There are a number of ways an unhealthy gut might manifest itself. Here are four of the most common signs:

1. Upset stomach
Stomach disturbances like gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, and heartburn can all be signs of an unhealthy gut. A balanced gut will have less difficulty processing food and eliminating waste.

2. Unintentional weight changes
Gaining or losing weight without making changes to your diet or exercise habits may be a sign of an unhealthy gut.

3. Sleep disturbances or constant fatigue
An unhealthy gut may contribute to sleep disturbances such as insomnia or poor sleep, and therefore lead to chronic fatigue. The majority of the body’s serotonin, a hormone that affects mood and sleep, is produced in the gut.

4. Skin irritation
Skin conditions like eczema may be related to a damaged gut. Inflammation in the gut caused by a poor diet or food allergies may cause increased “leaking” of certain proteins out into the body, which can in turn irritate the skin and cause conditions such as eczema.

I hope you found this useful

Own your day, be bulletproof

Rael

Fish is among the healthiest foods on the planet.

It’s loaded with important nutrients, such as protein and vitamin D.

Fish is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are incredibly important for your body and brain.

Here are the top 3 health benefits of eating fish that are supported by research.

1. Fish is high in many important nutrients, including high-quality protein, iodine, and various vitamins and minerals. Fatty varieties also pack omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.

2. Eating at least one serving of fish per week has been linked to a reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes.

3. Fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which is essential for brain and eye development. It’s recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women get enough omega-3s but avoid high-mercury fish.

Own your day, be bulletproof

Rael

Here’s a post that some of you will be happy to hear.

Research suggests that drinking an occasional glass of red wine is good for you. 

It provides antioxidants, may promote longevity, and can help protect against heart disease and harmful inflammation, among other benefits. 

Interestingly, red wine likely has higher levels of antioxidants than white wine. Still, more research is needed to better understand which types of wine provide the most benefits. 

However, it’s important to remember that drinking wine is not healthy for everyone, nor is it necessary. You can reap the same benefits by consuming a healthy diet.

All alcohol should be consumed in moderation where possible as the health consequences far outweigh the benefits. Unfortunately beers and lagers are not particularly good for you and come with no health benefits apart from having fun while consumed.

Own your day, be bulletproof

Rael

All my posts so far have been about lifestyle or nutrition. Although I personally feel these are the most important tools to help you achieve better health and well being, exercise is still very important. I’ve been training most of my life in some shape or form. This ranges from team sports such as football and rugby to spending time in the gym working on a whole body approach to fitness.

Below I have included the workout I did this morning in the gym. The total workout time including my warm up was less than 30 minutes so I was in and out quickly on this beautiful sunny bank holiday Monday. I write all of my programs myself now as I have purchased a fair few over the last 20 years so have enough knowledge in this area to know what to do. My workout will always depend on what I am trying to achieve. At the moment I have been trying to burn off a few pounds of weight after my holiday. So far so good. In fact I weigh less now than I did when I went on holiday. The key is to know what to do and when.

You my not know what some of these exercises are so please reach out to me for advice or use my favourite tool, Dr Google.

The 3 Minute Fight Count

A1 – High Knee Punch Outs – 30 Sec
A2 – One and a Half Burpees – 30 Sec
A3 – 1­‐2 Punch Front Kick – 30 Sec
A4 –Squat Elbow – 30 Sec
A5 – Alternating Forward Lunge into Reverse Lunge – 30 Sec
A6 – Mountain climbers – 30 Sec
Rest 1 min
Repeat for a total of 3 rounds.
After the completion of this circuit, move on to the next one.

Ab Finisher – The Abdominal Ascending Ladder

B1 – Box Plank -­ 1 Rep Each Side
B2 – Long Plank Walkouts -­ 1 Rep
B3 – Long Plank Armpit Touches -­ 1 Rep Each Side
B4 – Plank with Side Touches -­ 1 Rep Each Side
After you complete this, perform each exercise again for 2 reps,then 3, etc. all the way up to 7.
Rest as needed during circuit.

5 x 10-15 second sprints (I completed this on the treadmill.

Although this maybe challenging to most, have a go and let me know how you found it. You’ll be surprised.

I hope you found this useful.

Own your day, be bulletproof

Rael

Hi Team

Here are 4 delicious blue fruits with powerful health benefits.

1. Blackberries 
Blackberries are loaded with fibre, manganese, and vitamin C. They’re also one of the few fruits that are high in vitamin K, which plays an essential role in blood clotting and bone health.

