Book Review: SMART RUNNING by Jen & Sim Benson

*I was sent a copy of the book to review by Vertebrate Publishing. I wasn't paid to review it and as usual have written exactly what I thought!*

What do you want from a running book?

What you get from this book, will depend entirely on what you are expecting. If you want a jokey, blog-style book with anecdotes and pretty pictures, this is not the book for you. However, if you want a comprehensive guide to all things running, then read on ...

First Impressions

This is a chunky and weighty book. It looks like a textbook and even the graphics on the front look like a school workbook. It has a wipe-clean cover and instead of reviews or blurb on the rear cover, it has a list of contents. Bullet-pointed.

Everything about the exterior of this book says it is a SERIOUS running book.

It even calls itself the ULTIMATE guide to becoming a fitter, stronger, more confident runner.

In other words, don't pick up this book unless you are prepared to take it seriously. The contents listing takes up three pages and the bibliography at the back listing the sources takes up four. It is titled 'Smart Running' snd intends to give the impression that you should take this book seriously if you wish to take advantage of the knowledge and advice it has to impart.

Why I like it

Despite the pages with tightly packed 10pt text in columns, this book has a friendly voice. The authors are experienced runners and Jen is a mindfulness coach and this is reflected in how the book is written.  And much as the book seems to take itself very seriously, it is well written and sensitive and you like the authors through the tone of the writing. They cover gender and menopause in the chapter about diversity, something which is often skipped over. 

Something that they touch on  - which is close to my heart' is how the authors refer to Type 2 fun;

‘running should be fun - at least retrospectively’ (page XIV). We get a lot of posts flooding our social media pages telling us how amazing running is and showing these people with perfect hair and makeup smiling and high-fiving each other. That's not my usual run experience. Mine tend to be falling in holes, regretting ever entering the event and getting lost. But after the event, I'm pleased I've done it. Type 2 fun. It was nice to have this touched on in this book. 

There are lots of really good sections, one which appealed to me was the sport and exercise psychology - such an interesting topic. It would be really good to have a ‘further reading’ list for this or links to the bibliography so I can look into this further.

I liked Chapter 15 which was about finding routes and giving something back. I liked this but ifelt t could have been expanded on so much more, for instance by maybe suggesting companies like Good Gym who workout around community benefits such as litter picking. I understand the authors don’t want to link to specific companies but this would be handy as suggestions for ways that runners could give back to their communities.

Overview

How valuable you will find this book depends on what you want from it. If you want a guide with many, many subjects touched on and a fair overview and evaluation of these, this is a very good book. Smart Running's USP is that it's based on solid science but explained in a very accessible way and I think it hits this target. if you're looking for in-depth information, this is not the book for you. However, due to the number of topics touched on it really does cover a lot of subject matter and it's a great way to get an overview of a topic. I believe it would benefit from suggesting further reading, but it does have a bibliography of sources at the back of the book if you want to go more in-depth on a topic. 

I like the way it's written. It's set out in a logical way and covers most things I would expect to be in a running guide. Despite looking like a textbook, it has a friendly voice, and while you wouldn't necessarily sit down to read this cover-to-cover, it is a good guide to dip in and out of. I would like some graphics or pictures though to break up the dense text a little. 

A good gift for the runner in your life and a good book for the bookshelf to dip into when you need some guidance. I like it and it will have a place on my bookshelf. 

Want to have a closer look? Link

Nutri-Genetix: DNA Testing & Nutrition - How Did I Get On?

*I was sent a Personal Nutrition Report, BodyFuel & Flavour Booster to try by NGX. They were sent to me for free and I don’t get paid for reviewing them but I was asked to pop a review on for them. It’s an unbiased review – I’m saying exactly what I think as usual …!*

NUTRI-GENETIX: WHY?

Everyone has their own thoughts and opinions on nutrition and calorie control. I've used a calorie deficit to lose weight successfully and keep it off and I'm also aware that I need to balance the calories I consume with the exercise I do and the amount my body needs. Not always the easiest thing to do when ironman training. On top of this, I also have to try and ensure I get the nutrients my body needs and fuel correctly … quite a lot to balance along with family, work and life.

When Nutri-Genetix (NGX) offered to send me a personalised Nutrition Report based on my DNA … I was intrigued. Nutrition is an ongoing battle for me. It's no secret that I was a LOT heavier a few years ago and lost weight with a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD). Then I added in sports and it was a steep learning curve learning to balance nutrients and calories and exercise.

