All Posts By

Kate Taylor

Jan 10

#34 Mushroom supplements

By Sunday Shutdown Series, Supplements No Comments

SUNDAY SHUTDOWN #34 MUSHROOM SUPPLEMENTS have hit the headlines and I’ve been asked about them a few times recently. Last year, there was even a mushroom latte released from a London coffee chain claiming to improve immunity. I mean please.

There is no doubt that mushrooms themselves have great dietary properties, they are a brilliant food, low in calories, a source of fibre and a plant. Something the majority of us should be including more of in our diets.

The back story

Mushrooms have been used in traditional herbal medicine for centuries. And that’s about as far as it goes. Herbal medicine, which isn’t based on science but moreso on the natural elements of plants and traditions doesn’t have much if any clinical evidence to support its claims. One of the main issues is that many herbal remedies aren’t regulated, you don’t need a licence to sell or produce them yet some can have the same side effects as regulated drugs and medicines. But you never hear those stories, do you? Just about the miracle cures. Would you buy conventional medicine from Jane who lives down the road rather than your pharmacist or doctor?

Claims include supporting the immune system, enhancing mood, being anti-aging, increasing endurance and more scarily helping to fight cancer growth.

Supplements

Supplement forms are available as powders, tablets, broths, teas, coffee and even shower gels. Yet there is no evidence to supports any of these claims being true in humans. The majority of evidence for immune support exists in rodents where high doses have been used. You cannot compare injecting mushroom supplements into mice with drinking a herbal tea or orally taking a capsule.

Any effect you see is likely to be a placebo, which if that helps your symptoms then great. But also think about if you made any other changes at the same time you started taking these and could that have been the reason you feel better?

Jan 04

Australia, my home land, my heart breaks for you

By Food for thought, Rants, Travel One Comment

I’m so sad. I’m actually crying right now.

But I had to sit and write this in the hope that it will help you all make change. Help you to meaningfully look at your life habits and think about the future. I talk about this stuff all the time, but this time it’s more serious.

Why so serious?

Maybe it’s because I’m about to have a baby that it’s hit me harder than normal? Is it wrong that I feel guilty already about the world I’ll be leaving behind for him? I hope he’ll be ok?

Or is it because the place I call home, Australia, is literally on fire. The state I was born in is burning. The mountains that are snow topped in the winter are now filled with flames. Smoke has reached New Zealand. The size of the burnt area is half the size of England, can you imagine if half of England was engulfed? Half a billion animals have perished and perhaps entire species lost. The only way these fires will be put out is by mother nature. It needs to rain. Yet it won’t. And what if it doesn’t, how long will they burn for? And the smoke. The long term health implications of this will be absolutely terrible.

What most people outside of Australia don’t realise is that our rural fire firefighters are largely volunteers and these are the people who are on the front line.

Feeling helpless

It’s awful feeling helpless isn’t it? We all know the feeling. We will have all experienced it at some point in our lives. As I watch videos of koalas fur smouldering as they are pulled off trees to be rescued, of a burnt, dead kangaroo stuck to a fence because it couldn’t get out, of families being separated and of a country that is now so divided by politics, I just feel lost. It hurts. I did wake today feeling slightly more optimistic. It’s refreshing to hear that the country is pulling together and the support I’ve seen is outstanding. It does make it a little easier. Just a little.

Is there anything we can do? We can start by not ignoring it. We can start by educating ourselves on how to help and stop being ignorant. We can start by making it our problem.

Change for the environment

So, when I speak to people or put out tips on making change for the environment I am actually serious. It’s not just some little thing I do because I have time. It’s because I want to make a difference and I want others to as well. It’s because it angers me every time I see people not thinking about their actions before they do them. If we don’t actively consider what we do now, there will not be a next time. No seriously there won’t.

I am not an environmental scientist. I studied human nutrition. Very different, yet both are sciences and both inter-related, probably moreso now than ever before. And don’t get me wrong this is not solely attributed to climate change, not at all. However, over the last 12 to 18 months I’ve done a lot of research (as has my husband) on this ever-changing world we live in and perhaps how we can be better. There is no perfect way to start, it’s just important that you do.

