Coffee....should we, shouldnt we...?!

Should you be drinking coffee?

I set to work to start writing an article about the health effects of coffee and whether we really should avoid it or if it’s not as evil as some people make it out to be. Half an hour down the line and I have realised this isn’t even about coffee….it’s all about caffeine! Sure coffee has been shown to have high levels of antioxidants which are very important to our health but of the other benefits (and negatives) it generally all comes down to the caffeine. So what’s good about caffeine and what’s bad, and at the end of the day, should we be consuming it?

                                                                                                                    

What’s good about caffeine?

Caffeine has long been considered an ergogenic aid, which means it can help to boost athletic performance – and it is one of the few substances that has solid scientific backup to support these claims. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, specifically the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers your body into action and creates a feeling of increased energy and alertness.  However, if you are serious about competing caffeine consumption should be saved for competition day as prolonged use of the stimulant reduces its effects and your sensitivity to it.

Caffeine increases the release of free fatty acids into your blood stream providing you with a boost of energy. This makes caffeine a great tool for the average recreational exerciser looking to lose fat as it will help increase your fat metabolism. It has been shown that caffeine consumption before exercise can increase fat burning during exercise by up to 30%. This makes caffeine a great tool for people trying to improve their body composition and lose fat. But you can’t just keep taking caffeine and expect the same results. These beneficial effects will only be seen if you are unaccustomed to the stimulant.

Many people use caffeine as a ‘pick me up’ or to wake themselves up in the morning. With regular consumption this effect is likely to be purely psychological. However, taking caffeine before an important meeting or when you really need to focus could actually be beneficial as regular coffee consumption can actually improve your cognitive ability. A recent study showed that participants who regularly consumed at least one to two coffees a day scored higher on short term memory recall, spatial ability, logic tests and general IQ testing.

Caffeine gets a really bad reputation as it is known to temporarily increase blood pressure, cause anxiety and jitters and in some extreme cases it is linked to the onset of depression. However, I think much of this reaction is due to the way people use caffeine rather than the innocent cup of coffee itself. Today's coffee consumer is addicted to a daily habit of drive-thru kiosks and super-sized 20oz+ cups of coffee, not to mention those who add a sugar-laden syrup and dollop of whipped cream. I might suggest that coffee isn't so much the problem as is the habitual effect of mega cups of eye-ball popping caffeine several times a day, every day.

What’s not so good about caffeine?

The stimulating effects of caffeine can have great benefits when it comes to improving body composition BUT this is not a one-size fits all rule of thumb – as with all nutrition- (if only it were simpler!).

If you have a history of stress, adrenal fatigue, depression, anxiety or sleep disruption you should avoid the use of caffeine completely. The increased stress hormones produced from consuming caffeine will just exacerbate the problem and could leave you in a vicious cycle of dependency.

Caffeine is a stimulant and causes a release of the stress hormone cortisol putting your body into ‘fight or flight’ mode. Cortisol levels in the body generally fit in with your sleeping patterns – if you are a healthy, un-stressed person that is! Therefore, your cortisol levels are always highest in the morning which triggers you to get up and out of bed. Consider this next time you reach for a mid-afternoon caffeine pick up. Caffeine can stay in your system for more than 6 hours meaning that your 3pm hit can still be producing stimulating effects at 9pm. Not only will this interrupt your sleeping patterns but it can also dampen the release of growth and repair hormones that usually come in to play later in the day to help repair your body as you sleep.

 

To step back and look at the wider picture, it’s also the full cup of coffee that can cause some problems and not just the caffeine. Coffee has been shown to be a gastrointestinal irritant which means it can increase the levels of inflammation within the gut. Coffee is fairly acidic which is why when you drink too much coffee on an empty stomach, you'll often experience a basic discomfort in your digestive system. The stimulating properties of caffeine also affect the gut. Caffeine stimulates gastric emptying which is why it is a commonly used substance in enemas. This can cause diarrhoea which means food may pass too quickly through your colon before all the nutrients have been absorbed.

The acidic nature of coffee can lead to problems with heartburn and reflux. Research hasn’t shown that this effect is reduced by drinking decaffeinated coffee so it must be due to other chemicals in the coffee rather than purely from the caffeine alone.

