SIBO, do you have it?

Before you stop reading - it is the most common cause of IBS & is much more common than you think. As you know we all have good bacteria in our gut, but this should be only in the large intestine. Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth is when some of this bacteria overgrow and settle into the small intestine. This bacteria then feeds on carbs, fermenting them & producing methane or hydrogen sulphide gases.

This causes symptoms like cramping, bloating, gas, insomnia, GORD (reflux/heartburn), insomnia, constipation, diarrhoea. This occurs after eating, and at most meals (depending on what exactly you eat). If you’ve tried to increase your fibre intake, or taken probiotics and they have worsened rather than bettered your symptoms this might be why - they are feeding the bacteria in your small intestine and helping them grow. In the long term this can cause chronic iron deficiency, and give you food intolerances/allergies/auto immune conditions you didn’t have before - a common example is the development of a new histamine intolerance.

What are the causes of SIBO? Chronic stress, PPI (omeprazole, the medicine for reflux/heartburn) use, poor oral hygiene, antibiotic use, hypothyroidism, opiate/painkiller use. Or It might come about after a bout of bad food poisoning/salmonella.

The good thing, testing for SIBO is simple, you drink a solution and do a breath test which measures the bacteria in the small intestine. Nowdays they have at home tests you can order. If you have IBS that veers towards diarrhoea its likely the hydrogen sulphide producing bacteria you have, if its consitpation then the methane producing.

What to do if you have SIBO? You’d need to go onto a short term diet plan which would include initially starving and killing that bacteria, and then repopulating your large intestine only with good bacteria. It’s not as scary as it sounds, and it could be the permanent end to your dodgy stomach, endless flatulence and mass of food intolerances.

How does Chronic Stress affect our bodies and what can we do to help?

What happens when we are faced with stress: we release adrenaline, noradrenaline (same as epinephrine/norepinephrine) and cortisol. These allow us to get away from the stressor as quickly as possible.

They allow our fight or flight response and start a cascade of inflammation in the body: Increasing our heart rate, blood pressure, dilating our vessels (heart, brain muscles, skin), increasing our metabolism, dilating our pupils + airways and stopping our digestion.

Cortisol pumps the body with additional glucose (sugar) which increases our pain threshold, inhibits our immune response and allows us to be more alert.

Once the stressor is gone, we return back to equilibrium, normally.

What happens when stress is prolonged for more than usual? These hormones are released for too long + our bodies response to cortisol is desensitised (cortisol resistance), symptoms of which include:

- Weight gain, especially around the belly + increased risk of insulin resistance + type 2 diabetes

- Low libido + infertility/suppressed reproductive function for men + women (including causing menstrual irregularities)

- Increased histamine response - aka, much more sensitivity to allergies. You might suddenly develop hay-fever or a reaction to something you were not previously allergic to or an intolerance to high histamine foods.

- PAIN! Increased inflammation everywhere: joint pain, general body aches, maybe particularly in the lower back + may eventually lead to the development of an autoimmune condition like Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis etc. Inflammation has a cause + effect relationship here, it is a stressor itself + is caused by chronic stress.

- Feeling ‘wired’, anxious, a sense of ‘doom’ that won’t go away

- A general inability to cope with even minor stress: often presenting as a sense of fear

- Feeling tired all the time, need more sleep but sleep doesn’t relieve the tiredness (can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome/ME)

- Low motivation, depression, insomnia, migraines, irritability and all the rest of it

- Feeling light headed, especially when standing too quickly & extra sensitive to heat and cold

- Develop a lower tolerance to sugar/carbs/alcohol/caffeine/drugs, even though that might be exactly what you crave.

- An impaired immune system + slower wound healing (why we always get ill when we are run down from being overly stressed/busy)

- changes in our gut-brain axis: worse/slower digestion, leaky gut (which in itself causes chronic inflammation), IBD, IBS, SIBO, reflux, stomach ulcer development

- Overall, an increased risk of heart disease, cancer, thyroid dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis

If you feel any of these things and don’t understand why, it might be because you’re living in chronic stress and didn’t even know it (or maybe you do know it….but haven’t thought about starting to manage it).

