Exercise & Diet Vlog #1

Hi all, this is my first 'Exercise & Diet Vlog'. I talk briefly about my background and why I'm doing these before giving you an insight into my new exercise program and also my dietary plans. This is a good way for me to track my progress and to give me that extra bit of motivation to keep at it! Would be great to hear your stories too! :)

Juice Plus has started! (weekly progress)

Hello everyone!

Well I finished my detox after 12 days in as this package arrived >>>

Above, you can see that it was a months supply of Juice Plus supplements! The box on top contains lots of capsules! The capsules that have 27 different nutrients in from veg, fruit and berries. I take 2 of each per day and have been doing so for the last 4 days. The packages below are full of powder which I make smoothies with. I'll talk more about that later.

I'd done so well with not cheating on my detox so I had to treat myself (treats are important!) with something very naughty...

2 10 inch pizzas which (at the time) were lovely. It was a little experiment too, I wanted to see how my body would react to this food after the previous 12 days of detoxing. I felt TERRIBLE! I felt sick, bloated and actually put on 0.2% of body fat which didn't go till a few days later! I did used to have 3 of the pizzas so at least I only had 2! (I had a mars bar too!)

Before showing you a few snacks and meals I've been having, I'm going to show you the latest results of my PROGRESS. Still no pics but they are saved for a later date!

In the last post, my latest results were:

6th May:
13 stone 8.6
18.9% body fat.

Today (15th May) my results are:
13 stone 5.8
18.7% body fat.

I'm happy with the amount of weight lost as it isn't too much. However, I'm a little disappointed that I've only dropped 0.2% body fat. 0.4% if you include the pizzas!!!

I'm happy with my diet so exercise is the next thing I really need to focus on. I have made slow progress with that but it's hard when you have a chronic illness that debilitates you. The last couple of mornings I woke up with very heavy pains all over so exercise would not have been a good idea. I'm working my way up slowly and I'm sticking to pure body weight. To get more out of the exercise, I will perform each exercise slower so that the muscles are under tension for that bit longer. Here are the exercises:

Press-ups (normal position)
Press -ups (close position)
Pull-ups
Plank
Squats
Calf raises

There's a bit of everything in there. I will perform 8 repetitions of 1 set. Any more and I start to go light-headed and fatigued so it really is slow progress. If I'm up to doing any more later in the day then I will perform the exercises again. I'd love to be doing much more but it's just not possible. I started Juice Plus to strip the fat and feel healthier, I don't want to get carried away and send myself into a relapse.

Since I've started the SHAKES it's been such a relief for me as I don't have to worry about making breakfast or lunch. It gives me that extra freedom during the day. I'll give you an example of what my diet is like now... I like sticking to the same foods and then will change something once in a while:

This was the first day I started on the shakes. I have a soup maker which blends the smoothies for me. There's chocolate and vanilla flavours and I like to mix it in with strawberries, banana and soya milk. It also shows the capsules too.

This is my lunch (1 of my 2 snacks). 3 rice cakes topped with feta cheese. Tastes good!

Mid-afternoon I will have my other shake, here's the vanilla one mixed with strawberries and banana. Usually though I will have both shakes the same flavour in a day as I can make them both at the same time.

Here's a picture from my last post hence the reason it's smaller. This is my tea. Still my favourite. Chicken, sweet potato, mixed veg and tomato with seasonings.

Here's my last snack of the day. I'll sometimes have greek yogurt with frozen raspberries but here is a nakd bar (delicious and very good, lots of flavours too) with a little box of raisins. Perfect to line my stomach up before bed time.

Lastly, I'm going to show you a pic of a soup I made last week:

It had butternut squash and sweet potato in. I had oat biscuits to dip into the soup too. A bit watery but I'll know next time to put less water in!

And just thought I'd share with you my neat presentation of a days worth of shakes:

DELICIOUS!!!




Thanks for reading and see you all next week!

Barry x

Week 1 results of detox inc pics of food!