So should you be drinking coffee?

It is difficult to draw a complete rule of thumb when it comes to caffeine and coffee consumption. Advice must be varied depending on the individual, but this rings true to a lot of things when it comes to diet…just like with exercise too! But a few take home messages are definitely clear:

 

-       Long term high intake of caffeine is not recommended as it can cause a chronic increased level of stress hormones which has many negative effects on the body including weight gain and adrenal fatigue. It can also increase levels of inflammation and tissue damage along with a host of other complications.

-       Do not use caffeine as a pick me up when feeling sluggish, tired and generally fatigued as the stress response will just exacerbate the problem and make your symptoms worse. Only use caffeine as either an ergogenic aid before exercise or just drink it for the enjoyment of a fresh cup of Jo!

-       A cup of coffee makes for a great pre-workout drink to boost your feeling of alertness and energy and help you to increase your fat metabolism, especially when exercising in a fasted state.

-       Monitor your own reaction to caffeine as people vary in their sensitivity. If you are highly sensitive the consumption of caffeine can wreak havoc on your sleeping patterns. Cut out caffeine after midday – or even completely - if you are highly-caffeine sensitive.

-       Try and consume caffeine around times when you are going to be relatively active, i.e. before a morning workout or trip to the shops. This means that your body will utilise the free fatty acids released into your bloodstream rather than them getting stored straight back on your body as fat again.

Christmas time...Mistletoe and Wine!

Christmas is a time for friends, family, laughter and of course EXTREME gluttony! With the cold weather outside and the warm spread of food inside it is difficult not to resist that extra mince pie or glass of mulled wine. To help your body deal with the indulgences of Christmas try out some of my natural remedies to help kick your digestive system back into first gear:

Caffeine-free teas can reduce an uncomfortable, bloated system. They are warm and soothing making them they perfect remedy on a cold winter’s morning. Try:
* Peppermint - Used for centuries to ease the digestive system, peppermint helps ease the bloat caused by trapped wind and soothes indigestion.

* Chamomile - With anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties, the calming effects of this tea also help relieve stress, which is often linked to digestive problems.

* Hot water and lemon- a simple drink to alleviate digestive distress, support liver detoxification, normalize digestive juices, and reduce intestinal bloating. Lemon activates the liver to release toxins and helps to cleanse and move any roughage that stays behind in the intestines. Mix half of a juiced lemon with eight ounces of warm water. Drink upon waking on an empty stomach.

* Hot water and fresh ginger slices – Ginger is known for its anti-nausea properties making it a great ‘morning after the night before’ drink to soothe a food and drink hangover!

Green juices are packed with nutrition to enable the release of stored toxins throughout the system. Green juices can cleanse your digestive system, helping to move things along while providing an extra dose of readily available nutrients. Start with vegetables that are gentle on your system like celery and cucumbers, adding a little apple to sweeten things up. Introduce spinach and kale for a super powered nutritional green juice!

Natural enzymes- Pineapples contain the digestive enzyme bromelain, and papayas contain papain. These natural enzymes support the digestive system in breaking down and absorbing nutrients from the foods we eat. Consuming the fresh juice from these fruits can help relieve gas, upset stomach and occasional constipation and diarrhea.

Aloe Vera – This adaptogenic wonder plant will reduce inflammation in your gut and help to repair and soothe your digestive lining. The gelatinous properties of the Aloe Vera gel allow it to bind to the toxins in your gut and remove them from your system. These toxins are usually kept safe in your system as your body surrounds them with a layer of fat, so eliminating toxins with the gel means less fat storage! Ideal!

Spices- As well as adding ginger to your tea, try adding it to a fresh vegetable stir fry too. Not only does it add a great flavor but will also stimulate digestion by speeding up the movement of food from the stomach into the small intestine. Widely used all over the world for many digestive disturbances, ginger has been found to soothe the digestive lining and balance gastric juices, making it a great remedy for overeating.

Naturally fermented- Naturally high in probiotics, foods such as milk kefir provide beneficial enzymes that increase the digestibility of any food. This enhances lactic acid which in turn promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestines as well as preventing the growth of harmful bacteria and increasing nutrient absorption.

