A drug named sugar

I’m constantly amazed at the effect sugar has on the human body.

Last week I made the most powerful pudding ever, which sent my boyfriend and I into what I can only describe as a drug-induced frenzy. Don’t get me wrong, it was a very delicious dessert, but I think we might have overdone the portion sizes. By about 10 times.

I found the recipe on the Ocado website: Sticky Toffee and Banana Pudding. It should come with a health warning! I guess I should have known it would be a pretty decadent dessert, from the lashings of Jamaica Ginger Cake, double cream, butter, maple syrup and, yes, brown sugar, that’s required.

The first mouthful was like heaven, both of us emitting groans of pleasure, and the next few mouthfuls were equally delectable. However, as our internal organs began to wake up and smell the toffee, they started violently protesting, screaming “What the hell are you trying to do to us?” We kept going, determined not to waste any of this delicious concoction. But as we neared the end of the bowl, our movements slowing and our stomachs groaning, we finally had to admit defeat. We practically slumped over the table and immediately had to remove the bowls from sight and smell. We had definitely overdone it.

What happened next can only be described as complete and utter chaos.

First came the collapse on the sofa, when I was reminded of opiate-fuelled shooting up scenes from Trainspotting and Breaking Bad. Next came the incoherent babble, as neither of us could string a sentence together, making communication increasingly difficult. And then came the spasms.

Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced “sugar cramps” as I’ve come to know them, but they’re extremely unpleasant. Your arms and legs keep involuntarily tensing in these spasm-like movements which you have absolutely no control over. You can try gritting your teeth and resisting them, or surrendering and relaxing into them. But nothing works. You just have to ride it out.

It wasn’t until I experienced these cramps at full pelt, immediately after eating so much sugar, that I realised this had been the cause of them previously. About 4 years ago, during a period of fairly high caffeine consumption on my part, I assumed the irritability, muscle cramps, energy swings and general burn-out I was experiencing was down to the coffee. But suddenly now it all became blindingly obvious: it was the sugar. Pure and simple.

After a while (we lost all sense of time) of babbling, groaning and spasming, amidst cries of “What have I done to us?!” we decided there was only one thing for it: sleep. So we had a nap. A broken, spasming, irritable, uncomfortable nap, but a nap nonetheless. And when we awoke some time later we knew what we needed next: peppermint tea.

But only after I’d had a fit of hysterics. You know the kind of hysterics that are literally uncontrollable? When you’re laughing your tits off to the point you can barely breathe and you have no idea what you’re laughing at? Them.

And breathe.

So there we were, drinking peppermint tea in the small hours (I’m guessing) in a state of just-woken, hysterics-recovering, speech-impaired, leg-cramping, messed up delirium. And trying desperately to avoid eye or thought contact with the morsels of pudding that remained in the bowls, or the cooking implements still soiled with the remnants of devilish dessert.

And all this from sugar! Now, granted, it was probably more sugar than either of us would normally eat in a week, but it was just incredible. That a foodstuff could have such physical, mental and psychological effects on the body is practically mind-blowing. And I haven’t even got started on the come down the next morning!

With effects like these, is it any wonder that diabetes is the 5th leading cause of death in the US? 8.3% of the US population have some form of diabetes. That’s 25.8 million adults and children. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and blindness; it can lead to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and nervous system damage; and in 2007 it contributed to over 231,400 deaths in the US alone. In the UK 2.9 million people have been diagnosed and this is expected to increase to 5 million by 2025.

And all this is completely avoidable.

The average American consumes around 56.5kg of sugar per year. For a 9-stone person that basically means eating your own body weight in sugar! And consuming an excessive amount of sugar causes massive strain on the liver and pancreas, which causes too much insulin to be produced, which means too much sugar gets broken down, leading to low blood sugar, or hypoglycaemia. This results in erratic mood swings, sugar cravings, energy lows, irritability and depression. It can further lead to hormonal disturbance, ulcers, menstrual problems and even schizophrenic behaviour. These symptoms can then become major contributing factors in alcoholism, juvenile crime, marital break-up and mental disorders.

Yes – all this from sugar!

