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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

A Billion Bottles

Next week, on 22nd April, the world will celebrate Earth Day. At Phizz, we aim to celebrate our planet every day, and our partnership with Plastic Bank is a big step toward that goal. For each tube of Phizz sold, approximately 4 times its weight in plastic waste is collected, recycled and prevented from entering our oceans, that's 1,150,000 plastic bottles so far! Plastic Bank has just reached a collection milestone of over one billion bottles of ocean plastic - that's over 20 million kilograms of plastic waste prevented from entering our oceans! We’re proud to be working with Plastic Bank to stop ocean plastic and improve lives. Together, we're helping support over 17,000 collectors from vulnerable coastal communities in Haiti, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil and Egypt. Collectors exchange their plastic for bonuses that provide basic family necessities like groceries, cooking fuel, health insurance and school tuition. Learn more about how we make an impact with Plastic Bank at plasticbank.com and please, don’t forget to recycle your empty tubes!

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

A Healthy Fast

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan has begun, which for many people around the world, means a fast from sunrise to sunset. In the U.K., this means no food or drink for about 14 hours. Dehydration and dipping energy levels are common challenges, so it is important to make the most of the food and drinks you consume during suhoor, the morning meal, and iftar, the evening meal. With a healthy plan in place, you can look after your body while honouring this special time of year.  Stay Hydrated Maximising your water intake is critical for avoiding dehydration. This is key as even mild dehydration (just 1-2%) can have significant effects, including headaches, mental and physical tiredness, changes in mood, irritability and decreases in cognitive performance like attention, memory and critical thinking. Avoid caffeinated drinks which can act as a diuretic and increase water loss. Fizzy drinks are also not recommended as they can often slow down the digestive process. Keep water by your bedside, opt for water-dense foods and try adding Phizz to your water before dawn. Phizz can help your body absorb up to 3 times the hydration of water alone as it contains electrolytes and harnesses the power of osmosis to drive water absorption in the body. Opt for Nutrient-Rich Foods When food intake is limited, it’s vital to make sure that you make those meals count. While fatty foods may seem tempting when breaking fast, they don’t provide the lasting energy or balance that your body needs. Sweets and salty foods are also not recommended.  The World Health Organisation recommends a variety of vegetables to provide vital nutrients, whole grains to offer energy and fibre, and lean meat to give your body much-needed protein. They also recommend eating slowly to avoid the heartburn and discomfort that can arise from large meal. Don’t Forget to Move Although a fast can be tiring, the WHO still recommends trying to maintain a level of physical activity in the evenings. A light daily walk is suggested to keep your body moving, but be mindful not to overdo it.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

A Statement Regarding Yorkshire County Cricket Club

The details that have recently emerged surrounding the treatment of Azeem Rafiq at Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the Club leadership’s subsequent handling of the matter are deeply concerning to us. At Phizz, we have a zero tolerance policy in regard to racism, discrimination and bullying, and though we are a small voice, we support Azeem. As a result, we have taken the decision to stand down our contract with the Club. 

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Apple & Blackcurrant Gets an Upgrade

New & improved! We’ve heard your feedback, and we must say, we’re great listeners. Recently, you may have noticed some upgrades to your favourite phizzy tablets. Firstly, we’ve heard your queries about the taste and unexpected orange hue of Apple & Blackcurrant. If you’ve tried it before, you’ve got to give it a go again, because we’ve greatly improved the flavour profile. And while we think our Apple & Blackcurrant is beautiful no matter what, our scientists have given it a makeover courtesy of natural beetroot powder. It is now a dashing shade of purple, perfectly coordinated to its tube.  Also, our scientists have supercharged our formula, packing all the goodness you expect from us into a single Apple & Blackcurrant tablet. In addition to making your Phizz go further, this wonder tablet now has fewer calories and a faster dissolve. We’re continually working to provide you with the best products and we hope you love these well-researched improvements. The new Apple & Blackcurrant has launched exclusively on phizz.co and Amazon Prime in our 20, 60 and 240 tablet sizes. This new Phizz formula is not yet available to purchase from all buying platforms and all sizes, but the updates are slowly rolled out across all retailers, so please bear with us and keep an eye out, as we can't wait to hear what you think!

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Back to the Pub with a Pint of Phizz

Are you heading to the pub this weekend? As the U.K. releases lockdown restrictions and reopens pubs and restaurants, there’s a new list of essentials to keep in your bag, whether you’ll be dining outdoors this weekend or holding out for indoors next week. We know you have the hand sanitiser and masks covered, but there’s one more item that you might be missing to support a healthy immune system. Phizz, of course! If you’ve had a big night celebrating the reopening of the pub, we’re good friend to have on hand. The science-backed Phizz formula also contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals to help maintain a healthy immune system and contains ingredients that possess antioxidant properties to protect your body from damaging free radicals. One glass of Phizz contains as much vitamin C as 3 oranges and as much zinc as 600g of spinach, along with 17 other vitamins and minerals. Big nights out can result in dehydration and fatigue the next day. Alcohol impacts sleep quality and is also a powerful diuretic, causing water loss from the body. Phizz is designed to rapidly rehydrate you and contains a blend of B vitamins and antioxidants to combat tiredness and fatigue. It's the perfect pick-me-up after a night out.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Better Sleep for Shorter Days

