Anyone that  follows my blogs knows that I trial diets, programs and different ways of eating generally on myself normally for a minimum of a 3 month period, and during these processes I monitor my health stats to see if they improve, or to find the best fat burning diet, and so on. At the end of last year after researching for the whole of 2018 on the medicinal effects of food and diet, I wanted to see if I could actually attempt to reverse diseases, initially Diabetes Type 2, through a diet plan. However, I am fit and healthy and not diabetic, so I decided to offer my time and new found knowledge to someone who may be willing to put themselves through a program that I put together for them. I initially was offering 30 days, where I would create their meal plans, consult with them regularly testing sugars, blood pressure, and all general health markers during the  process. And see where it then takes us.

But I had to find some willing participants.

So my perfect participants would need to be diagnosed diabetic. I had two people I knew in mind. They both had been diagnosed with Diabetes T2, and also has a number of other health issues often associated with it, such as obesity, sleeping problems, high blood pressure etc. And after touching base with them first to get an initial reaction, they both seemed interested.

I needed subjects who were willing to learn and understand the process, and to understand that it would be a lifestyle change although my time was theirs for them in the first 30 days, diabetes T2 is caused by lifestyles choices, so this couldn't just stop after 30 days and all be good, and go back to old ways. I hoped to help guide them too in  a future healthier way of life and introduce some new ideas. This would mean them also reading up and questioning everything we did, and not just being told what to do. They needed to want a life change, and be enthused by the idea and the concept. I was not planning on forcing this on anyone. And my main goal is to reverse the Diabetes, a side effect was the weight loss that will go along side it. This I didn't want them to think of it as a diet plan, and as a road to better health and a change of lifestyle moving forward, and hopefully a lifestyle with diabetes.

So in December 2018 I put together a letter of proposal, and here is a copy of it below, along with a little box of example foods and books for them to ponder on with my offer. Here is the letter below -

And then put together a presentation of the sort of foods they may be eating, and some visual help of there proposed journey. Letting them know that a ketone breathalyser tester will be required and tests to be send on a regular basis, checking they are staying in ketosis, along side regular fasted glucose checks to check progress, and these too will need sending over on a regular basis.​

During this period I ending up discussing the topic with my friend and Financial Adviser,  Paul Matthews, who I had know now for many years, and who I had an appointment with at my home. After listening to what I said he confessed he too had recently been diagnosed with Diabetes T2 and immediately asked to be considered as part of the program.  

Paul also suffered with numerous other health issues including obesity, high blood pressure, psoriasis and I got the impression after his recent diagnosis of Diabetes T2, he was a little at the end of his tether with his list of medical problems, and was super keen in being a subject. He was added to my potential list, and I send him too the letter of proposal and the foods and expectations presentation.

I had a mixed response of replies. One offer was rejected. Another was initially very interested and did start the program, but was unable to continue for a number of reasons. But Paul was bang on the money, agreeing to follow it to a T and absolutely up for it. His family was very supportive too. His wife is a nurse and therefore was very intrigued, and his sons showed interest in the new way of proposed eating too, and both supportive of their Husband/Dad trying to improve his health through food. 

So that was that. I found my subject. Paul Matthews is the one..lets get this started.

He had agreed to follow a Ketosis diet with 2 x 36 hour fasts each week. We had talked about his food likes and dislikes and I wanted to make sure he was eating foods he wanted to, and as he did want to loose a little additional weight too, I asked him to under eat on food days only by 300 calories per day max, as the fasting will be assisting with weight loss, without the damaging of the metabolism that can be done by the old fashion diet of long term consistent under eating, which only teaches the body to survive on fewer calories forever. Therefore, you slowed your metabolism. Fasting breaks that regularity, and stops the body getting used to a pattern.

Here's an example one of his weeks plans -

One day a week Paul would need to put together his own food plan, this was so he can get used to creating food for himself, in case he wanted to continue with the program beyond the 30 days. He relished in this idea, as he was keen again to learn, and also loved to cook. And off Paul went ready and raring to to go the following day, starting with his first fast.

Paul stayed true to the program. He bought a blender for creating nutrient shakes on his own days,  and loving the foods and sending me pictures of his meals. 

His blood sugars were reading normal already, although this first one was not done in the morning fasted, but still on a fast day in the afternoon. His breathalyser was showing a reading confirming Acetone ketone present in his breath, and  an Acetoacetate ketone reading in his urine, again confirming ketone presence. Acetoacetate ketones will slowly diminish during the process and the strips stops working when the the body becomes fully adapted and rather than wasting them, uses them fully as fuel. The breath ones are a permanent ketone marker throughout.

​So off to a great start! Well done Paul!

All seemed to be ticking along nicely. One or two hiccups...like the pancakes...Lol.. I had an email asking if the pancake should look like the one on the left.....Mmmmm? Errrr...no. Next day with a recipe adjustment, looked like the right! Much better!  Made me laugh!

Regular check ins and questions were coming thick and fast. But I did know the questions were becoming more informed and learned. He understood the process, and the reasons for the fasts and the ketosis lifestyle combo, it was making sense, building his passion for this new lifestyle, and medicinal diet. And he said he felt great.

​We then got some great Almond bread bakes ...

And some super low glucose readings and some super high keto readings...

All was going great guns. Then, suddenly the 30 days was up! And already he was back for his 30 day 'final' consultation. That went too quick!

His Muscle Mass has dropped which is the norm and what I would expect to see. As his glycogen stores are emptying, they will, normally by as much as 3-5 kilos, so I still expect muscle mass to drop some more as clearing the glycogen in a diabetic body can take some time. I also warned Paul to be mentally ready, when we start introducing whole carbs back into his diet, that some of this weight may immediately return, as the stores will refill as that's how our bodies work, we store carbs for energy in our muscles and liver, but just don't want them to get over stuffed with sugar glucose again. Which incidentally is why everyone always gains quick weight after a diet. ​

He had lost a number of inches from his torso too, which of course is all an added bonus for him as he was also keen to loose unnecessary weight.

He didn't want to stop here and nor did I. We both agreed to continue the process, with Paul creating his own plan,  and me to consult or advise when ever he felt the need. 

He stayed on this program for the full 3 months, regularly letting me know how he's getting on, and getting a 4 weekly consultation and stats check with me. He was as fascinated with the process and the program as I am. Still reading more books on Audible and always learning more during the journey.

Paul's 3 month consultation  was due on the Sunday 5th April 2019 at 9.00 am and as always was bang on time.

He was looking great. All his Psoriasis had cleared. His sometimes dry chapped lips were full and plump, he looked less 'swollen' and looked less inflamed and a much better skin tone. All in all, he just looked a hell of a lot healthier.. 

He was keen to see all the weigh in results, and he had booked his 3 month appointment with the diabetes clinic for the HbA1c test for the following day, so we should have the results by the following Friday. His 3 monthly stats before and after results were as follows -

• His fasted blood sugars were down to a pre-diabetic range and no longer over 7.0 mmol/l.
• He had lost a total of 3 stone.
• His dangerous Visceral Fat was down 4 points. And this is tough fat to loose.
• His BMI and Body Fat had dropped as expected being that his body had been fuelled by fats for 3 months, his body had eaten it away.
• He had lost roughly 18 inches from around his body, and you could clearly see the difference.
• He no longer had Psoriasis on his skin. 
• His hydrated was slowly (as expected) but surely creeping up. But going in the right direction.
• His muscle mass dropped in the end to 68.8kg and plateaued there for half the journey. So this was his muscle mass once fully depleted of glycogen. Then when we saw no change here, we knew all weight loss was body fat and it consistently dropped, without muscle mass change. (Remember, muscle mass will fill again when carbs are re-introduced)

But -

• We did notice his blood pressure had risen again, something he'd suffered with most his life, however Paul did say that he had agreed to try a new drug for blood pressure which could of had an effect until they get the right dosage. (Something we'll tackle another day!)

So all in all, some great results! All of which we were both extremely happy with. I was happy at this stage to start introducing some whole carbs to his diet, to now see how his body handles them. But Paul wanted to stay on KetoFast for another month as least, as more fat and inch loss was now his goal. And, he just felt good on it. So as this is now an ongoing thing, as it really does excite me to see him getting better with nutrition and fasting, I agreed that's fine, and we'll review each month indefinitely. 

So then, Paul messages be to say he's been to the doctors and the results are in.....

Paul emailed the results on the 7th May 2019, and the results were 41 mmol/mol or 5.9%!! Bearing in mind the Ideal is between 6.5%, and 7.5% or between 48 and 59 mmol/mol. So Paul was no longer diabetic! He said his nurse at the diabetes clinic was amazed by how well he looked, and at the results. We did it!! Well, he did it with a bit of guidance from me. This was THE best news!

So today (16th Feb 2020) Paul came to me again for our 1 year anniversary consultation! Yes, we have still been checking in on his stats, making even more progress...and...I am looking at a very different man indeed...
​
He is no longer following the Keto regime as I insisted he stopped this after about 6 months, as I believe it should be used to burn body fat and aid reversing Diabetes T2. However isn't a long term lifestyle as I do think it lacks a number of nutrients. So I suggested Paul introduce whole grains back into his diet then slowly, but continue with the intermittent fasting as this will help keep the insulin resistance at bay and help with maintaining the weight loss. He had grown attached to the Keto diet...and did have to be dragged away from it (not quite kicking and screaming) but got there with time. But he is now eating healthy carbs, and has been pictured with the odd pint of Guinness in his hand too. Enjoying life, and those occasional treats we all have to have.
​ 
He now looks so healthy. Colour in his cheeks, fully hydrated and no dry chapped lips or skin. He also chose to start visiting the local gym a few times a week having found some confidence in being around fellow gym members, this has assisted in improving his blood pressure and energy levels. He has turned around his weight and health in a major way

One year on, and Paul has lost just over 5 stone, 35 inches measured loss over his body, is no longer registered as Diabetic T2, no psoriasis, no dehydration, has come off of 5 varying types of medication and well...see for yourselves....

These results have by far exceeded both our expectations. He is now normal to perfect in all physical health markers. He looks like a different man too. A far cry from the poorly looking guy a saw across my table over a year ago. 

You should be so proud of yourself and what you have achieved Paul. You have followed all my rules, read all the books, learn't what is takes to live a healthy lifestyle and eat a healthy diet.  And followed it and my every instruction religiously. So here we are, with what started out as a 30 day Keto plan, to a year long lifestyle plan...from 30 days to a year long total success.

I've said it before and will say it again, you really have excelled yourself. And proven to all following this blog and your progress that is can be done though diet, knowledge, determination and mindfulness. 

Here's to your new found health and long may it continue!

Cheers to you buddy!

​Terri (16th Feb 2020)

Note to all readers - I am unfortunately not able to offer 1-2-1 diet or nutrition plans, as I often have a number of requests after my blogs. Around my work as a company Director, training and caring for my Mother leaves me with little time to dedicate to taking on nutrition clients. I am sorry if you hoped for help. However I do hope reading up and learning for your self via my blogs and posts will help you move towards creating your own choice of lifestyle and look into a new and/or healthier way of eating. Thank you for reading my blogs. ​

Back earlier in the year on 30th Sept 2019 I published a blog which marked the beginning of my 3 month diet/lifestyle trial on the Whole Food Plant Based Diet. It would make sense for anyone reading this to click on the link to have a good read of this, to see my inspiration for this trial and reasons behind it. 

Essentially I wanted to see if I could improve the following by living on only Whole foods and Plants - 

1. Will my Cholesterol get to an ideal range?
2. Will my Kidney reading improve?
3. Will my metabolism improve?
4. Will there be improvements in my workouts or athletic ability?
5. Can I gain muscle mass on plants and grains?
6. Can I make the food tasty and interesting enough for me to last 3 months?
7. Will my toilet trips improve?

I now have the answers to these questions, and am out the other end of the trial. 

So...how did it go? Let's tackle one question at a time -​

So these stats below are taken from my own readings on my home Tanita scale. 
​

My official Cholesterol results from my Bluecrest Health checks are -

BEFORE 30 Sept 2019 -

AFTER 20 Dec 2019 -

I am a bit blown away by these results. This is a massive difference from the previous reading, and the best reading I have had since I can remember.  I only actually received these result this morning (31st Dec 2019) so am still elated with with the results I'm seeing. Well, the answer is a big fat yes to this question. It most definitely does reduce cholesterol.

Well lets see -
​BEFORE 20 Sept 2019 -

AFTER 20 Dec 2019 -
​

EGFR jumped right up and Creatinine in the normal range! And a green light for overall kidney function. This again is the best reading since I can remember. And I would imagine the EGFR reading would normalise to the perfect range at this rate if I continued on WFPB.

Another thing I noticed was my blood pressure. I didn't have an issue with blood pressure, however it did drop quite considerably. So for those of you who do suffer with blood pressure issues, this could be of interest to you.

Before 30 Sept 2019 -

After 20 Dec 2019 -

So you can see here, my blood pressure went into the prefect range. The target in blood pressure being on or under 120/80. For the first time in my life I was asked if I have ever suffered from low blood pressure. No, was my answer, only high blood pressure! Another fantastic result.

Now this one was an interesting one. During the first 6-7 weeks of the WFPB lifestyle I rapidly lost weight and dropped 7-8 pounds of weight. This wasn't necessarily the plan and was too fast to be a good thing (especially when you are not trying to) but it did mean my metabolism was working faster as my usual daily intake of 1800 - 2000 calories was no longer enough as I was loosing weight. 

First, I had to cut back on my fasts. I only fasted once a fortnight. And I had to eat more. So I added around another 500 - 700 calories per day to stop loosing weight and to possibly gain some back that I had lost. So I did need to eat a lot of food to maintain my weight. Which suggested that my metabolism did speed up. 

However, was if a permanent fix? So in other words, will my metabolism continue to be fast even if I started eating meat and dairy again? Alas, the answer is no. I have eaten meat and dairy since Christmas eve.

As soon as I started eating meats and dairy again I quite rapidly started to gain weight. Gaining an unusual amount of weight in the first 2 - 4 days. More than you would of thought possible considering the amount of food I was eating, which didn't warrant the gains I experienced? 

So, in answer to the question, whilst on the WFPB diet my metabolism did speed up for sure. But my metabolism will only stay fast by continuing to eat this way. And it doesn't fix any metabolism issues moving forward. I do think the WFPB diet does your digestive system the world of good. And as you would expect, food digests at a much better rate, enabling you to eat a lot more. And therefore food being processed much quicker than normal, and moving through you quickly. With the high amount of fibre consumed making the metabolism work like clockwork. And enabling you to have to eat more because of the efficiency of your digestion and high fibre content..

However, when you go back to eating meats etc, these foods are harder and to digest, take longer to process as they slowly get broken down and more of this type of food (meats etc) gets utilised by the body so not so much is waste.

My theory on the rapid weight gain after finishing the WFPB diet, is pulled from my experience of all diets, is just my body grabbing onto nutrition it hasn't had for a while. So it clings onto these new meat/dairy/fish proteins, carbs and fats and doesn't let go, in case they are banished from my diet again. Also, over eating at Christmas is the norm for most people, including me! I do believe this will balance itself out over the next few weeks as my body adjusts back, and realises they are a regular food now. Or are they?

A lot of people have been asking me if I 'felt' different during the diet. I can honestly say, not massively. However, I didn't feel bad in any way before. I always feel pretty good. So feeling better, wasn't a goal for me.

However, I did at the beginning feel more energetic in the gym at the start. This I believe is because my carb intake would of jumped, as previous to this lifestyle I always followed a pretty low carb diet, and then on this diet I was suddenly eating lots of fruit, oats, grains, pure sugars such as maple syrup and veggies which is a lot more carb than I was used to! So yes I did in the first few week feel full of beans (pardon the pun!) And I noticed too my  deep sleep lessened and my REM went up. I think this was a rise in energy to. Deep sleep being when my brain is fast asleep with no activity but there is physical movement in my body, and REM being when my brain is very active but my body is paralysed. It didn't effect the overall good quality of my sleep, but my deep sleep to REM sleep ratio changed as my brain seemed more active in rest.

I did find as time went on, my energy levels plateaued. I would imagine that your body adjusts and gets used to the food intake and therefore energy levels normalise. I was also loosing weight in the early stages so this could of effected energy levels too. Although when I added more calories, I didn't particularly feel more energised.  If anything towards the end I felt less motivated. Although I do think that in the run up to Christmas, when you are super busy and a lot on your mind, this could of been the real reason for the later lack of work out motivation. So I am left hanging a bit on this question personally. I do think the other reason I lacked gym motivation was my loss of muscle mass. 

