WHAT IS STRENGTH TRAINING?

Strength training can be any pushing, pulling or lifting movements that work against heavy loads. This can be planned exercise such as weights training in the gym or unplanned physical activity such as heavy garden or housework.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I DO?

The Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour guidelines suggest adults should aim to complete two musclestrengthening sessions per week (nonconsecutive days). Consisting of 8-10 exercises that target all major muscles.

Trent Larwood is an ESSA Accredited Exercise Physiologist & Exercise Scientist. Based at sportsmed’s Henley Beach clinic, Trent is experienced in diabetes management, sports injury rehabilitation, chronic disease management, falls prevention and athletic development. “Research shows that previously untrained adults over the age of 50 made significant improvements to their muscle mass, bone density and balance after following a resistance training program"

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

“If you’re new to strength training or haven’t participated in strength training for an extended period of time. Start small with 3-4 exercises once a week and then build up to the recommended twice-weekly 8-10 exercises”

How Fibre Works

If you think fibre simply goes in the mouth, sweeps through the intestines, and then comes out the other end, my friends, you have been sold a boring story about something incredibly exciting.

While it is true that, as humans, we lack the enzymes to digest fibre, not all fibre comes out the other end. That’s where your microbes come in.

They have the specialised enzymes that we humans lack. Their presence in your colon turns you into a superhuman with the ability to deconstruct your fibre.

In doing so, they create powerful antiinflammatory molecules – short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate, and butyrate.

These SCFAs are the medicine our bodies crave. They immediately get to work right there in the colon. They enhance the growth of the good-guy bacteria like lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, and prevotella. They directly suppress bad-guy bacteria like E. coli and salmonella. Butyrate serves as the principal source of energy for healthy colon cells. They increase the expression of tight junction proteins lining the colon, reducing intestinal permeability, and effectively reversing ‘leaky gut’.

Beyond the colon, SCFAs inhibit inflammatory, signalling molecules and activate regulatory cells to optimise the immune system. They reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol, enhance insulin sensitivity, and activate satiety hormones to let us know when we are full.

So, what are the effects of dietary fibre on human health? In a study published by Dr Andrew Reynolds in 2019, those who consumed more dietary fibre: sportsmed is an industry leading healthcare provider with a private orthopaedic hospital and specialist clinics across a number of locations, offering patients access to modern and innovative healthcare in state-of-the-art facilities.

• Lived longer.

• Were less likely to have a heart attack.

• Were less likely to di e of heart disease, our number one killer.

• Were less likely to be diagnosed with colon, oesophageal, or breast cancer.

• Were less likely to die of cancer, our number two killer.

• Were less likely to have a stroke, our number five killer.

• Were less likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, our number seven killer.

• Lost weight during clinical trials.

• Reduced their blood pressure during clinical trials.

• Lowered their cholesterol levels during clinical trials.

• More fibre means fewer problems.

We’re not consuming fibre, and our epidemic diseases reflect that. It is our most pressing, most important nutrient deficiency.

Stepney Healthcare Hub Blackwood · Henley Beach · Morphett Vale · Mitcham sportsmed.com.au

10 HIGH-FIBRE FOODS

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BROCCOLI

 BERRIES

POPCORN

Top Tips For Amping Up Fibre In Your Diet

It sounds simple enough – make plants and plant-based diversity the centrepiece of your diet. But it’s easier said than done. For starters, 95 percent of us are not even getting the minimum recommended amount of fibre in our diets.

The average daily adult fibre intake is 15.6g in women and 18.6g in men while the minimum recommended amount is 25g per day for women and 38g for men.

We are the most fibre-deprived society of the modern era, and there are no signs of that letting up.

 WHOLEGRAINS  APPLES  DRIED FRUITS  POTATOES  NUTS Published by Penguin RRP $45.00 HEALTH+FITNESS