The 3 Types of Nutritional Analysis and What it Means for You

I often work with clients who have an interest in nutrition. They’ve read books, watched YouTube videos and have generally tried to apply some of the lessons they’ve learned to what they do. The aim of this short article is just to give a context for the field of nutrition and all of its complexities.

Once upon a time, if I wanted to understand something about nutrition I would need to travel to a place called “the library”. They still exist (so I’m told) but these days, if we’re researching a subject, we have the information right at our fingertips. Whilst this is amazing, like all things, there is a trade-off. We are now flooded with information which can make us feel like we’re drowning and we don’t know the difference between a life ring or ring doughnut.

Pink Doughnut

There are 3 main types of nutritional information and if you like to keep yourself in the know, it’s important to arm yourself with this knowledge so you’re able to keep an open mind and not get stuck in one camp of a particular diet cult. If you’ve already started writing your placard which says “The Eye Ball Diet Gave me 20/20 Vision” , it’s too late, I can’t help you.

Researchers – These are the people in the lab doing the experiments and dealing with all the complicated elements required for a study:

  • Recruiting participants (would you like to come and stay in a white box for two weeks while we feed you desiccated rat liver which we want to prove will increase your male pattern baldness?)
  • The specifics of the study to obtain the result they’re looking for
  • The equipment
  • Loads of other stuff (I’m trying to keep this article readable!)
  • This is science for scientists

Research Analysis – These are the people who look at the studies and think about a bigger context, real world application and all the nuances that only nerds think about. They have the greatest amount of freedom of the three to change their mind when new data comes in. This is the level with the best, most applicable information. As a Personal Trainer and Nutritionist, this is my preferred way to acquire information so that I can help my clients get the best results. But, as a reader, it’s time consuming and full of caveats so it can feel like you don’t know which direction to take.

Nutrition Books – Authors take all the information and present it in a way to the public in a nice, clean, digestible and interesting way. They’ve collated all the studies, trimmed off the fat and created a clear path that you can follow. This is where most people will get their information who consider themselves informed about nutrition which is great. There are potentially some big drawbacks though. Because they’re printed, they cannot be updated in real time. An author can update the book in their blog, but I don’t think most people are reading that, and they can release an updated version of the book, but by the time it comes to print, it may already be outdated. This is nobody’s fault, it’s just the nature of this medium. If a product is released alongside the book, then there is even more incentive for the author to stick with their narrative. Unfortunately, in this situation the incentive isn’t better science. For example, let’s say you’re selling a product (supplements or a device) which is based on your argument in the book you’ve published, what do you do if the central theme gets thoroughly debunked?

In summary, I think it’s great to learn about nutrition at any level and by understanding the benefits and limitations of each type, you can make better choices about the changes you want to implement.

If you want further advice or want to know what the best approach for you might be, feel free to get in touch.

PT Shaun

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Mastering Distraction: How to Make Your Phone Mundane

I had to turn off my PC, leave my phone downstairs and use my work laptop upstairs to write this article. I’m easily distracted by technology and so there are times where I have to isolate myself from it in order to be productive. I’ve been daydreaming about distractions for a while now, and it’s something I find interesting and I have had many conversations with clients who find themselves mindlessly scrolling social media. Look, if you truly enjoy it, that’s cool with me, but the conversations have mostly been “I’ve been scrolling and I can’t stop and I want to stop because I know I could spend my time better”. Indeed, your time, and you get to choose how you spend it.

Distracted by tech

So, what’s the problem with scrolling social media apps? It’s fun! They make people laugh, cry, angry and all sorts of other emotions. It doesn’t sound too bad, right? Well, the question I ask is: Who is in control? You? Or the app? Some people are able to have a healthy relationship with technology, but for most of us, the doors of the casino have been opened up and we’re all inside, oblivious to the tricks being performed on us. Even the people who made these products are warning us against them.

I don’t want to come across as someone who envies the Amish and wants to walk to a payphone to tell my friend “OK mate, I’ll be there at 6:00”. I just want the technology to enhance my life, rather than to diminish it. We can strike a balance but it takes some effort.

Payphone

Where’s the payphone? Oh, well at least I’ll get my steps in.

Try to notice your ticks. You probably won’t be aware of them at first, but once you start to make your phone less appealing they may be visible to you. For example, I removed the “swipe right” Google News feed on my phone and noticed I was still swiping right habitually for an app that doesn’t exist anymore.

