Clueless When It Comes To Diet
According to this Sydney Morning Herald article, and the research conducted by Garry Egger and Sam Egger recently, we are truly confused when it comes to what is good for us and what is not.
Amazingly in this 20 question true or false test GP's scored as low as Tradies and Truckies. Now nothing against our blue collar workers but the assumption is of course that our GP's would know more about diet than they would.
Not the case so it seems. Makes for an intersting read. Check it out.
Link:
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/big-fat-lies-20091118-imkh.html
Image:
Referenced from the article.
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A very basic take home message
I was recently reading an article that quoted the author of The Hardness Factor, Stephen Lamm, MD. In the article he stated that at least 70% of all diseases stem directly from lifestyle decisions, not from genes or other factors.
Ive heard and read this in other places before. In fact I recently heard one person say that its over 90%!
Whatever the right percentage is, the message is clear.
The power to be fit and healthy is overwhelmingly in YOUR hands.
So the question is, what are you going to do with all of that power?
Its a question that could easily be overwhelming isnt it?
However, it doesnt have to be.
Let me make it REALLY simple for you.
All you need to do is burn just ONE question in your head and ask it to yourself every time you need to make a decision.
Are you ready for it?
Here it is:
Will this help me or hinder me from reaching my goal?
Yes, thats it.
Simple, no?
Thats the beauty of it.
But dont be fooled by the simplicity of this.
If you can successfully make a habit of consistently asking yourself this, youll be amazed at the results.
Deep down we all know the right thing to do.
Should I have grilled chicken and a salad for lunch or pizza?
Should I have water with my meal or a pepsi?
Should I skip this workout today?
Should I have a bagel for breakfast or a couple of eggs and some fruit?
Should I go for a walk or do an intense full body workout instead?
Whether your goals are fat loss, getting that six pack or getting healthier, get into the habit of asking yourself that one little question and youll be surprised at how quickly you start making the right decisions.
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Top Ten Foods You Must Have
1. Tomatoes
The all-powerful tomato can do all kinds of things. It's rich in lycopene, an important nutrient that may lower your risk for all kinds of cancer, prostate included. Plus, it packs serious Vitamin C.
2. Greens
Dark leafy veggies are rich in vitamins such as K, C, E and B and minerals including iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. They also pack omega-3 fats and beta-carotene. And they're practically carb-free! I love braised greens (steam until bright green, then saute in olive oil and garlic, cover, turn off the heat and let finish cooking through). Any kind of green will do, from Swiss chard to kale to collard greens. They're all delicious.
3. Almonds
I'm a huge fan of nuts, especially raw almonds (and walnuts, too). They can significantly reduce blood cholesterol in just four weeks, but are high in calories, so keep portion control in mind. I place 10 of them in a ramekin and munch on them at my desk. (It's too easy to eat too many, so I measure my servings.) I take my time and they seem to last. I also carry little Ziploc bags of almonds in my purse for an emergency snack.
4. Onions
The lowly onion seems to find its way into almost everything you make, especially come dinnertime. Eating onions is a cheap way to get your flavonoids, important nutrients that help protect your lungs from cancer and your stomach from ulcers. Plus, they help prevent heart disease and raise the "good" cholesterol in your blood.
5. Salmon
I absolutely adore grilled salmon, but it has to be the wild variety if you want the benefit of the omega-3 fatty acids (farm-raised salmon doesn't cut it). Heat up the barby, throw on the frozen salmon,skin side down,sprinkle some seasoning (generously, I might add) and that's it! Easy and absolutely delicious, no planning necessary.
6. Frozen berries
I make smoothies from frozen berries every morning. I use wild blueberries and a mix of blackberries and raspberries. Blueberries are especially healthy: two-thirds a cup packs more antioxidants than five servings of broccoli.
7. Kefir and yogurt
Kefir is like liquid yogurt. It's chock full of probiotics and helps your body balance in the gut. Remember those stories of people living to be 120 years old in Russia? Yogurt and kefir were what they credited their longevity to. Use kefir in smoothies, and eat yogurt with a splash of vanilla and a squeeze of honey.