Hello everyone! This is the seventh day of my DETOX!

I decided to stop taking pictures of my food today until I try out some new recipes!

I'm actually quite enjoying it, I've not craved naughty things too much.

I've just been offered a FREE sandwich at Costa and I kindly declined. That's just an example of the willpower I have!!!

First of all, here is a picture of my whiteboard and my scribblings out of my weight as you can see. There's a slight update today, I've still 13 stone 8.6 but I've dropped to 18.9% body fat.




So, let's compare my results so far between 30th April and 6th May (today):

30th April: 13 stone 12.6 = 88.2kg
19.7%

6th May: 13 stone 8.6 = 86.4kg
18.9%

I've dropped 4 pounds and 0.8% body fat which is progress.

Now here's my mathematical side showing... If you read my last post then you'll know I really don't want to lose weight, I just want to lose fat! But to lose the fat I need to lose the weight... Now at the very low end I'd maybe go down to 12 and a half stone which will have me looking pretty slim. That's a little under a stone what I am now. There's 14 pounds in a stone. Let's times 0.8% body fat (what I've dropped so far) by 3 (which takes us up to 12 pounds, only a couple of pounds away from a stone) With me? That takes us up to 2.4% body fat. Now let's minus 2.4% body fat from 18.9% body fat. This equals 16.5% body fat.

Basically, the above means that based on this weeks results, if I go down to 12 stone 9.6 then I will go down to 16.5% body fat. In fact let's say I drop another 4 pounds to 12 stone 5.6 then I will go down to 15.7% body fat. Hopefully I'll lose a bit more percent in fat but I'm being realistic. Once I'd gone down to that weight I'd start to add the weight back on gradually with minimal body fat. I would like to go in cycles like that until I reach a weight and body fat percent I'm happy with.

So there's all the math for you! Let's have a look at the food starting from Friday 1st May: (I won't post the same food twice so I don't bombard you with too many pictures)

Banana and  porridge oats with soya milk

Flavoured green tea

Fresh carrot juice

Banana, egg, honey and soya milk

Greek yoghurt and frozen raspberries

Green tea

Apple

Chicken, sweet potato,spinach, tomato with seasonings

Flavoured green tea

So the above is showing you exactly everything I've had within that day. I do sometimes like to eat the same things each day so now (to save being repetitive) I will post other meals/snacks I've had during the week:

I had a couple of spare turkey fillets so I mixed them in with tomato, red onion, egg and seasonings (I think that's everything)

I know I've posted this before but I felt I had to post it again as it's so nice and also I added hummus and mixed veg into it!

Here is porridge (which I've had for breakfast every morning for goodness knows how many years) but this time I added chopped apple on top instead of banana

Here are some banana, eggs, honey and soya milk again. I couldn't be bothered to squash the banana as you can see, tastes good but better mushed

Here are the green teas I have when indoors. Apple and pear is my favourite but orange and lotus flower is nice too

There was an afternoon where I didn't feel too hungry and a bit sick so I just had a tin of tuna mixed in with tomato

I discovered these. Dates, figs and walnuts! No added ingredients and great for a little snack

Another lovely snack, strawberries and banana!

I got some oat cakes too. Don't taste of much but great to snack on, will add feta cheese to a few at some point!

Ok, so this was meant to be a soup but I didn't have a blender, it's butternut squash mixed in with sweet potato, celery, carrot and red onion

Another meal here consisting and chicken, tomatoes, brown rice (which is allowed) and peas

My aim now is to get a proper exercise routine put in place to start toning my body up. I'm sticking to body weight for the time being as weights aren't compatible with me at the moment!

I'll be back soon with another update,

Thanks for reading x

The New Diet: Day 1 Detox

Hello everyone!

I've been inspired to start posting a lot more regularly here as I feel now is the time for me to really make an effort with my diet.

I've jumped onto the JUICE PLUS bandwagon!!!

