A Prescription For Forest Bathing... 

The Japanese have a way of connecting with nature that helps with relaxation - “Shinrin-yoku” 

Now this isn’t wishy washy hippy science about “connecting and being one with nature”...it never was. Maybe science is just starting to catch up... 

Go into a body of nature; a green field, a forest.. take your pick and leave your phone off and spend a couple of hours tapping into all your senses and destimulate yourself from the modern vices we surround ourselves with 24/7. 

Again, this isn’t “woo” science. There is a growing body of research suggesting tangible benefits on physical and mental health when humans engage with nature.  

One 2018 meta analysis looking at green space exposure (i.e nature) found that this results in statistically significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure (bottom number of the BP reading), cortisol and resting heart rate. 

In fact this forest bathing idea is an actual medical intervention in Japan and South Korea where doctors prescribe it! Lifestyle medicine at its best. 

Why does nature help us so much? Is it something that trees do – release some chemicals that help our immune systems? The fact that our parasympathetic nervous system is more engaged in that environment? 

The science needs more work here but what I can say is that maybe Western medicine is beginning to prove what your parents knew all along... going outside will be good for you! 

Alcohol and Antibiotics... The Truth 

Caveat before I even begin. I don’t drink alcohol and I’ve not partaken for many years since I increasingly came to the realisation that it just isn’t good for humans, at all.  

Alcohol is a personal choice. I will fully acknowledge that some people will have the occasional drink as a celebration. 

Now onto antibiotics and alcohol. I personally do not believe they should be mixed in any situation but there are nuances. 

If you happen to be taking most antibiotics and you had something alcoholic, it is very unlikely it’ll do any great harm. 

However if you are taking metronidazole then this WILL interact with alcohol, quite severely actually. In fact not only should you avoid this during taking metronidazole but also 48 hours after you stop taking it! 

Point 2– it is also very likely that most antibiotics will give you some unpleasant side effects like stomach aches, loose stool, nausea, taste changes, dizziness etc and all of these can be worsened when combined with alcohol. 

P.S if you want to learn more science backed tips to help you in every day life, order my book “This Book May Save Your Life”

P.P.S if you’ve already got a copy – drop me a review...every little one helps! 

3 Things I Need To Keep Telling Myself... 

1. No-one has any idea what’s coming or what the hell they are doing. Some people are just better at pretending they are and being brave enough to march into the unknown 

2. One of the most underrated qualities in life is showing up and doing things. Being on time. Being reliable. Being consistent. It doesn’t cost any money and doesn’t need any innate talent. Show up, do the work and do the job. I’ll take reliable over exceptional any day. 

3. Life is split into the 80%, 10% and another 10%. 10% of your life, you’ll have great days. 10% you’ll have shitty days. The 80% in between will determine and define your life. This ties in with the consistency point above. What do you do on average days – this is what shapes you in the long run. 

The Gut Skin Axis.... 

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I love waxing lyrical about our guts... our gut microbiome (the microbes which dwell within).

You might have also heard me discuss the gut-brain axis and even the gut-skin axis. 

We have a “microbiome”, a community of microbes on practically every suface of your body.. from the skin, the vagina, the rectum and even your belly button has a specific microbiome! 

Going back to the gut-skin connection you might have noticed that stress, gut conditions or your diet affects your skin.

There is a delicate interplay between multiple stakeholders here.

The gut skin axis is more complex than it seems... in fairness it should be called the gut-skin-brain-microbiota-immune system axis! 

Have you ever noticed some spots appear when you’re stressed?

Your face flushes or throw up a rash when you’ve had alcohol?  

Ok enough science...how can you improve your skin via your gut using science? 

1. Polyphenols: these are antioxidants and plant chemicals which our microbiome thrive on and they can improve appearance of ageing in the skin. You can find these in cocoa (think dark chocolate over 70%) and dark berries. 

2. Vitamin C rich foods: tomatoes, carrots etc--> these foods also contain carotenoids like lycopene which can help protect the sun from skin damage. Vitamin C is key in producing collagen, a protein involved in skin appearance and strength! 

3. Fibre: Yes this might be an obvious one but getting fibre, but a diversity of sources will help the gut microbes produce compounds which will be beneficial for your skin

4. Fish: Particularly oily fish like salmon and mackerel. These will provide a source of omega 3 fatty acids which are beneficial to the skin and provide anti inflammatory effects. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan then they may be a role for supplementation here to ensure you get enough of the two main types of omega 3 – EPA/DHA 

The Root Cause of Bloating... 

Everyone has experienced bloating at some point. 

In fact you might be experiencing it at this very moment and it is very common but also has a number of causes (too long to cover in this post!) 

Now I will say most of the time bloating, while a nuisance, is harmless and the cause is benign. 

Bloating can be down to dietary choices and even medical conditions. 

A common culprit is air swallowing – excessive consumption of sodas, chewing gums, talking whilst eating etc (I’m looking at you..) 

Aside from fizzy drinks certain “good for us” vegetables can be gas producing demons; beans, broccoli, sprouts, cabbage 

Aside from diet, digestive issues is another common cause. Conditions like IBS and IBD can contribute to bloating and a far more common condition, constipation is also implicated.

When stool sticks around in the colon, it can cause abdominal distension and discomfort.  

With this in mind, what can you do to address bloating? 

First of all I’d say, if you’ve experienced chronic bloating with no signs of abating or if it’s a new thing and it’s not going away – get it checked out. 

Aside from my above point there are some things you can do to try to identify a cause: 

1. Keep a food diary to see when bloating occurs and when it coincides with certain foods or eating patterns. Using this technique eliminating specific foods might be beneficial to see if it makes a difference 

2. Peppermint has a role in helping bloating and it happens to be one of the things which can help with IBS as the menthol helps to relax the muscles of the intestine 

3. Try eating smaller more frequent meals and chewing more slowly  

4. Be more conscious of your water intake – a common cause for constipation is dehydration which we know can lead to bloating.

Forget That Earworm! 

I’ve recently been playing Oasis “Wonderwall” on repeat. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it...but recently I’ve been getting close. As it’s stuck in my head.... 

In a rabbit hole of looking into how ear worms happen and how we can erase them.. I came across this.. the ear worm eraser ! (link below) 

Interestingly this was co-created with a music psychologist from Durham University and “scientifically engineered to get rid of earworms” 

Listen here: 

Ok so what is an earworm and why does it happen?

It’s a small snippet of a song or music that gets lodged in your head, replaying constantly. Understandably it can get annoying. 

We actually don’t even know the exact neurological mechanisms by which they burrow into our neuronal circuit! 

So anyway how does this track above work to help you get over that chorus driving you mad?

It supposedly disrupts neural patterns by using a series of audio patterns and rhythmic structures that break the loop of that song in your mind. 

Give it a go – does it work for you?