Physio Strength Club, London (2025)

19/11/2025

🌿 Why Inflammation Might Be the Missing Piece in Your Health Puzzle 🌿

Hey everyone — something powerful is happening in science, and it’s turning how we think about health — especially mental health — on its head.

We used to think of our brain and immune system as separate. You know: your mind handles thoughts and feelings, and your immune system just fights off infections. But what if they’re not independent at all? What if they’re deeply interconnected, influencing each other every day?

That’s what recent research is revealing. Inflammation — not just as a reaction to injury or infection — is being reconsidered as a central player in how our brain works, how we feel, and how we age.

🔬 The Immune–Brain Conversation

Immune Signals Reach the Brain
When there’s inflammation in your body, immune cells release molecules called cytokines. These cytokines don’t just stay in your tissues — they communicate with your brain. In fact, there are pathways (through nerves like the vagus nerve, and through the blood) that relay these immune signals up to your brain.

The Brain Responds
It turns out the brain doesn’t just passively receive signals — it actively regulates immune activity. Scientists have discovered something like a “neural rheostat,” a mechanism in the brainstem that can dial inflammation up or down.

Chronic Inflammation = Brain Problems
When inflammation becomes chronic (long-lasting), it doesn’t just affect joints or blood vessels — it affects the brain. This kind of neuroinflammation is associated with cognitive decline, memory issues, mood problems, even neurodegenerative diseases.

Mental Health Link
Here’s a really eye-opening part: inflammation may play a role in depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Some research suggests that when our immune system is chronically active, it can “subjugate” the brain — leading to symptoms like fatigue, low mood, social withdrawal.

Gut–Brain–Immune Axis
The gut microbiome is another key piece. Gut bacteria can produce molecules that influence both immune function and brain activity, sending messages via the gut–brain axis.

💡 So Why Does This Matter for You?

Rethink “Stress, but it’s just in my head”
Maybe that persistent low mood or brain fog isn’t just “stress.” It could be tied to immune-system activation.

Lifestyle Matters More Than Ever
Things like poor diet, chronic stress, pollution, lack of sleep — they don’t just hurt your body. They can fuel inflammation, which then communicates with your brain in harmful ways.

New Opportunities for Treatment
This isn’t just theory — researchers are exploring therapies that target inflammation to help mental health. Rather than treating depression purely with anti-depressants, could we someday treat it by calming inflammation? Some early ideas suggest yes.

Prevention is Powerful
If inflammation is part of the root cause, then strategies to reduce it — like anti-inflammatory diets, stress management, good sleep, gut health — might be more effective than we thought.

✅ What Can You Do Right Now

Prioritise sleep — poor sleep fuels inflammation.

Eat anti-inflammatory foods: think vegetables, omega-3s, whole foods.

Practice stress reduction: meditation, gentle exercise, time in nature — whatever works for you.

Talk to your doctor about inflammation: if you have chronic health issues (autoimmune, gut problems, persistent fatigue), ask whether inflammation might be playing a role in your brain or mood changes.

Stay informed — this is a rapidly developing area of science. Books like The Immune Mind by Dr Monty Lyman deeply explore this new frontier.

This isn’t just another health trend. It’s a paradigm shift. Understanding that our immune system and brain are in constant, two-way conversation changes how we think about illness, aging, and well-being.

I’d love to hear your thoughts:

Have you felt “inflammation” in your life (chronic fatigue, mood swings, brain fog)?

Have you tried lifestyle changes to reduce inflammation — and what’s worked (or not) for you?

Let’s start a conversation — because if inflammation really is rewriting the story of our health, we might all benefit from knowing its plot twists.

18/11/2025

Mounjaro, Musculoskeletal Pain… and Why Your “Side Effects” Might Actually Be Something Else

There’s been an explosion of people using Mounjaro and other GLP-1/GIP agonists lately — not just for weight loss, but for managing metabolic health, cravings, and even inflammation.

And while these medications can be genuinely life-changing, there’s a pattern I’m seeing in my clinic and in conversations with execs and busy professionals:

Upper-quadrant pain. Shoulder/neck tightness. Deep aching around the ribs. Back flare-ups. A general “my body doesn’t feel right anymore.”