2. Prunes 
Prunes made from damson plums supply fibre, beneficial plant compounds, and the sugar sorbitol — all of which may help relieve constipation.

3. Elderberries 
Elderberries are a nutritious purple-blue berry popularly used as a natural remedy for cold and flu symptoms.

4. Concord grapes
Purple-blue Concord grapes may boost immunity, mood, and brain health, though more studies are needed to confirm this.

Aside from their delicious taste, blue fruits offer a wide array of health benefits.

They’re nutrient-dense sources of powerful antioxidants, including vitamin C and beneficial plant compounds called anthocyanins.

I hope you have found this useful.

Own your day, be bulletproof

Rael

Hi Team,

In a previous blog I referred to several nutritional changes to make that will help your health. I spoke about cutting out or reducing sugar and now I want to get into cooking oils.

Most of you will be scratching your heads thinking what’s the issue with oils? Well this is and always has been a hidden health risk. In the UK alone we use oils such as rapeseed (Canola to Americans) https://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/canola-oil/, safflower, soy, grape seed, corn, peanut, cottonseed and sunflower to name some of the big hitters. Due to the way they are processed in factories at very high temperatures they are literally toxic to the human body.

There is a lot of science to this but big food companies want to maximise profits at the consumers expense. Most of these oils are used in processed goods supplied by supermarkets as well as restaurants. I’ve just started to ask what my food is cooked in when I eat out and the answers are as expected. Poisonous oils.

I’m not going to harp on about this subject as I think my point is clear. Look more carefully at your food choices and don’t be afraid to ask the question when you are eating out. It’s your body and you should be in control of what you put in it. Most chefs are more than happy to replace the oil for something more healthy such as lard or butter.

Here is a list of healthier options when cooking with oil:

1. Olive oil
2. Extra Virgin Olive oil (a personal favourite, I even drink this out of the bottle)
3. Coconut oil (food of the gods)
4. Macadamia oil
5. MCT oil
6. Avocado oil
7. Perilla oil
8. Walnut oil
9. Red palm oil
10. Rice bran oil
11. Sesame oil
12. Flavoured cod liver oil

When I decided to take my health to the next level I didn’t know where to get some of my products from. Then I discovered AMAZON. There is nothing you can’t get from this service so become a prime member and have your nutrition at your finger tips.

I hope you got some value from this post. Let me know your thoughts by adding a comment or reaching out to me directly on raeltodd.rt@gmail.com. You can also get in contact with me on Facebook and LinkedIn.

I’m still looking for a couple of volunteers to get some personal, free, health and well being coaching. I’m here to serve.

Enjoy the beautiful sunny bank holiday weekend.

Own your day, be bulletproof

Rael

Water plays many roles in your body, including maintaining electrolyte balance and blood pressure, lubricating joints, regulating body temperature, and promoting cell health.

Here are 3 simple ways to drink more water. 

1. Flavour your water

If you dislike the flavour of water, or just need a bit of flavour to help you drink more, you have many choices. Using an inexpensive fruit-infuser water bottle is one healthy option.

2. Eat more foods high in water

One simple way to get more water is to eat more foods that are high in water.

In addition to their high fluid content, these fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that promote your overall health.

3. Keep a reusable water bottle with you

Keeping a water bottle with you throughout the day can help you drink more water. When you have a reusable water bottle, you can easily drink water in any setting, whether you’re running errands, travelling, or at home, work, or school.

Remember, own your day & be bulletproof

Rael

Hi Team

I’m on my last day of a fourteen day break from work and the general churn of life. I make it part of my annual cycle to take at least a week off every four months or so. This gives you the opportunity to spend time with your families, gather your thoughts and have some rest and recovery for your body and mind.

Like all of you I am just a mere mortal and need to take planned breaks from the usual work routine. You don’t have to go on holiday away from home (although we did have a week in Italy), but time spent doing things you usually don’t get the time to do in your life. I decided to take two weeks off training completely. Not one gym session. This gives your body time to recover from the hard training sessions outside of holiday time. Most of us will start to get a bit out of shape due to this but most of this is in the mind and it doesn’t take long to get back into the swing of things with a reinvigorated spring in your step. I’m raring to get back to work, exercising and focusing on my nutrition. You will come back stronger, sharper and less stressed.