8. Oats
Fiber-rich oats help your body stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol. A perfect breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal with about a half cup of frozen blueberries. Fiber is critical for important bodily functions, if you know what I mean, and oatmeal is a great way to get it.
9. Dark chocolate
Hallelujah! Dark chocolate is rich in catechins and flavonoids, giving you a big dose of antioxidants and helping to boost your good cholesterol. An ounce a day is a more than adequate serving, and it needs to be dark, the darker the better.
10. Oranges
While we may no longer suffer from scurvy, a lot of us have marginal levels of vitamin C in our blood, and some of us have a deficit. When you consider the fact that oranges, in their flavonoid richness, have the ability to fend off cancer and cardiovascular disease and protect one's DNA, it's amazing that most of us aren't chugging a glass of OJ each morning! Get the pulp-rich variety for an extra boost of Vitamin C.
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Boosting Metabilism
Boosting Metabolism: 10 Tips That Work
by Susan Woodward for MSN Health & Fitness
Metabolism. Simply put, its the process by which the body makes and uses energy (calories) for everything from the cellular absorption of nutrients to running a marathon.
Sounds like pretty boring science on paper. Except that knowing how to efficiently metabolize calories could translate into a healthier body.
Whether youre trying to lose extra pounds or preparing for the inevitable metabolic slowing that comes with age, here are some surefire ways to boost your metabolism to keep your energy pulsating and your body in shape.
1. Build lean body mass. As mentioned above, metabolism slows as we age, by as much as two percent a year! But there is something you can do to counterbalance nature. Muscle is the single most important predictor or how well you metabolize your food, how well you burn calories and burn body fat, insists Shari Lieberman, author of Dare to Lose. Strength training with dumbbells or resistance bands at least twice a week is essential to boosting your metabolism. Repeat, essential. And heres the really good news, Your metabolism stays pumped for many hours after you finish your workout.
2. Get moving. You know the drill, but heres a reminder. At least 30 to 60 minutes of walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or some other form of aerobic exercise a minimum of three times a week is the other half of the exercise equation. People dont like to hear it but you have got to exercise, says Lieberman.
3. Eat. It may sound crazy to those trying to lose weight by severely restricting their daily caloric intake, but the problem with this old school of thought, explains Michigan dietician Julie Beyer, is that it actually slows metabolism. Every cell of the body is like a flashlight bulb, she explains. When our bodies dont get enough food, or fuel, every cell burns less brightly. Recent studies show that eating smaller meals every three to four hours aids metabolism and weight loss.
4. Ditch the sugar. Of course, you still have to make good choices about what you eat. When you eat sugar you throw your metabolic switch into fat storage mode, says Lieberman, who suggests a predominately low glycemic index diet, meaning foods that, unlike sugars, are broken down gradually to help maintain an even blood-sugar level.
5. Dont skip breakfast. Its a fact that people who eat a healthy breakfast are skinnier than people who dont. And try to think outside the box. A breakfast bowl of vegetables and brown rice is a great way to kick start your metabolism for the day.
6. Include hot foods. If Mexican and Thai are favorites, youre in luck. Spicy food that has hot peppers in it appears to boost metabolism, Lieberman says.
7. Drink green tea. There are unhealthy things that can boost your metabolism, like a really strong cup of coffee, or nicotine, but I would never say go have a cigarette! says Michelle Streif, a personal trainer in Nebraska. Nor overdo it on caffeine, which also has undesirable side effects. Instead, go for green tea, says Lieberman, which is known to stimulate metabolism longer and more effectively than coffee.
8. Dont forget H2O. Staying well hydrated is essential to flushing the body of toxic byproducts that are released when fat is burned. Cold water may also give your metabolism at least a small boost because energy is required to heat the body.
9. Avoid stress. At all costs. Stress can actually cause weight gain, particularly around the tummy, says Lieberman. Why? Because physical and emotional stress activates the release of cortisol, a steroid that slows metabolism.