Now I’m not encouraging over-indulgence over the Christmas period but I pride myself on being a REALIST nutritionist who can fit healthy living around YOUR lifestyle. So, try to resist those excessive temptations but do treat yourself to the odd mince pie or smoked salmon breakfast and just make sure you KEEP ACTIVE during the festive period. Now get out there, have fun and don’t neglect your sensitive digestive system this Christmas.

Strong is the new Skinny

STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY - Bones are out, toned is in!

This is my mantra, and I am out to spread it. Before I start the main thing I need to clear up is that strong means strong, it doesn’t mean big. Many women shy away from strength training as they think it will make them big and ‘manly’. Understandable, as recent images of Jodie Marsh flexing her biceps are enough to put any woman off ducking under the squat rack and guzzling down a protein shake!

But what women don’t realise is that Jodie Marsh trained to be a body builder. Training for strength is different. It also takes a considerable amount of hard work and never faltering dedication to get a body like that. Women have lower levels of testosterone than men so we are not programmed to develop big muscles. Women also tend to follow a diet that teeters on a calorie deficit. Without force feeding yourself extra helpings of protein in an attempt to keep your body loaded with muscle building amino acids you are unlikely to gain bulky muscle mass.

If you go into a gym what do you see? A cardio area full of women and a free weights area full of men? This needs to change! How many women have you seen regularly working out in the cardio section of the gym? They are dedicated; they will be there week in week out. BUT have you ever seen their physique change shape? Excessive cardio can put your body in a stressful situation. It wears down your muscle and can lead to injury and weakness. Just look at the difference between Paula Radcliffe’s physique and that of our Olympic star Jess Ennis….who would you rather look like?

Strength training gives you shape. It creates a lean, toned looking body. A body that can take on whatever life has to throw at it.

Still need more convincing? Well, here’s a summary of the benefits of strength training:

-          A stronger skeleton. Strength training will help to maintain and boost your bone density meaning you are less at risk of developing brittle bones and osteoporosis later in life. This is particularly important for women as after the menopause the protective effects of oestrogen on our bone health is lost and we need to give our skeletal system a helping hand.

-          Increase metabolism. Muscle is metabolically active so the more you have, the greater your metabolic needs. You know what that means ladies….starter, main course AND desert anyone?

-          Helps you to lose weight and keep it off. Not only will strength training increase your metabolism but it will keep it elevated for an extended period of time even when you are not working out! This makes managing your weight a heck of a lot easier. You may have been told that cardio torches fat, but the minute you step of the treadmill this fat burning process stops. Strength train and gain muscle mass however, and your ‘after-burn’ from a workout will remain elevated while your sat at your desk in the office. Cardio can burn into muscles but strength training will burn into fat!

-          Injury prevention. By strengthening the muscles supporting your joints you can help prevent injuries by maintaining good form and posture, as well as strengthening joint integrity. No more knee ache on your morning run.

-          Improve functional strength. Day to day activities will seem a lot easier. I’m all for men being gentlemen and offering to carry my heavy bag but what happens when no one else is around to help? Life is hard enough without a heavy handbag also weighing you down.

So ladies, hit the spot button on that treadmill and take a look around your free weights area next time you head to the gym. If you are unsure of how to begin speak to one of the Personal Trainers in your gym or contact one in your local area to show you how you can also strength train outside or in the home. For more help and guidance please contact me at Lindsay@purelifestyles.co.uk and follow me on Twitter @Pure_Lifestyles for more healthy tips! J

Sex or Bread?

Sex or Bread?

(well now that caught your attention!)

If you had the choice to have sex or eat bread what would you choose..?

If you just screamed "sex!":

1) Apologize to your surrounding co-workers,

2) High-five your partner, and
3) Ask yourself why so many others would choose bread, pasta, and pizza

Where am I going with this you might be wondering….well…

Gluten sensitivity is on the rise like no other food intolerance. It is not just an issue for people diagnosed with Celiac disease as a very large portion of the population still react negatively when they eat gluten (NCGS: Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitive).