So, what can you do if this is you, or your worried it might be soon?

1. Get your body moving, even if its just a short walk outside each day. Please note - intense exercise is itself a stressor, if you are worn out don’t run a marathon, you’ll just make everything worse.

2. Cold water exposure - swimming in cold water is the best, but if you can’t access that, try starting your shower with cold water even if it starts as just for a second each day and build it up.

3. Take epsom salt baths - the magnesium in Epsom salts does get absorbed into the body and helps stress so much.

4. Try acupuncture, reflexology, massage, meditation etc. These are massive aids for stress management.

5. Diet… my usuals here & some extras:

1. Drink: camomile, passionflower, lemon balm, lime flower, ashwagandha, lavender teas, they are de-stressors, fight anxiety, depression, sleep aids and help with a lot of the other symptoms

2. Add basil, oregano, rosemary, to your diet

3. Reishi mushrooms - there are many forms you can get these in nowadays - tinctures/teas etc. they help with almost all negative results of chronic stress

4. Protein with every meal (preferably plant based or organic animal produce)

5. Swap white/refined carbs for wholegrain - quinoa, brown rice, oats.

6. Eat dark green leafy veg with EVERY MEAL (yes, even breakfast)

7. Eat the rainbow, eat fibre, maybe take probiotics - support your gut bacteria.

8. Increase omega 3: eat wild oily fish or take a supplement

9. Avoid adding stress onto the body: caffeine, alcohol, smoking, excess exercise, sugary or diet sweets/drinks

10. REMOVE TABLE SALT FROM YOUR DIET and buy some proper sea salt/Himalayan salt

11. STOP COOKING WITH SUNFLOWER AND VEGETABLE OILS . Organic, extra virgin olive oil instead, please.

6. Lastly, some supplements which have been proven to help us manage stress (as always, don’t try without guidance):

1. Magnesium (citrate form can cause diarrhoea, glycinate is an alternative form), a

2. B vitamin complex (note this might make your pee fluorescent yellow, this is normal),

3. vitamin E &

4. vitamin C

If I’m trying to loose weight, I should opt for calorie free drinks like diet coke/coke zero right?

Not quite. Artificially sweetened drinks have a 47% higher risk of increased BMI. They are strong dopamine stimulators - meaning that they activate reward circuits in the brain: i.e. they make you FEEL GOOD. This feeling, triggers cravings for more. these cravings don’t just stick to the diet coke, they extend to all things which simulate that same pathway - carbs, fatty, salty foods (basically all processed foods), alcohol, caffeine etc. These cravings also have the ability to override your normal bodies signals telling you that you’re full - so you will also eat more.

Don’t get fooled by calorie free drinks and foods….The food industry literally has something called the ‘Bliss point’ of foods that they aim for - this is the amount of sweetener/fat etc that causes the highest dopamine release in consumers!

Don’t confuse whole foods (e.g. quinoa, millet, buckwheat) with foods made of wholewheat flour (wholewheat/brown bread/pasta). Obviously, wholewheat products are better than normal white refined pasta, but aim for whole foods where you can.

Whole foods rather than white unrefined grains help lower blood pressure, risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, colon cancer and weight gain. Refined/processed grains on the other hand actually increase risk for all these things.

Conclusion:

- The best is quinoa, millet, buckwheat

- Then whole-wheat pasta/bread

- Then white, refined pasta/bread etc.

- Worst worst is super processed sugary treats like donuts & cookies.

Beta-endorphin is a natural opioid chemical in the brain that is crucial for emotional well being; directly influencing levels of self-esteem, tolerance for pain (including emotional pain), connecting with others, ability to take personal responsibility for our actions, cravings for sugar, capacity to handle painful situations and feelings of hope (or despair) about the future. If you have ever felt ‘runners high’ after a long distance run, it is because the body is flooded with beta-endorphin which produces a sense of euphoria.

