How do carbohydrates impact your health?

Many people get confused by Carbs and the differences between the simple and complex varieties. This Ted Talk does a great job of explaining them. Let me know what you think and leave a comment below.

Protein Pancakes The Best Recipe I've Found

I have been asked many times what is a good alternative breakfast and one of my favourite creative breakfasts is "PROTEIN PANCAKES" the beauty of these little delicious beauties is you can customise them to your taste. 

Ingredients 

• 1 Scoop / Serving of your Protein 
• 1/2 Cup or 70g of Oats 
• 1 Whole Egg
• 2 tbsp Full fat Greek Yoghurt
• 1/2 Banana 
• 3-4 tbsp Almond milk or Full Fat Milk
• Coconut Oil for the Pan

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients (except the Coconut Oil) to a food processor, blender. 
2. Switch On and leave till all ingredients make a smooth batter.
3. Pre-heat pan and add Coconut Oil  (I use a ceramic non-stick to avoid sticking pancakes)
4. Pour batter into the pan to desired size mine are normally around the size of a cup coaster. 
5. Cook on a low to medium heat and flip when bubbles appear on the surface. 
6. Stack them up and dig in. 

Extras 

You can add toppings to further improve your pancakes such as;

• Honey
• Nut Butter
• Fruit (Stick to berries)
• Maple Syrup (Don't go to Crazy)

Alternative Tastes

If you use a plain (neutral) flavour protein, you could get creative with your Pancakes. Why not add a tsp of Orange, Vanilla or Peppermint extract and 2 tsp of Cocoa powder to make some really amazing flavoured alternatives.

Keep your ingredients natural and clean. Please feel free to share or tag me in any great flavour ideas and if you cook and post them on Facebook or twitter (@CraigWilmore) I will retweet and share. 

Turmeric: Nature's Wonder Drug - Or Not?

Unless you've been living underground, you have likely heard an overwhelming amount of information related to turmeric this past year. Somewhere along the way it was awarded super-spice status and now can be found almost anywhere you look, from supplements, to grocery store products, to even toothpaste!

The benefits of this wonder-spice are mainly anti-inflammatory in nature and for that it has been reported helpful in many diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, and possibly even cancer. In Indian culture they even use it topically to speed wound healing. What can't this spice do?

Recently, however, a report came out saying that we were duped. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has little bioactive activity in the body. The report pointed out few studies showing curcumin itself to have any health benefits, and that in fact the compound often breaks down before it can elicit any sort of positive health impact.{1}

Oh no! How could we have gone so far astray, especially regarding an ancient spice that has been used for centuries therapeutically in other countries? Is it simply placebo effect.

Let's hold up for just one second. For starters, before we go dumping all our turmeric capsules down the toilet, let's read the article fully. What exactly are they saying?

Pay careful attention to the wording. The author in this article is mainly discussing the inability to successfully create a drug utilising curcumin. Essentially they are saying we have been unable to isolate this active compound in such a way that has a positive and reproducible effect in the human body. Instead of acting on a target protein as they had hoped, the compound broke down and apparently produced no anti-inflammatory result. The article then goes on to say that we have very few published studies to show any benefits from turmeric, and specifically, curcumin usage, so in their conclusion, the time and money spent on turmeric is worthless.

That is all very interesting, however it is also misleading. First of all, just because they cannot isolate curcumin in a stable form suitable as a drug does not mean that curcumin does not work. The body, as we discover daily, works in mysterious ways. Simply because curcumin does not work on one specific target protein does not mean that it is not producing health benefits by other means.

Secondly, we do in fact have some studies to show beneficial effects. Do a quick search on PubMed and you will see what I mean. Some of these studies use the isolated curcumin, and others use the turmeric whole. Both do have research to show some effectiveness. One study, in fact, showed that turmeric was just as effective as ibuprofen in reducing pain from osteoarthritis.{2} That is exciting news if you ask me! In fact there are many studies showing positive outcomes with arthritis patients.

Additionally, there are also many in-vitro and rat studies demonstrating the anti-inflammatory benefits this spice can have. While obviously these results are not always directly relatable or applicable to humans, the take-away is that this compound is very active and holds promise for a wide variety of disease states.

On the whole, based on this one critique, I would not be so fast to discount the powerful effects turmeric can have for our health. Ancient tradition and wisdom aside, there are actually studies showing benefit which should lead us to conclude that turmeric is actually doing something, but maybe not in the precise way we are looking at it currently.

Don't forget that like with most things in nature, compounds work synergistically. Another reason why food, not supplements and fortification, is paramount for health. For example, we know that the phytochemicals in fruit are more powerful when eaten together in the whole food. When we try to isolate specific phytochemicals to make a pill, we find that the compound is unstable and frankly doesn't work. But these compounds DO work when ingested in the right form and combination that nature intended.

All that to say, keep up with your turmeric if you find it to be working for you. Consider eating it in the whole form in cooking rather than isolated pill forms. If you do choose a pill, purchase from a reputable company and even consider purchasing the same forms used in the studies. When using the whole spice for the root, combine it with other foods known to enhance the bioavailability such as fats and black pepper.

