Probiotics: part 2- the good from the bad

Just remembered my past blog on probiotics promised to give you all more information on how to wheedle out the good supps from the bad. I got highly distracted with my angry rant on the OMG diet and never followed this up…so here we go…

So the current market for probiotics is very confusing to most consumers. You can choose from a wide array of products all making claims on their different strains, species, billions counts, shelf stability and so on. And all of these products can also come in different forms - probiotic capsules, pills, yoghurts, drinks, even chewing gum and chocolate! So what do you pick? What’s actually important? Read on for some basic tips when choosing:

1. Avoid the yoghurt drinks- especially if you want to watch your waistline or if you have diabetes; as the levels of sugar in these 'health' drinks can be very high. Leading probiotic yoghurt drinks contain more sugar than fizzy drinks; and the sugar-free options contain artificial sweeteners that will mess up your metabolism.

2. Count the number of bacteria. The gut is home to roughly 100 trillion bacteria. So it’s best to go for a supplement offering at least 15 billion live microorganisms, as opposed to a few million. Look for the potency at time of expiration as the bacteria will degrade in the bottle. However, pay close attention to the strains as it will not be beneficial to take 30 billion probiotics per day if the probiotics have not met more important criteria, for example the ability to survive stomach acidity, and to bind to the gut wall lining.

3. Do not fall for the 'Time of Manufacture Guarantee.” Whilst this appears to be a good statement what this really means is that the number of billions stated on the pack is actually the number of billions that existed in the product when it was made. As bacteria are of a delicate nature, this count will certainly drop as the product sits on the shelf, or even in the fridge. So look for the numbers at the expiration date stated instead.

4. How many strains? I would recommend buying multi strain probiotics as different strains naturally reside in different areas of the gut so taking more than one will support a larger area of your gut rather than just the small intestine for example. Different strains also have different survival rates and health benefits so a mixture can provide optimal results.  On the other hand, if you are looking at a product with a huge amount of different strains, be wary that various strains can actually 'cannibalise' each other within a capsule. Make sure you are going for a reputable company with an expertise in probiotic & prebiotic supplements - they should have tested the strains to make sure they can survive together.

6. Get the correct strains for you. Research on probiotics consistently shows results that different strains will have different effects on the body. For example, Bifidobacterium infantis is a great probiotic species for children, and is thought to play a key role in immunity. It will naturally settle in the large intestine, however, so it is not an ideal probiotic to be taking for a patient on antibiotics (who will be losing vast numbers of probiotics from the small intestine.) Try to find a probiotic supplement that is tailored for your health condition, rather than a general product that is marketed to everyone – again, this situation highlights the benefits of a multi-strain probiotic.

7. Make sure there is research. Do your research and make sure they have done theirs - reliable probiotic supplements should be backed up with HUMAN clinical trials - and these trials should be available for you to read. One place to start your research is with the UK company OptiBac Probiotics. They specialize in probiotics & prebiotics and have developed a range of probiotics targeting specific health conditions by using specific probiotic strains.

Any further questions or help on finding a supplement, or just want me to check out yours before you buy, email me the details over and I’ll be happy to help.

Women!: Taking the pill and feeling lethargic?...read on.

Many people report un-wanted side effects from taking the oral contraceptive pill. One thing that quite a few women mention is that they feel tired and lacking in energy a lot of the time. Despite various other factors that can lead to this, your contraceptive pill could be one major factor.  

It has been shown that there is a link between taking the pill and depletion of vitamin B6. Along with the rest of the B-complex vitamins, Vitamin B6 has an important role in the generation of energy in your body. It also helps immune function, protein metabolism and is involved in over 100 enzymatic reactions that take place within the body.

Long term deficiency in B6 can cause lack of energy, depression, decreased brain function and higher levels of homocysteine (linked to heart disease).

Taking oral contraceptives can stem to a whole host of negative effects on the body, depending on the individual, and nutritional supplementation becomes almost a necessity. The B-complex vitamins are water soluble so your body does not store them. This means you need a constant daily supply to keep your levels above that of deficiency. Good sources of B6 include bananas, prunes, tomatoes, avocado, cruciferous vegetables, walnuts and hazelnuts. The average person gets their daily quota of vitamin B6 from their diet but women on the pill may benefit from supplementation too due to the constant depletion of B6.

