My Blog

Introduction
I think it would be fair to say “I love running” so I decided I would write a blog about running. It’s one of my passions and I want to share some of my experiences so that it may inspire those of you that are sitting on the fence to get down to a local jogging group, running club or just team up with friends initially just to kickstart your journey.

Throughout history, we’ve been processing our food to extend its shelf life and create more enjoyable, easily digestible products. Processes such as canning, fermenting, pasteurising, smoking, and others have been employed. Grains are processed for bread, milk for cheese, and fruits for preserves, allowing us to savour and creatively utilise the diverse produce nature has bestowed upon us. Food processing is not a recent phenomenon; it’s a practice spanning countless millennia.

Today, the global concern isn’t about traditional processed foods but the substantial increase in Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) since the mid-70s. Experts like Dr. Chris Van Tulleken define UPFs as items wrapped in plastic with at least one ingredient rarely found in a home kitchen (e.g., synthetic emulsifiers, stabilisers, sweeteners).

It has long been established that good gut health is intrinsically linked to how effective the other functions and bodily systems work and are able to regulate aspects of our health and well-being. A healthy digestive system will dictate the body’s ability to digest foods, absorb nutrients and excrete waste products. In order for the body to effectively absorb nutrients our digestive system must be able to break down foods into their simplest form. The gut plays a central role in this process along with many other organs of the body such as the salivary glands, the stomach and the liver. As far back as 5th century BCE physicians such as Hippocrates declared that, ‘‘All disease begins in the gut’’.
70-80% of our immunity is held within our gut and having good gut micro-flora will aid our immunity and the gut’s ability to process food, nutrients, toxins and waste products. This can have a marked effect on weight management, susceptibility to diseases, mood levels and our overall health and well-being. Good gut micro-flora is affected by many different factors from our food and drink choices, to lifestyle factors, such as our sleep patterns and the amount of stress that we are experiencing.
There are 5 easy wins that can be incorporated into everyday life which can have a profound effect on weight management and keeping our gut healthy.

Introduction

Stress is a common condition globally and sadly has almost become something that is expected in everyday living. A normal amount of stress is helpful in motivating us into carrying out tasks and achieving certain milestones and goals. However, many people, today, experience enduring, chronic stress which is affecting their immunity and physical and mental well-being.
Prolonged stress over time can lead to disease, poor sleep, poor liver function, lack of mental clarity and low mood.
Stress is caused by the release of the hormone called Cortisol. Cortisol is closely tied in with the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. The former being the “rest and digest” aspect of the nervous system and the latter being the “fight of flight” response. There is a direct connection between your brain, your cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems and the release of Cortisol and your gut.
When you experience chronic stress there are a number of adverse outcomes which have the following effects in the body.