Health Articles.

If you have got 10 minutes to spare, these previously published articles of mine, are worth a read. The Osteoporosis article is worth a read whether you think you are at risk or not. There are some pretty unpleasant facts to be read concerning the food we eat; plus, why you should never diet, how you could loose weight by eating more, and healthy-eating tips and ideas. Part two of the initial articles, now updated with the latest health news are now also available.

If you knew what was in it..........                              


There are lots of nasties lurking in our food, and I don’t mean bugs or bacteria, I’m talking about stuff - sorry, there is no better word for it - that is manufactured to trick us. Food producers like us to believe that we are eating less sugar and less fat; they produce more and more healthy ‘diet’ products; so why is it that we are fatter, and more unhealthy, than ever?

Around 30 years ago, food manufacturers ‘developed’ high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from maize. It is many times cheaper - and sweeter - than simple sugar and it is added to a shocking number of foods; soft drinks, pasta sauce, ketchup, sweets, and flavored yogurt, to name a few. The problem is that fructose - as its more commonly labelled - doesn’t stimulate insulin anywhere near as much as regular sugar. This leaves you hungry and craving for more sweetness. Your muscles aren’t getting fed so you have less energy. Less energy = more cravings = more food = more fat.

If a product has more than 8 grams of fructose, or it is prominent on the list of ingredients, do yourself a favour and leave it on the shelf.


Now for some really yucky stuff; trans fat. Another manufactured product, created by combining liquid vegetable oil with hydrogen, to create trans fatty acid (TVA). TVA turns into a solid at room temperature and becomes what we know as margarine and yellow spreads.

The food industry loves this stuff, its cheap (surprise, surprise) and it can be added to all sorts of things. A biscuit with vegetable oil in, will ooze out of the packet, but with TVA it will stay crisp and tantalizing for months on end. Its no surprise then, that crisps, cakes, frozen foods and a very long list of other more-ish foods contain TVA.

Turning oils into solids doesn’t do us any favours. Obviously, once inside our bodies a natural oil would melt, but TVA will revert to a solid. Heart disease and strokes are caused, in part, by a build-up of fat solids; it’s easy to put 2 + 2 together. Check labels for hydrogenated, or partially-hydrogenated, the higher they are up on the list the more TVA they contain. It has no nutritional value, and even a partial reduction can cut heart disease and bad cholesterol.

The latest good news is that TVA has now been banned in California and various parts of the USA, and the EU is considering its usage.


Saturated fats. The body likes fat, it needs it for muscle growth, to deliver vitamins, and keeps us feeling full; take it from me, fat is good for you. There is a catch of course, I’m only talking about polyunsaturated fat (from vegetables) and monounsaturated fat (from nuts and seeds). Your body would rather store saturated fat around your stomach, just in case of an emergency - that is never going to happen. This means cutting down, primarily, on full fat cheese and milk, and sticking to lean cuts of meat.

Next, the curse of the modern diet; refined carbohydrates. The human body cannot survive without carbs, they provide energy to feed the brain, muscles and metabolism. However, most of the carbs in our western diet are refined; white sugar, white bread and other refined wheat products such as pasta, bagels, biscuits etc. If it helps, think of refined in another way; try, manufactured.

All the goodness and nutrients in wheat are contained in the whole grain, this contains wheat-germ and bran, and once they have been taken out - or refined - there is virtually nothing left. With no filling, slow energy release fibre expanding in your stomach, the carb calories go shooting through your digestive system faster than Schumacher off the starting grid. There is a rush of blood sugar as the carbs are quickly digested, a burst of energy, then the let-down as the liver stores the blood sugar/glycogen and your body cries out for more. More food = more blood sugar peaks = more cravings = more food = more fat = more health problems. Oh dear, oh dear!                 


Apart from Fructose being a sweetener, there are of course ‘brands’ of sweeteners, Canderel, Nutrasweet and Sucralose for example. They have other names like phenylalanine, acesulfame K , aspartic acid and aspartame. When aspartame was developed in the USA, in the 70’s and 80’s, there were many controversial allegations, citing links with toxic effects to the brain and nervous system.

In 1980, the Food and Drug Administration were reluctant to legalise aspartame because of adverse effects on animals and links with brain cancer. Shortly after Ronald Reagan took office, the FDA authority was suspended, a new commissioner bought in, and aspartame was approved. The then CEO of the manufacturing company, Searle, was Donald Rumsfeld no less. All test documents from this time are said to have been lost.

Aspartame (or E951) is used in over 6000 products; fruit yogurts, diet drinks, cold puddings, cereals, fruit juices, obviously I can’t list all of them here, needless to say it is impossible to avoid if you are eating and drinking sweetened ‘diet’ drinks and foods. Personally, I think the reason why the Coca-Cola recipe is so well guarded is that if you knew what was in it, you probably wouldn’t drink it!

Whilst the jury is still weighing-up the pro’s and con’s of sweeteners, there are clearly some concerns with over-use, and long-term use. In the last 10 years the huge increase of manufactured sweetened products seems intertwined with the huge rise in diabetes and obesity. They are best avoided, especially if you have frequent headaches and migraines.