When beta-endorphin levels are low, you feel depressed/hopeless, impulsive, victimised, tearful, emotionally overwhelmed, anxious, and again, have a craving for sugar. If this sounds familiar from the women in this group…. beta-endorphin levels are at their lowest just before you get your period.

Sugar (and alcohol) cause beta-endorphin to be released in the brain, making you feel good.

Some people are born with naturally lower levels of beta-endorphin in the brain, and their brains adapt to sort of ‘be able to use as much of whats available as possible.’ In turn, this causes sugar (and alcohol) to affect these people much more dramatically (i.e. making them feel happier/more hyper) than others, meaning they crave sugar/alcohol more & will struggle more trying to stop eating it.

So if the sugar makes you feel good why not eat it? For example, Chocolate releases beta-endorphin, which causes an increase in feelings of self-esteem and dulls pain….fantastic. The problem is, sugar-induced self-esteem doesn’t last very long and sets us to become dependent on that feeling - it sets us up for harmful cravings (craving chocolate during PMS suddenly makes sense doesn’t it?).

Over time, the more sugar you eat, the less sensitised to it your body becomes, and the less beta-endorphin is released each time you eat. So, to counteract this, you eat MORE sugar to get that same high, then more and more and more. The result: sugar addiction, maybe a bit overweight plus feeling slightly depressed almost all the time. This addiction affects the same systems as heroin, refined sugar does make you ‘high’, and is bad for you.

SO what can you do….. The usual answer: swap white, refined sugars/carbs for….. brown, unrefined, whole-wheat complex carbohydrates - or even better just whole foods. Anyone notice i’m getting repetitive?

DIETS - a permanent change of lifestyle ? Maybe not.

A lot of you contact me saying - I’ve been put on specialised diet (eg low FODMAP, low histamine, keto, paleo etc. ) and this is great if you’ve found a diet that can help kerb some/all of your symptoms. BUT, I urge you to keep asking your practitioner/nutritionist WHY, why do you have low histamine in the first place, why do low FODMAP diets help you? Be that annoying child that won’t. stop. asking. why.

I say this because there are a huge range of underlying conditions that could be the root cause of your symptoms, regardless of if the symptoms are gut related or otherwise; maybe you have SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), or candida overgrowth, or leaky gut, or an underlying hormone imbalance. All these things are examples that may explain why you have these intolerances in the first place. The good thing about that is - you can fix these issues, and then (mindfully) go back to eating a far wider range of foods.

These limited diets do serve a purpose, but if you limit your diversity of foods permanently you may be limiting your nutrient/mineral intake, and you will certainly be limiting the diversity of your gut bacteria. This in itself may then cause other problems/symptoms. As I always go on about - variation is key, eat the rainbow (when you can!) 🌈.

Note, this CAN include autoimmune conditions including IBD (Crohns or Ulcerative Colitis) - despite this being a lifelong diagnosis, there are ways to keep inflammation low and live a normal life.

This DOES NOT however, apply to you if you are coeliac (you are allergic to gluten) or if have an actual allergy to any food.

Out of all the nuts, walnuts have the highest antioxidant and omega 3 levels. They reduce inflammation and alleviate pain especially in the knees & back.

They nourish the brain and enrich the sperm (used for treating erectile dysfunction). They are warming - especially for those who chronically feel cold. They are said to moisten the lungs and intestines and so are used to treat coughing and wheezing (good to know with corona flying around) and as a remedy for constipation, particularly in the elderly. TCM warms against walnut intake if you have loose stools or heat signs such as mouth ulcers.

Nuts are high in calories but we’ve already spoken about why eating healthy fat is important. Plus, nuts actually boost your metabolism making you burn fat faster and more effectively than other calories!

