Episode 74: Foods for Dudes

The content of this podcast has not been evaluated by Health Canada or the FDA. It is educational in nature and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified medical professional to see if a diet, lifestyle change, or supplement is right for you. Any supplements mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please note that the opinions of the guests or hosts are their own and may not reflect those of Advanced Orthomolecular Research, Inc.

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Welcome to Supplementing Health, a podcast presented by Advanced Orthomolecular Research. We are all about applying evidence based and effective dietary lifestyle and natural health product strategies for your optimal health. In each episode, we will feature very engaging clinicians and experts from the world of functional and naturopathic medicine to help achieve our mission to empower people to lead their best lives naturally.

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[01:16] Cassy Price: Hello and thank you for tuning in to Supplementing Health. Today we are joined by Jenna Hope to discuss nutritional needs for men at different stages of life. She is a registered nutrition consultant who works closely with individuals to help them implement smarter strategies for their nutrition. Welcome Jenna, thanks for joining me today.

[01:22] Jenna Hope: Thank you so much for having me.

[01:24] Cassy Price: So, before we dive into today’s topic I would love to get to know you a little bit better and I was wondering what made you want to become a nutrition consultant in the first place?

[01:34] Jenna Hope: So, I grew up in a really healthy house and I wasn’t into nutrition at the time. I despised it in fact. All I wanted was the unhealthy foods. When I got to around sixteen, I noticed that my skin wasn’t great, my energy wasn’t great, and I remember having a conversation with a family member and they said “you know what? Why don’t you try to focus on your diet and see how you feel by incorporating more fruits and vegetables and really trying to eat a healthier diet.” So, I did, and I noticed huge improvements in my skin, my energy and just how I felt in general and after that I became fascinated by the way in which food can impact not only your energy, not only your weight. In that time, I grew up in an era where it was very, very, heavily focused on weight and for me it was never about that. It was always about the mental side of how I felt. As a result, I became really interested in food and how food can have an impact on how you feel mentally. So, I went to study and the rest, as they say is history.

[02:49] Cassy Price: So, one of the things that you provide within your clinic or your practice are wellness programs that help people learn how to support their overall wellbeing with nutrition and some of those things that might be addressed might be things like mental health like you mentioned, stress management, sleep, productivity. What sorts of things would someone expect if they were to enrol in one of your programs?

[03:16] Jenna Hope: So, I work on a really personalised basis. I think that when it comes to health there really is no one size fits all. I think that is such an important message. We often hear about certain diets that work for individuals and friends or neighbours or people that they see on the internet. The truth is that we all have such different lifestyles and such different requirements as well that really it is about looking at the individual and saying “what can work for you? How can we look at your diet, look at your lifestyle, and make small changes that will have a really big impact?” So, I am really passionate that nutrition and health shouldn’t take over your life. You have to think about health as a 360-degree approach. By that I mean that we need to think about the physical side of health of course. We need to think about the mental side of health. We also need to think about the social element to health. If that means enjoying a glass of wine or a slice of chocolate cake every now and again because that is good for our social or mental wellbeing, then so be it but equally for the most part can we focus on having a nutrient dense diet. So, really the truth is that program will look really different to everyone individually. Potentially we will be looking at energy for some people, looking at how to support their sleep for other people, we will be looking at stress management or improving an individual’s relationship with food for somebody else. It really is looking at nutrition, health and wellness on a personalised approach.

[04:54] Cassy Price: So, what are some of the most common concerns that you see and deal within your practice?

[05:00] Jenna Hope: So, that is a great question. Often, I deal with people who are experiencing low energy and high levels of stress and looking at how we can utilise nutrition to support productivity. I work with really busy people who simply don’t have time to stand there chopping vegetables everyday day in day out. so, really it is about making nutrition and healthy eating as easy as possible for those people and ensuring that their diet can support their energy requirements to see them through their busy day. That is the number one focus that I have. Alongside that often requires looking at things like stress management and sleep as well. Also, things like gut health. How can we improve gut health because we know that gut health has a really big impact on energy and the way in which we absorb our nutrients as well. That is a big one. For some people it is just about putting them on the right track. Often people don’t know where to start and they say “I am just not feeling my best. I am not feeling optimal. Where can I start and what can I do? How can I change my diet?” Then of course there is the weight side of things as well. So, people who come to me for weight loss which again, I very much promote healthy sustainable weight loss. I think there are so many quick fixes out there. If you type ‘how to lose weight fast’ into google you will come up with hundreds and hundreds of solutions, but they are not sustainable. It is about how we can make sure that the weight loss is sustainable but also enjoyable because equally if it is not enjoyable it is not going to be sustainable in the long term.