At least with sugar you know what you are getting, its a natural, naturally sweet product; why do we need something synthetic that is 200 times sweeter?

Good news coming up in part 2, you've come this far don't stop now!


Some good and bad food news.

In this two-parter, I will explain why ‘diet’ drinks make you fat, how training hard, while cutting back calories - in an effort to loose weight - will not work; reveal that the long-awaited backlash to ‘trans fat’ (TVA) is gaining ground, and show you proof that if you want to loose weight, and feel healthier and fitter, my healthy eating plan does exactly what it says on the tin.


But first, I'm going to re-open the subject of artificial sweeteners, and especially their relationship with fizzy drinks, and products aimed at children. There is so much damning evidence against these products now, that I’m surprised the labels don’t come with government health warnings!

I mentioned last time, that in the last 10 years there has been a huge rise in the amount of artificially sweetened, manufactured products, and this has been linked to the alarming increases in diabetes and obesity. I am mainly talking about Aspartame (E951), Acesulfame K, and Phenylalanine - marketed as ‘Nutrasweet’ and ‘Equal’ - although ‘Splenda’ and Sucralose as just as bad.

Aspartame research has been ongoing since its inception in the early ’70’s, now, a dozen toxicology and epidemiology experts have recommended that the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) reviews studies that link the sweetener to an increase in certain types of cancer. E.U. reports come to the same conclusion, and nearly 100% of independent research finds problems with Aspartame.

Apart from packet toxic chemicals - sorry, sweeteners - ready-made, chilled, and packet, puddings and gelatins, the biggest users of Aspartame and it’s like, are the drinks companies.

FACT, diet drinks make you fat.

Why? The body doesn’t recognise any chemical sweetener as food and is unlikely to satisfy your cravings; this leads to increased blood sugar levels and increased fat. All sweeteners create an artificial need for more sweetness. Forced sweetness is a subconscious trap that addicts people to sweeter tastes. The fear that if you don’t eat ‘sugar-free’ or ‘diet’ products you will put on weight, is a seriously harmful mis-conception.

If you, or your children, have a regular intake of products supplemented by sweeteners - especially any of the diet colas -  and are prone to mood-swings, depression, anxiety, insomnia and hyperactivity, you/they may be affected by Aspartame.

Chemicals in Aspartame block serotonin production. Serotonin is a hormone produced in the brain that greatly influences our moods, and tempers anxiety. Hyperactivity in children lessens as serotonin levels rise.

Symptoms, however, may not be so apparent now; a Swedish study has found a link between use of diet drinks and certain types of brain tumors, in the middle-aged, and elderly population. There are also cases of Aspartame poisoning being incorrectly diagnosed as Graves disease - an auto-immune disease that effects the thyroid.

If all this is slightly worrying, and you would rather not consume food and drink containing toxic, carcinogenic chemicals, then check the labels of drinks and artificially sweetened products carefully. (Anything that says ‘sugar-free’ is a dead give-away.)  If you are a regular consumer, expect detox reactions such as, headaches, joint pain, cravings, and menstrual irregularities. By the way, if you drink ‘Iced tea’ because it sounds healthier and isn’t fizzy, think again the second ingredient after water is sugar and then saccharin. Squash is even worse, listing flavourings, and both fructose and glucose syrup (both sugars) AND Aspartame AND Phenylalanine. Good grief, just how many chemicals do they want to put in one bottle! Is it any wonder that children’s behaviour problems are on the increase.

A couple of other things where diet cola is concerned. First, with a ph level of 3.0, it is extremely acidic. The body’s normal ph level is 6.4, so if you have acid reflux, ulcers, or other acidic conditions, it will exacerbate your problems. Second, cola’s (any some other orange fizzy drinks) contain phosphorous. Too much phosphorus in the body stops calcium absorption; with osteoporosis on the increase because of poor diet and lack of exercise, the body needs all the calcium absorption it can get - especially in children - so again, I would advise you to be wary of these products.

A healthier alternative is carbonated water mixed with fresh juice or lemon slices, or blitz some melon to add in; chemical free, nutritious, naturally refreshing options.


Now for some good news on TVA (trans fat) - the manufactured, hydrogenated oil that turns solid in your arteries, and increases the chances of coronary heart disease. Now recognized as ‘not necessary,’ and with ‘no nutritional value,’ it is now being banned in more countries. Fast food retailers Macdonalds have said TVA will not be used in their ‘fries’ - however, their other products are not mentioned - KFC have capitulated, even though they were concerned about the flavour of their ‘secret recipe,’ and Burger King (inc. our own Burger City) heavily advertise 0% trans fat in ALL their products. Well done them!

In Europe, Switzerland and Denmark have banned it, and all the major supermarkets in the UK have said their own brands will not contain TVA. Apart from better labeling, the U.K. government has not, as yet, taken any further action.

Part 2 - The elimination game.

Does this sound familiar?