The use of spices, and especially turmeric, is a great addition to an overall healthy diet. While important to take into consideration, don't let one detracting article like this completely change your viewpoint just yet.

By Danielle VenHuizen

References

1. https://qz.com/883829/a-large-scientific-review-study-shows-that-curcumin-in-turmeric-has-no-medicinal-properties/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19678780

http://ezinearticles.com/?Turmeric:-Natures-Wonder-Drug---Or-Not?&id=9640980

Changing Habits

You will here me talking about habits when it comes to many aspects of taking control of life.

It statistically takes 66 consecutive days of doing something to make it a habit. Thats 1/5 of your year to make something that you need/want to be doing into part of your lifestyle.

Here is some great advice from "Seal Fit" Let me know what you think, leave a comment below.

Best Version Of Yourself - Motivational Video

Morning motivation, some inspiring quotes from world leaders and those role models that always succeed. Whats stopping you and holding you back? 

" Failure is not a bad thing - Quitting is! "

Zinc Deficiency, Immune Response & Inflammation

Zinc is where it’s at!

Zinc has a long history known as the mineral of the immune system. New research from Oregon State University demonstrated that it appears to affect how the immune system responds to inflammation. A zinc deficiency may play a role in chronic diseases that involve inflammation, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. I see this deficiency frequently on plasma zinc levels on my patients with autoimmune disease.

When zinc is removed, the cells that control inflammation activate and respond differently in a way that causes the cells to promote more inflammation, according to Emily Ho, a professor and lead author of the study.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient required for many enzyme and body functions. It is essential for growth and physical development, and for the metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Zinc is also vitally important to the immune system. Practically every enzyme reaction in the brain involves zinc, and so does the development and function of the central nervous system.

Zinc Deficiency and Inflammation

Approximately 12% of people in the US do not consume enough zinc in their diets, and this number is closer to 40% in those over 65 years of age. In older adults it is most likely a combination of eating fewer zinc-rich foods (meat and shellfish such as oysters) and malabsorption issues.

In this study, researchers examined the relationship between zinc deficiency and inflammation. They concluded that a zinc deficiency induced an increase inflammatory response in the cells. For the first time, researchers were able to show that reducing zinc caused improper immune cell activation and dysregulation of cytokine IL-6.

The researchers also compared zinc levels in young and old living mice. The older mice had low zinc levels that corresponded with increased chronic inflammation and decreased IL-6 methylation, which is an epigenetic mechanism that cells use to control gene expression. Decreased IL-6 methylation was also found in human immune cells from elderly people. 

This research suggests a potential relationship between low levels of zinc and increased inflammation that can occur with age. Thus, a zinc deficiency may be a bigger health concern than many people realize, especially in older populations.

by Designs for Health

http://www.strengthsensei.com/zinc-deficiency-immune-response-inflammation/

Change Your Story To Change Your Performance

Stories have shaped human communication as long as we’ve existed. Look around. Our money, our religion, our businesses are all stories. And your story can shape your physiology, too. If it sounds like new-age manifestation mumbo jumbo, hang tight. I’ll show you how the story you tell about yourself helps or hinders your progress.

Henry Ford said it best: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right”

Imagine how dismal our favorite stories would be (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars) if the heroes just sat back and moped that they couldn’t do it. Not much of a story there, right? Instead they find some blind, often borderline foolish, belief that they can. And then they do.

You’re the hero of your story too. Act like it.

The As If Principle

There’s an interesting principle at work when we switch from positive thinking to positive action. The “as if” principle was first theorized by psychologist William James and popularized by author Richard Wiseman in a book aptly titled The As If Principle. 

If you want a certain trait or quality, act as if you have it already. This is the old idea of “fake it til you make it." Contrary to popular opinion, our actions aren’t determined by our feelings. Quite the opposite. Our actions can start to guide our emotions once we get the ball rolling.

We’re seeing more and more evidence to support this in numerous venues. There’s the influence of “power posing” in business and communication,¹ or the strange link between holding a pencil in your teeth and feeling happier.² Across the board we see that acting differently can lead to feeling differently. 

It all comes down to ownership of your story. Believing you can improve is one thing. Doing something about it is a different beast. So how does this work?

More Than Body, More Than Brain

We can look to the blossoming science of embodied cognition to give us clues. What we typically think of as “mind” seems to emerge from the infinitely complex interactions of all of the trillions of cells that make up the body.³ It’s not locked up somewhere in the brain.

Your actions change your body. Your body is your mind. Change your actions, and you can change your mind. It starts with the belief that you can. But it doesn’t end there. If you’re the hero of your story, it’s time to start acting like it.

References:

1. Cuddy, Amy J.C., Caroline A. Wilmuth, and Dana R. Carney. "The Benefit of Power Posing Before a High-Stakes Social Evaluation." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 13-027, September, 2012.

2. Buck R. “Nonverbal behavior and the theory of emotion: the facial feedback hypothesis.” Journal of Personality & Social Psychology. May, 1980.

3. Wilson A.D. and Sabrina Golonka. “Embodied cognition is not what you think it is.” Frontiers In Psychology. February, 2013.

By Chandler Stevens

http://breakingmuscle.co.uk/uk/learn/change-your-story-to-change-your-performance