14 minute read
HEALTH SPECIAL
GUT INSTINCT
The celebrity nutritionist behind Goodwood’s new health and wellbeing retreats on the importance of what we eat and when
By STEPHANIE MOORE
STEPHANIE MOORE T he human body is a fantastically sophisticated set of systems. They work in concert with the aim of maintaining balance for optimal function. Unfortunately, much of modern life challenges this innate and everpresent drive of the body to fi x itself. From poor sleep to too much stress, nutrient poor, highly processed foods, to sitting down too much, our biology is often unable to win the battle against so much adversity leading to accelerated ageing and poor health.
Here are some simple yet profoundly e ective health fundamentals that can support the body in its bid to be balanced and thrive. If we can employ these core
GOODWOOD'S SPA
principles on an on-going and regular basis, we can bolster our resilience to the environmental, emotional and physical challenges we are all being bombarded with.
Inflammation is a lifesaving mechanism that our immune system instigates to fight off infection and heal wounds. As long as this acute inflammatory response turns on and off as needed, it is incredibly effective at preserving health. However, if inflammation endures over long periods of time, known as chronic inflammation, we can wear out our repair systems and create long-term internal damage to any organ or tissue in the body, be it brain cells (e.g. dementia), joints (e.g. arthritis) or skin (e.g. dermatitis). Chronic inflammation is considered to be at the route of all chronic diseases, including many cancers and neurological conditions. Healthy ageing therefore requires avoiding things that trigger excess inflammation.
There are several real culprits of excess, chronic inflammation…
HIGH BLOOD SUGAR
Regularly eating foods that aggressively spike levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood causes many serious downstream health issues. These foods are, put simply, sugary and sweet foods (this includes artificial sweeteners); highly refined starches (e.g. wheat, corn or potato based processed foods and snacks); ultra-processed foods; and deep fried foods. Aim to eat whole, minimally processed foods. If you do have foods in packets, check the ingredients list.
AN ‘UNHAPPY’ GUT
Our digestive system is home to tens of trillions of microbes. In a healthy gut, the majority of these microbes are commensal, meaning they are working with us to create health and wellbeing. These microbes are major players in our immune and inflammatory systems as well as our digestive function. The gut microbes regulate the health of all our major systems including brain chemistry, metabolic revving and so much more.
The gut microbes feed on the fibre in our food. Without fibre they die! So, an absolute tenet of good health requires eating fibre-rich foods, ideally at every meal. Fibre is found in whole and minimally processed plant foods – vegetables, whole fruit (not juice), nut & seeds, beans & lentils. If you also include some fermented foods, such as live yogurt, kefir, raw sauerkraut and kimchi, you will be consuming new strains of gut microbes that can have a beneficial effect on your own healthy gut bugs.
FERMENTED VEGETABLE SELECTION
STOP SNACKING
In order to calm systemic inflammation and to supercharge our gut microbes, we need to eat less often. Giving our digestive system, blood sugar processes and metabolic pathways a chance to rest, reset and recharge, allows inflammation to calm. We need a good few hours between meals, ideally more than 4, and at least 12 hours from last calories to first calories the next day.
QUALITY TAKES CARE OF QUANTITY
Focusing on eating fewer calories can lead to poor choices as low-calorie foods are not necessarily healthful. If you eat nutrient dense, minimally processed foods with good amounts of protein (meat, fish, seafood, eggs, pulses, fermented soy); healthy fats (organic butter, extra virgin olive oil, whole, raw nuts and seeds, coconut and high quality dairy products); along with a wide variety of plant-based, fibre-rich foods then your body senses it has been well nourished and will switch off the drive to eat more, helping to avoid over-eating.
CHEW, CHEW, CHEW
Taking time to eat slowly, chewing thoroughly and savouring one’s food entirely changes how the food is managed throughout the digestive tract. Your energy, absorption of nutrients and constitution of your gut microbes will all improve if you eat slowly and chew well. Never eat on the go or in the car.
FINALLY…
Sit less, move more often, sleep better and smile, even when you don’t feel like!