You’ve made the decision; you’re going to get fit and loose weight. So, you restrict your calories with something silly, like ‘slim-fast’ shakes, or the ‘cabbage soup diet’ - that’s bad - you know that combining diet with exercise works - that’s good - so every spare moment, you are down the gym, sweating for Cyprus, pounding the cardio machines ragged for hours on end, looking forward to some nice soup when you get home. Hmm.


Is all this doing you any good? NO. Will you loose weight? NO.

All you are doing is putting your body under stress, and apart from all your fat cells stubbornly staying where they are - because that's what they do in times of stress - you are also producing excess amounts of cortisol.

Cortisol is a hormone produced in times of stress, and over-training whilst under-eating, sends production levels through the roof. One of the side-effects of this extra cortisol is water retention - which generally effects more men than women. This type of activity, coupled with a woman’s menstrual cycle can add between 1 - 10 lbs to a woman’s weight, making it difficult to not only monitor any body composition losses, but also to keep motivated, and make the mistake that the ‘diet’ isn’t working, so, either eat even less, or give up completely.

There are certain types of personalities who are more prone to cortisol problems; they are generally ‘intense’ people who get stressed easily and approach life ‘full-on.’ My advice would be to take a more even, long term approach (short term fixes never work) to health and fitness, with a healthy diet - no dieting - and regular exercise - by regular, I mean 3-4 sessions a week. Take beaks from training every 6-8 weeks, and if you fancy an occasional bar of chocolate, or whatever takes your fancy, don’t feel guilty about it, enjoy it.

In fact, a feed-up once a week is part of my healthy eating plan. I mentioned in October about a friend of mine who I’d helped to loose 8kg (17lbs) in 2 months, many of his niggling ailments disappeared, and he looked, and felt, a different person. I’m pleased to say he retained his new eating habits, and has not regained any of the weight.


At the time, apart from my friend’s new slimline shape, I didn’t have any evidence to back up my claims - now I do.  These are the results of a 45/46 year old man I started working with in March this year. At 14st 5lbs he was approx. 2 stone overweight, and his body mass index (BMI) read 26.4, which was higher than the recommended 24.9 and below - for optimal health and low disease risk. He had an unhealthy level (13) of visceral fat (fat that lies underneath your stomach muscles and surrounds your vital organs) all of which gave him a moderate risk of heart disease, and other conditions.

These are the results of his regular weigh-ins over 14 weeks. Apart from a small blip after being away at the beginning of June, when his weight increased slightly before falling again, he is now in great physical condition. His BMI is now 23.5, his visceral fat has a very healthy reading of 9, his overall body fat percentage has reduced from 15.6% to 9.8%, and 12st 11lbs is a near perfect weight for a man of his height. 

How did we do it? My healthy eating plan sorted a few things out. Smaller, but more regular meals, no products that contained white flour, lots of low-fat calcium products, and, a bit of a killer for the first month, no beer - but this was re-introduced after 4 weeks. All chemical laden processed food, and fizzy drinks, were also eliminated. There was no dramatic initial weight loss, as seen with most ‘diets,’ just a steady, healthy loss of 2-4 lbs a week. There were no calories to count, no foods to weigh, just simple healthy eating.


The weight loss was helped along with an exercise program. It was a combination of 2x weekly, 1 hour bike rides (which could be done in a gym), with 20 minutes of body-weight resistance exercises twice a week (easily done at home), and 2x 45 minute sessions of weight-training (in the gym). So 3.5/4 hours of exercise a week, easily achieved in manageable chunks; if time was ever an issue, one of the shorter sessions was used instead of one of the bike rides.

His body/metabolism was constantly being fed by the regular intake of food, chemicals and additives from processed foods were eliminated from his diet, and his exercise regime, whilst challenging (it would be pointless otherwise), was not stressing his body.

It works for ladies too, by the way. Two examples are a lady who started the plan last month has lost 6lbs in four weeks, another lady, 14lbs went in 6 weeks.   

All this talk of calories and weight loss is all very well, but how do you work out how many calories you should be having every day?

Activity levels really need to be assessed, but here is a general equation; your weight in pounds x by 14 (women), or 16 (men), will give you the amount of calories you need per day, to maintain your weight. E.G. 150 lbs x 14 = 2100 calories per day. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, lower this to 13/15. If you want to loose weight there is an approx. 20% decrease; the calculation is now, weight x 10 or 12, women and men, respectively. There should be a reduction of around 500 calories per day, to give you 1lb a week weight loss - more weight will be lost if more exercise is included.

Cortisol may go some way to explain why some people find it difficult to loose weight, ‘diet’ and sugar-free food and drink products (as mentioned last week) add further testimony to the increased obesity levels and the related health problems; but what it boils down to, what no amount of pills, potions, and quick-fix products will do, is help you maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. So, ignore the hype and the marketing, leave the chemicals on the supermarket shelves, release the feel-good endorphins that exercise brings, and feel good about yourself.....for the long term. 

Karen Harris Wakenshaw.

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