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Polyphenols

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Jenny65

Jenny65

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I am interested in health benefits of the food I eat, since diagnoses I have learnt so much about what the body needs and how it uses what you eat.

My mum, grandma, and uncle all had alzeimers and I know there is no 100% way to prevent this but I was reading up on the benefits of polyphenonls and noticed it includes the possibility of protecting against neurological diseases.

This is good news for me as since changing my diet to help my body recover from insulin sensitivity and D2, the things I eat are all included.

Today I had strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cashew nuts, 2 small squares of dark chocolate and spices in my lunch, all which provide lots of polyphenols. I also noted that my daily portion of sprouts helps with potassium which you need a higher ratio of than sodium to avoid water retention. Tonight I am having a small glass of red wine to boost my levels of antioxidants even higher and celebrate the weekend.

Thought I would share as this was a positive article to read.

Polyphenols are:

  • Antioxidants: These can protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.
  • Anti-inflammatory: Polyphenols have anti-inflammatory properties that might help prevent many chronic conditions.
  • Neuro-protective: The antioxidant effects of polyphenols may protect against neurological diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's.
  • Good for insulin sensitivity: Polyphenols may help control blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
  • Good for heart health: Several studies have shown that a diet high in polyphenols may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

  • There is plenty of choice when it comes to high polyphenol foods.
    Brightly colored berries, spices, nuts, and seeds are a good way to ensure you get a healthy dose of polyphenols in your meals.
    Other good sources of polyphenols include olives and extra virgin olive oil, certain vegetables, tea, coffee, soy products, and beans.
    Red wine or dark chocolate — if you stick to them in moderation — may also bring added health benefits to your diet by boosting polyphenols.





 
This was very interesting to read about @Jenny65 ! I can't say I was too familiar with polyphenols before... so have learned something today. It also sounds like you're incorporating lots of fruit and veg in your everyday foods, and lots of consideration for the health benefits, so should be proud! :D
 
Jessica DUK said:
This was very interesting to read about @Jenny65 ! I can't say I was too familiar with polyphenols before... so have learned something today. It also sounds like you're incorporating lots of fruit and veg in your everyday foods, and lots of consideration for the health benefits, so should be proud! :D
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Thank you @Jessica DUK, I am actually really enjoying eating again, the only problem I have encountered with this diet is constipation, which is surprising with the number of sprouts etc I am consuming. I used to have the opposite, I would have to visit the loo up to 12 times a day, this lasted for 20 years and its start coincided with me having gall stones and my gall bladder removed so this became the norm for me, the doctor said it was IBS and prescribed Buscopan but I couldn't take it as I also have sphincter of Oddi, which means I cant tolerate certain medication like morphine, codeine etc, feels like I am having a heart attack, which is also a side effect of having a Cholecystectomy apparently.

I have recently added Pysillum husk to my diet on the recommendation of advice someone kindly gave me on this forum and it has improved, although I did take it originally to help lower cholesterol but as its helping me in other ways too thats good. As a rule I try not to take multivitamins or supplements as I am trying to eat all my nutrition and vitamins via food. I feel OK now but recently I did have a bout of falling asleep and waking hungry and shaky. I actually have a memory of being a child and waking up feeling really similar and nauseous if I didn't get out of bed, and eat something. I was annoyed as a teenager as it meant no lie-ins as I would just lie there feeling sick.

I am bad at posting on this forum recently which I feel guilty about as it was the thing that got me through my dark days following diagnosis, and I need to post more as I want to give back things I have learned along the way to help others.

One of the oddest feelings I have at the moment, is waking up realising I am a normal healthy weight, I have spent so long struggling with my weight and shopping in outsize stores, wearing baggy clothes, hiding away from people and turning down social occassions, it is still weird being able to get up and throw on a pair of size 10 jeans and a t-shirt, less than a year ago my wardrobe was full of black size 24 baggy tops and leggings (could always fit size 14 leggings due to having skinny legs and them being elasticated) but the look was that of an ostrich, big belly and sticks for legs! Now I have a propery waist which I measured today is 28 inches ! It was 41 inches in July 2022, I think that measurement reduction is what helped me get into remission as the fat around my middle has now gone (finally) although I do have loose skin, but not as much as I thought I would have at my age.

Sorry rambling on here, have a lovely weekend x
 
Jenny, you may find a combination of chia seeds and psyllium works better. My sister used psyllium for a lot of years and found it stopped working but she recently started using chia seeds and they work brilliantly for her. I use a combination of both and that works really well for me. Chia seeds are also a bit of a super food as regards Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Do get the whole ones though as they don't taste or smell but the milled ones I thought smelled a bit like cod liver oil after a while. Milled seeds don't keep as long as whole ones because the oils are exposed to the air and start oxidizing, so whole is better in my opinion.

By the way, I must say your weight loss and more importantly "waist loss" (or perhaps I should say gaining of your waist depending upon how you look at it) is really impressive. You have done amazingly well and wonderful to hear that it has improved your confidence so much too, as well as improving your physical health.

