The Healthy Weekdays

30/07/2023

Heatstroke vs Heat Exhaustion

People's ability to cope with the heat varies, but age and ill health can make us far more vulnerable, and temperatures we may have once enjoyed on holidays may be dangerous at a different stage in life.

"You're going to leave the lab today with a smile on your face - all of these statistics coming are telling me that you have risen to the challenge and you've done a jolly good job," says Prof Bailey

But old age, heart disease, lung disease, dementia and some medications mean the body is already working harder to keep going, and is less able to respond to the heat.

"Every day it's a physiological challenge for them, now when you throw in extra spicy heat and humidity, sometimes they can't rise to that challenge," says Prof Bailey.

How to cope?

Many of the tips for coping with the heat are obvious and well known - stay in the shade, wear loose fitting clothes, avoid alcohol, keep your house cool, don't exercise in the hottest parts of the day and stay hydrated (you saw how much I sweated in an hour).

"Another tip is try not to get sunburned. A mild sunburn can knock out the ability to thermoregulate or to sweat for as long as two weeks," says Prof Bailey.

But dealing with the heat is something we could all have to become used to dealing with.

Without action on climate change Prof Lizzie Kendon said the hottest UK summer day could increase by 6C under a high-emission scenario: "That's a huge increase by the end of the century."

Follow James Gallagher on Twitter.

30/07/2023

The humidity factor.

In my experiment only the temperature was changed, but the other crucial factor to consider is the amount of water vapour in the air - the humidity.

If you've ever been really uncomfortable on a muggy night then you can blame the humidity as it impairs our body's ability to cool down.

Sweating alone isn't enough - it's only when the sweat evaporates into the air that it gives us that cooling effect.

When there are high levels of water already in the air, it's harder for sweat to evaporate.

Damian kept the humidity fixed at 50% (not unusual for the UK), but a team at Pennsylvania State University in the US tested a bunch of healthy young adults at different combinations of temperature and humidity. They were looking for the moment when core body temperature started to rise rapidly.

"That's when it becomes dangerous. Our core temperature starts to rise and that can lead to organ failure," says researcher Rachel Cottle.

And that danger point is reached at lower temperatures when the humidity is high.

The concern is that heatwaves are not only becoming more frequent, longer in duration and more severe, but they're becoming more humid too, says Cottle.

She points out that last year, India and Pakistan were hit by a severe heatwave with both critical temperatures and high humidity. "It's definitely a 'now' problem, not a future problem," she says.

The human body is built to operate at a core temperature of about 37C degrees. We become more light-headed and prone to fainting as the core rises closer to 40C.

High core temperatures damage our body's tissues, such as heart muscle and the brain. Eventually this becomes deadly.

"Once the core temperature rises to around about 41-42 degrees centigrade we start to see really, really significant problems and if not treated the individual will actually die as a result, succumbing to hyperthermia," says Prof Bailey.

This phenomenon - heat stroke - is a medical emergency.

30/07/2023

Heatwave: How hot is too hot for the human body?

By James Gallagher

Europe has been baking in a heatwave nicknamed the settimana infernale - "week of hell" - in Italy. Temperatures above 50C have been recorded in China and the US, where body bags filled with ice are being used to cool hospital patients. The UK has just had its hottest ever June.

And in 2022, the UK recorded a temperature above 40C for the first time. Last year's heatwave has been blamed for 60,000 deaths across Europe.

It's no wonder the United Nations has warned we now live in the era of "global boiling".

"I think it's really important to realise it's no longer just something that's distant or far away from us or something in the future. We are really seeing it now," says Prof Lizzie Kendon from the Met Office.

So what does the changing climate mean for our bodies and our health?

I tend to collapse into a sweaty puddle when it gets hot, but I've been invited to take part in a heatwave experiment.

Prof Damian Bailey from the University of South Wales wants to give me a typical heatwave encounter. So we're going to start at 21C, crank up the thermostat to 35C and then finally up to 40.3C - equivalent to the UK's hottest day.

"You will be sweating and your body's physiology is going to change quite considerably," Prof Bailey warns me.

