Why You Shouldn’t Eat Gluten

The western world as a whole is currently in the grip of a food intolerance epidemic. More and more people nowadays seem to be diagnosed with food intolerances, particularly gluten. Many experts believe that 60% of white skinned people and 40% of people with dark skin are gluten intolerant. If you suffer from any of the following symptoms then there is a strong possibility that you maybe one of these people :-

  • Abdominal pain
  • Bloating
  • Cramping
  • Weight Gain or weight loss
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Alternating Constipation and Diarrhea
  • Skin Disorders
  • ADD
  • Chronic Fatigue

What Is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein molecule that is found in foods such as wheat, rye and barley. It is the name given to a protein fraction found in grains called prolamins. It is these prolamins which are often harmful.

History Of Grain Consumption

If you look back at what our ancestors ate, grains have only been part of humans diets for around for somewhere between 5,000 – 10,000 years ago. Since this time there has been a progressive increase in the consumption of grains and grain based products. Yet this time period is just the blink of an eye in evolutionary terms, during which our digestive system was formed. It takes 100,000 years for a gene to change 1% which means since we started consuming grains we genetically we have only changed 0.01%!!! When diets that are highly processed and usually grain based the result is an increase in degenerative disease in the majority of cases!

Should We Eat Grain?

Based on the development of our human digestive system we are not supposed to eat grains at all. Especially not the quantity or poor quality highly processed grains that many people eat far too much. You may not feel that you can eliminate grains completely for one reason or another. If you are not ready to do this that’s ok, many people find that they feel much better when they decrease wheat and other grains from their diet and avoid highly processed grains, eating only whole grains. Start there and see how you feel, I’m sure it won’t be too long until you consider cutting the amount of grain in your diet more or even eliminating them from your diet completely.

But It Doesn’t Affect Me Why Should I Stop Eating It?

Many people think that gluten doesn’t affect them because they eat foods containing gluten all of the time and feel fine. You can find out if you are sensitive to gluten through a blood test, however, the easiest way to do it is to eliminate all grains from your diet apart from corn, rice, buckwheat and millet from your diet for 2 weeks. If you feel better when you are not eating it, the chances are that you have a gluten intolerance.

Effects Of Gluten

By far the most serious reaction for people sensitive to gluten is that experienced by people suffering from Celiac disease. When these people consume gluten the lining of their small intestine becomes inflamed causing the villi to flatten. This reduces the surface area of the intestines and the ability to absorb nutrients properly.

Should you discover that you are intolerant to gluten I highly recommend that you also eliminate diary from your diet for 3 months. The reason for this is because the damage that can be caused to your intestines through a gluten intolerance can make it very difficult for your body to absorb diary. This is definitely the case for people suffering from Celiac disease but it is unclear whether this happens to people who are sensitive to gluten but do not have Celiac Disease. Going without diary will do you no harm whatsoever so the worst thing that can happen is you don’t eat diary, and the best thing that can happen is that your intestines are given a chance to heal, improving your overall health.

Regardless as to whether you experience any of the symptoms mentioned in this article or not I highly recommend that you eliminate gluten from your diet. It may seem hard at first as gluten is in alot of foods, but the majority of foods you will be giving up are processed, sweetened foods that you should be avoiding anyway.

Genetically we are basically still cavemen anyway, so why not eat the way we are supposed to, improve your health, your figure and your fitness whilst eating whole, complete foods. It isn’t difficult to cook with real foods and if the processed foods that are supposedly convenience foods for us are making us sick and ill are they really that convenient in the bigger picture with all of the disruption illness causes to everyday life.

May 19th, 2010 by Andy Perkins

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The China Study What It Really Tells Us

There are a lot of people giving The China Study a lot of praise and attention at the moment claiming that it proves we should all eat, low protein high carb diets, but are they right?

What Is The China Study?

The China study is based on a study of rural Chinese and examines the relationship between the consumption of animal products and illness such as breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, autoimmune disease and many other chronic diseases that plague society today.

The authors conclusion recommends that people eat a whole food, plant based diet and avoid consuming beef, poultry, eggs, fish and milk in order to minimize or reverse the development of chronic disease.

Is This Conclusion Correct For Everyone?

No. A study published in 1977 by Draper titled the Aboriginal Eskimo Diet In Modern Perspective looked at native Alaskan Eskimo and Australian Aboriginals who lived in remote regions living off of the land like their ancestors did. Whilst the Aboriginals whose diet consisted of 90% carbohydrates and 10% animal products provides strong evidence that the China Study is correct the Alaskan Eskimo diet contradicts the Aboriginal diet and the China Study. All 3 rurual communities showed very little if any chronic disease, the type of which plagues modern society today.