Also found your info on Polyphenols really interesting, so many thanks for posting it.
 
rebrascora said:
Jenny, you may find a combination of chia seeds and psyllium works better. My sister used psyllium for a lot of years and found it stopped working but she recently started using chia seeds and they work brilliantly for her. I use a combination of both and that works really well for me. Chia seeds are also a bit of a super food as regards Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Do get the whole ones though as they don't taste or smell but the milled ones I thought smelled a bit like cod liver oil after a while. Milled seeds don't keep as long as whole ones because the oils are exposed to the air and start oxidizing, so whole is better in my opinion.

By the way, I must say your weight loss and more importantly "waist loss" (or perhaps I should say gaining of your waist depending upon how you look at it) is really impressive. You have done amazingly well and wonderful to hear that it has improved your confidence so much too, as well as improving your physical health.

Also found your info on Polyphenols really interesting, so many thanks for posting it.
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Thanks for the tip about Chia seeds, Ive just ordered some online 🙂 Will report back.
 
Just bumped into someone this afternoon who said she had had constipation for 20 years but had started having Kimchi and it had has a very positive effect.
 
"I cant tolerate certain medication like morphine, codeine etc, feels like I am having a heart attack, which is also a side effect of having a Cholecystectomy apparently"

Oh! Well that explains so much! Thank you for posting this.
 
petri said:
"I cant tolerate certain medication like morphine, codeine etc, feels like I am having a heart attack, which is also a side effect of having a Cholecystectomy apparently"

Oh! Well that explains so much! Thank you for posting this.
Click to expand...
have you experienced the same x
 
Yes. I can't even manage cocodamol since my cholecystectomy. I hadn't put 2 and 2 together on that.
 
Jenny65 said:
Thank you @Jessica DUK, I am actually really enjoying eating again, the only problem I have encountered with this diet is constipation, which is surprising with the number of sprouts etc I am consuming. I used to have the opposite, I would have to visit the loo up to 12 times a day, this lasted for 20 years and its start coincided with me having gall stones and my gall bladder removed so this became the norm for me, the doctor said it was IBS and prescribed Buscopan but I couldn't take it as I also have sphincter of Oddi, which means I cant tolerate certain medication like morphine, codeine etc, feels like I am having a heart attack, which is also a side effect of having a Cholecystectomy apparently.

I have recently added Pysillum husk to my diet on the recommendation of advice someone kindly gave me on this forum and it has improved, although I did take it originally to help lower cholesterol but as its helping me in other ways too thats good. As a rule I try not to take multivitamins or supplements as I am trying to eat all my nutrition and vitamins via food. I feel OK now but recently I did have a bout of falling asleep and waking hungry and shaky. I actually have a memory of being a child and waking up feeling really similar and nauseous if I didn't get out of bed, and eat something. I was annoyed as a teenager as it meant no lie-ins as I would just lie there feeling sick.

I am bad at posting on this forum recently which I feel guilty about as it was the thing that got me through my dark days following diagnosis, and I need to post more as I want to give back things I have learned along the way to help others.

One of the oddest feelings I have at the moment, is waking up realising I am a normal healthy weight, I have spent so long struggling with my weight and shopping in outsize stores, wearing baggy clothes, hiding away from people and turning down social occassions, it is still weird being able to get up and throw on a pair of size 10 jeans and a t-shirt, less than a year ago my wardrobe was full of black size 24 baggy tops and leggings (could always fit size 14 leggings due to having skinny legs and them being elasticated) but the look was that of an ostrich, big belly and sticks for legs! Now I have a propery waist which I measured today is 28 inches ! It was 41 inches in July 2022, I think that measurement reduction is what helped me get into remission as the fat around my middle has now gone (finally) although I do have loose skin, but not as much as I thought I would have at my age.

Sorry rambling on here, have a lovely weekend x
Click to expand...
No need to be sorry, that's what the forum is here for, to talk with others and discuss the very important experiences you've been through! Hope you had a lovely weekend too 🙂

That's amazing to hear that you've reached a weight you're happy with. It shows just how hard you've worked, and it sounds like your confidence has improved too then!
 
@Jenny65 Since you mentioned you've been struggling with constipation, it's worth noting that extra virgin olive oil is not only very high in polyphenols as you mentioned, but its a mild laxative, and helps smooth and lubricate the bowel.

If you're interested in this stuff you might enjoy Bryan Johnson's longevity project Blueprint - he's not selling anything, and releases all the information of his project for free. He actually gets 15% of his daily caloric needs from extra virgin olive oil. All the decisions he takes are guided by science, but it's worth noting he never recommends anyone blindly copy what he's doing. Instead he releases the information on what works and doesn't work for him. I just use it for ideas and go off and do my own research and incorporate the things I think will be good for me, such as the high polyphenol olive oil stuff.

Sorry if this is coming off as a pitch, as I said he gives this stuff away for free and I think some of the things he talks about in his videos could genuinely be helpful.

For example he talks about dark chocolate and how its important to select the right one, as a lot of them have been found with alarming levels of heavy metals. I was eating green and blacks and have since switched to Montezumas which is apparently much better.
 
Hope she's OK.
 
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