How to Improve Your Digestion Very Easily.

Quite a few years ago, I learned an important point about nutrition in Alexander Solzenhitsyn's short novel, "One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovitch". I have practised it ever since.


The book is just what it says on the cover; an account of one day of survival for its main character, Ivan, who is imprisoned in a Russian labour camp in Siberia. Although very sombre, it is an uplifting tale of the human spirit.


On rising before dawn, Ivan queues for his bread ration for the day - a few hundred grams of coarse, black bread. He breaks it into two portions, carefully ensuring that not a single crumb is lost. He wraps one half and puts into his coat, where it will be safe from hungry thieves. This portion will accompany his evening meal of thin cabbage soup, after a hard day's labour.


Then, taking the remaining piece, he finds a quiet spot and eats it very slowly, chewing every mouthful exactly one hundred times, "to extract the maximum nutritional value" from it.


Just on these few pages, first I was struck by the fact that some people in this world are very hungry and we should not waste the food we have, but appreciate it.


Next, I noticed the importance of chewing one's food thoroughly. Many people gulp down their food. This makes eating an unsatisfying chore, rather than a pleasure. 


Chewing food stimulates receptors in our brains, telling us that we are satisfied and have actually eaten. If we gulp our food, we will soon feel hungry again because part of the satisfaction of eating is in the smelling, chewing, tasting and savouring of food while it is in one's mouth.


Later, when I studied nutrition for Health & Fitness, I learned how digestion starts in the mouth; chewing breaks down food, allowing digestive chemicals a greater surface area on which to act. One of those enzymes, amylase, is found in saliva.


Amylase acts on starch, coating the molecules. Next, it breaks down these compounds into simpler particles - maltose, maltotriose and dextrins, which are simple sugar carbohydrates.

You should not need to drink water with your meal when you chew your food sufficiently because saliva surrounds the chewed food in our mouths, lubricating this bolus, making swallowing easier. After passing through your stomach, the sugar carbohydrates from the amylase and starch reaction reach your small intestine, where new enzymes convert the sugars to glucose, your body's main fuel source.

Missing this important chewing stage in our mouths, means starches will remain undigested, increasing our likelihood of having diarrhea, flatulence, belly aches or constipation.

I don't chew my food one hundred times, but I certainly don't just swallow it. I take my time over eating. Usually, at  a meal with friends, I will be the last to finish. This is not because I talk too much!


Here in Britain, we rarely take enough time to enjoy a meal and digestive problems are common. Typically, we have a 30 minutes meal break at work. Compare this with France, Spain or Italy where lunch breaks are at least two hours long. No wonder they are renowned for their culinary appreciation! 


So, the message is this - slow down! Savour your food. Bite small mouthfuls. Don't stuff yourself. Set aside time to enjoy your food at every meal.  Eat slowly and you will avoid digestive problems.


Bon Appetit!

What are you eating? Swallow This!

I was shopping for coconut milk the other day. I checked the label and saw two E-numbers and, by the miracle of modern technology, was able to immediately check them on Google. I didn't like what I read and put the can back on the shelf. I finally settled for desiccated coconut.

This question of additives - and it is a serious problem for anyone interested in their long-term health, despite what food scientists tell us - is covered in Joanna Blythman's book, "Swallow This".

http://www.joannablythmanwriting.com/books.html


Taking us behind the scenes of the food industry (as far as she was allowed to go, for it is a closed world of secrets, jealously guarded), Blythman tells us about the oils, sweeteners, colours, preservatives, improvers and enhancers which give the supermarkets' "food-like substances" an edible or wholesome appearance. Many of these same chemical preparations are used in shampoos, paints, nail polishes and other industrial products.

Indeed, while the supermarket industry depends upon the food factories for their products, those food factories, in turn, depend on a complex chemical industry which specialises in providing formulations for the food industry, to give their products some resemblance to food and more critically to extend product shelf-life..