The truth is no one diet is correct for everyone. We are all unique on a biochemical level and the macronutrient ratios (carbohydrate, protein and fats) that are correct for one person will be completely wrong for another person. In today’s modern society where migration and interbreeding between different cultures and nationalities is normal a one size fits all approach to nutrition is completely wrong! If you try to find the nutritional needs that are right for you from a book or by following a system developed by a health care professional that takes a one size fits all approach to nutrition the chances of you losing weight or improving your health and stacked against you. To find the correct macronutrients for you there are three steps you need to take.

1)   Determine your own unique biochemical needs by completing a Metabolic Typing Questionnaire. This will give you an idea of what macronutrient ratio is correct for you based upon information stored within your genes which is based upon genetic heritage which is sub consciously expressed by your body in the form of preferences for certain foods over others.

2)   Eat like your ancestors. We have only changed 0.01% from when we are cavemen as it takes 100,000 years for our genes to change 1%! Cavemen didn’t eat bread, crisps etc. Stay away from them as much as possible and drink lots of clean, filtered water.

3)   Learn to listen to your body.  When you start eating correctly for your Metabolic Type you will soon start to realise what your body really wants when you get certain food cravings.

May 19th, 2010 by Andy Perkins

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Back To Basics

The secret to weight loss and optimum health has been under our noses for centuries. In fact 5,000 years ago, our ancestors were living the secret!! I have said this a lot recently but we are still almost identical in terms of genetics as we were all those years ago, meaning that we have not evolved enough genetically to handle processed foods, diary, gluten not to mention the endless “wonder cures” for weight loss that have now saturated health food shops throughout the world.

In fact by being too scientific and breaking things down and analysing things molecule by molecule we have in fact made our health worse! Yes, within the medical profession there is a need for this, but when we are looking at improving the health of the general population or helping them lose weight we have gone to far.

Firstly there are no replacements for real food. How can a meal replacement shake take the place of whole food like a chicken breast and vegetables or an omlette. Yes I recommend people have protein shakes IF they are short on time and can’t make a real breakfast for example. However, this is not meant to be a long term replacement, just a quick fix when they are running short on time because if it is a choice between a protein shake (pea protein) or a bowl of cereal I know which one I would rather have my clients and campers eating!

Secondly even if you are eating wholesome food the whole time it is impossible to nutritional balance a meal! You could bring out two plates of the same meal but the produce of each came from a different area. The nutrient value of that meal is going to depend on the following factors and they are extremely unlikely to be exactly the same.

  • Nutrients present in the soil
  • Amount of sun light available to the vegetables
  • Amount of water the vegetables get
  • The type of food that the animal eats
  • Whether the farmer used a crop rotation system and gave the soil time to replenish itself before growing anything in the        field again.
  • The amount of food the plants consume

The list of variables that can affect the nutrient values of foods is huge! This is by no means a comprehensive, complete list.

So to lose weight and get fit, follow Get Fit Guernsey tips below to make a real difference to your health.

1)   Find out where your ancestral roots originate from and eat a diet as close to this as you possible can.

2)   Learn to listen to what your body is telling you. Just because you are craving something sweet it doesn’t mean this is what it really wants or needs!

3)   Drink enough water. To calculate how much water you should be drinking  in litres a day multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.033. A simple and effective way to listen to your body and determine whether you are dehydrated or not is to look at the colour of your urine.  If your wee is yellow then you are dehydrated and need more water, if it is clear you are properly hydrated.

P.S

We are human and we all enjoy things like alcoholic drinks, chocolate, rich desserts etc and I’m not going to deny that I eat them. However, I eat them rarely and treat these things as treats, they are not staples of my diet and I very rarely binge.

May 19th, 2010 by Andy Perkins

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What Happens To My Body When I Eat Sugar?

Way back in 1957 Dr William Coda Martin classified refined sugar as a poison because it it had been depleted of it’s life forces, vitamins and minerals, all that is left is pure refined carbohydrate.

It’s all well and good me quoting references, studies and anything else I can find on why foods are bad. But unless you know how these conclusions are drawn the chances of you taking these statements seriously are greatly reduced. So here it is, step by step, the response our bodies have when we consume sugar.

Very important… make sure you read to the bottom of this post.

1) When refined sugar that is depleted of proteins, vitamins and minerals is consumed we are eating something that does not have the nutritional factors necessary for digestion, metabolism and elimination which results in incomplete carbohydrate metabolism.