Be careful with the supplements that you by. Look for timed release vitamin B complexes so the vits are release slowly over time. This allows for maximum absorption and minimal wastage in your (expensive) urine. Also, make sure you take your supplement WITH FOOD always. Look at the list of ingredients of your supplement bottle and make sure there are no artificial ingredients, colours/dyes or preservatives. Poor quality supplements do not provide adequate nutrition. Good quality is more expensive but can you really put a price on your health?

The 6 weeks to OMG diet

I took my once in a blue moon journey on the London underground the other day and past a huge billboard advertising The 6 weeks to ‘OMG’ diet by Venice Fulton. The first thing that annoyed me about this diet was the tag line – ‘get skinnier than your friends’….well that really promotes a healthy attitude doesn’t it Mr Fulton.

                Venice Fulton has a degree in Sports science and has come up with what he classes a great diet plan for people wanting to lose weight. I, on the other hand BEG to differ and just reading about the book is irritating me, let alone even putting myself through the pain of having to read the book itself. So if you have read the book and think it’s the best thing since sliced bread then please do comment, I’d love to hear what the book offers that its explanation doesn’t.

                So to start my rant I’ll just take you through the basic principles of this diet. There are 5 key principles Fulton focuses on:

1. Lose fat

2. Get toned

3. Slim down your thighs

4. Flatten your belly

5. Keep your skin, hair and nails growing

….right so the same as everything else….

Then he also has certain ‘rules’ and ‘theories’ that he bases his diet on

                -Fulton states in his book that ‘carbs are carbs’ and that it doesn’t matter whether you get them from an apple or a slab of chocolate cake. Well, I don’t know where he studied his ‘nutrition’ but he clearly didn’t pay attention during class. I won’t bore you with the science, but take my word for it – that statement is WRONG. I’m not going to insult your intelligence either as I’m sure you didn’t need me to tell you that! Just for the icing on the cake read this other sentence of his- ‘broccoli carbs can be worse than soda carbs’…..I mean SERIOUSLY, is this guy for real!!

                -The book encourages people to take cold baths and showers to lose a few more pounds. He stresses the calorie burning benefit of cold water since your body has to use energy to keep your core body temperature at 37 degrees. Yes your body will use up energy but not anywhere near enough for it to become an effective weight loss method. You’ll find yourself slipping into hyperthermia before you’re slipping into that little black dress.

                - Fulton says that breakfast should not be eaten until you have exercised –read my past blog post on eating before exercise to see how miss guided this is. Again, I feel this statement really promotes an unhealthy attitude to diet, fitness and generally towards your own confidence and self-esteem.

-Readers are encouraged to drink black coffee because of its antioxidants (ok I’ll give you that depending on what type of coffee), zero calories (correct again….doing well…), metabolism stimulating properties (ah damn, and we’re back to the cold shower idea!). Caffeine is a stimulant and will slightly increase your heart rate, depending on how sensitive you are to it. The physiological changes from coffee are not strong enough to make a massive difference in your overall calorie expenditure.  He also promotes coffee drinking as it suppresses your appetite. Again, he steers his readers straight back into such a terrible mind-set.

                -The foods he recommends includes green leafy vegetables, chicken, nuts, lean beef, fish, beans, lentils, brown rice and other fresh vegetables.  

Ok, so in a nutshell this diet has all the makings of a FAD diet – simple food recommendations that comply with healthy eating with a list of random wacky rules that are the only thing that will distinguish it from all the other books out there that essentially offer similar ideas. FAD diets do not work, and that is why there are so many of them out there. If one worked there would be no need for more to be made. Nutrition is simple once you know the rules. There is no ‘secret trick’. It’s all very basic, and the more basic you keep it the easier it is to follow, maintain and enjoy – after all it’s going to be a part of your life, every day, for the rest of your life. Do you really want to be obsessing about the temperature of your shower being too hot or the dash of milk you like to have with your coffee?     