Prof Bailey leads me into his environmental chamber. It's a room-sized piece of scientific equipment that can precisely control the temperature, humidity and oxygen levels inside this airtight space.

I've been here once before to explore the effects of cold.

But the shiny steel walls, heavy door and tiny portholes take on new meaning in anticipation of the temperature being cranked up.

I feel like I'm staring out of my oven.

The temperature starts at a perfectly pleasant 21C when the first instruction to "completely strip everything off" comes from Prof Bailey.

In response to a raised eyebrow, I'm reassured we're going to work out how sweaty I get, by seeing how my weight changes.

Next, I'm connected to a dizzying array of gizmos tracking the temperature of my skin and my internal organs, my heart rate and blood pressure. A huge mouthpiece analyses the air I exhale and an ultrasound inspects the flow of blood to my brain through the carotid arteries in my neck.

"Blood pressure is working nicely, heart rate is working nicely, all of the physiological signals at the moment are telling me that you're in spiffing shape," Prof Bailey tells me.

We have one quick brain test to complete - memorising a list of 30 words - and then the fans kick in. The temperature is starting to rise.

My body has one simple goal - to keep the core temperature around my heart, lungs, liver and other organs at about 37C.

"The thermostat in the brain, or hypothalamus, is constantly tasting the temperature, then it sends out all of these signals to try to maintain that," says Prof Bailey.

We take a pause at 35C to take some more measurements. It's warm in here now. It's not uncomfortable - I'm just relaxing in a chair - but I wouldn't want to work or exercise in this.

Some changes in my body are already clear. I look redder. Damian does too, he's stuck in here with me. That's because the blood vessels near the surface of my skin are opening up to make it easier for my warm blood to lose heat into the air.

Also I'm sweating - not dripping, but positively glistening - and as the sweat evaporates, that cools me down.

We then plough on to 40.3C, and now I feel like the heat is pounding me.

"It's not linear, it's exponential. Five degrees centigrade [more] doesn't sound much, but it really is physiologically so much more of a challenge," Prof Bailey says.

I'm glad we're not going higher. When I wipe my hand across my brow it is sodden. It's time to repeat the tests.

When I chuck my sweaty clothes on the floor, towel off and climb back on the scales I'm shocked to learn I've lost more than a third of a litre's worth of water during the course of the experiment.

The cost of opening up all those blood vessels near my skin to lose heat is also clear. My heart rate has increased significantly and at 40C it is pumping an extra litre of blood per minute around my body than it was at 21C.

This extra strain on the heart is why there is an increase in deaths from heart attacks and strokes when temperatures soar.

And as the blood heads to my skin, it's my brain that loses out. Blood flow goes down and so does my short-term memory.

But my body's main goal - keeping my core temperature at around 37C - has been achieved.

"Your body is working really quite nicely to try to defend that core temperature, but of course, the numbers are suggesting you weren't the same beast at 40 degrees as you were at 21 and that's in less than an hour," says Prof Bailey.

26/07/2023

Fishfinger Tacos

INGREDIENTS

8-12 fish fingers
1 ripe avocado - must be ripe!
The juice of a lime
6 soft tacos
Red cabbage, finely sliced to serve
Chipotle mayonnaise to serve (can make your own with chipotle paste, lime and mayo)
Pickles to serve - of any type!
Salt

METHOD

1. Either fry the fish fingers in a frying pan with a little olive oil or cook them under the grill or in an air fryer as you like. Just keep turning them so they don’t dry out.
2. Scoop out the avocado. Add the lime juice and mash into a course paste with a little salt.
3. Smother the tacos with the avocado. Scatter over the cabbage and rip over the fish fingers.
4.Drizzle over loads of chipotle mayo and serve with you choice of pickles.

Source: John Gregory-Smith

18/06/2023

A Stubborn Belly Fat Diet

A doctor has revealed a 36-hour fasting method that is said to help lose belly fat fast. Speaking on the latest episode of Diary Of A CEO podcast, nutrition and functional medicine expert Dr Mindy Pelz discussed the certain things people can do if struggling to budge stubborn belly fat.