Exercising in the morning as soon as you wake up will maximise weight loss. On waking you are in a fasted state - metabolism has shifted to fat burning (as long as you didn’t eat too late the night before) and glycogen stores are gone. For optimal weight loss, wait 30 mins post work out to eat (a large, hot, nutritious breakfast) to maximise fat burning capacity. This also inhibits food cravings later in the day. If strength or flexibility is your goal 💪🏼 afternoon workouts could be better as this is when you’ll see the most gains. Obviously this is generalised, everyone is different, don't forget to listen to your body and find what works for you. ✨

As the world opens slowly back up we might be drinking more alcohol. In TCM, alcohol is known to be very heating (with whiskey being the hottest). One method of helping counteract this, is to pair alcohol with cooling foods/drinks - just like you would have mint sauce (cooling) with lamb (heating). A good idea would be for example, to have a dandelion, nettle or mint tea at the end of/during a night of drinking (there is a reason why in so many Mediterranean countries they give you mint tea at the end of an alcohol and meat filled meal - both very heating!).

Dandelion & nettle are also good for the liver, they help boost our detoxification, plus the tea itself also will mean you consume more water - all helping with the hangover!

An old saying based on rosemary’s ability to boost focus & concentration: why not put some leaves in your water for the day, or make rosemary tea – especially whilst your working, here is why:

1. It enhances brain function - helping increase concentration & mental performance and improves memory (especially in those with ADHD).

2. It reduces inflammation everywhere in the body, but also in the brain (so also good for tension headaches)

3. Its liver protective & aids detoxification

4. Its good for the gut – its antispasmodic + carminative (stops cramps, bloating, gas) and is antimicrobial (kills anything bad that might be living in the mouth/gut)

5. Its good for circulation & is a ‘heart tonic’ – those with cold hands and feet or heart issues

According to TCM, the Chinese clock determines the best time to do certain actions throughout the day. Not all of our lives can be so regulated, nor our work so controlled, but definitely some interesting ideas. If you are someone that wakes up at the same time every night and don’t know why, it may be related to the organ responsible for that time slot. 

7-9am: Stomach time. Earth element. 

• The time to wake up & eat a warm nutritious breakfast with some protein in it

• Earth is all about being grounded, a solid start to the day

• Try not to do multiple things whilst eating breakfast - eat mindfully.

9-11: Spleen time. Earth Element. 

• Go go go. Energy is up.

• The time to work hardest, get everything ticked off your to do list.

• The time when concentration & memory is the best - if you’re studying for anything, revise now.

• The spleen soothes our emotions making this the least emotionally reactive time of the day. So its best to have difficult conversations or deal with tricky issues/people in this time. Asking for a raise, relationship issues, apologise now etc.

• Earth element is about sweetness but try avoid sugary treats

• By having a nutritious breakfast in stomach time the spleen can convert this food into energy for the rest of the day.

• The earth element being out of balance is what causes overthinking and mulling over the same thoughts over and over again. Taking care of the stomach and spleen allows calm emotions and positivity for the day.

11am-1pm. Heart time. Fire element. 

• The heart houses our soul so this time is all about spreading the love & joy and accessing our spirit: finding purpose in our life.

• We are our most expressive - so schedule creative meetings & make important work decisions & plans for the future in this time.

• Noon is the most yang time of the cycle, our energy should be highest.

• Working hard is in the spleen time, build momentum then and now work smart. Be productive intellectually.

7-9pm. Pericardium. Fire element. 

• The pericardium is the membrane that surrounds and protects our heart. In Chinese medicine it’s considered to be another organ.

• In this time relax, be yourself and let the tension of the day drift away. A good way to do so is being creative (listen to music, read, watch tv even or do a creative hobby)

• Change clothes out of your work clothes and into relaxing ones - even if you’re working at home in your PJs change to separate the day

• Eat dinner (around 7.30 is the best time)

9-11pm. San jiao. Fire element 

• The San Jiao is a mysterious organ in TCM: a motorway for chi (energy) to flow around the body. It’s been compared to our hormone network or lymphatic system in western terms.

• This is when you should be going to bed - without tv or phones.

  
  

11pm-1am. Gall bladder. Wood element. 

• This organ is said to be responsible for having the courage to action out our plans. If there is disharmony in this organ we end up having lots of ideas but lack the ability to actually implement them.

• During this time you should be asleep. The purpose here is to access the centre of our problem solving abilities - hence the saying, if you have a problem - sleep on it.