Shorter days & higher stress can mean trouble sleeping. Luckily, Phizz friend, lifestyle coach & personal trainer Robbie Thompson has some tricks to help you unlock a major key of wellbeing- a great night of sleep. Here is his advice for getting ahead this autumn. One of the simplest and most effective things you can do to upgrade how you look, feel and perform is to improve your sleep.  Sleep is literally the magic pill that everyone is looking for, yet we fail to utilise it and worse still, we actually deprive ourselves of it. Ideally, we should all be aiming for 7-9 hours of restful sleep per night. Of course, some don’t have control over sleep schedules due to young children or shift work, but many of us could get more sleep but instead choose to watch another episode on Netflix. Here’s a scary quote from sleep guru Matthew Walker, “The shorter you sleep, the shorter your life.” Getting insufficient sleep for prolonged periods of time can have serious implications for your health. But equally, there are endless benefit if you can improve the quality of your sleep including improved memory, enhanced creativity, increased strength and fitness, reduced body fat, strengthened immune system, increased life expectancy, improved mood and ability to handle stress. Here are 5 simple tips to improve your sleep: Reduce your caffeine intake after middayCaffeine is a fantastic stimulant. That cup of coffee isn’t just delicious, it’s a great way of getting you fired up to take on the day.But caffeine has what is called a “half-life” of up to 5-7 hours. This means that if you have a strong coffee at 4 p.m., you may still feel the effects of half of the coffee’s caffeine content at 11 p.m.To avoid the risk of affecting your sleep, simply limit your caffeine intake after midday and instead choose water, soft drinks or herbals teas. Have a routineSticking to a set pattern of going to bed and waking will mean that you find it easier to both fall asleep and wake up. This applies to weekends too!By having late nights and lie-ins at weekends, you’re throwing your sleep pattern off every week. This means that come Sunday night, you can’t get to sleep, and on Monday morning, you can’t get up. You’re basically jet lagging yourself.Instead, try to keep to a similar routine both throughout the week and at weekends too so your body knows when it’s time to wind down and when it’s time to start the day. Dim the lightsBright lights in the evening are effectively blocking all the signals telling your body it’s time to wind down for bed. Instead, try to use lamps and candles to create a calm, relaxing environment to help you begin to feel sleepy. Do a brain dumpIf you have a lot on your mind with work or life in general, the moment your head hits the pillow can be when these thoughts start flying around.Before bed, take a piece of paper and write down everything that’s on your mind. The tasks you need to follow up tomorrow, the person you forgot to call- get it all written down.You’ll be able to get to sleep more easily knowing the to do list is out of your head and you have it written down. Plus, you now have a plan for the next day.It’s also worth keeping a pad and pen by your bed in case you wake up with something on your mind. You can simply note it down and go back to sleep. Get your phone out of your bedroomThat addictive device of yours that lights up and flashes all day with notifications is extremely stimulating. You don’t want or need this whilst you’re trying to sleep.If it’s right next to your bed, you’ll be subconsciously thinking about it and reaching for it more than you should or scrolling through it before you go to sleep when you should be winding down and switching off. Or worse, checking it during the night.Get it out of your room so that you aren’t able to do any of this. And trust me, this will be game changing for not just your sleep but your general wellbeing.You’ll go to bed and wake up feeling calmer and more in control. Give these 5 simple tips a try to improve your sleep and see what a huge impact they can make on how you look, feel and perform.  Robbie is a personal trainer and lifestyle coach based in the U.K. but works with clients all over the world. His techniques go beyond helping his clients look great, and extend to performance, mindset, motivation and lifestyle. Robbie has been a coach since 2008 and has worked with hundreds of clients including celebrities, actresses and TV presenters. He contributed workouts and fitness content for Vicky Pattison’s hugely successful book, “The Real Me.” To hear more from Robbie, follow him on Instagram @robbie__thompson or check out his website www.robbie-thompson.com.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Brain Food to Power Your Work Day

We all know the importance of a good diet when it comes to seeing results in the gym, but did you know that diet can also have an impact on your performance in the office? We turned to nutritional therapist Alicia Cooper for some insight. Cooper is also the owner & curator of Lifebox Food, the leading health & wellbeing subscription box in the U.K. (where you may have recently spotted Phizz!).  Cooper notes that the food you choose to eat throughout the day has an impact on your energy levels, mood, concentration and productivity, primarily through your blood sugar. “Too much sugar and you'll have an energy high, but what comes up must come down and that's when you have a slump,” says Cooper.  We’ve rounded up some of her best office eating advice, take a look below:  Eat three balanced meals a day (yes, you should eat breakfast). This keeps your blood sugar stable and the “hanger” at bay while you tackle your to-do list. Each of these meals should include protein, healthy fats and complex carbs. Opt out of carb-heavy or meat-rich options during the day. These meals can lead to mid-afternoon sleepiness, as your body needs more energy to digest them. These are better saved for dinner! Limit your caffeine. We know you love your coffee and tea rituals to break up the day, but try to keep it to one or two per day. Caffeine can really mess with energy levels. Set yourself a water goal every day, 2 litres should be the minimum. Keep a water bottle on your desk and options like Phizz can help you cut the bad stuff from fizzy drinks while maximising your water absorption. Avoid processed foods, they are only a short-term energy boost. We know it’s easy to grab some fast food on your lunch break, but the payoff is low. Better options include bananas, apples, oats, houmous, eggs, sweet potatoes, almonds, edamame, natural yoghurt and roasted seeds.  Want to learn more? Get to know Alicia on her website at www.acoopernutrition.co.uk or follow her on Instagram @aliciacoopernutrition. To subscribe and experience all the goodness of Lifebox yourself, visit www.lifeboxfood.com or follow @lifeboxfoodco.  

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Cool Running

Autumn means cooler weather and darker mornings. While it shouldn’t stop you from getting out for your daily run, there are some things you might want to know before heading out the door. We caught up with RunThrough events coaching partner, former international athlete and founder of New Levels Coaching, Lewis Moses, to get answers to our biggest questions on how to keep running (safely) as the thermostat dips.  Do you advise bundling up for a run in the cold? The short and very easy answer to this is yes, absolutely. During winter months, it's important to wrap up in warmer clothes and my theory is always that you can easily take off layers, but you can't put them on if you don't have them. Scientifically, evidence is mixed in relation to warm up and warming the body up for exercise, but one thing is clear, certain structures in the body, particularly tendons and muscles, prefer to be warmer, so going out cold or in freezing conditions can be a bit of an injury risk. The main thing in the winter is to STAY SAFE. Make sure you are wrapped up, you have reflective gear on and people know where you are going. The dark mornings and nights can be dangerous for runners and we need to be extra careful in winter months.  Should the change in temperature impact the pace your running? Most definitely. We have seen many examples of the negative effects the heat can have on athletes when they push too hard in warmer temperatures. When you run, your body is constantly working to regulate your core body temperature (hence why we sweat a lot in the heat) and running too hard in the heat, will make this a lot harder. The body is also working hard in cooler temperatures. In the winter, it can often feel hard to breathe, especially when setting off. Therefore I always recommend athletes 'easing' into sessions or runs to allow the body time to adjust to the colder temperatures. Naturally, as you warm up, you will feel better and you can pick the pace up. When it's extremely cold outside, you should also be careful, especially when cornering on potentially slippery ground. This could also affect your pace, but it's more important to be safe than fast! Are there things you can do to help the body adjust before going out? I believe this comes down to the individual and finding out what works for them. Personally, I recommend stretching and mobility work before leaving the house, so that you feel like you have gotten the body and the joints more mobile. People may feel like a hot drink warms them up, which technically it will, but then to regulate the body temperature the body will sweat to cool you down again, so that really does come down to preference. One thing my wife does, which is a great trick if you suffer from something such as Raynaud's disease, is put hand warmers underneath your gloves when it's really cold. She figured this out when skiing one winter and now does the same at the start of very cold runs in the winter. Do you advise running with a buddy if you find it hard to stay motivated? Yes 100%! Meeting someone can help you stay accountable and give you the motivation to get out of bed and see the other side of the door. More importantly though, it's great for mental health to be sociable and be speaking to other people, not to mention the safety factor of running with other people. When darker mornings and nights do set it, we always recommend running with people when you can. Right now, we obviously have to be aware of the government guidelines and we should always adhere to these, but I would strongly recommend running with someone whether it be in the summer or winter months. Interested in hearing more of Lewis’ excellent advice? We’ve got the connection. Lewis and his team and New Levels Coaching strive to help runners and triathletes find their true potential by working with individually to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. You can reach them via their website www.newlevelscoaching.co.uk or Instagram @newlevelscoaching. And if you’re looking to get involved in some virtual races, check out our friends RunThrough at www.runthrough.co.uk or @runthroughuk.  