I've previously been skeptical about this but I've done more research into the whole thing and I decided it was worth ago despite being on the pricey side. This is mainly for health reasons. I've spoken to a few people who suffer with the same illness with me and they say that this diet has really helped them. I've learned a lot too.

Firstly, it's recommended to do a 2 week detox though this is optional. I've decided to do it until my package arrives through the post. It's going through today so it should be in between a 1-2 week period which gives my body time to return to optimal function. This is so I get the best results from the diet.

I've always been very against losing a lot of weight as I've previously been very into my muscle building and eating lots of high protein foods. However, I'm at the stage now where I need to get rid of excess fat whatever weight I am. It's impossible to lose fat and not lose weight. It's also possible to muscle build with juice plus and that's what I'm going to do after I've completed the diet.

I'm not going to go into the ins and outs of juice plus as I'm very new to it and I'm here to keep track of my daily diet. I'll also write a post when my actual package has arrived so I can show you what's involved. In short it's capsules, juices and shakes. I do eat meals on top of that though so I'm not starving myself! The main principles here are cutting out caffeine, wheat, dairy, gluten... most things!

I have also taken a picture of myself so I can compare it to later pictures. I'm taking pictures in the same places each time, no complimentary lighting and different angles, it's all going to be 100% real.

My stats are as follows (more or less). I don't have the best equipment in the world but it's accurate in a way that I'll be using the exact same ways each time.

Height: 191cm (you don't really need to know that but there you go) Did you know you can actually shrink up to a couple of cm during the course of the day? All the pressure on your spine of course. I've researched this!

Weight: 88.2kg (I had plans a couple of years ago to get to 100kg of pure muscle, how times have changed!) I'd like to stay at this weight but with very little fat of course.

Body fat: 19.7% (Not brilliant considering I used to be very into my fitness before I fell ill, I'd ideally like to be between 10%-15% long term)

Of course all the above stats are recorded in the morning before any food or water has been consumed. This is best way to make sure you're getting a true reading... throughout the day different foods will add weight and give you fluctuating numbers.

So let's start with DAY 1 DETOX 

First of all, I'm sticking to my porridge for breakfast as it's easy, with banana. The only change I've made is that I'm starting to have it with soya milk which actually tastes good. Normal milk in supermarkets have stuff added to them to preserve shelf life so that's something I wasn't aware of before... Soya milk is expensive so I'm going to shop round a bit and see if I can get it cheaper elsewhere.

Then I decided to take Katy (the dog) to the park whilst I did some work on the resistance machines there. Weights are a big no for me at the moment. Last time I attempted I was as good as bed bound for a few days. I'm listening to my body so I got around 10 minutes done with no real strain, taking it easy at the minute but every little helps!

When I got back I made myself some fresh carrot juice and although I'm used to eating large quantities, my appetite has never been brilliant. I had around half of this so saved the rest for today.








A little later on I was a little stuck with what to have for lunch as I usually have whole wheat pasta which of course isn't allowed in this diet. I thought I'd be a little adventurous and try a banana omelet. It consisted of soya milk, honey, eggs and banana... it ended up more like scrambled egg but it tasted good. I could've eaten it all but decided not to as it was a big portion with 4 eggs in there. Maybe a little less honey next time too.

There was actually quite a big gap between lunch and this drink because I'd fallen asleep for a few hours. I think everything had caught up with me a little so I crashed but I got up and out and despite the Costa cup, I actually wasn't in Costa. This is a peppermint green tea as I'm not allowed caffeine. It tasted nice but coffee is the one thing I will really miss being on this diet.

Then tea time which actually got very late but then all my meals seem to be at odd times. Here's my favourite which I really enjoyed and have been having for a while now. Chicken, sweet potatoes and mixed veg. Very tasty!

Shortly after I had another green tea, this time I tried an apple flavoured one which is very nice. A new favourite I think!

Lastly, here is a 2 litre bottle of water from Tesco costing 17p. I haven't got a water filter jug yet and tap water isn't great so I got 4 of these to keep me going for a few days.














So there we go! I'll be back soon to keep you all updated with my progress!