The supermarkets themselves, do not wish to sell those low-profit products found around the periphery of most stores i.e. fish and meat and especially fruits and vegetables, because these foods spoil, even when they are picked weeks before ripening. As Blythman discusses in another book, Shopped, the supermarkets much prefer to sell us "food" in boxes, tins and jars, with a long shelf-life, which keeps its appetising appearance long after the natural version has rotted.

Consider one delicious natural food - mayonnaise. This can be made using just two ingredients - egg yolks and olive oil, beaten together. For additional flavour, a little salt, pepper and vinegar or lemon juice may be added. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare and is natural and wholesome.

On the other hand, a typical processed version of mayonnaise, found in any supermarket, will contain 15 ingredients and perhaps another 10 in sub-categories. The first ingredient will usually be water. Instead of olive oil (there may be a trace - "made with real olive oil") inferior oils may be used with corresponding "enhancers" to assist the formation of an emulsion with the water. Then there has to be preservatives, flavourings and colourings, so that the finished product looks and tastes as if it is real food.

Thinking of another common product, what about the delicious, enticing smell of fresh bread that we notice as we approach the "bakery" department? Well, actually no, this is not a bakery in the usual sense of the word, as Blythman explains, because there is probably no flour present. Instead, the supermarket has frozen, pre-prepared dough with a shelf-life of months, delivered to its premises from a central depot which may supply several supermarkets. This dough is defrosted and cooked in ovens following a strict formula. There may be "hand-made", finishing touches - the sprinkling of sugar over doughnuts or some spreading of icing on top of pastries, but that is the limit of artisanship or human contact. However, this product is marketed as "fresh bread, baked on our premises".

Toward the end of her book, Blythman reminds us of the Dutch art still-life genre, tables laden with food and drink, fruit and vegetables, as well as rabbits and pheasants, game birds and huge ripe cheeses. All of these foods are recognisable to us today and would have been known by all our ancestors, going right back to the ancients.

But what do we have now? Jars, cartons, tubes, bottles, tins, plastic bags, frozen foods, processed ready-meal concoctions containing "food-like substances" which bear no relation to anything from history and which depend for their existence on a battery of chemicals to colour, "enhance", flavour, "improve" and preserve them.

Another very informative investigator of the food industry is U.S. writer Michael Pollan, who coined the best way to eat in just seven words; "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants". Forgive me, Michael, I can improve that by replacing the middle sentence with "Moderately", to give five words in total. What an excellent summation for good, healthy eating!

See Pollan's work here;
http://michaelpollan.com/books/

Low Carbs Athletic Performance

This week, I cycled a total of 120 miles with the longest ride at 47 miles.

In the past, when cycling more than 25 miles, I used to carry a snack with me - a muesli bar or scone and an apple plus water. This was for refuelling, so that I would not "hit the wall" after a couple of hours' cycling. This usually occurs after about two hours, when the body's carbohydrate reserves (glycogen) are depleted. It's most commonly seen at the end of running marathons. But suppose it was possible to use a different fuel, one that wouldn't run out? How would that affect performance?

On my long ride on Tuesday, I took a snack along, as usual, but instead of a carbs snack, I took some raw nuts and cheese because I am on a low carbs, high fat diet, but this snack remained untouched.

Earlier, I had eaten a breakfast of coffee, cream with a 100g apple and 100g of nuts - walnuts, Brazils and almonds. That was just before 9 a.m. Then I cycled for four hours and finally ate again at 3 p.m. I had only a little water halfway round. Why did I have the energy to keep going? I had virtually no glycogen reserves, but had plenty of energy and never felt unable to continue. That is because I have adapted recently, to using fat as my primary fuel.

I was cycling at a steady 70-80% HR max, (70-80% of 220-age) so there was plenty of oxygen available for fat burning.