While I was off I also allowed myself to eat and drink things I would usually do in moderation. I enjoy beer and red wine as well as pizza and chips. I don’t feel guilty for allowing myself to enjoy some of the finer things in life for a short period at a time. I don’t go crazy and eat until I feel sick but I did indulge myself. I have stuck to my goal of no processed sugars which I am very proud of and I’m starting to lose those sugar cravings.

I’m back to work tomorrow and excited about getting back into a healthy routine knowing that I’ve had a rewarding week with my wife, family and friends. You will be surprised how quickly you get back to your full potential and more.

Even though I am an avid daily meditator I am still exposed to stress in my senior management role. My daily practice does keep me sane and helps me to deal with the pressures at work. Having extra time off a few times a year helps you reset your mind and priorities making you way more productive all round.

Just to change gears as part of my quest and the vision behind setting up this blog, I want to help people to improve their health and well being. This blog will have lots of helpful information and advice in a lot of areas and if applied, will without doubt, improve your health. Caveat that everyone is different and some things work better for others so it is a matter of trial and error in a safe manner. I’m looking for a volunteer or two to spend some time and attention on looking at their health goals, where they are currently with their health and helping them to apply better ways of living healthier. This will be a completely private arrangement and obviously free. I’m not here to judge, I would like to change someones life so a lot of trust would be required. If you are interested please reach out to me on raeltodd.rt@gmail.com

No pressure but it will be first come first served due to my limited time and diary commitments.

Ok I’m heading off to spend my final day of my holiday with my family so hope this has been useful. Let me know if this has been useful and please reach out if their is anything specific you want to achieve.

Own your day. Be bulletproof

Rael

Good Morning Team

Now your probably thinking ‘are all these blogs just about him’. The 1st was an introduction to me, the 2nd was a day in the life of me and this one is all about his birthday. Me, me, me. Well it would be a very good observation and I promise most of my future content will not be about me, me, me.

It is indeed my birthday today but it’s not a ploy to receive happy birthday messages from everyone. With celebrations there comes the tendency to eat incredibly tasty foods. More than usual. Most of us do it. For my next posts I would like to focus on very important nutritional changes required to improve your health. You’ll be surprised to hear that these are things you should reduce or eliminate altogether rather than include in your diet.

The first one is ‘SUGAR’. This substance is added to almost anything to make products taste good. Companies have mastered the art of creating food and drink that stimulate your taste buds and have you wanting more. Sugar is possibly one of the most addictive substances in the world, trumping cocaine. Seriously there have been numerous tests on mice whereby given the choice they always go for sugar rather than cocaine

Most processed foods and drinks will include sugar in some shape or form. The labelling does not always include sugar in the ingredients which is outrageous. Instead you will see glucose syrup, fructose, dextrose, maltodextrin and possibly one of the worse, high fructose corn syrup. Keep your eyes out for these and stay clear of them.

Sugar in most forms has a very negative impact on your body and brain. It is in fact sugar that ruins your body and eventually turns into fat. You will hear me bang on about the benefits of fat in my posts. I am very passionate about how healthy fats have been vilified over the last 50 years or so. Ultimately fat does not make you fat. Yes I said it. FAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT.

Keep an open mind to this if it is the first time you are hearing this. Eating it will not give you a cholesterol issue if you consume the right fats such as eggs, extra virgin olive oil and avocados to name a few. I’ll be coming back to this a lot over the coming months as it is something very close to my heart and the cornerstone of my own nutritional choices.

Another side affect of eating too much sugar is inflammation. As most people consume too much sugar, we have forgotten what it feels like to not be inflamed. There are a lot of reasons for inflammation which would need a post of it’s own to explain but sugar is toxic to the body. Especially in high doses. We have become used to the feelings of inflammation such as achy joints and muscles as well as brain fog. This is inflammation of the brain.

Anyway I digressed. As the first step towards improving your health you need to at least reduce your sugar consumption. Take more time looking at the ingredients on food and drink products. You will be very surprised how much of the sugar like ingredients named above (there are way more than this) are in them.

Now I’m not saying this will be easy as I am fighting my own personal battle against sugar. I had a real issue with sugar up until a few years ago. Everyone has there vice and mine was sugar. Cookies, flapjacks & chocolate used to be almost a daily part of my diet and took a very long time to cut back. I’m now 24 days without any processed sugar. I’ve found that even the smallest amount would make me crave more and I would binge. This would only happen once or twice per week but that is enough to upset your health goals and give me the symptoms of sugar you don’t want.

