Important: This information is general and acts as a guide only. Information on this website should not be interpreted as providing advice on treatment. Any dietary or supplement information should be discussed with your medical practitioner or treating specialist as appropriate. Information must be placed into your specific clinical context for informed decision making by medically trained personnel. The practitioners are qualified Dietitians and as such, can provide information on dietary approaches, not medical treatment/s. So please ensure you discuss all information you get with your medical practitioner/s before adopting any dietary or supplement intervention. The final report you receive will need to be interpreted by your designated medical practitioner. Each practitioner works independently on this website. Queries about feedback regarding dietary services, tests or products should always be directed to the practitioner involved in your care.
If you are not a client of Activ8Health and did not receive this report through the www.a8h.com.au by an authorised Activ8Health practitioner, you may not be getting the advice you deserve. If any practitioner is not an authorised Activ8Health practitioner providing you with this report, please send a message to admin@a8h.com.au
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What is Metabolic Health & the Metabolic Impacts of Food? 
Food needs to be metabolised, i.e. it needs to be broken down into its components for energy, building block components for cells, tissues and organs and micronutrients needed for thousands of biochemical reactions. The metabolic impacts are
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Do you know how much Magnesium, Calcium, Cobalt, Selenium, Iodine and many other vitamins and trace elements you are getting in your diet? –
The Western diet is calorie-rich and yet micronutrient-poor. Micronutrients have diminished in food over the decades and this has been highly researched. When we add loss of nutrients from paddock to shelf then storage and cooking we can be dangerously low in many micronutrients. With 95% of the populating getting nowhere near their fruit and vegetable intakes this leaves people suffering from suboptimal intakes of fibre and many minerals. Suboptimal micronutrient levels also can be regarded as a powerful metabolic impact of food insufficiency and deficiency The body copes by “Robbing Peter to Pay Paul” – in other words it cannabilises itself by robbing non-immediately vital organs such as muscle and bone to ensure your heart and brain continue working in a nutrient depleted world. This is the Triage Mechanism which is the shuffling of microntrients around the body. Micronutrients by your practitioner – Can be discussed. These supplements are NOT used therapeutically to a large extent but to ensure adequacy of micronutrient intake for optimal cellular function. As Harvard says, “to fill in the gaps” |
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Strongly consider monitoring your blood glucose response to food
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Chrononutrition
When you eat in the evening there are many physiological factors that work against you in terms of weight gain and long-term health 1. There is increasing insulin resistance as night approaches Chrononutrition is the study of food timing in relation to circadian rhythms that determine the metabolic impact of food on your body. Studies date back to the 1970s and research on shift workers. These workers suffer from many chronic diseases due to their changed timing of food intake determined by their shifts. Eating in the evening or late at night is one of the worst things you can do for long-term health. Chrononutrition and Insulin Sensitivity - Click here
Reference: Poggiogalle, E., Jamshed, H. and Peterson, C.M., 2018. Circadian regulation of glucose, lipid, and energy metabolism in humans. Metabolism, 84, pp.11-27. |
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Eating what is on your plate in a particular sequence
This is a very interesting researched finding based on the fact that macronutrients such as fibre or protein can slow down the release of glucose after eating. This means less demand on the pancreas to rapidly release a large amount of insulin A similar effect is also seen on blood glucose levels by following these guidelines. |
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Overnight Fasting
An overnight fast that lasts for 16 hours or more is a wonderful way to lose fat stores and to allow cells to rest and repair. This can easily be achieved if you cease eating early enough in the evening which is the worst time to eat anyway and hold off on food till noon. While you fast your body gets rid of abnormal or damaged cells (apoptosis) and starts to repair cells and proteins. Fasting runs the risk of not getting enough micronutrients or omega-3s Your practitioner can discuss:
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Both partners are vital to an optimal pregnancy outcome
An outdated notion is that the woman bears full responsibility for a pregnancy. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If either is overweight or obese, they risk passing on this trait through epigenetics to the offspring. Not only will the child be affected but their children and so both of the parents are responsible for intergenerational wellbeing. Supplementation before pregnancy, during and after is now considered vital. This includes Omega-3’s, Choline, Folate, Vitamins, Minerals, Trace Elements along with an optimal diet The first 1000 days of a child’s life
From birth to 2 years of age will shape intelligence and a strong and healthy child. Perhaps this should be extended to the 12 months prior to conception as this period is also critical for not only a pregnancy outcome but for foetal development and even mental health outcomes. Research in molecular psychiatry has shown a significantly decrease in a multitude of mental health disorders including Schizophrenia if supplemental Choline is taken at the right time through pregnancy Talk to your Activ8Health practitioner for tested and safe products for conception and for the baby.