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Cosy & Healthy Recipes for Autumn

While you’re curled up at home this autumn, comforting and warming meals are exactly what you crave, but those cosy dishes can actual be the fuel your body needs to power workouts.  We’ve sourced some simple (and delicious!) recipes from our friends & founders of RugbyGrub, Harry Elrington & Theo Brophy Clews. These two are professional rugby players with a passion for combining good food with great performance, all while keeping it simple and affordable. They’ve got the ultimate breakfast with their RugbyGrub Fluffy Pancakes and a crowd-pleasing dinner with their Ultimate Fajitas. We know you’re getting hungry, so here are the recipes: RugbyGrub Fluffy Pancakes Makes: 6 pancakes Difficulty: Easy Ready In: 20 minutes Nutrition Information (per 3 pancakes) KCal: 559 Protein: 26 grams Carbs: 87 grams Fat: 11 grams Ingredients: 200 grams plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt 500 grams milk 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla essence ½ teaspoon cinnamon Directions: Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a larger mixing bowl and combine. Separate the whites from the yolks and whisk until firm and fluffy with an electric whisk or an energetic arm. Add the yolks to the milk and whisk. Slowly whisk into the flour mix until you have a smooth batter. Add in the vanilla essence and cinnamon and mix in. Finally, lightly fold the egg whites into mixture until fully combined. Cook the pancakes how you normally would, waiting for bubbles to come through before flipping. Note: To up the protein content, swap 30 grams of flour for a scoop of vanilla whey protein.   Ultimate Fajitas Makes: 6 wraps Difficulty: Easy Ready In: 15 minutes Nutrition Information (per wrap with no toppings): KCal: 321 Protein: 19 grams Carbs: 35 grams Fat: 11 grams  Ingredients: 400 grams chicken thigh fillets 1 red pepper 1 red onion 3 garlic cloves 4 spring onions 30 grams chorizo 2 teaspoons cumin 2 teaspoons paprika 2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder (Vegetta/bouillon) 2 teaspoons oregano 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper Directions: Chop the chicken into strips and mix with the seasonings and a little bit of oil. Add to a preheated frying pan on high heat. Whilst the chicken starts to brown, chop you veg. Once the chicken is browned on all sides, add in the red onion, pepper and garlic and cook until the veg is soft and the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, stir the spring onion in so it stays nice and crunchy. Serve with tortilla wraps, cheese, guacamole, spinach or anything you want really (we’re not going to stop you!). Note: This is where you can customise the dish to your needs. Need lots of carbs to fuel your training? Have more wraps. Need more calories to help achieve a calorie surplus? Add more cheese and guac. Need to increase your micronutrient intake? Use lots of spinach. This is the beauty of fajitas- they are completely customisable! For more easy-to-follow (and genius!) nutrition tips like these, follow along with the guys on Instagram @rugbygrub or check out their website at www.rugbygrub.com.  

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Healthy Fuel for the Festive Season

The holiday season is notorious for being the busiest time of the year with endless to-do lists and never quite enough time. This year will likely look a bit different, but whether you’re Christmas shopping online or decking the halls of your home, we’ve got some tips to help you get the most energy from your food.  Alfie Meade, a nutritionist at HIIT Kitchen, Phizz’s newest stockist, shared some healthy meals to help you power through your festive agenda. And there’s no prep necessary! HIIT Kitchen’s meal delivery service will drop these energy boosters straight to your door. Here’s what he recommends: The primary role of dietary carbohydrates is to provide energy for the body. Our gluten-free sweet potato pancakes with blueberries, raspberries, yoghurt & coconut are an easy winner when it comes to a high source of carbohydrates to keep you fuelled for your home workouts or tree trimming!  Protein is responsible for many functions throughout the body including energy production, cell signalling and nutrient transport. For these reasons and many more, protein is an essential dietary nutrient for healthy living. When it comes to a tasty, wholesome high-protein meal our chicken korma with cauliflower rice and tandoori broccoli certainly tops it.  Dietary fat is essential for survival and has many important functions in human bodies as a major source of energy, metabolising fat-soluble vitamins, and providing heat insulation for the body. Choose healthy fats like the salmon in our pink grapefruit, white miso-glazed salmon with spicy udon noodles & crunchy Thai slaw. Looking to try some of these yourself? We’ve got a special discount code to celebrate our launch on the HIIT Kitchen site. Use code PHIZZ25 at checkout for 25% off your meal order.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