How to Make Your Phone as Boring as Possible:

  • Uninstall your most commonly used apps that don’t add value
  • Use greyscale/monochrome
  • Turn off “frequently used” shortcuts
  • Turn off the OLED screen
  • Manage your notifications to only show you what you really care about
  • For the apps that you can make a good case for keeping, use timers to set yourself a limit
  • Changing your wallpaper to a solid unappealing colour like Military Grey.

The list above are “hacks” (a popular term for a shortcut) which are helpful, but they don’t really address the underlying reasons as to why we are bound to our devices, so the unhealthy habits will inevitably sneak back in. You’ve got to be more intentional with how you use your device e.g. if I go to use my phone, my intention is to do something which I consider to be a good use of my time.

Personal Trainer Peterborough

He left his phone at home

So, now you have more time, what do you do? Well, do your best to not get bored because you’ll find yourself reinstalling those apps. What do you feel you are missing out on that could add a better sense of achievement in your life?

  • Reading a book
  • Exercising
  • Cooking a meal
  • Painting/drawing
  • Meditating
  • Playing the guitar badly

It’s definitely a tough challenge, but it’s one I want to win and hopefully this article will help you to get there too. If you need any help, please get in touch (via a message in a bottle).

PT Shaun

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Don’t Try to Lose Weight

I like January. It’s a time to reset, re-evaluate, reassess and some other R words that please those who like alliteration. It feels exciting to think that this time next year, how much better things could be.

Goals

Whilst it feels good to have an opportunity to think about how you’d like this year to be different, we can also set ourselves up for failure. I’ve often set myself lofty goals like reading War and Peace by Tolstoy, only to realise I have a son who likes to jump on me as if I were a trampoline. I’ll stick with the Ladybird books for now.

Your Goals are too Big:

A lot of people I talk to have a fear of setting goals for the year because they have failed before. When I have asked them what their goals had been, they would always be too big and vague. “Lose weight” is a common one but there are so many things involved with that goal, there’s no wonder it failed. 

Try a New Approach:

It is amazing how many times we try the same thing, and expect a different result. If something hasn’t worked consistently, now’s the time to try a different approach.

What if you didn’t focus on losing weight? I know, it’s a crazy thing to say! What if you focused on some other measure which had more positive associations? In the gym for example, focusing on increasing reps, sets, the weight on the bar, improving your recovery between sets. Outside of the gym it could be eating smaller portions consistently, step count, eating mostly whole foods etc. It’s a change in focus which still will have the desired result you’re looking for, but instead of being impatient and just staring, poking and prodding your belly, you’re integrating healthy habits which is what you were lacking in the first place.

Sure, take measurements of your body, but once you have your starting point, put them away and choose your healthy habit of choice and stick with it until it becomes a habit. You’ll not only lose body fat but the habit you’ve integrated will have other benefits in your life. For instance, if you decide to take a daily walk, you’ll also benefit from fresh air, connecting with nature (or concrete depending on where you live), time to think, improved circulation, weight management, stress relief (unless you tread on a dog poo).

So, in summary: pick your goal, break it down in achievable steps and consider changing the measure you’re focusing on so that you’re more likely to achieve your goal over the year.

If you need any help with goal setting, get in touch,

Best of luck!

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Festive Food: Mindful Feasting

December is my favourite month. I love Christmas (now I’m no longer working in a supermarket listening to Noddy Holder on repeat), from the lights, the cosiness, giving gifts, and of course, the food. For some, it can be a difficult month when it comes to food, but it doesn’t have to be.

From the many conversations I’ve had with clients about Christmas, one theme often pops up – they correlate more food with more enjoyment. BUT, if you spend a moment to think about it you will realise that it has the opposite effect:

  • Feelings of utter discomfort because you’ve eaten as much food as a T-Rex who’s trying to bulk for the winter.
  • Meat sweats.
  • Feelings of regret and guilt.

So, how much more fun are you actually having? I’d argue that being in control by making some decisions beforehand would lead to you having a better time. In social settings, the peer pressure can be difficult to manage but after the party, you’re the one who has to deal with “the feelings”.

So let me say something seemingly contradictory…

Eat what you want!

The question is, what do you want? Do you want abs that look like they’ve been chiselled out of marble by Michelangelo? Well, you had better head home and hide under the covers then!

For the rest of us who just want to look and feel good, what we want is the right amount of food for our levels of hunger and our health goals. If you have built up the skill of tuning into your levels of hunger, the biggest strategy you can employ is to stop when you’re full. If you haven’t built that skill yet, that’s okay, we have some other options.

