Claire Turnbull: Not all supplements were created equal

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I'm all right, I'm just about alive. Yeah, I've had four boys here all weekend, so pre teenage boys. You know, it's just a bit. I feel like I've done more parenting than I need to in a year.

Yeah, because we're joining us from down and down from a Queenstown.

Now I am yeah, I'm well.

I think when you live when you live in the South Island, you do a lot of traveling everywhere. So I'm on and off planes all the time, in and out of weather events.

And what I've discovered is.

Sporting requires a lot more driving and a lot more people around at your house.

So good. Yeah, well, it's good to We like to know you're keeping at a mischief, so that's good.

Yes, trying.

Yeah, and now we'd like your calls one hundred and eighty t and eighty or text nine two nine two any questions you might have on nutrition, and we always like to tie a theme or two into the conversation

Take a do you take any to tell me?

Tell me?

Actually, here's the thing.

To be honest.

Okay, do I what's what's the supplement? First? Define it for me.

Well, it's yeah, it's the category has got broader because you know, it probably used to be considered the multi vitamin tablets and.

Then maybe a little bit of iron, a little bit of zinc, and now there's.

All of the powders and all of the I mean, there's all sorts of different things that you can mix into water and blend up, and you know, so it's quite a big category. But it's something that supplements your main diet. So you know what you eat and it's vast and people spend large amounts of money in this area, and it's about you know, you want to get bang for your buck and also make sure you're not buying the right thing.

Okay, well I'm going to it's just owning up. Okay, I'm going to be I'm waiting for you to shoot me down on this one. But anyway, so, I don't actually take any particular supplements. I've even stopped taking a multi vitamin, even though that's something I normally do. Take a maldiviloament, but I just fell off the wagon of taking it and I haven't missed it, and I thought, do I really needed to keep taking these things. I

Yeah, which is convenience and you know, if if people have got the protein. Powders and protein supplements are not necessary for most people, but for busy active people, if you've got the money and you find it convenient, it's fine to be using what's check like I have, you know, I've got I've got to I.

Don't have an issue.

It's again it's about people using money for something that's going to actually work. So there are actually some people

So it's not the supplements you know bad.

I just think that some people are just like, oh, well, if I just take my supplement, i'd tick my healthy box and off I go, which is kind of what you were saying your multivsion.

But you didn't feel indifferent, which proves well, I.

Don't know actually with the supplement now, I don't know, because there is such a thing as the placebo effect, and I have had very strong but I have had times if I haven't eaten after i've and it's a reasonably heavyweight to sort of work out. If I haven't eaten, I can feel little. If I will start to feel

Well, it's good that you're refueling, you know. So that is definitely if you've had a workout and you're refueling within kind of a good time frame afterwards, you're you're doing the right thing.

You're getting supporting your muscle, your muscle recovery.

But you are so right, and you've touched on something such so important because there's lots of research around this about the absolutely massive effect of the placebo effect of both medicines and of complementation, and I don't think we can we can underestimate that. So I think, you know, absolutely there are groups of people that kind of need to take them, but the effectiveness for other people when they are eating overall quite well, you know, is questionable.

They are very different people, so please go and see the farmers.

Pharmacists quite good for advice on that stuff.

But some of them that have got good knowledge. So my brother is a pharmacist, for example.

And he's good. They are, I mean that they are.

They are absolutely clued up in the interactions with different medications. They'll know if you went to go and see them like if I take this one and this one. So one thing that really does happen a lot these days is something called supplement stacking, where people are just they're like, oh, I take this sleep thing which has got varright, and this is one of the things. People don't have suppments in isolation. We have these mixing things, and that's why

Okay, we're going to take some calls. I'm going to take one more. I'm going to give myself one more question because I think what some people do with and like a lot of people who go to the gym, they might take a supplement after they workout or something because they think I should have something within an hour and a half an hour of exercising, which I think is that seems like it's reasonably common sense to refuel.

Think you do. You are right.