The author of this book has a history of helping athletes and celebrities…not really your ‘average Joe’. Athletes’ lives are ruled by their bodies and how their bodies function. With knowledge of athletes I would have expected Fulton to have a better idea of human physiology and what the body needs in order to function optimally. Maybe it was when he moved his attention to celebrities that his mind ended up in the clouds. Celebrities have to look good and they are under immense pressure to do so. They don’t have the time or the energy to think about their diet so will generally get someone else to do the thinking for them and just do what they tell them to do. So yes- if you lived on black coffee and exercised with no fuel in your body you would lose a stack of weight. But you’d feel like crap all the time and you would be a VERY unhealthy person with an ever diminishing life span to look forward to with brittle bones, illness and disease in your pension fund.

So my advice to you is probably pretty clear –Don’t buy this book! If you’re after healthy eating advice and want a nutrition plan that fits around YOUR lifestyle that you can maintain day-in, day-out then please get in touch and I would be happy to help. I am starting my own experiment to show how a very simple diet plan and training program can get desired results – no airy fairy mumbo jumbo – back to basics. I’ve teamed up with Protégé London’s managing director Lewis Thorneycroft. He’s a top class personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach. With the plans in place the trial will be starting soon. I’ll keep you updated with the results!

Look after yourself with Probiotics

There are hundreds of different species of bacteria living in our gastrointestinal tracts. Your gut bacteria have many more functions than just aiding digestion. They are responsible for triggering immune system reactions throughout the body and will greatly affect overall physical AND mental health. The ‘good’ bacteria in the gut should make up 85% of your intestinal flora, which allows for the remaining 15% to be pathogenic. Over two-thirds of your immune system relies on this make-up. So let me take you through why your body can benefit from adding probiotics into the mix:

-          Enhance immunity.  This is an important point to consider during pregnancy and breast feeding. A mother passes on her intestinal flora to the baby during the birthing process which essentially sets up the baby’s immune system. During breast feeding the mother’s milk will also contain bacteria from the mother. The immune protection of a mother’s milk is greatly enhanced if the mother is taking probiotics to support her own gut flora.

-          Probiotics can help to reverse and ease gut inflammation which is a leading cause of many ailments such as Ulcers, IBS, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and IBD.

-          Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity symptoms can be eased by adding probiotics.

-          The increase in processed foods and low fibre diets in the modern world allows for an increase in pathogenic bacteria, over taking the good bacteria, which can diminish colon function. Firstly, CUT the processed food and UP the intake of fresh, fibrous fruit and veg, but secondly, add a probiotic to help your stomach recover.

-          If you repeatedly suffer from yeast infections such as Candida, this could be caused by an imbalance in your intestinal flora. Supplementing with probiotics can help to restore your levels of good: bad bacteria.

-          A healthy gut flora could help to prevent cancer by nourishing the enzymes responsible for inhibiting tumour production throughout the body.

-          Modern-day food processing methods such as the use of Genetically Modified Organisms and antibiotics found in non-organic meat and dairy products can strip the gut of its healthy intestinal flora. It is necessary to add probiotics back to your gut if your diet contains food of this nature.

So where do you get your probiotics from?

You can supplement with probiotics in capsule form. Always be prepared to pay higher end for all of your supplements. This particularly applies to probiotics. You need to ensure the protective capsule is strong enough to withstand the acids in your stomach in order for it to reach your intestinal tract where it is needed.

Do not spend countless money on daily probiotic drinks and yogurts. For my research project during my undergraduate degree I worked on the research for Yakult products. I was looking into the effects the product had on the immune response, as the product was making claims that Yakult could help support your immune defences. Well, I found NO significant difference….needless to say the adverts for these products soon changed and now they just use wishy-washy  claims such as, ‘lots inside’ or ‘billions of bacteria in each little bottle’…..well yes, but it goes no further than the bottle!  

Look out for my next blog post where I’ll be going into more detail on how to sort through the millions of probiotics available to find the best product.

An alternative method of taking in probiotics is through fermented foods such as milk kefir and water kefir which can be consumed daily. You can make your own kefir, just order ‘starter grains’ online or check your nearest health food store and then check out YouTube videos that can take through the process every step of the way.

A healthy gut is vitally important to a healthy body. Support yours with a balanced and varied wholefoods diet, regular exercise and a well-planned supplementation routine.

To find out more on supplementation and discuss what YOUR body requires please contact me for a complimentary half hour consultation.