Many people assume these new pains are direct side effects of Mounjaro.

Sometimes they are.

But more often… they’re collateral damage from rapid body-composition changes, altered movement patterns, nutritional shifts, and (this is the big one) a metabolism that’s finally being forced to work differently than it has in years.

Here’s what I’m seeing repeatedly:

1. Rapid weight loss exposes strength deficits

You lose 6–12 kg quickly, and suddenly the strength margins you used to get away with disappear.
Your shoulders, spine, pelvis — they all have to stabilise a lighter frame with muscles that haven’t been “updated” to match the new demands.

Cue upper quadrant pain.

2. Protein intake tanks

Most people dramatically undereat protein once they go on Mounjaro — nausea, reduced appetite, and early satiety make it almost inevitable.

Low protein + lower total calories =
➡️ Lean muscle loss
➡️ Poor recovery
➡️ Hormonal disruption
➡️ Higher risk of tendinopathy and joint pain

3. Slower gastric emptying = altered movement

Sounds strange, but I’ve seen this dozens of times:
When your gut slows down, your diaphragm, thoracic spine, and rib cage mechanics change subtly. That can create discomfort around the upper abdomen, rib angles, and even the lower traps.

4. Metabolic flexibility improves, but physical capacity doesn’t automatically follow

You feel better hormonally… but your tissue capacity hasn’t caught up.

This mismatch = pain.

5. Inflammation shifts — and this can actually “unmask” old injuries

As systemic inflammation drops (a good thing), you start to notice areas that have been dysfunctional for years. Old shoulder issues surprise people the most.

So… is Mounjaro causing your pain?

In my clinical experience:
It’s rarely the drug itself.
It’s almost always the downstream effects.

And the good news?
These issues are highly fixable with the right approach.

If you’re on Mounjaro (or considering it) — here’s what I do with clients:

🔥 Rebuild strength in the areas most vulnerable during rapid weight loss
Especially the upper quadrant, hips, and deep core.

🔥 Create an anti-inflammatory, protein-sufficient nutrition strategy
So metabolism improves without sacrificing muscle.

🔥 Rebalance movement mechanics
Breathing, rib positioning, scapular control — the stuff most people never work on.

🔥 Monitor energy, recovery, stress, and inflammation
Because the real health upgrade isn’t the medication… it’s what you layer on top of it.

🔥 Provide accountability, clarity, and a plan
Not a “program.”
Not 1,000 exercise videos.
Just personalised support that fits into a busy professional’s life.

If you’re on Mounjaro and your body feels strange — this is exactly what I help people with.

You can keep guessing… keep hoping the pain goes away…
or get ahead of it and actually build the strength and resilience your new body needs.

If you want support, message me.
Let’s get your energy, strength, and confidence matching the progress you’re making metabolically.

17/11/2025

Health Literacy: Apparently Still on Annual Leave 🫠

I have this recurring conversation that honestly makes me question whether we, as a species, are doing okay.

Someone comes to me — usually rubbing their knee like they’ve just run the Boston Marathon, even though they “mostly sit at a desk” — and asks:

“Scott… what can I take for my arthritic knees?”

And every time, I deliver the same scientifically bulletproof, deeply unsexy advice:

“Strengthening exercises… and lose a bit of weight.”

You’d think I’d just recommended they walk barefoot across Lego.

Immediately, the defensive overdrive kicks in:

“Well I’m not very overweight… and I do lots of walking. Especially for work.”

Ah yes, here comes my favourite part of the health literacy circus.

Let’s break it down:

1️⃣ Walking is NOT a strengthening exercise.

If walking built muscle, posties would have quadriceps like Greek statues.
Delivery drivers would be deadlifting small cars.
Yet somehow, every person with knee pain believes pacing around Bunnings counts as a leg day.

Walking is lovely.
Strengthening it is not.

2️⃣ People want passive solutions.

No one actually wants the answer they need.
They want a supplement.
Or a magic anti-inflammatory elixir.
Or a turmeric capsule blessed by a Himalayan monk.
Something they can swallow rather than something they have to do.

If turmeric built strong knees, half of Bondi would be invincible by now.