You do have to consider how some of these things and also some of the supplements, like you say, do have sugar in them or other things that people need to consider. So it isn't just always I just I do meet a lot of people that just think we'll just take it, and it's got to be better than not taking it, you know, big, big picture is what we need to do.

All right, We've got I've got lots of questions for Claire. But guess what, I'm not going to hag it. I'm going to hand it over to you. I wait, one hundred and eighty, let's go to Steve. Hello.

Yeah, good Claire. I'd like to ask you about creatine. I've resist I resisted taking it for quite some time because I felt it it might have might have adverse effects on you know, organs or whatever. I've start with a protein show. But recently, yeah, I've started taking creating and I think it's actually really effective. It's it's reduced by muscle fatigue after going to the gym because I'm you know, over over fifteen. How so I need to

It is absolutely You're so right, It is absolutely the trend of the moment.

But the good thing actually Creating is really.

Well researched and studying. What is so creatine actually naturally occurs in meat. But basically what it can do is it helps with the with your muscles when you're doing exercise. It allows you to basically increase the weight that you're pushing, which through that process, if you're pushing heavier weights and you feel stronger, you're actually able to build more muscle,

Thanks. I think we had a bit of feedbit dropping on Steve there for but thanks for your call, Steve. I hope that's helpful to you. Eight hundred and eighty and eighty. By the way, clear is kindly offered that we're going to select a caller today. Anyone who calls an we'll we're going to randomly select someone to get a consultation with Clear or or a dietitian nutrition step Mission Nutrition, which is clear Clear's company, and also a copy of your well being planning, a habit track, a

Well, it's something that you put on your fridge to you set some kind of goals that you may be like, right, I'm gonna have you know, five alcohol, three days a week, just six time. Yeah yeah yeah, stick styr fridge. But this is what we need. It's knowing what to do is one thing. I've said this so many times to you, Tim, No, what is one thing? But doing it is something else. And that's where we need to make the stuff habitual in our lives.

Yeah right, So to anyone who wants to call up, well, we'll be slicked in one of you to receive that little peck there. Okay, here's one from Muzz Clear Nearly fat at fifty three. It's so hard to get rid of.

So I'm assuming a male, yes, muz, Muz, muz.

Well you never know, I know, Muzz is mail.

Okay, good, just check it just second. I mean it's difficult with females. And the reason I say that is because in kind of midlife and beyond the reason that that happens is because we there's hormonal changes that happen for women, which is tricky that abdominal fat.

I know, it's really challenging some of the things to think about.

Obviously, nutrition is huge, but the stress and sleep are very very problematic in that area. Okay, So it's extremely common for people to struggle with that if they are not getting a good quality seven as of sleep and they are our stress and most people are stressed these days, right, So it's finding ways to do that. The other thing is like the physical activity that helps mobilize that, and it's not just about doing sit ups. It's actually about

You get older, you are very likely to gain weight.

So as you do get older, you actually need to be more active and make sure that you're doing muscle resistance training, but also do consider sleep and stress. That's something that is not considered enough. I don't think in terms of people struggling with their weight and where they carry their fat.

Okay, let's take another call, Sandy High.

Oh High, very clear. My daughter's Hi. My daughter's just been diagnosed with osteoporosis. She's sixty one and yeah, just hearing that. Apparently she doesn't have enough calcium and who diet Apparently she's a small her. Should she be taking something like protein powder? Do you think?

Yeah, So that's a really really good question.

So when we're thinking about bone keeping bones healthy, we can never beyond the age of actually, like your late twenties, you can actually never get your bones much stronger. You actually have to just maintain what you've got, right, So her situation now is about maintaining the strength that she has in her bones. So the key things are as you say, as you mentioned calcium, that would be something I would have thought that her doctor would have talked to her about, or I'd hope that her gp had.

But it's yeah, because she's right, just being diagnosed and will need to go back to the doctor.

Yeah, So I mean, and so when she goes back, I think that's just a really important thing to say, what can I do to support my bone health? So the three main things to think about is adequate protein. Definitely, protein is very very important for your bone health. Also adequate calcium. But vitamin D and this is extra often

So it's those three things.

