A concert at Newton Dee and the best weight loss advice that no-one seems to know

We cycled to Newton Dee yesterday as Elizabeth was playing the violin in a concert with SC&T Youth. It has been such a long time since I cycled to Newton Dee and indeed I’m not cycling as much as I used to these days – so much so that I’ve lost my cycling butt and am feeling sore today. But we love Newton Dee and I think we should make this a more regular Saturday activity again, like we used to do.

The concert was excellent. I recorded some videos.

I listen to a lot of health podcasts when I’m out running and one I listened to recently by Dr Alex on what happens to your body when you quit sugar for 30 days motivated me to try it. I don’t eat a lot of sugar these days. The main culprit is a few squares of dark chocolate but I buy 85% dark so the sugar is low. Aside from the that the only other source is Elizabeth’s baking and special events like birthdays and Christmas. Yesterday was day 1 and it was pretty easy. To make it easier I bought myself some 100% dark chocolate and told myself I could eat as much as I wanted but if you’ve tried 100% chocolate it’s quite bitter and difficult to eat even one square.

I already avoid ultra-processed foods which is where most of the sugar we eat is hiding. A good and sustainable diet shouldn’t be about restricting food and going hungry. A good diet should let you eat as much as you want but of the right foods because honestly, how many carrots are you really going to binge on? And fibre is undervalued by our society. Non-digestible fibre is even better as it can’t be directly absorbed by the body. Instead it gets eaten by the microorganisms in your gut who as thanks will turn it into short-chain fatty acids like butyrate which is better than any drug your doctor can prescribe.

Butyrate is a master anti-inflammatory, a miracle for your brain cells, it works magic on sleep and mood as well as improving insulin sensitivity and even helping with weight loss. I didn’t know this until recently but it works on the same metabolic pathway as modern expensive weight loss pills – isn’t that amazing! Butyrate stimulates the release GLP-1, a hormone that regulates blood sugar and signals fullness to the brain. Weight loss pills like Ozempic are GLP-1 receptor agonists, acting in a similar way to actual GLP-1. I find the idea that all I need to do is chew and swallow non-digestible carbohydrates that another living creature inside my body will process and turn into this miracle drug for me, mind-blowing.

When I gave up salt I inadvertently gave up ultra-processed foods. I can see that was the real benefit although that was not my goal at the time. I lost weight. Now I can stuff my face with whatever I want and I never put on weight. As snacks I gorge on nuts and carrots dipped in my homemade hummus. We centre our meals on legumes – lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas – and I eat large platefuls, as much as I want. How can we spread information at the population level about simple changes like this that will bring life-changing benefits not just to individuals but to the NHS and, dare I say it, our economy which is struggling under the burden of disease? I don’t know.