1-3am liver time. Wood element. 

• The most yin time. We should be asleep.

• The liver is considered the general of the body. It is responsible for the overall planning of all our bodies functions

• The liver stores the blood and controls how much is released to where & when. Whilst we are asleep our blood goes back to the liver to be cleansed and revitalised. The best position for this to happen is lying flat on your right side with your liver pointing towards the mattress.

• This is particularly important for women (who can be particularly sensitive to the benefits of cleansed blood and the liver energy) due to what this does to our emotional balance (an off regulated liver is what causes PMS symptoms or late periods)

• The liver is also responsible for our energy moving smoothly throughout the body. When this is off kilter we feel anger or irritability (again this is why women sometimes feel like this with PMS)

• The spirit of the liver (called the hun) is said to go out the body into the universe in this time.

  
  

3-5am. Lung time. Metal element. 

• Sleep more! The body starts to prepare for the day ahead during this time

• The spirit of the lungs is the Po. This spirit connects us to the physical world and let’s us actually feel what’s around us. During this time the body is said to be waking up to the physical sensations around it and gearing up for the day ahead.

5-7am. Large intestine time. Metal element 

• this time is about letting go (emotionally and physically) & allowing the brining in of the new

• Wake up

• Drink some water

• Do a 💩 poo and get rid of all the toxins that were digested yesterday and that the liver has cleansed overnight.

• Do some stretching

• Meditate.

• Exercise. This is the best time to do so.

• Avoid coffee or cigarettes

Berries have been touted for their anti cancer properties. This is attributed to their ability to boost immune cells + decrease and repair damage from inflammation + oxidative stress. Studies have shown those who eat berries regularly also have lower risk for developing Parkinson’s.

I’m always pushing eating in season, so I’d recommend buying berries from a local market when they are in season and freezing them - studies show they still retain most of their nutritional value. Note if you’re eating berries dairy can block some of these beneficial anti oxidant properties of so try not to eat them with e.g. cream.

Strawberries: help kill off and reverse the progression of oesophageal precancerous cells. They are rich in silicon + vit C so are helpful to treat and repair all connective tissues. In TCM strawberries are cooling, they benefit the spleen/pancreas + improve appetite (eat before meals to treat poor digestion - bloating and abdominal pain after eating), moisten the lungs and generate body fluids. They are used for a sore/hoarse throat + to treat painful urination or inability to urinate.

Goji/Lycium berries are full of anti oxidants and contain super high amounts of melatonin - the hormone that helps regulate our sleeping patterns. They also protect our eyes against macular degeneration. Caution as those from China have lower than stated levels of VitC. If VitC is what you are after then red/blackcurrants are good source + are UK/Europe grown.

Raspberries in TCM: benefits the liver and kidneys and helps cleanse the blood of toxins. They are said to regulate the menstrual cycle, treat anaemia, control urinary functions (including treating excessive and frequent urination - especially at night) and help induce and promote labour and childbirth. Hence, in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy - berries should be eaten in moderation (and cocoa) as they are high in anti-inflammatory polyphenols.

Raspberry leaf (a herb) helps strengthen the uterus, and helps if you have excess bleeding during menstruation. For pregnancy, raspberry leaf is said to help support optimum hormonal patterns.

Blackberries also help build blood, treat anaemia and manage the urinary system. They also help treat diarrhoea.

Quick quip for today - we know lemon is a great detoxifier (lemon in water/hot water in the morning is great - cautious with your teeth enamel though). For an extra detox kick add the lemon peel (unwaxed, preferably organic) - score it with a knife/fork to get the goodness out. This releases compounds that help us make glutathione, the bodies master anti oxidant. Imagine glutathione is a little pac man in the body going around and munching away the bad free radicals. This applies to any citrus peel so you could add scored orange peel to your water bottle for the day 🍋 🍊.

Why were foods ever refined. Why did we make white rice if it’s so depleted of its nutrients and fibre?