That I would hope that the GP would be recommending if they know they know much about bone healthy.

It's not just calcium on its own. But she'd need.

People to find out if she's got a vitamin D.

Deficiency.

Yes, absolutely, so there's a blood test that So one of the things if she's been diagnosed with osteoporosis, she should one hundred percent. Her GP should be able to get that and push it so she doesn't have to pay for it. One of the things that vitemin D tests is they are quite expensive, so doctors are quite reluctant to get them done.

You can pay yourself.

It's about fifty bucks, but because it's one of the more expensive blood tests, doctors have to have a reason to do it. But in your daughter's case, you one hundred percent would have a case to do that. So again that's another question for her to ask.

Hey, thanks for your course, Sandy. Just quickly on the vitamin D. So how much time do you need to spend outside with a thin and sort of to get your vitamin D hit without getting sunburn? Of course, so you can do it.

Yeah, no, it's a good question.

So the guidelines used to be very like twenty to thirty minutes, but really it depends dramatically where you live in New Zealand, right that, because it's actually very different

Least because we do that.

We're we're actually designed to live outside, right, But if we're for for to expose your eyes to natural light that regulates your sleep rhythm, but also we need to expose our skin to to light to make vitamin D.

And you live in you live in your studio.

So well, I mean, I actually I do make a point of it now of trying to get out for walk, although the weekends are the worst microsoft and you know, I don't know, it's yeah, it's it's a good reminder get out and go for a walk half an hour? Yeah, yep, Hey, guess what we've got to take a break we'll be back in just a moment, but we'll take your calls for Clear turnbulls eight and T and eight. It's two twenty six past four news talks. It'd be yes, we're

No?

I mean if it's not really if you're eating well and you're feeling good, no, Like the average person doesn't necessarily need anything else if you're getting the main The key thing there is if you're getting fruits and veggies in and eating plenty of high fiber foods and a variety of other nutrients, like.

You're good. Like if you're feeling good?

Rock on, lock on, Okay, right, let's have some more cause Rachel, Hello.

Hi, how are you good? It's good clear. I'm forty five and I trained six days a week. I do prosper style training in my diet. Good two supplements that I take. I was starting to notice a bit of geneeric may pain and I've started taking glue cossom and with turmeric, and I also take a collagen powdered daily. Am I wasting my money with die or do they have a good impact on what they're supposed to be pulling out?

Yeah, that's a really good question.

Collagen The research around that is again increasing, and it can be really effective. I think, you know, and I think people do notice in terms of their skin, hair and nails.

That's kind of what they tend to notice. First.

Again, if you've got if financially adding collagen to your life is you know, is not a stretch for you, and it's not replacing any food, then it is one of the ones that is it is actually kind of worth looking at. In terms of glucosamine lit column a little column Bee. I'm a big fan of using a Mega three, making sure that you're focusing on on on getting a lot of the the like either either oily fish or a higher dose a Mega three supplement in terms of the anti inflammatory effect there.

So that would be something to consider.

Because the Amiga three also helps with you know, brain health, heart health and all the.

Rest of it.

So that's kind of one that would probably be more on my list in your situation. Again, that's something yeah, I mean, it's if you want. There's nothing wrong with it. There is research that kind of goes either way with it. It's one of those ones that's like little here, little here,

What about the other one we've got was in there was two mieric Is that just what's that any good? Or is it just the lad I mean I wouldn't.

I wouldn't be taking a tumor ecceptlement my stuff.

I mean, if it's got in it as a bonus and you're going to take it, if you're going to take it anyway, like, it's not going to do you any harm. You know, all of a lot of these compounds, you know, garlic or the rick ginger, they have anti inflammatory effects in themselves. The effectiveness and a suppment depends on the brand, all these different things. So but there's no harm taking that one if it's already got it in it.

Okay, yeah, thank you, cheers, right, thanks for you, Colum. Right. Actually the turmeric thing, is that just a bit of a trend, really is it? Really?

