Craig Constantine

Why is everyone so darned happy!?! →

Published June 21, 2016 · All posts on Jun 21 · My Journey, Health

This entry is part 54 of 72 in the series My Journey

I think it may be the sun exposure.

When I started Parkour, I wasn’t even aware that I was generally UNhappy. But I sure did notice that everyone I met WAS happy. At first I just marked this down to “everyone is young”, and I set about simply enjoying training and playing with a mob of fun people.

Then, slowly, I realized I was becoming happy.

Now sure, some of this has to be due to my changing — some life-style changes, some dietary, some weight, some exercise, etc. But the more I’ve been reading, the more I’m inclined to blame some of it on the sun.

You see, it’s been shown that Vitamin D supplementation works wonders, and I’d bet that getting my Vitamin D the natural way is even better.

«http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/supplements/sunshine-superman/»
«http://www.drbriffa.com/2007/09/12/vitamin-d-supplementation-appears-to-save-lives/»
«http://www.drbriffa.com/2010/04/29/can-sunlight-and-vitamin-d-help-to-preserve-physical-function-and-independence-as-we-age/»
Male Depression: How to Deal With It | The Art of Manliness

Metabolic advantage →

Published July 21, 2015 · All posts on Jul 21 · Health

This entry is part 6 of 14 in the series John Briffa's "A Good Look at Good Health"

The idea that a particular diet might have weight loss benefits that cannot be predicted utterly by the calories contained in that diet is often referred to as ‘metabolic advantage’. I’ve found it to be a vexed topic, with commentators on it belonging to one of two camps. On the one hand we have those that believe ‘a calorie is a calorie’, and that the form that calories come in have not bearing on their impact on weight. On the other hand, we have those who maintain that the form calories come in can influence body weight in a way that is independent of the number of those calories, or who are least open to the idea that his can be true. Just to be clear, I am in the latter camp.
~ John Briffa from, «http://www.drbriffa.com/2009/10/19/is-there-such-as-thing-as-a-metabolic-advantage/»

slip:4udiie1.

What is “intermittent fasting”? →

Published July 15, 2015 · All posts on Jul 15 · Fasting, Health

This entry is part 5 of 14 in the series John Briffa's "A Good Look at Good Health"

Quelling insulin will help protect against these conditions, and will facilitate fat loss too. One way to quell insulin levels is to eat a diet largely devoid of the foods that cause surges in blood sugar such as those [of] added sugar as well as starchy ‘staples’ like bread, potatoes, rice pasta and breakfast cereals. Another way, though, to moderate insulin levels is to extend the time between eating. This, in essence, is what intermittent fasting is about.
~ John Briffa from, «http://www.drbriffa.com/2012/03/01/my-times-piece-on-intermittent-fasting/»

slip:4udimy1.

The calorie principle →

Published July 9, 2015 · All posts on Jul 9 · Health

This entry is part 4 of 14 in the series John Briffa's "A Good Look at Good Health"

There are a number of potential mechanisms that explain why nuts may not be fattening which were explored in a recent review that appeared in the Journal of Nutrition recently. I’ve summarised them (along with one mechanism that is not discussed but I think is important) below:
Studies show that nuts tend to be effective at satisfying the appetite, which can mean that individuals just end up eating less of other foods. The percentage of calories that come from nuts that are compensated for by eating less of other foods varies from study to study, but comes in at around 70 per cent.
~ John Briffa from, «http://www.drbriffa.com/2008/10/06/why-the-evidence-on-nuts-and-weight-makes-a-mockery-of-the-calorie-principle/»

slip:4udiwy1.

HIT improves… your body’s sugar handling? →

Published June 27, 2015 · All posts on Jun 27 · Health

This entry is part 3 of 14 in the series John Briffa's "A Good Look at Good Health"

In this particular study, individuals engaging in the ‘high intensity interval training’ (HIT) sprinted on a exercise bike with maximum effort for 30 seconds at a time with 4 mins of rest in between. 6 sessions were performed over a two-week period, with 4-6 ‘sprints’ in each session. I was interested to read a recently published study which used an identical exercise schedule. The focus here was not on fitness benefits, but on the impact HIT might have on individuals’ ability to handle sugar.
~ John Briffa from, «http://www.drbriffa.com/2009/01/30/short-bursts-of-high-intensity-activity-found-to-improve-bodys-ability-to-handle-sugar/»

slip:4udiso1.

8,000 at 20 →

Published June 8, 2015 · All posts on Jun 8 · Health

This entry is part 2 of 14 in the series John Briffa's "A Good Look at Good Health"

Memorize this: “8,000 at 20”

That is: “8,000 steps at a 20-minute-mile walking pace.” I’ll explain below, but first…

The researchers involved in this study then looked at what levels of activity appeared to be associated with BENEFITS for PHYSICAL and MENTAL health. What they found was that improved physical health was seen in individuals taking 8,000 steps a day at [a certain] intensity.
The threshold above which there was an associated benefit for MENTAL health was lower: only 4,000 steps a day at [a certain] intensity.
~ John Briffa from, «http://www.drbriffa.com/2009/06/05/walking-may-be-ideal-exercise-as-we-age/»

slip:4udiwa1.

It’s not about how far you walk; Don’t worry about how long your legs are. It’s about how hard you are working when you walk. Basically, you need to do the steps at a level of exertion that is roughly 3 times you base metabolic rate; That is to say, the rate at which your body burns energy when you are sitting still doing nothing. The intensity this research points at is roughly a 20-minute-mile walking pace for average height/legs. This is faster than “I’m strolling” but well below “I’m late! speed walking”.

Just go walk for 45 minutes every day.