How to Thrive in the Chaos of 2020

As the end of the year approaches, we are reflecting back on the chaos of an unforgettable year and looking hopefully (and perhaps somewhat warily) to the months ahead. No matter what 2021 brings, it is possible to not just survive, but to thrive, with the aid of a few adjustments in perspective, courtesy of our friend, Sana Govender. Sana is an organisational & behavioural psychologist and performance coach driven by unlocking human potential and the capacity we have to achieve great things, making him just the man to turn to for some wise words. Here is his advice for taking on whatever the world throws at you.  So, 2020 has been one heck of a year. One that has brought with it a crazy amount of good, bad and chaotic experiences but also a huge amount of clarity. It has forced us to reassess our priorities, our paths, our goals and our lives in general. It has shown us that automatic living has no place in our lives and for us to live as healthy, happy and efficiently as possible, conscious action is required instead of passive acceptance. However, chaos is something we are well acquainted with because the world we live in is one of chaos. Our individual brains are processing and organising that chaos as best as is possible, trying very hard to bring structure to that chaos and forming your life as you know it.  With that said, I want you to think about life as the open ocean, wild, untamed, unpredictable and purely fluid in movement. Now I want you to think of a pool, whether naturally formed or man-made. The idea of the pool is to tame the water, bring clarity to its fluidity and structure to its chaos, making the pool safer and easier to swim in, with a more enjoyable experience.  Without conscious effort and a plan, it is quite difficult to get the most out of life normally, without taking into account the current Covid climate we find ourselves in. However, the good news is, there are quite a few things we can think about and implement in our lives to help us not only bring structure to chaos but also thrive in it. Here are my five pillars for thriving in chaos: Bounceback: Bouceback is your ability to rebound from physical, mental or emotional setback, perceived failure or crisis and return to pre-crisis state. How do I build it? Celebrate the small wins. No matter how small, make an effort to really appreciate them and condition yourself to start seeing more positive outcomes in life. Create reference points. You are a walking, talking embodiment of resilience. Always remember that. Whatever adversity you have gone through, create a reference point for future adversity. Adopt the ‘I did it before, I can do it again’ mindset. Face your fears. Whatever the fear, to overcome it you have to expose yourself to it, little by little. To build bounceback, you have to slowly dip your toe into the waters and normalise your fears. Change the narrative and reframe. If you encounter tough situations, try to reframe that situation. Look for growth opportunities and ways to shift the overall outcome from negative to positive. Be realistic. When setting targets, goals and aspirations, try to be ambitious but realistic. If you overstretch your current abilities, you may be setting yourself up for failure and negative reinforcement.  Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict. How does it help me? Self-awareness. You recognize your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behavior. You know your strengths and weaknesses and have self-confidence. Self-management. You’re able to control impulsive feelings and behaviours, manage your emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments and adapt to changing circumstances. Social awareness. You have empathy. You understand the emotions, needs, and concerns of other people, pick up on emotional cues, feel comfortable socially, and recognize the power dynamics in a group or organization. Relationship management. You know how to develop and maintain good relationships, communicate clearly, inspire and influence others, work well in a team and manage conflict How do I build it?     Observe how you react to people. Examine how you react in situations. Realise, identify and review. Examine how your actions could affect others before taking action. Examine how various life environments make you feel. Take responsibility for your actions. Habits: A habit is a routine of behaviour that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. It is more or less a fixed way of thinking or feeling acquired through previous repetition of a mental experience. How do I build good habits? Look for cues that trigger a habit. Identify your routine. What do you usually do when presented with this specific cue? What would you like to change? Reward better choices. Provide positive reinforcement for a desired behavior, making it more likely that you will produce that behavior again in the future, thus building a good habit!  Belief System: Contrary to popular belief, believing in yourself is a necessary and very powerful ability to have. This is your belief in your own ability to take on new tasks and experiences and complete them. It is your belief in your own self-image. How do I build it? Look to understand your current belief system and whether or not it is serving you in a positive way. If not, ask yourself: are those negative beliefs backed by fact? Often, they are not and negative beliefs lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure. Use solid facts to overcome these mental hurdles.  Vulnerability Vulnerability is the process of cultivating positive emotions to enhance your experiences and performance and learnings in life. How do I build it? Vulnerability isn't about being perfect, it's about showing up! Be your best, not perfect. Ask yourself: am I showing up for myself? What could I do to show up for myself? What conscious action could I take that will allow me to take one step forward? Dare to be yourself. Your struggles are relative, don’t hide them. Hiding them because they aren’t as bad as someone else’s will only make your life worse. Verbalise it, normalise that you may have hardship, figure out how it is affecting you and what you could do to positively influence it. It’s ok to not be ok. You have to face vulnerability with openness and non-judgement. Not being or feeling 100% is a normal part of life. Accept it and move forward.  By making yourself more aware of these pillars, examining how they manifest in your life and implementing them in your day, you can create a sense of control and direction for yourself, like the pool bringing structure to the chaos of water. Bring your own individual structure to the chaos of life, helping you live more efficiently, happier and in line with your best self.   For more great life advice and tools for mental wellbeing, check out Sana’s podcast The WildCast. You can get in touch with him via his personal Instagram @sana_govender or follow along with his performance coaching @wildculture._  

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Immunity in Elite Sport

Immunity is on everyone’s mind these days, but in elite sport, keeping player health at its peak is something that team nutritionists have long been focused on. Curious about what these experts recommend to their athletes? We spoke with George Morgan, who has been a practicing sport nutritionist with Saracens Rugby since the 2012/13 season where he has developed a holistic nutrition service underpinned by the scientific consensus that prioritises the players goals, preferences, and circumstances. Morgan is a practitioner registrant on the Sports Exercise and Nutrition Register and has a career specialising in supporting team sports athletes. He also in the past held a consultancy role with Bordeaux Begels and most recently West Bromwich Albion Football club for the past 3 seasons.  How do you support players’ immune systems during the season? In recent work by Professor Neil Walsh, the goal of any nutrition intervention related to supporting the immune system should be to make it more robust to defend against infection and then allow the athlete to tolerate an infection i.e. reduce the infections burden on an athlete. When it comes to diet, it is important that energy needs are met and that chronic low energy diets are not recommended during periods of intense training/travel or games, as there is an association between low energy intake and increased incidence of upper respiratory tract infections.  Supplements-wise, there is very little evidence of specific supplements having a “boosting” effect on the immunes system, but it is important to guard against preventable deficiencies that will impact the athlete’s ability to tolerate and deal with infections. During winter, I recommend up to 4000IU of vitamins per day, a daily probiotic, and vitamin C. If there was any supporting data, such a blood test, I may recommend a course of iron supplementation as low levels can impact the functioning of the immune system.  I support the players I work with by providing a variety of daily meals at the training bases, designed to meet their nutritional needs and energy requirements. There needs to be sufficient protein to meet tissue growth and repair, adequate carbohydrates to provide enough energy to perform the work required and a variety of colourful fruit and vegetables to meet the athlete’s micronutrient requirements. If it is not possible to meet an athlete’s need exclusively from a food provision, then we have a toolbox of supplements to add extra support to the players. Are there any additional recommendations your make to support their immune systems when the team is travelling? For travelling, I pay extra attention to the athlete’s hydration, ensuring that they have access to plenty of fluids throughout the travel and aid them in retaining fluid by including electrolytes in beverages.   If traveling internationally, also a course of probiotics to support the functioning of the gut, as GI distress is common when athletes travel. If crossing time zones, I have jet lag protocols in place, such as moving sleep and waking towards destination time in the days prior to travel, getting the players on destination time as soon as possible and encouraging mealtimes and naps consistent with this.  I make sure they have access to melatonin-rich food stuffs, such as tart cherry juice, to promote sleep onset on the plane or on arrival if sleeping is difficult. I also ensure they have access to chewing gum on the flight to support levels of to stimulate saliva and moisten the mouth in dry and/or air conditioned environments. Are there certain foods that are beneficial to your immune system? Specific immune-boosting foods are not well supported in the literature, but it is desirable to make the body as robust as possible to cope with infection and manage it by meeting energy needs by consuming a varied balanced diet. It is advisable to minimise low energy periods (a fat loss phase) when training load or competition intensity is raised.  Moderate exercise and improving your physical fitness can have beneficial impact on immune status. Zinc acetate lozenges at the apparency of a cold may reduce the duration of an upper respiratory tract infection. Are there things that are especially detrimental to player health? There are 9 risk factors that athletes should be aware of and be mindful of. These are: The autumn and winter when prevalence of cold and flu is higher. Start vitamin D supplementation if not using already Demonstrating symptoms recently, even if mild Air travel Poor mental wellbeing/stress Low energy availability Poor sleep Increased training load Step-up in competition intensity Low levels of salivary IgA What are small daily practices you’d recommend adopting to support your immune system? I’d recommend: Daily vitamin D, probiotic and vitamin C supplementation to increase the ability of the athlete to tolerate an infection better, so it has less impact on them. A diet that is sufficient in energy to meet the needs of training, growth and repair and fluid requirements. Ensuring any symptoms of deficiencies are investigated properly and supported by accredited practitioners (Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register, Registered Dieticians) Want to learn more from George? You can follow him on Twitter at @MorganGMR.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Meet Our Head Of Sport

