...And it even tastes sweet! If you're interested in optimising your health, improving recovery, supporting longevity or simply getting a better night's sleep, this is one worth knowing about. Glycine isn't particularly expensive, it's remarkably versatile, and your body uses it for some incredibly important biological processes. 1. THE CREATINE CONNECTION: A LITTLE-KNOWN FACT Here's something fascinating! Most people associate creatine with muscle strength, exercise performance and recovery. But did you know your body actually manufactures its own creatine, and glycine is one of the essential building blocks? Your body combines three amino acids to manufacture creatine: - Glycine - Arginine - Methionine These are involved in a two-stage process that produces creatine. Why does this matter? Creatine plays an important role in regenerating ATP, your body's primary cellular energy currency. This is particularly important for muscles, but also for the brain and other energy-demanding tissues. Glycine therefore contributes directly to your body's natural creatine production. It's not that glycine makes supplemental creatine absorb better. It's that glycine helps your body manufacture its own. That's a pretty impressive job for one little amino acid! 2. BETTER SLEEP AND NIGHT-TIME RECOVERY Struggling to switch off at night? Glycine has attracted attention for its potential to improve sleep quality. Human studies have explored doses of approximately 3g before bedtime, reporting improvements in: - Subjective sleep quality. - Time taken to fall asleep. - Next-day alertness. - Feelings of fatigue. - Sleep-related recovery. One proposed mechanism is that glycine helps regulate body temperature through peripheral vasodilation, supporting the natural physiological changes that occur as we prepare for sleep. Better sleep means more opportunity for your body to recover, repair and restore. 3. SUPPORTING GLUTATHIONE: YOUR MASTER ANTIOXIDANT This is another particularly interesting benefit.

ARE YOU BUYING WHAT YOUR BODY ACTUALLY NEEDS, OR WHAT WELL-FUNDED MARKETING HAS CONVINCED YOU, OR YOUR FRIEND, TO BUY? (This article contains ANTIAGEING protocol information, and I’m not selling any products)! Hardly a week passes without a message from a client or a friend dropping a link to the latest trending wellness formulation (*you know who you are, and it’s absolutely fine). I look, check the substance (type/quality/quantity) and the dose they’ve suggested vs the effective doses I know of, and send my reply. My answer is usually “don’t bother with that”, and I offer a better option, if they need one at all! These products are usually significantly underdosed and biologically inert, but always priced at an astronomical markup. *Profiting from people's desire to improve their health by overcharging them for products that don't live up to their promises is exploitation that also robs them of that health benefit. That’s just wrong. The supplement industry is booming. But most consumers can't make truly informed decisions about the specifics of nutrition because it's biology, it’s a science, and so they trust the seller! Last year, it was PROBIOTICS. Millions of consumers invested in capsules that delivered fragile, usually single-strain cultures that mostly perished from overexposure to stomach acid long before reaching the lower intestinal tract. Did anyone tell you that taking your probiotics at mealtime destroys many of the bacteria before they reach your gut? You should usually take probiotics at least 20 mins BEFORE eating, in a low gastric acid period. Most people aren't told this. Now, longevity science has entered the mainstream, led by NAD+ and NMN, two powerful tools, without the proper instructions again. Another huge marketing opportunity, with consumers being encouraged to buy products without understanding what they are or how they’re SUPPOSED to be taken. Anti-ageing isn't a pill. The actual protocol has two parts. 1. Reduce the oxidative stress that damages DNA (also by taking a particular set of micronutrients). 2. Assist this process with resistance training (body weight is fine), which fuels mitochondrial ATP production (so cells can continuously repair themselves). This also supports muscle repair, strength, and retention, and helps prevent things from going saggy (sarcopenia). Without that mechanical signal, longevity supplements lose most of their metabolic purpose.

I once wrote an article explaining that our reliance on caffeine was, essentially, a reliance on a stimulant, something we ideally shouldn't need to get through the day, I THEN talked about energy raising alternatives! Let's just say it wasn't one of my most popular articles. It was a bit like trying to take a bone away from a dog! I quickly discovered that, for some people, their coffee (or tea) is practically a religion." I get it. People love their coffee or tea routine. It's part of the morning ritual (still is for my parents), the working day and, for some, practically a personality trait. But here's the thing: caffeine isn't all bad. Far from it. Green tea, in particular, has attracted considerable attention for its catechins, especially EGCG, and their potential role in metabolic health, cardiovascular health and cellular protection. Coffee also has a substantial body of research supporting its potential health benefits, particularly in relation to liver, pre-training energy and metabolic health. So rather than trying to convince everyone to abandon their favourite brew, I'm showing you how different drinks influence the brain, energy, concentration and performance, and how to make smarter choices depending on what you need at that time. 🧠 DID YOU KNOW? - Caffeine doesn't create energy. It blocks adenosine receptors, suppressing the brain's perception of fatigue while sleep pressure continues to accumulate. - The crash is neurological. As caffeine levels decline, adenosine signalling becomes more apparent. Sleep debt, tolerance and withdrawal can compound the effect. - Tea contains L-theanine. This amino acid, particularly relevant to green tea, works alongside caffeine to support attention and a calmer state of alertness. - Caffeine content isn't a simple coffee-versus-tea contest. Brew strength, serving size and preparation determine the dose. Coffee typically delivers substantially more caffeine per cup. - Caffeine has a long half-life. Commonly around 4–6 hours in healthy adults, although genetics, medication, pregnancy and other factors influence clearance. Your afternoon coffee can still affect your sleep at night.

This is something pushed by the food industry but NOT the Natural health or the nutrition industry. Let me tell you the facts. The truth is Fats are friends, we need them for good health and many of them are ESSENTIAL! You've been lied to! Many fats help and heal your body! The key thing is to remember that healthy, unprocessed, unfried, fats are good for you. Those fried foods (and fried oils that might be dripping off of those foods) are the problem. Here is a list of fats which help us in many ways. ALA (Omega‑3) – Flax & hemp (crush those flax seeds or they just go straight through you, taking the oil benefits with them)! Benefits: Anti-inflammatory, Heart & brain support, May reduce risk of chronic disease, Supports skin and hormone health. EPA & DHA – Fatty fish. Benefits: Brain & cognitive support, Heart-protective, lowers triglycerides, Anti-inflammatory for joints & tissues, Supports eye and nervous system health. Linoleic acid (Omega‑6) – Seeds & nuts. Benefits: Essential for cell membrane structure, Supports skin, hair & nails, Contributes to hormone production, Helps maintain metabolic balance. GLA (Omega‑6) – Evening primrose & borage. Benefits: Anti-inflammatory, Eases PMS & menopause symptoms, Supports eczema, arthritis & skin health, Helps regulate immune function. Oleic acid (MUFA) – Olive oil & avocado. Benefits: Heart-protective, improves cholesterol profile, Anti-inflammatory, Supports weight management, Promotes healthy skin & cellular health. Palmitoleic acid (MUFA) – Coconut & tropical oils. Benefits: Supports metabolism & insulin sensitivity, Antimicrobial & gut health support, Helps maintain healthy lipid profiles, Supports skin regeneration Stearic acid (Saturated) – Beef, mutton, shea. Benefits: Neutral for cholesterol, Energy source, May support bone & skin health, Provides satiety & metabolic stability Butyric acid – Butter. If you're eating margarine.....don't....it's not good for you at all! Benefits: Gut-healing & anti-inflammatory, Supports colon health, Boosts beneficial gut bacteria, May aid digestion & metabolic function