According to my BSY nutrition course, “Excluding addictions to alcohol and drugs, the next greatest threat to health in Western society today, after stress, is probably sugar consumption. Sugar is added to almost all of the prepared food that we eat. These valueless foods fill you up and provide an instant lift. Lots of people consider [sugary] snacks to be perfectly normal, but in the long term they are extremely damaging. The real tragedy is that our children in particular are eating more and more sweets, cakes and sugary foods. This is destroying their bodies and setting them up for a life of hypoglycaemia and diabetes.”

Many people don’t realise that refined sugar is a powerful stimulant and has a drug-like effect on the body – as I’ve experienced first-hand! Whilst everyone knows that too much alcohol or nicotine can seriously harm your health, the effects of other stimulants like caffeine and particularly sugar are often dumbed down or dismissed.

Maybe it’s time we started printing health warnings on chocolate bars and bags of sweets…?

A Simple Diet to Cleanse and Detoxify Your System

I’ve always wanted to try fasting. There are many reported health benefits of going without food for short periods of time and the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet (where you eat normally for 5 days and fast on the other 2) seems to have had a lot of press lately. Even the NHS reports that studies show this fasting diet can aid in weight loss and help reduce the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and certain obesity-related cancers.

Absolute fasting, however, would not be practical whilst maintaining a normal Western lifestyle. Personally speaking, I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to keep up my daily Ashtanga yoga practice, let alone function properly at work, whilst fasting!

However, the module I’m currently studying in my BSY Group nutrition course outlines a cleansing diet which presents a much safer and more practical alternative to fasting.

The premise of this cleansing diet is that it’s highly alkalising, which makes it particularly useful for arthritis sufferers as it strips away the acid build-up responsible for inflammation in the joints. It can also be very beneficial for cancer sufferers and others with serious illnesses, as well as anyone looking to lose weight, eliminate toxins, revitalise the body and clear the mind.

It’s a very simple diet which involves eating only fruits and vegetables and drinking only distilled or filtered water, herbal teas and fresh fruit or vegetable juices for either 5, 7 or 10 days. You can also add the following amounts of neutral or alkalising foods to the diet:

• Brown rice: up to 1 cooked cup per day
• Almonds: up to 20 per day
• Avocado: up to 1/2 a small avocado per day

The fruit & veg should be consumed with as few combinations as possible at each meal and should never be eaten together, i.e. you should eat either fruits or vegetables for each meal or juice.

It’s not uncommon to experience a ‘healing crisis’ in the first few days of such a cleanse. As the calorie intake is lowered, excess fat is burnt off quicker, taking with it any toxins stored within the fat. If the liver and kidneys are unable to eliminate these toxins faster than they start entering the bloodstream, this can lead to a temporary feeling of unwellness.  However, these reactions shouldn’t last long and by the end of the detoxification you should be feeling much lighter and stronger with higher energy levels.

It can be useful to supplement this diet with digestive enzymes to reduce flatulence and bloating, and with enemas and colonic irrigation to cleanse the bowel and multiply the effectiveness of the detoxification process.

I should point out that this diet is not suitable for pregnant or breast-feeding women, people who are severely anaemic or nutritionally deficient, or the elderly. If in doubt, you should seek medical advice before attempting any cleansing programme.

I intend to put this diet into practice very soon. I have a buddy to do it with, which should help with the motivation and recipe ideas. So all I need now is to get myself a juicer and decide on the most appropriate event-free week in which to do it!

If you’ve tried this or a similar cleansing diet I’d love to hear about your experience and whether it’s made a difference to your overall health. Please leave a comment below. And wish me luck!

Breakfast Like a King

To breakfast or not to breakfast? That is the question. It’s a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned. A decent breakfast makes you feel good, gives you energy and sets you up for the day.

According to a survey by The Telegraph around two thirds of people in Britain don’t eat breakfast but most nutritionists agree it’s the most important meal and if you’re trying to lose weight this certainly isn’t the way to do it.

As Angela Tella, a dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association (BDA), warns in the Telegraph article: ”Breakfast is a very important meal and provides a lot of nutrients, such as glucose, that aid concentration and mental strength. And research shows that people who eat breakfast are generally slimmer.”