10. Sleep. Research shows that people who dont sleep for seven to eight hours a night are more prone to weight gain. Additionally, we now know that lean muscle is regenerated in the final couple of hours of sleep each night, says Beyer. Which takes you right back to tip number one!
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Snacks
Nutritional Advice by dietitian Alison Baldwin
Snacks are a great way to help keep your energy levels steady and your mind alert until your next full meal. However, it's important to pay attention to what types of snacks you eat and choose healthy, nutritious snacks.
Snacks play an important role for different groups of people:
Athletes and very active people
The more activity we do, the more energy we burn. Athletes and very active people often need extra energy and nutrients to meet the demands of their busy and active lifestyles. Snacks rich in high-fibre carbohydrates, like wholegrain bread, crackers and cereal bars, are great as a "top up" between meals.
Slimmers
Regular meals and healthy snacks will help curb your hunger. You will be less likely to overeat or be tempted by the less-healthy snacks, making it easier to control your weight. Protein-rich snacks, like low-fat yogurt and reduced-fat cheese and crackers will help to keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Adults
It's natural to feel a lull in energy levels if you don't eat between meals. Smart carbohydrate-based, low GI snacks can help your blood sugar levels from hitting a low and will keep you feeling energised. One of the most important things to remember about snacks is that they contribute extra kilojoules. If you are starting to include snacks, and you are aiming to maintain your weight, cut down your meal size. You shouldn't be eating any extra kilojoules, just spreading it out more evenly across the day.
What is a good snack to choose? How many kilojoules should a snack contain?
According to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, a snack for an average adult is around 600 kilojoules. However, this may be less for people who are watching their weight or much more for active children and athletes, because everyone has different energy needs. The average person shouldn't need more than 2 snacks each day.
How big?
When it comes to snacking, size does matter! Remember a snack is just that -a snack! It's not supposed to be the same size as a main meal. Think of the size of a piece of toast or a tub of yogurt, that's about the size a snack should be. If you are active, your snacks may need to be a bit bigger.
"I just need something sweet"
Often we snack when we are bored. These snacks can contribute excess kilojoules leading to weight gain. Before you reach for a snack, think about whether you are really hungry, and if you are, grab something nutritious, rather than a sweet treat. If you are hungry, it means that your blood sugar levels are falling, and your brain is telling your body to find food to increase the blood sugar. Although you might be craving sugar, what your body really needs is some carbohydrate, and the best carbohydrate is slowly digested or low GI, as this will maintain blood sugar levels for longer.
If a healthy snack such as a piece of fruit or wholegrain crackers doesn't satisfy you, and you really feel like a sweet treat, then have one. It is not "bad" to treat yourself. You simply need to balance healthy snacks with treats. Occasional treats can be part of a healthy diet, it's just a matter of how often and how much. Try sticking to a healthy diet during the week so you can have a treat at the weekend. This is a good rule for weekends and special occasions when you know you've had healthy snacks days during the week.
Some snack solutions
- Fruit is one of the most convenient snacks - full of fibre, vitamins and antioxidants.
- Low fat yoghurts or fruche are a great tasting, refreshing snack and provide calcium.
- A piece of wholegrain toast, a bowl of high fibre cereal or low fat crackers are a great snack option, with the benefit of fibre.
- A small handful (30g) of dried fruit and nuts is great to keep in your bag and gives you a fibre boost.
- Some drinks are good snacks as well, particularly on hot days: liquid meal supplements or skim milk milkshakes and smoothies are packed with protein.
- Fruit loaf, scones or crumpets spread with low-fat ricotta, jam or peanut butter are great for something a bit more substantial.
- For a savoury snack, dip wholegrain crackers into hommus, low-fat dips or salsa.
- Individually wrapped snacks are always handy and can help stop you from overeating. Try low-fat cereal bars, dried fruit packs and air-popped popcorn.
- Sorbets, ice blocks or low-fat ice cream in small portions that fit the <600kJ guidelines.
- If you're craving chocolate, try instant, low-kilojoule hot chocolate or a lowkilojoule chocolate mousse - sweet and satisfying.
