Zenith Body & Mind

31/05/2024

11/04/2024

We are the sum of all people we have ever met; you change the tribe and the tribe changes you. Dirk Wittenborn.

Human beings are herd animals. Although we may sometimes wish we could live alone on a desert island, the desire to belong is a fundamental part of human nature, and we are intrinsically driven to belong to a tribe and fit in.

When we are young our habits are formed by imitating those closest to us, our family, our school friends, and our social groups. We automatically try to meet expectations of behaviour and follow the (often invisible) rules that direct our lives so that we feel accepted and valued. The influences of those closest to us run deep, one study found that the higher your friend’s IQ when you are 12, the higher your IQ will be at age 15. It's too late for most of us to re-evaluate our childhood friendships, but even as adults our habits and behaviours, are very much influenced by the people around us.

As we grow older we imitate the habits of people in our wider culture, particularly those we perceive to have status and power. We adopt habits that are praised and approved by our culture because we are seeking acceptance and respect.

According to a study tracking 12,000 people for 32 years, we are 57% more likely to be obese if we have an obese friend, but it works the other way too. Fit and healthy people are more likely to have fit and healthy friends. The desire to belong will always overpower the will to change and as humans we would far rather be ‘wrong’ with the tribe than ‘right’ alone.

Identity is an important factor when it comes to lifestyle changes. Although hanging out with people who are struggling with the same issues as us can feel supportive, it can also entrench our negative feelings and behaviours. Seeing ourselves as someone who has a healthy lifestyle helps us to make healthier choices.

We don’t need to drop our old friends if we want to adopt new habits, but if we also spend time in groups where our new desired behaviour is seen as the default, we have a much better chance of success.

This is especially true for people who want to improve their metabolic and mental health. Finding someone to run or go to the gym with can keep us accountable and helps prevent those last-minute duck outs. Making friends with people who live healthy lifestyles will help us to normalise those behaviours and they will be easier to maintain.

If you want to change your lifestyle and explore other ways to improve your physical, mental, and cognitive health, book a call to discuss how we can help you to live longer, well.

28/03/2024

Modern life is seriously bad for our metabolism, leaving many of us struggling with our physical, mental, and cognitive health. But we can take back control and reverse much of the damage that has been done to our bodies and minds. We can also learn how to protect our children from the detrimental effects of metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction, so they never need to embark on this journey of recovery.

WAKE UP!! (But only after at least 7.5 hours of sleep)

We spend about 1/3 of our lives asleep, it’s a design solution for some of the brains most basic needs. When we sleep, our cerebral spinal fluid channels open up and metabolic waste is rinsed from our brain, flushing toxins down to the liver.

In the UK 23% of us are getting less than 7 hours sleep a night and only 15% of us are waking up feeling refreshed. Sleep problems take a metabolic toll and apart from reduced immunity and mental health struggles, can contribute to the onset of metabolic disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. There are even links to some cancers with the WHO classifying night time shift work as ‘probably carcinogenic.’

Research from the University of Bonn found that after 24 hours of sleep deprivation in healthy patients, numerous symptoms were noted which are typically attributed to psychosis or schizophrenia.

We need between 4 and 6 sleep cycles every night for our brain and body maintenance, with one cycle being approximately 90 minutes. For 5 cycles we need at least 7.5 hours sleep every night.

For many people sleep is difficult and they turn to pills to help them, but chemically induced sleep is not the same kind of sleep. There is typically less REM sleep, fewer dreams, and the body doesn’t carry out essential maintenance.

Sleep often gets worse as we get older and poor sleep, combined with high levels of stress and elevated cortisol levels, increases the risks of poor mental health and dementia. Fortunately, there are things we can do to improve our sleep no matter what our age, improving cognitive and mental health, and reducing the risks of metabolic disorders.

The obvious interventions – don’t drink alcohol before bed, make sure your room is dark and not too hot, keep bedtimes and wake up times consistent and keep screens away from the bedroom, are well documented and have helped many people.

A less well-known consideration is brain prediction. The brain’s job is to regulate the body, running a budget of energy in, energy out to keep us alive. In order to do this efficiently, it predicts, or ‘guesses’ what the body will need, based on previous experience. Your brain doesn’t care how you feel, it’s totally unmoved by your desperate need to sleep before a 5am alarm and an important meeting tomorrow. If your usual habit is to go to bed, raise your cortisol levels by looking at your phone and then toss and turn for 3 hours overthinking every bad decision you’ve ever made, then that is what your brain will predict you want to do every night. It will ensure your body is flooded with the appropriate chemicals and hormones to enable you to carry out this bedtime performance.

