health authors

#24 Hey, Honey – local is lekker!

As you can’t have helped noticing, says VERNE MAREE, Big, Bad Sugar is the new villain on the block, having taken the place of fat. Now fat is good, as long as it is good fat. That generally holds true wherever you’ve planted your flag in the diet wars. (Except for low-fat vegans, who are unlikely to make old bones… or be reading this blog.)

But there may be a special place reserved for honey. There’s most definitely a place for it in my Low Carb, No Crap™ diet and lifestyle plan.

Postcode honey – as local as it gets! Photo credit: Carrie Titchmarsh

That’s because I don’t believe carbs are the enemy, either… unless they’re carbage, like anything white and refined. Eating the Low Carb, No Crap™ way doesn’t mean villifying carbs. (It’s more about choosing your carbs selectively, and according to your unique needs and tolerance levels.)

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#23 Top Dental Health Hacks

When it comes to top dental health hacks, a great smile is the least of it, says VERNE MAREE. Poor dental and oral health might be undermining your vitality and shortening your life in ways you may never have imagined. Read on for more – and all you never wanted to know about Vitamin K2!

Good health is about nutrition, exercise, good sleep and proper oral hygiene. Dr Judson Wall

Before introducing Dr Judson Wall properly, I’ll cut to the chase with his four simple steps to oral hygiene.

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#22 How is Your Light Diet? Part Two: Circadian Rhythm

How is your light diet? For your best night’s sleep ever and to reduce unwanted body fat, VERNE MAREE recommends hacking your circadian rhythm with red light in the morning, getting plenty of natural daylight, and minimising blue light after dark.

As promised in Part One of this series on light, here are some thoughts on how sunrise and  morning light sets us up for a good night’s sleep, and how too much blue light can actually make us fat!

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#21 How is Your Light Diet? Part One: Vit D, Sunshine and More

Our light diet may be as important as sleep, nutrition and exercise, VERNE MAREE discovers.

I rejoice when I see Roy outside with his shirt off. Not only because he – like most of us – looks heaps better with a tan, but because I know it’s boosting his immune system and helping him to live long and strong.

In fact, he’s just had a load of blood tests – and his Vitamin D is way up where it belongs.

Light Diet
Roy on Yallingup Beach, WA, a couple of weeks ago.

(The above pic of Roy on Yallingup Beach was taken a couple of weeks ago; click here for that travel blog post, and if you like it, please sign up to Travels with Verne and Roy!)

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#20 Orthorexia, a new eating disorder?

Orthorexia – or orthorexia nervosa – is a newish and very first-world condition. And no orthorexic is likely to admit to being one, says VERNE MAREE.

I know a bit about body dysmorphia and disordered eating, so when Roy says things like: “I’ll have just one bite of cake,” or “Let’s share that banana”, my spidey sense is alerted.

You’ll remember that Roy lost 35kg on my Low Carb, No Crap® eating plan; and it’s great that he’s determined to keep it off. But when he asks for three chips with his fish, is he going too far?

He has lost the weight, and he’s keeping it off

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When to eat

#19 When to Eat

When to eat might be as important a question as what to eat. VERNE MAREE spills the beans on how Roy and she are faring with Intermittent Fasting (IF) and Time-Restricted Feeding (TRF).

It’s not just what you eat that matters. When you eat is important, too. I’m a firm believer in both intermittent fasting and time-restricted feeding. If you’re not already on track, why not give it a try?

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#18 Collagen for great skin and strong bones

Get more collagen, says VERNE MAREE! Working to keep your skin taut and healthy and your musculoskeletal system strong, collagen is the body’s most abundant protein. 

When my dear friend Christa suggested I do a blog on collagen – maybe marine vs bovine – I thought, why not? Call me strange, but collagen is in fact something I think about most days: whether I’m adding collagen powder to a smoothie, making bone broth, or, sadly less frequently, booking a collagen-boosting facial treatment.

For me, collagen is about both looking young and staying strong.

A daily cup of collagen-rich broth is one of the best things you can do for your skin

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#17 Snoring

Snoring – are you a perpetrator or a victim? VERNE MAREE confesses to having been both, and offers some solutions.

Snoring is no joke… it’s a serious hazard to your health, and possibly to your relationship, too.

Snoring couple
Photo credit: Kampus by Pexels

True Snoring Story, UK Summer 2005

Snorers often don’t like to admit they snore, and Roy was one of them. But his cover was irrevocably blown one summer, when he rented a lovely converted barn in Warwickshire – close to his mother’s home – to accommodate the whole family.

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#16 Are you gluten intolerant?

Are you gluten intolerant? Gluten intolerance is more widespread than previously thought, and gluten may be harming people in ways they never dreamt of. VERNE MAREE spills the beans on what going gluten-free did for her.

A few days ago, I did a gazillion squats and lunges in a Les Mills Bodypump class at Craigie Leisure Centre, followed by a yoga session. The next day, I jogged 8km along our hilly coastal path. The morning after that, I walked for miles along Burns Beach, basking in the perfection of the day.

So what? Well, just a couple of years ago, that little lot would have seen me limping around, moaning about sore hips and possibly swallowing a bunch of anti-inflammatories.

What’s changed since then? Read on to find out!

Coastal path to Burns Beach – a nice, hilly run
Craigie Leisure Centre gym

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