I lost over a kg over this whole period. And I think that loosing this, and loosing some strength was also a reason for the later loss of gym motivation.

So I do think this answer for me to this question was no. With loss of muscle mass and strength, and then eventually motivation...it didn't help my workouts or athletic ability.

Well, you probably read just now, that the answer to this question for me...was no. I lost over 1kg of muscle mass during this process. 

Physically, I don't look much different, but I wasn't expecting any massive visual physical change as I kept my workouts the same as before on a 4 day split on weights, and 4 cardio sessions a week,, but was at least hoping to maintain my muscle. 

I ask myself 'Could I have adapted the diet a little more, with the knowledge I now have from this process?' Well, yes, is the answer. The early quick weight loss done me no favours. And I think my foods could have been more grains, nuts and beans and less veg and fruit, so to have a higher protein intake and less carbs and sugars. So, I think I would have needed more calories from the start, and more whole food proteins (one hell of a lot of chickpeas! Lol!) to try to maintain the muscle. 

I also found I craved sugar. I got through litres of maple syrup and honey, lots of fruit 3-4 pieces a day towards the end, as well as lots of coconut and unrefined sugars. All this I wouldn't normally go for. But couldn't get enough of it! I do also think that eating sugars make you want more sugars. 

You could argue that this had zero effect on my Blood Glucose readings which were perfect. So why does it matter? Well, it shows my insulin hormone is working very well if anything!  Doing a fab job at clearing out and storing my excess sugars! (Read further down to its effect on my hormones) But sugars have little nutritional value. These would of been better in the form of grain and legumes, so that I am not just getting empty calories, but getting other good nutrients too. I am forever learning.

The answer to this was a big fat YES! I loved the food and never got bored of it! If you follow my Facebook page you would of seen a whole host of delicious foods I have been eating. Click on each picture to see the recipes on my recipe page.

I had no trouble making food that was very enjoyable. There was some epic fails mind! But hey, nobody's perfect! Lol! 

I also do think that I had an advantage in that I am not a bad cook. I do think that if you were not very good in the cooking department, that this could be a difficult regime to follow. If you are not very inventive or knowledgeable about the range of foods available and included in this lifestyle, you could quite quickly get bored and fall off the wagon during this process.

I was impressed too with the range of ready made foods now available in shops. They often come under the Vegan category, which remember isn't always under the WFPB rules, but it's near enough when you are caught short in a cafe, or want to buy ready made meals instead of creating you own.

To help you understand what else you can eat other than all the fruit and veg available out there, I have put together these charts to help and to use as a reference of what is included in the WFPB lifestyle -
​

​And with all the recipes I added to My Recipes page, this should give you a good heads up. And also, if you need help with explanations of Vitamins and Minerals, you can also click on this link to take you to my descriptions of these too. 

And this was a definite yes! I was sometimes going 3 times a day! And if you have followed any of my previous blogs you would know I suffer from a complex colon, which means I have during my lifetime struggled to regularly go and was told I would need to be on laxatives for life. Well, a WFPB diet definitely sorted this out!

I also sent off a stool sample at the end of this process to get my Microbiome tested. This is something I regularly do. I do generally have a good microbiome. As overall my diet is always healthy and clean. And when I blogged my Prebiotic and Probiotic diet I learnt a lot about what foods to eat to add good bacteria to my microbiome and and how to feed it with  prebiotics. 

​Following this WFPB lifestyle meant I was naturally eating lots of prebiotics which would of been feeding my good bacteria's by the bucket load, so I was interested in how it would of effected this. My results were as follows -

I was amazed to find my Probiotic levels had risen to  max count of 10! I had never had that level of result before. A perfect 10.

The other results all were pretty much the same as previous tests. But its good to know I  have a high Microbiome diversity, which means a good range of good and bad bacteria, high Butyrate levels signally no sign of leaky gut and a strong colon wall, my vitamin K levels are means high levels of absorption of protein and calcium, and an average Dietary Fibre Intake which broken down was levels of specific B vitamins ranging from average to high. So, my Microbiome is strong. I couldn't really ask for much better. And my immune system to strong too. Very happy days.

If you are interested in getting your stats checked, I use Check my Body Health and  Bluecrest for my fitness and health checks. The latter I get half price with my Vitality Insurance. 

Due to being a body builder and before that long distance running, I hadn't had periods for about 10 years. This may be shocking to you, but it is quite normal for female athletes not to have periods. I was checked out by my GP a couple of years ago, and all my reproductive organs were healthy, so no problems there. And no sign of menopause either. So that wasn't the reason. It's excessive exercise and low body fat that can cause it. And higher muscle mass also means higher testosterone, which also plays a part.

Think of an anorexic female, they often have no periods due to very lower body fat levels. Often being force fed if they fall below 15%. Us female body builders often go down to 8%. And female athletes often live in between 15 - 19%. Low body fat had a much bigger physical impact to woman than it does men.

After not competing or any high intensity training over the last 2 years my body fat levelled to normal always sitting at about 23 - 27% over this time frame. And this year I had one period back in June. This I put down to a consistent body fat. But just one. Then nothing.

Until I went on the WFPB diet that is. When I had 3 periods. Once every 4 weeks, exactly how it should be. This I didn't see coming! 

I do honestly believe it helped balance my hormones. Also Vegan style diets often can lower testosterone levels, which could also account for the muscle mass loss. And my clear increase in oestrogen levels.  

So, I now have regular healthy periods in my late 40's back again. I actually quite like this and feel good about it. Although I'm sure some of you wonder why! Lol!
​

When I reached Christmas eve, and had the choice to continue the WFPB diet or go back to eating meat, fish and dairy, I chose to eat meat again .

I hadn't yet had all my results through. And this morning, they did make me think long and hard about whether going back to meat was a good idea? But I am sticking to my return. I have decided to eat a lot less meat/dairy/fish than before and make my general diet mostly grains, legumes, veg and nuts, with small amounts of meat and dairy as a treat. As I do think we were built to have meat in our diets, but no where near as much as we have become accustomed to.

I think where we source our meat and dairy leaves a lot to be desired. I.e. supermarkets or cheap online outlets/markets. With farmers being forced to lower quality of life of the animals and to use all sorts of methods to keep them well (over use of antibiotics) and keeping them fattened with growth hormones and sugary foods. Chickens being housed in awful conditions, and our fish filled with mercury and small particles of our plastic waste from our rubbish being tipped in seas. As well as our grains and wholefood products being genetically modified to be bigger or to produce more grain when harvested. All this to produce more, to be able to make more money from the pennies that supermarkets pay our farmers for produce. 

We are and have been eating these modified products. Not knowing the effect it is having long term on our health. Or in fact only just starting to realise the impact this is having on our health is more the case. And all to keep the costs down more mass production. We end up suffering. I think its no coincidence that we have a rapidly growing level of diseases in the world when for years we were unknowingly eating genetically modified fake foods and knowingly eating vast amounts of processed foods.

But now we know. I get my meat direct from a local farm that doesn't sell to supermarkets. I get raw milk and dairy from them so its in its whole state. I was once told that the cost of a 2 pint carton of milk would by 8p to a supermarket, when it can be sold direct for £1.20 off the shelf direct from a farm. All enzymes in place, no preservatives, non GMO, no middle man. And not that much more to pay out of our pockets, but a little effort in finding a good supplier near you. This to me is still a whole food product and worth the effort in finding a good supplier. Thank you Angela at Crawley Dairy Farm!

Whole food to me is sourcing product in its original form. From a farm direct, or from an organic source. I have just started growing my own vegetables at a community farm and hope by next year to be growing all the veg I need. Knowing exactly were it comes from. Thank you Richard and Megham at Treewell Farm!

It can cost more when purchased from shops. And I do realise that spending more on foods isn't possible for a lot people. But if you have a garden, your kids could benefit from growing some veg out back, eating better and at the same time, saving money, improving your health and learning about where food comes from. 

Whole Food 'Mostly' Plant Based, is what I'm going to follow for now. After following the WFPB diet these 3 months, and on receiving my results this morning it has had a massive impact on me. The WFPB diet has reset all my health markers to a level of near perfect. Which has amazed me. Totally amazed me.

But the loss of muscle mass and energy matters to me. And I do think the ideal diet is whole food, mostly plant based, organic meats/veg with intermittent fasting for cell cleansing and digestion resting. We as human beings have out lived most living creatures because of how we can eat and digest a vast and varied range of foods and survive on all of it. 

To survive we would mostly gather and pick foods as they were often in abundance, we would occasionally kill an animal and feast on it, we would go without for weeks or months living off our stored fat that we had built up in times when food was abundant. And during fasting times, our bodies became more efficient, energised and our brains sharper when living of off fats/ketones to help our chase, hunt or catch food. 

Our digestive systems can process veg, fruits, grains, meats, fish, shellfish, nuts, legumes etc because we needed this diversity to survive through the ages.

I believe that lifestyles and a lifetime filled with processed cheap fake foods, or supposedly healthy looking produce filled with genetic modification,  has a large part to play in what is breaking the human races health. And with the hospitals filled to the brim with Obesity, Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, Alzheimer's, Allergies, Intolerance, a vast rise in Mental illnesses, Multiple Sclerosis and other auto-immune diseases, Heart Disease, Stroke and Cancers are just some of them. Looking at using food for medicinal purposes to repair, help to ease or get rid of these illnesses is got to be the way to go. Rather than relying on drugs, and filling the pharmaceutical companies pockets. 

Surely at least yourself to eat better and more naturally is something to try first? And for the not yet broken, prevention is always better than cure.

The WFPB diet does reset all your health stats for sure. But just like all the diets I trial, Keto, Paleo, Fasting, Microbiome and WFPB...they all have their place. And all have been proven to fix certain ailments. And all have supportive research and professionals claiming one is the best of them all. But they are all fixing already broken lifestyles. But once you are fixed, what would be the best lifestyle/diet?

If you are fit and healthy like me, and don't need fixing what would the best choice be? I think as I said before Wholefood, mostly plant based diet with intermittent fasting. Good quality foods, lots of prebiotics, in its original form, organically sourced, varied and fresh. Just how we would of survived for thousands of years before us. 

This year I also had an all clear result on my mammogram, smear, cancer blood check (part of the Bluecrest Health Check) and again another clear dental check. I am not intolerant to any foods (gluten, lactose etc) I have no allergies (apart from crickets! Don't even ask!), I suffer from no mental issues, or auto immune issues. So now I go into 2020 with a clean sweep of all health markers, I am interested if when eating like I have aforementioned, will maintain these markers? I have no plans to do diet trials on myself this year, just to live following the lifestyle/diet I think is right for me, and for all of us. And this time next year I will retest, and see if this varied and balanced wholefood, mostly plant based diet with intermittent fasting has maintained my excellent health markers. 

I am also going to work on getting back my lost muscle, and I would like to be a little leaner this new year of 2020, but not going to break my back or health doing so. 

I hope you enjoy my diet blogs. If you would like to read any previous ones please see below a list of links - 

Wholefood Plant Based - The Beginning

Intermittent Fasting Part 1 
Intermittent Fasting Part 2

My Ketosis Journey Part 1
My Ketosis Journey Part 2
My Ketosis Journey Part 3
My Ketosis Journey Part 4
My Ketosis Journey Part 5
My Ketosis Journey Part 6
Update Keto Conclusion Part 7

Five Day Extended Fast

Can I Reverse Diabetes T2 with Keto and Fasting?

The Prebiotic and Probiotics Diet

Thank you for reading my blog. And I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year! Happy 2020!

​All the best Terri xx

After researching these last few months what the WFPB (Whole Food Plant Based) diet is all about, I have decided this would be my next diet/lifestyle trial for the next 3 months starting today Monday 30th Sept 2019.

I have read The China Study, and Whole by T.Colin Campbell over these last few months, and been trying WFPB recipes and foods, and investigating new grains and produce to use to see if I can make it interesting enough to stick too, and I do think the answer is yes. And I am looking forward to it now too.

I always suffer with high cholesterol, probably because I love my meat, fish and dairy. And it shot up when I trialled the Keto Diet too last year, and never came down. Sometimes its off the chart, and my reader just says 'H' which means its higher that it monitors! Whoops! Now, I have read all the information and books written by those who say high cholesterol isn't actually an problem, and that its fake news started by Ancel Keys hypothesis in 1956. From where stems most peoples belief that high cholesterol causes heart disease. Now, the likes of Dr Eric Berg and Dr Jason Fung (who wrote the fabulous book The Obesity Guide) do have good arguments that this is no longer the case. 

But on reading The China Study by yet another educated and experienced individual, does throw a curve ball on these arguments and opinions. And as I always like to put my money where my mouth is, I thought I needed to test the WFPB diet out and see what its all about. 

All the statistics on how it can slow down and even reverse heart disease have pulled me in. As well as also prevent cancers, and many sources also repeatedly claiming the diet can can also shrink cancer growths, and some have claimed it to have totally gone. As well as reversing blood pressure issues and cholesterol issue and so much more. Some vast and interesting research has been done on this WFPB diet. And its all intriguing. 

Now, I don't see this as a 'Vegan' diet/lifestyle. I'm not going to stop wearing leather shoes and start insisting friends and family to follow this lifestyle. I just want to see how I feel and how I look on just plants and whole grains. And if some of my stats improve. And as all my diet trials, try it for myself. 

I recently had my Insurance check over which always check my stats, and they always don't like my high cholesterol. This time, I did WFPB for 2 weeks on the run up to the test. Beforehand my overall Cholesterol reading was around 11 mmol/l. Ideally it should be 5.2mmol/l and below. My results from the insurance testing after these 2 weeks was 5.5 mmol/l!!! In only 2 weeks it changed this dramatically. And Insurance company was happy. And I felt happy. This helped me decide to trial this diet/lifestyle. Incidentally, after going back to eating meat and dairy etc after these 2 weeks resulted in it shooting back up again.

I also have had issues in the past with my kidney test readings. My GFR test sits at about 49 ml/min, and this should be 90ml/min and over. 

This was of great concern for my GP who said I had the kidneys of an 80 year old (she was wrong), but the specialist pointed out that this often the case that body builders have these low kidneys readings. It could be caused by years of massively high amounts of meat proteins eaten, and readings can be distorted by taking creatine type supplements and protein powders. Although, I didn't share with him that I don't actually take any body building supplementation. I haven't touched pre-workouts, protein powders or creatine for years. To me they are processed fake foods. But I figured I had for many years previous to this, and long term usage or build up, could also have been the reason.

He wasn't overly concerned and thought these would correct themselves by cutting back on the proteins and creatine. And in fact, cancelled my appointment once he found out I was a body builder. Or an athlete as he put it. Shame we didn't meet, I think I would of like him!

I also know of many a body builder pals  and acquaintances who has kidney problems from years of being in the sport. And I do believe that huge amounts of protein supplements, meat and fish proteins exhausts the kidneys and over works them (and has been proven and suggested for years), and eventually can damage them. We aren't actually made to eat multiple meals of meat/fish a day. We are made to eat these occasionally when they are hunted. This is my belief anyway. So another reason then for me to give them a break on the WFPB lifestyle. Rest up the kidneys a little!

Plant proteins also have no impact on cholesterol, as they don't contain the fat levels meats do and are easier to digest as they also carry high amounts of fibre, which speeds up and aids digestion, and pack more nutrients in less calories. So also easier to process for the digestive system and the kidneys too.

Some also argue that meat is better as a protein they are a complete protein, however there are some plant foods they are a complete protein such as Quinoa and Buckwheat. So, by eating a good range of plants and whole foods, you can get complete proteins, mixed proteins on top of a whole bunch of fibres, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that don't come quite so packed and diverse in meats, dairy and fish. This is , and was me, talking myself around over the last few months!​

Over the years of being on many an extreme diet, I know I have also damaged and slowed down my metabolism. I often explain to people how low calorie diets for long periods of time can permanently damage your metabolism. Making it harder and harder to maintain your weight, and resulting in you eating less and less just to stay where you want to be and not gain weight. 

For instance, if I do a long drive to work, do a days classroom training, often sitting, and drive back, getting up at 5am and not getting home until 8pm (this can often happen) I haven't been able to train and have been sat most of the day, the calories I have burnt on my watch is normally around 1500 calories for the whole working day, so this is work active and not quite sedentary. This is all I need to eat on this day so not to gain weight.