[06:48] Cassy Price: Do you find there is gender differences, like certain deficiencies that are more common for men say over women or vice versa?

[06:56] Jenna Hope: Definitely. I think when it comes to women there is the obvious ones like iron for example, protein for some women they find it quite hard especially those people following a vegan diet. Vitamin B12. For men, Vitamin D is particularly important as well. I think for men the biggest struggle is almost the social side of eating. One of the things that I find with my male clients is that there is a lot of peer pressure going to the pub, enjoy a beer, have the snacks that go with it, have deserts whereas for women if they say they are on a diet or they are trying to eat healthier it is a little bit more socially acceptable. I think for men that is a really common issue. The other thing that men tend to struggle with is as they get older the amount of food that they require generally decreased. Their metabolism slows down, and they are used to eating what they ate in their twenties or their teenage years where they could eat whatever they want and be whatever size they were whereas as they get older, they notice that actually they are much more likely to gain weight despite the fact that they are following the same diet. They do need to be a little bit more aware of that and that is something that I do find with men. At the same time, when men in general, this is a sweeping statement of course, I find that when men commit to making change, they are much more likely to stick at it than women are which I think is really interesting as well.

[08:36] Cassy Price: That is super interesting. I was kind of thinking when you were saying about them having to adjust their eating habits, we all kind of expect it when it comes to the beer and pizza type diet that they would eventually have to switch to a more nutrient rich diet, but for people that have always been somewhat aware of their nutrition and eating healthy but not necessarily counting calories, how do you help them adjust from still a nutrient rich diet but one where they were say taking in 3500 calories down to one where they take in 2000? Just using arbitrary numbers here.

[09:14] Jenna Hope: Yeah, absolutely. I think when we are looking at working with men in that sense really it is about educating them on portion size and educating then around general foods that contain more calories verses foods that contain less calories. I am not an advocate for calorie counting per say but of course we need to be aware of it roughly. We need to be able to know roughly what we are consuming in our diet without having to weigh everything day in and day out. So, I really try to hammer home the importance of filling up your plate with vegetables and lots of beans and pulses, wholegrain, the food that is going to help to keep them fuller for longer but equally not feeling like they are sitting down to a small plate of food where they really feel like they are on a diet. It is about providing sort of lower calorie foods at higher volumes and that is the way that I have found that men are the most successful as you say, when they need to reduce their energy intake without making it completely override their whole lifestyle making sure they have to weigh everything but that is not sustainable, and it is definitely not enjoyable.

[10:26] Cassy Price: Then so for the mental health and somewhat social aspect of it we think of eating disorders primarily affecting women you know the yoyo dieting and binge eating and all of those sorts of things we tend to think more because it is a reaction to that diet culture that puts all of that pressure on women but I think often men and the pressures that are put on them get forgotten as well. Do you see a fair amount of that in your practice?

[10:54] Jenna Hope: Absolutely. I think the fact that you mentioned the binge eating or the overeating or comfort eating is really important and interesting. I have had many male clients who have grown up in not food poverty per say but in an environment where food access is scarce or they don’t know exactly when the next meal is coming. As they have grown up and they have earned their own money and they can afford their own food whenever they want it, they almost have this mindset back from their childhood that they don’t know when that next meal is going to come. They feel that they need to overeat all the time just to make sure that they are not going to be hungry or to prove to themselves that actually they now can afford the food and now they don’t need to worry but it is like a proof that they are almost showing themselves what they have achieved in life which I think is really interesting. I definitely do see a side of overeating in men and also, I see a link between stress and food intake in men as well. We often think about emotional eating in terms of females as you say but it is really prevalent and because men don’t talk about it too much it is often assumed that it is not there but it very much is there and it is definitely something that needs to be addressed and spoken about far more.