For many people eating even a small amount of gluten means bloating, cramps, and diarrhea... just to name three common symptoms ( ...so sex is off the menu for now then!)

Yet you'll still hear people say "I know I'm going to pay for this later, but I can't resist," and they proceed to dig into the bread basket.

At this point we all irrefutably know that the majority of the population is addicted to food - but that addiction seems to remain prevalent even when they are medically diagnosed with a food intolerance which is linked to sensations of pain or discomfort every time they eat it.

What makes someone opt for pain for hours or days just for an immediate satisfaction that lasts a few seconds? What can we call that other than true addiction?

Food addiction: We get it. But can foods that cause pain still be better than having sex?

Leicester General Hospital carried out a study on this topic and came up with the following conclusions: "There is now substantial evidence that a gluten allergy is associated with infertility both in men and women. Hyperprolactinaemia is seen in 25% of coeliac patients, which causes impotence and loss of libido."

Another study: "... sexual dysfunction and abnormalities of semen quality was determined in 28 consecutive males with coeliac disease... Of the married coeliacs, 19% had infertile marriages, a value greater than expected in the general population."

People that know this information and are affected STILL eat gluten or as they call it: "cheat." Cheat and suffer the inevitable consequences. The worst part is that someone who is gluten sensitive and hasn't yet triggered Celiac disease can actually prevent the trigger just by making some dietary changes - and yet many people wait until it's too late; maybe because they don’t realize the true implications of what they are doing to their bodies.

 It is not just your sex life you need to be concerned about either. Each hit of gluten in your intestinal tract will produce an inflammatory response as your body fights what it detects as a ‘foreign body’. This reaction is what causes the nasty side effects such as bloating and cramps after ingestion of gluten-containing foods. Inflammation is a leading cause of many diseases and although your effects may only last for a few hours – maybe only half an hour- think of the buildup over time. A hit of inflammation after that sandwich for lunch…every day…365 days a year….that leads to CHRONIC inflammation which spells bad news for your poor digestive tract!

However – do not panic, there is a solution if it’s not too late! Gluten withdrawal and correction of deficient dietary elements can lead to a return of fertility both in men and women and a reduction in gut inflammation. Please contact me if you are experiencing negative side effects after eating gluten. A word of advice to all (my nutritional clients have heard this one before!) – ALOE VERA GEL will help to reduce inflammation in your gut and help heal the gut lining from previous abuse. Taken on a daily basis this miracle gel can help your body deal with a whole host of attacks – including those from gluten. Please speak to me if you want to start on a course of Aloe Vera and I can provide you with the best gel on the market at the moment.

So – what will it be…..sex or bread….?!  J

Re-wire your mind-set to take control over your diet

My first instruction for you today – Recognise that everything you eat is your own choice. Take responsibility for what you eat.

Now there’s a double headed sword! - On one hand, that means you have chosen to eat the things that got you to the body you have right now. If you aren’t happy with your body, that realization can be tough to handle. But on the other hand – the fact that you have the absolutely final say in what you eat is liberating. No one will pin you down and force Dairy Milk down your throat. You have the power to choose what and how much you eat, and with the right choices you can change your body.

This may seem obvious, but people often don’t accept responsibility for their food choices. People sometimes can blame others or the situation they were in. Ever said - “I had to eat _______, it’s all that was available there/I was starving/I didn’t have time to eat lunch“, etc. The truth is, you had the option to not eat _____, to make time for a real meal, or to bring food with you and not rely on someone else to provide food for you. Accepting responsibility for every bite that goes in your mouth is a big step forward.

Ok, now to the next instruction for you…You can eat anything you want. Anything.

Are you attempting to lose weight by declaring certain foods as off-limits, or telling yourself that you “should not” or “must not” eat them? You’ll want to rethink that.

By restricting yourself, you will ignite your natural, inborn resistance.

Eating a cookie on occasion does not make someone overweight. But what makes someone overeat cookies, not stopping at one or two, several times a week? Restriction. Restrict anything and you create an environment of scarcity in your mind. That’s Economics 101. A commodity which is scarce becomes more valuable. So now the forbidden item looks even better to you. This might cause you to think about it more often and creates a bad relationship – maybe even obsessive relationship- between you and this food. In addition to inflating the perceived value of the forbidden food, there’s a little rebellious streak in all of us. It’s invigorating, exhilarating even, to break a rule, even if it’s your own.