If I then do a cardio workout for 40 mins, that'll burn about 300 calories, or a weights workout about 200 calories. So an average work/drive day for me, I only work off 1500 on a no train day, 1700 calories if I go to the gym and do weights, and 2000 calories if I work, do weights and do cardio. I can't eat over these amounts each day based on activity, as the weight piles on. This is due to years of dieting, a damaged metabolism, and of course I'm now no spring chicken, and age will have a natural impact. So my calories have to always stay quite low, even with all the training I still do everyday.

Think about this example - An average woman wants to loose weight 10 lbs in 10 weeks. Loosing 1lb a week 'healthily'. She knows that there are 3500 calories in a 1lb of fat. So she splits this over 7 days. meaning she would have to under eat by 500 calories a day to loose 1lb a week. So, as an average woman (national RDA 2000 calories a day remember), she will need to eat 1500 calories a day to do this. So she starts her diet, religiously sticking to these calories. 

**Thought for you - If she continued to eat 1500 calories forever, would she disappear? No, of course not. So what happens?

She looses 1lb a week for the first 4 weeks, then the weight loss starts to slow. Until at 7 - 8 weeks she stops loosing weight.. Shes confused, she has been so good? What has happened?

Well, her body has adjusted itself to survive on 1500 calories. Our bodies is very intelligent and can adapt to exist. That's why us humans are still here, we adapt to survive. It learns a pattern and adjusts itself. Our organs adjusts the speed of which they pump, our body temperature lowers which uses less calories, everything changes to adapt to this new way of functioning on the fuel its being given. This is called slowing down you metabolism. Your 'Basal Metaphoric Rate' (BMR) resets and lowers to survive. 

She now gets disheartened, and would either eat even less (encouraging even more bodily adjustments) or starts eating what she thinks is back to normal again. 2000 calories a day. She doesn't want to gain the weight she lost so is good at sticking to her normal 2000 calories a day. BUT...she suddenly starts gaining weight. Putting it back on and some. Sound familiar?

Why? Because her metabolism is slower. She no longer needs 2000 calories. Her body has adjusted to 1500 calories. So now it sees her as over eating by 500 calories a day! And it rarely changes back now its formed this habit. The damage is often done. It might improve slightly, but here begins the yo-yo dieter. Gaining and losing forever, wondering why you always gain weight so easy. Not realising every time you do a long term low calorie diet that adjustment becomes more and more ingrained in your being.

The reason for this example is because WFPB diet has been reported to improve your metabolism. To naturally speed it up. People often report being able to eat many more calories without gaining weight. Due to the high fibre and good nutritional value to all foods you eat. Nothing is processed, all is easily digested. Toilet visits are often more frequent, and (providing you eat a range of good and diverse foods and produce) you gets stacks of nutrients the body needs. Meaning the organs, digestive system and body functions become more efficient again. My toilet trips are always a bone of contention. Although they have improved from my lifelong issues with being regular, there is still room for improvement. Nuff said.

So this is something else I want to monitor. Will I eat more without gaining weight? Will I become more consistent with my toilet visits? I guess we'll wait and see...

I do also intend on doing one or two 24 fasts a week as this as I have said before is for life for me for reasons explained in previous blogs . Incidentally, you can also understand now why fasting is often raved about for dieters, because based on the previous paragraphs, it doesn't damage your metabolism. As you don't eat low calories for a long period of time, just those occasional intermittent days. Not allowing your body to reset and lower its BMR.

And lastly, the other reason for trying this is the amount of professional athletes who are now being trained on WFPB diets with masses of success. Just recently a film has been released about this with none other that Arnold Schwarzenegger in it talking about the benefits of plant based diets. I am yet to see it, but I am looking forward to seeing what it's all about. It's called Game Changers. Keep an eye out for it. ​

Recently, there are more and more competitive athletes are being moved to WFPB diets by their coaches or by choice, and getting massive gains and/or athletic improvements from doing this. Stronger, faster and muscle mass being grown without masses or meat/fish/dairy proteins or processed supplements. So could this really be the case? Again.. I guess we'll wait and see....

Basically whole, unprocessed, unrefined plant based foods. No dairy, no meats, no fish, no eggs, no refined sugars (no packaged bread which are nearly all shop bought, no pastas, cous cous, cakes, sweets, pastries etc). Sugars can be eaten if from whole organic unprocessed grains such as Spelt Flour, Sourdough and Rye. And in the natural forms of honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar,.

I can eat grains - such as Spelt, Oat Groats, Rye, Buckwheat, brown rice, quinoa, barley.
And legumes - all types of beans, peas, lentils. All vegetables and fruits, seeds and nuts, spices and water, honey, maple syrups, plant milks/yogurts, herbal teas, green teas and coffees.

I will be trying a brand new recipes every week, and making new breads, none of my old favourite Almond & Coconut recipes, as they all contain eggs, so new bakes and recipe ideas will regularly be added. Made a great Spelt and Oat loaf today which was lovely with Hazelnut Butter and Banana on top! Delicious and within my boundaries of WFPB.

Here's one to try. I make this great Parsnip and Ginger Soup with Sourdough roll last week -​

This morning my body stats were as follows -

Weight - 69.5 Kgs / 154lbs / 10st 10lbs 
Muscle Mass 49 Kgs 
Water - 54% (Good)
Visceral Fat - 5 (Excellent)
Body Fat % - 26.5 (Normal)
Fasted Blood Sugar - 5.7 mmol/l (Good)
Blood Pressure - 118/72 (Good)
Total Cholesterol - 9.16 mmol/l (High - My machine only takes total and doesn't split HDL/LDL)

So overall, all pretty healthy to start, apart from the cholesterol. My last results from my full body scan done by medical professionals (above are my own home readings), and kidney readings were as follows -​

I plan to have all these readings done again by medical professionals again the end of November, 2 months into the WFPB, so I can report back on my final blog the difference, if any of course!

So, the reasons for this is to see -

1. Will my Cholesterol get to an ideal range?
2. Will my Kidney reading improve?
3. Will my metabolism improve?
4. Will there be improvements in my workouts or athletic ability?
5. Can I gain muscle mass on plants and grains?
6. Can I make the food tasty and interesting enough for me to last 3 months?
7. Will my toilet trips improve?

And finally, I know everyone loves a before pic! So these were taken today -​

I am not doing this diet/lifestyle for purpose of exterior change. But it's always good to keep a log of all progress, and will be interesting to see what or if anything changes. 

Incidentally I was quite happy with these shots for 2 years off competition and 48 years old. Not bad for an old dot! No make up, no filter this morning. I also had this one taken below. Incidentally I was going to scrap it as my wrinkly skin on my belly showed. And then I remembered a conversation with a lovely lady who was competing who messaged me on my FB page, saying she can't shift the saggy skin around her belly. Well, I said nor can I! Its wear and tear and comes with age. Normally careful photography and posing covers it, as you can see above, there's no sign of it, but below there is.. But we are in the real world, and this is just how I am out of show. I am growing to like my bodily wisdom crinkles and stretches!

Food wise, my first day of prepping my WFPB food for this week, is going to be as follows - 

Breakfast - Soaked overnight Oat Groats with Apple and Blueberries with a spoonful of soy Greek Yogurt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Lunch - Walnut, Pear and Avocado Salad. Salad was shredded white and red cabbage, onion, fennel and radishes. In a dressing made of almond yogurt, seeded mustard and apple cider vinegar.
Dinner - Jamie Oliver's recipe for Indian Potato burgers with mint yogurt and pomegranates. With a 'Terri' recipe of stir fried chickpeas and spelt, with turmeric, paprika, garlic, ginger, kale and spinach. 

When I prep food I generally prep it for the week as I find it easier for one person. And I am SO looking forward to eating all this again tomorrow.! It was all delicious, if I do say so myself!

Well, there it is. The beginning. I hope you've enjoyed this blog. And will catch up with me again when I am due to finish which will be Christmas Eve! Will I stick to it or will it be a forever choice? Who knows! I'm looking forward to finding out!

Thanks for reading! Catch you soon! Terri xx

If you enjoyed this diet blog so far, please have a read of some of my other diet blogs by clicking on these links -

Intermittent Fasting Part 1 
Intermittent Fasting Part 2

My Ketosis Journey Part 1
My Ketosis Journey Part 2
My Ketosis Journey Part 3
My Ketosis Journey Part 4
My Ketosis Journey Part 5
My Ketosis Journey Part 6
Update Keto Conclusion Part 7

Five Day Extended Fast

Can I Reverse Diabetes T2 with Keto and Fasting?

The Prebiotic and Probiotics Diet

Over these last few months I have been researching good and bad gut bacteria and learning as much as I can understand anyway, about he human microbiome. Some scientist now believe we are 10 % human, and the other 90% are microbes including huge amounts of good and bad bacteria, yeasts and even viruses, all controlling our own self. It is slowly becoming apparent that out gut is as intelligent as our brains, and some even think more so. So much to say that our gut controls what we think, say and do. Managing our hormones amongst other things, therefore all our moods, thoughts, mental clarity as well as our health in general. So I wanted to find out what was happening in mine.

I always endeavour to have all my health markers perfect. I strive to be healthy inside as well as outside. I regularly monitor my glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, resting heart rate, sleep patterns, liver function, kidney function, colon function, lung function and all the rest, doing all I can to make then run perfectly through training and diet.

My 'Forever Diet' was and has been for the last few months, LCHF (Low Carb high fat) diet with IF (Intermittent Fasting), which I have found fabulous for weight maintenance, energy levels, great sleep patterns and glucose/triglycerides/HDL Cholesterol management. And I enjoy the food. Intermittent Fasting I will always do forever, as I strongly believe that it does me good by resting my digestive system and autophagy (purging damaged body cells and replenishing with new), reduces inflammation and bloating, keeping insulin and blood sugars in check and keeps giving my brain a regular burst of ketone (fat) fuel so it isn't always being fuelled by glycogen (carb/protein fuel). I love the LCHF concept too, love the foods, I prefer to keep carbs low and only eat real or raw carbs that have high fibre. So lots of veg, occasional fruit, I only eat real locally produced honey, grass fed meats, raw unpasteurised milk/butter/cheese etc. My daily diet as a rule doesn't have any sugary foods, so no cakes or sweets nor does it include pasta, no breads, no rice and nothing processed, all carbs being eaten it there original form as nature intended. All my food that I prepare at home and for work, must look like real food, and as much as I can, buy it locally from farms. Although there are also times for social reasons, I will eat what everyone else is eating, as I think its important not to alienate myself with friends and family, as these social feasting gatherings are part of our human culture.

After trialling all the diets there are out there, Keto, Paleo, Carb Cycling, IF, Back Loading, Vegan...and so the list goes on, I have come to the conclusion that no one diet is the 'best'. As much as Vegan, Paleo and Keto fans preach theirs is the 'best' of all diets, I think they all have great aspects to them, and all have there place. Keto and IF are great for reversing Diabetes Type 2 and helping kick start an obese individuals diet, Veganism is great for helping people with heart disease, Paleo is great for people with MS and other auto immune diseases and so on. But no one diet is ideal for everyone, and some are not lifetime diets and should be used to achieve a  goal such as Keto to reverse Diabetes, once you are no longer diabetic, I think there is a need to re-introduce a balance of carbs to encourage your body to utilise sugars again as they should, and get your insulin working and balanced again. I now find I take a piece of each making a good healthy balance, and a diverse range of foods.

I have been including daily probiotics and prebiotics into my daily diet for some time now. Making my own probiotic Kefir, and eating others such as fermented Sauerkraut and Tofu, Kimchi and trying Kombucha drinks to introduce new bacteria into my gut.  And adding some prebiotics too, to naturally help stimulate growth of any good bacteria in my gut. So adding Probiotics introduce new gut bacteria, and Prebotics feed the gut bacteria, acting like a fertiliser. More about both of these later.

However, LCHF does raise my LDL cholesterol (although as per my Facebook Page rants, I don't believe high LDL cholesterol is always a bad thing) as the diet does for many, due to eating higher fats than most standard diets. And I have finally come off my colon cleansing tablets after 12 years or so of taking them, but only if I rigidly stick to my super high fibre diet do I get away with needing them. One week in a hotel at work the other week put me back to where I was, as wasn't eating as I normally did. So this still needs a proper fix.

So, what is going on in my gut? is it in good condition? Does it need improving? I wanted to know. 
​

I ordered online from and it came a couple of days later. Had to put my Number 2 in a tube, which was, I found, amusing. And send it back. 3-4 weeks later, they email your results. Really quite interesting. I wonder what it will reveal? Find out later...

So remember what I said earlier, Probiotics introduce new gut bacteria, and Prebotics feed the gut bacteria, acting like a fertiliser.

​There are supplements that mean you can pop a pill to add Prebiotics and Probiotics to your diet. But I believe in food and adding them the natural way. I thought I would show you my fridge and food cupboards and walk you through some ingredients...

There are number of other Probiotics out there, this are just some of my favourites. There is also small number of probiotics in raw dairy, however to maximise them and to make then grow you need to encourage these to grow by adding the grains to make Kefir drinks or Kefir yogurts to maximise their benefits.

So pictured above is a selection of Prebiotic foods in my cupboard. They are generally high fibre high nutrient rich foods that leans them towards being prebiotic. Natures fertilisers! Click on any picture to find Healthlines list of their choice of best prebiotic foods, and see my summary below of mine -

Chicory Root - Massively high in fibre, around 50% of it is fibre, so helps constipation, and also aids fat absorption during digestion. Some countries grind it down and drink it like coffee. I add a spoonful to my turmeric and ginger latte I have most evenings.

​Jerusalem Artichokes - These seem to be a favourite on all prebiotic best of listings. Massively high in inulin fibre at 76%, which increases good bacteria in the colon. I can't think of any other prebiotic higher than this per gram. They are also high in thiamine (Vitamin B1) and potassium too. It helps the immune system and nervous system. I add these raw to my morning veggie shake. But they can be roasted or sauteed, and are very much to be treated like parsnips or potatoes. 

Apple Cider Vinegar - This prebiotic aids digestion, lowers LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure as well as the gut supporting benefits. Always look for an unpasteurised, unfiltered and organic one. It is perfectly normal to have 'bits' floating around in it. I make a great salad dressing with this mentioned in the dandelion leaves, and the good ones taste great straight from the bottle. It is also believed to help with weight loss. Although I am always sceptical about this phrase. (One eye brow is currently raised)

Dandelion Leaves - fresh and dried -  Again, high fibre so helps constipation, improves immune system, reduces inflammation, and is believed to help lower LDL cholesterol. I use the fresh greens as salad leaves, and the dried I add to my veggie morning shake. The leaves can be slightly sour. But I make a cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon, and honey and mustard dressing to drizzle on them, which makes them delish! The bitter sweet mix works well like it does with most salad leaves. They are hard to find to buy..so go into your garden and pick them!

Chia Seeds - Chia seeds are some of the best plant sources of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fat known as alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), these are normally found in oily fish. These are full of prebiotic soluble fibres and help repair gut lining. I soak these in coconut milk and honey overnight sometimes, as they swell and set. Then I have them as a dessert or breakfast. 

Tiger Nuts - Are not actually a nut but a tuber, so grows underground like a root plant. So its more a vegetable and can be eaten by people with nut allergies, as it isn't a nut. It is sweet to eat, and I often eat them out the bag, although they can make your jaw ache, but are terrible moreish! They are anti-bacterial fighting salmonella and E-coli to name a few. Very high in fibre and another great anti-oxidant. They can be made into a sweet milk too. But soaking them in water for around 24 hours and then squeezing out all the fluid in a mesh cloth. Then the fluid is drunk and is like a sweet milk full of rich fibre goodness, and tastes great.

Burdock Root - Like the rest, this also aids the immune system, high in various fibres and helps constipation, (as you've probably seen a pattern forming in my choice of prebiotics!) It also is an antioxidant and helps lower blood sugars. This gets added each morning to my veggie shake.

Green Blends - a mix of Spirulina, Wheat grass, Chlorella, Matcha and Green Tea - All these have health benefits and I bought this mix when I went looking to buy a spirulina product. I figured I'd buy a mixed green blend to get a little bit of everything. Spirulina and Chlorella are both blue green algae. So basically a seaweed, with massive health benefits. 