Have a great day all! :D

I have some tasty new foods to try...

Hello everyone, it's been a while!

I'll be posting on here more often though this is just a very short post. My diet has wavered recently and it's been difficult for me health wise. I discovered a website called muscle foods which I've heard good reviews about.

I decided that I'd try some new foods to make my diet seem less bland. I will post an update soon and let you know how it's all going. I'm looking forward to trying it all!

See you all very soon!

Barry

I passed!

Looks like my hard work over the past few days have been worthwhile...

I'm currently thinking of ideas for a website I'm going to be setting up but in the mean time, I need some time to recover!

Thanks for reading my posts x

Weight management - adipose tissue

Individual fat cells/adipocytes store excess dietary fat and energy (triglycerides) in the adipose tissue. Adipocytes and triglycerides are unloaded when lipoprotein lipase on lipid (containing lipoproteins) is sent out from the liver and into the adipose tissue. Circulating lipoproteins also transport lipids in the blood stream. Adipose tissue can also store excess energy, this comes from an over consumption of carbs. Body fat will increase when this happens for several days. Glucose will enter the adipose tissue where it is under the influence of insulin. Then it is stored as triglycerides when synthesised into fat. However, this is more likely when insulin levels are increased. Most glucose is taken into the tissues which is used as fuel and then the glucose will enter the adipose tissue and contribute to the storage of fat. The distribution of the adipose tissue can be influenced by gender, genetics and also hormonal dominance.

Right... that's it!

Seriously, I'm achy all over and done ridiculous amounts of revision which has made my M.E. worse - just hope I can function in the morning. Apologies for the frequent posting, it will now stop!

Good night all x

Weight management - Popular diets

There are many different diets that help to assist weight management: These can be in the form of fasting, very low calorie, calorie counting groups, meal replacements, food combining and fat-burning supplements.

Fasting creates a negative energy balance which results in weight loss, it rest the digestive system and it also helps to detoxify many systems of the body.

Very low calorie diets often only consist of 800 calories a day, is fortified with the daily requirements of minerals and vitamins, is designed for obese people to achieve fast weight loss and doctors also supervised replacement bars and shakes.

Calorie counting groups help to keep the calorie intake controlled, has guidance of foods to eat which are provided and also group involvement creates accountability.

Meal replacements help to control the intake of food calorie counted shakes and meals, it removes any complexity of calorie counting for the consumer and it usually consists of 1200-1500 calories.

Food combining means that carbs are better digested in an alkali environment, proteins digest better in an acidic environment and all foods should be eaten at different times meaning they have to be separated.

Fat-burning supplements boost the metabolism which burns body fat and it also creates a thermogenic effect in the body.

However, there can be problems regarding each of these, they are:

With fasting, there is a risk of dehydration, there's a lack of energy as well as essential nutrients and it increases aches and pains, headaches, bad breath and also allergies.

Very low calorie diets create a low bioavailability of many fortified nutrients, brings on diarrhoea, constipation, nausea and fatigue and it's only a short term approach.

Calorie counting groups tend to only be a short term fix, a yoyo dieting cycle is common and the nutrient intake may be compromised.

Meal replacements bring on a lack of energy, low adherence, boredom and taste fatigue and there is a low bioavailability of many fortified nutrients.

Food combining means very restrictive meals, erratic blood sugar responses from high carbs to low carbs and it may lack vitamin A, D, B12, calcium and zinc due to the low animal consumption.

Fat-burning supplements may cause arrythmia, depression, nervousness, insomnia, or illnesses leading to strokes, seizures and heart attacks.

Exercise nutrition - Hydration & Protein shakes

With regards to hydration: caffeine, sugar, salt and alcohol levels will all have an effect on fluid balance whilst sometimes even food can contribute to overall hydration levels.