I liked the idea of being able to go faster and better without any extra effort or training just by getting my nutrition right

I was particularly interested to see how looking at nutri-genetics could improve my sports performance and whether the VLCD had affected how my body responded to certain things. I could see no downside to trying this … unless of course I hated it!

NUTRI-GENETIX: HOW?

I took an online quiz on the NGX website which covered a lot of the basic things I expected to be asked e.g. gender, height, exercise and also goals and how my body responds to exercise and illness. Also stress, anxiety,  skincare issues, brittle hair as some of these can be exacerbated by nutritional issues. It also touched on sleep, dietary intolerances and vitamin intake. The quiz gave me an immediate estimate of what I might be lacking and offered NGX products which may help. This was based entirely on my answers to the questions. 

NGX also sent me a DNA Swab kit, which they told me would have a look at my genetic variations to identify which nutrients my body has problems absorbing or processing. This would all be explained in a nutrition report. I hoped it would be written in basic English as I know next to nothing about DNA or genetics! 

NUTRI-GENETIX: WHAT?

I filled out my quiz and swabbed my mouth with the stick they'd sent. This was much less unpleasant than having to do the COVID test and was actually easy to do … no having to peer at my tonsils in the mirror at least! I couldn't have food or drink in the hour before, but that was the worst part! Swab cheek, put used swab in envelope, put envelope in post box. Done.

NUTRI-GENETIX: MY TRIAL

I was sent a plastic shake mixer, a 1kg bag of 'NGX Body Fuel: Daily Meal-Shake' and a 200g bag of 'NGX Flavour Booster: Cacao & Coconut' and a nutritional report was sent to me by email. 

Nutrition Report: 

This was a 30 page personalised report split into headers. This report gave me a brief introduction  to nutrigenetics, how my body uses nutrients, how my genes impact key areas of my fitness, health & wellbeing, personal nutrition recommendations. It also explained what was in my personalised NGX shake, how to use NGX and more detailed results on fat, carbohydrate, protein, vitamin, mineral and food sensitivity flagged up by the test that I'd sent in.

Gosh, a lot to take in!

I liked that the report was set out in a simple way and clearly gave me personal targets for specific things, such as calories, protein needs etc. It also flagged up sensitivities that I wasn't aware of and areas that I could improve my nutrition – and therefore impact my lifestyle and sports performance in a positive way. 

I was surprised by a few things – that I came up as having a sensitivity to caffeine. If you know me, then you know that I am a coffee fiend. I love, love it and don't feel I can function without it. But maybe I'll consider swapping to a few cups of de-caf instead. The report also highlighted that I have a high sensitivity to carbohydrates, which I believed I knew. I put on weight just looking at cake. 

 

The report also had a section on 'Goals You Could Improve By Optimising Your Nutrition' which focused on items such as Energy Levels During Exercise, Endurance Levels, Muscle Quality & Strength, Recovery Speed, Combat Fatigue & Bone Health. This was an important section for me as I do a fair amount of activity; training & racing triathlon and I want to improve my performance and recovery. I'd be very interested to see whether I can improve these things utilising the NGX.

NGX suggested I use this report to identify areas of my diet and lifestyle that I could change to have the biggest overall impact on results. It's a lot to take in.

NUTRI-GENETIX: NUTRITION REPORT SUMMARY

There's a lot of information here and a lot of suggested changes and improvements which I could implement in my lifestyle and training to improve my performance. I like the idea that I can improve my nutrition and get better results from the same amount of training. Working smarter, not harder. NGX offers a section in the report on how to take your NGX shake by goal. For example if you want to lose body fat, it suggests you can replace up to 2 meals with a shake. If you want to improve performance, you can take the NGX shake as an easy protein source. There's an entire section on ways you can incorporate NGX to achieve your goals. I liked this. I want easy solutions in my life.

NUTRI-GENETIX: HOW DID I GET ON?

My life is busy. I work shifts, I have a family and I have a lot of travelling with work and it's not always convenient or appropriate to take food with me. I liked the idea of being able to pop a small sandwich bag of NGX powder in a pocket that I could mix on the go. I decided to test this out.

I was relieved to find the packets came with scoops and I wasn't relying on measuring spoons or scales to weigh out portions. The easier the better. I used coconut milk to mix the powder and I tried the mix in the shaker with just the sieve section – no mixing ball. It mixed better than I expected also some dry powder stuck to the bottom of the shaker but there were no lumps! It was very palatable. There were  coconut granules in the shake so rather than feeling like I was on a diet (which I was worried it might!) , it was like having a smoothie. Like a treat. And the taste was good. 