2) We then have an accumulation of pyruvic acid in the brain and nervous system and the sugar accumulates in red blood cells. These metabolites interfere with cell respiration the result of which is that the cells cannot get enough oxygen to survive and function normally, which causes some of the cells to die which interferes with the functioning of that part of the body which is the beginning of degenerative disease.

3) If we continue to consume sugar on a daily basis we produce an overly acidic environment in our body, the result of which is the extraction of calcium from bones and teeth as minerals are needed to buffer the acidic environment. This is the start of general weakening of our bones and decay of our teeth.

4) Excess sugar is stored in the liver as glycogen. However, the livers capacity for glycogen is limited and consuming refined sugar daily will cause the liver to expand. When the liver is full to capacity the sugar is then returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids and they are transported to every part of the body and stored as fat in the most inactive areas (your bum, tummy, hips, thighs, chest).

5) Once these are areas are full the fatty acids are then transported to organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys. This causes them to slow down, the tissue starts to degenerate and it will turn to fat. The whole body is affected by this reduced ability resulting in high blood pressure. The circulatory and lympathetic systems are invaded and the quality of red blood cells decreases and an increase in white blood cells leads to a reduction in the rate of tissue creation.

But wait this is just one response from our bodies, there is more!!………..

1) When we consume refined, processed sugars without adequate amounts of quality fats, proteins, vitamins and enzymes blood sugar levels become elevated.

2) Our bodies respond by releasing insulin, a hormone that rapidly reduces blood sugar levels.

3) This isn’t as good as it sounds however. Our feedback mechanism that tells our brain that blood sugar levels have returned to normal is slow and normally results in a blood sugar crash (hypoglycemia). This is a serious threat to us and our bodies must respond to this immediately if not our brains will run out of sugar and we will go into a coma.

4) This potentially fatal scenario causes our bodies to go into emergency mode and results in the release of stress hormones, one of which is cortisol. This is a very important part, whilst this is all going on many people will respond to this hypoglycemic state by drinking or eating something sweet.

5) Now that cortisol has been released it has triggered the release of glycogen from the liver in a desperate bid to raise blood sugar levels quickly. The result of this is a surge of sugar entering your bloodstream from the glycogen released from your liver but also from the sweet thing you just ate or drank.

This is a big problem as many people live everyday like this and over time it can lead to someone becoming insensitive to insulin. The first sign of which is a accumulation of fat around your tummy. This is commonly known as Syndrome X and is the first big step to becoming a diabetic.

Wait there is still more!!!…..

1) The hormonal rollercoaster caused by the typical sugar saturated diet overworks the adrenal glands which causes them to become exhausted from producing too much cortisol.

2) This causes the hormonal system to become disturbed and unbalanced due to the stress of eating refined sugar and numerous pathological conditions soon manifest such as -

  • Degenerative disease
  • Allergies
  • Obesity
  • Alcoholism
  • Drug Addiction
  • Depression
  • Behavioural Problems

Our ability to resist disease progressively decreases as sugar displaces the nutrient dense foods we are supposed to consume and the chances of acquiring a degenerative disease sky rockets.

The Most Important Part

In an ideal world the solution is simple, don’t eat sugar. However, sugar is in almost anything you can think of nowadays and the chances are that it’s not organic. I’m going to be realistic and I’m not going to say don’t eat sugar because to begin with I would be being a hypocrite. I’m not going to lie to you guys and say I don’t eat sugar, I’m 24 of course I do. BUT I don’t eat it every day maybe one or two days a week. What we do is up to us, but I think we should all make our decisions understanding all of the facts, and the facts are that if you eat sugar every day, there is a very real threat to your health.

Even eating sugar once or twice a day increases your risk of catching a cold, flu etc, as 1 tsp of sugar will surpress your immune system by 50% for four hours, but that’s a risk I take. My diet on the whole is perfect, I eat to my metabolic type, eat lots of fruit, veg and protein with hardly any processed food. So my body is better at fighting off viruses then most people’s and as a result I very rarely get anything worse than a mild cold for a couple of days, and if I do, I know the first thing I need to do is avoid sugar to give my immune system the chance to deal with it. So that is exactly what I do and within a couple of days it is gone, no drugs just good food, lots of water and rest. It’s simple but it works.

May 19th, 2010 by Andy Perkins

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Stay Away From Aspartame!

Aspartame, is an artificial sweetner that is used in many diet foods and drinks as a substitute to sugar. What many people do not know however is that aspartame has resulted in more complaints to the FDA due to side effects than any other food additive ever approved in FDA history.

Aspartame is used to tell your taste buds that something sweet has arrived in your body, which to our brains means nutrition has arrived.

When the artificially sweetened food or drink reaches the small intestines the receptors detect no nutrition.