When considering how much water you will need to maintain sufficient levels within cells and blood (optimises function), there are certain factors that need to be considered such as the amount of lean muscle mass in the individual, the environmental temperature and also the intensity, type of frequency of the exercises performed. Lots of health professional recommend that drinking half your body weight in water is a good guide to how much you need. To make more sense of this, here are estimated figures for the daily amount of water into by body weight: 55kg = 1.70 (litres), 60kg = 1.85, 65kg = 2.00, 70kg = 2.15, 75kg = 2.30, 80kg = 2.45, 85kg = 2.60, 90kg = 2.75, 95kg = 2.90 and lastly 100kg = 3.05.

Moving onto protein shakes, here are a few facts: Found in milk is whey protein (6.5% protein). 20% of the 6.5% is whey protein. There is a massive concentration on amino acids making whey protein the highest biological value to the body of any protein.

Here are a few more facts about whey protein: whey is a waste liquid by-product from cheese manufacture, it is often dried at high temperatures which helps speed the manufacturing process however anything above 60% means the fragile proteins become denatured and essentially destroys their ability to function. Also, manufacturers use colours, flavours, sweeteners and sugar which improves palatability. It's also often very low in fat although proteins need fat for proper metabolism use and lastly it's often only backed up by self-funded research.

When thinking about purchasing a protein powder, it's important to consider the following: to look for cold processed protein powders that are manufactured below 50 degrees, have no added sweeteners, flavours, colours or sugars and that it is mixed with whole organic milk due to the fact that fats are essential for protein metabolism.

Exercise nutrition - General exercise & Isotonic drinks

General exercises refers to people who participate in lower intensity training, this is where glycogen is possibly lost and greater amounts of fat will be used. There are also guidelines regarding general exercise. These are to aim to stay within the energy balance, not mixing high carbs with high fat though try to provide energy that can be metabolised, smaller portions and also having meals often favour the oxidation of the nutrients, the micronutrients should be high, aim to create an energy deficit of 250 calories if trying to lose body fat, also fulfil carbohydrate needs (moderate/low GI foods), EFA's should be eaten in balance, must include adequate protein and also fibre should be high.

Isotonic drinks replace the fluid and provision of fuel which comes in the form of carbohydrates. This can help to maintain reasonable hydration and provide a faster rate of absorption. They have electrolytes/salts lost through increased sweating during exertion which are all necessary. However, isotonic drinks sometimes have artificial sweeteners added to them. It can also be recommended to create your own sports drinks which you would do by: dissolving 60g of glucose into 1 litre of water and then adding a fifth of a teaspoon of unprocessed natural salt. You can also mix 500ml of water with 500ml of fruit juice (unsweetened) and then adding a fifth of a teaspoon of unprocessed salt which is natural.

Exercise nutrition - Pre/Post-exercise meals

It is thought that a release of insulin will occur due to a high rise in blood glucose when GI foods are chosen before exercise. There are however feared side effects of high GI carbs, these are when the insulin causes a big fall in glucose levels before the exercise workout has begun (rebound hypoglycaemia) and also and increased rate of early glucose oxidation. It is thought that better performance in exercise occurs when glycogen sparing occurs with the low glycaemic trial. There is however no clear benefit that research has found. It is mainly thought that low GI foods and high GI foods eaten before exercise show no major differences regarding performance levels.

Drinks containing carbs are highly recommended during exercise for athletes. It has been shown that ingesting carbs is acceptable if the race/match is no longer than 90 mins, the session is longer than an hour or if a pre-exercise meal isn't possible. It can also help improve performance during exercise when consuming isotonic drinks as it delays the onset of fatigue. This can be as effective as consuming a pre-exercise meal. It is also an advantage that fluid is replaced by an isotonic drink.

In particular, during the 2 hours after a training session, the muscles are a lot more sensitive to the effects insulin produces creating a more reliable replacement for the lost glycogen. Immediate consumption of GI carbs helps the high synthesis of muscle glycogen.