3️⃣ “Not overweight” does not equal healthy body composition.

The skinny-fat epidemic is alive and kicking — mostly kicking knees that can’t handle it.
You can be “the same weight you’ve always been” while carrying less muscle than a wet paper bag.

But try telling someone that.
You’d have better luck trying to convince a teenager their phone isn’t part of their skeleton.

4️⃣ Most people cannot tell the difference between exercise types.

To the average person:
Walking = running = cycling = yoga = reformer = “strength” = “cardio” = “steps” = “activity.”

It’s all just “exercise.”
Which is how we end up with people thinking that strolling through Westfield is equivalent to a progressive resistance program.

And so there I am, yet again, explaining:

“You need to load the joints. Add resistance. Build muscle. Make the tissue stronger.”

Blank stare.
Blink.
“Can I just take magnesium?”

This is what we’re up against.

The basics — lift weights, eat to reduce inflammation, build muscle, lose excess body fat — now sound like advanced coaching, simply because they require effort instead of a capsule.

Humid truth?

People don’t like active solutions.
They want passive permission slips.

But reality doesn’t care what we prefer.

You can’t fake strong knees.
You can’t posture your way out of weak quads.
And you definitely can’t supplement your way out of chronic underloading.

If any of this sounds a little too familiar… relax.

You’re in good company.
A lot of good company.

And the good news?

Strong knees are absolutely within reach — as soon as we stop outsourcing our health to Google, turmeric, and wishful thinking. 😉

17/11/2025

💪 New Research Shows Short Bursts of Vigorous Exercise Could Be a Game-Changer for Your Health

Most of us know that staying active is key to long-term health—but did you know that not all exercise is created equal? Recent research from the University of Sydney suggests that how intensely you move can have a huge impact on your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers.

📊 The key takeaway:

Vigorous-intensity activity—think sprinting, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), fast cycling, or climbing stairs—is up to six times more effective than moderate-intensity activity like brisk walking for reducing cardiovascular risk.

For diabetes prevention, vigorous activity can be nine times more effective.

Even small doses—just a few minutes per day—can make a meaningful difference over time.

⚡ What does “vigorous-intensity” mean?
It’s relative to your fitness level. A few telltale signs:

Your heart rate is up and you’re breathing hard.

You can only speak a few words at a time.

You can’t sustain this effort for more than a few minutes without a break.

👣 Moderate vs. light activity:

Moderate activity (brisk walking, casual cycling) is still beneficial, but you’ll need much more time to get the same effect. For example, 1 minute of vigorous activity = 6–10 minutes of moderate activity depending on the health outcome.

Light activity (slow walking, gentle movement) can’t replace vigorous exercise for improving heart and metabolic health—but it’s still better than being sedentary.

💡 Practical tips for busy lifestyles:
You don’t need hours at the gym to see benefits. Research highlights the power of VILPA—vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity. These are short, daily bursts of effort built into your everyday life, like:

Running up a flight of stairs

Carrying heavy shopping

Quick sprints to catch the bus

Even 4–5 minutes per day of these small, vigorous bursts can make a difference, especially if you’ve been sedentary. The key is consistency—making activity a habit, not an occasional effort.

❤️ The bottom line:
Finding a type of movement you enjoy is crucial. Vigorous activity is time-efficient, but if it’s not sustainable or enjoyable, moderate activity is a perfectly valid alternative. The goal is to move regularly, challenge your body, and build lasting habits that support lifelong health.

🏃‍♂️ Whether it’s a brisk walk with a friend, climbing stairs, or a short HIIT session, the most important thing is to just keep moving—and aim to make it a daily habit.

15/11/2025

🧠 NEW RESEARCH: How NAD+ Might Rescue the Brain—And Why This Matters More Than Ever for Preventing Cognitive Decline

One of the biggest shifts in the longevity and neurodegeneration space this year came out this week—a study showing that NAD+ might protect the brain in Alzheimer’s by fixing the way our cells “read” our DNA.

This is a huge insight, not just for dementia research, but for anyone interested in healthy ageing, metabolic health, or long-term cognitive performance.

