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We empower men and women of all ages to transform their health, specialising in Type 2 Diabetes remission, while guiding clients toward stronger bodies, deeper sleep, balanced nutrition, and lifelong habits that stick.

03/11/2026

Is 10,000 steps a day really the magic number?

A 2025 review in The Lancet Public Health pulled together 57 studies on daily steps and health. When the researchers compared around 7,000 steps a day with 2,000, the 7,000 group had a 47% lower risk of dying early.

Benefits showed up at lower step counts too. For some outcomes, they kept building past 7,000, but the extra gain got smaller.

One important catch: these studies show links, not proof. People who walk more may also be healthier to begin with.

So rather than chasing a big round number, try this.

Check your average daily steps for this week.

Then add 1,000 steps a day on top of it.

A 10-minute walk after lunch will usually cover it.

A small, steady increase is often far easier to stick with than a target that feels out of reach.

Whatโ€™s your daily step average right now? Tell me in the comments.

31/10/2026

Have you been forcing down breakfast because someone told you it kick-starts your metabolism?

Itโ€™s one of the most repeated bits of weight loss advice out there, and the research doesnโ€™t really back it up.

In a 16-week trial of 309 adults trying to lose weight, being told to eat breakfast or to skip it made no noticeable difference to how much weight they lost.

A 2019 BMJ review of 13 trials came to a similar conclusion. Adding breakfast didnโ€™t look like a reliable way to lose weight, and the people who ate it tended to eat a bit more across the day overall.

So should you skip it? Not necessarily.

What tends to matter more is how much you eat across the whole day, and whether your routine is one you can actually stick to.

If breakfast keeps you full and stops the mid-morning biscuit raid, keep it. If youโ€™re genuinely not hungry until lunch, you donโ€™t have to eat just because the clock says so.

If you have diabetes and take insulin or medication that can cause lows, speak to your diabetes team before changing when you eat.

Breakfast or no breakfast, which camp are you in? Tell me in the comments.

The studies, if you want to read them:
16-week trial: https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.089573
BMJ review: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l42
Personal training and nutrition coaching in Barnstaple, Bideford and Braunton: evolutionfitnessandhealth.co.uk

30/10/2026

Do you find eating out harder since your type 2 diagnosis?

Lots of people I work with tell me the same thing. They either turn down invitations or order the dullest thing on the menu and come home feeling fed up.

It doesnโ€™t have to be like that. A meal out is part of normal life, and a few small habits may help keep your blood sugar steadier while you still enjoy yourself.

Have a look at the menu online before you go, so youโ€™re not choosing when youโ€™re hungry.

Eat the vegetables and protein first and leave the bread, rice or chips until later in the meal.

Ask for sauces and dressings on the side so you decide how much goes on.

If you can, take a gentle walk afterwards. Even 10 minutes can help.

None of this is about being strict. Itโ€™s about feeling in control without missing out.

If you take insulin or medication that can cause lows, check with your diabetes team before making changes.

Know someone whoโ€™d find this useful? Share it with them.

More on how I support people with type 2 diabetes in Barnstaple, Bideford and Braunton: evolutionfitnessandhealth.co.uk

28/10/2026

Does ultra-processed food make you eat more?

Research suggests it may, for some people. These foods are often soft, sweet, salty and easy to eat quickly, so itโ€™s easy to eat more than you planned before you feel full.

If youโ€™ve ever finished a packet and wondered where it went, that isnโ€™t a lack of willpower. Itโ€™s partly down to how the food is made.

A few simple starting points:

โ–ช๏ธ Build more meals around foods that look like they did in nature
โ–ช๏ธ Add protein and fibre, which tend to keep you fuller for longer
โ–ช๏ธ Slow down, because eating fast can outrun your fullness signals

You donโ€™t need to cut everything out. Small swaps you can keep up beat a strict plan you drop after a week.

If youโ€™re in Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton or anywhere across North Devon and want help making this work for you, send me a message.

Whatโ€™s the one ultra-processed food you find hardest to stop at? Tell me in the comments ๐Ÿ‘‡

27/10/2026

Metformin upsetting your stomach? Youโ€™re far from the only one.

Nausea, bloating and loose stools are some of the most commonly reported side effects when people start metformin or when the dose goes up. For many people it eases after a few weeks. For others it doesnโ€™t, and plenty quietly stop taking it without telling anyone.

Please donโ€™t stop or change your medication on your own. Have a chat with your GP or pharmacist first. Itโ€™s worth asking about:

โ–ช๏ธ Taking it with a meal
โ–ช๏ธ Whether a modified-release version might suit you
โ–ช๏ธ Whether your dose was increased gradually

If youโ€™re living with type 2 diabetes in Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton or anywhere across North Devon, you donโ€™t have to work this out alone. Food, movement and sleep habits can support how your body handles blood sugar alongside your medication.

