News

Our monthly nutritional news letter with the latest research and thinking.

Weapons of mass stimulation. Is there a benefit from energy drinks? – Nutritional news – issue 11

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Upon reflection I could have chosen an easier topic for my 11th monthly news letter. Trying to pick my way through the minefield that is the energy/sports drinks market to produce a succinct piece has been an arduous task.

Let’s get this straight; Sports drinks taken at appropriate times in correct measures can clearly boost performance and recovery. The problem is there is so much for me to dislike about the whole industry and like a scab I just can’t stop picking at it.

Having looked into this over the last few years I am still confused by the terms ‘energy drinks’ and ’sports drinks’. Is there a difference? Red Bull for example clearly markets itself as an energy drink but it sponsors world wide sporting events and teams. It doesn’t provide electrolytes essential for maintaining proper hydration during exercise so it can’t really be considered a sports product. It also contains the controversial ingredient taurine. Red Bull promote its inclusion by claiming taurine loss “can occur in some physiological situations, such as high stress and physical exertion.” So is Red Bull marketing itself as a product for stressed individuals and the physically active? A great many individuals who pass through the nutrition clinic are highly stressed. Stress has become the leading health problem in Western society directly responsible for up to 90% of visits to primary care doctors. It might not surprise you to learn than at no point do we advise those individuals to consume any amount of sugary water containing taurine, caffeine and artificial sweeteners in order to address their stress issues.

Lucozade tries to help me out by making both energy and sports products. But Lucozade energy is marketed exactly like a sports drink for adventurers? There are many others on the market walking this blurred line between energy and sports products. Some like Powerade, fronted by Wayne Rooney and owned by Coca Cola don’t even have the decency to have a list of ingredients on line.

The vast majority contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and asulphamine K. The controversy surrounding these sweeteners has been raging for years and is best left for another news letter. At best they’re questionable and I can see no reason whatsoever for putting them into products that are aimed at promoting sports performance and vitality.

Children
Most worrying of all is that these products are aggressively marketed at the young and impressionable. There is very little research being carried out on the effects of long term usage of these products particularly by the young. The National Federation of State High School Associations in the USA made the following recommendations for young athletes.

I regularly visit a number of sports centres here in Bristol that are attended by school children throughout the day. They all have vending machines selling these products with no advice on their appropriate use. These aren’t even ‘young athletes’, they are school kids doing a little exercise. They don’t need energy drinks or sports performance enhancing products. They just need some fresh air and physical exertion. In fact I believe that these products should only be available to the over 16s.

What should a sports drink contain?
If you start your exercise in a well fed and well hydrated state I don’t believe you’ll need to take anything if you are exercising for less than an hour. If you’re going for more than an hour then you may benefit from a drink containing easy to digest sugars in the form of maltodextrin. It should also contain the electrolytes Sodium, Chloride, Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium to replace the electrolytes lost through perspiration, maintain hydration and to preserve muscle function. And absolutely nothing else unless you’re in a race situation in which case the addition of some caffeine during the latter stages might just get you over the finishing line with a PB. There are some companies out there making top quality products based on these principles, you just have to search for them.

What should an energy drink contain?
If you have having issues with fluctuating energy levels, poor concentration, reliance on stimulants and cravings for sweet foods then you might want to consider resolving your blood sugar imbalances rather than reaching for the quick fix. These can be addressed by better food choices and lifestyle changes. The use of energy drinks in everyday life simply isn’t sustainable.

Please note that due to supplier price changes the free food intolerance indicator tests must be submitted before March 31st. After that they will be £19.50

That’s it for this month. Happy eating to all of you

These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist

Fish oil, tooth loss and the great food intolerance give away – Nutritional news – issue 10

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

A thought for your teeth
Could the condition of your teeth be a marker for your future health and well-being?
Periodontal disease (disease that effects the tissues supporting the teeth) is implicated as a risk factor for chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s . Some say that internal inflammation drives these conditions and that as periodontal disease is relatively easy to detect, it may also be an indicator of further internal issues. Others suggest that periodontal disease is the cause of further inflammation and may be the driving force behind the development of more serious conditions. Either way, addressing the underlying inflammation would appear to be the best way forward.

How does fish oil help?
Recent research published in the Journal Nutrition concludes that it seems likely that eating fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids may protect against periodontal disease in the elderly. The participants in this study that had the lowest omega 3 intake had significantly fewer teeth than those with the highest omega 3 intake.
The anti inflammatory action of omega 3 has long been known but to many people internal inflammation is an abstract concept. Now with such obvious benefits coming to light, it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore.