So now you’ve doubled the prize of eating the forbidden food: it’s built up in your mind to be the Best Stuff Ever and it makes you feel a little badass for doing it. I hope you see where this is going: A restrictive mind-set will not only make you fixate on and eventually eat the very items you’re trying to reduce, but when you do eat them, you’re likely to go headfirst into a massive quantity. Because after all, it’s rare and valuable and you won’t allow yourself to have it again for a long long time so you better get a lot in…

If you’ve ever had an experience with binge eating, recall it. Did it follow a time period of restriction or sticking to a very regimented diet? For many people, it does. The more drastic the restriction, the more binge-triggering it is. And the worst thing we can do after a binge is the most common response: following it up with another period of restriction to “make up for it”. If you’d like to break this cycle, it is a worthy challenge to not view any food as off limits.

What’s the alternative if nothing is off limits? What would keep me from eating junk all day?

If you think you only want to eat chocolate and chips, it may be because you aren’t allowing yourself to eat chocolate and chips.

My advice is to experiment: allow yourself to eat whatever you want, chicken or carrots or carrot cake, just eat it mindfully, and savour it. When you know you’ll still be free tomorrow to have whatever you want, you may be shocked to find you don’t in fact want the whole tub of ice cream or cake for every meal. More than 90% of the time you’ll probably want healthy food that nourishes you and tastes good, that gives you energy and not indigestion. When you aren’t attributing an artificial value to sweets by restricting them, you can let yourself discover that you actually only want them every now and then.

Think of a food right now that you know distances you from your goals, perhaps one that you have told yourself you “must not” or “cannot” eat. Could you instead accept that you are allowed to eat that food, yet you choose not to because you want your goals more? The action (not eating the food) is exactly the same as if you had just declared it off limits and stuck to it – but the mind-set is different.

When entering a restaurant do you say to yourself “Okay, no meals with no cheese and no fried stuff, no desert and no meats that aren’t organic. You’re not allowed to have any of those.” When you look at the menu it becomes an experience of limitation and restriction. Feeling like this can make you likely to fight back in some way, and sooner or later “give in” and break all of your ‘rules’.

Reminded yourself that whatever your goal is, it is your choosing, and there is a reason you have chosen it. Check in with yourself- is this still a valuable goal for you? Or would you rather choose the deep fried fish and chocolate gateaux? Because you are free to do either. Just remember the reasons you want to do both and I think you’ll find the reasons you want your goal are much more powerful than the reasons why you want the gateaux.

So implement these two pointers into your mind-set and start loving your diet rather than restricting it.

-      Take responsibility for your food choices.

-      Rather than telling yourself that you “can’t” or “shouldn’t” eat certain things, acknowledge that you could in fact eat any of them, but you CHOOSE to eat more of some and less of others.

The incredible power of nutrition

I’m not sure if any of you have ever heard of Jessica Richards’ story but it is remarkable and so I wanted to tell you all about it today. It hasn’t really been highlighted in main stream media, not in a positive light anyway, as many people turn their nose up at what she did. But I think her story is just another step forward to nutrition becoming the medicine of today and making people realize the power their nutrition has on their own health and future quality of life.

Jessica Richards is a former model. After learning that she had an unusually large tumor in one of her breasts, Richards was told by her doctors that she would need to begin an aggressive treatment protocol that involved removing the breast, having it reconstructed, and undergoing an intense series of radiation and hormone treatments to keep it at bay. Knowing a bit about the toll this would take on her body, Richards decided to take a different route – very brave!

Rather than follow in the footsteps of the millions of others who have lost their lives during the cutting, burning, and poisoning, Richards made the personal, informed decision to naturally fight breast cancer by switching to a strict metabolic diet and feed her body a plethora of cancer-fighting nutrients, and cutting out a host of cancer-causing foods and substances. In her book ‘The topic of Cancer’, she writes:

"The cancer consultant who'd done my ultrasound scans said my tumor was so large I'd need accelerated chemotherapy for several months. He said I would almost certainly need a mastectomy or at least a large lumpectomy with significant reconstruction, my lymph nodes removed, radiotherapy and five years of hormone-altering drugs after that."