STEPHANIE MOORE
is the expert-in-residence at The Goodwood hotel, where she explores all of these concepts and more as part of Goodwood’s Gut Health Programme; a five-day stay packed with informative health talks, restorative treatments and tasty meals based upon these principles. See more at goodwood.com
Q&A WORK
it OUT
Celebrity personal trainer, and Sussex local, Matt Hodges on writing his first book, dealing with ADD and his local escape
MATT HODGES
Q What inspired you to write Behind Gym Doors?
A I’d been told for years by my clients that I should write a book about the things I’ve experienced. I always thought it was just part of the trade, but it wasn’t until Adam Kay’s This Is Going To Hurt came out, that I thought to myself ‘I could do this’. Then Covid happened and I started to put pen to paper and it just took off from there.
Q Was it a cathartic experience putting the book together?
A Yes, on two levels. The first level was/is that I suffer from attention deficit disorder, so giving anything a serious amount of time is often quite hard for me. My mind is whirling 24/7 and I get very excited and motivated in short bursts. The writing at the beginning was furious. It was mind vomit all on paper. I think this is where writers get really stuck. They try and get it perfect on the first go. I found a style which worked for me and it made the process easier.
MATT'S STUDIO SPACE IN LONDON
The second was that a lot of the experiences I talk about in Behind Gym Doors were difficult. They were either hilariously disgusting, laugh out loud funny, or grim and sad. But this was my life. I’d never really looked at it any other way than just par of the course, but upon writing and reflection I realised that it was a kind of therapy. The book has quite an arc, which changes more towards the end. This is where the book helped me in many ways.
Q Can you give us three crazy stories that sound made up, but actually happened?
A A colleague pretending he had Tourette’s just to show us all how to get rid of difficult clients. He sacrificed his own clients and wage just to prove a point. Another one who decided to eat her own placenta… raw. Another one who paid just shy of £1million pounds for a new kitchen just to rip it out again three months later because someone across the road had bought the same one. Remember – my circles are the super rich.
Q Are there more serious subjects covered too?
A All the ‘Umbrella’ chapters are me talking to you in a more professional and serious manner. I cover the issues I see in the fitness world and how they relate to the common man. I look at the lunacy of the health and fitness industry, rife with fad diets, silly exercises, and stupid products that litter our day to day news feeds. I also take a point of view from the customer and the client, and also the professionals.
Q What are your views on the fitness industry in the 21st century?
A We are currently in a transition phase. I hope we are moving away from fitness influencers who hawk rubbish diets and charlatan-esque monthly subscriptions based off their fake lifestyle and overly groomed abs. There seem to be more educators out there debunking poor methods and people are wising up to it. Main chain gyms are going down the budget route (they either go budget or high end luxury) in recession times. We are also seeing more people doing less group exercise. This could be financial, but Covid hasn’t helped environmental factors that make people want to work out.
Q What is The MPH Method?
A The MPH Method itself is an eightweek whole body practice. The client is essentially spoon fed for eight weeks to either get them in the best shape of their lives or give them the kick start to getting them on the right track. The Method offers four personal training sessions a week, one sports massage a week, all nutrition and meal planning, and hormone testing if needed. The clients also have the option of using our subsidiary services like metabolic testing, meal servicing and a private chef.
Q What are your top fitness tips?
A Consistency is the key to everything. When people are consistent the magic happens. Unfortunately the human body isn’t like baking a cake. You will not see the difference immediately. It takes time so people lose patience. But if you keep going you will get there. It’s the same in business. Regularity also links in to consistency. You cannot expect to learn how to play the guitar or learn a language and only dedicate one hour a week to it. That said, on a more practical level, people need to be focusing more on their NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis, aka calories burnt whilst not doing active exercise – walking, sleeping etc). For all new clients to The MPH Method, I require everyone to be getting at least 10,000 steps a day OR 70,000 per week. This burns way more calories than a workout, which people either don’t realise, or neglect.
Q Where are you based in Sussex?
A I live in my little paradise in Sedlescombe, East Sussex. I can breathe here. I look out in the morning to rolling fields, greenery, and tranquillity. I’m a disastrous sleeper so the silence in the evening is like the planet's Night Nurse.
DENMANS GARDEN
Breathe IT IN
How the National Garden Scheme in Sussex can help boost physical and mental health
By KATE HARRISON
GARDENS ARE PERFECT FOR ALL THE FAMILY
Founded in 1927 by the Queen’s Nursing Institute to raise funds for community nursing means that gardens, health and community are at the heart of what we do at the National Garden Scheme. Every ticket bought, every garden visited, and every cake and cup of tea savoured translates into millions of pounds in donations not only to some of the UK’s best loved nursing and health charities, but to garden charities and community projects too.