Phizz has become a favourite among top athletes and our tablets are used by more than 50 pro sports teams across Premier League & Championship Football clubs, Saracens Rugby & South Africa Cricket.  The expert behind the scenes is our Head of Sport, Yasmin Badiani. Yasmin is a former Premier League physio herself, who now works directly with the medical staff of these world-class teams to develop a plan for their players’ hydration needs. She gave us the scoop on pro-athlete nutrition & hydration as well as some tips on how you to apply these techniques to your own workouts. What do training and match day nutrition look like for athletes? Good nutrition has a huge impact on sports performance.  Professional sport teams have nutritionists and chefs on hand to create individual plans for players, tailored for their unique needs including personal requirements, travel agenda, training schedule and match days they have ahead of them. There is no one formula for the perfect athletic diet as needs vary person to person, sport to sport and week to week. These nutritionists look at the full picture for each individual and build meal plans that work for a player’s precise circumstances. That said, while athlete nutrition does come mostly from food, supplements like protein powders, energy gels and hydration tablets (like Phizz) do play a vital role in giving players the extra edge they need to be at peak performance. These products are carefully chosen for the additional support that they give during intense exercise regimes with high levels of sweat and stress on the body. Why is hydration important for athletes? What advantage is there to using an electrolyte tablet like Phizz vs. plain water? The body is made up of around 70% water, so while hydration is important for everyone, it is even more critical for athletes who are losing large volumes of sweat during intense exercise. Just 2-3% loss of body weight through fluid can result in serious physical and mental struggles, and athletes can lose around 6-10% of their body weight when competing. Dehydration can have huge physiological consequences such as an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as reduced thermoregulation within the body. It can also cause joint pain, fatigue, dizziness, muscle cramps and decreased endurance as a result of the body burning muscle glycogen instead of using fat for fuel. Most seriously, dehydration can result in heat exhaustion or heat stroke.  Dehydration doesn’t just affect you physically, but also has a considerable effect on your mental game too. Your brain is 85% water, so even mild dehydration can induce changes in mood, decline in concentration, alertness and motivation, all of which are very important in peak performance with professional athletes.    These are all reasons why taking in fluid before, during and after exercise is key for all athletes, pro or not. But it’s important to note that you lose more than just water when you sweat - you also lose electrolytes. These electrolytes help the body to absorb the water that you’re drinking rather than allowing it to simply pass through the body. Phizz tablets contain a wide range of these essential electrolytes and actually form a hypotonic electrolyte solution when dissolved in water. This means Phizz harnesses the power of osmosis to drive water absorption in the body.  The carefully measured amounts of sodium and glucose in the formula drive water absorption through the sodium glucose co-transporter. This combined approach has been shown to absorb more water than the isotonic or overly sugary solutions typically used in sports drinks.   Why do athletes also need a multivitamin? Health is on everyone’s mind right now, and pro sport teams are no different. With busy travel schedules, immunity is always a key focus and teams need athletes to be consistently available and in peak health for matches. Intense training can also negatively impact your body’s ability to fight infection so using a product such as Phizz that contains a wide range of vitamins including vitamins A, C and E can really support the immune system. After a workout, a multivitamin supplement is also helpful in recovery. Phizz is formulated with powerful antioxidants that help limit the damage caused by free radicals produced during exercise and assists in recovery post-exercise. Its dose of vitamin C supports maintenance and repair of connective tissue including blood vessels, bones and ligaments, all of which are essential for optimal physical performance. Magnesium and zinc are also important for muscle recovery.  How can you adapt these tips for someone who isn’t a professional athlete, but does high intensity workouts regularly? Whether you are a professional athlete or someone who occasionally enjoys a good workout, keeping your body in the right state is vital. This means a good, balanced diet rich with healthy, energy fuelling foods. Stay hydrated by drinking 500-700ml before exercising and continue sipping throughout. Supplements like Phizz can help you make the most of the water you do drink. Monitor the colour of urine, too dark means you may not be drinking enough. Pace yourself and listen to your body- do you need more fluids or food?

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Phizz Drops in Sainsbury’s

This is big! We’ve been keeping this secret for far too long, but we can finally share this milestone moment with all of you. Phizz launches in Sainsbury’s superstores nationwide today. Sainsbury’s is the first major grocer to stock our young British wellness brand. Phizz is part of the retailer’s Future Brands initiative, a scheme designed to support challenger brands and offer customers unique and distinctive products.  Our tablets will be available for purchase in 319 superstore locations, with product on shelves in the vitamins, minerals and supplements aisle. Sainsburys.co.uk will also be launching our effervescents in the beginning of March. The retailer will stock twenty-tablet tubes in-stores and online in both of the Phizz flavours, Orange and Apple & Blackcurrant.  “It is incredibly exciting to see a legendary grocer like Sainsbury’s throwing its support behind our young brand and believing in our fresh take on the effervescent category,” said Daniel Cray, Phizz co-founder. “We began as a trusted supplier to airlines, hotels and sport clubs with a strong e-commerce position, so our new launch into Sainsbury’s is a landmark for our business. Wellbeing is top of mind like never before, and consumers are looking for an easy all-in-one product that supports their active lifestyles now at home and also back out in the world when it is time. Phizz is proud to be a product that consumers can trust to make wellness simple.” Emma Williams, Head of Origination & Investing, Future Brands at Sainsbury’s said: “We are delighted to welcome Phizz to our Future Brands programme. We’ve kept an eye on this impressive young brand for several years and are proud to now be the first retailer to launch their innovative multivitamin. We know that our customers are increasingly looking for wellbeing products to support their busy lives, so are excited to see what they think of these sparkling effervescents.” Want to see if we’re popping up in your local Sainsbury’s? Check out the full list on our store locator.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Phizz Gets Supercharged

Last month, we told you that we’d improved our Apple & Blackcurrant flavour, but surely you didn’t think we’d just supercharge one of our flavours? Both Phizz flavours are getting an upgrade! The new Phizz formula is now a 1 tablet dose in both of our flavours. It offers the same quality and scientific benefits you love, now double the value. It’s made in the same lab with the same high quality ingredients and our scientists have made the dissolve smoother and quicker. Apple & Blackcurrant has a new & improved flavour that you’ve just got to try. It also comes in a new, natural purple hue, perfectly matched to its tube. Orange is the same flavour you know and love packed into a single tablet. The new Orange and Apple & Blackcurrant tablets have debuted on phizz.co in our 20, 60 and 240 tablet sizes, but will be popping up in all sizes and retailers soon.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Phizz Pops Up at Sainsbury's Local!

Our small business launched in Sainsbury’s superstores in February, and now we’re coming to your local (Sainsbury’s, that is!). For a limited time, you can now find our tubes hanging out at 496 additional Sainsbury’s small and convenience locations across the U.K. These new stores will be stocked up on our original Orange flavour in the 10 tablet size, and the tubes will be hanging in bold displays in our signature Phizz yellow. If all this good news weren’t enough, Sainsbury’s is celebrating the launch with 20% off! Until 12th October, grab a tube of 10 for just £4.  We are eternally grateful to the legends at Sainsbury’s for helping us to bring our young brand to more shoppers, as well as to our loyal Phizz fans (new & old!) for supporting us along the way. Want to see if we’re popping up in your local Sainsbury’s? Check out the full list on our store locator.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Phizz Returns As Saracens Official Hydration Partner!

Phizz is pleased to announce it has renewed its partnership with Saracens for the 2021 season.  Our young British brand has been an official partner of the club for three years, powering the team both on and off the field. Phizz was scientifically formulated to be the most comprehensive blend of hydration, vitamins and minerals out there. The effervescent tablets rapidly hydrate the body up to three times more than water alone and replenish electrolytes along with an alphabet of vitamins & minerals to provide natural energy and support immune and brain function, recovery and wellness.   Saracens fly-half and England captain Owen Farrell said: “Staying hydrated is key to playing at your best. Phizz supports with this, providing the hydration, vitamins and minerals we lose during all training sessions and during games. A Phizz tablet keeps us hydrated and helping us to perform at our best.”  Phizz Head of Sport Yasmin Badiani said: “Phizz is proud to continue to fuel the Saracens family. The ongoing partnership with Saracens is a major highlight for our   growing company and we are honoured to be able to supply the team for another season.” Saracens Group Head of Partnerships Lucy Englander added: “We are so pleased to announce this extension with Phizz. On a personal basis I use the product day in, day out and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. Thank you, Team Phizz, for the continued support!”  Although Phizz is used by more than 50 pro sports teams across Premier League & Championship Football clubs, Saracens Rugby & South Africa Cricket, it’s not just for pro athletes. Phizz is for home workouts, long Zoom meetings and general wellness. 

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Should You Try a Digital Detox?

We’ve all been spending a lot more time at home, and for many of us, that means a lot more time screen time. As winter fully sets in, the idea of a digital fast seems both a bit daunting and a bit magical. Seeking more information on what the process is like, we turned to Max Lowery, the multi-hyphenate personal trainer, online coach, founder of 2MealDay, creator of Connect Retreats and devoted advocate of screen breaks. Let’s start with the why of digital detox. You likely are already familiar with the constant pull to check your phone. Whether it’s email or social media that beckons you most, our devices can have a huge impact on our productivity, attention span and in some cases, our mental wellbeing.  For Max, some of the biggest gains from his digital fasts include the amount he gets done in a day. One notification no longer leads down the rabbit hole of mindless scrolling. He also says he feels more present and able to remain “in the moment” with his environment and the people around him. “Before I started digital fasting, if there were ever any time where I was alone in a public space, I would get my phone out and start scrolling,” he said. “I now use these times to try and practice mindfulness – the process of purposely bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment. For me, this brings out a sense of calm and relaxation and can help prevent compulsive thoughts.”  Also, Max sees a big improvement in his sleep. There are studies documenting the negative effects of blue light on sleep, and Max verifies that this is indeed a big one for him and refraining from pre-bedtime phone usage has been a game-changer. Intrigued? Here is Max’s approach digital fasting can grow with you from initial steps to expert level extended breaks. Try turning off your notifications. “At the end of the day, if it’s REALLY important, they will call you. If it’s not, then it’s not worth being interrupted while you are catching up with a friend of working on a task.” Try the new Screen Time feature on your phone. “This will lock you out of certain apps at specific times. Tell yourself that you will not respond to work-related emails or calls before/after a particular time every day.” Team up to institute a no phone rule when spending time with friends. “It’s incredible how much of a difference this makes, you might be met with resistance at first, but persist in a non-aggressive way, challenge them to go for 1 hour without looking at their phone!” Get outside. “Going on a phoneless walk can be a great way to reduce stress and anxiety at the same time as improving physical fitness and connecting with the world around you. It’s one of my favourite things to do, and many of the guests on Connect Retreats decide to leave their phone behind on our three-day hike.” Go easy on yourself. “Don’t make this another thing to feel guilty about. If you set yourself the goal of not using your phone on the weekend, but give in and use it after 24 hours, then move on. Don’t feel guilty about it. The goal is to improve your relationship with your phone, not put extra pressure and guilt on you.”  Whether you try these tips for evenings, full weekends or extended breaks, there’s much to be gained from taking a break from the constant connection. Want to learn more? Max gives great advice as a personal trainer and online coach. You can reach him via his website www.2mealday.com or @max.lowery. For more info on an unplugged getaway of your own, check out www.connectretreats.co.uk.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Socially Fit

