The Ideal Nutrition Blog | Ideal Nutrition

24 Sep 2021

Sodium Bicarbonate As A Sports Supplement? How To Use It

You probably think of sodium bicarbonate or bicarb soda as that ingredient you have stashed at the back of your cupboard waiting for you to bake some muffins. But bicarb isn’t just an ingredient for tasty baked goods, it is also a substance that can be used to improve athletic performance and is even produced by our own bodies. Bicarbonate has an important role in preventing the buildup of acid. One of the largest producers of bicarbonate in the human body is actually the stomach. When we eat, our body rushes to produce as much stomach acid and digestive juice…

22 Sep 2021

By Leah Higl

Complete Food Chemical Elimination Diet List | What To Eat

Welcome To The Food Chemical Elimination Diet Guide! The food chemical elimination diet guide is also available as a searchable (CTRL+F) PDF download. This is based on the elimination phase of what is known as the RPAH Elimination Diet or The Failsafe Diet. Just a few things to note before you move on to the guide. Only eat food listed as low in food chemicals whilst on the elimination diet. Avoid foods that are moderate to high in food chemicals. Although foods that are moderate in food chemicals may not cause symptoms in less sensitive people. You may wish to…

17 Sep 2021

By Leah Higl

Do You Need To Replace Sodium Losses During Exercise?

When you sweat, you are losing much more than water. You are also losing electrolytes. Sodium and chloride are the most abundant electrolytes in sweat with potassium, magnesium, and calcium present in lower amounts. The typical understanding amongst athletes, particularly in the endurance space, is that you need to replace electrolytes (specifically sodium) during exercise alongside fluids to maintain performance. However, the research done in this space is sorely lacking. Currently, there is only one randomized control trial from 2018 that shows an increase in performance with sodium replacement during exercise. But these results have not been replicated since. Despite…

15 Sep 2021

By Aidan Muir

Does Salt Intake Affect Gut Health: Early Interpretations of the Research

Dietary salt intake is typically linked with the impact that it has on blood pressure. Really, that has long been the only major concern I have had with higher salt/sodium diets. Even that point is not relevant for everybody. Somebody who is quite far away from having issues with hypertension can typically have higher amounts of added salt without it really being an issue from a blood pressure perspective. Some people also seem more sensitive to sodium than others. An interesting area of research that has developed recently is the effect of salt intake on gut health. It is very…

03 Sep 2021

By Leah Higl

Should You Go Lectin Free? Reviewing The Plant Paradox Diet

What Are Lectins? Lectins are a type of protein found in a range of foods. Lectins are grouped together based on the fact they are all proteins that bind to carbohydrates. This feature protects plants in nature. Although it may actually cause issues with digestion as it makes lectins stable in an acidic environment. The human stomach is acidic to facilitate the breaking down of foods. Lectins are resistant to being broken down in the gut due to being unaffected by this acidity. There are many different kinds of lectins that all have different effects on the human body. Ricin,…

01 Sep 2021

By Leah Higl

What Is The Best Probiotic For You? Strain Specificity

Probiotic supplementation has been at the center of discussion around gut health for decades. But if you are wanting to try a probiotic supplement, it can be incredibly overwhelming to choose what kind of supplement would be best suited to you. I was in the chemist just the other day and walked by a huge range of probiotics, each claiming to have a very specific purpose: IBS, constipation, mood and stress relief, immune support, women’s health, skin support, and even heart health. So are all of these probiotics really that much different from one another, or is it all a…

01 Sep 2021

By Aidan Muir

Resistant Starch – The Things You Need to Know

Resistant starch has gained a lot of recognition over the last few years for the potential health benefits associated with it. Theoretically, it can be an easy way to improve overall gut health while resulting in a lot of other health outcomes too. What Is It? Starches are long chains of glucose found in carbohydrate-rich foods. Resistant starch is a form of starch that is resistant to digestion. Basically, resistant starch is a unique form of fibre. It passes through the small intestine to the large intestine mostly undigested. Types of Resistant Starch Type 1: Physically inaccessibleType 2: Resistant granulesCannot…

27 Aug 2021

By Leah Higl

The Complete Low FODMAP List of Foods to Eat and Avoid

Welcome to The Low FODMAP Food Guide! The Low FODMAP Food Guide is also available as a searchable (Ctrl+F) PDF download. This guide contains a comprehensive list of foods and their FODMAP content. If you want to know how to properly implement The Low FODMAP Diet, our blog post specifically on that topic would be the place to go. When using the complete low FODMAP food guide, note the following: Aim to eat low FODMAP serving sizes only whilst on the low FODMAP diet.Portion sizes are per meal/sitting.All fats and oils are low FODMAP. You can even use garlic and…

25 Aug 2021

By Leah Higl

Leaky Gut: A Dietitian’s Review Of The Research

Leaky gut is a hot topic of debate in the medical field. Some medical professionals don’t believe it to be a real condition, whilst others associate it with a range of symptoms and disease states. Research on leaky gut otherwise known as increased intestinal permeability seems to be a bit of a hot mess. Hence why it is not a widely accepted condition but also why it can’t be completely refuted. Proponents of leaky gut syndrome have linked the condition with a variety of other medical conditions and diseases. Saying that leaky gut is the underlying cause of chronic fatigue…

11 Aug 2021

By Leah Higl

Plant-Based Milk: A Dietitian’s Guide

Dairy milk is still the most widely consumed variety of milk, but the plant-based milk industry is growing, and it's growing fast. Plant-based milk has expanded from just soy, almond, and coconut. You can now get milk made from cashews, hemp, oats, rice, quinoa, and sesame among so many other things. Cow’s milk is often the benchmark that we compare other milk to as it is a good source of several nutrients including calcium, protein, vitamin A, B12, and iodine. It is incredibly difficult to find a plant-based milk option that ticks all of these nutrient boxes. However, you should…