The reasons why high GI (glycaemic index) carbs post-exercise are recommended is due to increased glucose availability/uptake, insulin and glycogen synthesis. There are also recommended guidelines, they are as follows: post-training = 1 gram carbohydrate per kg of body mass every 2 hours or 50 grams per meal, the 1st intake to be within 15 minutes of the workout ending and intake over a day = 7-10 grams carbohydrate per kg or 500-700 grams of carbohydrates per day.

Exercise nutrition - Fueling aerobic & anaerobic sport

Different exercise routines need different nutritional recommendations such as aerobic training needs fuel which can be provided by carbs, fat and also protein. A larger amount of fat will be used for energy whilst working at lower intensities. Carbohydrates will be used as fuel more when the intensity of the exercises intensify.

The use of combined food as well as sports drinks/water/protein shakes, sole reliance on protein shakes or sports drinks or even the use of food alone will require much needed knowledge for the serious exerciser.

The aerobic system is able to use carbs and also fats to fuel activity whilst the lactate (anaerobic) system uses just carbs. We become more anaerobic the higher the intensity of the exercise meaning more carbs are used.

It has been shown that 58% of total work is contributed to through anaerobic work during a cross country run lasting for 5 miles. Also, it has been proven that the aerobic system contributed 40% of energy. This was during a half minute sprint. A 1 minute sprint used 50% energy and a 2 minute sprint used 65% energy. During these tests, it was shown that during the 100m sprint, men used 21% aerobic energy and 79% anaerobic energy and for the 200m sprint 28% aerobic energy was used whilst 72% anaerobic energy was used. In women it was 25% aerobic energy and 75% anaerobic energy in the 100m sprint, also 33% aerobic energy and 69% anaerobic energy was used in the 200m sprint.

Nutrition - Artificial sweeteners & Food additives

So, artificial sweeteners are commonly found in foods aims at consumers who are looking to lower the number of calories they take in and also the diet industry. Excitotoxins is the name that experts use to call common sweeteners. These excitotoxins stimulate sensory areas of the brain and they can also stimulate appetite and craving sensations. However, a lot of these sweeteners are found to have potential side effects that are harmful. There are 4 different types of artificial sweetener. These are Aspartame (E951), Sucralose (E955), Acesulfame K (E950) and Saccharin (E954).

Aspartame has received more complaints about aspartame than any other additive. It's been linked to many different health conditions like numbness, depression, dizziness, aching muscles, seizures and high blood pressure. Aspartame is also sold under many different brand names such as Equal, Spoonful and NutraSweet. However, it's present in well over 6000 food products.

Sucralose is linked in to the shrinking of the thymus gland and the enlargement of the kidneys and liver as well as decreased red blood cell count, diarrhoea and reduced growth. Sucralose is also sold under the brand name Splenda.

Acesulfame K stimulates the insulin which then causes hypoglycaemia. This happens when a response higher than is necessary follows low calorie intake.

Saccharin is listed currently as an anticipated human carcinogen. In sensitive people, this can cause insomnia, irritability, diarrhoea, itching and headaches.

There are 5 main additive categories, these are E100's (colourings), E200's (preservatives mostly), E300's (acidity regulators, anti-caking agents and antioxidants), E400's (thickeners, stabilisers, gelling agents and emulsifiers) and E900's (sugars, sweeteners and waxes).

There are also other E numbers that are carrier solvents, bulking agents, glazing agents, flour treatment agents, anti-foaming agents, firming agents, flavour enhancers and raising agents or modified starches.

When it comes do additive safety, the majority have been shown to be safe when kept within the acceptable limits although 70 additives have been known in some people to cause reactions (allergic) and also intolerance. It's also been known that 150 additives overall have had concerns about them as in testing there have been some adverse reactions. It's also been known that 30 additives are harmful.

It's also worth noting that aspartame, saccharin and monosodium are extremely popular in the food market. These additives along with others should be minimised in ours diets.

Nutrition - Food additives and Labelling

When it comes to healthy marketing terminology, many different phrases are used on food labels. This is to increase the appeal of products.

These phrases are known as 'low calorie', 'sugar free', 'light, low, reduced or high' and 'reduced or low fat'.

'low calorie' has no set level but must be lower than the original
'sugar free' usually has artificial sweeteners for taste and sugar hasn't been added
'light, low, reduced or high' shouldn't mislead although there are no specific requirements
'reduced or low fat' usually has calories added through the adding of other ingredients to bring the product than lower by 25% in fat.

Food manufacturers usually prefer to use technical names when listing the food additives. These are known as its 'E' number which a lot of the general public and generally ignorant of.

Refined sugars help to increase sugars and are very sweet and slightly addictive. They contain no calories. These sugars/sweeteners are glucose syrup, glucose-fructose syrup, inverted sugar syrup, sugar, dextrose, sorbitol, xylitol, high fructose corn starch, maltodextrin and mannitol.

MSG (Monosodium glutamate) is an isolated amino acid, can be addictive and sweetens the flavour of products. It can affect the hypothalamic area of the brain thus being linked to obesity. However, it's only needed by the law on food labels if it's been added in its pure form. Free glutamic acid can cause the same problems as it is still there in lots of other additives. Its presence will be listed as whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, hydrolysed protein, carrageenan, yeast extract and most natural flavourings.

Nutrition - Food Labelling basics and Marketing terminology

When it comes to food labels, the ingredients that appear on the back of one are always listed in descending weight order. There are also certain things that ALL food labels must provide due to law, these are the product name, the weight or total volume, a best before date, instructions for storage, an ingredients list as well as stating potential allergens, details of the manufacturer and a place of origin.

In the BBC News in 2005, it was reported that out of 70 products that were tested for 570 nutrients, only 7% of those actually matched the food label values whilst nearly a fifth of them had food labels values more than 20% over (the margin of error).

The control and the sale of food in the UK is down to the FSA (Food Standards Agency). Food currently made including the labelling and manufacture is governed by the 1990 Food Safety Act. The FSA is also responsible for the food model, "The Eatwell Plate".

The FSA have also provided a list of terms regarding food regulations.

These include the terms fresh, pure, natural, authentic, home made, traditional, farmhouse and original.

Fresh is to differentiate the food sold a short time after harvest.
Pure is single ingredient foods, or to show the amount of ingredients of a food.
Natural is comprised of natural ingredients and not the work of a man.
Authentic remains unchanged and originates from the area implied by its name.
Home made is made from home or of domestic manufacture.
Traditional is a method of preparation that's existed for a long time period.
Farmhouse refers to produce on a farm, other than bread.
Original is a method of preparation that's stayed unchanged over time.

Next up is 'Healthy marketing terminology'...

Nutrition - Vitamin & Mineral supplementation

Some supplements are made in laboratories whilst other supplements get their nutrients from foods (A and D). Supplements made in laboratories are made from natural precursors meaning they may be labelled as natural. Vitamins A, D, E and K are best from natural sources as they're in oils and fats.

Some people may think with vitamin B supplements that they are getting all the needed vitamins although this isn't always true as the supplements only contain 8-12 different types. A lot of vitamin C supplements are made in laboratories and usually are pharmaceutical grade ascorbic acid. Rutin/other analogs (minerals) help to buffer the vitamin and to increase the bioavailability in vitamin C that comes from natural foods.

With other nutrients and substances, minerals in the food appear a lot in complexes and supplements (minerals) are there in engineered complexes. Calcium hydroxyapatite is the only form of a natural food extract when it comes to the most popularly taken mineral supplement which is calcium.

Vitamins B, D, E and K are not present in multivitamins meaning that it can mislead people into thinking they are getting all their vitamins from multivitamin supplements. It's also worth noting that although vitamin supplementation can help, but they only help to support a diet and not make one.

Nutrition - Micronutrient requirements

Dietary Reference Values (DRV) give rough guidance for nutrient and energy requirements of healthy people. However, these values don't take into account exercises/workouts. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition (COMA) published reports on estimated nutrient requirements.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is a guideline based on minimal intakes to prevent disease rather than to give the best nutritional advise for a diet. The system has been superseded lots, this is due to the fact that the system is now viewed as very dated. There is a current system called the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) though views are still the same regarding the use of the guidelines.