If this is not the bedtime performance you were hoping for and you’re looking for something different, then you have to do something different to get different predictions.

If it’s sleep you’re after, then you need to start early. Eat dinner at least 3 hours before you want to go to sleep, and about 2 hours before you want to sleep do everything you need to do to be ready for bed, but then make sure you leave the bedroom. About an hour before you go to bed slow everything down; dim lights, watch boring TV or even better, read a book. Turn off your phone or put it in another room. When you go to bed, go straight to bed, and try to sleep. If you can’t sleep (give it 30 – 40 minutes), get up again; it’s important that your brain gets the message that going to bed means going to sleep. Go into another room (I have one client who sat on the stairs on a cushion) and read, then try to go back to bed when you feel sleepy. You may have to do this a couple of times for several nights, but you are changing your brain’s predictions and teaching it that going to bed does not require a surge of cortisol or adrenaline.

Even if you have slept badly for years, there are lots of other interventions that can help this important factor in our quest for better health.

If you want to improve your sleep and explore other ways to improve your physical, mental, and cognitive health, book a call to discuss how we can help you to live longer, well.

24/03/2024

Summer is on the way, the perfect time to start making those health changes that have been bugging you. Physical health, mental health and cognitive function can all be improved with some simple changes. Book a free consultation today and take the first step on your journey back to health.

22/03/2024

Modern life is seriously bad for our metabolism, leaving many of us struggling with our physical, mental, and cognitive health. But we can take back control and reverse much of the damage that has been done to our bodies and minds. We can also learn how to protect our children from the detrimental effects of metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction, so they never need to embark on this journey of recovery.

Getting back to health – where should we start?

Although being overweight is generally assumed to be the main indicator of poor metabolic health, studies have found that less than 1/3 of normal weight adults are metabolically healthy.

If you are metabolically unhealthy you are more likely to suffer from:

Diabetes
Heart Disease
Cancer
Kidney Disease
Alzheimer’s
Fibromyalgia
CFS
Anxiety
Depression
ADHD
PTSD
Schizophrenia

Recent research has established a causal link between metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction and mental and cognitive health problems.

Poor metabolic health can cut life expectancy by around 20 years.

There are many factors that impact metabolic health, some of them are beyond our control, such as our genes, our age, our s*x, childhood experiences and many environmental toxins. The good news is that no matter who we are, or what our starting point, changing our diet can greatly improve our physical and mental health, and our life expectancy.

When working with clients to improve their physical and mental health, one of the first places we start is with cutting down on ultra-processed foods (UPFs)

UPFs make up approximately 60% of the average UK diet, nearly 80% in the US. UPFs are usually digested rapidly, causing us to feel hungry again soon after eating and crave more food, they usually contain additives, chemicals, colourings, preservatives, and flavourings. They change the way our bodies respond to food, they are often stripped of nutritional value, are thought to be addictive and are linked to all the health conditions listed above.

Eliminating UPFs from our diet can feel difficult. We are constantly bombarded with advertising and misled by labelling and marketing. UPFs are cheap, convenient, and tasty.

UPFs are also the global number one cause of early death.

When trying to improve our diet we often have to factor in other health conditions, working, children and other family members, as well as our own food preferences, preparation, and cooking skills. As health professionals we are often asked “it seems everything is bad for you. What can I eat?” The best diet for your health, including your mental health, is whole foods, meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and salads. Processed foods like full fat Greek yoghurt, whole block cheese and bread without preservatives are not UPFs and can make up part of your daily intake. Reading labels is a good habit to get into; if it contains ingredients the average person wouldn’t have in their kitchen, it’s probably best left on the shelf. Reducing our own UPF intake will mean our children eat less of it too.

There are lots of things you can do to help you improve your diet and your metabolic health, even if you have tried before and struggled to sustain the change. Understanding your specific challenges, and access to support, strategies, resources, and advice can be the difference between success, and an on-going battle to regain your health.

If you want to cut down on how much UPF you consume, and explore other ways to improve your physical, mental, and cognitive health, book a call to discuss how we can help you to live longer, well.