Everyone is different but try to implement this into your lives and see the differences in your body and brain. It won’t be easy but be patient and determined until the cravings stop. They do eventually go away (remember it takes on average 66 days to embed a habit). I’ll talk about some of the other foods and drinks to reduce and/or eliminate then these changes to your health will be obvious.

If you would be interested in some guidance in your health and well being reach out to me and we can talk through some changes. Be prepared to be honest about your food and drink choices as well as your exercise regimen if you have one. There will be no judgement from me.

Let me know if this has been helpful. I’m super interested to hear your progress reports as this is why I set up this blog in the first place.

Own your day and be bulletproof

Rael

Good Morning All,

It feel amazing waking up to bright sunshine here in the UK. Unfortunately were not blessed with great weather most of the time so being a typical Brit, were out in force with a sniff of the sun.

I thought my next post should give you an insight into a typical day for a health enthusiast such as myself. You can decide for yourself whether I’ve gone overboard or do you think ‘is that all you do’. Either way I’ve spent a long time building on my research and advice to get to this daily routine. Let’s find out.

5 am – During the working week I usually get up at this time. Your probably thinking are you serious but I find it pretty normal now to wake at this time. I even wake up a few minutes before my alarm goes off sometime so I can switch it off and not disturb my wife. I don’t hang around as the likeliness is that you would just turn over and get comfy and fall back to sleep. I give my wife a kiss (super important) and jump out of bed and brush my teeth then go into another room to do my daily mediation for about 15 minutes. Yes Rael has gone woo woo and for very good reason. Possibly one for another post as this is critical to your general well being in the short and long term.

5.30 am – I get into my gym kit and head down stairs to prepare my food and drink for the day. To summarise for now, this includes a flask of Bulletproof coffee, a smoothie, my bottle of filtered water and a small meal. At the moment this is a tasty salad. While preparing this I will have my daily pint of warm water with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt and cayenne pepper (not too much though. Can give you fire in the belly with wrong doses)

6.15 am – I arrive at gym to do a workout. I always warm up for a few minutes followed by the main body of my workout that usually lasts no longer than 30 minutes. I finish with 10 minutes of stretching

7 am – Head home to shower and change for work

7.30 am – Kiss wife (do you see the pattern?) and jump in the car to work. My commute is around an hour so I either have a chat with my Bestie where were like a pair of old women putting the world to right or I listen to an audio book or podcast. These are always health and personal development related. Definitely no radio.

8.30 am – Arrive at work and do my morning preparation. This includes assessing what my most important tasks are for the day and planning it out. In my finance manager role my day changes continuously so it is important to ensure I always have a plan of attack with a little wriggle room for emergencies.

1 pm – I try to find time to head out for a 30 minute walk to clear my head of numbers and another 10 to 15 minutes of mediation. This allows me to get back into work being fully present and focused for my afternoon. Again this seems excessive but I’ve been living this for a while and really is a powerful tool for increased productivity and reduced stress.

5.30 pm – My work day does fluctuate with finish times so I’ve just gone with an average finish time assuming I’m not logging on from home which I avoid where possible.

6.30 pm – Arrive home after another learning session in the car with podcasts and audio books. I might as well make good use of the time in the car and in fact I love this me time. It’s important that when I get home I have switched off from work and be fully present when I walk into see my wife and kids. Not easy at times.

The rest of the evening consists of having a nice meal and spending time with my wife. We love to chill out on the sofa and watch a few programs together while to kids hit the Xbox’s in their bedrooms. You parents out there know what I mean. I’m even guilty of watching Love Island. Now I do know that I’m being judged

I usually go to bed at 10 pm. This is a balance between making sure I get enough sleep to function properly the next day and being Mr boring by going to bed too early. Due to my lifestyle choices I function really well on 6.5 to 7 hours sleep. Anything less than 6 hours will impact my performance the next day so it’s super important to understand what works for you.

I hope that was really useful for you and some of you will be thinking ‘are you kidding’. These changes didn’t happen overnight but over time you implement a small change and stick with it until it becomes a habit. Usually around 66 days. This has been scientifically proven. If one of the changes does not work for you then stop and try something else. I could write a separate post for every part of my daily routine. Everything I’ve set out is summarised to ensure I don’t bore you to death.

If you enjoyed reading this please let me know. If you want to learn more, please let me know. This is the top of the iceberg I promise you.

Have an amazing day all

Rael