A message is then sent back to the brain saying there is no nutrition here, which triggers the appestat (the part of your brain that triggers satiety) then sends a message to your body telling it to keep eating as it needs nutrition to help process the fake food you have just consumed.

THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THERE ARE SO MANY OVERWEIGHT HUNGRY PEOPLE WALKING AROUND TODAY!

According to Russel Blaylock, author of Endotoxins, the taste that kills, researchers found artificial sweetners such as aspartame are neurotoxins that damage our brain and nervous systems.

Get Fit Guernsey, Sugar Alternatives

Honey

Use only unprocessed, unfiltered honey. You will know when you have found it as it will have chunks of bees wax in it and you won’t be able to see through it. Used in moderation this kind of honey is supportive of good health and immune function.

Stevia

Stevia is a herb that is 1,000 times sweeter than sugar! Stevia is also known to help balance blood sugar levels, making it the perfect sugar substitute for anyone who is trying to wean themselves off of caffeinated drinks or sweets.

Fruit and below ground vegetables

Adding fruits and vegetables to salads and other foods is a great way to naturally make a food sweeter.

E.g. raw carrots or a cooked sweet potato.

May 19th, 2010 by Andy Perkins

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Core Work – Sit Ups Vs Planks

Recently all of us at HealthChek have noticed a shift away from the traditional sit up exercises that have dominated the fitness industry for the last 15 years or so towards more plank type of exercises. But what is the reason for this and why are so many of the top coaches switching from exercises that flex the spine to variations of the plank?

The reason goes back to the days when scientists learnt about the body by examining corpses. Through their analysis of these corpses they concluded that the purpose of our core muscles was to flex the spine. This is exactly what you do when you do a sit up or any other type of movement that rounds your low back and as a result these exercises were said to be the most effective way to condition your abdominal muscles.

However, your core muscles play a far more critical role than merely flexing your spine. The main job of your core muscles is to stabilize your spine so your abs are actually designed to do the opposite of what happens when you do sit up, crunches, etc prevent flexion of your spine.

So what we have learnt is that if you want better results from your core workout focus on stability through different plank variations rather than performing endless sit ups and crunches.

Here is a sample core workout that all of us at HealthChek have found really effective

Please note that before attempting a stability workout like this you should have full strength in your lower abs, obliques and upper abs. If you suffer from low back pain or you have had abdominal surgery. This workout is NOT for you! Consult a C.H.E.K Practitioner who can accurately assess your core strength and develop an effective core program to improve the co ordination and strength of your abdominals which will progress you safely to this workout.

February 25th, 2010 by Andy Perkins

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HealthChek Reveal Their Top 2 Diet Tips

Don’t skip breakfast and eat regularly: When you wake you should eat immediately and after this every two to four hours to promote muscle gain and starve your fat cells. By frequently eating you boost your metabolism and keep it revved up throughout the day. To keep your metabolism revved up it is vital that you ensure each meal contains some animal protein (meat, eggs, cheese, etc).

Make sure you eat fibre when consuming carbs: Eat as much fibrous, green veg as you need to keep you feeling full both during and after meals. Limit your carbohydrate and fruit consumption to within a 1-2 hour post workout window for optimal fat burning as this is when your body best tolerates carbohydrate.

January 29th, 2010 by Andy Perkins

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HealthChek Reveal Their Top 2 Exercise Tips

Today I would like to share some tips with you that sum up what all of us need to do to get fit and lean and stay that way!

It really doesn’t get any simpler than this- but it works! These two tips alone will help you get fit fast.

Perform full body workouts: An example of this would be to do a five exercise circuit designed to work your upper body, lower body and core at least three times per week with a day of rest in between workouts. Our favourite format at HealthChek is 50 seconds of work with 10 seconds rest for each of the following

- Lower Body (Squats)

- Cardio (Mountain Climbers)

- Upper Body (Press Ups

- Cardio (High Knees)

- Core (Plank)

Unleash the power of Intervals!: Interval training has been proven in more than one scientific study to burn nine times more fat than slow boring steady state cardio training.

Interval training also elevates your metabolism for up to 48 hours following your workout. Perform cardio intervals on days when you aren’t doing full body workouts up to 3 times per week. A HealthChek favourite cardio workout is to perform 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeating this circuit 8 times for a total of 4 minutes followed by a 60 second rest, this sequence is repeated four times for a total of 20 minutes. You can chose your cardio exercise of choice however at HealthChek we have found that a spinning bike or a bodyweight cardio exercise like running on the spot, or jumping jacks or even both to be the best.

January 29th, 2010 by Andy Perkins

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