Nuts about Nuts

I have spent aaaaaages standing in the 'nuts' aisle in many different supermarkets wondering if its really a big deal if I go for the salted/roasted nuts rather than the raw variety.

I came across this great diagram which looks at every nutritional aspect of the nuts and what the differences really are!

Of course the raw nuts won....was kinda expecting that though!

http://www.prevention.com/content/which-healthier-raw-nuts-vs-roasted-nuts

What can we do to minimise our risk of getting Cancer?

We have all heard of things that can contribute to getting cancer; some seem obvious to us e.g. getting severely sun burnt whereas others seem more obscure such as; eating browned foods (toast, roasted food etc), heating food in plastic which releases BPA's, drinking water out of a water bottle that was left in the sun (again BPA leakage, try switching to a glass water bottle).


I read a really interesting article by the Health Sciences Academy entitled "Why don't we all get Cancer?' following this article it made me wonder if there are things we can do that are scientifically proven to reduce our risk of getting Cancer. It makes sense to me that eating healthy whole foods, limiting toxins such as processed food, alcohol, tobacco etc and including exercise into your daily routine would equate to a decreased risk of many diseases but what about Cancer?

The Health Sciences Academy gives a very simplistic breakdown of what causes cancer can be explained by DNA breakages. In summary, our body experiences billions of DNA breakages daily (which is good as it is getting rid of broken cells). The danger is when our body's defense system is not able to recognize broken cells ( and subsequently repair them) so it allows the broken cells to remain in our bodies allowing cancerous cells to form.

1: Get Some Exercise

If  cardiovascular health and fat loss are not enough of a reason ....exercise also increases DNA Repair! A study in 2013 (Cash et al)  showed that 150 minutes of intense exercise a week (think biking, running, swimming) increases your body's ability to repair DNA cells.

By enabling your DNA to repair itself you are effectively reducing your risk of a DNA breakage or mistake, your body repairs the mistake before cancer cells are created.

2: Get Enough Sleep

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, it also has a high mortality rate this is primarily because of tumor progression and metastatic spread (cancer that spreads to another part of the body)

In a previous post I discussed the relationship between sleep and weight loss. Sleep helps your body to regulate Melatonin levels. One of the primary purposes of Melatonin is to control your 24 hour biological cycle i.e. sleep-wake patterns (Circadian Rhythm).

Melatonin also acts as an antioxidant - this helps to protect your DNA cells against oxidative damage. Sleep deprivation causes lower melatonin levels which can lead to increased risk of breast and prostate cancer.

3. Get a healthy diet full of nutrients

Personally I fascinated by documentaries like "Fat, Sick & Almost Dead" where nutrient dense diets have helped to fight disease. You do not need to go on an extreme juicing diet to receive adequate nutrients in your diet. Here are some recommendations:

• Make a minimum of 1/3 of all your meals vegetable based (and fruit based for one meal as it still has a high sugar content). Aim for 5+ portions of vegetables and fruit a day.
• Pick whole foods instead of processed counterparts, zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti? A chicken breast for bruschetta toppings instead of the bread.
• Be conscious of portion sizes
• Do not waste calories on fruit juices - eat the fruit and get the fibre and just drink water or herbal teas
• Limit your intake of refined carbohydrate foods - try replacing potatoes with sweet potatoes
• Avoid diet foods - usually the naturally occurring fat that is actually perfectly fine for consumption has been removed and has been replaced with artificial flavors and sugars - this wreaks havoc on your blood sugar levels
• Cook your own food - that way you know how much added salt, sugar, cream, butter etc has been added!

To me this all makes sense, sleep well, eat well, move your body frequently! :)


Please Note: This article is based on my personal attempt to understand whether there is anything I can do in my daily life to minimize my risk of cancer. This is not a medical journal and I am coming from the point of view that good nutrition and well being is a cornerstone of good health. Medical journals and research have been referenced however I would like to remind that I am not a Dr - please seek medical advice if needed.

Additional Readings:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15649735
http://www.endocrineweb.com/endocrinology/overview-pineal-gland
http://www.inca.gov.br/estimativa/2010/index.asp?link=conteudo_view.asp&ID=5
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3887041/
http://thehealthsciencesacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Science-Report_Why-Dont-We-All-Get-Cancer_The-Health-Sciences-Academy.pdf
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/cancer-prevention/art-20044816
http://www.avonbreastcare.org/files/ACSGuidelinesNutrition.pdf

How much sugar is in that?!!

We are becoming increasingly aware that sugar is a toxin and should be limited in our dietary intake however when looking at our food labels it can be really confusing to know how much sugar is really too much, our labels show us the grams of sugar per 100g but its hard to know what is an 'ok' amount?

I came across a great image that shows how much sugar is in some items that we would eat everyday versus sweat treats like chocolate bars and fizzy drinks. 

As you can see even healthy foods like a banana or even a carrot have some sugar - the key thing to note here is that the sugar from these foods are from natural sources and do not cause the same damage foods with added sugar, flavorings and sweeteners do! 




Readings
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2993513/Pasta-sauce-sugar-Mars-bar-soup-sweet-cider-reveal-white-stuff-lurking-favourite-foods.html

Advanced Sports & Exercise Nutritional Advisor!

Hello all! Apologies for the radio silence the last while! This last month has been crazy, started a new role in work, trip to UK with work, my parents 25th wedding anniversary and saying goodbye to my best friend who is moving to Canada :(
 
 I have also been busy on the personal front, I am now a qualified "Advanced Sports & Exercise Nutritional Advisor". This qualification was mostly for myself as I am so interested in fitness and nutrition however it now allows me to take on clients, create diet plans specifically related to an athletes needs.

Watch this space!