And honestly… it ties into something I’ve been saying for years in my physiotherapy and health coaching work:

👉 A lot of chronic conditions—including pain, tendinopathy, fatigue, neurodegeneration—are deeply influenced by systemic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.
👉 And the upstream drivers of metabolic dysfunction often start decades before symptoms appear.

This new research takes that idea even further.

🔬 The Big Finding: NAD+ Helps the Brain Correct Its Own “Code”

The University of Oslo published a breakthrough study looking at NAD+ (a molecule we all produce, but lose with age). It’s crucial for energy production, DNA repair, inflammation regulation—and now we know it's also involved in RNA splicing.

What the heck is RNA splicing?

If DNA is the recipe book, RNA is the “instructions” used to make proteins.

But here’s the important bit:

🧩 The body can splice the same gene in different ways to create completely different protein versions (called isoforms).
🧩 As we age, the ability to splice correctly becomes dysregulated.
🧩 This dysfunction is strongly linked to Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The study found that in Alzheimer’s/tauopathy:

Splicing becomes error-prone

Neurons lose their identity

Memory declines

Tau builds up

And a key gene called EVA1C gets spliced incorrectly

What restored the splicing fidelity?

NAD+ precursors — NR and NMN.

Yes, the same NMN/NAD+ supplements many in the longevity space are already using.

🐭 What Happened in the Study

Across worms and mice engineered to express human Alzheimer’s-related tau:

❌ Tau pathology disrupted RNA splicing

❌ Neurons produced the wrong isoforms of EVA1C

❌ Memory plummeted

But when researchers gave NR or NMN:

✅ Splicing accuracy improved

✅ EVA1C was restored to normal patterns

✅ Tau levels dropped

✅ Memory returned to normal

❌ And when they “switched off” EVA1C, the benefits disappeared

The kicker?
This exact same EVA1C disruption is seen in human Alzheimer’s tissue.

This isn't fringe research.
It’s in Science Advances, backed by AI-based genomic analysis.

💡 Why This Matters for Us (and the Clients I Work With)

In my 20 years as a physiotherapist and S&C coach—working with everyone from high-performing executives to elite athletes—you start to see patterns long before the research catches up.

One of them is this:

The people who age well—stronger brain, joints, immunity—are the people who maintain metabolic flexibility, inflammation control, and mitochondrial function.

The people who don’t?
Often they show signs of metabolic dysfunction years before diagnosis:

Stubborn belly fat

Poor recovery

Brain fog

Chronic pain/tendon issues

Low resilience to stress

Fatigue

Elevated inflammatory markers

It all ties together.

This NAD+ research reinforces the idea that:

👉 Ageing isn’t just wear-and-tear. It’s a loss of cellular regulation.
👉 And metabolic health is deeply connected to brain health.
👉 Lifestyle, sleep, nutrition, and supplements influence pathways far upstream of symptoms.

This is exactly why my approach focuses on:

Anti-inflammatory nutrition

Omega-3 balance

Improving mitochondrial health

Strength and conditioning

Managing metabolic stress

And yes—NAD+ precursors as part of some clients’ protocols

Not as magic pills.
But as tools that support the deeper systems biology that drives long-term health.

🧬 My Takeaway as a Practitioner

This study doesn’t say NAD+ will “cure” Alzheimer’s.

But it does show something revolutionary:

Boosting NAD+ can restore cellular functions we once thought were permanently lost with age.

Specifically:

Gene expression

RNA splicing

Neuronal identity

Memory performance

That’s a massive step toward understanding how to delay, prevent, or mitigate cognitive decline before it starts.

And it reinforces something I see every day:

🔥 The earlier we support metabolic and cellular health, the more we protect the brain, joints, muscles, hormones, and immune system.

This isn’t about lifespan.
It’s about healthspan.

Being sharp.
Being strong.
Being functional.
For decades longer.

If you want me to break this down into a client-friendly explanation or include it in your own program, just drop a comment below.

This is one of the most exciting pieces of longevity research in years—and it’s only the beginning.

15/11/2025

🔥 Does Inflammation Play a Role in Tendinopathy? New Research – and Real-World Experience – Suggest It Does.

