My 2025 Functional Blood Work: Gut Health, Protein, and the Hidden Clues - Part 3
My gut health story goes back to around 2010, when I was deep into the endurance world — marathons, triathlons, and Ironman events. At the time, I thought endurance athletes were the fittest people on the planet. That more hours, more miles, more pain meant more health.
It took a few years (and plenty of symptoms) to realise just how wrong I was.
Endurance sports can do a number on your gut — especially when training volume is high, sleep is poor, stress is chronic, and recovery is an afterthought. If you want to read more about how that chapter impacted my health.
My 2025 Functional Blood Work flagged a 62% probability of GI dysfunction.
Why Men in Midlife Need to Eat MORE Protein, Not Less
For decades, we've been fed a dangerous narrative:
"Eat less red meat."
"Cut down on saturated fats."
"Animal protein is bad for you."
Meanwhile, Big Pharma and Big Food have profited massively as our health has declined. Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and muscle wasting have all skyrocketed. Coincidence? Not likely.
One of the biggest tools they used? The Food Pyramid.
Designed in the late 20th century, the Food Pyramid demonised nutrient-dense foods like red meat and saturated fats while promoting grains, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods as the foundation of a "healthy" diet. It steered us away from the very foods that sustain strength, vitality, and metabolic health — and into a carbohydrate-heavy, inflammatory diet that has fuelled modern chronic diseases.
If you're a man in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, it's time to open your eyes: you need MORE protein, not less. Especially high-quality animal protein.
Here's why:
The Gut-Histamine Connection: Why I’m Starting a 60-Day Gut Protocol
Last week, I shared my journey with histamine intolerance—how certain meals were wrecking my sleep, leaving me wired at night, foggy in the morning, and wondering what was going on inside my body.
What I didn’t realise at the time was that the real issue wasn’t just the food. It was my gut.
Harnessing the Power of Colostrum for Midlife Wellness
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:
The Gut-Protein Connection, Transforming Gut Health in Midlife
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.
Beyond 40: Nourishing Your Gut for Peak Health and Vitality
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.
5 Root Causes Of Midlife Gut Issues That Your Doctor Won't Know
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.
Why recreational athletes often experience leaky gut?
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.
Gut issues are not normal, stop ignoring them.
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.
Is flatulence and bloating killing your performance? Specific Carbohydrates Diet
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.