Home fitness has had many challenges over the last year, but one of the things we miss most is the joy of sweating it out with our friends. Luckily, we’ve found a game-changing solution that brings social connection into your living room. We spoke with innovator and founder Sanne Fouquet to learn more about her brainchild, Classmate. Tell us about yourself & about Classmate! Classmate is the combination of a social network and a virtual boutique studio. Our application enables our users to connect with friends (a.k.a. Classmates) through private, live and bespoke fitness classes. Users can either book a class at a time that suits them and invite their friends, or scroll through the newsfeed to see friends' activities and spontaneously join their sessions. It’s almost like a clubhouse for virtual fitness! We aim to bring an interactive studio experience to our user's home and create a safe space with friends and instructors, in which our users feel comfortable to keep their camera on. This adds to the social experience and enables our instructors to provide personalised feedback and encouragement.  I’m an engineer who started my career on the trading floor, quickly moved to work in tech and now pivoting to become a wellness entrepreneur! I was constantly travelling between Europe and the US at my last job, and my health took a hard hit due to poor movement, food and sleeping habits. My life changed when I started to implement in-flight meditation and a strict workout routine. Not only did it help my wellbeing and mental health, but also my performance at work and my relationships. This sparked my interest in holistic health. What inspired you to create Classmate? Like many others, I struggled with mental health over the past 12 months. Even though I was constantly in Zoom meetings with my colleagues, I felt a sense of loneliness and I was struggling to find a motivating online workout alternative that kept me accountable.  I went searching for a social, virtual workout alternative and realised that most solutions out there are more or less solo experiences. Even though I loved the convenience of working out from my home,  I missed the social aspect of going to a class together with friends. At the same time, I noticed that people around me were setting up private, virtual yoga classes together with their friends. This was a very tedious process that required them to find an instructor, a time that suited the instructor and friend group, splitting the payments etc., and there was no way to know what classes your fitness network were taking.  This led me to create Classmate, a platform that lets you connect with your friends across the world over a fun, healthy and soul-enriching virtual activity that we try to squeeze into our calendar anyway. Classmate is not just about providing a fun fitness alternative, we are creating a healthy way of socialising with your friends around the world. What classes do you recommend for those just beginning to work out again after a year at home? Barre is an isometric and full-range flexibility movement that is a perfect, join-friendly workout for women and men in all ages. It’s a super fun workout, feel-good guided by upbeat tunes. Yoga is also a perfect start to get back, especially our founding instructor Amy’s  LYT Yoga classes which help reset postural imbalances that many of us have developed when sitting scrunched in front of our computers the last couple of months. What are the benefits of working out in a group instead of alone? First and foremost: It is just so much more fun to work out with friends and family! It is scientifically proven that working out with friends makes you more accountable, and keeps you more motivated throughout the class. Furthermore, there is no better way of increasing bonding than enjoying those good vibes only, workout endorphins. One of our most popular features are the “pre-workout” socials during which friends are sent to a private, virtual room to catch up for a few minutes ahead of class. After the class is finished, the instructor leaves but lets all Classmates stay to hang for as long as they want. What types of groups are using Classmate? We have many friend groups scattered around  the world who use Classmate as a natural way of staying in touch whilst staying in shape. We also have a few examples of parents and their grown-up kids living across Europe who are using Classmate on a weekly basis, as well as remote teams having sessions to strengthen team connectivity while staying healthy. It’s also interesting to see users living in the same city who enjoy working out from home and are teaming up to get personalised experience on par with a PT session, for a fraction of the price. Any tips for setting up a home workout space? Many! There are a few simple tricks that can make a huge difference to your virtual fitness experience. I would say that the most important factor is the device set up. Make sure to join your workouts from a device with a relatively large  screen. You can connect your device to your TV through Chromecast and AppleTV in a few clicks. Other devices with good sound quality such as your laptop or iPad work well too. If you join via your phone, it's hard for you to see your instructor and Classmates properly. Keep your camera on and don't hesitate to interact with your instructor and Classmate through the chat or by unmuting yourself. Take a few minutes before class to set up your space and ensure you have a bottle of Phizz to keep you hydrated throughout the workout! Want to try Classmate for yourself? They launched their app THIS week, now available to download on App Store and Google Play. You can follow their journey on Instagram at @joinclassmate.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

The Ultimate Athlete & Performance Retreat

For the highest calibre of professional athletes, the off-season doesn’t mean a break from training. In order to achieve peak physical fitness and compete at the most elite levels, these athletes need to find creative ways to blend down time with gym time. This unique set of requirements sparked an idea for Jordan Demetriou, and Mykonos Performance was born. Phizz is proud to announce that this innovative fitness retreat is our newest sport partner. After many years working in sports physiotherapy and reconditioning with significant full-time working experience at major U.K. football clubs, Jordan recognised that that the athletes in his care were searching for warm weather destinations that could offer training and rehabilitation services for the moments that they didn’t need to be at their team training grounds. He gathered a group of highly qualified trainers and therapists, and a revolutionary concept came to life. Mykonos Performance launched in 2016, creating the first-of-its-kind, exclusive rehabilitation and performance resort providing athletes from around the world with ideal conditions to optimise performance, in style. Jordan is now Head of Performance and his clients are able to enjoy individualised, premium fitness and wellness services whilst vacationing on the iconic island of Mykonos. The team chose Mykonos for its unmatched blend of great weather, transport connections and reputation for the highest-end hospitality and services. Mykonos Performance has grown rapidly, with an ever-increasing the calibre and volume of athletes choosing the resort. It’s now fair to say Mykonos Performance is the most popular destination for off-season warm-weather training for footballers and athletes in Europe. Jordan and team are now entering an exciting new phase by building a bespoke fitness and wellness concept, Charisma Hotel, fully equipped with state-of-the-art fitness facilities. The new home of Mykonos Performance will be able to cater for even the most demanding sport requirements while also offering on-site accommodation, nutrition and wellness services. This new space will allow for a longer season spanning from spring to autumn and expanding the team’s ability to welcome more athletes from all elite sports. Fitness-enthusiasts members of the general public will also benefit from access to the new facilities when booking on-site accommodation or taking part in organised wellness retreats hosted at Charisma Hotel.    Phizz will be on hand to keep these athletes hydrated in the heat and intense training sessions as well as fuelled with our comprehensive formula of vitamins and minerals.  Want to learn more about this revolution in elite fitness? Visit MykonosPerformance.com or follow along on Instagram @mykonosperformance. To book at Charisma Hotel, please visit their website.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Travel Like an Athlete

For most of us, it’s been quite a long time since we’ve had the chance to travel. As you begin to plan your first new adventures, it’s more important than ever to also be conscious your health when you’re on the road (or in the air). Seeking some tips on wellbeing while in transit, we turned to Damian Roden, Senior Director of Sports Science at Minnesota United in the MLS.  Damian is one of the most experienced and well-respected performance coaches to emerge from the English Premier League and is an expert on keeping players fighting fit despite busy travel schedules and intensive training. His strategies for athlete recovery can also be applied to travel as disrupted sleep, meals and activity levels can wreak havoc on your health and vacation plans. Nutrition Although it’s easy to eat poorly whilst on holiday, remember nutrition is key to refuelling, repairing and rehydrating after a long flight or after a long day of sightseeing.  Damian suggests a recovery drink (like Phizz!)  to quickly and easily rehydrate after time in a dry airplane cabin, even when your appetite may be suppressed from jetlag. As always, it’s important to consume balanced meals, including “carbohydrates to help refuel, protein to help repair damaged muscles, fruit & vegetables to counteract muscle damage, essential fats to reduce inflammation and fluids to rehydrate.” Get Moving While you might be tired, it’s still important to get moving to allow your body to recover from the flight. Damian says this can be as simple as a light jog to elevate your heart rate and increase blood flow. This is great alongside some simple stretching and mobility exercises to accelerate recover. And don’t forget the hotel pool! This is an easy (and fun!) holiday friendly exercise that offers some additional benefits. “Immersion in water helps the body to produce ‘endorphins’ that enhance mood and wellbeing and the pressure of the water increases circulation from the ankles back to the heart to help remove metabolic waste.” Sleep “Sleep is arguably the single most important strategy to master not only to help the body recover but to help the body improve,” says Damian. This can be a challenge while travelling as our sleep is controlled by our circadian rhythm. As this is affected by dark and light, jetlag presents a major hurdle. To aid in resetting your body clock, Damian has a few tricks for reducing melatonin-inhibiting barriers to sleep. These include avoiding screens, dimming hotel room lights and wearing sunglasses a few hours before bed. And about that holiday cocktail? It may sound like a great way to fall sleep, but in reality, you might want to be a bit more careful if you’re feeling tired. “There are a lot of false claims that alcohol is good for sleep because it makes you feel drowsy, but it is completely counter-productive to good quality sleep. Similar to a heavy meal in the period before sleep alcohol forces your body to start working to process the alcohol instead of on repair and recovery and also increases blood pressure.” And finally, temperature is another culprit that commonly breaks our sleep cycle in an unfamiliar environment. Damian suggests opening the window for 10 minutes before bed to air the room and setting the thermostat to 19 degrees. He recommends that his players wear dry-fit garments to help regulate and maintain a consistent body temperature. So go ahead, pack some extra gym kit for your next trip! Want to learn more? Damian’s book, Fit for Every Game is available for purchase now on his website.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Veganuary Recipes Made Simple