For years, the physiotherapy world shifted away from the idea that tendinopathy involved inflammation. We were taught that it wasn’t “tendinitis” (inflammation) but “tendinosis” (degeneration).

And while that was an important correction at the time, it also led many clinicians to completely dismiss inflammation as part of the picture.

But research in the last few years – and what I see daily in real clients – tells a very different story.

🟡 Local inflammation is present in many tendinopathies

A 2020 systematic review by Jomaa et al. reported signs of inflammation in the majority of tendinopathic tendons.
Macrophages, inflammatory cytokines, and tissue signalling that we once thought didn’t belong in tendons… are very much there.

In other words: it’s not just wear-and-tear or degeneration.
There’s a biological process happening, too.

🔵 But here’s the part that doesn’t get enough attention:

Many people with chronic tendinopathy also show signs of systemic, whole-body low-grade inflammation.

Research has started connecting tendinopathy with conditions that all share one theme: chronic systemic inflammatory load.

Diabetes / insulin resistance

Obesity

Raised cholesterol

Thyroid problems

Chronic kidney issues

Autoimmune conditions (RA, psoriasis)

Gout

These are also the hallmarks of metabolic syndrome — a cluster of risk factors that drive chronic inflammation throughout the body.

💡 And here’s where my clinical experience lines up perfectly with the research

After 20 years working in elite sport, corporate health, and rehab settings, I’ve noticed a clear pattern:

People with metabolic syndrome or poor metabolic health are far more likely to develop stubborn tendinopathies…
and they’re the ones who struggle the most to get better with loading alone.

They often need:

✔ Better omega-3/omega-6 balance
✔ Blood sugar control
✔ Improved body composition
✔ Reduced visceral fat
✔ Better sleep
✔ Lower chronic stress
✔ Anti-inflammatory nutrition
✔ Walking/zone 2 movement
✔ Less alcohol and more recovery

Once these systemic factors improve, the tendon starts responding in a way it simply didn’t before.

I’ve seen people who had “failed physio,” “failed injections,” “failed loading programs,” and were ready for surgery — suddenly improve once their systemic inflammation reduced.

🎯 The tendon is often the messenger, not the problem

Tendinopathy is still a loading issue. Strength training and progressive loading remain the cornerstone of treatment.
But for many people, the tendon is just the weak point expressing a much bigger story.

A tendon living in a body full of chronic inflammation, poor metabolic flexibility, and high oxidative stress has a much harder time repairing itself.

When you lower the inflammatory load, everything changes.

🧩 So where does this leave us?

We need to stop thinking of tendinopathy as just a “local tissue problem” and start seeing it as a whole-person metabolic health issue for many individuals.

Load the tendon, yes.
But also support the system it lives in.

Because when you address both… recovery becomes far more predictable.

If you’re dealing with ongoing tendon issues — Achilles, patellar, gluteal, tennis elbow, rotator cuff — and you recognise some systemic risk factors in yourself, there’s a good chance inflammation is playing a bigger role than you realise.

This is where I help clients create structure, reduce inflammation, improve metabolic health, and give their tissues the conditions they need to actually heal.

If you’d like more info or want to talk through your specific situation, feel free to message the page.

Your tendon pain might be telling you more than you think.

12/11/2025

🧠 Re-thinking Heart Health: From “Blocked Arteries” to Inflammation, Atheroma & Lifestyle 🫀

Hello friends — I want to share something deeply relevant to the work I do, helping clients optimise their health through anti-inflammatory nutrition, lifestyle upgrades, movement and proactive habits. A new major scientific report from the medical journal The Lancet has just reframed how we think about coronary heart disease — and this has powerful implications for how we coach health, prevent issues early, and shift from reaction to prevention.

🔍 What the report says
The commission authors argue that the conventional view of coronary artery disease (CAD) — focused on diagnosing ischaemia (i.e., reduced blood flow because of major blockages) and treating it when symptomatic — is too late. Instead, they define a concept of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (ACAD): the process of plaque build-up, inflammation of the vessel wall, remodelling, immune activation, lipid accumulation — quite a long time before the big event that we traditionally fear (heart attack, chest pain).
They point out that by the time you detect ischaemia or a major obstruction, a lot of the damage has already been done. The earlier window — when inflammation is still modifiable — is where lifestyle, nutrition, movement, mindset all have their role.
Importantly: the report highlights that eliminating known behavioural and metabolic risk factors (smoking, hypertension, high LDL, poor diet, lack of movement) could reduce the global deaths from ACAD by ~82% by 2050, potentially saving ~8.7 million lives per year.