Scientific studies have shown that spending time in a garden can reduce blood pressure and the stress-related hormone cortisol. Even during the winter months walking around your garden can give you a sense of peace and, as spring approaches, the first sight of developing buds and bulbs can fill you with anticipation and joy. Gardens provide the perfect space for a break from the stresses of everyday life. Trees, plants, bird song and water are easy on the senses and can bring stress levels down.
Gardens enable you to become more active. Being more active is associated with better physical and mental health, including reduced risks of cancer, heart disease and depression. Gardens can also provide opportunities for socialising and building relationships with neighbours and opening your garden for the National Garden Scheme for a couple of days a year is a great way to show off all your hard work
HIGHDOWN GARDENS and make a whole host of new friends.
Of course, not everyone has a garden. However, visiting someone else’s garden can also provide all the above benefits. A garden visit can lift your spirits and help you feel connected. Volunteering at an allotment or community garden such as The Hidden Garden in Selsey, which has recently received a NGS Award, can equally provide that sense of wellbeing and worth.
For more information on the National Garden Scheme and further information on the benefits of gardening for health and wellbeing go to the National Garden Scheme website. There, you can find links to all the National Garden Scheme gardens opening in Sussex, starting with Snowdrop Gardens in January and February. You can also pick up a free copy of the Sussex National Garden Scheme Booklet from many local outlets from February.
TRAVEL
MOUNTAIN HIGH
CARLTON ST. MORITZ Where better to learn to ski than in the luxurious environs of postcard-perfect St. Moritz? Blue skies are almost guaranteed here, and there are winter activites galore, even for non-skieers. tschuggencollection.ch
The Sussex Travel Company 55 • Hayes & Jarvis 56
CRUISES ARE POPULAR RIGHT NOW
DESIRABLE DESTINATIONS
How The Sussex Travel Company can open the door to a holiday to remember
If you’re looking for an independent Sussex travel agent where there’s a huge range of fantastic holiday ideas and great deals with friendly expert advice then look no further than The Sussex Travel Company.
Director Tanya, who has been in travel for her entire working life, has held various positions within the travel industry including working for independent, multiple agents and corporate travel in both sales and events. She then pursued a career as a Business Development Manager for a tour operator until she decided to open The Sussex
Travel Company on Christmas Eve 2015.
The Sussex Travel Company are a small friendly team with over 50 years of professional travel experience between them.
They are located on Queen Street, on the outskirts of Horsham town centre. Catherine has an office based in Cooden Beach, East
Sussex. When you book online, you are just a number, but when you book with The Sussex
Travel Company, they genuinely really care about you. One of the big differences with them is that they have excellent relationships with both tour operators and hoteliers, who they can rely on, so their customers are looked after
VILLA BAYU GITA RESIDENCE
from the moment they arrive at the resort.
When it comes to villas, they work with a leading tour operator who can offer an amazing portfolio of luxury private villas in many destinations from the Caribbean to the Far East and Europe. If you are looking for something really special, then they also offer a selection of private islands including Sir Richard Branson’s own Necker Island.
The luxury and expedition cruises are growing hugely in popularity, with more customers deciding to opt for the cruise life. The Sussex Travel Conpany’s partners at Silversea offer the perfect guest experience aboard their 6* ships. They offer an all-inclusive service with added door-to-door transfers for seamless travel from home to ship and back again, with shore excursions for all classic voyages. With over 900 destinations across all seven continents, wherever you want to go, they can get you there with Silversea.
They also regularly work with many independent hotels, who they trust to always go above and beyond for customers. Thanos Hotels & Resorts are one of the company’s personal favourites. The Anassa is a member of Leading Hotels of the World. The “Queen” of Mediterranean living, Anassa combines majestic flair, gracious service and refined joie de vivre. Its seductive regal hillside retreat is a vision of sparkling elegance: the epitome of Mediterranean living at its sublime and stylish best.
So next time you are thinking of a holiday, Tanya, Jeannie, Nicola and Catherine look forward to turning your travel dreams into travel memories.