I used NGX in a few different ways over the few weeks that I tried it out. I used it as a protein supplement after a hard workout – it's easy to mix and chug! I also used it as a meal replacement on days that I was too 'on the go' to cook and it was easy to carry around a small pre-measured bag of the powder ready to mix … although I don't think I'd be brave enough to walk through customs with a bag of powder in case I was suspected of being a drugs mule! I also used it as a stop-gap and had NGX instead of an unhealthy snack. The calories in a shake are about the same as a pack of pre-made sandwiches from a supermarket and the nutrition is far superior, so I felt quite confident that I was making a better choice.

NUTRI-GENETIX: SHAKE & PRODUCT SUMMARY 

I really loved the taste of the mixer powder and it worked well with the texture, but using this long-term, I would definitely need a couple of different flavours. I have a low food-boredom threshold – I can easily eat the same thing for dinner for a week, but even I get bored eventually. Long-term, I'd probably get a sweet flavour so I felt like I was having a sweet treat. Might be nice mixed with natural yoghurt.

I also really liked that I had a more structured, scientific approach to my nutrition. I found having the NGX shake took the guesswork out of planning my nutrition. My only concern with this is that I just don't know enough about nutrient-genetics to know how valuable the research is. For instance, they could be telling me anything and I wouldn't know enough to challenge it. NGX seem a very authentic and well-respected company but I don't have the scientific background to query anything they've said. However, this can be true of any expert from my dentist telling me I need a filling to an financial advisor telling me the best way to invest.

I appreciated that the personalised nutrition report gave me things that I could action and change easily that could make a real impact on my life and training performance. Even on the days that I couldn’t use the NGX shake (for instance travelling), being more aware of my nutritional needs and making good nutrition a priority meant that I was less likely to make bad food choices overall. 

I think that I will probably use NGX as a supplement to my nutrition going forward. I've planned another Ironman this year and the long training sessions and double training days mean that recovery and endurance will be a priority this year. And if I've got a product that helps me do this? Fantastic. 

Want to take a look and make up your own mind? Have a look here.

Want £20 off a trial? Use this link

Skinny Food Co: Less Calories, Less Taste or Sensational Snacking?

I was sent a box of Skinny Food goodies to try. They sent them to me for free and I don’t get paid for reviewing them but I was asked to pop a review on. It’s an unbiased review – I’m saying exactly what I think as usual …!* 

So … a few years ago I was 5 stone heavier. That’s a lot of excess weight to carry around. And it was definitely excess for me. I’m short and that weight put me firmly in the obese category. I lost the weight using a calorie controlled diet and I’ve tracked my intake ever since. 

I’m not as strict with my food as I was initially coming out of the diet phase, but I’m mindful of what I eat. I’m aware that my idea of portion control isn’t what it should be and keeping an eye on my calorie intake helps me stay on track. Calories aren’t the be-all and end-all … I can be unhealthy at any weight, but it keeps me mindful and aware of fuelling with healthy foods rather than eating empty calories.

This was part of the reason that when Skinny Food Co contacted me to see if I’d like to try a box of goodies, I accepted. That and I LOVE food. I was curious to see what they could offer and whether I could make any healthier swaps. 

First impressions

The items came in a really funky box design and everything was really well packed. Also the box was a small size for a decent amount of items – not a massive box for a shoelace like Amazon tend to send. The items were also packed in REALLY securely – Royal Mail would really have had to go to a lot of effort for anything in the box to get damaged. 

First impressions of the items – the packets and jars looked like premium options. The packets weren’t screaming at me that they were a low calorie option – I didn’t get the feeling that I was going to get a lesser alternative to my normal option, which was good! When I have a treat, I like to have a TREAT!

Then I read the back of the packets … and couldn’t believe the calories. Treats but without burning off the long bike ride I’ve just done or ruining my daily calories! Surely … they couldn’t taste decent with this percentage of the normal calories …?

A nice touch was getting a recipe card in the box with the goodies. I am an APPALLING cook so the more cooking tips I get, the better! My recipe was Bombay Potatoes and while there were sauce options from Skinny Food Co recommended to go on them, the recipe didn’t need any Skinny Food Co products to make them so it wasn’t just a sales tactic which was nice! 

Fake Away Burger Sauce

6kcal per serving 

(For comparison Heinz Burger Sauce contains 56 kcals per serving)

The Fake Away Burger Sauce had the colour and consistency you usually get in a burger sauces. Comparatively, it was sweeter than I’m used to and a little less creamy. I could tell that it wasn’t my  normal burger sauce option but for 6 calories a serving, this would be a very good option particularly if I was focusing on calorie intake. 