It's one of those ones again, I think some of the what I was saying about the Amiga three there is a really important one if you're going to take up. I do think it's something that's broad reaching. Like if you're not having a couple of oily fish meals a week and you or maybe vegetarian, your vegan, you know, a good quality of Mega three supplement.

Has got a variety of different benefits, right in.

Terms of your mood, in terms of your skin in terms of your brain, whereas something like tumoric it's like a little anti inflammatory thing. I kind of spend my money either on you know, I spend my money there on.

Fruits and vegetables.

Right, Like, It's just some of them have definitely got a bigger punch than others in terms of their effectiveness.

Excellent, Right, let's take some more calls. Tricia Hello.

Here, Hi, Tricia high clear.

Hello.

I've got a kind of two in one question. One is does makenesium help with crimps? I'm sixty nine years old in get crimps at the night in my leaps and feet, but it used to get when I was running and even knew what to do with creamp. And the second one, is there anything that helps the lower cholesterol that you can take? Is a supplement?

Great questions?

Okay, So with magnesium, the key things to think about is actually like stretching. So one of the things with that kind of cramping and bits and pieces like that, there's a couple of things. One, yes, making sure that you're you're stretching enough. The other thing, actually, as we get older, some of that can be to do with estrogen and and changes in your body. As a female, what I would say with magnesium is do the experiment yourself.

Magnesium is very very well well studied.

If you go to the pharmacy and talk to the pharmacist about what might be right for your age or a dietisian. If you you're you can do that and try it and you know what, if it works for you. I use magnesium from time to time. There are some benefits to it. Again, it's one of those things works for some people doesn't for others. With color estro, one of the key things that people do not appreciate with

First of all.

The second thing that you can do is take sillium husk, so sillium husk or you can buy that actually as the brand Metamersal, but it's super expensive, so you can just buy from the supermarket silium husk.

It's cheaper, but it's a.

Bit it's you know, it's kind of like you've got to stir it into some water and you've got to chug it down fast before it goes thick. So just a pre warning anyone that says put it in a smoothie, by the time you poured your smoothie out, it will be like a brick.

So I think with silium husk it's a it's a water.

But yeah, if you go to my website, is a really good resource free resource there on fiber.

Okay, thank you. Then can you dose on magnesium or the sillium power.

With magnesium, Yes, you absolutely definitely can and you will get loose bowels bow motions. So definitely one hundred percent stick to the dosages on the on the container, and always with supplements by the best quality that you can afford. The ones behind the counter, the ones that they are practitioner only that you have to talk to the pharmacists about are better quality, more research there, they're going to have less. You know, they've been more safety standard than

Excellent, Thanks Treasure. Well we take a break. Will be just a moment taking your calls or texts for Clear Turnbull on supplements, which ones are worth it or which ones to avoid or whatever your questions are eight hundred and eighteen eighties twenty two to five, it's nineteen to five. Let's to get through just quickly, clear a clear turnbull. What have you seen the headlines around the amount of cottage cheese that we're eating these days? It's become a real trend, doesn't that protein?

It absolutely has yes, protein, and particularly in the perimenopause or women, so women over forty are all being all on our Instagram and Facebook is hottage cheese. Everything is being promoted and that's because for the the for its volume, it's very concentrated in protein. So definitely I've noticed it run out on a few shells, that's sure.

Yeah, amazing it's a huge consumption's gone up something like sixty percent or something. I think in the.

Last I know the power of the power of social media and recipes.

What does chese being used in literally everything? Yeah?

What is the balance of protein and carbohydrate and when you should eat them more protein either one?

Yeah, great question.

So with protein, one of the key things is to spread it out throughout the day so you don't While it's great to obviously have doses at doses or amounts at your meals, one of the things that we do terribly in New Zealand is often you know, a couple of slice of toast or bottle of cereal with a splash of milk, hardly any protein, and then lunch like a sandwich, one piece of ham you know, hardly any protein, and then dinner or steak, fish meat you know, and

Am I right that if you consistently consume protein throughout the day, it also helps with maybe reducing you wanting to binge on carbohydrates as well. Does it help control your appetite regular protein?