[12:28] Cassy Price: So, what are some of the strategies that you would give clients in those sorts of situations where they are maybe overeating or taking in these different foods that aren’t helping their long-term goals to help them start moving in the right direction?

[12:45] Jenna Hope: So, really it depends on why my client is eating. Say for example if we take the first example as I said earlier about the client who potentially didn’t have a lot of access to food or food was scarce when they were younger, it is about taking them back to that childhood and dissecting where that comes from. Sometimes just talking about that and putting that association together helps them to understand so often people don’t link those two factors. It can help them to understand, “oh actually you know what I am more aware of why I am eating this way and I can remind myself that I can buy my next meal and I don’t need to overeat now in order to prove that to myself.” That is one strategy. Another strategy is actually encouraging clients to leave food on their plate so that they feel that they don’t have to consume everything. When they feel more comfortable with leaving food on their plate that can in turn help them to reduce the overeating. Additionally, in terms of clients who are dealing with stress and emotional eating what we tend to do is help them find other ways to deal with that stress. Essentially one of the reasons that people stress eat is because in that moment of eating when they are stressed, they are dampening down the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol so they are actually not feeling physiologically stressed while they are eating which is why people tend to find that if they stress eat they feel better, as soon as they stop they think they must eat something else which is where the overeating comes into play.

[14:28] Jenna Hope: What we tend to do is say “lets create a list of things that you can do as an outlet for stress to deal with that stress, so you don’t feel like you have to turn to food.” That might be having a bath in the evening. It might be sitting down with a cup of tea. It might be something like a headspace app or some meditation. It might be doing yoga or Pilates or going for a walk. Everyone has their own stress outlet. Mine is doing something creative. That can be a really powerful tool to help break that cycle of stress and emotion leading to eating. We also use another tactic. It called the cravings card. Essentially is it a list of questions which sort of stops you in your tracks. They go along the lines of things like am I feeling particularly emotional? Why am I feeling emotional? Is there something I haven’t said to someone? Am I supressing my emotions? For women, for example, am I due on? Is that one of the reasons why I am feeling stressed, and I want to eat? Have I exercised and therefore that is driving up my appetite? Have I skipped meals? Are my blood sugar levels low? Essentially what that does is it helps you to understand where the motivation to eat is coming from so you can say “actually I am supressing my emotions, maybe I should release them in another way. maybe I should journal or talk to someone.” That can help to release those emotions, so you find you are not turning to food. They are some of the strategies that we use.

[16:00] Cassy Price: Very cool. Speaking of stress and cravings. On a physiological level we know that the imbalance of hormones or the hormonal triggers that come with stress can often be part of what leads to those different cravings that people experience and on previous Supplementing Health episodes we have discussed how certain foods and nutrients can affect hormone production for women specifically, Are there nutrients or foods that you would recommend specifically for men to help them balance that male hormone portfolio?

[16:34] Jenna Hope: Yeah, definitely. I think firstly if we take macro nutrients as a whole and we focus on where our food is coming from we really want to make sure that our blood sugar levels are balanced. That is sort of fundamental to balancing those cravings. We want to focus on protein rich foods, complex carbohydrates and fibre because essentially that is going to help to ensure that our blood sugar levels are more balanced. When we eat foods that are particularly high in sugar, our blood sugar levels increase and as quickly as they increase, they decrease and when they fall at that point, we are more like to experience those cravings, we are likely to experience things like irritability, low mood, tiredness and fatigue. We are also more likely to feel more hungry so as a result you are more likely to crave sugar and eat more of it which in turn can stimulate this blood sugar rollercoaster. So, as I say protein and complex carbohydrates and fibre is crucial and trying to keep those sugars to a minimum so focusing things like brown rice, sweet potatoes, protein so meat, fish, eggs, wholegrains, beans, pulses, fruits, vegetables, all of that sort of whole food. That is crucial. Then we want to think about ensuring that we have adequate amounts of serotonin. Serotonin is our happy hormone; it can really help to ensure that we are feeling optimal. We want to think about things like tryptophan and complex carbohydrates as well. essentially complex carbohydrates allow tryptophan which is an amino acid to cross the blood brain barrier in order to create the serotonin that happy hormone. So, foods containing tryptophan include things like chickpeas, turkey, oats, chickpeas and hummus as well. These are really great sources. So, making sure that we are consuming adequate amounts of those. Then we also want to be aware of things like magnesium and zinc so they are really crucial when it comes to hormone production and magnesium can be found in things like dark chocolate, green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts. Zinc in things like meat, fish, eggs and dairy as well.