The reason for this, according to researchers from Imperial College London is that missing breakfast increases the appeal of high-calorie foods, leading to a higher intake of calories at lunchtime. It can also result in mood swings and a feeling of hunger throughout the day, which is not what you want when you’re trying to lose weight. Skipping breakfast sends messages to your brain that your body may be going into hibernation mode, so any calories that you do consume will get hoarded for later use, i.e. stored as fat.

So, the next question is: what should we be eating for breakfast? The possibilities are endless: from toast, bagels and pancakes; to yoghurt, cereals and fruit; to eggs, bacon and beans. I have a bit of a reputation in my office for eating the healthiest breakfasts so I thought I’d share some of my personal favourites with you.

Now, I’m definitely not one to shy away from a hearty Full English (veggie of course), a delicate Eggs Florentine or a delectable stack of pancakes smothered in maple syrup, bananas and blueberries. But here comes that familiar motto again…. altogether now: Everything in moderation!

I’ll splash out on a brekkie treat now and then, tend towards a post-practice coffee and croissant on a Sunday and favour 2 slices of wholemeal (or gluten-free) toast with Marmite and peanut butter (not together – ew!) at the weekends. But my standard, weekday, post-practice, at-the-desk staple is this:

• A base of Doves Farm gluten-free cornflakes.
• Followed by a handful of oats granola or, better still, homemade muesli (see below).
• Freshly sliced banana layered on top.
• A sprinkling of homemade nut & seed mix (almonds, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, poppy & chia seeds).
• A spoonful of some healthy powder! Currently Linwoods’ milled flax, sunflower, pumpkin & sesame seeds & goji berries; soon to be replaced by Pulsin’s hemp protein powder.
• All topped off with a generous portion of rice milk.

Sounds complicated but it’s so delicious and nourishing and keeps me going for hours.

I’ve only just started making my own muesli, inspired by a recipe my sister passed on to me in New Zealand. It’s so easy and much cheaper than buying it ready made. This is how to do it:

• Mix 170g of rolled oats with 35g of dessicated coconut, 2tbsp of neutral oil (try grapeseed oil), 85g of runny honey, 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon and as many nuts and seeds as you fancy.
• Combine thoroughly, spread into a baking dish lined with greaseproof paper and bake at 180 degrees for about 20-30 mins, turning regularly.
• The muesli will turn a lovely golden brown colour. If you prefer it more toasted, bake for longer, but keep turning it regularly.
• Remove from oven and once cooled add dried fruit to your liking, e.g. raisins, sultanas, cranberries, apricots, dates, etc.
• Eat and enjoy!

And of course no breakfast would be complete without a strong smokey cup of Lapsang Souchong tea to wash it all down with! (The first meal of the day seems to warrant a little more leniency with the half-hour rule…)

I’m looking forward to the morning already!

Make a NEWSTART with the Revive Cafe Cookbook

I was recently in New Zealand visiting my sister and one of my Christmas presents from her was the fantastic Revive Cafe Cookbook. She’d actually bought the second book as well but wasn’t quite sure if she was ready to part with both of them so we took one each and decided to swap later on!

At first I assumed it was just another cookbook. Ok it’s a veggie one but all the same, I thought, I’m sure I’ve seen it all before. How wrong I was! I started reading the lengthy introduction and was intrigued to discover the story behind the Revive Cafe in Auckland which was set up by Jeremy Dixon and his wife in late 2004.

Jeremy has a passion for sharing health principles with people and demonstrating how easy it is to make healthy meals. I was inspired by some of these, which centre around using fresh, local produce; minimal use of dairy and gluten; mixing whole grains with beans/legumes to form complete proteins; and using natural flavourings and sweeteners in place of artificial or processed ones.

I was particularly struck by his ‘8 Keys to Healthy Living’ which are very much in line with my 10 Ways to a Happy Belly:

Nutrition: fuel your body with quality food and feel great!

Exercise: feel alive with 30 minutes of exercise per day.

Water: increase your vitality with 8 glasses of water a day.

Sunshine: enjoy the rejuvenating benefits of sunshine.

Temperance: all good things in moderation and set yourself free from harmful things.

Air: breathe deeply to de-stress.

Rest: sleep deeply with 8 hours of rest per night.

Trust: live in peace with a life full of great relationships.

Ok, so getting enough sunshine could be tricky in the bleak English midwinter, but there’s no excuse not to make a NEWSTART with the other elements. I love some of the tips and quotes peppered around this section too, such as “People who cannot find time for exercise will have to make time for illness”, “Sleep with the window open and you will get a better night’s sleep” and “You would not put bad fuel and oil into your car and expect good performance. You only have one body. Feed it well and you will live long and with vitality.”

I love the look and feel of the book and the recipes are pretty awesome too! First up I’ll be trying the Mushroom Goulash and the Spanish Bean Stew. So watch this space to find out how I get on!

10 Ways to a Happy Belly

Hello and welcome to my first blog post!

I thought I’d start by sharing why I decided  to set up HappyBellyHappyHeart.

I’ve always struggled to find things I’m passionate about but over the years, and particularly very recently, I’ve realised that one of those things is nutrition. I’m passionate about eating healthily. But there’s more to it than that; I’m passionate about living healthily with minimum impact on the environment.

When I was younger I ate whatever I wanted and didn’t give much concern to its nutritional value. It didn’t seem to matter, though, as I had the kind of teenage body that didn’t seem to put on weight. But as I hurtled through my twenties I realised things were changing and I’d have to pay a bit more attention. I became a vegetarian at the age of 19, as I never really enjoyed or agreed with eating meat and believed being veggie would help me eat more healthily. I was right.

I now realise a fascinating thing: I still eat whatever I want. It’s just the things I want to eat have changed. I never eat anything I don’t want to eat. I never force myself to eat something because it’s ‘good’ for me or deny myself something because it’s ‘bad’ for me. So I pondered further on this and discovered there’s a set of principles I live by, which haven’t been forced upon me; they’ve just evolved organically and are now intrinsic to my daily life.

So I thought I’d share them with you. You never know, you might even be inspired to follow one or two of them yourself…

1. Love your food! Savour and enjoy every mouthful and feel nourished by its goodness.
2. Everything in moderation. Binge eating is never helpful. But if you eat a healthy, balanced diet, you won’t need to follow any fads or deprive yourself of any food.
3. Don’t feel guilty! As long as it’s in moderation you can eat that cake/biscuit/chocolate; the important thing to remember is to enjoy and savour it! Don’t feel guilty or attach negative emotions to it; sweet food can be nourishing too.
4. Eat little and often. Personally, I’ve found this is the best way to keep my metabolism and blood sugar levels steady, rather than eating 3 larger meals a day.
5. Never skip breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day and sets your metabolism going at the right speed. A mix of fresh fruit, cereals, nuts/seeds and milk or yoghurt (or dairy-free alternatives) is my staple. Oats are a great source of slow-release energy.
6. Drink plenty of water. Apart from 40 mins either side of mealtimes, water should be sipped throughout the day (too much liquid whilst eating can flood the digestive system, making the digestive process more difficult and preventing us absorbing all the nutrients from our food.) Avoid fizzy or sugary drinks and too much caffeine or alcohol. One cup of caffeinated tea per day works fine for me.
7. Avoid processed foods. Wherever possible eat wholegrain, nutrient-rich food in its most natural, unprocessed form.
8. Avoid diet foods. I believe it’s better to eat natural, full-fat foods in moderation, rather than low-fat, low-sugar or low-calorie foods which nearly always have additional sugar, sugar substitutes, additives or other nasties to compensate for the lack of flavour.
9. No counting. I don’t believe in counting calories, weight of food, bodyweight or waist size. Instead I try to listen to my body, eat what I need when I need it and stop eating before I’m completely full.
10. Exercise! Last but by no means least. To me a healthy balanced diet includes exercise. You can’t expect to lose weight or feel happy in your body without it. Regular exercise strengthens muscles, enhances physical fitness, boosts the immune system, helps prevent disease, improves mental health and makes you feel great! And it doesn’t have to mean slogging away at the gym for hours on end or battling the elements whilst jogging. I have a daily Ashtanga yoga practice which keeps me physically fit, improves my strength and flexibility and is also very meditative. But you could try swimming, dancing, hula hooping, hill walking, rock climbing… the list is endless!