Christmas day should be a day to relax, focus on friends and family and not to obsess about food, but because Christmas is essentially a whole month of mince pies and unusual Latvian snacks from Lidl, we need to set some rules for ourselves. Examples include:

  • I’m going to eat lots of protein to fill me up to stop snacking
  • I only eat one mince pie per day
  • I will only drink one glass of wine
  • I will drink lots of water to stop me feeling like I need a beer
  • I will wear a blind fold when I visit my mother-in-laws so I can’t see the Quality Street tin.

Notice that we’re not restricting anything here, we’re just setting ourselves some rules to allow us to have fun whilst simultaneously keeping our health goals in mind. They’re your rules, so create ones which are in line with what matters to you.

So, in summary: relax on the day, but not for the whole month, create your own rules, otherwise you’ll be spending almost half of the year trying to lose the fat you’ve gained during “the most wonderful time of the year”.

If you found this article useful and you think others would too, please share it with your friends and family.

PT Shaun

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The Illusion of Quick Wins: Understanding the Giant Drawbacks of Rapid Fat Loss

Did you know that 90% of people who undergo a rapid weight loss plan regain the lost weight within the year (sometimes they regain even more!). A quick result, with a long-term cost.

Rapid weight loss is very tempting. Pretty much everything is available to us right now: food delivery, any TV show you can think of (even ones you’d never think someone would come up with!), information, Uber, so why not weight loss too?

If you think about all the great things you’ve achieved in life, they all took time. Weight loss takes time. Now, if you’re an athlete trying to enter into a specific weight class, rapid weight loss makes sense. But you’re not, are you?

The focus on weight loss can take our attention away from our health goals too. Okay, you might not have health goals specifically, but we all aspire to be healthy. What if we could achieve weight loss whilst simultaneously improving our health? We can, but it’s going to require something from you: patience. Sorry.

So how would one go about a drastic weight loss plan? Let’s say we have someone who is eating 4000 calories per day and they don’t exercise. This person can drop their calories down to 500-800 calories with most of the shake type diets available. Initially, it’s a pretty easy approach to take if you just follow the instructions, but what are the dangers and the long term effects of such an approach?

  • Muscle Loss

    • The scales are going to drop, hooray! Except, you’re not just losing fat mass (the stuff you actually care about), you’re losing muscle mass (which means weakness, slower metabolism, and an increased risk of falling).

  • Nutrient Deficiencies

    • Many of these shakes claim to contain your “5 a day” but in reality, they’re low grade quality supplements. Do you know how well they absorb into your body? Is the vitamin or mineral in the best form that your body can absorb and use? Is it in the right amounts?

  • Fatigue

    • You’ve become accustomed to a certain amount of food and now you’ve significantly reduced your intake which you may notice in terms of fatigue, affecting daily activities.

  • Constant Hunger

    • You’re going to go back the way you eat, it’s just a matter of time. All of the fantasies you’ve had about the chocolate milkshake with whipped cream, marshmallows and sprinkles of honeycomb are tormenting you day to day (I’m feeling a bit of torment just writing that). For a lot of people, this can negatively affect their mood and they can start to obsess about food. This can affect one’s relationship with food in a negative way.

  • Downregulation in Metabolism

    • This isn’t an immediate danger exactly, but more something to consider in the long term, which in my opinion, is the only lens to look at weight loss. Your body is smart, and it will adapt to little calories coming in, but at a cost. Your metabolism will start to slow down and the simplest way to think about it is that your metabolism isn’t working at an optimal level, and who wants that?
    • Consider an electric car traveling from Peterborough to Glasgow at 50% battery. The car’s computer tells you it can get there but it’s going to have to adjust some features: the radio volume is lowered, the air con is switched off, no Sports Mode for you today, we’re going to get there at a leisurely pace. In contrast, an electric car with a full battery and I’ve got the Vengaboys at full volume, I’m cool with my air con on and I’m getting to Glasgow in record time. I’m not sure why I chose to drive to Glasgow…

  • Fat Gain!

    • This is literally the opposite of what you want. Well, whilst your metabolism is downregulated, and then you increase your calorie back to 4000 calories (revisit the stat at the beginning of the article), your body is primed for storage. Storage of what? Yes, you guessed it, fat my friend, fat.

Hopefully I’ve given you some information to think about which will allow you to push back against that nagging feeling of “I want it now!”.

Remember, your health is a lifelong investment. Quick fixes will lead to setbacks, so choose a path that’s sustainable. If you’re unsure about the best approach for your unique needs, don’t hesitate to seek help from a professional that can give you the guidance and support you need.

PT Shaun – Personal Trainer and a Precision Nutrition Nutritionist

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