In order to optimize omega 3 intake and absorption consider the following;

Free food intolerance test indicator and free 15 minute consultation.
Due to the success of this offer from last months news letter I’ve decided to extend it indefinitely.
The Foodprint® Indicator is a simple pin-prick test that gives a positive or negative result within 10 days. Valued at £19.00 this is now available for free From Jamie Richards Nutrition. Contact me directly for a free 15 minute telephone consultation if you feel you are reacting to certain foods. From there I can arrange to send you a free indicator kit and discuss what options are open to you if the result is positive.

Cyclist No.1
Lastly, watch this space. I’ve just joined the team at the soon to be launched Cyclist No.1 website. As part of the deal I’ll be conducting an on-going case study of Cyclist No.1’s very own Gary Lake as he trains and prepares for The Bontrager Twentyfour12 24 hour mountain bike endurance event in Plymouth later this year. That’s 24 hours of solid mountain biking without sleep. As he’s never attempted anything like this before we’ve already put Gary through his paces over at True Zone Training and the good news is that he looks like he’s physically capable if finishing. I’ll be keeping a log of all the help and advice Gary is getting, and passing on all the relevant material as it becomes available.

That’s it for this month. Happy eating to all of you

These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist

Vitamin D and the flu. Plus free food intolerence test and 15 minute consultation – Nutritional news – issue 9

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Vitamin D and the flu
Happy New Year.
You can’t fail to have noticed that we are well and truly in the grasp of winter. As I write this the snow is deep on the ground, the sky is clear blue and the sun is extremely low in the sky, a perfect winter’s day. So why is it so many of us are getting so ill?
I wrote in August about flu prevention and in that article briefly referred to vitamin D boosting immunity. With the evidence stacking up in favour of vitamin D supplementation I thought it was time to share some more information with you.
Evidence from around the world places vitamin D deficiency as a prime suspect in the development of cold, flu and respiratory infections. In one study children with the lowest vitamin D serum levels are 11 times more likely to develop respiratory infection. In another, Russian athletes given access to a sunlamp to stimulate vitamin D had 50% fewer respiratory infections and 300% fewer days absent from training. Vitamin D also balances the immune response, preventing inflammation that can lead to further flu-related complications.
Vitamin D deficiency in the UK is alarmingly high during the winter and spring months. As many as 80% of us are chronically short of this vital vitamin (some would say hormone). I find it baffling that while our Government is spending millions on vaccination and pharmaceutical intervention like Tamiflu it appears to be doing little to investigate vitamin D supplementation, a safe and inexpensive alternative or adjunct.
My first step in addressing deficiency is naturally through food but with vitamin D this isn’t always so easy. It’s found in oily fish and eggs but mostly is made in the presence of sufficient direct sunlight. With the winter sun hidden or too low in the sky the other alternative is supplementation. Contact me directly for further information.

Free food intolerance test indicator and free 15 minute consultation.
The Foodprint® Indicator is a simple pin-prick test that gives a positive or negative result within 10 days. Valued at £19.00 this is now available for free From Jamie Richards Nutrition. Contact me directly for a free 15 minute telephone consultation if you feel you are reacting to certain foods. From there I can arrange to send you a free indicator kit and discuss what options are open to you if the result is positive.

Fat burner coach
Jamie Richards Nutrition in association with Personal Space Training presents a 6 part series of intelligent weight management classes at the Personal Space Studio in Bristol. Learn how to:

Each class is 60-90 minutes long and is accompanied by menu plans, recipes, shopping lists and simple ‘how to’ principles. The course will run on Sunday evenings starting in February (date TBC). Contact me directly to register your interest or for further details.

Inspired Times
I continue to write for Inspired Times magazine which continues to need your valued support. This website doesn’t exist to sell magazines but Inspired Times continues to put a smile on my face and Sharon and the gang deserve recognition and success for all their endeavours. All my previous articles can be found here.

That’s it for this month. Happy eating to all of you

These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist

Unnaturally sweet and the perfect Christmas gravy – Nutritional news – issue 8

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Unnaturally sweet
The rise in consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is truly a wonder of the modern age. Break down a perfectly healthy food into its basic components and then repackage it as processed food. Conduct no long term research into its impact on public health and saturate the market with it. Before long it becomes an integral part of our food culture and is almost impossible to avoid. So, what is it?

Most people are surprised to hear that the majority of sweeteners in processed food come from corn. In a complicated, industrial and highly chemical process HFCS is produced by processing corn starch to yield glucose, and then processing the glucose to produce a high percentage of fructose. Unfortunately for us, this process is made cheap by American Government funding and is an ideal outlet for US corn producers and their unwanted genetically modified wares. (Before I get any complaints pointing out that not all US corn is genetically modified, I would point out that at least two of the enzymes used in HFCS production most certainly are.)

