THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT ‘ NUMB NUTS’

“The important thing to realize is that no amount of numbness is okay,” says bike-fit and injury expert Dr Andy Pruitt.

Numbness means that nerves are being compressed. And if your nerves are being compressed, your hollow structures – e. g. the arteries feeding blood into your penis – are being compressed. Sure, they may all bounce back, so to speak, but you could be doing long-term damage if you ignore the symptoms.

“Imagine taking a garden hose, and driving over it with your car, again and again and again,” says Pruitt. “It may rebound initially, but over time it’ll stay collapsed, and won’t function as well.”

Same with your nerves and plumbing.

Saddles with grooves or cutouts are well known to reduce pressure on the perineum, but the size and shape of the saddle still needs to match your shape and physiology. And the saddle needs to be in the right spot.

You want the majority of your weight to be resting on your ischial tuberosities (the hard bones you feel when you sit down) or the pubic rami (the pelvic bones further forward) and not on your perineum. “Along with testing various saddles, get a good professional bike fit.” That means dialling in your reach ( being too stretched puts pressure on soft tissues), your handlebar height ( both in and out of the drops), your saddle height, your fore and aft angle, and the shape and size of your saddle.

I’ve been told that salt causes high blood pressure and I should avoid it. Is this true?

In the 1940s, researcher Dr Walter Kempner became famous for using salt restriction to treat people with hypertension. Later, studies confirmed that reducing salt could be helpful.

However, large-scale scientific reviews have proved that there’s no reason for people with normal blood pressure to restrict sodium. If you’re already hypertensive, you may be ‘salt sensitive’, and reducing salt intake could help. But it’s been known for 20 years that people with high BP who don’t want to lower their salt intake can simply consume more potassium-rich foods to achieve the same health benefits. Why? Because it’s the balance of the two minerals that matters: Dutch scientists found that low potassium intake has the same impact on BP as high salt consumption does. And it turns out, the average guy consumes 3 200 milligrams (mg) of potassium a day – 1 500mg less than recommended.

So strive for a diet rich in potassium by eating fruits, vegetables, and legumes. For instance, spinach (cooked), bananas, and most types of beans all contain more than 400mg of potassium per serving.

I’ve started Banting, but I’m still buying low-fat milk and other dairy products… I’m confused.

By now, you know that healthy fats – foods such as avocados, nuts, and oils – are good for you. Yet it’s still tempting to reach for the low- fat dairy products. But new research published in the journal Circulation may change your mind: scientists found that people who consumed full- fat dairy products had as much as a 46% lower risk of developing diabetes over the course of 15 years, compared with those who drank skim milk and ate low- fat yoghurt and cheese. Whole milk and full- fat yoghurt not only have richer flavour; nutrition experts think the higher fat content may improve satiety, ultimately reducing total kilojoule intake and leading to weight loss.