1. Refining prolongs shelf life (less nutritious to pests... but also to us)

2. Easier to digest and quicker sugar hit (fibre has been removed)

3. The big money is all from processing foods, not from selling them whole

4. Only the wealthy could afford refined grains adding to their prestige.

Eating whole grains reduces all cause mortality. Literally death from ALL CAUSES. Lower rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer to name a few of the big ones. Maybe it’s because of the fibre, the B vitamins, the folic acid, the antioxidants, or all the minerals that are packed into whole grains. Although studies have tried to add these nutrients back into peoples diets and the conclusion - whole grains are more then the sum of their nutrients.

The main question is, does it matter why? Or which specific nutrient? Or is a really simple thing to do is just swap out white, refund carbs like pasta and rice and sub them back in, in their original, whole, form. Plus from a convenience perspective, you’ll stay fuller for longer, loose weight and have less of those up and downs that come with poor blood sugar regulation..... the downer coming after the spike, telling you you’re hungry again, and making you eat more.

I’ve mentioned before in TCM that it’s all about eating in season. (a simple breakdown of whats in season here for those of you who live in the UK - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/seasonal-calendar/all).

There is also an emphasis on eating certain foods and using specific cooking methods/foods depending on the season. Whilst we are currently in Spring (considered Wood time, the time of the Liver) these include: 

• eating less and lighter foods

• eat young plants, fresh greens/sprouts - young beets, carrots and other sweet starchy veg

• eat more basil, fennel, rosemary, caraway, dill, bay leaves

• avoid salty foods such as soy, miso, and sodium rich meats (red meat)

• use simpler cooking methods - light steaming, a quick simmer

• Eat more sour foods to get the energy of the body moving. Caution if you eat a lot of sour/lemony foods (especially if you are post menopausal) as this can leech calcium out of the bones.

Hormone resistance, obesity and loosing weight better explained:

1. What is insulin resistance:

When we eat insulin levels rise. when we eat excess sugar/carbs, we produce excess insulin (especially if combined with a sedentary lifestyle). This in turn causes us to turn off some of our insulin receptors (as they are getting pinged too much due to the excess levels of insulin). Next time we eat, because we have less receptors, we need to produce more insulin to get the same result. this is known as insulin resistance.

Why is this an issue? because insulin inhibits the use of fat for energy, and so with more swimming around, we literally cannot burn fat. The fat does get released from the cells but has nowhere to go, so swims around the body, collecting around our internal organs, and around our bellies. This fat behaves differently to other fat. It is very inflamed, and actually produces hormones like oestrogen which we do not need or want more of. This creates a vicious cycle of hormone resistance and increased systemic inflammation - both of which are risk factors for almost every chronic disease. I’ve spoken a lot before about blood sugar regulation so take a look here if you think this might be you.

2. After we eat, Ghrelin (hormone that makes us hungry) is suppressed.

In obese people it doesn’t get suppressed as much, so once they loose weight, they are more hungry than the rest of us, this is why they often put weight back on. High protein meals with moderate carb intake better suppress Ghrelin.

3. Leptin (hormone that suppresses our appetite) levels are higher the more fat you have (to stop you eating more).

But if you are overweight, the inflammation in your body weakens the leptin signals = leptin resistance = abdominal weight gain, thigh and hip weight gain in women, sleep problems, heart disease etc. This increased abdominal fat also then further adds to leptin resistance… the cycle continues.

How to increase leptin sensitivity: go gluten free, decrease sugar consumption, increase probiotic and prebiotic consumption, decrease inflammation (anti inflammatory diet, decreasing grains/processed foods and increasing antioxidants, omega3). Do regular exercise and increase sleep.

4. 8-10% of the population (more so women) have subclinical hypothyroidism (a sluggish thyroid gland),

Symptoms include: – low energy/appetite, weight gain, feeling cold/ cold hands/feet, dry skin, thinning hair, constipation, irregular periods, depression. If this is you getting this checked might be a good idea.