Explaining her method as being one of the most intense forms of dieting - fasting for 36 hours before eating again for 12 hours - she said: "So the fat burner fast is probably my favourite for those people who want to lose weight." Detailing the research behind the method, she added: "At 36 hours what happens is that's enough time where the blood sugars come down.

"And all of a sudden the body goes 'okay, blood sugar isn't coming, we've been in this fasted state, we've trigger autophagy, we've brought inflammation down, we've made you ketones, we're trying to go find you food, but this extra weight is not serving you'."

She continued: "So it drops the weight and it's the most beautiful way to get a person to unstick any kind of weight loss resistance. But most importantly, you know the place where it dropped the most amount of weight from?

Where does everyone want to lose weight?"

Podcast host Steven Barlett replies: "The belly." Dr Mindy Pelz responds: "Yep, I should probably should have called it the 'belly fat burning'... So that's what [the research] showed, that actually a 36 hour fast started to unstick weight loss and it started with weight around the belly."

The health expert explained that what researchers found at the end - after participants fasted for 36 hours followed by 12 hours of eating on and off for a 30 day period - was that the prime location people lost weight from was the belly.

I've seen people in our academy do it once a week and really change the circumference of their waist." She also says she's seen people do it once a month and once a year, adding that it's up to you how aggressive with it you want to be.

She later stressed: "I'm always a fan of people being sensible about this, I know we have some over-achievers out there and you're going to want to fast 36-hours all the time, but I want to encourage you that once a week is probably good." She also says once a month is a suitable too, urging viewers to "always be safe."

During this fasting period, Dr Mindy Pelz says zero calorie consumption is permitted, though subscribers of the diet can enjoy flavoured water, coffee, and tea. She claims the method may offer significant benefits including:

• Enhanced longevity

• Better heart health

• Increased fat burning

• More mindfulness

Although the 36 hour method is shown to be one of the most effective forms of fasting, it’s also one of the most intensive ones - so it’s definitely not for everybody and it's very important to stay safe. The nutrition guru says if you fit into any of the following groups, you’re best to opt for something less aggressive.

• People who have very active jobs

• People who are underweight or thin

• People with pre-existing thyroid disorders

• People who have (or have had) eating disorders

• Women who are pregnant, nursing, or hoping to become pregnant soon

Always seek the guidance of your doctor with any questions you may have regarding any health or medical condition.

15/06/2023

Three-Minute Blender Banana Pancakes

Kids love these fruity pancakes and they're so quick to make with minimal washing-up and no scales required. A cooked breakfast is rarely this easy.

Ingredients:

small k**b of butter, for frying
1 banana
1 egg
1 heaped tbsp self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
chopped strawberries and banana, to serve (optional)
maple syrup, to serve (optional)

Method:

STEP 1
Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan over a low-medium heat. Meanwhile, add the banana, egg, flour and baking powder to a blender and blitz for 20 seconds.

STEP 2
Pour three little puddles straight from the blender into the frying pan. Cook for 1 min or until the tops start to bubble, then flip with a fork or a fish slice and cook for 20-30 seconds more. Repeat with the rest of the mixture to make three more pancakes.

STEP 3
Serve the pancakes with chopped strawberries or banana and a splash of maple syrup, if you like.

Source: Good Food Magazine

15/06/2023

Two-Minute Breakfast Smoothie

Whizz up a low fat breakfast smoothie in no time. Use banana with other soft fruit, plus honey for a little sweetness and oats for slow-release fuel.

Ingredients:

1 banana
1 tbsp porridge oats
80g soft fruit (whatever you have – strawberries, blueberries, and mango all work well)
150ml milk
1 tsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

STEP 1
Put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz for 1 min until smooth.

STEP 2
Pour the banana oat smoothie into two glasses to serve.

RECIPE TIPS:

MAKE THREE-MINUTE PANCAKES
Don't wash the blender – use it to make three-minute banana pancakes as well.

Source: Good Food Magazine

14/06/2023

I decided to run a similar test on myself for the last month. This has taken a lot of time making sure the numbers were right.