This is a quote about spriulina in the Journal of Microbiology and Experimentation document 'It contains 78% proteins, vitamins, 4-7% lipids (fats), minerals, carbohydrates and some natural pigments. Due to the presence of these phytonutrients, it has corrective properties against several diseases like cancer, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, anaemia etc. Research studies have reported that the extracellular products produced by Spirulina platensis significantly promotes the growth of lactic acid bacteria such as Lactococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus.' .....WOW....these is recognised as as a fabulous prebiotic which helps growth of a range of gut bacteria. Stick it straight in my shake! However...I should mention, don't use much, I use half to a full teaspoon of this powder as it is very concentrated and also tastes pretty crap and can overpower the food or shake you put it in and make it undrinkable. So, be careful and use sparingly! 

My favourite - Dark Chocolate over 80% or cocoa -  Flavanol rich and is great for the heart and cardiovascular system, it helps to lower LDL cholesterol and can lift your mood. I have about two Lindt squares of dark chocolate daily with a coffee. Lush!

These are some of the prebiotics I have used for a while or introduced recently. Some prebiotics I have been eating forever, and probably so have you. Such as asparagus, onions, garlic, apples, pears, bananas, leeks and such, so some don't need to be so unusual, however, the key to a good gut bacteria is diversity, so eating a range of new foods you may not have had before could very well improve your gut even more. And keep you eating interesting and new.

Its hard to get such a vast amount of different food into your diet, most people only eat 3 times a day, so to fit all this in somehow can take some planning. So I just stick a load in a shake and whizz it in the Nutri-bullet! And BOOM..a supercharged pre and probiotic breakfast...

My daily shake consist of -

• Half an avocado
• A mini apple or pear or berries
• Mint leaves
• Tablespoon of Tiger Nuts
• Half my homemade Kefir
• Tablespoon Dried Dandelion leaves
• Tablespoon Burdock Root
• One Jerusalem Artichoke
• 1 1/2 inch square of raw ginger
• Half teaspoon of Greens Blend
• Teaspoon of local honey
• And top with water and blend

It's sometimes so thick I eat it with a spoon. I actually look forward to it and see it not only as a tasty start to the day but medicinal too. It's probably not for everyone, but it could spark an idea or two for you. 

So, some interesting readings has come through. It shows me the regions my gut bacteria are dominated with as follows.

So I am a Brit, so of course I would expect most of my microbiome to be dominated by Western Europe at 42.4%, no surprise there. I was surprised by the 30.6% from North America though! I have travelled throughout my life to the US many times over, Nantucket Massachusetts, Columbus and Cleveland Ohio, Up state and down state New York, Seattle, Arizona, Las Vegas, Santa Fe (Hi Sophia if your reading!) plus more, so my travels have made an large imprint on my microbiome. 

Our microbiome is as unique as our fingerprints. No one is the same. Identical twins can have massively different microbiome make ups. Some of it is passed down from generations, your Mother during pregnancy and birth will pass on some of hers, and her grandmother before hand..and then you start building your own with what you eat, who you kiss, what you touch, stroking your cat, travelling the world and with everything you do. And it is clear my travels have had a big impact on mine as as far as I am aware I have no american ancestors. It would be interesting to see my sisters results? As our travels have been quite different.

My results also showed my total probiotic and prebiotic levels are great, 9/10 in fact. So I couldn't of asked for more and have clearly got a good intake of these going. 

However what was interesting was I have average fibre digestion, and average to low vitamin B levels, and I was deficient in B3 (Niacin).

Being deficient in B3 can have an impact on Cholesterol as its key for controlling LDL levels and can effect the digestive system. Both things I struggle with. Could this be why? And what is it that's missing from my diet to warrant low Vitamin B3? The results tell you what foods help raise B3 levels, and interestingly, they are mostly carbs such as Oats, Rye, Wheat, barley, buckwheat and potatoes. As well as some that I already eat like Asparagus, carrots and cocoa. Vegetables that I don't eat regularly that influence B3 are Radishes and Tomatoes.

So, time for a rethink on my dietry intake. So I decided to add some carbs. I added the following for to aid raising my B3 levels ...

So, in one hit I have added Rye, Wheat, Oats, carrots, tomatoes and radish to my diet. All rich in Vitamin B3. I have also decided to supplement my diet with pure Niacin (B3) daily for a week. 

Please note - When supplementing with vitamins be careful of amounts. I only need about 16 mg (0.016 gram) of B3 daily. This is a tiny amount and if you take too much you get a 'Niacin Flush' which withing 5 minutes of taking it will turn most of your body bright red starting from your head, and your skin will have a burning itchy sensation. This will disappear after about 30 mins - 2 hrs and isn't really harmful. Unless you do it daily for days on end, which can make the kidneys over work, but why would you? This is the powerful effect of vitamins, and how they can have an impact on your body, so stick to the 16 mg or suggested daily vitamin dosage, and don't guess the amount...like I did. (Red burning skin went after about 2 hrs ....doh! Looked like a lobster!)

Yesterday (08/04/19) and today I have seen a major difference in my bowel movements (sorry!) it has become easy to go, no effort seems to be required like I've never felt before. I am daily naturally clearing, and my gut somehow feels alive and lighter. It is obviously too early to know if there is a permanent fix, as its only been a few days, but I feel good. I will also check my cholesterol over the next few weeks to see if there is any impact as all on that. I expect to to improve anyway due to adding the carbs. As its the low carb diet that makes it rise. 

I will be doing another microbiome test 3 months after this one, which will bring me to June, to see what impact these changes have made. And I will update you all with those results and how I have been getting on.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and maybe learn't a little more about the foods we eat and should eat.

And I'll catch up with you all soon.

​Have a great day!

​Terri xx

I've prepped my bone broth, and got in a stock of sparkling water, and I've just finished my last meal for 5 days this evening. I won't eat again until the evening of Saturday 2nd February 2019. I am attempting my first extended fast. I have been fasting once or twice a week for 24 hours for some months now. And I do see the benefits and have decided to take it one step further for research and to feel the apparent health benefits. 

For those who have not ever heard of an extended fast, have a little watch of this by Dr Eric Berg . He is a known name in the states and has a clinic and written or co-written many books on Keto, Intermittent Fasting and Prolonged Fasting. It will help with you have a little understanding of the process before you continue to read.

I've woken up to a black coffee. And packed my bone broth in my work bag. These are all I'll be consuming for the next 5 days as I start my first extended/prolonged fast. As you may already know, I've been reading up a lot over the last few years on fasting, and intermittent fasting myself once or twice a week for 24 hrs for about 5 months now. And alongside a clean low carb high fat (LCHF) diet, can see and feel physical benefits.

The first week of intermittent fasting when I first did it last year, I lost 2 inches around my waist. Which obviously wasn't just weight loss as it doesn't happen that quick. It was a reduction in inflammation and water retention. These I didn't even know I had!  I went from 31 inch waist to 29 inches, and that stayed off till this day.

I have finally managed now to come off my colon cleansing tablets I have been on for around 15 years now, as I suffered bad constipation due to a 'complex' or 'spastic' colon. But now in these last 3 weeks I am totally off them and going daily. Which for me is a miracle! Thanks to LCHF diet, and intermittent fasting. I can only think that giving my digestive pathway a rest every now and then, and an abundance of vegetables and good fats has helped everything along.

I do feel good after a 24 hr fast. And have found I have more control over my eating and my occasional over eating. I no longer feel the need to ever binge. I now only eat 3 meals a day too, as I now believe 5- 6 meals is unnecessary. And your digestive system needs rest, and so does those insulin levels. Keeping insulin constantly elevated with meal after meal isn't how our bodies intended to work. We are made to feed then famine since our cavemen ancestors. We grow fat when food is in abundance, to live off of it when it isn't. Nowadays we spend our lives in a constant state of storage, and not then balancing it out by emptying the stores. So we can easily store more and more fat, when the 'feed and famine' isn't balanced or equalled.

So, first full day. I feel excited and ready for this. I am expecting a rocky road. I have only told one person (my bestie) so far who I know will support me. As fasting is a taboo subject for most. I'm sitting on the train right now, heading for a days work in London, been up since 5.30 am. Stomachs already growling a little. But I'm already used to ignoring that, as it will pass. And it does.

I like being the one in control of my hunger. I dictate when I eat, not the food or meal times that I have routinely fixed in my head . And nor the food companies, who tell us to eat, snack, eat, snack, eat, snack......which obviously makes their profits grow along with everyone's waistlines!

My main reason for fasting is the cleansing of the body. Clearing unused and old cells and proteins floating around waiting to develop into something more sinister in later years. And to grow some fresh new ones, which it has been proven to do.

​Claims on line and by fasting health clinics and researchers believe it can reverse Type 2 Diabetes, slow down progression of Alzheimer's, reverse MS, and even get rid of cancerous cells. There is a huge amount of fasting research to read up on nowadays, with some amazing stories out there happening.

Fasting Benefit Alert!! - Autophagy starts to happen at around the 36th hour and continues. The definition of autophagy is 'consumption of the body’s own tissue as a metabolic process occurring in fasting and certain diseases' and 'destruction of damaged or redundant cellular components occurring in vacuoles within the cell'. 

The process of fasting-induced autophagy was recently the focus of extensive research, so I thought I would do my own research. As I always like to do. Bearing in mind, my final conclusion may not come for some years! As the main benefits are way ahead in the future!

Here's the recipe I used for my Bone Broth. A natural vitamin and mineral supplement that I will have once a day for its nutrients. 
​
Bone Broth Recipe -

• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium carrot chopped
• 2.5 pounds of cow bones - I always ask my butcher for some good leg bones as they often have good marrow in them.
• 8 cups of water or enough to cover the bones
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Dried Herbs

Roast the bones for 30 mins on 180 degrees. Cool and then add them to the water and cider vinegar. Let them soak for 15 minutes and the vinegar help draw the minerals and collagen from the bones.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Pressure cook for 4 hours, or slow cook for 24 hours. 

Drain the fluid from the bones and veg, store in a tub to cool as soon as possible. Sit in cold water to chill faster, then get it in the fridge.

When it cools, skim off the fat from the top. I keep this and use it as butter after the fast as it is very tasty and full of goodness. 

The broth will last in the fridge for 7 -10 days, or put into ice cubes and freeze them for up to 3 months.
​

Today I'm up after sleeping well. Early rise again at 05.30 am for a 145 mile drive to work today up north to start for 9.00 am. Over night bag packed too as I'm up there for 2 days. Black coffee and water had and off I trot. Snow is supposed to be coming. Could be a long drive. 

The only fluids I will consume this week are -

Still or Sparkling water - I must stay hydrated. I'll have 3-4 litres of water a day.
Coffee - Black no sugar, milk or sweetener. Coffee is a natural antioxidant.  So this can help with the cleaning process, and give me a little more energy. Even if it taste pretty rank just as is. But when it's all you can have, you sort of get used to it.
Bone Broth - Why? Because its full of natural vitamins and especially minerals. Rather than taking a multi vitamin and mineral tablet like some faster's like to do, a good home made bone broth gives you the minerals your body needs to help stay healthy, and replenish mineral supplies during the fast. A lot of vitamins can be stored in the body and used when required, or produced by the body. But minerals can't. So the bone broth is to ensure to get the minerals you need. Have a read here of my page all aboutVitamins and minerals. 

Your probably thinking, what about your muscle? Well, with all my intermittent fasting, I have lost no muscle whatsoever, I have increased my muscle mass in fact. Even on my 3 meals a day. Our body will not eat into muscle as fuel, until the fat has gone. That's why fat is stored. So I continue to train whenever I fast, so not  to loose my muscle. As lack of stimulation is what looses muscle. Not intermittent fasting. 

Fasting Benefit Alert!! Human growth hormone (HGH) is a type of protein hormone that is central to many aspects of your health. It is a key hormone is involved in growth, metabolism, weight loss and muscle strength. Several studies have found that fasting could actually increase HGH.  On this list of 11 ways of how to increase your HGH levels, it includes fasting. And quote 'One study found that three days into a fast, HGH levels increased by over 300%. After one week of fasting, they had increased by a massive 1,250%. Other studies have found similar effects, with double or triple HGH levels after just 2–3 days of fasting'.

So, yet another reason for me to tinker with some extended fasting. 

​Below is the legend that is Dr Jason Fung, the Author of The Complete Book of Fasting and The Obesity Code, and creator of the first Diabetes reversal clinic The IDM Program in the US, talking on fasting, low carb eating and why fasting doesn't cause muscle loss. It's an hour long watch, but he covers a lot of ground.

I have now passed my longest fast to date, which was 48 hrs. I haven't found it too difficult as I have been busy, have had a little practice at it, and am super up for the challenge. The second day is supposed to be the worst. And I have felt a little glazed over with tiredness later in the day, but I have been up and working since 5.30 am, and driven for miles, then trained a load of techie Yorkshire-men in an telecoms classroom all day. So not surprised really.

I'm intrigued in how I will feel tomorrow. As most reports say all hunger starts to go as your body adapts to being fed on your own super-fuel. Your own body fat.

So sat in my hotel room, with still no reported snow. (Thank goodness.!) I'll sign off and catch up with you tomorrow.

I woke up in my hotel this morning at 6 am...totally starving! So much for day 2 being the worst! Knowing and seeing that breakfast had been laid out for me in the hotel buffet, that I clearly won't touch probably isn't helping. However I found a guzzle of some sparkling water seen to settle things down and got back to sleep for an hour. Quenching your thirst often takes away hunger pangs, as does sparkling water. 

I had the usual discussion today with people I was with about 'going into starvation mode' and 'your body eating into your muscle'. 

Our bodies are built to survive on our own body fat when food isn't around. This is how we have survived through the millennia and through those cavemen days. Fat is stored in feasting times, for when there is a famine. Only when I have minimal fat left will it start to eat into my organs and muscles. And I've got plenty of fat as a supply till I get to 'starvation mode'!.

Think about this - I have 26.9% Body fat right now. That equates to 19.8 kg of fat, or 43 lbs of fat. In each 1lb of fat there are 3500 calories. So 43 x 3500 = 150.500 calories in my body that can be burnt as fuel. Plenty of fuel!

I could also look at it like this -  I don't want to go below 20% body fat off season. So, I only actually have 6.9% body fat that I can use as fuel. Which equates to just under 6 kgs or 13.2 lbs. So 13.2 x 3500 = a mere 46,200 calories to burn as fuel.

I would have to fast for about 25.5 days to loose this many calories, presuming I burnt off 1800 calories a day! So, plenty of fat to use as fuel for these mere 5 days.

Fasting Benefit Alert!! The other benefit of prolonged fasting is the anti-ageing effect it can have, by means of the rebuilding of stem cells. Stem cells are cells hanging around in the body waiting to be used by any organ or cell in the body. So when a cell fails for some reason, stem cells get called to the failed cell location to replace that broken cell with a brand new one. So they help fight off diseases and maintain healthy tissues. As we get older, these cells diminish and aren't as stocked up as they were, so become less and less available to replace the broken ones. 

Research has shown that when fasting beyond a certain period, new stem cells begin to form, and become available again to fix what is needed in the body. So then growing a bigger pool of new stem cells to continue their job of repairing what needs fixing.

Below are the results of some fasting stem cell research. A group of mice were used in this example. The left picture was the non-fasted after 24 hrs, and the right were the fasted bunch. New stem cell regrowth was clearly apparent. 

​For researchers, this is exciting news, as seems to look like fasting could fix some diseases. And tests and clinics are already claiming that fasting reverses diabetes, MS (Multiple sclerosis), and other auto-immune illnesses. All by simply not eating for a period of time. Every now and then. And, the treatment of not eating, is free. (The main reason why pharmaceutical companies don't want to invest in fasting research, as they will make no money out of it!)

So, back to me. I'd probably say that today was the hardest so far. But I am going to do some cardio as I have time to fit a session in between work. Back home now, but off to Reading in the morning. (Still no snow)

I haven't been for a poo since I started the fast, but this is perfectly normal as I understand. So, i'll wait and see (and hope) things will move when I get back to food. 

I am also getting some high breathalyser reading for acetone ketones, which means I am in full blown ketosis using purely my body fat as no fat fuels from else where are going in. Anything above 0.00 on the meter below is ketosis, a this reading is pretty high. 

Well I have found it tough today. But I did get a little stressed. And knowing me, I tend to want to eat when I am stressed. Today the snow came....

And I had a 85 mile journey to work to be there for 9 am, so up at 5 am for a long slow drive to Reading. These sort of drives always stress me, and knowing you've gotta get home too. Although that was a bit easier in the afternoon.