Has metformin given you stomach trouble? What helped, or whatโ€™s still a struggle? Tell me in the comments ๐Ÿ‘‡

24/10/2026

Nobody gets type 2 diabetes from eating too much sugar alone.

I wish more people knew that, because so many carry shame about their diagnosis.

Type 2 is largely about insulin resistance, and lots of things feed into it: genetics, age, where your body stores fat, how much you move, and how well you sleep. Food plays a part, of course, but itโ€™s one piece of a bigger picture.

Blaming yourself doesnโ€™t lower a single reading on your meter. Understanding whatโ€™s going on, and making small changes you can actually keep, gives you something to work with.

If youโ€™ve been beating yourself up about your diagnosis, today you can put that down.

Iโ€™m Scott, a specialist health coach in Barnstaple, helping people across Barnstaple, Bideford and Braunton understand and manage type 2.

Do you know someone carrying that shame? Send them this video. And tell me below: what were you told caused yours?

23/10/2026

If youโ€™re over 40 and youโ€™ve ever thought โ€œIโ€™ve missed the boat on strength trainingโ€, this oneโ€™s for you.

You havenโ€™t.

Muscle responds to training at every age. It can build a little more slowly as we get older, and midlife hormonal changes can make it feel like an uphill battle. But your body hasnโ€™t forgotten how to adapt. It just needs a clear signal, applied consistently.

For most people that means:

Lifting something challenging 2 to 3 times a week
Getting enough protein across the day
Building up gradually, rather than going all out for three weeks and burning out

The benefits go beyond how you look. More muscle can support your strength, your balance, your energy, and how your body handles blood sugar.

Age slows muscle building down a little. It doesnโ€™t switch it off.

I coach women and men across Barnstaple, Bideford and Braunton, and this is the conversation I have most.

Which โ€œIโ€™m too old to...โ€ thought has held you back the longest? Tell me below and Iโ€™ll reply to everyone. ๐Ÿ‘‡

20/10/2026

Spending an hour on the cross trainer and wondering why the scale barely moves?

You're not doing it wrong. On its own, exercise usually produces modest weight loss in trials, partly because we tend to eat a little more or move a little less afterwards. Diet does most of the work on the scale.

Exercise has a different job.

In a New England Journal of Medicine trial of older adults with obesity, the people who combined dieting with both cardio and weights improved their physical function the most.

Cardio supports your heart and your fitness.
Weights help protect your muscle while you diet.

So do both. But if you're short on time, prioritise lifting.

Send this to your gym buddy who lives on the cross trainer.

Which do you do more of, cardio or weights? Tell me below.

If you have a health condition, check with your GP before changing your exercise.

Want stronger glutes? Start with the order you train them in.This glute workout consists of four exercises and a simple ...
19/10/2026

Want stronger glutes? Start with the order you train them in.

This glute workout consists of four exercises and a simple checklist.

1. Activate first
Banded glute bridge, clamshell, lateral band walk and donkey kick. 2 rounds of 12 reps. Move slowly and feel the muscle working.

2. Hip thrust
4 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Chin tucked, ribs down, squeeze at the top.

3. Romanian deadlift
3 sets of 10 reps. Hips move back, soft knees, keep the weights close.

4. Split squat
3 sets of 8 each side. Lower with control and drive through the front heel.

Then run through the basics: progressive overload, proper form, enough protein, quality recovery and consistency.

Strong glutes support your hips when you climb stairs, carry shopping or stand up from a chair, so this is worth getting right.

Not sure where to start, or whether your form is spot on? We coach 1-to-1 and 2-to-1 personal training at GymX in Barnstaple, North Devon. Send us a message and we'll help you build a plan that suits you.

Which of these four do you find hardest? Tell us in the comments.

19/10/2026

Can you eat fruit with type 2 diabetes? Yes, you can.

Diabetes UK is clear that whole fruits can be part of a healthy diet if you have diabetes. Whole fruit comes with fibre, which helps slow down how quickly sugar is absorbed.

Juice and smoothies are a different story. Much of the fibre is gone, and itโ€™s easy to drink a lot very quickly.

My tip: eat the fruit whole and pair it with some protein, like Greek yoghurt or a handful of nuts.

Everyone responds differently, so if you use a glucose monitor, notice how your own body reacts to different fruits.

Comment your favourite fruit below and Iโ€™ll tell you how Iโ€™d pair it.

Iโ€™m Scott, a type 2 diabetes and nutrition coach in Barnstaple, North Devon, working with clients in person and online.

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