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Reading Nutrition Labels
Nutritional Advice by dietitian Alison Baldwin
Reading nutrition labels
Knowing about what you eat is an important part of looking after your health and wellbeing. Food labels carry information about the food such as the nutrition panel, ingredient list, allergens, country of origin and advisory statements. Most manufactured foods need a label, with a few exceptions such as those sold in very small packages. It's good to remember that some of the healthiest food may not have a label, such as fruit, vegetables and fresh meat.
Understanding the Nutrition Information Panel
Nutrition information panels are displayed on the packaging of most food and drink. Some exceptions include foods in small packages, tea, coffee, alcohol, herbs and spices. Nutrition information is listed per serve as well as per 100g or 100mL.
Let's take a look at the mandatory features of the nutrition information panel in the yogurt* label below.
Click image to enlarge
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Weight loss - a healthy approach
Nutritional Advice by dietician Alison Baldwin
To maintain your weight, your energy intake needs to equal the energy you use. If you use more energy than you eat and drink, you will lose weight. On the other hand, if you eat more than you use, you will gain weight. The sensible answer to losing excess body fat is to make small healthy changes to your eating and exercise habits. These changes should be things that you can maintain as part of your lifestyle - that way you will lose weight and keep it off.
Don't skip meals
Skipping meals is not recommended. In fact, if you skip meals, you may find you eat more when you do eat and this may lead to a larger stomach capacity. This can then increase the amount of food you need at each meal before you feel 'full'.
'Yoyo' diets will slow your metabolism
Many people who need to lose weight try crash dieting, which is a short-term solution that will increase your body fat levels in the long term. Yoyo dieting does not help you to maintain a healthy body weight. Your body responds to these periods of semi-starvation by lowering its metabolic rate. When you lose weight, you lose fat and muscle. Muscle burns calories but fat doesn't.
So, when you then stop dieting and eat normally again, your body will burn even fewer calories than before because the relative amount of muscle in your body has decreased and your metabolic rate is slower. This kind of eating pattern can also affect your general health - just one cycle of weight loss and weight gain can contribute to an increased risk of coronary heart disease, regardless of body fat levels. That's why it's important to maintain the weight loss.
Think about when and why you overeat
Some of the factors that can lead to weight gain include:
- Night eating
- Social eating
- Habitual eating
- Eating food while drinking alcohol.
If you can avoid eating at these times, and keep to regular meals and snacks, it will help you to lose weight. You could also try to eat less food at each meal and increase the number of high fibre, low saturated fat meals and snacks throughout the day. You should try to find healthy ways to cope with stress or emotional upsets.
A healthier approach to food
You can lose body fat by making a few easy changes to your eating habits. It will help you lose body fat if you:
- Avoid yoyo diets.
- Eat a wide variety of food from all food groups.
- Check that you eat from the following food groups every day
- bread and cereals,vegetables, fruit, milk and dairy, and meat, fish or legumes.
- Have six small, frequent meals and snacks rather than three large meals a day.
- Reduce your intake of foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt.
- Make soft drinks, lollies and snack foods an occasional treat.
- Try to balance a treat food with extra exercise. The more energy you burn, the more treats you can afford to have.
- Cut down on saturated dietary fats and alcohol.
- Try to eat more fresh foods and less processed foods.
- Avoid using food for comfort, such as when you are upset, angry or stressed. Explore other healthy ways to cope with these feelings.
- Try to stop eating once you've had enough. If you continue to eat, particularly foods high in saturated fat, the extra kilojoules will be stored as fat.
Alison Baldwin
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Weight Loss - Busting the Myths
Nutritional Advice by dietitian Alison Baldwin
There's no magic weight loss potion
Dieting has led to many unhealthy misconceptions about weight loss. There are no magical foods or ways to combine foods that melt away excess body fat. To reduce your weight, you need to make small, achievable changes to your lifestyle. You need to change the way you eat and increase your physical activity.