At work, when I got to today's location they were all eating hot bacon sandwiches which smelt to die for which hung around for most of the day. And at this site there was a strong smell of caramel in the loo! And, all day I wanted bacon sandwiches and something with caramel on it!

So, over 5 hours of snow driving, a days work and today was gym and cardio day too which I dashed over to Xercise4Less for (warmer than my normal gym Atlas). But I felt like I had slowed down today. Like I was doing everything in slow  motion. And was lethargic. Strange as most reports on prolonged fasts report bursts of energy. I suppose I am normally full of beans and rarely get tired until bed time, so I'm guessing even more energy pushing it a bit when running on empty! But I also think my day had something to do with it.

Fasting Benefit Alert!! Another reason I am doing this long fast is for replenishing my mitochondria. Doing this will slow down the ageing process, and should give you more energy. 

Our body is made up of trillions of different cells and organisms that keep us ticking over, and mitochondria's are but one of them. The mitochondria play a critical role in cellular ageing and overall cell longevity. They literally make your body sustain itself by converting calories, sunlight, and oxygen into energy. 

Sometimes mitochondria may go bad or grow old and the act of fasting have been found to clear out the old, and replenish with new. So having new mitochondria cells for the body to use means more energy supply to the body, and more assistance in cellular ageing. 

Have a listen to Dr Rhona Patrick explaining the role of these energy cells and fasting

My ketones are super high today. My body has no glycogen store now at all, and is running totally off my body fat, which it is turning into ketones. And these ketones are in abundance from my ketones reader.

Still no poo. Surprisingly sleeping well too. Tomorrow is a Saturday, the final day. Weekend days I always expect to be tough as weekends are a little bit of enjoy life time for me. But I can look forward to eating something light tomorrow evening, and I can't wait for a bullet proof coffee!

I have woken up excited. Not sure whether its a fasting euphoria, or I'm excited about eating tonight? Probably a bit of both! I also jumped on my stepper for 45 mins  whilst watching a bit of Escape to the Chateaux (love Dick and Angel!) and didn't feel whacked at all, just felt normal. And a little revitalised after. I do think my lethargy over the last 2 days have been due to early mornings and long stressful drives, with long working days. Today being a day off work feels totally different.

As well as my job as a technical telecoms trainer where I get to travel all over the world, my body building and my nutritional studies, I am also a carer for my mother who has advanced Alzheimer's and Dementia. Between me and my eldest sister we work shifts in trying to get to her daily. And take care of most of her general needs, although we do also have additional help from external carers. And I'm off to see her today.

In watching her getting worse and worse over the years, I often wondered what caused it and if it could be prevented? And after reading and researching I now believe it could of been prevented. This did have something to do with usng food and diet as medicine. Just like all the other epidemics that have happened over the last 50 years, as I've mentioned before, Diabetes, Obesity, MS, Fibromyalgia, Allergies, Asthma, Parkinson's and even Cancer. All these have become a massive problem. All rising massively in the number of cases, since the health authorities told us to eat High Carb, low fat diets in 1977. Now these diseases are being treated around the world with Low Carb, High Fat (LCHF) diets....and fasting.

There is a great book to read called Genius Foods by Max Lugervere  that goes through his findings after his mother also developed Alzheimer's. It's a great read.

Fasting Benefit Alert!! So, with all the information also telling me about how fasting can regrow your brain, and particularly the memory area, and how living off ketones (your brains favourite fuel, after all its made of 60% fat !) intermittently as a lifestyle is believed to stop the development of Alzheimer's. Count me in!! I couldn't bear going through what my Mum is!

Here's a couple of videos. The first was created for the Muslim community, as they (and many other religions) encourage regular fasting for the cleansing and brain enhancing. Plato and many philosophers all stated that hey fast to get brain clarity and ideas. The second is an interview with Dr Valter Longo talking about his research into fasting and Alzheimer's. 

There is also the obvious benefits of weight loss if that is what you also require. During fasting you loose weight fast, and it is pure body fat. As you will see at the end of this blog from my stats.

If this blog is tempting you into trying a fast. I would advise you to research some more and read up on it. And not to go straight to a prolonged fast. I've been intermittent fasting for sometime now. From 16 hrs, to 24 hours, to 36 hours and then to these 5 days over the last year. Also I would advise you NOT to fast if you are any of the following -

1. You have Diabetes Type 1
2. You are under 20% body fat  (women) or under 14% body fat (men) or have any eating disorders such as Bulimia or Anorexia
3. You are on medication that requires you to eat.
4. You are pregnant.
5. You are breast feeding.

Tonight I look forward to some smoked salmon, avocados and scrambled eggs. And a bullet proof coffee with my lovely raw milk from my local farm, coconut oil and raw honey. I can't wait! 

And here it is..ooof yes! 

Now here's what happened. I ate this about 6 pm. And thoroughly enjoyed it. This evening I felt elated. I ran around the place getting chores done, I felt...euphoric. The cleanse had made me feel great. I had booked a ticket to the cinema this evening and went to watch 'Vice' around 9 pm (2 hours of my life I will never get back!) In the cinema I had a fuzzy nice sensation all over my body and couldn't sit still in the chair as I felt like I needed to move. I simply felt great, and excited about....nothing really. 

The next day I felt energised. Still eating small amounts. I definitely feel revitalised and feeling high on life. Cheesy I know! But I am already planning on doing one a month, as I feel great!

When I come back to this blog it will be in a weeks time after a re-feed week. Meals will be light. After not eating for a week and resting my digestive system, intestines and organs, I don't want to shock them with a feast. That could be detrimental to the process. Ease food back in, keeping it clean, light and fresh over the beginning of next week then building them up, topping up my empty glycogen stores and getting back to normal. I will gain back some of the weight loss as the first foods I eat will refill my empty glycogen tank. As that what the body does, my muscles and liver will fill again. And then will start being used as fuel again.

So, here I am a week later. Glycogen storage full and no ketosis readings. So, did I lose weight? Did I lose muscle? Did I lose body fat? The results were as follows -

So, this is exactly what I hoped for. 

At the end of the fast the reading shows a weight loss of 4.1 KG (9lbs) in 5 days. This was of course not true weight loss. Most of this is what I call fake weight loss. Notice I had lost what looks like 2 KG of muscle mass. But remember, glycogen is stored in the liver and in muscle, so when you empty your glycogen stores, your muscle mass will drop. This will return when you start eating as the glycogen will automatically refill to once again be used as your bodies first choice of fuel.

This is also why at the end of any diet you gain weight sometimes quickly once you eat normally again.

The end of the fast also shows my body fat has dropped 1.5%. And I have kept myself well hydrated during the fast as my water % is still looking good.

Then I had to fill my glycogen stores again to see the real results, hence waiting a week. Then the first and last result will both be with full muscles and a truer comparison.

And there you can see no muscle loss whatsoever. Muscle returned to normal once glycogen was filled again. So 5 days of not eating didn't gnaw away at my muscles. And put my body in 'starvation' mode. It clearly used the fat fuel as it should, as our body's are made to do.

I lost 1 KG or 2.2 lbs. Which was 1% pure body fat as you can see my only reduction was body fat. This to me as for weight loss shows a perfect result.

I only ever expected to loose half a pound a day, as I was only burning off around 1800 calories a day (remember 3500 calories equates to a 1 lb of fat). So I had a realistic goal in my head of weight loss of half a pound a day and with a hope for it to be all body fat loss, which is what I have exactly achieved. Fasting does only encourage fat loss and not muscle.

So, the benefits I found were -

- Pure Fat loss - without slowing my metabolism like long low calorie diets do.
- Replenished Mitochondria to look forward to based on research.
- Brain regrowth to look forward to based on research.
- A great feeling of euphoria and of feeling cleansed after fast
- Stem Cell cleansing and regeneration to look forward to based on research, delaying the ageing process.
- Higher GH levels, over time to help me to grow more muscle as a training athlete.
- Helps with hormone regulation with hormones such as Insulin (blood sugar stabilisation, Ghrelin (hunger hormone, helps you control your own hunger levels) and Leptin (you satiety hormone, helps you control when you feel full) I feel more in control of my hunger and eating, and feel hungry less often.
- Gives your body a rest. Your organs, brain and digestive system has a break, which help reduce any inflammation that may have developed from being stressed.

​So, all in all, a good result. And a practice I intend to continue with.

I hope your enjoyed my blog, and until the next time.......

Regards,

Terri

I just heard another advert on the radio advertising a pushing for people to eat a ‘low fat diet to stay healthy’ and ‘diets low in saturated fat keep your heart healthy’. I am still amazed that the health authorities and government are still (and yes even the official heart health authorities) are still allowed to push that low fats (even saturated fats) are actually unhealthy?

There have been billions of pounds spent on trying to prove that fats are bad for you since the early 1900’s, mostly pushed by one scientist Ancel Keys, to find definitive proof that fats are bad, and there hasn’t been one that has conclusively found it to be true? There has been many, however that has found it to be untrue. And a few are listed here https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/5-studies-on-saturated-fat

Food authorities have since the mid-late 1970’s pushed for us all to eat a low-fat diet, made up of around are 45–65% of your daily calories from carbs, 20–35% from fats and 10–35% from protein. These are the Acceptable Macro-nutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR). These high carb low fat diets that they are still pushing, have been proven over and over to be wrong. A summary of why can be found here https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/saturated-fat-good-or-bad for a quick read. If you really want to understand the whys and wherefores read a book called The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz. This will blow your mind.

All types of natural fats are needed for your brain to function properly as it is itself made up of 60% fats, Fat helps to store and transport fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, without sufficient fats in your diet, all your ‘healthy eating’ could be going to waste, as the vitamins your eating could well be going down the toilet and simply not being utilised, as can’t be used by the body without sufficient fats in your body.

Fats also regulate the production of all hormones. Hormones, such as oestrogen, testosterone, adrenaline, cortisol and insulin, are important chemical messengers that affect many aspects of your overall health. Hormones are secreted by various glands and organs, including your thyroid, adrenals, pituitary, ovaries, testicles and pancreas. The endocrine system (the collection of glands that produce hormones) works together to control the level of hormones circulating throughout your body, and if one or more is even slightly imbalanced it can cause widespread, major health problems. An imbalance can cause a low libido, insomnia, depression, weight gain/loss, irregular periods and a whole host of issues. Dr Axe explains well in that link details of all the issues in more detail that it can cause, and suggests healthy ways to fix it. Like eating more healthy fats! So...do you go to the doctors for hormone replacement treatment, or thyroid treatment, or anti-depressants? Or could it be you don't eat enough good fats? Could you not just try eating a good amount of good fats in your diet for 3 months or so, and see what effect it has on your body? As fats help regulate the sex hormones, I think it would be worth a try. 

For a more info as to why fats are good for you go to this part of my blog called Day 16 – I can’t bring myself to eat fat’.

Think about this too. Read below about the Masai and Inuit tribes who were followed for some time as both their diets were high fats and mostly saturated fats from meats in the case of the Masai, and mostly meats and very low in veg/fruit. Due to lack of abundance in the Inuit and Masai mostly only ate veg etc when there was no meat available. Both with intermittent fasting, generally not always by choice. And preferred the high fat cuts of meat as they taste better, and are generally thought to be better for you and more satisfying when it came to hunger. This was very similar to how we ate in paleo times. Feasting on meat/fish that we caught and fasting because we had no choice. These two tribes were very fit into their older years and had very few rates of heart disease and don’t suffer from any of the ‘lifestyle’ disease we currently do in abundance? Have a read of these to see how ‘bad’ it is on your health to eat fats (note the sarcasm) -
​
http://sciencenordic.com/maasai-keep-healthy-despite-high-fat-diet
https://nutritionstudies.org/masai-and-inuit-high-protein-diets-a-closer-look/

Since the 1970’s, look at the effect the government encouraged ‘Low fat high / carb diet’ has done on our health –

​In 1977 the low fat guidelines came out. This chart I got from an article https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/saturated-fat-good-or-bad and look at the rise in obesity since 1977 when we have been encouraged on eat high carb / low fat. Carbs/Sugars are now more and more being proven to be the issue when it comes to weight gain and diabetes. For more information on this read The Obesity Code by Jason Fung this is a mesmerising read and will change your view on what you eat forever.

Link to full Diabetes paper this was taken from based on US Citizens.
​
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/slides/long_term_trends.pdf

This information taken from research paper done in Finland linked here.

Fibromyalgia cases only started to be diagnosed properly and understood in the 1980’s and over the years there are now millions of cases being diagnosed all over the world.  https://www.fibrocenter.com/fibromyalgia-disease

Obesity, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Fibromyalgia, allergies, epilepsy and a number of other illnesses, even Cancer have all steadily got progressively worse at a rapid pace since we have all been advised to live low fat/high carb.

Now I know there are a lot of other factors to take into consideration. But all these illnesses have been linked to dietary issues. They include brain and hormone disfunctions, and what food/macronutrient directly assists with your brain and hormones? Fats. And we haven’t been eating enough of them for too many years now. And this needs to change!

Knowing all the current research that is now proving that fats are good, and low-fat diets are bad. Why are the government and authorities still allowing companies to make people still think otherwise? Mainly because they don’t want to admit their mistake. Possibly a global mistake affecting the health of millions of people worldwide?

Go do some reading, change the way you eat. Understanding your food and dietary requirements and know what you put in your mouth now...could change your future.

Rant over. Blog over.

​Terri xx

I have had a lot of people asking me this question. I always eat healthy, that's my choice. And I always prep my food. That's my lifestyle. I like always having good food to hand, so I don't get drawn into temptation, as I would like everyone does. But I know if I have my home made healthy food available when I'm hungry, then that's what I will eat.

I am eating around 1500 - 1800 calories a day, depending on activity, on a low carb paleo style diet, as I do think that the key to fat burning is to keep glycogen stores low to empty (when fasted) to force the use of fuel from ketones. Remember, when fueled by ketones, you are burning fat. If I kept eating 50% carbs a day in macros, my glycogen stores will be full to the brim all the time, making it harder and taking them longer to get emptied during each fast. And remember, the body will always live of these first. 

So keeping carbs low = lowers insulin levels which lowers glycogen stores = faster glycogen depletion on a fast = more time fuelled by ketones = more time fat burning.

I do want to add to this, carbs are not the enemy. They are not bad for you. Particularly complex carbs. Potatoes, rice/grains etc. But when dieting keeping them low helps to burn fat. When I go back to maintaining my weight and have reached my body fat goal, I will introduce these carbs back into my diet, as I will then be happy for my body to be fuelled by glycogen. Because I will no longer need to be in ketosis state of fat burning. And will maintain a varied lifestyle diet including a selection of good complex carbs.

I currently eat 5 days a week. Prepping my low carb meals for 4 days, and making a tasty and delicious treat meal for the 5th day. I find planning the dish makes me look forward to the weekend treat day, and then cooking this special meal helps me through the week, and I also prepare the meal during my fast on Saturdays knowing I can eat it at 6pm when my fast finishes. It may sound like torture to some, but I find I thoroughly enjoy the preparing of the meal  more and when the end of fast time comes, and have a delicious freshly made nutritionally rich meal to eat and enjoy.

So, what do I eat?.....

6am - Breakfast
​
I do like a veggie / fruity shake. And I do find them filling. 

In my nutribullet I throw in -

Half an avocado
A small beetroot
Blueberries
Small Banana
Handful of kale
Few leaves of mint
100g Coconut Soy yoghurt
Water to fill mark
Teaspoon of Xylitol (Natural sweetener for my sweet tooth)

Whizz it up and hey-presto! A lush veggie/fruity shake.

I buy the kale and mint fresh and freeze them so they last longer. The blueberries I buy frozen, and the rest is fresh. This all equates to about 300 calories of healthy lushness.

9am - Meal 2 - 

While I sit in the car outside the days job or where ever I have found to sit for 5 minutes before I start work, I eat my next meal. My omelette I prefer to eat cold. Don't knock it till you try it!! 

This is my favorite omelette right now!

To make the omelette I use - 
2 egg omelette
Dash Almond milk
dash Water 
Seasoning

Once the omelette is cooked, add to the topping -

50g Apertina Cheese cubed
Basil leaves
Sun Dried Tomatoes in oil

Don't cook these. I have found you lose the flavor if they are cooked. Then fold it and allow it to cool before storing it in the fridge. I make up to 2/3 of these in advance, ready to take with me to work. Then I eat them like a sandwich wherever I land. This is well worth a try.