This can be caused by:

• nutrient deficiencies (iodine, selenium, zinc, vitD),

• excessive intake of fluoride/mercury (which displaces iodine which the thyroid needs and blocks thyroids ability to make hormones),

• exposure to endocrine disruptors (BPA - found in the plastic in takeaway coffee cup lids and receipts),

• or lastly from an autoimmune condition (called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, can be the result of leaky gut).

Weight loss - doing it healthily, and making it stick!

We consume a volume of food regardless of calories. Think more about what you are adding to your diet (legumes, pulses, fibre, vegetables), foods that are full of nutrients and keep you fuller for longer, instead of what you are cutting out (sugar, bad oils, sweets). Your diet will change to start to crave healthier foods quicker than you think. Swapping what you eat, not how much you eat = weight loss without volume reduction or nutrient deficiency.

Don’t just count calories, a calorie from a doughnut is not the same as a calorie from broccoli. If you simply reduce calorie intake, you will be hungry all the time. This is the hardest way to loose weight.

What to cut out:

1. All processed food, especially sugar, including white carbs like pasta and white bread. High sugar foods stimulate the dopamine reward system. if you eat them a lot, some of your dopamine sensors in the brain get turned off, so you need to eat more sugar to get the same reward/feeling…. this cycle causes overeating (and depression when you try to stop!)

2. Decrease fruit intake (cut out fruit juice completely). Fructose is the sugar in fruit. It is converted directly into liver fat. Fruit is healthy and packed full of antioxidants + fibre, but if weight loss if your goal or you have insulin resistance, favour vegetables over fruit and stick to a handful of berries a day max (super high anti oxidant levels, high fibre, plus huge cancer benefits) instead of eg mango (much more sugar!). I know there are a bunch of people in this group that live in the US where high fructose corn syrup is used in a lot of things (even bread). This causes fat accumulation in the liver and is a risk factor for diabetes, hypertension, accelerated ageing etc. Please check your food labels + avoid this.

3. Stop drinking alcohol. When you drink alcohol your body prioritises those calories to be burned first. i.e. if you drink and don’t exercise (dance/walk) after drinking, the calories consumed (1g alcohol = 7kcal) get turned directly into fat tissue. If you do exercise after drinking, the alcohol calories are burned before the food calories you have consumed.

4. Be nice to your liver - it controls how we store and use fat/glucose for energy, and if we abuse our livers it can result in excess fat accumulation (stop drugs, alcohol, smoking etc)

Lifestyle:

1. One of the MOST IMPORTANT: MOVE. YOUR. BODY!!! - exercise makes loosing weight much easier and healthier. Hiit training causes oxygen deprivation, after we finish working out our bodies have to work harder just to replenish the oxygen lost. This working harder actually keeps us burning fat for up to 2 days after the workout is finished. Just walking your 10,000 steps a day means you loose 500 calories per day, that’s 3500 calories a week just from walking!!

2. Intermittent fasting does work, for women don’t go over 10:14 (only eat during a 10 hour window), men can go 8:16. Start slow, and work your way up. DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF ON ONLY COFFEE. This causes increased cortisol levels (aka increased stress on the body)...

3. Decrease stress + get better sleep. If stressed, levels of the hormone cortisol go up, this causes a rise in blood sugar and in turn causes insulin levels to go up. Chronic stress = insulin resistance which results in weight gain (especially abdominal fat). Stress and sugar also cause increase in neuropeptide Y which is designed specifically to increase our appetite. Good sleep promotes melatonin production, one of our most powerful antioxidants which reduces oxidative stress and in turn makes loosing weight easier. Decrease stress/improve sleep via: diaphragmatic breathing which stimulates the vagus nerve, balance your blood sugar levels (as low blood sugar also causes cortisol to go up), drink adaptogenic herbal teas (camomile, ashwaganda), avoid stimulants (coffee, alcohol), take Epsom salt baths with lavender drops (epsom salts are 100% magnesium which gets absorbed into the body).

4. Chew well, eat mindfully, don’t overeat, stick to 3 meals/day only - try not to snack, keep track of your weight, be clear on portion sizes, food diaries help stop mindless eating