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eating and may stay elevated for 6 hours or more. Anyone with insulin resistance (prediabetes) or PCOS in women at high risk of Insulin Resistance or diabetics will suffer the damaging effects of glucose long after that meal is finished. Glucose can latch on to proteins in the body and damage them.
Both fats produce a “soaring” inflammatory response after eating41. Inflammation drives many diseases and dietary impacts on inflammation is not to be ignored especially if the individual has a chronic disease such as Alzheimer’s or heart disease or cancer which can be driven by inflammation
When you eat copious amounts of food, your body is seeing this as a feast signal for procreation and thus cell multiplication and not repair 
Top foods with the worst impacts on blood glucose
This was determined by a company called Levels who monitor glucose levels in large numbers of people. How these foods will affect you can only be determined by you using a low cost glucose monitor for perhaps 2 weeks and for you to keep a note of the results.
| Cereals | Oats | Pancakes | Grapes | Acai Bowl |
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| One of the most toxic combinations is Cereal + Milk + Sugar or Honey. There will be a massive demand for insulin as glucose levels will soar. | A healthy breakfast? Think again. Large glucose spikes can occur. Add milk and your insulin levels can spike dramatically. Add honey and you have a disaster. | Highly refined flour + sugar makes this a poor choice. Add Maple syrup and you have a glucose surging disaster | Some whole fruit not fruit juice is important. Surprisingly grapes can produce very sharp glucose surges. | A trendy breakfast bowl in some cafes. Acai can be bitter so ripe banana or honey or sweetened nut milks are used. This shoots blood glucose levels very high |
| Sushi | Pho & Ramen | Pizza | Fast Foods | Glucose Surging Foods |
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| The sticky white rice is highly refined with the starch rapidly absorbed and converted to glucose. The Soy sauce can be high in sugar as well | The culprit, is the noodles. Rich in refined starch that raises blood glucose levels/ | Packed with refined carbs and even the toppings may have hidden sugars. Processed meats add to the danger of this commonly consumed food. | Needless to say, these are packed with refined starch and simple sugars that are readily absorbed. Fries as simply fatty glucose sticks. Eat rarely if at all | From sugary soft drinks to cordials, white rice, pasta, honey, agave, pastries, sweets. All will cause glucose spikes and will likely lead to chronic disease and a shortened lifespan. |
Dairy is not essential for life
| Dairy
Is Not Essential |
Dairy and the concern for those with prediabetes (insulin resistance) and diabetes
Dairy and the concern about cancers
Dark green leafy vegetables pack a better punch for Calcium than dairy with significant amounts of Magnesium People underestimate the dangers of food because dairy has been seen as a staple. If a specific food is not essential, we should not subject anyone vulnerable to feeling guilty about not using this food group. Highly bioavailable and more than adequate amounts of Calcium can be obtained from nuts, seeds and dark green leafy vegetables. 1 cup of boiled, drained spinach contains 245 mg of highly bioavailable Calcium without the excess saturated fat of dairy or the energy content of dairy. This is around 25% of your calcium needs for the day just in this one cup. Other good sources are low oxalate kale, bok choy, broccoli.
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Eggs are not essential
| Eggs
Are not essential |
Eggs are high in Omega-6 Fatty Acids – A cause for concern!