1pm and 5pm Meals 3 and 4 - 

These I prep all on a Sunday. 4 chicken meals, and 4 mackerel meals ready for the week. I do eat the same thing most days. It's a habit I have from years of prepping. A little bit of laziness I guess as it makes life easier! I don't have to think too much about what I want to eat, I know exactly my daily macros are correct, and I can shop for exactly what I need, with very little waste. My fridge is always empty at the end of a week, as I shop to order, and eat all I buy.

Below is Saturday morning after a shop, Sunday after a prep and Friday evening when it's all gone! I throw away each week one recyclable bag of rubbish, and a quarter of a black bag. Doing my bit for the environment too.

Every now and then I might get bored of the same menu. I change it. Normally make a point of changing all five meals totally. And then live off those for however long. 

​So, my chicken and mackerel meals are pretty simple -

I roast 4 broccolis and 3 leeks in the oven for 15 mins, sprinkled with himalayan salt and smoked paprika, and cooked with a little bit of coconut oil. I grill 4 lots of chicken (normally between 200-250 g) and buy fresh smoked mackerel . My food prepping for the week...takes my 30 minutes. Then I box them and let them cool, before putting them in the fridge. Because the veg is roasted and still quite firm, They last well. And I never tire of eating these as they are so tasty.

8pm - Meal 5 -

This is the meal everyone generally yucks at! I love it. And have eaten it ...for years! Through competition prep too! For some reason, I just love the taste. 

A medley of cabbage, salt and peppered...and boneless sardines in olive oil. I probably keep John West in business with how many tins I've bought over the years! Don't knock it, till you've tried it! Lol!

So thats my daily food. I do give in sometimes to weekday treats. I couldn't resist a Mrs Crimbles chocolate coconut macaroon with a coconut latte at a David Lloyds gym I was at recently! And enjoyed every bite. And often have these little treats once a week outside of my main treat day. 

So then, what do I have on a treat day?

Treat Day! - 

I spend the week deciding on what I want to, and finding recipes that tickles my fancy. I bought a new combined slow cooker / pressure cooker, so wanted to play with it. So these were taken from Heston Blumenthals recipes.

First I made a Beetroot, Quinoa and Feta salad.....

I pressure cooked the fresh beetroot for 15mins, and chilled them. The pressure cooked the quinoa for 5 minutes (1 cup uncooked quinoa makes 3 cups of cooked) ​

Then I prepared a lemon and herb whole roast chicken. Can't get better, than a slow cooked chicken!

I also had enough to make into 5 meals, which I fed 2 friends, and had 2 prepped meals the following day for my little Sunday trip out to watch UK's Strongest Mans Finals in St Albans. Bonus.​

So there is an example of my weeks fodder!  I will be including just my weekly treat recipes that I have on the evening after I finish my fast. 

I have found it so easy to fast for 24 hrs. I really don't see why anyone can't do it. I am a hardcore dieter though remember. I have been on a diet every year for the last 6 years for 20 - 30 weeks of each year. That being the initial weight loss diet into a competition qualifier, then the continued diet to finals and other shows that year, This the total diet time of this process each year.

I have deprived myself of favorite foods for months on end, all for the sake of competitive bodybuilding. I generally find starting these diets fine, but slowly after weeks pass by, you do become food and craving obsessed. I have browsed pages of pictures of cakes and huge burgers during diets, planning that feast after that last show like I think all of us do. Dreaming of piles of you favorite foods, and counting the weeks and days till I can eat them.

Coming out of these long extreme diets isn't easy either. Mentally, it's much harder to recover sometimes than physically, although it can really take its toll physically too. It can take 2 - 3 months to get your head thinking normally about food again. And in this time it is common to have massive binges as you tell yourself it's OK, you are allowed to eat whatever you like as sort of reward for all those weeks of putting yourself through that hardcore diet. Although, really I shouldn't be eating the volumes I do during this time. Which is also why I can so quickly gain weight (which is often needed) but often too much weight from lots of over eating when recovering from a bodybuilding competition diet. 

This can also be the same experience for people on the usual weight loss diets. Weeks of a low calorie restricted diet, leave you craving foods and volume of foods. Often craving fullness, over specific food. Resulting in....over eating when it's over, which means the weight goes back on. And so the cycle continues.

Also your metabolism slows after long periods of lowered calories on a diet. I've mentioned BMR before, this being Basal Metaphoric Rate, this is the calculation that works out how many calories you as an individual needs for you body to function when you do nothing for a day. So how many calories your brain, heart, kidneys etc need to function properly to do there job, this remember includes no activity, purely just to function. Here's one (of a few) reasons why your metabolism appears to slow after a diet - 

• An  200 lbs, 46 year old woman at 5ft 6 starts her diet with a rested BMR of 1619 (check calculation here ) So at the beginning of her diet she needs these calories per day before activity. So, taking into consideration this individuals moderate activity levels of doing exercise 3-5 days a week, we calculate her daily calories required to maintain weight by timesing it by 1.55 (see this formula here ) 1619 x 1.55 = 2509.45. So a woman of her size and age needs to eat around 1600 calories on an idle day, and 2500 on an active day. 
• There are 3500 calories in a 1lb. To lose a pound a week, she needs to undereat by 500 calories a day (7 x 500 = 3500 cals) So she sets off on a diet eating 1100 cals on a no activity day, and 2000 calories on an active day.
• She loses 50 lbs in a low calorie long low calories diet over nearly a year, with an exercise regime. Works hard for it, so good job! 
• She is now a 47 year old woman at 5ft 6 at 150 lbs. At this age and weight, her BMR is now lower at 1396.8 calories. Because she is lighter and a little older the calories she needs to exist daily is reduced. So lets recalculate her calories. So add her same activity now to the new BMR, 1396 x 1.55 = 2163 cals. So, she now needs to eat after finishing her diet 1396 calories on a non active day, and 2163 calories on an active day. Her required calories have dropped by 223 on non-active and by 346 calories on an active day. So in effect, her metabolism is slower.
• But her long term deprived and craving brain now says, you are no longer on a diet and can eat your normal amount. And probably (like my diets) surcome to those occasional cravings that have built up as a reward. Most people aren't aware of these BMR calorie calculations, so she mostly eats what she thinks is about the correct amount, with a few treats, rather than continuing forward by eating a little less that before. Gradually the weight goes back on, creeping up with those extra calories no longer required for her size. Even though she may feel like she's eating the right amount, she should now be eating less because her frame has changed. 

This is one reason why diets often fail, and weight creeps back up as you should be eating less that you are used to the other end, due to the change in your size and frame.

So why has fasting proven to be a continual success after you reach your goal weight?

So remember I mentioned the 382 day longest fast? And that he continued to maintain his weight loss after that long diet. And results are showing again and again that the weight loss stays consistent. And he always claimed he simply didn't feel hungry. I do think it's something to do with you having a better understanding of balancing your food intake (Feast and famine). And know that it is not the end of the world if you skip a meal or two. And hunger does not progressively get worse and and worse until you can't take the pain anymore, that simply does not happen. And when you put yourself through a fasting diet you realise this. You seem to control your hunger better, feel less hungry, and less controlled by food. 

Why do you feel less hunger?

There are lots of reports of people saying they feel less hungry when fasting. I think this is because of a number of reasons. I do believe you become more in charge of your temptations mentally. But also the is physiological reasons too. -

• Remember hunger is in the mind and is triggered by hormones, a want rather than a need. So once your brain learns that you are in control of what you eat, you tend not to succumb to the stimuli around us. We are constantly being told we have to eat regularly throughout the day, by food companies and various diets. We have gone from eating 3 meals a day to some of us eating 6-7 meals and snacks per day. This change in eating patterns is often what is blamed for the Diabetes epidemic, as this pattern of constantly spiking sugar glucose, which in turn raises the insulin levels in your body, keeps your insulin high. If you are eating constantly this stays raised all day for long periods of time, preventing fat burning from happening, and also often causing a resistance to insulin, resulting in diabetes. Fasting reminds us we don't need to eat all the time. We will not starve. We often have tens of thousands of calories of fat cells to eat through first before reaching the starvation mode.
• Not eating puts your body under some stress. This leads to the release of adrenaline. This seems to play a part in the absence of hunger when fasting. The rise in adrenaline reduce the feeling of hunger. The strange thing is that adrenaline doesn’t appear to have the usual negative effects in this situation. You won’t get an elevated heart rate. Your blood pressure won’t increase like you might when your excitable about something. But it does drive the process called lipolysis.  This is the name of the process your body undertakes of switching from glycogen, to then breaking down your fat reserves, to use as energy. And this seems to reduce hunger pangs. This process in humans was needed back when we were cave men and woman, food wasn't in abundance. We have to hunt and find it. Sometimes going without for long periods of time. Neanderthal human bodies quickly learns to adapt to survive, and lipolysis, the promotion of burning off our fat reserves seem to reduce appetite. When you are being fuelled by fat, or ketones, it is also understood that the brain is often more alert and on the ball too. So in this state the caveman wasn't preoccupied with hunger pangs, because food wasn't routine, there wasn't a hunger pattern, so I would imagine wasn't difficult to deal with the long periods of no food. as that was the norm. And they were also super alert to go catch dinner, energised by living off his or her fat cells, which the brain loves, as it is after all, made up of about 60% fat. These fasted periods assisted in survival, and our existence.
• It seems that most of us are not hungry in the morning. So if hunger is caused by not eating, why are we less hungry after the 8, 10 or 12 hours since we last ate overnight? This does seem to reinforce the fact that hunger is not simply because we haven't eaten in a while. Ghrelin is a hunger hormone, and research has found that is rises in waves when you think you should be eating. But then automatically decreases after about 2 hrs of not eating. So it goes up and down through the day. So you never stay hungry forever! The feeling will pass. Ghrelin has been monitored over a longer periods of time too. Over a 24 hr fasting period, Ghrelin patterns on average stayed stable and consistent. But over 48 hours Ghrelin steadily lowers, making you feel little or no hunger. Often people who do extended fasts say beyond the second day, I no longer feel hungry. This tallies with the research. I did decide to do a 48 hour fast to test this. Because I am keeping my food days low carb, only fibrous carbs, I believe the effect kicked in quicker, as by the 40th hour I had no appetite. Just didnt think about it. Very much unlike me. Interesting. I'm getting to like this fasting malarkey. 
• Have you ever heard of Pavlov's Dogs experiment? He researched over time a bunch of dogs, to see what triggered salivation. It was initially obvious that meals times and presence of food made the dogs salivate. Over time he trained the dogs to salivate when they heard a bell, and even towards the end when they saw the white doctors coat triggered salivation too. This he said, proved that hunger was controlled by routine and the mind as opposed to a true physical need. And he won a Nobel prize for this research too.

So, back to my fasting ...

So, why the hell was I worried about not eating for 24 hours, when I have done such extreme diets as mentioned earlier? Still in these early days I feel a ounce of concern just as I finish the last meal before the fast, and then I always wonder why once its over. I wake up the day of the fast, knowing I will eat at 6pm that day. Which considering the long diets and workout regime I've been on before, this is no hardship! So I am finding each fast gets easier. And I sometimes look forward to it, as I'm seeing regular and consistent fat loss too. Which is a huge motivation.

I'm not having massive cravings for food at all. If I fancy something, I eat it on my treat day. At the theatre this week I shared munchies and starbursts with my goddaughter, with no guilt, after eating a bloody lovely salmon thai red curry I made with peshwari naan. (Details of this will come later) So being that I am able to eat what I fancy once a week too, I don't seem to have cravings.

The fasting is breaking my hunger habit too of wanting food every 3-4 hours. I find when I am on eating days, I often miss the time for eating as I seem to feel less hungry. Or it simply doesn't bother me that I didn't eat at that 12pm marker. If it passes, so what. I actually feel like I'm eating a lot of food on these days. And seem to enjoy what I do eat more too, but I also fill up quicker. Breaking the eating time routine, stops the hunger signals that tell me it's time to eat.

I am also always mentally aware of wanting to keep my glycogen levels low, which subconsciously keeps me eating smaller amounts of low carb meals, even on my treat days. As I don't want them to fill up or spill over. Filling up means I'll go back to being fuelled by glycogen, which means I'm no longer burning fat (ketones). And spilling over if I ate a huge feast would mean those extra calories will be stored as fat, and I'm un-doing my good work done already.

So this is why I think it seems to continue to work after the initial diet and weight loss. You understand the process of gaining and losing body fat more, you change your routine to stop the habits of hunger that you felt before, and can live a life of feast the famine to balance out those times when we sometimes eat more, such as weddings and family meals.

Now I can hear you all saying out there when I post my treat day meals 'that ain't no treat, it's a small portion and too healthy!' I could go and have a McDonalds and ice cream for my treat meal, but I don't like takeaway junk food. That's just me. I do like biscuits, chocolate and cakes, and I'll dabble in these, but still in minimal amounts, so not to go over my glycogen storage. While doing intermittent fasting, I don't feel the need to gorge myself. Gluttony shouldn't be acceptable for common place for you. Massive portions are never a good thing.

Food for thought...

Information published in 2018 (read in detail here) shows 26% of adults in England are currently obese. A further 35% are overweight but not obese. And I keep hearing it's because of a carb rich diet, too many sugars in foods, too many fats in foods...bla bla bla bla. Lot's of medical reasons such as thyroids, slow metabolisms, allergies, intolerances etc. Some of these medical reason are proven to be valid of course. But I do truly believe that mostly it's because we eat too much, and are not often aware of what we eat or how much. That's my opinion. We are a nation of bingers from what I see everywhere I go. I've binged, I've seen friends binge and family. Wedding buffets, All you can Eats, Pizzas, huge piles of carveries. We have all done it. There is a distinct lack of knowledge about food, food volumes and nutrition that means a lot of people are in denial or refuses to believe they eat too much, or simply don't care about what they eat. It could be those huge meals out, or a steady small amount of too many nibbles and snacks every day over time, not realising how many calories you are actually eating or how much weight you are gaining. We all need to take responsibility for our own diet, and to stop blaming food packaging, carbs, gluten, sugar and whatever else we can point a finger at. Be responsible for controlling the temptation and resisting that huge packet of 'sharers' crisps or double Mars Bar (or both!) in the petrol station queue. We all often see huge amounts of food eaten in one sitting by people all around us. It is commonplace.

Our lack of knowledge or lack of caring has driven illnesses like Alzheimer's, Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancers and arthritis up into new heights. So it's not just about weight, it's also about health. For more statistics, read here.  And there will be more information on how fasting can help with all these later in the blogs.

I do also really hope for the day when food, diet, nutrition and healthy life practices are included in nations school curriculum. But that's a whole other blog! Maybe one day....

I don't ever want to feel that craving to gorge myself again if I can help it. This is often caused by deprivation... and emotions, those hormonal imbalances have also got a lot to answer for. Highs and lows can make you gorge too. But eating consistent nutritionally valuable foods, high in those hormone friendly good fats help keep hormones balanced also. Another good reason to keep it your food days healthy.

​Here's something to think about when considering over eating on a treat day or meal out - 

First I am going to work out my own BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) using this link BMR Calculator here. Remember, this tells you what my rested calories are.  Mine as calculated today is 1401 calories.

To determine my total daily calorie needs, I multiply my BMR by the appropriate activity factor as follows:

So mine would be 1401 x 1.55 = 2171 calories a day is what I should eat on an active day, and 1401 is what I should eat if I did nothing. So let's work on an average of these, 1401 + 2172 = 3572 / 2 = 1786. So the average is 1786 calories a day. This is how many calories on average a 46 year old woman of my height and activity level should eat a day.

How easy is it to eat more than this each day, or in one sitting? Also notice, it is not the 2000 calorie recommended calories for woman. If you live by that rule, this could be a reason for gaining those few pounds over time too.

Also, bear in mind your glycogen storage is rarely empty, so it would often take less than these amount of calories to fill them up, or even over spill them. Causing fats to be stored in your body.

**Remember - Glycogen is your brain and bodies preferred fuel source which it gets from the food you eat, mostly from carbs, and proteins. While your body has a filled glycogen store, it does not burn fat as fuel, as it doesnt need to. When it runs low or empty, it start to live off the excess fat cells which turn to ketones, the second favorite fuel source for the brain and body. So high ketone levels means you are burning fat for fuel. Therefore, keeping glycogen levels low as possible promotes fat burning when you are dieting for weight loss.