05/03/2024

Eating Ultra-Processed Food = a 66% higher risk of dying from heart disease, a 12% higher risk of getting cancer and a 48% higher risk of anxiety and a 22% higher risk of depression.

Zenit Body and Mind, based in can help you to change your diet and improve your physical and mental health.

01/03/2024

‘Conclusions Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes’.

Your mental health is counting on you to choose your food wisely. Changing habits can feel hard, but Zenith Mind and Body can help you make the journey back to health much easier.

Objective To evaluate the existing meta-analytic evidence of associations between exposure to ultra-processed foods, as defined by the Nova food classification system, and adverse health outcomes. Design Systematic umbrella review of existing meta-analyses. Data sources MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, an...

26/02/2024

Caroline Marler, 73, shows her extraordinary all-round athleticism as she poises prior to her winning throw of 7.35m at the The BMAF British Masters Athletics Federation indoor at Lee Valley Athletics Centre last weekend. Caroline is a multi-disciplinary athlete, holding British records in the indoor Pentathlon and High Jump events as well as British outdoor records for both the Pentathlon and the Heptathlon events in her 70-74 year old age group. She and I are almost the same age but what strikes me in particular as I look at her here, as she readies herself for the throw, is not only her obvious strength but also her balance. (Haha well just about EVERYTHING strikes me, if I'm actually comparing myself to her. I can't believe I'm singling anything out.) Her poise, though, just blows me away. Maybe it's because I'm struggling so much with my own balance these days that Caroline's perfect stance, as she prepares on one foot, to swivel round and throw that extremely heavy shot, that it's this in particular that leaves me so awe-struck. Honestly, friends, everywhere you look at these championships makes you want to use that word, 'awe'. I just wish they received more publicity so that more of you could see them yourselves first hand. They're world-wide events, and if you hunt out your local masters athletics club or federation, I bet you'll find something you can go to. You'll be seeing people like Caroline, so you'll be happy you did, trust me🌻😊👍

26/02/2024

What you eat doesn’t just affect your physical health, it has a huge impact on your mental health too. This is great news! It means we can take back control of our physical AND mental health and change our lives.

25/02/2024

‘Seven of the top ten global food manufacturers made more than two thirds of their food and drink sales in Britain from unhealthy products, a study by Oxford University has found’.

We are being funnelled into an ever increasing diet of unhealthy food. Ultra processed food is addictive and a major cause of physical and mental health problems.

Fight back. Take control of what you are eating and what you are feeding your children. Change is very possible and it starts with you making the decision to stop the decline.

Companies are responsible for 90 per cent of online advertising spending on chocolate, crisps, biscuits and ice cream

24/02/2024

You’re never too old. Getting fitter and keeping active will improve your physical and mental health and help you live longer.

I'm continuing my theme of indomitable athletes in their 80s (and there's more to come yet, folks!) Here's Dorothy Fraser, 87, racing to victory as the lone competitor in her age group, in the women's , at Lee Valley Athletics Centre last weekend during the The BMAF British Masters Athletics Federation indoor . Dorothy holds the of 57.14secs for this event in the 85-89 year old age group, a time she achieved last year at the world indoor championships in Torun, Poland. (She also holds the 200m British record of 37.38secs for the 75-79 year old age group.)
Dot, as she is known, is a much-loved regular at all the national and international events, travelling with her group of friends, all, like her, remarkable athletes and human beings themselves. These are close-knit friends who have supported each other across the decades through illnesses, injuries and bereavements - something they of course continue to do now. Sport may have brought them records and medals but it's the deep and enduring friendships across a long lifetime, as well as the warm camaraderie within the broader masters athletics community, that they will all point to as being the gifts it brings that they treasure above all else.
I would like to add that Dot also makes wonderful cakes 🍰(And yes, this is the voice of grateful experience speaking😋) So thank you Dot for being great to photograph, great to spend time with, and for being not just a world-class athlete but a generous and gifted cake-maker too! Oh, and of course, another role-model par excellence, for how to navigate our ninth decade with kindness, fortitude, courage and grace 🙏🌻(She'll hate me for saying this, so, sorry Dot. But it's all true 👍👏💕)

22/02/2024

21/02/2024

20/02/2024

Losing weight, feeling healthy and having more energy and a calm mind is less difficult than you might think when you have the right help ☺️

Zenith Body and Mind is a seamless integration of mindset coaching, cognitive and emotional fitness, physical training, and nutrition to revolutionise personal health.