 

Calculating your Daily Caloric Needs (DCN)

 

To calculate your Daily Caloric Needs (to maintain your current weight) you follow this very simple calculation.   Step 1: Calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)   BMR = Weight in KG x 22 (female) 24 (male) For example: My weight is 59kg x 22 = 1298 calories Step 2:  Multiply your BMR by your Physical Activity Level (PAL) as follows: Mostly inactive or sedentary (mainly sitting): 1.2 Fairly active (includes walking and exercise 1– 2 x weekly): 1.375 Moderately active (exercise 2 – 3 x weekly): 1.55 Active (intensive exercise more than 3 x weekly): 1.725 Very active (intensive exercise daily): 1.9 Daily Caloric Need (DCN) = BMR ______ x PAL _____ = _______ calories Example: 1298 x 1.725 = 2239 calories a day Note: (the above activity level figures are from the Harris Benedict equation, there are other slightly adjusted versions available) Calorie Needs to lose weight If you are reducing your daily calorie intake it is important to ensure that you are still getting adequate amounts of each macronutrient (fat, carbohydrate, protein) CALORIES: Caloric intake needs to decrease by 15% CARBS: Carbohydrate intake needs to decrease by 15% PROTEIN: 1.6-2g protein/ kg body weight/ day FAT: Fat intake from total calories = 20% TRAINING: Continue normal training programme. RESULTS: The goal is a fat loss of 0.5 kg in about 10 days, but this will be fat and not muscle so it shouldn't affect athletic performance or cause your metabolic rate to slow down To calculate you daily caloric needs for weight loss multiply your DCN x0.85   Example: 2239 x 0.85 = 1903 (bear in mind this is for an activity level of 1.725, someone who is very active!). Be honest with yourself on your activity level for a specific week and make sure to adjust accordingly!   There are approximately 3500 calories in a pound of stored body fat. So, if you create a 3500-calorie deficit through diet, exercise or a combination of both, you will lose one pound of body weight. (On average 75% of this is fat, 25% lean tissue) If you create a 7000 calorie deficit you will lose two pounds and so on. As a guide to minimum calorie intake, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levels never drop below 1200 calories per day for women or 1800 calories per day for men. Even these calorie levels are quite low. Reading: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/calorie-intake-to-lose-weight.php http://www.shapefit.com/basal-metabolic-rate.html http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-and-daily-calorie-calculator.html

New Year, New You?

Its that time of year again! Where the gyms are packed with more than just good intentions :)

January is a great time for us to reset and refocus on our fitness goals or to set new ones. I know personally I really enjoyed the Christmas break eating and drinking more (ok a lot more) than i usually would however, I must say I was looking forward to getting back into a routine and giving my body the fuel it really needs!

Research shows that approx. 90% of all new years resolutions fail, here are some tips to making sure you stick to your fitness resolutions!

Step 1: Set a Realistic Goal

Aim to set one goal rather than 10 at a time, don't underestimate how much change can impact you.For example quitting sugar, gluten and dairy in one go can be very overwhelming and if too radical a change you are not likely to stick to it!

Its better to lose weight slowly and steadily to avoid drastically reducing your metabolism and becoming fed up with a very restrictive diet, the best diet is one you can stick to!

Make sure you do your research too, is losing 2lbs a week realistic? if you only have a stone to lose its likely it will not come off that fast.


Step 2: Make it specific and measurable!

You cant define success if you do not measure it, you need to know what your starting point is or how will you tell if your on the right track?

For example, if your goal is to increase fitness why not time how long it takes you to jog/run 1km and work from there? If your goal is fat loss, meaure your waist (or if you want to go by scales that is fine too, personally i don't weigh myself but go by inches or fat % by callipers).

Step 3: Get a friend/partner onboard!

It can be difficult to clean up your diet at the best of times, but near impossible if your partner/housemates are all scoffing pizza beside you! Try and get them on board with the same goals, that way you can encourage and motivate each other.

If your partner or friends are not up for it try and find someone who is! Perhaps a work colleague, or even people you have met online? I recently got a Jawbone fitness tracker which monitors my sleep patterns, daily step count, activity level and allows me to log my food. A great feature of the Up app is that you can have teammates - this can really help when you have accountability of what you are eating via logging meals and also helps spark some competition to get more active!!

Step 4: Break the goal into mini-milestones

Think of your goal as a journey and identify key milestones along it. By breaking it into smaller milestones it is less over-whelming and you are recognising your success along the way.

Find a way to reward yourself without undoing all the great work! (for me rewarding with food is not a good idea, rather i treat myself to a massage or perhaps a new purchase like gym gear or new runners, that way you will look forward to wearing them....in the gym ha ha )

Step 5: If its simply not working, adjust your goal, don't give up!

A couple of years ago I made a resolution to get fit and thought the only way to do this was to go running....guess what, I HATE RUNNING. I don't mind it on the rugby pitch but i just don't get any joy from road running, I forced myself to do this for months and I was miserable!

Moral of the story, there's more than one way to get to where you want to go. Different diets work for different people, there are endless ways to burn calories find one you enjoy!


http://www.womenshealthmag.co.uk/weight-loss/healthy-eating/2262/new-years-resolutions/

Hidden Sugars in "Diet" foods

YES - finally something in the media that increases awareness of how low-fat so called diet foods are so high in sugar!

Australian actor Damien Gameau gave up sugar three years ago... that was until he decided to put our so called "health" foods to the diet.

Living on a diet full of hidden sugars (note: he did not eat any confectionary, fizzy drinks or ice cream) like those found in low-fat foods he was consuming a shocking 40g of sugar a day!

The diet was so bad in fact that he added 4 inches to his waistline and his body showed signs of fatty liver disease....If this doesn't bring awareness I don't know what will!


You can also download the post experiment recipes that Damon used:

available here