It is also best to split these calories into small manageable meals. Your body can only efficiently digest so many calories at a time. If you eat them all at once, calories may still also be stored as fat, even if it is your suggested BMR, as your digestive system struggles to work it's way though one large meal. 

My 1786 calories split into my 5 meals work out at about 357 calories a meal. All digested efficiently by my body in manageable amounts of healthy foods. I would eat a balance of food to maintain my weight, keeping carbs to maybe 2 - 3 meals of the 5,  so limiting the daily insulin spikes. This is my normal daily diet, not a weight loss diet. Easy. Right?

So just how easy is it to overeat in just one meal? Look at these examples - 

A pop to your favorite coffee shop for lunch - 

Large Caramel Latte - 331 cals
Tuna Melt Panini - 483 cals
Salted Caramel Muffin - 491 cals
TOTAL - 1305 cals

That dessert shop in town

Banana and Nutella Waffle - 1020 cals
Large Pepsi - 181 cals
TOTAL - 1201 Cals

Night out with the lads - 

8 pints of lager - 1544 cals
Donor Kebab - 1990 cals
TOTAL - 3534 cals

Or with the girls!  - 

8 small glasses of white wine - 656 cals
Donor Kebab - 1990 cals
TOTAL - 2646 cals

An Indian Takeaway -

Korma Tray - 600 cals
Pilau Rice Tray - 436 cals
Peshwari Naan - 382 cals
1 popadom - 49 cals
Portion of indian mint chutney - 121 cals
Glass of white wine - 85 cals
TOTAL - 1673 Cals

Favorite Pizza -

Medium Stuffed crust Meat Feast 8 slices - 2424 Cals
TOTAL - 2424 cals

So why do I eat a reasonably sized healthy treat meal on my treat day? I think you get what I mean. Why on earth do I want to ruin my good work. And besides, I'm just not that hungry!

I fasted from 2pm - 2pm one Friday/Saturday because I had a BBQ to go to at my Mum's care home (coz that's how I roll!) and had a hotdog with my name on there. So at 2.30pm I ended my fast with a little hotdog and a bit of salad. Was very nice too. 

I did find a 2pm - 2pm fast a little harder, as I woke up hungry at 4am, and then couldn't settle. One of the reason I do my fasts from evening to evening is because I can't sleep well hungry. This was still evident. But the flexibility helps when you have a life to work around. And I do like that flexibility.

Then in the evening I made a simple Thai Red Salmon curry - 
​

Thai Red Salmon curry

1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Thai Red Curry paste (or make your own)
1 onion chopped
250ml Light coconut milk
500g skinless salmon fillet
200g trimmed green beans
​Bunch of coriander

Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the curry paste. Stir in the onion, then cook gently for about 5 mins until softened. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer, then add the salmon chunks and beans.

Leave to gently simmer for 5 mins until the fish flakes easily and the beans are tender. Scatter with the coriander, and I served with Sharwoods small peshwari naan. 

Then off to the theatre!

Week 4 is here. Today's the 19th August. So, how's the stats looking?

At first glance you may think not so well, but check these points out -

• I have been checking my stats each week on a Thursday morning after my Wednesday fast, to have a comparison on the depleted progress, and again on Mondays after a re-fuelled day, to show how muscle mass goes up and down during the rise and fall of glycogen. The last day is a Sunday after a weekend with family which involved more eating than usual. 
• There has been a consistent loss of body fat losing between 2.5% - 3% depending whether I am fed or unfed.
• I have gained muscle mass. Nearly a kilo (2lbs) it would seem. This was a surprise! I did hear that higher levels of growth hormone release too with fasting, and if you continue training you often grow because of this, but hadn't thought too much about that, as body fat loss was the initial intention. This could be an interesting one to watch.
• My already low but re-known to be difficult to get rid of visceral fat (internal)  came down one point.
• My water content improved by gradually rising. Although 55-60% is ideal anyway, but I never was able to lift it above 54-55%. And now its 56.9%. 
• I added the after a big feed results, to show you that these random readings happen to us all. There is no way I added 2 kilos in 3 days. This is the fake weight gain I often see. This can be quite de-motivating to dieters. There are numerous reason this has jumped, and Ihere's the ones I am aware of - 

1. I haven't been to the toilet in 6 days. The initial number 2 that happened was a one off in the first week. And now I'm back to the normal way my body works. Due to a complex colon, I colon cleanse once a week. I don't go to the loo regularly like most people do.  
2. I ate a 2 course meal with my Nephew on Friday night. It takes around 24 hours to digest and store food as glycogen. So this meal is now nice filled my muscle mass due to a social feed up. So the glycogen has refilled, hece my muscle mass has jumped up.
3. I had a day out in London yesterday and again ate more that normal. So I also have new undigested new food being processed currently in my body. 
4. Once all these things settle and I have gone to the loo, I have no doubt the weight will drop again. You can still see however, the body fat loss, even through the weight gain. 

My progress pictures do show an evident subtle change. And I was brave enough to take the top off! I wasn't before..too wobbly! 

My rear shot I can see the biggest change, back and glutes and hips. Quite pleased considering these are only 4 weeks apart. 

All in all, I see an initial success. I feel great on it, and I have never had such consistently good statistics on a diet. I feel full of energy, training on empty doesn't have any impact that I can see or feel when following the rules of Intermittent fasting. I also find it easy to follow, and have a lower appetite too. I am still living my life, so going out socially, having friends over for dinner, and eating new recipes so don't feel deprived in any way. Nor do I crave.

The next month should be interesting. I have a very busy social calendar, what with going away to visit family on the bank holiday, and they will all want to feed me, my birthday weekend, another weekend in Ireland with friends, and my besties 40th. Four packed social weekends. I plan to eat nice food and enjoy myself. My goal for this next month, is just to maintain the last unfed weight of 67.3 kilos. Any further weight loss or muscle mass gain will be an added bonus. 

Recipe alert! So, what was that treat meal you had?

For starters I made a Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Soup, with an Almond loaf I baked.

Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Soup (Pressure cookered!)

• 1 butternut squash 
• 1 head cauliflower 
• 1 apple 
• 2 carrots 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion 
• 2 garlic cloves 
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup water
• Bunch of fresh sage chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

​

1. Prepare the vegetables: peel and cube the butternut squash; chop cauliflower into florets; peel and chop carrots; chop onion; and mince garlic.
2. Select "Saute" on your pressure cooker. Once the pot warms up, add onions and cook for ~3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for ~1 minutes.
3. Add the cubed/chopped butternut squash, cauliflower, carrots and apple. Stir to combine.
4. Add spices - sage, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add vegetable broth and water.
5. Select "Soup" on the pressure cooker. The soup will cook for 15 minutes.
6. Once the soup is done cooking, let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes.
7. Blend the Soup and serve. 

Almond Bread - 
(This is the best recipe I have found for Almond Bread, and is taken from www.elizabethrider.com )

Dry ingredients

• 2¼ cups blanched almond flour
• ¼ cup ground flaxseed
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine texture sea salt (such as Real Salt)
• 1/4 cup of Xylitol

Wet ingredients

• 5 eggs** (4 if they are jumbo)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Fresh herbs (optional)

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a food processor, combine the dry ingredients and pulse them until well combined, about 10 pulses.
3. Add the wet ingredients and mix until well combined, about 20 seconds.
4. Scrape down the edges and add herbs.
5. Pulse another 5 or 6 times to mix the herbs into the dough without puréeing them. The dough will be like a very thick batter but should be thin enough that it wouldn’t roll into a ball.
6. Pour dough into a greased 9×5 bread pan; there will be enough to fill the pan about halfway up.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
8. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes before serving.
9. Note: I tried to double this recipe to fill the pan all the way up but couldn’t get it to cook through. So, we’re filling the pan halfway on purpose.

And for the main course...A Black Bean and Beetroot Veggie Burger.

Veggie burgers - Make 4 large burgers

2 tbsp Coconut oil
1 red onion
1 garlic clove
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 x 400gblack beans
4 small fresh beetroot cooked
1 tbsp coconut or almond flour
50g breadcrumbs
1 lightly beaten egg
70g crumbled feta
Seasoning
 
Red Cabbage and Mango Salsa–
1 tbsp xylitol
Zest and juice of 1 lime
¼ small red cabbage very finely sliced
1 small peeled mango peeled and finely chopped
2 finely sliced spring onions
Small bunch or Coriander
Seasoning

To serve -
2 burger buns
1 avocado
Pepper leaves or lettuce
 

1. Fry onion in coconut oil for 3 mins, add garlic for 1 min, stir in paprika and tomato puree and cook for 2 more minutes, then set aside
2. Mash the drained black beans in a bowl, add the onion and garlic mix, grated beetroot, almond or coconut flour, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, and plenty of seasoning and mix well. Then gently stir in feta and using dam hands form 3 - 4 patties. Place in a foil lined tray and chill for at least 30 mins to firm up.
3. Meanwhile, mix all the slaw ingredients together
4. Pre-heat oven to 200c, gas mark 6. Once burgers are chilled, heat some coconut oil in a pan and cook the burgers for 2 -3 mins either side and then back for 20mins on a foil lined tray.
5. Warm the buns in the oven while you leave the burger to cool a little.
6. When ready to serve, mash the avocado with lime juice and spread on buns, pop the burgers on top, add the chosen leaves, and top off the lids to serve.

These all came out delicious! And made enough to make lunches the next day. Yum!

So, this is the end of Part 2 of my Intermittent Fasting blog, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed the process...and the eating of these recipes! 

Catch up next month!

​Terri x

So, here we are again at day one of another diet. I have waited till now as I have been researching diets, and getting on with living my life while on mainly a paleo diet. Eating lots of fruit and veg and meat, not for weight loss, but to live with a good healthy diet. I was also having a treat day once or twice a fortnight, which generally would include a hunk of bread or pasta or whatever I fancied, and enabled me to go out socially and eat with friends and family, enjoying bbq's, restaurants, home cooked meals and street foods at various events. Great fun. Life how it should be. 

I wanted all my stresses in life to have calmed before I embarked on a new diet to blog. I wanted all my body stats to be good and healthy, and wait for assistance with care for my Mum who suffers with Alzheimer's, who I was the main carer for for a while this year, when both my sisters also got poorly. Things are much better now. Both sisters better, and Mum's got some great carers helping us out, life's stresses have definitely eased.

Check this out. Below was the last years stress levels from my Garmin. Towards the end of 2017, when I was competing, working and caring for Mum, my stress levels were running around 85-90%, these are based on my HRV (Heart Rate Variability). I had no rest time, was training 3 times a day, working all over the country and sometimes world, and sorting out Mum in between. Madness. My cortisol levels were raging! 

Beginning of this year things slightly improved with no longer being in competition, so wasn't training as much, therefore stress came down. 

Then in February I managed to get care assistance, which meant my life become more balanced again, as the year went on my sisters got better, and last month we relocated my Mum to a much better apartment with all care visits covered, so our time together now is now days out and nice times together. A beautifully chilled Crete holiday in June with my sisters chilled me right out and look how low my stress levels are running now. Happy Terri, happy cortisol, happy cholesterol, happy blood sugars, happy training sessions and happy clients. Happy days and a good life balance. As the stress levels show.

I've been enjoying cooking again, creating new meals and having friends and family round, my training is steady as I have no plans to gain, or plan on doing any shows in the near future, it's all about balancing my lifestyle. I have set myself a goal now, of finding 'My Forever Body'. 

I've seen myself as a competing athlete looking in great condition, muscular and ripped at about 12% body fat. But this isn't a forever body. It's for stage, and is an unrealistic way to live consistently, and actually very unhealthy to hold for any period of time.

Off season, I always gain a bit of weight, with the want to gain muscle, and the lack of diet restriction, and the 'bulk season' phrase ringing around in my brain...I nearly always put on a few more pounds than I really needed to or wanted too. And then find myself looking at my wobbly bits regretting that Sour Bread Smoked Cheese and Mango Chutney toastie from the Vintage Fayre the day before. As that one sandwich the night before is what caused it! Hmmmm...really?

So I'm at that point now. I'm not overly unhappy about how I look, but I feel happier around 20% body fat, and my tanita scales are saying I am 26.5% (which remember for a woman is perfectly normal and healthy)...the calipers are saying 23%..but for consistency in measurements I will stick with my home tanitas readings. I want to look athletic. I like to look like I train, or what's the point? I also like to see a bit of vein! (The bodybuilder in me will never leave!)

So my diet is not for any other health or show reasons, other than to lose weight to get to 'my forever body'. Then, follow a regime to maintain it. With no bulks or shows needed, so no ups and downs, this should be mentally easier...well that's what I'm hoping. 

My stats to start this journey are - 

Weight - 70.9 kg
Body Fat - 26.5%
Muscle Mass - 49.1 Kg
Water - 54.5%
Visceral Fat - 5

Here's my starting point. Some sweaty shots at the gym...

Next was to decide which diet to do? So far you know I've had show success with my normal high protein low carb calorie controlled diet, with carb cycling, and back loading diets, all which have tendencies for plateaus a lot as your body gets used to them, and many of you who followed my blog on the Ketogenic diet, remember the ups and downs with that and how I did find too restrictive.

I wanted a diet that I could follow without restricting my new found social calendar. I want to include nice meals, family events and cheese toasties every now and then, and not feel guilty, as I want it to balance with my lifestyle, and I don't want it to be too restrictive or complex like the ketogenic. Does one exist though? Is this possible? 

My sister had always mentioned the 5/2 fasting diet she does which has worked for her and her husband which I always poo pooed as a body builder, as eating was so important. But couldnt I now find out what its about? As if I did lose a bit of muscle mass during the trial it wouldn't matter so much any more? It's free. It's simple, non restrictive of what foods you can eat and encourages you to have that meal you want at a wedding or party, I needed to investigate. 
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So I looked on line at various sites, and read a few fasting books. I really liked The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jimmy Moore and Dr Jason Fung.  

So as a foodie and with my knowledge in nutrition, I always had said to people who have asked about Fasting diets words to this effect 'I can't see how they can be good for you, as your body will go into starvation mode, and your body needs a constant flow of macronutrients (Carbs/Proteins/Fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), so starving them of these can't be good'.....Or can it?

Fasting experts will quickly say that Fasting isn't starving.

In simple terms - For purpose of dieting, fasting is generally done for a pretty short period of time, normally 12/24/36/42 hours or however ever many hours you prefer depending on your needs. It can take up to 24 hours to deplete your glycogen stores (this is the fuel stored in your tissues produced by eating mostly simple/complex carbs, but also proteins too). This is the prefered fuel of the brain and body and will use up this resource before it moves onto it's second favorite fuel. Ketones, which are produced when the body burns fat for fuel. As you may have learnt all about on my previous blog My Ketosis Journey.

So once your glycogen runs out, the body automatically switches to living off your fat stores. That's what it's meant to do. That's how we are made to work. We are still not in starvation mode. Your body is still using it's own available fuel. Eating up your fat resources. Or put simply... fat burning.

Once your fat stores starts running too low (your body will reach a point when it starts naturally fighting against using fat for fuel when fat sources are too low), it will then start fuelling using your muscle tissues and organs. This is starvation mode. You will not and should not ever reach this point during these short fasting periods. Depending on your starting body fat measurements, to get to this point could take some time.

I am at currently holding 26.5% body fat. I want to lose 6.5% body fat. I weigh 158 pounds. 158 / 6.5 = 24.3 pounds of fat to lose. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. 24 x 3500 calories = 84,000 calories available to burn in fuel. So, I'm not yet going to run out of fuel between 24 - 42 hours! So starving, I won't be. 

Also, this means I won't be loosing muscle. As I won't be getting my fat so low so that my body needs to start eating into my muscle. Added bonus for me. 

In 1973 the longest ever recorded fast is 382 days! This subject weighed in at 456 pounds.  And he lost 276 pounds during the fast. Five years after the fast ended, the patient’s weight was reported at consistent to around 196 pounds. And had no ill effect during and after the fast. Have a read of some statistics and more information here on this amazing Longest Fast link.

Individuals with very low body fat (woman under 20% and men under 15%) should never start a fasting diet, as they may not have enough stored fat for fuel. But why then would you start a diet if you are already so low in body fat? I hear you ask. Well...you might be a competing bodybuilder! If you are show prepping, on very low body fat towards the end of prep, don't try fasting. If you are starting with some mass to lose, you could use it to kick start your prep.