I went with 2,000 calories per day using only ultra processed foods.

This could include ready meals, pizzas, white bread cheese & ham sandwiches etc.

I also gained around a kilo (2.2 pounds) even though I was eating the recommended calories per day, but it was a great 2 weeks!

As we all know, the biggest problem with eating properly is making time within our hectic lives.

So to make life easy I went with smoothies for breakfast and lunch then a wholesome meal in the evening.

My smoothies started with a juice to cover the blender blades, then any combination of the following:

Bananas
Oranges
Blueberries
Melon
Kiwi Fruit
Apples
Pineapple
Raspberries
Strawberries
Blackberries
Peaches

plus I always added around 10 spinach leaves, a broccoli floret and a carrot.

After the second 2 weeks I was back to where I started and lost the kilo, but felt very much more 'alive'.

The other thing I noticed was that my food bill reduced by around 25%, so all good.

14/06/2023

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001mp67 =CS8-1000-%5BEditorialPromo_Box%5D-%5BNewsEditorial_Promo%5D-%5BNewsEditorial_Promo%5D-%5BPS_IPLAYER~N~m001mp67~P_UPFoodPanorama%5D

Aimee, 24, spent two weeks on an ultra-processed diet as part of a test carried out by scientists from King's College London for BBC Panorama.

Her identical twin, Nancy, was also on a diet containing exactly the same amount of calories, nutrients, fat, sugar and fibre - but she was consuming raw or low-processed foods.

Aimee gained nearly a kilo in weight - Nancy lost weight. Aimee's blood sugar levels also worsened and her blood fat levels - lipids - went up.

This was a short-term study on just one set of twins, but the results highlight growing fears among some scientists about the possible impact of so-called ultra-processed foods on our health, which BBC Panorama has been investigating.

Prof Tim Spector, is a professor of epidemiology at King's College London, who studies trends in disease and oversaw the test.

He told BBC Panorama: "In the last decade, the evidence has been slowly growing that ultra-processed food is harmful for us in ways we hadn't thought.

"We're talking about a whole variety of cancers, heart disease, strokes, dementia."

The term ultra-processed foods - or UPF - was only coined 15 years ago but it makes up about half the things we now eat in the UK.

From sliced brown bread to ready meals and ice cream, it is a group of foods made with varying - but often substantial - levels of industrial processing. Ingredients used, such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners and emulsifiers, do not typically feature in home cooking.

"Ultra-processed foods are among the most profitable foods companies can make," says Prof Marion Nestle, a food politics expert and professor of nutrition at New York University.

Investigating a link between chemicals in ultra-processed foods and cancer and diabetes.

18/05/2023

Green Burgers

This vegetarian burger recipe can be frozen, letting you get ahead on busy days. It's craftily packed with spinach - one of the trickier veg to get into kids!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
250g bag spinach
5 slices white bread, blitzed into breadcrumbs (or 150g dried breadcrumbs)
good grating of fresh nutmeg
100g mature cheddar, grated
40g parmesan, finely grated
1-2 large eggs, beaten
3 tbsp plain flour

To serve
6 crusty bread rolls
4 ripe, juicy tomatoes, thickly sliced
good-quality ketchup or other relish
sweet potato fries (optional)

Method:

STEP 1
Heat half the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onions for about 10 mins until pale and soft, then leave to cool a little.

STEP 2
Finely chop the spinach in a food processor and tip into a bowl. Add the cooled onion, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, cheddar and Parmesan, and mash together. Add the beaten egg, a little at a time (you may not need all of it), until the mixture holds together. Divide into eight (see tip below) and shape into fat burgers.

STEP 3
Put the flour in a shallow bowl, season well and dip the burgers into the flour to coat. Store in a plastic container between layers of baking parchment. Either chill until ready to cook, or freeze.

STEP 4
Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and fry for about 5 mins each side until browned all over. Serve in the crusty rolls, with a couple of slices of tomato, ketchup and sweet potato fries on the side, if you like.

RECIPE TIPS

BURGER PATTIES
Flouring your hands helps stop the mixture from sticking to your fingers.