We are by no means perfect. No one is. We still travel. We buy products in plastic. We own a car. But we have made so many changes that will help our world.

  • Look after what you have. Don’t be wasteful. Repair clothes. Repair toys. Repair home furnishings. Look after your home. Stop throwing things away when they can be fixed.
  • Don’t buy a bottle of water. If you are thirsty and you forgot your reusable one, tough shit. Wait. Or ask a café or shop for a glass of water as you pass by. It’s not rude if you ask in the right manner.
  • Can you walk? Transport currently has the biggest impact on the environment, the biggest emissions. So yes walk, especially if it’s a short distance because by the time you get in the car, drive, park and get out you may have been able to walk there anyway. Stop moaning. We have legs for a reason. Re-arrange meetings and use technology for the purpose we have it. Video call. Phone call. Don’t feel like you have to be there in person. Think about how much time you’ve wasted in traffic not even moving. Right, only you can change that.
  • Challenge other people’s decisions and behaviour. Be brave and ask them why they are or aren’t doing any of the above.

There is so much more we can do, this is just a start. And this won’t stop Australia burning. Think about every decision you make because collectively that’s the best chance we have at making a difference.

Even if it’s one thing. Tell me a good reason why you shouldn’t give it a go. What’s the worst that might happen? Your legs get tired or you feel really thirsty. Someone talks back to you. Wow. Seriously.

And on that note (while I’m feeling overly passionate), don’t be a dick. Be nice to people. Smile. That also won’t help our environment, but it might just inspire someone else to do something good. Or at least feel good.

So please, don’t turn away. It’s not someone else’s problem. You have a personal responsibility because you live here, on earth.

How you can help

And finally, here’s how you can help those in Australia. At this stage monetary donations are the best way to help. The time will come for clothing, food and shelter but at this very point in time it cannot actually reach those who need it due to geographical restrictions and evacuations.

Mycause.com.au – Has a multitude of links to support those who have suffered in the Victoria bushfires, wildlife, humans and the volunteer fire service and emergency services.

Wires.org.au – This is the NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc.

Koalasincare.org.au – Not for profit organisation run by volunteers who receive no government funding, they’ll be inundated with rescue koalas at the moment.

MyGC.com.au – has a full list of charities including The Red Cross, St Vincent de Paul and The Salvation Army.

Adopt a Koala

Dec 30

#33 New years resolutions

By Sunday Shutdown Series No Comments

SUNDAY SHUTDOWN #33 NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS: because they will be across your feed for the next few weeks.⠀

The truth is…

it’s estimated that around 80% of NY resolutions fail. Why. Quite simply because for most of us we want to do everything at once.⠀
❗️We are all or nothing.⠀
❗️Which means we do everything or we do nothing.⠀
❗️Which means when we miss one thing, we deem ourselves a failure.⠀
❗️Why does New Year = New You?⠀
❗️And even moreso why do you need a new you?⠀

So yes I’m shutting down the new years resolution because you can make a change at any time. And I’d urge you to ask yourself if the new year is the right time as more than likely you’ll be starting a whole host of other things too.⠀

If it is, then great but it’s best to start with one thing, just one.

If it’s related to eating better perhaps aiming for 5 portions of fruit & veg a day is a good place to start, or having a meat free day per week, meal prepping for one extra dinner or just being more conscious around your food choices and journalling to reflect that.⠀
If it’s related to exercise and movement, start with one or two sessions a week, then move to three and maybe four. Not everyday.⠀

Also, perhaps don’t tackle both food and exercise at once. Just a thought.⠀

Finally, don’t forget to make note of what you’ve changed. Be accountable to yourself that you will do what you’ve set out. Have clear goals, clear intentions and review them. Just like you would for a meeting at work.⠀

On that note, Sunday shutdowns will return in the new year, and we’ve got a pretty good line up.⠀

Dec 30

#32 Collagen

By Sunday Shutdown Series, Supplements No Comments

SUNDAY SHUTDOWN #32 Collagen

Collagen supplements are relatively new to the market and claims about health include maintaining a healthy gut, glowing skin, improved mood as well as promoting healthy hair, nails and skin. It comes in the form of tablets, drinks, topical creams, bars and powders.