Professor Artemis Simopoulos, an expert on Omega-3 essential fatty acids, studied this and found that a supermarket egg contains 19 times more Omega-6 fats than Omega-3 in comparison to a Greek egg that would be found on, say, the island of Crete, the home of the Mediterranean Diet8. Inflammation drives the vast majority of severe illnesses in society, such as prediabetes, diabetes, heart and vascular disease, obesity, Alzheimer’s Disease, many cancers. Eggs, Strokes, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk Eggs and Cancer A paper on the risk of meat and egg consumption stated “Men who consumed 2.5 or more eggs per week had an 81% increased risk of lethal prostate cancer compared with men who consumed less than 0.5 eggs per week — among healthy men39.” Prostate and breasts are very similar in terms of hormonal control and what is bad for one will inevitably be bad for the other. |
Protein is essential. Not animal based meat
| Red and Processed Meats
Essential Amino Acids (EAAs)
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Consider Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) as a substitute for protein
The EAAs are free-form amino acids that your body cannot produce. These amino acids have to be consumed. Unlike the non-essential amino acids (NEAAs) which the body can produce and which you obtain in large amounts in fruits, vegetables, nuts and other foods, it is the EAAs that have a highly positive effect on protein synthesis. The EAAs are very low in calories unlike animal meats that are rich in fat and calories. Having enough EAAs in your diet can help suppress appetite. In a seminal book ‘Eat Like the Animals’, professors Simpson and Raubenheimer from Oxford and Sydney Universities have shown the critical importance of ‘Protein Leverage’ as a drive for food consumption until protein needs are met meaning that protein is supreme in the world of macronutrients. However, animal proteins provide a large number of NEAAs that you don’t need. Micronutrients in meat are important but do not necessarily have to come from meat We have to rethink our consumption of animal-based products. With climate warming and a planet threatened from loss of critical habitat just to farm animals for meat, what kind of legacy are we leaving the next generations. We need to move beyond propaganda promoted by industry providing scholarships, advertising, support for associations and “research” to promote products such as dairy, eggs, meat and grains the so-called staples that are critically damaging the health of populations. Any micronutrient you find in animal products you can find in other less damaging foods and in supplementation. Saturated and Trans Fats & Cardiovascular Disease The most common sources of saturated fat are 1) Meat 2) Dairy and 3) Eggs. These are the staple foods in a Western society. As the American Heart Foundation points out, decades of scientific research has shown that saturated fat intake can increase the “bad” cholesterol increasing the risk of Cardiovascular disease. Trans fats are universally considered to be the worst in terms of the impact on the lipid profile in the body. Small amounts are found naturally in meats and dairy and larger amounts are found in highly processed foods. Processed meats are classified as Group-1 Carcinogens by the World Health Organisation All processed meats from bacon to small-goods such as salami or pepperoni and hot dogs have an association with many cancers especially with Bowel and Stomach cancers. Bowel cancers are on the rise in younger and younger populations. Bacon and eggs are commonly consumed by the public unaware of the risk of eggs and bacon to cancer. Processed meats as Group 1 Carcinogens is included in a list along with Asbestos, Arsenic, Benzene, Radioactive compounds, and many other dangerous chemicals. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Endotoxin produced by the Gut Microbiome can produce marked inflammation in the body Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the blood, also known as Endotoxaemia, may increase by 50% even after one fatty meal11. Remember that inflammation drives almost every disease from Alzheimer’s to vascular to dementia. Is it any wonder that Western societies are riddled with chronic disease. Every meal matters and every meal can alter the Gut Microbiome. Supplementation is not a dirty word – Discuss critical supplements with your Practitioner Many micronutrients will need to be supplemented such as Zinc, Vitamin-B12, Iron if animal products are to be avoided. Having a bias against any supplementation of vitamins, minerals and trace elements is foolhardy. There is an absolute abundance of research showing how these are critical to optimal health. The Activ8Health philosophy is not to use supplements as if they are pharmaceuticals, but to simply ensure an optimal supply for cellular and organ function and health. Please discuss valuable supplementation with your practitioner
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Toxic Fructose Loads
| Toxic Fructose Foods | A very sobering thought about the Fructose in fruit juice is a study that showed for every 350ml of fruit juice consumed; there was a vast 24% increased risk for all-cause mortality, i.e. the risk of all causes of death37.
Studied at Australia’s Swinburne University, it was shown that just one glass of orange juice can lead to an increase in central (aortic) blood pressure 12! This central blood pressure increase in the Aorta is much more precise in measuring heart and vascular risk. How many aneurysms in the Aorta or elsewhere could be traced back to the staple of honey or fruit juice and Agave syrup which has a much higher fructose load than honey On average table sugar and honey have a 50:50 mix of sucrose and fructose but Agave has an astounding 84.29% fructose content40. So what is so bad about fructose? You will know that glucose is toxic because you will be aware of all the complications diabetics suffer as a result of high glucose levels damaging every cell, tissue and organ system in a diabetic leading to premature ageing, organ failure and early death. This damage is called GLYCATION and this produces what is called Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) which are damaged proteins. Fructose is 7 – 10 times more glycating than glucose 17. Fructose loads over time can lead to a fatty liver putting people at risk of cirrhosis. Highly Toxic breakfasts One of the absolute worst meals you can have for breakfast is to have a cereal (high carb load) along with milk that produces the GI-Insulin Dissociation leading to a high insulin response on top of the high carb cereal and then to add honey or agave that will not only demand even higher
levels of insulin but also have high loads of fructose that is many times more glycating that glucose as discussed above Glycation from Glucose and worse still from Fructose and Ageing Skin Before and after shot of a beautiful senior woman’s faceIt is important to remember that the proteins that are damaged by glycation caused by glucose and a higher damage by fructose also damages elastin and collagen in the skin leading to premature ageing. Throw sun exposure onto unprotected skin and it is a recipe for disaster if keeping your skin youthful is a concern. |
References
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