🌿 Why this matters for anti-inflammatory nutrition & lifestyle coaching
If we accept that the disease process is fundamentally about inflammation, lipid deposition, endothelial injury, immune-vascular interplay, then the role of nutrition and lifestyle leaps into the foreground. Here are some of the take-aways that directly speak to the kind of coaching & support I deliver:

1. Diet matters big time

The report emphasises that dietary risks (ultra-processed foods, high sugar, high sodium, trans fats) are major contributors to ACAD.

Conversely, dietary interventions emphasising nuts, legumes, wholegrains, seafood, low red/processed meat, low sugar-sweetened beverages represent strong preventive potential.

For you and me: adopting an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-rich diet (rich in whole foods, colourful vegetables, fibre, good fats, low processed, limited sugar) is part of shifting the process upstream — before the “blockage” shows up.

2. Lifestyle beyond diet

Movement, physical activity, addressing obesity/overweight, good sleep, managing stress, limiting smoking/tobacco are all flagged.

The report emphasises that early in life (including childhood, prenatal, adolescence) is crucial — meaning the habits you build today can pay lifelong dividends.

For clients: building consistent movement habits, improving sleep, adopting stress-resilience strategies, avoiding chronic low-grade inflammation (from poor lifestyle, diet, environment) becomes central.

3. Focus on inflammation & vessel health, not just ‘clogged arteries’

The report describes how immune cells (leukocytes), inflammatory processes, smooth muscle migration, endothelial dysfunction all contribute to the plaque build-up in the vessel wall — before you get symptoms of ischaemia.

This means part of our coaching frame becomes: “How do we keep your vessel walls calm, flexible, with minimal inflammatory insult?” rather than waiting until “something shows up” and you’re managing downstream damage.

4. Early detection + action = advantage

The report emphasises screening, risk-factor modification, earlier detection of atherosclerosis (even before symptoms) is key.

As a health coach, I help clients understand risk factors, track their markers (lipids, BP, inflammation, lifestyle metrics) and implement changes early — essentially translating this “shift upstream” philosophy into action.

🏁 My Invitation to You
If you’re reading this and thinking “yes — I know parts of this, but I haven’t really taken the upstream route” — that’s totally fine, you’re not late. But the opportunity is here.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing specific tips and frameworks for:

Anti-inflammatory plate building: how to design meals that reduce vascular inflammation, support lipid health, support endothelial function

Movement & lifestyle rhythms that support vessel health (not just cardio for calories)

Stress, sleep & recovery strategies that lower chronic inflammatory burden

Monitoring key markers (nutrition, lifestyle, vascular health) so you can be proactive rather than reactive

If this resonates and you’d like more personalised support (whether you’re health coaching, trying to upgrade your lifestyle, or simply want to age better and reduce cardiovascular risk), I’d love to explore how we can work together.

✅ Final takeaway
Heart disease is not only about “will I get a blockage” or “will I have a heart attack”. A powerful new paradigm (from The Lancet) suggests we should be looking a lot earlier — at the atheroma, the inflammation, the vessel wall changes, the lifestyle drivers — and that’s where much of the modifiable risk lives.
So yes — diet, movement, sleep, stress, environment, habits — they matter. Big time. And they’re where you have the most agency.

If you found this useful, feel free to like/share/comment below and let me know: What’s one habit you’re ready to shift to take advantage of this early-window perspective?

Here’s to building resilient, healthy vessels and thriving lives ❤️

12/11/2025

Cholesterol Panic Is Overblown

The narrative around LDL is simplified, outdated, and harmful.

High LDL isn’t automatically a death sentence — context matters: particle size, inflammation, insulin resistance, nutrient status.