In the morning, before breakfast, I analysed my urine and the result showed I was still in ketosis i.e. my liver is converting fat to ketones. This means in effect, I had an almost unlimited fuel supply from my fat reserves. It probably explains why I needed no food until 6 hours after my breakfast, despite burning about 2000 kcals. I may also have burned some muscle, but this would be negligible, as my protein consumption is adequate.

If you are an athlete and would like to learn more about endurance training on a High Fat diet, compared to the more typical High Carbs regime, look at this recent lecture from the American College of Nutrition which explains the science behind this;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgU8z-h3IKY

More athletes are successfully competing on low carbs diets, including Dr. Peter Attia, a cyclist and distance swimmer. See him here;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB7aGnfLB-8

Then there are these athletes (I was looking for one particular example, but found several on this page, so I haven't read them all yet). See their experiences here:

http://www.dietdoctor.com/?s=lchf+athletes&submit.x=0&submit.y=0#

Doctoring the Data (book review)

"Think of a number between one and ten. Add 10, then double it. Now take away 7 and take the square root of that. What's your answer? Five? Wonderful! Excellent! Right, so it's agreed, 'Five a Day' is our recommendation?".


Now, that is not actually how the Five-a-Day dogma for fruit and vegetable consumption came about (or at least, I don't think so), but it may as well have been. A lot of the numbers that are recommended to us by health and science experts - cholesterol levels, alcohol consumption, BMI -, which we are sure must have received weighty consideration, are simply plucked arbitrarily from the air.


This is the theme of the final chapter of Dr Michael Kendrick's "Doctoring the Data". He covers ten subjects in all, revealing to us the unreliability of modern medical science; in some areas, it has hardly advanced since the Middle Ages, when innovators like Galileo were silenced by the Church, as they innocently challenged orthodoxy.


When we read statistics in newspapers and journals, are we aware of their significance? For example, why is the difference between "relative" and "absolute" risk important? This is the subject of Kendrick's first chapter. He looks also at policies and decision-making in medicine, showing us why they are often unreliable. Science is stuck in a rut, from which only brave souls, who are willing to question the Establishment, can free us.


Another driving factor in the doctoring of data is money. University research departments are very dependent on grants. Those who fund the grants for research may not appreciate the "wrong" results, so some adjustment has to be made. This may not be downright lying, but data can be gently masssaged and presented in a different way. which is intentionally deceitful. Those who do not comply find their grants "put on hold" or their department moved to a dingy basement, never to be seen again.


Pharmaceutical companies are experts in submitting data in the most flattering light. Persuading the medical profession of the efficacy of their drugs yields multi-million pounds profits and they are very generous in rewarding those who promote and support their products.


If we think that early scientists and philosophers had a difficult time turning over ideas of their time, the situation is no less serious today. Only the Inquisitors have changed. But how can science progress if free thinking is not allowed? That is the subject of chapter 8, Challenges to the status quo are crushed - and how!


Other chapters include; Doctors can seriously damage your health (as I found myself with statins), Things that are not true are often held to be true, Lives cannot be saved; we are all going to die and Reducing numbers does not equal reducing risk.


If you read the health sections of newspapers or are currently under medication for any reason, this is a book that you should read. Kendrick doesn't tell us what to do or what to think. He sets out his case and encourages us to make our own decisions, after being informed.


Today, I heard a weekly BBC radio programme - More or Less - which examines statistics used in the media. Coincidentally, the programme was reviewing the recent news that "more people under 40 in the U.K. are suffering strokes". Discuss!


Look below to hear programmes again:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qshd

Exercise Effective for Weight Loss? - Review of Personal Data

In a previous article, I said that exercise alone is ineffective for weight loss because it takes a long time to burn fat and it makes us hungry.

This week, on Monday, I did a short stair-climbing session with strength training. Then I cycled 120 miles in four days, with the longest ride at 47 miles, on Tuesday.

"Calories out v. calories in".

My total calorie deficit for five days, was 3700 kcals. I had burned about 6500 in total, just from cycling. My macro food consumption percentages were the same each day.