[18:56] Cassy Price: Do you find there are certain things in today’s diets or in certain fad diets people are lacking more so in, for example, I know there are lots of people who have magnesium deficiency or a Vitamin D deficiency. Are there other nutrients or minerals that people are less aware of that they should be more so?

[19:19] Jenna Hope: Yeah, so, definitely vitamin D, especially in the UI where I am based. Vitamin D is a really big one because we just don’t get adequate amounts of sun. As you say magnesium as well. A lot of people are experiencing a lot of stress and stress really depletes our magnesium status so really crucial. Omega 3 is another one where people aren’t consuming adequate amounts of fish or anyone who might be following a plant based or vegan diet. The vegan movement is growing exponentially at the moment, and it is great for incorporating plant-based foods into the diet. It is really good to be incorporating all those vegetables and fruits and beans and pluses but at the same time if we are not aware of where our nutrients are coming from it can pose a risk of deficiency. Omega 3 is really important again for hormone production but also for brain function and managing mental wellbeing it is crucial. We largely get hat from oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, herring. We can also get it from things like walnuts, flaxseed, seaweed although we need to consume more of those foods as the Omega 3 comes in the form of ALA which is an inactive form of Omega 3 so the ALA needs to be converted in the body and through that conversion process we may lose some of that ALA which is why if we are relying on plant sources of Omega 3 we need to consume more than we would do if we were relying on animal sources such as oily fish. Other deficiencies include things like iodine. So, again anyone who is on a plant-based diet so not consuming much dairy or white fish, Iodine is crucial when it comes to thyroid regulation and also in cognitive function and neural health in children as well. Making sure that we are getting that iodine from other places, whether it comes from fortified plant milks or from seaweed, that is a great source of iodine, prunes as well but just being aware. Vitamin B12 is also crucial. Vitamin B12 particularly important when it comes to things like hair growth and baldness. I know baldness is something that a lot of men do suffer with and to some degree that is genetic but anyone who is Vitamin B12 deficient that can play into male baldness. B12 comes from animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy. It can be quite hard to get on a plant-based diet as well. There are definitely key nutrients that are high risk for deficiency.

[22:12] Cassy Price: What are your thoughts on the trend diets so things like paleo or intermittent fasting or keto etc. those sorts of diets? Will you ever recommend them in certain situations, or do you think they have merit in certain situations?

[22:32] Jenna Hope: So, I think it really depends on the individual. Some of them I am not a fan of, for example, if we start with keto. Keto was originally designed to help with the management of epilepsy in children and it is fantastic for that. It has shown to be really effective however people now are using it as a weight loss diet. It can be a relatively low fibre diet so it can have knock on effects on gut health. It is a low carbohydrate diet so it can also have negative impacts on mental wellbeing because as I said earlier carbohydrates are crucial for the production of the happy hormone serotonin. I also think that as soon as people stop something like keto, because it is such a severe diet, your weight will pile straight back on if not more than when the individual started. Keto I generally recommend to avoid the keto diet. A paleo diet, there are so many different variations of doing a paleo diet and some people do thrive on a lower carbohydrate diet but not necessarily a low carbohydrate diet. So, I think for some people paleo may be beneficial.

[23:48] Jenna Hope: Modern paleo where people incorporate things like beans and quinoa and a little bit more of those plant-based carbohydrates, that can be beneficial. Again, it really depends on the individual and really making sure that the individual doesn’t feel restricted. As soon as someone feels restricted on their diet, the diet is not going to feel sustainable. As soon as they fall of that diet, they are much more likely to overeat or binge on other foods that they restricted beforehand and then they can fall into a diet cycle where they fall into a binge restrict cycle which is not beneficial for physiological wellbeing or mental wellbeing either. So, paleo diet for a select few people it may be beneficial. Intermittent fasting, I think is a very interesting one. There is some research to suggest that it is more beneficial in men than in women. I don’t think we have enough evidence to suggest the long-term implications of it but again as long as an individual doesn’t feel restricted and they feel as though they are hungry when they are supposed to be fasting then I would say it is more important to listen to your body and tune into what you want than trying to follow the rules of diet. Being flexible in these things and making it work for you is the most important thing.