Other people who should not fast -

• Children and young adults under 18, they are still developing and need all nutrients.
• Pregnant woman and breast feeding woman, again as they need a constant flow of nutrients.
• Any one with anorexia, of course. This is a mental illness where someone sees themselves fatter than they actually are, and shouldn't be attempting a diet at all.
• People with Type 1 diabetes, due to their already low levels of insulin. Fasting has been proven to lower insulin, so this could be dangerous with these type of diabetics.
• People on medication that needs to be taken with food.

If you are unsure, I would always advise you speak to your GP before you try it. 

So, how am I going to run mine? I like the idea of 2 x 24 fast a week. Running from 6pm to 6pm, which means I don't ever have a day with no food at all. I am going to eat my usual 5 meals a day on all other days. Forever the health and fitness advocate, i will be sticking to a low carb Paleo style diet, as I want to continue and utilize fully the fat burning process. I will also be including a foodie day. Every week I will cook up a feast for me to eat, or go to that event, or party, or bbq that I may have been invited to, without eating restrictions. A diet of feast and famine! 

I will blog some of my foodie day recipes with and share the food I eat out on these days too. As well as sharing my progress on the diet.

I just want to be clear that I am not doing the 5/2 diet which has some restrictions on what you eat. I am simply doing a clean 24 fast 2 times a week. Influenced by the suggestions in The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jimmy Moore and Dr Jason Fung.  

So what are the benefits of a fasting diet?

• It's free - It costs nothing

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• You save money - On less groceries

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• No prep - 2 days less of food preparation

 

• No complex dietary routine or restrictions to follow.

 

• Even if you have allergies or intolerances to foods, you can still do it.

 

• It can help to make you feel less hungry. Many reports from fasters say they see there hunger levels drop dramatically. 

• It's a life style diet - Once losing your weight through fasting, research has shown that weightloss stays consistent. As well as that you would continue to use it to help balance your life. So after that feast you had at that part or wedding, follow it with a fast day. Feast then Famine. It can balance out the meal and get you back on track. Most fasters who have lost weight manage to maintain the weight loss. Remember the man who did the Longest Fast ​? The weight never went back on.

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• Faster weight loss - I will be under eating each week by nearly 3800 calories by not eating for 2 days. The other days I intend to eat my normal BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate which is your personal calories calculation). So remembering that most diets base themselves on under eating by 500 calories a day, or 3500 a week to lose 1lb, as 1 lb remember equates to 3500 calories. But these daily low calorie diets do tend to plateau as the body learns to exist and adapt to the daily calories intake. Research has shown that fasting diets tend to not plateau, you do lose the weight you should each week from your days of no eating.

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• It has many health benefits - It has been used to reverse the effects of Type 2 Diabetes due to the fact it reduces insulin levels, it helps with healthy cell regeneration. it elevates growth hormone levels (which is why it is suggested to keep training on fasting diets, as it can assist with muscle growth, and why athletes have been training fasted for many years), they are building proof that it helps with cancer, it can also quickly reduce visceral fat, the internal 'dangerous' fat around your organs too. Have a read here 10 Evidence Based Reasons for Fasting to find out more information on the health benefits of fasting, or have a read of The Complete Guide to Fasting by Jimmy Moore and Dr Jason Fung.  for more in depth information on fasting benefits.

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All sounds too good to be true. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into this one!

So on day 3, I tried my first fast. I hadn't not eaten for a day since I can remember! Probably my clubbing days! Slightly apprehensive. But let's see how it goes.

I'm fasting for reason of 'cleansing' or a 'detox' too, so I have opted to keep my fast clean as possible, to get these added benefits. So I am on water only (no squash or fizzy flavoured no calorie drinks) and no added artificial sweeteners in hot drinks.

I found it easy! No big deal at all! I ate my last normal prepped meal at 8pm. Then headed to bed as normal. Slept like a log, as normal. No problem!

Here are the tips I had followed to help me get you through the day -

Keep busy - It takes your mind off of food. A busy work day I find works well. I can easily not realise where that day has gone when engrossed in work.

​Ride the waves - Hunger comes in waves, but then it goes. Hunger is an emotion...a feeling. It isn't a physical reaction created from within, it is just a feeling or a want. It can be triggered by smells, that M&S tv advert, a memory of a good meal and more importantly a routine. If you are used to having a meal at the same time each day, you will learn to feel hungry around that time. Fasting will help you break that routine, which will help you to feel less hungry on eating days, as the routine trigger fades. Ride the waves of hunger, know it will go away soon, and break the daily routine of those times you eat.

Drink lots of water/mineral water- We all know that thirst is often mistaken for hunger, so stay hydrated. It has been found that mineral water helps stop the stomach from rumbling. I found drinking a 3 -4 litres of water throughout the day does help. 

Drink coffee and herbal/green teas - The caffeine in coffee and teas acts as an appetite suppressant and a metabolism booster too. So you can have up to 6 cups of these through the day.  Keep it black and sugar and milk free

Make a bone broth - These are good to have a couple of times during the fast. They have a small trace of calories, and you can add turmeric, ginger and cinnamon - all natural appetite suppressants - and also get some minerals in you during your fast. Vitamins and minerals are what's known as Micronutrients. Whereas most vitamins can be produced within the body but minerals are not.  We need these to be fed to us in our food and drink. Phosphorus, calcium, sodium and magnesium may need topping up, so between the bone broth and mineral water this would be more than enough to do the job. I will include a recipe in later blogs, when I come up with a good tasty one.

Don't plan a fast day when there is an event - It's sort of obvious, but you don't want to be fasting at a wedding, or at your birthday meal. Work your fast into your week. That's why I chose the 24hr one. If I know I'm out for a meal or a do, I plan to either start a fast at 7pm the day before, then know I can eat the meal at 7pm the following day, or many prefer doing a fast the day after a meal or function, as a lot of people find it easier mentally after a bit of a feast the night before.

Stay away from artificial sweeteners - The detox effect away from all chemicals can be an added bonus mentally and physically. But also it has been found that tasting the sweetness can trigger the same insulin spikes and reactions in the body that sugar does. And you don't want to risk that sudden carb craving that sudden sugar spikes and dips can sometimes cause. Research has been done Into Why artificial sweeteners can increase appetite so click on the link to read the findings in more detail.

So, this week has been no biggie. I know fasting is pretty easy. I found when I was on eating days of around 1800 calories a day across 5 meals, I felt like I was eating loads! And when meal time came round, I often wasn't hungry? Hunger wasn't so much of an issue for me on food days. Thats a good start.

I also feel the need for a number 2 after a days fast. A finishing my glycogen stores then bodily fats seems to make me need to go. Living off my body's natural resources seems to make my digestive system work better? Anyone that has read my blogs before knows I struggle in the area. Another bonus. 

And my stats where as follows - 

Day 1 -
​Weight - 70.9 kg
Body Fat - 26.5%
Muscle Mass - 49.1 Kg
Water - 54.5%
Visceral Fat - 5

Day 4 - Couldnt resist a weigh in after my first fast
Weight - 69.8
Body Fat - 26.3
Muscle Mass - 48.5
Water - 54.2
Visceral Fat - 5

Ok. So I hear you all say 'you've lost muscle mass and water only, that's crap!'. But it's what I expected. Remember, I have depleted my glycogen stores which are stored in my muscles. So whenever you do this they always shrink. It's what I've referred to before as fake weight. As soon as I eat again, the glycogen will store again back into the muscles. So then I ate my normal food for the day, and weighed myself again -

Day 5 - 
 Weight - 69.9
Body Fat - 25.1
Muscle Mass - 49.2
Water - 55.4
Visceral Fat - 4

So the weight loss stayed, the muscles filled, which in turn gives a lower body fat reading as there is now less area to around the muscle mass. And visceral fat dropped. This is too good a reading to be true? Surely. I lost 1% body fat and visceral fat in a week? Well, I guess we'll have to keep it and see what happens.

Thanks for reading. Look out for Part 2 over the next few weeks.

​Terri

So, everyone’s been asking what happened at the UKBFF British Finals in Nottingham last weekend, and I wanted to wait till I have photos to add to my blog/post, and I have now got all the photos etc to back it up.

Held at Theatre Royal, Nottingham, 700 competitors seen over one hectic and long weekend. You probably know by now that I didn’t get top 6, out of the 15 girls on stage, and I went there with the knowledge that it was unlikely. The UKBFF Woman’s Physique class I do believe is the toughest category in the toughest federation, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I prefer a challenge rather than an easy ride. And standing next to the finest physiques in the country helps me see what I need to work on, and what’s good about me too. But…friggin’ hell…what physiques did turn up this year!
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The day I thought was super organised, Cheryal and her team at ProGlow tanning was bang on time with my tan at 8.30am. Bumping into Hayley Brylewski in the tanning booths, getting a glimpse at how super tight she was this year…and accidently getting a glimpse of the boys tanning area brightened up my morning too..DOH!

Then onto make-up, with the lovely MUA Donna, again…bang on time and ready to roll at 10.20am in a room backstage which soon became the place for us all to hang, chat, sleep, sip on our water, and munch on our rice cakes.
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Bumped into Linda Gartside in the corridor too looking beautiful all dollied up, great make up! And my buddy Clare Ibbett joined us in the dressing room for the duration too, and we then sat giggling through silly stories, with the occasional sip of wine to boot!

Time for bikinis on, thanks to Muscle Dazzle again, for a fabulous suit, and a perfect fit all the way from the US. Amazing service. Then off we go after a call to back stage for pumping up, pinning on your numbers and getting glazed. Time for a bit of sugar too (and I don’t mean you Dennis!), it is supposed to make you veinier and help with your pump…but I just think really it’s a well-deserved treat before you go on!

Moving on to stage right, continuing to pump, a little dance to someone’s funky routine music, and a nose around at everyone’s bodies! You know it, course we all do it! And wow…what a bunch of women to be stood around. Women from 20 odd to nearly 50 odd years of age, who are mothers, company directors, PT’s, hard-working employers and employees and hard training girls in their physical prime at that very moment. All motivators, inspirations, super-consistent, driven ladies with hours and hours of weight lifting and cardio sessions behind them, clean eaten food preppers for weeks/months to get right here. Totally in control of their bodies and very aware of every muscle and ligament as they move. Amazing.
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And we are on……

A long time being judged. Was a tough call. There were those that shone through, and those that were very good. No one was out of place. Everyone deserved to be there.

The top six 1st Donna Murphy, 2nd Andrea Corbett, 3rd Linda Gartside, 4th Ade Bishop, 5th Emma Gormley, and 6th Anita Tryc. An amazing top 6. Although I must be honest in saying I was pretty shocked that Hayley Brylewski wasn’t in the top line up. Her condition and muscularity I thought was the best I’ve seen her, so I was a little baffled. But I guess it would have been hard to choose.

 I also am surprised Linda hasn’t got a gold medallion or trophy so far this year, so much work and improvements made! She’s looking phenomenal this year! Give her a bloody Pro Card for crying out loud!
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Donna and Andrea…what can I say…I looked positively skinny next to these two spectacular bodies. Donna symmetry on stage was second to none, and Andreas legs! Jeez!!!

Time for treat bags back stage! Not sure whether I was more excited about doing the show or eating my treat bag? And a chat with some lovely new physique ladies met for the first time, like Nicky Glarvey (thanks for sharing your back stage photos!) Ece Kilkis…making me laugh with her 3-hour hair do! And meeting and chatting to the lovely Anita Tryc, and I can’t forget my lovely cuddle from Ade Bishop after show. To be fair, the comradery from all the girls made for a great atmosphere, and always enjoy and admire the maturity and mutual respect that comes with the Woman Physique category.

This year was always going to be my last show. Body building was always a hobby to me. And from being on stage this year, I see I need to add a hell of a lot of mass to get anywhere near the top spots, and at my age that doesn’t happen easy, and I have other things I need to focus on. Such as my telecoms business of 20 years, which I also love, my mother who has Alzheimer’s, and to whom I am her carer, along with my 2 sisters and one of her friends. More and more time is needed to be spent with her. I need a social life back too. I need to be around my friends and family more but I never say never. And I will NEVER stop going to the gym and training.

I want to thank all in the UKBFF, especially Sarah Bridges who’s always supportive, Paul Knight, who taught me my abs and thigh…which didn’t get called this year! Martin Kelly who’s always got a kind smile for me, and all the judges who’s paths I’ve crossed over the years. John Plummer for some lovely comments in his reports and always answers my questions I message him, and Chris Bailey for his beard, long hair and flip flops…oh and those stage shots! Eric Guy also for his photos and peculiar sense of humour? Liquid Sun Rayz, ShowTan and ProGlow for my perfect tans, Selena Bikini, Harlequin and Muscle Dazzle for my bikinis. All the gyms I train at where ever I lay my hat…for letting me pay to lift their weights, and sometimes do it for free!
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I enjoyed every part of this year’s season, the prep, the qualifier, the training and the finals. I bought the best me to date for sure. I can also thank bodybuilding for fixing all the things I hated about myself in the mirror during my younger years, my wobbly bingo wings…gone…my tree trunk knees…gone….my flat granny bum…gone..(ish)..and giving me confidence in me. Making me proud of who I am, and giving me a healthy lifestyle and better understanding of food, and how eating right has improved my skin, hair and all that comes with a good diet and exercise. Bodybuilding and fitness made me a better person and more in control of every aspect of my life. So…better get off to the gym…before my next meal…and so life goes on.

Special mentions to those who have always been there for show support and advice – Mark Etherton, Danni Cage, Stella Milani, Antonietta Maria, Leo Johnson, Adam Howkins, Christal Cornick, Campbell Noon, Gareth Hicks, George Morris, Kendrick, Louise Beard, Matt Marsh, Spencer Davey and all those friends and my family.
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And other friends and fellow competitors who have shared the stage, supported me and/or who understand and trust the process – Angela Kirkpatrick, Nat Simon, Douglas Lippingwell, Sandra Lippingwell, Fay Chester, Nikky Ricks, Gabriel Ogunmakin, Gemma Lancaster, Rosie Harte, James Perry, Jason Clare, Jodie Barrett, Karen Cobb, Kirkules Grimsley, Leica Geisei, Michelle Williams, Natalie Jowett, Nicki Chandraraj, Patrick Marshall, Zakos Pallikaros and my close friends and family.

• Weight Up to 71kg? – Check
  
• Body fat 21%? - Check
  
• Sleeping solid 7 hours a night? – Check
  
• Cholesterol a healthy 3.8mmol? – Check
  
• Normal regular toilet visits? Check
  
• Visceral fat levels on the up cuddling my organs? – Check
  
• Boobs are Double D’s again? –Check
  
• I have a bum (finally!)? - Check
  
• Cheeky Churpy Cheeks filled out (not my bum!)? – Check
  
• Eating all food including cake at pals BBQ? – Check
  
• Can have a Latte at Costa/Starbucks? – Check
  

This can only mean one thing....It’s off season time!!

Looking in my mirror, this is me. This is my normal everyday body. Maintainable, achievable, less stressed, softer and is reality. This is the body I need to be happy with. The body that’s going to be the norm for most of the rest of my life. 

My show body is for yours and mine entertainment. 16 -20 of extreme dieting and working out for me to see what I have sculpted over time, and for your entertainment on stage. It doesn’t stay for long.

I dieted from January to July and lost over 10 kg...to have them all and more back on in 4 weeks. You probably think I’m gutted about this. But I’m not at all. This is part of the process, and part of being a body builder.

So many people I speak to don’t understand this. You can’t look like you do in the pictures and on stage 365 days of the year. For a woman to live at 10-13% body fat or a man to do the same at their show levels of 2-5% is dangerous. Your internal organs need fat around them to function properly. A fit level off season for a woman is 21 – 24%, and a man 14 – 17%.

You also only can really grow, sculpt and correct our shape off season. When you eat properly and sleep properly. This is when all the magic happens.

And to all you young men and woman starting out who I often speak to, if you think you will have that stage body all year round your wrong. That’s a fantasy. You need to be real.

You also need to learn to love your off season shape. After all, you are doing all this good eating and training to make THIS body the best it can be. The one you live with every day, the one you wake up and see every day in the mirror, the one you shower every morning and bath at night, the one that has responded to those long hard workouts, the one you push to its limits numerous times a year ...this is your off season body the one you should like the best, the one you should be proud of and the one you should take good care of.

So back to looking in the mirror....this is me. This is my normal everyday body, and it’s great to see you again! Welcome back! Now let’s go lift some proper weights....!