You're absolutely right.

So one of the one of the key things that we know is that fiber and protein are the most what's called satiating, the most satisfying of nutrients. So we yeah, that's such a good key, and that's what you know, why all this cottag cheese is selling out and why protein's really you know, at the moment, it's a really big focus. But I would absolutely say that in my industry, what we're saying to people now is like, don't go so crazy about protein that you're not eating enough fiber.

Because we're definitely seeing this. You see all these the trends.

People are doing all this stuff and then they're they're forgetting they're eating.

So much chicken or so much cottage cheese.

We're like and the tomato and the vegetable with it. It's like, oh, they I haven't got enough. They can't eat any more vegetables, So.

Right, let's tay some more course so high.

Yeah, Hi, I'm taking vitamin D three one kitchen a month from the doctor's prescription. But yes, very weak and watery eyes. And the optometrist has given me these drops which don't agree. So I've started taking fish oil fifteen hundred mologram and major three three a day. Would it be right to both of us together and wouldn't hilt my eyes? And I also tackeen hundred millograms of vitamin SEA.

So the Amiga three and the vitamin D very good combination. Yeah, with vitamin C.

You know, if you if you're eating your fruits and vegetables, so I would definitely with vitamin C. Always recommend people to try and just focus on getting their fruits and vegetables as the best sources because you get so many other nutrients and fruits and vegetables and any of these things.

Again, vitamin C being one of them.

If you have too much, you literally it is one of those ones that you just pee out. In terms of your eyes, it's I don't I don't know where that fits. That's definitely the optometrius thing, and likely to be related to either of those supplements. It might be just something more with a tear duct or something more functional with your eyes.

But yeah, the Amiga three and obviously with.

The recommendation from your doctor, the vitamin D is a good one, and it's fine to be taking both of those.

Yeah, he thanks for your call. So now, as somebody said, asked about the distinct the distinction between soluble and insoluble fiber, this s tixst to see is that insoluble fiber can be bad for people with IBS. What do we know about all that?

Yeah, So there are actually three types of fiber. So there's soluble, insoluble, and something called resistant start. So for good bowel health for the majority of people, we need both so or three. So some of them, like your soluble fiber is in things like your pulses.

And some of your whole grains.

The insoluble is actually the usky stuff. So again in some of the grains it can get complicated. I've got a video on my website on different types of fiber. One of the key things with irrital bowl syndrome, which affects about one in seven people in New Zealand, is that you do need to be mindful of the type of fiber. But there is absolutely not one size fits all with irritable bowl. Some people need a lot more fiber,

Excellent. By the way, on your website, are under the menu if people are looking for that, and then you've got home about speaking it.

Yes, it's the recipes and recipes and I should know that our news, yeah news, I probably need to change it. Yeah, it's where my blog is. You'll find it in there. That's a great thing.

If you can't find it, probably the people can't. Good question.

Okay, good stuff, right, Actually, let's go to Lee Hello, oh.

Hello, Hi. I'd just like to say about fider mundee. I heard mine checked many years ago and found that I was basically non existent in it and was given one capsule every week. So I thought i'd get my husband tested. And because he played bowls, so he's outside a lot, he's outside on the garden every day, and he had nothing IRA. How does it work out?

So it depends.

So number one, it's the amount of the amount of time that you spend outside, the amount of skin that is exposed, and also the color of your skin makes a big difference. So with people with paler skin, they need to be outside for longer to absorb vitamin D than people.

Who've got playing plowing balls takes all day.

Yes, I know, Yeah, it's one of those things that's that's probably very variable individually.

So it's just your body's ability to make that.

Like, I absolutely agree with you, that makes no sense that he was out of the idle day doing.