So, why is this stuff bad for you? After all we are told that fructose is one of the safer sweeteners. The medical profession tells us that fructose is safer for diabetics to consume than sugar. Sugar (sucrose) is made up of fructose and glucose but it now appears that the fructose part of sugar is far more damaging when delivered in higher quantities than nature intended. Processed and no longer ‘bound up’ in sucrose, the fructose also becomes more readily available, causing it to ‘flood’ our system. Once in there HFCS is known to deplete chromium, an important mineral that helps us process glucose, contributing to blood sugar irregularities.

Furthermore, every cell in the body has a mechanism for metabolising glucose but only the liver can metabolise fructose. The liver then has a tendency to convert much of it to fat. So consumption of HFCS puts an additional strain on the liver, not unlike alcohol. This may be one of the reasons for the incredible rise in non alcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition virtually unheard of 30 years ago. This is when the liver of someone that drinks alcohol in moderation (or not at all), resembles that of an alcoholic, due entirely to their diet. When you consider how widespread the use of HFCS is, especially in children’s food, then alarm bells should surely be ringing. Worryingly, they aren’t.

The list of companies using HFCS is far too extensive for me to publish here so I’ll just give you a flavour of how widespread it is.

Frankly it would be easier to produce a list of what doesn’t contain HFCS.

You can avoid it by always checking the labels, eating plenty of home made food and steering well clear of canned and bottled soft drinks.

The perfect gravy
This will be my last news letter before the new year so I’d like to end on a positive note and give you the best Christmas tip that I can. After an exhaustive search I can confirm that Jamie Oliver’s ‘consistently good gravy‘ truly is consistently good. No matter how much you struggle with the roast dinner, this is a simple and enjoyable way of making a perfect, tasty and nutritious gravy to top it all off.

All that remains is for me to wish you all a fantastic holiday season and a wonderful new year. Happy eating.

These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist

Fortification of the nation – Nutritional news – issue 7

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Folic acid fortification
The debate about fortifying the nation’s bread with folic acid is hot news again. On one side we have the magic bullet brigade headed by the Food Standards Agency who would have the nations bakers add folic acid to our bread. On the other side stands the complementary health brigade, organic farmers and just about anyone who wants to keep our food natural.
It is estimated that folic acid fortification in the UK would prevent between 70 and 160 babies being born with neural tube defects (NTDs) – also called spina bifida. It is also thought to decrease the risk of strokes and heart disease. All good things I’m sure you’ll agree. The US has been fortifying in this way since 1996 and Canada since 1998.
However, on the down side, many believe that increasing folic acid levels in isolation may lead to a sharp rise in colorectal cancer and Parkinson’s. Studies in the US are beginning to show that fortification is beginning to harm vulnerable older people. As the UK is planning a higher level of fortification than both the US and Canada could it be we’re taking a step too far and too soon?
For me, fortification doesn’t seem to be a solution at all. Supplementing the entire nation to save a small number without fully understanding the consequences doesn’t make sense. We would do far better to look at the way we are producing the food that we eat. We know that over half the folate in whole wheat is lost in the milling to white flour. Over processing of that flour depletes those levels still further until a perfectly well balanced food become nutritionally useless. Educating vulnerable groups on healthy eating would also seem a far better option.
Soon we may not have a choice but in the mean time fill up on seasonal vegetables (especially the dark green type), whole grains (but not the ones from a cereal box), nuts and seeds and a generous supply of beans and pulses.

Cholesterol and statins
I’m going to spend much more time on this in another news letter but I really wanted to raise the topic now. A close family member recently had a high total cholesterol reading of 6. They are otherwise fit and healthy with no obvious risk factors for heart disease and a willingness to change their lifestyle. They were immediately prescribed 40mg Simvastatin. 40mg is the most potent statin available from that particular manufacturer. Both the World Health Organisation and the statin manufacturers themselves recommend that statins are a last resort in lowering cholesterol, used only after nutritional and lifestyle factors have failed. When questioned the GP immediately agreed to refer my relative to a dietician and that the prescription was somewhat premature under the circumstances. They’re now undertaking a 3 month programme of nutrition, exercise and supplementation with a view to re tested at the end of that period. I’ll keep you posted on the results when they come in.
My point? Don’t be afraid to question exactly why you are being prescribed something and to find out what the alternatives are.
Contact me directly for more advice on how to lower cholesterol levels without the need for statins.

Multiple Sclerosis
As many of you know this subject is very close to my heart. I’ve recently been in touch with a great chap called Ashton Embury of Direct MS. He’s part of a fantastic group researching MS over in Canada. Ashton has written an article about chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCVSI) and I wanted to share it with any of you who have an interest in that condition. Don’t be scared by the title, this is a new and exciting angle on the possible treatment of MS. Feel free to pass it on. ccsvi a huge breakthrough in ms

That’s it for this month. Happy eating to all of you

These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist