Combating Obesity with Folinic Acid

Dr Peter Tunbridge recently appeared on Today Tonight to discuss the benefits of using folinic acid as part of an effective weight management program to combat obesity.

Outlined below is a brief summary of the discussion.

Obesity is a multifactorial condition caused by a number of factors such as:

-Hormone imbalances
-Inflammation
-Insulin resistance
-Genetics

Genetic influences can affect hormone balance, a large contributing factor to age-associated weight gain. It is believed that up to 50% of the population may have polymorphisms in the MTHFR gene. This leads to an inability to utilise and metabolise folic acid and ineffective methylation. In turn this may contribute to excess oestrogen levels, fluid retention, insulin resistance and weight gain.

Folinic acid is a metabolically active form of folic acid, and is able to be utilized by people with MTHFR polymorphisms. By promoting healthy methylation and metabolism of oestrogens, folinic acid has the potential to be highly effective in supporting weight management for conditions associated with hormone imbalances.

For more information on folinic acid, click this link

Source: Bio Concepts Pty Ltd.

The full transcript from the story can be found here

I have the MTHFR polymorphism and am currently taking Dr Vera's Activated B Complex, which contains folinic acid and other B vitamins

More Water

Last year I did the Excelgene GeneElite test to learn more about my physical make-up to help me with my training goals. While I had tried to apply as many of the recommendations in my report as possible, I felt like I hadn't got as much out of it as I could have. So yesterday I met with Paul Beaver and Matt Patti from Fit Genes. We concluded that I have been doing the right things with my diet (adding a supplement containing folic acid and B vitamins, ensuring my diet contains regular portions of cruciferous and allium veges, and eating antioxidant-rich foods). But there are a few areas where I could improve. One is my water consumption.

While I drink about 2 litres of water a day, apparently it's not enough for me (my skin isn't as hydrated as it could be). I need to drink more water to help my body flush out waste (my detoxification mechanisms are poor) and reduce body fat. Having diluted Gatorade will help me stay hydrated during training.

So my challenge now is to drink more water and tweak my workout drink (am currently having straight BCAAs). Am also going to build in a sauna recovery session to help sweat out toxins.

In other news, I'm currently editing a slow cooker recipe book (1001 recipes!), and I received Oscar's ashes today. He is sitting on my desk as I type.

Afternoon Delight

This afternoon the idea of a choc-dipped banana popped into my head. So I mixed up a scoop of choc protein powder with enough water to make a paste (I used Sun Warrior rice protein but I'm sure it would work with any choc protein powder), then spread it all over my banana (messy job but you get to lick your fingers afterwards!) then placed it on a sheet of foil sprayed with cooking oil spray. I very loosely wrapped the foil over the banana then placed it in the freezer for a couple of hours. The result - hard on the outside (like chocolate ice cream topping), soft on the inside. A yummy preworkout snack.

Oscar has left the building

He was taken away today to be cremated. It's strange not having him around. I've worked from home for the last five years and I'm used to him coming in and interupting me all the time, wanting to be fed or to go outside or sit on my lap. It's very quiet now.

RIP Oscar

Oscar, my 13-year-old cat, always sleeps by my stomach. When I went to bed last night he was still outside and when I woke up this morning he wasn't on the bed, so I went looking for him. I found him under one of the bushes in the back yard. He had been moving quite slowly the last day or two, but I thought it was due to the sudden increase in temperature we've had the last couple of days. Prior to that he was full of energy - he caught a mouse last week and brought it inside to play with. He had been deteriorating mentally over the last few months though. He'd try to get my attention, then when I got up after him he'd just wander aimlessly around. Or he'd stand by his food bowl meowing for food, but when you put it down for him he'd wander off. I will miss his warm little body sitting on my lap, and snuggling up to me at night. Even Rob, who never wanted a cat in the first place, had grown quite attached to him. I'm sure TJ will miss his furry little brother too.

Vegan Day

Long time no post. Over the last two weeks I've been really tired from TOM, daylight savings, being sick and coordinating an in-house job (which I had to travel an hour each way to). I've done very little exercise (poor TJ has missed his morning walks, and so have I) and while my eating has been good during the day, I've been eating a lot at night (some good, some not so good), and I'm up a kilo from where I was two weeks ago. I finally felt balanced again after having a vegan day yesterday. Had a decent amount of carbs in the first two meals of the day, and some nuts mid-afternoon, which set me up well so that I wasn't craving anything by the end of the day. I think being off the dairy was good for me too.

Friday's food (no animal products)

8am mug of warm water with juice from half a lemon

9am chocolate Sun Warrior protein mixed with Vital Greens in 2 cups water; one large slice fruit toast

12.15pm sweet potato and leek soup

4.30pm cashews, orange

8.30pm glass of champagne to celebrate finishing my project; tofu and vege stirfry

10.30pm mocha pudding made with coffee powder, chocolate Sun Warrior protein, LSA

Measurements

Weight 62.5 (down 0.6) Feeling great!

New goal is 60kg before we leave for New Zealand on 19 November.

See it. Be it.

Jump Rope

This is one of my favourite 'do at home' cardio workouts at the moment. My skipping fitness is gradually increasing, but I find the mountain climbers really tough!

Jump Rope: 30 minute duration, high intensity, long intervals

If you don't have a jump rope, simulate it. Jump for 3 min. at a shot, off the toes of both feet. Rest by continuing to jump shifting your weight from side to side, whole foot down for two minutes. Do this three times. Next cycle, decrease the time to 2 min. jumping, 2 min "mountain climbers" (no rope - hands on floor running in place in push up position), 1 min. recovery jumping. Repeat three times...

Feeling Great!

High carb, low fat seems to be really agreeing with me. My energy levels have been a lot better this week, and so has my concentration. I had positive comments from three different people this week about the quality of my work. Rob also commented that I've been smiling more this week.

Weight today is 63.1 (down 0.1 from last week). Not much movement on the scales, but I've lost 2cm off my chest and 1cm off my waist, so there's still some fat loss happening.

This week I've been reading at night instead of spending time on the internet. Am currently reading The White Queen (historical novel by the author of The Other Boleyn Girl) and the Beck Diet Solution, a cognitive therapy approach to losing weight. Am not enjoying The White Queen as much as The Other Boleyn Girl, but the Beck Diet Solution is interesting. It's a 42-day program, and so far I've found the following days most useful:
Day 1 Record the advantages of losing weight
Day 2 Pick two reasonable diets
I chose higher carbohydrate weight loss for my primary diet, and I also created a card to remind myself that 'There is no one right diet. There's nothing magical about any diet. The only formula for weight loss is taking in fewer calories than your body expends'. Looking at this card whenever I start thinking about what other people are doing reassures me and stops me wasting time on the internet looking at other options.
Day 4 Give yourself credit for positive behaviour
Day 5 Eat slowly and mindfully

Playing Games

Weight/fat loss has been going well but I've been feeling tired a lot. So am doing a little experiment. For the next couple of weeks I'm going to eat high carb/low fat and see how I feel, and what my results do.

walk
B: egg whites, veges, oats, fruit, fish oil
S: protein powder, yoghurt, fruit, Vital Greens, fish oil
L: leftover protein and veg from dinner the night before, legumes, fish oil
S: protein powder, yoghurt, fruit, Vital Greens, fish oil
train
D: lean protein, veg, starch, fruit, fish oil

Although I'm really enjoying eating yoghurt again, I'm still not sure about my reaction to it: my feet have been a bit rashy, and I've been feeling a bit tired after eating it, so if there's any tweaking to be done, that will be the first thing to change.

In terms of head space, I'm feeling more relaxed than I have for a while. Am glad I got the meat delivery and am looking forward to seeing what I get in my fruit and vege box tomorrow.

Measurements

Am posting this a day early as we're going away for the weekend.

As it's a Friday (and I only weigh in on a Saturday), I don't know what my weight has done, but I finally pinned Rob down today to do my bodyfat measurements. Basing my calculations on the weight I was last Saturday, I worked out that in three months I have:
-lost 6kg of "fat mass"
-gained 2kg of "lean mass"
-for a total scale loss of 4kg
Yay!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Refried Beans recipe

From Meals without Meat by Simon and Alison Holst

Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 small green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 (400g) can kidney beans
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste

Method
- Saute onion and garlic in the oil. When soft, add the choppped green pepper, and seasonings. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until pepper softens, then reduce the heat.
- Drain the can of beans, keeping the liquid, and add the beans and tomato paste to the rest of the ingredients in the pan. Heat through over moderate heat. Mash the mixture with a potato masher or process in a blender or food processor. Thin down with a litte bean liquid if required.

This was quite nice. A bit more time consuming than opening a can of refried beans, but at least you can make all the ingredients organic if you choose. I would say this recipe would make three serves.

Meat is Here!

I ordered a Spring Selections meat pack plus some other bits and pieces from Belmore Biodynamic Meats, and it was delivered today. TJ was VERY interested in this box when it was delivered, LOL.

After opening the box


After lifting out the paperwork


After unpacking

The column on the left is the extra bits and pieces I got (500g organic pork loin chops, 500g organic pork mince, 500g turkey mince, 500g chicken mince, 500g beef mince, 500g eye fillet). The two columns on the right are the contents of the Spring Selections pack (500g Extra Lean Lamb Mince, 500g Lamb Backstraps, 500g Diced Lamb, 500g Loin Chops, 1.7kg Leg of Lamb, 1kg Organic Chicken Breast Fillets, 500g Organic Chicken Strips, 1.5kg Organic Chicken Whole, 500g Topside Mince Extra Lean).

It's not cheap BUT I'm only eating animal protein once a day now (instead of three or more times like I used to), and I break it up with some cheaper cuts like kangaroo. And fish too. So this should last us close to a month.

Oh, and here's a pic of my breakfast this morning: a white corn tortilla folded over kidney beans with chilli seasoning and topped with tomato and coriander, served with cooked onions, capsicum, mushrooms and spinach. Tasted pretty good but next time I'll use refried beans instead of kidney beans, and salsa instead of tomato and coriander.

Too much soluble fibre?

One of the books we inherited from Rob's dad was Healthy Eating for IBS, by Sophie Braimbridge and Erica Jankovich. One of the authors is a chef and the other is a dietician, so in addition to having some great recipes, there's also some interesting information on IBS.

On p28 there is a section called Too much soluble fibre:

'A high intake of soluble versus insoluble fibre can lead to excess amounts of food residues available for gut fermentation in the colon. Soluble fibre is metabolised by healthy gut bacteria to produce short chain fatty acids (bacteria) and gases. In certain people who harbour excessive amounts of sulphur-producing bacteria, extra gases such as hydrogen sulphide and methanethiol are also produced, which result in bad smelly wind. The short chain fatty acids feed the colonic bacteria, increasing their quantity and fermentation rate and so producing an increase in bowel gases.

It is a common error, when attempting to increase your fibre intake, to be over-enthusiastic and eat too great a quantity of fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts and seeds, which are the main sources of soluble fibre in our diet. In order to achieve the right balance, aim to maintain but not exceed the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day and ensure that all starch portions in your meals are those which contain insoluble fibre. Do not make the mistake of counting oats as an insoluble fibre when they are actually classified as a soluble fibre.'

From p22
Soluble fibre
Food types which are predominantly high in soluble fibre are:
- fruits
- vegetables
- legumes
- oats
- barley
- seeds

Insoluble fibre
Foods predominantly high in insoluble fibre are:
- roughage foods with skins, husks and peels, eg spelt, buckwheat, millet, chickpeas
- some fruit and vegetables with their skins and pips, eg tomatoes, courgettes, grapes plus potatoes and other root vegetables
- wheat, rye and all other cereals
- nuts and some legumes, eg almonds, chestnuts, coconut, chickpeas
- rice

How much fibre do we need?
'There is no simple answer to this question. Each person's fibre intake needs to be individually assessed and the contribution of the different fibre sources in their diet ascertained. This information then serves as a basis for dietary manipulation. It should be noted that there is a very fine line to be drawn between having the correct amount and overdoing it in terms of fibre intake. Prudent guidelines (that is, the recommended average for the population) suggest a total fibre intake of 20-30g a day of which 6-10.5g needs to be soluble... It is important to remember that although these guidelines of 20-30g per day are prudent, they may not be appropriate for you. Your type of IBS and an assessment of your particular symptoms and present fibre intake will determine the amount of fibre that is right for you.'

I am an individual

'I am not in pursuit of a better body or a better life for anyone but myself, so therefore I must do what feels good to me' (from The Scale: Friend or Foe)

This Week's Affirmation and Meal Plan

This Week's Affirmation
Food is a source of relaxation and joy

This Week's Meal Plan
If it gives you any indication of how my mind works, I've changed my mind three times about what I want to eat this coming week. I have my fruit and veg delivered on Friday, so on Wednesday I started thinking about what I wanted to make and so what to order. My delivery arrived on Friday morning, but on Saturday night I altered my plan (have been a bit low in energy with just a shake between walking and training in the mornings and thought that eggs and legumes might be better, and I also decided I wanted to try reintroducing some dairy, in the form of sheep products), then on Sunday afternoon I started thinking again about the order of my meals (I had planned to move my workouts to the afternoon as I often feel like having a sleep afterwards instead of working, but decided I really prefer to train in the mornings, when it's quieter). So you can see why sometimes I feel like food rules my life - I'm constantly thinking about it.

So, my plan for this week is to...
*get up and go for a walk
*come home and eat eggs, legumes and veges
*go to the gym
*come home and eat some protein, starch, veges and a little fruit
*have another meal like this if my body is still burning/I'm finding it hard to concentrate on my work
*rest of meals will be lean protein, veges, good fats
*one meal will contain some sheep yoghurt
*one meal will contain some sheep fetta

That's as planned as it's going to get for this week.

Next week I won't plan any meals in advance. From now on I am going to get a box of seasonal fruit and veges delivered, and the contents will be a surprise. That should eliminate the food thinking on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Then I just have to decide what to make with the contents once it arrives. But again, I'm not going to plan anything too far in advance. It'll just be a case of 'I've got x meat in the freezer. That would go nicely with the x in the vege bin'. And I've got a plan to deal with the meat too - I found an organic meat website that does seasonal hampers (more lamb in spring, etc). So I can have some nice meat in the freezer and nice veges in the fridge and I just have to decide the night before what I feel like eating the next day. Easy!

Measurements

Weight: 63.8 (down 0.3kg).

I'm happy with this small drop given that during the past week I:
- had 3 glasses of champagne and too much food at an engagement party
- missed a training session because I was really tired and felt like I was coming down with something (turns out it was just my period arriving)
- had 1.5 feijoa vodkas with L&P (NZ lemonade - the sugary kind!) to celebrate a friend's birthday

No celebrations to attend this coming week, so should be full steam ahead!

Fish and Lizards

Some meals I've been enjoying lately...

Giant Salad (tastes like a california roll in a salad!)

(recipe on this page; I use white balsamic or brown rice vinegar instead of balsamic, and wasabi paste instead of dijon mustard and herbs, and mix canned tuna into the salad)


Marinated tuna steak and carrot slaw



Sesame crusted salmon on Vietnamese silverbeet salad



I wasn't keen on eating this though...

This Week's Affirmation and Meal Plan

This Week's Affirmation
I am responsible for my own actions

This Week's Meal Plan
on rising: Vital Greens, green tea, fish oil

walk TJ, 30 mins

snack: supershake (rice protein, kale, banana, date, walnuts)

train, 30-45 mins

breakfast: oats, Valerie's chocolate berrilicious sauce, flax seeds

lunch: broccoli, chilli bean, tomato and avocado stack, or Mexican salad

snack: tuna, wasabi and nori salad, fish oil

dinner (in no particular order):
braised beef with wine and herbs
tomato salmon scramble
salmon burgers on giant salad
sesame crusted salmon with sauteed peppers
creamy cauliflower and salmon soup
peppered sirloin with grilled onions

Measurements and Meeting

Measurements
Weight 64.1kg (down 0.7kg), with almost all tape measurements down. I think the change in schedule (walking the dog first thing in the morning instead of the afternoon), and the slight change to my food plan as a result, has worked really well. So I'll keep on doing what I'm doing.

Meeting
Today I met up with Michelle Koen, who is visiting from Adelaide. We picked up lunch from Habib Wholefoods on Flinders St (I got a morrocan chickpea salad, Michelle got a vegetable frittata with pumpkin seeds) and took it down to South Bank and sat by the river in the sun to eat and chat. We talked food, comp prep, training, travel and work.

Michelle, it was great to meet you in person, and I found out where you can get those edamame beans in Australia: The Cruelty Free Shop