[25:17] Cassy Price: Speaking of desires often we think of libido more in line with men and of course women have libido as well as it affects everyone. Men’s desire is generally thought of as higher obviously making a bit of a sweeping statement here. So, are aphrodisiac foods a real thing and can they impact people’s libido?

[25:44] Jenna Hope: So, there is not really a substantial amount of evidence to support aphrodisiac foods however the diet can impact libido. For example, if an individual is on a very restricted diet or they are not consuming enough energy or enough protein they may find that their libido falls equally a diet that is very high in refined sugar may also cause a drop in libido or may impact mental wellbeing within turn can impact libido. We also know that stress really contributes to depleting magnesium and other micronutrients which can in turn reduce the availability of micronutrients to support libido. So, your diet can definitely play a role. Alcohol as well in the long term can have a negative effect on libido. Yes, your diet can play a role but unfortunately, I don’t think specific foods if you eat those your libido is going to sky ricket. I think that is a little bit of a fad that is out there.

[26:51] Cassy Price: So, does eating those oysters make tonight a fun night?

[26:55] Jenna Hope: Unfortunately, not, one of the thing to that is often the environment in which those foods are consumed in so if people think they are aphrodisiacs then that can also contribute to how they feel and their libido.

[27:12] Cassy Price: Fair. Okay, so we are coming close to time. I was just curious, if you could pick three main things that every man could do to start improving their nutrition what would those three basic starter steps be?

[27:28] Jenna Hope: So, the first one I would say is to try to incorporate multiple sources of antioxidants in the diet. Antioxidants are crucial for helping to reduce free radicals. Free radicals are produced naturally through things like stress, smoking, alcohol, but also through things like digestion and exercise. Essentially high levels of free radicals can contribute to cell damage and call death. We do need to make sure that we are trying to reduce those where possible and you can do that through things like fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate, manuka honey is also very rich in antioxidants and actually I really love the True Honeycomb Manuka Honey. It is a New Zealand company. They have an MGO of 1900+ which is incredibly high and essentially means that it has got high antibacterial properties. You can stir that into cold water. So, really just trying to incorporate lots of antioxidants into the diet is essential. I would secondly say try to focus on reducing alcohol consumption. Now, we know that alcohol can have an impact not only on general wellbeing, weight status, but also on dietary choices. If you are drinking a lot of alcohol, it can make it harder to make healthier dietary choices. Generally, try to stick to at least three to four alcohol free days per week. I am of course not suggesting that men never have a drink again but really trying to limit it and being aware of not drink around fourteen units of alcohol per week. Then, finally I would say focus on what you would add into the diet. Add in lots of plant foods. There is this common stereotype that men enjoy eating more meat and meat-based dishes and whilst there is nothing wrong with that in moderation, we do want to focus on increasing plants because they are rich in fibre which is really important for supporting a healthy gut. They are also rich in plant chemicals so things like phytochemicals, polyphenols which are really beneficial for our brain function, they are a source of antioxidants, and they really help to support gut health as well. so, focus on adding more plants into your diet. That is a great place to start.

[29:50] Cassy Price: Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for sharing so many of your insights. I know your website jennahopenutirtion.com has a lot of additional information as well that people can go and read all of your blogs and get recipes and whatnot. Is that the best way for them to get a hold of you if they wanted to work with you or are there other avenues that you would suggest?

[30:10] Jenna Hope: Absolutely. Always feel free to contact me via my website. I am also on Instagram @jennahopenutiriton as well where I share lots of tips, tricks, and recipes about nutrition and healthy foods so I would love anyone to come and join me over there as well.

[30:26] Cassy Price: Perfect. Thank you again so much for joining me today.

[30:30] Jenna Hope: Thank you so much for having me. I have loved chatting with you.

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Thank you for listening to Supplementing Health. For more information about our guests, past shows, and future topics, please visit AOR.ca/podcasts or AOR.us/podcasts. Do you have a topic you want us to cover? We invite you to engage with us on social media to request a future topic or email us at marketing@aor.ca. We hope you tune in again next week to learn more about supplementing your health.

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