Thet To mention you was iron When I get my blood taste done and they ring me and say everything's fine. I say no, no, no, you give me what level my Oh, yes, can bear pit, because that's what I want to know. Say say, irons not to a hundred, you know, you try me what it is, and they will always say, oh, you're just on the cusp like you know, wham father thing. Yeah, so it's okay, And that's not okay. I should be at least half. I've had nine problems since I was a child. Yeah that makes me angry.

Well, I absolutely, I absolutely hear you.

One of the one of the things that is quite challenging with any blood tests is that there's there's a range of what they consider normal, right and but but obviously and I am actually the same in this iron conversation that if I am on the cusp of what is considered normal, and if I if I am on the cuspo off, I can't get out of bed, like I'm so tired. So for me, I actually go, well, that's not normal. For me, I actually need my iron levels to be higher than what is considered like the

Lower end, and you feel terrible, then you need.

To have that conversation and say, listen, i might be on the lower end of normal, but I'm not feeling good. And again that's where you know, if you know that you've been lower nine for your whole life or someone else in this situation, that's an individual case. We're not everybody is average any by any description.

Okay. By the way, when you get blood tists, you get a copy of the results that sees what your numbers are, and it usually sees what the rangers, doesn't it.

Yeah, you do well.

Again, depending on your doctor, you can request it. So some people don't get it. But I would say, like my whole family work in the medical profession, and I've I've worked in hospitals on and off, you know, in my life. And it is a frustration that people have all the time around ranges. It's the same with everything. It's the same with money, it's the same with educate. All of these things. Is like, well, this is considered normal.

End, and sometimes googling your results and just relying on Google to tell you is not as helpful as maybe understanding context, which is what a doctor can do as well. Isn't it for instant.

Yeah, totally.

And also it's very important to be New Zealand focused with the figures because again a lot of the information comes out of the States, and our numbers are different, and the guidelines are difference and supplements a difference and so on.

Okay, right, we'll be back in just the tickets eight and a half minutes to five news talks. He'd b yes, welcome back Newstalk sid B. Look the last couple of minutes with clear timble, so I see if we can brainstorm a few quick texts once is clear. In the morning, I have a scoop of protein powder and milk and a shot of coffee. Does the caffeine alter the protein and the protein powder?

No, it doesn't, which is good.

There's a quick one, by the way. The winner of the session with the clear the consultation with the nutrition and the copy of the wellbeing Planner and the habit tracker is Rachel. And we'll pass Rachel's details onto Clear. So good on you're Rachel. Rachel was only called about glucosamine and tumeric supplements, et cetera. Is there something that I can take for restlance legs at night?

Magnesium would be? Would be something would be probably the first thing to look at.

Okay, higli oily fish. Amiga three does tined tuna count?

It does count, but you have to have quite a lot of it to get enough Amiga three. If you go to healthyfood dot com and type in a Mega three into the search, there's an article there on how much is in different fish because tuna cand is one of the lower ones, but it still has some.

Yeah, okay, I feel so much better on protein powder since hypertheridism and will never stop plays something Magnesium to be regular as a must.

Yes, Magnesium is that it makes keeps you regular. So when you have magnesium, it keeps it loosens things. Let's just say that what's the best way.

To get I've got one text from somebody since and to go to the lou and bow motion every three days, any safe ways to speed that up? Although the music's rolling, so you left to be quick.

Okay.

Number one, make sure if that's new on set, go and see your doctor. If you've always been like that, then you need to. It's checking your fiber and your fluid. But if you are newly constipated, once every three days.

You need to go and see your GP.

Yeah, there we go. There's a bit of good advice for anyone who relates to that. Hey, Clear, thanks so much. Gosh, time flies when you having fun, doesn't.

It doesn't it? Yes, thank you for having me.

Nice to see you again, and you can go to clear turnball dot co, dot en z if you want to check out some of those references Clear made about protein. Gab Rate's lots of good information there and we'll catch again. Clear. Good on you soon. Thank you, Bye bye, Schammel, Bill Yakup. As next as the New Talks.

It'd be for more from the Weekend collective. Listen live to News Talks. It'd be weekends from three pm, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.