Blindly lowering cholesterol with drugs without addressing cellular health and metabolic balance is like painting over rust. You’re ignoring the real problem.

10/11/2025

Dietary Fiber: What Actually Matters, What’s Overhyped, and How to Use It Wisely

Most of us have grown up hearing one message on repeat: “Eat more fiber.” It sounds simple, but it’s not actually good enough advice. Fiber is not one thing. There are different types, and they behave differently in your body. If we want better digestion, better metabolic health, and better long-term health outcomes, we need to understand what each type of fiber does and how to use it.

That is the core message from a recent discussion by Peter Attia, where he breaks down the science behind fiber. Not in a theoretical way, but in a practical way that we can actually apply.

Here is the key idea:

Combining different types of fiber works better than just trying to hit a number of “grams per day.”
Different fibers support different systems in the body, and they work best when they support each other.

So let’s break this down.

What Fiber Actually Is

Fiber is the part of plant foods that your body doesn’t digest. It moves through your gut mostly intact, but what happens during that process is where the benefits show up.

Fiber falls into a few main categories:

1. Soluble fiber
Forms a gel-like texture in the gut. Helps slow digestion and smooth blood sugar spikes.

2. Insoluble fiber
Adds bulk to stool and keeps things moving.

3. Viscous fiber
Especially helpful for lowering LDL cholesterol and supporting metabolic health.

4. Fermentable fiber (including resistant starch)
Feeds the gut microbiome, supports colon health, and helps produce beneficial compounds like butyrate.

You don’t need to memorize these categories. What matters is combining them.

Why Fiber Matters

The benefits are real, though often smaller or more modest than wellness marketing claims. Fiber can help:

Improve stool regularity and digestion

Reduce glucose spikes and insulin demand

Support weight management by improving satiety

Reduce LDL cholesterol (to a degree)

Support a healthier gut microbiome

If we are thinking about long-term metabolic health and aging, these are meaningful.

Is fiber a magic bullet? No. It is one tool, not the tool. Protein intake, strength training, sleep, stress, omega-3 status, and total calorie balance usually move the needle more.

However, fiber complements everything else you are already doing to support health.

Where the Confusion Comes From

Almost all national recommendations for fiber intake come from epidemiology (population studies). These studies show correlation, not causation.

People who eat more fiber tend to also:

Eat more whole foods

Move more

Smoke less

Sleep better

Drink less ultra-processed calorie load

So fiber often looks like the cause of health improvements, when in reality it may simply be part of a healthier lifestyle pattern.

Still, the risk of fiber intake is generally low, and the potential upside is meaningful.

Why Some People Don’t Tolerate Fiber Well

This is one of the big missing pieces in public health messaging.

Some fibers, especially highly fermentable ones, can cause:

Gas

Bloating

Cramping

Discomfort

This is not a sign of “bad gut health.” It is simply a mismatch of fiber type and digestive tolerance.

The solution is to adjust fiber type, not eliminate fiber altogether.
Start with a mix, go slow, and increase gradually. Hydration matters too.

Practical Strategy (Simple and Effective)

Instead of trying to hit one big number, combine fiber types:

Viscous + soluble fibers: oats, legumes, chia seeds, psyllium husk

Slowly fermentable fibers: green bananas, cooked and cooled potatoes or rice (resistant starch)

Insoluble fibers: vegetables with skins, nuts, seeds, whole grains

If you want a supplement strategy:

Psyllium husk (for glycemic control and LDL support)

Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (gentler fermentable fiber)

Inulin, acacia, or resistant starch (for microbiome support, if tolerated)

Don’t add everything at once.
Increase slowly over 2 to 4 weeks while staying well hydrated.

The Bottom Line

Fiber provides modest and meaningful benefits when used correctly. It supports metabolic health, digestion, satiety, and gut health. Not because it's “magic,” but because it works with your physiology.

The real advantage comes from combining:

Viscous fibers for metabolic control

Slowly fermentable fibers for gut health

Insoluble fibers to keep things moving

No need to go extreme. No need to hit 50g of fiber a day. No need to eliminate it either.

Low risk. Strong physiological rationale. Noticeable real-world upside.

That is how we make nutrition work for real life.

Physio Strength Club

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