I gained 1 kg in scale weight.

My body fat percentage is probably the same (under 20%), but it is difficult to measure accurately, using bathroom scales or a hand meter - I just had two different results three hours apart!

Conclusion:  I have re-gained leg muscle from past years and perhaps some fat. The muscle is holding fluid, hence the net gain in scale weight.

Time: I wonder how many people would actually have the time to devote to exercise, as I did this week? The cycling alone took me nearly ten hours and I was quite tired afterwards.

Calories: If I had kept very strictly to my usual calorie intake, I am sure I would have lost body fat and scale weight, but I would have been very hungry indeed, which is a point I made previously. You will notice that I was eating in cycles - one day more and the next, less.

The above reminds me of an interesting point in Gary Taubes' books; weight gain does not come simply from the calories we ingest. Rather, our calorie intake is driven by the body's demands.

So, if we are growing or producing new muscle or if we are under particular stress (intense exercise), we will be driven to ingest more food. We see this in the ravenous appetites of our children when they have growth spurts or the increased appetite that we have after exercise.

Similarly, if obese people cannot gain nourishment from the food they consume because of hormonal factors (insulin) which partition calories from carbohydrate into fat storage, then they too, will be driven to ingest more.

Brevity is the Soul of Fit #2

For those of you who don't have time for the gym midweek, here's another short session I did today, which is a great workout for your butt !

Stairs
I climb the stairs in the stand at the local stadium where I work. There are about 100 steps. I finished with strength-training for 15 minutes.

On the first climb, I take two steps at a time, then I walk downstairs (safety first!) and run up again immediately. I say "run" - this can be anything from a sprint, to a steady brisk walk upstairs as I tire. The main point is, keep going without stopping.  

After each two ascents, I take 30-60 seconds' walking recovery. I repeat this five times, for ten total climbs. Total time taken is about 15 minutes.

The first climb will strengthen your leg muscles and the second, your cardiovascular capacity.

If you are younger or fitter, then these times and speeds can be adjusted.

If you work in a tall building, it should be obvious that the above can be adapted to your work environment, during lunch break. You don't need special clothing or equipment. 

Go to the main staircase or fire-escape and climb those stairs! Keep away from the hand-rail. Stay on the wall-side, so that you are using leg muscle power without assistance from your arms. Leave your arms free to swing, as you climb.

If you are not very fit, try just 4 or 5 ascents to start and add one or 2 each week. Alternate these climbs with a brisk, 15 minutes walk the following day. If you walk or cycle to work or home, that's even better.

If you exercise like this several times each week, you can save your precious weekend gym time for a class or a strength-training session, rather than spending an hour or so on a treadmill at the gym. You will soon start to see the benefits in afternoon productivity and well-being.

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Brevity is the Soul of Fit #1

For those of you who "don't have time for the gym", think about shortening the time spent and improving the quality.
　
Many people think that "more is better" in exercise, but if you are faced with a 90 minutes jogging session, plus shower and travelling time, it's no wonder that you decide to miss!
　
Here is my work-out for today;
　
Warm-up 300m jog
　
10 sprints
　
Indoor Rower
4 minutes - 8 x 20 sec sprints with 10 sec recovery between each
　
The whole session, including a few stretches and a shower, took me 30 minutes. The cardiovascular benefit of this High Intensity session, far exceeds jogging for an hour or more.
　
The following applies to folks who are fairly fit already:
　
First, warm up!
　
The sprint distance can be anything that suits you. I usually do 80m, but one trainer I know prefers 200m. Remember, it's not a competition!
　
Choose a distance that leaves you panting at the end, then walk back to the start and go again.
　
I do ten, monitoring how I feel after each. I stop before pulling a muscle, if I feel any tightness.
　
Again, don't think that "if 10 is good, then 20 must be better". Ten is fine, but run each sprint faster!
The same session can be done right outside your home. Run and walk alternately between lamp standards.