Source: Good Food Magazine

18/05/2023

Chicken & Halloumi Burgers in 15 Minutes

Struggling to find dishes to cook that take very little time but the whole family will love? Look no further than these chicken and halloumi burgers.

Ingredients:

2 skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp oil, plus extra for frying the halloumi, if needed
4 tbsp piri-piri sauce or other mild chilli sauce, plus extra for drizzling
½ lemon, juiced
burger buns, split in half
250g block lighter halloumi, sliced into 8 pieces
¼ small white cabbage, finely sliced
2 tbsp mayonnaise
4 tbsp hummus, tzatziki or soured cream & chive dip
handful of rocket or 4-8 soft lettuce leaves
2 large roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and sliced

Method:

STEP 1
Put the chicken breasts between two pieces of baking parchment and bash with a rolling pin until 1cm thick. Cut each into two even pieces.

STEP 2
Heat two frying pans over a medium-high heat, heating the oil in one. Fry the chicken in the oiled pan for 3-4 mins on each side until cooked through. Season. Reduce the heat, drizzle in the chilli sauce and half the lemon juice and cook for 1-2 mins more until the sauce is reduced. Remove from the heat.

STEP 3
While the chicken cooks, toast the buns in the dry frying pan for 30 secs. Transfer to a plate, then fry the halloumi in the pan (add a bit of oil if the pan is not non-stick) for 30 secs on each side until golden. Toss the cabbage with the mayo and remaining lemon juice.

STEP 4
Spoon the hummus (or dip of your choice) into the toasted buns, then top with the rocket, chilli chicken, halloumi and peppers. Drizzle with a little more chilli sauce, spoon over the cabbage, season with black pepper, and top with the bun lids. Serve with any extra cabbage on the side, or a green salad.

RECIPE TIPS

USE THE LEFTOVERS
This recipe is easily halved; or layer any remaining rocket, dip, halloumi and peppers into a lunchbox for the next day.

Source: Good Food Magazine

01/05/2023

The Ultimate Beef Burger

Forget the takeaway and make these double decker homemade cheeseburgers. With gherkins, crisp lettuce and a secret sauce, they take some beating.

Ingredients:

1 small onion, finely chopped
4 sesame-topped burger buns
300g steak mince
1 tbsp sunflower oil
small wedge of iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
2 slices of mild cheddar or burger cheese
1 gherkin sliced lengthways
oven fries, to serve

For the secret sauce:
100g Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
1 tbsp American mustard
large pinch garlic granules
large pinch onion granules
¼ tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp pickle relish or finely chopped gherkin

Method:

STEP 1
Tip the onions into a small bowl and pour over boiling water from the kettle until just covered. Leave to cool. Put all the sauce ingredients in another small bowl, then add 1 tbsp of the cooled onion water and mix until everything is evenly combined. Set aside.

STEP 2
Halve two of the burger buns, then cut a thick slice from the middles of the other two buns. Toast or grill the middle slices on both sides and the other buns only on the cut sides, then set aside. Heat the oven to 100C/80C fan/gas 2.

STEP 3
Divide the mince into four loose piles and season. Heat ¼ tbsp of the oil in a heavy frying pan or skillet over a high heat and put one of the piles of beef in the pan. Working quickly, cover with a square of baking parchment and carefully use a second pan to press the beef patties down – be careful of the heat and rising steam as you do this. Keep the patties pressed down for about 10 seconds, then remove the weight and the paper, and leave the burger to cook for 2 mins more. Turn the patties and press down using a spatula, cooking for another 1 min. Transfer to a tray and keep warm in the oven while you cook the other burgers in the same way.

STEP 4
When all the patties are cooked, it’s time to assemble the burgers. Spread some sauce over the bun bases, scatter with onions, then add lettuce, followed by a cheese slice, then a patty, a few gherkin slices and a middle slice of toasted bun. Spread over more sauce, then add more onions, lettuce, another patty and the bun tops. Serve with the oven fries and extra sauce on the side, if you like.

Source: Good Food Magazine