With our skin starting to age from our mid 20’s onwards, many are actively freaking out about lines and wrinkles and will do anything to stop it.

Studies…

There are many studies showing collagen works in a laboratory environment but move away from there and into the real world and there is pretty much no evidence for its positive use in humans on any of the health claims listed above. Once you consume collagen, it has to survive being digested (the stomach is very acidic) get into your blood and then be transfused into your skin before it can be used. Collagen is once again cleverly used to pray on our insecurities.

However, the good news is taking collagen supplements is unlikely to be harmful due to the minimal doses being consumed within these supplements. Personally I wouldn’t recommend spending your hard earned cash on something that’s not proven to work. However, that’s up to you. Some of the best things you can do to protect your skin is stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, eat lots of fruit and veg, exercise regularly and don’t smoke or consume alcohol excessively.

There is a little bit of research into the positive effects of collagen hydrolysate supplementation on bone density and joint health, however you ain’t gonna get this from a drink with collagen added to it. Yet again these studies were a mix of animal, lab and human studies with doses of up to 12g per day and the effects were short term. For perspective, in a tablet you’ll get about 1 gram. (Porfirio, E 2016 and Liu et al 2018)

What do the the experts say?

Whilst on the topic of skincare and the effect ingesting collagen can have on your skin, I’d recommend taking a look at Anjali Mahto on Instagram. Clear cut evidence for your skin who also supports that the science here is sketchy at best.

Dec 23

GRANOLA

By Recipes No Comments
I honestly thought I’d posted this a long time ago. But alas I haven’t so here it is. Use what you’ve got in your house and mix it up where you want to. I don’t have set quantities I just chuck in what I’ve got in the cupboard.

INGREDIENTS
Oats (generally I put more oats than anything else as these are the base)
Desiccated coconut
Sultanas
Dried apricots, roughly chopped
Dates, roughly chopped
Prunes, roughly chopped
Almonds, crushed
Peanuts, raw (not salted or roasted)
Cashews, crushed
Mixed seeds – sunflower, sesame, pumpkin
Chia seeds
Honey, max 2 dessert spoons

METHOD
Preheat oven to 180C
Line a roasting tray with baking paper
Mix all dried ingredients together in a big bowl
Pour ingredients into tray
Drizzle with honey
Bake for 15 minutes stirring every 5 minutes. The granola should be golden and crunchy. You can leave it in the oven for a little bit longer just be careful as it will burn quickly!

Dec 10

Plant drinks. Is yours fortified with iodine?

By Plant based, Supplements, Vegan, Vitamins No Comments

Did you know that as humans our main source of iodine comes from cows milk. And that organic cows milk actually has a lower iodine concentration by around a third. Especially important throughout pregnancy for foetal brain development but also for the general population too. So when we make the switch to a plant based alternative, that’s one micronutrient we are actively removing from our diet. A lot of the time unknowingly.

Some brands will add iodine in, but even some of the most well-known don’t. This isn’t law in the UK so it’s completely their decision if they want to add it in or not. Cost comes to mind?
Marksandspencer and Oatly both add iodine to their standard plant milks, and Alpro do to their soy original only. Double check the label for piece of mind. Does it contain iodine? It will say on the nutrition panel. If it doesn’t then look for another one.

Supplements

If you are adopting a vegan diet then unless you are consuming fortified drinks or other fortified foods you may need a supplement. It should be in the form of potassium iodide or potassium iodate. The UK adult recommendation is 150mcg/day and your supplement should not exceed this amount.

Food sources

Seaweed is also good source, so sushi or those seaweed sheets you can get for snacks are great. However, they don’t need to be consumed every single day as their iodine content varies considerably. There are also some seaweed/kelp iodine supplements on the market however it is not advisable to take these due to the point mentioned above.

Other food sources are white fish like cod or haddock and eggs. Or if you can consume a mixture of dairy and plant drinks that’s a good option too.

If in any doubt a blood test from your GP will be able to detect your current levels

Further reading

And if you would like some further reading, there was a review published in 2017 by Sarah Bath et al “Iodine concentration of milk-alternative drinks available in the UK in comparison to cows’ milk”

It’s just useful to remember this will be ever changing as manufacturers change their recipes so best to check the label.

Nov 20

Why I’m not eating my placenta

By Pregnancy, Supplements, Vitamins No Comments

This may be too much information for some. But I felt it important to write, and also sum up the evidence on this topic.⠀

What is it?

Making your placenta into pills seems somewhat trend at the moment. It’s a bit like celery juice and turmeric and their unproven health benefits. Consumption of the human placenta post birth has reportedly been linked to better mood, enhanced recovery and an increase in milk production. With anything this new, we simply haven’t had the time yet to research any claimed benefits or on the other hand any harmful effects to human health. The most common form for consumption is through the placenta being dehydrated and turned into pills, just like a supplement.⠀

Yes, other mammals consume theirs. We are not other mammals.⠀
Yes, it contains lots of nutrients which have kept your baby alive for 10 months. That doesn’t mean we should eat it.⠀

What does the evidence say?

It is important to note the growing body of evidence in this area. A study conducted by Young et al. in 2016 looked at 28 placenta samples to see if, after processing, the 17 hormones found within it were still present. 16 of them were. However the effect they would have on the human body after consumption was not investigated.⠀

A review of the literature conducted in 2018 by Farr. A. et al found that the majority of studies in humans are anecdotal and based on self-reported surveys. This translates to personal experiences and has a load of bias associated with it because it can’t account for anything else that happened whilst consuming the pills. Such as, you are no longer pregnant and may feel better for that fact alone. Your diet may have changed since baby arrived, you may be breastfeeding, you may not. This review also found that no nutrients or hormones were retained in amounts that would be beneficial for mothers after birth.⠀

As with anything there are also risks, including group B streptococcus being passed on to baby if the placenta is infected and remains undetected which has been reported in one case in the USA.

In summary

Whilst there is no doubt interest in this area and ongoing research, for me, these anecdotal reports are not enough. And the fact we can obtain optimum nutrition through our own diet with a few proven supplements is.

Nov 17

Zinc & colds

By Supplements, Vitamins No Comments
Quite a timely post given I’m suffering this week. I have wanted to post on this for a long time, so here goes…⠀

Previous thoughts…

It’s long been thought vitamin C is the cure for the common cold or at least something that will help the symptoms. A Cochrane systematic review published in 2013 looked at 29 studies on developing a cold while taking a vitamin C supplement regularly. It was found that this is only really beneficial for those participating in high level sports but not the average Joe like you and me. There was an overall failure to see a reduction in the incidence of common colds in the general population and supplementation only reduced the symptoms of the cold by 8%. When this has been tested again these results were not replicated.⠀

Research on zinc 


Zinc however, well there is some promising research on this micronutrient.⠀

A meta-analysis conducted by Rondanelli et al (2018) where they looked at 82 research studies found that zinc supplementation can reduce the duration of the common cold by 33% however it must be taken within the first 24 hours of the onset of symptoms. And as for the dosage well that’s a little bit tougher to decipher and there are no formal recommendations. This is also where it becomes tricky because you may not know exactly when that 24 hour period starts. In another review conducted by Harri Hemila in 2011 it was found that a daily supplement of more the 75mg/day was also associated with a reduction in duration but any less and the results weren’t seen.⠀

It’s also important to note these studies and another systematic review by Singh and Das in 2015 reported a reduction of duration but not how bad the symptoms are. The common cold on average lasts around 10 days so if you can get it early you could reduce its length by about 3 of those days.⠀

And finally it seems zinc acetate lozenges are best for the above. The challenge is finding one with an adequate dosage, which to be fair is difficult given there is uncertainty around how much will be of benefit. Many zinc lozenges come with added vitamin C which is totally fine, check the mg content per lozenge and aim for around 75mg/day for the duration of the cold. This is likely to be more than what’s in one or two lozenges. Do be mindful there could be side effects including a bad taste and nausea and if you experience these then dosage should be dropped or stopped.

In summary…

You cannot avoid it completely, if you catch the bug you’ve gotta ride it out, just perhaps not for as long.

Nov 17

#31 BCAA’s

By Sunday Shutdown Series No Comments

SUNDAY SHUTDOWN #31 BCAA’S

What are they?

Branched chain amino acids (BCAA’s) have been big business in the health and fitness industry for a while now. That being said I still get asked about them and I still know people taking them. It makes me angry sometimes.

Out of the nine amino acids that make up protein, three of them are of the branched chain variety:
Leucine
Isoleucine
Valine

The most important of the three in terms of muscle gain and maintenance is leucine, the other two have no added benefit. So here’s your first hurdle, you are paying for those extra two for no reason. No benefit, nada.

Why do people take them?

Most individuals currently taking or considering taking BCAA’s are those who actually give a sh*t about training and nutrition. They will already be taking on additional protein and be conscious of what they consume throughout the day. They will also be easy to market new products to. The thing is, if you are hitting your protein target/threshold per day then there is absolutely no benefit in taking these. The only time they may be beneficial is in super low protein meals, which you are unlikely to be eating.

The science?

An in depth review of the science conducted by Wolfe in 2017 found no human studies that showed an increase in muscle protein synthesis after taking BCAA supplements orally. And when taken intravenously it actually resulted in muscle breakdown and less muscle synthesis.

A time when they may be useful are for those participating in ultra-endurance events, think #ironman. And this is due to the severe carbohydrate depletion towards the end of the exercise period, we are talking like 6 hours in. Once your carbohydrate stores are gone, your body will start to breakdown protein to use for fuel, not ideal, but by taking BCAA’s this can limit the amount of protein broken down which is going to assist with your performance right to the end and also your recovery too.

If you are an avid BCAA user, try investing your money elsewhere and perhaps think about other areas of your diet and or nutrition which may have got you those results. #justsayin

Nov 05

#30 Manuka Honey

By Sunday Shutdown Series No Comments

SUNDAY SHUTDOWN #30 MANUKA HONEY, is it worth the price tag?⠀

What is it?

Manuka honey is native to New Zealand and is a product of the manuka tree where bees collect their honey from. In recent years it has landed on the shelves of many health food stores and even supermarkets with a price tag upwards of £20, some even coming in at £70. Health claims on manuka honey (and any products containing it) include it’s positive effects on your gut health, treating cancer and diabetes, boosting your immune system and generally being good for oral hygiene. It is both marketed for external or topical use and for ingestion as well.⠀

All types of honey have been praised for thousands of years on their antibacterial properties and have been used for wounds and burns. Manuka honey has a special chemical called methylglyoxal which has specific antimicrobial properties, this compound is not found in standard honey and is what makes it different. However, the benefits of methylglyoxal found in Manuka honey is not quite known just yet. In general terms for wound care there is medical grade honey which is licensed around the world. Manuka honey is not medical grade. And you should not use any honey purchased from a supermarket to heal your wounds at home.⠀

What does the science say?

Most people will see manuka honey and buy it for ailments such as a sore throat and because it costs more and has a fancy rating system on it then surely it must work, right? False. Despite all the claims you read about manuka honey there are no large scale human trials that have looked at its effect on cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol or gut health (or anything for that matter). Most of the limited research conducted using manuka honey has been done in a lab or in animals therefore it cannot be applied to humans.⠀

And finally…

So whilst a well known remedy for a sore throat is a hot cup of water with lemon and honey, the standard stuff will do just fine. And a side note from a sustainability perspective, our bees are in danger so plant some bee loving varieties in your garden next spring or buy some bee bombs, the kids will love them.⠀