Additional Benefits: Gluten free, low sugar.

Skinny Sauce Honey BBQ Sauce

2 kcals per serving

(Kraft Honey BBQ Sauce contains 60 kcals per serving)

I love BBQ sauce and liked that this was a HONEY BBQ sauce too! I added this to some halloumi and was pleasantly surprised. The taste was spot on, consistency was perfect and it was 2 calories compared to the 60 calories and handful of sugar I’d normally get from a bbq sauce. I’d definitely add this to meat or a burger as it was delicious. It was sweet rather than spicy but this was the only difference to my regular BBQ sauce.  

Additional Benefits: Gluten free, fat free, zero dairy, vegan, no added sugar, diabetic friendly.

Barista Hazelnut Creamer 

0 kcals per serving

(Nestle Hazelnut Creamer contains 25 kcals per serving)

This is recommended to add to coffee, tea, smoothies, porridge and desserts. I used this in my coffee as as although I don’t take milk or sugar in my coffee, I love syrup in it as a special treat. The Hazelnut creamer is very sweet – just as if I’d added a syrup. It did initially look like it would curdle but it mixed in well and turned the coffee exactly the right colour. The creamer smelled delicious and it was very tasty. It would be a very good substitute if you’re trying to reduce milk or sugar in your hot drink as I found it was sweet and creamy enough to satisfy a sweet tooth!   

Additional Benefits: Gluten free, fat free, zero calorie, vegan, sugar free, diabetic friendly.

Skinny Strawberry Jam

7 kcals per serving

(Regular Strawberry Jam contains 56 kcals per serving & 10 grams of sugar!)

I found this sweet and delicious and tasty. I wouldn’t be able to tell that this isn’t full calorie or full-sugar jam. It was full of taste and a really lovely consistency. I will definitely buy this again particularly while I’m being a bit more calorie conscious as it tastes like a proper treat while being much lower sugar and lower calorie than traditional jam but with all the taste!

Additional Benefits: Gluten free, fat free, low sugar (85% less sugar) diabetic friendly.

Skinny Golden Syrup

0 kcals per serving

(Regular Golden Syrup contains 60 kcals per serving & 10 grams of sugar!)

I was initially a little disappointed in this as I didn’t get the sugary taste that I’d hoped for. It was a lot thinner than usual golden syrup – it wasn’t the syrupy consistency I’d expected and I managed to squirt it all over the kitchen by mistake. I was quite disappointed with the taste as it tasted very much like I’d expect a spoonful of syrup in a pintful of water to taste – and it had the consistency to match. It was, however, good with pancakes and as a sweet dipping sauce but it’s not really thick enough for ice cream or on fruit. However, I then tried it in coffee ... SOLD! I don't take sugar in coffee but love a syrup in coffee as a treat. And as this was zero calories and sugar-free it felt guilt-free! 

If you don't mind it not being identical to the high calorie, high sugar Golden Syrup then it is a good substitute for most things that you would use golden syrup in. 

Additional Benefits: Gluten free, fat free, zero calorie, vegan, sugar-free, diabetic friendly.

Skinny Low-Sugar Pancake Mix

21 kcals per recommended serving

(Regular pancakes contains 175 kcals per serving)

I found that the recommended portion size was too small for me so I doubled up to bring this to 42 kcals per pancake, however I was massively impressed! Very easy to make and it mixed well and the pancakes came out better than my usual ones! They were delicious with the Skinny Golden Syrup and Skinny Strawberry Jam and even my 11yo also preferred them to ‘normal’ pancakes!

Any down sides to the skinny treats?

LOTS of marketing emails from the company. Really. A silly amount. 11 emails between order being placed and order arriving. 

Not everything tastes exactly the same as a high calorie option. You’ve got to decide whether having zero calories or fewer calories, is worth choosing a different texture. However, I found several of the low calorie products superior to what I’m used to so it is a case of choosing what treats you want and are happy changing.

Summary

The items are very sweet so if you’re on a calorie controlled diet or watching what you eat and have a sweet tooth then they may be a perfect match for you. They taste very close to the full calorie options so definitely a good swap for the these. Low in calories and low in sugar – a good option! I was particularly pleased with the jam – I’m definitely going to try the other flavours and I’ll definitely buy this again! I’m currently training with lower carbs and higher protein so these treats with low sugar and low carbohydrates work well for me as well as being lower in calories. I’ll definitely be buying the jam and the pancake mix again and will be enjoying trying the other options as a low calorie treat.