Hit the weights women

A gym is separated into two very distinct areas – the cardio area and the weights area. This also appears to separate the sexes too – the cardio area is always swarming with women and the weights section is always full of men. Day in, day out, I see the same women walking into the gym, they head straight to a cardio machine, sweat profusely on it for half an hour, maybe do a few crunches, then leave. Sound familiar? And day by day these women’s body shapes do not change…at all. Not surprising really.

Weight training is an incredibly important part of any training program. Its benefits extend to many aspects of health including increasing lean body mass and bone density, improved body composition, strength, biomechanical health, hormonal effects, psychological effects, cardiac health benefits…and let’s not forget the pure satisfaction of a toned and shapely body.

On initial introduction with most of my female clients I need to spend time to explain these benefits as it seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to associate weights with a huge body building physique (which hasn’t been helped by recent pictures of Jodie Marsh!). This leaves most people running away from me as I approach them with a set of dumbbells! But I cannot stress enough how important weight training is for anyone seeking health and aesthetic benefits. Women who train naturally have a very limited potential to develop a large increase of muscle bulk. Body composition will certainly change with increases in muscle mass with a corresponding reduction in fat mass and overall girth reduction…and who doesn’t want that?

 A paper published in the NSCA Journal showed the results of multiple studies that clearly highlighted that weight training in women causes “a reduction in fat weight, an increase in lean weight and either no change or only a slight increase in total body weight. All demonstrated significant increases in strength and in most cases these changes were associated with no change or a decrease in lower body girths and only minimal increases in upper-body limb girth.”

Weight training also has the potential to improve your life expectancy….what more do you need to know really! Based on almost a decade of research, professors at Tuffs University have reported that the top two markers to predict life expectancy were muscle mass and strength.

And on a vanity note – for every 1lb of muscle you gain, you will burn around 50 extra calories a day!

So, the take home message here ladies is get in that weights area, get strong and get lean!

For more advice or to book a training session with me to learn how to incorporate weight training into your routine please call or email using the contact info on the other page. J

Start your day the right way.

 For many people breakfast is a rushed inconvenience that they rarely put much thought into and will often grab and eat as they race out the door. I won’t use the age old cliché that breakfast is the most important meal of the day as all meals and any food you eat during the day is important. However, breakfast definitely warrants more consideration than many people give it. If you start your day badly, the chances are it will continue on that path.

            First and foremost, you must always make sure you make time to eat breakfast in the morning. As soon as you can after waking up is ideal. Whilst I know that some people struggle to eat during the early hours it is important that you fuel up as soon as you can. For many people the typical regime at breakfast time involves pouring some cereal out of a box, adding some milk and washing it down with a hot cup of coffee. Whilst I’m certainly not adverse to a delicious cup of coffee  I am definitely not an advocate for the cereal brigade that seems to have taken over many kitchen cupboards. The ‘food’ marketed to us all as breakfast foods are some of the most nutritionally devoid foods available. Many cereals are laden with sugar and the average breakfast pastry packs a massive 15grams of sugar per portion.

 If you want to take preventative action for mood swings, increased appetite and mid-afternoon brain fog, ensure you start your day with a low glycaemic breakfast. The Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism recently published a study showing that eating a protein rich, low carb breakfast of almonds left subjects feeling fuller for longer with lower blood glucose concentrations well into the afternoon compared to subjects who started the day with a breakfast of medium glycaemic index carbohydrates. Regulating appetite and controlling blood glucose concentration is the key to preventing weight gain, mood swings and mental fog.

Start your day on the right track

Avoid simple carbohydrates in the morning and opt for protein rich foods to provide you with a brain boosting hit of amino acids. New research published in the journal Neuron has shown that amino acids play a key role in helping us wake up. When subjects were given foods containing amino acids the neurons in their brains responsible for regulating wakefulness and energy balance in the body were stimulated and activated. On the other hand, high blood glucose has been shown to inhibit the activation of these neurons, which will explain why you may feel sleepy after eating a high carbohydrate meal or a sugary treat in the afternoon. By simply adding a protein source you will activate these neurons and start your day feeling energised and ready for action! Eggs are the perfect provider of these amino acids. They are packed with health benefits including providing a good source of choline, protein and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. Eggs make a great start to the day and can be made in many ways to keep things interesting.