Children, pregnant/lactating women, elderly people and people with chronic disease conditions are more likely to encounter nutritional deficiency.

Nutrition - Antioxidants

Oxidative damage is slowed down by substances. These substances are called antioxidants. The human body has grown defences that help limit the damage that can happen through oxygen based reactions and come as antioxidant enzymes. The body produces these through cells, like superoxide dismutase. Antioxidant enzymes in the body need vitamins A, C and E as well as zinc, selenium, copper and manganese (minerals) to function correctly.

Antioxidant nutrients can be found in green veg, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, citrus fruits (vitamin C), egg yolks, whole grains, nuts, almonds, green leafy veg, veg oils (vitamin E), oysters, lamb, nuts, ginger root, peas, eggs, grains (zinc), meats, fish, grains, dairy, shellfish, tuna and brazil nuts (selenium).

Through higher oxygen consumption, exercise will increase oxidative stress. It's important to have a variety of vitamins and minerals in your diet. It will help to limit damage caused through exercise, also injuries and help recovery that is caused by myofibril damage (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

Nutrition - Phytochemicals & Enzymes

Phytochemicals are made by plants, also have a vital part in human health and can help prevent cancer, help with cholesterol management and help prevent oxidation and damage of the structures. The main categories of phytochemicals are flavonoids, phytosterols, isoflavones and carotenes.

Enzymes have 3 dimensional structures. The body can use an enzyme can turn off or on a reaction it catalyses or can turn off or on other reactants that are involved in the process. Substrates is the name when reactants bind to the enzyme and the active site is the name when the substrate binds onto the enzyme. Only an appropriate fitting substrate can bind to a specific enzyme. It promotes the desired reaction and causes the outcome once the binding process takes place. This whole process needs assistance due to the fact that only certain substrates can fit into certain active sites. Assistance comes from co-factors (minerals) or co-enzymes (derivatives of vitamins).

Vitamins and minerals are very important as they help the enzymes to function and keep life.

Next up... Antioxidants!

Nutrition - Minerals

So, minerals helps our bodies to function on a daily basis. Although they don't provide energy, they help to unlock the energy that is in our diet. Minerals are mostly in the skeletal system and account for around 4% of ours body mass. If we have a varied diet, we can ingest minerals as plants extract them from soil. There are 7 macrominerals that are needed in bigger amounts. These are as follows: Calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur.

Calcium is found in dairy products, green leafy vegetables and fish like salmon with soft bones.

Chloride is found in coconut flesh and natural unprocessed sea salt.

Magnesium is found in fish, dairy produce, nuts and natural unprocessed sea salt.

Phosphorus is found in animal produce, nuts/legumes and whole grains.

Potassium is found in nuts, vegetables and natural unprocessed sea salt.

Sodium is found in zucchini, meat broths and natural unprocessed sea salt.

Sulphur is found in eggs, cruciferous veg and dairy products.

Now for the purposes...

Calcium helps muscle contractions, bone growth and also regulates the acid-alkali balance.

Chloride regulates fluid balance as well as acid-alkali balance. It also helps carbohydrate/protein digestion.

Magnesium helps to form bones, absorb other minerals, nerve transmission, metabolism of carbs and tooth enamel.

Phosphorus helps kidneys to function, and also helps bones and cells to grow.

Potassium helps cellular chemistry and fluid balance.

Sodium helps to stimulate nerves, water balance and cellular fluid distribution.

Sulphur helps to protect from infection, form cartilage/skin and also helps to protect against pollution and radiation.

Lastly, there are 20 trace minerals. These are also necessary to help the body function but they are needed in much smaller amounts. These are boron, iron, nickel, copper, cobalt, zinc, silicon, selenium, manganese, iodine, molybdenum and chromium.

Next up I'll be talking about Phytochemicals!