Are you giving Veganuary a go? If eating plant-based has given you an appetite for change, you don't have to a be a master chef to make it delicious thanks to our friends at Merchant Gourmet. Pioneers in plant-based simplicity, their simple lentils, grains and chestnuts come straight from Mother Nature, are easy to prepare, and most importantly are better for you and for the planet. We’re bringing you two of their incredible plant-based recipes to help brighten up your new year. First up, we have the Puy Lentil Curry. This lovely recipe was created by Merchant Gourmet’s new partner, superstar vegan chef and cookbook author Gaz Oakley.  Gaz is creating easy-to-make, incredible, meat-free recipes using Merchant Gourmets ingredients, and this one features their tasty Puy lentils. High in fibre and protein, these lentils have a delicate, slightly peppery flavour, and have been simply cooked with water, onion, bay leaf and a dash of olive oil. When cooked with potatoes, an aromatic blend of spices, stock, coconut milk and tomato puree, the result is a family favourite you’ll reach for again and again. See the full Puy Lentil Curry recipe here.  Next up are these mouth-watering Korean Tacos. Created by Aimee Ryan of Wallflower Kitchen, these moreish tacos use Merchant Gourmet Zingy Korean Style Grains. The grains are the key to making this recipe beginner-friendly as they come ready-to-go with a blend of wheatberries, black barley and edamame beans with red pepper cooked in a spicy gochujang style paste. Simple additional ingredients include sesame oil, tofu, sriracha sauce served in tortillas with your choice of toppings. This low stress recipe is sure to be crowd-pleaser! See the full Korean Tacos recipe here. Love what you’ve seen here? Be sure to check out all of Merchant Gourmet’s offerings on their website, along with loads more healthy and plant-based recipe ideas.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Wellness is Trending at Selfridges

You know Selfridges as the iconic retailer with impeccable taste and knack for spotting what’s new and what’s next. Now, this giant in the luxury world is deepening its reach into wellness, and our young company is honoured to be a new brand on Selfridges.com. We wanted to learn more about what emerging trends the visionaries at Selfridges are spotting, so we caught up with Adrian Boswell, the health & wellbeing buyer. Selfridges’ expanded wellbeing range includes some great new products! What inspired you to focus on this category? As part of our Project Earth commitments to reinventing retail with sustainability at the core, supporting the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of our customers and team members is priority. So expanding our health & wellbeing category was fundamental in helping us to achieve our goals. Has the pandemic changed the way your customers shop and what they want to see from Selfridges? I think all retailers have had to adjust to how customer trends have changed due to the pandemic. It’s no secret that digital channels had an amazing uplift throughout 2020, however, as restrictions begin to ease we are confident that customers will still yearn for the experiential side of retail that cannot be replicated online, and this is something we are famous for. Self-care is a hot topic, why do you think it’s so important? Self-care is important on a variety of levels, it creates positive self-esteem & confidence, boosts energy levels and allow us to be the best version of ourselves, which also impacts how we react and engage with other people.  What do you look for in a product when adding it to your range? As mentioned previously, with our Project Earth commitments, sustainability is at the core everything we do, so new launches must be able to talk to this is some shape or form. Innovation, great branding and an ingredients list which is as clean as possible are also key. What must-have wellness products do you recommend shoppers add to their carts before checkout? Well of course Phizz 😊, CBD continues to grow from strength to strength, vitamins in liposomal formats are on the rise, as is sea moss.  There you have it! Thanks to Adrian, we’ve got a new wellbeing wish list and we’re already filling our cart. Next time you head to Selfridges.com, don’t forget to stock up on Phizz and all the other great young brands stocked by this iconic British retailer.

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Phizziology – Bailey Thomas

Why Athletes Need Probiotics

Pro athletes perform at extraordinarily high levels, which means they place their bodies under extraordinarily high levels of stress. Because of this intensity, it’s vital for athletes to carefully look after each system in their body, including their microbiome. We spoke with Elliot Frankland, nutritionist at Burnley Football Club, for some insight into why probiotics are a growing category in sport. “Increasingly, probiotics are a staple category in sport nutrition,” said Frankland. “The microbiome is key to a variety of important functions, so I’ve added the category to my arsenal. I love that the Phizz Good Guts formula is comprehensive, including a prebiotic and a variety of strains to cover all the bases. The added vitamin D and selenium also packs a nice punch for immune systems in need of support!” Immunity While we all know that exercise is good for you, extremely strenuous exercise like the type of training done by many professional-level athletes can actually have a negative effect on immune system function. Studies have suggested that 70% of the immune system resides in the gut, so looking after athlete’s microbiome is a key piece of the overall puzzle. Probiotic supplements help improve the immune function of the gut and have been shown to reduce upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections in athletes. Good Guts also provides 100% of the recommended daily dose of both vitamin D & selenium, powerful antioxidants that support the immune system.  For athletes training under hot weather conditions, there is added cause for caution. Exercise in the heat may reduce gut barrier function, an important component of the gut’s role in immunity. This can be reduced by probiotic supplementation, with probiotics’ roles in immunity partly driven by their ability to support this function. Nutrient Absorption Athletes demand more from the food they consume to support their training regimens. Sport nutritionists create carefully balanced meal plans, but probiotic bacteria can also help break down the food that has been consumed by the athlete helping it be absorbed and best utilised. Probiotics can help athletes maintain leaner body mass compositions through regulating nutrient absorption and metabolism. The vitamin D in Good Guts also enhances the absorption of calcium and magnesium,  2 key minerals, by the digestive system. Recovery Digestive bacteria in probiotics have anti-inflammatory properties, as bacteria in the digestive system express receptors that reduce levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines which help muscle repair post-exercise.  Intrigued to see what a probiotic can do for you? Phizz Good Guts supports your microbiome with a 10 billion colony forming units (or CFU) formulation and offers a broad spectrum of bacterial strains at the perfect strength for daily use. Good Guts is the perfect companion for Phizz 2-in-1 Multivitamin Hydration Tablets (an athlete favourite!), making them ideal wingmen to help you take on your busy life. Learn more about it here and shop now.

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