For some examples on breakfast foods that really fit the bill see the list below:

• Hard boiled eggs – perfect if your excuse for missing breakfast is due to time constraints as they are portable and can be eaten on the go – although for the sake of others please avoid tucking in on a busy train!
• Nuts or nut butter – also very portable and quick and easy to eat on the go.
• Scrambled egg with cheese and veggies – delicious and feels very decadent for breakfast yet healthy, satisfying and quick to make in the microwave or on the hob.
• Protein shake, and I don’t mean the flavoured, sweetened, heat-treated protein drinks you see many men sipping on in the gym. Opt for unflavoured whey protein powder to avoid consuming any nasty chemicals that your body will struggle to metabolise. Blend it with a variety of frozen berries and some nut milk for a nutritionally loaded delicious drink to get you going.
• Fruit and Nut ‘cereal’ – Playing on the theme of a bowl of cereal but with different characters….add a handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts and brazils for the best nutritional status) and a handful of berries to a bowl and top with organic dairy milk or nut milk and a sprinkling of cinnamon – simple yet effective! Why not also add some seeds to really boost the nutritional value of this cereal – I would recommend a few tablespoons of Chia seeds for an added hit of essential Omega 3s.
• Poached eggs with grilled tomato and mushrooms. This is a really good choice for a lazy Sunday morning when you have time to prepare breakfast and enjoy it over the Sunday papers with a steaming mug of good quality, fresh, organic coffee.

The list could go on! There are numerous options available so get creative. And who says breakfast needs to be limited to what we all see as ‘traditional’ breakfast foods. If you fancy grilled chicken and salad or stuffed peppers for breakfast then go for it! Just stick to low glycaemic carbs and good quality protein options and you can’t go too far wrong.

Work hard, Play harder, Train the hardest.

Some people love to work out while others (the majority!) find it a drag and can’t wait to hit the showers and head home. Well wouldn’t it be great to spend as little time as possible working out whilst receiving maximum benefits? Sounds too good to be true..?

Whether you’re an avid gym user or not I’m sure you have been made aware of the recent surge of interest in HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training. A recent TV program looked into the effects of short sharp bursts of intense exercise and found it to be beneficial to health status. People are going mad for high intensity training and great results are being seen from shorter workouts at maximum effort.

            Most of my clients only see me for half an hour – they all say they couldn’t survive a longer session! – Needless to say I am a massive fan of HIIT for my own, and my clients training. Despite the benefits seen in speed, strength, power and body comp I also save loads of time training this way. Whether you want to set your alarm that bit later in the morning or get home earlier to enjoy your evening, HIIT may be for you if you want to maximize results without spending hours slogging away in the gym.

I’m going to take Sprinting as my example exercise. Sprint training is favored by many athletes as it builds fast twitch muscle fibers and is highly effective for fat burning. Replacing long cardiovascular workouts on treadmills and cross trainers with sprint training a few times a week could result in huge benefits for you. You just have to remember one rule – you must perform at 100% intensity.  

The Sciencey bit

When the body performs any explosive movement at a high intensity it releases growth hormone (HGH) in the days to follow to aid recovery. It has been shown that a 30 second all-out sprint increased HGH 530% over baseline levels. High growth hormone levels are ideal for keeping body fat low and building lean muscle, thus increasing your metabolic rate.

Sprinting will increase the size of the mitochondria in your cells which is the part of the cell that stores energy. This makes the body more efficient at releasing energy so it has a reduced tendency to store body fat. Therefore, sprinting not only oxidizes fat, it also prevents the body from storing new fat.

When compared to low intensity exercise, sprinting and other high intensity training burns far more fat and calories. A 20-minute workout doing high-intensity sprints is roughly comparable to an hour-long cardio workout at a lower intensity.

So are you convinced? If you want to start HIIT on your next gym visit start with caution as your body needs time to adjust to such high intensities. If you want to try out some sprint training for the first time start out by stretching and doing a little jogging and then work up to moderate intensity sprints, to avoid injuring yourself. After completing moderate intensity sprints for your first few sessions you can start doing full intensity sprints. If you are already a keen sprinter, try your sprints uphill next time.

Combine your HIIT with good dietary practice and you can achieve a lean, strong and powerful body….and have the time to get out and show it off!  

-          For ideas on how to train in this way or to book in your HIIT session with me please get in contact. Lx