Some dietary fats cause weight gain
Fats contain approximately double the amount of kilojoules (calories) per gram than carbohydrates or protein. They are a very concentrated form of energy. If you eat a lot of fat, you are more likely to put on weight than if you eat a lot of carbohydrate.
The type of fat you eat may also be important. Research shows that animal fats (saturated fats) may be more 'fattening' than plant and fish fats. Fish and plant fats appear to be more readily used by the body and less likely to be stored as fat in the belly. They can also provide some health benefits.
Excess carbohydrates or protein can also be converted into body fat. If you eat more kilojoules than you use, you will put on weight whether those kilojoules came from fats, carbohydrates or proteins.
Low, moderate or high carbohydrate diets
In the short term, very low carbohydrate diets can result in greater weight loss than high carbohydrate diets but, in the long term, weight loss differences appear to be minimal. Very low carbohydrate diets can be unhealthy if too much animal fat is consumed and if plant foods are overly restricted. The long term safety of these diets is unknown.
Five food myths exposed
There are many myths about foods - which you should eat and when you should eat them.
Below five myths are exposed as false!
1. Potatoes make you fat - false
It was once thought that the key to weight loss was eliminating all high carbohydrate foods, including pasta, rice and potatoes. We now know that carbohydrates are the body's preferred energy source. Eating a potato, or any type of carbohydrate rich food, won't automatically make you fatter. However, if you are watching your weight, enjoy potatoes in moderate quantities and be careful of how you eat your potato (for example, butter and sour cream are high in fats).
2. Food combining diets really work - false
There are plenty of diets based on the belief that the digestive system can't tackle a combination of foods or nutrients. Commonly, carbohydrates and proteins are said to 'clash', leading to digestive problems and weight gain. The opposite is often true. Foods eaten together can help the digestive system. For example, vitamin C in orange juice can increase iron absorption from a meal like chicken or beef. Very few foods are purely carbohydrate or purely protein; most are a mixture of both. The digestive system contains enzymes that are perfectly capable of breaking down all the foods we eat. Food combining diets should be avoided.
3. Breakfast should consist of fruit only - false
There is no evidence that eating only fruit at breakfast has any health or weight loss benefits. Most fruits are not very high in complex carbohydrates, which the body needs after an all-night fast. They are, however, a good source of fibre and vitamins. Cereal foods (especially wholegrain varieties) like bread, crumpets, muffins and breakfast cereals are a much better source of carbohydrates to get you going in the morning.
4. There are some magical foods that cause weight loss - false
Some foods, such as grapefruit or kelp, are said to burn off body fat. This is not true. Dietary fibre comes closest to fulfilling this wish because it provides a feeling of 'fullness' with minimal kilojoules. High fibre foods such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals, and legumes also tend to be low in fat.
5. Drinking while you are eating is fattening - false
The theory behind this misconception is that digestive juices and enzymes will be diluted by the fluid, and this will slow down the digestion and lead to excess body fat. There is no scientific evidence to back this up. In fact, evidence suggests that drinking water with your meal improves digestion. Kilojoule-heavy drinks such as alcoholic beverages can be fattening if consumed in excess, but drinking them with meals doesn't make them more so.
The key to weight loss
Suggestions for safe and effective weight loss include:
- Don't crash diet. You'll most likely regain the lost weight within five years.
- Aim for slow weight loss. You should lose no more than 0.5kg a week or 10kg in six months.
- Aim to lose 10cm from around your waist in six months. This is more important for your general health than the number of kilos you lose.
- Cut down on dietary fats, especially saturated fat.
- Cut back on refined sugars.
- Increase your intake of fresh fruit, vegetables and wholegrain breads and cereals.
- Consume less alcohol.
- Eat less takeaway and snack foods.
- Exercise for approximately 30 minutes at least a few times every week. Introduce more movement into your day - try to accumulate 30 minutes of walking daily.
- Don't eliminate any food group - choose from a wide range of foods every day instead and choose 'whole', less processed foods. Have a regular pattern of eating and stick to it.
- Drink at least 1,500ml of water per day.
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