Low Carb No Crap® - Living Long and Strong with Verne and Roy

December 29, 2023December 29, 2023

#33 Appendix Story

How to go from a gym class to an operating theatre in 2.5 days; not dying from Somethin’ Stupid; Stayin’ Alive in wild, wild WA; Getting Lucky – surviving childhood, plus genetic and geographic lotteries; appendix stories – what’s yours?; appendixes and other vestigial organs; hospital heroes; Happy New Year!

On the first Wednesday morning in November, I’d sailed through my Les Mills Bodypump class with a smile on my face. So, how did I end up undergoing emergency abdominal surgery that same Friday night? It goes to show – looking and feeling healthy is no guarantee that all is well inside the body.

A picture of health - who’d have suspected anything was about to go seriously wrong? — Taken at home shortly before my appendix burst – a picture of health!

August 16, 2023

#30 How Much Alcohol? The Grape Debate: Part One

How much alcohol is too much? Should we drink? I’m weighing in on the ongoing debate – both scientific and scaremongering – around alcohol and our health.

Putting aside temporary blips like temperance movements, Puritans and Prohibition in the US (1920-33), the message has generally been that moderate intake of alcohol is not a bad thing. In fact, it was thought that, if you enjoyed it, the relaxing effect of a pre-dinner drink could be positively beneficial. And that’s the message I received growing up.

Prologue: Me, growing up with alcohol

April 3, 2022June 2, 2022

#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

March 20, 2022April 28, 2022

#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?

#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

February 11, 2022February 11, 2022

#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.

January 29, 2022

#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!