibrant salads. We should aim for 2 portions of healthy fats in our day – think oily fish
like salmon, sardines, mackerel, avocado, nuts & seeds, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil drizzled on
our salads and vegetables. Healthy fats will support brain function, help balance hormones, lower the
risk of heart disease and promote skin health.

Get Good Sleep!

Working with elite athletes, I am constantly reminding them the importance of rest
& recovery for optimum performance. It is no different for anyone who has high energy demands
each day. To support good sleep consider tryptophan (an amino acid) rich foods like turkey, pumpkin
seeds and dairy rich foods; Magnesium rich foods like almond butter, green leafy vegetables; kiwi
fruits and cherry concentrate drinks like Cherry Active (available in all good health stores). Watch
caffeine intake after lunch. It can take 10 hours to rid caffeine from our system – caffeine can be a
sleep disruptor for many sensitive individuals.

Hydrate!

Nothing is linked to energy like being well hydrated. When we are dehydrated we can reach
for salty foods, sugar laden foods, coffees & teas to boost our energy levels – often we just need to
drink a glass of water! Fluid needs vary depending on how much you work out, how much you sweat
and outside temperature. Aim for 35ml/per kg of body as a guide. Monitor your urine colour too –
quite simply, the darker the colour, the more dehydrated you are. Purchase a water bottle that works
for your lifestyle and sip throughout the day – at home, work, gym, while driving.