Colostrum isn't just for newborns— I've been supplementing with colostrum powder for the last month as part of a gut health reboot. It's not a supplement I plan to be on forever, but using a tub 2-3 times a year is a good way to boost my gut health and reap the rewards.
Why is colostrum receiving so much attention?
Because it offers a myriad of health benefits, particularly for men in their midlife seeking to optimise their well-being.
Here's why colostrum matters:
Protein isn't just about building muscles; it's about building a strong and healthy gut.
Protein is one of the primary building blocks for all cells in the human body, including your gut cells. Even gut probiotics are made of protein.
Research has shown that both the amino acid balance and digestibility of dietary protein are primary factors contributing to gut microbes' composition, structure, and function. [1]
If you live in Australia, you’d think that protein malnutrition couldn’t exist. But many people in their midlife aren't eating enough protein, especially with trendy vegan and vegetarian diets on the rise.
Gut health is one of the most important things to focus on beyond 40.
I’m sure you’ve seen the numerous media stories over the past few years connecting changes in the gut microbiome to everything from obesity, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, mental health issues, autoimmune diseases, to allergies and neurological disorders.
If you're beyond 40 and your goal is to stay in shape, improve low energy (and libido), manage chronic health conditions, and unlock vitality, you’re going to need to have a healthy gut.
Your gut health is linked to your overall health. This makes sense because every cell in your body needs vital nutrients to survive and thrive. Your gut’s ability to digest and absorb this critical nutrient is essential to your health and well-being.
Constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, gas, abdominal pain, fatigue, skin irritations, vomiting, and sugar cravings are all signs that your gut isn't functioning as it should.
Back in the day, when I was training and competing in marathons and triathlons, I started to experience certain food sensitivities, poor sleep, diarrhea, and nausea. I put it down to stress, high training volumes, and working long hours as a personal trainer. Although doing a food sensitivity (IgG) test helped me remove particular foods that increased the symptoms (whey, eggs, gluten, cashews, alcohol, etc.), it wasn't enough to fix the underlying cause. I later found out I had a leaky gut, and once I fixed it, all of these symptoms went away.
…
Leaky guy played havoc with my sleep, my ability to recover and, therefore, my health and happiness. Today, my gut health is significantly better, and I wish I had addressed the problem sooner.
I've experienced my fair share of gut issues over the years. From leaky gut, inflammation, diarrhea and even nausea. Did I share too much? The thing is, I didn't take action until I started to realise how the gut plays a vital role in overall health and well-being. Your gut health controls everything from your weight to your mood to brain health, inflammation, exercise tolerance, recovery, and immune function.
Not only that, 90% of your serotonin, the happy, feel-good hormone, is produced in the gut. So if you’re feeling depressed, it could be an underlying gut issue. Serotonin is also a precursor to melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep.
Over the last decade, the incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases(IBD) has increased worldwide [1]. Symptoms are often painful and can include diarrhea, bleeding ulcers and anemia.
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is a very restrictive, unconventional diet plan that severely limits carbohydrates. By eliminating most carbohydrates (primarily grains, starches, dairy, and sugars) and allowing only specific carbohydrates that require minimal digestion, we can reduce inflammation and make eating enjoyable for people with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders.
High performers who struggle with stress and anxiety, or even depression, are frequently perfectionists. They want things to be a certain way, and they have high expectations. Living up to these expectations can increase their stress and anxiety. They have what is referred to as a ‘high histamine type personality’.
There are some apparent traits or personality types observed in high histamine type personality:
Medical science is currently spending more time and money on gut research than any other field of medicine. The EU has already funded 216 projects over €498million to promote metagenomics and to advance our knowledge of microbes [4]. Why? Because the medical fields are starting to understand the role the gut health play in all aspect of our health. "It is increasingly recognised that the microbiome can change our mind and health status, or switch on a wide range of diseases including cancer, cardio-metabolic diseases, allergies, and obesity” [4]. We are seeing more and more businesses, coaches and “gut specialists” promoting goods and services to “help fix your gut.”
For those that have been following my (@stretch_rayner) Instagram story this week, you would have seen me posting about the potatoes diet. What is the potato diet? What are the benefits? How does it work? Why did I do it?