After researching alternative options, Richards decided to focus on alkaline over acid foods and eliminate all dairy and sugar from her diet, including most fruits, and instead eat lots of vegetables, short grain rice, quinoa and linseeds, and take high doses of vitamin C intravenously. After just three weeks of starting this regimen scans showed that Richards' tumor had essentially "gone to sleep," and was in the process of regressing.
After several months of adhering to her strict diet, which she admits has not always been easy, Richards was told by her consultant radiologist that her tumor was effectively breaking down in the same way as it would with intensive chemotherapy, except without all the organ damage and other deadly side effects. A little over a year after first being diagnosed with cancer, Richards was able to stop her intravenous vitamin C injections and not long after that was told that she was completely healthy, and would not have to return for a checkup for another year.
WOW – just think about that for a few minutes….then reassess what you are feeding your own body.

Why can't I lose weight?

Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

Losing weight and burning fat DOES NOT have to be a losing battle! You have more control over it than you think.
Small tweaks can make a BIG difference.
Here are a few reasons why you’re not seeing the results you’d like:

You’re not strength training. Often, people who are not losing weight don’t do strength training. The more lean, sleek muscle you have, the faster your resting metabolism is because muscle is the body’s most metabolically active tissue.

You’re not exercising in a way that forces your body to adapt. The adaptive response requires energy; it raises your body’s energy needs. The body will then dig into stored fat for this energy.
If you’ve been strength training and the weight hasn’t been coming off, it may be because you’re not doing much more than merely going through the motions.

There’s the story of a heavy-set woman who was doing body weight squats. A trainer waltzed over, knelt beside her, said “Hi” with a smile, then handed her two 10 pound dumbells (one for each hand).
The woman’s mouth fell open, but the trainer said, “You’re going to do eight reps of your squats but this time you’re going to hold a 10 lb dumbbell on each side.”
“I can’t do it with that weight!”
“Oh yes you can. Trust me. You’re going to complete all eight reps.”
The woman said her goal was to lose weight, but nothing was happening despite regular workouts. She began her squats, and it wasn’t easy. She had to fight her way to the eighth rep, but she completed eight full repetitions.
The trainer said, “Now that’s the way every set should feel. Apply this effort level to all of your sets for every exercise. You won’t lose weight if you keep doing something your body is efficient at. You must do something that forces you to struggle. Struggling begets weight loss.”
A month later the woman reported having dropped an entire dress size.
Moral of this true story: Exercises that require you to push harder will burn fat and spark weight loss, especially when paired with sensible eating.

You eat mindlessly. Every little sample and nugget counts. One tablespoon of gravy is 100 calories. A “little bit here and there” adds up. Avoid eating when you’re focused on other things, such as watching TV or you’re on the computer.

You drink diet drinks. Artificial sweeteners often trigger hunger and mess up your metabolism.

Too many processed foods. These trigger hunger, and too much white sugar and high fructose corn syrup will get stored as fat.

You skip breakfast. Breakfast, even if it’s only a cup of yogurt, tends to tame later-day appetite. Skipping it can make you feel entitled to overeat later on.

You hold onto the treadmill. This has got to be one of the most weight-loss-sabotaging habits out there. The body has absolutely no reason to burn more fat in response to make-believe walking.
Instead, pump the arms and get winded to force your body to adapt. Remember, the body won’t adapt to something that it’s very efficient at doing (e.g., walking while holding onto something for support).

You don’t do HIIT: high intensity interval training. This form of cardio blasts fat.

Inconsistent exercise habits. Regular exercise means the difference between success and failure. Even if you’re doing everything right in the gym, consistency is the MOST important thing.

Poor sleeping habits. Research shows that under six hours of sleep and over nine are strongly linked to excess body fat.

Too much daytime napping. Excessive inertia means a slowed metabolism to accommodate it.

Before you give up review your lifestyle habits to find out what can be modified to promote fat loss.
Contact me today and i can help you get there!